[Daily Mission: Successfully request a kiss from any Valkyrie] ]
[Mission Status: Completed]
[Mission Rating: A+]
[Mission Remark: A kiss between an old married couple is perfectly normal.]
[Mission Reward: 100 Crystals]
[Friendship Points +500]
(Current Crystals: 340, Friendship Points: 1320.)
The touch of lips against lips is the collision of heart against heart.
They could feel each other's breath, inches away. Their eyes met, and then both closed them simultaneously.
"Tonight… should I stay?" Otto whispered as their lips parted.
Fu Hua's eyelashes trembled. With her eyes still closed, she slowly shook her head.
He was rejected.
"Alright." But Otto didn't insist. When a girl was willing to kiss him, it meant she was beginning to fall.
"Again, please?"
Fu Hua didn't respond.
Otto kissed her once more. At some point, their hands had found each other, their fingers intertwining.
It was a gesture they had repeated countless times.
Fu Hua could not hide from herself, could not escape from Otto's grasp.
Otto could not hide from himself, could not escape from Fu Hua's grasp either.
In a way, this too was a form of baring their souls to one another.
As Fu Hua came up for air again, she asked softly, "Why are you so skilled at this?"
Thump, thump.
Otto's already rapid heartbeat quickened even more.
Fu Hua looked at Otto, and Otto looked back at Fu Hua.
"Because you're my experience baby."
"How many times do you think I've kissed you?"
Otto said with a smile, then lowered his head again, capturing Fu Hua's lips.
He had to stop her before she steered the conversation into dangerous territory.
---o---
Time flowed by. When their lips parted again, their hands unclasped in unison.
They both gently pursed their lips, as if trying to preserve the other's taste.
"That's enough for today," Fu Hua said flatly. Her expression was cold, but the faint blush on her cheeks testified that what had just happened was no illusion.
"Then shall we continue tomorrow?" Otto asked with a grin.
Fu Hua didn't answer. She stood up and began to tidy the flower petals on the desk.
The flower divination was no longer necessary.
Otto watched her back, the form-fitting Valkyrie uniform accentuating the alluring curve of her waist and hips. He wanted to hold her from behind.
And so he did.
He moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her slender waist. His broad chest pressed against her back, and his long golden hair cascaded over her shoulder.
Fu Hua's hands froze for a moment but quickly resumed their task.
"One more kiss?" Otto whispered.
"No," Fu Hua replied coldly.
"Move tomorrow's to today?"
Fu Hua's voice remained cold.
"No."
Who said there would be a tomorrow?
"Fine." Otto didn't push. He continued to hold her and said, "I'm preparing to create a new squad called Aegis. You will be a member."
Aegis Squad?
Fu Hua was puzzled. For as long as she had worked under Otto, she had never been assigned to a permanent team, usually being sent wherever a fire needed putting out.
"Who are the members?"
"You, Durandal, Rita," Otto said. "Also K-423, who possesses the core of the Herrscher of the Void, and Raiden Mei, who possesses the core of the Herrscher of Thunder."
"Oh, right, and the B-rank Valkyrie, Anna Schariac."
As for Bronya, Murata Himeko, Seele, and Wendy, they were only reserve members for now.
"What you're doing is…"
Most of these names were familiar to Fu Hua. They were either Schicksal's most powerful Valkyries or promising rising stars.
"I want to integrate the world's top combatants, just like the Thirteen Flame-Chasers of the Previous Era."
"The system of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers may not be suitable for this era."
Having relived her past, Fu Hua knew the truth of the Flame-Chasers. They were a group of people who had experienced despair, licking each other's wounds.
The Tragedy of Binding had nearly shattered all of humanity's remaining strength.
"What I want to build is not the Thirteen Flame-Chasers, but my own Aegis Squad."
Otto smiled. He had no desire to create another group of powerful individuals united in name only.
However, he could become the Elysia of the Aegis Squad.
"Still, concentrating our power to eliminate Herrschers is indeed a viable strategy," Fu Hua commented, speaking from experience.
But Otto shook his head again.
"No. The purpose of creating Aegis is not to eliminate Herrschers."
"What I want is to tame the Herrschers. To snatch them back from the hands of the Honkai."
"To make the Herrschers… stand on humanity's side."
Fu Hua frowned slightly, her hands stopping their work.
She was reminded of Raiden Mei and Kiana in Nagazora.
Even back then, Otto had been trying to pull Herrschers over to humanity's side.
What a madman.
Having witnessed many Herrschers, Fu Hua knew exactly how terrifying they were.
Yet this man wanted to tame them?
The existence of Welt was a miracle, and the definition of a miracle is that it cannot be replicated.
"I think you and Dr. MEI would have gotten along splendidly."
Both of them were lunatics.
Even Dr. MEI had never conceived of having Herrschers join humanity's side.
"I would love to meet Dr. MEI as well. It's a pity I can only see her phantom; it just doesn't have the same feel."
"If I ever get the chance to meet her in person, I would be delighted."
"Who knows, I might even invite her to stay in Schicksal."
Fu Hua's gaze sharpened.
To be holding one girl in your arms while talking about another was a very dangerous thing to do.
Yet, Otto seemed completely oblivious.
"After all, it's thanks to her that you were able to become a MANTIS, allowing you to meet me, more than fifty thousand years later," Otto said with a smile.
"Hmph." Fu Hua just snorted, then retorted sarcastically, "If Dr. MEI were in this era, there's no telling what kind of mess the two of you would make of the world."
Despite the sarcasm, Otto could feel her attitude softening. After tidying the desk, Fu Hua seemed to relax, almost melting into his embrace.
"Don't worry. I am confident I can bring at least six Herrschers over to humanity's side."
Fu Hua could feel the confidence radiating from the man behind her, but she wondered where it came from.
Did I give it to him?
"By the way, do you want to become a Herrscher?" Otto asked as he held her.
"I will not become a Herrscher," Fu Hua stated decisively.
She couldn't imagine any reason that would ever cause her to become one.
"Right, will Durandal still be the captain of this Aegis Squad?" Fu Hua asked.
Durandal was the captain of the Immortal Blades and had leadership experience.
"Do you want to be the captain?"
Otto didn't answer, but posed the question back to her.
If Fu Hua nodded, then she would be the captain of Aegis.
This was Otto's favoritism.
But Fu Hua shook her head.
She recalled a fiery red silhouette.
"No. I'm not suited to be a captain."
Just like fifty thousand years ago, she had no ambition.
But it was true; Fu Hua was not suited to be a captain.
"I see. But Durandal is not the captain either."
"Then who is?" Fu Hua asked, curious.
Of the candidates, she wasn't it, and Durandal wasn't it either. Could it be Rita?
Fu Hua had interacted with both K-423 and Mei. They were still fledglings, lacking the qualifications and ability to lead.
Otto was actually pondering this very question.
He wanted to make a joke to deflect the question.
He had thought of saying Kallen Kaslana, but mentioning Kallen in front of Fu Hua might lead to unpredictable consequences, so he gave up on that idea.
Instead, he chose another name.
"Cecilia Schariac."
"You think I'd believe that?" Fu Hua said bluntly. She then jabbed Otto's stomach with her elbow—a gesture of intimacy she would only make after their time in the illusion.
But she truly didn't believe him.
Cecilia was one of her few friends.
But how could a deceased person be a captain?
"Haha, you're right. Not even you would believe it."
How could Cecilia possibly still be alive?