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"The pain you've endured ultimately stems from your own powerlessness. My hope is that this realization will help you reconcile with your Herrscher personality, rather than rejecting it."
"Your Herrscher personality originates from the darkness within your heart, taking upon itself most of the destructive commands from the God of Honkai. In essence, the Herrscher personality could be seen as the true form of the Herrscher shaped by the God of Honkai. Alternatively, one might argue it serves as your subconscious defense mechanism, striving to prevent your original identity from being directly erased by the God of Honkai."
"By reconciling with your other self and ultimately merging with her, you can fully harness the Herrscher's power and become the complete Herrscher of Binding. This is currently the only viable path proven through practice."
"Our Herrschers each have their unique characteristics; no one's journey can be replicated, just like yours being entirely singular. However, there are valuable lessons to learn from their experiences that can guide you in finding your own path. So, go for it, Little Theresa! You need the full extent of the Binding Authority, and this world needs it too."
Zeke and Hera took turns sharing their advice, urging Theresa to promptly communicate with her Herrscher personality, attain the complete abilities, rather than let Himeko's situation create undue hesitation. Such indecision could ultimately hinder humanity from utilizing these powers effectively.
Not everyone is Kiana, who, despite never fully convincing Sirin or obtaining the complete Authority of Space, managed to reclaim the Flame Ability on her own.
As Zeke and Hera paced around her, Theresa's head swiveled back and forth, eyes following their movements. After hearing their advice, she didn't directly respond but instead grumbled with exasperation:
"I get it, but why are you two circling me like this? You're making my head spin!"
Zeke and Hera simultaneously halted their pacing.
"Little Theresa, we were simply trying to reason with you," said Hera. "The message is what matters; don't worry about the form."
"Honestly, she has a point," chimed in Zeke. "What counts is getting our point across—whether we circle or not shouldn't bother you."
Theresa's lips twitched as she observed Hera's cheerful expression and Zeke's stern demeanor. Wisely deciding not to dwell on it further, lest she invite more frustration, she conceded.
"I understand, and I'll do my best. I recognize the importance of power and these abilities now." With a solemn nod, Theresa brought this peculiar session of guidance to an end.
A few minutes later, Theresa and Himeko exited the laboratory, encountering Fu Hua waiting with a smile. One had just become a Herrscher, while the other had recently been resurrected; both required thorough examinations of their physical and mental states.
Regarding mental aspects, aside from Fu Hua, few others were capable of dealing with matters at the level of Herrschers.
For physical assessments, Mobius was the authority, passionately volunteering to participate. Zeke agreed on one condition: Fu Hua must accompany them, as who knows what mischief this restless scientist might get up to otherwise?
So, these two followed Fu Hua away.
Left standing outside the laboratory were the impassive Zeke and Hera, her grin sly, likely anticipating some entertaining spectacle.
Zeke glanced sideways at her, politely yet firmly expressing his farewell.
"Get lost."
"Huh? My dear friend, aren't you being too blunt? Can't you say it more politely?"
"Beat it."
Hera fell silent, understanding Zeke's temperament. She realized that witnessing any drama between Zeke and Kiana would be futile unless she wanted to end up on his revenge list. Reluctantly, she raised her hands in surrender, turning to leave. Just then, Zeke nonchalantly added:
"Adjust your state quickly—you still have work to do."
With the consciousness fragments of the God of Honkai intercepted by Fu Hua, Kiana, and Li Sushang's combined efforts, along with the data on combating Honkai obtained by Hera from the deity itself, having her assistance in interpreting these crucial pieces would undoubtedly ease the process.
After all, she had gained experience during the Second Great Honkai Eruption.
"Understood. The sky isn't falling just yet. At least let me have a good night's sleep today; even I need rest," Hera responded lazily, waving dismissively over her shoulder as she gracefully walked away.
Zeke watched Hera depart, shaking his head silently.
"Gathering all conscious power into this body is understandable, considering it's meticulously crafted to be the finest vessel. If only one body could be preserved, there was no other choice. However..."
For quite some time now, this individual truly has to function purely as a woman.
Hera likely wouldn't mind, nor did Zeke consider it a significant issue, but it still felt somewhat peculiar.
Zeke's expression shifted subtly, and he shook his head again, dismissing these trivial thoughts.
He decided to temporarily postpone some tasks and delegate others to tools like Cocolia, Amber, Raiden Mei, etc., following Hera's suggestion to free up his own schedule for the moment.
Feeling slightly out of his element in this relaxed state, Zeke stood for a while before heading towards the kitchen.
"The ratio of sugar, eggs, milk, and starch, baking time, honey... Hmm, it perfectly matches the data; this should be her favorite flavor." Gazing at the cake he had just placed on the table, Zeke stroked his chin, calmly murmuring to himself.
Zeke's approach to cooking always relied heavily on precise measurements. His data sources fell into two categories: one, statistics reflecting popular tastes, and two, Kiana's personal preferences. This particular cake was crafted using the second type of data.
"It's not about pleasing her; she's just been performing well lately, so I thought a small reward was appropriate... Yes, just a regular token of appreciation."
Zeke nodded, his cold demeanor reflecting sincerity, convincing even himself.
Carrying the cake with one hand, he made his way to the lower-level training grounds—where Kiana and Durandal were currently practicing, according to data recorded by Icarus.
At the entrance, however, an unexpected yet reasonable figure blocked Zeke's path.
Long, smooth gray hair reaching down to her waist, clad in a striking white trench coat and armor, her delicate face devoid of emotion—the Demon Dragon Benares, or simply Bella, extended her arm to stop Zeke.
"Lady Kiana is currently training. Please do not disturb her."
"...Tell her I've made a cake."
"Lady Kiana is training. Do not disturb her."
A slender, porcelain-like arm remained steadfast before Zeke. Despite its seemingly fragile appearance, this limb belonged to an Archon-level Honkai Beast, possessing strength that could withstand minor damage from nuclear weapons while instantly regenerating any harm.
Under different circumstances, Zeke would have twisted this arm like a pretzel. But at that moment, he understood that Bella was merely following Kiana's instructions.
Their equally cold blue eyes met, freezing the atmosphere visibly around them.
A menacing glint flickered in Zeke's gaze.
Bella, however, remained utterly composed and emotionless. She was Kiana's loyal guard dog; no feelings swayed her except for those towards her mistress. Even matters of life and death held little significance to her.
After a prolonged silence, the icy air gradually warmed up again.
Zeke lowered his gaze and placed the cake in Bella's hands.
"Give it to her when she comes out. It's her favorite flavor."
"I understand," replied Bella, carefully holding the cake with both hands, treating it with utmost seriousness since it was something Kiana would enjoy.
Zeke glanced at the tightly closed training room door before turning to leave.
'She may not listen to me, but her loyalty lies with Kiana... Fine, I can't fault her for that.'
With these thoughts, Zeke ultimately decided against docking Bella's points.
Long after Zeke had left, the training ground's door opened cautiously, revealing a small white head with her lively antenna-like hair swaying uneasily.
"Bella, is Zeke gone?"
"Yes, Lady Kiana. And here's the cake he left for you, saying it's your favorite flavor."
"I've told you, just call me Kiana... smack! Did he think a mere cake could buy my favor? Who does he underestimate? smack!"
Kiana leaned against the doorframe, slowly stepping out while puffing up her chest defiantly.
The sound of metallic armor clashing echoed as Durandal, clad in golden armor, appeared beside Kiana. She shook her head and placed a hand on her forehead, exclaiming,
"Well then, at least wipe that drool off first!"
" Humph! I won't eat it; you guys can have the cake!" Kiana resisted her severe sweet tooth addiction, suppressing her heartache, and spoke with forced determination.
Durandal shook her head again, sighing,
"Oh dear! Why hold a grudge against Sir Zeke? The outcome wasn't terrible, and this cake seems like his way of apologizing. For someone like him, expressing remorse isn't easy."
"Listen up, do you think this is my fault somehow? He silently put my Auntie in such peril without even consulting me. Did he consider how I would feel about it? This has nothing to do with understanding the bigger picture; it's not like I'm saying she shouldn't have taken risks just because she's my aunt! But at least he could've informed me beforehand! Then, I wouldn't be this upset! By keeping such crucial matters hidden and acting on them alone, what does he take me for? And what does he think of our bond?!?"
Kiana stomped her foot, causing cracks to spread across the alloy floor.
"Thud!"
Observing Kiana's outburst, Durandal pondered but found herself speechless. In truth, she too felt uneasy, as Theresa was her aunt as well. If anything were to happen, it would haunt her forever.
However, unlike Kiana, Durandal rarely indulged in whims. She understood that the experiment's intentions and goals were noble, and she recognized that Theresa had willingly participated. Thus, she could accept the situation.
Durandal paused momentarily before gently patting Kiana's head with a smile:
"It seems Sir Zeke truly adores you immensely, which reassures me greatly."
If Zeke hadn't lavished immense affection on Kiana, she wouldn't have been able to maintain her stubbornness or dare to sulk against him, even amidst these circumstances.
"W-well, of course it is! No wait, that's not the point right now. The crucial thing is making him acknowledge his mistake! I won't speak to him until he admits his fault! By the name of Kaslana, I swear!" Kiana raised her small fist emphatically, her tone resolute and unwavering, displaying determination to stand her ground.
Durandal sighed helplessly—Enough with the oaths already! Who knows how much the Kaslanas' reputation has suffered due to all these relentless vows from you two! "Sigh..."
Inwardly grumbling, Durandal considered Kiana's feelings and ultimately refrained from voicing her thoughts aloud.