Still, this was a reward Durandal had absolutely no intention of passing up.
After turning it over in her mind for a few moments, she steeled her resolve. Under the watchful gaze of the others, she marched straight toward... Elysia.
With a look of utmost gravity, she announced, "Elysia, I need to perform a physical examination on Miyuki."
Elysia blinked, a silent question mark practically hovering over her head.
However, the confusion didn't last long before the realization clicked.
"You mean..."
Elysia left the words "Third Herrscher" unsaid, but Durandal caught the unspoken meaning instantly. She gave a firm nod. "It's exactly what you're thinking."
"Actually, you really don't have to—"
Mid-sentence, Elysia's eyes narrowed into thin slits as she scrutinized the blonde Valkyrie. "This 'examination' of yours... is it decent?"
At that, Durandal felt a heat creep up her neck, her face flushing a faint shade of crimson.
She cleared her throat awkwardly. "It's... it should be decent enough. I'm just going to place my hand over her heart."
Elysia stared at her. She desperately wanted to ask, Durandal, can you put your hand over your own heart and say that with a straight face?
Instead, Elysia simply nodded, offering a breezy, feigned smile as if she didn't have a care in the world. "Well, if that's the case, go right ahead. Do you need me to call a doctor in?"
"No need. Just stay here and watch."
Durandal knew exactly what Elysia meant by "calling a doctor"—it was an excuse to duck out and avoid watching the scene. But Durandal wasn't about to let her slip away.
If she did this right in front of her, Elysia wouldn't have room to let her imagination run wild.
If she did it behind her back, however, it might just leave a crack in their relationship.
And that was a risk Durandal was unwilling to take.
Hearing the conviction in her voice, Elysia realized that the "examination" was likely genuine, perhaps even a move born of some hidden necessity.
She took a deep breath, forcing down the twinge of jealousy bubbling in her chest. Since Durandal had more or less laid her cards on the table, Elysia decided to stop playing coy.
She shot Durandal a playful, slightly exasperated look. "If you're going to do it, just do it. Don't dawdle—wouldn't it be better to just get it over with?"
Seeing that Elysia had truly accepted the situation, Durandal nodded.
Never one for procrastination, she sat at Miyuki's bedside and, through the thin fabric of the hospital gown, rested her palm over the girl's heart.
It was a light touch, nothing more. Aside from the simple physical contact, there was no other sensation. Elysia, observing closely, seemed to relax as she noticed the clinical nature of the gesture.
As soon as her hand made contact, Durandal felt the Genius device she carried begin to pulse with a faint heat.
It was the exact same sensation she'd felt when she first arrived in this world and claimed the core of the Second Herrscher. Back then, the Genius had used her touch to interface with and modify the core.
In truth, a sliver of doubt still lingered in Durandal's mind. Is there really a point in modifying these cores to match the versions from 50,000 years in the future?
In this Previous Era, there likely wasn't a "Will of Honkai."
Without that, could these cores even be swayed by human emotion?
As if sensing her confusion, the Genius provided an answer even as it worked on the Third Herrscher's core.
[It is precisely because of the absence of the Will of Honkai that this modification is vital. Savior, your very existence can serve as a substitute for that Will. Through these cores, you can exert your own influence over the Herrschers.]
Durandal's heart skipped a beat.
She understood—and she was floored.
If she weren't required to maintain her position for the modification process, she might have bolted upright and paced the room in a state of shock.
The revelation the Genius had just dropped was earth-shattering.
She had always thought the Herrschers were the ultimate obstacle to defeating the Honkai. To find out she could potentially bring them into the fold...
Wait, it wasn't that simple. She hadn't been able to "recruit" the Second Herrscher, for instance. In fact, the Genius had specifically tasked her with executing the Second and seizing its core.
Recalling the Genius's mention of a "hidden reward" for identifying the Third's host early, she realized there was a prerequisite: she had to lock onto the host's identity before the Honkai Eruption occurred.
So far, the only Herrschers she could definitively identify were the Seventh, parts of the Tenth, the Twelfth, and... the Thirteenth.
However, seeing how she'd tracked down the Third, she realized she didn't have to rely solely on her knowledge as a "transmigrator."
If Fire Moth could expand its influence to every corner of the globe, she could replicate this success by using security systems and electronic maps to flag potential Herrscher signatures.
Furthermore, she realized her ability to sense Herrscher reactions wasn't just due to her "Durandal" memories.
With the Genius's help, she was, in a sense, becoming a manifestation of the Will of Honkai herself.
No, perhaps even more than that...
The heat from the Genius faded, signaling the process was complete. Durandal pulled herself together and withdrew her hand from Miyuki's chest. As she stood up, her bright eyes betrayed her excitement.
"You look rather pleased with yourself," Elysia remarked. She knew perfectly well the excitement had nothing to do with the physical touch itself, but she couldn't resist a little sour jab.
Durandal didn't explain. Instead, she stepped forward and pulled Elysia into a sudden, tight embrace—a hug filled with a strange sense of relief, like finding something precious she thought she'd lost.
Though Elysia was baffled, she couldn't resist such a gesture. She wrapped her arms around Durandal, her petty jealousy vanishing instantly.
Neither of them noticed that, within Ward 307, the eyes of the three patients seemed to flicker with a newfound spark of life.
--+--
Durandal and Elysia left before nightfall.
They resolved to visit Morita Hospital as often as their schedules allowed. On one hand, they wanted to aid the recovery of the nine survivors; on the other, they needed to keep a close watch on Miyuki.
Even though the Third Herrscher's core had been modified and was likely under Durandal's influence, the danger of an eruption still loomed.
When the time came, they would need to evacuate the area and move Miyuki immediately.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.