-The Time Has Come; This Is the Day We Devour the Tyrant in the Heavens! / Anti-Entropy Is Founded!

But who could have imagined that not only had the first use of this backup plan failed, but control of his body had been completely stolen as well?

"Bishop Otto, do you know how many steps it takes to put an elephant into a refrigerator?"

The young man's schizophrenic-sounding muttering carried a ridiculous air, yet no one felt like laughing.

Because the person playing against the young man was the Bishop of Schicksal.

"Oh... putting an elephant into a refrigerator?"

Otto's tone suddenly softened, taking on the manner of an old friend chatting about everyday matters.

"Step one: open the refrigerator door. Step two: put the elephant inside. Step three: close the refrigerator door. Do you understand, Bishop Otto?"

"What kind of terrible riddle is that?"

A certain red-haired girl with twin ponytails offered an ill-timed complaint.

...This woman really had no sense of atmosphere at all.

"Dr. Tesla is right. That truly is a tasteless riddle."

Otto let out an inexplicable laugh.

"Three steps... Step one: put Reanna's consciousness into dormancy. Step two: take over this body myself. Step three: restart it and make it move... Let me guess, Mr. 'Liu,' you seized this body somewhere between the first and second steps, didn't you?"

Though he had not spoken the full name aloud, it seemed that the character Liu had already been entered into Otto's little notebook.

"Bishop Otto, from every angle, you are frighteningly intelligent."

Under everyone else's gaze, Liu Bai pulled over a chair and sat down.

That was right. A body made of soulium... strictly speaking, was truly difficult to classify as a living organism.

However, Reanna's consciousness undoubtedly possessed intelligence. Therefore, under normal circumstances, even if Reanna fell asleep, Liu Bai would have been completely unable to possess this body.

But what if Reanna's consciousness went fully dormant?

The facts proved that he could possess it completely. In fact, the effect was unbelievably good—or rather, ghostlike consciousness and soulium, a metal composed of countless nanobots capable of recording all kinds of information, had astonishing compatibility.

Well, Liu Bai had actually realized this when he possessed Eden Star.

"Also, don't try to use stalling tactics to regain control of this body."

Beneath the two men's seemingly cordial conversation, Otto activated at least a double-digit number of countermeasures within the body.

"All I control is the body. You should have noticed that control over the 'brain' remains in your hands. From a certain perspective, you have actually succeeded in taking over this body."

Someone else could freely manipulate his body while Otto could only watch helplessly, unable to do anything—was that not a form of NTR as well?

"The mechanical hippocampus takeover rate has indeed reached 99.993%... Is it because the brain itself is special? Or because my modifications to the brain were more precise?"

"Or perhaps I simply wanted to have some fun with Schicksal's Bishop?"

Liu Bai directly ignored Otto's probing.

"By the way, you are stalling for time, and so am I—after all, thoroughly examining and repairing the 'bugs' in this body takes quite a bit of time for me too."

Skill acquired: Human Modification (Soulium) Lv.3!

The Time Has Come, This Is the Day the Tyrant in the Sky Shall Be Devoured!

"Heh... 'Liu.' I will remember that name. You are a fine chess player, but... this will not be the end..."

After Liu Bai had nearly completely understood the construction of this body, the "sterilization" began from the outside inward.

Otto, who could only control the brain, was completely erased with almost no ability to resist.

Perhaps fortunately, either because of Reanna's special identity or because Otto had never considered the possibility of failure, Otto had not installed any self-destruct device in this body.

"If possible, I really would not want to play chess with someone as dangerous as you."

The young man wiped at sweat that did not exist on his forehead.

"He left?" Einstein broke the others' silence.

"He left, but something big is probably coming."

Liu Bai rose to his feet and looked toward the sky.

"For now, Otto has suffered a complete defeat this time—an outcome he cannot accept."

His victory this time had been entirely due to luck.

In this incident, most people, including Edison and Reanna, had actually been on the first layer. Otto himself had been on the second, while Liu Bai had been on the third.

To put it more vividly, it was like a mantis stalking a cicada, unaware of the oriole behind it.

Except the oriole had saved the cicada, and the mantis was the only one injured.

"Oh, Liu Bai, what do you think Otto's true objective was?"

Taking advantage of her size, Edison shoved Tesla aside and crowded in front of Liu Bai.

"You definitely count as one." Liu Bai pointed at the smiling Edison. "As for the others... there are plenty. Eden Star, Welt, even your research results—any of them would be enough reason for Otto to act."

"True. Who knows what Otto has in that head of his—though I think I know what Otto will do next."

"Hey, hey, hey! Edison! You bastard, get out of here!"

"We're discussing serious matters. Children should stay to the side."

Edison pushed away Tesla, who was trying to squeeze closer. Then, the communicator on Edison's body suddenly rang.

"...I understand. Mm, this sort of response was more or less within expectations."

Though she said that, Edison's expression still grew grave involuntarily.

"What happened?"

Welt tightened his grip on Eden Star.

"Nothing much. Our intelligence personnel monitoring Schicksal merely sent word that Schicksal has entered Level Zero alert."

Edison answered casually.

"As for the problem... it is not too serious. They have merely launched a rather unusual intercontinental missile toward our heads."

"Huh—? An intercontinental missile?"

"That's right, an intercontinental missile." Facing Tesla's outcry, Edison nodded. "And it is a missile that neither America nor the North American Branch can currently intercept. Its flight speed and kinetic energy far exceed the limits of ordinary missiles."

"Can't be intercepted?! Are you joking?"

"I am not joking—this is the conclusion reached by the experts. By the way, in about five minutes, that missile will land right over our heads. Even if its power is relatively low, it should still be enough to leave none of our bones behind."

"It seems I will have to disappoint Miss Nancy."

At some point, Liu Bai had already left the possession. The consciousness named "Reanna" returned once more.

"If nothing unexpected happens, what is heading toward us should be the Honkai Fission Bomb secretly developed by headquarters."

It was the very missile that would send Sirin and Cecilia away together in the future.

"The inspiration for its development came from the Berlin Honkai Outbreak three years ago. As for its principle... it probably uses something like physical chain reactions to simulate the instant a Honkai eruption occurs. Ever since its creation, it has been treated as the ultimate weapon against Herrschers."

"In other words, if that missile truly explodes over our heads..." Einstein showed a look of understanding.

"Not just Manhattan. All of New York will be leveled to the ground."

Reanna stated a terrifying fact without expression.

"In other words, the Berlin tragedy will happen again."

"Then why are you all still so calm?! Are your brains soaking in formalin?"

Tesla was already losing her mind. "Don't tell me you have given up already!"

"Uh... I think Senior Liu Bai must have arranged something long ago."

Welt scratched his head and spoke somewhat guiltily.

Like hell he was some superhuman strategist who planned within the command tent and decided battles a thousand miles away.

He had completely toyed with Otto in the palm of his hand, hadn't he?

"Tsk, tsk, Tesla. Look at them, then look at yourself. Could you show me even the most basic level of trust?"

"You ghost, shut up!"

"That's right." Reanna nodded, then looked at the seemingly guilty Tesla. "Mr. Liu Bai asked me to pass on a message to you."

"Huh? What message?"

"—'Come on, Welt. Let's put on a big show for our Bishop Otto.'"

Welt froze in confusion for a moment, then jolted and showed a look of realization.

"I understand."

"What is this, some kind of riddle?" Tesla grumbled, completely unable to make sense of the situation.

"That is why Dr. Tesla's emotional intelligence is truly terrible." Einstein helplessly brushed back her hair.

"Huh?"

At that moment, Welt raised Eden Star high overhead.

A pair of hands patted his shoulders. Then, Eden Star's shell began to glow.

Eden Star, adjustments complete.

Let's put on a big show for our Bishop.

Let him know that even chess pieces can jump off the board.

Chess pieces...

"Make it something he will never forget for the rest of his life, right?"

The light on Eden Star gradually shifted from blue to dark red.

"—The time has come, this is the day the tyrant in the sky shall be devoured!"

Welt raised his head toward the sky.

"Otto Apocalypse—no, Clown Alpha."

Welt spoke the pen name Otto had used when communicating with him.

"I believe you can see this—witness what it looks like when a star is shattered!"

The command tent was blown away, and a dark-red hole pulsing like a heart appeared overhead.

Bigger—

Bigger—

Bigger—

Within the dark-red light, a "black sun" appeared above the city.

—The world twisted.

Edison and the others felt as though they themselves were being torn apart.

Past, present, future—everything seemed to be twisted by that terrifying force, gradually becoming blurred and indistinct.

Fortunately, that black sun—black hole—was not targeting them.

Welt controlled that power exceedingly well.

Eden Star, Zeroth Rated Power—Pseudo Black Hole.

"A black hole...?"

Schicksal's Bishop closed his eyes as he watched the scene relayed by the satellite.

"Announce that the North American Branch and former S-Rank Valkyrie Reanna Brigantia collectively defected after causing a small-scale Honkai outbreak."

Anti-Entropy, Established!

Three months after the Manhattan Incident.

Former Schicksal North American Branch, now Anti-Entropy Headquarters.