At least for now, Walter posed no real threat to Evan.
Of course, Evan wasn't the only one observing—
Walter was also closely watching Evan.
It was him.
Yes, it had to be this guy.
The one from the photos.
The one who single-handedly defeated Cocolia and took the Stellaron.
And those constructs—
There was no mistake.
Moonlight Throne Cannons.
Absolutely Moonlight Thrones.
Walter had seen them before.
Sure, back when he fought the First Herrscher, what he constructed was a ground-based mechanized army.
But that didn't mean he was unfamiliar with Moonlight Thrones.
Especially when Bronya—his Bronya—
was once the saintess of Anti-Entropy.
The third-generation Herrscher of Reason, personally nurtured by Walter himself.
How could he not recognize that kind of authority?
So the question was—
Did this guy also come from my world?
Yet the moment they actually met face to face, Walter's unease only deepened.
Because from Evan, he sensed a faint but unmistakably familiar aura.
That aura came from a certain power Evan possessed.
Or, to be precise—
Authority.
The authority of the Herrscher of Reason.
Walter's current body itself was constructed through that very authority.
He was intimately familiar with its source.
But Evan's was different.
This energy was on a higher tier—
not Honkai energy at all.
It was pure Imaginary energy.
Direct, refined, efficient.
No conversion required.
Energy that truly deserved the name Imaginary.
Because of that, Walter's attitude toward Evan unconsciously softened.
They weren't acquaintances.
But that "hometown" feeling—
it hit far too close.
"I'm Walter Yang," he said, extending a hand.
"A Nameless from the Astral Express."
"…Hello," Evan replied after a brief pause.
"Mr. Yang."
The exchange was… awkward.
So awkward that even Evan wasn't sure how to continue.
Too familiar.
Too coincidental.
His very first beginner treasure chest had given him Herrscher of Reason authority—
and now the Second Herrscher of Reason himself was standing right in front of him.
Of course Walter was suspicious.
Anyone would be.
The Honkai had been gone for years.
An outsider from beyond the sky arrived.
He himself had left his original world carrying Void Archives.
Then—
He meets a girl with the same name as his student.
And now, after all that traveling, encounters another familiar authority?
Anyone else would have mentally crashed by now.
Thankfully, Walter's mental fortitude was solid.
After some brief introductions and clarification, his emotions finally settled.
"This Stellaron isn't something I can handle," Evan said calmly.
"So I'll leave it to you."
"No problem," Himeko replied with a smile.
"We were planning to resupply here anyway. I'll take it back with us."
"Works for me."
With the Stellaron handed over to Walter and Himeko,
Belobog was left with only one final problem—
Sparkle's little 'prank'.
Bombs.
All over the city.
Perfect timing.
With the Nameless present, having them help track down Sparkle's mischief would save Evan a lot of trouble.
No need to check each location one by one himself.
One Hour Earlier — Blue Star System
Herta Space Station
Not long ago, the station had just survived a major crisis.
A group of Stellaron Hunters, wanted by the IPC, had staged a spectacle here—
drawing in the Antimatter Legion under Destruction's banner.
Their goal?
The Stellaron hidden in the station's most secure Curio vault.
The situation escalated to the point where Herta herself had to return from beyond the system to clean up the mess.
But now, the focus wasn't on the damaged exterior of the station.
Inside—
Herta's office.
An elegant woman sat at her desk, reviewing the damage reports from the attack.
Silver hair.
A fitted researcher's uniform that did nothing to diminish her refined presence.
Nearby stood several doll bodies, dressed in elaborate gothic-lolita outfits—
Each one bearing the exact same face as the woman at the desk.
The only difference was that the woman herself looked slightly more mature.
Yes.
This was Herta.
Member of the Genius Society, Seat #83.
Even in a researcher's coat, her long legs were impossible to ignore—
the dark stockings accentuating her sharp, confident silhouette.
"So boring…" Herta muttered, flipping through the report lazily.
"Ruan Mei, when are you coming to the station?"
"Our first full test of the Simulated Universe should be ready by now, right?"
From the communicator on her desk came a soft chuckle.
"Soon," Ruan Mei replied gently.
"I've just finished gathering the materials I needed."
"…Your materials are ready?"
Herta's eyes lit up instantly.
"Really? That's great!"
Even though Ruan Mei's tone remained calm and restrained,
the excitement was unmistakable.
To read advanced Chapters, head over to p@treon:
patreon.com/nani_kaito