Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Hachiman fled Nakamura's unsettling presence. An unnerving thought crept into his mind, a chilling scenario that nearly drove him to the brink.

The "Brotherhood" reconvened. Kuro's message was too explosive to ignore.

Kuro, as always, addressed his comrades, "Tell me, how do you plan to handle this? Let me be clear, this isn't a joke. It's real. Academy City leadership is implementing gender liberation, along with cosmetic surgery technology. They're giving humans the power to customize their sexual characteristics."

Horikita, already aware, remained unfazed. He was almost… eager to witness the collapse of old ethics. Preparation was key.

Masamune Izumi, however, was deeply troubled. Living with his younger sister, his immediate concern was her well-being. And that concern spiraled into a torrent of thoughts.

"Guys…" Masamune began, his voice serious, "Can you really accept this? Have you considered… your sister suddenly becoming your brother? According to Kuro, Academy City plans to make gender reassignment and cosmetic surgery as affordable as a month's minimum wage. Do you realize what that means?"

"Ninety percent of Japan will be gender-fluid?" Sakuta Azusagawa felt detached from the issue, having no personal desire to transition. His family shared his sentiment.

"No. It means many companies and government agencies will mandate specific genders for certain roles. If you disagree, you can choose to transition." Horikita's calm, realistic assessment stunned the group.

Hachiman covered his face, unable to imagine his sister as a brother. The thought of his beloved Komachi as a little boy chilled him to the bone. He finally understood Nakamura's distress.

Is this the societal breakdown caused by ethical collapse? It's truly… unsettling.

Kuro, anticipating this reaction, asked, "So, how do you plan to cope?" Even he hadn't expected such a drastic move from his boss. He, too, likely imagined his sister as a brother, perhaps even himself as a sister.

"Don't you… find this strange?" Hachiman hesitated, then asked, "Is Academy City's technology really this advanced? We're talking about gender, organ rejection, chromosome selection, memories retained after gender reassignment… Has the genetic code changed, or not? Why would they develop such advanced biotech?"

"Just so people can change skin color and gender at will?! To create chaos and drive everyone to the brink? Why?!" Hachiman couldn't understand. Why was Academy City pursuing this path, despite the widespread psychological distress it caused?

"Hey, calm down. I'm sure the leadership has their reasons. They know more than we do. Do you think you're smarter than them? How could they be in charge if they weren't intelligent?" Kuro's words, clearly disingenuous, only deepened their confusion. He didn't understand his boss's motives either.

Hachiman sighed, exhausted.

Fuutarou Uesugi raised his hand. "Can I… quit? I don't want to be involved in this. I think it's best to escape from this place."

Kuro fixed his gaze on Fuutarou. "Uesugi, are you serious? Do you realize how much you know? If you run now, I won't stop you, but certain… research facilities will be very interested in finding you. We've all been marked by Academy City. Did you think my invitation was a joke?"

Did he just say… hunted down? Fuutarou was terrified. His pursuit of money had landed him in serious trouble.

"Okay, okay, you're scaring him. Let's focus on how to deal with this. We know we can't stop something approved by the Council. Even if we delay it, it won't be for long…" Sakuta paused, then asked, "Does anyone have connections to the research facilities? Never mind…"

He shook his head, realizing the futility of his question. "Of course you don't."

"Actually, I have a friend who works at a research facility." Hachiman had to rely on Miyuki Shirogane's network.

"Oh? What does he do?" Sakuta's eyes lit up.

"He works at one of the facilities affiliated with Anti-Entropy. Speaking of which, I've always suspected something was… off about Academy City's leadership. They seem divided. Schicksal, Anti-Schicksal, Entropy, Anti-Entropy… Are Schicksal and Entropy working together?" Hachiman voiced his suspicions. Their naming conventions are too… symmetrical. How did things get this complicated?

Kuro's lips twitched. He couldn't explain the intricacies of the factions. In truth, Anti-Schicksal and Entropy were the driving forces behind Academy City's radical agenda.

"I also know someone who works at a research facility, although she's usually the one being researched. She's with Anti-Entropy, likely with access to Dr. Tesla." Sakuta hadn't expected such connections from Hachiman.

"Then let's… ask them? See if we can delay this, or at least make the transition smoother?" Hachiman felt like he was going insane. To prevent his sister's ethical collapse and transformation into a brother, he was risking his own life.

Chapter 197: Mei: Is My Dream Housekeeping Job Gone?!

"Future humans come in many forms. Mechanical gender reassignment, organ transplants, hormonal adjustments during embryonic development… and then there's my type – change at will."

"Tesla can't achieve that yet. Insufficient genetic data accumulation. So, she needs… functional organ tissue." Noldrei gestured to a large, red embryonic sac beside him.

You didn't even bother decorating it? It's so… grotesque. How can that even be considered an organ? I thought organs were flesh and blood integrated into the body, not these external… things. Kiana cautiously touched the pulsating sac, noticing exposed flesh.

"How does it work?"

"Material replacement through reversion to an embryonic state and subsequent restructuring. It's the most cost-effective method. For example, I can take some of Tesla's genetic material and transform Raiden Ryomaru into a woman who looks exactly like her. Or I can modify the original subject's genes and replicate their ancestral appearance."

Tesla bristled at Noldrei's words. Why use her appearance? Can't Raiden Ryomaru grow his own female face?

"I think we need to establish genetic patents. Why should my face be freely distributed? What's the point of having this face if everyone has it?"

"You can change your face too. Get a new one, something more aesthetically pleasing." Noldrei didn't understand her attachment to a face. He preferred the simple elegance of his slime form. Currently, Kiana's pink orb form was the most aesthetically pleasing in the group.

Tesla, however, was having none of it. She would issue a decree in Academy City, forbidding anyone from using her ancestral Tesla face.

Thankfully, Noldrei was oblivious to her thoughts. Otherwise, he would have given the feudal woman a lesson in progressive thinking. Tesla probably hadn't considered the possibility of encountering someone with a naturally similar appearance. She wouldn't care, of course. Just make them change their face.

Kiana was unaware of the subtle erosion of her authority.

Bronya had different concerns. If everyone could change their faces cheaply, facial recognition technology would become obsolete. How would they maintain surveillance and control? How would she manage Academy City's security forces if anyone could infiltrate the system?

Noldrei was prepared. "Implement the ID system universally, linked to essential genetic information. The human body has 20,000 to 23,000 genes, each with unique arrangements, enough to identify every individual accurately. We won't promote gender and appearance freedom outside Academy City yet. We'll test it internally before selling the ID technology."

"Don't worry about leaks. It's better if each country has a different ID encoding system. Our goal is to spread our genetically based social structure. Who controls it is irrelevant."

Noldrei had no intention of unifying global identities. He welcomed the fragmentation. Humanity lacked external threats, and he'd mitigated the Honkai threat. Internal conflict was necessary.

"His Majesty is truly… wicked," Bronya remarked, genuinely believing Noldrei was a master of social disruption. His assault on modern society far surpassed any Herrscher. Herrschers took lives; Noldrei attacked the very core of human existence.

Kiana asked, "What about a universal language? A more efficient system of communication?" She found learning languages tedious, even though her body didn't require it.

"Stigmata space can achieve that. We're building a comprehensive genetic system, encompassing language acquisition and other learning programs." Tesla envisioned a future where knowledge and skills could be directly imprinted through Stigmata armor, bypassing traditional learning. This would eliminate the need for specialized retraining among high-ranking individuals, ending the era of unqualified leadership.

Tesla flushed with excitement, clearly having suffered under Anti-Entropy's internal inefficiencies.

Kiana smiled awkwardly. She hadn't intended to turn all researchers into Stigmata-equipped warriors. Tesla seemed determined to erase the distinction between academics and combat. Human specialization stemmed from limitations in learning capacity. Overcoming these limitations would naturally lead to integrated learning and, eventually, unified management.

But Kiana had one final concern. She turned to the last ordinary person in the group – her housekeeping big sister, Raiden Mei.

"Mei, what do you think?"

Mei, still processing the implications, suddenly realized a critical issue.

She had envisioned a quiet life as a housekeeper, peacefully living out her days, perhaps even preceding her friends in death, watching a youthful Kiana mournfully bid farewell to an elderly Mei.

But Noldrei's advancements threatened that dream.

"Is my dream housekeeping job… gone?!"

"You're worried about that? A Stigmata-wielding, Honkai-controlling, potential S-rank Valkyrie dreams of being a housekeeper? I thought you wanted to carry on the Hokushin style!" Bronya's rapid-fire吐槽 expressed her disbelief. She hadn't realized Mei had become so accustomed to domestic life.

"Swordsmanship is a hobby. I want a peaceful, ordinary life. What's wrong with being a housekeeper? Seeing my friends smile while enjoying my cooking… that's what matters most." Mei cradled her head, overwhelmed by the implications.

"Where did we find this… domestic goddess?" Kiana couldn't contain her amusement.