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In New York, USA, within the newly established Queens district.
Rin was manipulating all media outlets to forcefully report on matters related to Schicksal. This was likely the most audacious move by Schicksal since Otto's departure.
It was a gamble; if the Schicksal leadership lacked the capability to guide humanity, it would spell disaster for both Schicksal and the entire human race.
On the contrary, if executed effectively, the vast resources consumed by the Entropy Reduction Plan could be swiftly replenished. Throughout history, centralization has always been the fastest means to acquire resources.
As residents of the most economically advanced neighborhood in the United States, people watching the news on their screens displayed expressions of disbelief.
Could someone explain why America suddenly lost its status as the world's number one superpower?
This multicultural nation had long relied on the pride of being 'number one' to maintain unity, but now that sense of pride vanished abruptly.
If Schicksal had merely showcased their capabilities against Honkai, it might have been more palatable. However, whether it was the floating islands, massive airborne warships, or the Demi-God Machine series... all perfectly aligned with humanity's imagination of cutting-edge technology.
What did the United States have in comparison? Dilapidated underground railways, perhaps?
The residents of New Queens wore mixed expressions, torn between admiration and unease.
Before they could fully process the shock of slipping from first to second place globally, explosions rocked New Queens.
Dolls had appeared.
Seemingly unwilling to let Schicksal stabilize order without resistance, these dolls decided to wreak havoc in one of the world's most powerful nations.
However, with the police system restored, New York's law enforcement swiftly mobilized.
These dolls, their minds twisted, weren't any smarter than humans. In fact, due to the various tools at humanity's disposal, authorities could often predict the next location of a doll-induced explosion based on its trajectory and terrain.
The NYPD might have been lackluster under normal circumstances, but not today.
Currently, overseeing this aspect of operations within the police department was none other than Einstein herself.
Anti-Entropy couldn't openly confront Schicksal as they did, lest it attract more ambitious individuals or inadvertently escalate into direct conflict with Schicksal.
Nevertheless, out of caution, Anti-Entropy deemed it necessary to flex some muscle in North America. At least, to deter those who sought to exploit the United States against Schicksal.
Schicksal had already ascended to the position of global hegemon. Until the completion of the Entropy Reduction Plan, Schicksal represented the largest banner that must not fall.
However, if Entropy Reduction succeeds, regardless of the outcome between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, both factions would have fulfilled their historical missions. At that point... truthfully, Einstein hadn't contemplated what life would be like after Honkai's defeat.
Nevertheless, they must consider potential futures, no matter how uncertain.
But first, they needed to overcome Honkai.
Einstein herself wouldn't leave the Salt Lake Base, but remotely directing operations from there was not difficult for her.
"The next location is on the tallest building at the west street corner. These dolls love attention, and it's also densely populated. Have the police from the new district head over immediately, and prepare for the possibility of the police station being targeted..."
Though not an AI, Einstein outperformed them with her strategic prowess.
These dolls displayed clear intentions of vengeance and showboating; their destruction wasn't just about chaos—they wanted everyone to know who was responsible.
Driven by anger, their actions made it easier for Einstein to exploit their weaknesses.
This confrontation was a battle between order and chaos.
And this time, humanity held the advantage.
At the Oceanic Branch:
As Xia Chen emerged from the Dominion Theater with Wendy, she was on the verge of fainting. The hunger made wearing the Valkyrie Armor an unbearable burden. Fortunately, aside from her depleted energy, there were no other issues.
No wounds, and no signs of Honkai corruption—a truly relieving outcome.
The Herrscher of Dominance incident at the Oceanic Branch remained unresolved; however, due to the agreement reached with Otto, chaos would no longer plague this place.
Xia Chen did not reveal that Otto had orchestrated the events surrounding the Herrscher of Dominance.
It wasn't because Otto asked him to keep it secret; rather, Otto never intended secrecy in the first place. His reputation within Schicksal was too high, and moreover, nobody knew his true motives for orchestrating such actions.
The desire to resurrect Kallen, for instance, was not documented in the Schicksal Files.
Fortunately, after rescuing Wendy, Schicksal Headquarters did not assign Xia Chen any further tasks. Instead, Wu Jin, whom he had met previously in Shenzhou, sent him a series of inquiries.
Schicksal's public revelation affected not only the United States but also Shenzhou. Despite Shenzhou's control over information dissemination, the news sparked widespread discussions among its populace. Compared to the United States, Shenzhou was even more reluctant to disrupt the existing order.
Xia Chen casually brushed off Wu Jin's inquiries, but then heard about unusual activities near Shenzhou's South Sea. Despite immortals investigating the source, there was still unease.
With information from the World Serpent, Shenzhou was aware of the disparity between Honkai Beasts and their own capabilities.
The so-called disturbances were clearly linked to Chiyou.
"In other words, Fu Hua and the Herrscher of Sentience are currently in the South Sea?"
He knew that after leaving the World Serpent, Fu Hua and the Herrscher of Sentience had returned to Shenzhou. They did not join Anti-Entropy nor intended to align with Schicksal, preferring to operate independently.
It became evident that following the Coral Island incident, Fu Hua completely lost trust in Schicksal.
Similarly, Anti-Entropy had no compelling reason for Fu Hua to join them.
Xia Chen considered visiting the South Sea himself to witness 'Chiyou.' However, he wasn't particularly concerned about Soulium or Stigmata.
His primary interest lay in verifying his hypothesis. If Mobius' claim about his existence being a quantum superposition simulation is true, how does the world reconcile the paradox of Chiyou, who died on one possible timeline yet exists now? How does it correct itself?
This led Xia Chen to recall Rin's encounter with the Jizo Mitama's Honkai collapse.
Could it be that the world's fate lines are corrected through such instances of Honkai?
However, regardless of his speculations, there seemed no way to conclusively prove this theory.
All he could do was provide crucial information assistance whenever Herrschers emerged across the globe.
In New Mexico, USA.
Kiana held the invitation letter, her eyes reflecting a cold demeanor as a presence emerged within her mind.
"Need my help?"
It was Sirin, the Herrscher, speaking indifferently, "You're still too weak, Kiana."
"You have a long way to go before reaching the full power of a Herrscher."
"I highly doubt you'd assist me unconditionally," Kiana replied coolly. "What's your price?"
A hint of mockery appeared at the corner of her lips. "I don't believe for a moment that anything good would come from you without strings attached."
"My price..."
"How about repaying me with your body?"
"Don't worry, I won't kill you; just want to regain some leverage."
Kiana's expression turned slightly peculiar. "What makes you think I'll fall for this trap?"