The dust settled.
She returned to her spot, sweeping Kiana with an icy gaze.
"Did you see that clearly?"
"That's the gap between us."
Kiana bit her lip, the Class Monitor's teachings echoing in her mind: question, and keep questioning.
So she spoke.
"But later..."
"Didn't the Class Monitor risk her life to stop Rita and protect us?"
Fu Hua scoffed.
"That was taking a shortcut."
"How is that anything like my style of planning before acting?"
"The old me had another persistent flaw."
"Indecisiveness."
"If she was going to let them go in the end, why bother capturing them in the first place?"
"I'm different."
"That's the reason I exist."
Kiana blinked.
No matter how pretty you make it sound.
I'll push back first.
"Really?"
Fu Hua nodded, looking proud.
"Of course."
"Adults have to pay for their decisions."
"I won't repeat the same mistakes."
Kiana pressed her relentlessly.
"Suppose you could turn back time."
"What would you do in her place?"
"You know what happened back then, too."
Memories resurfaced.
The Second Herrscher's consciousness had swallowed her completely.
Back then, she had been the enemy of all humanity.
How would this cold-hearted version of Fu Hua respond?
Fu Hua fell silent.
In her mind, True Fu Hua said approvingly, "That question cuts straight to the heart of it."
Kiana silently thought, With her temperament, there's only one answer...
Before she could say it aloud.
After briefly weighing the matter, the darkened Fu Hua slowly raised her head.
Her eyes were terrifyingly calm.
"Indeed."
"If it had been me."
"I would have acted immediately."
"I would have killed you without hesitation."
She added, "Though I was weak back then, and the Herrscher wasn't fully developed either."
"If I'd gone all out, the outcome would have been uncertain."
Her gaze