A dark green liquid slithered on the floor, swiftly encircling the couch area in the break room, gradually tightening its grip.
Kiana rose from Raiden Mei's lap pillow.
"Still up to no good, huh? Who're you trying to scare?" she drawled lazily, stifling a yawn. Her gaze then sharpened, sending out a crimson ring of fire that expanded outward, incinerating the writhing black fluid into brittle, charred clumps.
Meanwhile, aside from Elysia, Bronya, Fu Hua, and the Book of Fuxi who remained seated, Seele, Wendy, Raiden Mei, and Senti positioned themselves around the group, guarding each direction respectively.
Dr. Mobius's attacks thus far have taken the form of eerie creatures. However, with Death, Thunder, Flame, Shi, and Wind—the five Herrschers—each possessing abilities specifically potent against living beings, no matter if it's xenogenics or viruses, these foes stand no chance to get anywhere near them.
"Sip."
Bronya took a drink from her tea, casually crossing her legs as if oblivious to the chaos unfolding around her.
Next to her, Elysia stirred her coffee and glanced sideways, asking cheerfully,
"Not scared?"
She indeed wasn't afraid for two reasons: first, due to her own capabilities; second, Dr. Mobius was an old friend who, despite any disagreements, would never truly turn against Elysia. Moreover, being a Memory Fragment herself, there was no way Mobius would target Elysia while seeking a true physical body.
In summary, each Herrscher possesses ample self-defense abilities, and Fu Hua goes without saying. Currently, Bronya, being inherently the weakest among them, is the most vulnerable.
Bronya caressed her teacup, maintaining a composed demeanor, and responded nonchalantly:
"If they let me get captured under these circumstances, they might as well scrap and rebuild themselves. Besides, Fu Hua-sensei is here too."
On both physical and mental fronts, their current team was flawless. If anything were to go wrong now, it would only indicate that everyone wasn't taking this seriously enough. And even in the worst-case scenario—anyone who thinks rabbits don't bite is welcome to try their luck.
Bronya softly snorted, showing no fear of Dr. Mobius despite her once fearsome reputation.
Hearing her name mentioned, Fu Hua smiled warmly and nodded at Bronya.
"You're right, but we mustn't be complacent either. Dr. Mobius is...well, quite unique," Fu Hua remarked with a subtle expression before sighing.
As one of Dr. Mobius's former creations, although five millennia have passed, potentially reversing their power dynamic, Fu Hua never ceased harboring caution towards Mobius.
"A mere lab rat. Do you truly believe living longer grants you the authority to judge me, Hua?"
Mobius emerged from subspace with a sullen and defiant tone, unleashing more black matter like a surging tide directly at the group.
"Fluid—Shield!"
"Wither away!"
"I'll burn it all to ashes!"
"Bow before my thunderous might!"
"Mobius, I've been waiting fifty thousand years to give you a beating!"
Different voices resonated with equally powerful Honkai Energy as they countered the incoming tide.
Naturally, hardly anyone in this world could withstand such a combined assault by multiple Herrschers. Even Kevin couldn't face it head-on, let alone Mobius?
However, after dispersing the Black Tide, a colossal serpent-like behemoth forcefully broke through the blockade, lunging straight towards Bronya at its center.
"BOOM!!"
With a deafening roar, the last intact sofa area within the break room domain was utterly destroyed amidst the chaos.
Following the intense tremors, the repelled Mobius found herself surrounded by the Nihility Queens. Inside the transparent belly of the giant snake beast, she coldly stared at Fu Hua standing beside Bronya.
"It seems those fifty thousand years weren't wasted!"
"Dr. Mobius, please stand down. If we communicate openly, Zeke is quite reasonable and will offer you satisfactory terms."
Silence fell.
As Fu Hua stood resolute before her, Dr. Mobius within the hydra's belly narrowed his eyes without responding.
'Going head-to-head isn't impossible, but the cost would be too high. Should anything go wrong... Dealing with Zeke alone is already troublesome, let alone five Herrschers at once. And Elysia is watching closely—hmpf, that unpredictable woman; who knows what she might do?'
His gaze swept over the smiling Elysia, deep in thought.
'I only have two choices, with no chance for a redo. There are too many uncertainties here. As for Zeke... he may still be entangled with the lab rat, or even if not, he must have expended some resources.'
'Furthermore, engaging here could allow Zeke to return swiftly as backup.'
'In a direct confrontation with Zeke, it'll just be him and me. These others lack the ability to cross the barrier of data space for support, plus, I've got my trump card ready!'
Without hesitation, Dr. Mobius quickly made up his mind. Glancing at each person present, he mentally noted their intriguing appearances, then—Zzzt!
"Zzzt!"
As if his TV signal had cut out, the hydra form of Mobius flickered and abruptly vanished without a trace, leaving behind only scorched black residue and a living room unrecognizable from its original state—a testament to the fierce clash that just occurred.
The eager crowd, fists clenched, exchanged puzzled glances.
"Just like that... he ran away? I didn't even get a chance to join in!" Senti threw up his hands, disgruntled, as he protested loudly.
Fu Hua sighed and examined her palm. With a single Short-inch Strike earlier, she had repelled Mobius's Fallen form. Now, there was a black spot on her hand.
Like a drop of ink spreading in water, the blackness rapidly diffused across Fu Hua's palm, traveling up her arm.
With swift resolve, Fu Hua detached her limb, discarding it onto the floor.
Black substance emerged from within the severed arm, swiftly corroding and assimilating it into a similar dark fluid. The pool of black liquid then writhed persistently on the ground, seemingly searching for new sustenance, until Kiana incinerated it with a fireball, reducing it to ash.
"How terrifyingly invasive—and resilient."
As a medical professional, Seele knelt down to examine it closely. Her small mouth slightly agape, she appeared somewhat astonished—as if realizing why Big Bro Zeke held Dr. Mobius in such high regard.
Setting aside its eerie aspects, if this tenacious vitality could be replicated—even just partially—it would enable ordinary people to survive most Honkai Disasters with ease.
"Don't get carried away. Dr. Mobius's experiments are often more unpredictable than Honkai itself, which is precisely why her reputation has always been tarnished," Fu Hua cautioned with a sigh, steering Seele away from dangerous speculation.
At that moment, Senti tugged on Fu Hua's empty sleeve cuff.
"Doesn't it hurt?"
"It's fine. A Soulium body differs significantly from a flesh one; blocking pain sensations is quite easy."
"Next time you use this form, blast her with one punch! No wait, let me do it—I need to teach her what true strength means!"
"Sure, either way works. Don't worry about me, I'm really okay." With a reassuring smile, Fu Hua calmed Senti, who had clenched her fists and pouted, clearly upset at seeing Fu Hua disadvantaged.
Mobius's decision-making model was sound.
On one hand, it was a battle of many against one, with Zeke potentially reinforcing his allies at any moment. On the other, it meant facing Zeke alone, making it difficult for outsiders to intervene before the confrontation concluded.
Naturally, the latter scenario offered greater control over the outcome.
Mobius swiftly returned to her laboratory space.
Upon entering, she found herself amidst a shattered, hazy environment.
"Hm?"
She squinted, focusing on the only two figures still standing amid the debris.
One was Zeke, tearing off his tattered sleeve, and beside him leaned a seemingly unconscious girl—Sin Mal.
"How much have you expended?"
"Who knows? Want to give it a try?" Mobius posed a straightforward question, but Zeke responded enigmatically, like a Riddler.
Then, Mobius hesitated momentarily.
She had confidence in her creation.
An unleashed Sin would be incredibly formidable. While her peak destructive power might not match that of a Herrscher's innate advantage, her stamina, resilience, ferocity, and vitality exceeded even those of typical Herrschers. Combined with the dual temporal and psychic attributes of the biological construct, engaging her without intending harm would likely prove far more challenging than battling a Herrscher.
However, Zeke's strength was unprecedented even to Mobius. Not only that, but he also carried the cores of the Herrschers of Corruption and Rock, along with the Key of Judgment.
It all came down to a gamble.
And Mobius decided to take it!