About a week later. Schicksal HQ
In this week, Otto Apocalypse, having learned of the Stigmata Project, had entered a rare state of busyness.
Normally, Otto would act for the sake of his plan, but his plan...
Hmm, it actually didn't require that much of his time.
Ever since he modified Schicksal's operational mechanism to be semi-automatic even without him, the pressure on Otto's work in this area naturally lessened.
As for the time required for other research—he wasn't a lone wolf.
Otto became the Bishop of Schicksal not only because he didn't want Kallen's name to be tarnished, but also partly because his plan to revive Kallen really required manpower.
Over such a long period of time, Otto had indeed found many geniuses.
For example, the incredibly talented researchers Einstein and Tesla... oh wait, they betrayed him more than fifty years ago.
For example, the peerlessly powerful Siegfried and Cecilia... oh wait, he had gotten one killed and the other ran away.
For example, Murata Ryusuke, who could repair Divine Keys... oh wait, he didn't screw this one over, but he inexplicably defected for some reason.
For example, Dr. Magi, who could create powerful items like the HSN serum... oh wait, this one hasn't run yet, but he's about to.
For example, Nagamitsu, who helped him create various armaments and could also assist in completing his plan... oh, this one is fine, just has a lot of overtime, not a big problem.
Wow, looking at it this way, I've forced quite a few comrades to rebel.
Whatever, these are minor details.
Sigh, I used to be able to delegate those things to my subordinates. After working on my plan, I would even have some time left to play Kallen Fantasy.
But now, I really can't slack off anymore.
Wraith, who is undercover with Cocolia, told me that the situation has been looking grim lately.
According to the intelligence she gathered in Singapore, World Serpent and the Anti-Entropy radicals are now even more radical than before.
This group of people can actually create something like the Joyce clones.
Even if these clones don't even have one percent of Joyce's power from back then, as long as there are enough of them, they are more than capable of suppressing ordinary Valkyrie squads.
Although high-end combatants could easily crush these imitations, this is already enough to make me take them more seriously.
Sigh, and of all places, it had to be Singapore.
Thinking of this country, a hint of gloom appeared in Otto's eyes.
Although Singapore is a small country, its influence is not insignificant.
And in the past, this tiny nation had never chosen to side with either Schicksal or Anti-Entropy, acting as a complete opportunist.
To be honest, if it weren't for the trouble involved in making a move on this place, Otto wouldn't have let this small country gain so much presence by playing neutral and speaking up at various conferences.
And now, although Singapore still claims to be neutral on the surface, it has secretly acquired World Serpent's technology and created an army of Joyce clones. This country must be itching to stir up some trouble.
If Singapore were to disappear from the world, the entire global structure would experience some turmoil in various aspects.
Otto couldn't be bothered with what those neutral fence-sitters wanted to do before.
But now—someone has taken the lead to shit on his head. How could Otto possibly tolerate them?
The tactic of killing a chicken to scare the monkeys is never outdated. Since Singapore is willing to be the chicken, Otto certainly won't go easy on this country.
Of course, dispatching a secret unit to carry out a massacre is absolutely out of the question.
Leaving aside the combat strength—Otto's secret units might not be able to suppress that batch of Joyce clones—the act itself is dishonorable.
It's hard to say what the outside world would comment. If the fight isn't suppressed instantly and the news gets out, Otto would have a hard time explaining it internally.
Most Valkyries join Schicksal to fight the Honkai. If they find out Otto is using Valkyrie squads for massacres...
They might not rebel, but it would surely cause discontent among some.
As for Honkai Fission Missiles and the Schicksal's Mechanized Units...
The former would cause too much of a stir, and the negative impact would be similar to dispatching Valkyrie squads.
The latter probably wouldn't have enough combat power to suppress that batch of Joyce clones.
So Otto came up with a plan.
Otto and Dr. Magi were both well aware of Dr. Magi's dissatisfaction with him.
Under these circumstances, Otto had, of course, been secretly monitoring Dr. Magi, keeping every move he made under control.
According to the surveillance results, Dr. Magi had recently met with spies from other organizations within Schicksal twice.
The first time was a spy sent by Cocolia. Dr. Magi thought the other party was an idiot, so he pretended to agree and then turned around and reported the spy.
But the second spy who appeared offered Dr. Magi conditions sufficient for him to defect.
And this spy was precisely from World Serpent.
He would cooperate with Dr. Magi, allowing him to steal the Gem of Serenity and assisting him in leaving with it.
After that, Schicksal would lose a gem, and Dr. Magi would no longer have to assist Otto in completing those inhumane experiments.
To be honest, Otto really felt this plan was full of flaws.
So—he decided to give Dr. Magi a hand.
Although the Gem of Serenity was an extremely precious item for Otto, with the K423 awakening plan already on the right track, the awakening of the Herrscher of Death was no longer as important.
So this time, Otto decided to use the Gem of Serenity to create a Honkai Eruption.
After Dr. Magi left Schicksal with the gem, he would give a direct order to Yuno, a Valkyrie from the Far East Branch who had just been promoted to B-rank, to go to Singapore and capture Dr. Magi.
At the same time, he would dispatch Durandal and other sufficiently powerful warriors to be on standby near Singapore.
Based on Yuno's physical examination data, Otto had compared it with the wavelength of the Gem of Serenity and confirmed that her compatibility with the gem was indeed higher than other Valkyries.
After proving his hypothesis, Otto was naturally looking for the right opportunity.
Now that this godforsaken place, Singapore, dared to challenge him, Otto would just happen to send the Gem of Serenity and its compatible host to that place for a simpler and more brutal experiment.
If Yuno could successfully merge with the gem there, then he would gain the Herrscher of Death as a trump card.
If the Herrscher of the Void awakening plan went wrong, he would still have a backup plan.
If Yuno failed to merge with the gem, then facing those piles of Joyce clones, she would only have death awaiting her.
And this—why would Otto care?
He had tricked Valkyries with whom he had no grievances into experiments.
What's more, Yuno was the little bitch who had hurt Theresa. If she really died, Otto would just find a time to pop a small bottle of champagne and shout 'good riddance'.
And with Durandal lying in ambush nearby, he didn't have to worry about the Gem of Serenity being taken or being unable to suppress the Herrscher of Death after it awakened.
"Heh, but on second thought, the probability of a Honkai Eruption this time is still very high."
Closing the data analysis file before him, Otto opened another report.
"Over the past week, the frequency of Honkai incidents worldwide has increased significantly, and this is clearly a sign of the next Herrscher's manifestation."
"Heh... looking at it this way, my actions might have already been calculated by that god."
"The awakening of a Herrscher is in its interest, and the Herrscher awakening in Singapore is in my interest."
"How ironic. By cooperating with it, I can actually get everything I want..."
Come to think of it, during the Third Eruption, the fact that little girl could awaken when the Honkai Energy was spreading and become so strong might have been its doing as well.
It even helped me prepare the plan to revive Kallen and the pawn for my backup plan.
The God of Honkai thinks so highly of me... it seems my actions are indeed very much in its interest.
It makes sense. Allowing Cocolia to create a Herrscher, guiding a Herrscher's awakening, and reviving a Herrscher are all actions that benefit the God of Honkai.
In its eyes, Otto Apocalypse is not a warrior fighting against the Honkai, but a human mole on its side.
But that doesn't matter. As long as I can complete my plan, everything can be redone.
So before that, my plan...
—Absolutely cannot tolerate any mistakes!
....
Same day. Himeko's Home
After completing his mission, Leo Ash, having returned to the dorm, washed up and lay down on his bed, allowing his body to completely relax.
Since the day after Cioara joined the Far East Branch a week ago, he hadn't stopped to rest.
Although the original Leo Ash was a B-rank Knight, before participating in the Jiuyou mission, he was still in his 'internship period' and hadn't actually participated in a combat mission as a Knight.
But after the Jiuyou mission, he had already demonstrated sufficiently powerful strength and personal qualities.
During this time, Otto had already promoted him to A-rank Knight, and he had begun leading a squad to carry out operations in some regions.
To be honest, Leo Ash didn't think Otto was intentionally messing with him.
Many missions were assigned from Schicksal HQ. From Leo Ash's personal perspective, Otto probably couldn't review every single mission.
He originally thought that after Otto was overwhelmed by World Serpent, the pressure on his side would lessen a bit.
But now, the 'Avenger of the Far East Branch' reputation was well-known. Everyone knew Leo Ash was a capable fighter and aggressive when it came to Honkai incidents, so they just kept piling it on him.
In others' eyes, they probably thought 'Giving Leo Ash missions is helping Leo Ash take revenge on the Honkai, this is a way to curry favor with this future star'.
But for Leo Ash—damn it, I have to grind in my dreams at night and go on missions during the day.
If it weren't for his improved physical condition leading to much better sleep quality, he felt he would have died of exhaustion on the road to beating up Honkai Beasts sooner or later.
[Sigh, that's why the System has been saying, you can't keep the string pulled so tight.]
Oh, so?
[The System won't make any dirty jokes.]
What a rare occasion.
[Anyway, the System said it, but you won't listen, will you?]
I hope your self-awareness lasts for at least three days this time.
[In any case, you should be feeling it by now.]
[Your body might be able to withstand the current battles, but if your mental fatigue isn't relieved, there will be problems one day.]
Yeah, you're right. So, your suggestion is?
[Time to have a sweet romance!]
[In one dorm, besides you, there are two mature female teachers, one Russian Tanya-like soldier king, two junior schoolmates—one silly and one sharp enough to be a good wife—and also your master who cares about you and a classmate who has a crush on you but never says it. Just pick one, wouldn't that relieve stress!]
And then we'd date and date and end up in bed, right.
And then it's chaos in the dorm and a Herrscher blows up—you really want me to die a horrible death on the street, don't you.
[So, you seem to be self-aware in this regard.]
That's enough, I'm going to sleep.
After ignoring the System's subsequent words, Leo Ash had already drawn his mana, preparing to activate his Phantasmagoria.
But just then, he suddenly heard a sound from his communicator.
"Haha, it seems you're not asleep yet, Leo Ash."
After the screen popped up, Leo Ash stared in astonishment at the man who appeared, completely clueless as to what he was planning now.
No way, isn't the pressure from World Serpent enough for you? You still have time to bother me????
"Ha, no need to be so surprised, Leo Ash."
Otto, completely unaware of what Leo Ash was thinking, said to him with a smile.
"Today's situation is special, that's why I'm contacting you so late."
"Ah, Lord Bishop, if you have something to say, please go ahead."
Looking at Leo Ash's exhausted expression, Otto couldn't help but sigh—sigh, what a useful tool.
He might not have Durandal's outrageous power, but this person was obedient and truly useful.
For Otto, he certainly couldn't have too many subordinates like this.
"Alright, after your armor was destroyed last time, I started working on designing your Godsbane Armor."
"Now, I have completed the design of your Godsbane Armor, and the teleportation program has been opened for you."
"In the coming period, I hope you can use this armor more often, test its performance, and give me some feedback."
"But before that, there's one more thing you need to do."
"I haven't named this suit of armor. As its master, you should give it a name first."
After listening to Otto's series of words, Leo Ash instantly understood.
I see, it seems the pressure from World Serpent is quite significant.
My Godsbane Armor was finished in about ten days...
—Wow, does this mean my next mission will be to directly confront World Serpent?