"The universe ceased its inflationary expansion. That candy-colored figure dissipated into the void, leaving behind an immense silence for Stelle and Herta."

"After hesitating for a moment, Stelle decided to speak: 'Herta, are you okay?'"

"..."

"Her silence made Stelle wonder for a moment if her puppet had stopped functioning."

"Truly a genius-killer. A single appearance nearly paralyzed and scrapped the entire project." Herta sighed softly, "Fortunately, it wasn't a complete loss. We successfully invited the fifth genius to join the Simulated Universe project—she declined. Sigh, knowing the answer is enough."

Polka had left. Stelle breathed a sigh of relief; they had narrowly escaped with their lives.

"I'd really like to tear off that Facial Perception Filter of hers and post her photo on the most prominent section of the Interastral Peace Network." The puppet stretched—this must have been a habit from her human days.

"Let's go, Stelle. The simulation is over."

—

God's Blessing on This Wonderful World!

"Ms... Madam Herta... actually lost to Polka?"

Megumin could hardly believe her eyes, but what was even harder for her to accept at the moment was that Polka's strength was simply demon king-like. She had managed to retreat unscathed from the combined efforts of four geniuses and nearly caused the Simulated Universe project to be paralyzed and scrapped.

"Strange, aren't they all geniuses? How can the gap be so huge?"

"Perfectly normal." Kazuma said calmly, resting his hands behind his head, "Even geniuses have their own strengths and weaknesses. This Polka is clearly the combat-specialized, martial faction among geniuses, with all her skills focused on assassination. It's normal for Madam Herta to be no match for her. I recall Herta once said that compared to Screwllum, in terms of talent and achievements, she surpasses him; but in logic and methods, she falls short by a margin. It's all too common for geniuses to have back-and-forths in different fields."

"Moreover, Madam Herta mentioned that Polka-Kakamond seems to have some connection with the Device IX... The Device IX is a faction related to 【The Nihility】."

"【The Nihility】... You think she used the power of Nihility?" Megumin tried hard to recall previous clues related to Nihility. She remembered someone using the power of Nihility in Penacony before, but she had completely forgotten any clues related to it... as if someone had burned a huge hole in her memory, incinerating all content related to 【The Nihility】.

"Who was it? It feels very familiar, yet I can't quite put my finger on it..."

—

"'The Unknowable Domain has completely dissipated,' said Screwllum. 'According to Madam Herta's plan, we originally intended to invite the data of Rupert II as the fifth genius to the table. Unexpectedly, it was the activated data entity of the 【Lord of Silence】. This venomous butterfly broke free from the Simulated Universe, not only showing no intention of cooperating with us but also leaving a mess in its wake...'"

Herta sighed softly, "Sigh~ The more I think about it, the more regrettable it is. Her ability to manipulate probability is a perfect match for the Simulated Universe."

"'In response to this external intrusion incident, it is necessary to implement corresponding iterations to the Simulated Universe's firewall.'"

"'It's best to leave a small opening, to tell her: 'Feel free to drop by anytime.''"

"'So, was it the real Polka who appeared...?' Stelle asked, still somewhat shaken."

"'Truth and falsehood aren't that important. The Lord of Silence seems to possess the power to freely manifest along Causal Chains. Whether imitating her data or studying her archives... I'm afraid even just calling her name might draw her attention. Tch, almost like a magical old witch. Anyway, we'd better not discuss this topic any further.'"

Screwllum: "Query: Since Ms. Polka does not wish to join the Simulated Universe, why did she voluntarily fall into our trap?"

Herta tilted her head, placing a finger on her chin: "Curiosity? Or simply for fun? Or maybe to get back at us for gossiping about her age behind her back. How many people in this lousy club are mentally sound? Besides, in the end, it was us who set the trap who almost fell into it."

"'Then, our fifth collaborator...'"

"Herta spread her hands: 'Let's just see if Ruan Mei can successfully pull Yu Qingtu in.'"

—

Kaguya-sama: Love Is War

"Polka Polka Polka Polka—can she hear me if I call her like this?"

"Ishigami, are you trying to get us killed!" Fujiwara Chika delivered a fierce karate chop to Ishigami's head. "What would you do if you summoned that kind of monster to the academy? You don't think she'd just obediently go back, do you?"

"I was just curious, and don't you think her perception filter is amazing?" Yu Ishigami pointed at his own face, tracing a line from his chin to his forehead with his finger. "If you met her normally, you'd definitely think she was no different from an ordinary person, you wouldn't sense anything. But when you try to recall her later, her face is covered by a layer of a blurry filter. At first, I thought it was related to 【mysterious】, but I never imagined it was just pure technology..."

"Is the power to freely manifest along Causal Chains also technology?" Miko asked curiously. "That ability surpasses time travel, becoming some kind of rule-based superpower, right? Could there also be assistance from certain Aeons involved?"

"Not sure, but if it's technology, I really can't imagine what kind of tech could reach that level." Shirogane Miyuki put down his pen. "Besides 【Erudition】, I think she must also be connected to other Aeons. Otherwise, this collection of unbelievable abilities is just too exaggerated. If it weren't for the final interference of Aha's divine power, Madam Herta might have lost even more badly."

—

Screwllum looked at Stelle: "It is gratifying to see you return safely. Deduction: This may be the most significant gain from this research topic."

"'The damage to the Simulated Universe...'"

"'Using organic life's rhetoric, we indeed 'went overboard' within the Simulated Universe. However, this was not without benefit. Logic: The value of two precious collaborators far outweighs individual safety and operational efficiency.'"

"'Stephen stated that he was 'greatly shocked' after witnessing the Lord of Silence's technology and wants to create a Facial Perception Filter identical to hers. Repetition: 'No longer need to worry about being seen.''"

"'What about Rupert II...'"

Screwllum gently shook his head: "The cenotaph the Second built for himself, and the bouquet before the tomb. It shattered our long-held understanding of the Anti-Organic Equation, and even of the Emperor. A friend once told me, 'The differences between individual existences are far greater than the differences between organic and Inorganic Life.' The cross-species anti-organic virus also corroborates this view."

"'Although the Second, being an organic entity, differs from Intellitrons. I am willing to believe that beneath the Anti-Organic Equation, there still exists 'emotion' that cannot be buried. With this discovery as a premise, Conclusion: The feasibility of programming a Reversal of the Organic Equation is not zero.'"