OHDOM 426-445 (Patreon)

OHDOM 426-450

426: Maybe a Little Sad

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

Attacks of terrifying power fell towards the center from all directions, again and again.

Every bit of power was a destructive force that was unimaginable for humans.

At this moment, the situation and scene were like the war between gods in mythology and legends.

"Inch Force, Sky Breaker!"

Old-fashioned moves, old-fashioned boxing techniques, but with the blessing of Garuda's fire that burns everything, it unleashed divine power that melted the earth and dyed the sky red.

This punch destroyed Otto's upcoming counterattack.

Then, Fu Hua took steady steps and moved forward, continuing to pin Otto down with punches and palms, making it impossible for others to launch effective counterattacks.

His smooth movements and calm face brought his comrades an unparalleled sense of security. Immortal Jingwei is so terrifying.

However, behind the front line, Angel frowned.

‘The power is slowly increasing?

Yes, the Tree of Imaginary Numbers is an advanced rule that is absolutely impossible for anything in the world to contend with.

As an apostle of imaginary number multiplication, the pressure it bears will naturally continue to increase until it is crushed back in the opposite direction.’

The evidence is that Otto at this moment is definitely much stronger than the false god who was only facing Kiana and Durandal.

Otherwise, he would not be able to withstand the successive attacks of these six super fighters.

Of course, Otto would try his best to restrain himself, but the part of him as a human being was too insignificant compared to his identity as an imaginary apostle.

No matter how much he restrained himself, the effect would be limited.

"Hurry up and don't delay!"

Angel reminded everyone loudly.

Upon hearing this, Fu Hua was the first to react.

As the main force facing Otto, she could feel the changes in pressure the most, so she quickly understood what Angel was worried about.

"BOOM!!!"

After gathering strength to punch Otto to the ground, Fu Hua flew up, and the scorching flames like the sun baked the earth for thousands of miles.

Such a noise naturally also let other people receive the signal.

Kiana and Raiden Mei looked at each other from a distance, and then each tried their best to squeeze out the strength in their bodies.

In the sky, Ji Lin and Ah Lin clasped their hands together, foreheads against each other, fingers clasped in each other's hands, looking into each other's eyes.

"Ah Lin, are you ready?"

"Sister, I'm available anytime."

The two of them smiled in sync.

Then the Xuanyuan sword sank high into the sky.

The figures of Ji Lin and Ah Lin turned into two balls of red light and chased after the sword shadow.

The next second, infinite golden light enveloped the earth, and an extremely magnificent and majestic aura came from the sky.

"The way of the great Dao..."

"The world belongs to all..."

There was a vague sense of lofty ambitions rising from people's hearts.

Back then, Ji Lin fought against Chiyou alone with a sword.

Her thoughts were simple. She just wanted to protect her fellow human beings.

This simple state of mind, after five thousand years of cultural sedimentation, had gradually materialized into a well-known ideal.

I hope everyone can be safe and live a good life.

"This is called... the great unity of the world!"

The sword of the kingly way, the sword of protection, the incomparably magnificent and incomparably domineering golden sword pierced through the night sky, as if the land of heaven was pressing down, carrying with it a majestic righteousness that made people bow down to it.

This was Ji Lin’s original intention. After five thousand years of darkness, she was reborn from the ashes and broke through the limits of the Eminence.

Then, Angel infused her with sufficient Honkai energy and spiritual strength to support the sword-like flesh and blood.

This sword was created by the two Ji Lins giving their all, so it was called Datong and had no other name.

As Fu Hua was gathering strength, she looked up, the corners of her mouth rising unconsciously, with an incomparable feeling of pride and joy surging in her heart.

[Fu Hua] also looked up at the sky, and what she felt was an indescribable shock—because she didn't understand.

She had been a human for less than half a year, and for the first time, she felt the power of human beings so Vill-Vdly. This shocked her, and at the same time, she appear to understand something vaguely. Then, the power of Sentience that should have been squeezed to the limit suddenly reached a new level.

The six people exerted their strongest power almost at the same time, just waiting for a signal.

At this time, the sun that Fu Hua transformed into shrank rapidly, and all the light and temperature were gathered in her palm.

"Inch Force, Sky Breaker!"

It was still the same move, and Fu Hua had mastered it to the point where it was as good as a normal attack.

But you could never say it was not exquisite.

It should be known that throughout the ages, among the disciples accepted by Fu Hua, comprehending the Taixuan Eminence was considered the highest achievement of the sect.

However, no one had ever been able to practice this move to a level close to Fu Hua.

"Hu——"

Fu Hua let out a breath, then used a palm that had been tempered a thousand times, and instantly pierced through the air.

This time, she pressed everything in her body into it.

At the same time, the attacks of Kiana and Raiden Mei, the Eminence that surpassed the past by [Fu Hua], the Eminence that Li Sushang was giving her all, and the most magnificent sword of Datong, all pressed down together.

"BOOM!!!"

The light cannot be described in words; it was so bright and brilliant that it illuminated most of the planet in the darkness.

The entire land was shocked.

All observation satellites in the sky temporarily malfunctioned or even permanently broke down due to the residual power of this light.

At the same time, Kevin, Shamash, Durandal, Yae Sakura, Delta, and Ninti and Walter in space—the strongest people in the world, either because of their intuition or because they witnessed it directly—all turned their attention here.

After the indescribable terrifying impact, all that remained on the earth was a huge abyss with no bottom and no visible edge.

Angel's clones took away the exhausted fighters one by one.

Only Kiana fell into Chimera Angel's arms.

"Ah... now... I really can't squeeze anything out..." Kiana leaned weakly on Angel's chest with a smile on her lips, just like a little kitten that was finally able to settle down in its owner's arms after being tired of playing.

Angel couldn't help but lift up Kiana's head, put her cheek against hers, and whispered in her ear. "Thank you for your hard work. I'll make you a delicious meal when I get home."

"It's a deal."

"It's a deal. Leave the rest to me."

"Well, come on, Angel."

Kiana held Angel's hand, interlocked their fingers, and entrusted all her power to her.

Angel held Kiana's soft body with one hand and raised the other hand to point at Otto in the air.

At this time, the false god had lost his five wings and most of his armor. He was floating down from the air at a very slow speed without any movement. It was obvious that he had temporarily become so weak that he could hardly resist gravity.

Otto's face with an expectant smile was half revealed from the broken head armor.

"I'm counting on you, Angel."

"I'll send you on your last journey. I hope you can get what you wish for."

Angel sighed softly, and her golden pupils became brighter.

Since she didn't consume any energy from beginning to end, she was able to put all of her bottomless Honkai energy into this action, pushing the power of the sky to a height that its owner had never imagined.

Space, stagnant.

Space was distorted.

The space began to Honkai, along with all the energy, matter, and even time around Otto, and then began to be rebuilt under the influence of the rules.

Strong and weak, soft and hard, high and low, imaginary and real, all these concepts twisted and became blurred in the small area around Otto.

Then, with Otto's active cooperation, the imaginary number rules that anchored him firmly in the real world were reversed.

The space collapsed and a dark hole appeared. It was the power of rules that bound him and pushed him out of the world.

"Success..." ×2

Otto and Angel said to themselves at the same time.

With one last look, Otto gave Angel a grateful smile.

He was about to die, but he was extremely grateful to everyone who had brought him to this point.

……

"Mr. Otto..."

In the distance, Yae Sakura suddenly looked out the window and murmured unconsciously to Durandal and Rita, who came to report the sudden changes in Kolosten.

"Your Excellency the Bishop?" ×2

"Ah? Oh, I... I'm fine. Durandal, lead the team to Kolosten and find out what happened there. Rita, you and Amber continue to prepare for the Archbishop's succession ceremony. Anyway, stabilizing Schicksal is the most important task at the moment, and it is also... the only thing we can do for Mr. Otto."

"Yes, Your Excellency the Bishop!" ×2

After the two left, Yae Sakura walked to the window and couldn't help but look back at this office that originally belonged to Otto.

She was silent for a long time, not knowing how to describe her feelings at the moment.

……

"Otto Apocalypse will never appear before us again."

"Angel, you seem a little sad?"

"Really? Maybe."

Angel smiled faintly, without any explanation, and just pinched Kiana's cheek affectionately.

Perhaps, as Yae Sakura's Angel, she is indeed a little reluctant to part with this good friend who is so sincere to her.

But at least, they all understood that Otto left with infinite joy, and that was enough.

--------

427: Otto's Look Back

How far must a person go before he can return to the starting point?

For Otto, he did not hesitate to trample on the morality and humanity that Kallen adhered to, dye his hands as red as his heart, and then paint his originally red heart into a dark black—finally, he arrived here.

"Hu...Hu...Hu..."

Otto's breathing was heavy, and his vision blurry.

Breaking the shackles of imaginary authority meant breaking Otto himself, who coexisted with that authority.

To break free, he had to first defeat himself completely; there was no other choice.

So, he was truly hurt.

There was no possibility of using authority to restore himself. Now that he had deviated from the rules of imaginary numbers, that authority was no longer a help but an obstacle, trying to pull him back into the world.

At this moment, as a human who boldly walks toward the root of the world and attempts to blaspheme God, Otto was isolated and helpless.

However, he knew this would be his situation. The sand beneath his feet seemed stained red with blood, conveying the message of resistance everywhere.

Otto blinked, and the boundless land before him suddenly changed.

The figures gradually appeared in his sight, becoming clearer from blurry to distinct—they were familiar faces that were slightly disgusting, with blond hair, blue eyes, and the same fake smile.

"Oh! It's all me? That's right, isn't there a saying that a person's biggest enemy is often himself? Let Otto deal with Otto; it's just right."

Looking at those who blocked his way, Otto panted and mocked himself.

He raised his hand, and a small golden cube appeared in his palm. The next second, it turned into a large sword, burning with flames in his grasp.

Void Archive, the first Divine Key, a super library with intelligence, also capable of simulating all Divine Keys, was the weapon Otto used most skillfully.

"Clang—"

The greatsword smashed into the ground, and as Otto moved forward, a melting sword mark was plowed out.

His steps gradually accelerated from a stagger to a run.

"Boom!"

The greatsword swung, releasing flames that turned several obstacles in his path into ashes.

However, more "Ottos" continued to block the way.

Otto kept moving forward with an unchanging smile.

Swing the sword, forward. Swing the sword again, and move forward again.

His already seriously injured body was struck by more wounds from the "Ottos" that blocked his path, and blood flowed beneath his feet. The pain was not just physical but also from his soul.

But Otto ignored it all. Even as his steps slowed, the one thing that remained unchanged was that he kept moving forward.

"Just in front..."

"Almost there..."

"I must reach that place..."

In Kolosten, he used the Cosmic Juggernaut to pull the phantom from five hundred years ago. This became a signpost that guides him, although blurry, to the right direction.

Otto had to follow this path, return to the original world five hundred years ago, and change the reality of Kallen's sacrifice.

But to walk against the world's direction and return to the node of the world from five hundred years ago, he first had to reach the tree and the source of the world. Only there could time be touched and measured with footsteps.

"Don't... block my way."

Otto's voice was not hoarse, but the swinging sword was filled with his unwavering determination to move forward.

He gradually walked out of the road paved with blood.

That was his own blood. The obstacles created by imaginary rules were not real, and there was no blood flowing.

Under such injuries, his steps naturally grew slower.

But one thing remained unchanged: he was always moving forward, never taking a step back.

The imaginary authority had shifted from being a helper to a hindrance. If he took a step back, the rule might drag him back to the real world by inertia, declaring that his five hundred years of obsession had failed completely.

Obviously, Otto would not allow that to happen.

"Plop!"

The will can be indomitable, but the body has its limits. No matter how hard he tried, Otto finally lost his strength at a certain moment and fell heavily to the ground.

The puppets created by imaginary numbers gradually gathered around him, holding various weapons, ready to destroy the fallen madman.

"Hu...Hu..."

Otto looked forward, and through the gaps between the puppets, he saw the endless bloody land. But he knew that this land had an end, and his wish was there, waiting for him to claim it.

"Bang!"

The greatsword mimicked the golden chain of Judah, forcibly breaking the barrier in front of him and dragging Otto forward.

At this moment, he no longer knew how far he had walked or how long he had been walking, but fatigue and pain could not drown his obsession to move forward.

In this way, he sometimes flew, sometimes crawled, gathering enough physical strength to get up and stagger forward, repeating the process continuously. Eventually, at a certain moment, the blood under his feet disappeared.

In front of the crawling Otto stood a magnificent tree. It was indescribable in words.

Starlight and time flowed across the tree's trunk, and the world and life were nurtured at the tips of its branches.

This was the origin and end of everything. If there was an omniscient and omnipotent God, this thing in front of him was it.

Otto had no strength left, or perhaps he had long lost all his strength. What brought him here was merely a wisp of obsession that could not be worn away.

"Kallen... I'm coming..."

Otto reached out and touched the trunk.

Here, it didn't matter what happened to his body. Even if he relied on his will alone, he could reach his destination and then return the life he had preserved for five hundred years to Kallen.

Otto felt himself falling.

But that was only an illusion. His real body was beneath the tree. What was falling at this moment was only his spirit—or his soul.

But none of that mattered. What mattered was the image that had been engraved in his heart for five hundred years—the chaotic Kolosten, which had already appeared in his eyes.

"Is there anything else?"

"What else?"

"Oh, right... I remember..."

Otto recalled the promise he made: to reveal the path to the Imaginary Tree for his world.

Although he was so tired that he could hardly think, and no one could hold him responsible if he didn’t do it, at the moment of meeting Kallen, Otto hoped there would be less darkness and more light on him—even if it was just a little bit. He would keep the promise he made to those who helped him.

Otto had to look back, grabbing the golden cube in his hand while looking in the direction he came from.

At the highest point of the myriad worlds, Otto saw everything at a glance.

All the hidden scripts, all the careful designs and precautions—everything was revealed in that single glance.

Then, Otto was shocked.

------

428: I'm Just Gambling

"So, that's how it is?"

"Ha..."

"Hahaha!!!"

The man who had just accomplished a feat that was enough to shock the world fell down under a tree and suddenly burst into laughter, laughing so hard that tears came out.

Was he furious?

Of course, he was.

He could ignore other actions. Even if he was fooled, it was still Angel's skill, and Otto had nothing to say about it.

But Yae Sakura had completely used Kallen to deceive him. How could Otto not be furious?

However, the fact that Otto Apocalypse was fooled was insignificant compared to the kindness that had personally pushed him here.

Now that his long-cherished wish was about to be fulfilled, his fury was like a breeze blowing across the lake, causing a slight ripple before disappearing.

He turned to think, and aside from fooling him, had Yae Sakura ever tarnished Kallen's image?

The answer was no, and she was even practicing Kallen's justice and belief in salvation with her own hands.

So, with his obsession about to be satisfied, was there any need for him to be furious?

"Could it be that you even calculated this?"

Otto took a deep breath. Emotionally, after all, his body was no different from being dead, and he could not perform such actions.

Just when he was doubting, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Yae Sakura sitting in the Overseer's office that originally belonged to him, looking up at the bright moon outside the window, with a complicated and sad expression.

……

"Mr. Otto, I can't predict what you will think. I'm just betting."

"I bet that completing the obsession has exhausted your strength, and you don't have the spare energy to come back and retaliate against me."

"I bet that even if you retaliate, you can only attack me in the real world, and I, in the quantum sea, can still strike back."

"I bet that when you meet Karen, you'll be more tolerant and kind than ever."

"I also bet... Although it started with acting, I never joked. Maybe even if you see everything clearly, you'll still be willing to admit that we are friends?"

"Anyway, I wish you all the best. Goodbye, Mr. Otto."

Yae Sakura raised her hand and tried to touch the bright moon through the glass.

She stood in the moonlight for a long time like a sculpture, then turned back and looked at the pile of work on the table

 Her little face suddenly became bitter.

……

"You've been playing me like a fool for so long."

"But that's right. If you weren't serious, how could you fool me?"

"Should I thank you for lying to me so seriously?"

However, after this absurd self-question, Otto couldn't help but laugh in his heart again, and couldn't stop at all.

The fool who fooled the world was fooled by a little girl in turn.

Isn't this ridiculous plot funny?

But at this moment, when his life was about to come to a perfect end, Kallen was already in front of him, and he truly couldn't harbor any more malice.

Otto focused his attention on the golden cube in his hand. Some complex and gorgeous patterns first covered the surface and then penetrated inside.

The knowledge that can only be obtained by reaching the imaginary tree cannot be stored through paper or computers, so the Void Archive was the only thing that could serve as a storage medium.

Now, the consciousness of Void Archive was likely fading rapidly, right?

But this was also the choice the Void Archive itself.

Velvet and Mobius respected the will of Void Archive, but its purpose was to expel the Houkai, and the knowledge recorded by Otto on the Tree of Imaginary Numbers was undoubtedly the most likely power to achieve this goal.

Therefore, Void Archive chose to obey — although it could not resist Otto in the first place.

Otto threw back the golden cube engraved with knowledge.

Also thrown back were the two Herrscher powers of Flame and Binding.

He fulfilled his promise to Angel and the others, sending this knowledge that should not belong to humans into the world.

Then, what else could he do?

His spirit was still falling, and with his last moments, he was about to touch the figure he had dreamed of.

At the last moment of his life, Otto looked back at the world again and suddenly felt that he might have a little strength left and could leave something behind.

…

"Grandpa!"

Theresa woke up from her sleep.

The pure white nightgown wrapped around her petite body, bringing a comfortable and soft touch. She remembered that this was the pajamas Otto had given her, or most of her personal items were carefully selected or even made by Otto himself, with excellent quality and perfectly suited to her living habits.

"Just now, did I have a dream?"

Theresa turned her head and saw the sunrise outside the window.

She rarely woke up so early, so it felt a little strange.

But she was no longer sleepy. Since she woke up so early, she might as well wash up and have breakfast.

Theresa got up and walked into the living room, catching a glimpse of a steaming breakfast on the dining table.

"!!!"

The familiar smell and meticulous plating technique made Theresa look around vigilantly.

"Grandpa! Come out quickly, I see you! Are you planning to live with me after retirement?"

Theresa searched quickly, beside the flowerpot, under the pillow, and in the trash can...

After searching all corners, she tilted her head, perplexed.

"Where are you hiding? Forget it, let's eat first, maybe he'll show up after eating."

Theresa was very familiar with Otto's methods.

"What magic is it that as long as you put the ingredients and recipes on the cooking table, you can wake up and cook a meal... I'm not a three-year-old child, I've long seen through it, and it was you who helped me do it."

"Theresa, I'm sorry, this magic will not work in the future."

"Grandpa!"

Theresa turned her head quickly.

Even though Theresa had many dissatisfactions with Otto's style, especially the one involving Cecilia and Kiana, the familial affection was real. If she had to choose an option for "the best grandpa in the world," Theresa knew she would choose Otto.

However, the smiling blond man did not appear.

"What... mean... am I... hallucinating?"

Theresa patted her forehead, looked at the dishes on the table, and her hands suddenly trembled uncontrollably, as if she had suddenly lost something — just like the feeling of losing Cecilia back then.

"Ding Dong!"

A message came from the internal mobile phone specially provided by Schicksal.

[Lady Theresa, I regret to inform you of this news. Last night, Archbishop Otto intercepted the Herrscher of Binding in advance by unknown means and... defeated the Herrscher at the cost of his life.]

The message came from Rita, followed by a long paragraph of explanation and words of comfort. Its chaotic writing showed that Rita was at a loss.

However, Theresa could no longer read it.

The remaining food aroma in her mouth suddenly became extremely bitter.

Theresa held the mobile phone, with panic and helpless tears, and stood there in a daze.

...

At the same time, Yae Sakura, who had been dealing with various handover tasks overnight, suddenly smelled the fragrance of tea in her exhaustion.

"Amber, why didn't you say you were here... huh?"

The door of the office was not opened, and there was no second breath in the room.

Yae Sakura was stunned for a moment, but saw a golden cube and two gems placed next to the teacup, and an envelope underneath.

[Sakura, when you see this letter, I have already left this world forever. You will naturally understand the details in the future. Anyway, there is no need to be sad for me, because I have already gotten what I wanted. I wrote this letter to tell you... I'm sorry, I will leave you alone in this era.]

[I'm sorry, I arbitrarily let you inherit the Schicksal and the will of Karen. Perhaps these are heavy burdens for you, and will make your life more difficult in this lonely era. But, apart from these, I really don't know what else I can leave for you.]

[You will spend the long time in the future alone, thinking about me and Karen alone, and living with our share. You will gradually experience the sadness, helplessness, and despair that I experience, but unlike me, you will definitely find many new friends, gain new ties, and gradually soothe those feelings. I believe in you, Sakura.]

[Originally, I had a lot to say, but maybe because I have been hypocritical for too long, I really don't know where to start. I want to say that I am very happy to meet you and become friends with you in these last days. Thank you, Sakura.]

[Finally, the things on the table are what I promised Angel and the others. Please help me deliver them later. This is the last job. Please, Sakura.]

Otto's writing style was as if he were sitting in front of you and saying these words face to face.

Yae Sakura looked at the letter for a long time, her throat blocked with emotion.

"Really, did you not see through it, or did you see through it and then deliberately retaliate to disturbing my mood, Mr. Otto?"

Or, in fact, both?

Yae Sakura smiled with mixed feelings and couldn't help but let tears fall from the corners of her eyes.

"Goodbye, Mr. Otto..."

------

429: Stuck

Soon after dawn, Durandal, who had flown back and forth overnight, hurried to Yae Sakura with Rita and Amber.

"Sakura, Archbishop Otto... he..."

"He's gone, right?"

Yae Sakura stroked the letter and added words for Durandal, who was out of breath.

The three who had come together were all flustered and at a loss.

Yae Sakura put down the letter and did not explain why she already knew. She simply symbolically asked Durandal about what she had seen and heard.

Durandal told the story of Kolosten, which had turned into a huge pit of the abyss, and of Angel, who was waiting there, and the information Angel had told her in a somewhat disorganized manner.

Yae Sakura was unusually silent.

After listening to all this information, she slowly turned her head and looked at the rising sun in the sky.

The red sunlight shone on her crystal-clear eyes, which were unexpectedly calm.

But in the eyes of the other three, this calmness held a deeper sadness and remembrance.

After all, only Yae Sakura could be regarded as Otto's friend.

They were not; they were just subordinates and students.

"Ah..."

After a long time, Yae Sakura sighed, turned around, and looked at the three people again, offering a reassuring, gentle smile.

At this time, Rita took a step forward with some uneasiness and said:

"Sakura, when I just received the news, Rita was flustered and subconsciously... passed the news to Lady Theresa. Please punish me."

It was disloyal not to notify Yae Sakura as soon as she received the news.

It was reckless and self-willed to pass it directly to Theresa without consulting Yae Sakura.

It stood to reason that this should not have been the action of the smart and capable Rita.

Yae Sakura stood up, walked around the desk, and came to Rita. She pressed Rita's head with one hand, bringing her forehead to Rita’s. Then, she gently pressed both of their heads together.

Like comforting a child, Yae Sakura looked at them with gentle eyes.

"It's okay. I understand you. Any member of Schicksal who lost Mr. Otto would not be able to remain calm. I understand your feelings and your panic now, so don't blame yourself. Thank you for your hard work."

Rita's eyes were red.

As Yae Sakura had said, no Valkyrie could imagine the scene of losing Otto. Even if he had abdicated, everyone knew he was still there and could come out to support the overall situation at any time.

This was different from his death.

Especially for Valkyries like them who had been close to Otto, the reliance they always had in their hearts was irreplaceable.

"Durandal, you've traveled so far overnight. Go back and rest. Rita and Amber, you too. I will give you half a day to adjust your spirits. Afterward, please continue to speed up the preparations for my succession ceremony."

At the moment when the former archbishop had just died, the successor archbishop was in such a hurry to take the position.

At first glance, it might seem like she had too much desire for power, which could easily make people think of darker motives.

But they were all familiar with Yae Sakura's gentleness and kindness.

In their opinion, this was Yae Sakura silently swallowing all the grief and resolutely carrying the banner Otto had left behind.

"Mr. Otto's departure cannot be concealed. Instead of letting everyone guess, I will announce it to the world at the succession ceremony, telling everyone what Mr. Otto has done, what he has left for us, and how we should inherit his career."

Yae Sakura added.

The three nodded in unison, unable to express any opinions.

Yae Sakura smiled at them, picked up the letter, golden cube, and two gems from the table, and said:

"I still have the last job Mr. Otto gave me, and I have to go to Saint Freya. Leave Theresa to me. Amber, before I rest, please help me prepare the rocket to the Far East. I will try to go and come back as soon as possible. Oh, by the way, I almost forgot I have Jizo Mitama. No need for rockets, please notify them first. I will be there soon."

"Yes, Bishop."

The panic at the highest level of Schicksal was calmed down.

Although the loss of Otto would remain in their hearts for a long time, and it was uncertain when they could recover completely, at least they saw that they still had a backbone and knew what to do next.

For the time being, this was enough.

...

Theresa's problem needs to be solved.

Although her strength is no longer of any major use, her former S-class prestige and her achievements in training a large number of new generation Valkyries as the school principal— to be honest, this achievement alone is enough for many people before to assume she was the crown princess.

More importantly, she is also Angel's dean. Although they don’t live under the same roof, Angel remembers all the care Theresa showed her in the early days.

"Buzz—"

In Saint Freya, a strange electric sound suddenly came from the open computer screen in the school principal's office.

Then Yae Sakura's head popped out of it.

"...Uh, that, is there a bigger screen? My chest is stuck."

"..." x N

Even Theresa, who was still in a state of emotional turmoil but had been dragged here by Himeko, couldn't help but look at Yae Sakura blankly at this moment.

The fox-eared priestess who emerged from the screen with her hands on the frame had an extremely embarrassed smile on her face.

No one expected this to happen, but in the end, Yae Sakura still came to Saint Freya.

She held the golden cube that could no longer be considered Void Archives in one hand, and held the two Herrscher cores of Flame and Binding in the other hand, and handed them to Angel.

"Mr. Otto said that this is his deal with you."

"Thank you."

Angel took the two cores and naturally integrated them into her body.

At this moment, the four scientists had no objections.

The rare Herrscher core was no longer in their eyes. What they cared about now was the golden cube engraved with complex patterns—the data of the tree of imaginary numbers that could be touched, the most advanced research data that was unique in two eras!

Mobius' eyes suddenly sharpened.

"Wait, Otto told you? You mean, he talked to you before he gave you these things?"

"To be precise, he made me a cup of tea and left a letter."

"Where is the letter?"

"This..."

She didn't expect Mobius to be so perceptive.

But Yae Sakura didn't really want to hand over the letter. This was Otto's relic, a relic left specifically for Yae Sakura.

Mobius actually understood people's hearts, but she just didn't bother to understand them most of the time.

So, she roughly understood Yae Sakura's mentality and spoke casually,

"Can you tell me the content of the letter?"

"Just some farewell and blessings, and told me to give these things to you."

Yae Sakura was stunned again.

The letter didn't mention the truth about Angel at all. Perhaps, it was just to make it easier for her to hand over the letter for research?

Otto's tenderness at the last moment of his life was truly... a bit unbearable.

------

430: It Must Be a Dream, Right?

Yae Sakura smiled bitterly and shook her head. She made a decision without any hesitation and said softly.

"I want to keep the letter for myself. I'm sorry, Dr. Mobius."

"Tsk! Forget it, whatever you want. Anyway, the big find must be in this cube."

Mobius set it aside after being unhappy and took the cube from Angel's hand.

Then, the four scientists gathered together. Even though they had no equipment and no specific research ideas, they observed and discussed with great interest.

They were so focused that the atmosphere became somewhat fanatical, causing everyone to stay away from them and not dare to disturb them.

They felt that if they showed up among them at this time, except for special people like Angel or Ninti, the outcome would be very bad.

Yae Sakura bypassed them, smiled gently at Himeko, Fu Hua, Kiana, and others present, and then walked over to Theresa, who had been absent-minded.

"Theresa..."

"Ah! It's Sakura, long time no see! I'll take you... take you to eat something delicious!"

"Theresa, the news is true."

"Hahaha! What are you talking about? I don't understand anything at all."

Theresa laughed, but her laughter sounded more like crying.

"By the way, I remembered that I have something else to do. I'll go home first. You guys can talk slowly!"

After speaking hastily, sounding almost like gibberish, Theresa rushed out of the office.

"So, what happened?"

Himeko looked at the silent crowd and frowned.

Anyone could see Theresa's panic, as if she was avoiding some unacceptable reality. As Theresa's close friend, Himeko naturally noticed it.

However, she was the only one present who didn't know what had happened.

Due to her lack of ability, Angel had excluded Himeko from her plan from the start. So, apart from knowing that Angel and the others were going to do important things at the headquarters, she knew nothing else.

Yae Sakura patted Angel on the shoulder.

"You explain it. I believe Himeko is a trustworthy person."

"Yes."

Angel nodded.

After finishing things here, Yae Sakura walked to Theresa's door.

As expected, the door was closed, and the chaotic atmosphere from within could be felt.

"No..."

"Why would I have such a dream?"

"Damn it, it seems I have to sleep for a while before I can wake up. But before that, I need to cook first."

Theresa took vegetables and meat from the refrigerator, placed them on the cooking table, and then put a recipe book next to them.

She quickly ran into the bedroom without changing her shoes or clothes, pulling the quilt over herself.

"Yes, it must be a nightmare. As long as I wake up, it will be fine. The magic will definitely work again, just like before..."

Theresa closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep.

However, her tears wet the quilt covering her face.

But she still tried to sleep because only when she woke up would the nightmare end.

...

Yae Sakura waited for a long time before quietly entering the house.

She saw the ingredients on the cooking table and a page from the recipe book that did not match the ingredients at all.

Theresa had not looked at the ingredients or recipes; she had only hurriedly grabbed the things closest to her.

With such a combination, even if the magic were still there, she would probably be confused for a long time.

Yae Sakura sighed silently, lifted her sleeves, and tied an apron around herself.

...

Theresa didn't know whether she was asleep or not.

In fact, she probably wasn’t, because people who are truly asleep don’t think like this.

After an unknown period of time, she suddenly smelled food wafting from the living room again.

"!"

Theresa immediately threw off the quilt and ran out.

Standing in the living room, she rubbed her red, swollen eyes as she looked at the fragrant dishes on the dining table.

"What? It was just a dream after all. The magic is still here!"

The magic is still there, meaning that Otto, who had realized the magic, was still there, and nothing had changed.

Theresa chuckled, completely ignoring the shoes and clothes she hadn't changed— or rather, she deliberately ignored these factors.

Theresa went to the bathroom, washed up again, came to the dining table, and stuffed the food into her mouth happily.

"Well, that's the taste~~"

She was so disoriented that she couldn’t even identify the taste in her mouth.

But she had to think that this was the taste of the magic from before.

"Ding Ding Dong Dong!"

The sound of bowls, chopsticks, and porcelain plates colliding rang out rapidly as Theresa swallowed everything in her path.

After finishing all the food, Theresa held the chopsticks blankly, unsure of what to do next.

Then, the consequences of eating so quickly caught up with her, and the physiological nausea made her cover her mouth and retch.

"Ugh--"

"Bang!"

Theresa slammed the table as she gagged, huge tears falling one by one.

Amid sobs, a pair of warm and soft hands reached out from behind, gently hugging Theresa and stroking her head.

"Sakura... I... I don't believe it..."

Theresa choked, her tears blurring everything in front of her.

Yae Sakura sighed and said:

"I know, no one can believe it."

"It's impossible. Grandpa... He clearly..."

Isn't it said that evil will last for a thousand years?

What’s more, Otto was a super evil being with countless backup clones. He's a person who should have obviously lived for a very long time.

"He promised to come to see me and bring me gifts."

"I will bring them to you in the future."

"I still have so much to talk to him about..."

"Tell me everything. I will listen carefully on behalf of Mr. Otto."

"Sakura... I... I..."

"Cry it out. Just cry it out. There is no one else here. It won't be embarrassing."

So, under Yae Sakura's gentle touch, Theresa finally burst into tears.

...

Himeko, Kiana, and the others, who had come to Theresa's door, looked at each other when they heard the loud crying inside.

Kiana looked anxious and reached out to open the door.

But she was held back by the more calm Himeko.

Himeko pursed her lips, shook her head at Kiana.

"Let her cry for now. We can talk about the rest later."

"...Otto was obviously a bad guy."

Kiana said sullenly after a moment of silence.

Angel took Kiana’s hand and said to everyone with a complicated look in her eyes:

"The bad guy isn’t bad in every way. At least as a grandfather, he was really good to Principal Theresa. Let her take some time off. Yae Sakura is probably just as sad; they can comfort each other."

"Angel is right. Losing a close relative and a close friend must be heartbreaking. For now, let’s not disturb them."

Himeko agreed with Angel’s judgment and led everyone back the same way.

...

Theresa cried until she was exhausted in Yae Sakura's warm embrace and fell asleep in a daze.

"It’s good this way. It should be better for her to have a good sleep, right? Mr. Otto, you really left me with a difficult task."

Why didn’t he just gave the cube and gem to Angel, but instead sent Yae Sakura to Saint Freya like this?

When she saw Theresa, Yae Sakura understood the answer.

Regarding Otto’s death, Saint Freya and Anti-Entropy, who had a grudge against Otto, could hardly comfort Theresa.

Only Yae Sakura who was friends with Otto and had a close relationship with Theresa was the most suitable person to help her.

"Ah..."

Yae Sakura gently touched Theresa’s face, her feelings mixed, then stood up and carried her into the bedroom.

-----

431: Rita's Real Name is Envious

"Rita, do you think it's possible for us to introduce Anti-Entropy's management system? Judging by the efficiency of the last disaster relief, excellent artificial intelligence has great advantages in many process-related tasks. If used properly, it can significantly improve the organizational efficiency of Schicksal."

"Sakura-sama, this idea... is feasible, but a key issue needs to be addressed. If we directly implement their system, Anti-Entropy will certainly encrypt the system structure and even restrict us from conducting research through a treaty. This is because once Schicksal has research results on the system, Anti-Entropy's own main system will be at risk. But if... if we can't study and control this system, they can interfere with us at any time. Currently, our relationship is far from being at that stage."

"In fact, we don't need to worry about system risks. Have you forgotten that I have Jizo Mitama, and the data world is completely defenseless to me? Angel who also has this ability is also a member of Schicksal. Of course, there's also Ninti, who can mimic Jizo Mitama on the Anti-Entropy side. In general, the deterrent power in the data world is balanced, and no one dares to interfere."

"Ah, I see..." Rita almost forgot about these powerful individuals with specialized technological attack skills.

Yae Sakura still wanted to continue the discussion. In fact, whether to introduce the Red Queen or not didn't matter much. It wasn't difficult to have Nagamitsu collaborate with Vill-V and Mobius to come up with a proper management system.

The real issue was that Angel was accustomed to the efficient one-man operation on Anti-Entropy side and was too lazy to adapt to Schicksal's management structure.

Although Schicksal's system that was run by Otto is much better than the original Anti-Entropy system, it still lacked the efficiency of AI governance. That was the gap between the era.

However, at this moment, a sound came from the bedroom behind her.

Yae Sakura turned around and saw Theresa running out barefoot. Her confused eyes were filled with panic and helplessness. She looked at Yae Sakura with a pitiable expression, like an insecure little beast.

Yae Sakura smiled gently and opened her arms to Theresa.

How could Theresa still care about her face or dignity at this point?

She ran into Yae Sakura's embrace, and Yae Sakura lifted her up, then curled her up in a warm, fragrant space, giving her a small sense of security.

Yae Sakura held Theresa like this, then glanced back and noticed the intense envy in Rita's eyes through the computer screen.

Smiling, Yae Sakura said, "Let's stop here for now. I might stay here for a few days. I'll leave the headquarters in your capable hands."

"Yes, Archbishop!"

"I've told you, it's not a formal occasion. No need to be so polite with me. I'm not used to it."

"You're right, Sakura."

Rita's eyes turned red with envy, but she knew the timing wasn't right. After worrying about Theresa for a while, she didn't say anything teasing. Instead, she respectfully bowed and ended the communication.

Yae Sakura then lowered her head and gently stroked Theresa's white hair.

"Are you hungry? I'll cook something for you. Is there anything you want to eat?"

"I... I'm not hungry."

"That's fine. You probably won't be hungry anyway. But I have to eat something myself. I haven't eaten all day."

"M... Mapo tofu..."

Theresa mumbled.

At the same time, a "gurgling" sound from her stomach demanded food. Yae Sakura smiled calmly, as if she hadn't heard anything, and said:

"What did you say? Are you calling me 'mom'? Or 'grandma'? I'm the only one here."

"... I said, I want to eat mapo tofu!"

"Okay! Then, the world's cutest little Theresa, please put on your shoes and wash your face. I'll make you mapo tofu right away!"

Yae Sakura put Theresa down, raised her hand, and gently pressed it on her head, rubbing it with a smile.

Theresa was genuinely annoyed, but in front of Yae Sakura's smiling eyes full of tolerance, she couldn't help but blush, turned around, and ran back to the bedroom.

Being sad alone and having someone accompany you are two very different things.

At least, Theresa felt a little less sad and regained some energy under Yae Sakura's playful teasing.

When Theresa came out of the bedroom in her yellow home slippers, the kitchen was already filled with a delicious aroma, and a table full of tasty food was ready.

Of course, it included the mapo tofu Theresa had asked for.

Under Yae Sakura's smiling, encouraging gaze, Theresa scooped up a spoonful of tender, hot tofu and put it into her mouth.

The spicy, fragrant, and flavorful dish fully lived up to expectations and brought an incomparable sense of satisfaction.

"Delicious..."

Theresa said blankly, feeling a warm current spread through her stomach and flow through her entire body. It was incredibly comforting.

Yae Sakura smiled with satisfaction, served Theresa a bowl of rice, and began eating herself.

The meal was somewhat quiet.

This was mainly because Theresa had cried a lot earlier and had slept all day. The food that had caused her to vomit earlier had already been digested—Kaslana blood, you know.

Plus, with Yae Sakura Angel's cooking skills—praised even by everyone from the Thirteen MANTIS to the Paramecium—Theresa was so focused on eating that she forgot to speak for a while.

Since Theresa wasn't talking, Yae Sakura decided to speak.

"How long has it been since I last had dinner with Mr. Otto?"

"... It was last Christmas. A long time ago."

"Really? I also came to this era around that time. Now that I think about it, I haven't had many dinners with Mr. Otto."

"Eh? Aren't you always at the headquarters? Besides, Sakura, you seem to have a good relationship with Grandpa."

Theresa's sadness was replaced by curiosity.

At this point, anyone could talk to her about Otto—except about life and death—and Theresa would subconsciously get involved.

Yae Sakura didn't respond immediately but picked up a piece of meat and held it to Theresa's mouth, saying:

"Ah~~"

"I'm not a child anymore! Ah~~"

Theresa glared at Yae Sakura in annoyance, chewing the delicious dish.

Then, under Yae Sakura's infinitely gentle gaze, she blushed and lowered her head silently.

Yae Sakura then slowly said:

"I came to this strange era alone, with no relatives or goals. It was Mr. Otto who brought me into Schicksal and guided me in the direction of life."

"Is that so..."

"Later, I inexplicably received one job after another and position after position. Before I knew it, I became so busy every day that I didn't know where I was going. I ended up taking on a lot of Mr. Otto's work. And Mr. Otto's dinners... well, they were elegant, to put it nicely. I felt that he was too slow, so I didn't have time to waste with him and simply turned down his invitations."

"What? Grandpa actually did such a thing? He always criticized me for slacking off and told me to work harder!"

Theresa slammed the table angrily.

---------

432: Grandpa is not dead

Then, sadness overcame me again.

Before Theresa could sink further into it, a warm hand stroked her head, pulling her out of her sorrow.

Yae Sakura looked at Theresa tenderly, a trace of sadness in her eyes, and smiled.

"Right, Mr. Otto really went too far. He asked me to suppress the Honkai, and then he had me act as the Archbishop to oversee disaster relief. This time too, he suddenly announced to the world that I would become the Archbishop, and then, just like that... he left. It’s really too much, and they always bully me, an honest person."

"Sakura, you..."

"I'm fine, I'm fine. I can only say that Mr. Otto left too quickly; otherwise, I would have skewered him with a blade and hung him at the highest point of Schicksal for the Valkyries to see the consequences of slacking off."

"Puff! Don’t... don’t make me laugh at a time like this!"

Theresa couldn’t stop laughing and wiped away her tears. Yae Sakura just looked at her tenderly, like a young mother, and also like the beautiful sister next door.

Theresa is this type. Cecilia won Theresa's heart with her gentle, maternal radiance. From then on, Theresa was willing to go through fire and water for Cecilia’s family for generations.

The only pity is that Siegfried, who looked white but was actually yellow, came out and attacked Cecilia when Theresa wasn’t paying attention. Because Cecilia liked him, Theresa, couldn’t touch that man, but this incident made her hold a grudge for ten thousand years. She had never given Siegfried a kind look.

Now, the same type of Cecilia appeared in front of Theresa. Although the appearance was different, she was equally exquisite, beautiful, gentle, and kind. She also shared the grace of saving her life in Nagazora City, and was now someone who shared the grief of losing Otto with her.

In short, it felt comforting.

Theresa sniffed and pulled Yae Sakura’s sleeve.

"Thank you, Sakura."

"What are you talking about? Aren’t we good friends? Besides, you must be the one Mr. Otto was most worried about before he left. No matter what, I will stay with you through this period until you can smile again."

Ah, it’s perfect, too perfect!

Cecilia... that’s how it feels!

Theresa really doesn’t mean to find a substitute!

This would be an insult to Yae Sakura in front of her, and also an insult to Cecilia in her heart. But at this vulnerable moment, with such a gentle person accompanying her, it’s really hard for Theresa not to break down.

"Sakura, you are so nice!"

"I am not nice. Don’t forget that I will soon take over the position of the Overseer. At that time, I will firmly grasp the working atmosphere of the upper and lower levels and will never allow Mr. Otto’s procrastination and slacking style to spread. Theresa-chan, be prepared—I won’t let you peek at comics during working hours again!"

"You... you... you are talking nonsense! You are slandering me! I will not peek at comics during working hours! If you don’t believe me, just ask anyone. I will see who dares... ahem, I mean, that no one will say that!"

"Oh? Really? Speaking of which, it’s the same at the headquarters. Amber and Rita dare not say openly that Mr. Otto is slacking off. Only Durandal dares to directly admonish him. Thinking about it this way, maybe I should ask Kiana?"

Yae Sakura looked like she was thinking seriously.

For a moment, Theresa didn’t understand why Durandal would target Kiana. She just suddenly remembered her eldest niece’s slow-witted brain, and she became anxious.

"Qi... Kiana... Don’t ask Kiana! She... She’s not clear-headed. Ask someone else!"

"But hasn’t she been promoted to A-rank?"

"That’s because Grandpa had ulterior motives, so he coaxed her. In reality, Kiana’s... brain isn’t really functioning well. Don’t ask her; she will only talk nonsense, really!"

"Huh? This is the first time I’ve seen someone so eager to prove that their eldest niece has a problem with her brain."

Yae Sakura showed a surprised and puzzled look, exclaiming seriously.

She didn’t forget to blink playfully.

At that moment, an electric current seemed to pass through her eyes and into Theresa’s little heart.

Theresa really didn’t want to be so disappointing, but she looked so much like Cecilia, and that playful electric gaze was so innocent and cute...

Hehehe, Grandpa, the widow you left behind is truly remarkable!

"Ah! That’s not what I meant!"

Theresa wanted to slap herself hard to wake herself up. Then, she looked at Yae Sakura’s smiling face and couldn’t help but feel warm in her heart.

Theresa understood, of course. Yae Sakura was teasing her to help her change her mood.

She was caring for her. It wasn’t that she really found it fun to tease her, right?

Feeling cared for, and after this series of twists and turns, Theresa finally walked out of her most vulnerable moment. She sniffed, rubbed her wet eyes, and said, "Sakura, tell me what happened."

"Are you ready to listen?"

"Yes."

"Then... have dinner first, help me wash the dishes, then wash your little cat face. After that, let’s sit down and I’ll slowly tell you what I know."

Yae Sakura said in a doting and soft voice, while gently stroking Theresa’s eyes with both hands to wipe away her tears. Theresa was about to stop crying, but when Yae Sakura touched her, her eyes suddenly turned red again.

After that, they finished eating, cleaned up, and went to the sofa together.

Yae Sakura hugged Theresa, and Theresa snuggled into her arms. After today’s experience, this kind of contact felt very natural.

"The story will be a bit long. It starts from Mr. Otto’s childhood five hundred years ago..."

Angel did not intend to make Otto’s specific experiences and mental journey public. Dissecting a super leader who had accumulated five hundred years of reputation and turning him into a figure with both merits and faults, difficult for ordinary people to accept, would severely impact the current situation of Schicksal—one of the largest human organizations on the planet. The human heart of Schicksal could risk falling apart.

There was no need for that. Moreover, it was somewhat insulting to let the world comment on his feelings for the saint at will.

But Theresa was different. She might be the only one qualified to know everything, and Otto would never reject her.

So, Yae Sakura explained the whole story. Otto’s original intentions, his plans, Angel’s interference, and his ending—everything, except the secret involving Angel, was told.

Theresa listened quietly, without making a sound or questioning. In the silence, the innocent eyes beneath the young body gradually became more still.

As long as Otto was alive, Theresa would always be a child.

And tonight, it was time for her to grow up.

------

433: Invitation

"Hmm~~"

The next day, Theresa woke up in a warm and soft embrace.

She got up early again. Yes, she had slept so much yesterday, so of course, she would get up early today.

Looking up, she saw Yae Sakura's face, still asleep, peaceful and beautiful.

"It feels much better than Himeko."

It's not a problem with Himeko's appearance, but mainly because Himeko doesn't sleep well. She often hugs Theresa like a pillow in her sleep, making it hard to breathe. Sometimes, she would even kick Theresa right out of bed.

Compared to her, Yae Sakura's embrace is just right—a gentle and tolerant sense of security, without any roughness.

"A person from a past obsession comes to the modern world suddenly, is brought into Schicksal by grandfather, and guided in the right direction... Isn't this the same as me?"

Theresa snuggled into the soft chest, a smile on her lips.

She was no exception. She came to this world suddenly and was given the surname Apocalypse by Otto. From then on, she started her life under his watch.

That is to say, after Otto left, the person who gave her this warmth was someone in the same situation as her.

This feeling made Theresa feel particularly at ease.

Thinking of Otto, Theresa was still inconsolable, but at least she could hold back her tears and stay rational.

"Theresa... why did you wake up so early?"

Yae Sakura seemed to feel the movement in her arms, her long eyelashes trembling slightly. She slowly opened her beautiful eyes with confusion.

Theresa raised her lips and said proudly:

"You are too lazy. I get up early every day and work hard!"

"Is that so?"

"Of course! Would I lie to you, Sakura?"

"Yeah, that's right. I have to work harder... I can't be lazy in my work as the Overseer... I'm so sleepy..."

Yae Sakura didn't seem fully awake yet, but she was struggling to rouse herself.

Theresa saw this confused look and covered her mouth hard, almost unable to hold back her laughter.

In general, former Crown Princess Theresa had no objection to Yae Sakura's succession to the archbishop from the beginning, and now she thinks it's great. At least she is trustworthy, and there is no need to worry about those conspiracies and dark things.

What bad intentions could Yae Sakura have?

Even Grandpa can easily fool her into working. I, Theresa, am so smart and clever. Wouldn't it be easier to fool her?

Yae Sakura finally woke up completely and noticed that Theresa covered her mouth, her eyes moving around cleverly. Theresa couldn't tell what she was thinking.

"Good morning, Theresa."

Yae Sakura didn't care about those little thoughts. She just smiled gently and stroked Theresa's head affectionately.

Theresa's face turned red.

"Good morning, Sakura."

A new day had begun.

A new era had also begun.

Otto had disappeared. From now on, the entire Schicksal would move in a new direction. And she, Theresa, should become a more mature and independent school principal.

Theresa became thoughtful, then smiled brightly.

...

Yae Sakura didn't stay at St. Freya.

Seeing that Theresa had come out of her uncontrollable grief, Yae Sakura simply chatted with other people.

Then, under Theresa's reluctant gaze, she plugged into the computer and climbed back to the headquarters of Schicksal along the network cable.

"Tsk tsk tsk! Look at those pitiful eyes. It's only been a few days. What? You've been conquered?"

"Himeko! Did you tell on me in front of Sakura? I'm going to deduct your salary!"

"Whatever. I'm not short of money."

Tachibana Yuki is Angel, and Angel is Tachibana Yuki.

With a clone of the richest man in the Far East, how could Himeko have any financial troubles?

You can just find some excuses to attach all kinds of assets to Himeko. At first, she would righteously say that she wouldn't accept bribes, but after many refusals, Himeko was too lazy to care. She couldn't turn against someone just because they gave her a big gift, right?

So, deducting salary or something like that no longer threatened Himeko.

Theresa also knew about these situations. Himeko was a clear-headed person. If there were such strange gifts, she would naturally discuss them with her immediate boss and close friend of many years—Theresa.

Theresa knew the salary deduction had lost its deterrent effect, so she became more daring and rushed over, teeth bared and claws extended.

"Hey! Theresa, what are you doing?"

"Give me your life!"

"Ah!!!"

The two of them were in a mess, and it was an unbearable scene of the former S-class Valkyrie bullying the A-class Valkyrie with brute force.

In short, Theresa had come out of her grief, and Yae Sakura had completed the first communication with St. Freya, the most complicated branch, ensuring the complete unity of Schicksal.

As for Yae Sakura's expression when she crawled out of the computer in the Archbishop's office and saw the documents piled on the table... I wish her good luck.

For the next month...

The top people of Schicksal worked overtime to complete the renovation of the headquarters, department investigations, ceremony details, external invitations, and other tasks.

Those who truly decided the situation also received official letters from Schicksal.

...

Anti-Entropy Headquarters. Cocolia looked at Raiden Ryoma, Siegfried, Bronya, Chen Tianwu, and other generals in front of her. She crossed her hands, supported them on the table, and said:

"What do you think?"

"In any case," Bronya began, "I think it's a good thing that Schicksal has a new leader. When she was at St. Freya, Bronya had some contact with Yae Sakura, and she also asked Angel and others these past two days... I think she must be much better than Otto—easier to deal with, and more trustworthy."

"I think Chief Bronya is right. And giving such a formal invitation at the succession ceremony shows goodwill for reconciliation and cooperation. The thirteen Herrschers have all appeared and been properly dealt with. The next step is the most critical battle of the End. In fact, we all have only one choice: cooperation."

Bronya and Chen Tianwu expressed their opinions one after another. One based on Yae Sakura's intelligence, the other on the current situation. Both meant accepting the invitation.

Cocolia did not comment, and her calm and indifferent demeanor did not reveal her thoughts. She simply spoke to Ryoma, "Raiden Ryoma, what do you think? You have been with the leader the longest, and you are the one who knows the root of the hatred between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy the most. What do you think we should do?"

"If we stand from the perspective of the leader and the two doctors," Raiden Ryoma began, "I think the root of the hatred is Otto, not Schicksal. We have always opposed Schicksal, who advocates fighting against the Honkai, but Otto, who is unpredictable and unscrupulous. Since Otto has abdicated, there is nothing that Anti-Entropy and Schicksal cannot let go of. What's more, Einstein and Tesla are now..."

Haven't they been staying in Schicksal's territory? It seems that they have cooperated with Otto.

For the future of mankind, they can even tolerate Otto, so there is no reason to refuse Schicksal without Otto.

Raiden Ryoma said this, meaning he had spoken for the three elders who are in space and in Schicksal, and are not convenient to attend the meeting.

In this way, Cocolia would not be considered to have ignored them. She picked up the invitation letter on the table, read it carefully, and suddenly raised the corner of her mouth, saying, "Maybe it's not just as simple as witnessing..."

-------

434: The Gray Serpent's fist is Hard.

At the same time, at the World Serpent's base, Gray Serpent walked into the throne room with an elegant invitation.

"The technology for large-scale activation of the stigmata, the technology for the stigmata's appearance... is very good. Jackal, you impressed me."

"Tsk! It's just a little supplement made based on the design of the predecessors and the actual situation. Really, since you already have a plan, why make me deduce it from the beginning? Are you kidding me?"

"Jackal!"

Gray Serpent's voice became heavier, and he shot a cold glare at this fearless colleague.

Jackal also turned her head, with a fierce, beast-like gleam in her golden eyes and a murderous aura.

Of course, Gray Serpent understood her feelings.

Project Stigma had a complete design from the start, and Jackal's role was to verify some of the key technologies.

In the original plan, Jackal was supposed to complete the verification one by one to understand the full scope of Project Stigma, but by the time she was working on it, the plan had likely already begun.

Unexpectedly, her scientific research ability was stronger than anticipated. Not only did she complete the verification in advance and understand the entire plan, but she also made some adjustments to the details.

This made Gray Serpent feel that he had a sharp eye back then. It was truly fortunate for the World Serpent to have accepted Jackal.

However, as the person involved, Jackal knew she had been playing the sidelines from the start. It was normal for her to be angry due to her unruly nature.

"Don't be reckless just because you've made contributions. We are all gears in the Project Stigma, but aside from the Lord, none of us is irreplaceable. I hope you understand that."

"I understand you*****＃!"

Jackal replied elegantly and casually.

Gray Serpent was unmoved and had long been accustomed to being scolded.

He calmly walked forward and handed over the invitation letter.

"My Lord, Lord Shamash, Schicksal has sent a letter, hoping to invite the World Serpent to attend the succession ceremony of the new Archbishop Yae Sakura and discuss future matters."

Kevin took the letter but did not open it. Instead, he turned his head to look at Shamash, who was flying beside him.

"So, Otto is dead?"

"He is dead. If he went to that kind of place, there is no possibility of his return."

"Do you think it's necessary to go?"

"Although we are destined to be enemies, if you want to witness the spirit of this era, you can go. It should be a gathering place for many stars."

The two of them were exactly the same in their indifference.

Kevin was cold, and Shamash looked even colder than him.

Kevin looked at the letter and frowned slightly.

It stands to reason that he shouldn't care about the matters of this era, but he couldn't help but think of Ninti whom he hadn't seen in a long time, as well as Hua, Mobius, and Vill-V — the latter two being the most important, the persistent blood pressure boosters.

It seemed that there was nothing wrong with going to take a look, right?

After all, there was nothing to do in the throne room.

"Wait, I think I understand."

"Hmm?"

"World Serpent has always been low-key and secretive, yet they invited us to such an open occasion. Moreover, they mentioned discussing the future... Perhaps, this is a showdown, and the visitor is not friendly. You are more clear about this aspect, what do you think, Gray Serpent?"

After Shamash's appropriate guidance, without looking at Kevin, who was still thinking, she directed the topic to Gray Serpent.

Gray Serpent nodded.

"Lord Shamash is wise, I think so too. Schicksal knows our style and also knows that we are enemies, but he is acting like this, and it is still at an event like the succession ceremony where heavyweights gather. I fear he is preparing to reveal his cards to us."

"Well, do you think we should go to the meeting?"

"... There is a certain possibility that it could develop into a conflict."

On the surface, it appears to be an invitation for qualified people to witness the event, which seems reasonable.

However, considering the past relationship between the two parties and their respective positions, this invitation feels strange.

In short, Gray Serpent sensed a faint smell of gunpowder.

Shamash floated down, simply sitting in Kevin's palm. She opened the envelope in his hand and read it carefully. After a moment, she said lightly.

"Honkai Banquet. What do you think, Kevin?"

"Mobius and Vill-V haven't told me their position yet."

Kevin said calmly, not caring about the risk.

In other words, the strange invitation became an opportunity for him to get an answer. If a war breaks out, which side the two stand on will directly indicate their choice.

Shamash frowned.

"Angel has become the Chimera of this era and has the ability to seize the power of the Herrscher, plus Hua... Are you sure?"

"It doesn't matter."

"Project Stigma is imminent, and you're more confident in your prime, so I'll go."

"If you go, you won't be able to come back."

Kevin lowered his eyes and looked at this ELF, or companion, who was as ready to die as he was.

Shamash simply replied. "That's good. It proves that this era is qualified to face you."

"...Refuse it."

"No, I think it's necessary to go. If I am absent, we won't know what they'll do next. They have the Herrscher of Corruption, the Herrscher of Reason, and the Key of Corruption, and the Gray Serpent can no longer break through their network defenses. If I can't come back, it proves that they've changed their approach, and the plan should be accelerated."

Kevin was speechless, but there was a hint of complexity in his eyes.

The ELF was too much like himself.

It was clear that he could refuse this risk, but just for the smooth progress of Project Stigma, he could rush into danger as if nothing had happened.

After a long silence, Kevin nodded coldly.

This wasn't the original game plot that could be seen at a glance. The world now truly hides a terrifying background that Kevin couldn't ignore.

Therefore, the world’s direction, whether the two major organizations, Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, have decided to jointly attack the World Serpent, must be clarified.

In response, Gray Serpent and Jackal looked at each other, then bowed at the same time, silently expressing their respect for Shamash.

Just when Kevin was still hesitating, Gray Serpent spoke.

"In addition, we just received a list of instruments requested by Master Mobius and Master Vill-V. We..."

There was a hint of hesitation in Gray Serpent's voice.

Now, he might be the most conflicted person.

On one hand, he had followed Kevin for thousands of years and devoted all those years to the Project Stigma, but on the other hand—there was Mobius, his creator, the source of the name World Serpent.

Gray Serpent couldn’t abandon Kevin.

Gray Serpent couldn’t disobey Mobius.

It was almost splitting the Gray Serpent's consciousness network.

Kevin was still absorbed in his thoughts about Shamash when heard this and felt his blood pressure rise slightly — how many times had this happened?

Yes, the World Serpent had many unique equipment from the previous era, but you two can't keep doing this, right?

Do you think this is your warehouse?

Do you really think I won’t teach you a lesson with Shamash?

"... Give it to them."

Kevin finally said coldly.

--------

434: It's Really Shameless

The external explanation for the Battle of Kolosten was the Battle of Binding.

After that, the world entered a rare period of peace.

The World Serpent quietly arranged their Project Stigma. Anti-Entropy continued to increase the number of mechanical legions, while the leader and the young leader fished for the Divine Key in outer space. Schicksal was busy completing a series of tasks such as the transfer of power and the succession ceremony.

Of course, only Angel knew that the most fundamental reason for the world's peace was that all Angels were very quiet.

They focused most of their attention on analyzing the golden block.

In the Kolosten Great Pit, there is now a high-tower experimental base which was personally sponsored by Angel. Its only function is to analyze the block. The reason for building it here is simple: this is the location of Otto's ascension to godhood. No one knows if there is any special significance to it.

"This is no longer the Divine Key."

Vill-V took out the magnificent golden block from the experimental facility and touched her chin in distress.

It is not only not the Divine Key, but it is not even any known material.

No results were obtained from ordinary physical experiments. Density, weight, temperature, and electromagnetic properties are all changing subtly, and the values cannot be determined. For Honkai energy, there are random reactions such as light, heat, gravity, etc., with no rules to be found.

Vill-V sighed and shook her head.

"It's really confusing."

"But it's interesting, isn't it?"

Mobius stood by, observing the patterns on the cube, licking her lips unconsciously, with a frightening and dangerous light flashing in his eyes.

Yes, they had gained nothing in the past month.

The only result was to prove the ineffectiveness of a large number of experiments, and even some special equipment from previous era could not reveal the mystery of the cube.

However, the more so, the more excited Mobius became—of course, the same was true for Vill-V.

At this time, Einstein also stood up from the computer, crossed her arms, and said thoughtfully.

"I wonder if we're heading in the wrong direction?"

"Oh, what do you mean, Dr. Einstein?"

"The cube fell from the tree of imaginary numbers, recording data above the world. So, could it be that it must be outside the world to reveal its true nature?"

"A reasonable guess. Angel—"

Mobius turned her head and called his all-purpose assistant.

A small, original-skin Angel walked out of the space hole, carrying a full plate of drinks and snacks, and placed it on the nearest table for the four doctors to enjoy.

Angel picked up the cube, along with a set of head-mounted monitoring equipment handed over by Vill-V, and tore open a space hole on the spot.

Tesla hurriedly ran out from behind a pile of facilities.

"Wait! You’re just going like this?"

Everyone turned their eyes to Tesla. Vill-V spoke, "Does Dr. Tesla have anything to add? Do you think there are any devices that need to be taken out?"

"No, that's outside the world! Not the quantum sea, but a special dimension above the world. Are you treating it so lightly?"

Tesla felt that she was a relatively reckless type in research. As long as she thought something was feasible, she would try it. Many times, Einstein didn’t have time to complain about her mess until the results came out or the laboratory exploded.

But now, Tesla felt that Mobius and Vill-V seemed to be even more reckless than she was.

Angel blinked in confusion, and suddenly realized after a moment.

"Oh, you’re worried the cube will be lost, right? Don’t worry, even in that dimension, I can still open the portal to the Theater of Domination and send the cube back here through the theater space."

"...I’m talking about your life."

"It doesn't matter, I have many lives."

When it comes to the road to becoming a god, which is Angel's biggest interest at the moment, she is certainly not afraid of sacrifice.

Tesla looked at Angel’s heroic demeanor of not taking her life seriously, then looked at Mobius and Vill-V who didn’t care, and finally at Einstein.

"Mophead, do you agree?"

"Of course I’m against sacrifice. But this is very important, and Angel will have to work hard."

Einstein raised her hand and gently patted Angel’s head with a warm smile.

She is really young, and looks only a few years older than Ninti. She has the same blonde hair and purple eyes, and is as cute and kind as ever...

Einstein lowered her eyes and buried her deep guilt in his heart.

The End is coming, and she deeply understands the tragic ending of the previous civilization. The psychological pressure at this time is unparalleled.

At this point, as long as the price isn’t excessive, Einstein could only accept it.

In the future, she would do her best to make up for it.

Einstein convinced herself.

Tesla scratched her head irritably.

At this time, the difference in psychological quality was reflected.

Do you think Mobius and Vill-V really had no psychological fluctuations when they watched Angel die again and again?

How is that possible!

It’s just that their understanding and fear of Honkai far surpass those of people in the current civilization.

In an era where the thirteen Herrschers had almost no effect, how could they understand an era where the thirteen Herrschers had already destroyed almost all of humanity?

They could endure this kind of sacrifice and silently accumulate their emotions in their hearts—that’s all.

Tesla had nothing to say in the end, and could only look gloomily as she watched Angel step into the space gate.

Vill-V’s facilities received signals from outside the world, including some data and blurred images.

This made Vill-V frown, thinking about how to improve it. Maybe by referring to the design ideas of the Cosmic Juggernaut and combining Angel's power of the void, a more stable device could be created?

But just half a minute later, the transmission of data and images came to an abrupt end.

Angel came back holding the golden cube. "Very huge energy, and more importantly, a huge amount of information. Ordinary clones can only last about half a minute."

"It’s enough. It has proven the correctness of Dr. Einstein’s idea. We have gone from 0 to 1."

Mobius took the cube and stroked Angel's head with one hand, silently expressing her comfort.

Everyone understood that in this kind of research, the breakthrough from 0 to 1 is more important than the breakthrough from 1 to 1000.

Angel smiled.

Only Tesla kept frowning.

Einstein patted her shoulder and silently comforted his best friend.

Tesla said nothing, but asked for the data she had just obtained from Vill-V, then walked toward the large computer and started working on her own.

"By the way, Yae Sakura will soon succeed as the Overseer. I wonder if the doctors are interested in watching the ceremony?"

"No interest."

"Cocolia will help us deal with it."

They all shook their heads, then gathered around Tesla and analyzed the data together.

Yae Sakura was really embarrassed.

Angel scratched her head and didn’t force it.

"Please enjoy your drinks and snacks as soon as possible. Please take care of your health. I’m going back to continue developing my Artificial Honkai Reaction form. Please call me if you need anything."

Angel said goodbye very politely and left.

...

The moment she returned to the Domination Theater, a beam of white light engulfed everything.

"I #￥＆***!"

"Boom!!!"

A moment later, the figure of Chimera Angel fell from the sky and hit the ground with a plop.

Then, some Angels came from far away to clean up the debris, carry heavy objects, repair the ground, and drag some Angels who could still be saved out to soak in the repair fluid.

But no one cared about Chimera Angel who couldn’t move.

"Snap!"

Until she grabbed the ankle of a passing Angel.

"Help me!"

She gritted her teeth.

The Angel cruelly shook off the other’s hand.

"Get lost. Wait until you recover. I don’t want to be killed by the power you can't control when I’m halfway through the move."

"We are all one family..."

"How many of your own family have you killed? Don’t you know?"

"..."

Chimera Angel’s face darkened, but the one who spoke had an even colder look in her eyes.

"Hmph!" ×2

The two sides parted unhappily.

Chimera Angel layed in the pit as she curled her lips unhappily. Of course, she also understood everyone’s feelings.

In fact, with Angel’s tolerant qualities, the AHR of ordinary MANTISes wasn’t difficult for her.

But Chimera is different.

There are too many things within Chimera.

The more things there are, the heavier the burdens during the AHE becomes. So heavy that even Angel could only try a little bit, and couldn't reach the sky in one step.

After a while, Chimera Angel recovered her strength, got up, and went to the laboratory area to draw blood, take a physical examination, and check the Honkai data this time.

With Angel’s research ability, developing the AHR alone isn’t difficult. Even if there are problems, she could always ask Mobius for advice. For now, there are still results, but more work is needed.

The development of Chimera is ongoing, and the research toward godhood is in the future.

Both are important, so both must be pushed hard.

…

Time slowly passed in such efforts.

Until a sunny day, the bright sunshine fell on the sky island above the clouds, and a red carpet was laid on the largest lift platform, which should have been clean and neat.

Durandal, Rita, and Amber, the most prestigious trio at the current headquarters of Schicksal, dressed gorgeously and formally, like three stunning figures with different styles standing on the red carpet.

Looking up, the shadow of the plane was approaching.

The Archbishop of Schicksal will ascend the throne today, and the heavyweight guests have finally arrived one after another.

-------

436: The Price is a Person's Life

"Cocolia, is it reliable for the two of us to go?"

On the plane, Siegfried looked at the Sky Island getting closer and closer, and the familiar scenery stirred mixed emotions in him. He couldn't help but think of the hasty escape at that time; his heart ached, and at the same time, he felt uneasy.

Cocolia glanced at him lightly.

"There is a problem with this invitation. If it goes wrong, it will go wrong. It's better to streamline the staff and give enough face. So, I'll go."

"Then why take me with you?"

"I've said that if it goes wrong, it will go wrong. I'm not bragging to you. The lineup at that time, a little gust of wind could blow me to death, so I have to pull a meat shield, right? It just so happens that you are thick-skinned, and you are the kind of person who doesn't need to feel sorry for your death, just to take the bullet for me."

"...I can understand the situation. I just want to say, can you be a little softer? You are so sarcastic every day, and you still expect me to protect you with all my strength?"

Siegfried complained.

However, he could only complain. In the current Anti-Entropy, no one could do anything to Cocolia, and everyone would be controlled by her.

No matter how sharp her words were, if something really happened, Siegfried would have to protect her at the risk of his life.

Anti-Entropy could not do without Cocolia, and the overall situation of civilization could not do without her. In comparison, Siegfried thought that his weight was much lighter, and he earned it by protecting one person.

…

"Boom!"

The plane finally landed on the tarmac of Schicksal.

Cocolia led Siegfried off the plane.

At this time, several high-ranking officials from Schicksal branches arrived at about the same time, but when they saw Cocolia's face, they all stopped.

The identity represented by Anti-Entropy was the archbishop, and these branches could not overstep their authority; otherwise, it would be disrespectful to Schicksal. The succession ceremony of the archbishop was so important that no one would make a fool of themselves on such an occasion.

"Respected Executor Cocolia, and... Mr. Siegfried, welcome."

At the edge of the red carpet, Rita folded her hands and bent down. She smiled elegantly, but there was a glint in her eyes.

As the confidant of the two generations of archbishops, she basically knew the situation of Siegfried.

However, even if this man was the father-in-law in her mind, it could not change his identity as a traitor to Schicksal. Cocolia brought him here at this time—wasn't it to deliberately annoy Lord Sakura?

"Don't get me wrong, I brought him here to recognize his ancestors and apologize to the archbishop. The Era has changed, and the times are different now. On the day Archbishop Yae Sakura ascends the throne, I hope that our relationship will have more breakthroughs. Let's start with the former Paladin of Schicksal, now Anti-Entropy... um, the Military General Siegfried."

Cocolia said seriously.

If it weren't for the half-second pause when assigning Siegfried a position, everyone would really believe it.

Rita smiled and silently added this matter to the list of topics for the next meeting, then raised her hand gracefully and led the way forward:

"Please follow me, Rita will take you to the venue."

"Yes, thank you. Also, congratulations to Schicksal and Archbishop Yae Sakura."

"Thank you for your blessings, Rita will definitely convey them to the Archbishop."

The three walked forward with laughter and conversation.

Behind them, the branch members who arrived one after another did not move.

Only Theresa, Angel, Fu Hua, Kiana, Raiden Mei from the Far East Branch, and Wendy and Delta from Oceania walked forward without hesitation.

The S-ranks were either true S-level or S-level in strength, so they didn't have to worry so much.

"Wow, this Cocolia is so arrogant that she made a bunch of people wait for her to leave."

"After all, she is a guest, so she should be polite. Welcome to all the adults, Amber delighted to meet you."

The steward of Schicksal bowed gracefully.

The people behind responded one after another.

Even the single-celled Kiana and the lazy Delta were forced to hold their heads down by the people around them.

The one who pays for the food and the money should always be respected. Normal people understand.

"Amber still needs to continue to welcome the guests. How about Lady Durandal take you to the venue?"

"Oh, why are you being polite to us? We are all family. You can make your own arrangements."

Theresa patted Amber's shoulder in a very social way—she tried to tiptoe to reach it.

"Puff!"

Pah!

"It hurts..."

It was Delta who laughed secretly, and it was Wendy who knocked her head.

Kiana was about to laugh, but Raiden Mei and Angel covered her mouth at the same time.

Theresa's movements froze for a moment. Then she returned to normal as if nothing had happened and started to walk forward.

Just act as if nothing happened, nothing happened, that's it!

"Boom--"

Just at this moment, a force that made people's brains empty and their bodies stiff suddenly appeared on the platform.

That force had no function to affect people's hearts or bodies; it was just a characteristic.

Pure power. That's all.

After a few seconds, most people slowly regained their senses and cast their eyes on the delicate and cold beautiful doll. It was like discovering a little elf that had fallen to earth, so beautiful that it didn't look like a real thing.

However, no one could forget the oppressive feeling just now. The pure power was enough to make most people kneel.

Durandal stepped forward and stretched out her hand to Shamash who was slowly gathering her momentum.

"Welcome. I didn't expect you to come, Miss Shamash."

"You are stronger than last time."

"I have a responsibility, I can't slack off."

"Keep up this progress."

Shamash said in a tone of instruction, with real appreciation.

No one thought it was wrong. The ELFs that survived the past civilization naturally looked at the people of the present civilization as children.

Durandal nodded.

"Then, I will take you to the venue."

Shamash nodded and floated forward a little.

Suddenly, her eyes noticed Fu Hua's presence, so she flew a little higher and sat on Fu Hua's shoulder.

There was a hint of surprise in Fu Hua's calm eyes. However, despite their positions, they were still comrades who had shared life and death together. She smiled faintly.

"Long time no see, Shamash."

"Yeah. How is your health, Hua—I mean, did Mobius force you to have surgery?"

"...she just drew some blood. It seems that his attention is not on me. For now."

"Then congratulations, cherish this time that will last for who knows how long."

Shamash turned her head, her voice was calm, but Fu Hua clearly saw a trace of pity in his expression.

Back then, Fu Hua was one of the most handy experimental materials used by Mobius.

Fu Hua subconsciously felt a chill on her back.

At the same time, the calm and gentle eyes were dyed with lively and flamboyant colors.

"Hey! Don't say those creepy things! I am not the same person as before. If she dares to provoke me now, believe it or not, I will beat her into a cookie in a minute?"

"Is it another Hua?"

"What do you mean by another? I am Hua!"

"Mobius doesn't need to use violence. She is very smart. Many times, the people who are dissected are coaxed onto the operating table by words."

Shamash's words made [Fu Hua] silent instantly.

To be honest, [Fu Hua] claims to be invincible and unparalleled in wisdom, but compared with the IQ of a monster like Mobius, she has to admit defeat.

"Anyway...anyway, I'm not afraid of her!"

"Your voice is trembling."

"No! You were quite impressive just now. If you think about it, we haven't fought each other much. Why don't we find a place to fight later?"

"No. In order to keep up with the combat power level of the times, my body has undergone radical transformation. Every battle is burning its service life. For the mission, I must avoid some unnecessary consumption."

[Fu Hua] was silent again. After all, she is a good child.

How could she be so rebellious after hearing Shamash talk about the cruel reality so calmly?

In fact, everyone in the group cast complicated glances. It is hard not to be moved by the courage to face death.

[Fu Hua] suddenly spoke.

"Shamash, you are leaking information."

"It doesn't matter. Even if my lifespan is short, I am still strong before I burn out. To surpass me, you must use more power than me. This will never change."

The calm and confident attitude of a strong man impressed [Fu Hua].

She grinned, stretched out her fingers, and rubbed Shamash's face.

As everyone walked forward, only Kiana stared at a white-haired man a few hundred meters away.

"He didn't even notice me when we were so close. Am I really his daughter?"

"It has nothing to do with that."

"Huh?"

"He's just... not strong enough."

Angel said matter-of-factly.

If it was her, she would be able to notice Kiana's breath even if she were a few kilometers away.

"Hmph~ Look at me and scare him later!"

"Well, come on."

Angel encouraged.

The group walked and talked, gradually stepping into the magnificent open-air venue.

There is no rainy season at the Schicksal headquarters. It is in line with the lofty mission and value of Schicksal to swear the throne in the sun.

The representatives of Anti-Entropy and Schicksal were led to the front row, and all the S-rank Valkyries and Schicksal branch heads sat together.

Later, thousands of elite Valkyries and representatives from various departments gathered together.

"Hello, distinguished guests, fellow members of Schicksal. I am Bianka Durandal Atagina, the S-Rank Valkyrie of Schicksal. Thank you for coming, but before the ceremony begins, I want to report good news to you—A month ago, at the original Kolosten site, we successfully defeated the Herrscher of Binding, which means that mankind has successfully passed the 13th Herrscher.

...And the price of everything is one person's life, the life of Otto Apocalypse, the former Overseer of Schicksal."

As soon as the voice fell, everything was silent.

It was not only the guests at the scene who were silent but also all the members of Schicksal who watched the live broadcast.

In Schicksal, no one could easily accept Otto's abdication, and no one could imagine Otto's death.

It was like a heavy hammer hitting their hearts, making the entire Schicksal seem to solidify.

--------

437: Tripartite Talks

Durandal tells the version of events provided by Angel.

Otto's obsession is removed, and the ascension experiment, which has not yet produced any results, is not mentioned. The focus is solely on the crusade against the Law Binding.

After that, Otto's contributions are discussed.

Since the dark Middle Ages, if Otto had not responded to the slogans of the followers of the saint, eliminated corruption, made innovations, and allowed those human stars to mess around, it would be hard to say whether there would have been a Schicksal, not to mention the generally stable development of the past five hundred years.

You could argue that his original intention was not right, and that the innocent people who suffered because of him numbered in the hundreds of thousands, even millions.

But at the same time, he established a global legion of Valkyries, which always suppressed the Honkai in the back of history, and the number of beneficiaries from him was in the billions and tens of billions.

Even the initial foundation of the other strong anti-Honkai organization in the world today, Anti-Entropy, was the North American branch of Schicksal.

"...Looking back on Otto Apocalypse's life, he has fought the good fight and walked the path he should walk. From now on, there will be a historical monument for him. Please join me in observing three minutes of silence and paying high tribute to Archbishop Otto!"

After recounting Otto's historical contributions, Durandal beat her chest, bowed her head, and looked saddened.

The whole Schicksal fell silent almost at the same time, and the venue was shrouded in deep sorrow.

...

"Tsk! That's really nice to say. It seems that our Anti-Entropy is what it is today thanks to him?"

At the Kolosten Experimental Tower, Tesla, who was watching remotely, couldn't help but curl his lips.

Einstein looked at Tesla and spoke while holding the coffee.

"It's just some necessary beautification, it's not too exaggerated. Yae Sakura is the new archbishop appointed by Otto himself. Only by fully affirming the achievements of the previous archbishop can her succession conform to the people's hearts. The End is imminent; stability is more important than anything else. Just bear with it."

"I don't care. His death is the best good news, nothing else matters."

Tesla leaned back, her slender white legs indecently placed on the table. There was a trace of trance in her eyes.

Otto is really dead.

That terrible man who seemed invincible actually willingly walked to a dead end. It is still unbelievable to think about it now, it felt like a dream.

...

"Yae Sakura, the S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, made great contributions to the East Shenzou Sea Campaign, conquered the Herrscher of Rock and properly completed the post-disaster reconstruction, conquered the Herrscher of Corruption, and presided over the Schicksal Inspection..."

After the moment of silence, Yae Sakura's resume was described.

From combat power and military achievements to domestic affairs, everything was undeniably impressive.

Compared with Otto's five hundred years, it is indeed much shorter, but it is also the best that no one in Schicksal can match, making Otto's succession seem very logical.

"According to the will of Archbishop Otto, all S-level Valkyries, major branches, and other major departments of Schicksal have unanimously approved that from now on, Yae Sakura will succeed to the position of Archbishop of Schicksal!"

Durandal finished her lines, looked at the audience with an upright and stern look, then turned sideways and bowed.

"Da!"

The sound of footsteps came from the side of the high platform.

The solemn and elegant white robes set off the gracefulness and temptation of the front and back, the cherry-pink long hair exuded a gentle glimmer in the sunlight, and the long animal ears added a bit of strange beauty.

Yae Sakura walked in front of everyone like this, beautiful and breathtaking, exuding a convincing holy and compassionate temperament, like a goddess with compassion for the common people.

Then, Otto's granddaughter, the most experienced S-class Valkyrie, and the current head of the Apocalypse family, Theresa Apocalypse, walked onto the stage holding the golden scepter symbolizing power in both hands, and handed it to Yae Sakura.

Yae Sakura leaned over and looked at Theresa's relieved smile.

"Thank you, Theresa."

"What are you talking about? Isn't this the way it should be? The process should be as formal as possible. This is a big day after Schicksal's 500 years. I'll have to work hard for you in the future, Sakura."

"As long as you are by my side, it won't be hard. It's my honor, Theresa."

Yae Sakura smiled gently.

Theresa also smiled brightly.

Then, Yae Sakura held the scepter high in her right hand, held Theresa's little hand with her left hand, and announced to everyone.

"I, Yae Sakura, officially take office as the Archbishop of Schicksal!"

"..."

The beautiful figure and the confident, pleasant voice made the whole audience silent for a moment.

Then, there were thunderous shouts and applause.

Schicksal officially entered a new era.

...

The succession of the new archbishop is of great significance.

Any normal person can understand the impact of this event on the world.

A man who stood at the top of the world left, and a new person took his place. Just by imagining it, you can feel the waves that spread infinitely below.

However, some people really can't feel that meaning.

"Chew, chew, chew~~ Hey! Stinky dad, why are you stealing my cake?"

"I've been sitting outside for most of the day, and I'm already starving. Don't worry, Schicksal is very generous, and they will come again after we finish eating."

"Is this the reason you snatched your daughter's food!?"

When Kaslana and her father didn't meet, they missed each other. Once they met, it would soon evolve into a different kind of "fatherly love and daughter filial piety."

For example, now, the two of them are holding both sides of the cake plate, refusing to give in to each other.

"Crack!"

Then the plate cracked in the middle, split into two, and the good little cake fell to the ground.

Kiana stared at the unrecognizable little cake blankly, her hair drooping, her mouth downturned, and she looked at Theresa aggrievedly.

"Aunt, he stole my cake."

"Siegfried, you bastard!"

Theresa usually suppressed Kiana, but that was the love of an aunt for her niece.

How could she tolerate others bullying Kiana - not to mention Siegfried, who had a grudge against her.

"Swish!"

"Snap!"

Theresa kicked, and Siegfried raised his hand to catch the boot coming toward his face.

The strong force rolled up a gust of wind that brushed past his face.

Siegfried scratched his head.

"You are still playing this trick, dwarf?"

"Who are you calling a dwarf, dead hooligan!"

Theresa turned her hips, raised her legs, and kicked another foot behind Siegfried's head.

"Bang!"

Siegfried's head hit the table, and even the chair under him broke under the pressure. He fell to the ground, holding his head and crying in pain.

Theresa spun several times in the air, landed gracefully, and then touched Kiana's head soothingly.

"Don't be sad, the new cake will be here soon."

"Yes, thank you, aunt."

Kiana laughed happily, and pushed Siegfried, who was groaning on the ground, to the side with her feet.

The people present were either unfamiliar with Siegfried, or those who were familiar with him didn't bother to care.

So, Siegfried took a long time to get up by himself, with a helpless look on his face.

It was his sister-in-law who did it, and because it was his daughter, he couldn't get angry, so he could only accept his fate.

Yae Sakura walked in at this time.

"Uh... did something happen just now?"

"Nothing, Sakura, have you finished all those things?"

"Yes, it's finished. Anyway, thank you all for coming again. It's an honor for both me and Schicksal."

"You're too polite."

Theresa said with a smile.

Others also said that there was no need to be so grand.

Yae Sakura is really popular. Although she is not loved by everyone, at least no one in Schicksal has disliked her so far.

After a simple exchange, Yae Sakura took her seat.

At this moment, the faces in the field are almost all high-level Valkyries of Schicksal. For example, an Anti-Entropy executor, a former paladin who has been defecting, and a World Serpent ELF have mixed in the high-level meeting of Schicksal.

Fortunately, among the outliers, except for the rebellious knight who was slacking off, the remaining two are highly recognized people with great abilities, and they are not weak even in such occasions.

Shamash: "Your eyes have been on me frequently since you came in. You can just tell me the real purpose of this invitation."

Yae Sakura: "Your Excellency is really smart. There have been enough ritualistic things today, so I'll get straight to the point - what stage has your Project Stigma reached, and is it necessary to proceed?"

Cocolia: "Hey, hey, hey! Pause, wouldn't it be better for you to talk about this alone? Are you trying to drag us into this? We don't want to turn against Kevin now."

The three bigwigs all sat up straight, each exuding an amazing aura, which made the others silent.

-------

438: Go Dye Your Hair White

Yae Sakura: "The Project Stigma aims to coexist with the Honkai by erasing the human form of existence. This is no different from destruction to us. What we call protecting civilization is essentially protecting living humans, because civilization without people will be meaningless."

Shamash: "Your intelligence capabilities are impressive, but this is the only way to ensure the continuation of civilization. If you want to change our minds, please speak with strength."

The two ignored Cocolia's protest and continued their conversation.

Cocolia narrowed her eyes as if she had figured something out, and then simply leaned back while silently handing over the right to speak.

Yae Sakura spoke in a negotiating tone.

"How about this: World Serpent will cooperate with us to fight the End first, and if we fail, then launch your Project Stigma. If you agree, Schicksal is willing to assist World Serpent in setting up the Project Stigma. This will not only avoid internal friction before fighting the Finality but also ensure the success of your plan—both outcomes, the best of both worlds."

"You are wrong, Yae Sakura. The Project Stigma can only be launched before Finality. The correct order is to implement the Project Stigma first, and then challenge Finality. If even we cannot implement it, it will prove that you are not qualified to face Finality."

"In other words, there is no room for negotiation?"

"The Project Stigma must be implemented."

Yae Sakura stared at Shamash, who responded with a cold, indifferent expression.

Even though this was Schicksal's home court and having enough combat power to wipe her out several times, Shamash still showed no signs of panic.

This indifference to life and death made Yae Sakura sigh and shake her head, as if abandoning the intention to persuade her.

The next second, Angel suddenly raised her hand and pointed in the direction of Yae Sakura and Shamash.

The space twisted, and the two disappeared.

"Sakura said that if the negotiation fails, they will be sent out of the planet."

Angel explained lightly, and no one questioned the timing of the agreement.

She then stood up and walked straight to the balcony.

The others exchanged glances and reluctantly followed her out.

The group looked up at the sky and saw it suddenly change.

Two forces, one black and one red, seemed to divide the sky into two halves.

No sound could be heard, but the impact force approaching at high speed and the two terrifying Honkai energies that shook the soul could be felt.

...

Above the blue planet, Yae Sakura and Shamash released infinite energy, surging like the sea.

'Using the invincible Shamash to establish prestige should be enough for Sakura to sit as Schicksal's Archbishop.'

'Besides, it's time to let Kevin know the urgency.'

No words were needed, as the two sides shared an unspoken agreement.

Yae Sakura's black sword blazed with endless black flames, its handle adorned with holy white flowers—this was the result of temporarily merging black abyss flowers with it. Only in this way could the surge in Yae Sakura's combat power be reasonably explained.

Shamash was as usual, holding a raging sea of fire that burned everything in her hand.

The two posed for a moment, making sure their momentum was enough to be witnessed by half of the planet and sensed by monitoring satellites and powerful individuals.

Then, they rushed directly toward each other.

"——"

The vacuum was silent.

However, the scorching, eroding, and deadly aura spread across an endless distance, with the two as its center.

Half of the people on the planet witnessed the sky being divided by red and black, as though they were witnessing the end of the world and a myth.

For Angel, the stalemate lasted only a short while, but it was enough.

The black flame quickly gained the upper hand, expanded, swallowed, and soon overwhelmed the red flame.

Then, the red flame fell from the sky like a falling meteor.

Only the endless dark power filled the sky, as if announcing the end of the war of gods and determining the one supreme god.

Anyone with eyes could feel the power of Yae Sakura, which was close to the apex.

After today, Schicksal would also emphasize the promotion of Yae Sakura's achievements.

But that was all in the future. For now, the black god flew down from the sky, chasing after the falling meteor.

"Boom!"

The black knife and the flaming sword collided, resulting in a violent impact that swept across half the planet.

Yae Sakura met a pair of cold, indifferent blue eyes and was stunned.

It was Kevin. He was holding the now powerless Shamash in one hand and the Judgment of Shamash in the other, and he took on Yae Sakura's pursuit with ease.

"Let's stop here."

"Just stop here? Mr. Kevin, you don't plan to fight back?"

"That's for the future. You did a good job defeating Shamash, Yae Sakura."

"Is that so... Then, I'll take my leave."

Yae Sakura put away her sword, as if it wasn’t her who had just attacked. She bowed politely and said goodbye, then suddenly flew away.

Kevin watched the direction in which she disappeared for a long time before lowering his gaze to Shamash, who was weakly breathing.

Shamash frowned and asked in confusion:

"Why did you come to save me? The end of Project Stigma should be the place where you welcome the guardian of the world."

"...It's just that there's no need for you to sacrifice here."

Kevin's words were clearly insincere as he avoided Shamash's gaze.

But Shamash gradually understood.

‘I almost forgot that, no matter how desperate he was, Kevin was always someone who valued his companions. If I truly "died" here, he would be very upset, wouldn't he?’

It's not that he had to die, and dying in such a place wouldn't bring him any unique value. It's only natural for Kevin to come out and save people.

Shamash sighed quietly, feeling pity and helplessness for Kevin. She couldn’t save everyone, and she couldn't heal Kevin, who had already decided to face death.

“Schicksal and Anti-Entropy have figured out the general situation of the Project Stigma... It’s not hard to understand. After all, Angel has come out of the Elysian Realm, even bringing Mobius and Vill-V along. It couldn't be concealed.”

“It doesn’t matter. The Project Stigma is almost ready, and they can’t stop it. In the end, they will have to face me, and we’ll use our strength to decide the future of civilization.”

“Angel, Yae Sakura, Hua... These three will definitely come for you, and I can't stop them. As for the rest, I will complete my mission and assess their qualifications.”

“Yeah.”

Kevin was somewhat absent-minded and didn’t feel like communicating much.

Although he saved people, the weak breath coming from Shamash made him uneasy.

The ELFs were very fragile—at least compared to the MANTISes with HP bars thick as cows, they were as fragile as glass bottles. And Shamash had only been able to exert such strength by relying on radical transformation, exchanging life for power.

For Kevin, the death of his companions in front of him was a fear he could never bear.

So, he quickly rushed back to the World Serpent Base. He had to find Jackal as soon as possible and ask her to check Shamash's injuries... At least, he didn’t want his companions to die before he did.

...

A beam of black flame shot into the headquarters of Schicksal.

Yae Sakura walked back to her seat with a faint smile on her face.

"Sorry, I kept you waiting for so long."

"Sakura, you..."

"I just defeated her, and Kevin rescued her. I don’t think it’s time to fight Kevin directly yet."

"Sakura, you’re amazing!"

Theresa's eyes sparkled with admiration.

Gentle, kind, beautiful, close to me, and strong—she was the perfect archbishop in Theresa's eyes.

Yae Sakura scratched her face, blushing slightly. Her shy expression was incredibly endearing.

"Dong! Dong!"

At that moment, Cocolia knocked on the table and said expressionlessly:

"Let’s stop chatting here. You’ve demonstrated the orthodoxy, procedures, and power an archbishop should have. I admit, you do have the ability to fully control Schicksal. Then, you invited me all the way here—you don’t expect me to just watch a show, do you?"

"Ms. Cocolia, what I want to discuss is the deep cooperation between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy... like we did more than half a century ago, as a unified organization."

"You said half a century ago. During this time, we've always been incompatible."

"I've looked into it. The contradiction between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal is actually due to Mr. Otto, right? Now, there are no fundamental contradictions. As organizations determined to defeat the Honkai and protect humanity, why can't we put aside our prejudices and cooperate sincerely? We don't have enough time."

Yae Sakura spoke seriously and sincerely.

In fact, when Otto left, this was exactly what everyone had expected.

Cocolia remained silent for a while before sighing:

"I understand the logic, but reality is often much heavier. Do you think it’s so easy to bridge half a century of animosity? This is not just a problem between a few individuals, but the contradictions between thousands of members on both sides."

"But if we don’t start, there will never be any results. As the new archbishop, I think reconciliation with Anti-Entropy is one of my most important tasks."

"Well, great ambition. But you won’t just think about shouting slogans, will you?"

"Ms. Cocolia, you must know that your daughter, the current head of the East Shenzou Sea Base, also studied at Schicksal's Saint Freya. And Schariac and Kaslana of my Schicksal are now working for Anti-Entropy. You see, as long as we are willing to promote it, we have plenty of leverage."

Kaslana’s loyalty to Anti-Entropy was easy to understand. Siegfried was by his side, and no one was blind.

But what was up with Schariac?

There was such a thing... Oh, right, she almost forgot the captain of the Iron Pilot Column.

…

Ana in the distance: "A-choo!"

...

Cocolia paused for a long time, then slowly nodded in response to Yae Sakura’s expectant gaze.

"I can agree with the bishop's proposal on behalf of Anti-Entropy. This is in the common interest of all humanity."

"Yes, this is the common interest of all people. Thank you very much for your understanding."

The Archbishop of Schicksal and the First Executor of Anti-Entropy shook hands under the watchful eyes of everyone.

There was no doubt that this scene would be recorded in history books.

Following this, the specific promotion of reconciliation would take place, including the opening of in-depth exchanges between Saint Freya and the East Shenzou Sea Base, as well as regular exchanges between Schicksal Headquarters and Anti-Entropy Headquarters, and technical-level transactions and exchanges.

Except for Rita and Angel who listened with interest, the others gradually lost focus. Some chatted, some grabbed food, but they couldn’t participate in these complicated matters.

After a long conversation, Cocolia and Yae Sakura shook hands once again, both exuding a convincing leadership aura.

Afterward, Yae Sakura arranged accommodations for Cocolia and agreed to continue the discussions the next day.

This wasn’t just a one-man show. To reach a comprehensive reconciliation between the two long-confronting organizations, many things had to be discussed face to face. Communication through the heart wouldn't work.

The rest of the group sighed in relief and went to their designated accommodations.

Among them, Saint Freya and her group flew in the same direction as Sieg, heading to stay at Cecilia’s house.

The conference hall finally quieted down. Yae Sakura slumped into the backrest and closed her eyes tiredly.

A pair of gentle, delicate little hands began massaging Yae Sakura’s temples to ease her fatigue.

Yae Sakura didn’t open her eyes but knew who it was just by the elegant, faint fragrance.

"Rita, you've worked hard today. And so have Durandal and Amber..."

"Sakura-sama, you're the one who’s worked the hardest. Not only did you complete the ritual, defeat Shamash, and talk with Cocolia for so long, but Rita thinks you've been a hundred times more diligent than Otto-sama."

That's right.

Even Amber and Durandal beside her nodded in agreement.

Yae Sakura opened her eyes and smiled at Rita.

"Don’t praise me. I’m just doing what I should do... By the way, Durandal, there’s something I need you to do... Well, just treat it as an order."

"Please give your orders, bishop!"

Durandal stood up straight, her posture heroic.

Yae Sakura’s mouth curled into a smile.

"I order you to dye your hair white right now. Then, live with Kiana and the others tonight."

"...Huh?"

Durandal tilted her head in confusion.

--------

439: Subordinates Aren't Allowed to Be Bosses

The house where Durandal and Rita live.

Rita prepared all the tools, pressed Durandal in front of the mirror, and dyed her hair carefully.

She even specifically referred to the photo of Durandal when she was still called Kiana in her childhood and specially mixed the same hair color.

The so-called all-around maid, she's amazing, right?

"Rita, forget about dyeing my hair. Why did you braid it for me?"

"Don't you think it's suitable, Lord Durandal?"

"It's... a little cute, like Kiana."

Durandal grabbed the braid and shook it, and the corners of her mouth rose unconsciously.

For some reason, she felt that this style was quite suitable for her.

"Okay, everything is ready. Lord Durandal, it's time to go on the mission."

"Eh? But what's the matter with Sakura's order? Why do I have to dye my hair white and spend the night with Kiana and the others?"

"Oh, how can a mere a maid know the Archbishop's foresight?"

"...I always felt that your smile is a bit strange. You must know something, right?"

Durandal looked up and stared at Rita suspiciously.

However, under the background of the innocent and cute white braids, the original heroic and upright aura was inexplicably lost, replaced by a little idiotic and cute feeling.

Rita couldn't resist and laughed.

"Lord Durandal, this is your mission. Please don't embarrass Rita."

"Tsk. Forget it, I'll ask Sakura after I finish it. It just so happens that I haven't gotten along well with Kiana for a while, and I wonder if she's doing well recently."

Durandal felt that this order was very nonsensical. But after all, it was the first order after Yae Sakura officially took office, and she didn't hate getting along with Kiana.

Then, do it first and ask after it's done.

"Then I'll go first, Rita."

Durandal got up and walked out of the room.

When passing by the living room, she saw Yae Sakura sitting there drinking tea.

Yae Sakura saw the white-haired Durandal passing by, and a flash of surprise flashed in her eyes. She then ran over to a thick photo album.

Durandal took it casually and blinked in confusion.

"What is this?"

"Someone's growth record, from birth to becoming an S-rank Valkyrie. I'm very tired today, so I won't provide any more answers. When you get there, find Kiana and the others to look at it together."

"Dyeing your hair and photo albums... Is this a prank against me?"

"I told you I won't provide answers. Bye~~"

Yae Sakura stood up, pushed Durandal's slender waist, and pushed her out of the house.

Durandal stood in front of the closed door with questions in her mind. But in the end, she could only touch her nose and go to her mission location with suspicion.

Inside the house, Rita walked to the windowsill, looked at the back of Durandal going away, shook her head, and sighed:

"Alas. Lady Sakura, is this really good?"

"What do you think is wrong?"

"Lord Otto hopes that Lady Durandal will separate herself from the history and grievances of Kaslana, Schariac, etc., and choose her own future as an independent and free girl."

"I know, I have read those records. But this is also forcibly depriving her of the love that should belong to her. I think Durandal has grown up, and now she is qualified to face everything and then continue her choice in reality."

Yae Sakura rested her head on Rita's shoulder and leaned softly against Rita.

Rita naturally wouldn't resist. She just felt that Yae Sakura was really tired today, so she reached out and held Yae Sakura's soft waist, smiling:

"Sakura-sama is really gentle."

"Who said that? I'm going to assign you a very cruel task now."

"Please give instructions, Bishop."

"This is the list I asked Fu Hua... Herrscher of Sentience Fu Hua to find out. They are all the high-rank people who had wrong thoughts at the succession ceremony today. I would like to ask you to investigate them one by one and deal with them properly if necessary. I want to remove the last obstacles to the unity of the top and bottom. We don't have much time left, and we can't play power games with them slowly."

Rita took the list and glanced at it. There were not many names.

But the actual situation is far from that simple. Although there are not many names, each of them involves a huge institutional power. If you pull up one head, countless roots will be brought out.

Rita smiled bitterly and shook her head, knowing that this would be a considerable workload.

Yae Sakura hugged Rita's waist, pressed her soft and sweet face against the maid, and said with a breath as sweet as orchids.

"I'm sorry, I have to trouble you to go deep into the darkness again. Durandal is not suitable, she can't do this kind of thing."

"What is Lady Sakura talking about? This is Rita's duty. It is Rita's honor to be able to serve the cause of fighting the Honkai."

"That's not the way it is. Those who gaze into the abyss will also be gazed at by the abyss, and those who eradicate darkness will also be hurt by darkness. I believe in Rita, but it will definitely be very tiring and uncomfortable, so... If you are tired, come and tell me. I will prepare a hug and black tea for you. No matter what, I will share these burdens with you."

"Lady Sakura..."

Rita admitted that these sincere words touched the soft spot deep in her heart. Otto is a qualified leader. He understands Rita's confusion, sadness, and helplessness in the darkness, so he lets Rita stay with Durandal, the sun, and he will give Rita time to breathe and repair herself.

But Otto's heart has been occupied by Kallen, and it is difficult for others to enter the little space left. Even special beings like Theresa and Yae Sakura can only enter there because of their connection with Kallen. Therefore, Otto cannot directly comfort Rita. He cannot empathize, let alone give her sincerity.

Now, Yae Sakura said that she can understand the sequelae brought by the darkness and share it with Rita.

This feeling is different from Durandal.

Durandal is the sun. Even if she doesn't understand the situation, she can use the light and heat emitted by nature to heal Rita.

Yae Sakura is more like the moon. It is not as hot as the sun, but it also shines. With gentle hands, she gently massages the fragile part of Rita's heart.

"Sakura-sama..."

"Hmm?"

"Rita really likes a boss like you."

"Bosses are too cold, right? We are friends, right?"

Yae Sakura rubbed Rita's face affectionately with her lips.

Rita didn't feel offended, but felt that Yae Sakura was really exhausted, which was why she had such a soft and tender reaction.

Rita felt distressed immediately.

"Yes, we are best friends."

Rita smiled and turned her head, gently stroking the face that was so close. The intimate posture was just like when she occasionally flirted with Durandal.

Yae Sakura has a charming and captivating beauty, and a soul that claims to be dark but is actually gentle and affectionate is trapped inside, showing a pure and holy beautiful temperament to the outside world. Mixed together, it constitutes a fatal attraction that does not distinguish between men and women.

Rita is a bit special. She likes Durandal and pure, cute little lolitas. In short, she is not very straight.

So, she can fully feel the beauty of Yae Sakura.

Yae Sakura's eyes became hazy, as if she was really tired, and she seemed to be aroused by some emotions. She said in a slightly hoarse and charming tone:

"Rita, can you take me to take a bath?"

"I... my honor, Lady Sakura."

Looking at those gentle and affectionate beautiful eyes, Rita gradually became a little dazed. It was as if she was trapped in something warm, sinking deeper and deeper, but unwilling to break free...

----------

440: Album

"Ding Dong!"

Durandal held the album and rang the doorbell at Kiana's house.

She suddenly looked up and glanced at the top of her head in confusion.

"I've always felt like my head is suddenly a little heavy... but it’s not a bad feeling. It doesn’t seem like something was taken away, but more like there are suddenly more things connected to me?"

‘It’s so strange. Is this an illusion?’

Kaslana's intuition is responsible only for predictions, not explanations. The Schicksal gene has a gentle part, but it is more natural and innocent, and the sensitivity isn't very high.

So, Durandal was really confused by this unknown feeling.

"It seems like something incredible is happening... what is it?"

Durandal didn’t have time to think about it because, as the doorbell stopped ringing, footsteps quickly approached, and the door opened suddenly.

"Du... Durandal...?"

Kiana tilted her head in a silly way.

The face was the same, but what did this white hair and the familiar braided style mean?

"It’s me. Good evening, Kiana."

"Good evening! Are you here to have dinner with us? Welcome, welcome! Come in!"

Kiana didn’t think much of it.

It was just a change of hair color and hairstyle. Isn't that a very common thing for a beautiful girl? Except that she didn’t expect Durandal to do the same; it wasn't a big deal.

Kiana enthusiastically took Durandal's arm and almost dragged her into the house.

Now that her father and aunt were at home, Angel and Raiden Mei were preparing a sumptuous dinner in the kitchen, making Kiana feel like she was entertaining friends at home.

She used to be lonely and helpless, and she liked this feeling very much. Naturally, the more friends she had, the happier she was.

"Welcome, Durandal... eh?"

Theresa was momentarily confused. But since it was rare for her to return to Cecilia’s house, and with Kiana and so many students and friends around, she was in a very good mood. So, she quickly smiled.

Durandal smiled politely and explained to the people looking at her:

"This is what Sakura asked. I don't know why I dyed my hair white. Anyway, I need to stay here tonight. Kiana and Mr. Siegfried, please forgive me."

"Haha! Of course, no problem. There are enough rooms here. Sleep as you like!"

"Yes, yes, you are also Kiana's good friend. Welcome to visit."

The father and daughter wore the same idioitc smile and naturally welcomed the guest.

Durandal breathed a sigh of relief, sat down, and quickly blended into the crowd, talking about Valkyrie experiences and girls' lives.

As for the carefully prepared photo album, it was placed on the table and unknowingly ignored by everyone.

Soon, Angel and Raiden Mei prepared a sumptuous dinner.

In front of the delicious food, everyone couldn’t help but be intoxicated for a while, then praised the two for their culinary skills.

Only Siegfried, touching his stubbled chin, spoke regretfully:

"It’s a pity that my Judgment of Shamash was taken away by the ancestor. Otherwise, I could have cooked two special dishes for you."

When these words were spoken, Kiana and Theresa both frowned.

However, Durandal cast a curious look.

"Can the Judgment of Shamash be used to cook? What kind of food? Shamash... toast?"

"Eh? How do you know my dad can only make Shamash-baked toast?"

"I don’t know. Speaking of Shamash cooking... I don’t know why, but Shamash toast suddenly appeared in my mind."

Durandal tilted her head, unable to figure out what was going on, so she smiled indifferently.

Kiana blinked and said, "Come to think of it, I haven't eaten food cooked by my stinky dad for a long time."

"Is Mr. Siegfried a good cook?"

"Not really. I remember... it was pretty unpalatable."

"Really? Next time I have a chance, I’ll cook for you. I’m actually quite good at cooking, but I don’t know why Rita always doesn't want me in the kitchen."

Durandal touched her chin, looking confused.

Kiana immediately became excited, grabbed Durandal’s hand, and said in a tone of finding a kindred spirit:

"Me too! I'm obviously quite good at cooking, but Angel and Mei just won’t let me into the kitchen. It seems we are similar, especially with your white hair. Ah, I always feel like I'm looking in a mirror."

"Maybe, this is fate? Speaking of which, I didn’t have blonde hair before, but in 2007, something appeared to have happened to me, and the archbishop took more than a month to wake me up. I heard my hair color changed during the treatment... I can’t remember clearly; it's all from my childhood. Because of that, I have no memory before 2007, and even the name Bianka was given to me later."

"Huh? So pitiful..."

"No, I’m fine. Lord Otto said I don’t need to dwell on my past. I should treat it as a new life without any burden and freely choose my own path. It’s strange, though—why am I suddenly talking about this? It’s obviously a long time ago."

Durandal was a little emotional and a little puzzled.

Kiana listened carefully, gazing at Durandal's face with compassion and tenderness.

The two white-haired girls, both with bright smiles, didn’t make any connections.

But except for them, the whole table fell silent.

The serious injury in 2007 caused amnesia, and the change of hair color. Yae Sakura had her dye her hair white at that time. She shared the same naturalness and wonderful cooking skills as Kiana.

And when talking about the Judgment of Shamash, the first thing that came to mind was Shamash Toast.

Siegfried and Theresa exchanged glances, both looking extremely panicked.

Could it be...

Is there a possibility...

Did Otto do something good that would make them die without regrets?

...

After dinner, Kiana and Durandal sat next to each other in the middle of the sofa and flipped through the photo album.

At Angel's explicit suggestion, the others sat aside, and only Theresa and Siegfried sat next to the two girls while flipping through the photo album with them.

"Mei, I personally think this pasta should be mixed with No. 42 concrete."

"I don't agree. Because of the length of this screw, it can easily directly affect the torque of the excavator. When you smash it in, it will produce a large amount of high-energy protein in an instant..."

The rest of the people were chatting about things that were hard to connect with, but they were actually nervously paying attention to the changes in the four people.

Fortunately, Kiana and Durandal were very curious about what was in this special album. So, they didn’t pay attention to the conversation around them and instead focused on the album.

The first photo showed a gentle woman holding a baby on a hospital bed. Next to her were Theresa and Siegfried, smiling warmly—a very heartwarming picture of a typical family.

"This is..."

"It’s the birth of Kiana, the original Kiana. The one in the middle is Cecilia, the person who loves Kiana the most in the world, and the person we love the most."

Theresa pointed to Cecilia, and tears of longing and sadness flashed in her eyes. But she still smiled brightly at Kiana and Durandal.

No need to turn the page; just from this start, Theresa had figured everything out.

"Aunt, you..."

"It’s okay. I’m very happy now, and I think Cecilia must be very happy too. Kiana, remember this face well. She is your mother, the one who loves you the most."

Theresa emphasized again.

Siegfried wiped his eyes and nodded heavily.

Kiana and Durandal looked at the reactions of the two adults and couldn’t help but glance at each other, both noticing each other’s beautiful, clear blue eyes.

Then, with curiosity to explore the truth, the two continued to turn the page to the next one.

--------

441: The Road of Two People

The following is the growth record of little Kiana.

Crawling on the ground in Homu pajamas, with a chicken leg hanging on her head, she staggered forward with her chubby little legs.

She rode a small bicycle to chase Siegfried.

From a small pudding, she gradually grew into a large pudding, leaving behind innocent and cute faces of crying or laughing.

"So, why did Sakura let us see this?"

"I don't care; after all, it's cute, isn't it?"

"Indeed. Kiana, you must have been as cute as her when you were a child."

"Do you know everything? That's right, you are S-rank after all. In fact, I didn't have such a childhood. When she was growing up, I should have been sleeping in the experimental cabin, right? I just didn't expect that now that I have grown up, she is..."

Kiana's eyes darkened.

Durandal looked at her with pity, raised her hand to touch the top of Kiana's head, and silently comforted her.

"Keep watching. Maybe you'll know what Sakura is up to after you finish watching it."

"That's right."

Kiana grinned.

Anyway, Kiana was happy enough to see the growth of another self and to see Cecilia, Siegfried, and Theresa back then.

The album continued to move forward, still focusing on the growth record of young Kiana.

Theresa and Siegfried had memories of many photos, as they were the parents who made this record. The record, carrying love, was naturally full of warmth and happiness. The fact that little Kiana was the cutest in the world naturally made all the viewers smile.

Then, there was a gap.

In the two photos of Kiana before and after, the latter one suddenly grew a lot taller, as if there was no record for a period of time in between.

The reason was also very obvious. The biggest difference between the photos before and after was that the gentle, bright, and beautiful woman no longer appeared in the latter photos.

"The Second Eruption..."

"It was the time when Senior Cecilia died."

Both of them felt a little sad and unconsciously held each other's hands.

As the growth record continued, Siegfried and little Kiana smiled again. It was a strong father who tried hard to maintain the warmth of the family, and a sensible daughter who tried hard to lead her father out of the haze.

The chaos in the kitchen, the dark dishes on the table, and the funny expressions of the father and daughter twisting their tongues while eating.

It seemed that things were moving in a good direction again.

Until a photo with a sudden change of style suddenly appeared.

It was a little girl with blood dripping and an unrecognizable face, appearing in a pit that obviously required a lot of force to smash out, with limbs horribly twisted, and blood soaked the pit.

"Huh!" ×2

Kiana and Durandal were both startled and looked at each other subconsciously. Both of them felt depressed and then turned to the next page hand in hand.

Siegfried and Theresa's vision had already been blurred by tears.

Fortunately, the next photo showed a turnaround.

It was in a room that looked like a ward. The little girl was wrapped in bandages all over her body, motionless, and only the outline of her body could be seen. It was a heartbreaking picture.

In the next photo, the bandages were gradually removed, and the girl's skin grew out, but her head was bald – there was a kind of ugly and cute cuteness, more of the tenacity of life blooming.

In the next photo, her hair grew out, but, unlike the previous series of photos, it was golden hair as bright as gold.

Photo by photo, the girl's condition continued to improve, until the bandages were finally removed, and she sat on the bed as if she had fully recovered, with a hollow and blank look in her eyes.

However, everyone could see that, except for the hair color, this girl who had recovered from a tragic appearance looked exactly the same as the original little Kiana.

"I..."

Durandal raised her hand and lifted a strand of hair that had just been dyed white, stunned and speechless. After being in a daze for several seconds, she looked at the three people around her in confusion.

Durandal is the same as Kiana. Just a fool, but actually very smart when it comes to using their brains.

The experience in the photo perfectly corresponds to Durandal's earliest memory.

Today's series of weirdness, in such a perfect "coincidence," finally formed a clear line.

Theresa and Siegfried both looked at Durandal with tears in their eyes. They believed this story, or they dared not doubt this story.

And Durandal just felt helpless. She had long given up pursuing her past and just ran forward recklessly. She never thought that she had relatives and so much family affection.

"Durandal, there is still half of the back. I am very curious about your growth process. Can you continue to watch it?"

"Of course... I mean, okay, continue to watch it."

Durandal was at a loss, but in Kiana's gentle eyes, she gradually felt at ease and continued to turn over the remaining photos.

The next photos are a little different because the protagonist is no longer one person, but two similar girls with white hair and blonde hair:

Durandal is playing with the children in the welfare home. Kiana and Siegfried are wandering with bandages on their faces.

Durandal is receiving Valkyrie training. Kiana is wandering alone in a dirty state.

Durandal smashes the Honkai beast with one punch. Kiana is still wandering, with an optimistic smile on her cute little face as she grows up...

One Durandal and one Kiana put the two people together in the same period of time, showing their completely different life situations. It's like starting from that tragic accident, a little Kiana suddenly split into two people.

Until the two grew up. In the last photo, Durandal is holding a lance and stepping on a pile of Honkai beast corpses, looking majestic. And the silhouette of Kiana running wildly on the campus road with a piece of bread in her mouth, at the end of the road is the teaching building where no students have entered for a long time – it is obvious that it is already class time and she is late.

"Pfft! When was this photo taken? This is too insulting! I... I just oversleep occasionally. Really, I haven't been late since Angel came!"

Kiana couldn't help laughing at first, and then quickly cleared her name.

Durandal stroked the last photo of Kiana, looked at her healthy and rosy face, and said with relief.

"Although it was hard, I finally grew up healthy."

"Hehe! It's okay. In fact, I'm very strong. I won't be bullied even if I'm alone."

"Really? Then you are really strong, stronger than me."

"No, no, it's obviously Durandal who is stronger. Your talent is really amazing! I'm still a student, and you're already the strongest Valkyrie. You're so awesome, Durandal!"

The two of them were completely immersed in each other's growth experiences, looked at each other, and smiled brightly at each other.

At this time, Theresa rushed over and hugged their waists.

"Lady...Theresa?"

Durandal was still a little confused, unable to fully accept this information and her own identity.

And Siegfried also stretched out his hands and hugged the two sisters' heads tightly against his chest.

The two adults sobbed silently, and their tears dripped on the heads of Kiana and Durandal, and also wet their clothes.

In Siegfried's arms, Durandal and Kiana leaned against each other's foreheads, and saw the helplessness in each other's eyes.

They could only instinctively hold each other's hands tightly and feel each other's warmth.

Then, amid the sobbing of the elders, they all smiled silently.

--------------

442: The Best Kiana

"Shua!"

The comb passed through the soft, snow-white hair, making a delicate, slight friction sound.

It was the next day, and Kiana was sitting in front of the dressing mirror, while Durandal who looked little nervous carefully combed Kiana's hair.

"It seems like Durandal doesn't know how to do this?"

"Well, I rarely do this. Usually, Rita helps me comb my hair."

"Hehe, it's the same for me. Usually, Mei or Angel helps me."

"Tell me if it hurts, and I'll try to be gentler."

Durandal's tension did not ease.

She didn't remember what happened before going to bed. When she woke up, she and Kiana were lying in this special room—the room of little Kiana, with colorful paintings on the walls, stars on the ceiling, and full of childlike fun.

And the Kiana in front of her had become very different.

The tender white skin that could be blown away, the smooth and slender snow-white hair—everything was so cute. So cute that it made people feel fragile, afraid that a little force would cause damage.

Durandal was very upset that she had not trained enough strength, and she often had a bad habit of not being able to control her strength.

If these hairs broke in her hands, she felt that she would not be able to forgive herself.

However, combing Kiana's hair was something she had to do.

Durandal was very, very carefu. She was almost holding her breath the whole time, helping Kiana comb her hair. Then, she let out a long breath.

"Hu——"

It was more tiring than defeating tens of thousands of Honkai beasts, but it was far more fulfilling than that.

Durandal couldn't help but smile and said,

"How is it? Is it okay?"

"Yes, my hair has become very smooth."

"I... I don't have much experience, but I will do better next time."

"Well, thank you, Durandal. And it's nice to meet you....Sister Durandal."

Kiana said a name that made her unbelievable.

Durandal was stunned for a moment, then put her arm around Kiana's shoulder and nodded heavily.

"Me too, nice to meet you, Kiana."

"Then, should I give you back the name Kiana?"

Kiana looked up and smiled at Durandal. There was no hesitation or trepidation—well, there was still a little bit, after all, it was a name she had used for so long.

However, now she no longer needed this name to anchor her existence. She had many, many treasures, and the name was just one of them, not the only one.

If Durandal needed it, Kiana could give her the name back with a smile.

In response, Durandal just smiled and shook her head.

"I already have the name 'Bianka Durandal Ataegina,' and I like it very much. As for 'Kiana,' it belongs to you. You deserve it. No, it should be said that you make it a warmer and more precious symbol. There is no doubt that you are Kiana, the best Kiana."

"...You make me feel embarrassed."

Kiana blushed.

Although she always boasted, Kiana still had some idea of her own character.

She felt that she did not deserve such praise from Durandal. Compared with Durandal who had been shining brightly after her rebirth, Kiana was still ashamed of her own unreliability.

She always felt that if Durandal had always used the name "Kiana," it would definitely make this name have a more brilliant and dazzling meaning, right?

"Don't say this if you get out. If someone hears it..."

Kiana begged with a blushing face, but before she finished speaking, she noticed a cute little head poking out of the door.

Blonde hair, purple eyes, and a wooden expression on the extremely delicate little face highlighted the extreme contrast that made people crazy.

There was no doubt that this was Angel.

Then, one head after another poked out of the door.

Angel: "You are Kiana, the best Kiana~"

Theresa: "The best Kiana~~"

[Fu Hua]: "The best Kiana~~~"

Raiden Mei: "The best..."

Kiana: "Ahhh!!!"

Afterwards, according to witnesses, one of Kiana's eyes turned golden on the spot during the female groundhog's scream.

Only Durandal watched this scene with a smile and tears. After a moment, she touched Kiana's head and comforted her with a doting look.

——

The former Saint of Schicksal’s home was harmonious, with countless joys and sorrows, condensed into a unique drama.

Anyway, watching the two old men trying their best to show their courtesy, and the two girls being embarrassed, the others were quite happy.

On the other side, Rita got up from the soft and fragrant quilt, covering her forehead in a collapsed mannee.

What happened?

She remembers that the preparations for the Archbishop’s succession ceremony came to an end, and Durandal was going to face her life experience, so she was a little confused.

hen she drank some wine with Lady Sakura at dinner, and then...

"Morning~~"

It appears that the movement of opening the quilt disturbed the sleep of another person, and a soft and charming moan came from the side.

Rita froze and turned her head slowly, mechanically.

What came into view was the roundness and fullness that could not be described in words.

Like a freshly steamed snowflake bun, decorated with small and exquisite pink. The flawless beauty of a saint, and the slightly trembling animal ears, all exuded a dangerous attraction.

In short, it was a delicacy worth salivating over.

'The bed is clean, and there are no strange marks on us, so it should not be the worst. But Lady Sakura is an ancient person from five hundred years ago, and she must be very pure in this respect...'

Rita tried to comfort herself, but the more she thought about it, the more she trembled in her heart.

At this moment, she had thought of a hundred ways to die and the reasons for her death penalty—frivolous archbishop, cheating on the strongest Valkyrie, etc...

Hey, wait, Lady Durandal is a stupid goose, and she hasn't even started yet. That's fine.

"Rita...?"

"Yes, Lord Overseer!"

Yae Sakura's weak and even more seductive call made Rita shudder immediately.

Yae Sakura was just quietly watching the snow-white back, waist, and tender curves close at hand. Her eyes were hazy and charming, and her heart pure in the appreciation of beauty.

It was a pity that Angel had already passed the superficial stage of simply satisfying pleasure and possessiveness.

If the relationship hadn't reached that level, she wouldn't have acted recklessly—a specific example is Wendy, who is still pure and innocent. If it had been before she had the Queen, little Wendy would have been put in a thousand positions by Delta.

So, there was really nothing last night. It was just simply hugging each other to sleep, the intimacy of a very good friend.

However, seeing Rita's nervous reaction, Yae Sakura couldn't help but raise the corners of her mouth. She deliberately blushed, pulled up the quilt to cover her chest, and said shyly.

"Rita, we are like this, right..."

"No! It's just normal interactions between friends! Girls are like this!"

In order to save her life, Rita's mind turned quickly.

Yae Sakura blinked in ignorance and hesitated.

"Is it like this between girls?"

"Yes! If you don't believe me, ask Lady Durandal. We sometimes sleep together like this."

"Oh...oh, that's okay. Maybe, maybe I'm not used to it yet. In our time, this kind of thing only...only..."

Yae Sakura's face was red to the root of her neck, and even her human ears were flushed with a red blush that seemed to drip blood. It was a pure and cute reaction.

"..."

Rita, who could tease Durandal and Theresa at will, actually felt guilty at this moment.

But then again, such a pure and innocent archbishop really smelled good.

-------

442: Conclusion - Key

After the unexpected and pleasant reunion, the family of four visited Yae Sakura the next day.

"Thank you very much, Archbishop Yae Sakura!"

Siegfried took the lead, and Theresa, Kiana, and Durandal bowed deeply to Yae Sakura.

Yae Sakura who had been processing documents halfway was stunned for a moment and then shook her head with a smile.

"I just told you the truth. Theresa and Durandal are both my good friends, and Kiana is also the Valkyrie of Schicksal. This is what I should do, and there is no need to thank me. Besides, it is Mr. Otto who should be thanked. If it weren't for him who could have cured that kind of injury... Although, in your opinion, he is also the cause of the tragedy, right?" Yae Sakura sighed helplessly.

Siegfried was speechless for a long time before finally saying. "You are right. No matter what, it was he who saved the seriously injured Durandal. For this alone, I owe him a life."

"Well, now that things have come to this, are you interested in returning to Schicksal?"

"Oh, this..."

Yae Sakura made an invitation.

Kaslana is the backbone of Schicksal, and with his two daughters and sister-in-law in Schicksal, the biggest contradiction Otto has had is resolved. It stands to reason that returning now is a matter of course.

However, Siegfried had to think about the free support of his old friends in Anti-Entropy for more than ten years, and even recently, they had helped cure his body. These favors could not be ignored, right?

Siegfried was in a dilemma.

Yae Sakura smiled tolerantly at this time.

"It doesn't matter. The theme between us in the future will be win-win cooperation, so it doesn't matter whether we are in Schicksal or Anti-Entropy, as long as we fight to protect the world. There is no problem with camp."

"My Lord Archbishop..."

Siegfried looked at Yae Sakura with emotion.

Undoubtedly, such a tolerant and kind leader formed a sharp contrast with Otto's style.

Including Theresa, Kiana, and Durandal, they all instantly improved their goodwill toward her.

"In that case, I will register Ms. Cecilia's house under Durandal's name. You can arrange how to use it later. Well, the time agreed with Cocolia is coming, and we have to continue to discuss work. I know you are not interested in these things, and Durandal has been busy for a long time, so... go and spend some time together."

Yae Sakura waved her hand to see the guests off.

Cocolia also arrived at this time.

The two watched as the group left.

It was obvious that there were still many unfamiliarities between the four people. Durandal had not yet adapted to her family, but being as kind as she was, she would only try to adapt. Siegfried and Theresa also seemed very clumsy, racking their brains to think of topics and trying to get close to Durandal as soon as possible.

Kiana was very calm. She was standing in the middle, looking left and right, with her pair of eyes curving into crescents as if she were smiling. She didn't care about her delicate position, nor was she panicking.

Instead, she felt calm, as if she were standing on the shore, watching the three people's efforts.

"Bang!"

The door closed, and only two people were left in the office.

"Have we trained Kiana too well? I always feel that she looks fearless."

"Is it bad? It means that she is already very strong and will not be easily shaken by such changes."

Yae Sakura held her chin and looked at the closed door, as if seeing Kiana's back through it, with a smile in her eyes.

Cocolia shrugged and was speechless.

Yes, there was nothing wrong, as long as she was happy.

...

"The stupid pink donkey is approaching Europe. The slow fox priestess is taken in by Archbishop Otto. The S-class Valkyrie Yae Sakura of Schicksal is rising. The supreme Archbishop Yae Sakura has already taken control of her loyal Schicksal organization — what the hell is this?"

In order to understand the current situation, Mobius asked Angel for information about the new Archbishop Yae Sakura of Schicksal.

Angel returned four pieces of paper, each containing a small diary-style essay.

With a "snap," Mobius slapped Angel's head with the paper.

Angel touched her head, expressionless but innocent.

"This is her information. I collected it very comprehensively. Others can't collect such details."

"Tsk! Forget it, it's not that important anyway."

Mobius glanced at the information and threw it aside.

Then, the mechanical tentacles reached around Angel's waist, tied her up, and lifted her up like a little doll.

Mobius took Angel into the laboratory's conference room and gently placed her in one of the chairs.

In the room, Vill-V, Einstein, and Tesla had already been waiting, discussing some academic issues.

Seeing Angel looking at them, Mobius controlled the mechanical arm to knock on Angel's head, asking her to turn her eyes back, and spoke to her,

"Ahem! After these days of research, we can now give you some conclusions. Sit down and listen carefully."

"Yes, Doctor!"

Angel sat up straight and looked at Mobius expectantly.

Mobius raised her lips and said lazily.

"Conclusion one: it is impossible to analyze the information of the road to godhood in the world — at least it is impossible with the current level of human civilization."

"..."

"Conclusion two: this is a key. Otto recorded the path he walked on the cube. Only by standing on the dimension above the world can this path be displayed. Then, the power of the tree of imaginary numbers is extended to the cube through this path — that is to say, the state you experienced when you endured a lot of information and quickly exploded is actually indirect contact with the tree of imaginary numbers."

"You mean, that is actually the process of becoming a god?"

Angel's eyes lit up.

The four scientific research leaders nodded in unison. Mobius said with interest.

"Surprised, right? Do you think it's so simple? It turns out that you can become a god just by taking the cube to that dimension. It's just like a primary school student's homework?"

"No. It's even harder. The technology in the world cannot analyze this, which means that the four doctors can't help you shorten the distance. To reach that level, you must explore the world yourself."

Angel showed a serious expression and frowned solemnly.

Mobius smiled charmingly. Although Angel understood that this was the right thing to do, she couldn't help but feel appreciation when she heard Mobius say this.

"Very good. The research on the road to becoming a god is destined to be long and endless, with no clear starting point. However, there is no need to be too pessimistic; that does not mean we are useless."

"What does the doctor mean?"

"We can't provide you with data support like ordinary experiments, but we can offer ideas."

"Please, go on."

Angel looked at Mobius expectantly. Mobius nodded and continued:

"Think about Otto's process of becoming a god."

"First, he got a seat as a Herrscher, then he was promoted to an Imaginary Apostle through the Honkai God, which is what we call a false god. Then..."

"Okay, that's enough. So, what is the difference between your previous explosive experiments and Otto's process?"

Mobius interrupted Angel's explanation and gently guided her step by step. It appears that guiding Angel to think through the answer was more fulfilling for her than simply giving it to her directly.

Angel frowned and continued to think.

"I already have a seat as a Herrscher, so the difference is... Wait, that's not right! What I used for the experiment was just a clone, not a complete Herrscher!"

Angel was stunned. Mobius raised her hand, patted Angel's head, and said with admiration. "It seems you noticed it. Yes, the first difference is that he used a complete Herrscher seat to promote to the Imaginary Apostle, while you used a clone. Obviously, we made a mistake in the basic conditions. It is impossible to succeed with a mortal body carrying the concept of the tree, so there must be a medium to support it, and the Herrscher seat is such a medium."

"Then, the second difference is that I didn't promote through the Honkai God?"

"No. According to our inference, this step is unnecessary. To promote to the Imaginary Apostle, to put it bluntly, is the process of directly connecting with the Imaginary Tree, and the cube itself is this process. I'm afraid it was specially designed by Otto. He knows how difficult it is to meet the Honkai God, let alone reach the same agreement with it. Don't forget, Otto has already deceived Him once, and it will be more difficult to do it again."

Mobius analyzed. Angel nodded in understanding. In her heart, she was more certain of this guess than Mobius and the others. Otto knew what Angel needed. Since he was willing to return the cube and two Herrscher cores, it meant he recognized this friendship. With his temperament, if he was willing to do something, he would naturally do it with the utmost care.

Therefore, it was natural for him to help Angel skip the most difficult part.

"That is to say, I have to prepare a complete Herrscher power and use this cube as a complete Herrscher."

"That's the current idea. Come on, I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of flowers you can bloom on this road."

What is infinity? The possibilities of life can approach infinity, but the tree of imaginary numbers is infinity itself!

The expectation of truth made it difficult for this madwoman to control her emotions, and her eyes gradually became dangerous. She was thinking, should she get a Herrscher seat herself and then experiment on herself?

Although she didn't like being a Herrscher, and although it was probably a one-time experiment, the dream of infinity lay before her, which was hard to resist.

Mobius licked her lips unconsciously, looked at Vill-V, and met a pair of excited eyes that were equally eager to try. She understood that the person opposite was no less crazy than herself, and it was obvious that the MANTIS shared the same view.

At this time, Angel observed the cube on the table and said without raising her head.

"Dr. Mobius."

"Hmm?"

"I will not let you integrate the Herrscher Core into your body, and the same goes for Dr. Vill-V. You only have one life, and if you fail, you will be completely destroyed. Don't think about it."

"... Humph! You want to control me with a little guy like you?"

Mobius was silent for a moment, snorted coldly, and then raised her hand unhappily and knocked Angel's head.

In comparison, Vill-V was better. She just laughed a few times, touched her head, and looked around guiltily.

Although their reactions were different, Angel controlled their madness. At least, for now, it was temporarily controlled.

-------

444: The Law of Victory has been determined.

For ordinary people, the seat of the Herrscher is a fantasy.

But for Angel, her trouble is that there are too many powers, and she doesn't know which one to choose.

"Sure enough, we still have to look at the substitutability first. Corruption, Binding, Death, Thunder... Well, then consider the ones that don't add much to the combat power, that is, Corruption or Binding?"

The Civilization Exam has come to an end, and there are actually only two opponents left to face - Kevin in Project Stigma state and the real Finality.

To a certain extent, these two opponents are actually Finality.

Corruption and Binding, two powers that counter civilization's special attacks, have little value in front of such opponents.

Do you want to erode Finality? Or restrain the energy of Finality?

No matter how you think about it, it's impossible.

When it really comes to that time, direct combat power can play a role, and it doesn't matter whether these fancy powers are available or not. What's more, they all have replaceable Divine Keys. So, it is an acceptable loss.

"Isn't it better to use Corruption?"

Angel stroked the bulging belly of a certain doll, her eyes dim.

The Herrscher of Corruption is still alive. If something goes wrong during the experiment, perhaps the cost can be transferred to this girl.

"Burp~~"

Eclipse burped and suddenly shuddered.

"Angel... san?"

The doll raised its head, with its big round belly, and looked at Angel with timid eyes.

Bah, don't think that this little bit of cuteness can impress a cold-blooded and ruthless dark boss like me.

I, Angel, have been the villain behind the scenes for several years, and my heart has long been as cold as the snow in Siberia.

Little Eclipse: Wet big eyes, admiration and worship·jpg

Angel raised her hand expressionlessly and gently rubbed Little Eclipse's head.

'...Well, let's use the Herrscher of Binding to experiment.'

She didn't mean anything else; she was just thinking about what use Little Eclipse might have in the future, so she didn't want to waste it.

I am a dark villain, playing a cold and ruthless game of maximizing benefits. Well, that's it!

...

In order to be on the safe side, Angel isolated all her clones from human eyes, and even Red Queen and BT were suspended from going online with the slogan of maintenance.

Angel equipped herself with complete restraint power.

Angel picked up the golden block.

Angel went up.

"Boom!!!"

Angel exploded.

...

Angel fell softly on Mobius's slender waist, and her limbs twitched from time to time.

She put all the price on this body; otherwise, facing the information and concept bombardment of the imaginary tree, her other clones wouldn't have been able to remain calm.

Mobius originally wanted to kick the little guy wrapped around her out.

However, every time she wanted to do so, she saw the little girl twitching.

Mobius: "..."

Forget it, after all, it is a rare perfect experimental subject and sponsor. Just bear with it.

Mobius muttered in her heart, put her hand on Angel, and patted her gently to comfort her.

After a long while, Angel stopped twitching and raised her head with a pale face.

Naturally, this weak and pitiful appearance made the four doctors twitch in their hearts - I am really not a human being; I actually let such a little girl do this... I felt like I could wake up in the middle of the night and slap myself.

Angel was not acting; she was really upset by the information of the tree of imaginary numbers.

At the same time, she had to thank Otto for his last gift in my heart. This golden cube must have been made by him with his heart; otherwise, how could the cost of connecting to the tree of imaginary numbers be so easy, and a few clones bear it?

Then, after surviving the last chaos, I watched the four doctors clumsily offer their courtesy - some handed tea, some handed snacks. Even Mobius stretched out her hand and pretended to hold Angel's waist inadvertently so that Angel could lean on it more comfortably.

"Hmm?"

Although she didn't understand, she suffered so much that she didn't bother to think about it. She just focused on enjoying their feeding.

After a while, Angel's face gradually regained its color.

So, Mobius... or should I say the four doctors, all stared at her with bright eyes, waiting for her to speak.

Since you are pitiful, we won't rush you, but you should tell me after the break - Angel could read this urging from their eyes.

She immediately chose her words and said slowly:

"Only a moment."

"What moment? The time to connect to the tree of imaginary numbers? How long is a moment, microseconds? Picoseconds?"

Mobius' eyes lit up, and she asked again and again.

Angel rubbed her brows, knowing that this was the scientist's enthusiasm for the truth, so she carefully savored the feeling before the self-explosion and said. "The level of the Imaginary Number Tree is too high. Although I rely on the route opened up by Otto and use a tricky way to connect with Him, this is not a force that any existence in the world can bear. Simply put, in the process of establishing the link to self-collapse, I can guide these forces to the direction I need for about a moment."

"How long exactly? To what extent can that kind of power reach?"

"It's not microseconds or picoseconds. I can't calculate it. It can only be said to be a moment. As for me at that moment, I think, even at the level of the world, I can be said to be omnipotent."

"...Too abstract!"

Mobius knocked Angel's head unhappily. The force was not heavy, obviously controlled.

Even time cannot be measured, and the adjective "omnipotent" is too imprecise.

But there is no way.

As Angel said, the level of the Imaginary Tree is too high. Even the concept of the world is insignificant before the Honkai Will. With the current level of human civilization, it is a blessing to be able to obtain these abstract things.

They have not learned about the civilization outside the earth in detail, but they can understand with their round and pink toes that such luck is absolutely one in a million.

Knowing that Angel could not explain it clearly, Mobius said again. "What is the price? What about your binding power?"

"The power is the projection of the cocoon. As long as the cocoon is still there, this is the rule of our world, so it will not disappear. But..."

"What?"

"It has been impacted by the concept of the tree of imaginary numbers and is now unrecognizable. For the time being, the power of the Herrscher of Binding is completely unusable. As for when it can be restored, I don't know."

Mobius looked at Velvet, Tesla, and Einstein and frowned.

The end is imminent. At this moment, every bit of the power of the Herrsch is an important bargaining chip, which may determine the ultimate survival of civilization.

In other words, it is impossible to use repeated experiments to clarify the function of that moment.

"I will try again." In silence, Angel suddenly said firmly. "Wait, the power of the Herrscher is..."

"I know it is very important. Every loss means that our fighting power will be reduced by one point when facing the Finality. But I know that even if I use the Chimera body and contain all the existing Herrscher powers, including the Divine Key, with the strongest power in two eras, whether I can fight against the end is still a question mark,"

Angel said calmly. There was no hesitation on her cold and indifferent little face, but a calm and indifferent way of telling the facts.

At this time, they realized that Angel was not an ordinary child. She was a strong person who was qualified to call herself the strongest creature in history. Naturally, she was also the person who shouldered the greatest responsibility in this era.

"Knowing that you can do this and actually doing it are two different things. I must confirm what impact my behavior will have at that moment. Otherwise, it is not impossible to destroy the world by accident. Conversely, once I can control that moment—there is actually no difference between a moment of omnipotence and lasting omnipotence."

Angel's mouth curled up, and she couldn't help but reveal a hint of pride at this moment.

Although it was not easy, although it was painful to die, and several powers would be sacrificed next.

But the law of victory has been determined!

When she was proud, Angel couldn't help but stretch her hand back. Relying on the advantage of being close to Mobius, she pinched it seemingly unintentionally but accurately.

"Hmm!!"

"Pah!"

I got hit on the head. But I made a profit. Cool~~

...

At the same time, at the World Serpent Base, Gray Serpent stood respectfully in front of the throne.

"My Lord, Lord Shamash, the last experimental project of Jackal and Hare has just been confirmed. The last puzzle has been completed. Please give instructions, my Lord."

Even as an artificial life and a mechanical life, Gray Serpent couldn't help but feel a little dazed at this moment.

It was formulated 50,000 years ago and laid out since the beginning of this era's civilization. It took 6,000 years. Finally, the arrangement of Project Stigma has reached the final stage and can be started at any time. At the same time, the Herrscher of Bindings has just passed, and the time node is just right.

The legacy of the previous civilization and the future of the current civilization opened the curtain of the last scene at this moment.

"So, Mobius also knows it."

Shamash looked at Gray Serpent and said nonchalantly.

Kevin also looked very calm.

Obviously, they all knew the composition of Gray Serpent. He was, of course, loyal to Project Stigma, but at the same time, he was also loyal to Mobius.

Gray Serpent stood there, a little awkwardly silent.

Fortunately, Kevin knew Gray Serpent's life experience, so he understood Gray Serpent's choice. Besides, providing information to Mobius is not really a betrayal.

No one held Gray Serpent responsible, and Kevin and Shamash talked about business.

"Once Project Stigma is launched, it means that Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and even Mount Taixu, all the foundations of this era, will come to us. Undoubtedly, I can't stop them. At most, I can stand in front of the door and witness them coming to you."

Shamash said without shame.

That's the fact. Supermodel combat power has appeared again and again. The enhanced version of Shamash also has her limits—at least in the eyes of the world, there are limits.

Kevin nodded.

"It doesn't matter. This is what we want to see."

"...Do you want to say goodbye in advance?"

Shamash still has a way to survive. She has not done anything bad so far, and she is not an existence that is incompatible with the current civilization. When she is really defeated, it is very reasonable for everyone to keep her alive, even if it is just for Fu Hua's face.

Kevin is different. He is destined to die after inheriting the power of the end, and there is no way back. The difference is whether to die as a challenger of the current civilization and entrust the power of the end to them, or to die in the endless torture of the power of the end. Both of these are endings he is willing to accept.

"Just witness the final ending for us."

Kevin made his last request, which can also be said to be his last words. However, what Shamash saw was Kevin's mouth corners raised.

Perhaps, for him, being able to let Shamash, Fu Hua, Mobius, Vill-V, and other former civilization companions witness his final ending is his most satisfactory funeral, right?

Shamash lowered his eyes and sighed silently in his heart.

--------

445: Straight Ball Hits Tsundere

"By the way, Kevin's Project Stigma is ready."

At the Kolosten Experimental Tower, Angel had provided all the experimental information she could offer and was about to return to the Domination Theater when she heard Mobius's sudden reminder.

Angel turned around, and Mobius was fiddling with some equipment, as if it were just a casual remark.

"Dr. Mobius."

"Hmm?"

"You really don't like Project Stigma either."

Angel smiled lightly.

The Project Stigma is a redefinition of the form of civilization, and even a betrayal of the concept of humanity.

And Mobius's philosophy is evolution—not just her own evolution, but leading the human race to evolve to a height high enough to trample Honkai underfoot.

So how could Mobius like Project Stigma?

Back then, she participated in it and even modified the Project Stigma many times. In the final analysis, the former civilization had reached the end of its rope, and any possible struggle had to be undertaken, with no other choice. Now, she has seen hope in Angel, so she will never stand by Kevin's side again.

"Hmph! Stop pretending to know everything! The research on the Tree of Imaginary Numbers is still a long way to go, so give me the experimental data on Chimera first. Hurry up."

"Wait, I have another question."

"Go ahead."

"How much time do you think we have?"

This is news that Shamash and Jackal don't know for the time being.

Because the trigger for Project Stigma is only in Kevin's hands, only he knows when to press it. No one can get involved in this decision—not even Angel.

"Three months."

Mobius was stunned for a moment, then combined a series of information and her understanding of Kevin, and gave a deadline.

"Schicksal and Anti-Entropy have just officially reconciled, and you haven't mastered Honkai yet. The warriors of this era still have room to grow... He will give you as much time as possible, but he will never delay until Finality is about to come. Three months—this time limit is almost certain."

As one of the main designers of the Project Stigma, Kevin's comrade-in-arms and surgeon, Mobius's judgment is trustworthy.

After giving this conclusion, Mobius's expression also became a little dazed.

In at most three months, the man who has been alone and persevering for such a long time will reach his end.

The past memories suddenly became clear.

Mobius whispered unconsciously.

"Obviously, at the beginning, he was just a stupid and stubborn kid..."

"What is the doctor talking about?"

"Nothing. Go get the information quickly after asking. Every second of my time is precious. How much do you want to waste?"

Mobius has always been like this. Even when Elysia died, she was silent for a moment, went into the laboratory, and worked day and night on research. When she was done, she still kept calling her a fat woman and a traitor, just as if she were really heartless.

Later, she died, and after the end, Mobius wiped out her infinite life.

'Humph, so stupid!'

Mobius thought with disdain.

It's just the end of mankind, just the death and scattering of the Thirteen MANTIS, but it's just this level. If it were her, she wouldn't be so... so...

"Bang!!"

"Doctor?"

Angel, who was originally thinking about the three-month deadline, was startled and turned her head to see that Mobius had crushed a metal device with her bare hands, her face looking extremely gloomy.

"Poor quality, give me a new one."

"Oh."

Angel blinked blankly.

Although waste is not good and it's not recommended to damage experimental facilities at will, this is not important now.

Because Mobius appears to be a mess?

Angel nodded thoughtfully, and her figure gradually disappeared, heading for the Domination Theater.

Mobius turned her head and looked at the empty air with dim eyes.

She really wanted to be alone.

But being alone seemed to make her even more uncomfortable.

Forget it, it's just an occasional mood swing. It will

 be fine after a while. I, Mobius, will not be affected by such trivial matters.

"Doctor."

Unexpectedly, Mobius was locked in a soft embrace.

The sweet smell and comfortable body temperature enveloped her petite body, and a three-letter but soft whisper came to her ears.

Especially the elastic, soft place where her head fell into, which reminded people of the pink elf who also liked to hug girls like this.

But this is not the Elysian Realm, and the voice and breath do not belong to Elysia, but to the large-sized Angel, made by Mobius herself.

"You... you... what are you doing!?"

Mobius indulged in the gentleness for a few seconds, then quickly came to her senses, pushed Chimera Angel away, and quickly moved a few steps away, a blush of anger and shame on her face.

Angel blinked woodenly and said.

"Because the doctor looked sad, I wanted to comfort the doctor."

"Nonsense! Nonsense! I'm not sad!"

"Is it because of Kevin?"

"No! Why would I care about that kind of hot-blooded idiot!?"

Then came the little female ghost's mumblings such as "trash," "stubborn idiot," and "scientist's business," etc.

After a long time, Mobius, who had repaired her psychological defenses, raised her head, and boundless darkness emerged in her snake eyes, looking at Angel gloomily.

"Do you want to forget what happened just now, or do you want me to help you forget it?"

"Doctor, are you saying that what happened just now will embarrass Dr. Mobius?"

"Shut up!"

"But the Chimera body is very strong, Doctor, you may not have a drug that can make me lose my memory."

Angel always had a blank expression on her face, with a wooden reaction.

No matter how crazy she laughed in her heart, she couldn't show it on her face, otherwise, Mobius would really get angry. She can be shameless for experiments, but outside of experiments, she is unexpectedly thin-skinned. In short, she is very cute.

"You said, I don't have that kind of medicine? You said, I have no way to deal with Chimera?"

"Well, from a universal rational point of view, it's really difficult."

"Lie down on the experimental table for me, I'll show you!"

"Okay, Doctor."

Mobius thought of a hundred extremely painful experimental methods in an instant.

However, when Angel really took off her clothes and lay flat on the operating table, the knives, needles, axes, and saws controlled by Mobius stayed on Angel's snow-white skin and did not operate.

Mobius stared at Angel sinisterly.

Angel looked at Mobius woodenly.

"..."×2

After a while, Mobius took back all the surgical tools.

"Go away, don't bother me."

"Doctor, are you in a better mood?"

"Huh? What does it have to do with you? Are you still worried that my sanity will be affected and hinder the progress of the research?"

"No. I'm just worried about the doctor."

Angel lay naked on the bed, her wooden eyes softened, with real concern.

Straight ball hits Tsundere, critical hit plus sure kill.

Anyway, Mobius disappeared in a flash, so fast that Angel couldn't catch the change in her expression at that moment.

"Doctor, I will inform Schicksal and Anti-Entropy of the news. They will come to consult you and Dr. Vill-V about how to deal with the Project Stigma. I will trouble you then."

Mobius did not answer.

"Dinglingdangdang!"

Only on the other side of the laboratory, blocked by large equipment, was the messy sound of something tripping over.