Approximately 40 nautical miles from Schicksal Headquarters' airspace—
The Hermes, an aerial transport ship belonging to the Far East Branch, was locked in a desperate struggle against swarming Honkai Beasts and the relentless fire of Defense Satellites as it pushed toward Schicksal's Third Airport.
"Damn it! There are too many Honkai Beasts! At this rate, we won't make it to the Third Airport! The Hermes is going down! Theresa! You'd better have a plan!" Murata Himeko warned Theresa, her voice urgent as she assessed the dire situation.
Just as she spoke, a barrage of missiles and explosions engulfed the roaring Defense Satellites and the Honkai Beasts rampaging across the ship's deck. Meanwhile, the Honkai Beasts entangled with the Valkyries, preventing direct fire, were carefully swallowed by miniature black holes.
"Huh? Theresa, where did you get these reinforcements?"
Watching the Honkai's biochemical forces vanish like snowflakes under the sudden barrage from Anti-Entropy's mechanical forces, Himeko found herself unexpectedly free. Her gaze swept across the battlefield until she spotted a young man standing nearby.
The man stood with his hands in his pockets, his indigo hair and eyes gleaming under the light. A pair of Anti-Entropy-branded headphones hung around his neck as he solemnly observed the Titan Troops still engaged in battle around him.
"An Anti-Entropy member? Quite handsome, aren't you... Young man, care to exchange contact information?"
Having temporarily freed herself from duty and with nothing to do, Himeko glanced at the Honkai Beasts and Defense Satellites still being bombarded by artillery fire, shrugged helplessly, and decisively chose to flirt with the man.
"By my reckoning... I'm nearly seventy years old, esteemed lady."
I could be your grandfather! You Schicksal Valkyries—why are you all trying to pick up guys?!
Joyce roared inwardly, unable to bear the atmosphere at St. Freya Academy any longer. The Alliance Leader had hastily suggested reinforcing Theresa and her group, only to find himself caught in the crossfire after all.
"Seventy years old?! You... young man, are you serious?! You look barely in your early twenties—"
Himeko scrutinized the man before her with suspicion, her disbelief evident. Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, her expression shifted to one of dawning comprehension.
"I've heard that among Anti-Entropy's current Executors, there are some elders who've been with the organization since before its founding... So, this... Grandpa? He must be one of those venerable figures, right?"
"Grandpa..." Joyce muttered, twitching his lips as he grudgingly accepted the title.
Himeko, still scrutinizing the young-looking man, suddenly noticed something amiss.
Meanwhile, Mei, who had been fighting alongside Himeko, leaned closer. After studying Joyce for a moment, she seemed to remember something and whispered urgently in Himeko's ear:
"Teacher Himeko... this man looks a lot like that hooded pervert who attacked the Academy two years ago..."
"Hmm, Mei, I've noticed it too. Don't panic. I'll test the waters first. At least he helped us just now, so for the moment, we can consider him an ally."
Himeko turned her head to whisper back to Mei, then refocused her gaze on the indigo-haired man who was staring at the distant warhammer. She addressed him again, taking the initiative:
"Old man, care to introduce yourself? I'm Murata Himeko, a teacher at St. Freya Academy in the Far East Branch. And you, the old man who came to support us, what's your esteemed name?"
"Just call me Joyce. Welt Joyce."
As the man's voice faded, Mei, standing behind Himeko, wore a look as if she had seen a ghost. She had heard this name spoken by her father in the past, always accompanied by an expression of deep respect.
Welt Joyce: Founding Leader of Anti-Entropy, the First Herrscher—the first Herrscher of this era to fight for humanity, and one of the founders of Anti-Entropy.
Unfortunately, Himeko, with her back to Mei, couldn't see her student's expression. And with the two already engaged in conversation, Mei hesitated to interrupt.
"Mr. Joyce seems quite interested in these Honkai Beasts. From the looks of it, you haven't encountered them before?"
Oblivious to the significance of the name, Himeko continued to probe the man before her.
"Ah... that's right. I haven't seen them before..."
Joyce continued to gaze upward, observing scenes he had never witnessed during his "lifetime." Yet all of this was of his own creation: dense artillery fire swept across equally dense swarms of Honkai Beasts, while steel constructs born from the fusion of modern technology and relics of the Previous Era roared at their natural enemies, spitting out continuous streams of fire to clear a path for the warships.
So, he's some kind of clone after all... How could he have never seen Honkai Beasts before? Yet he claims to be over seventy years old. Could he have inherited fragments of the original host's memories?
Himeko, her mind already piecing together the puzzle, wore an expression of dawning comprehension. But to confirm her final deduction, she pressed further:
"Mr. Joyce, could you tell us how Anti-Entropy first began to grow?"
The man fell silent, his face etched with discomfort.
Just as I thought—he only inherited fragments of the original memories. Our esteemed Himeko drifted further from the truth with each misguided deduction.
"Hmm, Mr. Joyce, is there something you're reluctant to share?"
Himeko shifted her demeanor, adopting a slightly concerned expression.
"Ah, no particular secrets to hide... But if you're asking about Anti-Entropy's past... I genuinely don't know. I was already dead by then..."
As Himeko stared at him with a dumbfounded expression, Joyce shook his head and uttered an answer that no ordinary person could comprehend.
"Wait, what do you mean you were already dead?!" Himeko blurted out.
Finally seizing her chance to interject, Mei spoke, cutting off Himeko's question.
"Mr. Welt Joyce... are you the person I've always imagined?" Mei asked hesitantly, studying the man before her with a gentle expression.
"Ah, Einstein mentioned you... Miss Raiden Mei. If you've heard that name from your father—"
"Yes, I am the Founding Leader of Anti-Entropy... the First Herrscher, Welt Joyce himself."
The indigo-haired man scratched his head awkwardly as he uttered the title. Having never truly held a position of high authority, Joyce had been told by Einstein and Joachim upon waking up that he was now the spiritual leader of a massive organization capable of opposing Schicksal itself. For a moment, he thought he was still dreaming—until Kevin, the man called Kevin, froze him with a jolt.
"Then why don't you remember any of it?" Himeko blurted out, her face a mask of confusion.
"Ah... that's a very long story," Joyce said, a nostalgic expression crossing his face.