On a personal note, 'Saber' exchanged contact info with Arthur and Morgan before heading off on their own.
It wasn't for any particular reason, really. Just pure curiosity about what this Star Rail Camelot would look like without the Antimatter Legion trampling all over it, wondering what the future held for those twelve siblings.
Back on the ship.
As they set off again, 'Saber' started telling Acheron all about the interesting things they'd just seen.
This whole identity they had now, actually running into a world with similar counterparts.
The odds were low enough, but finding out those names, usually tangled up in love and hate, were now all blood-related siblings?
Even for someone as well-traveled as Acheron, it was a first.
She'd seen worlds like Izumo more than once, sure, but never ran into a twist this dramatic.
Acheron thought about it. Imagine if everyone she knew, in some other world, turned out to be siblings.
Considering the history between some of them... yeah, if she ever stumbled onto a world like that, she'd probably be pretty curious too.
"Come to think of it, the whole love-life situation with this identity of yours... isn't it a bit... much?"
"Well, she was a king. A king disguised as a man. Kinda comes with the territory, right?"
"Heh~"
Acheron just smiled, saying nothing.
Celenova, on the other hand, stayed completely out of the conversation, keeping up that aloof front as she waited to reach their final stop, just waiting to see what this woman actually wanted with her.
--+--
The ship took a bit more time to get back to the Simulated Universe space station.
'Saber' and Acheron, with Celenova in tow, stepped onto the station and headed for some out-of-the-way room.
Acheron had originally planned to just head back after the fight, but then she heard that Ruan Mei was working on a temporary body for 'Saber', and that it shouldn't be too much longer before it was done.
So Acheron decided to hang around the station for a while, to help keep an eye on Celenova.
As for Celenova?
Probably banking on the fact that she couldn't die. Even as a prisoner of war, she had zero self-awareness about her situation.
Hell, she almost seemed like she'd given up, just wallowing in it:
"I figured you'd just off me and be done with it. Didn't think you'd actually drag me back here. What, you got some kind of weird hobby I should know about?"
'Saber' glanced at the Celenova clone, whose power had been temporarily suppressed.
"I'm just curious—when exactly are you going to choose to end your own life? I assume you've already given up on this body."
"True," the clone replied. "But I'm equally curious. What on earth do you plan to do with me now that you've dragged me back here?"
Celenova had likely already written this avatar off as a discarded asset, and her tone had grown significantly bolder because of it.
Furthermore, she still found it hard to believe her captor had brought her back just for that. There had to be another motive.
"Exactly what I said. I'm planning to keep you around as a warm body for my bed. I've even got the maid outfit ready for you."
'Saber' gave a half-truthful answer. As for her real reason, she naturally had no intention of sharing it. Her primary goal in bringing Celenova back was to study how to counter her.
Dealing with Celenova alone was one thing, but now she had a partner to coordinate with.
Honestly, this avatar-splitting ability was a massive headache. If she didn't find a way to neutralize it, she couldn't exactly just sit by and watch Celenova run rampant across the cosmos with her 'summons.'
She didn't expect to seal the ability outright, but if she could find a way to disrupt that connection during combat, she might have a chance to shove that summon back where it came from.
From the moment they stepped onto the space station, various scanning devices had been humming to life.
How much they could actually learn was hard to say—it would come down to luck. So, to make Celenova buy into the act a bit more, 'Saber' actually carried her into the lounge alongside Acheron.
She forcibly changed Celenova into an exquisite maid uniform.
Matching the outfit with Celenova's expression of utter loathing and her undeniably impressive figure, 'Saber'—despite this not being her original intent—couldn't help but comment:
"It really suits you, Celenova. If we shot a photobook of this, there's no telling how high your popularity in the universe would soar."
"Heh..."
Celenova let out a cold, frustrated laugh. She gave a sharp huff and said nothing more.
She had originally intended to withdraw her consciousness and discard the body long ago, but after overhearing their conversation, she realized that with the help of the Geniuses, Bai Ming was finally about to show her true colors.
Celenova felt it was necessary to dig up this intel before she left.
At the very least, she needed to memorize this woman's face and take that image back so her colleagues could recognize her.
Celenova could use the power of Harmony to sense the frequency of every individual and identify Bai Ming, but the others couldn't.
So, even though she was forcibly stuffed into a maid outfit with a frilly, fluttering hem, Celenova endured. To keep herself from lashing out, she repeated a mantra in her mind:
'It's just a set of clothes. I am the loser here, so punishment is inevitable. Such humiliation will only serve to engrave this defeat into my memory forever...'
Just as 'Saber' was leading the maid-clad Celenova out of the room, a Herta puppet approached them head-on. She tilted her head back, sizing up Celenova before glaring at 'Saber.'
"What are you up to now? A maid? Where did you find this woman? How do you keep bringing random people back to the station? I'm honestly impressed by your lack of sense!"
Used to Herta's constant nitpicking, 'Saber' gave a helpless smile. "...Herta, how do you have the time to pay attention to this side of things?"
"You tell me! You brought a Lord Ravager into the Simulated Universe testing grounds, and you have the nerve to ask why I'm looking for you? I've only been back for a few days and you're already at it again."
The puppet raised a finger and—literally—poked 'Saber' right in the spine. This girl actually had the face to ask.
She had diverted almost every scanning device on the station and then dragged a Lord Ravager inside; how could Herta not notice?
"Er... I have a reason for this."
"I know you have reasons, but that's no excuse to indulge your twisted hobbies!"
Herta turned her head to size up the tall Lord Ravager maid again. Setting aside that aura unique to Destruction, Celenova had a great figure, and her face actually looked quite gentle.
Tsk.
For some reason, Herta felt a surge of irritation. In the distant Herta City, Herta's true body clicked her tongue loudly. No one heard it except Noa.
Standing half a step behind 'Saber,' Celenova watched the interaction between her captor and the Genius with great interest.
She had assumed that communication between Geniuses would be serious and professional, running with the efficiency of precision machinery.
But now, it seemed they weren't much different from ordinary people. At least when they were chatting, they didn't seem like robots.
Moreover, it appeared Madam Herta was quite fond of this nuisance, Bai Ming.
Although Celenova couldn't fathom what was likable about such an annoying, psychologically warped individual, it didn't stop her from seizing the chance to stir up trouble.
Celenova deliberately raised her hand, resting it on her already open collar and tugging it down just a fraction as she spoke:
"Miss Bai Ming, do you need me to change out of this outfit now?"
On the surface, there was nothing wrong with the words. The problem was the tone.
It must be noted that Celenova had a beautiful voice. Even when she was barking orders with the will of Destruction, there was a certain aesthetic quality to it.
And now, having cast aside that majesty and authority—speaking solely to 'annoy a person she hated' and 'disrupt their relationship'—she spoke with a deliberately feigned, submissive tenderness.
The impact was startling. Even 'Saber' herself shivered at the sound. She turned to look at Celenova in disbelief, shocked that such a gentle voice had actually come from her.
"You—ack!"
Before 'Saber' could even ask, a hand with ball-jointed fingers clamped firmly onto the back of her neck.
"Good. Very good, Bai Ming. You've done well. Being treated like that by a Lord Ravager must make you feel absolutely over the moon!"
The sound of teeth grinding came through the puppet's vocal system. The visible anger actually confused 'Saber.'
Celenova just muttered something weird, why are you so mad? It's not like the station has rules against flirting.
Besides, Celenova was clearly up to no good; no matter how nice she sounded, there was zero chance of things getting romantic.
Feeling the force on her neck trying to drag her away, 'Saber' didn't resist. She just exchanged a look with Acheron, signaling for her to keep an eye on things while she stepped away.
And so, under Celenova's gloating gaze, 'Saber' was dragged away backward by Herta, disappearing around the corner of the corridor.
Once they were further away and had passed through several compartments—ensuring they were shielded from Celenova's senses—Herta finally released 'Saber's' neck. She stood with her hands on her hips, looking at the blonde girl who was barely taller than herself.
"So, what exactly do you plan to do with her here?"
"I thought you were actually angry." 'Saber' rubbed the back of her neck, looking at Herta in surprise.
Given that grip, she really thought Herta was fuming.
"Who do you think I am? I'm a Genius. How could I get angry over something like that?" Herta puffed herself up with a boast, then kicked 'Saber's' shin, urging her to hurry up and explain.
"Alright, here's the story..."
'Saber' briefly explained the recent events and why she wanted to study Celenova. She also emphasized why she had brought the phantom here.
"While the Herta Space Station would work, there are more capable fighters here on Amphoreus, and the environment is better suited for me to cut loose. It's safer than other places."
"Hmm—I see. But to think the remains taken by Nanook actually turned into a summon? Why choose that path?" Herta rubbed her chin, lost in thought.
If that were the case, wouldn't it mean this Lord Ravager was destined to be dependent on another's will? Could they still carry out the Destruction they desired?
"I don't know... I just know it's best to deal with this person as soon as possible. The Antimatter Legion was already prone to expansion, and now it's even more ridiculous. What if Destruction actually manages to tear some concepts away from the Path of Propagation?"
"You have a point. We definitely need to research a way for you to handle her on your own."
"Right? So, can I go now?" Seeing Herta nod, 'Saber' nodded back and prepared to head out. But as soon as Herta heard she was leaving, she raised a hand to stop her.
"Wait!"
"What is it?"
"When you go back, get rid of that maid outfit you found somewhere. Seeing that outfit inside the space station is just jarring. Change her into something else."
"..."
After all that, we're still talking about the maid outfit? Is your grudge against this dress really that big?
'Saber' looked at Herta's dead-serious expression.
She felt that if she didn't nod, Madam Herta might personally come over and lecture her for hours.
Fine, since Herta disliked it so much, she'd change it. It wasn't like she lacked other nice clothes. For instance, a sister's habit paired with Celenova's aura and looks would be a perfect match.
So, 'Saber' nodded. "Fine... I'll change it later."
"That's more like it. I'm disconnecting now. If there's anything you can't figure out, come find me anytime."
Herta felt that the birth of the Eighth Lord Ravager was somewhat related to her anyway, so she added that bit at the end.
It was her way of telling 'Saber' to study it together later. Of course, whether there were other little motives mixed in, only Herta herself knew.
'Saber' nodded at the words. "When have I ever not come to you when I hit a problem? Don't worry."
"Hmph~"
Herta gave a small huff, cut the connection to the puppet, and her consciousness returned to Herta City.
Clearly, even with the Simulated Universe, Herta's sense of novelty had gradually faded after so much time.
Lately, she had left a batch of puppets at this station and returned to Herta City to be a shut-in again.
Ruan Mei had also been in her own experimental base recently, communicating only via holograms. Screwllum, naturally, had returned to Planet Screwllum.
If anything happened, they mostly handled it online; unless it was something major, they rarely showed up in person.
So strictly speaking, the only one who still frequently ran back and forth was 'Saber.'
--+--
'Saber' chose to stay at the station temporarily, though there wasn't much she needed to do.
Unless there was a specific project for the Simulated Universe, it was mostly just running data in the background.
Because of her previous experiences, 'Saber' felt she needed a break and shouldn't use the Simulated Universe to develop any new DLC for a while.
Instead, she spent most of her time discussing with Ruan Mei how to optimize the Saint Graph she was using.
The rest of her time was spent teasing Celenova, waiting to see when she would finally crack and cut the link to this body.
After using the station's equipment to conduct a discreet scan and monitor Celenova, they had found some suspicious data.
However, the information was too blurred, making it difficult to draw a definitive conclusion.
'Saber' figured that if she could record the process of Celenova's phantom being actively discarded, she might gain some insights.
Otherwise, wasting an Emanator character card just for this would feel like a bit of a rip-off.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL