When was "I" born?
Was it when that girl was born?
Was it when she was locked in that pitch-black room?
Or was it after her daily life was destroyed?
I can't remember.
But I still remember that ever since my birth, I have been watching over her.
At some point, I started wanting to protect her.
The Herrscher of Thunder slowly opened her eyes to see an expanse of azure sky.
So tired.
Miss Herrscher felt utterly exhausted. She couldn't mobilize even a shred of Honkai energy, and the energy she had absorbed over the past few days felt completely drained from her body.
It was as if she had died once.
"You're awake... ah."
A somewhat familiar voice sounded from her chest. Miss Herrscher looked down, and her crimson pupils contracted violently.
Because Otto, reduced to only a small portion of his upper body, was lying on her chest.
"You!"
Even Miss Herrscher was stunned. In her impression, Otto was a spirited and capable human. If he were willing to submit to her, she might have reluctantly spared his life for Mei's sake.
But that handsome Otto, the one who had always been so unbridled in front of her, was now lying on her like a dead dog.
His body looked as if he had been bisected at the waist, and he was left with only his right arm.
Looking closely, she could see that his remaining upper body was constantly disintegrating.
What happened?
Miss Herrscher was dumbfounded. She didn't know what had occurred because the Will of the Honkai had banned her account immediately upon descending.
"I... am going to die."
Otto's voice was hoarse. He struggled to raise his hand, as if wanting to caress Miss Herrscher's face, but halfway there, as if losing all strength, his hand dropped back down.
"But... I won this war against the Will of the Honkai."
"You and Mei... are both safe."
Miss Herrscher widened her eyes and looked around. All she saw were ruins. Not a single place was intact—evidence of the battle's brutality.
In reality, the Will of the Honkai had only attacked three times in the truest sense.
One strike blocked, one severing Otto's left arm, and one bisecting him.
But Otto wasn't going to tell her that.
"However... I'm going to die."
Otto gave a desolate smile. Miss Herrscher watched his disintegrating body. She didn't know exactly what had transpired, but she could see the situation was critical.
A human... really defeated a God?
She found it hard to believe. Her right hand pressed against Otto's chest, wanting to stop his body from collapsing further, but she found the disintegration irreversible.
He was definitely going to die.
"This... is my power?"
Miss Herrscher discovered that the ability causing Otto's body to collapse actually originated from herself.
This was beyond her expectations.
"After the Will of the Honkai descended, It ripped the Gem of Conquest right out."
"But... I defeated It and put the Gem of Conquest back in time. You and Mei are both fine..."
"Heh, heh."
Otto's eyes narrowed slightly, as if he might drift off to sleep at any moment.
"I'm... so sleepy."
"You're not allowed to sleep!" Miss Herrscher stared fixedly at Otto with her crimson eyes. "If you die..."
That silly girl will be heartbroken.
And...
Why does my own heart feel so uncomfortable right now?
"You are not allowed to die! Your life belongs to me!"
"Only I can kill you!"
"I don't permit you to just die on your own!"
Miss Herrscher screamed sharply. Originally, she thought Otto was a bastard full of lies who only knew how to bully silly girls. But seeing his tragic state, and seeing that he had used his life to protect that girl, the Herrscher's heart was somewhat moved.
This man, for Mei's sake—for her sake—had thrown away his life.
His wretched condition was an undeniable fact.
"Is that so? That's... wonderful."
"I'm still alive right now..."
"Just right for you to strangle me later. But I hope you can be gentle, Miss Herrscher. I'm afraid of pain."
"But before that, can you let me... see my Mei one last time?"
Otto's face was bloodless, and his fingertips were beginning to disintegrate into atoms that would never reunite.
"Let me see Mei. I know you're a good woman."
"Hmph."
Miss Herrscher gritted her teeth. She knew that if Mei saw this tragic sight, it would leave an indelible shadow on her heart.
But...
Mei had a responsibility, and a necessity, to witness this man's end.
She needed to know that there was once a man named Otto Apocalypse who gave his life for her, who defeated a God as a human for her sake.
"Otto Apocalypse."
Miss Herrscher had etched this name into her memory.
She closed her eyes. When they opened again, a confused haze filled them.
"Go witness your man's final moments."
This sentence rang in Raiden Mei's head.
"Mei..."
Someone was calling her name.
Mei looked down, and in an instant, the blood drained from her pretty face.
"Mr. Otto!!!"
The Otto in her arms was reduced to little more than a head and shoulders.
"What happened to you!"
Mei's trembling hands cradled Otto's head. Her memories were still stuck at the moment they were holding hands. But in the blink of an eye, why was Mr. Otto left with only a head!
She didn't pay attention to the surrounding ruins; her eyes saw only Otto.
"Sorry... I can't go visit Brother Ryoma with you anymore."
Otto's voice was low and weak. If not for his Soul Steel body, he would have lost the ability to speak by now.
"Ah..."
Mei could only force a single syllable from her throat.
"But... you don't have to worry about becoming a demon anymore."
"I have already defeated the existence that wanted to turn you into a demon."
"From now on... you are my Valkyrie, not some demon that destroys humanity."
Otto revealed a smile, but the trembling of the corners of his mouth was visible.
"Ah..."
Mei opened her mouth.
"I also sent people to clear Brother Ryoma's name. You'll be able to reunite with your father soon."
Otto said. Though, he thought that if Raiden Ryoma saw his daughter holding him like this, the man might faint on the spot.
"Why! Why did you become like this, Otto!"
"Is it because of me!"
Mei finally screamed. Her hands shook. She could see that Otto's head was still constantly disintegrating. Her eyes were red, her amethyst pupils glistening with tears.
"It's not your fault..."
"As long as you're safe, that's enough..."
Scalding liquid fell onto Otto's face. He opened his mouth slightly, and Mei's tears slid down his cheek to his lips.
"Don't cry..."
"We... will meet again."
Otto wanted to wipe away Mei's tears, but he was little more than a head now.
"No, no. Mr. Otto, don't die! We're going to the hospital right now! There must be a way to save you!"
Mei, her mind in chaos, struggled to stand up while holding Otto's head. But surrounded by ruins, she stumbled.
She fell to the ground, but she held the Otto in her arms tightly.
"We're going to the hospital right now. Otto, you have to hold on. You must hold on."
Mei tore at her cumbersome skirt. Even as sharp stones cut her legs and drew blood, her body exhausted, she still crawled toward the direction of the hospital in her memories.
"Mei."
At this moment, Otto spoke softly.
"I don't have much time left."
"Could you kiss me?"
"It's always me kissing you..."
"I want you to kiss me proactively, too."
"Okay, okay, okay. I'll kiss you as many times as you want!" Hearing Otto's words, Mei said with red eyes, hurriedly lifting Otto's head with both hands, about to press her lips to his.
But... before Mei, only flying ash remained.
Otto's head had completely disintegrated.
He died.
Mei froze in place.
"Ah."
She knelt on the ground, her hands suspended in mid-air.
Her eyes lost focus.
"Ah."
She opened her mouth, and something inside her heart seemed to shatter.
In the air.
Otto's final words drifted away.
"Wait for me."
Two simple words.
"..."
In the ruins, only the maiden sat there, soul-lost and desolate, her eyes dim and lightless.
As if she had lost something vital.
"System, claim the new body I didn't claim last time."
[Yes.]
"System, tell me... am I a beast?"
[Yes.]
"When everything is over, should I go apologize?"
[Yes.]
"System, are you a repeater?"
[Yes.]