"Cocolia is running for President?!"
The girls under the pavilion stared at each other, suddenly aware of the poverty of their vocabularies. There were so many rich, emotionally charged, and powerful exclamations in the world, yet the only one that came to mind was a simple, "What the fuck!"
One could only say it had the same abstract beauty as a Soviet warlord running for president of the United States after the dissolution of the USSR.
Einmaid furrowed her elegant brows, her chin slightly raised, her voice unconsciously rising. "Vera, are you sure this is real?"
This world was tattered and torn, yet there were always people trying to patch it up.
Some people tore the world to shreds, then called others to patch it up.
Cocolia undoubtedly belonged to the latter group.
Yes, Einmaid admitted she was no saint herself. She had directly shed the blood of at least eight, if not ten, thousand people. Indirectly, the number was probably over a hundred thousand.
However, compared to that woman, if she called herself a white lotus, the people of Schicksal would at most glare at her and mutter, "Comparison brings out beauty. If you've got the guts, go compare yourself to Durandal..."
"Yes, yes!"
The Death Knight's questioning made the angel Vera tremble, and the beret on her head drooped limply.
But she still straightened her shoulders and answered the question earnestly. "After the news broke, I went to check with the heads of several media outlets. Cocolia did indeed hold a press conference three minutes ago, announcing that she will be running for the 45th President of the United States."
"And she's even running on a platform of annexing Canada, Greenland, and the Panama Canal~"
Mushoku Kika, lying on the sofa, added while fiddling with her tablet, clearly having seen the related news as well.
"Wait!"
Anna quickly interrupted. "It's not that I doubt your intelligence, but I remember the constitution over in North America stipulates that only a natural-born citizen who is at least 35 years old and has resided in the country for 14 years can run for president. Cocolia clearly doesn't meet those conditions."
"That woman is definitely over 35 this year."
Aisha of the [GLOW] Squad stroked the hilt of her sword, a rare occurrence for her to speak. "And she left the Russian military to join Anti-Entropy after the Second Honkai Eruption—that is, in the year 2000. This year is 2014, which just meets the 14-year residency requirement."
"The birth issue can be fixed with a system change. No big deal, no big deal."
Asta rested her chin on her hand, her pinky finger slightly curved as she stirred her tea with a silver spoon, as if sketching an unfinished puppy. "This is the Honkai world. Honkai can do anything, you know."
"Woof!"
Pepe barked in her arms.
"For example, concocting an inspiring story about an orphan born in the Rust Belt who was adopted by a Slav who came to America to see the free world, and after making a name for herself, returned to her homeland?"
The little rich girl's smile grew wider. "Fun fact: in North America, there's a considerable portion of the far-right conservative group who see Russia as a haven and spiritual homeland after the 'fall' of the Western world."
"She can also run under the banner of 'preventing the motherland from becoming the second Soviet Union,' which would attract a lot of truly patriotic and concerned citizens."
The serious-minded Aisha actually began to consider the possibility of this.
A dark hero returning from a foreign land... Uncle Sam's masses really ate that stuff up.
"The above might just be a joke, but the problem is, Cocolia is also the leader of Anti-Entropy's reformist faction."
Einmed tapped the table, finding it more and more plausible. "Not only does she have a large number of loyal military subordinates, but considering her aggressive style of frequently clashing with other factions in recent years, the military-industrial complex might even give her strong support for this."
"I just took another look. She's even stacked the 'first female president in history' buff."
Mushoku Kika quipped, "What is this? Does every world have to have a loudmouthed, golden-haired person running for president of the United States? What kind of karma did the common people of that land accumulate—oh, right, they stole the land from the Native Americans. Never mind then."
👐🏻NOBODY!
🙌🏻KNOWS!
👌🏻HONKAI!
☝🏻BETTER THAN ME!
make america great again!
Make Anti-Entropy Great Again!
Mushoku Kika scratched her chest, popped two segments of Shiranui orange into her mouth, and asked, "I don't get it. Why did that old hag suddenly get this idea? Anti-Entropy and North America are already deeply intertwined. Isn't it better to be the king of the mountain in the shadows? Why step into the spotlight and be so conspicuous?"
"Perhaps she has no choice."
Tribios took a sip of tea. She appeared calm, but under the table, her hand quietly clenched a lace handkerchief.
She actually knew.
After joining the secret organization, the [Mythos Sequence Alliance], as a newbie bonus, fellow Golden Scion Miss Eden had shared a lot of information with her.
For example, some of the inside stories of the Third Honkai Eruption, or Cocolia's secret collusion with the World Serpent.
The existence of the World Serpent had already raised the alarm for many. Once their relationship was exposed, Cocolia would not only be mercilessly abandoned by the World Serpent but also become a breakthrough point for others.
To avoid ending up as roadkill, she had to climb up with all her might, to a position where even Schicksal and the Taixu Frontline couldn't easily touch her.
The President of the world's most powerful nation, with control over the three branches of government and the land, sea, and air forces, plus her own status in Anti-Entropy, would be enough to make the other two hesitant to act.
What? Assassination?
Cocolia wasn't a sunny, cheerful boy in an open-top car. She wasn't afraid of any "open-minded" scenarios.
Besides, an assassination by her own people and an assassination by outsiders were two completely different concepts.
Furthermore, as long as Cocolia could succeed, the probability of the World Serpent choosing to continue cooperating with her would greatly increase. It wasn't impossible for it to eventually evolve into a new Cold War between Schicksal/Taixu Frontline and Anti-Entropy/World Serpent.
As for Herrschers...
The interval between the First and Second Honkai Eruptions was 47 years. The interval between the Second and Third was 14 years. Even if the time was halved again, the Fourth Honkai Eruption would theoretically only break out in 2019-2020.
Hilarious. Nothing to be afraid of!
The Herrschers of the Previous Era didn't all come at once!
A certain Mr. Fu, who was forcefully "discussed swords" with by the Tenth Herrscher in '17: Yeah, right. A major eruption only happens every few years. I really did Cecilia.
"Um..."
A slightly childish voice betrayed the speaker's identity.
Seeing everyone's eyes on her, Vera said, "Although you've all been speaking ill of Ms. Cocolia, according to statistics, her reputation among the grassroots is not only not bad, but quite high."
Let's take a look at Cocolia's image in the eyes of her confidants and even the general public:
First, she was a rare, incorruptible, and upright person in the Russian army after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Even when she was framed and imprisoned, almost dying, she still saved the family of the officer who had slandered her (Alexandra).
She even later repaid evil with good, adopting the daughter of the legendary mercenary who had shot and ambushed her (Bronya).
After leaving the Russian military, she still took it upon herself to fight the Honkai. Not only did she create a pure land in Siberia and open orphanages all over the world to take in countless children who had lost their families, but she also climbed to the position of the de facto leader of the reformist faction with her own two hands.
And to fight the Honkai, she even painfully used her own daughter (Seele) as a test subject.
Although the experiment ultimately failed, she transformed the results into powerful weapons like the Energy Leaper, High-Frequency Cutting Blade, and Quantum Destroyer II, greatly reducing casualties among the grassroots soldiers.
What was this?
This was the sun of North America!
Any one of these experiences could be written into a few chapters of "The Struggle of X," right?
We can never repay Lord Cocolia's kindness!
Vera's report silenced everyone present.
A moment later, Mushoku Kika lazily raised her hand. "Let's change the topic."
"Agreed."
It received unanimous approval.
"Break Free, We Chased Our Dreams, Beneath The Starry Night~"
In the evening, after the tea party ended, Vera hummed a song and returned to the Bishop's office in the central command area.
As soon as she entered, she saw a very familiar golden figure from behind.
The little girl's eyes lit up.
"Big Brother Otto!"
Thump!
"Wrong, it's Big Sister."
Ella skillfully turned and caught her precious little sister, affectionately tapping her nose.
"Oh."
Vera nodded and took two steps back.
"Big Sister Ella!"
Flying tackle!
"That's right!"
The memory data of the IF-route Otto (♀)—now the Celestial Neuron Aggregate, Ella—replied with a smile.
"So, did you have fun? Did Einmaid and her gang bully you?"
"No, no!"
The girl shook her head like a rattle-drum. "Miss Aisha, Big Sis Anna, and Little Trianne, they're all very nice people!"
"So that means Asta and Mushoku Kika bullied our little Vera? Naturally evil capitalist running dogs, watch me use my power to take my revenge on you—"
"Waaah, waaah!"
Vera spun in circles anxiously, her teary-eyed appearance making Ella laugh out loud.
"That's enough, Ella."
A clear male voice echoed in the room. Otto walked over slowly, sipping a glass of wine.
Amber, following behind him, stepped forward and calmed Vera down in a few words, taking her to the next room to play the newly released Kallen Fantasy IV.
Otto had specially tampered with this game so that it wouldn't be as easily blocked by Ella as the previous version.
Block what?
Of course, blocking him from deleting the accounts of players whose scores surpassed his.
Shameless to the extreme.
Seeing Amber lead Vera away, Ella said slowly, "I just detected that the authority of Valhalla was accessed by someone of a higher level. So, who are you planning to resurrect this time?"
Otto corrected her, "Not resurrection. They are merely sleeping in the Slumber of All Things."
The Fifth Divine Key, the [Key of Stagnation], The Great Hibernation.
A Divine Key created by Previous Era scientists from the core of the Fifth Herrscher of that era—the Herrscher of Ice. It possessed the strongest power of annihilation and required a person of 'absolute kindness' to be granted use.
It was originally a weapon of extreme cold born for combat, but after the event of the Twelfth Herrscher—the Herrscher of Corruption—its creator changed the Divine Key's original design, choosing to transform this weapon of destruction into a super-artificial pod for prolonging life, the [The Great Hibernation, the Seed of Life's Continuation].
Its principle was to lower the temperature inside the pod to absolute zero, keeping all of a creature's cells in a state infinitely close to stasis, thereby greatly extending its lifespan.
The pioneers of the Fire Moth relied on this artificial pod to escape the world-ending catastrophe brought by the Herrscher of the End and successfully survive into the current civilization.
After Schicksal unearthed it, Otto sealed some powerful Valkyries loyal to him who were incurable with the technology of their time (such as Li Sushang) within it, only to be awakened when needed.
According to statistics, there were a handful of S-Rank Valkyries frozen in the Key of Stagnation, and countless more below the Critical Class.
This was another trump card Otto had spent five hundred years building, a massive armory named [Valhalla].
Faced with the shadow of the World Serpent, the threat of Anti-Entropy, and the rising Taixu Frontline, even this man had to make other plans and awaken a few powerful S-Rank Valkyries to maintain deterrence.
"The one I plan to awaken is—"
"Eleanor Schariac."
Ella crossed her arms and leaned against the wall, her seraph-like wings trembling. She spoke calmly, "After being modified by Big Sis Risa, she can reach S-Rank without the aid of any equipment. Even though she has lost her past memories, she is still loyal to you, her adoptive brother. She's the perfect tool."
"And she can help you fulfill the promise you made to your good brother. Yes, I'm talking about taking care of Eleanor."
A hint of teasing was mixed in with Otto's smile.
"Hey!"
Ella, who had been maintaining a cool demeanor, instantly lost her composure. Her voice was strained, yet she was a little flustered, on the verge of becoming violent.
Knowing the principle of hitting and running, Otto immediately changed the subject. "The Immortal Phoenix will be meeting him soon."
Ella glared at him. "Because of the Peerless Nine Revolutions?"
"Yes."
The man sighed. "I also put in a lot of effort to eliminate the Peerless Nine Revolutions back then. I really don't know where he dug up this evil cultivation method."
Ella was puzzled and said directly, "I don't understand. With your status and abilities, why would you be wary of a mere cultivation method?"
Otto retorted, "Mass-producing Brahma Beasts, is that not enough?"
"Uh..."
Since the relevant data had been so thoroughly deleted, it was the first time the girl had heard that the Peerless Nine Revolutions had this effect.
As a second-generation AI who had inherited all of the previous Ella's data, she naturally had the memories of the other's rampage in the virtual space.
The entire process could be summed up in one word—invincible.
Back then, a single collapse-ized Siegfried had forced Otto to launch a Honkai fission bomb. If there were a few more of them, with their nearly infinite growth potential, immortality, and high environmental adaptability, wouldn't they turn the earth upside down?
"I still think it's better to guide than to block."
Ella was no longer as firm as before. "Instead of killing it off completely, it's better to keep it for reference."
"Reference for what? Honkai beast organ fusion?"
The man retorted, "How do you think Theresa and Amber came to be?"
The Key of Revelation wasn't lacking in related technology. From single fusion warriors to the Chimera Project, it had everything. The only small regret was that the Void Archives didn't provide a table of contents or a search bar, so he had to search through the vast library himself.
"And if that were the only trouble, it would be fine."
Otto's tone was grave. "What really made me and the Immortal Phoenix decide to destroy the Peerless Nine Revolutions was that its finished product was too 'perfect'."
"'Perfect' to the point that even the Honkai itself coveted it, believing it to be the best vessel for a Herrscher's consciousness."
No one could deny that compared to the authority of a Herrscher, which was the ultimate manifestation of the universe's physical laws, their physical bodies were incredibly fragile.
The Herrscher of Thunder was wary of Murata Himeko's Sword of the Crimson Knight, to the point of using Sesha's regenerative properties to create a coat to resist the eternally burning embers. The Second Herrscher, who held multiple authorities, was beaten up at close range by a collapse-state Siegfried.
Even if the Kaslana genes were strong, it was still too embarrassing.
The physical laws of the universe, walking the earth, had a weakness the moment they set foot on the ground. They could be killed.
However, once a practitioner of the Peerless Nine Revolutions was chosen as a Herrscher's vessel—an alien holding the authority of the universe's physical laws, with an imaginary link in their body to draw infinite Honkai energy, and with infinite physical potential—who would dare to fight it? Who could fight it?
"Of course, if that were all, I might not have cooperated with the Immortal Phoenix to wipe it out."
Otto shrugged. "All of the above is ultimately just our speculation. At least until the first Sequence-level Herrscher with the Brahma Beast is born, it's just a scaremongering theory."
"What really made me make up my mind was a fatal flaw in the Peerless Nine Revolutions."
His tone was light. "When this cultivation method reaches the seventh revolution, which is equivalent to the Critical Class, the practitioner will completely lose control under the conflict of hyper-mutagenic factors, becoming an irrational beast that only knows slaughter and destruction."
Ella was shocked to hear this, but she quickly calmed down.
"Then what do you plan to do?"
She asked, "If something happens to Fuli, your 'Thus Spoke Apocalypse' plan will likely fail."
With his relationships with Durandal and K-423, if something happened to him, everyone would explode.
"That's why I said from the beginning, the Immortal Phoenix will be meeting him soon."
Otto said cheerfully, "He's only been practicing the Peerless Nine Revolutions for three months. How far could he have gotten? Since he doesn't like the Azure Jade Divine Art from Yan Shiluo's storage capsule, we can just have the Immortal find an opportunity to give our good brother a new cultivation method."
Speaking of which, the man felt a little regretful.
The green flames were so pretty. At least, he liked them when he picked them.
"Yan Shiluo? I see. What an unlucky guy."
Ella, relieved, shrugged. But then she thought again and realized something was wrong. "Wait! With the Immortal Phoenix's old-fashioned personality, wouldn't she just raise her sword and cut down her little cousin who's practicing the Peerless Nine Revolutions, treating him as a heretic?"
Otto, who was tending to the flowers and plants by the window, froze.
"It probably won't come to that... right?"
He wasn't so sure.
"Phew!"
Also after the tea party ended, Anna returned to her large villa and threw herself onto the soft bed in her bedroom.
She grabbed the panda pillow on the side and held it between her smooth legs, feeling a little nervous and a little relaxed.
She was relaxed because everyone was easy to get along with, and the conversation was pleasant throughout, with no conflicts or accidents.
The girl had a reason for thinking this. At a previous tea party hosted by Theresa, she had gotten into an argument with Maria Schariac, who was now in the Divine Authority Squad.
According to rumors, Theresa had insisted that Cecilia was a boxer briefs type, while Maria had argued that her cousin was not so childish and, being passionate and generous, had always preferred lace thongs.
The verbal dispute quickly escalated into a physical one, and the aftershocks of the battle between the two powerful Valkyries destroyed a third of the floating island.
It was only when Cecilia, who had returned from a mission, was notified by another cousin, Angelia Schariac, and came over with a flushed face, raising the Abyss Flower to give each of the two goofballs a whack, that the situation was calmed.
Similar incidents were common in the century-long history of Schicksal's tea parties. An illegal gambling ring had even sprung up, allowing people to bet on whether a fight would break out, and many participants made huge profits by betting on the outcome of the conflicts.
Considering that this gambling den was established a hundred years ago and has continued to this day, let's first rule out the possibility that the boss behind the scenes is a certain Grand Bishop of Schicksal.
Buzz—
Anna, lying in bed, picked up her phone.
[101,000.00 crystals have been credited to your account.]
Yes, the girl had participated herself.
It wasn't that she had a gambling addiction. It was just that those bad guys, seeing that Anna was a newcomer, had all bet on "a huge fight is definitely going to happen," and she, the host, couldn't stand it.
By the way, Asta had disguised herself and accompanied her to place the bet, and had also placed a small bet of one million, with the reason being, "Puffy-cheeked Anna is cute!"
Considering that she had only bet a thousand and won a hundred thousand, Asta had probably made a small fortune.
"I'm so envious..."
The girl muttered while playing with the panda doll.
Speaking of Asta...
Before they parted, the little rich girl had secretly pulled Anna to a corner and told her that if she trusted her, she should invest all her spare money in the Hyperion as soon as possible.
Anna had asked why, but she had been hesitant to say.
It couldn't be helped. The company's media had already begun to lay the groundwork for a major invention that surpassed the Welt configuration, the Light Cone.
The specific details couldn't be revealed by Asta, who had signed a confidentiality agreement. The only reason she told Anna was because they were both new councilors and had the best relationship.
But this riddle-like behavior made Anna feel hurt. The girl had saved up a lot of allowance in the past three months and had just won a small sum, but she wasn't like Asta, who could spend a hundred million at a time.
If she were kicked out of the council one day, she was counting on that money to buy a house and retire.
However—
[When you have the chance to make a choice, don't hesitate. Once you miss this opportunity, it's gone for good!]
Recalling Asta's extremely serious expression, Anna shouted, "Ah! So annoying!"
She pulled the small blanket over herself and twisted and turned until she became a giant caterpillar.
Then, she took out her phone, opened her chat app, and locked onto the pinned conversation at the top.
Cairahcs: Teacher Fufu, Teacher Fufu! I'm so conflicted right now. Please help me come up with a plan!
Anna, curled up in a ball, typed the message, her rose-pink eyes shining as she stared at the phone screen, looking incredibly cute.
A moment later, a reply came.
Fufu is Cute: K.
So cold!
Anna puffed out her cheeks and continued to type with a 'pitter-patter'.
Cairahcs: It's like this, I have some spare money that I was originally planning to save for retirement. But my friend recommended that I invest in a project that she thinks has a lot of potential. She said that after it's done, a tenfold return would be easy. Teacher Fufu, do you think I should invest?
Fufu is Cute: Invest? Invest my ass! Who gets a tenfold return on a casual investment? It's obvious your friend is setting you up to scam your retirement savings!
Fufu is Cute: Remember this when you're out and about: besides mosquitoes, no one will give you a red envelope for free.
Cairahcs: I don't think so? She's very rich.
Fufu is Cute: Rich people have ways to cover their losses if an investment fails. Do you?
Recalling the amount of her council allowance, Anna typed with her head down.
Cairahcs: I think so?
Fufu is Cute: Rich lady, save me! I also have a super-profitable project on hand, more profitable than the one your friend mentioned! I'm just missing an angel investor!
Fufu is Cute: Heart, heart, heart, heart! Love you, love you, love you, love you!
"Teacher Fufu, your attitude changes so fast!"
Anna muttered to herself and couldn't help but smile.
Cairahcs: What kind of project is it?
If it sounded reasonable, with their years of friendship, it wouldn't hurt to invest a little.
The reply from the other side came quickly, so smoothly it was as if it had been prepared in advance: It's an organization I recently founded called [Hyperion].
It's still in its early stages, but the initial period of dormancy is often a necessary preparation before the dawn. We will maintain strategic focus and tactical flexibility, accumulating momentum through continuous iteration—
Anna didn't read the rest of the text.
Founded Hyperion, recently, Teacher Fufu, Fu... Fuli?
It's him?
No, how could it be him?!!
Wait! Then before!
"Miss Anna! I need you!"
'Waaaah!!!'
The boy's 'deep confession (plotting for her Stigmata)' when she first boarded the Hyperion echoed in her ears.
The girl suddenly threw her phone away, and a pink mist rose from her skin. A sharp whistle, like an old-fashioned train's steam whistle, sounded from the top of her head.
An online friend I've known for years confessed to me on our first meeting without knowing it's me... This development is too much like a light novel!
Come to think of it, it's normal. So many people in the world live like NPCs, there's bound to be one or two who live like protagonists...
My ass!
Anna forcefully covered her burning cheeks. Her boiling cheeks sizzled, as if three cotton candy-like steam clouds were puffing out from the top of her head. Her whole body curled up under the covers like an overloaded steam robot.
Only the abandoned panda pillow was left alone at the foot of the bed, its black plastic eyes gleaming with a strange light.
...