Schicksal HQ
Inside his office, Otto watched the warning that had suddenly appeared on the light screen, a faint smile gracing the corners of his lips.
Amber, who had not been informed of Otto's plan, was naturally unaware of his thoughts.
Looking at the warning on the screen, Amber asked Otto with immense nervousness.
"Lord Bishop! The Fourth Eruption has broken out in the area near Singapore!"
"But... we still can't contact Lady Durandal or the members of the Immortal Blades!"
"We can't even reach Lord Wraith. This, this, this...!"
"Amber, do not panic."
Looking at the warning on the screen, Otto spoke to Amber with complete confidence.
"Before losing contact, Durandal had already followed our instructions and arrived in the vicinity of Singapore."
"As a wielder of a Divine Key, she will naturally notice the anomaly when a large-scale Honkai Eruption occurs nearby."
At this moment, Otto truly felt that his recent plans had been far too successful.
The Fourth Eruption had broken out near Singapore, just as he had planned.
If his predictions were correct, then the outbreak of this Eruption was clearly the result of that little girl named Yuno coming into contact with the Gem of Serenity.
Although Otto had temporarily shelved the plan to 'have the Herrscher of Death resurrect someone' after obtaining a plan with a higher success rate from It, this didn't mean he would completely abandon this backup.
Yuno has become the Herrscher of Death.
And Bianka is currently en route.
If everything proceeds smoothly, then after Bianka defeats Yuno and brings her back to Schicksal HQ, I will use Fenghuang Down to hypnotize her, suggesting that she continue to trust me. Then, sooner or later, I will be able to unearth the true power of the Herrscher of Death.
However, there are three imperfections in this plan.
First, judging by the location of the Honkai Energy outbreak, this place is clearly not yet in the core area of Singapore.
Second, the instantaneous Honkai Energy intensity at the core of this outbreak did indeed exceed 1000 HW, but its diffusion speed is far too slow.
For these two reasons, my intention to use the Honkai to make an example of Singapore has likely fallen through.
As for the third point... alas, Leo Ash.
Of all the rotten luck, he just had to find out about this.
Although the young man has been promoted to A-rank, his clearance is still insufficient to access the intelligence for this mission.
And my dear granddaughter...
Thinking of Theresa, Otto shook his head dotingly, completely dismissing the idea that 'Theresa sent Leo Ash to Singapore'.
Theresa is already busy enough just ensuring the safety of the Far East Branch.
This matter...
Heh, Ryusuke's daughter is meddling.
Although having K423 go to the central area of a large-scale Honkai Eruption could also accelerate her awakening and, by extension, my plans, that doesn't mean I will condone this kind of behavior.
After all, dispatching Leo Ash on such a dangerous mission behind my back is enough to show me that Ryusuke's daughter has definitely realized my intentions.
If I continue to allow her to act freely, she might interfere with my plans in other ways in the future.
I should find some time to deal with this.
Killing her abruptly would make even Theresa notice that something is wrong.
Her crime this time does not warrant death; a small punishment will suffice.
After all, Theresa still needs her.
And if my plans continue to proceed this smoothly, the day Theresa takes over as the Bishop of Schicksal is not far off.
As for Leo Ash...
Recalling the boy in whom he had invested a rare amount of effort, Otto felt a bit of a headache.
Leo Ash can die, but he must die in front of K423.
However, with Leo Ash's personality, even if he brings K423 along, the moment he senses something is wrong, he will definitely leave K423 behind.
Just like when he forced K423 to leave his side to inject the Herrscher of Thunder with the HSN serum, I'd say there's an eighty percent chance he'd do the same.
But now, even if the Honkai Energy intensity of the awakened Herrscher of Death has only just reached the minimum threshold for a Herrscher awakening at 1000 HW, a Herrscher is still a Herrscher.
True, Leo Ash is much stronger than before, but that doesn't mean he can easily kill a Herrscher.
The last time he was able to seize an opportunity was because Siegfried used Judgment of Shamash Unleashed in Nagazora City to weaken the Herrscher of Thunder.
And this time... even if Siegfried is in Singapore, can he really make it to the scene before Leo Ash dies in battle?
At this stage, even if Otto wanted to go to the front lines, it's already too late.
Forget it, Leo Ash. Let me see your strength now.
Consider this a drill.
If Siegfried has already reached Singapore, he will definitely rush towards you upon sensing the Honkai Energy fluctuations.
And Bianka, like her father, will do the same.
You don't need to defeat the Herrscher. You just need to hold on for a few minutes until powerful reinforcements arrive.
But now, on second thought, I can't just sit here either.
After calculating the situation, Otto suddenly realized that this game he had set up targeting World Serpent, Yuno, and Singapore had imperceptibly become the prelude to the awakening of the Herrscher of the Void.
In his original plan, Leo Ash and K423 were not supposed to know about this.
But now, Leo Ash knows about this mission, and K423 and the Herrscher of Thunder know as well.
Siegfried, the 'nemesis' who will cause Sirin to awaken through hatred; the Herrscher of Death and the Herrscher of Thunder, sacrifices to be offered to the Queen of Honkai; and Leo Ash, who will complete K423's awakening...
I was just thinking about punishing Ryusuke's daughter, but now that I think about it, she has unintentionally helped me set up a 'board' here.
Everything has been too smooth. Could it be...
—This is also a layout secretly completed by 'It'?
If the Otto of the past merely saw the God of Honkai as a tool that was 'very powerful, but still usable,'
then now, after the Singapore incident, a trace of fear has appeared in Otto's heart.
The God of Honkai of the past merely made Otto feel that It was invincible in terms of power.
As for wisdom... Otto asked a question, and the other party gave him knowledge. In Otto's view, the other party clearly didn't possess any overly astute wisdom.
But things are different now.
Otto enacted his plan, and in the grand scheme of things, his plan had instead helped the other party to further strengthen the Honkai.
Indeed, treating the God of Honkai as a chess piece is an incredibly arrogant thing to do.
It is not a piece, but the player on the other side of the board against 'humanity'.
Thinking back now, the reason It passed that knowledge to me back then, without choosing to strike at me despite my hidden killing intent, was clearly also part of Its layout.
I have been nurturing the Honkai, allowing it to grow, and even after receiving Its knowledge, I began the revival of the Herrscher of the Void, allowed the birth of Thunder, and pushed for the awakening of Death...
A fine calculation.
If K423 really sees Leo Ash die in battle this time, then Leo Ash, who was meant to complete K423's awakening, will become the trigger for her despair.
After Siegfried and K423 grew distant, her intimacy with Leo Ash actually surpassed her bond with him, so my plan might not have worked.
And if the Herrscher of the Void absorbs [Thunder], who wouldn't dare to go all out, and [Death], who has just awakened and is not yet powerful enough, then even if she can't defeat the combined forces of Siegfried and Bianka, she can still use her authority to escape the battlefield and become the most terrifying one-person guerrilla force in the world.
Heh, interesting.
Because of Its layout, whether Leo Ash can survive has become the deciding factor in whether the world will face an apocalyptic crisis.
From this perspective, I have indeed lost to It by a notch.
Moreover, since It could calculate to this extent, then...
—What about the Oceania Branch?
At this moment, Otto, recalling his recent arrangements, suddenly began to feel that the Oceania Branch was no longer safe either.
The Oceania Branch has a rather special A-rank Valkyrie, Wendy.
Within this girl's body, Otto and Dr. Magi had jointly implanted the [Gem of Desire] from the four gems.
However, due to the experiment's failure, although the Gem of Desire had integrated with Wendy, it did not grant her the power of the Herrscher of Wind.
Now, even if Otto wanted to remove the Gem of Desire, he couldn't do so by force because Wendy and the gem have completely fused.
Therefore, to prevent the enemy from creating a diversion while chaos ensued in Singapore, Otto had secretly dispatched Rita Rossweisse, who was supposed to be on an investigation mission, and a large number of Schicksal's Mechanized Units to lie in ambush near the Oceania Branch to protect Wendy.
But, since It has already laid out Its plans to this extent, then...
—Is the Oceania Branch really safe?
..
Singapore. Border Region
In the border region of Singapore, Leo Ash, who was currently staring at Yuno, had already assumed a combat stance.
He wasn't worried about provoking Yuno at all. In his eyes, the current Yuno had become an opponent he 'had to fight with all his might'.
"Senior, you... you seem to be very afraid of me."
Yuno, floating in mid-air, looked at Leo Ash before her and revealed a strange smile.
"Why is that? Is it because you think I have returned to the embrace of 'God'?"
"...So, you're saying you're still you?"
Seeing that Yuno showed no desire to attack, Leo Ash immediately tried to call out the System.
System?
You there?
However, after waiting for a second, Leo Ash, as expected, heard no response from the System.
Then what's the point of talking.
Back in Nagazora City, even when Yuno fell to the demonic path, Leo Ash could still communicate with the System at that time.
The System had said back then that Yuno could still be reasoned with, so it could still show up.
But now, the System can't even show its face, which clearly indicates that the situation has reached a certain level of danger.
At this moment, Leo Ash regretted it.
He really shouldn't have adopted a wary stance from the very beginning.
In the original story, Otto had Durandal lie in ambush near Singapore specifically to capture the Herrscher of Death.
It was just that in the original story, Singapore hadn't completely provoked Schicksal yet, so Schicksal members had to abide by the rule jointly proposed by the neutral nations: 'Schicksal Valkyries and Anti-Entropy mechs are not allowed to enter neutral countries.'
Kiana and Fu Hua had infiltrated, but someone like Durandal... it was highly unlikely to expect her to be subtle.
But the situation is different now. In this timeline, Singapore's stupidity has been greatly amplified.
Faced with this buffoon who was directly provoking Schicksal, Otto would definitely not make Durandal care about those bullshit rules.
In other words, what Leo Ash had to do now was not think about impossible things like 'beating up Yuno,' but rather figure out how to stall for time.
Once the great Emperor Goose arrives, everything will be alright!
"Of course I'm still me."
Looking at Leo Ash before her, Yuno's heart was very calm, and she didn't suddenly become angry just because Leo Ash had taken a defensive stance.
"Of course, I understand why Senior has adopted this stance. After all, I have just triggered the Fourth Eruption."
"But Senior, haven't you noticed—that thanks to my efforts, the scope of the Fourth Eruption has become pitifully small?"
Watching the withering black mist that suddenly appeared around Yuno, Leo Ash suddenly frowned slightly.
"You're right."
He even glanced at the not-so-distant Dr. Magi, who had been sent flying by the shockwave but was somehow still hanging on by a thread. Leo Ash truly realized that the Fourth Eruption was far too abnormal.
Last time, you could say that Mei had her Uncle Siegfried by her side, so her inner resistance caused the scope of the Nagazora City Eruption to shrink.
But this time... no, something is wrong.
The range of the Honkai Energy diffusion has indeed shrunk.
But what about the Honkai Energy intensity?
Leo Ash, who was resisting the Honkai Energy with his [Zero Knight: Moonshade] armor, suddenly had an epiphany when he noticed his armor was showing signs of decay.
Damn it, I should have thought of this sooner.
The diffusion range of the Honkai Energy is indeed smaller, but what about the concentration?
Initially, the Honkai Energy intensity detection device built into Moonshade could still detect the intensity rising from 1000 HW.
But now that the device has failed...
Damn, so that's how it is.
In the Second Eruption, the first thing Sirin did after awakening was to take revenge.
And after completing her revenge, she very smartly went to the Honkai Energy reactor to start absorbing Honkai Energy to strengthen herself.
Miss Pufferfish, who gets called a pufferfish all the time, is not an idiot at all; her choice was correct.
And now, Yuno has nowhere to absorb Honkai Energy, so—Prometheus No. 17 helped her out.
By concentrating the Honkai Energy that would have spread out near the Herrscher, the Herrscher can naturally absorb Honkai Energy more efficiently to strengthen herself.
As for why the current Yuno hasn't made a move yet...
Seeing tears suddenly well up in the corners of Yuno's eyes, Leo Ash suddenly understood.
Yuno was tricked by Otto, and Otto was in turn tricked by No. 17.
Under these circumstances, Yuno became the victim of their schemes and games.
However, Yuno's heart is still resisting the Honkai, which is why she can suppress her desire to destroy all things and still speak to me calmly.
But if I continue to drag this out, Yuno's mind will gradually be eroded by the Herrscher of Death's personality.
And at the same time, the Herrscher of Death, having absorbed the surrounding Honkai Energy, will only reach her complete form faster.
Damn it, I was planning to stall for time.
But now, if I keep dragging this out, will I be killed by the strengthened Herrscher of Death before Bianka even arrives?!
"Huh? I..."
Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, Yuno muttered to herself in confusion.
"Why... I've clearly become stronger, so why do I feel like crying?"
At that moment, Yuno recalled her memories from Nagazora City.
On that day, the Herrscher girl had also shed tears in front of others.
And that time, it was clear that she wanted to end her own life due to the guilt of killing her own family.
However, the Yuno of that time had no power to resist the Herrscher's personality, so she still became an apostle of the Honkai.
But now, everything is different.
She will no longer choose to cowardly end her own life. After all, she now has power, and she has a goal.
"Cocolia, I will definitely kill her!"
"For that..."
At that moment, a dangerous glint appeared in Yuno's eyes as she looked at Leo Ash.
"Senior, come and help me test out my new powers!"
"You've gone mad, Yuno."
Looking at the Yuno before him, Leo Ash completely abandoned the idea of stalling for time.
"You say you want to test your new powers, but the killing intent you've inadvertently revealed already shows that you've been dominated by the Honkai, and you haven't even realized it yourself."
"Thinking about it now, it's my fault..."
"I led you down the path of revenge, I led you astray. I thought that by letting you live, even if it was like drinking poison to quench your thirst, your mind would eventually recover."
"However, this instead became an opportunity for the God of Honkai to use you—It is exploiting the extremist emotions in your heart, making it so that you don't even realize you're being used."
After saying this, Leo Ash looked at the Yuno before him and charged forward.
"I was the one who led you astray, so I will be the one to bring you back to the right path."
"So—grit your teeth."
"Herrscher of Death, I will defeat you."
Ha, the big talk is out.
Now, I just need to play my cards in order.
Even if I interrupt her absorption of Honkai Energy, my actions are not without meaning.
The problem now is...
—Reinforcements, why aren't the reinforcements here yet? A little help here!
...