Inside the Seed of Sumeru
Inside the Seed of Sumeru, Su could still feel the lingering pain on his body. He had to admit that he had underestimated Leo Ash's combat strength.
Before they had started fighting, Su, who had observed Leo Ash's combat capabilities, believed that although Leo had been able to defeat the Herrscher of Death previously, other factors had played a significant role in that battle.
In Su's eyes, Dr. Magi's HSN serum and Yuna's personal willpower had both weakened the Herrscher of Death to some extent, which was why Leo Ash, despite having only debuted two months ago, had successfully defeated her.
But now...
"Hiss... Mr. Ash, you've been hiding far too many trump cards."
After saying this, Su felt a sudden, searing pain flare up on his right cheek, which Leo Ash had already treated.
In the battle just now, not only had Leo Ash used several abilities he had never shown before, but his judgment had also given Su a huge shock.
As someone who had watched every single one of Leo Ash's life-and-death battles, Su, who possessed a wealth of information, was already aware of Leo Ash's terrifying reaction speed.
However, despite being on guard, Su was still startled more than once during the fight by Leo Ash's ever-increasing reaction speed.
Although Su knew his own raw power wasn't overwhelming, battles were never decided by raw power alone.
Over this long period of time, Su, who had been continuously executing Project Sahasrara, had in fact long since gathered combat-related intelligence on all the powerful individuals of this era.
Aside from facing an old friend like Kevin, whose power defied all reason, Su actually had a very high chance of winning against other opponents, given that he possessed intelligence on all the powerhouses of the current era and also had the powerful skill [Karma Cycle].
Against an ordinary opponent, Su could formulate a battle plan in advance based on their combat habits and skills, allowing him to outmaneuver them step by step and then use Karma Cycle at a critical moment to decide the victor.
However, facing Leo Ash this time, Su had a really uncomfortable fight.
His psychic abilities were not very effective when Leo Ash was on guard.
His instantaneous burst of psychic power was forcefully blocked by Leo Ash's deep red barrier.
And when Su tried to create distance to use a powerful psychic attack, Leo Ash gave him no opportunity at all, immediately using ranged attacks to force him onto the defensive.
Although within the powerful domain of [Karma Cycle], Su could absorb and reflect some of the enemy's less overwhelming attacks, this move did not yield the results he had imagined.
[Karma Cycle]'s reflection ability required absorbing an opponent's attack and then waiting for a short period to convert the enemy's power into energy before it could be condensed and fired back as a beam.
For someone who didn't know about this ability, this interval was actually very short.
But for Leo Ash, who possessed extremely fast reaction speed and had somehow learned the principles behind Karma Cycle, Su's move wasn't entirely useless, but its threat was greatly diminished.
Out of ten reflections, Leo Ash could directly dodge five of them. For three that he couldn't dodge, he simply activated that strange shield of his, combining it with the scarlet barrier to block the attack directly.
As for the remaining two, Leo Ash didn't even bother to dodge. He immediately employed a hard-hitting, blood-for-blood tactic and landed two punches right on Su's right cheek.
With his opponent's attack speed being so ridiculously fast, Su didn't even have time to complete the reflection before Leo Ash successfully punched him in the face.
It could be said that if Leo Ash hadn't held back from the very beginning of this fight, Su believed that Leo could have very well fought him to a mutual defeat.
After all, now that the battle was over, Su did a quick review and discovered...
In terms of strength, Leo Ash's overall power was less than Su's now that he had recovered to his peak, but he had far too many burst-damage skills.
And the intelligence advantage that Su had over others was gone.
The psychic attacks that were effective against others were easily blocked by Leo Ash.
Karma Cycle was a good skill, but its effectiveness was limited when the opponent was fast enough and had prepared for it in advance.
It was awkward, extremely awkward.
Before this battle, Su had thought that his return would be a great help to Leo Ash in all aspects.
But now, it seemed Su had been overthinking things.
Leo Ash was already this frightening after only being active for sixty days. If he were given a few more months, Su felt that his strength would increase by another huge margin.
Under these circumstances, what Leo Ash needed was not a comrade-in-arms to charge into battle with him, but rather a logistics manager who could help him handle all other support matters.
And the current Su happened to fit this role perfectly.
At the right time, Su would choose to appear before Otto and find an opportunity to join Schicksal.
And after joining Schicksal, Su would directly use the ownership of the Key of the Void as a bargaining chip to make Otto behave for a while.
As for why he didn't just eliminate Otto, the reason was also very simple.
Both Su and Leo Ash knew very well just how terrible a person Otto was.
Whether in the past or the future, he had never cared about the lives of ordinary people.
Under such circumstances, without a reliable means to kill Otto for good, it would only push him to a desperate extreme.
After all, Otto had his Soulium revival armor, and who knew if he had any spares hidden in places other than Schicksal.
And once Otto realized that someone was obstructing his revival of Kallen, or even that he could no longer revive Kallen at all...
—For Kallen's sake, he could come up with a plan to sacrifice the entire world. The probability that a completely deranged Otto would want to take everyone down with him was frighteningly high.
To put it bluntly, when someone with a moral compass confronts a scumbag without one, such a situation is inevitable.
Leo Ash and Su had their own goals, but neither of them wanted to cause more casualties.
Since they didn't want to cause more casualties, neither of them dared to test Otto's limits and see if he would actually pull a massive stunt to threaten them.
As for Su's mental stress in this matter...
For the sake of humanity's survival, Su was even able to betray his closest friend.
And now, just having to give Otto hope while keeping him in check so he wouldn't constantly scheme was a comparatively easy job.
He was a good person, not a saint. When dealing with someone like Otto, who had nearly led humanity into ruin, Su felt no psychological burden in using him.
As for the intelligence Su had gathered while executing Project Sahasrara, he certainly had no intention of handing it all over to Otto.
Originally, Su had planned to find a successor and pass on the Divine Key and the intelligence to them. On one hand, Su's past belief was that 'the future of this era should be controlled by the people of this era,' so he didn't want to interfere too much in others' actions.
On the other hand, it was also because Su was on the verge of death. He certainly didn't want the Key of the Void and the fruits of Project Sahasrara to be taken with him as his life withered away.
But now that he had been 'resurrected,' Su, preparing to make his move, naturally had to categorize the intelligence before releasing it.
In Su's eyes, although Otto was not a good person, he was definitely a useful one.
Before all the elements of Otto's plan were in place, Su was confident that, by exchanging the right to use the Key of the Void, he could have Otto use his intelligence to increase humanity's chances of survival in this era.
Aigh, despite so much preparation, humanity's chances of winning were still too low.
Mr. Ash, your actions within the illusion were certainly brilliant, but...
—An illusion is, after all, an illusion.
In the illusion, you were able to blast the Herrscher of Finality to death with the Moonlight Throne cannon, created by linking the [Origin] and [Reason] Herrscher Cores. But in reality, the probability of this plan succeeding is a bit...
As a powerhouse capable of creating world bubbles, Su certainly knew that even if things in a world bubble were extremely close to the real thing, there could still be slight deviations in various aspects.
For example, if he created a world bubble now, containing the battlefield of the Second Eruption with the two Herrschers, Welt Yang and Sirin.
And at that moment, the Welt Yang inside the world bubble devoured Sirin's core and was instantly corrupted...
—He could very likely be killed by someone carrying a single Divine Key.
Therefore, the Moonlight Throne plan must continue.
But we cannot bet all our resources on this one plan.
However, Mr. Ash should also understand this point very well. So, where does that hidden sliver of confidence within him come from?
Even if he has faced Finality within an illusion, he has still *faced* Finality.
He already knows how terrifying Finality is, yet he still thinks, 'I can win'?
Aigh, he can resist my psychic attacks with that strange barrier, which means he has also mastered psychic abilities.
Mr. Ash, don't tell me you've been self-hypnotizing this whole time and have completely fooled yourself.
..
England, inside a certain hospital
After Leo Ash returned to England and 'collapsed from severe injuries,' he was immediately sent by Schicksal's local organization to a hospital run by Schicksal.
Originally, Leo thought that someone might try to assassinate him along the way.
He was all prepared to strike at any moment, but then he discovered—he had been overthinking things.
Although World Serpent was pervasive, Schicksal was fundamentally a strict organization.
When recruiting new members, such an organization would investigate your entire family history for eighteen generations. Even if Gray Serpent had eyes and ears everywhere in terms of intelligence, he could at most get a very small number of World Serpent members to infiltrate Schicksal's ranks.
And this was under the premise that Otto was a slacker.
If Otto usually had nothing better to do and went for a stroll around the major branches from time to time, one flick of his mimic Fenghuang Down and all the moles would be exposed.
Sigh, looking at it this way, for the Snow Wolf Squad's [Genius] Patrick Highsmith to have climbed to such a high position, I don't know if Otto deliberately let her live to pass on false information, or if he really couldn't be bothered with such trivial matters.
As for Cocolia's side...
To be honest, after fighting Su once, Leo Ash had gained new insights into the application of various skills and tactics.
Having confirmed that he had become stronger than before, how could he possibly still take Cocolia and her subordinates seriously?
At the end of the day, thanks to the interference of this 'outsider,' Leo Ash, Anti-Entropy's radical faction had not only seen their plans fail miserably but had also lost most of their forces to Schicksal.
By now, any radical faction member with a bit of foresight should be considering their own exit strategy, rather than continuing to sprint towards the abyss with Cocolia, a woman who seemed reliable but was actually incompetent.
It didn't matter that Gray Serpent's spies hadn't shown up.
*I believe that Ms. Cocolia, when it comes to stirring up trouble, will not disappoint me.*
That woman should be desperate by now. With a high-ranking Schicksal combatant like me injured, and with her Quantum Teleportation System, she should at least send someone over to make a move, right?
And then, he did indeed get an uninvited guest.
It's just that...
"Senior, you're actually awake, aren't you."
Leo Ash hadn't been waiting for Cocolia to cause trouble, but instead heard a voice that shouldn't have been here.
After opening his eyes with a sense of resignation, he saw a purple-haired girl in a nurse's uniform, looking at him with a helpless expression.
"As I thought."
"Senior, you really are fishing for trouble."
In front of a companion, Leo Ash certainly couldn't be bothered to continue playing dead.
However, not yet willing to give up on his grand fishing scheme, he endured the pain in his body and completely abandoned any intention of healing his wounds.
"Yeah, I was hoping to bait a big fish, but it's a pity—why are these people so slow at stirring up trouble?"
"And also..."
Looking at the 'nurse' before him, if Leo Ash hadn't heard her voice, he really wouldn't have been able to tell that this was the Yuna he spent his days with.
At this moment, Yuna, wearing a nurse's uniform and a pair of red-framed glasses, combined with other subtle changes, truly looked like a completely different person.
"How are your disguise skills so good?"
To Leo Ash's question, Yuna replied very calmly.
"Senior, I should mention that I am also a girl. In fact, by age, I'm still a high school girl."
"Is it not normal for a high school girl to know how to wear makeup?"
"Oh, and the real reason?"
"...I've been waiting to kill Cocolia for a long time."
"A bitch like her is definitely going to be extremely cautious about her own safety, so while training my own abilities, I've also been studying disguise techniques diligently."
"Otherwise, if she appeared in front of me and I couldn't get close enough to her to get my revenge because my skills in this area were lacking, I'd probably never forgive myself for the rest of my life."
"Besides, after I stayed at headquarters this time, I also met your teacher, Senior Wraith. She said, 'You have a promising future, my child, so I'll teach you a divine skill,' and then she passed her disguise techniques on to me."
Wow, how terrifying.
[Yeah, this woman is terrifying—look, this is what an Avenger should be like! Take notes!]
*Um, I was just pretending. Have you forgotten about that?*
A fake Avenger—relies entirely on a deep red title to maintain a poker face, and on teammates' overthinking due to his persona.
A real Avenger—gives everything to learn the corresponding knowledge, with every single action dedicated to achieving revenge.
Aigh, back then, I guided her down this path, which at least kept her from having a complete mental breakdown on the spot.
But now... I haven't led her completely astray, have I?
[Normally, you should have guided her onto the right path through emotional support. The moment you started deliberately guiding her towards revenge, you already led her completely astray.]
*I get the feeling you're not planning on saying anything nice, are you?*
[What are you talking about, Host? As a... oh wait, that's not appropriate, let me rephrase.]
[In short, since you've already led her astray, you should take responsibility for it!]
*So?*
[Sleep with her! Use your Leo Ash Cannon, and let her feel that there's still love in this world!]
*As expected—I'm shutting you off now.*
[Hey, wait! There's one more thing!]
A second before the System realized it was about to be temporarily ignored by Leo Ash, it sent out a message.
[Ding! Detected that the Host meets the conditions for receiving a reward. The reward has been sent to the System's mailbox.]
[Ding! The reward received by the Host this time is (Special Item - Advanced Item Lottery Ticket)!]
What, an advanced one?!
Leo Ash, who had been perfectly calm a moment ago, suddenly became completely focused.
And Yuna, who was in front of him, also clearly noticed the change in Leo Ash's aura.
"Senior, you..."
Seeing Leo Ash actually enter a combat stance, Yuna said, a little confused.
"Don't tell me you even predicted what would happen after you went missing?"
"...I think you all overestimate me."
Completely clueless as to what Yuna was talking about, Leo Ash immediately retracted his aura and said to her.
"I don't have that kind of brain—so, who's stirring up trouble now."
"Bronya has lost contact with headquarters, and after Lord Bishop Otto discovered you were injured, he sent me here to assist you."
At this moment, Yuna pushed up the non-prescription glasses on the bridge of her nose, a cold glint flashing in her eyes.
"It seems now that Bronya must have failed to persuade Cocolia and was captured by her."
"Although I feel very sorry for Bronya, right now—the opportunity is here. I won't pass up the chance to kill Cocolia."
"Er, well, I think you should still be careful, just in case."
Looking at the Advanced Item Lottery Ticket in his mailbox, Leo Ash said to Yuna.
"You should be similar to Mei right now, unable to unleash the power of the Herrscher of Death for long periods of time."
"...Yes, but just to kill Cocolia, this power should be enough!"
*And that's why I said it, this is a true Avenger.*
An Avenger who dedicates everything to revenge will strive with all their might for that purpose.
But at the same time, when their sworn enemy appears before them, it is very difficult for them to maintain their rationality.
Because of Cocolia, Yuna had personally killed her own mother. Upon sensing Cocolia's imminent appearance, she had already lost her final shred of composure.
Leo Ash didn't object to her revenge, but...
*Yuna, the more anxious you are, the more likely you are to screw up in a situation like this.*
Now that Cocolia is throwing out trump cards that can get me an Advanced Item Lottery Ticket...
If that danger were to be directed at Yuna instead...
*System, any advice?*
...
Damn it, no advice came, but the enemy did.
"Hm, this level of Honkai Energy????"
At that moment, Yuna narrowed her eyes, walked directly to Leo Ash's side, and raised an Imaginary Shield.
"You've got to be kidding me..."
After easily blocking a surprise attack from a Titan with the Imaginary Shield, Yuna, who thought she had been mentally prepared, was completely stunned.
"Cocolia... what on earth is she planning?"
Looking at the scene outside through the hole smashed in the ceiling, both Leo Ash and Yuna were momentarily stunned.
In the vicinity of the hospital, a dozen Titans had surrounded the building.
And from among the Titans, a voice that both Yuna and Leo Ash had been thinking about day and night rang out.
"A message to the members of Schicksal. I have no desire for a massacre here in England."
"If you don't want me to wipe you all out..."
"—Then hand over Knight Leo Ash to me!"
Listening to Cocolia's voice, Yuna felt the anger in her heart still burning.
But at this moment, another feeling began to sprout in her heart.
Right now, Yuna just found this whole scene incredibly bizarre.
*Wait, hold on.*
*Senior is injured, that's true, but you're only sending ten Titans...*
*Um, the intelligence about my deployment might not have been shared with others, but as the leader of Anti-Entropy's radical faction, shouldn't she have her own intelligence network and be prepared for any forces Schicksal might send?*
*Is it that she only has this many forces left, or—is she actually a colossal idiot?*
"Yuna, be careful."
Looking at these enemies that couldn't even withstand a single blow from him, Leo Ash felt that something was not right.
*Something's wrong. The enemies appearing now, I could have wiped them out with a single Jizō blade strike back in Jiuyou.*
*Right now, I'm at most in poor condition. I could heal some of my injuries with a single instant-cast Powerful Healing Spell, then get up and slaughter these Titans.*
*At most, this attack would consume more energy because the Titans are spread out.*
*And right now, Yuna is by my side...*
The System has been good to me, but it rarely gives out lottery tickets for free.
That can only mean one thing. Right now, in this part of England...
—There's probably another master here.
...
After capturing her adopted daughter who had betrayed her, Cocolia, now aware that Leo Ash had been rescued by a Schicksal organization, of course took action immediately.
After mobilizing her last remaining dozen or so Titans, Cocolia was even prepared to activate 'that'.
It was just that the cost of activating that thing was far too great. If she could, Cocolia still didn't want to play her strongest hand.
So, she first commanded this Titan squadron to directly surround the hospital where Leo Ash was located.
Initially, Cocolia hadn't wanted to cause such a huge commotion.
But considering that Schicksal would likely dispatch some forces to support Leo Ash, Cocolia ultimately decided it was best to send in the Titans first.
The 'companions' Bronya had mentioned were indeed strong in Cocolia's eyes, but they were still in the Far East and wouldn't be able to reach the battlefield in time to support Leo Ash.
As for the two S-ranks, Durandal and Rita, one was out on a mission, and the other, according to Gray Serpent's intelligence, had given her a sound thrashing last time.
So, in Cocolia's view, if nothing unexpected happened, the Titans, which could go head-to-head with an ordinary A-rank Valkyrie, were more than enough to suppress the forces present here.
She had more than a dozen Titans. Could Schicksal gather more than a dozen A-rank Valkyries to protect Leo Ash on such short notice?
The answer was obviously no.
Of course, to be on the safe side, Cocolia herself was currently near the battlefield, ready to enter the fray personally.
Her personal combat strength couldn't be called weak, but when facing stronger and more unreasonable opponents, Cocolia's 'respectable' strength just wasn't enough.
But now, Cocolia had too few forces at her disposal.
Sin Mal and Bronya could have been powerful assets under her command, but now one had defected and the other had been captured by the Far East Branch. Under these circumstances, she had to step up, no matter how cautious she was.
Moreover, after Cocolia began her operation, Gray Serpent, upon learning of the matter, ultimately chose to dispatch troops to support her.
The reinforcements weren't numerous, but he managed to scrape together a few Emperor-class Honkai Beasts that could only operate for a few minutes.
Under these circumstances, Cocolia certainly wouldn't haggle with Gray Serpent over the matter of her two adopted daughters any longer.
Cocolia didn't trust Gray Serpent's character.
But after Gray Serpent made a move to support her, she believed that the profit-oriented Gray Serpent wouldn't actually have a falling out with her over some unnecessary matters.
This support was the best proof of that conjecture.
With forces from all sides in place, Cocolia directly activated the quantum teleportation device, instantly transporting all her combat power to this area.
As Cocolia commanded a Titan to blow the roof off the hospital, she immediately saw a 'nurse' and a heavily wounded Leo Ash appear within her line of sight.
Upon seeing the battered Leo Ash, Cocolia couldn't help but frown.
*This little brat is really tough.*
*Judging from the footage recorded by my subordinates before, he looked like he was on his last breath, yet now, he can still remain conscious?*
At that moment, Cocolia felt her killing intent towards Leo Ash grow even stronger.
Then, through the Titan, she issued a final ultimatum to the 'nurse'.
"A message to the members of Schicksal. I have no desire for a massacre here in England."
"If you don't want me to wipe you all out..."
"—Then hand over Knight Leo Ash to me!"
...