Pfft—
Himeko, who delivered a sword strike with the force of a celestial fire attack, did not actually lower her greatsword.
"Just kidding, if this sword strike lands, it really could kill someone"
However, this sword strike knocked Sirin unconscious.
Then, before Sirin's dazed eyes, Himeko injected the potion she had brought from the Heimdall laboratory into her neck.
When the medicine entered, Sirin's characteristic golden pupils contracted sharply and then she pushed Himeko away.
But now it is clear that it is already too late.
Rumble...
Without the support of the Herrscher's power, the entire imaginary space collapsed rapidly.
"Cough cough..."
Himeko, who had been pushed to the ground, coughed up two mouthfuls of blood.
"This armor is truly impressive..."
An increase of almost 250% is certainly exciting, but the aftereffect can be deadly.
After all, Himeko is not particularly good with her compatibility with Honkai energy.
The combination of the Gem of Haste and the Blank Key put an extraordinary strain on Himeko's body.
"Lady Bianca, we should retreat"
Rita looked at the imaginary space that had opened to reveal the real world and whispered a reminder to Bianca.
She had not forgotten that they had both ventured deep into Anti-Entropy's rear.
"Well" Bianca took one last look in Himeko's direction, nodded, and quickly left with Rita.
"Himeko-sensei, are you okay?" Mei asked worriedly.
"I feel a bit exhausted" Himeko took a deep breath.
"Nobody said this would happen before the fight started"
Even though the platform under her feet began to tilt, Himeko remained serene.
After all, she was not injured at all and Tian Shi was there to take her away.
"There's no time left" Tian Shi said abruptly.
"Mei! Give me a hand!"
"Eh?"
Before Himeko could even reflect on the meaning of Tian Shi's words, the system notification rang in her mind.
This simulation has ended.
[Initiating Completion]
…
In the present.
"Good morning, Himeko"
"Good morning, Tian... Ha! Bastard! Do you dare to come back?"
Himeko, lying in the hospital bed, was about to respond when she froze and then said angrily.
Or perhaps it is a coquettish pout?
"It's been several months, right? Why are you still in a hospital bed?"
Tian Shi asked casually, pretending he didn't care.
"Tsk, at least you still have some conscience"
Hearing Tian Shi's concern for her health, Himeko, though displeased, managed to flash a genuine smile on her face.
"Dr. Maki said that... well, my medical history is too long to remember, but my body has probably reached its limit and I need to rest"
"I probably won't be able to fight anyone for a year or two"
"That sounds pretty bad"
"Is this bad?" Himeko sat up in bed and peeled an apple for herself.
"The operation has been fine for a long time, it's just that now I have to take two Honkai energy inhibitor injections every day"
"By the way, there's something I want to tell you"
"Tell me"
"I plan to move to an administrative position" Himeko said naturally, as if she weren't talking about her own situation.
"It's a bit sudden" Tian Shi commented after thinking for a moment.
"And speaking of which, it seems like it's been a long time since we talked in such a formal tone"
"Tsk, this is supposed to be a major event in my life, right? What's wrong with being a bit formal?" Himeko rolled her eyes.
This is the tone of their usual conversations with Himeko.
"That is to say, I, this super invincible genius beauty, originally went astray, and now I'm just correcting the mistakes"
"Where is the bathroom? I have to throw up!"
"Get out!"
Himeko wanted to throw the apple in her hand at Tian Shi, but considering Tian Shi was a ghost, hitting him was worse than hitting a dog, so Himeko reluctantly gave up.
"Okay, but at least give me a legitimate reason, okay?" Tian Shi sat next to Himeko.
"At your age you are neither invincible, nor a genius, nor a pretty young girl" It has hardened! The fist has hardened!
"You say that, but you'd still look at me if I wore black stockings and a JK uniform, wouldn't you?" Himeko snorted softly.
"..."
"..."
Tian Shi's silence made Himeko fall silent as well.
"Is it really that bad?"
"Um... I've imagined it and maybe it's a bit cringey, but... well, I support you"
Tian Shi's diplomatic words made the veins on Himeko's forehead swell.
But... Tian Shi really can't imagine Himeko in that uniform!
Well, strictly speaking, it is unimaginable now, but back then there was a lot of room for imagination.
"If I had to give a reason, it would probably just be that I want to rekindle my dreams" Himeko replied somewhat dejectedly.
"And Dr. Maki also said that my body is no longer fit to fight"
Well, the doctor's original words were: "Himeko, if you don't take care of your health now, you could have fertility problems in the future".
And to be honest, 27 is already considered an advanced age for a Valkyrie.
"Yes, that's fine" Tian Shi had no objections to this.
"Then let's start retaking elementary school math tomorrow"
"Get out of here!" Unable to stand it any longer, Himeko threw a pillow at Tian Shi and, needless to say, she missed.
"I didn't even hold a grudge against you for running away suddenly! If it weren't for Mei's quick reaction... tsk"
Although Tian Shi called Mei before he left, she also deserves credit.
"Let's not talk about that, by the way, what have you been doing these days?" Himeko suddenly smiled.
"Now let's see which scoundrel has set his sights on my dried fish again"
"Am I organizing a party in Sky City?"
"Really?"
"Even if you want to go, all you can do is stand there staring, right?"
"Are you provoking a patient?"
"Do you consider yourself a patient?" Getting two daily injections of Honkai Energy Inhibitor is not a patient's problem.
That product has no side effects other than temporarily weakening the Valkyrie, okay?
"Tell me, who are they?"
"I'm going to start writing things down in a little notebook!"
"Rita"
These two have finally mixed... too bad they can't beat her.
"Bianca"
All right, we really can't get over this.
"Fu Hua"
If you can't beat them, move on.
"The Herrscher of Sentience who has taken over Fu Hua's body"
"Wait, what the hell is this?"
"Mei"
This... even if she is her student, she can't beat her.
"Is it really a good option now to abandon martial arts for academic goals?"
"Ah, it seems I can't win even if I don't abandon martial arts"
"And then there's Dra. MEI, my student, a former leader of the previous civilization, whose status is probably like Otto's"
"Damn it, what kind of big shot is this? I can't afford to mess with her"
"Tesla"
This one... though weak, is a veteran, so she is not easy to intimidate.
"Finally, there's Kiana"
"This is good"
Himeko cheered up at the mention of Kiana's name.
This seems like something she could write in her little notebook.
"By the way, how is that girl? Does she remember you?"
Himeko asked with concern while taking notes in her notebook.
"I don't think so?"
"Mei was too busy saving her at the time"
"If Benares hadn't run out again, I probably would have regretted it for the rest of my life"
Himeko thought Benares was incredibly resilient.
"How many times did Mei hit her back then? Still, she managed to run out and take Kiana away" Tian Shi took a look at the system.
Kiana's compatibility shows as 140%.
Hmm... it's hard to say.
"Tsk, I see" Himeko was considering whether she should cross Kiana's name off her mental notebook.
After all, ignorance is no excuse.
"By the way, do you know where Benares is now?"
Speaking of Benares, Tian Shi still pays some attention to her.
After all, she is a Judgment-level Honkai Beast, currently the strongest below the Herrscher.
"I don't know, don't ask patients these kinds of questions" Himeko shrugged, indicating she knew nothing.
"Okay, you should focus on getting better"
"Hey! What kind of attitude is that?!" Himeko expressed her strong dissatisfaction.
"But then again, since Rita and Bianca are in Sky City, why not send Captain Ragna there too?"
"Come on, let's have a free duel!"
"Unlike me, my captain will turn 31 after her birthday this year!"
"She... although her reasons are valid, I still feel you have ulterior motives" Tian Shi's intuition is quite sharp.
"Isn't it good to have several personal maids?" Himeko gave a fake smile.
"Or are you saying you think the captain is too old?"
"Not at all" The Valkyries are all well-maintained.
Ragna only looks a bit older when she wears her military uniform; when she wears her maid outfit, she looks twenty-three or twenty-four.
"If all else fails, I'll use her as a secretary"
"..." To be honest, Raven is perfectly capable of being a secretary.
Although she doesn't fit her image, Raven might be a better secretary than Rita.
Well, maybe it's because Rita doesn't look like a proper secretary.
However, Tian Shi never complained about having too many capable people around him.
"In that case, we can just issue a transfer order when the time comes" Then Tian Shi chatted with Himeko about everyday matters and, seeing that it was getting late, returned to Sky City.
"Doctor, the Herrscher of Domination has probably appeared"
"...?"
"It's the Tenth Herrscher, is it really okay for it to come out so early?"
"Hmm... just a moment"
Speaking of this, Tian Shi actually remembered that some dolls seemed to have been created when Kiana was in Sky City.
From this perspective, the Herrscher of Domination should be considered the fifth Herrscher of this era in a strict sense.
However, there is no point in arguing about this.
"Where did you get that information?" Tian Shi asked very seriously.
He wouldn't mind nipping the thousand-man herald in the bud.
"Prometheus, even if it's an avatar" Dra. MEI pointed to the hard drive connected to the computer.
"It even has clones?"
"After all, a single computer cannot fully utilize its processing power" Dra. MEI smiled.
"The applications in this area are quite extensive; for example, the Void Archives use Prometheus's avatars, but that's why the concept of a mainframe is somewhat vague"
"Um... you're quite good at having fun"
"Having fun? ...And speaking of which, Dr. Mobius also took a copy of Prometheus for Project Stigma"
"What did she do?"
"Hmm... it sounds like a crazy idea, but I can't remember it well" Dra. MEI rubbed her temples.
"However, Project Stigma is not necessary"
"It's amazing to hear this from you, I thought you would be a faithful executor of Project Stigma"
"If I hadn't lived to see this day, things might have turned out as you describe, Doctor" Dra. MEI smiled.
Regardless of the nature of Honkai, it is like an exam for human civilization.
All Herrschers, and even the Finality, can be seen as questions on the exam, while Honkai is the one who sets the questions.
Hearing this, Dra. MEI immediately slapped herself on the face.
"Well, I think I remember what Mobius did: we bribed the one who set the questions for us"
That's the advantage of being too smart: even if some memories are blurred, you can still deduce the main point from the smallest details.
"Returning to the topic, the exams in the Honkai system are somewhat similar to... honesty exams"
"There are no proctors, and everything depends on the self-discipline of the students, whereas, in our previous civilization, we were the ones who failed" Dra. MEI drank a glass of water.
"Fortunately, we have discovered a... barely effective way to cheat"
At that moment, Dra. MEI flashed a wry smile.
"In reality, it shouldn't be like this, after all, not even I can know what will happen in 50,000 years"
"If I hadn't survived, Project Stigma might have become an obstacle for this civilization; after all, Kevin doesn't have the ability to modify the plan to adapt to new times"
However, Dra. MEI shook her head again.
"But whatever it is, this can be considered a reasonably effective plan, but the analogy is going back to the exam room" Dra. MEI paused for a moment.
"Even if there are no proctors for the exam, no one can guarantee that there aren't any, or that there isn't a surveillance room watching everyone's actions"
"The history of civilization is too short, so short that we can only catch a half-glimpse of reality"
"Hopefully it's just a glimpse"
"Now I understand a little, it's like the saying: The ephemeral fungus does not distinguish between dawn and dusk, and the cicada does not distinguish between spring and autumn"
"Does that mean?"
"Your analogy... is very easy to understand, that's right, we cannot be sure if there are higher unobservable existences above the Honkai"
Tian Shi's metaphor made Dra. MEI unable to help but reveal a wry smile.
Although scientists shouldn't think about such fantastic things, the world is full of illogical facts...
Dra. MEI pursed her lips.
"Project Stigma... If nothing unexpected happens, Kevin will eventually take control of the Finality, and then talented humans will collectively infiltrate the Dream"
"Doubtless, in terms of the exam, this is cheating"
Tian Shi was a bit surprised by the role played by Kevin; after all, when he transmigrated, the plot had not yet revealed the full picture of Project Stigma.
If the Honkai Impact is truly a test, and there are observers in higher dimensions, Kevin could face severe punishment, not to mention Project Stigma itself...
She could only say those words to Tian Shi, her closest confidant; saying them to others would be seen as something that would undermine morale.
Furthermore, since she is still alive and Tian Shi is also present, Project Stigma has a somewhat dark historical connotation for Dra. MEI.
After all, she knew very well that the ideas behind that project were contrary to Tian Shi's values.
She could argue with others that she was doing it for civilization, not for humanity, but she didn't have that confidence when she faced Tian Shi.
After all, the most basic definition of civilization is the human spirit and its accumulated creations.
Project Stigma has, in a sense, trampled on the definition of "civilization".
When others use this to refute her, she can say she has her own definition and that she cannot connect with them.
But how would she dare say that in front of Tian Shi?
Besides, she had to admit that part of Project Stigma arose from her personal desires, that is, her pursuit of truth.
Perhaps it is more accurate to say that she is on the opposite side of the Honkai than on the side of civilization.
However, although Project Stigma is neither human nor civilized, it is undoubtedly a way to "survive".
Luckily, she is still alive and well, and Tian Shi is by her side.
She has enough time to deal with Project Stigma, which is about to become a dark history, and to find an effective solution with Tian Shi.
Moreover, there are still tombs to be unearthed... I wonder how many of those heroes from back then survived.
"If there are enough, that increases our chances of victory even more"
"If you can pass by answering the questions correctly, do it correctly, cheating might be easy, but if you get caught..."
"Let's leave Project Stigma here and talk about the Herrscher" Dra. MEI returned to the subject.
"Although the Herrscher of Domination has appeared in Sky City, to be fair, they are not easy to catch" As the one who destroyed the thousand of the previous civilization, Dra. MEI is quite qualified to comment.
"Their IQ is too high... or rather, they are too cowardly, but they are also incredibly destructive to civilization"
"So, if possible, we should investigate Sky City"