Through Omniscience, Ling Ke had recently uncovered many details that few others knew.
For instance, when Kiana decisively eliminated Otto, she had inadvertently glimpsed a method within his Remembrance. It was something he had intended to propose, a method that might actually have allowed her to become the God of Earth in a short time.
By repeatedly triggering Artificial Honkai across present-day Earth, she could rapidly advance the Civilization Trial to the Twelfth Honkai Eruption.
The method was not entirely unworkable. But knowing Kiana, she could never bring herself to carry it out.
She understood the details of Otto's unfinished, inhumane plan, including the greatest obstacles to completing the Artificial Honkai Project. Even so, she kept its existence from everyone she could contact. She certainly wouldn't ask MEI and the others to help refine a plan she found so utterly repulsive.
Instead, she had spent the past few days at Theresa's side, caring for the principal they both knew so well.
With Durandal still present, even as a prisoner, however, Kiana could no longer bring herself to call Theresa "Auntie."
Speaking of Durandal, she, Rita, and Li Sushang remained in confinement.
These three former S-rank Valkyries had little of the freedom Kiana and Theresa enjoyed at the Lunar Base. Even if MEI had trusted them enough to let them move about freely, Li Sushang was probably the only one who would have wanted to socialize.
Durandal and Rita had sunk into such deep despondency that they barely touched the meals delivered to their isolation chambers each day.
Otto had been defeated and killed, and they knew nothing of his later "return to life." When MEI and the others subsequently told them about the Nihility embryo, the last glimmer of hope in Durandal's heart finally shattered. Even that hope had been little more than self-deception.
Rita, meanwhile, seemed to have seen through everything long ago. When she learned about the Nihility embryo, her instinctive response was little more than a single thought.
So instead of us losing, we all lose together.
Yes, she had never believed that they, the Remnants of the Old Days, still had any chance of winning.
All that kept her alive now was an instinctive desire to witness the ending.
An ending she had once had a chance to change.
"Humans have two hands. One to take, and one to give."
Alone in her isolation chamber, Rita stared blankly at the pure white ceiling. She was slowly growing used to the unfamiliar sight.
Once, in Arc City, she had secretly aided Theresa and the others, helping bring about many "good outcomes."
But…
"I should have understood this sooner."
Several hours later, MEI had successfully retrieved the Herrscher Core from the remains of the Herrscher of Stars.
Reason, Thunder, Death, and now Stars.
She had gained another Herrscher Authority: Gravity.
Like electromagnetism, gravity was one of the universe's four fundamental forces. With it, MEI now held the key to begin exploring time itself.
But before that…
"Huh?"
MEI had summoned Pardo alone to the small laboratory where she usually organized her data.
"You want me to track down Sister Snake and… drag her back here?" Pardo repeated.
MEI nodded.
Pardo fell silent. She knew what that would mean. Earlier, she had forcibly brought both Vill-Vs before MEI, and the memory still left her deeply uneasy.
After a moment's hesitation, she answered.
"I don't want to do this."
When MEI had asked her to bring Sim Mobius back by force, Pardo hadn't felt that overwhelming, heart-pounding dread. That meant Boss Ling Ke permitted it.
But even so, this time Pardo herself was unwilling.
She refused outright, then added, "I didn't come here to do this kind of thing over and over again."
She had given up the ordinary life she longed for and come here to help save more people. She hadn't come to keep making people disappear.
MEI stared at her for a long moment. Neither spoke.
At last, the purple-haired girl sighed and nodded, seemingly giving in.
"All right, then. Pardo, I respect your choice. Stay out of this matter."
"Oh. Okay." With no desire to linger in the small lab, Pardo pointed toward the door. "Then… can I go now?"
"Yes, go ahead."
MEI made no move to stop her. Pardo didn't even bother with the door; she simply teleported away, vanishing before MEI's eyes.
MEI let out another long sigh.
"Without Mobius's consciousness and expertise, Project Stigma will progress much more slowly. However…"
She recalled the numerous combat logs she had carefully reviewed.
"The Herrscher of Blood has already stolen Mobius's Shesha gene, and the two of them are mortal enemies now. Leaving her on Earth won't introduce any new risks… or at least, it's highly unlikely."
MEI continued to weigh the situation with cold rationality.
"Then she can fend for herself. To prevent the Herrscher of Blood from successfully attacking her again, I can no longer involve her in any of my ongoing plans. I'll have to end all cooperation with her from my side to avoid needlessly increasing the risk of exposure…"
"No, that's not right."
"I should maintain basic contact, but deliberately put out a few smokescreens."
She quickly settled on those decisions.
As she had said before, Pardo's importance now surpassed everyone else's combined. That was why she would respect Pardo's wishes.
Without even knowing it, Sim Mobius had dodged a bullet.
As for the price…
"Looks like I'll be working more 'overtime' again."
MEI rubbed her forehead in resignation.
"Oh well. At least now I don't have to waste energy dealing with Gray Serpent. I suppose that saves me a lot of trouble."
She could only console herself with that thought.