Seeing the expression on Kevin's face, administrator Gray Serpent wasn't surprised at all.
As one of Kevin's old subordinates, Gray Serpent certainly knew that his boss wasn't particularly satisfied with the Stigmata Project.
It was only to defeat the Honkai that Kevin had chosen this path he wasn't happy with.
In Kevin's heart, he probably always hoped someone could tell him that the Honkai could be defeated without the Stigmata Project.
Even now, with his heart filled with the resolve to fight the Honkai, he would still be happy to see a warrior from this era who could threaten the Honkai.
And now, Leo Ash, whom Gray Serpent found incredibly daunting, clearly belonged to the category of people his Lord admired most.
"Gray Serpent."
"Subordinate is here."
Looking at his subordinate before him, Kevin adjusted his expression and asked Gray Serpent indifferently.
"Can you confirm the authenticity of this news?"
"Subordinate... is ninety percent certain."
Hearing Kevin's question, Gray Serpent answered him directly.
"This is news received from Schicksal HQ. Just now, Schicksal HQ began to broadcast that 'Knight Leo Ash has defeated the Herrscher of Wind and is returning to HQ with the unconscious Herrscher of Wind'."
"To be honest, we've seen this kind of statement before. The last time Leo Ash resolved the Fourth Eruption..."
"—Schicksal HQ made the same announcement to the public."
"Is there no possibility of a false report?"
"That... is highly unlikely."
In response to Kevin's slightly teasing question, Gray Serpent looked up at Kevin seriously and tried to say in the most solemn tone possible.
"My Lord, although you may find this matter bizarre, if it's that Leo Ash—this subordinate believes he is capable of such a feat."
"Before this, Miss Hua had already taught him Shenzhou martial arts improved through the Divine Tune System."
"And after the Fourth Eruption, he gained the right to use the Blank Key and other Divine Keys."
"If all this equipment is taken into account, the matter of Leo Ash defeating Miss Wendy does not seem unreasonable to this subordinate."
Listening to Gray Serpent's words, Kevin found it even more interesting.
"From the way you say it, your evaluation of Leo Ash seems to be quite high."
"In fact, this subordinate's evaluation of him is bound to be higher than what Your Lordship imagines."
At this moment, Gray Serpent listed out the intelligence he had gathered on Leo Ash one by one, presenting it all before Kevin.
"Three months ago, Leo Ash was just a low-ranking Schicksal member who couldn't even pass the preliminary screening for the combat forces."
"But after he became a Schicksal special agent and participated in the missions related to Nagazora City, everything started to go wrong."
"At first, when he dealt with the Herrscher of Thunder, we thought he was Otto's hidden trump card, who resolved the incident with the HSN serum."
"But starting from the Chiyou awakening incident in Jiuyou, we discovered something."
"Leo Ash's rate of improvement is simply too fast, and my suspicion of him reached its peak after the end of the Fourth Eruption."
Recalling the scene he had witnessed through the Gray Serpent network that day, Gray Serpent said to Kevin with lingering fear.
"After Leo Ash fought and defeated the Herrscher of Death, this subordinate, in order to retrieve the Gem of Serenity, dispatched combat units to the location of Leo Ash and the Herrscher of Death, attempting to knock them both out."
"However, at that time, facing the combat units dispatched by this subordinate, Leo Ash used only one move to kill all of the nearly one hundred Pseudo-Herrscher Clones."
"From that moment on, this subordinate felt that—there must be something very fishy about him."
"And..."
Gray Serpent, looking at Kevin, hesitated for a moment before saying what he hadn't wanted to say.
"His rate of progress is too fast. Even Your Lordship's rate of progress cannot compare to the current Leo Ash."
If it were a narrow-minded superior, hearing someone say something that could be seen as belittling, they might feel a little displeased.
But Gray Serpent knew very well that the great Lord of World Serpent, Kevin, was not such a person.
Rather than hiding his thoughts, Gray Serpent felt it was more important now to make Kevin understand the threat Leo Ash posed.
Anyway, the boss wouldn't get angry. As long as he stated the facts, Lord Kevin would naturally make a decision.
As for if Kevin made a different choice from what Gray Serpent expected—well, that certainly wouldn't be Kevin's problem.
Without Kevin, World Serpent was just an underworld organization with some resources. If Gray Serpent and Kevin had different views, it would only be Gray Serpent's fault, not Kevin's.
"Indeed, I must admit, his rate of progress is faster than mine was back then."
After quickly browsing through the intelligence presented by Gray Serpent, Kevin asked with great interest.
"Has he really not undergone the MANTIS surgery?"
"At least for now, Leo Ash has not shown any abilities similar to a MANTIS."
"Interesting. But Gray Serpent, you haven't finished what you were saying, have you?"
*As expected of my Lord, he has already sensed my thoughts.*
"Just as Your Lordship has thought, in fact, since the Fourth Eruption, I have been suspecting one thing."
At this moment, Gray Serpent, after a long build-up, finally said what he had been wanting to say all along.
"The speed at which Herrschers have appeared in this era has become too abnormal since Leo Ash's debut."
"I admit, the Third and Fourth Eruptions were artificially caused by Cocolia and Otto and cannot be counted as part of the normal timeline for Honkai Advent."
"But the Fifth and Sixth Eruptions happening so close to the previous one is clearly problematic."
"And now, even Miss Hua has been chosen by the Honkai as a Herrscher, so this subordinate suspects..."
"—that the incredibly valiant Leo Ash is not only the culprit behind the acceleration of the Honkai and the appearance of Herrschers, but he might also be chosen by the Honkai as the next Herrscher."
"His plasticity and potential are simply too strong, and this person's heart must be extremely extreme."
"If we do not eliminate this hidden danger before he grows, he will inevitably... no, as he is now, he is already obstructing our World Serpent's Stigmata Project!"
At this point, Gray Serpent could no longer contain the murderous intent towards Leo Ash in his mind and declared passionately to Kevin.
"My Lord, if this person becomes a Herrscher, he will surely become our World Serpent's most troublesome enemy!"
"This child is terrifyingly powerful, he must not be left alive!"
Faced with Gray Serpent's passionate speech, Kevin's face showed little emotional fluctuation.
In fact, if Leo Ash hadn't surprised him so much, he wouldn't have even shown an expression as much as a slight upturn of his lips.
"Gray Serpent, you've said so much just to get me to kill him?"
"...This subordinate believes that the decision Your Lordship makes will certainly not be wrong in any way."
Listening to his subordinate's words, Kevin stood up from his throne, walked to Gray Serpent's side, and continued.
"I know your thoughts. Although your thoughts are somewhat biased, I must also admit that your words are indeed not without fault."
"Leo Ash is a good prospect, and his rate of progress is indeed too fast."
"However, for Hua to be chosen by the Honkai as the Fifth Herrscher... that is somewhat surprising to me."
"Yes, this subordinate was also very surprised, but this matter is absolutely true!"
"I believe the intelligence you've gathered, and because of that..."
At this moment, Kevin, having already made a decision in his heart, extended his right hand behind him.
With this gesture, the cooled Might of An-Utu suddenly flew into Kevin's hand as if it had awakened a will of its own, its power reactivated once more.
"I need to find a time to meet him."
"I can't just listen to your side of the story. After I meet him, I will make a concrete judgment."
*If it's really as Gray Serpent says, then the fact that Leo Ash can cause the Honkai to accelerate is enough to show that his very existence is a 'threat' even to the Honkai.*
*Killing him... that would do no good for me or for humanity, so of course, I can't do that.*
*But even if he is a good prospect, both other humans and our World Serpent need more time to fight the Honkai.*
*According to our calculations back then, the Day of Finality is about three and a half years away.*
*But judging by the current speed of Herrscher manifestations, forget three and a half years, three months would be considered good.*
*World Serpent is currently in a semi-paralyzed state due to Otto's previous focused attacks.*
*To execute the Stigmata Project, the current World Serpent, which has exhausted its resources to save me, is not enough.*
*Time...*
*And yet, that's what we lack the most right now.*
*I'll meet with Leo Ash first, and then make a plan.*
*But before that...*
"Gray Serpent, during the fifteen hundred years I was trapped in the Sea of Quanta, my condition wasn't exactly great."
Kevin, holding the greatsword, looked at the now-standing Gray Serpent and asked.
"Where is Chiyou's corpse?"
"Actually, Chiyou's corpse has been in Shenzhou's Jiuyou all this time and has not been moved."
Hearing Kevin's question, Gray Serpent said with great shame.
"This subordinate was incompetent and could only confirm that Chiyou's corpse had not been moved by Schicksal or Shenzhou."
"It matters not."
Facing his subordinate, Kevin comforted him in an indifferent tone.
"Given the complex situation, you have already done very well."
"This subordinate does not dare."
Faced with Kevin's comforting words, Gray Serpent only felt his heart fill with guilt.
"If this subordinate had not made a wrong judgment back then, World Serpent would absolutely not have been destroyed to this extent by Otto Apocalypse due to the intelligence leak."
"My Lord, besides Leo Ash, you must also be careful of Otto."
"Although he has reached a cooperation agreement with our World Serpent and did indeed help a lot in freeing you, in this subordinate's eyes, this person is still an untrustworthy individual!"
"I understand."
After Gray Serpent mentioned this person, Kevin thought for a moment and immediately changed the plan he had just made.
"Then, during the time I'm preparing to go to Shenzhou, I'll contact Otto Apocalypse."
"According to you, for that man to have the audacity to come and help after dealing such a heavy blow to World Serpent, he must have some ulterior motives."
"After meeting with him, we might gain some valuable intelligence and benefits, you never know."
....
Schicksal HQ. Bishop's Office
In the office, Theresa, sitting on her custom-made booster seat, looked at the completely unharmed Leo Ash before her and felt that perhaps she had worried too much.
*But it's not my fault!*
*Who could have imagined that when Leo faced the Herrscherized Wendy, he would so easily knock her unconscious on the ground?*
After thinking for a moment about her own battles with Herrschers, Theresa came to a rather sad realization.
If it were her against other Herrschers, she definitely wouldn't be able to win so easily now.
Theresa, wielding the [Key of Binding], was considered one of the top three to top five combatants within Schicksal.
And after activating a self-destructive ultimate move like the Divine Grace Field, even if Theresa could catch a Herrscher off guard by exploiting their ignorance of the Oath of Judah's ultimate, the most she could do was trade one for one with such a suicide attack.
As for effortlessly defeating and neutralizing a Herrscher like Leo did...
Even Durandal couldn't do that, could she?
"Um, Bishop Theresa."
Seeing Theresa scrutinizing him with a peculiar gaze, Leo asked uncomfortably.
"I've already submitted the mission report to the database. If there's nothing else..."
"You know, Leo."
Seeing Leo preparing to leave on the spot, Theresa suddenly sighed helplessly.
"I know you're strong enough in combat now, and sometimes I really don't need to worry too much about you."
"But your mental state is becoming more and more of a problem."
Theresa had, of course, read the report Leo submitted.
But at the same time Leo submitted his report, the pilot Mike, who had been with him, also submitted a report.
However, the report Mike submitted was not for this mission, but a personal application to the organization.
According to Mike's report, he suspected that Leo's psychological illness was quite serious.
In the subsequent content, Mike used about two hundred characters to describe how important Leo was to Schicksal, and ended the report with 'a plea for HQ to have Leo see a psychiatrist.'
As for Mike's report, Theresa felt that her headache only got worse after reading it.
Everyone living in Himeko's house knew that Leo had a psychological illness.
Originally, everyone was worried, but Leo himself really disliked wasting time on psychiatrists, so no one said much.
But now—even the pilot Mike, who usually didn't interact much with Leo, had noticed. This was enough to show that Leo's condition was not only not improving, but was continuously worsening.
For Theresa, who treated Leo like a family member, how could she not be anxious seeing her nephew-like knight getting sicker and sicker?
"This..."
Faced with Theresa's worried expression, Leo said helplessly.
"I really feel that I'm in great shape. You must be worrying too much, Bishop."
*Still arguing, still arguing.*
*If you were really in good shape, would someone like Mike, who doesn't interact with you much, suddenly tattle on you?*
But at this moment, Theresa knew that a forceful attitude would be useless.
Leo was clearly someone who responded to kindness, not coercion. If Theresa forced him to see a psychiatrist now, even if Leo didn't say anything on the surface, his rebellious nature would prevent him from cooperating with the doctor's examination.
*Sigh, my head hurts.*
*Leo is really good at everything, except for self-regulation.*
*I have to find a way to get him to settle down a bit.*
Meanwhile, Leo, who was seemingly looking at Theresa, was actually using a multitasking skill he had somehow learned to communicate with Su at the same time.
As for why the two could converse without meeting, don't ask, just know that psychic-type MANTISes are incredibly powerful.
The future Su could communicate with companions on other planets across vast distances.
Even the current Su, who had not yet ascended, could easily have a mental conversation with Leo using his psychic powers.
[In short, Mr. Leo, I am very sorry.]
[Because we misjudged Mr. Otto's audacity, we didn't expect him to give the Gem of Haste to Mr. Gray Serpent, which led to Kevin still getting out of the Sea of Quanta.]
*Sigh, I guessed as much when Wendy floated out.*
*But guessing is one thing, the situation now... my head hurts.*
*After Kevin gets out, it's pretty much a given that he'll go find Chiyou's corpse to devour and recover his strength.*
*In other words, by eliminating the threat of Chiyou, we can at least ensure that Kevin recovers his strength a bit more slowly, right?*
[Mr. Leo, I know what you mean.]
[But using the power of the Key of the Void to move Chiyou's corpse is actually a bit difficult.]
*What's going on?*
*The Thousand Worlds can't even move Chiyou's corpse? Are you kidding me???*
[Unfortunately, that's how it is.]
[Chiyou was undoubtedly killed by you when you shattered its core, but just now, I went to Shenzhou to check.]
[The supposedly dead Chiyou has now started to absorb everything around it, just like in the past.]
[If we try to move it with the Thousand Worlds, the transfer might fail due to Chiyou's characteristic of absorbing surrounding Honkai Energy.]
*I give up. What is this situation?*
*Just today?*
[Just today.]
[Actually, I suspect this matter is directly related to the Honkai.]
*Yeah.*
*Although there's no evidence, the fact that the dead Chiyou suddenly regained some power... thinking that the Honkai is behind it is definitely the right line of thought.*
*Otto still hasn't shown up. The act between us has to continue.*
[Yes, I think so too. But this time, I met with Mr. Otto in Abyssal City. He knows that I don't want Kevin to be released.]
[So we can use this opportunity to 'temporarily reach' a cooperation agreement in front of others, and then you can let me use the Key of the Void to save you time on your actions.]
*Great, then it's settled.*
*I'll go call Mei, Yuna, and Bianka right now, and we'll go together to grind Chiyou to dust.*
*The Herrscher of Thunder, with the power to decompose matter; the Herrscher of Death, with the authority of withering; Bianka, who can use Abyss Flower; and me, who can use the Blank Key.*
*As long as we vaporize Chiyou as quickly as possible, then a Kevin who can't eat his sashimi won't be as strong...*
*Sigh, even if Kevin isn't as strong, it'll still be a tough fight for us.*
*And that dog Otto is still lurking in the shadows.*
[Yes, Mr. Otto... once he starts acting without restraint, it will have a huge impact on our plans.]
[But for now, we have no choice. Even if Mr. Otto acts unscrupulously, we can't just stand by and do nothing because he's in hiding.]
"Leo."
At this moment, Theresa, completely unaware that Leo was multitasking, finally said to him helplessly after a few minutes of thought.
"You're a father now. Even if you don't care about yourself, you have to care about Isla's feelings."
"That child is absolutely the most well-behaved and good child I've ever seen, but no matter how good she is, she's still just a child."
"She also wants her father to be by her side, but because she's too well-behaved, she has suppressed those thoughts."
Seeing that Leo still maintained a poker face, Theresa said to him in a heartfelt tone.
"Even if you don't think about yourself, you have to think about that child's feelings."
"You are a father now. You should bear the responsibilities of a father."
*You are a father now. You should bear the responsibilities of a father.*
To be honest, Leo had mostly tuned out what Theresa had said before, letting it go in one ear and out the other.
Theresa was a nice person, but her advice... Leo could only say that she had too little information, and her advice wasn't very valuable.
But the last sentence Theresa said, Leo agreed with completely.
And it was only after Theresa said that, that Leo suddenly realized something.
Isla Ash was an artificial human created from his, Yuna's, and Kiana's DNA.
Theoretically, with her extremely strong Honkai Energy adaptability and resistance, and even having Kaslana blood, she should have the 'Kaslana Stigmata'.
But in the current situation, having Stigmata doesn't guarantee a stable future.
This world was already messed up. Applying the old rules to this world now, if something happened to Isla one day because of Leo's carelessness, Leo felt he would never forgive himself for the rest of his life.
*What bullshit.*
*I was thinking before that the Stigmata Project was a safety net—what a load of crap.*
*If my daughter gets into trouble because of this shitty project, then...*
*No, I can't think like that.*
*There is no 'then'. I must prevent this worst-case scenario from happening!*
At this moment, because Leo had his Cold, Handsome Man (Cold Face trait) active, Theresa couldn't see through his inner thoughts.
But as a psychic-type MANTIS, Su clearly sensed that Leo's mental fluctuations had become incredibly intense for a moment.
And this was undoubtedly murderous intent.
[Mr. Leo, what... what on earth did you think of?]
*...It's nothing. I just realized something I had forgotten.*
"Bishop, I'm grateful for your concern for my mental health."
After saying this, Leo deactivated the Cold, Handsome Man trait and said to Theresa helplessly.
"Since you've put it like that, I'll go to the infirmary now."
"Good, good, good!"
Seeing Leo walk out of her office like that, Theresa finally felt a little relieved.
But then, the just-relieved Theresa's expression suddenly became incredibly dim.
*Leo... the reason he values Isla so much is also because his parents died in a Honkai Eruption, right?*
*I thought that after Isla, this heaven-sent gift, appeared in his life, he would tone it down a bit.*
*But now, he still has no intention of letting go of that obsession.*
*Troublesome.*
*It's not that I think he'll die out there.*
*No matter how worried I am, I have to admit that there are very few people in this world now who can threaten Leo.*
*But the problem is, a psychological illness is called an illness for a reason, and it's certainly not a good thing.*
*As long as his illness isn't cured, the symptoms will only continue to corrode his mind.*
*If this goes on, one day...*
Just as Theresa was helplessly contemplating a solution, she suddenly received a communication from Amber.
"Lady Theresa."
Amber, on the screen, looked at Theresa with an embarrassed expression, a drop of cold sweat already on her face.
"Did you... give Sir Leo orders to deploy to Shenzhou?"
"What the hell?????"
Hearing Amber's question, Theresa immediately shouted.
"Didn't I send him to the infirmary?"
"That kid Leo, how dare he completely ignore my orders now!"
At the thought of Leo paying her lip service, brushing her off, and then going off to fight Honkai Beasts without a second thought, Theresa felt her already high blood pressure, which hadn't lowered all day, reach a new peak.
"Stop him! Stop him for me!"
"Um, Lady Theresa, we... we can't stop him."
Hearing Theresa's words, Amber, drenched in sweat, glanced at the pilot Mike beside her and continued speaking to Theresa.
"I felt something was wrong, so I had Mr. Mike not deploy, but..."
"Sir Leo was stopped by Mr. Su, and after a short, ill-tempered exchange, they seem to have reached a consensus."
"Although Sir Leo and Mr. Su still don't seem to get along, after reaching a consensus, Sir Leo took Miss Mei, Miss Yuna, and Lady Durandal with Mr. Su and left HQ using the Key of the Void."
"I think, even if we use the fastest transport aircraft to intercept them now, we won't be able to stop them."
"That little brat... he's going to be the death of me!"
"Right!"
Remembering that the Seven Thunders of Retribution was still charging, Theresa immediately asked Amber.
"Where is the Seven Thunders of Retribution? I remember it was being stored in the Honkai Energy charging warehouse, right?"
"Grandma Theresa, I'm sorry."
The moment she heard these words, Theresa felt her heart grow even colder.
At the same time, hearing the child's voice beside her, Amber cooperatively turned the screen towards Isla and silently stepped aside.
"But I thought Dad needed the Key of Thunder, so I took the liberty of stealing it."
"If Grandma thinks I did something wrong, then you can punish me—I did this of my own free will, it has nothing to do with Dad."
"You... you two, father and daughter, are you trying to be the death of me!"
*And wait a minute!*
*The warehouse requires fingerprint verification. How did Isla... did... did...*
At this moment, Theresa's body suddenly froze.
The mere possibility of a certain scenario made the anger in her heart vanish in an instant, replaced by sheer shock.
*Isla is the daughter of Kiana, Leo, and Yuna.*
*She was able to escape from the World Serpent's warehouse to Leo's side.*
*And Kiana is not the real Kiana, but a special individual created from Sirin's reincarnation into a Kiana clone.*
*In other words—this child has the DNA of the Herrscher of the Void in her genes! Aaaah!*
*The Herrscher of the Void hasn't even awakened, and this child can already use spatial movement to steal a Divine Key?*
*No, wait, the Honkai has accelerated to this extent, two Herrschers in four days, so the next Herrscher...*
"Isla, I'll let this matter slide for now, but right now..."
"—Go get your mother Kiana and bring her to me, immediately!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Seeing Isla give Theresa a military salute and then skip away from everyone's sight, Amber said helplessly.
"Lady Theresa, you spoil her too much."
"No, Amber, now is not the time to discuss this."
Theresa, who had already thought of certain possibilities, said to Amber with utmost gravity.
"Open the training grounds."
"Kiana is my niece, after all. She's probably feeling frustrated that her strength can't keep up with the others."
"Since the others will handle these matters, for the time being, let me focus all my efforts on training my dear niece."
*I must keep a close watch on Kiana.*
*Sirin is different from other Herrschers. Her experiences have determined that the resentment in her heart far exceeds that of others.*
*As for Leo's side...*
*When you get back, kid...*
*—I'll make you pay!*
....