Everyone nodded in agreement, clearly having considered this as well.
"Alright, we didn't have enough time to discuss this in the Q&A session, so let's finalize our plan of action now."
Prometheus's previous proposal was mainly a general plan of action and did not include finding the real Kiana or rescuing Seele from the Sea of Quanta.
Now Theresa needs to discuss an agenda with everyone and incorporate those two things into it, so they can be achieved together.
Our main task right now is to wait here for Prometheus to analyze the results of the super-mutant factor technology. Once Fu Hua's body has recovered to some extent, she will use Feather Dust to deeply hypnotize all of us. Fu Hua will explain this to everyone in detail.
Theresa stepped back, giving her place to Fu Hua.
Fu Hua looked at everyone's gazes fixed on her and suddenly felt a sense of déjà vu.
It was as if she had once been in a similar situation.
However, the difference was that back then, she was not in the speaker's position, but, like Kiana and the others now, was a listener.
Temporarily setting aside that feeling, Fu Hua raised her right hand, palm up, and a pinkish-white phantom feather suddenly appeared on it: "Feather Dust is a weapon created by Dr. Mei of the previous civilization using the core of the Eighth Herrscher. It can manipulate brain signals, and this pinkish-white feather will appear when using it."
After briefly materializing the feather, Fu Hua withdrew her right hand.
"Since Feather Dust can manipulate brain signals, I have the ability to trap those who see the feather in the illusions I create. Once my power recovers a bit, I will use Feather Dust to create an illusion where no one has ever entered the Q&A Space. In this illusion, Major Himeko guides Kiana, Mei, and Bronya to the depths of the Heart Space, where they encounter Ji Xuanyang, whose mind has been corrupted by Honkai energy. Finally, thanks to your efforts, you manage to defeat Ji Xuanyang, awakening him from the chaos and giving this figure from Chinese mythology a new life. However, Major Himeko falls into a coma due to the enormous Honkai energy she suffered during the battle.
"Now that Ji Xuanyang has returned to life, there is absolutely no reason to leave him in the Nine Underworlds or let him go alone.
"It wasn't that they wanted to tie people to their side as henchmen, but Ji Xuanyang was, after all, an elder of thousands of years. In this modern world, staying by their side was the best option for Ji Xuanyang.
"As for the principal and me, we rushed over from St. Freya Academy, worried about the loss of contact upon entering the Heart Space. We successfully picked up Himeko's team, who had completed their mission perfectly, and arranged for Major Himeko's recovery in the sanatorium. The reason we didn't leave immediately is because the Nine Underworlds hold immense value for research. So, at my suggestion, as a Chinese person, we stayed here a little longer to conduct archaeological research in the Nine Underworlds. That's the general content of the illusion. Please think about whether we missed anything."
As soon as Fu Hua finished speaking, Bronya immediately raised her hand.
"Bronya, you speak."
"Alright, Ban, no, I mean Mr. Fu Hua."
"From now on, everyone should call me class monitor or Fu Hua, so as not to arouse suspicion."
"Good, class monitor. Class monitor, Bronya thinks the archaeological research cannot be just a formality; everyone must produce real, tangible research results. So, before waiting for Prometheus to analyze the results, everyone can engage in archaeology."
"Bronya's suggestion is excellent. Of course, we cannot just use archaeology as an excuse. I understand. I will conduct serious research, and upon returning to St. Freya, I will write an article and submit it to the most prestigious historical journal in China."
Fu Hua said with a serious expression.
Bronya: "..."
There's no need for that.
Bronya opened her mouth, but in the end did not say those four words.
After all, only someone with such a rigorous and serious attitude could be the class monitor she knew.
Seeing that Bronya and the others did not object, Fu Hua continued, "The illusion itself has no time limit. In theory, before I use the Feather of Destiny again to remove its effects, everyone will believe it to be true. However, since I will also hypnotize myself at that moment, and we all have our own preparations, which obviously cannot be done within the illusion, I have also set up a switch for the illusion. For example, when no one else is present, the power of the Feather of Destiny will resonate, and the effects of the illusion will automatically dissipate. At this moment, as long as we are careful not to mention anything about the Q&A Space in monitored places, we don't have to worry about Otto knowing everything about the Q&A Space. At the same time, when we are alone, the effects of the illusion will still take effect, so we don't have to worry about Otto eliminating us one by one, allowing him to gather information. After all, the effects of the simulated Feather of Destiny are... No match for the real Feather of Destiny."
After hearing Fu Hua's explanation, everyone nodded in agreement.
Currently, this seems to be the optimal solution to address the risk of information leakage.
After Fu Hua finished her part, she relinquished her speaker position.
"Alright. Now that we have resolved the most important issue, the next step is to figure out how to resolve the issues each of us faces."
Theresa's gaze fell on Kiana and Mei.
"Kiana, Mei, it can now be confirmed that this generation's Second Herrscher of the Void and Third Herrscher of Thunder reside in the two of you. Herrschers are the Apostles of Honkai, the enemies of humanity..."
Hearing this, Kiana's and Mei's expressions changed.
After all, their current identities are Valkyries belonging to the Far East Branch of the Destiny Organization, St. Freya Academy, and their duty is to fight against the Honkai and protect humanity.
But ironically, each of them harbors the desire to destroy humanity. (Herrscher of Thunder: Meow, meow, meow? I only care about the bugs~)
Is it just a cruel twist of fate?
Theresa did not notice Kiana's and Mei's expressions at that moment. She changed the subject: "But that is the Herrscher within you, not yourselves. Furthermore, even among the Herrschers, the First Herrscher of Reason, that man, is an exception."
At that moment, Theresa couldn't help but recall the comic "Stranger" she had read in the Q&A room.
Through the corroboration of the comics, Theresa gained a deeper understanding of the files on Walter Yang within Schicksal.
Despite being the First Herrscher, Welt Young harbors a kindness that does not belong to any human being and is willing to dedicate his life to the great cause of protecting humanity.
In Theresa's view, this is almost the image of Cecilia in her mind.
"Since someone has already succeeded, I believe Kiana and Mei can too. As the rooftop battle video shows, Mei already completely mastered the power of the Herrscher of Thunder, and Kiana also mastered half the power of the Herrscher of the Void within her. Therefore, our focus is now on the two of you. How to help you gain the power of the Herrschers within you without losing control in the process is the topic we urgently need to study. In this regard, perhaps only Anti-Entropy's Welt Yang can be your master."
Theresa was unaware that there was a deeper reason why the First Herrscher, the Herrscher of Reason, was not controlled by the Honkai will at the beginning of his birth. Strictly speaking, the miracle that happened to Welt Yang, or rather, Welt Joyce, could not be replicated in Kiana and Mei.
"Therefore, we need to cooperate with Anti-Entropy."
Theresa finally came to this conclusion.
Meanwhile, Bronya and Mei, who were already inextricably linked to Anti-Entropy, didn't even flinch.
Although everyone was slightly annoyed by Cocolia's extreme way of acting, they knew perfectly well that their partner was Walter Yang, not Cocolia. In the worst case, they would deliberately avoid her.
Theresa breathed a sigh of relief when she saw that Bronya and Mei did not show any resistance.
"Cooperating with Anti-Entropy not only helps us control the Herrscher powers within you but also because our strength alone is not enough to deal with Otto, who is carrying out unknown plans. At least under the protection of Anti-Entropy, Kiana's safety can be guaranteed to some extent."
At that moment, Theresa looked at Kiana with eyes full of pity.
Although both were experimental subjects, Kiana's situation was even worse than hers.
Theresa's mere existence already represents the achievements of Otto's research, which is why Theresa was able to grow up and live with relative freedom.
Although Otto manipulated her like a puppet during the process, at least she didn't have to get back onto the experimental table prepared by Otto.
But Kiana is different; Kiana was created as experimental material.
In Otto's plan, one day he will set his sights on Kiana and conduct further experiments on her.
To put it bluntly, Kiana is Otto's lab rat. Although she escaped the lab through accident or Otto's deliberate actions and was free for many years, Otto will eventually find her by following the fluorescent mark he placed on her and continue his unfinished experiment.
Whether it was because she genuinely liked the child after spending so many years together, or because the child shared her identity as a homunculus, Theresa could not stand idly by and watch all of that happen to Kiana.
"Besides, if I'm not mistaken, Anti-Entropy began researching the Lunar Throne decades ago. Therefore, cooperating with Anti-Entropy will also help us meet one of the requirements for opening the Q&A Space next time. This is also part of the plan formulated by Prometheus."
After explaining her reasons, Theresa asked, "Does anyone have any objection to cooperating with Anti-Entropy? If not, we will begin preparations for it immediately upon our return."
Bronya and Mei, who had the strongest reason to object, shook their heads one after another, as did Kiana, Fu Hua, and Ji Xuanyang.
As for Himeko in the sanatorium...
If she is bothered by what happened after waking up and therefore does not want to have any more contact with Walter Young, Theresa will naturally respect her decision.
Perhaps for Himeko, the best ending would be to stay away from Destiny and Anti-Entropy, and live the rest of her life as an ordinary person, just as Walter Young had hoped when he told that white lie.
"Alright, then the next step is to rescue Kiana and Seele from Schicksal's side."
Compared to the "real" Kiana, Theresa used the term "Kiana on Schicksal's side" this time.
After all, it just doesn't feel right to keep referring to someone as the "real Kiana" in front of them.
It's as if Kiana is some kind of impostor.
At least in the eyes of Bronya, Mei, Himeko, and most of the students and teachers at St. Freya, Kiana is not a substitute or a copy of anyone; she is a living, breathing person of flesh and blood.
The name Kiana is just a codename.
Thanks to Theresa's deliberate guidance, not many people within the academy knew that Kiana was a descendant of the Kaslana family.
Even Fu Hua, who was sent by Otto to monitor Kiana, probably didn't see her just as a vessel for the Herrscher of the Void deep down.
At least Theresa could see very clearly that when Fu Hua urged Kiana to study, there was no pretense involved.
She hadn't thought much about it before, only that it was a manifestation of Fu Hua's sense of responsibility.
In retrospect, Fu Hua truly hoped that Kiana could learn to master greater power and escape the fate of being controlled by the Herrscher consciousness.
"Unfortunately, given the current situation, it is not possible to carry out both simultaneously. So my initial plan is to collect as much information as possible about Kiana on Schicksal's side before we completely break away from them. If we confirm her whereabouts upon defecting, we will take her with us. If by then we have not confirmed her location, we will simply stir up a fuss before leaving and see if we find more clues while Schicksal is plunged into chaos. As for rescuing Seele, since it involves the Sea of Quanta, and I recall that Dr. Einstein of Anti-Entropy seems to have researched this quite a bit, it will have to wait."
After saying that, Theresa looked at Bronya.
Bronya nodded, "Bronya has already waited three years and does not mind waiting a little longer."
"Um, I have something to say."
To Theresa's surprise, Kiana raised her hand, indicating she had something to say.
Seeing this, Theresa looked at Kiana with some surprise, "Well, go ahead."
After receiving permission, Kiana said cautiously, "Actually, I was thinking, what if... what if we find the real Kiana, but she refuses to come with us?"
Unlike Theresa's reluctance, Kiana herself refers to herself as "the real Kiana" without any doubt.
Kiana's words surprised Theresa; she really hadn't thought about that.
Yes, she kept thinking that once she found the person, she would take her directly, but she never considered whether the person was willing.
"But Otto..."
But Theresa thought again that if the real Kiana stayed with Otto, she might become the next Cecilia. So, no matter what, even if the other party didn't want to leave, she would tie her up and take her away.
"Aunt, I didn't mean that. I meant that since Otto altered your memories, the real Kiana might be in the same situation. Furthermore, to prevent anyone from discovering her identity, she might not appear as Kiana. In that case, she might have developed her own will, so we can only tell her the truth and let her make her own choices, instead of imposing our will on her. Of course, it would be better for her to get away from Otto."
Kiana shared the conclusions she had reached earlier, then looked at Theresa with some unease.
She was afraid that Theresa would misunderstand that she had said that because she didn't want the real Kiana to return.
That's exactly what she thought.
Just like she knows now that she is merely a clone of Kiana, but she is unwilling to give up her current identity and everything she has now.
Will the real Kiana be like her, having already adapted to her current identity and no longer wanting to be Kiana?
Kiana, judging others by her own standards, if the real Kiana also had ties with Mei, Bronya, the class president, Himeko-sensei, and her aunt like her, then she would never easily give up all the past and choose to accept a sudden new identity.
Of course, this could be a trap Otto set for the real Kiana, and also a trap for her.
Although it is known to be wrong, after being wrong for so long, perhaps no one ever wants to get out of it anymore.
Thinking about it this way, Otto is truly a terrifying person.
"..."
Theresa was surprised that Kiana, who usually seemed a little silly, could say something like that at that moment.
She couldn't help but look at Kiana a couple more times, which made her feel a little uncomfortable, before speaking again: "Silly niece, it's really different now that you've started to think. I always thought you were a single-celled organism, like a paramecium that couldn't think."
Kiana: "?"
She simply stopped thinking because her environment was comfortable enough.
After all, she has the support of Himeko-sensei and the class president in terms of studies, she can fight with Bronya at any time in terms of gaming, she can be fed by her favorite Mei in terms of meals, and she also has Theresa's care in terms of family affection.
For her, after entering St. Freya, the only person she cared about was her old man, who had left without a word.
Theresa was promised this on her first day of school: if she became an A-rank Valkyrie, she would be told Siegfried's whereabouts in exchange.
With that, even the last concern disappeared, and Kiana only needed to work hard to complete her missions every day and advance to A-rank Valkyrie as soon as possible.
As for thinking?
What is that?
Did Mei prepare some delicious fried chicken legs for her?
Thinking about it this way, she is actually living a pretty happy life.
Kiana felt a strange sense of satisfaction, and even started to feel that it wasn't that important whether she was an experimental subject or not.
Feeling that the crack inside Kiana's body seemed to be shrinking, the Herrscher consciousness hidden inside the Herrscher core ground its teeth in hatred!
However, it doesn't dare to show its face now.
Not only is Ji Xuanyang outside, who can threaten her now, but there are also Theresa and Fu Hua.
During the Second Honkai Impact, she witnessed Theresa's Judah and Fu Hua's Void Sword God.
She was already struggling to bear it back then, so if she faced Judah or the Great Void Sword God now, she might end up joining the Honkai Will.