---o---
At dusk, within the W Magic Troupe, in Vill-V's quarters.
Looking at the collection of machines arranged on the bookshelf before him, even Fu Li couldn't help but clap his hands in praise.
"Wow. You're truly amazing, Vill-V."
"N-Not really..."
A faint blush appeared on Vill-V's face. She walked over to the bookshelf and picked up an object that looked like a pistol.
She stroked her creation, her movements gentle and careful, but the words that left her lips were the complete opposite of her actions.
"Actually, those guys weren't wrong. In their eyes, these useless things are just trash. And the title 'genius'... although I do think I'm a genius, to them, it's just a form of mockery."
Saying this, Vill-V pressed her lips together, flicked the safety off the "gun," and aimed it at Fu Li's heart.
"So, after seeing this, do you still, from the bottom of your heart, think I'm amazing?"
"Of course. You're Vill-V, after all."
Staring down the dark muzzle, Fu Li arched an eyebrow. As expected, Vill-V was still that crazy girl, with a bit of a chuunibyou streak in her.
To think she'd actually try something from an anime, testing his sincerity with a gun.
"Liar..."
With that, Vill-V pulled the trigger without hesitation.
There was no explosion of gunpowder, only the meshing and turning of gears. Then, a brightly colored fake flower suddenly popped out from the muzzle.
In this modern society, all mechanical components had been replaced by precision parts. Gear-based structures had long been phased out by the mainstream.
Moreover, the weapon Vill-V had created was just a gun that couldn't kill.
"See? This is what I like. Useless genius little trash with no practical value whatsoever."
Vill-V frowned. The insecurity deep within her bones made her vehemently deny Fu Li's words, even though she knew they were sincere.
She even went so far as to say that the inventions she loved were nothing more than "genius little trash."
After all, her only useful trait was creating things. If Fu Li's goal was related to that, then this trash would make him lose interest in her.
"Genius little trash, huh..."
Fu Li's murmur was like a needle piercing her heart. Vill-V bit her lip as she watched him take the gun from her hands.
Then, she heard a different set of words.
"Genius little trash. 'Genius' and 'trash'... how contradictory."
"But if you say that a genius is equivalent to little trash, that means a genius equals trash."
That's right. That's exactly it.
Though her heart ached, Vill-V had to admit that the things she loved, the things she created, were all trash.
So, if Fu Li decided to leave, she wouldn't care!
"But..."
But?
"If you reverse the meaning of those words, it means that trash equals genius."
"And if you think of it that way, then in my eyes, there's no difference between genius and trash. They are both you."
Fu Li set the pistol down and, similarly using some chuunibyou-esque lines from an anime, said, "And in my eyes, what's important is always you. To me, you are the most important."
"That will never change. We've already collaborated on one con, haven't we?"
"So from today onward, I will be your accomplice, your partner, your assistant, always by your side, never leaving. Can I?"
At least, for this simulation.
"What do you mean, accomplice..." Vill-V lowered her eyes, at a loss for words.
Originally, she had wanted to drive Fu Li away, but this guy stuck to her like a stubborn plaster, impossible to get rid of, and he gave her a strange feeling.
Being unable to deceive oneself is the incurable disease of a genius.
Therefore, after her attempts to oust him proved ineffective, she could only force herself to accept this goodwill.
"Fine..." Vill-V turned around hastily. "That gun is my gift to you. You'd better take good care of it. It's the first time I've ever given anything to anyone."
"Ahem, I will treasure it. But Vill-V, you still haven't answered my request."
"What request?"
Vill-V kept her back to him, deliberately playing dumb.
Fu Li smiled faintly. "It's whether you'll let me stay by your side always."
Silence. Still more silence.
Vill-V faced the wall, her body trembling slightly.
Meanwhile, Fu Li, after putting the gun away, watched her with a grin.
After a long moment, with an anxious cry of "What are you talking about, you weirdo!", Fu Li was shoved out the door.
The door slammed shut with a 'bang'.
Inside, Vill-V clutched her chest, her back sliding down the door until she was sitting on the floor, gasping for breath.
Outside, Fu Li dusted himself off. He helplessly removed the pinhole camera he had swiped from Cocolia's belongings, a mischievous grin on his face.
As expected, the 'Original' Vill-V was quite fun to tease. And he had recorded it all. He could use this as blackmail to tease her in the future.
He imagined that whether it was the [Expert] or the [Magician], upon seeing this video, they would be so embarrassed they'd want to find a hole to crawl into.
The days to come were going to be very interesting indeed.
[Having gained Vill-V's approval, your life in the W Magic Troupe began.]
[The W Magic Troupe, one of the most famous magic troupes in Europe.]
[Due to the troupe's nature, it operated via touring performances, with its main areas of activity including France, England, Germany, and many other countries.]
[During your activities, you would occasionally come into contact with magnates of business and politics, among whom were many familiar faces.]
[A very small number of them were high-ranking and influential individuals who would later become key figures in the formation of The MOTHs.]
[And as it happened, when you once held their lives in your hands, you also 'conveniently' acquired some of their dirty laundry.]
[That 'dirty laundry' has now become useful.]
[After some of the more important performances, you would always disappear quietly for a period of time.]
[During these times, using the dual insurance of Venom and blackmail material, you secured a firm grip on a portion of the future high command long before The MOTHs was even established.]
[As the days turned into years, you used the black money and network of contacts you acquired from them to secretly establish an organization called the 'Alan Institute'.]
[The creed you gave this organization was: 'Genius is a gift from God, and with it comes the mission to give one's talents to the world.']
[Through this organization, while aiding Mobius, Aponia, and others, you also discovered and recruited geniuses in other fields.]
[Although you did not hold out much hope for those geniuses, you still wished to cultivate as many talented individuals as possible to fight the Honkai.]
[In the blink of an eye, five years passed. You are now 13, and Vill-V is 10.]
[One afternoon, no different from any other, you suddenly discovered that Vill-V seemed to have become a completely different person.]
Author's Note: Guess which personality prototype appeared first~