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The cold reality was like a biting wind that should have swept away the last trace of wishful thinking. No one sitting here was a fool; human civilization stood on the edge of an abyss, and this should have been the moment to gather every last ounce of strength.
Yet, what are you doing?
Are you dumping all the hope, all the responsibility, onto my shoulders alone? Or are you hoping that we simply destroy each other?
"Shouldn't we be concentrating every military asset we can muster right now to deal with the Herrscher of the Void? Everyone!"
Elysia's voice carried a faint, nearly imperceptible tremble. She struggled to make her words resonate with power, to spark some semblance of unity.
Before she could even look around with hope, a voice countered her with chilling logic.
"Concentrate them how? By exposing our secret armaments?"
Give me a break. The arms race had persisted for over a hundred years; a sudden disclosure could turn decades of military superiority into ash in an instant.
Elysia suddenly laughed, her shoulders shaking slightly. She didn't even know what she was laughing at anymore. Beneath the table, where the light couldn't reach, starlight swirled around her fingertips, the vibrant hues of her usual aura fading away.
"Perhaps we could centralize a portion of our latest armaments within MOTH, but what about the troops?"
Another voice spoke up, laced with official-sounding hesitation and compromise.
Elysia didn't even bother to ask exactly how many years old this "latest" technology was, because... what did they mean, "what about the troops"?
"If the armies are concentrated too, isn't the risk far too great? Wouldn't that make it easy for us to be wiped out in one fell swoop?"
"Of course, Miss Elysia, we aren't doubting you. It's just... isn't the risk a bit much?"
The voice of "concern" was remarkably sincere. If the elite forces are wiped out, what then? What if Elysia tears off her mask and says, 'I'm a Herrscher too, you humans are finished!'?
What then?
Elysia remained silent. Her fingernails dug into her palms, leaving crescent-shaped bloodstains, yet she felt no pain.
Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. Mercy cannot save the world.
An indescribable surge of violent impulse churned in her chest. Just as she was about to raise her hand to handle everything the way a "university student" would, her wrist was suddenly gripped by a cool hand.
Elysia turned her head. Mobius shook her head and walked to the front of the podium.
In this meeting, she could claim a very special status, even if she normally loathed meddling in politics.
Mobius's voice was exceptionally clear: "It doesn't matter. You don't have to participate."
"I am here representing the Mu Continent, and we have reached a consensus with the European Union."
Her voice held no ripple of emotion, yet it rang out with authority: "We will establish a new alliance. Shortly after, we will contact all like-minded partners to join us."
"This alliance will be solely responsible for the defense and response of our own territories."
She lifted her chin slightly, projecting a sudden air of arrogance and confidence: "We aren't worried about being wiped out."
Mobius and the Mu Continent hadn't originally been this close, but things change.
Firstly, Mu trusted Mobius. After all, she was the "silly child" who insisted on treading through thorns for her dreams even when her future seemed bright.
Of course, that was only a tiny part of the reason...
The bigger reason was that the Herrscher of Reason had destroyed Mu's capital. Too many people who shouldn't have died had perished in that disaster, including the "future" of the Mu Continent.
And the fathers of those fallen "futures" were the ones currently in charge. This was the fundamental reason Mobius didn't bother with the "art of compromise."
"We were merely raising reasonable doubts! As for an alliance, we naturally support it with all our might!"
Seeing Mobius's unyielding stance, the superior of the person who had raised the doubt immediately stepped in to play peacemaker, trying to mend the offense caused by the previous words.
Problem solved. At least Mu and Europe were in a position where they had no choice, and their trust would pull Elysia in with them. No one wanted to face the edge of the Void Herrscher's blade alone.
the alliance's name was remarkably plain: The Human Survival Organization (HSO).
And the Mu Continent, which joined first—not just because the Herrscher crisis was imminent—occupied a uniquely special and important position within the HSO.
As the meeting concluded, global mobilization began. Although factional divides still faintly existed, MOTH temporarily became the umbrella for everything.
Deep into the night, Elysia sat alone on a bench. Mobius walked over and naturally began bandaging her palms.
"Professor... are you really representing Mu?"
Elysia's voice was hauntingly quiet, filled with the emptiness and exhaustion that follows a storm.
Mobius's movements paused. She carefully smoothed the edges of the bandage without looking up. "I wasn't supposed to be. But you failed to convince them."
Elysia fell silent.
"In MOTH, I am the head of the First Laboratory, but I am nothing to the UN. If I want to speak, I must have a status."
Mobius sat beside her. The night wind blew through her hair as she spoke with flat pragmatism.
Mu had approached her. The fires of revenge hadn't made those people lose their cool; they wanted the dominant authority. Mobius could have refused to help—her personality was well-known—but if she didn't help, she wouldn't have a seat at the table.
Elysia let out a soft "oh," hugging her shins as she curled up on the bench, gazing at the night sky.
Dreams are so complicated. Much more complicated than reality. Kaito has become a villain, and even the Professor isn't so pure anymore.
Reality was better. She didn't want to dream anymore. In reality, everyone was just a "small person"; no one had so many conflicting agendas. Kaito would always stand by her side unconditionally.
"If it hurts, just cry."
Mobius's voice broke through her internal monologue.
"I'm standing by you simply because you are my friend. I'm helping Mu simply because I know Mu wants the Honkai dead more than anything right now. That's all."
She reached out and pulled Elysia into a hug, letting out a soft sigh.
She hated politics more than anything, yet her few friends had been sucked into the vortex, unable to escape, becoming the center of the world.
She could faintly hear the girl sobbing in her arms. She really is just a child. Young people still hold the loftiest goodwill toward the world, which is why reality cuts them so deep.
"Elysia, didn't you say you hated MOTH and wanted to change the world?"
"Now is your chance."
Elysia wiped her "little pearls," complaining through irrepressible sobs: "Does the Professor have to choose this moment to say that...?"
The Professor really is terrible at comforting people. Whether in dreams or reality, this was the one thing that remained consistent. It was so annoying.
"It's okay if you can't seize it this time. You're still young."
Mobius's tone softened slightly. Looking at the sea of stars, she tried to find a tissue in her pocket, only to realize she never had the habit of carrying them.
"I will seize it."
Elysia was still sniffling, but her voice had turned firm. Even if she had never learned a thing about leadership or power.
"If you can't, then come be my student. Because I have another opportunity here."
The Stigma Project.
Mobius had no friends, and naturally, no students to pass her legacy to. Trace was currently a "half-friend" at best, certainly not a student.
Elysia was like her. This divine maiden from the proverbs currently seemed to have no friends either.
The complete form of the Stigma Project wasn't something that could be achieved in a short time, and a human lifespan was limited. She must—and it would be best to—have a student who could inherit the project as her successor.
The world was changing too fast. It was so fast that, besides excitement, Mobius felt a natural seed of fear growing within her.
What if... she didn't have enough time?
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