Rebirth

Ever since the Second Honkai Outbreak ended, Enoshia had been thinking about her future food, clothing, housing, and transportation. At that moment, a tycoon named Benjamin Frankenstein entered her sights.

Unlike the other highly ambitious, aggressively enterprising bigwigs, this tycoon had chosen to quit while he was ahead after earning a few hundred billion, and had lived a peaceful life ever since, rarely associating with political or business celebrities from the outside world.

Enoshia did not care what exactly he did for a living. She knew that during his initial accumulation of capital in the early days of his business, this tycoon had done countless shady things. He had merely succeeded in laundering his reputation and going legitimate later on. This did not mean Enoshia intended to uphold justice or punish evil and promote virtue. It merely allowed her to convince herself when she applied the Herrscher's power to him.

On the surface, he and his family were all Catholics. Enoshia did not know whether their faith in God was genuine. After all, among political and business celebrities, there was no shortage of people who had nothing but doctrines on their lips and business in their hearts.

All she knew was that, without lifting a finger, she had changed the faith of everyone in his entire inner circle to faith in herself. With so many useful tools, having a good life would be much easier.

More than half a year later, in September 2000, on an island somewhere in the Pacific Ocean.

A luxurious three-story villa had finally been completely renovated. A private beach lay just beyond the backyard, while the villa's basement housed a large Data Space. Although it clearly could not compare with the Sea of Quanta beneath World Serpent, in the current civilization, no one besides the three major organizations surely had the ability to build one.

This was the new home of the four of them.

That's right, four people: Enoshia, Sirin, Bella, and Ivan.

She was a natural Stigmata bearer. That was the conclusion reached by Schicksal's Valkyries. But only after Enoshia consulted a vast amount of information and conducted various tests did she realize that Sirin had struck gold in Siberia.

She was no ordinary Stigmata bearer at all. Like Seele Vollerei, she was a Stigmata Awakener. Enoshia was certain that, with proper education, Sirin would become a great talent in time.

On September 16, 2000, Enoshia entered the Data Space with a nervous heart. To be honest, she had no confidence that she could truly revive Cecilia.

Since even the Black Abyss White Flower had been unable to heal her, Enoshia could think of only one way to keep her alive: preserve her memories, create a Memory Body from them, construct a Soul Steel body, and finally transfer the Memory Body's data into the Soul Steel body. That way, she could live on like Otto.

But the most crucial and difficult step was this: how could Enoshia ensure that the Memory Body she constructed would still be Cecilia?

Having one person's memories clearly did not mean one was the original person. Madam Herrscher of Reason was the perfect proof of that.

She possessed all of Fu Hua's memories, Fu Hua's body, and considered herself Fu Hua. Yet in the end, she received no one's recognition and failed to become Fu Hua, so she angrily left home.

After making ample mental preparations, Enoshia began. For the Herrscher of Corruption, constructing a Memory Body inside the Data Space while possessing all the necessary memories was undoubtedly easy. She snapped her fingers, and in a corner of the Data Space, Cecilia appeared as if she had been produced by a 3D printer, dressed in a Valkyrie battlesuit.

"Hmm? Where is this...?" Cecilia had just received her memories and consciousness, and was clearly bewildered.

"Don't be nervous. Please let me ask you a few questions. There are no right answers; just follow your heart."

Enoshia took a deep breath and began asking her questions.

"You... what do you plan to do after meeting Sirin?"

"Of course I'll keep my promise and become her family."

Without a doubt, this Cecilia's answer matched that of the real Cecilia. But after thinking it over, Enoshia still felt it was not secure enough. What if she was simply copying the answer from the memories that already existed?

"If... and I mean if, Sirin were bewitched by an unknown force and announced that she intended to destroy all of human civilization, while having already caused the deaths of tens of millions of people, directly or indirectly, what would you do in that situation?"

Cecilia did not hesitate. "I would eliminate her, because protecting all of humanity is my responsibility as a Valkyrie."

"Then, based on that assumption, you and the others from Schicksal fought with all your strength and ultimately eliminated Sirin. Just as both your lives were nearing their ends, Otto launched a Honkai Energy Fission Bomb at your location. What would you do then?"

Cecilia thought for a moment before answering, "I would do everything I could to let her feel warmth in the final moments of her life."

"Even if she wanted to destroy all of humanity?"

"That was who she used to be. The Sirin whose life was nearing its end no longer had the ability to destroy all of humanity. She was merely a pitiful girl in need of help."

"Even if your help was only wishful thinking and self-indulgent sentiment?"

"It's true that offering help does not necessarily mean the problem can be solved. But if we lose the desire to help others, even more people in need will be left without help. If I am unwilling to help Sirin when she is right in front of me, how could I possibly protect all of humanity?"

"Then... at the moment when you and she are about to be blasted to ashes by the Honkai Energy Fission Bomb, do you hate Otto?"

Cecilia shook her head. "No. If fighting the Honkai is like waging a war, then I am the vanguard charging into battle, while the Bishop is the general coordinating the entire battlefield. No matter how much a general cherishes his soldiers, and no matter how brave or resourceful he is, he cannot win every battle without sacrificing a single soldier. If my sacrifice could win a battle, I would be willing."

Hearing this, Enoshia could not help muttering inwardly, What a pity. Otto had never treated the Valkyries as human beings. His purpose in sacrificing them had never been victory in war, but merely his own selfish desires. The Bishop of Schicksal had never intended to eliminate the Honkai.

"Then, one last question. If one day in the future..."

Cecilia: "..."

A few minutes later, Enoshia had just emerged from the Data Space when she saw Sirin pacing back and forth inside the room. The moment Sirin saw her, she ran over in great excitement.

"H-How did it go?"

"It's done. From here on, it's your time together. I won't disturb you."

The instant Enoshia finished speaking, Sirin rushed into the Data Space.

As Cecilia embraced her once again, Sirin felt a pair of warm hands soothing the wounds in her heart. Enoshia had not deceived her. She had truly saved Cecilia.

"Sirin, I'm sorry. If not for Miss Aino, I would have broken my promise. In the end, you were the one who gave me a place to live..."

"Mom!"

At those words, Cecilia, who had long since regarded Sirin as her own daughter, also burst into tears.

"Mm."

As Cecilia gently stroked her, a soul that had endured endless torment finally received the comfort it had sought for so many years.