"Now that Dr. Vill-V has split her personalities, please switch to the one most suited for experiments. We still have a lot of research to do."
"Fine, fine. You're starting to sound like a nagging mother."
With a blink of her eyes, the personalities switched.
Next up was the 'Expert' personality, most suited for research.
The 'Expert' Vill-V immediately got to work after taking over the body.
She picked up several research reports, reviewed them, and began her experiments.
Sometimes, Prometheus really envied her theoretical sister, Skadi.
Equipped with a carefree module, Skadi lived freely every day, only needing to deal with a few Honkai beasts and nothing else.
Meanwhile, after returning to MOTH, Chang Yuan and Elysia resumed their daily routines and duties.
Several months later...
"Elysia, no matter how the Herrscher reacts this time, kill it in one strike. Don't hesitate."
On the mission aircraft, Chang Yuan spoke with a serious tone.
In the original timeline, the Sixth Herrscher had displayed a hint of human-like emotion, causing Kevin to hesitate.
The result was that the Sixth Herrscher's final counterattack wiped out an entire city.
And because of his hesitation, Kevin was left with psychological scars.
But because of the Sixth Herrscher incident, Kevin became extremely decisive when dealing with Herrschers afterward. It was a double-edged sword.
"Don't worry, I won't hesitate. After all, it's a Herrscher."
Elysia patted her chest, speaking with certainty.
How could she ever show mercy to a Herrscher? Unless the Herrscher was on humanity's side.
But Chang Yuan still wasn't entirely reassured, so he decided to act according to the situation.
If something similar to the original timeline happened, he would be the one to take action.
Upon arriving at the battlefield, the two jumped out of the aircraft.
There were no corpses here, and Chang Yuan knew why. It was due to the Sixth Herrscher's authority over Death.
The ability to decay anything at a molecular level, as well as rapidly heal injuries as long as consciousness remained intact.
In the original timeline, the reason the Seventh Herrscher had MANTISes was likely due to the Sixth Herrscher's authority.
"Watch out!"
Shouting a warning, Chang Yuan and Elysia immediately reacted.
A black mist swept past where they had been standing moments ago.
Everything in its path decayed and disintegrated.
"Elysia, don't let any of its attacks touch you. They're fatal."
"Understood."
Elysia immediately drew her bow and fired an arrow in the direction of the attack.
The arrow pierced through countless objects, striking the attacker.
The two quickly closed the distance, only to see the Sixth Herrscher pull the arrow out of her body.
Her wound healed at a visible rate.
Even though they had known about the Sixth Herrscher's healing ability, seeing it in action still left Elysia in awe.
Fortunately, they already knew the Herrscher's weaknesses. While her Honkai energy was infinite, she would still tire.
Thus, a battle of attrition began, and in the end, the Herrscher of Death was no match for the two.
Drawing her bow, Elysia aimed at the kneeling Herrscher's head, ready to fire.
But then, the Herrscher of Death showed a look of fear on her face.
Seeing a human-like expression on a Herrscher for the first time, Elysia froze, completely forgetting Chang Yuan's earlier warning.
But this couldn't be blamed on her. Due to her own uniqueness, Elysia always felt a strange connection with these Herrschers.
So when she saw a Herrscher displaying human-like emotions, she couldn't help but hesitate, as if she wasn't the only special one, as if she had found a kindred spirit.
Seeing this, Chang Yuan, who had been prepared, acted decisively. He activated the Third Divine Key's second power and cleaved the Herrscher in two with a single strike.
Thus, the black mist that had begun to form in the Herrscher's hand dissipated before it could take shape.
"Elysia, you hesitated."
Putting away his blade, Chang Yuan walked over to Elysia, who was still in shock, and shook his head helplessly.
Fortunately, he had known Elysia's personality and had prepared a backup plan.
Otherwise, bearing the guilt of an entire city's death would have likely changed Elysia's personality drastically.
"...I'm sorry, Chang Yuan. I was wrong."
Elysia didn't make any excuses. She put away her bow and lowered her head in apology.
Right was right, and wrong was wrong. That was Elysia's nature.
Moreover, the moment Chang Yuan struck down the Sixth Herrscher, she had snapped out of it. She also noticed the black mist in the Herrscher's hand hadn't completely disappeared.
Knowing what that black mist was, Elysia felt a wave of fear.
If Chang Yuan hadn't acted decisively, the Herrscher's final attack would have been devastating.
"Luckily, I knew your personality well. Let this be a lesson. Next time—no, there can't be a next time. Even if the Herrscher is our ally, don't hesitate."
"...What if it's you, Chang Yuan? I might still not be able to do it."
"...If it's really me, and there's no way to save me, then please kill me."
Thinking about how he was a butterfly that had already flapped its wings, could he also become a Herrscher?
To prevent that possibility, he had to make sure Elysia or someone else would kill him without hesitation.
Of course, this was only if there was no chance of saving him.
After all, if there was still hope, he would much rather live.
He had finally won Elysia's heart. He didn't want to die so soon.
"What if it's me?"
"I'll do everything in my power to save you. Even if there's no hope, I'll knock you out and use the Fifth Divine Key to freeze you forever until we find a way to save you."
This time, Chang Yuan answered without hesitation, almost as soon as Elysia asked.
"Really? You tell me to be decisive if you become a Herrscher, but if it's me, you hesitate. How do you know I won't hesitate too?"
Elysia felt like there was sand in her eyes and reached up to rub them.