However, at this moment, Kazuki was feeling fully confident.
This was an Emanator!
On Earth, that would be the kind of combat power that says “Protect my Earth” or “I don’t eat beef”!
He almost blurted out that classic CEO line— “Woman, you have successfully caught my attention.” Managing to swallow the cheesy line just as it reached his lips, he shifted his thoughts and dived directly into the system space, causing time in the outside world to pause completely.
He yelled at the [Emanator of Beauty Herta] card, “Herta is truly beautiful and kind-hearted,” and plunged headfirst into the Card Space.
A powerful sensation of travel instantly enveloped him, and his whole body plunged into a nebula tunnel woven from oil painting colors and symphonic sound waves.
Cobalt blue, gamboge, and violet churned around him like wet frescoes on a wall.
His ears were filled with melodies of violins and pianos entwined, and even taking a breath felt like stepping to the beat of a waltz.
It was truly beautiful, but also truly dangerous—if one’s willpower were even slightly weak, they would instantly dissolve into a wisp of pigment or a single musical note, forever melting into this torrent of The Beauty, without even causing a ripple.
When he finally felt solid ground beneath his feet, the sound waves in his ears and the colors before his eyes vanished completely.
Kazuki looked up and instantly held his breath.
He was standing on a plaza of piano keys as white as ivory; the marble patterns under his feet were the black and white keys of a piano, stretching all the way to the tower in the center of the city that looked like a divine miracle.
Kazuki had a sudden flash of inspiration, and the answer popped into his head—Clock Tower, Herta City.
This place was the domain of [Emanator of Beauty Herta], countless times larger than Okhema.
With just his ordinary human legs, he might not reach the spire where [Emanator of Beauty Herta] resided even if he walked for a lifetime.
Fortunately, the Card Space gave him the authority to teleport anywhere here; otherwise, he would have been completely lost.
Kazuki decided not to rush to find her, choosing instead to leisurely admire the “The Beauty” art of this [Emanator of Beauty Herta].
This walkway spread around the entire Herta City, and the whole city was crafted entirely from art: buildings looked like the tiptoes of ballet dancers or unfolded parchment sheet music.
When the wind blew, the entire row of buildings would play a nocturne.
The streetlights were all sculptures of Herta holding candles, their warm light like brushstrokes of an oil painting, wrapping the entire street in a glow.
As the wind blew falling petals past, their trajectories were actually the dance steps of a dancer in mid-air, each landing precisely on the heavy beat of the melody.
And the Clock Tower in the center of the city was the soul of this masterpiece.
The tower’s body resembled the frozen posture of a ballet principal taking a final bow.
The white jade-like tower was inlaid with gilded musical staves, and the reliefs carved upon it depicted countless moving moments of art being born in the galaxy.
The spire had no clock face; instead, twelve Herta sculptures holding musical instruments kept the time.
The pendulum consisted of two silk ribbons resembling water sleeves, swaying back and forth in dance steps, and the light dust stirred up would coalesce into fleeting musical notes and dance poses.
It is said that only when a soul resonates with beauty will the tower ring with a grand symphonic chime, striking directly into the softest part of one’s heart.
As he was watching, two puppets appeared silently beside him—one a ballet dancer, the other an opera diva—and they recited a welcome message in unison.
Immediately after, one began to dance a waltz on tiptoes, and the other began to sing a melodious aria, instantly awakening all of Kazuki’s senses.
He could suddenly hear the subtle sound of petals trembling, see hundreds of nameless colors hidden in the daylight, and feel the melody slide over his fingertips like silk—this was not some cold technical calibration, but a gentle gift from this Emanator of Beauty.
Kazuki stepped onto the piano key walkway.
As soon as his toes touched the ground, a crisp piano note rang out.
One step, one note, they actually connected into a melody that belonged solely to him, containing the wonder of his transmigration and the irrepressible high spirits of a youth.
The harmonies in the wind immediately echoed along, and the candles along the street lit up one by one, wrapping around him like stage spotlights as he walked forward.
The lingering panic he had gathered was instantly smoothed away completely.
At the end of the walkway was a harp-shaped pendulum door.
The ivory plectrum instantly captured his heartbeat and exclusive melody, and the rhythm of its swing perfectly matched his heartbeat.
The strings chimed softly, and the great doors slowly opened, revealing an endless theater hall inside.
A single spotlight fell steadily onto the center of the stage, and Herta was standing there.
Completely different from the witch-outfitted version outside, at this moment, she wore a headpiece made of bellflowers, stars, and pearls, dressed in a flowing gown with a trailing skirt, her long legs wrapped in black stockings and stepping in thin high heels; she shone as brightly as the light in the center of the stage.
[Image] [Emanator of Beauty Herta] She watched Kazuki, who was stunned in place, and the corners of her mouth curled up.
Her voice was clear and crisp, carrying a hint of teasing amusement: “You seemed quite confident when you were shouting ‘beautiful and kind-hearted’ outside just now, didn’t you?
What’s wrong?
Now that you see this genius, you can’t speak?” Sigh, a genius who does art is still a genius.
With a light tap of her fingertip in the air, a velvet chair immediately appeared before Kazuki, along with a steaming cup of hot cocoa, and the melody he had just stepped out began to flow slowly through the air.
“To be able to walk all the way here, you still have some taste.” She tilted her head, raised an eyebrow, her eyes appearing to contain an entire galaxy: “Speak, having broken into my domain, do you want a peerless song of the galaxy, a shocking dance step, or…
to sit down and listen to the ‘Coronet of Light Dust · Hymn of the Knights of Beauty’ that I composed myself?” “I originally wanted to tell you that I want to use your identity,” Kazuki asked, looking curious.
“But I’m even more curious now, how could you actually hear what I said outside the card?” “What else would you expect?” Herta shrugged, admitting it openly and honestly, not feeling anything wrong with it at all.
“Although I am dead, I am different from ordinary cards.” “You are truly beautiful, and your artistic talent also seems excellent.
You are worthy of being an Emanator of Beauty,” Kazuki exclaimed sincerely.
“Hmph, being able to draw me, count yourself lucky to have received the favor of Idrila,” Herta laughed, looking smug.
“After all, if I hadn’t been the first to step onto the path of beauty and become an Emanator of Beauty, Xipe of Harmony would have made me an Emanator of Harmony as well.” Kazuki took a sip of hot cocoa and retorted mercilessly: “You and that Emanator of Erudition version of you outside are cut from the same cloth…
equally narcissistic.” “A version of me would be looked at askance by that boring mechanical head?” Herta was surprised at first, then switched to a tone of “it’s only natural,” “As expected, even if I change my identity and change my Path, my charm is still omnipresent.” Listening to this, Kazuki felt exhausted on the spot.
It turns out that in every three sentences this person says, two and a half are inseparable from praising herself.
No wonder her wish clearly stated: “Make at least three beings of Emanator level or higher sincerely praise ‘Ms.
Herta’s beauty is unparalleled in the world’.” This is simply narcissism carved into her DNA.