However, although Cocolia had given the order, the world clearly didn't revolve around her.
Those she had sent to cause trouble for Leo Ash were all taken care of by Schicksal's forces after they were deployed.
Anti-Entropy had a significant advantage in electronic warfare, but that didn't mean Schicksal could only take a beating in that department.
Especially now, with the electromagnetic field around Senba High School and the commercial district in Nagazora City beginning to spiral out of control intermittently, Anti-Entropy's edge in electronic warfare was even smaller.
And more critically...
—Anti-Entropy excelled at electronic warfare, but when it came to individual combat prowess, Schicksal could turn the tables and dominate them.
Even a newly enrolled D-rank Valkyrie could wipe the floor with an Anti-Entropy agent.
What's more, any Valkyrie deployed to the battlefield was at least B-rank, and this time, due to the potential appearance of a Herrscher, the Schicksal council had commanded all Valkyries from various branches without active missions to gather in Nagazora City.
Unbeknownst to Cocolia, Otto hoped for the Herrscher to descend smoothly.
But Otto was a man who, most of the time, knew how to put on an act.
Some in Schicksal saw him as a great hero who had protected the world for five hundred years, while others saw him as a cold-blooded executioner. But no one, absolutely no one, ever doubted Otto's resolve to fight the Honkai.
The fact that everyone within Schicksal held this belief was a clear testament to how well Otto played his part.
So, under these circumstances, Otto would certainly not actively interfere with the normal actions of his branch leaders.
Watching her subordinates on the list lose contact one by one, Cocolia knew that Schicksal was gradually seizing the initiative from her.
Damn it!
If those two old women had been willing to support me, and if Siegfried hadn't just stood by watching, I would never have been this isolated and helpless. Schicksal wouldn't have been able to suppress me so easily.
In the end, without full control of Anti-Entropy, the resources and manpower I can mobilize are still too limited.
Hmph, the Sovereign... if he remains missing like this, I'll need to start making more plans for my own future.
That organization... heh, that's right.
That organization hiding in the shadows wouldn't want to see Schicksal become the sole dominant power.
It's too late for the Third Eruption.
After this incident is over, I should get in touch with that person.
Even if I have to cede some power, I must purge the conservatives from within Anti-Entropy, to drain all the pus from its body.
Only then—can I fight against the Honkai with a single-minded purpose!
.......
Nagazora City. Inside a certain hotel.
In the hotel room, Raiden Mei, who had just been brought here on a motorcycle by Leo Ash, had absolutely no idea what he was planning to do.
If it had been anyone else doing this... if it had been anyone else, Mei would never have followed them to a place like this.
She was a young lady who had been well-protected by Raiden Ryoma, that was true, but Mei wasn't completely naive about the ways of the world.
A teenage boy and girl, alone in a hotel room... Raiden Mei couldn't possibly be unaware of what that implied.
But, as Raiden Mei looked at her classmate before her...
Honestly, she didn't sense that kind of atmosphere from him at all.
Meanwhile, Leo Ash opened his suitcase and pretended to look for something.
Then, seizing the opportunity, he secretly placed the women's clothes he had bought earlier into the suitcase, pulled them out, and tossed them to Raiden Mei.
"Go take a shower, then change into these."
"..."
Looking at the set of women's clothing Leo had tossed her, Raiden Mei's heart instantly warmed.
But soon, a sliver of doubt crept into her mind.
"Leo, why... do you have women's clothes in your suitcase?"
"Do you really have time to worry about such trivial details right now?"
Seeing the faint blush on Raiden Mei's face, Leo said indifferently.
"If you don't take a hot shower and dry yourself off immediately after getting soaked in the rain, you'll catch a cold."
"We have things to do later. It'll be a headache for me if you're not in top condition."
As Leo said these words, he watched Raiden Mei's affection rating for him jump up a few more points, feeling utterly helpless.
Seriously, with just this level of kindness, your affection rating keeps jumping like this...
How are you so easy to fool?
[An easily deceived woman—such a disdainful thought instantly formed in your mind.]
[You felt no pity for such a woman, as you knew very well that any pity shown to her now would only lead her to greater deception and setbacks in the future.]
[Watching the continuously rising affection rating, you sneered inwardly, already seeing Raiden Mei as a toy you could manipulate at will.]
[So what if she possesses power? Even an apostle of a god, once her heart is in your grasp, will she not be yours to—]
I'm seriously done with you. If you keep this up, people are really going to think I'm a villain.
[A villain? As this thought occurred to you, you suddenly felt you were a bit too tired, which was why such a boring idea came to mind.]
[When Raiden Mei genuinely believes you have her best interests at heart, do your true intentions even matter?]
No, no, no, can you please stop for a second—I don't have all these weird thoughts, hey!
[A master of seduction like you knows all too well that a woman who has fallen in love will imagine her beloved to be absolutely perfect.]
No, if that were really the case, where would all those self-sabotaging toxic women come from...
[The question is, is Raiden Mei that kind of person? Obviously not. Heh, perhaps it is because you know she is an understanding woman that you entertain the idea of toying with her heart.]
"Um, Leo..."
Seeing that Leo seemed a bit distracted, Mei finally gave up on questioning him and walked into the bathroom.
As the young woman removed her rain-soaked clothes and let the cold water from the showerhead cascade over her body, Mei, who had been confused all this time, finally began to calm down a little.
Just moments ago, when she saw Leo, she truly felt as if he were a beam of light shining down on her.
Mei, who had been in an extremely foul mood, had to admit that if Leo had chosen to comfort her with gentle words then, she might have already...
No, it would be more accurate to say that the Mei of that moment would have definitely fallen for Leo's words.
But Leo hadn't chosen that method to comfort her. Instead, he made a choice completely opposite to what Mei had imagined.
"The HOMU Sword Saint has always protected you too well."
Yes, Dad protected me too well.
"He taught you the way of the sword to train your body, but he failed to temper your spirit."
He's right. If my spirit were stronger...
I wouldn't have made such an embarrassing face just now.
Leo is absolutely right.
The me who was crying over there just now...
I really was like a big idiot.
....