Chapter 252: Prometheus No. 17
"Hey, what are you locking the door for?!" Irene looked at Elysia, who was locking the door, and though she'd already grasped her current predicament, she still wanted to put up one last struggle.
"Heh heh, stop resisting." Elysia leaned in, made a grab at Irene, then finally lunged forward and pounced Irene straight down onto the bed.
"Hey, hold on—isn't this the wrong pairing?!" Irene looked at Elysia before her, and could faintly make out that Elysia's rhombus pupils seemed to have turned into heart shapes.
"You can't just go switching it up, can you?!"
"Sigh..." Irene opened her eyes, feeling the weight on top of her, and reached out to give a few pats to Elysia, who was sprawled across her. Elysia let out a pleasant little sound, then nuzzled against Irene's chest.
"Sigh, what kind of situation even is this?" Irene simply flipped Elysia over—after all, there'd already been more than one such flip yesterday, so she didn't mind this one in the least.
"Had I known a Herrscher could also get..."
Come to think of it, wasn't Elysia just now the very picture of "I've got a cat at home that can do backflips"? How could she not even... Had she been far too lacking in caution toward Elysia?
"Mmm~" Elysia leaned up beside Irene again, nuzzling her head. "Irene, what are you sighing about? Don't tell me you're still not satisfied?"
"No, I just mean—how did things develop into this situation?" Irene propped up her chin and offhandedly pushed Elysia's head down. Everything had been just fine, but after Theresa made her move, now it was Elysia too.
For a moment it felt rather odd—she just couldn't shake the feeling that this development was a little off.
"What's off about it?" Elysia stretched lazily. "What's wrong with pretty girls cuddling? Besides, in the end wasn't it you, Irene, who ended up on top?"
"And whose fault is it that you're nothing but a glass cannon?" Irene shrugged. She really had been startled by Elysia locking the door at the start, but it was the same as ever.
Since Elysia had already made her move, there was no need for Irene to put on the airs of some upright gentleman.
And besides, Elysia only had it in her at the very beginning; afterward she went soft, holding out for even less time than Theresa, and was soon pinned down by Irene.
Theresa could at least flip back over from time to time—though she'd quickly be pressed down again—but Elysia only minded at the very start, and for the rest was completely at Irene's mercy.
Hopelessly bad at it. But for Elysia, cuddling with a pretty girl was the whole point. Being able to cuddle was enough; as for who was on top or bottom, she probably didn't much care.
"Heh heh." Elysia crawled up and stretched. "Though it seems we've wasted quite a lot of time. Irene, is anyone looking for you?"
"There shouldn't be." As Irene said this, she opened her communicator terminal—and then she saw over a dozen missed calls, and the caller was none other than...
None other than Theresa.
"Ah, I've got a feeling this is about to go badly." Irene looked up at the sky. With a moment's thought she could already guess what Theresa would do after she'd gone so long without picking up—she'd just have to explain herself when the time came.
"I'll go deal with Theresa. You clean yourself up."
"~~" Elysia watched as Irene straightened her clothes, mending the garments that had been damaged for certain special reasons with the power of the Herrscher of Death.
"So you're just going to leave me hanging here? And we were cuddling just a moment ago, too."
"That's right—this is the price for tricking me into coming here." Irene nodded with a perfectly serious face. "And locking the door, no less—how are you any different from Brother Jie?"
"Who's Brother Jie?" Elysia tilted her head, not understanding what Irene meant. Was it someone she didn't know?
"A conceptual god who presides over r*pe." That was all the explanation Irene offered. "Though in the end I was the one who turned the tables, anyway. Get yourself properly cleaned up—otherwise it'll be a real hassle if you can't sleep tonight, right?"
"Then can I go sleep in your room, Irene?" Elysia hadn't an ounce of shame. If she couldn't sleep in her own room, then wouldn't sleeping in Irene's room solve everything?
"That'll have to be a no." Irene resolutely waved her hand. There was quite possibly still a certain Theresa holed up in her room right now—if Elysia went over too, wouldn't the lid just blow right off the pot?
A matter like this was best dragged out as long as possible—though it couldn't be dragged out for very long, of course.
"Oh, I can't? Then aren't we sleeping in separate rooms?" Elysia tilted her head, a mischievous smile on her face. As a Herrscher—and at the same time a Herrscher who'd never even attended elementary school—
—one shouldn't expect Elysia to possess common sense in the conventional meaning of the word on certain matters. Now that the last layer of paper over the window had been poked through, Elysia had no intention whatsoever of hiding anything.
"We haven't even registered our marriage yet." Irene waved her hand, turned around, and looked at Elysia somewhat helplessly. "So we can't really be called sleeping in separate rooms."
"Fine~" Elysia nodded, then patted the damp sheets and quilt. Looking at it this way, getting them dry was probably going to take some time.
But it didn't matter—tossing them into the dryer wouldn't actually take long. Still, there was no telling which wire had suddenly gotten crossed in Elysia's head this time, or perhaps her wiring had never been right to begin with.
Elysia wore an expression of keen interest as she looked at Irene. "Irene, Irene, what if I went and found Kal—"
"If you want to court death, then kindly let me stand a little farther away, and don't get blood splattered on me, thank you." Irene wasn't about to indulge Elysia and cut in decisively, not even letting her finish her sentence.
She really would say anything. If Elysia were actually let loose on Haiyuan City, at least half of it would be wrecked—and with Kalpas's temper, he'd indulge Elysia even less; a thorough beating was guaranteed.
Of course, whether he could actually pull it off was another matter—but Haiyuan City would definitely run into trouble.
"I'm just kidding, just a little joke." Elysia rolled over and sat up, pulled on her clothes, and tidied away the damp things, getting ready to toss them into the washing machine for a wash.
Irene let out a faint sigh. It'd be nice if Elysia could behave a bit—she just hoped this one wouldn't suddenly have another brain spasm. Then she too turned and left, intending to go find Theresa.
As for why she didn't call first to report she was safe—better to just forget that. Going to see her in person right away was ten times better than a phone call.
World Serpent
"Sovereign MEI, this way, please." Gray Serpent respectfully led MEI toward the hall. "Sovereign Kevin is occupied with his recovery and cannot welcome you in person."
"His condition still isn't up to it?" MEI looked at the hall ahead, and on hearing Gray Serpent's words, knitted her brows. "He's currently... never mind, I'll go ask him myself."
"Very well." Gray Serpent nodded, then made to slip obediently away. Matters between the two Sovereigns—if they were official business, he naturally needed to be present, but if they were private affairs, it was best he not be present.
"Wait, don't go just yet." MEI looked at Gray Serpent and suddenly called him to a halt. She'd exchanged intelligence with others, and knew that in Little Senti's world, Gray Serpent had pulled off something big.
Although this world certainly didn't offer the conditions for him to pull off anything big—after all, everyone here had their hands full, so naturally Gray Serpent had no opening to pull anything off.
But this also meant that within the World Serpent, Gray Serpent ought to be the one chiefly responsible for implementing and laying the groundwork for Project Stigma. Kevin? Kevin didn't have that ability—MEI was perfectly clear on that point.
As for the others—one a mercenary, one a doctor of biology, though apart from biology nothing else about her seemed particularly outstanding—and then there was a Stigmata Idea.
Clearly, only Gray Serpent was capable of serving as an excellent decision-maker. Although Kevin was nominally a Sovereign, in practice he was probably closer to an executor.
"Sovereign MEI, is there anything else?"
"How are you coming along with laying the groundwork for Project Stigma?"
Gray Serpent raised his head, his red electronic eyes fixed on MEI, and after a while said, "It's progressing steadily. The basic work is all complete; we're only waiting for Sovereign Kevin to recover his full strength."
"Mm, so the framework's already finished?" MEI nodded. "All right, I understand. You may go."
Gray Serpent nodded, then turned and left—he still had a great many things to attend to.
MEI, meanwhile, turned and walked into the hall, looking at Kevin seated upon the high seat. Kevin opened his eyes as well; his originally cold face, in the instant he caught sight of MEI, softened for a moment, then returned to its coldness.
"What is it? Is there something you need me to do?"
"The final moment has arrived." MEI cut straight to the point. "All the Herrschers have appeared. The final examination is here."
"I know." Kevin nodded and rose from his seat, walking up before MEI. "Is there something you need me to do?"
"I need you to bring Prometheus No. 17 back." MEI looked at Kevin. "We need its observational data to ensure we can pinpoint the location precisely."
"Now?" Kevin listened to MEI's words, then nodded. By the plan, it was about time anyway. "Understood. I'll set out right now."
Kevin was a decisive, swift-acting man. Since it was needed, he'd simply go retrieve it—and the original plan did indeed call for No. 17's observational data.
After all, he too needed to gradually take over the Authority—it was just that now it was to be handed to someone else. If Irene really could inherit it more conveniently, and at the same time wield it better than he could, he'd be only too glad.
In truth, Kevin didn't want to carry out Project Stigma either; he simply had no other choice. A single wrong step on the road to saving humanity would mean eternal, irredeemable ruin.
On the path of salvation, there might even be only one road—and that road might be so narrow that only a single person could pass through it. He couldn't guarantee that any other plan would succeed.
He could only hold to his own road until someone could prove that road would succeed. And now, MEI had put forward a new road—and this road was indeed highly feasible.
So Kevin was willing to believe in it. Besides, the plan MEI proposed was almost identical to Project Stigma, merely missing a few steps; if it failed, transitioning right into Project Stigma would entail no loss whatsoever.
So Kevin wouldn't put up any obstruction—in fact, he was all hands and feet in favor. Succeed, and humanity would have triumphed over Finality, and could even turn Finality into their strongest fighting force; fail, and everyone would simply be put to sleep, with civilization still going on.
Either way it was no loss, so naturally Kevin had no thought of objecting.
"How is your physical condition? Still not recovered?" Having finished laying out the matter, MEI began to fuss over Kevin's body.
"I've essentially fully recovered. Right now I'm just accumulating more Honkai energy as a reserve." Kevin nodded. After so long, he'd long since restored himself to peak form.
Now he was merely stockpiling still more Honkai energy, up to his limit and then breaking past his limit. Every additional portion he devoured made him a portion stronger—and a portion more likely to be able to fulfill the wish they sought.
"That's good, then." MEI nodded and looked at Kevin. "Take good care of yourself. I've already lost one other you—I don't want to lose another. Please."
"..." Kevin was silent for a long while, but did not answer MEI's question. There were some things he ultimately had to do. "I'll be going, then."
"Mm."
Kevin promptly turned and walked out of the hall. Entering that place would stir up an enormous fluctuation of Honkai energy; although this MEI before him had considerably better Honkai Resistance, that was still no reason for him to take the risk.
MEI watched Kevin leave and let out a sigh all the same. "I just hope everything can proceed smoothly. This time, we absolutely cannot make that kind of mistake again."
???
Within a space of pure white, Kevin appeared at its very center. Kevin lifted his head to gaze at the rift that had appeared in that pure white space—a web that mirrored the starry sky.
"I've come." Kevin looked at the rift before him. Some sound came from within the rift, yet it also seemed as though nothing had managed to come through at all.
Kevin looked at the rift and said softly, "You've worked hard. To preserve your sense of self amid countless derivative consciousnesses—even for you, that is by no means a simple thing."
"....."
"It's all right—the plan only needs you here, in this moment, and that is enough." Kevin shook his head and offered comfort. "So even though you've lain dormant all this time, you have lived up to your mission without shame."
"....."
"They will have their chance to prove themselves—and I don't wish to carry out Project Stigma either." Kevin looked at the rift. "MEI has proposed a new plan, and a more suitable candidate than me has appeared."
On hearing Kevin's voice, the rift seemed to emit an exceedingly strange sound, its tone like puzzlement, and like surprise.
"Not the MEI we know." Kevin shook his head. "A MEI from another world—but she's just as clever, exactly like her."
"..."
"Mm, she's a very fine girl." Kevin nodded. "She had even been chosen by Finality before all the Herrschers appeared."
"She'll be better suited than me to become the Finality that protects humanity. And even if she doesn't succeed, I can step in immediately. Our goal will be accomplished."
"....."
"Come with me."
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