"You have seen the reality of the world—the eruption of the Honkai, the death of humanity. What are your thoughts?" Lin tone was not an interrogation; in fact, he never interrogated anyone. However, his gaze and his question were filled with a severity that made a direct answer difficult.
Eden considered the question with serious gravity. Was it pain? More than pain, Eden felt sorrow. Whether it was her manager, the audience, or the civilians of Australia, their passing was a sorrow born of powerlessness.
So, should she say she was sorrowful?
"..."
"...I feel that all of this makes me feel powerless."
Eden was a singer. She had performed in almost every country; the line of people wanting to hear her song could stretch from the Far East to Shenzhou. Her wealth could rival the treasury of a small-to-medium nation, and she possessed unparalleled taste and talent. Yet, she was just a singer.
Eden believed that art contained a power to inspire the soul; she could convey her thoughts and hopes through the art she understood. But in that fire, all hope was burned to ash and vanished. The song was buried by the flames, nothing more.
"If I could, I would want to save the people who perished in that fire. I want to rebuild everything destroyed in Australia. I want to... bring back that lady who was eroded by the Honkai."
"...So you should know, I am not 'hit hard.'" Lin lowered his head. He seemed able to hear voices of the past—voices cherished, abandoned, and forgotten.
"I'm sorry... Lin, it seems I've come at an inappropriate time." Eden sighed, unable to continue the topic after all.
"...Is there a ball being held?" Surprisingly, Lin shifted the subject, asking as he eyed the gown Eden was wearing.
"Yes... I was invited to sing on stage. The people in Fire Moth are stronger than I imagined." No matter the reason, the most important purpose of holding a ball was to forget the sorrow caused by a Large-Scale Honkai Eruption. They had to allow themselves to forget. "Will you come, Lin?"
"..." Lin did not answer. He recalled what Mobius had said before leaving.
"They'll probably hold a ball today."
"...So?"
"Klein says she wants to go. I don't have much to do, so I'll probably go as well. Dancing at the ball should count as training for your body to adapt."
Lin hadn't agreed, but he hadn't refused either. Just as now, he didn't agree, but he didn't refuse.
Mei put down the design blueprints, showing a rare look of helplessness as she turned to the excited Vil-V. "I know you're excited... but calm down for now. We don't have many chances like this."
Vil-V gestured excitedly. "But Mei, a pure Herrscher Core and Soul Steel with excellent compatibility—isn't this the perfect chance for us to 'practice' making a Divine Key?"
"I know... but even without a Herrscher consciousness, the Core itself isn't something humans should touch. You'd better stop hugging the container holding the Core."
The Herrscher Core and Soul Steel left behind by the girl (MSA-970) had been recovered by Mei. This was a windfall. They were supposed to start with those unstable Herrscher Cores, but this stable Core of Reason and its matching Soul Steel became Mei primary research materials. Coupled with the technological data of the Previous Era that the girl had transmitted back, Mei was confident in achieving a technological leap in the coming period.
Regarding that Herrscher from the Previous Era, Mei feelings were complex, but she had to focus her energy on her work. This was for humanity, and for the girl's own wish.
"So, have you thought about what the first Divine Key should be?" Vil-V asked the pensive Mei.
"Based on the stability of this core, we can attempt some bold designs. And as the Core of Reason, it is the most unique among the various Herrschers," Mei shared her thoughts. "She could manifest things she understood... I have a hypothesis: can the authority of the Herrscher of Reason be used to replicate the authority of other Herrschers?"
"You mean... let this core mimic other Herrschers? But isn't that a was—" Vil-V was about to say "waste," but seeing Mei expression, she immediately turned solemn. "Wait, Mei, you don't mean..."
"Yes, the 'Extra Key' I hypothesized before might actually be feasible." Mei nodded slightly. "The Core of Reason should be the most inclusive of all cores because it exists for understanding and replication. Therefore, using it to connect to other Herrscher Cores to use both the Core of Reason and other authorities simultaneously should be possible."
The so-called "Extra Key" was the "Key of Blankness" that Mei had designed at the very beginning of the Divine Key project. It wasn't exactly a weapon, but rather a set of armor that could link to multiple Herrscher Cores. Unlike a Divine Key, which suppressed the core's power to weaken output, this would truly use the Herrscher's authority, replicating a true Herrscher's abilities.
"I suppose the user is who I expect, then?" Vil-V thought of that person and gave a bitter smile. Perhaps the one inflicting so much suffering on Lin wasn't the Honkai, but humanity itself—yet Lin still accepted it all. She should respect everyone who sacrificed for humanity, yet this respect was being delivered through her hands...
"Lin Honkai resistance is high enough to keep him from erosion, and his mental capacity is what's needed to use multiple cores simultaneously... He will also be the one to use the Divine Key made from the Herrscher of Death's core. He is the most suitable candidate."
"Sigh... fine. No time like the present. Let's start—"
"But the first Divine Key won't be made from the Core of Death or Reason."
"Huh?" Vil-V squinted at Mei. Even with her logic, she couldn't understand what Mei was thinking.
"The first Herrscher Core... we will use the Core of Fire."
"Wait, the Core of Fire is the most unstable. By our projections, that core needs to be split in half just to maintain stability."
"Exactly. Because the difficulty is high, we must do it first."
"..." Vil-V still couldn't grasp the logic.
"Because for the Key of Blankness, I want it to be a perfected product made after our technology has stabilized. And as for the Core of Fire... I believe Kevin will suppress it."