LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 158: A Transition Chapter
"Ren, if you care about her so much, why not just control Liuli-san directly?" Jian Yun watched the helicopter disappear, slightly perplexed. Ren had forcibly taken control of her just as she was about to leave, solely to smooth things over with Kiana.
"Are you… tsundere?" (she said it, she said it!)
"A good employee minds their own business."
"Hmph, you weren't so shy with me before." Jian Yun grumbled. She'd been his favorite, his most trusted Puppet. Now, he treated her like a tool. Such a cold-hearted man.
"...You're in charge of the next game's story."
Jian Yun immediately brightened. Forget feelings. She just wanted to unleash her inner troll.
…
「Harbor cleared. Commencing repairs.」
A secluded coastline in the Japan. A temporary Anti-Entropy base. The Hyperion, battered after Ren's attack, was undergoing repairs.
Theresa and her team from Eye of the Deep finally met up with Tesla. While both operations were concluded, the results were far from ideal.
ARC City was destroyed. World Serpent was still at large. The only good news was Kiana's imminent return.
"Mei and Kiana are on their way. Bronya, please greet them when they arrive." Theresa, having just returned, was immediately summoned to a meeting. "Tesla seems to have found something. I need to confirm it."
"Understood." Bronya, initially cheerful after Seele's return, was subdued again.
Cocolia's betrayal and Rozaliya's disappearance weighed heavily on her.
Still, she'd matured after the Eye of the Deep incident. And Seele's presence kept her from spiraling into despair.
"Let's go, Sister." Seele tugged at Bronya's sleeve, her expression worried.
As Theresa entered the conference room, she found Tesla and Einstein discussing something. On the desk was a manga.
"Einstein, what's this?" Theresa put down her files, curious. She couldn't imagine these two scientists reading manga.
"Hey, Theresa! Take a look. I'll explain later." Tesla handed her the manga, then continued her conversation with Einstein. "I told you, Mei is hiding something. I don't know what, but the ARC City incident isn't as simple as she claims."
*Mei?*
Theresa was confused. What did Mei have to do with this? But since Tesla wasn't being secretive, it couldn't be too serious.
She opened the manga. The title on the first page made her gasp.
"This is…?" She checked the publication details. It was a real, published manga.
Suppressing her shock, she continued reading, her surprise growing.
Honkai.
All factions suppressed information about the Honkai to prevent mass panic. Leaks were swiftly dealt with by Schicksal.
Yet, this manga not only featured the Honkai as its central theme, but also subtly hinted at the Herrscher of the Void's origins. And the protagonist, the magical girl "Savior Witch Kiana," looked exactly like Kiana Kaslana.
The author clearly knew about the Herrscher of the Void, even the details of the Second Eruption years ago.
If this manga spread, the consequences would be catastrophic. Schicksal would face a PR nightmare, the concept of Honkai would become public knowledge, triggering widespread panic.
"Finished?" Theresa, still reeling, realized Tesla and Einstein had stopped talking.
"Tesla, this manga… isn't this…?" She couldn't believe any company would publish this.
Tesla glared at her. "You think I made this? I don't have time for such nonsense."
Einstein shook her head. "Our agents found it in the ARC City ruins. Schicksal is trying to suppress it. They know how dangerous it is. But it's been over ten days since the incident. Our intelligence network is lagging."
Anti-Entropy's influence was primarily in North America. Their reach in other regions, especially China, was limited compared to Schicksal.
"So, what does this have to do with Mei?"
Tesla replied, "Before the ARC City incident, Mei received a call, then left for ARC City without my knowledge. She was clearly going to see Kiana, but we lost contact with her for a significant period. While she claims it was to avoid Schicksal, there are still unanswered questions."
"Impossible! I raised those girls. They wouldn't betray me!"
Einstein sighed, seeing Theresa's distress. "We're not accusing her of betrayal. We just have very little information. She's provided intel, but very little about Kiana."
"We know Kiana sent the bomb into the upper atmosphere, but she was pursued by Schicksal Valkyries. They couldn't have escaped so easily. Mei is hiding something, likely the organization that confronted Schicksal."
Tesla said, "Survivors described the sky being ablaze, gold and crimson meteors clashing. The city was destroyed in their battle's aftermath. The golden one was likely Durandal, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie. The other… must be from that mysterious organization."
"And some witnesses claim they heard voices before the battle. Words like 'Queen,' 'Kindred' 'Obsidian Concord'… like some kind of cult."
"Obsidian Concord?!" Theresa shot to her feet. Hadn't someone connected to Obsidian Concord attacked them just two days ago?
"Yes, it must be him. Or rather, them."
"They are all Obsidian Concord. If your theory is correct, then this Obsidian Concord is an organization created by the Herrscher of Sentience."
As they discussed Obsidian Concord, Kiana arrived at Anti-Entropy.