Looking at the small purple vial before him, Leo Ash couldn't help but think…
—Why does this thing feel so much smaller than it is in the game?
Whatever, best not to overthink it. Let's check its effects first.
[Special Item — Full Rejuvenation Potion (Diablo Series)]
[Item Description — A unique item from the world of Diablo, improved by the System. A single drink can completely heal the body's injuries and instantly replenish magical energy to its peak.]
[Note 1: One drop refills you, one sip refills you, and downing the whole thing refills you. There are no special effects. Remember not to waste it!]
[Note 2: After modification, some of this potion's ingredients have been changed, reclassifying it entirely as a potion-type item.]
[Note 3: It has special effects on other disabled individuals, such as regenerating severed limbs, repairing internal injuries, etc. At the very least, its ability to heal on a physical level is guaranteed.]
[Note 4: Please note that, no matter what, it is a liquid and possesses the properties of a liquid.]
Looking at the item before him, Leo Ash, who had just drawn a pile of white-grade trash, felt the gloom in his heart instantly vanish.
Although the System had said that deep-red items belonged to a category of 'hard to classify grade,' the value of items at this level had never been disappointing.
But then again—if this potion has been improved to this extent, why is it still hard to classify its grade?
[Oh, because this thing comes in such a tiny bottle, the number of uses is actually limited.]
[Additionally, unlike the Divine Dragon's Ancient Water, the energy it restores is specifically limited to mana, so its evaluation in that regard naturally drops.]
[And there's only so much potion in this little bottle. It's one use and it's gone. Under normal circumstances, it's a non-renewable resource, so this System couldn't be bothered to think too much about it and just tossed it into the deep-red category.]
So it was because you were lazy?
[Ahem, anyway, that's how it is. You can continue with the lottery.]
More than the lottery, I'm actually curious about what ingredients I'll find after analyzing this potion.
Pharmaceutical Mastery, activate!
After activating this skill, Leo Ash instantly felt a bit more fatigued.
And then—of course, he wasn't able to see the potion's ingredients instantly.
Before his eyes, a dialog box appeared with an [X (Temporarily Hide)] in the top right corner.
Inside the dialog box, Leo Ash saw only a single sentence.
[Analyzing Potion... Loading... 0.1% Analyzed. Please wait patiently.]
So this skill doesn't analyze things instantly?!
[Isn't that obvious? Blue skill books and blue skills only indicate that their evaluation falls within a certain range.]
[Are all Level 5 Espers the same?!]
That makes sense. So, can this skill be interrupted?
[Oh, don't worry, it can be interrupted at any time. You can just turn it on when you have free time, and the analysis progress will be saved.]
I feel like I analyzed it for nothing.
Even if you changed the ingredients, this potion isn't a product of this world. It would be awkward if, after I finish the analysis, I find a bunch of ingredients that don't exist in this world and I can't produce it.
Instead of analyzing this, I'd be better off finding some time to get a vial of HSN serum from Otto to analyze its composition and see if I can create the God-Slaying Spear ahead of schedule with the Schariac Holy Blood and HSN serum.
After thinking about the HSN serum, Leo Ash once again looked at Dr. Magi, whose breathing had now become incredibly steady.
In the original story, it was only after Dr. Magi's death that Otto spent a great deal of effort and time combining the Schariac Holy Blood and HSN serum to create the God-Slaying Spear.
If Dr. Magi, the developer of the HSN serum, was around, he might be able to improve the HSN serum to an even more effective version.
But, this would require his willingness.
For something like this... alright, using Phantasmagoria is one method, but I've been overusing it lately.
Overuse of Phantasmagoria can lead to one's own demise, so apart from combat and training in dreams, I should use this double-edged sword less often.
It comes down to preparing a speech again. Before I go back, I need to think about how to persuade Dr. Magi to willingly continue creating the new serum at Schicksal.
Feeling his mind grow increasingly weary, Leo Ash, while contemplating his future plans, used another ten-pull lottery ticket.
After using the ten-pull ticket this time, Leo Ash saw eight streaks of white light flash before his eyes.
Oh, eight pieces of trash this time. A bit better than last time.
But can you stop stuffing so much trash in here? I wouldn't even complain if you gave me a box of instant noodles for a white item!
[Well, Host, please don't forget, this is the world of the mobile game Honkai Impact 3rd.]
[For a ten-pull in a mobile game, isn't it normal to get one or two guaranteed items and eight or nine useless duplicates?]
You could learn from anyone, and you chose to learn from mobile game developers?
[At least this System's lottery doesn't cost money. How about you put up with it for that sake?]
Glancing at the two items that were so purple they were almost gold, what else could Leo Ash say.
Complaining was one thing, but he was just casually remarking on the pile of white light every time.
As someone who had died once, he was actually very grateful to the System for giving him a second life and continuously providing him with the strength to fight.
Sigh, what a great system.
[See, you're so grateful to this System, why don't you just—]
It's just a pity it has a mouth I can't see, and don't want to see.
Ignoring the System's subsequent cries, Leo Ash looked at the two items that had appeared before him.
Although he did see a trace of gold mixed in with the items' purple glow, purple still made up the majority of the light's color.
I'll lower my expectations first. That way, if something good really does pop up, I'll be even happier.
With that thought, Leo Ash looked at the two items after the light had dissipated.
These two items were less like items and more like some kind of magical formation.
One of them, a formation glowing with blue light, was inscribed with a broadsword.
And the other formation was inscribed with a... is that a monster with two wings?
Or something else?
Whatever, it doesn't matter what the items look like. What's important is what they do.
[Special Item - Glyph - Dominus.Odio (Castlevania Series)]
[Item Description - A fragment of a glyph that houses the power of a certain mighty individual. By using mana, it can unleash a powerful rain of light that can track enemies to a certain extent.]
[Note 1: Due to special reasons, weaker users will harm themselves when using this glyph.]
[Note 2: Can be combined with the corresponding glyph to release a powerful skill.]
[Note 3: But do not use it unless you're desperate. While the skill released by fusing this glyph with others has immense destructive power, for a strong person, using it will cause great harm to the body. For a weak person, using it will result in instant death.]
[Special Item - Glyph - Dominus.Aetas (Castlevania Series)]
[Item Description - A fragment of a glyph that houses the power of a certain mighty individual. By using mana, it can unleash a powerful sphere of magical energy.]
Aside from the item description, which was different from the item above, the three subsequent notes for the second glyph, [Dominus.Aetas], were a complete copy-paste of the first one, [Dominus.Odio].
And Leo Ash, recalling the original story's content, knew very well—Note 3 was absolutely not a joke.
In the game where this glyph appeared, *Castlevania: Order of Ecclesia*, if the protagonist equipped all three [Dominus] glyphs and activated the joint spell, they would die instantly.
And the glyphs he held now were clearly modified products.
The death mentioned in the original was essentially 'sacrificing a soul,' but here, the glyph's negative effect was weakened to damage on a physical level.
If a user was strong enough, they could completely tank the negative buff with their formidable body and use this ultimate move.
How should I put this... while I hope I never have to use such a self-destructive ultimate move, having one more ace up my sleeve isn't a bad thing... right?
[Ah, while your thinking is correct, the move you're thinking of, although it no longer consumes a soul, has much higher requirements for the body.]
[You haven't drawn the third glyph yet, so you can't use that powerful ultimate move. But even if you did draw it now, remember not to use it for the time being.]
[It will kill you, it will kill you, it will kill you—remember that. Don't blame this System for not reminding you if you mess up and get yourself killed.]
Well, thanks for the reminder.
Alright, the lottery is over, and the System is still talking to me, which means there's no more danger around.
My body feels a little rough, but not to the point of dropping dead on the spot, so... let's not waste the precious purple vial.
At the moment his body completely relaxed, Leo Ash thought he heard some strange voices he shouldn't be hearing.
These voices were even urging him to drink a drop of the Full Rejuvenation Potion and get back up to fight a Herrscher to his heart's content.
What the hell? My condition is already bad today.
I spent last night training in a dreamscape.
This morning, I was lectured by Fu Hua for so long.
Then I found out that Yuno had run off and might cause trouble, flew over here, fought a Herrscher, and cleaned up a bunch of suicidal clones.
I'm already this exhausted, and someone still wants me to go out and fight other Herrschers?
Leaving aside the fact that there are no enemy Herrschers running around causing destruction right now—I'm a person, and I need to rest too!
As his body relaxed more and more, Leo Ash, now completely at ease, let go of the silent complaints in his heart, took off his jacket, leaving only a tattered black tank top on his body.
Taking the jacket, Leo Ash used a small blade condensed from mana to make a small cut on his fingertip, then used the blood to leave a message on the jacket.
[I'm fine, don't use the Abyss Flower.]
Right, considering that in the original story Otto's hidden trump card nearby was Bianka, with this reminder, she probably won't recklessly activate the Divine Key.
Everything is arranged, so now...
Time to unleash my beastly nature and have a daydream on the ground!
One minute later, Durandal, who had arrived at the battlefield as quickly as possible, saw the scene she least wanted to see.
The Valkyrie from the Far East Branch, Yuno, who was with Leo Ash; Dr. Magi, one of the targets of this mission; and Leo Ash himself were all collapsed together on the blood-soaked earth.
"Leo Ash!"
Seeing Leo Ash lying motionless on the ground, Durandal completely panicked.
However, as the girl rushed to Leo Ash's side, her anxious expression turned incredibly strange when she saw the jacket.
Then, with a snore, Durandal's expression instantly shifted from worry to cloudy and uncertain.
The Fourth Eruption was over.
Judging from the scene, it was Leo Ash who resolved this Eruption.
He was sleeping soundly, so it seemed he wasn't in serious trouble... my ass!
The thought that Leo Ash had dealt with a Herrscher in under seven minutes... oh, and not just one Herrscher.
After scanning the battlefield with her eyes, Durandal even discovered countless fragments of corpses scattered disorderly on the ground not far away.
These blue-haired individuals were the Herrscher Clones mentioned in the intel.
Leo Ash defeated the Fourth Herrscher and so many Herrscher Clones all at once...
Ha, how is that possible.
Someone probably helped him.
As for who that person was...
For some reason, a name suddenly popped into the girl's mind.
Siegfried Kaslana.
Lord Bishop had said that Siegfried was not our enemy and had even lifted the warrant for his arrest.
And in the previous Third Eruption and the Jiuyou incident, he had indeed stood on humanity's side, rushing to the battlefield to confront the enemies from the Honkai side.
So this time, if he suddenly appeared on the battlefield and defeated the Herrscher of Death...
Compared to the impossible scenario of 'Leo Ash defeating a Herrscher and coming out almost unscathed,' Siegfried and Leo Ash teaming up to defeat the Herrscher was a much more plausible truth.
It seems Mr. Siegfried is indeed an outstanding hero.
And his dissatisfaction with Lord Otto... is not entirely incomprehensible.
Thinking about the plans Otto had once revealed to her, Durandal felt that the Bishop could be truly insane at times.
If Durandal didn't feel that she had to stay in Schicksal to keep an eye on Otto, fearing he might become even crazier, she might have taken the same actions as Siegfried.
And, this sentence...
What does 'I'm fine, don't use the Abyss Flower' even mean?
If you're fine, then wake up!
He's already unconscious and he says he's fine—is this guy trying to piss me off!
As anger flared in her heart, Durandal, thoroughly annoyed, used Abyss Flower to heal the lingering injuries on the three people at the scene.
Seriously, you tell me not to use Abyss Flower, but you can't even take care of your own body.
Your tank top is so tattered, who knows how severe your internal injuries are.
I'm supposed to be Schicksal's strongest warrior...
When you encounter something like this, can't you just stall for time and leave the problem to me?
However, although this thought crossed the girl's mind, she quickly understood why Leo Ash would act this way.
Sigh, I'm helpless.
I don't want Leo Ash to get hurt.
But Leo Ash's thoughts are probably the same as mine.
That's why he wanted to suppress the Herrscher the moment it appeared—but that was still too reckless.
He cares about me, and I'm touched.
But that's no excuse for him to be so reckless!
I thought he would be able to relax a little after going to St. Freya, away from the headquarters.
But now—since when did St. Freya High School become so competitive?
When I was younger, I felt the atmosphere at St. Freya High School was too relaxed, which is why I didn't stay there.
But now... it's been less than two months!
In less than two months, St. Freya High School has carried out the Jiuyou mission and this Singapore mission.
The Jiuyou mission involved the Judgment-class Honkai Beast Chiyou, and the Singapore mission was a battle to retrieve the Gem of Serenity.
To put it bluntly, both missions were 'Herrscher-level combat related' tasks that would require escalated handling even if Senior Theresa were here.
And now, the Far East Branch has had Leo Ash participate in two such missions—this isn't Spartan education anymore, this is Rashomon-style education!
Missions where a slight misstep could lead to death on the battlefield... could it be that Leo Ash requested these missions himself?
Damn it, this guy, why does he feel more and more mentally unstable.
After Rita finishes her current mission, I must have her return to headquarters as quickly as possible to properly educate Leo Ash.
His mental problems are getting more and more serious, and on top of that, the probability of incidents happening in the world has increased.
If this goes on...
At that moment, as Durandal looked at the severed limbs, she suddenly saw one of the heads transform into Leo Ash's face, his eyes wide open in death.
Because of this vision, Durandal stumbled back a step, only to realize that in that instant, she had started scaring herself out of sheer terror of a possible future.
No, not just Rita.
I have to talk to Lord Bishop too!
Ultimately, what missions Knights and Valkyries participate in is decided by the Bishop.
As long as he forcefully keeps Leo Ash resting at the branch, Leo Ash won't be able to fly anywhere else without assistance.
Moreover, if I defeat all the Honkai Beasts and Herrschers, even if Leo Ash wants to fight, he won't be able to go to the battlefield due to a lack of missions.
I must try harder and wipe out the Honkai.
Only then...
Looking at Leo Ash's exhausted face, yet one that held a serene smile, Durandal's heart ached. She gently stroked his hair and let out a helpless, long sigh.
Only then, perhaps, will he completely let go of his hatred for the Honkai and give people some peace of mind.
Approximately one minute ago. Area near Singapore.
In the area near Singapore, Siegfried looked at the Valkyrie who had appeared before him and helplessly put away the Judgment of Shamash.
"Ha, Senior Siegfried, you really have changed a lot, just as the rumors say."
The woman with long, dark brown hair before Siegfried looked at him as he holstered his weapon and gave him a friendly smile.
"If it were the old you, you probably wouldn't be so polite seeing me, an 'enemy'."
"Yeah."
Looking at the junior before him, Siegfried said very calmly.
"But, I don't sense any hostility from you, and you're not my opponent."
"I know you're not here to stop me, so can you please step aside, Wraith."
"After that great war ended, only a few of us survived. I don't want to get rough with my cute junior."
"How should I put it... just don't be so hasty!"
Seeing that Siegfried had already placed his hand back on the grip of the gun at his waist, Wraith, who had just arrived nearby, immediately said to him.
"After you hear this piece of intel I have, you probably won't want to go over there anymore."
"Speak."
Hearing Siegfried spit out the short word impatiently, Wraith immediately spoke to him at top speed.
"My unlucky disciple, Leo Ash, is nearby—and your daughter, Kiana Kaslana, is not far behind him!"
???
"Wait a minute."
Hearing the information coming from Wraith's mouth, Siegfried froze on the spot.
"Leo Ash is nearby, which means..."
"—You must be tricking me! There's no way he could have solved the Fourth Eruption!"
After saying this, Siegfried suddenly felt like he had misspoken.
What did he mean, 'no way he could have solved it.'
He's already resolved two Herrscher-level incidents. A third time... doesn't seem that strange, actually.
Seeing the expression on Siegfried's face gradually turn incredibly awkward, Wraith took out a pair of high-powered binoculars from her large coat and tossed them to him.
"See, you're halfway to believing it yourself."
"The surveillance system is broken. These are small, high-powered binoculars I bought in this small country—look northwest!"
After catching the binoculars Wraith tossed him, Siegfried used them and indeed saw Leo Ash's figure.
And not just Leo Ash, he also saw at the scene...
—The person who looked like his daughter, Durandal, holding Leo Ash's body with a helpless expression.
Damn it, Wraith was telling the truth.
Damn it, Bianka is so close with Leo Ash.
Damn it, Kiana seems to be very close with Leo Ash too.
My two daughters, how could you fall in love with the same man, just like in my dream!
I admit he's handsome, reliable, a good fighter, and I can't even find any flaws, but—
But...
After thinking for a long time, Siegfried found he couldn't finish his 'but.'
To be honest, he had known for a while that Kiana, Bianka, and Leo Ash were close.
So in a sense, Siegfried was a little bit mentally prepared.
Honestly, there are too many scumbags these days.
Compared to one of the sisters being eliminated and then finding some other man to spend the rest of her life with, Siegfried still felt that...
Actually, if the younger generation didn't mind, he, as an elder, couldn't say much.
But he still felt so angry.
"See, I wasn't lying, was I."
Wraith, standing in front of Siegfried, said with a look of helplessness.
"I don't know what you're thinking, but after the battle where Ragna died, you and your daughter were separated."
"That mission was top secret, yes, but as the head of Schicksal's intelligence department, I can still deduce a few things."
"You're avoiding meeting your daughter, so of course I have to stop you from rushing over."
After hearing Wraith's explanation, Siegfried let go of the last trace of vigilance in his heart and returned the binoculars to her.
"You're right, Wraith."
"This time, I owe you one."
"Ha... being so reasonable is the best repayment you could give me."
Watching Siegfried turn to leave, Wraith asked him one last question.
"My mission is also complete. I'll be returning to headquarters after this."
"Is there anything you want me to tell your daughter?"
"...No, but there is something I hope you'll tell your disciple."
At this moment, Siegfried turned back to look in Leo Ash's direction, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.
"If he dares to wrong my daughter—even if he helped me once, I won't go easy on him!"
Watching Siegfried gradually disappear into the distance, Wraith was certain she had just felt a terrifying pressure from him.
Sigh, from the looks of it, Senior Siegfried really dotes on his daughter.
But the problem is, what 'wronging' or 'not wronging'—I don't think you understand the severity of the situation.
I have been gathering intelligence behind the scenes, and according to my information, that foolish disciple of mine has already been on a date with Fu Hua.
He himself probably has no intention of two-timing.
But that doesn't mean he's safe.
Ah, what a headache.
This disciple is, in a sense, too outstanding. When a disciple is too outstanding, I, as his teacher...
—When I can't protect you then, you can't blame me for being useless, Ash.
....
Oceania Branch. Inside the base.
Inside the Oceania Branch base, Rita Rossweisse looked at the girl in the wheelchair beside her and couldn't shake the feeling of unease.
Rita, who was supposed to be in England on an investigative mission to locate the Key of the Void, was suddenly reassigned to the Oceania Branch by Otto. This was clearly unexpected.
Otto hadn't said much, only that Rita must ensure the girl named Wendy did not fall into others' hands.
But as one of Otto's trusted subordinates, Rita, who had long known about the Artificial Herrscher Project, naturally knew Wendy's true identity.
Wendy, as a talented young girl who had become quite famous in Schicksal over the past two years, was once considered by everyone in the organization to be the 'most likely to become the fourth S-rank Valkyrie.'
And as a fellow Valkyrie, Rita knew very well that her colleagues' judgment was not wrong.
The girl before her would not turn fourteen for another six months, yet last year, she had already passed the headquarters' A-rank Valkyrie assessment and was successfully promoted to A-rank.
An A-rank Valkyrie under the age of thirteen...
If not for the accident that occurred back then, Wendy would probably still be a high-spirited Valkyrie, rather than a protectee who needs others to guard her.
"Senior Rossweisse."
Noticing Rita's gaze, Wendy suddenly asked her.
"You came to find me this time under the organization's orders because... the organization wants to remove the Gem of Desire from my body?"
"...That's not it, Miss Wendy."
Sensing the unease in the girl's eyes, Rita smiled and said to Wendy.
"Your legs are unable to move because of a failed experiment by the organization. This is the organization's fault, and the organization will take responsibility."
"Even now, Lord Bishop Otto is still trying to find a way to treat your legs. I can assure you, he does not intend to do anything bad to you just to retrieve the gem inside you."
"...Is that so?"
Hearing Rita's gentle voice, Wendy temporarily breathed a sigh of relief.
But at the same time, watching the change in the girl's expression, a touch of guilt appeared in Rita's heart.
Otto had never said anything like that to Rita; these were Rita's own conclusions.
She believed her deductions were correct.
But at the same time, Rita hadn't finished sharing her deductions.
Dr. Magi's defection, Otto dispatching the Pseudo-Herrscher near Leo Ash to pursue him—as an S-rank Valkyrie, Rita could naturally see this information in the Schicksal database.
Otto's plan might fool others, but as a Valkyrie who understood him, Rita knew very well—the theft of the gem was definitely related to Otto himself.
In the years since Rita was promoted from A-rank to S-rank, Schicksal had been carrying out several plans internally.
And during this time, some A-rank Valkyries were suddenly classified as 'missing' or 'killed in action' in the database.
It wasn't until Rita was promoted to S-rank that she learned that these innocent colleagues of hers had all died in the 'Artificial Herrscher Experiment,' an experiment with an extremely low success rate.
The Gem of Serenity was 'coincidentally' taken away, and Lord Bishop Otto 'coincidentally' dispatched a Pseudo-Herrscher in pursuit...
Sigh, Singapore is probably doomed.
As for Wendy, I do believe Lord Bishop Otto is trying to find a way to treat her legs, and I also believe he wouldn't want to mess with the Gem of Desire that has stabilized inside her.
But the reason he does this is not because he cares for his subordinates—he used A-rank, high-end combat power for experiments. Telling someone who knows about this that Lord Bishop Otto cares for his subordinates is something only Lady Bianka would believe.
Lord Bishop Otto is constantly trying to create Herrschers.
During the Third Eruption, he probably had already sensed Cocolia's intentions but chose to have us enter Nagazora City a little later, giving Cocolia time to pressure Raiden Mei.
And in this operation, Lord Bishop Otto clearly intends for the Pseudo-Herrscher to come into contact with the Gem of Serenity, thereby triggering the Fourth Eruption.
As for Wendy, among all the Artificial Herrscher experiments, only Wendy, the Valkyrie who participated, not only survived but also had the Gem of Desire stabilize within her. This is enough to show that...
Wendy, too, has that kind of aptitude.
By now, Lord Otto must already be thinking about how to make Wendy a full-fledged Herrscher.
It is precisely because Wendy is such a precious 'material' in his eyes that he would have me temporarily abandon the mission to investigate the Key of the Void to protect her safety.
Wendy, now lost in a sense of relief, naturally couldn't detect the trace of disappointment that flashed in the maid's eyes.
Lady Bianka, whom I wanted to protect in the past, has now left me far behind.
And Leo, who I once believed should never step onto the battlefield, has now surpassed me and no longer needs my protection.
In the past, I chose to become a Valkyrie because I wanted to protect others.
But now, I follow Lord Otto's commands, assisting him with plans that could threaten humanity, yet I can't even protect the friends, family, and juniors I want to protect.
Ragna...
At this moment, thinking of Ragna, a question suddenly arose in Rita's mind.
If you were in this situation, what would you do?
"By the way, Senior Rossweisse, can I ask you a question?"
Having already cast aside the anxious questions in her heart, Wendy, as if she had thought of something, asked Rita with a hint of curiosity.
"Knight Leo Ash, I heard from the Branch Commander that this newly promoted knight who has become famous recently is your adoptive brother?"
"Is the reason Leo Ash is so strong because you, Senior Rossweisse, trained him hard in your spare time?"
"Well..."
Recalling her past with Leo Ash, Rita gave a helpless, bitter smile and shook her head.
"Miss Wendy, you've guessed wrong."
"Or rather, most of my colleagues have guessed wrong."
"I only taught Leo some of the most basic fighting techniques. In reality..."
"—I myself did not want him to step onto the battlefield."
Seeing the undisguised surprise on Wendy's face, Rita, who shouldn't have said such things, now spoke softly to the girl before her as if she had found a confidante.
"To prevent him from stepping onto the battlefield, I specifically altered his test data so that he wouldn't be selected for a combat unit."
"It's just a pity... there's an old saying in Shenzhou, 'gold will always shine'."
"Leo had the will and the ability. Even though I tried to obstruct him in secret, he still bloomed with an incomparably brilliant light."
It's just a pity, Leo, that because you were too dazzling, you were noticed by K423.
And having been noticed by K423, your future will inevitably be entangled in Lord Bishop Otto's plans, and you might even face a near-certain risk of death because of it.
Rita, who had already suppressed the confusion in her heart, now, after Wendy brought up her adoptive brother, truly felt that her actions were becoming more and more ridiculous.
She was supposed to be a Valkyrie who protected the world, but now she was secretly helping Otto with his unsavory deeds.
Although her reason for helping Otto was essentially because her parents were under his control, what's done is done, and making excuses couldn't make her feel at ease.
After all, the plans she helped Otto complete would, in the future, threaten her colleagues, her best friend, her adoptive brother, and countless innocent people.
Those who were used by Otto without knowing his intentions naturally didn't have to bear the guilt.
But Rita, who knew of Otto's plans and still assisted him, was, in her own eyes, undoubtedly a person of great sin.
In the past, Rita was aware she had done wrong, but she had always brushed it off with excuses like 'my parents are in his hands' and 'Lord Otto knows his limits'.
But people are full of double standards.
After realizing that her own brother could be killed by Otto's own hands, Rita had to admit, she was panicking.
And once she started panicking, Rita couldn't just mindlessly rush to Otto's office, slap him twice, and shout 'I quit!'.
The more anxious she was, the more she couldn't lose her composure.
And it was because of this, being forced to face reality, that Rita realized just how radical Otto's methods were.
If the Fourth Eruption were to break out near a city, then this time, if Miss Yuno didn't run into Mr. Siegfried to stop her like Miss Mei did, millions of innocent people would truly die.
Lady Bianka is one thing; at least I can genuinely feel that Lord Otto cares for her.
But Leo...
Lord Otto doesn't care about the lives of civilians.
So for Lord Otto, is there really a difference between Leo and an ordinary civilian?
This is troublesome.
I have too little information, and in terms of intelligence, I'm far inferior to Lord Otto.
Insufficient strength, inadequate information... for me, a chess piece, to jump off the board and play a game against Lord Otto...
This is fundamentally an almost impossible task.
If I want to stop Lord Otto's atrocities, I need more allies.
But the only people who can contend with Lord Otto are Welt, the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, and the executives of World Serpent.
But contacting these people is tantamount to helping them harm my colleagues...
As she thought continuously, Rita came to the tragic realization that—even if she knew Otto was up to no good, she had no ability whatsoever to stop him.
Moreover, can hostile organizations really be trusted?
Anti-Entropy is creating Honkai to promote the birth of Herrschers, and World Serpent is releasing Judgment-class Honkai Beasts to slaughter Shenzhou.
From this perspective, some of the executives in the other two organizations are no better than Otto when it comes to being 'human'.
As one of humanity's top combatants, Rita truly felt that the people of this world were pathetic.
The people who had reached the pinnacle had long since descended into madness.
The only one who didn't seem quite so mad, Welt Yang, was already a cripple.
I'm not capable enough, my boss is a villain, my teammate is easy to fool, and my enemies are even bigger monsters.
The faster her mind worked, the more despair she felt.
At this point, no matter how much Rita forced herself to calm down, even Wendy beside her could see that the expression on Rita's face was becoming visibly worse.
"Senior Rossweisse?"
Looking at Rita, Wendy asked with great concern.
"Your face... why does it look like it's getting worse and worse?"
"...I'm fine, Miss Wendy."
At this moment, Rita forced herself to put away all the thoughts in her mind and suddenly summoned her Godsbane Armor and Skadi of Celestial Frost.
"Eh?!"
"It's just a pity that our chat time is over."
The next moment, the large door in front of them, as if squeezed by something, began to be compressed from the middle into a ball of alloy.
And after the door suffered this fate, they saw a stranger in a black robe appear before their eyes.
"Indeed, as expected, Mr. Otto still had something up his sleeve."
Looking at the S-rank Valkyrie that had appeared before him, Gray Serpent, who had already moved inside the Oceania Branch, suddenly gave Rita a deep bow.
"Miss Rita Rossweisse, I have long admired your name. It is truly my honor to meet you today."
"My, Mr. Gray Serpent, you jest—for you, an information broker of the underworld, to also hold the identity of a World Serpent executive, Rita is far less 'famous' than you in that regard."
"Ha, then let's conclude the pleasantries here."
At this moment, ten Joyce clones appeared behind Gray Serpent.
And in the next moment, Gray Serpent said something to Rita that left Wendy utterly shocked.
"Actually, we at World Serpent are currently recruiting talent. As long as Miss Rita and Miss Wendy beside you are willing to join us, we will prepare corresponding rewards and positions for you."
"May I ask, Miss Rita, Miss Wendy, are you two interested in joining us at World Serpent to save this world together?"
...