Great men often dominate the pages of history, leaving a world where a perspective centered on the collective power of the people lacks the soil to ever take root.
But Durandal had brought that very perspective with her—nurtured in the soil of her past life as an ordinary college student—and transplanted it into this world.
When she finally debuted these ideals, the resonance was immediate and electric.
It was like the triumphs of a great republic, liberating a nation in a mere three years. Could such a feat truly be credited to a handful of leaders or a few legendary generals?
No.
Credit belonged to the countless souls who followed silently behind the revolutionary armies, pushing rickety wooden carts to transport supplies through the most primitive means.
Durandal remained clear-headed; she had been from the very start.
She knew her individual strength was finite. That was why, upon crossing into this world and discovering Elysia's existence, her first instinct had been to extend an olive branch.
Whether it was demanding Mobius from Fire Moth, posing as a student to infiltrate Chiba Academy, or even masquerading as a fan at one of Eden's concerts, her motive remained singular: she needed comrades to stand by her side.
However, simply gathering the original Flame-Chasers wasn't enough.
After all, the Flame-Chasers weren't exactly heroes.
In a way, they were a collection of losers—failures of a doomed timeline. There was no logical reason to believe that this group would suddenly succeed just because they had changed leadership.
If it were that easy, the Honkai—the great filter of civilizations across the universe—would be a pathetic joke.
Thus, Durandal needed broader support.
She used Mayor Hayato to cultivate ties with the Nagazora government and leveraged his network to open doors in Sapphire City.
It was all a calculated move to ensure that once the Third Honkai Eruption hit, she could utilize the manpower and credibility of both local governments. She needed to mobilize the masses, ensuring they cooperated with evacuations to safe zones and minimizing the human cost of the catastrophe.
She even tasked Eden with the public relations and branding of Schicksal.
It was all to ensure that when Schicksal operated across the globe, things would run as smoothly as they did in Nagazora and Sapphire City.
Durandal firmly believed in a single principle: Keep the people and lose the land, and both the people and land may be reclaimed. Keep the land and lose the people, and both are lost forever.
In her eyes, if a city was reduced to rubble, it was just rubble. As long as the people survived, a newer, grander city could be raised from the ashes within twenty years.
Conversely, if one abandoned humanity to preserve the so-called "crystallization of civilization," they were putting the cart before the horse.
As long as enough humans remained, civilization would never truly end.
Durandal's words carried a heavy weight, echoing in the hearts of everyone in the meeting room.
Standing beside her, Elysia's beautiful eyes shimmered with an extraordinary light.
This was the lover she had chosen—this unique, singular existence.
Truly, by loving her, Elysia found she could love all of humanity even more deeply. The lingering haze of confusion that had once nested in the depths of Elysia's heart had finally vanished.
"The Third Honkai Eruption has drawn to a close, and everyone has worked incredibly hard during this period," Durandal announced. "Therefore, I am declaring a one-week holiday for everyone. Schicksal's luxury cruise ship and a fully prepared private island are now open to you!"
"As for our members in Sapphire City, I have ordered Dystopia, Kevyn, and Sakura to lead their teams back. The next seven days belong to your celebration."
With that, Durandal stepped down from the podium and vanished into the crowd with Elysia.
Within a deserted office at Schicksal HQ, the silence was broken by heavy breathing and the faint, wet sounds of a lingering kiss.
In the privacy of the room, Elysia had pinned Durandal against the wall, the two of them lost in a feverish exchange. It wasn't until Elysia felt her lips grow noticeably swollen that she finally pulled back.
Still, her eyes remained fixed on Durandal, the fiery intensity within them threatening to consume Durandal and Elysia both.
Durandal didn't flinch.
She simply reached out, brushing aside a few stray hairs that veiled Elysia's face, and asked with a hint of confusion, "What's gotten into you? I noticed you seemed a bit... off back in the meeting room."
It was true; the only reason Durandal had pulled a vanishing act right after her speech was because she'd sensed Elysia's strange mood.
However, the moment they had entered the empty office, before she could even get a word out, Elysia had cut her off with a passionate kiss. This was the first sentence Durandal had managed to speak since being dragged away.
"I've found that I love you even more now. Isn't that reason enough? ♪"
Elysia's voice was slightly husky, clearly strained by the internal fire burning within her.
Seeing this, Durandal led Elysia away from the wall. She picked up an unopened bottle of mineral water from a desk, twisted the cap off, and held it out with deep concern. "Here, have some."
Elysia gave a soft chuckle, took the bottle, and took small, elegant sips, her gaze never leaving Durandal's.
Perhaps the "watering" worked, as the flames in Elysia's eyes began to dim. After finishing half the bottle, she handed it back. "Do you want some too?"
"Yeah."
Durandal nodded; she was indeed feeling parched. She didn't mind in the least that Elysia had just drunk from it. Unlike Elysia's refined sips, Durandal's style was far more bold.
She finished the remaining half in a few large gulps, tossed the bottle and cap into the wastebasket, and pulled Elysia over to the nearby sofa.
"Was it because of my speech?"
Durandal was starting to catch on now. Considering Elysia's personality, she had a rough idea of what had triggered this.
Although she hadn't done it on purpose, her performance in the meeting room had clearly pushed all of Elysia's buttons.
"That's right~ ♪ It was the first time I've ever heard words like those come from someone like you! ♪"
Elysia nodded, then naturally tilted her head to rest it on Durandal's shoulder.
"Someone like me?"
Durandal pondered the phrase, understanding the sentiment behind it.
It was a bit like a historical paradox—while the people might shout praises to a leader, that leader is the one insisting that it is the people who are truly supreme.
Durandal didn't dare compare herself to the great revolutionaries of old, making the analogy feel a bit lopsided.
But in the eyes of Elysia and the others, the shock brought by her words was indeed a tectonic shift—something truly unprecedented in the history of this world.
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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL