Chapter 354: The Need To Be Ruled
The plan unfolded exactly as intended.
Four days later, Bronya completed the global lattice-type blockade. The freely spreading power of erosion was confined within crisscrossing micro-Honkai disintegration fields, locked into square grids. These grids were then gradually compressed, shrinking the once boundless space of activity little by little until nothing remained.
Meanwhile, Einstein and Tesla, together with their team of researchers, worked tirelessly day and night. At the very same moment the blockade network took shape, they finished modifying the Moonlight Throne into a projection-type output device. Without a moment's pause, they immediately began firing Honkai-disintegration radiation grid by grid, wiping out the corruption zone by zone.
Because of this, regions where machinery and technology had spiraled out of control rapidly began to return to normal. Welt seized the opportunity to play his dual role as both spiritual leader and hands-on master craftsman. He led the newly secured populace to swiftly revive lost industrial capabilities, rebuilding the foundation of science and technology. The process went smoothly.
On the soft-power front, elements such as capital, politics, religion, and organized crime had already been almost completely eradicated in the earlier purges. And the management system of Anti-Entropy, revised countless times by Sigurd, Einstein, Welt, and even Otto, possessed stability and distribution capacity strong enough to replace the market itself. On the hard-power front—at a time like this, what force could possibly obstruct the joint might of Anti-Entropy and Schicksal? You've heard of Herrschers, haven't you? They had more than enough of that level of combat strength to spare!
Of course, the Herrscher of Corruption retaliated. Infection began spreading through electromagnetic waves, with transmission speeds leaping forward at least within each grid. Worse still, infection of living organisms finally appeared—turning ordinary beings into vicious monsters, stronger than standard Honkai Zombies, with higher efficiency of spread.
But humanity had both Yae Sakura and the Key of Corruption on their side!
Though no God Key could truly stand on equal terms with a Herrscher, they could still suppress disasters to a certain extent and buy precious time.
And now, time itself favored humanity. Every counterattack of the Herrscher of Corruption was nothing more than the thrashing of a beast trapped in a cage.
. . . .
"Phew—"
The spring breeze swayed the crimson hem of her dress, lifting strands of golden hair that glittered in the sunlight, scattering dazzling brilliance.
Hera sat in a white chair, with the ruins of skyscrapers beneath her feet. Behind her stood a silver-haired beauty in a golden mask, silent, holding a dainty parasol. Just the sight of this pair was breathtaking.
Her emerald eyes, gleaming like gemstones, swept across the holographic screens before her one by one as she listened to the reports from Einstein, Bronya, and Welt. A soft radiance gradually filled her gaze.
"Well done. Truly, each of you is a dragon among men—you never fail to live up to expectations."
So said Hera, with a sincere smile.
The people on the screens reacted differently, but all carried an air of calm.
Defeating a Herrscher—it was neither the first nor would it be the last. They felt some satisfaction, of course, but none would lose themselves in triumph.
Hera lifted a hand, tugging lightly at Amber's sleeve.
As the perfect subordinate, Amber naturally grasped her meaning without a word. Behind the golden mask, her delicate face betrayed no emotion. In short order she had produced a standing parasol, a tea table set with pastries, and freshly brewed black tea for Hera.
Hera accepted the cup, savoring the fragrance. She let out a faint sigh.
"The Previous Era faced the Herrscher of Corruption as well. Back then, the scale and intensity of the disaster were far less than what we face today. And yet, that battle led to the rift within the Thirteen Flame-Chasers. It fueled humanity's increasingly extreme stance toward the Honkai, which in turn tore apart the fragile accord between MOTH and the rest of humanity. From then until the Final Battle, endless strife and bitter infighting never ceased."
"But now… look at us. More people have died, the devastation is even greater—yet look at those rebuilding their homes. Do you see any fear in them?"
The sudden sentiment made the others—who had been about to cut the connection rather than waste more time watching Hera sip tea—pause and reconsider.
They fell into silence, unable to stop themselves from reflecting as well.
Yes. An enemy of the same kind, destruction even greater, casualties even heavier—so why was the spirit of this era so much stronger than the last?
Surely this was proof of all they had struggled for until now.
After a moment, Einstein—when had that cup of black tea appeared in her hand?—lifted a fine porcelain cup, her expression thoughtful as she said:
"Human beings are social creatures. And what is society? A hierarchy, where some lead and others follow, so that all can move forward steadily. In other words, humanity has always needed to be ruled, to be guided."
Welt opened his mouth, as if to argue. But in the end he only touched the teal scarf at his neck—his constant companion—and remained silent.
Hera smiled faintly, turning toward Einstein's projection.
"The doctor is right. Humanity is a species that can achieve nothing without proper leadership. Why did the Previous Era turn into such an ugly mess? Because the heroes at the front developed technology, raised their combat power—but forgot about governance. Fire Moth fought hard for victory, running far and fast, but they never looked back to tell those stuck in the mud and mire where to go. They handed that authority over to the shortsighted, the ignorant, the so-called leaders of conventional power. And so, while technology and strength at the top soared, the foundation—the masses of ordinary people—was left in shambles. What remained to the common folk was only mounting fear and deepening confusion."
She raised her cup. Her delicate, rosy lips against the white porcelain made a striking contrast. But her eyes, misty and profound, seemed to pierce through fifty thousand years, gazing upon that final moment when human society had shattered into pieces.
Bronya, at that moment, popped open a can of soda. After taking a gulp, she spoke in her cool yet childlike voice:
"That's why Sigurd came. Whether through guidance or coercion, he pulled this world together in his grasp. We tell everyone the truth: Honkai is terrifying—but we also tell them we can win. We tell them death is right before their eyes—but also that there are countless brave people standing to protect them. And we tell them, they too can contribute, they too can protect themselves."
Hera nodded and turned to Bronya.
"I never had much faith in human nature. But I've always known Honkai is a calamity for civilization, one no handful of extraordinary individuals could ever hope to overcome alone. For a long time, I was pessimistic about defeating it. These last five hundred years, all I did was gather power and authority in my own hands, maintaining a façade of peace as best I could. This outcome now—it was never part of my plan. What you have done is nothing less than a miracle. So let us toast—to heroes."
Einstein and Bronya raised their cups and cans in unison, returning the gesture.
Welt alone scratched his head in bewilderment.
"Wait, hold on—when did you all start drinking without me?"
The ladies continued sipping their tea and soda without sparing him a glance.
After all, if the "alliance leader" couldn't be bothered to prepare a drink for himself during a meeting, who was to blame?
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