More bad news.
MEI had more or less grown accustomed to things like this.
Besides, she had already anticipated that the Sea of Quanta Portal would be destroyed.
The others had expected much the same.
Although MEI had recently withdrawn from daily administration to devote herself entirely to research for the "Kindling Migration" project, Kevin and the others had tried every method they could think of to counter the associated threats and prevent this terrible outcome.
But in the end, all their efforts had been futile.
Regarding that...
"Their timing is really that precise?"
MEI looked at Sim Elysia and rubbed her temples in frustration.
"It seems our earlier suspicion has been confirmed."
Her reason for saying so was simple.
A few days earlier, after familiarizing herself with the Authority of the Herrscher of Reason, MEI had personally fabricated three additional optimized Keys of Blankness.
She knew perfectly well that they could not afford to possess only one suit of such versatile armor.
One of the new suits had been prepared for Elysia's Original Body, and another for Sim Elysia.
The third remained in reserve.
For her everyday experiments, MEI continued using the very first completed suit, which had served as the reference prototype for the Authority's "understanding and replication."
Until that day, the Core of the Herrscher of the Void had been entrusted to Sim Elysia in order to preserve their strategic advantage.
After all, capturing and thoroughly eliminating the Herrscher of Thunder still required the plan they had devised earlier: using a small World Bubble as an "Octagonal Cage."
MEI had several other projects to research in the meantime. Whenever she entered the isolated experimental area, Prometheus Prime could assist her with "Mimicry: Cosmic Juggernaut," so MEI did not necessarily need to keep the Herrscher of the Void's Core with her.
As a result...
Just before entering the experimental area that day, MEI had retrieved the Core from Sim Elysia so she could study subspace-folding technology.
Immediately afterward, the Herrscher of Thunder attacked the Mu Continent and completely destroyed the Sea of Quanta Portal, as though she had foreseen that exact moment.
It was practically a cheat.
Something similar had happened the day before yesterday.
Sim Elysia had briefly left the Mu Continent and, with Vill-V's cooperation, prepared to recover the Cosmic Juggernaut from the depths of the Sea of Quanta.
That time, however, the Herrscher of Thunder had merely launched token attacks against several other Base Cities. She had not even gone near the Mu Continent.
By the time Sim Elysia rushed back to the Proper World and tried to reach the scene, the enemy had already withdrawn without leaving a trace.
Because of that incident, they still had not recovered the Cosmic Juggernaut.
And now...
"Elysia, you want the Herrscher of the Void's Core back, don't you?" MEI asked the pink-haired girl (?) standing before her.
"No."
Sim Elysia sighed softly.
"I have another piece of bad news to give you."
"..."
MEI's eyelid twitched.
Then she fell silent for a long moment.
Sim Elysia was considerate enough not to continue on her own. She patiently waited for MEI to prepare herself.
"Go ahead. I'm listening."
"Mm."
Sim Elysia nodded.
"Just now, Kevin restricted Dr. Einstein's freedom of movement."
"..."
That was an exceedingly tactful way to phrase it.
To put it bluntly, Kevin had locked Dr. Einstein up.
"Why?" MEI asked.
"Dr. Einstein wanted to rebuild the Sea of Quanta Portal, but Kevin rejected her proposal."
After hearing Elysia's answer...
"A wise decision."
MEI considered the matter and realized she would have chosen the same course.
After all, if they constructed another Sea of Quanta Portal now, were they supposed to wait for the Herrscher of Thunder to destroy it again?
This was not as simple as saying, "I fell down, so to avoid falling again, I'll stay on the ground and refuse to get up."
They had to consider the wider consequences.
Setting aside the immense quantity of resources and manpower required to rebuild the Sea of Quanta Portal, what would happen afterward?
Even if MEI personally managed the project and used the Authority of the Herrscher of Reason to oversee construction, what then?
To protect it from the Herrscher of Thunder, someone would have to remain stationed there permanently.
That would divide their forces and pin at least five Flame-Chaser-level combatants to a single fixed location.
All things considered, this was plainly not the right time to rebuild the Sea of Quanta Portal.
At the very least, they would have to wait until the Herrscher of Thunder had been defeated, or perhaps until the Interstellar Migration Project was close to completion.
However...
"What did Dr. Einstein say?"
MEI understood Kevin's personality all too well.
For the situation to have escalated this far, there had to have been some... less than friendly details along the way.
Sim Elysia shrugged helplessly.
"Dr. Einstein believes we should commit everything to the Sea of Quanta Portal project. That way, before the Day of Nihility arrives, we could transfer everyone on Earth into different World Bubbles in batches."
Dr. Einstein had clearly considered the risks and limitations involved.
Even so, she believed Sea of Quanta Portal technology represented the future, a promising path that could secure a much longer future for Earth's human civilization.
By comparison, the revised Project ARK, which centered on interstellar migration, contained too many uncertainties and offered a low probability of success.
Most importantly, choosing that path meant inevitably abandoning the vast majority of humanity.
Otherwise, even if MEI first used Ideas to solve the energy problem, then used the Core of the Herrscher of the Void to overcome the Ark's passenger-capacity problem, what would she do about resource consumption?
Was she supposed to study the Core of the Herrscher of Reason and handcraft a universal 3D printer?
MEI: "I am not God!"
With the conversation having reached this point...
"Something else happened, didn't it?"
MEI pressed her further.
"If this were merely a difference of opinion, Kevin would not have gone so far as to imprison... restrict Dr. Einstein's personal freedom."
"Sigh~"
Sim Elysia released a long breath.
"Yes."
"If Dr. Einstein hadn't threatened him by saying, 'If you insist on abandoning the vast majority of people, I will use ELF to make everything public,' Kevin might have been more agreeable."
"..."
MEI felt as if her head were about to explode.
"ELF."
It was the central command system for the ELF Unit.
In theory, Dr. Einstein possessed ELF's highest command codes and therefore had the authority to command every ELF.
In the original timeline, her consent alone had been enough to grant all the ELFs "freedom."
And now...
"Does she not understand what consequences that would bring?"
MEI frowned deeply.
"Of course Dr. Einstein understands," Sim Elysia replied, spreading her hands helplessly. "That's why I called it a threat."
"But who knew..."
Her voice trailed off.
MEI understood.
Who could have known that Kevin would not care about any of it?
"Sigh~"
MEI also released a long, helpless breath.
After a moment, she looked back at Sim Elysia.
"Where is Dr. Einstein now?"
"She's locked in an isolation chamber with every external signal cut off."
MEI looked exhausted.
Right now, she wanted nothing more than to concentrate on her experiments.
But clearly...
Some matters could not be ignored merely because Kevin called himself the Sovereign, or because MEI had tried to wash her hands of them.
There was no other choice.
"Take me to see her!"