Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Dual control, from genetic information to the spiritual world—this was the result of the centralized power Noldrei had sought from the very beginning. He was determined not to leave the future of humanity in anyone else's hands.

Now that Academy City possessed this power, it was only natural for Noldrei to arrange for Cocolia to pave the way for him.

Otto was, of course, no exception. It was only because Otto's personal agenda was sometimes too prominent that Noldrei would deliberately slow down the reveal of his true intentions. But it was enough for Overseer Otto to guess what Noldrei truly wanted.

"Interesting, interesting... This is just too interesting."

Otto scrolled through news from all over the world, now too lazy to even pay attention to the infighting among his own Valkyries over issues of race and faith. He was more curious about how Noldrei planned to handle the raging public debate across the globe.

After all, this wasn't a world war. Back then, all of human society was in a state of explosive turmoil, so all it took was for someone to take the lead and the most powerful nations would charge into the fray.

So, how would Noldrei manage to concentrate the power of Academy City and direct it outward? That was the part that intrigued the Overseer the most.

'What a pity. My job is to lure out Herrschers, not to stir up trouble on the world stage. It seems that woman Cocolia will steal most of the spotlight. I just wonder what her fate will be...'

'Once the cunning rabbit is dead, the hunting dog is cooked. When the birds are all gone, the good bow is hidden away. As the situation develops and the conflicts shift, the person who resolves the conflict becomes the new source of conflict. When that time comes, I hope Cocolia knows what she's doing.'

Otto's clarity came from his refusal to blindly trust in the world Noldrei described. Who knew if Noldrei was just baiting a trap for everyone? The fact that he wasn't having his own hand-picked successor handle this already spoke volumes.

It was just as Otto would never let Theresa get her hands dirty with unnecessary work before she officially took over. That way, even if Theresa wasn't competent enough and faced a reckoning later, she wouldn't bear too much of the blame. Even if Schicksal collapsed, Theresa's fate wouldn't be too terrible.

An idea seemed to strike Otto. "Amber, are there any other available forces in Academy City recently? Don't bother with the St. Freya Valkyries. I'm talking about forces other than the Valkyries."

Amber nodded slightly. "The Associated Student Council, or... the Security Force?"

"Good, the Security Force it is. It's not like they're our people anyway."

Otto didn't hesitate for a second, immediately picking the Security Force. "Have their captain find some qualified people in Academy City and send them to handle the problem in the Middle East."

Question marks popped up over Amber's head. Did she just mishear something?

"My Lord Overseer, you mean to say you want the captain—who, aside from his luck and observation skills, is mediocre at best—to handle the situation in the Middle East? It is not my place to refuse your command, my lord, but I must confirm you are not joking."

Overseer Otto waved a dismissive hand. "Who goes is not important. As long as we dispatch people who are not afraid of Honkai Energy, this mission is a guaranteed victory. It's also a good chance to see what the Security Force is made of. If they're no good, we'll just recruit a batch of people from the Associated Student Council to replace them."

After confirming that Otto was not, in fact, joking, Amber took the initiative to contact Bronya.

And where was Bronya at this moment?

Bronya was still in a daze, replaying Cocolia's words over and over in her head.

'It's impossible! He gave me a high position and a generous salary, helped me find Seele, and even gave me a substitute for Seele when she wasn't around. How could a person like that be a villain who wants to rule the world and destroy other countries?'

'Something must be wrong...'

Bronya had been lost in a fog for a long time, which was making Seele extremely anxious. She had no idea why Bronya-oneechan had suddenly become so vacant and dazed. If this continued, Bronya would surely turn into an idiot.

"Bronya-oneechan, is there something you can't tell Seele?" Seele asked, genuinely wanting to help.

But how could Bronya bring herself to speak of all the dirty dealings in Academy City? She just deflected, "It's nothing, Seele. Bronya just has a few things she hasn't figured out yet."

"It's impossible... How could he be a bad person?"

"It just doesn't make any sense."

Seele watched helplessly as Bronya, as if possessed, wandered off while muttering things she couldn't understand.

'Does... does Bronya-oneechan not trust me at all?!'

The young girl's heart was sensitive, and for a moment, she couldn't help but feel useless for not being able to help. The poor girl could only find an empty corner to agonize by herself.

Meanwhile, Kiana, who had just returned home, hadn't yet bothered to check the news. Or rather, as a crown princess... she never paid attention to Academy City's political news.

Instead, upon returning home, Kiana stumbled upon an incredible scene.

Two rather large ponies, along with two smaller ponies, were lounging lazily on the backyard lawn. Their pony faces wore expressions of pure, human-like bliss and comfort.

"Mei-senpai, you were right. Being a pony like this is just so comfortable."

Wendy nuzzled her horse head, wishing that time could pass just a little more slowly.

"Yeah, I never knew being a pony could be this relaxing. I always thought Mei just liked being lazy," Ana added. She, too, seemed to have become addicted to the daily life of a pony.

'What is going on?'

Kiana's gaze fell on the last pony. Mahiru was already snoring softly, fast asleep. It seemed she had truly discovered the joy of pony life.

'How did my home completely turn into Mei's domain while I was gone?'

Kiana began to question the timing of her return. She had originally planned to give everyone a surprise. Now, the surprise was all hers, and all she saw were a few ponies living their best lives.

Human social revolutions, institutional progress, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict with them throwing fission bombs at each other—none of it seemed like a big deal anymore.

Mei squinted her eyes, savoring the unusually happy and pleasant experience.

She even said, "If everyone can become a pony, then sooner or later, they will all feel the joy of being a pony."

'Is being a pony really that great?'

Kiana was genuinely starting to get scared. She really, really did not want to become a pony.

If that bastard Noldrei found out she had become a pony, he would definitely dare to ride her around town. What a humiliating play that would be!