After the breakfast, the time for Vill-V’s execution came. The projected Mei and Mobius gathered together once again ihe feren. Vill-V’s only saving grabsp;h’s presence.

  “I-I don’t have a choice here, do I?”

  Both Mei and Mobius gave her a silent look as a reply.

  “T-this is a deal! The Divine Key Project, you say? I’ll be its research head!”

  Thus, a new deal was made.

  *****

  ***

  *

  A dream.

  That was what it was.

  “...It feels very strange.”

  Ainsworth stood up from his bed. As usual, he headed for the bathroom to wash his face. The cold sensation of the tap water pletely woke him up from his fuzzy state.

  “What should I do first… oh, yes, there’s the approval papers…”

  Wearing a pin white t-shirt, he walked straight into his office.

  After signing off loads of paperwork, he was ready to visit his secret space. That was the pce where he stored his most fidential iion as of the moment.

  Just then…

  “Did I fet something..?”

  Ainsworth thought hard. He went through the things he went through before.

  “MANTIS… am I dreaming..?”

  His vision spun rapidly. It briefly went into darkness before being greeted by a familiar ceiling.

  Aleph found himself sleeping on a couch.

  “Hm…”

  Across the couch, he saw Mobius’ sleeping face. She wasn't wearing her gsses. Her hair was also messy. heless, it wasn't enough to reduce her charm.

  ‘A bhat's right, we…’

  The events from the past two days reappeared in his mind. After settling Vill-V’s issue, she became the official head of the Divine Key Project. She had to meet a certain threshold at a specific duration, so as to avoid her sg off.

  These thresholds weren't definite. Moreover, her funds would also return once she starts produg good results.

  Simply put, the two made her stop pying around and start treating it seriously.

  When it was settled, what came were the surgeries. Unsurprisingly, everythi smoothly.

  Firstly, that was due to the huge bank of honkai gehat Fire MOTH stored for over two decades.

  One has to know that an emperor-css honkai beast could spawe the ck of a major eruption (i.e., Herrscher). Although they are physically strohan the current recorded Herrschers, they are easier to deal with.

  It lies in their inability to affect things at a wide-scale. Unlike Herrschers who could cause major honkai eruption as well as varying authorities that alter physics, emperor-css beasts have their weaker version.

  The Yaksha, for example, was the apanyi of the first herrscher. It was a fox that specialized in speed. It was fast enough to turn into a blur during their battle against the herrscher. If it weren’t for the fact that they chose to bomb the entire pce, it would’ve evaded most of the missiles locked at it.

  Sedly, his blood made a rge tribution. It was found out to be able to ralize the out-of-trol honkai energy. It was akin to the Schariabsp;Holy Blood in the Current Era. Its effects on the surgery could be said to be a safeguard. Not only did it make everything go smoothly, it also created a bigger buffer zoo stop the surgery once danger is immi.

  Due to its extreme importa was also hidden on the official report to be submitted. Mobius k wouldn't only cause more trouble to Aleph, it would also lessen her ces of getting the samples from him. There was still an iing subject, the cure for honkai illness, to be tackled after the Project Soldier.

  Other than these reasons, the surgeries’ success could be attributed to lud their own honkai resistance. Only Kevin’s Parvati was missing in the genome bank. He was still fused with a simir ice-type honkai beast, however.

  As for Elysia’s Mahesvara, it was aremely strong emperor-css that was still alive until now. Only its left arm was retrieved after a fierce battle before it retreated.

  ‘Two hours…’

  Aleph thought of their inhuman traits. Back then, Mobius could pull off all-nighters for aire week. Now, sleeping for two hours is enough to restore them to their peak state.

  ‘Four… plus us. It’s six.’

  Currently, there are a total of six MANTISes. Aside from him and perhaps Elysia, the rest are expected to gain a huge power spike.

  ‘Three… no, four more days.’ He recalled Mei’s cover-up to this ehing. ‘I o help them get aced to their rength within four days…’

  They were extremely lucky in a way that Mei mao create a suitable schedule for the three of them, especially Elysia. The tter often had surveilnce directed at her.

  Aleph quietly stood up from the couch. He went straight into the training room, to which he heard the sounds of fighting.

  Bam-!

  Several shockwaves made of air spread out from the two people sparring.

  ‘Miss Sakura’s strikes became faster… and Kevin is adapting fast.’

  The ons used by the two were a curved bde and a greatsword, respectively. Nobody used any form of strength outside physical prowess.

  Although Kevin ting quickly to his current state, Sakura’s sword was extremely fast. It was the perfebination of both skill and sheer physical strength. Sihe ons were dulled whilst being enhanced with honkai-reted materials, they were extremely durable.

  “Hey.”

  The moment the two heard Aleph’s voice, they abruptly stopped.

  “Let’s go for a sparring match. Two of you… against me.”

  Kevin sported a surprised look. As for Sakura, she retained her ft look, as if used to hiding her microexpressions to others.

  “You won’t regret this, right?” Kevin asked him.

  “I won’t.”

  “Remember not to get back at me in some ways.”

  “I’ll fet about… two of your previous pranks at most.”

  “...Alright, then.”

  Both Kevin and Sakura gave each other a nod. They waited for Aleph to choose his on… which turned out to be a wooden staff. It was more accurate to call it a wooden pole. Its only merit was its length being simir to a nyoi-bo (Nyoi Staff). That, and the metal found on both its ends. It was also a honkai-enhanced on, thus increasing even the wood's durability.

  Recalling Kashimo’s moves which he carefully analyzed, Aleph couldn’t help but let out a smile.

  “You two first.”

  Once again, they witnessed Aleph’s strange fidence. For now, it sounds pletely arrogant.

  Though, it won’t take long before they uand it.

  Sakura was the first oo arrive in front of Aleph. The tter remaiill to the ining sword at his face.

  ‘Feint. Left hand. Disarming, alright. She’s cautious.’

  He shifted his position slightly. In Sakura’s position, his left hao his back. It caused her to shift her target.

  Swoosh-!

  She ged her grip from a vertical strike into a downward curved strike. She threateo strike at Aleph’s liver, a testament of her ruthlessness.

  Unfortunately…

  Sou-!

  Aleph lowered his stand struck straight to her sword.

  Bam-!

  His right arm holding the staff parried it in an upward diagonal strike. He met her bde head-on and mao strike faster than she could react.

  Sakura trolled her bao maintain her footing. She slid down several feet away from him.

  ‘It’s quite numb. She’s really tricky with her teiques.’

  For curved bdes, eastern bdes in particur, the trick to winning y oeiques. These teiques relied on their trol of the bde (i.e., sudden twists in grips, following the bde’s weight) to carry out tricky attacks that the oppo would not expect or be able to react to.

  In other words, it’s based on speed.

  Aleph watched Kevin and Sakura closer. His brain was ag extremely fast with Great Sage’s enhas. His mind lit into several parts that analyze the etlefield.

  ‘It’s quite satisfying… fighting.’

  For a moment, Aleph uood a bit about Kashimo’s fanatical mi regarding fighting.