“Hmm…
an unfamiliar ceiling.”
Angel opened her eyes and saw only a white ceiling and white walls, with light sources embedded in both, emitting a bright but gentle glow.
Oh!!
She’s awake, she’s awake!
She’s not in an autopsy room or an experimental pod.
There’s still hope!
Hooray!
Angel sat up, rubbed her sleepy eyes, yawned, and tears welled up at the corners of her eyes.
The versions of her in the theater were so noisy!
But since their minds and consciousness were linked, the moment she woke up, both sides instantly understood everything.
So Angel could also understand the relief the other Angels felt.
“Yo!
Finally awake.
Looks like I arrived just in time!”
Murata Himeko walked in through the door, which automatically closed behind her, blending almost seamlessly into the wall.
This room was clearly high-tech, likely specially designed.
But the only person who entered was Murata Himeko, and she carried no weapons or defensive gear.
This treatment clearly was not meant for a Herrscher.
They still haven’t figured out I’m a Herrscher!
Angel felt slightly relieved.
But she was in enemy territory, and everything was uncertain.
Angel could only stay alert, keep a straight face, and reveal as little emotion as possible.
“You’re quite wary.
But don’t worry, we’re not some kind of insane organization.”
Murata Himeko smiled.
A table and two chairs suddenly rose from the empty floor.
Himeko sat in one chair, facing Angel, and gestured to the other, inviting her to sit.
Angel stared blankly at Himeko.
After a long moment, she got off the bed and sat down across from her.
Himeko then pulled a black iron rod from behind her back, gripping it at both ends with a bright, warm smile on her face.
Then…
Creak~
The iron rod slowly bent almost in half right before Angel’s eyes.
Then, Himeko casually tossed the bent rod in front of Angel.
It landed on the table with a heavy metallic thud, demonstrating its weight and hardness.
“As you can see, we are people who wield dangerous power and use it to protect the world.
So you probably understand why we came looking for you.
I’m Murata Himeko.
Nice to meet you.”
“…”
Angel said nothing, sitting quietly and listening, her gaze only moving slightly with Himeko’s motions, like a delicate, silent puppet.
She had discovered another use for the authority of Dominance.
If she focused all her attention on the authority itself rather than her body, she could make her body show no emotion at all, just like a real puppet.
Himeko found this uncooperative attitude a bit vexing.
She casually tossed out a few photos—the bloody, brutal alley scene.
“You did this, didn’t you?”
“I did.
Are you here to put me on trial?”
Angel spoke without any expression.
It was all easily verifiable, so there was no point in denying it.
But St.
Freya should also be able to easily look up what had led to it.
Those little scumbags had long been isolating and bullying Angel because of her appearance, and after she lost her parents, they had only gotten worse.
Those memories, filled with darkness and fear, still stirred up killing intent even in the now more mature and composed Angel.
For this one act of violence, Angel felt no guilt at all.
But in front of Himeko, she still had to put on a show.
St.
Freya’s people were kind-hearted, so gaining their sympathy would keep her safe.
Beneath Angel’s cold, expressionless mask, all thirty Angels were discussing their next move.
Himeko laughed at her response.
What she had feared most was Angel shutting down and refusing to communicate.
As long as she was willing to speak, there was a chance to understand her and help her open up.
Himeko said in as gentle a tone as she could manage:
“Don’t worry.
I know the root of the problem isn’t you…”
“No.
They deserved to die, and I wanted to kill them.
I just didn’t expect it to happen that way.
Just do whatever you’re going to do to me.
I’m tired of fake conversations.”
“You’re not very cute, little one.”
Himeko kept her smile, speaking calmly.
In Himeko’s view, Angel’s reaction was like that of a frightened hedgehog, pointing its spines outward to protect its fragile, pitiful self.
And that fit perfectly with the personality profile Himeko had inferred from the files.
So Himeko tried to comfort her:
“The power you’ve awakened is extremely dangerous and hard to control.
We have plenty of experience with it.
According to our rules, in cases like yours, we don’t usually hand out severe punishments—provided you cooperate with us.
First, let’s start with honest communication.”
Himeko reached behind her again and pulled out a few books, placing them on the table.
“A Modern History of Schicksal, Fundamentals of Honkai, Lives of the Saints…
These are all accessible introductory readings, but they’re enough to reveal some truths about history and the world.
I’ll give you time to calm down.
I hope you’ll take a look at these books.
I’ll come back tomorrow.
We’ll arrange regular meal deliveries.
The bathroom is over there.
If you need anything else, just call out loud, and we’ll accommodate you as appropriate.”
“See you later, little one.”
Himeko left the room.
Inside, Angel sat there for a long time, then finally opened the books.
…
With shared perspectives, a few Angels focused on reading and memorizing the books while the rest chattered noisily in the theater.
“The situation is much better than we expected.
It looks like St.
Freya not only hasn’t discovered our Herrscher identity, but they’re probably trying to recruit the one outside.”
“We should be glad this happened in the Far East, on St.
Freya’s turf.”
“Are we staying, then?”
“Mm, if we stay, the risk of being discovered will definitely increase.”
“That’s not quite right.
The fact that we have Honkai energy is obviously not going to stay hidden.
In that case, not staying with St.
Freya would be more dangerous, wouldn’t it?”
“True.
Staying at St.
Freya as a student at least means we don’t have to worry too much about schemes and plots for now.
We can also calmly learn some necessary knowledge and skills.”
“St.
Freya’s moral standards are pretty high.
It’s a much better place to blend in than with Otto, World Serpent, or the Anti-Entropy reformers!”
“And we can get close to all those cute girls!”
“…Take her out and execute her.”
After a collective brainstorming session, the Angels made two decisions.
First, the Angel on the outside would maintain the image of a traumatized, bullied girl, join St.
Freya, and absorb the necessary knowledge from the academy.
Second, ten of the Angels in the theater would carefully return to the real world one by one, use various means to reach different continents, and hide in remote, uninhabited corners as final resurrection save points in case the theater fell.
In short, as always, surviving was victory.