[Come to think of it, did I just screw over Rita and Durandal?]
Finding the situation both funny and frustrating, Otto snapped his fingers, and the still-yammering Number Five was instantly muted.
"Mr. Hohenheim is advanced in age and has lost his basic capacity for logical judgment. His position in the Senate should be succeeded by his great-granddaughter, Ms. Ana Schariac."
He clapped his hands. "What does everyone think?"
"Agreed!"
Three, Seven, Nine, Eleven, and Twelve didn't hesitate.
Those who voted in favor either had a grudge against Number Five, were on good terms with Theresa and her faction, or simply enjoyed watching the drama unfold.
"I object!"
One, Two, Six, Eight, and Ten voted against.
The dissenters were the more rational and level-headed ones.
No matter how much they disliked Number Five, this was still allowing the Overseer to interfere in the Senate's appointments. Even if it was through a vote, this was not a good sign.
With Number Five temporarily offline, all eyes focused on Lady Four, who had also just recently taken her seat as a senator.
The pink-haired Lady Four hesitated for a moment.
"I agree."
There were too many old fossils. It was time to bring in some fresh blood to form a new clique.
She hoped that the young Miss Ana would respond to this gesture of goodwill in a timely and appropriate manner.
"Well then, I won't disturb your pleasant afternoon tea any longer."
Having achieved his goal, Otto didn't linger and turned to leave the space.
He left the remaining eleven members staring at each other.
"Screwed that up, didn't we? Didn't we?"
The noblewoman at Seat Three, a friend of Theresa's, immediately launched into a tirade. "When you wanted to issue the warrant, I told you to hold off and see how things played out. There had to be a reason for that Fuli kid to pop up out of nowhere. And now look! Not only did we not get what we wanted, we've made an enemy of a monster with limitless potential!"
"And don't even think about making a risky move behind the scenes."
She glared at the group of sanctimonious figures, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Without the full force of the Senate, and with Overseer Otto tripping you up from behind, what are you going to use to take on that band of rich kids on the Hyperion who are just playing at life?!"
The problem now was simple.
Option one: push forward regardless, crush the Hyperion, kill or capture Fuli, and force the Far East Branch where Theresa was, Durandal and her Immortal Blades, Siegfried with the Key of Destruction, Anti-Entropy's Raiden Ryoma, the New Schicksal's Cocolia, and some of the involved senators into an all-out war.
Option two: back off now and let Fuli grow, then wait for him to come back and settle the score with each of them for issuing the "recovery" order.
It was a choice.
Lady Ophelia of Seat Ten slowly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she had made up her mind.
Looking at the ten members present, the ice queen spoke with calm solemnity. "I have a proposal."
"Invite Fuli to join the Senate as an honorary member of the Lower House."
When an enemy takes off their hat, they become an old friend.
She chose option three!
...
As soon as Otto stepped out of the Senate, his secretary-general, Amber, who had been waiting with a stack of documents, quickly fell in step behind him.
Her ample bosom was pressed by the files, peeking out on either side. She asked with some curiosity, "Your choice of words and attitude just now... it wasn't your usual style, Lord Overseer."
"Normally, with those people, I do prefer to pull strings from behind the scenes rather than step onto the stage myself." Otto unconsciously slowed his pace. "As I've taught you, as the supreme authority, it's crucial to leave yourself room to maneuver."
"But this time, I didn't want to do that."
Amber's voice was soft. "Because of Lord Fuli?"
"Yes."
The man closed his eyes with a hint of melancholy.
The blazing sun cast its light down, stretching his lonely shadow long and far.
"After uploading the memory of the virtual 'me' to the Soulium core, I had a dream last night, for the first time in a long while."
He didn't elaborate. He knew it was just a dream.
But he had been truly happy in that dream.
How long had it been? How long since he had laughed so freely?
But there was no going back.
There had been no going back since five hundred years ago.
Still, Otto felt he should do something in return for having his dream fulfilled.
He nodded to a passing patrol that saluted him, his expression unusually animated. "Tell me, Amber, what should I give 'my' brother as a reward?"
Amber gently shook her head. "Lord Otto."
"I don't know much about friendships between men."
The secretary said seriously, "But I believe that between true brothers, a word like 'reward' would never be used."
Otto paused in his tracks and nodded slightly.
"But before that, my lord, don't you think you should deal with the pile of work on your desk first?"
Amber gave a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Since you've already rebooted Miss Ella's personality, why haven't you put her back to work on Schicksal's myriad tasks?"
"Because I need to put safeguards in place to prevent a similar incident from happening again."
Thud!
The sound of something dropping.
Otto turned around in surprise to see Amber staring at him blankly, the files in her hands scattered on the floor.
After a long moment, her eyes filled with gratified tears.
"Lord Otto, you've finally learned from your mistakes!"
"What's with that tone?! You sound like a proud parent whose kid has finally grown up!" Otto retorted. "Ella caused so much trouble this time. It's only natural that I'd take precautions!"
"Then would you care to take a look at the Sea of Quanta, which is still wandering in the Bering Sea?"
"Er..."
"And who was it six months ago who insisted on hiding his identity to participate in the hacker competition held by the 'Wanderer's Dove,' only to get carried away and team up with that Mr. Gray Serpent to hack into India's aerospace carrier, causing it to crash in the Indian Ocean and become a global laughingstock?"
"That, that was because those fanatics... yes! Those fanatics have been getting too bold lately! I was just teaching them a lesson!"
"As for other things, like using the Fourth Divine Key to make a Canadian merchant fleet get lost in the Atlantic for a month, creating a 'Rules of Horror' world bubble to trap people for a live broadcast, posing as a miracle doctor and setting up a fortune-telling stand in front of the UN building to tell people where to fish without coming back empty-handed, turning into a cat to slack off and nearly getting pinned down by a gang of stray toms..."
At this point, Amber sighed. "You say that 'fun is the best food for an immortal,' but in the end, who's the one cleaning up after your whims? It's us, the grunts, isn't it?"
"Ahem!" Otto coughed into his hand, turning his face away. "Dr. Fu's AI creation technology is simply too perfect, to the point that the AIs born from it have emotions no different from normal people."
"So? What's your plan this time?"
"I'm going to add two safeguards to the newly born AI personalities."
...
"So you dragged me here from a parallel world to be your safeguard? Otto Apocalypse! Are you out of your mind?!"
"Hey! Cursing me is cursing yourself, you know?"
"Bullshit! Look at these two huge things on my chest! And this slim waist, this butt! What does this have to do with you?!"
"Can't be helped. Even I would get sick of looking at a face identical to my own all day."
"I agree with that. The thought of two male Ottos under the same roof is enough to make one puke."
"But sis, you look really good. It was worth it to specifically find a worldline where 'Otto Apocalypse is female' and pull you over."
"Of course! Both Sakura and Kallen have praised my natural beauty. Even without makeup... why the long face all of a sudden? Oh, let me check my memories. I see. We don't mention Sakura around you, right? Got it."
Amidst the noisy chatter outside, Vera groggily opened her eyes.
She first looked at herself and noticed that her 'body' was not only emitting a faint glow but also felt light and airy, as if she could fly with just a little effort.
More importantly, the little girl was more concerned about the situation in front of her.
As far as Vera could remember, she had been at home making dinner, waiting for Brother Otto, Sister Kallen, and Mr. Fuli, who had left in the morning, to come back safely so they could celebrate. How did she end up here in the blink of an eye?
And the two people in front of her... one was a stunningly beautiful, tall, and frail-looking blonde girl floating in mid-air.
Her hair, as radiant as the sun, cascaded naturally over her fragrant shoulders and back, while her bangs were neat and smooth. Her beautiful, almost bewitching, delicate face was captivating.
Seemingly due to a congenital condition, the girl's face was tinged with a sickly pallor, giving her the pitiable air of a fragile daffodil.
As for the other one—
"Brother Otto!"
Vera's eyes lit up, and she floated over, about to pounce into Otto's arms.
Only to pass right through him.
"Eh? Vera... has become a ghost?"
The little girl froze, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
"No, no, no, no, no!"
Seeing their precious little sister on the verge of tears, Otto and the other somewhat familiar-looking blonde girl panicked.
After a lengthy explanation, Vera finally began to understand what was going on.
Just as people who have enjoyed the conveniences of modern society would find it hard to return to the tough days of having to manage their own water, electricity, and fire, Schicksal had long since grown accustomed to the assistance of a super AI.
But a large-scale rebellion like the previous one clearly needed to be guarded against.
Considering that no one could be more trusted than 'himself' when it came to resurrecting Kallen, Otto had simply activated the Aether Prism technology recorded in the Void Archives to search through various world bubbles. In the end, he had actually found an IF worldline where 'Otto was female.'
In that worldline, the young lady of Schicksal, Otto, had grown up as best friends with Kallen. Their experiences were more or less the same as their counterparts in the main world.
The point of divergence was when Kallen defected with the Divine Key box.
Unlike the main world's Otto, who chose to stay behind, the female Otto's unique sensitivity allowed her to perceive her friend's complex emotions at that moment.
And so, she threw caution to the wind and, despite her frail body, stubbornly clung to Kallen's leg.
"Take me with you when you run away from home!"
"...Eh? But, your body—"
"I don't care, I don't care, I don't care! Take me with you, take me with you, take me with you!"
And just like that, Kallen's escape gained a large, golden deadweight.
After that, the girls fled to the Far East, where they, along with a sakura-haired miko they met, repelled Schicksal's pursuers. They then worked together to create a paradise in the Shinano province, living a peaceful, idyllic life until they died of old age.
The main world's Otto chose to replicate this female, and also ideal, version of himself. He then retrieved the data related to Vera from the virtual world and imported both into the new personality of 'AL(Ella)'.
The result was the two semi-transparent figures currently present.
"So that's how it is..." AL-2, codenamed 'Vera', murmured to herself.
AL-1 sighed and floated over to hug her little sister. "It's my fault. I couldn't stop this guy's twisted sense of humor."
Of course, neither of them was the same person from the virtual space or the parallel world anymore.
Just as Fuli and Kallen had discussed earlier, they were merely new individuals who possessed the memories of Vera and the others.
"Even so, Vera still wants to thank this Brother Otto."
The silver-haired girl said seriously, "Vera promised Sister Kallen, Brother Ot—"
"Just call me Ella for now, to avoid confusion with this guy. We can all think of a new name later," AL-1 added.
After Otto replicated his parallel-world female self, he used the virtual Otto's memories as a blueprint and imported all of his five hundred years of experience into her database.
Rounding things up, Ella could barely be considered a party to those events.
"Okay." Vera was very obedient. "Vera promised Sister Ella, Sister Kallen, and Mr. Fuli that when they returned safely, I would make a grand feast to celebrate."
The girl clenched her fist and held it to her chest. "Vera thought I wouldn't have the chance to fulfill my promise. It was this Brother Otto who made it possible for Vera to continue."
She lowered her gaze and smiled meekly. "Thank you, Brother Otto."
As for Otto, even though the little girl's reaction was entirely within his pre-calculated scenarios, hearing that clear voice after more than four hundred years still left him a little dazed.
"Such a sensible child."
Ella once again pulled Vera into her arms and patted her head, then shot Otto a sidelong glance. "Hmph. Unlike some pervert."
She understood Otto's reasons for doing this. He had split the all-powerful Celestial Neuron Assembly into two different individuals. One would manage Schicksal's internal affairs, while the other would be responsible for its external matters.
This way, not only would their authority be limited, but they could also keep each other in check, preventing another rebellion.
But—
"You know, don't you?" Ella covered Vera's little ears and whispered, amidst the girl's innocent gaze, "My brother and I made a promise. Sooner or later, we're going to kill you."
It was undeniable that in order to achieve his goals, Otto had indeed done many good deeds over the centuries.
But just as you can't whitewash Hitler's other crimes just because he... [T/N: The source text makes an analogy here that doesn't translate well due to historical/cultural context ekhem related with certain tribe. The meaning is that good deeds don't erase greater evils.] compared to the good he had done, the evil he had committed was far, far greater.
"I know." Otto's expression was relaxed. "But I also know that until I achieve my own goal (resurrecting Kallen), you will be my staunchest ally."
"...Heh, you've really got me cornered." Ella sneered, her knee-length, straight golden hair shimmering in the dim light.
"It seems we have a deal."
Otto smiled. "It's a rare opportunity. Why don't you go see our brother and 'Kallen' as the virtual Otto?"
"To each their own." Ella shrugged. "I'll do my job first, and I also have to teach Vera how to handle her responsibilities."
"After I'm done with all that, I'll choose a suitable moment to make my grand entrance and give our brother a surprise he'll never forget."
Imagining Fuli's expression at that moment, the blonde girl's lips curled into a pleasant smile.
...
Remembering something else, Ella asked, "By the way, what about Eleanor? You've kept her remains, haven't you?"
"Like all the powerful Valkyries who have been loyal to me over the generations, they are all stored in the The Great Hibernation."
—The Key of Statis, The Great Hibernation, the survival device used by the Previous Era's Fire Moths to freeze their pioneers for their fifty-thousand-year journey.
After retrieving this Divine Key, Otto used it to preserve the powerful individuals loyal to him, to be unsealed at critical moments to turn the tide.
In short, Valhalla.
As for the exact number, that was unknown.
Considering that the power of the fourth-generation Godsbane armor was enough to boost a top-tier valkyrie to S-Rank, it wasn't impossible for him to pull out multiple S-Rank Valkyries at once.
"That sounds terrifying." Ella commented. "Is this the foundation of Schicksal's five hundred years?"
"This is just the tip of the iceberg."
This was the true power of one of the world's only three super-organizations.
"To enter the The Great Hibernation at such a young age, did you charm all those little girls off their feet?"
Otto's expression turned serious. "We simply had a common goal. Besides, people change."
He sighed. "If some of them were to see me now, to know the things I've done, they might not just refuse to fight for Schicksal, they might even turn against me."
Everyone has their own principles. To think that love is everything is, in the end, just being lovesick.
[But this guy... he actually cares about his promise to Eleanor?]
Otto glanced at Ella, who was looking around.
[No, to be precise, it's because he made the promise in front of our brother.] he thought.
A transcribed memory is ultimately not the real thing. For the virtual Otto, the only one he truly loved was Kallen.
She was one of the two glimmers of light in his endless cycles.
What? How did Fuli become the other glimmer of light?
When you're in utter despair with no hope in sight, someone falls from the sky, accompanies you through thick and thin, jokes around with you, gets plotted against and used but still extends a hand to you when you can do nothing, and stays in the virtual space to face a million-strong army with you even knowing they might die... can't you call that a life-and-death friendship?
[But for Ella, who hasn't truly experienced all this, it seems she's more interested in our brother than in Kallen, her best friend.]
Otto stroked his chin, his face suddenly stiffening.
[Crap! Does this count as creating a female version of myself for my brother to play with?]
It's just an AI with some of my memories.
It probably...
Doesn't count, right?
His smile was strained.
Ella, who was teasing Vera, seemed to remember something. "By the way, I'm suddenly curious about something."
She turned her head, her seraph-like wings of light trembling, her long eyelashes like twinkling stars in the night sky. "The ones who secretly tested our brother's Honkai adaptability were his parents, right? With such talent, why didn't they put him on the path to becoming strong from an early age?"
Otto didn't know much about this either.
He had only conducted the physical examination on the 8-year-old Fuli after the two doctors, A (Fu A) and C (Zhou Can), had disappeared.
However, considering their actions and attitudes back then, he could make an educated guess.
"Because they looked down on Honkai energy, an inferior energy source that is highly contagious, has severe side effects, and who knows what other hidden tricks it has."
"...Huh?"
"They... despised Honkai energy?"
What was Honkai energy?
As the extra entropy generated when the Imaginary anchors to the Real, it has the potential to transform anything. It is the highest level of pure energy, almost omnipotent.
And yet, this supreme energy, which could shake the very foundations of physics, was looked down upon by Fuli's parents?
"I know it's hard to believe, but that's the truth."
Noticing Ella's dumbfounded expression, Otto gave a wry smile. "If anyone else had said that, I would've thought it was just a clown seeking attention. But if it's them, they really have the right to say it."
They were true geniuses, the kind that even he felt inferior to.
Besides—
"Electrons are also a form of energy. Do you think a normal human can absorb electrons from the air and use them? What makes Honkai energy so special?"
"In our view, there is a high probability that Honkai energy has been tampered with by some existence beyond Earth, increasing its infectivity while making it easier to fuse with living organisms."
Recalling the words of those two doctors back then, Otto opened his eyes and looked at the bright moon rising in the sky.
...