On March 20, 2017, the Hyperion finally arrived safely at Anti-Entropy’s secret base in Siberia.
Theresa and everyone from Anti-Entropy knew that their escape from Schicksal HQ had only been possible because the Herrschers had caused so much destruction that Schicksal couldn’t pursue them. Otherwise, given the damage the Hyperion had sustained, they would’ve been caught by Otto long before they could even get away.
“Lady Theresa, intelligence from other Anti-Entropy branches—there’s news about Kiana.”
Einstein walked into the lounge, where Theresa and Raiden Mei were both waiting. At those words, the two immediately rose to their feet.
“Just a few hours ago, someone matching Kiana’s description was spotted in Arc City. Since a minor Honkai outbreak is currently happening there, and based on the combat footage, there’s a high probability it’s her.”
Einstein placed her tablet on the table in front of them.
The screen showed a young girl with white hair and blue eyes, effortlessly taking down a Honkai beast with a single strike.
“First, Arc City is located in southwestern Shenzhou. While we didn’t get a clear frontal shot, there aren’t many people who fit that appearance. Second, among those who do, the only one with this level of power—aside from Kiana herself—is likely no one else.”
“But… even if the Herrscher of Ice has the ability to evade Schicksal’s detection equipment, given her condition at the time, how could she possibly get from Schicksal HQ to Arc City in such a short time without leaving any trace along the way?”
“That’s certainly a valid question. But Lady Theresa, the people with the capability to do exactly that were right near Schicksal HQ at the time.”
Theresa paused to think, then her eyes widened in realization:
“You mean Enoxia and Sirin? As the Herrscher of Corruption and the Herrscher of the Void, they could indeed pull off a nearly untraceable teleportation.”
Since Enoxia and Sirin had already acted openly, Anti-Entropy and Theresa believed they no longer intended to hide their identities. So they shared all the intelligence they had and began discussing it openly.
“Even if that’s the truth, we have no way of knowing why she would do that. Based on the current intel, as a Herrscher, she isn’t like our leader—who’s devoted to ending the Honkai and protecting humanity—but she also hasn’t been causing wanton destruction. On the contrary, from the Second Eruption up to now, she’s played a tangible and significant role in resolving multiple crises.”
“So personally, I feel that Miss Enoxia is more like an ordinary person with a sense of justice—but one who doesn’t want to be held hostage by moral expectations.”
“Thus, she probably won’t do anything to us. But the big assumption here is that our hypothesis is correct. If Otto anticipated our thinking and planted false information about Kiana being in Arc City, then charging in recklessly would be walking right into his trap.”
Theresa looked at Mei’s determined expression and shook her head:
“Even if this is Grandfather’s trap, we’re still going. No matter what, we absolutely cannot abandon Kiana.”
Einstein gave a slight nod and began formulating a plan. Just then, she received a communication from Cocolia. After listening to the message, her brows furrowed deeply, worry etched across her face.
“Doctor, what happened?”
“First—Schicksal has also dispatched troops to Arc City for their own search, so it’s unlikely that the information was fabricated by Otto. But we still can’t rule out the possibility that he’s committed to playing the part all the way through.”
“Second—Cocolia reports that Schicksal forces are mobilizing and planning an assault on the Sea of Quanta City. With the troops under Cocolia’s command, she can only hold them off for a few hours at most.”
“The Sea of Quanta City is one of Anti-Entropy’s key strongholds. Through the Sea of Quanta Eye located there, we can establish a passage between the real world and the Sea of Quanta, enabling research on that domain. If we lose it, it would be a major blow to Anti-Entropy, so we can’t afford to ignore it.”
“Given the current situation, we have three options:
First—head to Arc City, find Kiana, and then proceed to the Sea of Quanta Eye. This is the riskiest plan. We’re not certain we’ll actually find Kiana in Arc City, and we might end up clashing with Schicksal’s forces. Ultimately, it’s very possible we’ll neither find Kiana nor hold the Sea of Quanta City.
Second—head to the Sea of Quanta City first, defeat Schicksal’s forces, and then go to Arc City. I’ve confirmed that the leader is already on his way there. With Lady Theresa and the others’ assistance, even if Schicksal sends more than one S-rank Valkyrie, we can still secure the city. However, this plan runs a high risk of missing our window to find Kiana. If Otto’s attack on the city is just a feint, then we’d be falling right into his decoy trap.
And finally—split our forces. This way we can address both fronts, but it divides our combat power, which could easily lead to total failure across the board. I’ve laid out the risks and opportunities. Now, please make your decision.”
After listening to Einstein’s analysis, Theresa wore an expression even more pained than hers:
“We’re still too reactive right now. Without knowing Grandfather’s specific plans, no matter which choice we make, we could end up playing right into his hands.”
For both Theresa and Raiden Mei, abandoning Kiana was simply not an option. But the Anti-Entropy doctors had been of immense help to them, and as “traitors” to Schicksal, they would also need Anti-Entropy’s support in future operations. So, both emotionally and logically, they ought to help Anti-Entropy in return.
Thus, the final decision after much deliberation was to split their forces. Raiden Mei and Dr. Tesla would head to Arc City to search for Kiana, while Bronya, Theresa, and Einstein would take the Hyperion to the Sea of Quanta City.
