A bright moon hung overhead, casting its cold light upon the boundless earth below.
Machine guns, heavy artillery, Titan war machines, and swarms of drone fighters formed an impressive defensive perimeter around the area.
Within this protective circle, Wendy sat gracefully on a chair, her pale green dress flowing gently about her legs drawn up against her chest—in truth, she truly was a lady, at least when not fighting or getting riled up by Zeke.
All the firepower surrounding her stood ready for her sake.
If her Herrscher powers went out of control, these weapons would serve as her welcoming barrage—that was Zeke's exact wording. After saying so, he even gave her a stern pat on the head, warning, "Behave yourself; otherwise, I'll beat you down."
"(.oˇ?ˇo.)..."
"What's with that expression? Thinking about Zeke's words again?"
"Can't he be more tactful?"
"He rarely sugarcoats things; he says exactly what's on his mind. Don't read too much into it—he meant no harm. He was simply letting you know that if you lose control, he'll step in."
"...We'll see who ends up beating whom!" Wendy pouted her adorable, fair cheeks and huffed indignantly, turning away.
Einstein smiled warmly but didn't correct Wendy's misjudgment of Zeke's combat prowess. Instead, she asked, "How are you feeling now?"
"It's manageable. There's an urge to destroy, which grows stronger the more Honkai Energy I use, but I can still restrain it."
"You need to adjust your mindset... Don't worry, Yang went through this phase as well, and it can be overcome."
"I'm not worried at all. After years of meticulous preparation, wasn't it all for this moment?" Wendy sighed softly, offering a gentle smile.
At first glance, arranging such overwhelming firepower against her seemed heartless. However, to a Herrscher, this barrage held little significance. The display was primarily for the benefit of outsiders.
After giving brief instructions, Zeke promptly left, leaving Einstein close by Wendy's side—both men trusted her implicitly, and she felt their confidence keenly.
"Thank you."
Wendy placed one hand over her gently curving chest and flashed Ein a bright, gentle smile.
Despite having just entered the threshold of youth, it was hard to conceal her youthful innocence. Yet, combined with the unique aura inherent to Herrschers and her inherently kind nature, her radiant, almost ethereal grin momentarily captivated even the composed Einstein.
One wonders how Zeke manages it. For someone so lovely, resorting to brutal beatings or relentless machine-gun fire... It takes more than being a man; honestly, only a monster could do such a thing!
"On another note, Theresa wants to visit you. Zeke agreed, saying it would be a good test of your emotional control... among other things."
"As expected from him, always cold-hearted and unfeeling."
The warmth on Wendy's face vanished instantly as she clenched her fist, grinding her teeth with a hint of resignation.
Einstein, monitoring various data streams, casually suggested, "Zeke prefers obedient girls. If you're less stubborn around him, he'll treat you much better."
"He needs to show some respect first! Treating me like just another lackey or tool all day long—I can't stand it! One day, I'll make him pay!"
If you can't stand it, then leave—Zeke won't stop you. And making him pay? Are you planning to transform yourself into a drooling, wide-eyed mess with scissor-like limbs for his amusement... Ah well, forgive her; living too long and having such high intelligence inevitably accumulates both appropriate and inappropriate knowledge, often without realizing it. Occasionally, these slips occur, but no harm done, truly none at all!
With a sigh, Einstein shook her head helplessly at the indignant Wendy.
As Theresa arrived, Einstein exchanged glances with Himeko, and they departed side by side, seemingly leaving space for this long-estranged pair—well, let's call them teacher and student—to reconnect.
Theresa nervously wrung her fingers before approaching Wendy hesitantly.
"Um... Are you... doing okay? How's your health?" After mustering up courage, she managed to stammer these dry words.
Wendy nodded expressionlessly. "I'm alright."
"Uh... I heard you've become a Herrscher now?"
"Yes."
"That... I... regarding the Oceania Branch incident... I..." Stuttering for quite some time, the three words that had lingered in Theresa's heart finally emerged from her lips: "...I'm sorry."
Her gaze softened, filled with remorse and unease as she looked at Wendy.
Wendy stared back steadily, then after a moment, sighed deeply—a sigh unbecoming of her youthful age.
"It's fine; it's all in the past. Whether the Principal was aware or not about the experiment, ultimately, I consented to it myself. Now, I have many people who care for me and those whom I wish to protect. Life is good, so I don't want to hold any grudges anymore... As for you, perhaps it's just the shattering of my admiration and illusions. There are no other feelings involved, please don't worry too much."
"I..." Eager to say something, Principal Theresa's thoughts tangled amidst the flood of words on her tongue, and she ultimately remained silent.
She clutched her head, taking a step back with a pale face as crystalline tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I... I didn't mean for it... I... I had no idea..."
"Principal Theresa?"
Wendy stood up, unsure of what was happening but looking at Theresa with concern.
Then came the sound of footsteps.
A delicate hand gently rested on Theresa's shoulder, easing her anguish.
Wendy noticed Fu Hua, adorned with an ancient golden sword on her back and wearing a flowing white qipao with red patterns, appearing almost ethereal.
"Fu Hua-sensei, what's wrong with her?" Wendy asked.
Fu Hua had imparted knowledge and skills to these girls around Zeke, regardless of their eventual outcomes. Out of respect, they all willingly addressed her as "sensei." Over the years, through interactions between Anti-Entropy Headquarters and Taixuan Mountain, they had developed a strong bond with Fu Hua.
Smiling warmly at Wendy, Fu Hua expressed her encouragement and well-wishes:
"The power of a Herrscher was once something I deemed ominous, but it's truly the person wielding it who decides whether its use is good or evil, not the power itself. I'm glad we can still have this conversation as we do now. May you stay true to your original intent and use this strength for what you genuinely believe in—just like Mr. Welt, radiant with boundless light."
"Yes, thank you, Teacher!" Wendy replied enthusiastically.
She then turned toward Theresa, whose eyes were glistening with tears, and frowned slightly.
Fu Hua reached out and placed her hand on Theresa's forehead, seemingly observing something closely. After a moment, she sighed.
"As Zeke suspected, there's interference with your consciousness—a psychic shackle... Most likely Otto's work. The traces run deep, subtly distorting your thoughts."
Theresa lifted her head, looking at Fu Hua while gently biting her lower lip.
"What did Grandpa...do to me?"
"He implanted profound mental suggestions, preventing you from defying him or even hating him. More alarmingly, he regressed and locked your cognitive abilities and personality traits. From a conscious perspective, you're essentially no different from a genuine child now."
At that moment, Theresa's face paled dramatically, revealing a fragility akin to delicate glass.
After a long moment, Theresa managed a pale smile.
"Yes, I've known for quite some time now. Otherwise, how could I have suppressed my feelings when it came to Cecilia and Kiana? How could I not have openly defied Grandpa or even complained about his actions afterward? Perhaps he tampered with my memories as well."
An S-rank Valkyrie, Principal of Saint Freya Academy, highest-ranking officer of the Far East Branch, bearer of the surname "Apocalypse" denoting boundless power and glory—yet only Theresa knew she was merely Otto's doll, a pet living according to his whims. All her perceived acts of defiance and efforts were nothing more than plays staged for Otto's amusement on the palm of his hand.
Whenever Otto deemed the story should take a different turn, Theresa would become a marionette, compelled to follow his will without resistance until he saw fit to relax his control.
"Hah..." Theresa looked up at the bright moon, deep-seated fear and despair surfacing from the recesses of her mind.
Thus, she remained completely unaffected by the Gem of Desire experiments and even unconsciously avoided any related information—so much so that when Wendy sank into her agonizing despair, Theresa never once remembered the child she had personally sent away.
All these contradictions could be perfectly explained with just one phrase: "This is Otto's will!"