"Could it be… you're Mobius's friend?" Elysia blinked happily.
"Mobius never once mentioned she had such a beautiful friend. But now I've run into you myself!"
Herta was certain, the girl before her was genuinely delighted.
This was treatment she hadn't expected.
She had thought that upon meeting, it would inevitably turn into a fierce battle.
Herta had even been ready to pull out her hammer and start a real-life Mortal Kombat.
Let Silver Wolf see what true skill looked like.
"…"
After a brief silence, Herta spoke up.
"You're not going to ask why I appeared here?"
Elysia lightly shook her head and chuckled.
"Everyone has their little secrets. Of course, if you want to tell me, I'd be more than happy to be your listener~."
"So, where are you going next? I can take you around here! I know this place inside and out."
As she said this, Elysia proudly puffed out her chest.
Herta stood there for a moment before replying.
"Fine."
"Yay! Let's go, let's go! The cafeteria made some super delicious desserts today, I just had two servings myself!"
"???"
...
The Past.
Schicksal Headquarters.
The battle raged on. This clash had thrown the entire Schicksal HQ into chaos.
As the pinnacle of Schicksal's technology, the most indestructible fortress in the world, Schicksal HQ was now trembling.
"He's stalling for time!" Durandal's eyes sharpened, her lance still buzzing in her hands.
The battle had forced her weapon to withstand pressure it was never meant to.
"Kevin, just what are you planning?!" Fu Hua's voice rang out, eyes locked firmly on Kevin, her stance unwavering.
Facing her question, Kevin merely shook his head slightly and said: "You'll know soon enough. For now, let's continue."
"We can't keep stalling, Grandfather is definitely up to no good." Theresa's face showed her anxiety.
As Otto's granddaughter who knew him best, she was all too aware of how he thought.
It was precisely because she understood him too well that she had once gone against him and founded St. Freya Academy.
In Otto's eyes, apart from a handful of people he cared about, everyone else was expendable.
Theresa didn't deny Otto's contributions and efforts against the Honkai.
But she also admitted, That man was not a good person!
If there was something he needed from Kiana, he wouldn't hesitate for even a moment to sacrifice her.
She had already heard of Kevin's methods from Fu Hua.
Relentless on the battlefield, always at the front line against the Honkai. But just the same, if a "small" sacrifice could bring about a decisive victory against the Honkai, he would do it!
And perhaps even more ruthlessly than Otto.
Thus Theresa's anxiety grew stronger and stronger.
She wanted nothing more than to smash Schicksal HQ to pieces with Judah and stop Otto's schemes.
At this very moment, Otto had already become a god.
Or rather, for all the years he had commanded Schicksal, in the eyes of its members, Otto already was a god.
"I found it." Otto suddenly whispered.
He had found it. The era of fifty thousand years ago had already been revealed.
Now, it was time for five hundred years ago.
What was that time like?
Joy. Despair. Happiness. Pain. Hope. Confusion.
All the philosophies of life, intertwined, shaping the monster named Otto Apocalypse.
And now, this monster had finally seized an opportunity, to fight back against the time itself.
What was that era like? Otto could not put it into words.
He only knew that in that time, he had lived in despair.
A walking corpse, crushed under a heavy weight.
At that moment, Otto felt a mix of relief and unbearable heaviness.
Perhaps in that past, Otto Apocalypse had still been alive.
But in the years that followed, that young man had long since died, leaving only a shell, a body driven by obsession.
He entrusted everything to the Void Archives. It would replace him as Overseer of Schicksal, commanding Valkyries, opposing the Honkai, raising Theresa, holding together the fragile order of their world.
To fulfill Otto's final mission.
...
"A new branch stream has appeared!" Sakura spoke out.
In her vision, two parallel streams wavered. Then, moments later, a third, faintly blurred stream manifested.
The first stream was Otto's fusion of Herrscher of the Void's power with Godzilla's dream.
The second was the one Godzilla had "sent" Herta into.
Now, the third unfolded.
The two observed curiously. It was a bustling, yet backward era.
Crowds surged. People filled the city square, rushing to the site of an execution.
Everyone had heard: today's prisoner was the saint who had always protected them.
The Church was just. The Church was righteous.
That was the faith shared by many.
The good in the Church would remain good even if they left it. The corrupt would remain corrupt even if they stayed.
But the masses were ignorant. Most didn't even know why Schicksal wanted to execute a woman who had saved countless lives.
Some came just to watch the spectacle. But many came in grief, people who had once been saved by Kallen.
Moments later, the noise surged.
The already chaotic execution ground grew even louder.
Under the guards' escort, the prisoner walked forward, weak, yet resolute.
Beneath the cathedral, a young blond-haired, blue-eyed man descended into the dungeon.
"Kallen."
Whispering softly, the still-youthful boy's gaze was firm. Without hesitation, he released the Honkai beasts that Kallen herself had captured and locked away!
This world had no right to judge Kallen Kaslana!
"So that's how it was! I thought it was the guards' negligence that let them escape."
Seeing Otto release the beasts with her own eyes, Miss Messenger was surprised.
She loved folklore, biographies, historical tales.
Naturally, she hadn't missed this world's The Famed Execution of the Saint Incident.
But she hadn't expected the beasts to be released by Otto himself.
And judging from Otto's demeanor back then, he wasn't yet the inhuman figure he would become.
"Do you think he'll succeed?"
Miss Messenger turned to Sakura, asking.
For a moment, Sakura only shook her head.
"Unlikely. And from my perspective, I believe he won't succeed." Because if Otto had succeeded, there would be no scheming Otto in the present.
"Eh~ what a pity." Hearing that, Miss Messenger's head drooped.
Why couldn't the ending be a happy one?
"But… I can help." Just as she was pouting on Kallen's behalf, Sakura spoke.
"Really?!" Even through her hood, Sakura could feel Miss Messenger's eyes shining.
After a moment of silence, Sakura nodded slowly.
"From what we know, this girl's surname is Kaslana. Whatever the reason, I cannot simply watch her go to her death."
People are selfish. Sakura was no different.
She never thought herself noble. But if forced to choose between countless strangers and Rin…
Fifty thousand years later, Kevin had given her a second chance at life.
And most importantly, Rin was alive.
So whether it was to protect this saint fighting against the Honkai, or to repay debts long owed, Sakura would not stand by.
Speaking of debts, Sakura lifted her gaze toward the huge form of Godzilla.
A crushing pressure weighed down on her heart. Though Godzilla had not deliberately saved her and Rin…
That debt was undeniable. Her values were clear. Whatever else, Godzilla had saved her and Rin.
That kindness could never be repaid, not in a lifetime.
...
The Third Stream, Five Hundred Years Ago.
As they spoke, countless Honkai beasts roared, charging toward the densest part of the crowd.
Because this execution had drawn so many, nearly the entire city was gathered.
Panic spread instantly.
"How could this be?!" Kallen's pupils trembled as she watched.
"Weren't those beasts imprisoned?!" She clearly remembered, almost all these Honkai beasts had been captured by her own hands.
They should be in the cathedral dungeon, not rampaging here!
"What are the guards doing!"
Anger surged. Fueled by fury, Kallen broke free of her restraints, ready to fight.
At that moment,
"Kallen!"
She turned instinctively.
"Otto?" There was one thing Otto had to admit.
Five hundred years ago, when he was still young, his reckless foolishness was unimaginable.
He had actually blurted out to Kallen that they should escape together.
And even told her that he was the one behind the incident.
Naturally, already enraged, Kallen slapped him without mercy.
The Kaslana family had defended the people for generations.
Past, present, future, turning their backs and fleeing was something no Kaslana could ever accept!
Roaring, tearing, charging,
"Kallen!"
Ignoring his burning cheek, Otto reached out, but his frail body couldn't hold her back.
He could only watch helplessly, terrified, as Kallen rushed the beasts.
Bang!
Though weakened from captivity, her clan's monstrous strength had not faded. With a single punch, she sent a Honkai beast crashing to the ground.
Then she shouted to the people behind her: "Everyone, run! Don't look back!"
The dazed rescued civilians snapped awake at her voice. Shaking, choking back gratitude, they stumbled away.
Schicksal soldiers fought desperately, but the attack was too sudden.
The forces present couldn't possibly defend the people, many could barely defend themselves.
'If only Judah were here.' Kallen drew a sharp breath.
So what if Judah wasn't? Hadn't she crushed Honkai beasts with her fists before?
Then, she heard a child's sobbing.
Looking, she saw a little girl collapsed among the ruins.
Not far away, a massive Honkai beast loomed, advancing step by step!
Kallen's pupils shrank.
Despite her exhausted body, she rushed forward, placing herself in front of the child.
Slash!
The beast's claw pierced her body.
Blood sprayed. Weakness surged, but her arms felt stronger than ever as she held back its massive hand, gritting her teeth.
Then, Clang!! Suddenly, a flash of light across her vision.
Relief washed over her.
Before she could even be surprised or react, a force struck her neck.
Thud!