"Lord Otto wishes to know if you have indeed returned from the future, and what exactly happened in that future."
Rita looked at Xia Qi with an elegant, respectful smile as she spoke softly.
"And what does he plan to do once he knows?"
Xia Qi regarded Rita with a calm, detached gaze.
"My apologies. As a maid, I should not presume to guess Lord Otto's subsequent decisions." Rita's smile remained as she spoke, making Xia Qi feel a flicker of boredom.
"If you are merely a puppet-like maid who follows his orders, then don't come to me. Have him come see me himself."
Xia Qi turned and began walking back the way she came, adding:
"After all, the one who comes is both him and not him, isn't it."
"..."
Rita watched Xia Qi's retreating back, about to follow and say something more, when a soft sound of clapping suddenly echoed from within the small grove.
Clap, clap, clap~
"It seems you do indeed know quite a few of my secrets, Miss Mei."
Otto walked slowly along the path Xia Qi had come from. Dressed in an ornate white tailored suit with a cape, his extraordinarily handsome face wore a gentle, brilliant smile as he looked at Xia Qi.
"Lord Otto."
Rita looked at Otto and gave a respectful, slight bow.
"Hmm. Now, you may go back and rest, Rita. You've fulfilled your duty." Otto smiled as he spoke to Rita, who then turned and left the area without another word.
Xia Qi listened to the retreating footsteps behind her, then met Otto's gaze. Her eyes were icy cold, the hostility rising from her utterly unconcealed.
"My, my. It seems Miss Mei holds quite a grudge against me." Otto looked at Xia Qi, spreading his hands slightly with a benign smile, as if to indicate he meant no harm.
"Otto. What do you want."
Xia Qi looked at him and asked calmly.
"Nothing much. I merely wish to have a conversation with you, Miss Mei. To confirm what future events might pose a significant Honkai related threat to human civilization, so we can take preventative measures. To save humanity, that's all."
Otto spoke with a smile, slowly walking toward Xia Qi and stopping about three meters in front of her.
"..."
In response to Otto's probing, rambling nonsense, Xia Qi remained silent.
She looked at Otto. While murderous intent and anger welled up inside her, she also felt a trace of complexity.
She was thinking.
Killing Otto was the stupidest option. Changing into Kallen afterward would also be far too deliberate. And knowing everything Otto had done, Xia Qi wasn't sure she could resist giving him a good beating even if she did become Kallen.
The most important thing was...
The Kallen she could become was not this world's Kallen. Otto might gladly accept another Kallen as a friend, but he would never see her as his salvation.
"I'm curious, Otto. Did Durandal give you the courage to stand before me and speak?"
Xia Qi looked at Otto, her icy gaze tinged with killing intent.
The entire grove was now filled with a murderous, oppressive atmosphere. Yet Otto seemed completely unaffected, focusing intently on the changes in Xia Qi's expression, his smile still gentle and brilliant.
"Of course not. Although Durandal is very strong, facing you would still be somewhat troublesome. After all, the Herrscher of Thunder's speed is exceptionally fast."
"..."
Xia Qi's gaze turned even colder.
"Besides, Miss Raiden Mei, aren't you on the side of Kiana, Himeko, and the Valkyries of Schicksal?"
Otto looked at Xia Qi, his smile radiant.
Xia Qi's expression instantly darkened, her jaw tightening.
"Are you threatening me?"
"No, no, of course I don't mean that." Otto smiled, spreading his palms open again. "Then let me be direct. I need Miss Mei to abide by the rules I establish and not interfere with my plans. Oh, and judging from the earlier Kiana, my plans might have already succeeded."
He paused, his curiosity palpable.
"But… I'm very curious. If my plan has already succeeded, why have you returned to the present? What exactly happened in the future?"
"..."
Xia Qi looked at him with icy eyes. Just restraining her own killing intent was already extremely difficult.
"Also, it seems… the future me is indeed dead. Is that correct?"
Otto spoke with a playful tone, his eyes fixed intently on Xia Qi's face, observing every detail. Xia Qi, from beginning to end, made no attempt to hide her hostility and coldness toward him.
"But I succeeded, didn't I?"
Otto looked at Xia Qi and asked softly one last time.
"..."
Xia Qi was silent for a moment before speaking calmly. "Regarding that, only you would know. Perhaps you truly did create a world where she exists. But unfortunately… we have no way of knowing."
"Very well."
Otto gave a slight shrug, as if he had suddenly lost interest in Xia Qi. Then he said:
"From the 'future'… it certainly seems that way. However, I believe you are not from the future, but rather… you accidentally arrived in a parallel world."
"..."
Xia Qi remained silent as Otto continued speaking to himself.
"I'm curious which point in time you came from. The Herrscher of the End? That is indeed possible. Or perhaps an enemy besides the End?"
"After the End… comes Nothingness." Xia Qi looked at Otto, her voice dropping slightly.
"Nothingness?" Otto frowned slightly, appearing genuinely puzzled.
"So it seems you have already passed through the End… and after the End comes Nothingness… Could you elaborate a bit more?"
"After passing the End…" Xia Qi silently lowered her head, feeling the abrupt, blank emptiness in her memories. Her voice grew even quieter, laced with confusion.
She didn't mind telling Otto about what came next, because it was precisely what puzzled her as well.
Transforming into another person, carrying their memories, sinking into those memories… From the moment she acted and possessed those memories until now, this version of Raiden Mei believed she was a living being. But another set of memories—the ones truly belonging to her—told her:
She was merely a simple character created in a game.
"Everything vanished. Our existence, our world… it was as if it were all a game. And when the game ended… we no longer held any value to continue existing. Wiped away by an invisible hand."
...
"You're back, Ei~"
Back in the dorm, Raiden Mei, holding a tray of freshly baked blueberry cookies, greeted Xia Qi with a gentle smile. Xia Qi was momentarily stunned, then walked over.
"Yes. I'm home."
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