Anti-Entropy's Unreliability

"Herrschers are products of the Honkai. Their purpose is to destroy human civilization by any means necessary. Yet, so far, the Herrscher of Dominance has consistently targeted individuals harmful to society."

"If that were all, I might think the Herrscher of Dominance was perhaps on humanity's side, like us. But the appearance of The Obsidian Concord Forum has changed my perspective."

Adjusting his glasses, Welt Yang's expression grew serious. "We must understand that the Herrscher of Dominance is unlike any Herrscher we've known before. Its individual puppets aren't particularly powerful; even our special forces units can handle them. Yet, in the Previous Era, they were a high-risk entity that nearly dismantled the social order."

"While those killed by the HoD are largely scum who arguably deserved death, regardless of their actions, they should be subject to humanity's own laws. But once The Obsidian Concord Forum reveals their identities, it sends a message to the public: the HoD's actions are righteous."

"The pursuit of justice is a fundamental, primal urge within everyone. But once exploited by the Herrscher of Dominance, it morphs into a craving for violent enforcement."

"Undeniably, humans can be blind and driven by emotion. As a result, their feelings are easily manipulated. Look at these comments: initially, people were rational and skeptical. But in just half a month, some have shifted from fear to frenzy."

"They take pleasure in the deaths of these criminals. Instead of fearing the Herrscher of Dominance's bloody violence, the fact that the victims are criminals provides a strong sense of 'righteous satisfaction'.

Don't underestimate this shift in perspective."

"Once it permeates society, violent enforcement becomes a form of perceived justice. People will subconsciously overlook the Herrscher's danger to society, perhaps even siding with it. Worse still, individuals might start imitating the Herrscher of Dominance, carrying out bloody violence under the banner of justice."

Everyone present was a high-ranking Anti-Entropy executive. Accustomed to positions of power, they quickly grasped the potential consequences.

"A straightforward Honkai attack might devastate a single city at most. But if the law loses its authority, social order itself becomes precarious. The Herrscher of Dominance merely needs to fan the flames slightly, and civilization could burn itself down."

Some executives paled instantly, a deep fear surfacing in their eyes as if recalling something terrible. Others' eyes lit up, revealing undisguised greed and ruthlessness. Still others glanced around, observing the reactions of those beside them.

Welt Yang's words hit like a depth charge, stirring the emotions of everyone in the room. Only Kiana Kaslana remained silent in her chair, lost in thought.

"Mr. Welt, we must stop the Herrscher of Dominance immediately!" Someone stood up abruptly to propose.

"Just as I thought, these Herrschers are all damned dangerous elements."

"Sovereign, what can we do?"

With a slight nod, Welt gestured downwards with both hands, signaling for everyone to quiet down.

"I'm telling you all this merely to highlight the danger posed by the Herrscher of Dominance. Dealing with Herrschers is naturally something we will do."

"First, we must find a way to shut down The Obsidian Concord Forum website; we cannot allow it to continue spreading. Second, we need to investigate the HoD's patterns of activity and try to apprehend them before they commit their crimes. However..."

"However, what?"

"However, I believe the most crucial step is finding the true mastermind behind these Herrscher puppets." As he spoke, Welt's gaze once again fell upon Kiana.

"Kiana, Miss Theresa mentioned earlier that you were previously staying with a young man named Ren, correct?"

Welt's tone was calm, as if asking casually, but for some reason, Kiana felt an inexplicable irritation welling up inside.

She suddenly understood why Anti-Entropy insisted she attend this high-level meeting. They wanted to extract information about Ren from her.

Glancing around, she saw all the executives who had previously been panicked or fearful now staring at her with suspicion and aversion.

However, since Theresa had already allied with Anti-Entropy, Kiana couldn't show too much resistance, so she simply nodded slightly.

"According to our previous investigation, this Ren doesn't seem to be a Herrscher, yet he can use Herrscher abilities. Kiana, I wonder how much you know about him."

"He can use Herrscher abilities because he's a Stigmata wielder. The so-called Herrscher powers are actually just a fraction of the power provided by the Gem of Haste." Kiana knew, of course, that Ren's power didn't come from Stigmata; Ren had already confessed much about himself to her under the moonlight that night.

But facing Welt's questioning, she suddenly felt reluctant to be completely honest.

"Is that so? But according to my knowledge, the massacre twenty days ago was linked to him. Furthermore, he suddenly disappeared fifteen days ago, and the Herrscher of Dominance incidents also began fifteen days ago. Is it possible... that he can use the abilities of other Herrschers simply because he himself is a Herrscher?"

As soon as he said this, murmurs broke out among the others. Using her enhanced Herrscher hearing, Kiana picked up some of the whispers.

"The Herrscher of the Void was the main culprit behind the Great Eruption back then. It's only natural she'd cover for another Herrscher accomplice."

"Exactly! That guy Ren must be the mastermind behind this Herrscher of Dominance. Why else would he specifically target North America first? It must be because we drove the Herrscher of the Void away last time."

"..." The noisy chatter flooded Kiana's ears, reminding her of the ostracization she faced when she first arrived at Anti-Entropy months ago. Sure enough, even after all this time, people's hearts remained the same.

She suddenly understood. Perhaps, from the very beginning, Anti-Entropy never truly intended to accept her. After all, this was an organization fighting the Honkai, and she was a Herrscher who had caused immense destruction.

Maybe Welt himself bore her no ill will, but others within Anti-Entropy certainly felt differently.

Listening to the probing questions and suspicions directed at Ren, Kiana suddenly laughed. She stood up and stated bluntly, "Honestly, it's very possible Ren is connected to the Herrscher of Dominance. But I don't believe destroying human civilization is his goal."

"Don't get agitated, Kiana. Mr. Welt is just speculating," Theresa quickly tugged at Kiana's sleeve, seeing her stand up. Having known her for three years, Theresa knew how stubborn the girl could be.

But Kiana, having figured things out, clearly wasn't interested in listening. "Mr. Welt's hypothesis is reasonable, and the threat posed by the Herrscher of Dominance could indeed affect all of society. But,

But have you ever considered why the public isn't panicking, but instead getting fired up, knowing the HoD kills criminals? Is it just because of some innate desire for justice?"

"No! It's because many of them are victims themselves! You talk about criminals being punished by humanity's own laws, but if the law could truly punish these people, their numbers wouldn't be in the tens of millions!"

"I know Anti-Entropy fights the Honkai, and Schicksal is supposedly humanity's last line of defense.

But I've been to South Asia. People there starve, living on the edge of death every day. They have nothing left but their faith. Schicksal provided inhibitors to fight the Honkai there, but in reality, the local refugees never even saw what an inhibitor looked like; instead, they became targets for others to exploit."

"The Honkai has plagued us for so many years, yet no one has ever spoken up for them, and the wicked have never been punished."

Hearing this, someone immediately stood up to retort, "We are an organization fighting the Honkai, not a charity foundation! All we can do is save civilization from the Honkai's grasp as much as possible. We have neither the right nor the obligation to interfere with the execution of the law."

"So, that's why the Herrscher of Dominance appeared, isn't it?" Kiana looked back, the youthful uncertainty gone, replaced by an air of authority. "The Honkai arises from civilization's progress, and Herrschers arise from human resentment. The Herrscher of Dominance resorts to violent retribution precisely because the law fails to deliver the punishment criminals deserve!"

"Mr. Welt's analysis was quite brilliant," Kiana continued, "The Herrscher of Dominance could indeed destroy human society by manipulating public opinion. But I think, instead of suspecting Ren orchestrated all this, perhaps you should think more about why people would rather trust the Herrscher of Dominance than humanity itself."

With that, Kiana turned and pushed open the conference room door, walking straight out. Behind her, Bronya and Theresa exchanged glances with the remaining executives before unhesitatingly getting up and following her.

Finally, only Anti-Entropy's "own people" remained.

However, watching Kiana leave, Welt showed no signs of anger. Instead, a faint smile touched his lips.

"Outrageous! Those people from the Far East Branch are truly getting out of hand."

"Aside from the Sovereign, it seems all other Herrschers are inherently rebellious."

The conference room buzzed with discussion, universally condemning Kiana's disregard for the bigger picture—though typically, those accused of ignoring the "bigger picture" are never truly part of it.

Turning back, Welt's expression became weary, seemingly troubled by Kiana's lack of cooperation. He raised a hand, calming the room.

His gaze fell to the back row, where several individuals clearly not dressed as Anti-Entropy personnel sat. "Gentlemen from Congress, you've seen for yourselves. Herrschers aren't as easily swayed as your populace. Therefore, your request to transfer Kiana into your custody... I'm afraid that won't be possible."

Anti-Entropy originated as Schicksal's North American branch. Situated in such a capitalist nation, it inevitably faces constraints from the North American Congress.

After all, Anti-Entropy is an alliance, unlike Schicksal, which was Otto Apocalypse's personal domain. Welt has to navigate between various power factions.

When Kiana returned to Anti-Entropy with Theresa half a month ago, Congress had been constantly pressuring him to hand over the Herrscher of the Void for their control. To ordinary politicians, Herrschers were like nuclear weapons—best kept under their own lock and key.

Welt knew these congressional lords had no real understanding of what the Honkai entailed. But since they held the purse strings, he could only use this meeting to show them the stance of the Far East Branch.

Clearly, Kiana's performance had satisfied him considerably.