Pant... pant...
Deep in the woods surrounding St. Freya Academy, a thoroughly disheveled Cocolia was gasping for air as she fled through the trees.
Her perfect plan to assault St. Freya had just met with a crushing, catastrophic failure.
Her entire Titan force had gone dark, somehow seized and turned against her by the enemy. The three Welt clones she'd brought, plus two more held in reserve, had all been wiped out.
The most terrifying part was that this assault force represented nearly half of her entire assets, excluding her trump card. And yet, she still had no idea who, or what method, had been used to hijack her Titans.
The fate of the clones was even more bizarre.
The two taken out by the Herrscher of Thunder were at least within the realm of her understanding. But the other three... they had been completely annihilated by an A-rank Valkyrie named Fu Hua.
The girl had even looked like she'd just been rudely awakened in the middle of the night, not even wearing her battlesuit—the amount of fabric on her was probably less than what you'd find on a heavy coat, let alone any kind of armored enhancement.
For Cocolia, whose mind operated on the simple formula of Titan = B-rank Valkyrie, Quantum Titan = A-rank Valkyrie, and Welt Clone = S-rank Valkyrie, this was a complete and utter shattering of her worldview.
By that logic... didn't it mean that her entire force combined couldn't defeat the leader of Anti-Entropy, much less that S-rank Valkyrie from Schicksal, Durandal?
'Dammit... Once I get back, I have to find a way to test if the Titans' combat power is really that pathetic...'
Cocolia fumed inwardly.
[Life signal detected ahead...]
Just then, a warning chimed from the terminal on her wrist.
"!"
"Well, if it isn't... Miss Cocolia of Anti-Entropy."
Standing before her was a man in a pristine white uniform, with golden hair and a politely smiling face.
"O-Otto?!"
Cocolia skidded to a halt. "What are you doing here?!"
"The timing seemed opportune, so I came to verify a little something," Otto explained with a serene smile, as if casually answering a friend's query about whether he'd eaten.
"Don't worry, Miss Cocolia. I have no intention of stopping you from exploring the Dogma Area."
"After all, all that remains there is a failed project. My purpose here is simply this."
He gestured with his arm, and only then did Cocolia notice the unconscious girl he was carrying. She had silver-white hair and seemed to be wearing the latest White Comet battlesuit.
Judging by her pale complexion, she had put up a fierce fight before being captured. Cocolia was no stranger to her identity—Kiana Kaslana.
"However, as the Overseer of Schicksal, I must still keep up appearances. Since you've so brazenly invaded my granddaughter's academy, shouldn't you reciprocate the courtesy and be my guest at Schicksal Headquarters, allowing me to play the hospitable host?"
"Hah... So it comes down to a fight after all." Cocolia sneered. She'd always heard Otto had a flair for the dramatic, and seeing him today confirmed it.
Fortunately, she was no helpless damsel either. While she'd lost control of most of her mechs, the three enhanced Titans accompanying her had remained firmly under her command.
Besides, Otto was a bureaucrat. Capturing this Kiana was probably only possible due to some backdoor in the Valkyrie battlesuit.
Moreover, World Serpent had told her that while Otto might be decent at inventing, in a fight, he was utterly useless.
"Titan Units A2304, A2305, A2306. Observer axis offset. Disengage quantum stealth."
At Cocolia's command, the three Titans instantly materialized from their quantum state into solid forms, appearing around her.
"Oh? Quantum stealth technology... Impressive. Anti-Entropy's achievements in mecha engineering are truly admirable. To think you've successfully conquered even such a theoretical technology," Otto remarked, lightly clapping his hands.
Then, the atmosphere plunged into an eerie silence.
A few seconds later, Otto looked at Cocolia with a strange expression.
"Miss Cocolia, is that all?"
"What? Does the Overseer believe he can take out all three of these Titans?" Cocolia retorted scornfully. "I'd truly like to see you try."
"..."
For the first time, Otto was rendered speechless. He felt a flicker of self-doubt.
Was this the caliber of opponent Anti-Entropy had failed to deal with for years?
"Very well, if that's all you have..."
Otto snapped his fingers softly. The golden cubes floating beside him instantly reshaped into the form of a long blade.
"Quite decent mechs. They'll be perfect to take back and study, to absorb some of Anti-Entropy's advanced technology."
"Mimicry - Jizo Mitama."
As he spoke, golden patterns began to spread across the Titan mechs.
Then, the Titans turned their cannons towards Cocolia.
"What?! It was you who seized control of my Titan army!" Cocolia gasped in shock and horror. Only now did she realize... she had likely fallen into a trap Otto had laid.
"Seize control? No, Miss Cocolia, I believe I already made myself clear," Otto said with a sigh of feigned distress. "I have no issue with Anti-Entropy's actions, and thus no reason to interfere. As for the one you speak of, I'm afraid—"
"He's over here!"
Just then, two voices called out from beyond the woods.
"Ah, speak of the devil." A mask of 'enthusiastic' smile instantly spread across Otto's face.
"Otto, so it was you who intercepted Kiana!"
A few seconds later, a pink-haired girl and a brown-haired man descended from the air and landed on the ground.
The newcomers were Lynelle and Welt. In fact, after realizing that Kiana, who in the original timeline should have returned from the training ground to reinforce them, was missing, Lynelle knew something was wrong.
Coupled with Einstein's earlier report of Otto's presence near St. Freya, Lynelle had quickly deduced who was behind this mischief.
"Long time no see, Miss Lynelle... and the leader of Anti-Entropy, Mr. Welt," Otto greeted them with a smile.
"The Sovereign?!" Cocolia inhaled sharply. "You're alive?!"
"Sigh..." Seeing Cocolia in this state,Welt couldn't help but sigh. "You should leave now. Leave this to me."
"...Thank you, Sovereign." The situation was dire. However arrogant Cocolia was, she knew better than to stubbornly stick around now.
"Mr. Welt, your temper remains as gentle as ever. You'd even protect a subordinate like this?" Otto's eyes narrowed slightly as he watched Cocolia beat a hasty retreat.
"A living Cocolia is more useful than a dead one. Besides, we have plans for her tomorrow... Otto, if you're trying to provoke me into killing her to cause a split in Anti-Entropy, you can put that idea to rest right now."
"Cause a split in Anti-Entropy? No, no, Mr. Welt, you misunderstand. To be frank, your entire Anti-Entropy holds little weight in my eyes. It might even... pale in comparison to Miss Lynelle alone."
"Save your breath." Lynelle let out a disdainful sniff. "Give Kiana back to me, now!"
"My, my, young people are always in such a hurry... But then, I suppose it's understandable during the honeymoon phase." Otto nodded. Two chains materialized from Void Archives, delivering Kiana over to them.
"So easily...?"Welt frowned. "But this is indeed Kiana... Lynelle, should I check her condition first?"
"No need. He has no reason to plant anything on Kiana now," Lynelle shook her head slightly.
In fact, based on her previous examination of Kiana's body, she had already guessed why Otto had suddenly appeared here and intercepted Kiana.
It was undoubtedly because of her own presence. Otto was worried his designs on Kiana would be disrupted, so he seized this chance to confirm things... Unfortunately for him, Lynelle had already anticipated this.
Right now, Otto was probably smugly congratulating himself, thinking his plan had achieved its first success, that Kiana had duly given birth to a 'second personality' as scheduled.
Heh...
Lynelle carefully schooled her expression once more, lest she accidentally laugh out loud.
"Miss Lynelle understands me so well. Miss Kiana is a rising star among the new generation of Valkyries, one with the potential to become the strongest Valkyrie in history... How could I bear to use such underhanded methods as turning her into a human bomb?" Otto chuckled.
"However, Miss Lynelle, wouldn't it be better to withdraw those Titans behind you? I don't believe Anti-Entropy is so wealthy that you can afford to have them damaged."
"Moreover... I am not without the ability to control those Titans myself."
As he spoke, golden patterns instantly shot towards the Titans under Lynelle's control, only to be quickly repelled by Lynelle's own purple corrosion patterns.
"As expected... A counterfeit still can't match the genuine article. But at least it seems self-defense is assured."
Otto sighed, casually dismissing the mimicry Jizo Mitama and allowing Lynelle's controlled Titans to pull back a distance.
"Mimicry of the Key of Corruption..."Welt, deeply studied in the relics of the Previous Era and having personally experienced Lynelle's corrosive power, immediately understood.
"How do you have this? If I recall correctly, the Previous Era shouldn't have—"
"It's quite the coincidence, actually. A couple of years ago, my adorable granddaughter Theresa happened to excavate the unfinished Key of Corruption in Nagazora. And, through her own charismatic personality, she successfully resolved a crisis there." Otto spread his hands.
"As a grandfather who pays close attention to his granddaughter, I naturally took note. And as it happened, the one residing within the Key of Corruption was an old acquaintance of mine. So, I borrowed the Key and brought it back to Schicksal Headquarters for a closer look."
"But please, don't misunderstand. I'm not the type to steal my granddaughter's toys. After catching up with Miss Yae Sakura and collecting data on the Jizo Mitama, I returned them intact."
"After all, she is also an old friend. If an old friend wishes to live out her remaining years in peace, I have no reason to disturb her."
"So that's how it is..." With Otto's explanation, Lynelle finally understood why Schicksal had unexpectedly developed firewalls constructed from a mimicry Key of Corruption.
"Now, Miss Lynelle, as repayment for my lengthy explanation... shouldn't you also resolve a doubt of mine? How did you come by the Core of Corruption within you?" Otto asked, smiling back at her.
"A gift from an old friend, that's all." In an instant, a Void Spear materialized in Lynelle's hand. "Now then, Otto, if you have no other business, would you please leave?"
"Ah, I've only just arrived, and already you're chasing me away... What a pity. I'd thought that after staying at St. Freya for so long, you might have developed a bit of a sense of belonging towards Schicksal." Otto sighed.
"My previous offer still stands, you know? If you were willing to come to Schicksal, I could directly grant you the position of Second-in-Command."
"After my death, it wouldn't be impossible for you to even take the seat of Overseer."
"Pass. I have no interest in working myself to death."
"Very well, then we can only... fast forward to the final item on the agenda." Otto shrugged helplessly.
"The last time we crossed hands, it ended in a stalemate. Now, after all this time, I hope Miss Lynelle will not hesitate to instruct me once more."
"Allow me to see for myself... just how much you have grown."
"Cut the chatter. In the end, it's just another probe of my strength." Lynelle instantly crushed a card in her hand.
"Perfect timing. This time, I've prepared... a little present for you!"
Instantly, Lynelle's body shrank slightly in height. Her long pink hair shortened as well, taking on a brownish-purple gradient amidst the pink.
Simultaneously, a massive hammer, studded with a huge gemstone, appeared in her hands.
--+--
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
"Well, Madam Theresa? Do you believe what I told you now?"
Einstein's voice was low as she gestured towards the two dense rows of Kiana replicas before them.
"Your memories have been altered. And the history of the Second Honkai War is not what you believe it to be."
"..."
Theresa remained silent for a long moment.
"I agree to your request for an alliance. But..."
"I understand your concerns, Madam Theresa. You're afraid we might be deceiving you, afraid of trusting the wrong people." Einstein's voice was persuasive.
"Therefore, we can first offer you some tokens of our sincerity."
"Madam Theresa, aren't you the least bit curious..."
"...why you feel such a sense of familiarity with Lynelle?"
"And why Anti-Entropy would go to such lengths to invade a project Otto has already abandoned, to seize these Kiana replicas who possess no souls, no consciousness, and not even the inherited Schariac holy blood?"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.