Honkai: Strijder (Honkai Impact 3 Male MC)

"So, it's settled then. Raiden Mei and Wendy will stay here for treatment. Dr. Tesla and Dr. Einstein will stay as technical support. Welt, you will stay to prevent any Herrscher core-related incidents."

"...You're just looking for convenient test subjects, aren't you?"

"Don't spout nonsense-Ahem! I'm not that kind of person, and you're our leader, after all."

Welt forced a smile, not believing Sigurd's serious tone for a second.

Someone who had a history of shady dealings with Otto couldn't be trusted.

But Welt didn't care much; he just furrowed his brow and raised two fingers, saying:

"Two questions."

Sigurd propped his leg up, supporting his head with his right hand, and replied concisely, "Go ahead."

"First, I still feel there's an issue with Saint Freya's side. We can't leave that uninvestigated. Second, if we all gather together, and the orphanage's location isn't exactly hidden, aren't we practically handing ourselves to Otto? Will he refrain from acting?"

Welt said in a serious tone, with a touch of gravity.

Sigurd didn't respond immediately but instead created a virtual screen out of thin air, displaying an image.

"That's-That's my mo- Cecilia's clones!"

Kiana was the first to get excited, pointing at the image of rows of clone pods immersed in pale blue liquid, each containing a silver-haired beauty in light underwear.

Sigurd looked at Kiana for a second.

'Changed the way of address?'

Sigurd noticed something was off, but he didn't want to discuss it in front of everyone.

So, he turned to Welt and pointed to the screen.

"First question: this is a secret hidden under the Far East Branch, Otto's clone laboratory. I've already arranged for their relocation. The current plan is to repair their physical defects, attempt to awaken them, and have them work as staff and guardians here. After all, they possess the blood of Schariac, which has significant practical value for handling Herrscher power riots, and it can also avoid the risk of foreign agents infiltrating."

"Awaken them? Is that possible?"

"Giving a newborn blank clone with a soul is my next challenge."

"Alright, but make sure to respect their personalities and dignity. They are, after all, living beings!"

Welt sighed deeply, without any further objections.

Because this was arguably the best course of action.

Whether it was equal destruction or allowing them to sleep indefinitely, neither was as satisfying as Sigurd's method.

Sigurd nodded to show his commitment and then continued, "Second question: Otto won't act, I can guarantee that. What do you think you guys are in Otto's eyes?"

"Probably something along the line 'a bit of a troublesome pain in the ass. If left unchecked, it would occasionally cause problems. If dealt with, it's time-consuming and labor-intensive, with no significant benefits.' Something like that?"

Welt scratched his head, somewhat embarrassed.

Ryoma and Siegfried were in a similar situation.

Even Einstein, who was silently sipping tea, had her gaze wander for a moment.

Sigurd's frankness was admirable, but it was also embarrassing.

Sigurd shrugged and gave a slight smile.

"You are pretty self-aware."

Indeed, just like what Welt had said, that's pretty much Otto evaluation of Anti-Entropy, or perhaps, it's actually lower than that.

The incident with Siegfried had revealed a lot.

Because he had a breakthrough and, perhaps, was in a good mood, Otto had planned an operation that almost wiped out Anti-Entropy.

But Siegfried narrowly escaped, and after giving him something of interest, Otto could readily abandon the plan without regret.

To him, it was like not enjoying food but feeling it would be a waste to throw it away.

That was Otto's view on the destruction of Anti-Entropy.

Welt fell silent again, feeling somewhat powerless.

Anti-Entropy had worked hard for many years and developed a sizable military force, but they still lagged far behind Schicksal, which had dominated the world for hundreds of years.

And Otto, who had always been in a superior position, probably never really regarded them highly.

The dream of overthrowing Schicksal seemed indefinitely distant.

Sigurd sighed and said resolutely, "I have something that interests Otto. As long as I'm here, even if you all stand here, Otto won't have any thoughts. What I can offer him is an absolute treasure he can't resist, compared to you guys."

"You're that confident? What does Otto want to achieve, anyway?"

"Sorry, this matter is between Otto and me. Knowing the truth doesn't matter. And you guys, if you glimpse the deepest secrets of Otto, he might not tolerate your existence any longer."

Sigurd shook his head in response.

Otto recognized Sigurd, and in a sense, he couldn't do anything to Sigurd at this point.

Therefore, he didn't mind Sigurd knowing his innermost secrets.

But for others, unless they had some special value, Otto's pride would mean that being informed was equivalent to landing on his hit list.

Welt touched his chin and looked at Einstein, who was quietly drinking tea, as well as Ryoma next to him.

Not getting an answer, the gazes of the group converged on Sigurd.

Sigurd massaged his temples, frustrated, and said, "Clearly, you raise a more just and righteous banner, but you're regarded by Valkyries and even everyone outside of Anti-Entropy as sewer rats. Have you ever considered the reasons behind this?"

"Isn't that all Otto's doing?"

"....Let me ask you one thing. The second Honkai Eruption happened because of Schicksal's inhumane experiments, and Schicksal had many controversial issues during the handling process. Truly, the one who played a purely positive role, willing to do anything to fight the Honkai, was Anti-Entropy, you, as the leader. But why, after the war, did all the credit go to Schicksal? Otto didn't even get a bit dirty, and Anti-Entropy was portrayed as the puppeteer behind the scenes."

"This...," Welt and the others frowned.

Einstein and Ryoma were the first to catch on.

In a dawning realization, they started to wear looks of surprise.

Welt fell into deep thought and said hesitantly, "We're not pursuing empty fame; we're just focused on protecting the world. As long as the results are good, do the rest really matter?"

"And then? On one hand, you shout about overthrowing Schicksal, and on the other, you hand over your hard-earned reputation to them for free. You neither affirm your own correctness nor criticize Schicksal's dark side. Do you really want to overthrow Schicksal, or have you already become roots in the soil, absorbing the darkness that Schicksal can't expose to the sunlight, willingly bearing all the disgrace and happily nourishing Schicksal?"

Welt opened his mouth and, following Sigurd's train of thought, considered Anti-Entropy's actions over the decades.

He suddenly felt that his steadfast beliefs of several decades were being thrown into turmoil, and an unprecedented sense of confusion shrouded him.

Yeah, even though we're doing a more just and righteous cause, why is Schicksal's reputation increasing, and they receive more and more resources, while Anti-Entropy has always been forced to lurk in the shadows, struggling at every step, with even our principles twisted and scorned by outsiders?

Could it be that we've done something wrong along the way?

Sigurd didn't bother to argue further and directly pointed out, "First question: What is your ideology?"

"In a way that minimizes harm to the innocent, we fight against the Honkai, respecting life and morality, and aiming to reduce suffering and sacrifice."

"That's too limited. Broaden it a bit, let's say 'to grant civilization time and grant time civilization.' Civilization refers to everything that is the crystallization of human emotions and wisdom, such as morality, humanity, technology, and so on. Time refers to time. In addition, Schicksal's slogan is Fight for all that is beautiful in this world,' and we should also have a loud slogan - 'offering our hearts to humanity.'"

"Oh! That's a good one!"

Welt slapped his thigh and his eyes lit up.

How should I put it?

Idealists tend to have a touch of chuunibyou (adolescent delusions of grandeur), and Welt was no exception.

Sigurd rolled his eyes.

"It's really superficial. The second question - you accepted it all just from a couple of sentences. Do you really have a clear ideology? Do you really have enough faith in your own thoughts?"

Sigurd raised a sharp question, cold and stern.

For Welt, this kind of questioning could even be considered an insult.

He was the soul of Anti-Entropy, a hero who had survived death time and again in the fight against the Honkai.

And Sigurd was questioning his beliefs and will.

Welt's expression froze.

As a loyal follower, Ryoma immediately wanted to stand up and refute Sigurd, but he was abruptly restrained by Einstein's grasp on his arm.

"Dr. Einstein?"

"Sit down and listen. This might be a turning point for Anti-Entropy."

Einstein's gaze had been fixed on the two people in conversation from start to finish.

She felt that Welt needed to grow again, and it had gone beyond her and Tesla's capabilities to help him grow further.

Einstein sensed that this might be an opportunity.

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