But the question remains: why is the Dominant Herrscher being so obvious this time?
"I feel like the Dominant Herrscher is deliberately letting Mei know that they have the power to seize control and then pressuring Mei into holding back, making her too afraid to use the power of the Herrscher of Thunder," Sirin said in a deep voice.
"But why? It's impossible to control another Herrscher. He can only take Bronya's power, but not Mei's, right? Does he think Bronya is easier to bully?" Kiana accidentally spoke the truth.
But no one took it seriously.
They didn't know that, unlike Mei, Bronya, as a Herrscher, hadn't fully awakened her own power yet. Mei had completed her evolution and had become a powerful Herrscher of Thunder, which was the key difference between her and both Bronya and Kiana.
Later, the perspective shifted to the Anti-Entropy group, where Einstein and the others began their own actions against the Herrscher.
In order to gather more information, Theresa and Fu Hua went to the gates of a university in New Jersey, where the first Herrscher had appeared.
Theresa also asked Fu Hua a question that many players were curious about: what was the current situation with the Herrscher of Sentience?
It turns out Fu Hua had been searching for the whereabouts of the Herrscher of Sentience during this time but had failed to find her. She could only occasionally catch fleeting fragments from the core link within her body.
When Theresa asked why Fu Hua didn't use the core's power to summon her, Fu Hua shook her head.
Although the core was inside her body, the power was dominated by the Herrscher of Sentience.
It was like a tug-of-war. If Fu Hua wanted to use that power, she would have to pull it to her side, but she couldn't manage that right now.
"Oh, Senti is still upset with Fu Hua," Sirin sighed, confused.
"That kid holds a grudge," Kiana said with a smile.
"What she hates most is being deceived."
"But what I'm a bit worried about is: could the Herrscher of Sentience become a target for the Herrscher of Dominance?" Mei asked, concerned. "Senti is too naive. If she encounters the Dominant Herrscher and is deceived by them, that could be a disaster."
"That's unlikely. Although Senti is simple, she's not stupid. Besides, she's the Herrscher of Sentience—who else could deceive her besides herself?" Sirin chuckled.
In her view, the Herrscher of Sentience had already been deceived by Kiana once. As the saying goes, you gain wisdom after being fooled. Surely, she wouldn't fall for it again, right?
"Exactly, and with Fu Hua around, there's no way Senti will get tricked by those cheap puppets."
If Su Mu were here and heard this conversation, he would definitely laugh.
Who would have thought a thousand-year-old immortal would be so casually deceive her own children?
It was like when your mom told you she'd hold onto your New Year's money for safekeeping and then "give it back" when you needed it.
Except for Senti, it was even worse, because her money (power) had been outright taken...
After that, Theresa and Fu Hua prepared to investigate the university.
There was also a comical moment that made everyone laugh. Theresa had dressed in youthful clothes to blend in, only for the guard to mistake her for an elementary school student.
Theresa was devastated. Despite being centuries old, she still had the body of a perpetual loli.
Meanwhile, although Fu Hua's body had also stopped aging, she at least looked like a young woman. But Theresa's petite stature meant she was often mistaken for a child.
This would all change soon enough—Bronya would surpass them all in eight years, making the rest of their appearances irrelevant.
Later, Theresa and Fu Hua discovered a diary written by the professor who worked at the university. It documented his negative emotions and how he came into contact with the Theater of Domination.
On their way to the dormitory, they encountered one of the professor's puppets.
After disposing of the puppet, Theresa and Fu Hua returned to Anti-Entropy with its core.
Einstein analyzed the core and discovered that the dolls were interconnected, with the Theater of Domination acting as their server.
They realized they could now track the dolls using this network.
However, when they tried to locate a dozen or so dolls, the dolls' activities suddenly halted, and their numbers remained stuck at 500.
This suggested that the Herrscher of Dominance was preparing for the next stage of their plan.
Knowing this, Welt and the others decided it was time to act rather than wait for another attack. They devised a plan to lure the puppets into the open by using bait they couldn't resist.
"I'll be the bait," Kiana's voice echoed in the conference room, her expression serious and resolute.
She had already discussed the plan with Welt.
**In Elysia's live broadcast room:**
"Bait... why do I have a bad feeling about this?" Elysia frowned as she listened to Kiana volunteering to lure the Dominance Herrscher out.
No one who has ever been bait has met a good fate.
"I don't know what kind of scheme the Herrscher of Dominance will pull," Elysia sighed.
"However, this is their only option," Einstein said calmly. "Otherwise, they'll remain on the defensive forever and won't be able to neutralize the threat of the Herrschers in one fell swoop."
"Ugh... it feels so frustrating to be led by the nose like this," Tesla said, crossing her arms with a disgruntled expression. "And now you're making Kiana the bait? What if something happens to her?"
"Sometimes, I almost feel sorry for the Dominant Herrscher," Elysia mused, thinking of the despair the puppets felt. "They're just ordinary people who've been beaten down by life, clinging to one another in their weakness, thinking they'll gain strength through their unity—but they can't really be called 'companions.'"
Though the Herrscher of Dominance constantly praised humanity, their actions were rooted in disbelief, seeing the world only as a place of despair and darkness.
But their reliance on each other, however flawed, showed that deep down, they craved connection.
'Humanity' in Herrschers of Dominance may be heavier.
Tesla frowned, her voice tinged with suspicion. "Ellie, don't tell me you sympathize with these dolls?"
Elysia shook her head with a soft smile. "Sympathy doesn't mean I don't want them gone. They are pitiable and pathetic in a way, but if there's a chance, I'd still prefer them to withdraw peacefully."
"That's a relief," Tesla muttered, satisfied with the answer.
Suddenly, an eerie, distorted voice echoed in the room, **"乆乆乆乆乆, the darkness in people's hearts won't vanish, and neither will we, Kalpas Kalpas Kalpas!"**
The unexpected presence startled the live broadcast room.
**[What's happening? Did the Dominance Herrschers hack the live stream too?]**
**[This is getting creepily vivid.]**
Amid the confusion, Welt shifted focus back to his strategy, laying out his plan for everyone. Though he had agreed to Kiana's request to engage, he had no intention of putting her in actual danger. The plan was to send Kiana to the Arctic base on Hyperion, where a facility specifically designed to contain the Herrscher of the Void awaited. Naturally, the Herrschers would attempt to intercept her en route. The Anti-Entropy group knew this was the only opportunity for the Herrschers to strike.
Einstein and Tesla backed the plan, but Theresa and others grew quiet. Kiana had faced enough danger, and her allies were reluctant to send her into it again. Yet Kiana reassured them, confident in her abilities and determined to fight. With that, the plan was finalized.
The scene then shifted to the Domination Theater, where the Herrscher puppets were fully aware of the trap set by Anti-Entropy. However, they were enraged by such blatant defiance and unanimously voted to launch an attack regardless.
Elysia crossed her arms, watching with a mix of bemusement. "These dolls are reckless. They know it's a trap but step right into it anyway. Stupid or overconfident, hard to say."
**[No way the Herrschers are that foolish. They must have a backup plan.]**
**[I agree, they aren't exactly strong fighters. They rely on puppets and the Herrscher of Reason's powers to compensate.]**
Meanwhile, in the live chat, viewers speculated on the Herrschers' true intentions. It was clear the Herrscher of Dominance wasn't one to be underestimated, and they were likely hiding a trump card.
Tesla suddenly perked up, an idea lighting up her face. "Hey, do you think Senti will pop out to help at a critical moment?"
Einstein paused. "If Fu Hua's life is at stake, I wouldn't rule it out."
But despite their musings, the battle ahead was about to unfold. The three days in-game flew by, and Anti-Entropy embarked on their mission. Just as planned, Kiana stayed protected aboard Hyperion with Theresa, but things soon took a turn. The puppets infiltrated the ship, deactivating the electromagnetic barrier and pulling Kiana into the Domination Theater.
Alone but undeterred, Kiana kept her composure. Amid the mocking of the puppets, she scouted the area, searching for an opening. Once found, she drew a deep breath and activated her Herrscher powers. This, as it turned out, was part of Welt's third contingency plan — bringing the entire Hyperion into the Domination Theater.
The game cut to a cinematic CG. Kiana tore open a golden portal, pulling the enormous battleship into the Herrscher's realm. Specially designed mechas descended from Hyperion, and soon after, Bronya, Seele, and Theresa joined the fray.
Elysia's excitement bubbled over. "Yes! This is getting good!"
Tesla punched the air, grinning. "Now we're talking! Time to crush these puppets!"
But Einstein, ever the cautious one, wasn't convinced. "It feels like... this is going too smoothly."
She eyed Su Mu, who dodged the question with a casual shrug. "Who knows?"
Einstein smiled knowingly, deciding to hold her thoughts. It was clear something bigger was in play, but for now, the battle raged on, and the true showdown between Anti-Entropy and the Herrschers of Dominance had begun.