Chapter 259: Failure is the Norm
The unconscious Wendy and Seele were found in the uninhabited plains outside the headquarters and were brought back to the inner city's medical room by patrolling drones.
After a professional diagnosis, it was confirmed that Wendy and Seele were only mentally and physically exhausted, similar to Ana's condition. They were not in any life-threatening danger. It appeared that the plundering mechanism of the Theater of Domination was relatively mild—not entirely thorough. The Herrscher Cores and Imaginary Portals were still there, just temporarily unusable, having been stripped of their energy and authority.
As for Kiana, her situation was even more special. Both her Herrscher Core and Imaginary Portal were gone, making her seem like a normal Valkyrie.
The only fortunate thing was that her condition remained stable, with no life-threatening danger—otherwise, many, many people would have suffered.
...
After a few days of deep sleep, the three girls woke up one after another. Meanwhile, in the distant Sea of Quanta, Sigurd received a communication from the real world.
"Let me introduce them—Bronya and Sin Mal, Wendy, Mei, and Seele. They are people I trust, generally quite reliable... though, unfortunately, they are here to report bad news this time. And this is Ana, who will soon be under my command as well. In any case, let's get familiar with each other first."
Facing the line of girls standing before him, Sigurd spoke to Kevin and Su, then took a loud slurp of his noodles.
Wendy, Raiden Mei, and Seele felt somewhat uneasy. Sigurd had praised them as reliable, but they knew full well that they had messed up this time.
Ana's lips moved slightly. Despite her unease, she wanted to argue—mainly to state that she was loyal to Schicksal. However, she clearly remembered the instructions given by Hera before she left: "In Anti-Entropy, you can ignore anyone, but when facing Sigurd, you must show absolute respect and obedience, as if you were facing the Archbishop himself."
Thus, Ana swallowed her words.
"Slurp—"
Kevin, holding his bowl, expressionlessly slurped another mouthful of noodles and asked,
"Which ones are Herrschers?"
"That one, that one, that one, and that one. Four in total."
"Oh. Slurp—"
He continued eating, finishing his noodles and drinking his soup. After a moment, Kevin put down his empty bowl and said,
"They failed?"
"Yeah. I have my own intelligence sources, but you should still explain the details carefully."
Sigurd also put down his bowl, speaking casually to the girls.
The group exchanged glances, then Wendy stepped forward and recounted their experience in full detail—how they failed and lost their powers.
After listening quietly, Sigurd showed no change in expression. The two former-era survivors remained calm, one maintaining an indifferent demeanor, the other gentle as ever.
But the Herrscher squad hung their heads in shame, looking dejected, like children awaiting their parents' scolding.
"Sigh..."
Sigurd shook his head and sighed, as if disappointed.
This made the girls—especially the three Herrschers from Anti-Entropy—tense up. They feared Sigurd's anger, but they feared his disappointment even more. However, what was done was done, and they had no choice but to accept the outcome.
Unexpectedly, Sigurd turned to Kevin and asked,
"Mr. Kevin, I don't know the full details of the final battle in the Previous Era, but from the outcome, it must have been a brutal and desperate fight, right?"
"...Yes."
"Were you ever afraid?"
"When I watched my comrades die one by one before my eyes, I was afraid."
"Then, if that enemy were to appear before you again—this time, without comrades, without the support of an entire civilization, with only yourself—what would you do?"
"I would kill her."
Kevin spoke calmly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Sigurd nodded and continued,
"I told you, this time there are no comrades or support. How would you kill her? You definitely wouldn't be able to win, right?"
"...I would kill her."
Kevin was silent for a moment, then repeated his answer.
Sigurd looked at Kevin, raised his hand, and patted him on the shoulder. Then, turning to Su, he asked,
"Mr. Su, same question—what would you choose?"
"Young Sigurd, my answer is the same… other than fighting, I wouldn't consider anything else."
Su smiled gently, but for a fleeting moment, a dark glint flickered in his eyes.
Sigurd nodded again and said to both of them,
"Apologies, I didn't mean to bring up painful memories."
Su shook his head with a smile, but before he could respond, Kevin had already turned his cold gaze toward the four Herrscher girls, snorting in disdain.
"It's fine. I understand your intent. Even we, who have faced the deepest despair and witnessed the fall of an entire civilization, still have the courage to draw our swords. And them? Do they think putting on a pitiful look will make Honkai show mercy?"
"Kevin, they're still just children…"
"How many dead children have you seen, Su? Maybe you should try talking to Honkai instead—see if it listens to you."
Kevin's words were harsh and unyielding. Su opened his mouth but ultimately had nothing to say.
Sigurd sat up straight, tapping his index finger on the table, drawing the girls' attention back to him.
"What I want to say is—no one can avoid failure forever. Especially when facing Honkai, failure is the norm. Right now, you've failed. So what's next? I scold you a little, then we use high-level forces from the real world to clean up your mess, pretend nothing happened, and move on? Is that what you want?"
"No!"
Wendy looked up, her stubborn gaze meeting Sigurd's.
Raiden Mei straightened her posture, her clenched fists turning white.
Seele bit her lip, her face slightly pale, then shook her head firmly.
Ana stood up straight as well. She didn't know exactly what she wanted to say, but she knew she disagreed with Sigurd's question.
Sigurd looked at them, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips.
"The people who failed fifty thousand years ago are still moving forward, doing whatever it takes to achieve victory. Otto has failed more times than you've even met people, yet he continues forward, his resolve unwavering."
"I won't be disappointed just because you lost a battle. But if this is the extent of your will—if just one setback leaves you lost and helpless—then I truly will be disappointed."
"Go back and think carefully. Once you've figured out what you want to do, come find me again."
Sigurd cut off the communication.
"If these so-called human-side Herrschers are only this capable… I still believe the Stigmata Project is the best option. I hope you consider that carefully."
Leaving these words behind, Kevin turned and left.
Sigurd silently watched his retreating figure, his expression unreadable.
Nearby, Su held his bowl and, after a moment, looked at Sigurd awkwardly.
"Uh… want another bowl of noodles?"
"No. Open a passage for me to the real world."
"Eh? Oh, alright, alright."
"Thank you."
Sigurd politely expressed his gratitude.
A moment later, a portal opened, and Sigurd left the Sea of Quanta.
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