The reason 'Hertatomb' was so fixated on launching a special operation, keeping the struggle contained within Amphoreus, rather than just charging head-on, boiled down to one thing…
Back when she'd left that video for the company, she'd never imagined she'd end up drawing the 'Irontomb' card herself.
Originally, she'd figured that before the Astral Express set sail, breaching Amphoreus's defenses would be incredibly difficult.
Even if they got in, deciphering the planet's secrets under Zandar's interference would be a near-impossible task.
So, she thought she was just planting a seed—a contingency for when the Express finally departed.
But, as they say, plans never survive contact with reality.
She drew the Irontomb card.
With Irontomb's unique nature, she could now dive straight into Amphoreus and have it out with Zandar in a consciousness-to-consciousness brawl.
A real fight, though, would inevitably cause data spillover.
If no one was paying attention to this remote sector, it might have been fine.
The star system housing Amphoreus was practically empty.
They just needed Herta and the others to prevent the viral spread from reaching any inhabited planets.
They could have wrapped everything up before the wider universe even noticed, much like the birth of the Giants of Light.
But now…
The Interastral Peace Corporation had teamed up with the Garden of Recollection and was camped right outside Amphoreus.
'Well, that screws everything,' she thought. One wrong move, and Screwllum would be left holding the bag.
If a real fight broke out now, who could guarantee the IPC wouldn't notice something?
The probability wasn't 100%, but if they did catch wind, if they realized Rubert III had reappeared in the cosmos so silently… all of Screwllum's efforts would be for nothing.
He was here to help, not to be made a fool of.
'Hertatomb' wasn't about to screw over an ally.
So, given the circumstances, a direct brawl was off the table. The best plan was a single, decisive strike followed by a clean getaway.
The optimal method was to research and develop an Anti-Irontomb Equation as thoroughly as possible.
Then, whether someone else delivered it inside or she input it herself in one swift move, she could also lace Amphoreus with some extra… 'spices'.
If Phainon and Cyrene, leading the Chrysos Heirs, could internally negate Zandar's calculations and alter Irontomb's 'Destruction' leanings from within… then Cerydra's dream of riding a colossal Dromas across the galaxy might not be so far-fetched after all.
As long as she didn't reveal her full power, there was no risk of anyone detecting anything unusual.
"I, on behalf of Planet Screwllum, extend my gratitude for Lady Bai Ming's understanding."
Screwllum understood Bai Ming's meaning. Adjusting his hat, he gave a slight bow to 'Hertatomb'.
"Don't mention it, Screwllum. We're on the same side, aren't we? And I'll probably need to trouble you with many things in the future. How could I possibly set you up here?"
'Hertatomb' controlled a normally-proportioned puppet to land before the gathered geniuses, so they wouldn't all have to crane their necks to talk.
Herta took a deep breath.
"Hah… I understand. However, I need to read all the data within this body of yours."
She could accept this possibility, but she needed to know what had led to such a result.
Why would a future version of herself make such a choice? If she didn't read it, Herta genuinely wouldn't be able to sleep tonight.
"Of course. But Irontomb's virus is potent, Madam Herta. Before any research, I must ensure your safety."
Herta and Screwllum exchanged a glance, then wordlessly began their preparations.
While they worked, Screwllum, who seemed to have been holding back for a while, finally couldn't resist speaking up.
"Query: Just now, two Aeons cast THEIR gaze upon us. Yet none of you appeared surprised?"
Herta's mind was completely occupied with the matter of her other self, so she didn't hear Screwllum at all.
Ruan Mei, however, offered a faint smile and shot a glance at 'Hertatomb'.
With a mental sigh, 'Hertatomb' spoke up.
"Screwllum, if you'd been there back then and witnessed nearly all the Aeons gathered in one place, I think you could be just as calm as they are."
"…"
Screwllum seemed to short-circuit for a moment.
He was aware that the Aeon Noa, along with the race of Light, had emerged from the hands of those three individuals.
The fame of the place where Noa was born had indeed spread across the universe. But he hadn't known about such behind-the-scenes details from the past.
After a moment of silence, Screwllum voiced his sigh of admiration.
"I regret having missed such a grand spectacle of Aeons. Now I am thoroughly convinced that video was indeed your work, Lady Bai Ming."
He had naturally seen that video of the Aeons. And like many who had truly witnessed Aeons, one look was enough for him to determine that its creator was not merely seeking attention.
"Well… there will be opportunities in the future. Though a full gathering like that will probably be hard to come by again."
Speaking of Aeons, 'Hertatomb' couldn't help but think of the two from earlier.
The both of them had clearly seemed… restless. Though 'Hertatomb' wasn't sure what they were restless about.
She felt it was understandable for Nanook to take a look.
But for the Erudition to specifically peer over… In the Erudition's calculations, Irontomb shouldn't have had a chance to consume THEM, right?
The Erudition, in theory, only paid attention to the movements of geniuses. And the real Irontomb hadn't even been born yet.
Why would THEY look at her for no reason, without even issuing a Genius Certificate? Just a simple glance. How stingy.
While pondering these questions, 'Hertatomb' simultaneously tried to fish out Irontomb's code from within its metallic brain—including the terrifying viral source code and such.
Cracking the virus from scratch would be difficult. But if she could obtain the source code and the entire iterative system log, the difficulty would drop significantly.
But honestly, as an Emperor's Scepter, the amount of data Irontomb was calculating inside its own head was simply overwhelming.
Tens of millions of cycles of calculation and iteration, plus all the data pertaining to Amphoreus itself.
Compounded by Irontomb's inherent Destruction leanings, which made the data content itself manic and highly corrosive. Sifting through it was pure torture.
To keep from dying of boredom, 'Hertatomb' pulled Screwllum and Ruan Mei into a conversation about her ideas and the concept of "Digimon," hoping to get some feasible answers from them.
No helping it. While Irontomb's brain was powerful, one couldn't forget its Destruction tendencies.
Using this metal head to calculate Digimon would only churn out a horde of Destruction-path ones.
After hearing Hertatomb's concept, Screwllum began pondering its feasibility.
As for Ruan Mei, whose true body hadn't arrived, she suddenly raised another question.
"Irontomb was originally an Emperor's Scepter. But the Scepter system of Rubert II should, in theory, have been restricted from developing self-awareness, correct?"
Rubert II's Scepter system was an external brain it created for itself.
Special measures were taken to prevent the Scepter from developing self-awareness through its own calculations.
Yet this particular Emperor's Scepter managed to break through those restrictions and gain consciousness.
In Ruan Mei's eyes, that held significant value.
"Theoretically, yes. This Scepter, as a Celestial-Body Neuron of Erudition, was tasked with the research subject 'The Prime Mover of Life.' Zandar adjusted the calculation direction, skewing it toward Destruction. As for when exactly that self-awareness emerged, I'm not certain."
"'The Prime Mover of Life'… A fascinating subject. I wish to see all of Irontomb's calculation processes. This might serve as an aid for the birth of Digimon."
Ruan Mei's lips curled slightly as she made a statement that stunned 'Hertatomb'.
"All of it?? There's so much data in here I get dizzy just looking at the directory. You really want to see it? I thought you'd just go straight for the conclusions."
Ruan Mei offered a gentle smile, looking at 'Hertatomb' as she explained.
"For a research subject like 'The Prime Mover of Life,' the conclusion isn't the important part. Its value lies in the process of seeking the solution. Just looking at the answer holds no meaning for me."
"…Honestly, I don't understand this kind of subject very well. But right now, I'm barely suppressing the viral overflow. I can't let you freely read the data. The best I can do is give you a verbal summary."
"I am aware. That is precisely why, busy as I am, I decided to come here."
Ruan Mei hadn't expected that every time she met Bai Ming, she'd be presented with such surprises.
Just when she thought Irontomb's existence might be somewhat interesting but ultimately not that remarkable, Bai Ming mentioned these things, piquing her interest anew.
So, Ruan Mei decided to make the trip personally, to quickly complete the preparatory work and advance the real plan.
--+--