"If you insist on forcing your way into Amphoreus," Lygus's tone remained even, but the content carried undeniable weight, "I can only be frank with you: Like you, I have also been fortunate enough to receive a glimpse from the Aeon of Erudition. I can responsibly assure you that, in the extreme scenario of a conflict erupting between us, our mutual destruction is assured."
"Hmph." Herta gave an ostensibly indifferent snort, but in the shadows, a message instantly traversed the starry sea to a fellow member of the Genius Society.
"It seems conventional reasoning truly cannot persuade you." Lygus seemed to detect the meaning behind Herta's words, and this time, a hint of explicit warning entered his tone. "Then, allow me to present one final, direct reason—if you ignore my admonition and insist on forcibly intervening in Amphoreus."
"You will personally shatter the cage of a 'monster'. And this monster, after undergoing unimaginable metamorphosis, now preliminarily possesses the capability to bring all life in this galaxy to eternal silence."
It was at this moment that a gentle, cultured voice abruptly intervened in the increasingly tense standoff.
"Perhaps you are not wrong, but... esteemed Mr. Lygus. Please forgive my reminder that any risk assessment must consider all variables."
"What if the essence of Amphoreus is not a simple 'cage', but an extremely dangerous 'Emperor's Scepters'?"
"In such a scenario, leaving it unchecked might very well trigger an even more irreversible, catastrophic outcome."
As these words fell, another information-based projection elegantly coalesced beside Herta.
He stood tall and impeccable in etiquette—Screwllum, the current Ruler of the Intellitrons.
The previously expressionless visage of Lygus seemed to stiffen for an instant upon detecting Screwllum's arrival. Clearly, he had not anticipated the other side being so shameless as to immediately call for backup.
"You arrived quite swiftly, Screwllum." Herta's data projection emitted a ripple of near-triumph. "Less than one standard system minute has passed since I sent you the message."
She turned to Lygus, her tone carrying the pride unique to geniuses. "Dare to threaten me? Mr. Mutual Assurance, no one in this universe has ever managed to bully The Herta."
Then, The Herta shifted her gaze to Screwllum, with a tone of seeking confirmation. "But... what you just said, that Amphoreus is essentially a 'Emperor's Scepters'?"
"That kind of calculation system with the Anti-Life Equation at its core, specifically designed to simulate the paths of countless civilizations towards destruction?"
"Precisely, Ms. Herta." Screwllum's projection gave a slight nod, a trace of uncharacteristic gravity, born of past experience, fleeting across his elegant mechanical features. "Moreover, my claim of its danger is not without basis. In my long lifespan, I once had the fortune—or perhaps misfortune—to witness a 'Emperor's Scepters' that operated continuously for a full two hundred standard years."
"The deranged consciousness nurtured within it, nourished by the Anti-Life Equation, once nearly... contaminated, twisted my logical core."
His voice remained gentle, but the clear undertones of trepidation and warning were unmistakable. "Consider, Ms. Herta, if Amphoreus truly operates as a complete 'Emperor's Scepters', having run for hundreds of Amber Eras..."
"Then what scenes of madness, what eternally repeating, mind-shattering vistas must the data-life or consciousness collective trapped within, serving as the calculation subject, have faced and endured? I... cannot imagine, nor do I wish to simulate in detail that extreme despair."
He paused briefly before continuing, his tone now carrying unshakeable resolve. "Corpses littering the fields? Rivers of blood? Unending darkness? I fear these words fall far short of describing even a ten-thousandth of the true horror within that machine."
"Therefore, forgive my bluntness, but I absolutely cannot allow such a dangerous and unstable existence to continue operating without oversight."
"So it seems..." Lygus's voice lowered. "You are dead set on breaching this area marked as 'forbidden'."
He locked onto the two geniuses before him, vast data streams accelerating silently within. "I will prevent you from interfering with Amphoreus's calculations. But before conflict becomes inevitable, allow me to pose one final, and perhaps most fundamental, question to you both—"
His voice carried a force that pierced through appearances, striking at the essence:
"Back when you were fortunate enough to receive the Aeon's glimpse, illuminated by the light of the Erudition path... did you possess... the right to 'refuse'?"
Herta's brow furrowed, her data projection rippling slightly at this almost absurd question. "What kind of question is that? How could there possibly exist an intelligent lifeform in this vast universe capable of, or even willing to, refuse power actively bestowed by an Aeon?"
"If one could truly attract an Aeon's gaze, that in itself proves the path they pursue must highly align with the path the Aeon presides over! In such a scenario, how could they possibly utter a single word of 'no' to the Aeon, the ultimate embodiment of that very path?"
"Indeed... how could they?" Lygus let out a very soft chuckle, laced with complex meaning—a laughter tinged with a verified sorrow or mockery.
He abandoned further attempts at persuasion, his stance shifting to one of utter finality. "Matters have proceeded beyond words. The equation gestating within Amphoreus, after experiencing a total of 729 process regression phenomena, has finally—due to the intervention of the Preservation path—painstakingly reached the theoretical endpoint of its calculation cycle."
His mechanical arms slowly rose, adopting an encircling posture as his entire form began to be engulfed by a violently surging, tangible torrent of data.
"You may, of course, based on your logic and thoughts, choose to force your way into Amphoreus. That is your free will."
The data streams cocooned him completely, then in an instant collapsed inward and reconstituted.
When Lygus's form became clear again, he had shifted into a more aggressive, structurally more menacing combat mode, exuding a cold, warlike aesthetic.
Sapphire energy lines flowed across his new armor, radiating a heart-palpitating pressure. "And I... can, and will, do everything in my power to stop you."