Inside the university lecture hall.
"...?"
Himeko, who was staring blankly at the large blackboard, felt a gentle poke on her soft cheek from her friend beside her.
"Are you staring at Professor Welt?" her friend, who looked far more mature than Himeko, leaned in and whispered into her ear.
"Ah!?" Himeko yelped. "N-No, of course not. I was just looking at the blackboard!"
She grabbed the textbook on her desk and, with lightning speed, hid her slightly flushed cheeks behind it.
"But your face is as red as a tomato."
"If you ask me, while Professor Welt is handsome and has a great figure, he's a bit too rigid—I guess that 'mature and steady' act is how he became an associate professor at his age, but for us, he's lacking a little something..."
With a teasing smile, her friend nudged Himeko's shoulder with her elbow.
"Are all you Easterners into this type?"
"..."
At her friend's wild assumption, Himeko buried her entire face in the textbook.
"Mmph."
"I told you, you've got it all wrong!"
"Professor Welt and I just share a common hobby."
"Here!"
Without looking up, Himeko passed a folder to her friend.
"This is the proof. We promised to observe Asteroid 439 together."
Her friend took the folder.
"Stargazing together... how romantic, and it fits our major perfectly."
"..."
"I said, it's observing an asteroid, not stargazing... Okay, fine, I guess there isn't much of a difference."
"Let's not talk about that."
The two of them built a small fortress by propping their textbooks up together.
"Don't you think the professor seems a little different today?"
"Different... Himeko, you really were staring at Professor Welt just now, weren't you?"
"..."
Himeko immediately counterattacked with her elbow.
"I'm being serious."
She propped her cheek up with a light fist, creating a cute dimple.
"It's like, hmm, his lectures aren't as stern as they used to be, but his presence feels much stronger."
"Eh?"
"I wasn't observing him as closely as you were."
"But if we're talking about changes, I feel like Professor Welt's lecture today was easier to understand... and he vaguely mentioned a lot of insightful knowledge I've never heard before."
"Ah, that I—"
Ring, ring, ring.
Before Himeko could finish, the bell signaling the end of class echoed across the campus.
"I'm heading out first."
"I still need to give this observation plan to the professor."
Hurriedly grabbing her backpack, Himeko got up and jogged towards the aisle between the seats.
"I know, I know. Go on, hurry up."
Watching Himeko's back disappear through the classroom door, her friend neatly straightened the papers in her hand.
"...Ah, youth."
"Who would have thought that Himeko, who has rejected countless people, would have a day like this."
---o---
In an alley not far from the garden.
Himeko finally managed to stop Professor Welt just as he was about to enter his office. It was already dusk, and there were far fewer students around than usual.
"Professor Welt!" Himeko called out, slightly out of breath as she leaned over with her hands on her knees.
"This is..."
She handed a slightly crumpled stack of papers to Welt.
"You remember what we talked about before, observing Asteroid 439 together, right?"
"This is the observation plan I made. Please take a look!"
"..."
As Welt casually took the papers, Himeko looked up and continued speaking to him. Although she was quite tall, she still seemed rather petite standing in front of him.
"This is the most suitable observation location."
"Next Friday at 8 PM is the best time to observe Asteroid 439."
"..."
"A very comprehensive plan," Welt said slowly.
Though his eyes were on the documents Himeko had handed him, his attention was actually locked onto an "outsider" more than thirty meters away.
"Himeko."
Although both were students of "Welt," the Himeko before him was vastly different from the "old student" who had become an "XX Incarnation."
"I will keep our promise."
"But before that—"
Welt turned around and addressed a man whose shadow was stretched long by the setting sun.
"Sir, you don't appear to be a student or a staff member of the university."
"If you wish to take pictures here, please state your intentions and show your permit."
Welt recited the lines from his "script" calmly.
"Ah, my apologies."
The middle-aged man lowered his camera.
"I was hoping to sneak a picture of my daughter as a memento. I didn't realize there was such a rule. I hope I didn't interrupt your da—"
"Dad!?"
"What are you doing here!?"
Himeko's voice suddenly shot up several decibels.
"Haha."
"I happen to be on vacation these few days, so I thought I'd come and give you a surprise. I didn't expect you to be the one to give me a surpri—"
"You've got it all wrong!" Himeko quickly cut Murata Ryusuke off.
"This is Professor Welt, who teaches astronautics. We were just discussing club activities."
"Professor Welt."
"This is my father, Murata Ryusuke. He's also a physicist, currently working at a research institute in Europe."
"..."
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor," Murata Ryusuke said with his usual, slightly weary smile.
"Likewise, it's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Murata."
"By the way, Himeko," Murata Ryusuke said before Welt could speak again.
"Are you free right now? I was hoping you could show me around campus. I've heard that American university labs have a lot of advanced equipment."
As he spoke, he pulled a card with a special insignia from his pocket.
"I've already obtained permission from the university."
"Right now?" Himeko hesitated.
"I was just about to take Professor Welt to pick out a suitable telescope."
"It's alright, Miss Himeko," Welt said, handing the observation plan back to her.
"Mr. Murata has come from far away. You should spend today with your father. We still have some time before next Friday. The telescope can wait until you're free."
"..."
"I'm sorry, Professor Welt."
Taking the documents, Himeko pressed her hands together and bowed deeply to Welt.
"Then let's schedule another time tomorrow!"
Under the afterglow of the setting sun, the figures of the father and daughter gradually receded into the distance.
"Murata Ryusuke."
"The 'Contractor' of the Shoggoths?"
The alien race known as the Shoggoths was a civilization that scurried between different worlds to "evade" the Sky People.
They were technologically advanced and not weak in combat, but they didn't excel at it. In other words, even if they could defeat the reconnaissance units of the Sky People, or even had the ability to track them back to their home planet, they wouldn't dare to fight back... after all, the Sky People were backed by the Antimatter Legion.
In fact, many civilizations in the universe had lost the courage to even confront them.
A higher civilization might be able to annihilate the Sky People, but they couldn't guarantee that information about themselves wouldn't be leaked to the Antimatter Legion.
The Shoggoths, who didn't quite qualify as a higher civilization, were one such case.
After their home world was destroyed by the Sky People, the Shoggoths, who had been wandering through the universe, had finally found a new temporary home: Earth.
On a side note.
The Shoggoth civilization had an extremely small population. Their true forms were very Lovecraftian tentacled monsters. To facilitate hiding and conserve energy, they would transform themselves into grey furballs only about five centimeters in diameter. Having lost their home world, obtaining and replenishing energy was quite difficult for them, so they spent most of their time in this energy-saving form.
"To think that four different civilizations have appeared on such a small planet at the same time."
The figures of Himeko and her father had already vanished. The dusky sky was tinged with the last red halo of light, heralding the arrival of night.
"No wonder His Majesty the Emperor is interested."
Welt turned around, the hem of his brown coat flapping loudly in the fierce wind.
---o---
"Phew."
"We were almost discovered just now."
Smiling as he watched the cheerful Himeko skipping beside him, Murata Ryusuke heard the clear voice of the Shoggoth in his mind.
"Discovered?"
"That's right."
The Shoggoth, whose every physical sense was in a state of "invisibility," poked its head out of Murata Ryusuke's breast pocket.
"Although I have no proof."
"I just had a feeling that he glanced at me."
The Shoggoth spoke with lingering fear.
"Your race's sixth sense is rarely wrong."
"It's impossible for a human to be aware of your existence, yet that Professor Welt just now was able to sense something was off."
"According to Tianming's intelligence..."
"The First Herrscher."
The Shoggoth finished Murata Ryusuke's sentence.
"The emissary of Honkai... I never thought I'd meet him in a place like this."
"..."
"Can we win?" Murata Ryusuke asked the Shoggoth while smiling and replying to Himeko's incessant chatter.
"It's hard to say."
The Shoggoth in his pocket was not arrogant—caution was ingrained in their civilization's bones.
"A one-on-one fight is definitely out of the question."
"But if we can borrow the power of the [Candy House]... he's still just a Herrscher, nowhere near as terrifying as the Sky People."
"..."
"Is that so."
After a fleeting, almost nonexistent moment of hesitation.
"Borrowing the [Candy House]..."
"As long as we can win, that's all that matters."
"?"
Just as a question mark popped into the Shoggoth's mind—
"Dad, are you even listening to me?"
"Ah, ah!"
"Yes, I'm listening. Where were we again?"
---o---
Anti-Entropy Headquarters, Conference Room 3.
"The analysis of the 'key' is complete."
Standing before the console, the cube in Tesla's hand had transformed into a translucent, diamond-shaped crystal.
"Through the key, we can connect to the core computer of the Fourth Key of God."
"What should we do, Nest-head? Should we risk being discovered and hack in to take a look?"
The chair spun 180 degrees. Light brown leather boots landed softly, the sound completely absorbed by the carpet underfoot.
"Let's not be hasty."
"Wait for Dr. Murata—"
VMMM!!
Before Einstein could finish, the key in Tesla's hand suddenly let out a piercing alarm!
"Dr. Tesla, what did you do?"
"I-I haven't done anything yet..."
"Warning!"
"Warning!"
A red projection of the Earth automatically appeared in the center of Conference Room 3.
"This is..."
"A large-scale Honkai energy reaction has been detected from space. The Fourth Key of God has activated!"
At the same time.
A hurricane warning popped up directly on the tablet in Tesla's hand—target: the East Coast of North America, with Houston as the first point of contact.
---o---
"Cough, cough."
Under a plastic umbrella at a streetside table.
Murata Ryusuke didn't have time to take a handkerchief from his breast pocket. The white gloves he hastily used to cover his mouth—he almost never took them off—were stained a dark crimson.
"Dad, sorry to keep you waiting!"
With the cheerful chime of a bell, Himeko walked out of the shop next to them.
"Oh, you're back."
Plop.
A hot dog, french fries, and a cola that had to have ice even in autumn.
"Tide yourself over with this for now."
"We don't have any ingredients at home today. Tomorrow, I'll show you a few of my specialty dishes and let you see how much your daughter's cooking has improved!"
Rip.
While Himeko was tearing open a food wrapper, Murata Ryusuke quickly took off the glove under the table and stuffed it into his pocket.
"Ah—"
Just as Himeko opened her mouth wide, ready to take a big bite of the fully-loaded hot dog.
"...We interrupt this program with breaking news."
"A hurricane was just observed near Houston. Meteorologists predict that the hurricane is very likely to strike other cities on the East Coast in the near future. Residents in coastal areas are advised to prepare for evacuation."
"I repeat..."
Buzz.
Buzz.
Along with the news broadcast, the phone on the table began to vibrate annoyingly.
"Sorry, Himeko."
Murata Ryusuke stood up, scratching the back of his head.
"Dad just remembered, I think I made plans with a friend in America today—"
"Yeah, yeah."
Himeko didn't bother to hide her sigh.
"I know, you're always like this. It's about work again, isn't it?"
Putting down the paper cola cup beaded with condensation, Himeko looked up and waved at her father.
"Alright."
"Go on and get busy."
"But when you're done with work, you have to try my cooking before you leave, okay?"
"Don't worry, Himeko."
Murata Ryusuke didn't turn his head.
"Dad will be back soon... very soon."
---o---
At the same time, in an unknown region.
"Where is this..."
"Yo, you're awake, Professor 'Welt'?"
Welt Yang slowly opened his eyes. The first thing that came into view was the corner of Himeko's mouth, curved into a smile that was both cute and alluring.
"Hime..."
As his vision gradually cleared, Welt Yang didn't rush to a conclusion. Or rather, he quickly made the correct one.
"No, you're not Himeko."
"..."
"Hmm~?"
The Himeko who had been leaning so close took two light hops backward, quickly increasing the distance between them.
"How mean, Professor 'Welt'."
"I am Himeko."
A distinctly angled, silver-grey gem appeared in her hand.
"It's just that..."
The Herrscher Core. The Core of the First Herrscher—Welt Yang recognized what she was holding in an instant.
"I'm just not the Himeko you know~"