Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

The fighting in Academy City didn't stop just because Noldrei left. On the contrary, with Otto's return, the undercurrents grew even more turbulent.

Hikigaya's hair was nearly gone. To maintain Kiana's excellent "rule," he had to rush to cultivate his own people, thereby giving the students of Academy City a certain degree of self-preservation.

But even so, many students were powerless against a Herrscher-level disaster.

Fortunately for Hikigaya, this time he didn't need to lead them against a Herrscher.

"Hikigaya, this is the information for you this time, and it's also the problem Academy City is about to face. The changes inside and outside Academy City are different. Many people who obtained technology from within the city didn't promote it immediately."

"Those people aren't stupid; in fact, they're very clever. They arranged for people they trust to gradually take control of the intermediate processes. They've even made significant progress in some areas where local wars have broken out."

What kind of progress? Progress in human experimentation, of course.

Unlike the top-tier medical technology within Academy City, which could bring the dead back to life and grow flesh on white bones, for outsiders, as long as there was no threat of the Honkai, they were thankful enough not to just keep on partying.

Then again, even when the Honkai threat existed, it didn't stop some people from partying however they wanted.

Now that the Honkai was gone, and Schicksal and Anti-Entropy had retreated to the Far East, how could these people not be excited?

Horikita Manabu flipped through the documents in his hand. He never would have imagined that the believers of a certain paradise on earth would conduct such cruel and inhuman experiments on their own people.

For a moment, when he saw something so outrageous, he even thought it was fake. However, the information Hikigaya provided was never false. It was precisely this excellent quality that gave Hikigaya a pivotal position in his small organization.

An excellent source of information was Hikigaya's ultimate tool for controlling these increasingly powerful partners.

"It seems outrageous, but when you think about the troublemakers in Academy City, it doesn't seem so outrageous anymore."

Hikigaya Hachiman nodded. He could only feel regret for the tragedies happening in the outside world.

"So what should we do next?" Azusagawa Sakuta realized he hadn't spoken in a while and had to say something to make his presence known.

Hikigaya slammed his hand on the table. "What should we do? Of course, we hit them hard."

He looked at his partners around the table and explained, "Don't you understand yet? This kind of thing requires Academy City's intervention, which is why I'm giving this to you."

Horikita Manabu remained silent. He naturally knew about Academy City's plan for external expansion, but this plan was somewhat different from what he understood.

After a moment of silence, Horikita asked, "How does Academy City plan to expand outside? And after expanding, do we have enough manpower? Or rather, do we have enough manpower to suppress those things?"

Hikigaya was prepared for this. The implementation of any policy is not something that can be achieved overnight.

Now, those Valkyries who had been cast out had a place to be useful. He believed that many Valkyries had already realized that, apart from doing work similar to being a Valkyrie, there weren't many other suitable jobs that they would enjoy.

All of these people were within Hikigaya's expectations, and this time, it was all with Schicksal's tacit approval.

Let those with Honkai Energy leave Academy City and try to trigger the Will of the Honkai outside. Only then could the next Herrscher appear in this world.

As for how to manage this, the people of Academy City would have to figure it out for themselves.

"Valkyries. We are preparing to recruit Valkyries again and then send them out."

Hikigaya's words caused a stir among those present.

Hikigaya Hachiman rubbed his head and asked doubtfully, "Did I hear that right? You mean, send out Valkyries who have Honkai Energy? Won't that cause beings with Honkai Energy to appear outside? In that case... a Herrscher... will appear, right?"

"What Academy City wants is for a Herrscher to appear." Horikita pushed up his glasses, his expression icy. "What they want is for this world to give birth to the next Herrscher. Only then can our Academy City obtain more and stronger ICHOR. That's why Academy City, contrary to its usual stance, wants a new Herrscher to be born."

These words made not only Hikigaya Hachiman uncomfortable, but everyone else present as well.

For the past year, Academy City's propaganda had been all about shouldering the responsibility of fighting Herrschers and the Honkai for the entire world. But now, they were going to do the opposite and release Herrschers. It sounded like something out of a fantasy tale.

"Hasn't Academy City considered how many people will die?"

Even Uesugi Fuutarou, who was in charge of taking meeting minutes, stopped writing. For a moment, he wasn't sure if he had misheard something.

A Herrscher. Just looking at the disaster that happened last year, you knew. Without Tesla to suppress it, a Herrscher would only bring about a Great Honkai Impact.

"We have considered it. But what if we arrange for the Valkyries to go to places that are hostile to our Academy City?"

When Hikigaya dropped this bombshell, everyone was stunned.

Did this mean they were going to use the possibility of the next Herrscher's birth as a weapon?

"Is that something that can be controlled?" Horikita felt this was too outrageous. If something like this could be controlled by Academy City, wouldn't that mean Academy City could reap whoever it wanted in the world?

"Of course, it's controllable. Since Academy City has mastered how to stop something from happening, then by the same logic..." Hikigaya said with a smile, his words utterly terrifying.

"They have naturally also mastered how to make something happen."

Hikigaya Hachiman sucked in a breath of cold air. Only now did he feel the bone-chilling coldness emanating from Academy City's leadership.

It was as if they truly didn't care about the thoughts of anyone else in the world.

"But, but... why?"

Hikigaya Hachiman didn't understand. Academy City had been built with so much effort. Why would they turn around and do something like this to the outside world?

"Isn't the board of directors worried about a world war breaking out?"

All eyes were on Hikigaya, waiting for an explanation. It was as if he wouldn't be able to leave if he didn't explain it clearly today.

Hikigaya naturally knew the inside story, especially since Einstein had already notified everyone about these matters.

Academy City could not be completely isolated from the world. They even had to take the initiative to break through this barrier.

"To let the society built on genetic information go out, to advance the entire human race to the genetic age. We need the ICHOR brought by the Herrschers, and we also need the power brought by the three million people of Academy City."

"Dispersing these three million people across the Earth is like scattering water into the sea. These people are far from enough."

Hikigaya revealed Academy City's next objective, and this objective made Hikigaya Hachiman's mechanical body seize up.

'Could it be that man wants to rule the world?!'

Even though no one spoke, they all thought of the same possibility at the same time.