St. Freya High School. Shopping District
On the other side of the shopping district, Kiana and the other two were in a store, picking out spare clothes for themselves.
Originally, Kiana had wanted to pick out a few more pretty outfits.
Normally, young girls do care about their appearance.
But right now, Bronya was still doubting herself because of the questions Leo had posed to her several days ago.
And Mei, because of the things she had done, was determined to train hard and improve herself.
With both of them preoccupied, neither was particularly interested in Kiana's suggestion.
Kiana had planned to take them shopping for a few more clothes, then meet up with Leo and Yuno for a meal, letting everyone relax a bit.
But as it stood, she had no idea what was happening with Leo and Yuno, and the atmosphere on their side... was pretty awkward.
If this continued, Kiana felt that getting the other two to relax was a lost cause for today.
*Sigh*, everyone has something on their mind.
But even so, life has to go on—she couldn't bring herself to say that right now.
Mei's father is missing, and while we don't know Bronya's specific situation, the fact that she doesn't want to talk about it means it's probably not good.
Thinking about it that way, knowing that my stinky old dad is still alive while I'm here splurging with the bank card Bishop Otto gave me... feels pretty heartless.
"Um..."
Just as Kiana was about to say something, her eyes met Mei's.
Seeing Kiana's hesitant expression, Mei just shook her head with a gentle smile.
"Kiana, I know you're worried about me, but don't be. I'm not that fragile."
"Besides, Schicksal has already given me the intel Bishop Otto helped investigate. Although I don't know how Dad is doing right now, the other branches of ME Corp are still operating."
"Cocolia has already withdrawn from Nagazora City, yet the other branches of ME Corp can function normally even with the headquarters in trouble... If you think about it, you can guess that this is probably Dad's doing."
"Hey, you're right."
Hearing Mei's explanation, Kiana immediately seized the opportunity.
"Then to celebrate your dad's complete safety, let's find a place and have a big feast today!"
"Um, Kiana... big sister."
After hearing the name Cocolia, Bronya, who had snapped back to reality, spoke softly to Kiana.
"Bronya thinks it's best if you don't do that."
"Hmm? Why?"
"Because, no matter what... Yuno's mother just passed away."
After a slight pause, Bronya continued in a low voice.
"If we celebrate at a time like this, Yuno won't be happy. And if we don't include her, it would look like we're ostracizing her."
"...You have a point."
Only then realizing this, Kiana sighed softly and dropped the subject.
*Come to think of it, after my stinky old dad left without a word, I was upset for a long time.*
*What's more, Yuno's mother died right in front of her, because of her.*
*Putting myself in her shoes, if that were me, then...*
*To even think about celebrating at a time like this, what was I thinking?*
Just as Kiana was feeling guilty, a voice suddenly reached their ears.
"Bronya, thank you for being so considerate of me."
"But really, it's okay."
Before their eyes, Yuno, who had just walked into the clothing store, spoke to them with perfect calm.
"Whether it's to celebrate Mei's father's safety or to celebrate that we're all okay, it's a completely normal thing to do."
"I think if Mom were still alive, she wouldn't want me to be sad and gloomy every day. She'd want me to live each day happily."
At this moment, Yuno hadn't changed her makeup.
But her tone of voice and the spirit she exuded were completely different from the Yuno of just a few minutes ago.
If the Yuno before them previously was like a timid little animal, the Yuno now was like an elegant leopardess, giving off a sense of confidence mixed with a hint of danger.
As Yuno's classmate, Kiana felt that if the old Yuno had this kind of aura, the bullies she mentioned would never have dared to pick on her.
*Wait, Yuno only talked with Senior for less than half an hour, and she's changed this much?*
*I'm a little curious about what they talked about.*
"Yuno, you..."
Seeing Yuno's current demeanor, Mei frowned slightly.
"Is your Herrscher Core... alright?"
"It's fine, Senior Mei."
Facing Mei's question, Yuno smiled confidently.
"After talking with Senior Leo Ash, I've found a new goal in life."
"That goal is very important to me, so—a mere so-called Pseudo-Herrscher Personality doesn't even have the right to be a stumbling block in my path."
*I knew it. Her mental state... has a serious problem.*
*Yuno seems confident now, but the problem is that her confidence is forced.*
Unlike Mei, who was a master of kendo who had at least trained in martial arts, Yuno was just an ordinary high school student before becoming a Herrscher.
As an ordinary high school student, even if she had a moment of clarity, it's impossible for her to undergo such a fundamental and massive transformation.
Mei didn't know what Leo and Yuno had discussed, but Yuno's current state...
Okay, she had to admit, Yuno's current state was much better than the 'just let me die' expression she wore earlier.
But Leo's words could only give Yuno a temporary reason to suppress the negative emotions in her heart.
While this could keep Yuno's mind stable in the short term, if she were to encounter a major shock next time, all the problems accumulated during this period would erupt at once.
*This is like drinking poison to quench thirst.*
*And Leo definitely knew that, but he did it anyway... which means he had no other choice either.*
"Yuno, if there's anything you can't figure out, you can talk to us."
Mei looked at Yuno and said with utmost seriousness.
"We're comrades now. Whatever it is, don't keep it bottled up inside by yourself. It's not good for your mental health."
"Mm, I understand."
Hearing Mei's words, Yuno smiled naturally.
"Thank you, Senior Mei."
Yuno's smile was very natural, but the very fact that this natural smile appeared on Yuno was the most abnormal thing of all.
Seeing the smile on Yuno's face, Mei knew that it was useless to say anything more.
*I hope you truly understand, Yuno.*
Feeling this unusual atmosphere, Bronya's sense of self-blame grew heavier.
*Whether it's Mei or Yuno, the reason everyone is like this now is because of Mother's plan.*
*Mother told Bronya that she could save Seele by retrieving Mei.*
*But now... before we've even saved Seele, we've already caused such terrible consequences.*
*And Mother's plan has failed. Knowing her personality, she definitely won't let this go.*
*So, what's next...*
*Mother Cocolia, how many more people do we have to kill before we can save Seele?*
.
Himeko's Home. Fu Hua's Room
After returning to her new residence, Fu Hua contacted Otto through her glasses.
"Ha, old friend, how did it feel to meet the new juniors?"
Looking at Fu Hua's calm face, Otto said with an exaggerated smile.
"Don't walk around with a long face all day. Smiling more is good for your health."
"After meeting them, I found that the human personalities of these three Herrschers... are surprisingly stable."
Ignoring Otto's teasing words, Fu Hua pushed up her glasses and continued to speak to Otto with a deadpan expression.
"It's one thing for the Herrscher of the Void to be unable to awaken for now due to her power, but for the Thunder and the Pseudo-Herrscher's personalities to be so stable is another matter."
"Especially that Pseudo-Herrscher. It was clear she was on the verge of being crushed by the guilt of killing her mother, yet she managed to suppress the Herrscher Personality with her subconscious even on the brink of a mental collapse."
"Compared to Raiden Mei, who regained her self-awareness after her powers were suppressed by the HSN serum, I'm personally more optimistic about Yuno, this Pseudo-Herrscher."
"Heh, I share your opinion, old friend."
Hearing Fu Hua's report, Otto said with a smile.
"This child is indeed promising. It was certainly the right choice to have Bianka go easy on her back then."
"...You've had your eye on her all along, haven't you?"
Seeing the fleeting flicker of excitement on Otto's face, Fu Hua's tone suddenly dropped.
"That's right. Someone like you would naturally realize her uniqueness after understanding her powers."
After Yuno was brought back to Schicksal, Durandal and the awakened Theresa had each written and submitted their battle reports from their respective duels with Yuno to Otto.
And Fu Hua had the clearance to review those two reports.
As a Flame-Chaser from the Previous Era who cared deeply for the world, Fu Hua had, of course, reviewed that intelligence as soon as her condition improved.
"Oh? Uniqueness?"
"Stop pretending, Otto. The ability to make plants grow from nothing using Honkai Energy, the ability to kill or even destroy enemies with venom—these clearly correspond to the two abilities of [Rebirth] and [Death]."
"The abilities of Yuno, the Pseudo-Herrscher of Poison, are clearly lesser versions of [Rebirth] and [Death]."
"Haha, as expected of you, my old friend."
Listening to Fu Hua's deduction, Otto clapped his hands frankly.
"Truly, nothing can be hidden from your eyes."
*...Heh, give me a break.*
*You, who made these two reports public, clearly intended for me to find out about this through such means.*
"Alright, alright, don't stare at me with such a scary look."
Otto dropped the exaggerated expression from his face and put on a serious one.
"You know that I was previously carrying out the Artificial Herrscher Experiment. It's just a pity that, aside from Wendy, the A-rank Valkyrie from the Oceania Branch with S-rank potential, the other A-rank Valkyries couldn't handle the power of the Gem."
"And even Wendy, who became an A-rank Valkyrie at 13, could only stabilize the Gem of Desire within her body; she couldn't successfully turn the Gem's power into her own."
"So, you set your sights on a Pseudo-Herrscher, planning to use the Artificial Herrscher Experiment to turn her into the true [Herrscher of Death]?"
At this moment, recalling the tragedy in Nagazora City, Fu Hua questioned Otto in a low tone.
"Even with Leo Ash, Siegfried, and other Schicksal members in action, Nagazora City still ended up in such a tragic state. After seeing such a tragedy—do you still not understand how dangerous what you're doing is?!"
"Of course, the Artificial Herrscher Experiment combined with a powerful Pseudo-Herrscher would indeed pose a greater danger if things go wrong."
After nodding slightly in agreement with Fu Hua's point, Otto continued.
"But you also need to understand one thing—this Artificial Herrscher Experiment is different from the others."
"Yuno has not only already become a Herrscher, but she also has experience in suppressing a Herrscher Personality."
"She has already demonstrated her talent and will. I believe that a genius like her, with a little refinement, might truly be able to merge with the Gem."
"But—"
"Are you trying to lecture me on human rights and morality, old friend?"
Otto calmly looked at Fu Hua, interrupting her before continuing dispassionately.
"Fighting the Honkai is not child's play. Even if you've forgotten some things, you should know that this statement is not wrong."
"If you haven't forgotten how you obtained some of your powers, you'd understand that the so-called Artificial Herrscher Experiment and the MANTIS project are essentially the same thing."
"If we can make a Pseudo-Herrscher who is capable of suppressing a Herrscher Personality become the [Herrscher of Death], it's equivalent to adding a Herrscher-level combatant to the human side while directly removing one Herrscher from the Honkai's side."
"And even if it fails and Yuno goes berserk here at Schicksal HQ, others can suppress her immediately—you need to understand, I'm not a lunatic like Cocolia. I won't let my home base get blown up."
Fu Hua had to admit that Otto's words sounded very reasonable.
But she had known Otto for so many years and was well aware that if she truly believed his words, it would only mean her intelligence had regressed to the level of a sixth-grader.
What Otto said might not be wrong, but these 'truths' were not his true intentions, just 'tools' he used to persuade others.
But for now, no matter how much Fu Hua suspected Otto, she couldn't fault his ideas and actions without finding any flaws.
"Alright, alright, old friend. Just like I said when we met today—don't walk around with a long face all day. Smiling more is good for your health."
Seeing Fu Hua staring at him with suspicion, Otto shrugged helplessly.
"I know I have zero credibility in the eyes of old acquaintances like you, so this time I'll be direct. I've made my plan public and even let you know about it in advance as a supervisor."
"I think that's enough to prove my sincerity, right?"
"...Naturally."
"Then that settles it. If you're worried about me pulling any tricks, the simplest way is to help Yuno grow."
"After all—as long as she is strong enough, with her aptitude, she is more than capable of surviving the Artificial Herrscher Experiment and becoming a powerful force for humanity."
Every sentence was irrefutable, as if he were truly thinking for the sake of humanity.
*If Su or Dr. Mei were here, perhaps they wouldn't be as passive as I am.*
Seeing that Fu Hua had fallen silent, Otto knew that she had been temporarily convinced.
"Alright, enough about that. Aside from those Herrschers, what do you think of—Leo Ash as a person?"
"...There's no need to beat around the bush."
Fu Hua looked at Otto's expectant gaze and said calmly.
"I will personally test his strength tomorrow and then write a report on the results for you."
"OK, OK, in that case—"
Before Otto could finish, Fu Hua cut the connection.
To be honest, she... still found Otto's face incredibly punchable.
Looking at Otto's face, for some reason, Fu Hua always had the thought, 'I really want to smash that bastard's head in.'
*Leo Ash. It seems Otto really values this boy.*
*Back then, Otto told me that after he used Fenghuang Down to hypnotize Leo Ash, his Stigmata suddenly acted up, causing Leo Ash's own body to have a violent reaction.*
*It seems he's probably still suspicious that something was off about Leo Ash at that time.*
*His suspicious nature is as strong as ever.*
*But that's normal. If Otto ever seemed to trust others easily, that's when a real problem would arise.*
*In any case, we still need Otto to maintain the 'protection' of Shenzhou for now, so...*
*Tomorrow, I'll just have to be a little bit serious and see if I can make Leo Ash show his true strength.*
.
That night.
After buying his daily necessities in the shopping district, Leo and the others had a simple meal outside.
Actually, according to Kiana, after confirming that Yuno herself didn't mind, she had wanted to find a place to have fun and make a big scene to cheer everyone up.
But at that moment, Leo had stepped forward and rejected Kiana's idea.
After all, 'Leo Ash' was an avenger seeking revenge on the Honkai. With an assessment from a senior Valkyrie tomorrow, how could he possibly agree to such a wild idea from Kiana?
As for Kiana pouting and returning to the dormitory unhappily, Leo couldn't be bothered.
Kiana's mental state was stable now; getting a little upset occasionally wouldn't be enough to let Sirin out.
But Leo had a spy like Fu Hua by his side. If Fu Hua noticed anything unusual, there was no telling what would happen to him.
*What a pain.*
*With a mole constantly around, I have to keep playing the part of someone else...*
[Playing the part of someone else? Heh, come to think of it, you don't find this difficult at all.]
[After all, Fu Hua, despite living for fifty thousand years, is still as honest and gullible as she was back then. Even after joining Otto's side as a spy, her sentimental nature prevents her from being completely cold-blooded to carry out her missions.]
[In your opinion, as long as you get familiar with Fu Hua, you'll be able to reason with her through emotion and logic, making this not-so-bright Immortal Red Kite understand—]
Understand what?
[That bastard Otto can't be trusted, and the world belongs to Leo Ash!]
*Haha, that bastard Otto certainly can't be trusted.*
Grabbing a few cans of cold beer from Himeko's fridge, Leo went alone to the balcony on the second floor of this small villa.
However, when he reached the balcony, he saw a small figure had already beaten him to it.
Hearing the footsteps behind her, Bronya immediately recognized the heavier steps as those of a young man.
And right now, the only young man nearby was obviously the one man she really didn't want to face alone.
Just thinking about the questions he had once asked her, Bronya subconsciously wanted to flee from Leo's sight.
But the moment she turned around, her gaze and Leo's suddenly met.
[Seeing Bronya's slightly flustered gaze, you know that you've become a special existence in her heart.]
[A child soldier who kills without blinking actually wants to run away subconsciously upon seeing you. What was it called again—ah right, a fluttering heart!]
[She's shy! Now is the time to press your advant—]
*Press my ass. Even if it's work five days, rest two, at least give me a break in the evening.*
Watching the retreating Bronya, Leo took a can of cold beer from the plastic bag and tossed it directly to the girl before him.
"Alright, it's rare to have a chance to chat alone. Why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
"We're all going to be comrades under the same roof. As comrades who will be fighting and dying together in the future, I think..."
"—it's better to clear some things up beforehand."
.