Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

This was a miscalculation.

All the Valkyries had been taken down by Durandal.

These people had lost their will to fight. In the midst of this chaos, they were the ones who needed protection.

"Which bastards dare to cause trouble in Academy City?!"

Durandal was stunned. She realized that ever since Schicksal and Anti-Entropy had joined forces to establish Academy City, this land in the Far East had never known true peace.

Even though they had led the charge to clear out the Honkai from the world, humanity didn't seem to have any intention of joining forces against a common enemy. It was obvious these people didn't understand the concept of teamwork.

"The Chairman of the Board of Directors truly had foresight. Without establishing an organization specifically focused on the benefits of fighting the Honkai, there would be no way to lead all of humanity down the path of battling the Honkai. He might be able to suppress the Honkai for a time, but he could never suppress it forever."

Rita's mind was much clearer. Having been by Otto's side, she had access to more information. She naturally knew that for Noldrei, defeating the Honkai was irrelevant. The most important thing was to use the Honkai to guide humanity into the era he desired.

If Otto only wanted to sacrifice a few Valkyries to fulfill his ambition of reviving Kallen, then Noldrei wanted to drag all of humanity into the new world he envisioned. There, humanity's internal conflicts would erupt into their most extreme and cruel form.

If possible, Rita would still prefer to sacrifice a few Valkyries. After all, once this new world arrived and the conflicts erupted, the entire world would likely be at war. She still wanted to retire and run a flower shop she liked.

But deep down, Rita knew these conflicts weren't something people could just wish away. They wouldn't disappear just because the Honkai was gone. Clearly, Noldrei was just bringing the hidden conflicts out into the open.

Big Brother was letting them solve their own internal problems first, while he handled the Honkai. They had better not be ungrateful.

As it turned out, Noldrei's actions were remarkably effective.

The current chaos in Academy City was the best proof.

Durandal considered for a long time before finally deciding to protect these Valkyries she had just disciplined.

As for the Valkyries who had already left, she could only offer them an apology.

A Valkyrie without her battlesuit was like a fish out of water.

"Rita, keep an eye on the situation outside. I'll arrange for people to activate the protective equipment. Who would have thought someone would cause trouble at a time like this? It's unbelievable. Mei, you should come with us for now. I'm sorry you had to see such an unpleasant thing."

Raiden Mei didn't find it unpleasant at all. On the contrary, she felt her eyes had been truly opened.

So this is the combat power of an S-rank? Mei thought the remaining Valkyries were pretty much useless. After all, even if they fought a Herrscher in the future, they would most likely just be cannon fodder.

Mei knew full well what Dr. Tesla's combat power was like. It wasn't something these Valkyries below A-rank could even dream of touching.

And now, it seemed S-rank Valkyrie Durandal's combat power was just as impressive.

An ordinary, weak Herrscher probably couldn't even beat her... right?

Raiden Mei genuinely thought so.

---||---

Tesla inspected Academy City's entire power system. Not only had the internal and external transmission lines been destroyed, but to make matters worse, the central substation had also been sabotaged.

Not even leaving me a single chance, huh?

Tesla had been hoping she could just fix it quickly and go back. But with such a big problem, it seemed she would have to solve it herself.

She decided to act as a temporary power generator, using the substation's extensive power network to restore electricity to Academy City.

Fortunately, hospitals are generally equipped with backup power. If I had known, I wouldn't have skimped on building the research institute. I should have prepared enough backup power. I hope this didn't affect any patients' surgeries...

Damn it... Don't tell me some hospital embezzled the money for backup power?

The more Tesla thought about it, the more likely it seemed. She couldn't afford to wait around any longer and rushed to the last functioning power hub.

There...

"Why is someone ambushing a genius like me?!!!"

I, Tesla, have brought so much advanced technology and superior production techniques to the world, improving the lives of so many people.

And someone still has the gall to try and kill a great scientist like me?!

Tesla stared at the levitating daggers before her, momentarily shocked that someone would try to assassinate a Herrscher like her. And it wasn't just a human, but a mechanical being.

"What gives you the courage to face me with that scrap metal body of yours?"

Tesla was furious. She clenched her fists, and a gentle, obedient current of electricity gathered around them. Under the control of her dual Herrscher Cores, the electricity was like pliable clay, allowing Tesla to mold and shape it at will.

She could construct any electrical system structure around her at any time.

For example, a palm-sized SELENE.

"People often want to know who they truly are. I tried the Stigma battlesuit you created. To my surprise, I saw another 'self' within it."

"He knew my thoughts, understood my secrets. I had nowhere to hide from him. Like a child before its parents, I often wondered... can a being like me, a replicated 'self,' be considered a true person?"

What is he talking about? The Honkai Energy in Tesla's palm continued to gather. She suspected she might have run into a madman.

Why would someone come to her and start talking about philosophy?

He should be talking to Noldrei about that stuff. That guy seemed to have a different ideology on the matter.

"Did you destroy Academy City's power?"

"Me? No, no, I wouldn't dare do such a thing, let alone target a place as big as Academy City. The ones who destroyed the power facilities were the management here, the original local civil servants. I just informed them of some news from inside Academy City. And they... well, they panicked like stray dogs, wanting to flee the city in a hurry."

The crimson mechanical eye reflected Tesla's image. He was very curious to know what Dr. Tesla, an expert in mechanical design and human modification, would think of a being like him.

But now was not the time for that. Gray Serpent was now facing an unfathomable and bizarre situation.

Because Misteln Schariac had switched sides, and the entire Kaslana Stigma Space had been corrupted and collapsed by Kiana.

Gray Serpent knew he could no longer salvage the original Project Stigma.

The only thing he could do was to return everything to its original trajectory.

No one would have thought that he, a radical consciousness from the [Gray Serpent Network], would have to take the most conservative measures for humanity.

Only if humanity remained as it was could the original Project Stigma be maintained.

This was just... too ridiculous.