5 days later,
In the days that followed, each member of the alliance kept to themselves, avoiding any interaction to give Mei the space she needed, as well as some time for themselves.
It was definitely necessary.
On the flip side, Laurel spent his time just lounging around.
Well, aside from honing his abilities, which he had recently taken a liking to. [Unique Skill: Harbinger].
As the avatar of calamity, which he undoubtedly linked to his EX skill, he is capable of inducing any sort of calamity upon his enemies.
However, being a Unique Skill, it is, of course, limited in nature, affecting only those who possess Unique Skills like him.
That is to say, some abilities from other worlds may qualify as Unique Skills.
And as such, people wielding Ultimate-class abilities and beyond like Kumagawa with his All-Fiction will be capable of negating his Unique Skill.
Heck, even if it evolved as an Ultimate Skill, there are many characters out there that are very much capable of outright negating the effect even an Ultimate Skill would bring.
But Laurel wasn't stressed about that.
At least, not at the moment.
After experimenting with his powers and using his EX skill, he had transformed his Unique Skill into a passive ability.
Now, whenever someone harbored harmful intentions toward him, they would be hit with a series of unfortunate coincidences.
And that's just at the first level.
At the second level, it escalates to causing bad luck or events that could potentially lead to his opponent's demise.
But that's where the effect of his current Unique Skill stops.
It was entertaining to figure it out, but since this world lacked any living beings, he couldn't really put it to the test yet.
So, "Haah..." he simply lounged comfortably on his throne in his frozen castle, Neilheim.
"With Mei's situation resolved and Lux's side under control, Luminous doesn't seem to have any major issues at the moment..."
Just when Laurel was pondering this—
[Ding!]
[Fallen Heiress: Hey everyone. I apologize for the group's inactivity because of me.]
A system notification appeared along with her message. 'Looks like she's doing okay. That's a relief.'
"Now that I think about it, I hope Theresa received my message."
Laurel said with a quick blink before pulling up the chat interface.
After leaving Welt's, he had sent a mysterious image of a white-haired girl in a delivery outfit, with a caption underneath to Theresa Apocalypse.
[True Ancestor: Don't worry about it, Mei~ It was a good chance for us to take a break, so no hard feelings.]
[Weakest Undefeated: Exactly. Luminous-san is right.]
[Fourth Calamity: Hi, Mei. How have the last few days been for you...]
Well—
Far away Dimension.
Earth,
A few days ago, right after Mei left the café, she got a call from some folks who identified themselves as agents of Anti-Entropy, just as Laurel had mentioned.
They not only freed him but also reinstated her father to his former position and role as an executor.
Shortly after that, Welt showed up at the police station when Ryoma was released.
"Mr. Raiden Ryoma, along with restoring your position, I'd like to appoint your daughter as an Anti-Entropy executor."
Welt stated.
Of course, Ryoma refused, insisting that Welt shouldn't drag her into that world, referring to the Honkai world. But then Mei surprised him.
"It's fine, Dad. I already know about it, and I'm... an Herrscher."
Her words left her father speechless, and he looked at her with a mix of shock and sorrow.
But then, he blinked in realization—"Wait... what? You've awakened... right?"
He circled around her, gripping her shoulder as he asked. To his astonishment, she nodded.
"She's just like me, Mr. Ryoma. She's managed to keep her humanity even as an Herrscher. If I had to guess, it's probably linked to him, isn't it?"
Ryoma was left puzzled by this revelation.
However, Welt suggested they pause the discussion for the time being.
While Welt had made his return, he had done so discreetly, ensuring that only a select few were aware of it.
Among them were Einstein and Tesla, who, along with Welt, held significant influence and power within that organization.
"Mei... Who is he?"
"... It's a long story, Dad. I'll fill you in."
After that, they moved back to ME Corp, where Welt, using the power of reason, revamped the place.
He couldn't help but grumble something like, "I can't believe the power of Reason is being used for this."
But then, he was caught off guard once more by Bronya Zaychik.
When he met her, the Herrscher Core inside him stirred, completely surprising him again.
Security had apprehended her after Ryoma discovered she was with Cocolia. However, upon seeing her, Welt intervened.
Later, they held a meeting where Mei recounted everything that happened after they arrested Ryoma and their encounters.
"Not people from Bubble World, but entirely different dimensions?"
"Yes. I'm not entirely sure. But what he mentioned was to think of our world like a book, with each page representing a higher dimension stacked on top of one another."
Each book represents a "world" that contains an infinite number of dimensions, thus classified as a "Great World."
Additionally, there are other "Great Worlds," each with their own infinite dimensions layered against each other, creating an endless continuum.
"Unbelievable..."
Welt was already familiar with the ideas of parallel worlds, world bubbles, and higher-dimensional worlds.
However, Mei's brief explanation about what someone named Laurel had figured out sent a thrill through him, not out of fear, but pure excitement.
Other worlds exist that are entirely free from Honkai, each with its own unique rules and laws.
"That's right."
Mei nodded in response to Welt's insights and Ryoma's bewilderment.
Earlier, Welt had mentioned that their discussion would be recorded because, as Laurel pointed out, he had developed an interest in it.
In just one day, he had witnessed a successor and learned about the "Great Worlds."
"I visited another world created by the Star Dragon King... I believe his name is Veldanava. He's the one who brought that world to life, and most of its inhabitants can harness something called skills."
Mei lifted her hands slightly, and electricity sparked around her palms in a mesmerizing dance.
"This is an ego skill I acquired known as Herrscher. It merged the Herrscher powers and consciousness within me into one, and... this is the result of that power."
"The people in that world utilize a different energy source called Magicules, and by gaining powers from there, I also tapped into another type of energy."
Mei finished, and after a moment of silence, Welt, who had been deep in thought, finally asked a question, his curiosity piqued.
"So, how do both energy types inside you... work together?"
Honkai energy is known to be corruptive, capable of killing or transforming someone into a monster if misused.
So, if wielding another energy source is feasible, how does it function?
"I think it's Negentropy..."
"Negentropy!?"
Welt and Ryoma spoke in unison. After all, Negentropy translates to Anti-Entropy, so they were already well-acquainted with the idea.
This indicated that both Honkai and Magicules, along with any other energy sources they might encounter later, would eventually transform into a single, more advanced energy source known as:
Negentropy.
"Hahaha! This is fantastic, really fantastic!"
Welt laughed heartily as he processed the incredible events of the day.
The coexistence of a Herrscher consciousness with a human, the existence of Great Worlds, Dimensional Guilds, Creator Gods, Skills, Magicules, Negentropy, and the person called Laurel...
It all felt like something straight out of a fantasy novel. Yet, it was undeniably real.
If he hadn't met Laurel, he might have found it hard to believe, but it made sense that someone like him would be bold enough to make such claims.
While Welt embraced this new reality, Ryoma remained doubtful, particularly about Laurel and the way his daughter seemed so fond when she called out his name.
But Welt reassured him–
"You're worrying too much. Your daughter isn't weak; she's gotten stronger. I'd say she's on par with a high-class A-rank Valkyrie."
With a casual wave, Welt strolled out of the room.
Just before reaching the door, he turned back to give Ryoma one last look.
"No need to stress about the young guy named Laurel. I've seen him myself, and I can confidently say... I acknowledge him."
With that, Welt strolled away.
Naturally, people still had questions about who Laurel was and what kind of person he turned out to be, especially after everything that went down at ME Corp while he was locked up.
But now, most of those issues have been resolved.
Raiden Mei has become one of Anti-Entropy's... actually, she's the only Valkyrie they have. Well, technically, there are two...
Bronya has also joined Welt and is currently training with him.
Since Cocolia is now imprisoned within Anti-Entropy's confines, Welt promised her that once she becomes the Sovereign, she can choose to free Cocolia if she wishes.
To show he means it, Welt also listened to his successor's requests and is searching for a way to connect to the sea of Quanta.
All of this is thanks to... "Big Brother Laurel," as Bronya affectionately calls him.
And now—
[Fallen Heiress: So, that's everything that's happened in the last few days.]
[Weakest Undefeated: Wow, that's a lot to digest.]
[True Ancestor: Great job, Laurel. This time, the credit goes to you.]
[Fourth Calamity: Haha, it's just what I'm supposed to do, no need to worry about it.]
Yes. Laurel believed this was what he should do. After all, that world was way too tragic for its inhabitants.
More so now that he could actually help the characters lead better lives.
Then there's no need to hesitate. Screw messing with the destined future.
If he could carve a better future for them with his hands, then he sees no reason not to carve said future.
And he swore he would do everything to make sure all members of the Guild reached the best possible future.
Then it's then—
[Ding!]
[System Announcement!]
[The Guild System has noticed a surge in member activity along with changes in their world.]
[Note: The Guild System has established a connection between the Guild Members' world and another. Interdimensional travel is now possible without the Guild System Travel function.]
'Ah yes. This system was one that could connect great worlds together.'
'So connecting the four worlds was plausible, but that would mean those capable of crossing dimensions... Every Great World would be impervious to them, huh?'
Laurel thought with a smile. But that wasn't all.
Additionally.
[Guild missions are now available.]
[Mission name: Baby Steps]
[Details: The mission of the All-World Alliance Guild is to connect several "Great Worlds" together to bring them under one banner. The first step to achieving that is as follows]:
○ [Conquer a low-leveled world] [0/1]
○ [Conquer several low-leveled world] [0/10]
○ [Conquer a mid-leveled world] [0/1]
[Reward: Several Worlds under ALWA's jurisdiction]
[Failure: None]