Bronya mulled it over for a moment, then, under Theresa's watchful gaze, she slowly began to speak.
"The Bronya believes that the authenticity of the questions and answers provided by this Q&A Space is highly probable."
"First, the origin of this space is far too mysterious. Whether it's the ability to instantly pull the three of us in, the power to extract a year of Kiana's lifespan, or the projection of Kiana's future, these methods are far beyond our current understanding."
"Putting everything else aside, not even Schicksal or Anti-Entropy, with their current levels of technology, could accomplish such a feat."
"Hmm... that makes sense."
Theresa nodded, then asked another question, "Then what are your thoughts on the video of Kiana's future?"
"Besides the crucial information that Kiana becomes a Herrscher, the other key piece of information in the video is that Honkai energy bomb."
"According to the question, the bomb's blast radius was large enough to encompass all of Arc City. Therefore, we must figure out who created that bomb and who was behind such a depraved plan."
"Could it be Anti-Entropy? I remember seeing mechs in the video," Raiden Mei recalled.
After all, Anti-Entropy had a history of such things. She remembered all too well how she was manipulated by their leader, Cocolia, which led to her transformation into the Herrscher of Thunder and turned the entirety of Nagazora into a paradise of Honkai.
Bronya shook her head. "It is unlikely to be the work of Anti-Entropy. The Bronya observed them carefully. While those mechs were similar to Anti-Entropy's, there were distinct differences. They seemed more like imitations."
"Hmm... so you're saying there's a hidden organization in Arc City capable of mass-producing mechs and creating Honkai energy bombs?"
Theresa's expression turned grim. For an organization capable of plotting something on this scale to exist without Schicksal having any intelligence on it was simply outrageous.
It seemed she would have to start an investigation.
"Auntie, will I really become a Herrscher in the future?" Kiana asked, looking at Theresa with unease.
Even though her future self in the video was cool, it didn't change the fact that she had become a Herrscher.
To be honest, Kiana's goals had always been simple: become the strongest Valkyrie, fight the Honkai, and then find her irresponsible deadbeat dad and give him a sound beating.
But she had never imagined that she herself would one day become a Herrscher.
Herrschers were emissaries of the Honkai, enemies of human civilization. This was evident from Raiden Mei's own past.
Even though it wasn't her intention, when she became a Herrscher, she had unavoidably brought disaster upon Nagazora.
That was why Kiana was terrified that if she became a Herrscher one day, she too would harm the people around her, or even innocent strangers.
"Kiana..."
Seeing Kiana's anxious expression, Theresa's own look was complicated. She sighed, walked over, and stood on her tiptoes to gently pat Kiana's head.
"You idiot niece, don't overthink it," she said softly. "Auntie is here for you. Even if you become a Herrscher, I'll be able to pull you back."
"Besides, didn't you do a wonderful job in the video? Even though you became a Herrscher, you still stood on humanity's side. So I believe in you, and you need to believe in yourself, okay?"
"Yeah! I understand, Auntie!" With Theresa's comfort and encouragement, Kiana's heart settled.
That's right. When Mei became a Herrscher, I was able to pull her back.
If I become a Herrscher, I absolutely won't lose to the Honkai!
Besides, I'm not alone. I have Auntie, Auntie Himeko, and Bronya and Mei.
Afterward, the group engaged in a series of discussions about the Q&A Space. Theresa even utilized Schicksal's database, but unfortunately, she couldn't find any useful information.
As for the matter of the Q&A Space, she decided to be cautious. She did not report it to Schicksal HQ, choosing only to tell Himeko.
Kiana's future was at stake, and until she understood the true nature of this Q&A Space, Theresa didn't want to expose the situation so soon.
And so, three days later, the group gathered in Himeko's dorm, waiting for the Q&A Space to open once more.
"So, how much longer?"
Himeko was lounging lazily on the sofa, a can of beer in hand, asking as she took a sip.
"It is currently 12:30. Two minutes remaining," Bronya replied.
"Hah... two more minutes, huh? How interesting. I wish I could enter that Q&A Space and see it for myself," Himeko said with a hint of curiosity.
"Speaking of which, why was it you three who were pulled into that space?"
"We've been wondering about that too," Kiana said, her words slightly muffled as she popped an orange slice into her mouth. "It's probably because I'm the legendary protagonist."
"Idiot Kiana, if anyone is the protagonist, it would be the Bronya. Idiots are not qualified to be protagonists," Bronya retorted.
"Damn it! I'm not an idiot! The one who calls other people idiots is the real idiot!"
Just as the two were about to start bickering again, Raiden Mei was about to intervene when a flash of white light blinded her. When her vision returned, she found herself once again in the mysterious Q&A Space.
"Huh?"
At that moment, two surprised voices sounded beside her. Raiden Mei turned to see that Theresa and Murata Himeko had been brought in as well.
"What's going on? How did I get in here too?" Theresa was astonished. She had wanted to observe how Kiana and the others were taken into the space, but she never expected to be taken in herself.
What was most terrifying was that she hadn't even had time to react. She was once an S-rank Valkyrie, with an incredibly sharp sense of danger, yet even she had been pulled in, powerless to resist.
It was a good thing this Q&A Space seemed to bear them no ill will. Otherwise, all of their lives would have been forfeit.
"Whoa, so this is the Q&A Space? It really is amazing," Himeko marveled, looking around her.
She had lived for a good while, but this was the first time she had ever encountered something so incredible. The experience alone made life worthwhile.
"Hmm... could it be that the rule for pulling people in is to take everyone within a certain radius?" Bronya analyzed, stroking her chin.
"That's a possibility. It seems that next time, we'll have to make sure no one else is nearby."
Theresa let out a quiet sigh of relief. Thankfully, they had been in Himeko's dorm, with no one else around. If other people had been pulled in, things could have become much more complicated.
After all, when it came to the Q&A Space, the fewer people who knew, the better.
[The next round of questions will now begin. A correct answer will grant a corresponding reward. An incorrect answer will result in the deduction of one year of lifespan.]
[Second Question—]