As soon as they entered the door behind them, the scene made it perfectly clear—Kallen didn't need to drink any bitter melon tonic.
She was already half-sitting in bed, still pale but able to smile and nod at Durandal and Rita in greeting. Kallen's eyes brightened upon catching sight of Theresa.
Rita had regained consciousness after the Binding wall disappeared. The Herrscher-in-training had seemed a bit shaken at first, but Kallen's warm smile quickly reassured her.
Rita, too, was an S-rank Valkyrie, likely as skilled in combat as the others. But coincidentally, the Herrscher of Binding didn't seem to acknowledge that. According to lore, the only way to defeat a Herrscher was through extraordinary—or even cheating—means. Rita vaguely sensed this truth; after the battle, she'd undoubtedly taken it seriously… though unfortunately she hadn't made it onto the Herrscher selection roster. If she had, Luo Mo would've fully supported her.
Kallen propped herself against the cushioned headboard, waving softly to Theresa before gently brushing the top of her head. It was a tender gesture, showing she had no residual worry in her heart.
Theresa also lay in bed, holding her grandmother close.
"So… you've become a Herrscher, Theresa.
Schicksal has never had a Herrscher as its Head Academy before. Going forward, you'll have to work a bit harder."
Kallen's lips curved gently as she spoke, easing away Theresa's anxieties. She patted her twice, and leaned in to wipe the tears from her cheeks.
"Crying a bit is okay. It helped release the tension.
But in the future—if I'm not around, you shouldn't cry like this."
She lightly teased, but spoke from the heart. Deep down, she believed Theresa could grow into a truly outstanding head of Schicksal . Perhaps a light joke had slipped out earlier, but it didn't reflect her true feelings.
In times of peace, Kallen's leadership would shine just as brightly.
She was kinder than many others and always looked to understand others' pain.
Like Otto had trusted her, even more so now… after a while, Theresa would become a great leader.
Kallen believed in her — believed she would grow into that role.
Cruelty and ruthlessness were learnable, but steadfastness, purpose, and a kind heart…
those were rarer, more precious, and what Kallen admired most in Theresa all along.
If Otto could see now what he saw in Kallen back then, and Kallen saw the spark now in this new "Phoenix-born" being…
the faith he would place in her would be even deeper.
Of course, only after the Honkai threat ended could he truly entrust everything to her.
Thanks to Otto's protective influence, Kallen at least felt a deeper understanding of why certain events had occurred up to this point.
"Grandma—are you okay? Don't scare me like that!"
Theresa cried out more harshly, unable to hold back tears at her grandmother's weakened state.
What would Schicksal think?
Even that powerful Herrscher had been pushed too far—The line between delivering and betraying had become blurred.
"I'm okay… at least for now."
Kallen forced a small smile. Good. She was okay—not completely broken.
"I've been thinking about a few things—About that final power, and… how someone could live for five hundred years."
"He created a world in which I could exist.
But clearly he hoped not just to avoid that one disaster… He also wanted the world—this niceness, this fortune—to settle on me."
"In the game… or in this era, Kiana has incredible luck. And thinking back… for everything that happened before, I've been lucky too.
The things I wanted to happen, time and fate aligned with me."
"Maybe I should've thought about this sooner…
Because at the time, so many things seemed impossible. But later, things like defeating Schicksal head-on became real. And many more things…"
Kallen paused on the bed, her words trailing off.
Her gaze softened as Theresa's eyes flickered with memory—she was clear now, lucid.
Kallen lovingly smoothed Theresa's hair, her eyes reflecting pure serenity.
At this moment—this world—began to move because of one person.
Not empty words, not illusions—real change.
Maybe the world wouldn't drastically change because of her.
But she could change it—with her own two hands.
Just as she wanted to continue living now, she wanted… to change Schicksal itself.
But magic was limited—he couldn't resurrect the dead or rewrite fate.
"Grandma… since you lost that power… what do you plan to do now?"
Theresa asked anxiously, looking up in concern.
Ever since learning that her grandmother could live for five hundred years, Theresa had always been worried about whether she could still outlive her—or leave behind anything precious like the legacy of Schicksal.
Even if Grandma said she wanted to keep training herself…
Theresa had always held onto the thought that she had her as a backup. That gave her comfort, some silent reassurance.
But now… everything seemed to be changing.
Kallen looked away from Theresa and toward the others, her expression calm and neutral—no emotion at all.
"Of course Head Dean is safe," said Durandal swiftly. "Rita and I will first go back to the rest of the academy to assist there."
She clearly meant to give Theresa some private time—letting her process what happened while ensuring everything was still under control.
Whatever secret lay hidden in Schicksal's power… and that important guidance meant for her successor…
Luo Mo followed suit quietly, waiting for the right moment to continue.
He wasn't slow-witted nor emotionally clueless—nor had he knowingly inherited Schicksal's plans.
He simply felt glad that the Headmistress was finally actually taking charge.
---
In the academy's Golden atrium, their equipment was working perfectly to shield everyone's minds from the psychological trauma caused by the Binding collapse. These tools, powered with special energy-flow tech created by Vill·V, were designed precisely for this kind of event.
Without Stigmata, they'd have been vulnerable—particularly since the Herrscher's impact could erode people from the inside. It would've made resistance nearly impossible. But now they were handling it with solid support.
"The Herrscher of Binding … in this civilization, that's some luck. Disaster and fortune have intertwined—appearing together like this among so many staff members... That's not something easily judged as good or bad."
Vill·V casually flipped a gold coin in her fingers. The sunlight danced off its surface, catching the eyes of some nearby students who stared, mesmerized. But she kept it firmly balanced between her fingers.
She laughed, seemingly savoring the moment—though her playful nature meant she didn't care if someone dropped some pocket change in awe.
Just hopefully they wouldn't mistake it for gold plating and feel resentful later.
They were too captivated by the coin's shine to notice the real danger all around—thankfully, Kevin and Elysia were nearby to step in if needed. Quietly, Vill·V reminded herself it was better to remain calm.
"I can't say how this turns out," Mobius said coolly.
"But if this also happens at Fire Moth base… I'd take it as more good than bad."
Even though the high-ranking individuals affected by the Binding hadn't shifted much, step by step their spheres of influence were being dismantled one by one.
If the Binding phenomenon could appear sooner in a controlled way—that would be ideal.
Mobius quietly let her mind wander with possibilities.
"We may not see the outcome right now… but this performance is done."
"The next chapter's script is about to begin. Let's just sit back and watch!"
Vill·V smiled elegantly, flicked her cap, planted one hand before her in a small curtsy.
Then she summoned a swirl of mist around her feet.
Inside the golden atrium, she disappeared from sight at once.
The others followed suit, though slower—especially the students. Watching Vill·V leave, Mobius' brow twitched slightly.
"Hey—aren't you two going to walk all the way home?
What was that smoke bomb for?"
Finally, when everyone cleared out, the atrium was empty and silent—yet sparks of suspicion still lingered in the air.
But one thing was for sure: between those two, something else was going on.
.....
Life slowly began to return to a calm, peaceful rhythm.
The tragedy of the Binding Herrscher had passed, and Theresa's emotions had stabilized significantly.
It seemed that she was no longer distressed or troubled by the overwhelming number of Herrschers in the academy. That was truly a relief—something worth celebrating.
However, her recent days hadn't been entirely easy either.
She couldn't completely relax or be carefree, especially with the wave of meeting recordings Kallen had sent her—one after another, each featuring important figures from various crucial departments within Schicksal.
What was once an occasional obligation had now become a regular affair.
Theresa, with a face full of reluctance and bitterness, had to study management, leadership, and personnel work.
Luo Mo, of course, didn't pry into that secret conversation—but just by observing, he could tell that Kallen's body was perfectly healthy, with no sign of weakness or decline.
It was clear that the burden of Schicksal's leadership would not fall on Theresa's shoulders just yet.
That said, he did ask her about her compatibility with Judas and her current combat strength.
Theresa had replied that she could now restrain him instantly if she wanted.
What the hell?! Did that mean she could now one-shot an S-rank Valkyrie like Rita?
Since he knew his own strength well enough, and since Rita was only slightly stronger than him, that meant Theresa had become ridiculously strong.
Meanwhile, as usual, Kongming and Theresa bickered Luna. But Kongming noticed something—Theresa was now much more vigilant.
She always looked like she was scheming something, hesitating behind corners and asking strange questions. In short, she wasn't harmless anymore!
And also… why did Theresa get taller after becoming a Herrscher?!
Could she become a Herrscher too?!
Kongming ground her teeth. Even if Theresa's growth wasn't as extreme as some others, the difference between having power and having none was the difference between 0 and 1—a complete gap.
---
As for Su Lu and Anna, their reports had been passed to Luo Mo as well—regarding the internal chaos within the Binding Company and Kevin's recent moves.
In the end… even after reaching the island, they never actually met face to face?
Luo Mo made a mental note of that, but life had to move on.
And there was always the matter of the game.
The Spring Festival event had ended. A final update version was on the horizon—still in development.
The finale would leave behind a small "theater" website.
---
Mobius' Laboratory – Mini Theater Event
In this laid-back setting, only one female figure remained with her mouth slightly open.
Inside the lab, she lived with Fuxi, Nuwa, and Klein.
What was this strange arrangement? Might as well enjoy it a bit.
The mini-theater began with Nuwa arriving late. She entered flustered and in a mess, making the machines flash red.
"Aaaah—how did this happen?! I was only one minute late!"
She rolled dramatically on the floor in protest, looking a lot like Raven.
"Sigh… according to the lab rules, Nuwa has to buy everyone a round of milk tea,"
said her older sister, Fuxi, whose calm personality stood in sharp contrast to her dramatic sibling.
Then, through a series of deliberate antics, they all got to work on their assigned lab duties.
---
From the images, the Mobius Lab looked a little messy—some Honkai beast specimens here and there—but it wasn't the twisted, perverse lair some exaggerated in their wild imaginations.
In fact, it seemed pretty normal. Maybe even more normal than the supposed "heavenly peace" scenes others described.
After all, when Klein was still alive, Mobius wasn't always alone.
"The art style… tsk."
"This scene… tsk."
"It gives me a weird sense of déjà vu. Like it's familiar but foreign. This is Dr. Mobius' lab, huh?
Thinking about it now, it feels like some ancient, distant memory. Ha ha, must be fictional!"
Nuwa covered her face in embarrassment, trying to deny everything.
Why had she ended up rolling around on the ground just for being late once?
Buying milk tea for everyone wasn't that big of a deal!
"No, you've been late so many times, I've lost count."
Fuxi calmly counted on her fingers.
The two of them participated in this voice-over skit together and found it surprisingly refreshing.
"Too bad it wasn't little Griseo doing the art. Her drawings are always so nice,"
Nuwa pouted.
"By the way… do you really have this milk-tea punishment rule in your lab? Who came up with that?"
The Herrscher of Sentience raised her brow in curiosity.
Naturally, both of them had chosen not to go out today.
It was just a little website activity—nothing worth fussing over.
Still… this upcoming version content didn't seem to concern them at all, and the performance had gotten a bit too weird.
"Ah… at first we thought it was the doctor's idea. But later, well… you'll see."
Nuwa replied vaguely, not wanting to spoil anything.
She did actually like this version of the Herrscher quite a lot.
Maybe every immortal ends up with a version of themselves that acts in perfect contrast—like Seele and Red Phoenix , or something like that.
"There are only four people here. You've arranged three roles. Am I supposed to guess them all?
Why not just tell me who's who?"
The Herrscher of Sentience didn't know what to say.
She hadn't even had time to think about Mobius and her milk-tea memes before being overwhelmed by nonsense.
"Uh… okay, sure," Nuwa stammered.
She hadn't meant to spoil the script.
Hopefully, this wouldn't get her salary docked…
---
Meanwhile, inside the lab—
Q-version Fuxi and Nuwa were searching for Klein-senpai, of course.
After all, there was no one more familiar with the lab than Klein herself!
And then—they found her.
Buried under a stack of documents, someone stirred.
Klein had fallen asleep in the lab!
What kind of person loved their job this much?!
Luo Mo had always quietly respected employees like her.
She staggered to her feet, dizzy, eyes spinning.
Mumbling to herself—
"I'm fine… I can still… work…"
Fuxi and Nuwa were so startled they took several steps back.
Absolutely terrified.
___
Side Story. Divine Fate Eight Trigrams, All‑Knowing. Part 3
Scene featuring the post‑Binding chatbox buzz on the academy's forum:
---
After the Binding's light wall subsided, the academy's forum and group chat lit up with countless discussion threads. Although some heated remarks were removed, key influencers still shared the shocking news.
Selected chat highlights:
"Next time I'll try harder!: I heard there was some super-class, super-big incident at St. Freya recently!!"
"It involved all Schicksal S‑rank Valkyries, plus the principal and main-game characters—seriously catastrophic!"
"Three‑Blade Jun was furious: 'X, I'm hospitalized right now!'"
"When do we get into A‑rank? Mold news only got us out of school for three days."
"No elegant tea time... I'm a bit peeved."
"Want drinks with Mei: Who says no? It hit us suddenly—no warning!"**
"My homework got shredded—so do I even have to write it now?"
"I'm so heartbroken..."
"I can't do anything right:—should I stop cooking? I didn't mean to drop dinner!"
"Want drinks with Mei:—what the heck does that even mean?"
"Devoted Follower #1: No question, it was obvious from the start."
"Want to pet Mei's horns: This... isn't great (⁄⁄∕⁄•⁄ω⁄•⁄⁄∕⁄)"
"Lineage Follower #2: Seems Miss Mei's name pops up a lot—no wonder she's popular!"
"Love to pet Mei's horns: @ Devoted Follower #1, you greedy child?"
"Dev. Fol. #2: Nah, I'm just a singer."
"Want drinks with Mei: Actually, I'm doing the homework for us students, not because I want to. I'm going to monitor my senior completing it—she hasn't started yet!"
"Now it's Judge Time: Cut it out—you're harming others and yourself."
"Now it's Judge Time: Seriously, teachers aren't here for drama. Let's get our act together and do the work."
"Dev. Fol. #1: One pen, one lamp, one night—give students a miracle."
"Want drinks with Mei: You really get it."
"Dev. Fol. #1: Of course! We all get a short break—is it too much for two days off?"
"Judge Time: Rare agreement!"
"Truth Herrscher: Why couldn't you all just finish the homework from the start?"
"Old Wise One: … huh, interesting. Is this modern Valkyrie behavior?"
"Old Wise One: That name—Little Form?"
"Scenic China (travels): What's happening? I was trolling—but the forum blew up… You guys really left homework undone?"
"I'm a C‑rank, really sorry: I didn't want to do it…"
"So ready to just quit school: Then do your duties."
"Three‑Blade Jun: Trust me—you don't want to end up bedridden."
"Three‑Blade Jun: One second—blackout, ringing ears… almost died."
"Want drinks with Mei: I think… I had symptoms like pulling an all-nighter."
"Sun‑soaked Cat: Heh—never went to school or did homework!"
"Love to pet Mei's horns: +1"
"Dev. Fol. #1: My dear principal… you won't stay ignorant forever!"
"Love to pet Mei's horns: Aaa—light up the banner!"
"Very much want to skip break: What's going on here?"
"Adorable Sleeper Klein: Just homework—seeing your struggle is cute!"
"What even is our academy?: Couldn't we just equate homework to Binding Herrscher?"**
"Zany Academy Staff: What are your minds on?"
"Scenic China: Wow—it was the Binding Herrscher? Took me a while to realize."
"Three‑Blade Jun: Foolish—stop slacking and study Honkai."
"Best Big Sis: Honestly, this is so entertaining!"
"Assassin – Don't — Forget me: Play less, gang."
"Best Big Sis: I want to see new outfits! New skins are lacking! That blue one get boring!"
"Assassin..."
"Magic Rabbit: Even anonymously I agree—where are the new skins? Bronya's cool; Cecilia's okay—but come on!"
"Prometheus: Careful—we'll get found out."
"Want drinks with Mei: … Who's that? Name sounds kinda familiar."
"True Herrscher: Magic Rabbit—is that you?"
"Cute Trio Busy Inside: Looking forward!"
"Dev. Fol. #1: No brains or enthusiasm—when's it airing?"
"Magic Rabbit: A Brain…"
"Prometheus: No enthusiasm…"
"Tiny Island Dream Villa: That username… uncannily accurate."
"Magic Rabbit: … thanks."
---
Meanwhile, discussion turned to upcoming training and power updates:
"Three‑Blade Jun: Hey, does anyone know how many Herrschers the academy now has?"
"Three‑Blade Jun: I hear there's a standalone Herrscher class—unbelievably structured and kinda logical!"
"I'm a C‑rank, really sorry: So weird—but I want to audit it!"
"I'm a C‑rank: They'll teach performances too; after passing certain drills, you can fight Honkai beasts—so intense!"
"I want to be C‑rank: I heard Benares got the most popular boss role!"**
"I want to be C‑rank: Also, I heard Elysia wasn't chosen for top spot."
"Queen Supreme: A—why?"
"Love to pet Mei: That's unfair—there's a blackout screen!"
"Dev. Fol. #1: Queen – fairy princesss shouldn't be unpopular!"
"I want to be C‑rank: Hey, in-game boss wasn't canceled… Elysia was just… absent recently. They said her boss fights were fitting—she even gained new skills, but no one could defeat it!"
"I want to be C‑rank: Who likes being tormented? I saw Kiana run in and get all covered in dirt!"
"I'm a C‑rank, real sorry: You're an A‑rank Valkyrie—A‑rank zones are off-limits, yeah?"
"I want to be C‑rank: I never said C‑rank meant Valkyrie C!"
"I'm a C‑rank, real sorry: Self-isolation…"
"I want to be C‑rank: Lady Hua… ah, sorry I was wrong!"
"Want drinks with Mei: Set sail peacefully!"
"Love to pet Mei: Ah dear…"
"Dev. Fol. #1: The Divine Princess comforts me—braids for eternity."
"Three‑Blade Jun: This made me sad."
"Dev. Fol. #1: So why is Elysia in training but not getting data accepted?"
"Dev. Fol. #1: Is there another boss in the game?"
"Love to pet Mei: Huh huh ♪"
"Want drinks with Mei: No!"
"Want drinks with Mei: Just one daily run—even if I die, I want to get those four big letters!"
"Love to pet Mei: A—this is… enough!"
"Judge Time: Open it! This is a must-open!"
"Judge Time: Why did I enter and couldn't see? Is Elysia that strong?"
"Sun‑soaked Cat: Heads-up: it wasn't the other Herrscher—Ely‑sis beat her."
"Busy Trio: Oh, I'll check it out too."
"Love to pet Mei: Whoa, I said it before—fairy princess should be wildly popular!"
"Queen Supreme: So… do Honkai beasts not get priority rights?"
"Dev. Fol. #1: If that's the case, why do beasts get preferential treatment?"**
"Dev. Fol. #1: I still want to shout: Kudos to Mobius and Klein! She worked so hard—perfect staff!"
"Adorable Sleeper Klein:!?"
"Adorable Sleeper Klein: Watch it, I might smack you for real!"
"So ready to quit school: Damn that A‑rank!"
"I want to be C‑rank: Hehe, I'm okay! I'm… sturdy, didn't deny it!"
"I want to be C‑rank: Ai ai ai, Vice‑Leader, I was wrong, I admit it!"