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"This is going to be a pain."
Back at home, Kaito habitually double-locked his bedroom door.
He was ready for some hack-and-slash.
The mere thought of standing in the city center in a few days, making a racket with an outdoor performance, made his temples throb. He was actually having trouble sleeping.
He just hoped the game didn't have too many annoying mechanics today so he could actually enjoy a good power fantasy.
Outside the door, Elysia tried the handle. Finding it locked, she puffed out her cheeks in dissatisfaction.
However, the thought of the band quickly pushed that small annoyance to the back of her mind.
Whatever, I'll go ask everyone in the group chat first!
[Since the establishment of the New Maginot Line, the turbulent world seems to have finally been twisted into a single rope.]
[However, Elysia is deeply worried. Recently, Professor Mobius met Vill-V, and this has only heightened her anxiety regarding the future of humanity.]
[She and Vill-V are very close friends, both in reality and in the dreamscape. In her eyes, Vill-V's personality is labeled as: one part passion...]
[One part uncontrollable danger, one part high-risk awaiting processing, one part extreme-risk that demands vigilance, and one part total-risk that is utterly beyond expectation!]
[Under the pressure of reality, Mobius's Stigma Project has become completely distorted. For the time being, she has given survival top priority in every aspect of her plan.]
[The defensive line was built, and the surrounding cities were evacuated, leaving behind only a fortress of bronze and iron designed by Vill-V.]
[Vill-V even spent a fortune adding a flight function to it, though she was cursed out by every major state afterward.]
Today, on the sixth train heading toward the defensive line, Carriage No. 6.
A crisp female voice crackled over the intercom: "Attention passengers, we have arrived at the New Maginot Line. Please gather your belong—"
Aponia sat quietly by the window. Her warm gaze wasn't fixed on the increasingly desolate scenery outside, but rather on the "Stigma Soldier" depicted in the advertisement on the train door.
Ever since that sudden fluctuation in fate—the news of the Mu Continent's capital being destroyed—the destiny of the entire world had been thrown into total chaos.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
A sharp, urgent alarm suddenly blared.
"Attention passengers, a traveler in Carriage 6 is suspected of a Honkai Sickness mutation. Please stay clear for your safety! Repeating, Carriage 6..."
Ignoring the useless babble of the broadcast, Aponia rose slowly. In the middle of the chaotic, noisy carriage, she moved against the crowd toward a woman curled up and twitching unnaturally.
"『Please』..."
The rest of the words remained unsaid. She did not yet have the power to perturb the fate of others, and a simple warning could no longer change this woman's future of becoming a Deadweight.
Her long lashes fluttered slightly. Her hot fingertips touched the woman's cheek. Aponia knew that even if she did nothing, a cluster of flying petals would appear to protect her life.
That's how it should have been...
"May the Lord accept your soul."
Crack.
Her fingers tightened instantly, decisively ending the woman's suffering.
"Am I... too late?"
Elysia, arriving tardily, stood frozen on the spot. Though the Aponia she knew in reality was indeed a bit mischievous—even showing a frightening expression while chopping vegetables—should she be like this?
[Aponia has joined the party]
[The nun with eyes clear as a stream now has a little less pity for the world. The disturbance in the threads of fate has forced her to give up her hobby of watching the destinies of others. At least... until fate stabilizes.]
[Elysia prepares to take her to Mobius's laboratory.]
[Come to think of it, the Professor has had almost no time for her lately, leaving her with one less source of comfort in the dream.]
"We must strip away the influence of the Herrscher of Reason."
Before she even got close, Elysia heard the Professor's voice.
Then came Vill-V's loud reply, a mix of passion and pride.
"Exactly! And not just the personality and underlying logic—I've even made some small changes to the appearance."
"Since that Herrscher was an evil individual with black hair and brown eyes, the masterpiece created by Dr. Einstein and myself must naturally go the opposite way."
"It must be flawless white hair paired with holy golden eyes... actually, golden eyes are a bit unlucky. Let's go with a white and purple color scheme."
Vill-V had always been extremely wary of AI, but Mobius told her she wanted the "perfect" kind.
In that case, she would simply let her talent run wild. her long-suppressed creative urge was completely unrestricted.
"What's this about white hair and purple eyes?"
Elysia pushed open the door. Beside the two geniuses stood a massive incubation pod. Inside, a petite girl curled her body; through her fair skin, one could faintly see the patterns of Stigmata.
"This is?"
"Using the core of the Herrscher of Reason, which has been continuously deconstructed for energy analysis, and Soulium as the main body, we have created the Stigma Terminal," Mobius said, touching the glass of the pod.
"If we can survive this catastrophe, the future of the Stigma Project certainly won't look like this."
Her tone was firm. Her Stigma Project shouldn't be like this; at the very least, there shouldn't be a 'God' involved.
But for now, the Stigma Terminal would serve as a safety net for humanity.
"While the crisis has yet to pass, she will become the interface between the Stigma Space and the Stigma Soldiers."
"The Stigma Space will anchor the dust of all fallen souls. This dust will become the possibility for Stigma Soldiers to perform miracles through equivalent exchange."
It was a power that completely surpassed one's own potential, relying on countless fallen predecessors, inheriting their will—a power purely dependent on conviction.
"We're still missing the most important step. After all, the connection between Stigmata is too... mysterious. For 'ordinary people' like us, it's simply too difficult to observe."
Vill-V shrugged as she took over the conversation. She wasn't discouraged; instead, she was filled with the desire for a challenge.
Mobius truly was the most "evil" doctor; this method of playing with souls had genuinely shocked her, yet it showed Vill-V a high level of feasibility.
Cool! This was the ultimate magical theater piece worth a lifetime of investment!
Giving all of humanity the possibility to surpass their limits—a true realization of everyone becoming a legend!
Elysia looked toward Aponia with a sense of realization. Aponia reached out her hand.
Thus, the final puzzle piece for the "Stigma Project: Variant" had been found. Change of plans—prepare for the win!
"Because of this plan, people are starting to suspect I'm some kind of artificial weapon you guys manufactured," Elysia sighed, feigning distress.
She had unconditionally sided with the Professor, which naturally invited speculation.
But without the preceding events, the Professor would never have gained nearly global support.
[That was the claim, but the Stigma Project still faced one major hurdle.]
[The number of Stigma Soldiers was far too small compared to the total population of humanity. Although the pressure on the Terminal had decreased, there were simply too few of them.]
[However, this problem was soon 'easily' solved.]
[The Herrscher's 'revenge' ended. After pausing for several months, it finally remembered its mission.]
[Human numbers plummeted; Stigma Soldiers surged.]
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