It was a sunny afternoon. Enoshia and Sirin were lazily lying on loungers beneath a beach umbrella, enjoying the sea breeze, while Ivan remained in the Data Space, being cared for by someone with experience raising children.
For Enoshia, days of leisure like this were naturally very pleasant. But when pleasant days went on for too long, she inevitably grew a little bored. And once a human being became bored, she would unconsciously start letting her imagination run wild.
From her own birth to the Huili Clan becoming Herrschers, all kinds of signs indicated that the subsequent developments were likely to change drastically. She did not know what the next Herrscher would be, or where they would be born. If one appeared in a densely populated place like northern India or southeastern Shenzhou, the death toll would probably start at ten million.
Although the future was full of uncertainties, some things remained unchanged. For example, in 2005, because of the Celestials and the Hughes Clan, the battle between Old Yang and Ryusuke Murata would still occur without outside interference.
What kind of person was Otto? Without a doubt, he was talented—well, "virtuous," too. The contributions he had made were undoubtedly enormous. Respecting him because of his contributions and unwavering will, while hating him for the despicable things he had done, were not mutually exclusive.
But compared with Otto, Ryusuke Murata was clearly a talentless and immoral man. In terms of ability, even with the information gap, he had still been beaten by Old Yang in a one-on-one fight. His greatest contributions were fathering such a wonderful daughter as Himeko and informing the readers of the Celestials' appearance.
He had wronged his wife, his daughter, Old Yang, and the Hughes Clan. A self-righteous Scum of Humanity like him deserved to die.
The key lay in the impact his death would have on Murata Himeko. Himeko would join Schicksal because of it, and once she intervened, a series of chain reactions would follow.
Without a doubt, whether Murata Himeko went to St. Freya would have a tremendous impact on future developments. It was not only Kiana, Fu Hua, Mei, and Theresa whose lives were affected by her. She and Otto were like the white and black halves of the Taiji Diagram, spurring the main cast's growth from opposite directions.
"I've read the script in advance and have an information advantage. That was originally my strength, but once there are too many variables... that advantage will become a disadvantage..."
At that moment, Bella carried two plates over and placed them on the table between the two loungers.
"Queen, Miss Enoshia, the Watermelon Pizza is freshly made. Please enjoy."
Watermelon Pizza was made by cutting a watermelon into triangular slices, placing strawberries, kiwis, and other fruits one liked on top, and drizzling them with yogurt or honey. Bella had even thoughtfully cut away the watermelon rinds, so all they had to do was pick up the slices with their hands and toss them into their mouths.
"Thanks for your hard work, Bella. Take a break, too." As she spoke, Enoshia picked up a slice and began chewing. The sweet-and-sour, juicy flavor captured her taste buds. After swallowing one slice, she eagerly picked up a second.
"Forget it. It's only 2000 right now. We can talk about what happens in 2005 later." The happiness brought by the food temporarily made her forget her worries.
The Watermelon Pizza was delicious, but Enoshia and Sirin tacitly left a few pieces behind.
After the two of them stopped eating, Bella saw that there were still some pieces left. She picked one up as well, then sat on the beach beside Sirin and began eating.
"Hmm... It seems a little sour. The Queen probably prefers things sweeter. I should use less yogurt next time... Hmm... About thirty percent less."
"Ahh~~"
The warm sunlight and comfortable breeze, combined with the satisfaction of having eaten her fill, made Sirin feel a wave of drowsiness wash over her. She yawned again and again.
Bella immediately stood up, lowered the lounger, and adjusted the beach umbrella to make sure the sunlight would not reach Sirin once she lay down. She was just about to return indoors to fetch a blanket when Sirin suddenly grabbed her hand as she passed by.
"Bella, Aurora, Agatha, don't leave me..."
Just as Bella was caught between staying and leaving, Sirin murmured softly in her dream and pulled Bella onto her lounger.
"Bella, just stay here with her."
The two of them lying on one lounger was a little cramped, so Enoshia took the initiative to get down. She also flattened her own lounger into a bed, moved it beside Sirin's, and pushed the two beds together.
She hurried back inside, taking a glance at the situation in the Data Space along the way. In the virtual space, Ivan was nestled in Alexandra's arms, listening to her tell stories. Under the attentive care of Alexandra and Cecilia, Ivan had already integrated well into this new family after only a month.
If she wanted to become an ordinary person in the future, this place was more than enough to protect her and ensure she lived a carefree life with all her needs met. If she wanted to fight the Honkai, Enoshia could simply transfer over the data from Schicksal's training rooms, along with guidance from Cecilia, an S-rank Valkyrie. She believed that the heights Ivan could reach in the future would definitely surpass those of the vast majority of Valkyries.
She carried a thin blanket out of the house and returned to the beach. The sunlight was still bright, and the sea breeze was still pleasant. By then, Bella had been completely pulled into Sirin's embrace, and Sirin was still muttering in her sleep. In Sirin's dream, she and her three friends from Babylon Tower were playing by the sea together, and their happy days seemed as though they would never end.
Girls cuddling with each other was of course a wonderful thing. It was just that their current pose and how much they had exposed themselves did not look like something a 12+ game could show. Of course, Honkai 2, whose rating was 12+, was an exception.
(Pretend there's an image of Sirin and Bella cuddling.)
Looking at the two of them, their faces glowing with happiness after cuddling to their hearts' content, Enoshia did not know whom to envy for a moment. After gently covering them with the blanket, she returned indoors with a satisfied look on her face.
"What... the World Serpent has already been dealt with? That was pretty efficient. I should go meet them at the World Serpent headquarters."
Schicksal HQ.
"Amber, how are the comparative results of the experiment?"
"As you predicted, the preliminary comparison indicates that the Herrscher of Ice's remains, the remains of the mysterious enemy Lord Fu Hua defeated in South America, and the remains found beside the Herrscher of Thunder's core in 1999 all belong to the same species. The experimental results indicate that, theoretically, they all possess astonishing regenerative abilities."
Hearing this conclusion, Otto nodded in satisfaction:
"Interesting. An energy other than Honkai Energy. I'd like to see what kind of surprise you can bring me..."
Before you continue