Draped in flowing white robes embroidered with fiery patterns symbolizing intensity and purity, Fu Hua stood before the closed-eyed Otto. With a jade-like finger gently touching his forehead, golden and crimson hues shimmered within her eyes.
After several minutes, Fu Hua retracted her finger, furrowed her brow, and shook her head.
"I didn't find any issues. If someone indeed tampered with your consciousness or memories, their methods may far surpass mine."
"No, realistically speaking, such a possibility is highly unlikely. You should have more confidence, old friend. Perhaps the traces were left on the original consciousness entity, while I am now merely a heavily duplicated backup. It seems those traces might not have been preserved here." Otto opened his eyes, speaking nonchalantly as he smiled at Fu Hua.
Then, turning towards Su, who was also summoned, Otto asked:
"As another expert in the realm of consciousness, Mr. Su, did you discover anything?"
"You can just call me Su. In terms of abilities, Hua has surpassed me significantly long ago. If she couldn't detect any issues, neither would I."
"Is that so? Understood; it seems we indeed have a significant problem at hand!"
Otto interlocked his fingers, casually tapping them as he shifted his gaze towards Zeke across from him.
Zeke had just received access to Otto's secret central archive and was rapidly browsing through records related to Durandal.
"It's blank. The information about Durandal prior to her arrival is entirely missing from your records. So, all these years, you never realized the mystery surrounding Durandal's origins?"
"You might find this hard to believe, but I genuinely hadn't noticed this issue before—doesn't it remind you of how Little Delta and Siegfred once overlooked Kiana Kaslana's true self still being with Schicksal?"
"You're suggesting involvement from that young lady again?"
"As of now, only she possesses such capabilities. She is the sole entity beyond our comprehension, even for someone like myself. Apart from her, not even my dear old friend could manipulate me in this manner."
Smiling, Otto looked towards Fu Hua.
Fu Hua nodded and addressed both Otto and Zeke:
"Indeed, even with our current abilities, Senti and I couldn't effortlessly manipulate the thoughts and memories of someone as unique as Otto," Fu Hua confirmed.
The trio fell deep into contemplation, pondering various aspects of this predicament.
Just then, Su hesitantly raised his hand and asked, somewhat awkwardly, "Um... Excuse me, but who exactly is this 'Young Lady' you're referring to? Also, isn't Durandal the real Kiana Kaslana—the biological daughter of Siegfried and Cecilia? Didn't you, Otto, save her life back then and nurture her until today?"
Three pairs of eyes, each displaying varying degrees of emotion yet all containing surprise, turned simultaneously towards Su.
Scratching his face, Su maintained his usual warm smile and said, "Ahem! Is there something wrong with what I just said?"
His question was met with a significant silence—clearly indicating that there indeed was a major issue.
After a moment, Zeke shifted his crossed legs and asked, "From beyond this world, did you observe this part of history?"
"Yes, that's correct."
"That makes it highly credible then. Observing history using Cosmic Juggernaut within the Sea of Quanta, it's hard to imagine any force capable of evading your detection. Let me confirm one thing: you're unaware of that Young Lady? Vera's foster sister, Otto's collaborator, who we once believed was the true identity of Kiana Kaslana—the person responsible for taking Siegfried, Theresa, and my Kiana into outer space during the turmoil at Schicksal Headquarters half a year ago—did you not observe her presence?" Zeke pressed, his expression more serious than usual.
This questioning led Su into deep thought. After a moment of contemplation, he shook his head and replied:
"I indeed have never observed such an individual. However, my observations aren't exhaustive or all-encompassing. For instance, regarding the incident at Schicksal Headquarters, I only had a general overview; I didn't fully grasp the detailed circumstances, nor did I encounter this 'Young Lady' you mentioned. Perhaps she just happened to appear during the gaps in my observation..."
Su's voice trailed off, clearly realizing that repeatedly missing someone seemed implausible. Moreover, if this figure held as much influence as Zeke suggested, the likelihood of him overlooking her became even slimmer.
Zeke shook his head and gently touched a gold-threaded sphere hanging from his waist—a crystallized fragment of power gifted by Vera, representing the essence of the Young Lady. He extracted a golden orb from it and handed it to Su, saying:
"This is the power essence from that Young Lady, obtained only after our return to the real world. It wasn't within your observation scope, but I need you to use it to pinpoint her Virtual Space coordinates. Is this possible?"
"That...I can only say I'll do my best."
"Understood, just give it your all. I have other approaches as well; we'll find a way eventually."
"Additionally, there's something else I believe I must inform you about."
"Go ahead."
"In my observations, there exists another entity I cannot perceive. As the embodiment of Honkai itself, even Cosmic Juggernaut, crafted with a Herrscher Core, lacks the ability to observe Him—you should know whom I'm referring to."
As Fu Hua listened, she accepted the glowing orb from Zeke, feeling its incredibly pure energy. Her dark red eyes opened wide, reflecting deep concern.
"The Final Herrscher..." Fu Hua murmured, naming the unspoken presence, her mood instantly growing heavy.
The two MANTIS fighters fell silent, allowing space for deeper contemplation by their more analytically inclined companions.
After some thought, Zeke and Otto resumed their discussion.
Otto raised three fingers and said:
"Three hypotheses."
"First, assume Durandal is Kiana Kaslana's true identity; second, assume the Young Lady manipulated our memories and thoughts; third, assume the Young Lady is the Final Herrscher."
"Then where did the Young Lady come from, and what connection does she have with Kiana Kaslana? What are her objectives behind these actions? What does she aim to achieve in this era? Most importantly, is she friend or foe?"
Otto proposed three hypotheses, each highly likely to be true. When considered together, the implications about the Young Lady were deeply unsettling.
Zeke gently tapped his index finger on the armrest, stroking his chin thoughtfully before calmly responding:
"Based on Vera and Kiana's accounts, the Young Lady herself claims to be Kiana Kaslana. Either it's a lie, or...perhaps there's a temporal issue—she hails from another space-time continuum?"
"I lean towards the latter, but it's just intuition. We cannot rule out the possibility of deception."
Otto also rubbed his chin, his gaze distant, a hint of helplessness showing on his face. There was simply too little information, and he had realized the problem far too late. Now, most aspects could only be speculated upon without solid evidence.
Continuing his thoughts, Zeke added, "As for interfering with your consciousness, it likely aimed to prevent you from delving deeper into her mysteries. Regarding Theresa and Siegfried... perhaps it was to protect them, avoiding any potential conflicts with you. Additionally, concealing Durandal's past entirely might have been done so she could accept your guidance and reach her full potential?"
"You're considering this from a benevolent perspective. Remember, it could also be part of some intricate plot we haven't yet discerned. The information she tampered with directly affects our friendship; if anything were to go wrong—if our alliance were to fracture—it would spell disaster for the entire civilization."
"You're right; caution is indeed necessary. Lastly, regarding her intentions and stance, I believe unfounded speculation holds little value. My suggestion is that we should have a conversation with her," Zeke proposed as he waved his hand, manifesting teaware and brewing a pot of tea. He poured a cup of red tea for Otto.
Otto sipped the tea, rubbing between his brows as if troubled, then sighed deeply: "My friend, you are correct. It seems once again, we find ourselves in agreement."
"Actually, the main issue lies with you."
"...Why?"
"Because you consistently portrayed everything as under control, leading me to believe there wasn't much concern. I thought when the time was right, naturally, we could uncover her secrets through you—otherwise, I would have forcibly investigated earlier and wouldn't be discovering these problems now. You've messed up again, idiot Otto!"
Zeke glared icily at Otto, expressing his dissatisfaction.
It was precisely due to Otto's constant facade of having the Young Lady well-managed that the issues remained hidden until this late stage, making the situation significantly more complicated.
Otto rubbed his nose, took a sip of tea, and defensively responded, "My memory and thoughts were compromised; how can you blame me for that?"
"Hmph!" Zeke snorted coldly and promptly withdrew the teaware.
Scratching his face, Otto flashed a placating smile, attempting to appease his friend's anger.
The two neglected MANTIS fusion warriors exchanged glances, smiled mutually, and intuitively sensed each other's resolve—if this truly marked the end of this era, their long-surviving lives finally had a purpose.