England, Suburban Area
Near the area where Leo Ash was attacked, the Schicksal's Mechanized Units and Valkyrie squads dispatched by Otto had already arrived.
Even before Otto took action, Schicksal had informed the upper echelons of the English government that they would be conducting a search operation in the vicinity.
And now, with everything in place, Otto directly ordered the Schicksal's Mechanized Units to commence a carpet search.
Leo Ash was attacked here, which meant the wielder of the Key of the Void was clearly nearby.
And based on the historical rumors surrounding the Key of the Void, the probability that both the key and its master were present here was, in Otto's eyes, already high enough.
Among the mechs Otto dispatched, 80% were uniformly equipped with ultrasonic generators.
The ultrasonic waves released by these mechs would conduct a blanket scan of the entire area, with the emitted sound waves being captured by receivers on the other side.
As long as the detection mechs within the Schicksal's Mechanized Units followed along and measured the time it took for each sound wave to reach a receiver, Otto could determine if there was a folded space nearby based on any temporal anomalies.
Of course, all these preparations were purely because Otto placed great importance on the Divine Keys.
In reality, he believed these backup plans were unlikely to be needed once he was in the vicinity of the Key of the Void.
At this moment, inside the transport aircraft, Otto watched as an energy barrier suddenly materialized outside and nodded in satisfaction.
"Very good, very good. I do enjoy speaking with intelligent people."
The barrier that had suddenly appeared outside now blocked the path of the Schicksal's Mechanized Units.
And after seeing the figure appear near this barrier, Otto knew that the master of the Key of the Void he had been waiting for had finally arrived before him.
"I had no intention of revealing myself. Mr. Bishop, why must you force my hand?"
A man, with narrowed eyes, who didn't look like a good person...
Heh, this must be the guy Leo Ash was talking about.
What's with the mysterious act, pretending to be some big shot? If you truly had no ulterior motives, you wouldn't have grabbed Leo Ash and run some kind of test or assessment.
However, facing the man before him, Otto naturally couldn't reveal his true thoughts immediately.
The other party, after all, still held possession of the Key of the Void.
Determined to obtain the Key of the Void, Otto had to be cautious and respectful in both his attitude and actions toward this mysterious person.
"No intention of revealing yourself? Sir, you must be joking."
After ordering the Schicksal's Mechanized Units to retreat to a safe area, Otto looked at the mysterious 'youth' before him and spoke bluntly.
"Just today, you attacked a member of our Schicksal."
"What, sir? Since you dared to attack my man, are you now too scared to admit what you've done?"
Hm, what an expected line.
Inside the Seed of Sumeru, Su heard Otto's words and shook his head with a wry smile.
"Mr. Bishop, let's dispense with such tedious nonsense."
"You and I both know you did not come here to get even for your subordinate."
"You came here at the first opportunity because, to put it bluntly, you just want the Thousand Worlds in my hands, correct?"
This guy knows exactly what I'm thinking.
But even so, I can't appear too desperate for the Key of the Void.
The Thousand Worlds is one of the necessary instruments for my plan, but no one else knows this.
I cannot show excessive desire when facing the Thousand Worlds, otherwise...
Heh, right now he might just be guessing, but once he realizes my true intentions, I'll be the one at a disadvantage.
When two parties negotiate, whoever loses the initiative is forced to make concessions in the end.
If I were facing an old friend, one of those good-natured types, letting her have her way a little wouldn't matter.
After all, a good person not only wouldn't push their luck but would even feel a bit embarrassed after you show sincerity.
But this man...
Those who can wield a Divine Key are almost all connected to the Previous Era.
Even someone as simple as my old friend knows many secrets—it's just a shame she's forgotten most of them.
Following this line of reasoning, the person before me could be a fifty-thousand-year-old monster.
Leo Ash wasn't the only Schicksal member to visit England, but it was precisely after Leo Ash's arrival that he was attacked.
Is Leo Ash that special?
Or perhaps—he just randomly picked a Schicksal member during this period and attacked them to make his presence known?
"Mr. Otto, I can roughly guess what you're thinking."
From within the Seed of Sumeru, Su revealed a profound smile toward the transport aircraft where Otto was located.
"You're probably using that clever brain of yours to analyze the motive behind my sudden move, right?"
"It's just a pity that the more you remain silent, the more I feel—I can roughly see your weakness."
"Oh?"
Hearing Su's declaration, Otto asked with great interest.
"A weakness? What weakness could I possibly have?"
"Sir, the reason I am speaking to you cordially is because I do not wish for my subordinates to waste their lives in some meaningless battle."
"But I hope you understand one thing—just because I cherish the lives of my subordinates does not mean that we at Schicksal fear a fight!"
As Otto finished his imposing declaration, the mechs of the Schicksal's Mechanized Units simultaneously aimed their weapons at the projection of Su that had appeared before them.
"State your purpose, wielder of the Key of the Void."
"Otherwise, I don't mind using some crude methods to force you out!"
Hearing Otto's battle-hungry words, the pilots of the Schicksal's Mechanized Units and the Valkyries on standby in the transport ship were instantly ready for combat.
Observing his combat-ready opponents, Su had to admit to himself that, in the eyes of most Schicksal members, Otto was indeed a competent leader.
And it was precisely because of this that even with the trump cards and schemes he and Leo Ash had prepared, they didn't dare attempt to forcefully suppress Otto.
Though this man had spent the last five hundred years routinely undermining loyalists who could threaten the Honkai, his public facade was truly impeccable.
Even after he sneak-attacked Siegfried with a fission missile and Siegfried survived, no one believed Siegfried's words. Instead, they thought, 'Siegfried went mad and started spouting nonsense after his wife died,' or 'Siegfried developed a grudge against the Bishop because Cecilia died.'
Reputation is something you can't see or touch, but it's incredibly important when you need it.
However, this was also within Su's calculations.
In Su's view, regardless of whether Otto had information on him or not, he would use this kind of display to directly pressure Su into action.
After all, to Otto, the lives of his subordinates and Schicksal's combat mechs were ultimately just consumables on the path to achieving his goals.
If sacrificing a few Schicksal members could secure ownership of the Key of the Void, then for Otto, it would undoubtedly be a massive gain.
Mr. Otto is truly a man of many schemes, and most of them are quite effective.
He really is a smart man.
It's just a shame he's not a good one.
"Mr. Otto, are you threatening me?"
Sensing a hint of chill and slight nervousness in the other's words, Otto gently tapped the desk before him and said to Su very amicably.
"You can see it that way, Mr. Hides-in-the-Shadows."
"We, Schicksal, are the world's largest anti-Honkai organization, and to us right now, you are undoubtedly an enemy."
"To be an enemy of Schicksal is to be an enemy of humanity, and to be an enemy of humanity—that makes you a traitor who has defected to the Honkai."
"When facing a traitor to humanity, do you think I have any reason to be polite to you?"
In just a few sentences, Otto had branded Su, who was merely a mysterious person who had ambushed a Schicksal member, as a villain who had sided with the Honkai.
And after Otto finished speaking, Su, being a MANTIS with psychic abilities, could feel that the morale on site had indeed soared.
Oh, and that's not all.
A small number of them had even started to burn with a terrifying killing intent towards Su.
Alas, it's only natural.
Fewer people have died in this era than in mine, but there are still those who have had everything taken from them by the Honkai.
When a 'person' who has defected to the Honkai appears before them, they would surely want to destroy such a traitor to humanity.
Looking at Otto, Su subconsciously compared him to the original high command of the Previous Era and the Leo Ash from the illusion, and a chill ran down his spine.
Among these three types of leaders, Leo Ash, who seemed to see through everything, led from the front lines, and would try to shoulder all the risks himself while telling others not to risk their lives, was undoubtedly the best choice.
But when Leo Ash was sparring and chatting with Su, he had told him directly.
[Don't think the me in the illusion is the real me. In reality, you can't expect me to be so fearless.]
[The only reason I could play around like that in the illusion was because I knew I couldn't die there. Don't overthink it, and don't think I'm some kind of superhero.]
Yes, that's how it was.
Setting aside the illusionary Leo Ash, whom even he himself found unrealistic, Su felt it was hard to put into words when he compared the Previous Era's high command with Otto.
Although those vermin from the Previous Era did contribute to maintaining the organization, they were divided into factions like 'infighting for personal gain,' 'siding with the Honkai to secretly sabotage efforts,' and 'wanting to suppress the warriors for being too strong.'
There were good people among the Previous Era's high command, but it's not easy being a good person these days.
A good person with principles, when up against those bottom-feeding vermin, would be lucky to even get a clean death.
As for this era's human leader, Otto...
To be honest, in terms of ability, he was far superior to those vermin.
He used persuasive words to boost morale before battle.
He maintained the facade of a good leader in front of his subordinates, while revealing his cold-blooded nature to the upper echelons.
But because of this, those who only saw Otto's first layer of disguise thought he was a good leader and chose to die for him.
Those who saw his second layer of disguise, while thinking Otto wasn't a good person, tolerated his commands because he was at least trying to fight the Honkai.
But only people like Su and Leo Ash, who could see Otto's true self, knew that beneath the first two layers of disguise, Otto was a villain who had no intention of fighting the Honkai and even allowed it to fester.
And what terrified Su the most was that while Otto actively allowed the Honkai to develop, his other actions were also highly problematic.
For instance, right now, as Otto prepared to seize the Key of the Void, Su believed he definitely wasn't thinking about 'letting the Honkai develop.'
But just because a person doesn't think that way doesn't mean their actions won't lead to such an outcome.
If Otto were to resort to violence right now without another word, the end result would either be Su obediently backing down, or the two sides coming to blows.
If a forerunner from the Previous Era were to fight against Schicksal's main forces, the Honkai and Prometheus No. 17, who was still acting as a spy, would probably die laughing.
Thankfully, we prepared a plan to deal with Mr. Otto in advance. Otherwise, we would have had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.
"A traitor to humanity, you say—Mr. Otto, you seem to have some misunderstanding about me."
Facing the mechs that were about to unleash an energy bombardment, Su proactively dispelled the Second Divine Key's disguise, revealing the true form of the Thousand Worlds to everyone present.
Upon seeing it, Otto's first feeling was not ecstasy, but an emotion that was very difficult to describe.
He had already read some information about the Thousand Worlds in the Void Archives' library.
But even knowing what the Thousand Worlds looked like, upon seeing the real thing, Otto couldn't help but marvel...
—It's actually a locomotive. The people of the Previous Era really had a peculiar sense of aesthetics.
But, the Thousand Worlds, it's really right in front of me now.
Good...
Very good.
Excellent!
Leo Ash, you've done well.
Even if you were just slacking off on this trip to England, you still managed to bait out the Thousand Worlds I've been dreaming of!
With such a lucky charm on my side, how can I, Otto, fail to achieve my grand ambitions!
After seeing the locomotive, Otto felt an increasing sense of regret.
Alas, if only Leo Ash hadn't participated in the Nagazora City mission and had instead emerged in some other mission.
To offer such a great talent to the Herrscher of the Void...
It's truly too much of a waste.
For Otto, fulfilling the ambition he had held for five hundred years was the sole obsession driving his actions now.
For this obsession, he would offer not just Leo Ash, but even Theresa as a sacrifice to the stage.
But people are complex. Just because Otto could act so ruthlessly didn't mean he had completely abandoned his emotions.
Thinking about all the help, big and small, that Leo Ash had given him, Otto felt it was perfectly normal to feel such 'regret.'
At this moment, Su, of course, could not sense the emotions within Otto's Soulium body.
But he knew very well that once the Thousand Worlds was revealed, the initiative would be firmly in his own hands.
If you were to ask why, it's because...
"Boom!"
—The Key of the Void that Otto so desperately craved was now under Su's control.
After hearing an explosion, the now-sober Otto roared furiously at the light screen.
"Didn't I say not to attack without my command!"
Dammit, the Thousand Worlds is actually smoking—which reckless fool dared to fire at this moment!
"Mr. Bishop, please do not blame your subordinates."
Su, who had now stepped out of the Seed of Sumeru, looked at the transport ship before him and said calmly.
"They did not violate your order. The one who attacked the Thousand Worlds was me."
?!
Hearing Su's incredibly composed statement, Otto was genuinely stunned.
"I have lived for too long, so long that I only have one year of my life left."
"And as my life approaches its end, I have finally had an epiphany. Perhaps, sometimes, being a little more self-centered is not a bad thing."
At this moment, Su's face remained serene.
But Otto, staring intently at him, felt that there was something slightly off about the other's aura.
"So, I've seen the light. One lives but once, and one should live for oneself, so..."
"—What's wrong with being a little selfish?"
After saying this, Su lightly snapped his fingers.
As he manipulated his power to set off a second explosion within the Thousand Worlds, it once again emitted a blast that pained Otto's heart.
No, this can't be.
This guy is bluffing—he couldn't possibly just blow up something as precious as the Key of the Void!
He must be setting off energy bombs in non-critical areas to scare me!
In fact, although Otto was panicking, his guess was not wrong at all.
Su did treasure the Thousand Worlds. How could he possibly dismantle it just for the sake of an act?
The locations where Su had created the explosions were all near the outer Soulium shell of the Thousand Worlds.
Blowing up these parts might look dramatic, but it had almost no effect on the operational capabilities of the Thousand Worlds.
However, at this moment, as Su fully opened his eyes, a sneer that he had never shown before appeared on his face.
"Heh, thinking back, I've spent my entire life fighting for the future of humanity, and now—someone dares to slap the label of 'traitor to humanity' on my head."
"Fine then... This old man will go crazy today."
"Otto Apocalypse, you want to frame me? Then I'll prove it with facts—that you're fucking right."
"This old man is betraying humanity today. Come on, I'll have a go with you Schicksal folks right here, right now!"
In an instant, the psychic energy that Su released had suppressed the surrounding Schicksal members.
In the eyes of Otto and the other Schicksal members, the enemy had unleashed a terrifying psychic pressure, severely affecting everyone from Schicksal except for Otto.
Some of the Schicksal's Mechanized Unit pilots were even forced to make an emergency landing due to the immense mental pressure.
However, they didn't know that this was the result of Su's delicate control.
If Su, who could suppress the Herrscher of Sentience, had truly unleashed a full-blown psychic attack, these surrounding soldiers would probably be brain-dead by now.
But even while feigning a crazed demeanor, Su was still, in essence, the gentle doctor who wanted to save the world.
Before releasing this psychic pressure, he had even confirmed that it would not cause irreversible damage to ordinary people before making his move.
But all of this—Otto had no idea.
Looking at the clearly enraged Su, Otto knew he had kicked an iron plate this time.
When Fu Hua was protecting Shenzhou in the past, Otto, who had faced the Immortal Red Kite as a military doctor, had witnessed her terrifying power.
But back then, Fu Hua had at least taken action and, after breaking through Schicksal's army, had spared the lives of most of the soldiers.
But now, the Previous Era forerunner before him, with a crazed look in his eyes, was clearly not someone to be trifled with.
Just by releasing his psychic pressure, he already had the 'destructive power' on par with Fenghuang Down.
Damn it, are all these old geezers from the Previous Era monsters?!
As for why Su was shouting 'I'll have a go with you' while simultaneously dismantling his own powerful weapon, the Thousand Worlds, Otto couldn't figure it out...
—But he didn't need to!
Otto was a madman most of the time, so he knew better than anyone that trying to reason with another madman was a complete waste of time.
Now, facing Su who clearly seemed to have gone insane, Otto didn't dare to be too crazy himself.
"This old man knows that you Schicksal are strong, with plenty of dogs, so I'm not planning to get out of here alive today."
"Come on, I'll lay down my life here today. I'll kill one if one comes, and a pair if two come—and you can forget about taking the Thousand Worlds with you."
"The moment I know I'm about to die, I'll just use this thing as a bomb—I've worked hard my whole life, only to be treated as a traitor to humanity? Otto, this is the path you chose!"
Fuck me, I just badmouthed you a little, do you have to be like this?!
Looking at Su, who had now jumped onto the Thousand Worlds, Otto could only feel his eye twitching.
He could sense something abnormal about Su.
But that was precisely why he was even more panicked.
Before, although Su had beaten up Leo Ash, his attitude was still polite.
But now, in Otto's eyes, Su was like a completely unhinged lunatic, preparing to ram his transport ship with the locomotive.
"Wait!"
At that moment, looking at the already smoking Thousand Worlds, Otto reluctantly chose to back down.
"Sir, why must it come to this!"
"Huh? Come to this? I'm a traitor to humanity, a running dog of the Honkai, aren't I?"
Standing atop the Thousand Worlds locomotive, the crazed look on Su's face intensified.
Sigh, this performance seems a bit too forceful.
Never mind Mr. Otto; if Hua and Kevin were here, they'd probably think I've been driven mad too.
Watching the Thousand Worlds start to charge towards him, Otto truly felt he had completely screwed up.
This was the closest the Thousand Worlds had ever been to him.
But—he didn't want to get close to it this way!
"I was merely testing you, sir! Sir—please, you must accept my apology!"
After the pilot managed to swerve the transport just in time to avoid the collision, Otto looked at Su, who had turned to look back at the transport, and genuinely believed the man was not acting.
His madness, his rage—Otto felt that these emotions were anything but fake.
Of course, Su, who seemed to be about to ram Otto, was definitely not crazy.
As the controller of the Thousand Worlds, he had practically 'become one' with it over the past fifty thousand years.
Fifty thousand years was enough time for Su to master the control of the Thousand Worlds to its absolute limit.
In his calculations, the Thousand Worlds appeared to be charging forward terrifyingly, but in reality, he had left enough time for Otto's transport to escape the collision path.
It was just an act. Su had no intention of actually sacrificing an innocent person.
To make the act more convincing, Su used his psychic MANTIS abilities to agitate and enrage his own emotions.
But even after agitating and enraging his emotions, Su would not abandon the bottom line he had held for fifty thousand years.
Scaring Otto was enough; the others were innocent.
"An apology? If apologies were useful—"
"Sir, if you have any demands, please state them directly."
"I was only testing you before—if you have any needs, just say so. We can discuss this amicably!"
Hearing Su's impatient tone, Otto had no choice but to concede this time.
In the past, when faced with situations he could predict, Otto could control every aspect of the situation.
But now, facing a forerunner who was almost a complete unknown and utterly deranged, he was completely at a loss.
And with the other party holding the Thousand Worlds, which he needed most, Otto was even more helpless.
Of course, Otto could choose to be willful and go all out against Su. Even if he couldn't win, the other party wouldn't have an easy time either.
That way, Otto could vent his anger.
But—after venting his anger, what about Kallen?
Even if the Thousand Worlds could be repaired after being damaged, it would require a massive amount of resources and a long time.
For Otto, who had nearly gathered all the sacrifices and key items, the Thousand Worlds was just as crucial as Leo Ash and K423, and could not afford any mishaps.
Everyone has a temper; losing one's temper is an instinct.
But being able to suppress one's temper and get the job done, that's real skill.
Otto was a man of skill, so, so...
Damn it, he could only endure.
He would yield to this dangerous person for now.
Once I get my hands on the control of the Thousand Worlds...
This man is terrifying. He absolutely cannot be allowed to live.
He claims he has a year left to live, but who knows if he's telling the truth.
After I'm gone, Theresa definitely won't be able to handle this guy.
He must die—I'll kill you sooner or later!
"Oh, we can talk? You should have said so earlier."
Facing the now 'submissive' Otto, Su instantly retracted his killing intent, reverted to his previous good-natured demeanor, and spoke to Otto politely.
"I was just joking with you, Mr. Otto. A man as magnanimous as yourself wouldn't take it to heart, would you?"
"Of course not. Mr. Su, please come to the Schicksal headquarters for a talk."
"To show my sincerity, please allow me to receive you, my senior, with the highest honors."
"Heh, that sounds very good."
In a flash, Otto saw Su teleport to the vicinity of the transport and say with a smile.
"Then, as fellow warriors fighting against the Honkai..."
"—I shall have a frank and open discussion with Mr. Otto about the future."
This guy... is he using teleportation to assert his ownership of the Key of the Void?
Tsk, 'talking' with him is definitely like asking a tiger for its skin.
Because of my old friend, I've underestimated these 'zombies' from the Previous Era.
Come to think of it, this bunch of old geezers who have lived for fifty thousand years...
—How could they possibly be easy to deal with?!
Having completed his initial gambit, Su felt that this state of being was truly uncomfortable.
After all, being a dangerous, mad person was not Su's true nature. To act in such a state was, frankly, quite difficult for him.
Mr. Ash, is this the state you've been operating in all this time?
I have to say, in a certain sense...
—You are truly a terrifying person.
...
St. Freya High School, Infirmary
After some time, Bronya, who had been crying nonstop, finally fell asleep again from exhaustion.
Confirming that the girl's spirit had calmed down considerably, Leo Ash tucked her in and finally left the ward.
Outside the ward, Theresa watched Leo Ash emerge and asked cautiously.
"The kid now... she should be okay, right?"
"She's fine for now."
Seeing Theresa let out a sigh of relief, Leo Ash added.
"At least, I think this is the limit of what words can achieve."
"First, let her know that Cocolia didn't see them as her daughters, further weakening the bond between them. Then, throw out an important matter to divert her attention."
"Under these circumstances, I believe time will be her best medicine."
"...You really are thorough."
Listening to Leo Ash's explanation, Theresa nodded in satisfaction.
"Mhm, very good, very good."
"Actually, none of that is the key."
Glancing back at the closed door, Leo Ash said to Theresa.
"Bronya is someone who survived that snowy plain. People who managed to survive in that terrible environment are all very strong-willed."
"My boring little tricks just accelerated the time it takes for her to heal."
"Even without me saying all this, she would have figured it out sooner or later."
"Is that so..."
At this moment, as if she'd thought of something, Theresa suddenly whispered to Leo Ash.
"What Cioara said just now, was it all true? Cocolia..."
"Of course it's all true. Cocolia really did those things."
Looking at the utterly shocked Theresa, Leo Ash asked with a strange expression.
"Headmaster, what kind of unnecessary expectations do you have for Cocolia?"
"She used children for human experiments. Handing over a child as a hostage to World Serpent... honestly, in terms of its nature, it's not as vile as using children as test subjects in the X-10 Experiment."
"It's because Bronya knows Cocolia is this kind of person that the smart and sensible girl didn't make a scene with me—otherwise, if I had slandered her deceased mother, she would have stabbed me a couple of times at the very least."
"You're right..."
After confirming this, Theresa immediately said viciously.
"That woman dying just like that... she really got off too easy."
Wow, although I know this is normal.
But to be such a person that not even your own daughter thinks you're a good person, and everyone who knows you thinks your death is a good thing...
Cocolia, your life was truly a failure.
"Alright, you did a great job with this, so now..."
At that moment, Theresa suddenly started pushing Leo Ash, physically forcing him out of the hallway.
"Get back to the dorm and rest."
"This time, my grandfather and I are in agreement—you are to rest properly here at St. Freya High School, and you are not allowed to go anywhere!"
Wow, you two really are in sync when it comes to screwing over your teammates, huh.
Sigh, a month without going out...
After a month, it'll be too late for anything!
In the original story, Wendy turned evil about two and a half years after the Nagazora Eruption, but what's the point of referencing the original story now?
Counting the awakening of the Judgment-class Chiyou as a Herrscher-level disaster, I've gone through the Third Eruption, the Jiuyou incident, and the Fourth Eruption in the span of two months.
Calculated as an average, that's roughly one major mission every thirty days.
So the next Eruption is destined to be in about thirty days, is that it—bullshit, next time there won't be a Dr. Magi to spread the agent for me in advance!
[You don't have to be so pessimistic. Haven't you gotten stronger?]
If I've gotten stronger and the Honkai still dares to make a move, that means it's confident.
If the Honkai is confidently making trouble, and I'm casually thinking 'eh, I'm stronger now, no problem'—people with that kind of mentality are the first to die!
[See, there you go again. Have you forgotten what Elysia said? Host, smile, smile.]
Then I see you've forgotten what I said.
I can't smile; I'm swallowing my tears.
Leo Ash, who was pushed out of the medical department by Theresa, could only look at her smiling and waving, and leave with a blank expression.
Forget it. If I can't go out, I'll just stay here and grind levels.
I wonder how far old Su has gotten with his act over there.
Oh right, I need to find time to go to the Stigmata Space when I get back.
Hopefully, Rin's attitude has softened a bit.
Sigh, everyone in the dorm is relatively stable right now, so why am I...
—suddenly starting to panic for no reason?
Watching Leo Ash's retreating back, Theresa couldn't help but think...
Sigh, he's just a kid who won't even be eighteen for another six months. How can his back look so desolate?
Ah, speaking of which, I forgot to tell him that a new member is coming to the dorm.
But on second thought, Leo Ash and that girl seemed to get along well the last time they met, so...
—It probably won't be a big deal if I don't tell him, right?
...