Honkai: Man(Sludge) From Future

Ana had thought things would take a turn for the better.

But the turn happened in a way she never expected.

Professor Magi was packing his things. It seemed he was preparing to flee Academy City with a group of people.

"Let's go, quickly. This power outage won't last long. This is our only chance to get out."

That one sentence completely stunned Ana Schariac.

What was going on? Weren't they supposed to be negotiating with the higher-ups about their future development and considering the interests of the common people?

"Wait, you caused the power outage?!"

On her way here, she had been wondering why something like this would happen. Professor Magi's one sentence revealed everything he'd been doing behind the scenes.

"We did it," Professor Magi explained. "It was to get these people to leave Academy City as soon as possible."

"Someone has restricted the development of Honkai Energy across the entire world, so the Great Eruption will only happen here in Academy City. This leads to only one conclusion: the longer people stay here, the more dangerous it will be."

"I can't let these people become mere targets for the Honkai Energy, so we must leave here as quickly as possible."

Ana immediately cut him off, shouting, "Then what about the people with families who are staying behind? Are you just going to abandon them?"

"We can't help them! We can only take care of those we can. I couldn't even save my own granddaughter! These people won't listen to us. They've been incited to act as cannon fodder to tear down the walls of Academy City."

Professor Magi's words made Ana's head buzz.

She had just led a group of Valkyries who no longer wanted to fight out of Schicksal, finally thinking about what to do with their future.

On the way, they had even discussed whether to go back to school, maybe find a university, and use their knowledge to create the lives they wanted.

And now this man was telling her that the person who persuaded her was only doing it to escape at this very moment, without any thought for the future?

"Professor Magi, you once told me that we would find a new life that's more suitable for us together. So many people supported you. Have you forgotten that?"

Ana's question didn't faze Professor Magi in the slightest.

He said sternly, "They support me because I have a way to get them out of here. Once they get out with the things from here, they can do whatever they want, free from the constraints of the Academy City council. And the biotechnology and documents they obtained in Academy City will ensure they won't have to worry about food and drink for the rest of their lives."

Professor Magi said coldly, "They know full well that with Honkai Energy confined to Academy City, the outside world is a true paradise of peaceful living. Even with riots and protests in North America, it's still milder than facing a Great Eruption head-on. The chances of survival are much higher."

"Fine! Just fine!" Ana couldn't believe she had been used so miserably. She glared at Magi furiously and asked, "Have you forgotten?! Have you forgotten that you personally sent so many Valkyries to the artificial Stigma experiment tables, to the Herrscher Gem experiment tables?! So many of us died, just so these people could betray us!"

"They are not betraying us! No one could have predicted this place would become a testing ground for Honkai Energy, and no one could have predicted we would face this kind of crisis. They are innocent people too! It doesn't matter that my granddaughter died, but should we let more innocent people be dragged into this cruel testing ground?! Ana! You tell me! Is this what your Schicksal's fight against the Honkai and protection of the people is for? To one day have greater power to cage the masses and make them all part of your experiments? You tell me! Is this what the world has become?!"

Professor Magi screamed himself hoarse. He had lost everything. At this moment, no one could stop him.

He had come here to dismantle Academy City.

No matter the method, no matter who he had to work with, he would see it done.

Schicksal, Anti-Entropy—they all deserved to die!

From the day Schicksal and Anti-Entropy chose to use him, Professor Magi was no longer the idealistic scientist willing to sacrifice for humanity.

The actions of Otto and Cocolia, the Valkyries dying one by one in his hands, and finally, his granddaughter's death.

These repeated traumas had made Magi completely lose faith in these powerful figures.

Ana was speechless. She knew she couldn't win an argument against someone who had been hurt so deeply.

She, too, was experiencing a severe crisis of faith, just as she had when she chose to betray her former oath.

Could it be... that Schicksal was truly wrong? Was our ideal truly wrong?

Is this all just retribution for our choice to sacrifice others in experiments for power...?

Ana's eyes grew dim, unsure of what to do.

"Ana, let's go. This place is about to become a chaotic battlefield. I have to get my people out of here quickly..."

Magi said no more. He had said all he needed to say.

The rest was up to Ana to decide for herself.

A battlefield?! Oh no!

Ana seemed to remember something. She immediately took out her phone, trying to contact Mahiru.

But in the complete darkness of the power outage, ordinary phones were useless. Only Schicksal's dedicated satellite communications could get through.

After several failed attempts, Ana gritted her teeth and plunged into the dark forest of Academy City.

She had to go find her friend and gather the Valkyries who had scattered.

---||---

Meanwhile, Sirin had run into trouble...

A strange woman stood in her way.

She had short gray hair, red eyes, and a completely useless cloak that did nothing to hide her figure.

Why? Why wear such a pointless outfit that only serves to show off your body?

The question popped into Sirin's mind.

"Who are you?" she asked aloud.

"..."

The hooded woman stared at Sirin in silence for a moment, unable to reconcile the innocent-looking girl before her with the legendary Second Herrscher.

After all, how many people had the Second Herrscher killed back then? To say she was a good person was to ignore a sin that could never be washed away.

Even now, Siberia was still saturated with the lingering effects of a massive Honkai Eruption.

And yet, here she was, living so happily in this big city, with someone even willing to pay for her new clothes and take her out to have fun.

Could there be anything more infuriatingly ridiculous in this world?

"Raven."

As she spoke, a beam of light shot from the heavens, aimed straight for Sirin's heart, determined to take the Second Herrscher's life.

It was the Third Divine Key, the Key of Judgment: Seven Thunders of Retribution.