I am a female swordsman.

The attitude of everyone at Shinra is very consistent.

While safeguarding the company's existing interests and without affecting future development plans, appropriate assistance can be provided for the establishment of the Hero Association and subsequent support.

Hero Association?

It was nothing more than a bunch of short-sighted people playing around on a small patch of mud. Their vision and ideals directly determined Shinra Corporation's ambition. To put it in a somewhat juvenile way, would a dragon soaring high in the heavens lower its head to look down at flies chattering incessantly over a pile of rotting flesh?

"...However, those politicians really gave this Hero Association a lot of power."

A branch of Shinra Corporation, an underground strategic research institute.

A former government confidential staff member looks at the Hero Association's documents he is handling. Their main task now is to classify, screen, and finally archive the documents.

“Even if I’m not God, I know what those flies are up to.” Another employee said with a mocking smile, his voice slightly louder and carrying throughout the office.

"laugh."

His colleagues in the office all wore the same smiles as him, a mixture of pride and contempt for his despicable behavior. Good intentions gone wrong are commonplace in this world, and the Hero Association, established by the wealthy tycoon Anagni with a huge investment, could easily become a tool for unscrupulous individuals to pursue their own interests, career advancement, and fame. Compared to keeping Shinra in check, filling their own pockets was more important. If all else failed, they could just produce some achievements to fool their superiors. After all, who cared? The future heroes?

"Want to make a bet?" An employee, who was taking a rare break, removed his work gloves. "We'll bet on when the first case of bribery in the Hero Association happened. Are you in or not?"

"I'll bet on a month from now."

"A month? You overestimate their integrity. I think the first bribe should have happened in about a week. Which of those patrolling officers doesn't offer them something on the roadside?"

"Tickets for the opening ceremony might be available for sale."

Shinra employees enthusiastically made predictions, finding ways to relieve psychological stress occasionally in a relatively high-pressure work environment. Those of them sitting in research institute offices were alright, but the Shinra soldiers on the front lines, or the researchers directly facing bloody experimental scenarios, had to receive regular counseling from psychologists every month to prevent sudden changes or mistakes due to psychological issues.

Just as slacking off was becoming rampant, a council member who had just finished the Shinra meeting silently appeared behind everyone at the research institute via an underground railcar.

Some employees caught a glimpse of the congressman's sudden attack and immediately sat up straight.

Meanwhile, another group of employees, engrossed in their conversation, were unaware of their superiors standing in their blind spot behind them, and were still enthusiastically discussing potential problems that might arise in the future of the Hero Association.

"Add me to the bet, the wager is that you all treat us to the beer party this weekend."

The sudden appearance of the congressman caused the atmosphere to plummet instantly.

The employees, who had recently graduated from university and were no longer interns, were trembling with fear. They didn't even dare to breathe loudly in front of this councilor, who was practically at the top of the company.

"I'm betting on now, right now."

The congressman wasn't as scary as he'd imagined; instead, he joined the betting game about the Hero Association with great interest. He used his privileges to access a communication log, which happened to show the recent asset transfer records of a certain founder of the Hero Association—a record that Shinra's division had conveniently discovered. Clearly, this guy had a keen business sense, knowing that the Hero Association was a valuable asset and could fetch a high price, so he was enjoying the profits.

"laugh……!"

After surveying his staff like an eagle inspecting its territory, the congressman gave the report with a dismissive nasal tone, just like his previous employees.

………………

Disdain is disdain, sarcasm is sarcasm, but we still have to deal with each other.

The area controlled by Shinra is, to be precise, comprised of Shinra warriors with formidable fighting capabilities, each with their own set of strategies for dealing with monsters, psychics, and warriors. In the early days of its establishment, the Hero Association inevitably faced a shortage of manpower, which is why it needed to borrow Shinra's power.

That sounds absolutely disgusting.

One of its purposes was to counterbalance Shinra, but now it's using Shinra's name to borrow their power. It has to be said that when shamelessness reaches a certain level, it truly becomes admirable.

"These politicians are using the banner of the Hero Association to manipulate public opinion. It seems we have no choice but to back down for now."

Standing atop the Mako Reactor within the headquarters' underground complex, Huang Quan gazed down at the ever-flowing River of Life being extracted. The energy generated by the surging combustion of matter cast a mysterious, eerie blue light upon her face. With her extraordinary perception and unique perspective, she could see the life flowing within the River of Life being ravaged and withered.

"Today's concessions are for the sake of seizing power more legitimately in the future."

“Intense confrontation will only waste our strength and put Shinra in an unjust position.”

"They've always wanted the Mako Reactor, haven't they? Let's cooperate."

"Let this country's land, let this world be filled with Mako reactors, forcing this mad world to unleash even more malice."

The Shinra Council Chairman revealed a cold, malicious smile. At the same time, behind her, immersed in the Mako Reactor, a handsome humanoid man with brilliant silver hair suddenly opened his eyes. His deep blue to emerald vertical pupils gazed blankly at the scene outside the Mako Reactor, and his still-asleep divine gaze caused the world to stir with unease.

The great terror that descended from the sky in ancient times has been resurrected in another form.

"This world needs heroes, so I'll give them one." Reaching out his hand to the handsome silver-haired boy inside the Mako Furnace, Yomi released a god capable of saving the world... or a demon capable of destroying it.

Chapter Thirteen Sephiroth

Sephiroth felt a natural affection for this woman whenever he saw her.

[Shinra Chairman], Yomi.

This peculiar emotion remained buried beneath Sephiroth's icy exterior. As Shinra's finest warrior, he shouldn't harbor such almost blasphemous feelings towards the embodiment of Shinra's ultimate will. Yet, every cell in his body radiated a yearning for intimacy. In the heart of this flawless Shinra warrior, there lingered an extremely bold and absurd conjecture.

That is……

With an unknown origin and having been adopted by Shinra, is she the child of the Shinra Chairman?

This suspicion is not without merit.

Sephiroth's earliest memory is of a space filled with deep blue and emerald green, where he groggily opened his eyes. An elegant and graceful woman, dressed in a white trench coat, extended a guiding hand to him, and an instinctive stirring made him respond to her gesture.

Sephiroth was captivated when he looked up at the window to her soul.

He saw a pair of strange eyes.

Her crimson beauty stood out starkly against the backdrop of deep blue and emerald green, exuding an eerie and sinister aura. The instant their eyes met, Sephiroth felt no fear, but rather a surge of tender affection. No words were needed, no verification required; he was convinced that a blood relation existed between them.

………………

The next time I saw Yomi, the Chairman of Shinra, was a month after he was adopted by Shinra.

"Your name is Sephiroth."

In the pale, oppressive office, Huang Quan sat gracefully in the lounge chair, her long legs crossed, holding a document in her hands. Sephiroth, standing in front of her, knew that the document contained information about his training over the past month.

"Yes, Your Excellency Speaker."

"Your grades show you're exceptionally talented." Her admiring gaze brought a sense of satisfaction to the naturally aloof and composed Sephiroth. "You've reached the level of a Level 1 Warrior in just one month. It seems the company's virtual battlefield can no longer contain you; field missions are calling your name."

Huang Quan's words signified approval. Sephiroth was now allowed to go out on missions like a normal Shinra warrior; the reasons why he hadn't been permitted before were quite complex.

"I look forward to your performance on the field mission."

"Yes, Your Excellency the Speaker." He had no rivals on the virtual battlefield, and the power contained within his young body sometimes even surprised Sephiroth himself.

It was as if he were a god, possessing everything that transcended mortals!

Wisdom, strength, body... and emotions.

"How do you feel about your new life?" Huang Quan shifted his long legs to a more comfortable position, crossing them over each other. He leaned back slightly and became more relaxed, no longer as serious as he had been when they first met.

For the first time during this meeting, Sephiroth looked up and stared directly into Yomi's face.

Looking directly at the face of the Shinra Chairman was an exceptionally bold move within Shinra. Stared at by the emerald vertical pupils, Yomi showed no sign of backing down, her calm, clear red eyes meeting Sephiroth's gaze. In that deep, lightless red depths, it seemed as if no emotion existed, a tranquility that sent shivers down one's spine.

“Very good, Your Excellency Speaker.”

"Very good" means that life is just average, neither good nor bad.

Sephiroth, far surpassing ordinary people, was born with an aloofness that kept others at a distance. He could complete any test with perfect scores. Challenges without a sense of accomplishment are as worthless as breathing, so Sephiroth, who could easily do what ordinary people couldn't, naturally distanced himself from others.

For the underworld, whether Sephiroth is doing well or not is quite important.

Because he is the outflow of divinity.

"sit."

It was a simple word, yet it slightly tested Sephiroth's comprehension. Sephiroth, whose mind could quickly grasp Shinra's mathematical formulas and even the operating principles of sophisticated instruments, rapidly pondered the meaning of "sit." At this moment, in the spacious office, there weren't many seats available in the rest area.

Apart from the long sofa where Huang Quan was sitting, the other seats were quite far apart, making it clear that they were not suitable for conversation.

After all, this is the private office of the Shinra Speaker, and very few people are allowed to enter or leave here, let alone have the privilege of sitting down and having a heart-to-heart talk with the Speaker.

After all, they're not ordinary people!

After initial hesitation, Sephiroth chose to sit next to Yomi.

"No need to be formal. Outside of work hours and in informal settings, you can treat me as a friend and call me by my name." Huang Quan glanced at the not-yet-fully-mature young man beside her. Her calm and composed expression always made it impossible for others to guess her thoughts.

"What do you usually like to eat?... Sichuan Mapo Tofu, hmm, is that on the company cafeteria menu?... Beep beep beep, Theresa, Theresa! Have William come see me this afternoon, I need to discuss the structure of the soldiers' diet with him. Also, how do you feel about your colleagues?... Very good, just too weak, hmm... Theresa, send me last week's selection list, yes, right now... Any weapons you like?"

In the time that followed, Sephiroth witnessed firsthand how busy the Shinra Chancellor was.

His efficient and meticulous work attitude was simply outrageous. Sephiroth wasn't stupid; in fact, he was exceptionally clever. As he looked at Yomi, who had given up her rest time to create a better environment for him because of a single sentence from him, a slight ripple appeared in his calm emerald eyes.

Sephiroth found it hard to refuse the good intentions of the Shinra Chairman, or rather, could he refuse these changes?

So he had no choice but to shut his mouth.

However, this also allowed Sephiroth to see what the Shinra Chairman was really like when she was a workaholic. She was a person worthy of everyone's respect, with an exceptionally outstanding personal charm!

After busying himself for quite a while, Sephiroth resolutely stopped talking, and Yomi, clearly still somewhat unsatisfied, finally canceled the communication system.

Her poor assistant, Miss Theresa, must have been running around all day.

"I heard from your instructor that you are very good at chess."

Not intending to let Sephiroth off the hook, Huang Quan, with a serious expression, flicked her finger, and the dark blue ribbon obeyed her command, taking out a chess set from her desk drawer.

The black and white chess pieces were precisely arranged in the blink of an eye, their arrangement in the vertical and horizontal directions as neat as if measured by a ruler. Sephiroth, seemingly enlightened by Huang Quan's exquisite manipulation of energy, easily imitated Huang Quan's energy control techniques.

The game has begun.

Chapter Fourteen: The Real World

In board and card games, the key to success is calculation ability.

Whoever calculates more will win.

In terms of computational ability, Huang Quan was already quite outstanding. The basic operation of sword energy in space must conform to mathematical principles. As for more advanced techniques like escape light and rainbow transformation, they require even more advanced mathematical knowledge such as field theory to support them. In chess, Huang Quan did not think he would lose to Sephiroth.

Even if you say it's the outflow of divinity!

Fifty minutes after the game began...

The usually composed and calm Chairman of Shinra had a fine layer of cold sweat on his forehead, partly due to nervousness and partly due to his rapid thinking, which made his brain more active than usual.

It is difficult to conceal each other's intentions on a limited chessboard.

Therefore, it's crucial to complete the plan as early as possible before your intentions are revealed, ensuring that by the time your intentions are known, your opponent is powerless to counter your offensive. This kind of mentally challenging game is quite interesting for both Yomi and Sephiroth, as they find the thrill of competition in a different arena.

In the end, Huang Quan won the game.