"Humanity?"
Hearing that, Pardo became even more confused. "You mean interpersonal relationships and all that? I know that stuff. When you're caught while restocking, that's when your interpersonal skills really get tested."
For Vill-V, who knew Pardo's daily routine all too well, those words were rather amusing.
Pardo, are these "interpersonal skills" of yours even legal?
Do you mean the skill of putting on an innocent face in front of patrol officers and then turning around to scam them for compensation? Or the skill of telling a gang boss about some huge business opportunity, then leaving him standing in a mosquito-infested garbage dump for a full five hours?
Either way, they're definitely the kind of interpersonal skills that get you beaten to death the next time you meet.
Odin knew nothing about Pardo's version of interpersonal relations. He shook his head and continued asking, "Then, if you were him, would communication still matter?"
Odin pointed toward the purple-clad officer already pinned beneath his foot.
Pardo lowered her head and looked. The purple-clad officer's back had been crushed inward beneath Odin's boot. He was probably already halfway dead.
"If I were him? How could I possibly be him?"
"Why is it impossible? You are human, and he is human. Would that not mean you are him?"
An image of "what's yours is mine, and what's mine is still mine" surfaced in Pardo's mind. She stroked her chin. "That actually sounds pretty reasonable. Maybe I can explain it that way next time I swindle someone out of their stuff... No, no, no, that's not right. I'm me. How could I be him? Ah, stop copying Vill-V and talking in riddles. All this 'you're me, I'm you' stuff makes no sense to me."
Pardo, who had barely received any proper schooling since birth, had no interest in listening to this kind of philosophical talk. Even the free public classes organized by HoMu Company were something she proudly skipped.
"Precisely." Ghostly flames ignited in Odin's eyes. "You are you. I am I. He is he. This is what we call the Boundary of Humanity. And our purpose is to protect that boundary until..."
As he spoke, Odin turned his head and "looked" meaningfully toward Vill-V.
The ghostly flames flickered, making goosebumps rise across Vill-V's skin.
"Protect?"
Vill-V scoffed at Odin's use of that word to describe their organization. "Then what's going on with the boundaries of these people?"
Vill-V pointed at the malfunctioning members of the Mobile Response Force.
"You hid yourselves in this city because Dusk City's specialty—cyberpsychosis—can conceal your own specialty—dissociative disorders. Am I wrong?"
The Previous Era's information networks were extremely advanced. If the proportion of mental illness in any region became abnormal, the authorities would undoubtedly become suspicious.
By now, the authorities even investigated every resident's psychological condition through big data in order to keep unstable elements under control.
Only a completely lawless place like Dusk City, where one could encounter a cyberpsycho every few steps, could conceal such an abnormal situation.
Hearing Vill-V's doubts, Odin answered solemnly, "Lady Vill-V, you should understand that the mortal world inevitably contains oppositions between order and chaos, light and darkness."
"Since there are heroes who defend the Boundary of Humanity, there must naturally also be demons who destroy the Boundary of Humanity. Those demons are called Asgard (Ninth Mausoleum). Asgard (Ninth Mausoleum) is both the birthplace of consciousness entities like us and the thing we wish to destroy."
Destroy humanity's boundaries? Don't tell me you're talking about Evangelion's Human Orange Juice Project?
Please don't pay tribute to EVA in the Honkai world. Asuka, please go back to your original universe. Thank you.
Our world does not need Instrumentality.
Vill-V's eyes lit up. "So you're saying you're actually a traitor to the Asgard (Ninth Mausoleum) organization?"
Odin's tone carried lofty reverence. "We share the same enemy in Asgard (Ninth Mausoleum), and the enemy of our enemy is our companion. As the first person to successfully rebel against Asgard (Ninth Mausoleum), Vill-V, you are the standard to which all consciousness entities aspire."
Odin put away his earlier arrogance and majesty. He slowly walked before Vill-V, humbly lowered himself onto one knee, bowed his head, and placed his raised right hand over his heart.
"On behalf of all consciousness entities of our kind, I offer you our highest respect! We shall surely follow in your footsteps and contribute whatever humble strength we possess toward saving humanity!"
Vill-V frowned at Odin, who had suddenly declared his allegiance, while countless complicated emotions churned within her.
As expected of someone Pardo had brought along. Pardo's good luck was always so dramatic. The biggest boss had been turned directly into an ally. Just how absurdly lucky did someone have to be for that to happen?
No battle required. He had somehow become her subordinate just like that.
Even Vill-V was jealous. Now this is what you call invincible!
Of course, it was also possible this was simply the worldline Seele had selected. The possibilities created by a butterfly flapping its wings were limitless.
Of course, although Odin had expressed his obedience toward Vill-V, his submission had come far too easily... Vill-V certainly was not going to lower her guard so casually.
Save humanity?
"Tch."
Vill-V clicked her tongue.
Give me a break.
Do you believe I could send planet-destroying bombs all over the world?
And you say you want to save humanity?
Why don't you smell yourself and see how many lives are clinging to you?
At least ten thousand, okay?!
The two of us together are already doing pretty well if we can remain calm and rational enough not to destroy the world. What are we even talking about, saving it?
Vill-V did not immediately say whether she accepted Odin's allegiance. "You still haven't explained what's going on with those subordinates of yours who've gone crazy."
Around the giant pit, many members of the Taixu Gang had been injured because of the rampaging Mobile Response Force members they had been standing near.
Odin rose unhurriedly and explained, "Just now, we issued a declaration formally severing ourselves from Asgard. That is why these consciousness entities had their Personality Boundaries destroyed by Asgard, plunging them into personality disorder. As you know, every member of Asgard possesses multiple personalities. Once the boundaries fall into chaos, they lose themselves."
"What exactly is a consciousness entity?"
"A consciousness entity is self-recognition with a personality as its basic unit. After all, even an ordinary human body can house several consciousness entities possessing different memories. Once simple terms such as 'I' or 'human' are no longer sufficient for self-recognition, the term 'consciousness entity' becomes more appropriate."
No, I don't know, and I don't want to know.
If she were not already so deeply entangled with this bizarre organization, Vill-V would have wanted to stay as far away from them as possible.
This strange organization that had appeared out of nowhere and had never even existed in Honkai's original plot was something MOTH could deal with. Vill-V had absolutely no desire to get involved.
"And the walls that preserve the boundaries of our individual consciousness are the antidote the detestable Asgard uses to control miserable beings like us. Once that antidote is cut off, the walls separating them disappear as well."
"Your Highness, Daughter of Humanity, please help them rebuild the walls of their hearts."