Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Shirogane Miyuki used to think that the world's descent into chaos was the work of someone stirring up trouble, much like the steady decline of the Far East's economy and politics.

But the reality was that after the establishment of Academy City, the seemingly more monstrous city had, paradoxically, given people more power and freedom.

Academy City had two mandatory courses: one was History, and the other was Power.

"Power" was the name printed brazenly on the textbook. The book was literally called Power.

Academy City had only one form of punishment—revoking a person's power—and only one form of reward—granting a certain power.

Under this system of reward and punishment, Academy City had unexpectedly established a chaotic and monstrous new world order.

And the course on Power taught its students only one skill: to learn how to identify the power they possessed, and then—to use it!

The right to increase one's personal combat strength was one of the most emphasized powers in Academy City's textbooks.

But none of this mattered much to Shirogane Miyuki right now. He had only one thought.

'Is this world just too monstrous?'

Shirogane Miyuki watched Hikigaya Hachiman on the international news channel, speaking fluent English and spouting some nonsense about saving the nations of Palestine and Israel.

He subconsciously glanced down at his phone. On social media platforms like Twitter, everyone was discussing the cruel methods used to wipe out the ruling classes of both nations.

The common folk were indeed unharmed, but this "unharmed" status was, in reality, more sinister than if they had been harmed.

Not a single government dared to make a sound. This was the first time they had witnessed such brutal methods of killing. Videos circulated wildly online, all showing a man holding a recording device moving between the two factions, slaughtering with impunity.

No one could refuse his questions. No one could detect his presence. No one could lie in front of him.

He had descended upon the world like a god and carried out the cruelest of purges. Every officer and bureaucrat had fallen before this immense power.

They died silently, with smiles on their faces, as if they were meeting the very God who had come to guide them to the afterlife.

Welt had merely taken a stroll through their minds with Honkai Energy.

There weren't too many videos of the deaths released—only a few tens of thousands, perhaps.

What was terrifying wasn't the killing itself, but the utter powerlessness of everyone in the face of this being.

The internet seemed to fall silent.

Although many people talked about judgment and the apocalypse, these were just outdated scare tactics from old religions. Only when such a god truly descended upon you could you feel the terror of being utterly exposed, with no means of resistance.

This... was Power!

Shirogane Miyuki knew this was exactly what was happening inside Academy City. People like him had no right to privacy or ownership of their own consciousness.

These things depended only on whether the powerful wished to take them, not on whether they truly belonged to him.

Humanity had to face the schism created by the unequal right to evolve.

On the screen, Hikigaya Hachiman was still reciting a script that had been prepared for him long ago. This meant the start of a new form of rule, with Academy City leading two nations and twenty million people.

There was no distinction of religious belief. To Academy City, religion was merely a controllable variable within the Stigma Space.

All of Academy City's actions were aimed at seizing the wealth and benefits generated by the actions of these twenty million people, using the production of Honkai minerals as a means of re-education and domestication.

The supreme ruler wasn't some powerless weakling but the most powerful authoritarian figure, deciding the life and death of humanity. He had even plundered humanity's inherent right to reproduce.

Shirogane Miyuki's thoughts ran wild, but he felt utterly helpless in the face of these developments.

No country truly dared to cut off the flow of commerce from Academy City, because Academy City would genuinely launch Honkai fission bombs to protect its own interests.

Shirogane, however, needed to focus on something else, something that could be directly related to his own safety.

It was the content of a document issued by Academy City regarding applications for private Stigma Spaces.

The document permitted individuals with their own unique Stigmas to use their personal genetic information to create non-official Stigma Battlesuits.

The impact of this document on Academy City was far greater than the influence gained from wiping out the governments of Palestine and Israel.

Many nations even came flocking, hoping to get a piece of this power.

However, Shirogane Miyuki knew the truth all too well.

"A pity. Those countries don't realize this stuff is like arsenic that will seep into the very marrow of their nations. No, perhaps they do know. They just pretend not to see it, living day by day in a pleasant dream, foolishly hoping that some other country will be the first to step up and become the target."

Academy City's control over internal and external conflicts was precise. With such a huge benefit on the table, Academy City taking control of the Palestinian-Israeli region? That was a minor issue!

A restless ambition stirred in Shirogane Miyuki's heart. He didn't know if this feeling was good or bad, but he felt that if he couldn't keep up with this mad dash forward, he would likely be devoured by the next unforeseen vortex.

'Hikigaya has already soared to such heights. If this continues...'

Even though Shirogane didn't want to compare himself to his friend, this bizarre life experience forced him to consider how he should interact with Hikigaya Hachiman from now on.

'How on earth did that guy manage to climb so high?'

Shirogane was genuinely baffled. He was tempted to ask Hachiman if he had some legendary guide to getting promoted.

At that very moment, even though Hikigaya Hachiman wore a smile, he was trembling with fear on the inside.

'I thought this was just a normal military operation. I even went out of my way to learn so much advanced military knowledge before coming. And now you're telling me I'm just here to handle public appeasement and crack down on religious extremists?'

'Something's not right. Why are we cracking down on religious extremists? Aren't the leaders of Academy City Schicksal and Anti-Entropy? The history books say Schicksal is a religious organization!'

Hachiman was truly losing his mind. He felt like the frontman for a Schicksal crusade.

Just as he was holding a press conference with reporters...

Suddenly, several reporters rushed forward and embraced Hikigaya Hachiman.

"Hey! Hey! Don't get carried away, you fans! Autographs can wait..."

Hikigaya Hachiman shouted, preparing to push away these overzealous fans.

And then... it exploded...

Shirogane Miyuki stared in shock at the screen, where Hikigaya Hachiman was engulfed in the smoke of the explosion. The ambition for promotion that had been budding in his heart vanished without a trace.

"It's that dangerous?! Bro! Where was your security?!"