Miss Pink Elf♪, who had just come from the Elysian Realm, never dreamed that not long after coming out, she would be stumped by such an adorable child.
Just moments ago, she was discussing some secret and slightly embarrassing issues with her comrade Hua's Herrscher Personality. Yet now, facing Isla Ash's clear and innocent eyes, Elysia somewhat felt the helplessness that must have existed in Hua's heart earlier.
Of course, with her personality, this silence naturally wouldn't last long.
Gazing at the child, Elysia gently stroked Isla Ash's hair and said with a smile.
"While your father is indeed a very charming person, I'm not that easy of a girl, you know."
"Wanting me to be his girlfriend... hmph hmph, that's something we can talk about next time we meet."
"Eh?"
Hearing the obvious hidden meaning in Elysia's words, Isla Ash's eyes lit up as she asked.
"Just next time we meet is okay?!"
"No, wait—"
Elysia, feeling something was off, watched as Isla Ash skipped over to the Divine Key, the Oath of Judah, stroking it and muttering some things that clearly didn't sound right. She felt the situation was getting even stranger.
Although some of the Divine Keys from their civilization did indeed have the ability to communicate with others and some self-awareness, for this child to communicate so easily with the Key of Binding... she was something of a prodigy.
Moreover, Elysia even sensed a trace of... reluctance? ...in the emotions expressed by the chains released from the Oath of Judah.
"Okay, okay, I'm just going to show the pink-haired little sister the way. I'll be back in a bit."
After gently removing the chains from the Oath of Judah from her arm, Isla Ash was about to turn back towards Elysia.
But at that exact moment, Isla, having just turned, saw someone who hadn't spoken until now suddenly block her path.
In front of Isla Ash, Yuna, her expression calm, stared at her daughter and asked in a flat tone.
"Isla Ash, have you forgotten what your father said?"
"This... That..."
After thinking for a few seconds, Isla Ash couldn't figure out at all which of Leo Ash's words Yuna was referring to.
But right now, she was sure of one thing, which was...
—Her mother was definitely, abso-lute-ly, AN! GRY!
If Mommy Yuna had just shown an angry expression, it would mean she was only normally angry.
But now, Mommy Yuna was actually using this emotionless tone and calling me by my full name.
"What's wrong? Weren't you going to show this lady the way?"
Watching Isla Ash, who had begun to back away frantically, Yuna continued to ask with that same calm expression.
"Why are you backing up? Am I... very scary?"
More than just scary.
Everyone present, with the exception of the Herrscher of Sentience dormant inside Fu Hua, genuinely felt the atmosphere in the room become much heavier.
Aside from the child currently backing away frantically and Yuna, the Herrscher, everyone else present was a Previous Era Flame-Chaser who had experienced countless calamities.
But now, for Yuna to be able to make them all feel a sense of crisis without even actively targeting them, it showed just how angry she was.
Before Elysia and the original Hua could speak up to persuade her, Yuna closed in on Isla, suddenly sighed helplessly, and the aura radiating from her completely collapsed.
"I'm not saying you can't interact with the guests, but right now, your physical condition isn't good. It's really not a good time for you to be running around."
"I'm not going to say trash like 'you have to stay in this room for the rest of your life,' but I just hope you can observe for a few days, confirm how much of an effect Judah has on you, and then we'll see how to proceed."
"...I get it."
Sensing Yuna's concern for her, Isla Ash gave Elysia a helpless, apologetic look.
"I'm sorry. I wanted to show you the way to Dad, but now—I think it's better if I listen to my mom."
"About that... actually, Isla, you don't need to worry about it."
Looking at the girl's apologetic eyes, Elysia immediately turned to Hua beside her and said to Fu Hua.
"Finding someone to lead the way really isn't a problem—Hua, would you be willing to take me to see Leo Ash?"
"Ah, that's certainly not a problem, but before that..."
Fu Hua looked at Isla Ash and Yuna, her gaze suddenly sharpening.
"Yuna, is something wrong with Isla? I didn't hear anything about this before I came."
[Tch, why bother asking Yuna? Just let me take a look and—]
[Wha... t...!]
Hearing the Herrscher of Sentience's utterly shocked words, Fu Hua's expression didn't change, but she could already feel that something was wrong again.
"Ah, about that... it's hard to explain in just a few words."
Hearing Fu Hua's question, Yuna opened a data screen and sent Isla Ash's physical examination report to Fu Hua.
"We didn't want our comrades fighting the Honkai outside to be distracted by this, so everyone decided to wait until you, Class Rep, and the others came to HQ to tell you."
"Now that you're back, Class Rep, and these people with you..."
Recalling the data that Void Archives had voluntarily opened up after submitting to Leo Ash, Yuna locked her gaze directly onto Elysia.
"Miss Elysia, could I ask you to take a look at this report and give us your personal thoughts?"
"Eh, am I that famous?"
Hearing Yuna's request, Elysia moved closer to Fu Hua, looking at the physical examination report on the data screen. The smile on her face gradually faded.
As for Fu Hua, after reading the report, her expression naturally turned grim because of the speculations it contained.
"Without an authentic Herrscher Core, her Honkai Energy levels suddenly spiked this much?"
"Mhm. That's why Senior told her to stay in her room and had me and Kiana watch over her."
"It's just that Kiana suddenly seemed to have something..._
Speaking up to this point, Yuna, who had been focused on Isla Ash, finally realized that something had clearly been wrong with Kiana earlier.
Although Kiana and Yuna were both Isla Ash's mothers, Yuna could feel that Kiana's motherly love for Isla was clearly stronger than her own.
But today, when her daughter needed companionship the most, Kiana had just left like that.
Coupled with Senior suddenly... *doing those things*... with Kiana in her room...
*I thought it was because Senior was under too much stress and needed to vent.*
*But now it seems, Kiana was the one with the problem, so Senior used that method to try and make her forget her troubles?*
The extremely anxious Fu Hua, of course, paid no mind to Yuna's sudden pause.
Even though she had forgotten many things, through her conversations with Su and the information from Void Archives, she now knew some of the things she was supposed to know but had forgotten.
At the very least, Fu Hua knew that Elysia, as the 'daughter' of the 'Honkai,' was one of the people most likely to know what was happening to Isla Ash.
"Hm, let me think..."
Looking at the report, Elysia, her smile completely gone, spoke to Fu Hua with a troubled expression.
"At least for me, this situation has never occurred."
"A sudden burst in a person's Honkai Energy levels... there could be many triggers, but..."
Elysia, who already had a guess in her heart, paused for a moment but ultimately didn't voice her suspicion.
*No... although based on the current situation, it seems that in this era, from Reason to Corruption, all twelve types of Herrschers have been saved or dealt with by Leo Ash, that doesn't mean all Herrschers have been vanquished.*
*The Herrscher of Finality—as long as the Cocoon is not destroyed, this Herrscher will still appear in the future.*
*And the surge in Isla's energy levels might be one of the precursors to the Herrscher of Finality's appearance.*
*Admittedly, this phenomenon never occurred in their era.*
*But even people like Mei, Vill-V, and Mobius wouldn't dare say they fully understood the Honkai. For something to appear now that surpassed the cognition of the Previous Era's Flame-Chasers... that actually fits everyone's stereotype of the Honkai perfectly.*
*Constantly evolving, and specializing in making life difficult.*
*Even Elysia, who knew the Cocoon's true intention was to embrace humanity, had to admit—everyone's stereotype was, in fact, spot on.*
*Whether it's people or other self-aware beings, others' evaluations of them are never based on what they* think—*after all, aside from special existences like the Herrscher of Sentience who can read minds, no one can guarantee they can completely see through another's thoughts.*
*But actions are different. Faced with an existence that has* done *certain things, anyone can deduce some answers from its actions.*
*And now, if the Herrscher of Finality were to suddenly manifest, humanity, which is still preparing for war, would most likely be caught off guard and beaten.*
Only at this moment did Elysia realize just how critical the "critical situation" Leo Ash had mentioned truly was.
"Hua, put this matter aside for now."
Speaking words her friend found hard to believe, Elysia's eyes held a rare seriousness.
"Isla's situation... we don't have a solution for it."
"No, that's not right..."
*Ha, even I'm getting a little anxious, is that why I'm spouting such panicked, illogical words?*
"It should be said, the key to solving these problems with Isla... still lies with Leo Ash."
"Take me to see Leo Ash. This matter is... quite important."
"Since you put it that way, then..."
Fu Hua, who had just taken out her communicator, intending to ask where Leo Ash had gone, suddenly heard the Herrscher of Sentience's voice again.
[Don't bother looking. That stinky disciple is *busy* right now!]
*...That tone. Did he provoke you again recently?*
[Damn... Dammit! That stinky disciple is actually *doing it* with Kiana in her room at a time like this!!!!]
*Wha-What???*
Even though Fu Hua tried her best to hide her inner shock, Elysia, who was face-to-face with her and a girl who understood people's hearts, naturally saw at a glance that a 'little something' had just popped up in Fu Hua's mind.
And hearing Fu Hua's utterly shocked inner voice, the Herrscher of Sentience said furiously.
[I saw it with my own eyes—no, no, no, that's not right!]
[I found out through the memories in Yuna's consciousness that she actually has the ability to peek at Kiana and my stinky disciple!]
[And then, using Yuna's ability, I saw—I'm so pissed!]
*...Well, you don't need to be* that *angry.*
*Although the timing is indeed inappropriate, but...*
[If my stinky disciple had *needs*, why didn't he come to me! Is he disgusted by how small my bra is?!!!]
*That's* the reason you're angry?!
[In the end, old-timer—it's all your fault for dragging me down!]
*What nonsense are you talking about now!*
[If it wasn't for this unreliable body of yours, my stinky disciple wouldn't... Waargh, I'm so, so mad!]
*...Sigh. Forget it.*
*In any case, Leo Ash is with Kiana right now. We should just go to his office and wait for him.*
[How can you be so calm! Don't you care at all?!]
*Mm. Compared to his state of appearing fine but actually being on the verge of madness at any moment, at least him having... desires... makes him seem more like a normal person.*
*Although being a womanizer isn't something to be encouraged, considering that's his* only *character flaw—other than being too hard on himself—I think... we should just let such a small thing slide.*
At this very moment, the Herrscher of Sentience, who had just been discussing *positions* with Elysia and was now seeing what *positions* Leo Ash and Kiana were using, came to a profound realization.
This so-called Immortal Red Kite... when it comes to relationships, she's an utterly hopeless teammate! So magnanimous! If Leo Ash hadn't happened to be a harem protagonist, both she and I would 100% be crying into our pillows.
How can she be like this? It was the same with Otto, and it's the same with Leo Ash...
—After being deceived by sweet-talk so many times, and even knowing she's been wronged, how can she not have a single rebellious thought?
....