"Let's go. You two go and support the others first. I need to find someone first, there's something I need to ask them about." Ryn waved goodbye to Kiana and Theresa and went his separate way.
With something as major as an Anti-Entropy invasion, Ryn didn't believe the true sovereign of Anti-Entropy was unaware. He was going to confront Welt and ask him just what he was planning.
"Be careful on your way then. Message us if you're in danger!"
"Mhm."
Not long after parting with Ryn, Theresa also received a private communication from Otto.
Theresa glanced at the White Knight: Moonlight battlesuit Kiana was wearing, then compared the combat power of herself without Judah to Kiana's current strength.
She decisively sent Kiana ahead as reinforcements, while she herself would head to the restricted area Otto had mentioned to defend it.
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Ryn pushed open the door to his house. He could already sense that Welt was still at home.
As per usual, first a time stop. Ryn placed a pseudo-black hole outside, capturing the entire room within it.
According to the black hole effect and time dilation, when an object is at the edge of a black hole, its time slows down.
The moment the black hole enveloped Welt, he had already sensed it. After all, Welt was a master at wielding the Star of Eden.
"Ryn, what's going on? Are you trying to test your learning progress? This isn't the time for games, I'm still grading your homework!!" Welt took off his glasses, looking at Ryn with a puzzled expression.
"Stop pretending, Anti-Entropy Sovereign. With such a huge commotion in the academy, I don't believe you're completely clueless. Himeko's house has been half-destroyed, and it's not far from here!"
Ryn had already formed a pseudo-black hole and aimed it at Welt, ready to strike at any moment.
"Calm down, just calm down." Welt raised his hands, not wanting to start a fight with Ryn over a misunderstanding. "Can you tell me what happened? I'll also tell you what I was doing earlier!"
"Then your explanation had better satisfy me."
"I was building a warship—the Moonlight Throne. This is the reason I had to stay at St. Freya High School, as I mentioned before. I came out immediately after hearing the explosions from the academy, but the battle on Himeko's side was already over. I don't know what happened either!"
"Do you take me for a fool? Your Anti-Entropy brought who knows how many people and directly invaded St. Freya High School! And you're telling me you, the Sovereign, didn't know?!" Ryn berated Welt.
But Welt just frowned, scratching his head with a bewildered look on his face.
"Anti-Entropy... invaded?"
"That's right! They blocked all communications within the academy, attacked Cortana, made a move on Mei, and so on. You can't possibly tell me that you, the Anti-Entropy Sovereign, weren't informed when your entire organization mobilized for such a major operation!"
Welt scratched his head even harder, pulling out a few strands of hair.
"I really didn't know..."
"?"
"I haven't been back to Anti-Entropy for ten years..." Welt said, looking at Ryn with some embarrassment.
Shortly after the Second Honkai War, he had been staying at St. Freya High School. He only occasionally sent messages back to Anti-Entropy. If a Herrscher didn't appear, Welt wouldn't show himself.
Because Welt Yang had low self-esteem. Anti-Entropy was Joyce's Anti-Entropy, not Yang's. They believed in Welt Joyce, not Welt Yang. With Joyce's death, Anti-Entropy had practically fallen apart.
So, except when he was with Einstein and Tesla, Welt never showed his true face within Anti-Entropy, constantly maintaining the facade for the organization and the world that Welt Joyce was still alive...
(Otto fell for it too. He thought Joyce was still alive. Then, during the Second Honkai War, he put on a mask, disguised himself as a clown, and beat up the old Yang, only to find out it wasn't Joyce.)
"So you're trying to say the Anti-Entropy invasion has nothing to do with you?"
"Believe me, Ryn, I am firmly committed to fighting the Honkai. Until the Honkai is eliminated, I will never again cause internal conflict among humans!"
"Talk is cheap. Hand over the Star of Eden, only then can I trust you. Then come with me to see Theresa and the others, and let them decide what to do with you." Ryn didn't believe a word Welt said.
In Ryn's eyes, Anti-Entropy was the most capable of stirring up human infighting. An organization that directly sacrificed over 300,000 lives in Nagazora City was, in his view, an evil organization that must be destroyed.
"This... alright." Welt took out a small, aqua-blue sphere and handed it to Ryn.
This was the original form of the Star of Eden. It had once been severely damaged by Otto and was repaired by Einstein and Tesla into the form of a cannon. Now, through the power of Ryn and Welt, it was restored to its original appearance.
This complete sphere gave one the feeling of a vast ocean. Spending time with it, one could even hear songs that sounded like heavenly music, calming the mind.
Welt once said its original name was Starry Harmony, later renamed the Star of Eden to commemorate its former master. And the Star of Eden, so that the world would remember its former master, would slowly play the songs of Eden it had recorded for those it acknowledged.
Ryn looked at Welt, who had handed over the Star of Eden with little hesitation, and relaxed his guard.
He took the Star of Eden and also withdrew the pseudo-black hole.
"Why did I have to hand over the Star of Eden for you to trust me?"
"Because you're Welt."
"Hm? What do you mean?"
Ryn gave Welt a sidelong glance, then turned to leave, saying with a smile, "Welt, the Herrscher of Reason, who only knows how to throw black holes and play with gravity~ Without the Star of Eden, what kind of threat could you possibly be~"
Welt (clown face): I finally let my heart be moved, yet you made me lose so completely. Damn it!
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Meanwhile, on Kiana's side.
Kiana, with her battlesuit's scanning function active, scanned Himeko's house, which already looked like a ruin with its brick walls on the verge of collapse.
The scan showed Mei and Kika resting, while Bronya was still wriggling on the ground.
Bronya's leg-mounted anti-gravity power armor was damaged, leaving her unable to move. She could only slowly crawl back to her room. Fu Hua had run off too quickly and didn't hear Bronya's calls for help, and Kika was a complete log, falling asleep the moment she hit the pillow.
"Uh... Am I late? Is the battle already over?" Kiana quickly jogged over, preparing to help Bronya up.
Seeing Kiana running towards her, the miserable Bronya was so moved she was on the verge of tears.
She had been crawling for ages, and finally, someone noticed her. Even if she was small, even if she was blocked by a brick wall! There was no reason to be completely ignored!!!
"Kiana... The Bronya feels you're not so annoying anymore!"
"What? You actually found me annoying!"
Kiana, who was about to lift Bronya, switched from a supportive carry to a grab, picking her up by the back of her clothes.
Feeling herself being lifted like that, Bronya looked at Kiana unhappily.
"The Bronya takes back what she said. The Bronya still finds Kiana very annoying."
"Hmph, Kiana finds the little brat Bronya very annoying too!!"
"Hmph!"