"Now then, enough talk..."
Snow paused, as if remembering something, halting her motion to send Wendy out.
"Though I don't know why Muninn is angry with you... remember to apologize to her when you get out there—"
"Hmm... what if I don't apologize...?"
The green-haired Valkyrie asked tentatively, as if trying to spread her wings on the brink of self-destruction.
"She's right beside you now... Ah, I mean your true form... Hmm, she seems to be drawing turtles on your face with a permanent marker... And sneaking bites of your snacks while she's at it?"
"Ugh, get me out of here, quick!"
Hearing that the silver-haired bird-person was defacing her face, Wendy grew agitated and wanted to charge out and settle things once and for all.
"...Even if you go back, you won't be able to defeat her. Bouncing around in my Divine Realm doesn't mean you can do the same in the Prime World..."
The golden-haired God cast a knowing glance at the Valkyrie before her, hinting at something deeper.
"You're just trying to tempt me with the Honkai's power, so you can trigger the Great Honkai Eruption, aren't you?!" Wendy accused, her face radiating the smugness of someone who had seen through a trick.
"You're thinking too much, little one. The Great Honkai Eruption only occurs when an Apostle of Honkai is born..."
"And you're already so close... No matter how hard you resist that voice and will in your mind, the undeniable truth remains: Honkai energy levels in the New Zealand Region are steadily rising..."
"Every region has a threshold for Honkai energy storage... You know this better than I do. When that threshold is reached, becoming a Herrscher is no longer a choice. The yellow robe is forced upon you; whether you want it or not, you'll have to accept it."
"And the New Zealand Region's threshold is about to bottom out..."
The blonde girl revealed a truth Wendy couldn't accept.
"Why me? Why must I become the Fourth Herrscher?! I only want to save more lives and protect more people! Why me specifically?! I don't want to be an enemy of civilization, and I don't want to turn my blade against those I once protected!"
In the past, the young green-haired Valkyrie had endured eternal suffering as she fulfilled her duty to save lives. But deep inside, hatred for Schicksal had festered for three years. Now, as Snow revealed the irreversible reality, Wendy's suppressed emotions finally erupted.
"Heh..."
Snow shook her head, sighed, and gazed at the girl before her, who was on the verge of emotional collapse.
"If you passively accept the Herrscher's power... or if it's forced upon you against your will—a Herrscher Persona will be born alongside it. This Persona will gradually replace your original personality, transforming you into a true enemy of civilization."
"...So that's why you brought me here? You want me to actively accept the Herrscher's power?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? In this era, only one Herrscher has actively embraced their power from the start: the Second Herrscher, Sirin. And that proves only one thing: her Persona already harbors such extreme hatred for civilization and humanity that no new personality is needed to wrest control of her body."
Snow gave the Valkyrie a strange look, her expression saying, "What are you even thinking?"
"Then... why me?"
Wendy, having been rebuffed by the golden-haired God, finally regained her composure and fixed her gaze on the deity before her.
Snow merely scoffed a few times—
"You should be grateful this is my Divine Realm, not some other place. Given your recent emotional breakdown, the Honkai would have already erupted."
The golden-haired girl shot Wendy a smug look that said, You'd better thank me right now.
"Uh... aren't you the Honkai Will? Shouldn't a Honkai eruption be a good thing for you?" Wendy stammered, staring at the golden-haired God before her.
"...Do you really think a God representing the final Trial of civilization—a manifestation of the Imaginary Tree's filtering mechanism—would be as accommodating as I am?"
"Hmph, if your consciousness were to prattle on like this in their presence, They'd obliterate you on the spot, making it much simpler for the Herrscher Persona born from the Honkai to fully take over your body."
"Do you really think Herrschers are some kind of exalted beings? To the Honkai Will, most of them are merely useful tools. Whether these tools break, die, or even rebel, it's all the same to Him. Use them and discard them. It doesn't matter if they're never used at all. No matter how handy a tool is, it's still just a tool."
"Would you bother repairing a screwdriver?"
"Of course not. It's much easier to just toss it and grab a new one."
The blonde girl curled her lip in disdain.
"Herrschers are merely disposable tools, and the Honkai is nothing more than a test for civilizations..."
Wendy felt her worldview shattering anew. The casual remarks from the golden-haired God before her continuously challenged everything she had learned at Schicksal Academy.
"Then... Miss God, what exactly is your gift?"
Listening to the blonde God's explanations only deepened Wendy's confusion. She gazed curiously at the God called Othinus.
"...Not all Gods are like the Honkai, treating their Apostles as disposable tools."
"Like you?" Wendy eyed the God, who appeared to be about her own age, with suspicion.
"Ah, yes, like me—"
Snow wore a relaxed expression as she lazily regarded the Valkyrie before her.
"I can exploit a loophole, allowing you to replace the Fourth Herrscher and claim her position and Authority as my Agent. Of course, the Honkai energy originally meant to converge upon her won't simply dissipate; it will still erupt. But compared to the birth of a Herrscher, this sounds much better, doesn't it?"
"My Apostle?"
"Uh, doesn't this feel a bit... appointed, Lady Odin?"
"...Is this fair?"
The green-haired Valkyrie stared at the God slumped on the Throne, her expression odd.
The higher-ups have already decided—you're going to replace the Fourth Herrscher and get a free ride without doing any work... How strange...
"I am Justice, I am Righteousness—My Apostle, how could fairness even be a question...?"
The figure seated on the Divine Seat raised an eyebrow, a playful smile spreading across their lips.
"Hmm... If I become your Agent... I'll be completely severed from Schicksal, right?"
"Not entirely. There's still a connection—and it's a place you're very familiar with."
Snow shook her head, refuting Wendy's guess.
"A place I'm very familiar with...? Wait... you mean St. Freya?!"
"Yes, yes, yes."