Location: Mindscape
Ugh....
Gabriel...
Gabriel Tsun Ren Woo...
Urgh...
Hit the deck! Enemies to starboard! All personnel, return fire-
Good job, Gabriel! That's four planes down! Six more in the area-
Sup, newbie? My name's Yvonne, what do you say about fighting together from now on?
War is coming. They'll never stop at anything to achieve their goal. You'll do best to pledge your allegiance to us, lest you and your family gets annihilated in this brutal bloodshed.
Get back here, Gabriel! I swear, if I ever catch you-
Welcome to the 10th anniversary livestream of Honkai Impact 3rd! Here, we-
Memo...ries?
Hey, Gab, there's this new game coming out, by that Mihoyo company! It's called-
WAKE UP.
WAKE UP, GABRIEL TSUN REN WOO.
The prelude to Finality has only just begun.
***********************************************************************************************
Gabriel and Welt's room
"Hwuhah..!"
I woke with a start, panting. Rushes of my memories flooded my brain, tangling themselves into a confusing mess. As I patted my head to clear it of all the thoughts, Welt began to stir to the chirping of the birds.
What was that?
My past? Unbelievable... Why is it all coming back to me now?
"Oh, you're already awake." Welt smiled as he yawned, getting up from his bed to head to the bathroom to brush his teeth.
"Yeah, it's a fine morning..."
Something's happening. I don't know what, but...
I feel that the Honkai is watching me.
***********************************************************************************************
"Ugh... it seems that the greatest enemy of humanity is time indeed."
"Sounds like someone hasn't enjoyed their vacation enough." Einstein teased Tesla, who was puffing her cheeks out due to her boredom.
"Of course! The month is already over, and we haven't even left the city yet! And I only just got a new driver's license!"
"Says the one who managed to get it revoked in the first place..." I muttered silently in the corner, but the lobster turned on me faster than an electrical signal.
"HUH!? What is that I hear?"
"Nothing! Nothing, really..."
"Anyways, let's go already! Hell, we could go anywhere! While you guys are dilly-dallying, I'm going to change my clothes!"
"Wait, driver's license? When-" Welt was shocked that are resident reckless driver has even managed to get her revoked license back.
"Similar to how you got your own passport, Welt. After a lot of inside work, if you catch my drift." Einstein explained.
Welt immediately facepalmed and sighed at the situation while Einstein turned on Tesla.
"Having said that, Dr. Tesla, we've been to the Royal Concert Hall, the Open Air Theatre, Oxford Street, Regent Street, watched the football at Stamford Bridge Stadium ... and visited the British Museum five times with Joachim..."
"Hold it, Mophead, you've rambled on enough! Those are all within walking distance from here! Do you all like spending your time visiting the same places over and over again?"
"Maybe a new place would be nice. I have to concur with Tesla here."
"Finally, someone is on my side!" Tesla casted a glance of approval at me before turning to Welt. "Seriously Welt, your trip planning is solely for matching the tastes of Mophead over there... though I must say I don't hate it..."
"Quiet whispers much? C'mon, Dr. Tesla, for someone voicing an opinion, you sure like to get quiet-"
"You just earned points of approval and you want to lose them right now?!"
"Well, not that your 'points of approval' is exactly worth much-"
...
...
Tesla turned away with an annoyed look plastered onto her face. It's great, since I'm technically her only source of unlimited explosives. I am not making unlimited explosives, by the way.
"So... how would you like to go to a seaside resort?" Welt sipped his milk from his glass.
"Going to the beach in winter?! Are you stupid?"
"But there's this ad here, it says that if you go during this season, you get to rent out the entire resort at only 30% of the original price!"
"There's no way we're going sunbathing in this weather."
"That's not all, Dr. Tesla, it also includes bowling coupons, hot spring passes, self-service barbecue..."
"Wait, all of that is being discounted?!"
"Even if the site is not being used, there is still depreciation loss due to general wear and tear. Besides, its pre-discount price is equal to the summer price with some additional 'padding'." Einstein explained. "That being said... you seem pretty eager to go, no?"
"Of course! They say autumn is the season of feasts, and there's no way I'm passing up on a chance like this!"
"No need to eat too much, lest you end up in the hospital." Einstein snickered.
"W-Who could be stupid enough to do that?! Of course I wouldn't!"
"Ah, I wonder indeed, who could be so stupid, hmm?" Einstein smiled before taking a sip of her milk tea.
"Ein is really great at controlling Tesla's ego..." Welt noted as we watched the girls bicker.
"Yeah... I suppose she could write a short book regarding 'How to Manage your Nikola Tesla' at this point..."
"OI! I can hear you two!" Tesla suddenly turned on us and began stomping furiously over, causing me to immediately levitate myself up and out of her reach.
"Gabriel! Don't leave me down here! You partially caused this too!"
"Nope. You could also try levitating, but then I would have to deal with the lobster later."
"Hey! I am not a lobster! And for once, I'm on the same side as Welt! Get down here, you coward!"
"How about no... because if I do, I'm going to swing you around in the air like a ragdoll..."
Tesla was obviously not happy after that, because she went up to her room and came down with a dangerous looking weapon.
"Um, Ms. Tesla, I don't see the need to resort to violence-"
BOOM.
A shot was unleashed from her cannon-like device, and it broke a hole through the roof.
"Point taken. I'll come down after fixing the roof."
***********************************************************************************************
Southend-on-Sea.
This resort, named after its own geographical location, has been the most popular suburban resort for Londoners since the large-scale urbanization during the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century – but only during the summer.
In fact, when we arrived at our destination in a Volkswagen Beetle, only three cars can be seen in the large parking lot... prompting anyone to wonder whether if they had suddenly arrived at Iceland or some other country with a very low population density.
"This is pretty deserted... but it's pretty nice, eh?" Tesla seemed to enjoy the quiet atmosphere.
"We still have a little time before lunch... where do you all want to go?" Welt asked as he checked the schedule.
"I'll go scour the area for any traces of Honkai Energy, so probably by the beach?" I answered, levitating our luggages out of the car's trunk.
"I need to take a stroll as well... Tesla, even though you haven't driven for a year, somehow your style has gotten even more wild..." Einstein coughed a little.
"Huh? No, no... it can't be! You have motion sickness? Do you need me to carry you?"
Dr. Tesla, did you just go off script?
"No, no... I'm fine... just minor amounts of nausea."
"I'm also kind of sick, now that you mention it..." Welt added as I saw him wobble slightly.
"Hey! Who cares about you, beansprout!"
"B-Beansprout? What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means that she thinks you're weak... come over here." I put my hand on Welt's forehead, and stabilized the flow of fluids within his brain using my telekinesis. "That should make it better for a while. The brain will take some time to get used to it."
While we were having our moment, a red-haired lady walked over. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! Is this Mr. Welt Joyce and his party of four?"
"Ah, yes... Imperial Institute, party of four. Sorry to bother you with our shenanigans earlier."
"Oh, I wouldn't say I mind. After all, it's good to see that our guests are all getting along so well..." The woman casually took a suitcase from next to me before I could move it with my powers. "My name is Margarita Ayette, but you may simply refer to me as 'Rita'. Welcome to the West Cliff Rita Resort!"
"Eh? You're the manageress?" Welt asked in slight surprise.
"Ahahaha... it's off-season, so we don't have much staff around. I suppose it might be a little unsightly, but it'll help you save on the unnecessary tips, no?"
"Well, I suppose we must thank you ahead of time for your gracious hospitality." I said, bowing slightly.
"No need, no need... come on, let's head inside. It is winter season right now, after all."
***********************************************************************************************
The accommodation provided by "West Cliff Rita" is a small villa with a seaside view. From the second floor, one can see a continuous flow of merchant ships passing through the Thames estuary. The furnishings in the villa are a mix of both Victorian and Colonial-era designs, and hanging from the light wallpaper are art portraits of dubious origin, many of which look like third-rate works commissioned for ten pounds each.
As Welt reminisced on the balcony, I joined my friend as we looked out at the ships in the bay.
"Lost in thought?"
"Yeah, a little."
"What'cha thinking about?"
"Just... you know, how so much has happened lately. I mean, you obtained a physical body! We both never anticipated this!"
"Yeah, I suppose so..."
"And all the people we met, of course... I'm not sure what to make of most of them, but... they're definitely all sincere ones."
"Hmm... You're right about that. Be it the scientists or our other associates, they all seem to be quite good people."
"They have their own roles: Edison is the core of the North American branch; Planck seems to be the 'dampener' between her and the Headquarters — although obviously biased; and Reanna is a soldier whose 'duty is to obey orders'."
"They are all playing those roles to perfection... that's what matters. It's thanks to them that I could even exist, you know? Without them... I would've never gathered enough Honkai Energy to manifest - let alone try to gain a physical body. Maybe it's thanks to you too."
"In the future, when the hidden contradictions between the North American branch and Headquarters eventually erupt into full-blown conflict, then, unlike those who already have a clear position... those who are caught in the middle — whether it is myself, or ordinary researchers such as Einstein and Tesla — which side should we take? From the previously collected Soulium data, the mysterious character who claims to be "H.A." treats Schicksal as her enemy. What did she discover? What did she experience? When Ada eventually decodes her encrypted information, how should we face it? Einstein and Tesla believed that "there can be no decision without proper investigation and research", but the external situation may change rapidly at any moment, in a myriad ways — can that really give them enough time?"
"..."
"You know, Gabriel, there's all these questions inside my head. Uncertain, for the future that has yet to come. I know I have to stand tall and face them, just like how Planck said we should."
"I feel you. In the end, whatever happens, we're in this together. And just know, I'll never let any of you die."
"Dying aside... about what Planck said back then... how do you propose we approach it?"
"Hmmm... if I recall correctly..."
Flashback *****
A month ago... on the airplane.
"Um... what do you mean by, secretive talk?" Welt asked in the face of Planck, who held a slightly devious smile to her demeanour.
"Fufu. That's not a bad reaction either. I did say that I'll tell you all the juicy details." Planck replied, batting her eyes mischievously. "Let's first talk about the cooperation between Princess Nancy and the organization. As you may or may not know, she's been the head of the General Electric Company, or GE for short, since she was 17 years old."
"Wait, only 17?"
"Yes. She lost her parents that year due to a Honkai outbreak. Despite not knowing anything about the Honkai, and was told specifically 'not to investigate any further', a person like Nancy would never cease to make good use of all resources at hand. The situation at the time was that the World War had just ended, and the economy in most parts of the world had been ruined by the destruction of the war. So, she directly used offers of high salary and experimental funds as bait, and began attempting to poach personnel from our organization."
"Is that even possible?"
"Well, it certainly wasn't a smooth process. But something that no-one expected her to do, was that, when her poaching was unsuccessful, she paid a personal visit to Headquarters, and proposed that she help the organization establish a North American branch."
"I don't know much about Schicksal, but would they even agree to such a thing?"
"There were zero arguments made. It wasn't astonishing when you realize that she offered 13 billion USD for the project and support of the European side."
"13 BILLION?!!"
"Yeah... also known as the European Recovery Program. (A/N: This is an actual thing) People say that money can't buy everything, but the thing is, is that they probably just don't have enough of it."
"But why was there no North American branch in the past...? Oh."
Yup. Remember what Finn said? They didn't find any traces of PE era stuff around here, so they didn't think it was valuable enough to invest in.
"It seems you figured it out yourself. To the Schicksal High Council, it was akin to a pie falling from the sky – there was no PE era traces around the region, so the NA branch was nothing in their eyes, one that could pose no threat."
"But in reality..."
"Yup. We modern people are no less capable than our predecessors in the previous era, if we do it ourselves, we could definitely succeed. What's more is that once the news of the Yellowstone Ruins and the other sites are revealed, tensions will rise once again between the two sides. Or, perhaps HQ already possesses an advantage over us, and is operating secretly."
"Wouldn't that turn out to be quite the dangerous situation?!"
"Well, if you guys do find the 'Last Soulium', you all would be getting the front row tickets to a good show."
"A good show?"
She means that we will unveil some serious lore bits. Dumbass.
I'm not dumb!
Then take a hint. This is like the third time this conversation. Are you sure you're not replying because of impeccable comedic timings?
No, I swear! I'm just a tad bit surprised, that's all.
"Don't you think that if you do find something, it will be some sort of explosive revelation? Even the worst case scenario, we will just most likely be forced into making a choice of sorts."
"..."
Are you afraid, Welt?
No. Just curious, that's all.
"You know, I've always wanted to ask this... what is the purpose of Schicksal? Its goals? Is it truly just to fight the Honkai?"
Planck was silent for a moment before she gave an answer. "I have no definitive way to answer that. It's not because I'm trying to treat you like an outsider, so don't worry about that... Schicksal is a very large organization. The perceived ideology between any two members could be as varied as night and day.
"Ordinary clerks, Valkyries, researchers, patrons, council members... What each party sees is just one aspect of the Organization." Planck explained. Contrary to the suspicions of skeptics, for this global organization there is no impetus other than its superficial purpose – its complexity brought upon by the living people who comprise it. For example, sometimes I really hate this self-opinionated and obstinate 'princess'. You know, Tesla's talents are almost wasted on her hands – but her intentions are good. However, if it push comes to shove and I have to choose between her and the council, I will spend all my efforts to support her. She at least respects the objective laws of scientific research."
"Heh? But I thought the council was an institution grounded in technological and scientific understanding...?"
"But their militaristic aspirations even more well-grounded. The priority of the council is never if something is scientifically true or not – it's whether they could control it or not. Their technological and scientific capabilities are indeed powerful, but when they try to exert control everything, it hurts science as a whole more than you could imagine. A good example would be Soulium."
"Soulium? The thing we're searching for?"
"Yes. Some Soulium contain information from the Previous Era – making them extremely valuable. The council's unusual interest in Soulium does not allow individual branches of the organization to develop tech and interpret the messages on their own. Why do you think that is?"
"Because they're afraid of the misuse of information inside the Soulium?"
"While that is indeed one of the reasons, they have much more pressing concerns – PE's weapon technology is extremely demanding on the user's adaptability to the Honkai. In other words, if you want to use the technology, you need a good handful of high-level Valkyries on your side."
"You mean to say we have to..."
"Yes. As Valkyries are also naturally human, they have a high chance of betraying Schicksal too. This is not just speculation – throughout history, events as such have been recorded in numerous amounts. The reasoning behind most is because of personal grievances or something else... which is the 'information from PE'. These ideas and info originated from a generation that failed to defeat the Honkai – as such, it clashes with many of Schicksal's core values.What's more problematic is that those information can be accepted too easily by children who are empathetic."
"..."
Any ideas, Gabriel?
From what I'm seeing here, it's just another way to exert control... However, I don't think the PE people are correct either. There was no point in the ideology – whether it's now or then, giving up hope is the last thing anyone wants in this war against the Honkai.
"In a nutshell, it's difficult to logically judge how many of those ancient ideologies are credible or usable. Technology can be used in experiments to test their functions, while equations can be solved with mathematics. However, for ideas that are hard to falsify... they're tricky to deal with. Because of this, once you start treat those dissenting people with a condescending attitude, it becomes easy for you to feel that they are easy manipulated and impossibly stupid. In this case, the most convenient way for you as a leader to handle the situation is to limit the rights and privileges of those people. It is without a doubt that the result of such laziness is covert operations will take place everywhere – which means the entire organization is now dependent on militaristic management to maintain its unity. It only becomes increasingly more efficient if you continue to shrink those privileges."
Welt was obviously struggling to take in all the info dump that Planck is laying out here, and although I want to help him, the determination that lies in the eyes tells it all – he wants to know how to protect the people he cares for.
And that's good enough for me.
"When it comes to the general army, this is nothing. After all, everyone agrees that it's a soldier's duty to obey orders. The problem is that Schicksal is much more than an army. From the perspective of cultivating scientific personnel, 'shrinking' privileges is very bad for talent growth. You know how it is, as you've visited many labs. And you must know just how special Lab 42 really is. If there is only one Lab 42 in this world, that can satisfy a degree of freedom that scientific talents truly need to grow – then I think we have no chance of winning against the Honkai. What are your thoughts?"
She has a point.
...
Planck is right, but only if we do nothing. So what do you want to do? Therein lies the answer.
I think I have an idea on how Schicksal should handle this. However, first and foremost...
"Please, for whatever the case is, do not put Ein and the others in danger."
"Hmm...?"
"Although I don't know for such a large organization like Schicksal, whether what they're doing is truly just... but I can imagine that one day the NA branch and European side will part ways. I don't know the implications of such an event, but as the teacher, please don't involve your students in that! I know for sure that that should absolutely not happen!"
Planck was taken aback for a second before she gave a slight smile. "You really had me going there... I was wondering what you were going to say."
"What, is that something you can't do?"
"Fufufu... did you really think I was going to persuade you to support the NA branch by explaining its principles? You cute little idiot!"
Aww....
Shut it!
"H-Hey! Who's the idiot! Also, 'cute' and 'little' are unnecessary!"
"Hahaha... you see, Welt, it's at times like this that you become especially amusing." Planck suddenly switches her tone. "Look, listen to me. In this world, there are always causes and effects that you cannot stop. If, just if that Soulium you guys are searching for happens to light the fuse for what's to come... when that time comes, trust only your inner judgment. Don't think about us, nor Schicksal. You must listen attentively to that inner voice deep within yourself, the voice that, as an ordinary person, gives fruition to those simplest and purest ideas. Everything has two sides – so the key point is whether or not you acknowledge your actions from the heart."
"..."
"And then, protect well those who you want to protect. Do not forget, you are resistant to the Honkai – not even us scientists can explain it."
Yeah, Welt. Don't forget – you're a Herrscher. Do you even know what it means?
The German word for Rulers?
Exactly. You are a ruler of this realm. Whether you like it or not, this power and responsibility has fallen to you. So, what kind of world do you wish for, brought about by the change of your 'laws'?
Flashback end *****
You done on reminiscing?
Was the piano always playing?
Yup. You zoned out for a moment there, but since you looked like you were deep in thought, I decided to not disturb you.
...
Welt? Welt?
No, it's just... that song. Don't you recognize it?
A little...? Why, do you...
Before I could continue, Welt suddenly started singing.
"Oh, Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling
From glen to glen, and down the mountain side.
The summer's gone, and all the roses falling,
It's you, it's you must go and I must bide."
"But come ye back when summer's in the meadow,
Or when the valley's hushed and white with snow,
It's I'll be there in sunshine or in shadow,—
Oh, Danny boy, Oh Danny boy, I love you so!"
Well... I'll leave you both to it. Not exactly my place to be, eh?
Leaving the two, I vanished in a poof of mist and smoke, leaving Welt alone with Einstein.
"Welt, are you also familiar with this song? This was taught to me by him... from a long, long time ago..."
***********************************************************************************************
A little later...
Mindscape
A vibrant pink construct floated in the air, as if unaffected by any force in play.
"Split."
On command, it separated into two identical, thinner rectangular prisms.
"Shatter."
And once again, the prisms shattered into fine dust, eventually dissolving onto the solid liquid floor of the mindscape.
"Okay, let's try this again."
[Orders received. Initiating Phase 9.]
The mechanical voice warbled in the space exclusive to the Wish, spawning in 5 Imperators and 2 Queens.
[Form. Split. Spears. Pierce.]
A chain of commands were repeated in the boy's head, and the pink energy constructs obeyed his every thought. With a quick swish and flick of his hand, two Imperators perished on the spot before the others could realize what was going on.
As soon as their senses were activated, the Emperor-class Honkai Beasts charged at Gabriel with all their might, but their attacks landed on a wall of pink energy, dispelling their momentum and sending them crashing back.
[Form. Sharpen. Elongate. Spin.]
A pair of spiky lances appeared next, shredding away at another two Imperators, its serrated edges cutting straight past the silicon armour of the Honkai Beasts. As the final Imperator approached, the small pink energy covered Gabriel's left forearm.
[Form. Fist. Booster. Fire.]
The glove-like structure attached to Gabriel's hand suddenly activated its imaginary boosters, sending his fist flying forward at a terrifying speed, punching straight through the beast.
[Elongate. Enlarge.]
The fist expanded in length and width, leaving a giant hole in the creature. The remaining two Queens launched aura attacks akin to Gabriel's Fa Jin shockwaves, but they were easily dispelled as Gabriel punched the air back to dispel the incoming energy.
"Last two. Let's keep this going."
[Form. Flatten. Spread. Engulf.]
The pink prism was squished down to the height of a pizza crust, and became instantly malleable. Then, it suddenly enlarged in size, its surface area rivalling that of a dragon before it encased both Queens in its body, similar to using a garbage bag to pick up littered waste.
The Queens screeched in horror, but Gabriel paid it no mind before closing his fist, signalling the end of the beasts.
[Shrink.]
The orb made out of a thin layer of imaginary energy shrunk down to an infinitesimally small point, squeezing the two beasts out of existence while their mass was converted into energy. Shaking his hand to lessen stress, Gabriel let out a sigh of relief before smiling at his victory.
"YES! Finally, a perfect demonstration of control. Ritsu, fire up the next one, will ya?"
"Shouldn't you rest a bit, Master Gabriel?"
"Just fire it up. I'm on a roll!" Coating a layer of pink film onto his fists, Gabriel brimmed with energy, his heart racing as he prepared to face his next challenge.
And he got that challenge.
[Orders received. Initiating Phase 10.]
Similar to the stage number itself, 10 beasts descended from the air, landing on the ground with a deafening thud and shaking the mindscape itself. Gabriel's smile only widened despite in the face of 10 Ganeshas, their tusks ready to thrust into their enemy, and limbs ready to roll.
This is just like that time...
{Neko-charm!}
This is just like the first time I fought one of them, back in 2016...
{A swish of the gun, the crisp firing of the bullet, and the graceful dodges...}
I really am here.
So let's make the fullest of our powers.
[Evasion - The Zone]
As Gabriel dodged at the exact time of the Ganesha's attack, its hoofs soared past his body as he landed softly on the ground, the time dilating around him. He watched with awe as the tusks and body of the Ganesha slowly descent to the ground, robbing its attack of its element of surprise.
Then, the next second, Gabriel enhanced his fists with his psychokinesis again, and sent both fists through the Ganesha that attacked first. Two holes pierced through the elephant-like beast, with it letting out a dying howl before fading into dust.
"Hehehe...heheheha!" Gabriel only laughed, his power surging through him, yet not overflowing. The Honkai Energy coursed through his veins in constant flux, but the radiation was perfectly contained. "This is so fun! 1 down, 9 to go..."
Now that Gabriel had access to a physical form, so too did he accept a new power.
As the duality between the 'Tree' and the 'Sea', his birth as the Wish of the Honkai was recognized as a key existence – by none other than the Core of Reason. It was the perfect balance – the 'World' and the 'Honkai'.
And thus, it also became his duty to use the laws of Reason to protect the world as well.
The core hummed in approval once again, and this time, Gabriel responded to its call completely. Molding its shape into the core of his own being, the greyish gem forming within his existence.
Blooming.
Brimming with glory.
"I stand side by side with the World, Welt."
[Core of Reason – Vernunft Manifest]
A stronger copy of Tesla's hypothesized cannon device floated into my mind, and as Ritsu extracted the data from my brain, the Core of Reason processed my thoughts and outputted the being. With one blast, four Ganeshas were obliterated into smithereens.
[Core of Reason – Blaupause Platzen]
Ideas, blueprints, understanding – core mechanics regarding the usage and functions of the powers of the Herrscher of Reason. Now, if you were to combine them, and send them into the endless cycle courtesy of AI processing – a new form of power is born. Within the mindscape, a special imaginary space, ideas and understanding are true by default. As for the outside world, you just require more Honkai Energy.
After all, the list of possibilities are endless. Nothing limits the Wish of the Honkai.
The remaining 5 Ganeshas screeched in terror as the Blueprint Burst descended upon them, shattering their existence into nothingness. While their howls filled the air, the now complete half of the 1st Herrscher let out a smile.
I could do it.
I could actually do it.
With this, he could surely do it, right?
There's no doubt about it.
I could rewrite the story.
I would allow no butterfly effects to ruin my progress.
Everyone could live that life they could've had.
The Core of Reason hummed in approval of his resolve, and Gabriel collapsed onto the ground, his mind exhausted.
But unlike the other times of frustration, this time was only of joy and glee.
As his reason for existence has now been rooted in the eternity of the Tree and the Sea.