[How many evils must one commit to bring her back to dawn at the end of hell?
How far must one walk to reclaim their true self at the end of time?]
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[The screen gradually brightens. Otto, dragging his frail body, walks alone and slowly through a space dyed blood-red.
Otto's lips tremble slightly, and the monologue hidden deep in his heart echoes through the dead silence, carrying endless vicissitudes and sorrow,
"Life… truly is such a fragile thing."
"When I was a child, my sister died on the battlefield…"
"They told me her soul was eternal, that her spirit would ascend to heaven."
"Generation after generation, humanity gladly deceives itself with such lies, believing in the so-called afterlife, in the eternity of consciousness."
"They disguise this world as if death does not exist… until death suddenly intrudes upon their lives, descending upon the ones they love."
Otto stumbles, almost falling, but upon seeing the glowing branches in the distance, he steadies himself with sheer willpower and continues forward with difficulty.
"Even then, they go to greater lengths to deceive themselves, believing that love transcends all things, that feelings can be eternal." ]
In the livestream, everyone quietly watches this fool. No barrage of comments, no discussion, only Otto's monologue echoing in their ears.
[ "Indeed… love, and emotions more broadly, can give rise to miracles… But the creator of miracles can only ever be those who are still alive in that moment."
"As an ordinary man once deceived by such lies… I too once fantasized that the human soul existed in a higher dimension; I fantasized that one day, the one I loved could return to this world through a new body and live on in a better future."
"But sadly, the laws of the world are not so… Death truly is the dissolution of consciousness, the end of all things…"
"Unless we reverse time, awaken the silent isle of graves…"
"And the price… is merely one person's death, one person's destruction… and the annihilation of 'Honkai,' which had sought to kill us anyway."
"The only pity is, when Otto Apocalypse finally grasped this truth, he was already a man reviled the world over, hated utterly by the very power he most needed."
"Yet that hardly matters. 'She' has proven it, fury born of love holds a power equal to love itself."
"And behind such a hero, "]
Einstein, 〈So, Otto lost, and thus with Kiana's help he could escape the control of the Imaginary Tree and create a new branch.〉
Einstein, 〈If he won, he would sacrifice all of humanity, rewinding the world's time to five hundred years ago.〉
Tesla, 〈Tch, so either way he profits, and in the end we're the only ones suffering?〉
[Otto's account of his life concludes. What follows sounds more like his final farewell, words of regret before parting.
"Theresa, my beloved granddaughter."
"You are going to grow into a great leader…"
"In time, you will make people forget your grandfather, erase his rights and wrongs, bury him in history, and let him fade into idle talk."
Otto's tone shifts, tinged with helplessness and fondness.
"Only… please, eat more fruits and vegetables besides bitter melon."
Otto chuckles softly, bitterly,
"You always stay up late. Your body needs more balanced nutrition."
Speaking of Theresa, his voice catches with a faint sob,
"Do you know… for tomorrow's coronation, Grandpa personally sewed you the archbishop's shoulder vestment…"
"If you don't mind, then use it to begin your own era, to wash away the stains your grandfather left on it."
[Magical Girl] Theresa, 〈Grandpa, you big idiot, it's your fault I got sand in my eyes. Without the vestment you sewed yourself, I'll never forgive you!〉
[Miss Lily] Otto, 〈It's all Grandpa's fault, Grandpa will sew it right away. Amber, fetch my sewing machine!〉
Amber, 〈Yes, Lord Otto.〉
Tesla, 〈So Otto's heart wasn't only for Kallen, Theresa holds a pretty big place in it too.〉
Fu Lin smiled faintly and said, "Of course. I remember the name Theresa, in German, it means 'Gift of God.' It was the name Otto originally intended to give to the daughter he and Kallen never had. Instead, it went to his granddaughter."
[Miss Lily] Otto, surprised, lets out a wry smile, 〈Mr. Fu Lin, you even know this, truly, I have no secrets left.〉
"Theresa… my 'old friends', the Celestial Immortal, the Herrscher of Reason… They are truly good people, and they will surely help you carve your own path."
Fu Shi, 〈Typical, leaving behind a memorial before death, telling Theresa which people she can safely rely on?〉
[Shenzhou Tablet] Fu Hua, 〈…Even so, Theresa likely cannot hear him.〉
[Sit-ups King] Welt, 〈Sigh…〉
Einstein, 〈Though they had differences, in the end, the one Otto worried for most was still Theresa.〉
Tesla, 〈Otto, rest easy, we'll take care of Theresa!〉
[Miss Lily] Otto, 〈Heh, then I must thank you, Dr. Tesla…〉
Tesla, 〈No thanks needed. But why aren't you dead yet?〉
Fu Lin gives Tesla a thumbs-up, "When it comes to sharp tongues, it's you, Dr. Tesla."
Everyone, 〈…〉
["And 'Bianca,' my final student…"
"I manipulated your life, planned your destiny. While I gave you genuine care and guidance, I also treated you as a pawn to use as I pleased."
Otto laughs at himself, "Do you know… everything I showed you in these last ten years was only so that, after my extinction, someone might erect a nameless tombstone for me."
"I don't need anyone to judge me…"
Hunched, he moves ever closer to the branches of the Imaginary Tree.
"For this long yet fleeting five hundred years was nothing more than a man giving everything for his own obsession."
"Now he has reached the end of his journey, what he sought to accomplish, to witness, to redeem… they have already taken root and sprouted within the Imaginary Tree."
"All that remains is for the lost messenger to deliver the final message before everything ends."
"That moment will come, not too soon, not too late. It will become a requiem crossing death, a hymn praising the descent of miracles."
"In that moment, the world will turn for one person alone… to scatter the imposed sins like smoke, to carry forward the will that was ended."
"The despicable, I shall carry into the grave."
"The light, you shall carry into the future."]
Durandal's heart surges with mixed emotions. She clenches her fists, 〈Bishop… was all that you did truly worth it?〉
Otto replied without hesitation, with just two words,〈Worth it.〉