This meeting naturally went smoothly, especially with the Alliance Leader presiding over it.
However, the discussion still revolved around the proposal to expand the organization. The Reformists hoped Anti-Entropy could increase the number of Executors—that was, expand the organization and recruit more useful talent—but the Conservatives believed such actions would easily attract Schicksal's attention.
Moreover, there was no way to guarantee that those who joined Anti-Entropy afterward would not be Schicksal spies.
The Conservatives did not want to expand Anti-Entropy. In truth, at Anti-Entropy's current size, it was not easy for the massive Schicksal organization to notice them.
The proposal to expand the organization was shelved once again.
For the time being, both sides also reached a consensus.
The Reformists knew they lacked a central figure, which was why they could not contend with the Conservatives. Several Executors prepared to quietly seek out outstanding talent.
After the meeting ended, Welt Yang returned to his room and dropped his disguise, reverting to his original appearance. Just as he was about to change clothes... a red-eyed girl with red twin tails and a red dress rudely shoved open his door.
Simply put, she was incredibly red.
It caught Welt Yang completely off guard.
"Alliance Leader, you're back?"
"Miss Tesla..."
The moment he saw the girl before him, warmth filled Welt Yang's heart.
The Herrscher's power was constantly tearing apart every cell in his body, yet Welt Yang had never felt pain. Or rather, whenever he did feel pain...
This girl's figure would always shine into his mind like sunlight.
"Where the hell have you been for the past half year?"
The red twin-tailed girl, Frieda Nicola Tesla, looked like an enraged cat with her fur standing on end, baring her teeth at him.
Only then did Welt Yang realize he was in trouble.
Tesla pounced on him, kicking and hitting him, just short of biting him.
Welt Yang hurriedly begged for mercy.
Though he really wanted to hug the girl before him, he knew someone would not give him that chance.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just as Tesla was about to throw herself into his arms, there came a knock at the door.
A light-haired, naturally curly-haired girl with a doll-like round face stood in the doorway, both hands tucked into her coat pockets.
The girl wore a meaningful smile. "Am I interrupting something?"
Thin-skinned Tesla hurriedly pulled away and pretended to admire the scenery.
"Einstein, I'm back."
The newcomer was named Liesel Albert Einstein.
Although her hairstyle looked somewhat like a bird's nest, if she had a worse hairstyle, she would probably be a striking beauty.
"Welcome back, Welt."
Einstein liked to tease people close to her with words.
So she never let an opportunity like Welt Yang's return pass by.
As she spoke, her gaze fell on the girl fiddling with the vase in the room.
Tesla and Welt had made a little progress during the Second Eruption, but perhaps twin tails truly had some inherent trait; afterward, their relationship had nearly stagnated.
It was enough to make someone anxious to death.
Einstein had considered getting them some computer parts a few times to help bring them together.
But don't assume that without her stirring things up, those two would make any progress. Tesla was practically a textbook super-tsundere, while Welt Yang was a textbook savior-type dense male lead.
If she ever opened a door and saw them kissing, that would truly shock her.
But after thinking it over carefully, this was ultimately a matter between the two of them. There was no need for an outsider like her to interfere. She should simply continue watching over the two oblivious fools.
"How was the past half year...?"
"Mm, it was a failure. The defenses at Schicksal Headquarters exceeded expectations. I originally wanted to steal data on improving Honkai Energy utilization rates."
Welt Yang had spent over half a year at Schicksal Headquarters. Although he had secretly formed an alliance with K422, he still had not been able to investigate True Kiana's whereabouts.
Of course, he felt that relying on Theresa to rescue True Kiana was completely hopeless.
After all, during the past half year, Welt Yang had watched Theresa return to Schicksal Headquarters several times. Theresa had never once suspected that K422 was a clone. Even when K422 repeatedly dropped hints, Theresa still failed to understand a thing.
That made Welt Yang decisively abandon the option of joining forces with Theresa.
He had no desire whatsoever to be dragged down by Theresa.
After all, he had only just managed to shift Bishop Otto's attention away from himself by showing weakness.
As for Bishop Otto's contempt and disdain... he did not care. It could not make him feel pain anyway.
Having failed to persuade Bishop Otto and confirmed that Bishop Otto was his enemy, as well as Anti-Entropy's enemy, Welt Yang would naturally resort to any means necessary.
Of course, even when he resorted to any means necessary, he still had limits. He could not abandon his humanity like Bishop Otto.
During his time at Schicksal Headquarters, he had glimpsed far too many inhuman experiments, conducted in areas even A-rank and S-rank Valkyries were unable to enter.
"Einstein, what about your side?"
"Not bad. I tracked the route Bishop Otto took when he secretly left Schicksal Headquarters half a year ago. I have to hand it to you for thinking Bishop Otto would meet you alone, and for managing to place a tracking device on him..."
"No, it was thanks to the tracking device Miss Tesla made being difficult to notice. As for Bishop Otto, with his kind of arrogance, and someone as 'naive' and foolish as me, naturally I was never worth his attention."
Welt Yang had indeed gambled on that one-in-ten-thousand possibility.
He believed in miracles, because miracles were actually just low-probability events.
If one did not try, then miracles would naturally never happen. If the odds were low, then increase the odds. If the possibility was small, then make it greater.
But the possibility of changing Bishop Otto was zero.
Forever zero.
So Welt Yang chose the second plan.
"What was the result?"
"There is a secret laboratory within the Far East Branch's territory. The exact location still needs to be determined, but Bishop Otto secretly left Schicksal Headquarters half a year ago to go there."
Einstein turned on her projector, displaying the investigation footage.
"..."
Hearing Einstein's report, Welt Yang covered his head as it began to ache.
"Wait, Einstein. Where did you say that secret laboratory was?"
"At the Far East Branch. It may have existed for several decades; the Far East Branch was established later."
"So Theresa Apocalypse does not know there is a secret laboratory near the Far East Branch she manages?"
Welt Yang could not help raising his voice as he asked.
"Yes. According to the data from the investigation, she truly does not know there is a secret laboratory near the Far East Branch."
Einstein checked the image projected before her.
Welt Yang: "..."
Tesla: "..."
It was not that the two of them truly had any issue with Theresa. Although the secret laboratory was hidden underground, its scale was not small. Theresa had taken over the Far East Branch for a long time, yet she had not discovered it even now.
That fact genuinely shocked both Welt Yang and Tesla.
"Say, could it be that Bishop Otto let Theresa Apocalypse manage the Far East Branch because he knew that?"
"...That is possible."
Welt Yang truly did not know where to begin criticizing.
Anyone else might have seriously investigated the surroundings of the Far East Branch, but Theresa had no such thought at all. She had even planned to apply for an artificial island nearby and build St. Freya Academy there.
"However, Theresa has been meeting with Siegfried frequently lately. Perhaps they will soon carry out a plan to rescue Kiana. I wonder what the Alliance Leader thinks..."
Einstein asked.
"Einstein, why do you ask?"
"After all, she inherited the bloodlines of Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, Cecilia, and Schicksal's strongest warrior, Siegfried. She will likely become the strongest Valkyrie in Schicksal's history. Rather than letting her become our enemy in the future, it would be better to bring her into Anti-Entropy. We could also use that opportunity to win over Siegfried."
"Einstein, keep tracking those two. If they intend to carry out the rescue plan, I will definitely get involved."
Welt Yang knew K422 was absolutely Bishop Otto's enemy.
She Had So Many Things She Wanted to Say...
As a major event was about to unfold, Anti-Entropy also quietly began preparing its plans.
Time rewound slightly.
2006.12.31, night.
With the New Year arriving, even though the management methods for Valkyries and trainees at Schicksal Headquarters were modeled after the military, they were still allowed to relax somewhat on a day like this. That evening, Bishop Otto would also hold a New Year's Eve party.
In the enormous hall, after watching an opera on the big screen and several performances prepared by Valkyries, Bishop Otto announced that Kiana Kaslana would undergo Valkyrie modification surgery on January 9, 2007.
The daughter of heroes, who had activated the Bloodline Power of both the Schariac Family and the Kaslana Family, was about to become a Valkyrie. This was undoubtedly a major event.
The image Bishop Otto had crafted was highly successful, and K422 herself was very cooperative. With Schicksal's Propaganda Department promoting it with all their might, the daughter of heroes becoming a Valkyrie undoubtedly ignited the entire hall.
K422 naturally received everyone's blessings.
Bishop Otto even gave her an enormous pink Homu as a New Year's gift.
2007.1.2, night.
K422 was brought to a special laboratory in her sleep.
Aside from Bishop Otto, Amber was the only assistant in this special laboratory.
"Bishop? What is going on?"
Faced with her confused expression, Bishop Otto spoke very calmly.
"I am preparing to have you undergo Valkyrie modification surgery tonight."
"Huh? Tonight?"
K422 was a little dumbfounded.
Hadn't he said January 9?
Bishop Otto began explaining her confusion. "I deliberately announced a false date at the New Year's Eve party. Now everyone believes you will undergo modification surgery on January 9, but the one undergoing surgery that day will only be a substitute I prepared."
"Bishop, why?"
As she asked, K422 assessed her situation.
Her body was fixed to the operating table. Even if she objected, it would be useless.
Being unable to do anything in this state made K422 frown.
Right now, she was like a fish on a cutting board. Whether she was flipped over or sliced apart, it was entirely up to Bishop Otto.
"Kiana, you underestimate your own importance. With the bloodlines of two great families, once you become a Valkyrie, you will surely become Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie—perhaps even the strongest Valkyrie of all time."
Bishop Otto calmly operated the equipment as he answered her question.
"Many people do not want you to become a Valkyrie. Some do not even want you to live. On January 9, many people will certainly attempt to stop the modification surgery, perhaps even make a move against you that day."
"..."
K422 looked calmly at Bishop Otto.
She did not think Bishop Otto's purpose was that simple.
"Of course, the false date for the modification surgery was also prepared for those plotting against you. They will never expect that the one undergoing surgery then will be a substitute. What awaits them will be a trap I have carefully arranged."
Bishop Otto was clearly preparing to dig a pit.
Before you continue