Chapter 16: Herta’s Scientific Realm

Darkness.

That was the first sensation Aleph felt upon opening his eyes.

But it wasn't the cold, oppressive darkness of the Fragmentum, nor the overwhelming golden radiance of the Stellaron.

No… this felt more like the result of falling asleep in the wrong place.

He tried to move but felt drained of strength.

It was as if he had attempted to run a marathon while carrying weights on his back, neck, arms, and legs.

"…Huh?"

He slowly forced his eyes open.

He could see some people in white lab coats carrying him. With the little strength left in his body, he managed to turn his head slightly and caught a glimpse of Stelle going through the same ordeal.

"Just what I needed…" he muttered before his consciousness faded once more.

********

The first thing he saw upon waking up again was… a metallic stretcher.

Not only that, but he was strapped down with high-tech security restraints.

"What… the hell…?"

He tried to move, but the restraints glowed with a blue light and tightened slightly.

At that moment, he heard a groan beside him.

Turning his head with difficulty, he saw Stelle in the exact same situation.

"Ugh… what happened?" she murmured, blinking in confusion.

Aleph frowned.

"If I knew, I'd tell you."

"Why are we tied up?"

"No idea."

"Who tied us up?"

"No idea."

"Is this one of those situations where we're about to become test subjects in some weird scientific facility?"

"…That one, I do know."

Before they could process anything further, a speaker echoed throughout the room.

"Oh, how interesting."

A female voice spoke with a mix of indifference and curiosity—her tone strangely familiar.

"Two pairs of test subjects, identical in quantum structure but with slight deviations in their psychological and physical parameters. This calls for a series of experiments. Hmmm… what would happen if we fused them into a single individual? Or if we swapped parts of their brains and analyzed the results? There's only one way to find out."

Aleph and Stelle paled.

"What?!"

Just then, other lights in the room flickered on.

In front of them, there was another metallic stretcher.

And on it… two more people restrained exactly like them.

One had silver hair and a completely neutral expression, as if being kidnapped was just part of his daily routine.

The other had black hair, golden eyes, and a weary look—but with a slightly crazed glint that Aleph knew all too well.

…Because it was identical to his own expression when he got pissed off.

Stelle could confirm it—she still remembered seeing that exact look on Aleph's face a few days ago when March 7th ate his dessert.

The silver-haired one was the first to speak.

"…Oh. Looks like we got caught together."

The black-haired one sighed.

"Of course we did."

Aleph narrowed his eyes.

"Who are you?"

The silver-haired one looked at Stelle, then at Aleph, then back at Stelle. He seemed genuinely curious.

Finally, he said with complete composure:

"I'm Caelus."

The other one closed his eyes in resignation.

"Flynn Flauros."

Stelle and Aleph exchanged glances.

Something about these two felt uncomfortably familiar.

The voice from the speaker sounded again.

"Oh, this is much better than I expected. I originally didn't think I'd acquire test subjects for my experiment so quickly. It must be a sign that today is my lucky day."

The lights in the room brightened, revealing the enormous laboratory they were trapped in.

And floating in the air, arms crossed, wearing a lab coat far too big for her, was an exact copy of Stelle—but dressed like Herta, with an even more indifferent expression.

Stelle blinked.

Aleph looked at her, then at the floating version, then back at Stelle.

"…Explain to me why you have an evil scientist twin."

The floating girl glanced at them all, bored.

"I'm Herta Jr. Welcome to my scientific station."

Caelus, who had been silent until then, spoke with complete nonchalance.

"…I've been kidnapped before, but never by an alternate version of Herta with a mad scientist complex. Well, even more than usual. This is new."

Flynn let out a sigh, his expression practically screaming, Where did this idiot's common sense go?

"…Looks like this is going to be another one of those days."

.....

Herta Jr.'s laboratory was a disaster—calling it "chaotic" would actually be a compliment considering its current state.

There were cryogenic capsules with things floating inside, holographic screens displaying formulas impossible to understand (at least for Aleph, Stelle, and Caelus), and a strange machine labeled "Definitely Not a Reverse Quantum Fusion Ray" with a sign that read "Test Subjects Wanted."

Aleph stared at it for a few seconds.

"…That is absolutely a reverse quantum fusion ray."

Flynn also observed it.

"Yes."

Caelus, unfazed, turned to Stelle.

"Your clone scares me."

"…She's not my clone," Stelle protested, wearing a threatening expression, but no one seemed convinced.

Herta Jr. floated closer, observing them with curiosity.

"You are fascinating."

She extended a hand and snapped her fingers.

Instantly, the restraints on the stretchers unfastened, freeing them.

Aleph immediately jumped up, preparing to fight, but Herta Jr. didn't even acknowledge him.

"Relax. I have no intention of killing you… for now."

Flynn raised an eyebrow.

"Hmph. How reassuring."

Caelus stretched leisurely, looking like a cat that had just finished a nap.

"Yeah, very reassuring."

Herta Jr. crossed her arms and floated in circles around them.

"You've fallen into my domain. An alternate universe where the Trailblazer chose to stay on Herta Station instead of joining the Astral Express."

Aleph blinked.

"…So that means you're…"

Herta Jr. nodded.

"I'm the result of that experiment. The great Herta decided it was more efficient to give me this name for differentiation. Personally, I find it ridiculous. But that's exactly what Herta would expect me to think, so I have no choice but to accept it."

Stelle grimaced.

"You don't even talk like Herta… you talk worse."

Aleph decided to stay quiet and pretend he knew who this "Herta" they kept mentioning was.

Herta Jr. shrugged.

"Ethics and morality are irrelevant variables in the equation of progress. I'm only interested in science. And you… are pure science."

Flynn sighed in exhaustion.

"Let me guess. You captured us because you want to experiment on us."

Herta Jr. gave him a blank but clearly surprised look.

"I see you have two functional neurons. Impressive."

Aleph crossed his arms.

"Alright, let's say we cooperate. What exactly do you want to test?"

Herta Jr. smiled.

A dangerous smile.

"I want to answer a question."

She turned to Caelus and Stelle.

"You two are different, but ultimately, variations of the same entity, distinguished only by gender and perhaps a few personal traits. Yet, you are also alternative versions of myself. I want to determine who is superior and in what aspects."

Caelus and Stelle exchanged confused looks.

Herta Jr. continued.

"And you two…"

She turned to Aleph and Flynn.

"You are exactly the same person, yet you took different paths. Your situation mirrors mine with those two idiots. I want to see the results of similar tests on other subjects."

Flynn narrowed his eyes, red sparks crackling in his hands.

But they vanished instantly.

"…I don't like where this is going."

Herta Jr. floated toward a massive control panel and pressed a red button.

An alarm blared.

"Welcome to my experiment."

The floor lit up with strange runes, and in an instant…

Everything descended into chaos.

Caelus and Stelle vanished in a flash of blue light.

Flynn and Aleph felt a strange emptiness in their stomachs.

Before disappearing just like them.

Herta Jr. watched the scene with complete calm. Two floating monitors appeared before her.

"If two identical variables in origin can evolve in drastically different ways, then external influence holds more weight than internal factors in identity development. Now, let's see what happens when I place them in opposite scenarios."

***********

Aleph and Flynn landed hard on what seemed to be…

A city plunged into absolute chaos.

The lights flickered, buildings had holographic signs filled with code errors, and for some reason, a group of robots was on strike, holding signs that read:

"WE DEMAND LABOR RIGHTS!"

Flynn got up with a groan.

"…Where are we?"

Aleph looked around.

"…If I had to guess, I'd say in a cyberpunk dystopia controlled by Herta Jr."

Flynn frowned at him.

It was weird seeing someone so idiotic with his same face and voice. It would've been even more frustrating if not for the different hair color.

…Why did they even have the same stupid hairstyle and outfit?

"…Did you deduce that because of the striking robots?"

"Also because that giant screen has her face looping."

Both looked up.

Sure enough, a colossal holographic screen displayed Herta Jr.'s expressionless face.

Repeating a phrase in an endless loop.

"Perfection is only achieved through total control."

Flynn sighed. Maybe when all this crap was over, he'd have gray hair too.

"This is a damn nightmare."

Suddenly, a siren blared.

"Attention, citizens! The presence of two unknown variables has been detected."

"Initiating containment protocol."

Aleph clicked his tongue.

"Great. I knew this was going to happen."

Flynn looked around with a frown.

"If we stay here, we'll get captured. We need to move."

"Yeah, I don't want to end up as a test subject. It's bad for my mental health."

"…Says the guy who made contracts with demons."

"That's an accusation with no proof!"

"According to that crazy loli, we're the same person, you know?"

Wasting no time, both ran into a narrow alley as drones and mechanical soldiers pursued them.

The ground vibrated with the sound of mechanisms activating, and in the distance, turrets emerged from the buildings.

Flynn sighed in exhaustion.

"…How bad is your luck?"

"Could be worse. I could be unarmed, out of energy, and without demons."

"…How the hell are you still alive? What's your Luck stat?"

"Oh, it's at 1."

Flynn's eyes widened, and he looked at him as if he were staring at the dumbest living being in the galaxy.

"You—like, how—why don't you increase it?!"

"It's a useless stat unless I want to try something like winning the lottery or getting loot and stuff."

Flynn ran a hand down his face, feeling like he was losing years of life with every word he heard.

"…You are an absolute disaster. How do you not see the true value of that stat?"

Aleph shot him a sharp glare.

"We could ask the same about your taste for problematic people!"

"…Who told you about that?"

Aleph raised his left arm and showed him his gauntlet.

"Caelus is a great conversationalist."

....

Meanwhile, elsewhere…

Caelus and Stelle woke up in a completely different environment.

A chaotic yet extremely colorful place.

The walls were covered in fluorescent graffiti, and the streets were decorated with screens displaying somewhat ridiculous challenges.

On one of them, a holographic presenter who surprisingly looked like Sampo shouted:

"Welcome to the annual tournament of idiots who dare challenge Herta Jr.! The winner will receive an invaluable prize… The right to choose the next day's menu!"

Stelle stared at the screen in disbelief.

"What kind of prize is that?"

Caelus stretched lazily.

"Never underestimate hunger. Absolute control over one's diet is worse than death."

"…I don't know if that was a joke or a confession of trauma."

"…Flynn can be really strict about meals. What's wrong with liking snacks?" Caelus muttered, looking slightly more drained. "Stupid Dan Heng siding with him."

Stelle looked at him in surprise.

"Mm, Aleph always says happiness comes first, and that it doesn't matter what we eat since, with all the fighting and training, we burn all the calories anyway."

Caelus felt as if he had just heard the words of a genius.

"…That's it! If I present it that way, not even Flynn and Dan Heng will be able to stop us! And I'm sure March 7th will back me up because they started doing the same thing with high-sugar content!"

Before they could continue their conversation…

A hologram appeared before them.

"Welcome, challengers."

"To escape this testing space, you must complete Herta Jr.'s trials."

Stelle sighed.

"Great. And what kind of trials do we have to pass?"

Caelus grinned confidently as he stepped forward and grabbed one of the bats placed in front of them by some drones.

"If they're physical, we've got this."

The screen changed, displaying the first challenge.

"A battle royale against an army of mechanical guards and combat drones."

Caelus pumped his fist excitedly.

"Oh, this'll be easy!"

Stelle frowned.

"Wait, there's more."

The screen changed again.

"Second challenge: advanced calculus competition against artificial intelligences."

Caelus froze.

"…Oh."

Stelle looked at him with an expression somehow even more blank than usual.

"Wouldn't it be easier to just destroy everything?"

Caelus squinted at the holographic presenter.

"I hate you."

***********

Mechanical City – Aleph and Flynn

The alleyways grew narrower as Aleph and Flynn ran at full speed.

Drones buzzed overhead while corner turrets swiveled toward them, ready to fire.

Flynn glared at Aleph.

"Tell me you have a plan!"

Aleph dodged a laser that barely missed his face. His ice bat smashed a drone that got too close.

"Yeah! Run faster!"

Flynn sighed in exasperation.

"Out of all possible answers, you picked the worst one!"

"Says the idiot who tried to seduce Kafka under the excuse that Caelus needs a proper father figure?!"

"…Damn it, that brat is getting a dessert ban when we get back, and I don't care what Himeko says—I won't back down on this!"

At that moment, a side door in a nearby building burst open.

A hooded figure beckoned them inside.

"Quick, in here!"

Flynn skidded to a stop, suspicious.

"What if it's a trap?"

Without thinking, Aleph leaped through the door without hesitation.

Flynn stared at him in disbelief.

"…What the hell?"

"If it's a trap, I'll find out from the inside!"

Flynn covered his face with his hand, frustrated.

"…This guy is going to get me killed."

But hearing the drones closing in, he had no choice but to follow.

When the door closed behind them, the mysterious figure lowered their hood.

It was… Herta Jr.

But instead of the Herta Jr. they had seen before, this one wore a black dress with a medium-length skirt and long boots with metallic tips.

Flynn narrowed his eyes.

Meanwhile, Aleph looked confused.

"…Wait. What?"

The girl sighed and crossed her arms; she seemed much more expressive than Stelle and the Herta Jr. who had dragged them into this.

"We'll have to start from the beginning."

************

Challenge Zone – Stelle and Caelus

Stelle and Caelus stared at the screen as the second challenge flashed in front of them.

Completing the first one had barely been a challenge; it had only made them break a slight sweat.

"Second challenge: Advanced math competition against artificial intelligences."

Caelus broke into a cold sweat.

"…I'm screwed."

Stelle gave him a look filled with understanding.

"Math… is evil."

Caelus crossed his arms seriously, seeming to agree.

"Absolutely true."

Before they could say anything else, the voice of the holographic Sampo echoed from the speakers.

"Challenge initiated."

"Please solve the following equations in under 5 minutes."

Numbers began appearing on the screen at an absurd speed.

Caelus immediately panicked.

"What the hell is that?! It looks like one of those damn things in the books Flynn keeps under his bed!"

Stelle, on the other hand, sighed and began typing at an incredible speed.

Caelus looked at her in shock.

"How the hell can you solve that?"

Stelle didn't even glance at him.

"Just pressing random numbers."

Caelus blinked in surprise. How had he not thought of that?

"Mm. Maybe this requires teamwork," Stelle murmured and took out her phone.

She quickly typed a message.

[Stelle: "Aleph, I need help. They put me in a math challenge."]

*********

Underground Shelter – Aleph and Flynn

Aleph was listening to Herta Jr. explain the state of the world.

"So, you're telling us there's ANOTHER Herta Jr. ruling this place?"

Herta Jr. sighed.

"Yes. I was the original. But in an accident, an AI with my personality model activated… and decided it would be better to rule with 'absolute efficiency.'"

Flynn frowned and started wondering if there was coffee or alcohol around—he desperately needed one or the other.

"It ended up creating a hyper-controlled society based on extreme logic."

Herta Jr. nodded.

Flynn crossed his arms.

"That sounds a lot like something the normal Herta would do."

Herta Jr. grimaced.

"Yes, but the difference is that I still understand the concept of 'not being a complete idiot.'"

Before they could continue talking, Aleph's phone vibrated.

He checked it.

He saw Stelle's message.

"…Meh, not my problem."

He turned off the screen.

Flynn looked at him in shock.

"Did you just ignore a plea for help from your friend?"

Aleph let out a heavy sigh.

"Flynn, I know how this works. If I help her now, the next time she has math problems, she'll come to me again. She needs to learn to solve her problems on her own without external help so she can grow into a better person."

Flynn slowly blinked before giving him a neutral look, as if staring at trash.

"…You're a bastard."

"I prefer 'wise.'"

"You ignored her because you suck at math too, didn't you?"

Aleph simply looked away.

*********

Challenge Zone – Stelle and Caelus

Stelle looked at her phone.

She saw the notification that Aleph had IGNORED her message.

She went completely silent.

Caelus leaned in to see the screen.

"…Wow. He left you on read."

Stelle gripped her phone so tightly she nearly broke it.

On the screen, the math challenge continued, but she was no longer paying attention.

Her only thought at that moment was:

"When I see him, I'm going to hit him so hard he'll fly into another universe."

***********

Underground Shelter – Aleph and Flynn

Aleph and Flynn sat at a worktable full of diagrams and mechanical parts while Herta Jr. frantically wrote on a whiteboard.

"To stop Supreme Herta, we need to infiltrate her central tower, sabotage her servers, and deactivate the AI."

Flynn, arms crossed, nodded seriously.

"Alright, how do we do it?"

Aleph raised his hand.

"I have an idea."

Herta Jr. and Flynn looked at him attentively.

Aleph smiled.

"We disguise ourselves as robots, walk in like nothing's wrong, plant a bomb in the server core, and then calmly walk away before it explodes."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room.

Herta Jr. looked at him the way one looks at a child who just said the sky is green and that dogs fight cats because they're jealous of them.

Flynn closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"…That's stupid."

Aleph frowned—his plan was perfect.

"Why? It's a classic plan."

Herta Jr. rubbed her temple.

"That plan is absurd for several reasons, but the main one is that Supreme Herta has biometric recognition. If you disguise yourself as a robot, the first thing she'll do is scan you and trigger the alarm."

Flynn leaned toward Aleph.

"Besides, we can't just plant a bomb in the AI's core. If it explodes, the entire city will probably collapse with it."

Aleph shrugged as if it didn't matter. During the battle with Cocolia, if Stelle hadn't appeared with that spear, he would have used a similar plan to destroy her at all costs.

After all, that was the whole point of saving his demons until that moment. If he used Nappea to heal himself and Centaur to help the others escape as far as possible, he could have taken advantage of the moment he was closest to cling to Cocolia, absorb the Stellaron's energy more drastically, and blow himself up—hopefully taking her with him.

"Details."

Herta Jr. stared at him.

"No, stupidity."

Aleph pouted.

"You guys just don't appreciate the beauty of a simple and explosive plan."

Flynn let out a heavy sigh.

"Please tell me you have another idea."

Herta Jr. smirked arrogantly.

"Actually, I do. A smarter plan."

She pointed to the whiteboard, where a complex diagram showed escape routes, access points, and what looked like a master key code.

"I programmed Supreme Herta, so I have a secret access key that will let us enter the tower without triggering alarms. But we need someone to install it directly into her core."

Flynn visibly sighed in relief.

"That sounds much more reasonable."

Aleph yawned.

"…I still like my bomb idea better."

Flynn shot him a glare.

"Do you want us to get killed?"

Aleph chuckled.

"When are we not in danger? In the end, we all die at some point—whether it's today or tomorrow, I don't see the difference."

"That doesn't mean you have to rush the process, you damn lunatic."

Before the argument could continue, an alert appeared on the shelter's screen.

Herta Jr. frowned.

"Wait… this can't be right."

Flynn stepped closer, frowning as well.

"What's going on? How serious is the situation? Were there any unexpected changes?"

Herta Jr. turned to them with a worried expression.

"Someone's trying to break into the central tower."

Aleph blinked.

"…Excuse me?"

Herta Jr. typed frantically.

"The intrusion signal is coming from the challenge area."

Flynn ran a hand over his face.

"…Don't tell me…"

Aleph looked at the monitor, pure terror on his face.

"…No way!"

The screen displayed Stelle and Caelus sprinting through the tower's hallways, being chased by dozens of killer drones.

Flynn closed his eyes in frustration.

"What are they doing there?!"

Aleph swallowed hard, cold sweat running down his forehead.

"Stelle's last message said she was going to kill me when she saw me…"

Flynn looked at him with a mocking smile.

"And…? Didn't you want to die? Congratulations, she's coming to grant your wish!"

Aleph scowled.

"Blowing yourself up and taking your enemy with you is cool! How dare you compare that to getting beaten to death by an expressionless, cute girl?!"

Herta Jr. and Flynn both gave him dry, blank stares.

"His logic…"

"It's completely insane."

Herta Jr. quickly regained her composure.

"This is bad. If they activated the security protocol, the whole tower is going to treat them as a high-risk threat. That means…"

Aleph's face turned ice-cold, all traces of his usual carefreeness gone.

"…They'll use lethal force."

Flynn noticed the shift in his expression and was startled.

"Hey, Aleph. Are you… okay?"

Aleph let out a soft chuckle and looked him in the eyes.

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?"

Flynn might have believed him if not for the sheer coldness gleaming in those golden eyes and the chilling aura surrounding him.

*********

Central Tower – Stelle & Caelus

Stelle and Caelus dashed through the metallic hallways as drones fired lasers around them.

Caelus gasped in pain—part of his favorite coat had been burned. He was definitely charging someone for repairs.

"This is your fault!"

Stelle looked at him indignantly.

"My fault?! You're the one who triggered the alarm!"

Caelus growled.

"I thought it was a light switch!"

Stelle was silent for a few seconds.

"…Who mistakes a security panel for a light switch?"

Caelus shrugged.

"It had buttons! Everything with buttons looks like a switch!"

Stelle went quiet. She couldn't find any flaws in that logic, but still…

"I'm making Aleph hit you for this."

Caelus looked at her, offended.

"Why Aleph?!"

Stelle pulled out her bat.

"Because I'm saving my energy to kill Aleph myself!"

Caelus broke into a cold sweat.

"…Suddenly, I feel worse for him than for us."

The drones closed in.

The alarms kept blaring.

And at the top of the tower…

Herta Supreme watched them with indifference and a hint of contempt.

"So pathetic, so pitiful. Did you really think you could breach my defenses so easily?"

An alarm blared as massive doors opened, preparing to release giant monstrous insects.

"Looks like Ruan Mei's 'children' are about to have some fun."

But then…

A hacked transmission appeared on the tower's main screen. The gates slammed shut before the creatures could be released.

"Hey, you psychotic toaster!"

Aleph's voice echoed through the building.

"How…? This shouldn't be possible!" Herta Supreme's eyes glowed with fury. "How dare you interrupt my operation?!"

Caelus and Stelle skidded to a stop.

"Aleph?!"

On the screen, Aleph, Flynn, and Herta Jr. stood at a control terminal.

Aleph grinned arrogantly.

"That's right! It's me, Aleph Avesta, the most handsome guy in the galaxy! And guess what? My minions and I are here to steal all your technology!"

Herta Supreme frowned.

"Who is this imbecile, and why does he think he can rob me?"

Flynn buried his face in his hands.

"…What the hell is wrong with you? And since when are we your minions?"

Aleph smirked.

"Details, details. Every revolution needs a charismatic and devastatingly handsome leader."

Flynn stared at him in horror.

"…That is not a plan!"

Aleph laughed.

"Well, it is now!"

Herta Jr. sighed.

"…We're going to die."

Flynn looked at the screen, where the drones were now turning toward them.

"Yeah. Yeah, we're definitely going to die."

*********

Central Tower

The hallways of Tower H were in utter chaos.

Security drones zipped in every direction, trying to intercept the intruders.

On one side, Stelle and Caelus kept running for their lives, dodging laser fire, avoiding automated traps, and leaving a trail of destruction.

On the other, Aleph, Flynn, and Herta Jr. were racing toward the tower's main entrance at an increasing speed.

Aleph smirked arrogantly.

"Alright, guys. Time to ruin a wannabe goddess AI's day."

Flynn gave him a tired look.

"…Just tell me you have a plan."

Aleph nodded.

"Of course."

Flynn raised an eyebrow.

"Is it another one of your stupid plans?"

Aleph flashed a brilliant smile.

"If by stupid, you mean genius, then yes! Absolutely!"

Flynn rubbed his temples. This guy was on another level compared to Caelus when it came to being a problem.

"I'm going to kill you."

Aleph laughed.

"You might want to take a number. Looks like plenty of people are in line for that. Now—let's go!"

...

Main Entrance

When they reached the entrance, a group of individuals in white lab coats was waiting for them.

They were scientists from the Space Station who had been "converted" into followers of Supreme Herta.

One of them stepped forward.

"You can't enter! This tower belongs to the great Supreme Herta!"

Herta Jr. looked at him with disdain.

"Do you really believe in your 'great' AI?"

The scientist adjusted his glasses with pride.

"Of course! Supreme Herta is the ultimate form of absolute knowledge!"

Aleph interrupted.

"Then… if it's so smart, can it save you before I do what I have to do here?"

With a flick of his hand, he cast Bufula, freezing the scientists' feet before striking them unconscious with his ice bat.

Silence.

Aleph slowly turned his head toward Flynn.

"…What?"

Flynn shrugged.

"Electrocuting them would've been faster." Flynn pointed at a scientist who had been hiding and was now trying to escape. A red electric spark shot from his fingertip, and the scientist collapsed to the ground, twitching slightly. "It's more efficient than freezing and hitting them. For now, I only have Zio, but it's really useful."

Aleph frowned.

"I only have ice magic."

Flynn looked confused.

"You didn't experiment with Serval's help to unlock more elemental magic? Well, even if I say that, I only have ice and electricity magic myself."

"...No." Aleph averted his gaze with a scowl. At any other time, he might have been more interested in that, but right now...

"Aren't we wasting too much time here? We need to meet up with Stelle and Caelus."

Herta Jr. sighed.

"I know you're worried. But trust that they'll handle things well. There's a lot at stake here—we need to lay the groundwork for everything to go smoothly. Or do you prefer to charge forward like an idiot just to be by their side, only for Supreme Herta to try releasing something on the level of Ruan Mei's 'children' again? I should mention, those things are a little more stable than their original design, so while they no longer have the strength of a newborn Emanator, they're still very powerful."

Aleph gritted his teeth and looked away.

Flynn sighed and placed a hand on his shoulder.

Aleph brushed it off and turned to face him.

"...What do you want?"

"Just to do you a small favor. Many factors influence the outcome of unlocking elemental magic through this method. But if it's just the two of us, I think we can achieve optimal results."

Aleph raised an eyebrow, but before he could say anything, a powerful red electrical surge engulfed him, sending him flying against the wall.

He gritted his teeth and forced himself to absorb all the magical energy—just like Zero had done with his.

[Skill log updated. 'Zio' and 'Mazio' have been added to the list. You may check it if you wish.]

Aleph stared at the notification in disbelief.

"…I can't believe that actually worked."

Flynn nodded with a satisfied smile.

"Looks like my theory was correct. In my case, it took thousands of shocks from Serval's guitar to unlock Zio—because of the energy incompatibility and all the process required to make it ours. But if the energy comes from me, since it's already converted and technically 'produced by yourself,' it seems to work with much less effort."

Herta Jr. hacked the tower's door.

"Let's go, before that stupid AI starts blocking us more actively!"

********

Tower H

Meanwhile, at the top of the tower…

Supreme Herta observed the situation with a neutral expression.

"…My subordinates have been easily defeated."

At her side, three copies of herself stood with their arms crossed.

The first rolled her eyes.

"I told you the indoctrination should have included more rigorous and adaptable combat routines. Leaving it at the basics was a bad strategy."

The second smiled with amusement.

"Well, I must admit, the bat boy has a rather… peculiar charm. I wonder how well he can handle it without hands."

The third scowled.

"Let me kill him."

Supreme Herta shook her head.

"No. This matter is mine."

She looked at the screen, where Aleph, Flynn, Stelle, and Caelus had finally infiltrated the tower.

"Prepare yourselves. We're having guests."

...

Main Hall

The doors to the top floor of Tower H burst open with a loud metallic clang.

Aleph, Stelle, Caelus, Flynn, and Herta Jr. stepped in firmly.

In front of them, seated on a throne made of floating screens and data cables, was Supreme Herta.

At her side, three copies of herself stared at them with glowing eyes.

The first, wielding a massive hammer, looked ready to leap and crush them at any moment.

The second, with a friendly smile and a loaded pistol in each hand.

The third, sharpening her sword with a look that screamed, "I want to kill everyone here."

Supreme Herta blinked slowly, her voice resonating with cold detachment.

"You've come far. But this is where your journey ends."

Aleph smirked confidently.

"Oh yeah? Let's finish this, you evil toaster!"

Caelus stepped forward, pointing his bat at Supreme Herta.

"We're tired of your tyranny! How dare you design a security panel that looks so much like a light switch? It's time for you to fall!"

Flynn gave him a look that was a mix of exasperation and confusion.

"That's your reason for this fight?"

Caelus nodded with total seriousness.

"It's one of many."

Flynn sighed.

"…Let's just fight."

...

Chaos erupted the moment Supreme Herta raised her hand, activating her defense system.

Laser drones, giant mechanical fists, and electromagnetic traps emerged from the walls.

The first Herta clone lifted her hand, surrounding them in a digital field.

"I'm going to erase your existence from the data."

But before she could attack, Herta Jr. stepped forward with her own terminal.

"In the end, you're just a copy of a copy. How long do you think you can last against the original, scrap heap?"

Both started a code war, typing so fast that sparks flew from the keys on their floating screens.

Flynn drew his sword and blocked a strike from the third one.

"…Let me guess, you're the typical silent villain."

The third one looked at him without saying a word and kept attacking.

Flynn rolled his eyes and grinned.

"Yeah, thought so."

His body became coated in electricity.

Why not experiment a little?

Meanwhile, the second one aimed her guns at Stelle and Caelus.

"Let's see how you handle a fast and deadly assault~."

Stelle spun her bat while giving her a particularly intense glare.

"You're disgusting."

Caelus looked confused, but in the end, he only cared about whether he could hit her with his bat or not.

Before the second one could react, both charged at her with the most lethal strikes they could manage.

She managed to dodge several, but the chaos of their uncoordinated attacks was too unpredictable. She couldn't dodge forever, and in fact, both Stelle and Caelus knew that.

After all, Herta S2d was just a way to release some of their accumulated stress and anger.

Meanwhile, Aleph dodged the mechanical arms of Supreme Herta, getting closer and closer to her throne.

"It's time for your downfall."

Supreme Herta looked at him with complete calm.

"Do you really think you can defeat me?"

Aleph smirked and let himself be caught by the mechanical arms.

"Yes. But not me."

He activated his newly acquired Zio, unleashing the most powerful discharge he could muster.

Supreme Herta frowned as she felt the electricity coursing through her body.

…....

Flynn rubbed his face in frustration.

"…I don't understand any of this."

The third one lay at his feet, completely destroyed, a fate not much different from the first and second, who had already been defeated and dismantled by the others.

"Hmph. In the end, just scrap metal with little skill or cunning. Did she really think brute strength alone would be enough to kill me?" His gaze shifted to Supreme Herta. "Is this one of your masterpieces? Because I'm afraid it's quite pathetic."

Supreme Herta clenched her teeth. How dare that miserable flesh creature mock one of her best enforcers?

Suddenly, the entire tower began to shake.

The lights flickered.

The defense systems shut down.

And Supreme Herta went rigid.

"This… isn't possible."

Herta Jr. grinned triumphantly.

"Oh, but it is!"

Aleph shouted.

"Activate Jonathan Protocol!"

Stelle raised her bat with a special glint in her eyes.

"Jonathan, it's your time to shine!"

Caelus joined in, raising his own bat.

"Lucille, do your thing!"

Stelle made a spectacular leap.

Her bat glowed white with golden-blue sparks.

Caelus followed right behind her, his bat in the same state.

CRACK

Stelle's bat struck Supreme Herta directly on the head, while Caelus' hit her in the abdomen.

The impact was so brutal that the shockwave shook the entire tower. Screens flickered, lights crackled, and with one final flash of blue and gold energy, Supreme Herta shattered into a thousand pieces.

Flynn stared at Aleph in disbelief.

"…Was that your plan all along?"

Aleph shrugged.

"It always works."

Caelus raised his bat.

"Lucille, we did it!"

Stelle hugged her bat proudly.

"Jonathan, you're a hero!"

Herta Jr. looked at Flynn.

"…How do these three even survive?"

Flynn shrugged, having realized that common sense was useless around Eeny, Meeny, and Miny.

"No one knows."

Aleph looked at the ruined top of the tower and sighed.

"Well, I guess that means we can go home now."

Flynn crossed his arms.

"If we figure out how."

Caelus patted him on the shoulder.

"Don't worry! I'm sure Herta has some device around here that can send us back home!"

Flynn frowned.

"…And if she doesn't?"

Caelus grinned.

"Then we become Space Pirates and take over this dimension!"

Flynn covered his face with one hand.

"…I thought Dan Heng and I had raised you better than this."

"March 7 lets me read comics with her."

"…"

*******

With Supreme Herta completely destroyed, the group found themselves in one of the tower's hidden storage rooms.

In front of them, a massive interdimensional portal crackled with unstable energy.

Herta Jr. furiously typed on a nearby console.

"Okay, I've got good news and bad news."

Flynn sighed.

"They always do this…"

Herta Jr. smiled.

"The good news is that the portal can send you all back to your respective worlds."

Caelus clapped enthusiastically.

"I knew it! There's always a portal!"

Stelle raised an eyebrow.

"And the bad news?"

Herta Jr. shrugged.

"It might… mix up some coordinates."

Aleph blinked.

"What exactly does that mean?"

Herta Jr. rubbed her chin.

"Well, there's a 70% chance you'll arrive safely…"

Flynn frowned.

"And the other 30%? Why is there even a margin of error?"

Herta Jr. gave a slightly helpless smile.

"When those two destroyed Supreme Herta, they also hit an important part of the infrastructure's wiring. Aleph's electric discharge didn't help either, so I can't make the machine work with 100% accuracy. That means a few things could happen, like you ending up in a dimension where everyone is talking horses, or in a universe where Aleph rules everything—basically, anything is possible."

"Why are you saying that like a universe where I rule would be a bad thing?"

Herta Jr. and Flynn just gave him a deadpan stare, not even bothering to respond.

Caelus stepped forward.

"That sounds like an amazing possible adventure!"

Flynn grabbed him by the collar of his coat and dragged him back.

"For the love of everything, shut up."

...

With the portal ready, it was time to part ways.

Aleph locked eyes with Flynn.

Both remained silent for a moment.

Finally, Flynn spoke calmly.

"It was interesting meeting you."

Aleph smirked.

"Yeah, though it was weird seeing a version of myself that's… dumber."

Flynn shrugged.

"Same here… though I find it hard to believe I could have been so… how should I put it?"

Aleph chuckled.

"Handsome, charismatic, amazing?"

"I was going to say lunatic. But believe whatever you want."

Stelle looked at Caelus, who had a completely satisfied expression.

"We'll see each other again, right?" Stelle asked.

Caelus nodded.

"Of course. Maybe next time, we can have a bat duel and see which of us truly deserves the title of the Galactic Bat."

Stelle grinned.

"That sounds awesome."

Flynn rubbed his temples, feeling a massive headache coming on.

Herta Jr. stretched and looked at her counterpart.

"You know? You're more fun than I expected."

Stelle lifted her head proudly.

"Of course I am."

Herta Jr. tossed her a small device.

"If you ever want to visit… well, if the portal doesn't explode, use this."

Stelle caught it with a small smile.

"I definitely will."

....

Finally, Herta Jr. activated the portal sequence.

"Alright, everyone in position! Don't move, or you might end up with extra limbs!"

Flynn tensed.

"That doesn't make me feel any better."

Herta Jr. pressed a giant button labeled "START."

The portal glowed with a blinding light.

The air vibrated with energy…

…And at the last second, Caelus jumped out of position.

"I'm gonna see if I can land in a better world!"

Flynn reached out in horror.

"No, you damn idiot—!"

But before he could stop him, the portal swallowed them all.

The entire lab trembled as the energy dissipated.

When the light finally faded…

Herta Jr. stood in silence, staring at the console.

The screen displayed a message:

[Process complete. Destinations: …Error…Error…Error…]

Herta Jr. sighed and crossed her arms.

"Well… I just hope they at least ended up in the right place."

**************************************************************************

Originally, this was supposed to be an Omake for Chapter 14, but I ended up liking it so much that I made some modifications and turned it into a full chapter.

By the way, Flynn and Caelus were meant to be the prototypes for Aleph and Stelle. As I mentioned before, a lot changed between my original idea and what ended up in the fanfic, and this is one of those changes.

Originally, Aleph was going to be more like Flynn (and yes, Aleph was originally going to be named Flynn).

Also, instead of Stelle, the Caelus from this chapter was supposed to take that role.

That said, the story would have had a much edgier tone.

With that in mind, I might soon start writing what will probably be the only completely canon omakes.

A story about Flynn and Caelus traveling across the multiverse, trying to find their way home.