The gaze of Void Archives revealed an indescribable emotion.
The scene fell into a strange stillness.
"Otto, you bastard!" Kallen shouted angrily, her fists clenched, left foot forward, ready to strike again at any moment.
Helplessly rubbing the soulium cheek that shouldn't even feel pain, Void Archives looked exasperated.
A scene he had long expected.
Kallen Kaslana.
The Saint of Schicksal. Her deeds are still widely remembered across the world to this day.
To the Valkyries, she is a banner; to the people, an object of admiration.
But she was a figure from five hundred years ago.
"Kallen?" Theresa, who had been on guard just a moment ago, suddenly found her small head spinning in confusion.
She wasn't unfamiliar with Kallen. Thanks to the Archbishop of Schicksal's five-hundred-year lifespan, anyone from Schicksal would know of this Saint.
Even those from other branches did.
Moreover, due to the Archbishop's particular requests, a game called Kallen Fantasy and various virtual projections of her image were widely circulated in Schicksal.
In those portrayals, the Saint often appeared as a compassionate goddess-like figure.
For special reasons as well, Theresa's impression of this strange name was even more profound.
So, she could never mistake her! This was the Saint herself!
Having also met Kallen before, Fu Hua's eyes flashed with shock.
Not to mention that Kallen had already died in that catastrophe five hundred years ago, even if she hadn't, with an ordinary human body, and being someone who had always fought on the frontlines against the Honkai…
It would be impossible for her to survive intact until now!
Kevin looked calmly at this descendant of his. Her aura was undeniably strong; the inherited brute strength and white hair alone were proof of her pure bloodline.
To understand the modern history of Schicksal's development, Kallen Kaslana's existence was indispensable, she was the brightest star of them all.
Toward this descendant, Kevin felt a trace of admiration.
The Kaslana family had always stood at the front lines against the Honkai, following the creed of 'ensuring civilians would not suffer unnecessary harm'.
Grabbing Void Archives by the collar, Kallen's gaze was sharp, her presence overwhelming.
Behind her, Miss Messenger timidly poked her head out, then nervously pulled it back again.
"So, what exactly happened?" Confused, Stelle and March 7th exchanged glances, unable to make sense of the situation.
Hearing this exchange, Miss Messenger peeked her head out once more.
She didn't know much about Otto.
Only scattered fragments of what had happened in modern times. But that much was already enough. Enough for Kallen to start considering where to bury Otto.
Within the imaginary space, the Herrscher of the Void sneered at the lively scene.
"Now taste the bitter fruit of your own actions!"
At this moment, Void Archives was truly helpless.
All the mess Otto had made was being pinned on him, and unfortunately, it was a burden he could not shake off.
He was the mighty First Divine Key, Void Archives, and since his creation had never endured such humiliation.
Well then… he would just have to swallow this grievance.
Those still unclear about the situation looked at one another in confusion. As the situation veered into strange territory, Fu Hua stepped forward, trying to mediate.
"Miss Kallen, please, calm yourself a little."
"Celestial Immortal?!"
That familiar voice tugged at the few active thoughts in Kallen's mind. Turning her head and seeing who it was, she froze.
During the Eastern Expedition, which she had never thought of as a righteous cause, she had tasted bitter defeat for the very first time.
Naturally, her impression of the one who had dealt her that defeat was unforgettable.
"It is indeed me. Though now, I go by the name Fu Hua." Fu Hua chuckled softly.
To be addressed like that in front of acquaintances… it was a strange feeling.
Especially with the few behind her all staring with astonished eyes.
"As for Otto's deeds, we can discuss that later. For now, I have urgent matters to attend to, please excuse me."
With that, Fu Hua gave Mei a signal.
Seeing no issues, Mei sprinted toward the sensed direction. Toward Kiana, who had just reverted from Herrscher form.
"Mm… Mei? And squad leader? Why are you two here?" Looking at the half-asleep Kiana, the heavy weight in Mei's heart finally dissipated.
Relief appeared on her face, and her eyes silently conveyed her gratitude for this fortune.
Outside. The once-menacing mech legion suddenly halted, freezing in place.
Seeing this, everyone simultaneously breathed a sigh of relief.
"Looks like Theresa and the others succeeded," Himeko said easily, looking at the now-calm island that had just moments ago been trembling with chaos.
Welt adjusted his glasses, scanning the surrounding wreckage.
"Let's hope we won't have to pay the repair costs."
Schicksal's mechs were costly, and their combat power was undeniable.
The problem was, once damaged, Schicksal's finances would bleed heavily to cover the losses.
After all, who would have ever thought that Schicksal HQ itself would be infiltrated, by its own people, no less?
What used to be routine inspection fees had now turned into a massive overhaul and replenishment.
At least no one was hurt.
"Let's go inside and take a look," Himeko said, swinging her massive sword onto her shoulder, her hearty laugh echoing across the battlefield.
The people exchanged glances, smiled, and followed.
After they left, a figure slowly appeared, staring motionlessly at the direction they had gone.
Welt Yang, leader of Anti-Entropy.
Staring that way, Welt remained silent for a long while before finally letting out the words that had been stuck in his throat.
"Did I… just see an illusion?"
...
Though the recent battle had been fierce, most areas of Schicksal hadn't suffered devastating damage.
In a place far from the frontline, things were still intact.
After a brief cleanup, the group settled down.
"Otto, Kevin, what on earth is going on?" Fu Hua frowned, questioning.
First Kiana, then Kallen, who should have died five hundred years ago.
There were too many suspicious points.
"Sakura, you didn't come here just because of me, did you?"
"Kallen… it's so good to see you again."
An ill-timed topic surfaced.
The long-separated Saint and shrine maiden looked at each other, words could not capture the depth of their feelings.
"… "
"… "
"… "
"Um, I know you two are happy to reunite, but we've got a lot of questions that need answering. Can you wait a little?"
Theresa, not knowing what to do with her hands, finally tapped Judah and asked helplessly.
She truly didn't know how to handle this!
Yae Sakura being a relic from five hundred years ago was one thing, but Kallen was her direct ancestor.
Strictly speaking, nearly all the blood flowing through Theresa's veins came from her.
At that moment, Kiana couldn't hold back any longer. Pointing at Void Archives and Kevin, she shouted: "Who exactly are you two? What are you planning to do, catching me like that? I'm telling you now, confess honestly, or else"
Counting on her fingers, Kiana glared angrily.
She didn't care about the details; all she knew was that these two were up to no good, and they had made her sleep uncomfortably for far too long.
They needed to be taught a lesson! Did they really think Saint Freya had no one to protect her?!
"Say whatever you want, but don't drag St Freya into it."
Forcing herself to ignore Kiana's stare, Theresa turned her eyes away as if she hadn't seen anything.
Void Archives chuckled softly, then slowly spoke under everyone's gaze.
"It's just to make up for some old regrets. Look, aren't you all happy now?"
"…Well, it is pretty nice," Durandal blurted out.
"Eh???"
A string of question marks instantly targeted Durandal in confusion.
"Cough, cough, just speaking from emotion, speaking from emotion."
Originally, she didn't feel her words were a problem, but seeing the deep doubts in everyone's eyes on site, Durandal quickly corrected her mistake.
At least at this moment, she couldn't let people think she was standing together with Otto!
"Even so." Himeko frowned. "Wouldn't this cause confusion between the future and the past?"
As soon as the words fell, a response followed.
"Most likely not." Everyone simultaneously turned their gaze toward Yae Sakura, who was obediently sitting in her seat.
"Not me." Yae Sakura waved her hands repeatedly, looking innocent, with pity written all over her face.
Just then,
"Apologies, it was my oversight."
As the words landed, a familiar figure suddenly appeared in the wide room.
Familiar fox ears, the exact same face, with the sword hanging at the waist.
The only difference was the clothes on the body and the headset hanging around the neck.
It had a more modern style.
"I am… Sakura, of Fire Moth."
Theresa and the others stared in shock at the suddenly appearing Sakura, but Fu Hua's reaction was even stronger than theirs.
The moment Sakura finished speaking, Fu Hua pushed herself up from the table in disbelief.
"Sakura!"
...
Fifty thousand years ago.
"Look, this is the most beautiful place in all of Fire Moth. From here, you can see the full view of Fire Moth."
Spreading her arms, the girl happily introduced her life to the new friend she had just made.
"The scenery is indeed nice, it has a vague beauty."
In the distance, the crimson sunset slowly descended, the towering buildings reflecting a magnificent glow.
At this moment, Fire Moth truly became a moth bathing in flames.
She agreed for once with Elysia's sense of beauty.
But only for that instant, Herta's eyes fell again on Elysia.
"Compared to these landscapes I'm tired of seeing, I'm more curious about your… body structure."
Herta watched Elysia with great interest, speaking bluntly.
"You're not the same as ordinary humans. It's my first time seeing an individual like you."
Most people's first sight would be drawn to Elysia's elf-like face, and then to her pointed ears left as an aftereffect of the super-mutation surgery.
Incidentally, Elysia herself really liked her ears.
But in Herta's eyes, there were more details.
The greatest one was the aura Elysia emitted, which pulled at the surrounding space itself.
This obvious aura was so clear Herta could see it with the naked eye. And besides, did they really think her puppet was just a remote-controlled toy?
In Herta's view, compared to other Herrschers closer in essence, Elysia's aura was more natural, not at all like those forcibly turned into Herrschers.
"Oh my, every girl has a few little secrets. Don't go prying so hard."
Elysia pretended to pout in playful reproach.
The next moment, she bloomed into a smile and chirped: "Alright, let's go to the next scenic spot!"
"I recall this place should be a military facility, right?"
At her behavior, Herta muttered in complaint.
Yet, holding the thought of observing Elysia more closely, she followed along.
All along the way, Elysia fully displayed the liveliness of her age.
From appearance alone, she was undeniably a radiant, youthful beauty.
Herta couldn't understand.
'What kind of mindset did this girl have, mixing with this group?'
'And those eyes, were they… maternal?'
'Maternal?!!!'
What kind of beautiful maiden looked at people with maternal affection!!
Until dusk fell and the jade rabbit rose in the east.
Elysia finally stopped at an observatory.
Leaping lightly, she stood on the viewing platform, hands behind her back, turning with a bright smile.
"Hehe, how's the scenery here?"
"… You brought me here just to see scenery?" Herta's expression twisted.
"Eh, why not? Beautiful scenery makes people feel refreshed. I really like looking at scenery."
"… You, with this kind of pure ideal, in the Interastral Peace Corporation you'd definitely be seen as rarer than sighting an Aeon."
Shaking her head, Herta sighed.
Her favorite pastime was forcing the IPC to ban seventy-six game accounts of a certain hacker.
"Aeons? What are they? Could Miss Herta explain?"
Bright eyes leaned closer.
"Aeons, in the simplest terms, you can think of them as conceptual embodiments. But these embodiments have life, can run, can jump, and are incredibly strong."
Plain and easy.
With Elysia's intelligence, she perfectly understood.
"There are such wondrous things in the universe? I'd love to see them with my own eyes." Elysia sighed, starry eyes expectantly looking at the sky.
Trying, through this, to glimpse distant galaxies.
"You don't seem surprised that I'm from the universe?" Herta raised an eyebrow.
"Eh? Is that something to be surprised about?" Blinking, her innocence washed over.
Herta admitted, this was the third person she'd met with that kind of gaze.
The first was Stelle.
That one… well, age aside, most of the time she had that harmless look, except when she suddenly pulled out a club to deliver a fatal blow.
The second was Godzilla.
Aside from being bigger, stronger, and hungrier, he was really pure!
For such phenomena, Herta had a rational explanation: Once you can smash bricks with ease, you'll look at everything with such eyes. If you can't, your strength isn't enough.
And now, she'd met the third.
"Unbelievable, I even encountered a guy like Godzilla." Herta slapped her forehead, full of helplessness.
Seeing Herta's expression, Elysia giggled.
"Actually, from the first moment I saw you, I knew you weren't simple. This puppet is so cute, can you give me one?"
"Please~"
For some reason, that voice echoed in Herta's mind.
"It's not impossible. I've made over three hundred of these. If you want, I'll make you a new one."
"Yay!"
"No yay allowed!"
"Wuuuh~" After a round of nonsensical fuss, Herta returned to serious topics.
"So what exactly are you?"
"I don't know either." Shaking her head, a sly glint flashed in Elysia's eyes.
"But what I do know is, right now, I'm a super beautiful girl!"
After her answer, she quickly turned the subject back.
"And you, Herta, you came from the future, right? Can you tell me what it's like now?"
"…You heard that?"
"Hehe, my ears are super sharp, you know!" Elysia proudly wiggled her ears with a grin.
Half-doubting, half-believing, as a scientist herself, Herta knew just how much importance any scientist placed on laboratory security measures.
Even if that lab wasn't designed personally by Mobius, the materials used blocked all interference.
Could these pointed elf ears really hear that far? Her hands itched, she really wanted to grab those ears and thoroughly examine them.