"..."
"..."
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Amidst the intense and highly informative debate, reaching its peak repeatedly, a momentary stalemate emerged.
Neither could outargue the other.
One stood for rationality and the pursuit of victory, while the other represented human morality and the future. Both were committed to combating Honkai, each following their own path already put into practice.
This debate was inherently incapable of determining right or wrong.
Yet Zeke emerged victorious.
It wasn't because he possessed superior eloquence; rather, from the outset, he positioned himself on unbeatable ground.
In reality, Schicksal had deep connections with the upper echelons of ordinary society. The ideology crafted by Otto enjoyed high acceptance among these elites and many Valkyries.
Anti-Entropy, on the other hand, lacked strong roots and had a vague philosophy. Additionally, over six decades, Otto's relentless smear campaigns further tarnished its reputation. Instead of recognition, Anti-Entropy was perceived as vermin lurking in the sewers, reviled and despised.
Regardless of who won this debate, as long as Zeke persisted, articulating his principles sufficiently, Anti-Entropy's image would undergo a dramatic reversal in the eyes of countless observers. From a psychological standpoint, once such a shift occurs, it is highly likely that people's perceptions of Anti-Entropy would gradually become more favorable.
In summary, at the surface level, this debate's winner would gain public favor. On a deeper layer, for Anti-Entropy, victory would be ideal, but even defeat could significantly improve their reputation.
Thus, Zeke was positioned from the start to emerge unscathed.
As long as Hera engaged in the debate with him, Anti-Entropy would win; the only question was by how much.
"How cunning!" Realizing the situation, Hera could only respond with a warm, teasing smile.
If Anti-Entropy won, did it mean Hera lost? Not necessarily.
From the outset, she hadn't been overly concerned about winning or losing. In fact, if Anti-Entropy took up the mantle against Honkai, it would alleviate her burdens considerably, freeing up more time for... ahem, conducting research and experiments.
So, if Zeke aimed to sway some hearts, there was no harm in letting him have that.
On the contrary, over these five centuries, Hera had never encountered anyone qualified to engage her in a debate without being outmatched. This intellectual sparring represented yet another novel experience—simply put, it wasn't a loss for her either!
Zeke gazed calmly back at her and replied:
"I've only scratched the surface of your teachings, hardly worth mentioning."
"Oh, you! Never mind then. If I could have persuaded you from the start, Anti-Entropy wouldn't exist today. Conversely, if you had convinced me, Schicksal would have been renamed Anti-Entropy over sixty years ago. Let's leave it at that. We each believe in our own truths, no need for further debate—it serves no purpose." Hera waved her hand lazily.
Amber glanced at her briefly.
Having thoroughly understood her mistress's character, preferences, and habits, Amber saw satisfaction within Hera's smile.
Indeed, it was time to conclude this discussion.
"It appears the conversation between the two esteemed adults has reached its end. Following the Alliance Leader's suggestion, Schicksal has prepared this alliance treaty for review by Sir Zeke and Dr. Einstein." Amber produced two documents and gently pushed them toward Zeke and Einstein.
Zeke made no move.
Meanwhile, Einstein set down her cup of black tea—she must have started drinking it at some point—and with a wave of her hand, summoned a round Eins robot overhead. It placed their copies of the agreement on the table.
"Coincidentally, I also have two documents here, based on direct instructions from the Alliance Leader. Theoretically, my version is more suitable as the alliance treaty."
Einstein slid his version of the alliance agreement towards Hera and Amber.
Lowering her head, Amber's eyes narrowed slightly beneath the golden eyepatch, asking, "Are you questioning my professionalism?"
"Don't misunderstand; it's not directed at you specifically. I'm merely questioning Schicksal's entire leadership," Dr. Einstein calmly responded.
The so-called Schicksal leadership was clear to everyone present - they were referring solely to Otto.
If Einstein could sign the alliance agreement from Otto, he would give up black tea... well, at least for three days or so.
Silent sparks flew between Amber and Einstein as their gazes met.
After a moment, Amber picked up the alliance document provided by Einstein and said, "Forming an alliance inherently requires negotiation. Since neither side trusts each other fully, let's review these two agreements and discuss them properly."
"Agreed," Einstein replied, opening Amber's document.
Both began reading the opposing party's proposal, with only the soft rustling of pages echoing momentarily across the table.
Zeke and Hera, however, did not touch either set of documents.
Zeke didn't touch either document because he wasn't interested; after all, it wouldn't be him signing the treaty. Whether its terms bound him would depend entirely on his mood. The agreement primarily served as a symbol of reconciliation, significant yet not crucial.
Hera refrained from handling them simply because Amber was present—this matter had nothing to do with him.
Instead, Hera rested his chin on interlocked fingers, leaning forward across the table. With a tender smile that seemed almost affectionate, he said:
"Zeke, have you really not considered returning to Schicksal? Staying with Anti-Entropy is truly beneath your talents!"
"Different paths lead us astray... But if you return Vera to me, I might reconsider."
Zeke rolled his eyes, displaying a hint of steadfastness amidst his ambivalence.
Unfazed, Hera responded smoothly:
"Now, now, don't exaggerate! Little Vera has always been at Headquarters, hasn't she? If you wish, you can visit her anytime; no one will stop you, promise!"
"Ha!"
Zeke believed they'd let him see Vera, but taking her away was another matter altogether.
Initially, Vera's value lay in being a sacrifice for the Artificial Herrscher Project. Now, it seemed more likely her primary purpose was to keep Zeke under control.
For Otto, once the Information Origin Theory was further refined and resurrection technology matured, not only would sacrifices become unnecessary, even the entire Artificial Herrscher Project would lose its value. However, Vera's importance wouldn't diminish; regardless of whether Zeke's theory or the Artificial Herrscher Project held more promise for resurrection, she remained a crucial pawn.
This was an issue with no room for compromise. To bring Vera back, either Otto would willingly let her go after achieving his goal, or Zeke would have to forcefully take her.
"Let's move on to another topic. Apart from casualties, the global ocean current circulation system suffered varying degrees of impact during the Chiyou battle. This implies widespread climate anomalies and severe damage to marine ecosystems... Do we have any countermeasures?"
"For climate issues, enhanced monitoring should suffice. They will eventually normalize; it's just a matter of enduring through them. As for the ecosystems, protective measures need to be implemented. After signing the pact, we can jointly lead efforts. The main concern is that post-battle, remnants of Honkai Energy linger in the East Shenzhou Sea region, potentially spreading to various seas via ocean currents. If we don't want Honkai Beasts emerging unpredictably from the sea, it's best to address this swiftly."
"I've already deployed numerous worker bees in the East Shenzhou Sea to absorb Honkai Energy along with the ocean currents," Hera continued. "However, it's impossible to entirely mitigate the aftermath; the affected area is simply too vast."
"In that case, we'll need a global rapid deployment mechanism—whenever Honkai Beasts emerge, strike forces can be sent to clean them up. As usual, once the treaty is signed, let's collaborate on this initiative together."
As Hera spoke, her disinterest was evident on her face.
While she mentioned collaboration, her true intention was to offload most of the work onto Zeke and Anti-Entropy. At most, she might allocate some Valkyries to coordinate with Anti-Entropy's operations. Reaping half the credit without lifting a finger suited Hera perfectly.