"Ahahaha, were you fooled by my acting? Ahahaha....."
------------------------------
[When the livestream screen lit up again, Kallen's back quietly appeared in everyone's sight, like a gentle silhouette lost in time.
She slowly turned around, and that warm smile, like the sunshine of spring, softly fell upon Otto.
Otto's tightly shut eyes suddenly snapped open, staring at the Void Archives before him, a flash of resolve in his gaze.
He summoned all his strength, every muscle trembling, desperately struggling as if fighting fate in his final resistance.
At that moment, Otto's inner voice rang out again.
"Once the soul is scattered, "
Immediately after, Otto clenched his palm and yanked with all his might.
With the sound of something shattering, the pierced hand finally broke free from its restraints.
Otto's closed eyes suddenly shot open again, staring at the Void Archives before him, his eyes fierce, struggling with every ounce of strength.
Then he clenched his fist and pulled hard, and with the sound of the hand shattering, the pierced hand finally tore free.
", there is no resurrection."
Afterward, Otto threw himself forward, reaching desperately for the Void Archives.
Without hesitation, he lunged forward, stretching his hand out to seize the Void Archives.
"The world allows consciousness to match with a new vessel, "
Once he held it in his palm, a powerful shockwave burst forth, instantly annihilating the monster and those binding tendrils completely.
", but it does not allow the vessel to collect dissipated consciousness."]
Kiana, 〈Hiss, he actually tore himself free... just watching makes me feel the pain.〉
Void Archives, 〈Tsk tsk tsk~ At the crucial moment, you can still count on me, Otto.〉
[Miss Lily]Otto, 〈Yes, all thanks to you, Void Archives.〉
[The next second, Otto left himself a mimicry of Judgment of Shamash, then casually tossed the Void Archives to the ground like it was roadside trash, without the slightest care.
"To save the only her, "
Holding Judgment of Shamash in his hand, he gazed steadily forward, step by step approaching the Imaginary Tree, slowly raising his hand to touch it.
"I can only create new possibilities in the past."
The instant his hand touched the trunk, a dazzling light spread like lightning along the Imaginary Tree.
Wherever the light passed, the barren branches seemed to be granted life, stretching outward. The once-bare trunk instantly became full and flourishing.
Among the many newly sprouted branches, one in particular stood out strikingly.
"And this other future, "
Bathed in the light, it shimmered with vitality, like a glimmer of hope in this desolate space.
Otto quietly watched it all, at last showing the faintest trace of a smile.
", will be"
That smile seemed to carry exhaustion, relief, and a trace of indescribable comfort.
", the time and space that belongs to her."]
[Magical Girl]Theresa, 〈Did Grandpa succeed?〉
Su, 〈Yes, the new branch has grown. He succeeded.〉
Tesla, 〈Unbelievable, he really pulled it off.〉
Kiana, 〈But Otto just tossed the Void Archives aside in this space?〉
Prometheus-1 (system), 〈....〉
Void Archives trembled with rage, demanding, 〈Otto! I just helped you, and you just tossed me aside like this!!!〉
Otto looked at the Void Archives expressionlessly, answering calmly, as if his actions were perfectly reasonable, 〈I did it for your own good. If you followed me to that space-time, the Imaginary Tree would erase you.〉
'Of course, if it didn't erase you, that would just leave Kallen with a huge problem.'
Even so, Void Archives was furious, 〈But that's the Imaginary Space, there's nothing there! How am I supposed to find my way back?!〉
His voice carried despair and helplessness. He had just helped Otto leave, only to be trapped forever in the Imaginary Space.
"Pfft!" Hearing Void Archives breaking down, Fu Lin couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Void Archives, 〈What are you laughing at?〉
Fu Lin quickly coughed twice to cover up his slip, then, suppressing his laughter, explained,
"Cough, cough... I just imagined you as a cube tumbling endlessly through the Imaginary Space, taking eight years to roll your way back, and... haha, I just couldn't hold it in."
Su, 〈That's... oddly lifelike.〉
Void Archives, 〈Damn it! ...Otto, I'll never help you again!〉
[At the same moment, on the other side of the world, Kallen, her abdomen pierced, suddenly froze as though someone pressed pause.
Not just Kallen, flames burning on the ground, rampaging monsters, panicked crowds, even the birds in the sky, all of it instantly stopped, as if time itself had halted.
Then, with the crisp sound of glass shattering, the golden barrier covering Kolosten Town suddenly broke apart.
As it shattered, the gloomy sky seemed to shed a black veil, and daylight instantly returned.
Brilliant sunlight, like golden rain of arrows, pierced the clouds and illuminated every corner of the town.
Time began to flow once more. The claw that had pierced Kallen's abdomen dissolved into light, as though it had never touched her.
Kallen shoved the giant claw above her away, stumbling backward in confusion, not yet grasping what had just happened.
Meanwhile, high above, Otto, covered in wounds, plummeted from the sky. Looking down at Kallen and the Honkai beast, he raised the Judgment of Shamash before his chest, aiming toward the ground.
In that moment, he was like a meteor falling rapidly to earth.
As he fell, his body gradually turned into shimmering light, scattering into the air.
Flashes of memories with Kallen, their time together, replayed in his mind like a lantern show.
Then, slowly closing his eyes, he whispered his final words with all his remaining strength,
"Kallen... live on..."
With a thunderous crash, dust billowed everywhere.
Kallen shielded the little girl before her and turned to look back.
At that moment, a line of words slowly appeared, like Otto's final epitaph,
The most selfish thing a man can do ]
Kallen, 〈Otto...〉
[Magical Girl]Theresa, 〈Waaah... Grandpa's gone, and so is the cooking magic... Theresa doesn't want to lose Grandpa...〉
[Miss Lily]Otto, 〈Don't cry, Theresa. Grandpa will always be with you.〉
[Sit-ups King]Welt also sighed, 〈That man... he did it.〉
Himeko, 〈Otto really turned the world into what he desired. In the end, he left in peace...〉
Siegfried, 〈Yeah, at this moment, I only want to say one thing, Otto's a real man!〉
Elysia, 〈Such a romantic and touching story~〉
Kevin, 〈Sigh... he could sacrifice himself for the one he loved. And I...〉
Su, 〈Kevin... I hate to say it, but you have strength without Otto's intelligence and scheming. You probably couldn't even catch a glimpse of the Imaginary Tree.〉
Kevin wanted to refute his old friend Su, but after a long silence, he quietly changed the subject, 〈Be that as it may, I... well, what's done is done. Let's eat noodles first. slurp~〉
Su, 〈...〉
Kiana, 〈Do you think Kallen ever found out who saved her in the end?〉