Amid a deluge of blinding white radiance,
the sword born of divinity—inescapable—was about to pierce Fu Hua's forehead, just as it had back then.
Only now—
the two people standing at the hilt and the tip of that sword had long since been separated by time and change.
The past, all of it, was swept into the flowing river of time at this very instant.
Fu Hua had spoken those words countless times before.
But today—everything was different.
"I will… remember it."
"…Huh? This is—?"
The viewing platform lay calm and undisturbed.
From form to intent, the Taixu Sword Deity that had engulfed everything was gone without a trace.
In Fu Hua's hands, the black-and-gold gauntlets refracted a凝实的光影—a light that seemed almost tangible—before instantly crumbling into dust.
That strike—Taixu Sword Deity—
had been forcibly blocked by Fu Hua using fragments of her shattered sword heart!
More than that—she had even resolved the very obstacle of her broken sword heart in the process!
And then—
Fu Hua invited the still-stunned Li Sushang to engage in a true Taixu Sword School duel,
one completely free of external interference.
She took her stance, extending one hand forward—
an invitation, and a challenge.
"This is the greatest respect I can offer you in a duel—
as myself, as Fu Hua."
Li Sushang suddenly let out a soft laugh, utterly out of place in that moment.
Yet there was no mockery in it at all—
only a burst of unhidden delight.
The person standing before her had once appeared in many guises—
a martial myth that shook the world,
a desolate mourner wandering in grief…
But today, what she saw was someone entirely different.
"Wonderful—truly wonderful! Fu Hua, please!"
"…Please."
Sword in hand—
In an instant, the two figures of the Taixu Sword School clashed and intertwined across the field!
Sword light burst forth in all directions!
No external tools.
No ultimate techniques like the Sword Deity.
Only pure—
the contest of swordsmanship itself.
At last—
After the final exchange,
as the rushing torrent of sword qi reached its end, its echoes slowly fading—
Both combatants held their breath.
Before either spoke, even they themselves could not be certain of the outcome.
…
Fu Hua collapsed.
Even with Li Sushang going all out, Fu Hua had still held something back—
so that she could retain as much strength as possible for what came next: stopping Otto.
Seeing through this, Li Sushang let out a sigh.
"…Sigh. Actually… there wasn't really a winner or loser.
The only one who truly wanted to win was me."
"Grandmaster… if you'd thought a bit more about yourself—about this moment—
the outcome wouldn't have been so clear."
No response came.
"…Ancestor Red Kite?"
"…She's lost consciousness."
"I never even expected to win… so what do I do now? Luocha didn't say anything about this…"
"Hiding it like that—doesn't that mean he never expected me to win either?!"
Li Sushang muttered to herself.
Then—
After a moment of silence—
"What Ancestor wanted to accomplish… she did manage it in the end."
From the blade's edge, the Sword Deity shattered piece by piece, draining the last of the wielder's strength.
Her body swayed. Only by force of will did she keep herself from collapsing as well.
Looking at the phantom sword in her hand gradually fading into nothingness,
she gave a bitter smile.
"Those words… they truly came from my heart."
"Thinking more for one's companions… or more for oneself—
which makes someone stronger, I still can't say."
"One exchange alone isn't enough to tell."
"But Ancestor Red Kite… you've truly begun anew."
She stepped back a few paces, leaning against the railing of the platform, gazing into the distance—
wondering what that Luocha was doing right now.
After a long while, she returned to Fu Hua's side and lifted her in her arms.
"Let's find somewhere safe to rest."
"If he went so far as to awaken me, then he must have absolute confidence in what he's about to do."
"Who knows—maybe we really will return to another era…"
"For you now… that would probably feel unfamiliar, Grandmaster."
"I'll wait here until you wake up.
Being thrown into an era you know nothing about—it's not a pleasant feeling."
"I've experienced it myself… maybe I can help you adjust."
"You and I… we've both done all we could."
Watching the battle conclude on-screen,
the second route ended with Fu Hua holding Li Sushang back,
and Kiana successfully advancing—
an outcome no one had expected.
[Sushang: Red Kite… the immortal is way too terrifying?!]
[Yanqing: Blocking that strike with her forehead??]
[Paimon: H-How hard does your head have to be for that?!]
[Fu Hua: …]
[Otto: As expected of the Red Kite Immortal—truly worthy of her name, my old friend.]
[Kiana: Class Monitor took such a huge risk to stop Li Sushang—I won't let her down!!]
[Himeko (Honkai): Go, Kiana.]
On-screen.
[One hour earlier]
[18:35 — five minutes before the Hyperion entered combat readiness]
Unable to contact Changguang, Durandal spoke with Rita.
"Things are getting stranger by the minute."
"First, the Overseer decides to create so-called 'new history' out of thin air, ordering us to guard key areas and prevent outside interference."
"Then Changguang—who holds the critical technology—suddenly goes missing. Her private line is completely unresponsive."
"—What exactly is happening somewhere beyond our knowledge?!"
Through Amber, Durandal and Rita eventually found a recorded video left behind by Changguang.
"Hi~ Miss me?"
"If you're seeing this recording, then I suppose I've already been…"
"…fired by Mr. Otto~!"
She opened with a deadpan joke.
Then her expression grew serious.
"Ahem—since what I'm about to say is very serious, I figured I'd lighten the mood first."
"By now, Mr. Otto has probably imposed martial law around his church and assigned you to maintain order, right?"
"He has a reason for doing so—because he's decided to exchange nearly everything in this world for time reversal, in a certain sense."
"You're probably shocked. After all, based on past experience, Mr. Otto's methods of governance may have been flawed…"
"But at the very least, in some sense, he was saving this world from Honkai."
"That's true—but it's merely the result of another truth."
"Believe it or not, what Mr. Otto wants to save may be the world… or a single person—
but it is never humanity itself."
At this point—
not only did Changguang's expression turn grave,
even Durandal and Rita's eyes grew heavy with tension.
"And frankly speaking, Mr. Otto likely harbors resentment toward humanity as a collective."
"Otherwise, he wouldn't have had me help design such a destructive contingency plan."
"Once implemented, the entire Earth—except for this town—will be reset to its state five hundred years ago."
"Most of the people we care about in this world will vanish as if they never existed—
and that is the price required to make the world roll back."
"We destroy the present as fuel, reselect the past,
and offer the new era as a sacrifice—so that a long-buried history can turn once more."
"Of course, this isn't Mr. Otto's only plan. He claims there's a fifty-percent chance he can achieve his goal at a far smaller cost."
"But you must understand this:
to him, sacrificing the entire world for his objective is no different from sacrificing himself—
it requires no hesitation whatsoever."
"If you choose not to wait and instead decide to stop him…
then this challenge may grant your actions another meaning someday."
"But no matter what, please remember one thing—"
"When Otto Apocalypse gets serious,
he is without question the most dangerous human on this planet."
The pre-recorded message ended there,
leaving behind only oppressive silence beneath the overcast sky and frozen land.
Philosophers say that those who wield power always impose their own definitions of good and evil upon the world.
Some are loyal to the heavens, some to the earth, some to others, some only to themselves.
They all dwell in an ancient arrogance—
believing they already know what is good and evil for humanity.
But what if one such ruler believed his good and evil required no judgment at all?
Silence filled the air.
The horrifying plan Changguang described shook everyone present.
None of them had imagined
that the price of the Overseer's final plan would be this insane—this terrifying.
This—
was the first time Durandal and Rita truly grasped the madness of Otto's plan.
At this point—
including the Hyperion and Anti-Entropy—
Durandal and Rita finally became insiders.
"…Perhaps I need to speak with the Overseer directly, Rita. Right now."
"Lady Durandal… you understand what consequences that could bring, don't you?"
"I do."
"Which means you're prepared to stand in opposition to the Overseer?"
"This is the worst-case scenario. I don't understand why he would have Changguang research something that should never be carried out."
"No matter what, I need to hear from him personally—
where his bottom line truly lies."
Durandal clenched her teeth.
As the S-rank Valkyrie who should have been the least likely to waver,
she now felt a deep chill at Otto's intentions.
"Just like last year at the Schicksal spaceport… the Herrscher's awakening ended up far worse than his original projections—
and he didn't care at all."
"We are guardians of another world—and living people of this one."
"That dual identity already burdens us with dual responsibility."
"Then, Lady Durandal… have you considered that all of this might be the Overseer's provocation?"
"Provocation? Why?"
"I don't know. It's just… since noon today, something about him has felt deeply wrong."
Rita shook her head, confusion and doubt hidden in her eyes.
As one of Otto's closest subordinates,
she sensed his abnormality.
"It's as if he's constantly using lies to conceal an unspeakable secret."
"But ordinarily… he wouldn't even deign to use lies to hide the truth."
"I think that means—
there's something about the Overseer that we still haven't seen clearly."
Their discussion led to no definitive conclusion.
Durandal handed the authority of Sumeru Mustard Seed and the Holy Sword to Rita.
The illusion dispersed.
The scenery before them returned to reality.
Everything seemed unchanged—
except the weight of responsibility and purpose on their shoulders.
Compared to the past few years,
something subtle—but profound—had shifted.
In the end,
this time, Rita Rossweisse did not stop Bianka Ataegina from risking her life.
Even though—
even now—
anxiety churned deep in her heart;
even though—
she still harbored doubts about the emergency plan she had quietly prepared—
she understood better than anyone, after all they had been through—
just what kind of resolve her friend now possessed.
"Lady Durandal."
"Since you've made your decision… allow me to see you off, at least a little."
"Alright."
No more words were needed.
The twin stars of Immortal Blades fell silent.
They walked together to the point of farewell—
then waved goodbye, just as quietly.
In their hearts, they knew the risk ahead was unprecedented.
But they also trusted that the other would always keep her promise.
Durandal headed toward the church.
At this moment, she bore a duty she could not shirk.
She was no longer merely Otto's Valkyrie of Schicksal.
If necessary—
she would raise the very sword meant to fight Honkai
and point it at Otto himself.
Behind her,
Rita watched Bianka's departing figure in silence.
"I wonder… how far the Overseer intends to go this time."
"…I hope he still remembers his original intent."
Off-screen,
watching Otto's followers begin to defect one by one,
countless viewers cried out in shock.
Yet on reflection—
it all made sense.
[March 7th: Hah! Otto's being abandoned by everyone!]
[Himeko (Honkai): That's what he gets for such a crazy plan!]
[Silver Wolf: Even Durandal's opposing him—and Rita didn't stop her?!]
[Ningguang: Using almost everything in this world as the price… that's madness.]
[Rita: But just as I said… I feel the Overseer's goal isn't that simple.]
[Kiana: Could it really be provocation?!]
[Raiden Mei: But what does Otto gain from being abandoned by everyone?]
[Herta: Using five hundred years as fuel… what a madman.]
The scene shifted.
At last, the focus returned to the architect of this insane plan—
the antagonist willing to reset the world,
to turn time back five hundred years,
even at the cost of all humanity.
Otto Apocalypse.
[At this moment, Otto Apocalypse's consciousness drifted through boundless void.]
[He was recalling that spring—
that distant afternoon he intended to remember one last time before the executioner.]
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