HLS 146-153+SS+2 (Patreon)

Chapter 146 - Mei - Fire Moth's New CouncilorFire Moth, an armed organization established by the United Nations to combat Honkai and prevent the destruction of civilization, is humanity's largest anti-Honkai organization. Fire Moth is led by the Fire Moth Council, which comprises various armed forces and research teams.The sole purpose of these groups is to fight the Honkai.In its early stages, Fire Moth was united in its fight against Honkai and achieved remarkable results. They successfully defeated five large-scale Honkai attacks. Even though the fifth Honkai Herrscher wasn't destroyed by Fire Moth, it was still a significant achievement.As the fight against Honkai deepened, Fire Moth gained increasing power and status, even surpassing the United Nations in organizational structure and influence during the fifth Honkai attack.This, in turn, led to a growing number of problems.In particular, Fire Moth's unique leadership mechanism is its parliamentary system.As their status rose, the twelve councilors leading Fire Moth began to develop impure motives. Factional struggles intensified, and internal conflicts became increasingly apparent.Driven by their own interests, the lawmakers gradually became unscrupulous in their methods.A prime example is the suppression of Mobius and Mei, two top but uncontrollable scientists.To achieve this goal, one of the senators even attempted to assassinate Mei.Simply because Mei refused to serve him.As for other units, large and small, they were also affected to varying degrees.Elysia, a highly popular member of Fire Moth, was a veteran of the organization and a hero who had repeatedly led Fire Moth units to turn the tide of battle. Elysia was a thorn in the side of the council members.After the Fifth Honkai, the council members seemingly reached a consensus to suppress Elysia.Fire Moth loudly proclaimed that Elysia had no part in the victory and that the greatest contributors were the council members, not Elysia. In short, they did everything possible to reduce Elysia's influence within the organization.This is Fire Moth, embroiled in internal strife.Mei stood before the huge floor-to-ceiling window, looking at the building below. Extremely rational, she reached out and touched the glass, speaking softly."Dr. Mobius, do you really think I need to do this?"She turned around, looking at Mobius behind her, dressed in a white lab coat and wearing glasses. Mobius was holding the milk tea Klein had bought for her. Hearing Mei's words, her face remained expressionless, but she calmly countered with a question:"Mei, do we have a better choice?"Mobius knew why Mei had asked that question. After all, Mei was a pure scientist, her mind solely focused on research and not wasted on politics.But besides Mei, they didn't have many better options.Elysia's personality destined her to be incompatible with politics; she had no interest in it whatsoever. If she could, she'd rather spend all her time in the lab researching the future MANTIS project and the secrets of human evolution.As for Kevin, he was still the same naive Kevin, with only one belief: to become stronger and protect Mei.Asking him to fight those old foxes was truly a difficult task for him.Therefore, after much consideration, Mei was the most suitable candidate. After all, her natural aura and exceptionally high intelligence would make dealing with those fools a piece of cake.Mobius looked at Mei, at her now mature and pretty face. For a moment, she was dumbfounded.Two years ago, she had invited Mei, this genius girl, to join Fire Moth on the continent of Mu.Unexpectedly, two years later, Mei had become Fire Moth's chief scientist. It was well known that Fire Moth's research department gathered the world's most outstanding scientists.Mei's ability to become chief scientist spoke volumes about her talent.Gazing at Mei, at this junior, Mobius's usually cold eyes softened slightly."Mei."But before Mobius could speak, Mei's purple eyes flickered, and she spoke softly."I understand, Dr. Mobius.""An organization without absolute leadership, an organization rife with infighting and power struggles, an organization that chants noble slogans while engaging in dirty deeds behind the scenes. I can't believe such an organization could lead us to victory against the Honkai.""The future also shows that under their leadership, we ultimately failed.""I will become one of them, Senior Mobius."With that, she walked towards the door.Today was the day the Fire Moth Council convened, the day of Mei's revenge, the day she would seize power.At the door, Kevin and Sakura, fully armed, had been waiting for a long time.Kevin looked at Mei as she emerged, observed her expression, and spoke to her."Mei, I will support any decision you make!"Mei nodded upon hearing the boy's words and then, surrounded by the two, walked towards the council meeting place.Mobius watched the three figures disappear, a slight smile playing on her lips.Just then, her arm sank into something soft, and Elysia's voice rang in her ear."Doctor, can Dr. Mei succeed?"Hearing this, Mobius looked at Elysia beside her, saw her worried expression, and shook her head."Elysia, you underestimate the power Mei now possesses."After saying this, Mobius remained silent. She already knew the outcome and wasn't particularly worried. Her most important task now was to return to the lab and perfect the final step of the MANTIS project.Just as she was about to shake off Elysia's arm and head towards her lab, she suddenly remembered something, looked at Elysia, and gave her a rare smile. Elysia, still worried about Mei, noticed Mobius's gaze and saw her smile.A bad feeling washed over her.But before she could say anything, Mobius interrupted her with a smile.She spoke to Elysia with a smile,l."Elysia, my experiment is nearing its end.""Would you be interested in being the first test subject?"Elysia looked at the smiling Mobius, her unease reaching its peak.Just as she was about to refuse, she heard Mobius say…"You can't refuse~"With that, she dragged Elysia towards the lab.Elysia wanted to break free, but thinking of the smiling Mobius, she hesitated and could only weakly ask,"What kind of experiment is it?"Mobius, dragging Elysia along, smiled even more broadly upon hearing this and said with a laugh,"MANTIS experiment, huh~""Eh?"......Meanwhile, Dr. Mei, accompanied by Sakura and Kevin, openly entered the meeting room where a meeting was being held. Amid the shock and confusion of the council members, Mei directly ordered Sakura to kill the council member who had plotted to assassinate her during the meeting.Then, under the angry glares of the other eleven council members, she sat in the seat of the deceased council member.Then she announced to the others that from this day forward, she was one of the twelve council members of Fire Moth and held authority over all of Fire Moth's armed forces.Faced with Mei's rude and excessive demand, the council chairman roared angrily, attempting to call in Fire Moth's armed forces to detain Dr. Mei.But clearly, it was to no avail; instead, the fully armed COCOON unit entered the meeting room.At this time, COCOON only obeyed Mei. As for the other Fire Moth units, especially the various special squads, under the persuasion of Squad Leader Kevin, Squad Leader Elysia, and Squad Leader Himiko, they unanimously supported Mei rather than the other councilors they had previously opposed.Therefore, it can be said that from the day Mobius and Elysia returned, Mei held complete control of the Fire Moth army.As for why she so easily gained military power, this was thanks to the parliamentary system.As is well known, Fire Moth is broadly divided into armed forces and research departments. To establish a parliamentary system while preventing it from becoming too powerful, a separation of government and military was proposed.Members of parliament primarily wield power in logistics and research.They have very little control over the armed forces, only basic logistical management authority.Leadership of the armed forces rests with the captains of individual squads.Because Fire Moth's armed forces operate on a squad-based system, elite squads are stationed around the world to protect against and combat Honkai outbreaks.This unique system makes it difficult for the parliament to control the military.Therefore, the recent struggle is a power struggle within the parliament over the armed forces.By reducing the influence of the squad captains, the parliament aims to gain leadership of each unit—this is its strategy.However, the squad captains are not fools; they are fully aware of the parliament's actions but are powerless to stop it.After all, these members of parliament control their units' finances.But resentment toward the senators remained, and pressured by financial constraints, they could only allow the senators to reclaim military power.However, what no one expected was that Mei had a powerful ally: Elysia.Elysia's brilliant achievements and universally acclaimed personality meant that everyone in the armed forces knew and liked her.Her influence as an advocate was considerable.This was a major reason why Mei easily gained the support of all Fire Moth armed forces.After a brief understanding, the senators understood the situation, and they all looked at Mei with various expressions. They truly hadn't expected that such a young girl, not even 20 years old, could possess such cunning, silently controlling the COCOON unit under Senator Red Fox's command.And unexpectedly, Fire Moth's armed forces seemed to obey her. They didn't know the specifics of what was happening.But they did know that from today onward, the council would have a new, young, yet incredibly powerful senator, and they would be working alongside her.As for their safety, they didn't need to worry.They weren't afraid of suffering the same fate as Councilor Red Fox, being slit in the throat by Sakura.They all knew about his sending COCOON to assassinate Mei. In politics, assassination is the lowest form of behavior, especially if it fails. One must accept the consequences of a failed assassination.Simply put, he deserved to die.They were even already mentally calculating how to divide Councilor Red Fox's vast wealth and the resulting profits.As for whether Mei, the ruthless new councilor, would use force to coerce them, that was even less of a concern. Although they didn't control the military, they controlled the economic lifeline of Fire Moth.Without them, Fire Moth simply couldn't function.As for the power Mei held, that would be dealt with in the daily struggles to come.They weren't worried; a mere young woman like Mei couldn't possibly be a political opponent.As they expected, after taking her seat in the council, Mei said nothing, instead closing her eyes to rest. Kevin and Sakura stood on either side of her.Then, the rotating speaker of the council, without changing his expression, announced that the council would continue.The meeting once again descended into arguments and discussions, behaving like any other meeting.As for the deceased Red Fox councilor, it was as if he had never existed; only some bloodstains on the tablecloth indicated that something significant had just happened in the council.During the meeting, these people, without batting an eye, distributed the various assets and powers controlled by the Red Fox councilor as easily as drinking water. Mei didn't say a word, but she still received a share.The council continued.Their undisguised behavior and the topics of their discussion utterly shattered Kevin and Sakura's worldview, filling them with deep disgust.They were once again certain that Fire Moth would surely fail if it were under these people's command.Dr. Mei remained silent throughout, letting the conversation flow. However, she ultimately made two suggestions: an increase in funding for the research force and approval of the Integration Project and the Divine Key Project.To give their new colleague a welcoming gift, the other senators agreed.After all, face had to be given. Besides, the cost of these requests was negligible to them; their sights were already set on the entire world.As long as Mei didn't hinder their global wealth and acquisition of what they desired, they didn't bother opposing her.Honkai?What's that?Fire Moth, against the Honkai?A joke.This is the perfect platform for them to rule the world.These are the true thoughts of these morally corrupt senators.The meeting ended, and Mei led the two out of the meeting room as they could no longer hold it. Kevin and Sakura could no longer hide the disgust on their faces. In just a few hours, they had witnessed all the evil within humanity's upper echelons.As for Mei, she looked up at the brilliant starry sky. Recalling the events of her childhood, her usually cold eyes blazed with anger once more.She murmured."Humanity's fate shouldn't rest on the shoulders of these vampires."With that, she didn't say goodbye to the two but walked straight toward her laboratory."The day to cleanse them won't be far off."Leaving these words, Mei departed.Seeing this, Kevin sensed his girl's inner turmoil and hurriedly followed, catching up with Mei.Standing in place, Sakura watched their figures gradually disappear, finally seeing Mei nestled in Kevin's arms, and sighed heavily."She's the one under the greatest pressure."

-----

Chapter 147: The Sword of Rebellion Rises Again?

After Mei became a councilor of Fire Moth, she used her power to vigorously promote Mobius's MANTIS experiments and the Divine Key project—a project known only to her, Mobius, and Vill-V.

These proceeded at a leisurely pace.

Having accomplished this, Mei ignored the councilors. Seeing that Mei hadn't attacked them or planned anything, the remaining councilors breathed a sigh of relief.

They controlled Fire Moth's economy. However, facing Mei, who commanded Fire Moth's armed forces, they couldn't help but feel a little uneasy.

While not afraid, they didn't want to clash with her.

After all, most of the councilors were from wealthy conglomerates. At this point, they only wanted to use Fire Moth to reap the world's wealth; they didn't care about Mei's two projects.

Giving Mei some face, they approved all her proposals.

Then, internal power struggles resumed.

Mei returned to her lab that same day to continue her Prometheus experiments, while Mobius and her three assistants worked tirelessly on various experiments.

Kevin, meanwhile, led his team to Honkai outbreak sites around the world.

As for Elysia, sensing Fire Moth's return to its previous state, she quickly embraced her carefree lifestyle, socializing with various girls and living happily.

Furthermore, through her understanding of Fu Hua via livestream, she quickly became acquainted with Hua of the Fifth Squad, and they became friends.

To this end, Elysia bought many clothes, wanting to play dress-up with Hua. However, Hua coldly rejected her. Although Hua was still quite naive at this time, she now had a clear goal in mind: to become stronger.

Until she could protect those she wanted to protect.

She simply waited for Mobius's experiments to be completed, then became the first person to participate in the MANTIS project.

Eden continued her concert tours, spending her evenings on the phone with Elysia. Their conversations were long, and their relationship visibly blossomed.

However, Elysia forgot that they had met when they were very young.

Pardo continued her Robin Hood-like activities in Sundown Alley, playing the role of a nighttime hero. As for Aponia, although influenced by Mobius's words, it didn't affect her resolve to care for these people.

Regardless of whether a cure for Honkai disease was ever found, at this moment, she wanted these poor children to live happily every day.

As for Kalpas, who was ignored by Elysia and Mobius, he was fortunate enough to be asked by Aponia to fetch ingredients when Elysia and Mobius arrived at the sanatorium, thus missing the chance to meet them.

Otherwise, the two would definitely have recognized Kalpas, not only knowing that he was one of the future thirteen Flamechasers but also that he was an alien who had severely injured or killed the Herrscher of Ice.

However, Kalpas was, of course, unaware of all this. As he spent more time at the sanatorium and grew closer to the children, although he often argued and talked back to Aponia, he gradually integrated into the sanatorium family.

Sakura lived with her sister at the Fire Moth headquarters. At this time, Rin had not yet contracted Honkai disease.

Everything was progressing in a positive direction, so much so that Elysia looked at the vibrant Fire Moth, she found it hard to imagine how they had lost to Honkai.

Therefore, in her spare time, Elysia was eager to know about her future story, the story of the remaining thirteen Flamechasers, and even the story of Fire Moth.

...

While Fire Moth's storyline was undergoing subtle changes from the original plot, the current civilization of Xiyue was also constantly changing.

Schicksal's flagship was currently speeding toward the Far East Branch. Standing on the deck, Durandal felt the wind blowing as she watched the livestream screen turn black, then looked away.

She raised her head and looked into the distance.

A hint of sorrow flickered in her azure eyes.

She desperately wanted to know if Theresa had understood her message and made any preparations.

If not, Kiana would still be taken away by Otto, just like in the original story, and everything would proceed according to Otto's plan.

Although she knew Kiana would suppress her Herrscher persona later, this was predicated on Kiana being stimulated and growing rapidly.

But now, thinking of Kiana's silly remarks in the livestream, even she couldn't help but facepalm.

She shook her head, banishing her reluctance.

She had done all she could. From the moment she arrived at St. Freya Academy, they were enemies.

She was a Valkyrie, and a Valkyrie's duty was to obey orders.

"Lady Durandal, it's windy here. Please come inside."

Rita's gentle voice reached Durandal's ears. Durandal turned around, looked at Rita dressed in a maid outfit, and nodded. Then she walked toward the ship.

"Theresa, I hope you are prepared!"

Meanwhile, Cocolia's warships were not far from the Far East Branch. Their more advanced radar, superior to Schicksal's, detected the direction of Schicksal's main fleet first.

Faced with this situation, even the proud Cocolia had no choice but to adopt a wait-and-see approach.

She halted her warships and concealed them, wanting to know what the warships symbolizing the Schicksal Overseer's expedition were doing on their way to the Far East Branch.

On the other side, Einstein and Tesla, piloting the faster transport ship, had arrived at St. Freya Academy. Theresa, Himeko, and Fu Hua hurriedly greeted them.

"Dr. Einstein, Dr. Tesla, that's what happened."

Hearing Theresa's words, the two doctors fell silent in thought.

"Durandal wouldn't send such a message without reason. It must convey something."

Theresa shrugged helplessly.

"I tried contacting Durandal too, but it was no use. I couldn't reach her at all."

"But I still feel like Durandal is foreshadowing something. After all, given her personality, she wouldn't create such a pointless game."

Hearing this, the group fell silent again, but not for long.

Then, everyone looked at each other. Except for Einstein, they all spoke in unison.

"Otto/Grandpa's plan has been brought forward?"

Einstein's usually rational eyes showed a rare expression of doubt as she looked at the group and asked,

"Huh? What plan?"

---

Chapter 148: My Dear Granddaughter, It's Been a Long Time!

Einstein looked at the group with a puzzled expression. Since discovering Tesla's inexplicable crying and her speaking incomprehensible words at the Anti-Entropy headquarters, she had a vague feeling that something was amiss.

She had asked Tesla what was going on and what was being kept from her, but Tesla hadn't told her.

Even though she was still curious, she gave up.

After all, what Tesla couldn't tell her was something she couldn't be told.

However, seeing Theresa and Himeko's expressions here, she felt something was wrong again. A strong feeling rose within her.

She had a feeling that these people knew something but were not telling her, leaving her as the only one kept in the dark.

This made Einstein feel uneasy.

Tesla who stood beside her also sensed her unusual behavior. However, remembering the requirements of the livestream, she could only give Einstein an apologetic look, secretly hoping that next time this mysterious livestream would include her.

Mophead definitely had an extraordinary interest in this so-called live-streaming system.

She would even go to any lengths to research it.

After all, that was Einstein.

Without much thought, Tesla immediately turned her gaze to Theresa and Himeko, then addressed them.

"Regardless of whether Otto's plan is ahead of schedule, the most important thing now is to quickly move Kiana and the others. As long as Otto doesn't find us, there's still hope."

Hearing Tesla's words, Theresa instantly understood her meaning and quickly made a decision, saying to Himeko,

"Himeko, go and call Kiana and the others immediately. Head to the Hyperion. I'll notify Xiyue right away."

After saying this, she turned her gaze back to Tesla and Einstein, her expression grave.

"Both Doctors, head to the Hyperion immediately!"

"And Fu Hua, you too."

She urged the group on.

After giving her orders, Judah appeared behind Theresa, and she quickly spoke to the group.

"I'm going to the Far East Branch Airport to get some answers from Grandpa. Delaying the retreat is fine. With Schicksal's main fleet, they'll probably be at the Far East Branch soon. I'm counting on you all!"

With that, Theresa headed toward the Far East Branch Airport.

"Theresa!"

Himeko called out.

Theresa instinctively turned around. Seeing Himeko's expression and knowing what she wanted to say, she spoke first.

"Don't worry, Grandpa won't make things difficult for me."

"You must take Kiana away. Don't let Grandpa find her, and prevent those things from happening!"

"Please!"

Then she turned and headed toward the airport without looking back. Himeko and the others, seeing this, shook their heads helplessly, unsurprised.

Those close to Himeko knew how Theresa would react in this situation.

Although Otto's affection for Theresa was common knowledge, they weren't sure if his plans this time would outweigh that affection. After all, someone like Otto was always willing to use any means necessary to achieve his goals.

Thinking about this, they couldn't help but worry.

"I'll go help the headmaster."

Fu Hua stepped forward, clasped her hands in a fist salute to Himeko and the others, then chased after Theresa.

Himeko felt slightly relieved upon seeing this.

After all, she had a lot of confidence in Fu Hua's strength. Although she didn't know how strong Fu Hua was at her peak, her strength, which was comparable to Rita's in the story, told Himeko that Fu Hua was very strong.

As long as Schicksal didn't deploy Durandal, Rita's chances of capturing Kiana while facing Fu Hua were slim.

Himeko quickly regained her composure and rushed back to the dormitory to find Kiana and the others, who were still playfully fighting. The two doctors, however, went ahead to the Hyperion.

Himeko quickly followed, taking a still-confused Kiana with her, and swiftly headed to the Hyperion.

...

Just as she finished her livestream and was about to relax and have some free time, preparing for a raffle, she received a request to board the Hyperion, along with a message from Theresa.

She was instructed to quickly activate the Hyperion and immediately leave the Far East Branch to escape Schicksal's pursuit.

Xiyue was stunned upon seeing this message and immediately jumped out of bed.

She instinctively spoke,

"Otto's started?"

Without thinking too much, she hastily threw on some clothes and rushed out the door toward the Hyperion.

As the captain of the Hyperion, she always had a high level of authority over it.

On the way, Xiyue couldn't help but feel a little apprehensive.

The timelines had converged after all.

She had thought that through the livestream, the original storyline wouldn't happen.

No, although she expected the timelines to converge, she hadn't expected it to happen so quickly—so quickly that she hadn't yet figured out a way to resist or rather to face it.

Although her current physical strength was equivalent to that of an A-rank Valkyrie, she was still weaker than Mei, who borrowed power from the Herrscher of Thunder, when facing Otto and his three Warlords.

Knowing this but being unable to change it was the most painful thing.

Meanwhile, as Xiyue was heading to the Hyperion, Otto's Schicksal fleet arrived at the Far East Branch's empty alley and stopped there.

Otto led the way. As the fleet descended, Otto stepped onto the deck and saw Theresa carrying Judah on her back below.

Seeing this, a faint smile appeared on Otto's face, and he waved to Theresa.

"My incredibly lovely granddaughter has come to greet her grandfather in person. I'm so moved I could cry."

"You know, the last time I saw my dear granddaughter was several months ago."

"It really makes me sad~"

"Can you tell me why you haven't contacted me, my dear granddaughter Theresa?"

After saying this, Durandal, Rita, and Li Sushang appeared behind Otto, calmly observing Theresa below.

---

Chapter 149: The Powerful Durandal

Upon hearing Otto's words, Theresa looked at him with a complex expression, noticing the hint of doting affection in his eyes.

Normally, Theresa would have rushed over excitedly, exchanging a warm, intimate greeting with Otto—a gesture unique to grandfather and granddaughter.

But not this time.

Through the livestream, she knew everything that would happen in the future, including that her student Kiana would be taken away and that she had gone to Schicksal headquarters to become a pawn in awakening Kiana's humanity.

Even through Himeko's sacrifice, Kiana was able to defeat the Herrscher persona.

But she had endured far too much in the process.

Thinking of Himeko's The Final Lesson and the scene where Kiana held a gun to her chin.

She, Theresa Apocalypse, could not ignore it.

For her student, for her niece Kiana, and for everyone,

as the headmistress of St. Freya Academy, she would not allow anyone to take her student away from her—no one, not even her beloved grandfather.

Theresa didn't continue playing games with Otto but spoke directly to him.

"Grandpa, what brings you here to see your granddaughter?"

Sensing the change in Theresa's emotions and clearly seeing her expression, Otto was slightly taken aback.

A question welled up in his mind.

Did my silly granddaughter know my plan?

However, he quickly dismissed the thought. After all, only a few people knew about this operation.

And these few people wouldn't show the information to Theresa.

Thinking this, Otto pushed the question away, then walked towards Theresa as before, reaching out to place his hand on her little head and smiled.

"I just missed my dearest granddaughter, didn't I?"

"Don't you welcome Grandpa?"

Before he finished speaking, Theresa took a few steps back, dodging Otto's hand.

Theresa distanced herself from Otto. Under Otto's questioning gaze, she noticed Durandal, Rita, and an unfamiliar girl behind him. But she didn't have time to look further, and she focused her attention back on Otto.

She spoke directly.

"Grandpa, is it really necessary for you to send three S-rank Valkyries on this trip?"

After saying this, Theresa felt a chill run down her spine.

Although she didn't recognize the girl, the only one standing with Durandal was probably the most mysterious S-rank Valkyrie. She hadn't expected her grandfather to send such a lineup for that idiot Kiana.

This was completely different from the storyline in the livestream.

She vaguely understood the reason for the current situation. After all, unlike the storyline in the livestream, Fu Hua hadn't carried out Otto's plan this time; instead, she was on their side.

However, with their current strength, dealing with three S-rank Valkyries was still a bit risky.

Therefore, she needed to buy some time.

We should try our best to get the Hyperion to take Kiana and the others as far away as possible.

Hearing Theresa's words, Otto was slightly surprised, realizing that Theresa knew about his plan. He wasn't curious about how Theresa knew.

After all, he had come with absolute confidence.

Fu Hua's sudden disappearance had altered his plan, but it wasn't a major issue.

Faced with overwhelming power, his plan would continue.

Thinking this, Otto's kind expression vanished, his gaze turning cold, though the smile remained as he looked at Theresa. After all, his beloved granddaughter was also part of the plan.

"Alright, my dear granddaughter, Grandpa mainly came to see you, but I was just casually looking for Kiana."

"After all, I've been wanting to see Siegfried's daughter."

Theresa immediately refused.

"No, Grandpa."

As she spoke, the Oath of Judah was placed before her, her eyes fixed firmly on Otto.

"Grandpa, I know what you're trying to do."

"But whatever you're trying to do, I will never hand Kiana over to you!"

Facing the Oath of Judah, Otto took a few steps back, looking at Theresa, who exuded a powerful aura. At her nun's habit and petite figure, Otto's gaze was filled with helplessness and doting.

However, this look was fleeting, replaced by cold indifference.

He spoke to Rita beside him.

"Rita, Theresa is going through a rebellious phase. Go and calm my dear granddaughter down."

Upon hearing Otto's words, Rita gave him a maid's bow.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Then, she gracefully stepped forward and also bowed to the ready Theresa.

"Lady Theresa, forgive my intrusion."

With these words, a massive scythe appeared in her hand, but Theresa's eyes showed no fear when she saw Rita. She had long wanted to fight Rita.

It wasn't for anything else, just because of her actions towards Kiana and Himeko during the livestream.

Although she knew Rita had gone easy on her and knew Rita was following Otto's orders, she still wanted to challenge Rita and avenge Himeko and the others.

Facing Rita, Theresa kept her gaze fixed on Otto, firmly stating,

"Grandpa, I will absolutely not hand Kiana over to you!"

She then engaged Rita in battle.

Hearing Theresa's words, a hint of amusement and satisfaction flashed deep in Otto's blue eyes. He then turned to Durandal and Li Sushang beside him.

"Go and bring K423 back."

"My lovely granddaughter is still too naive to try and stall for time."

"Heh."

Durandal, clad in blue armor and wielding the Black Abyss White Flower, nodded.

Just as she was about to head towards Kiana's dormitory, a golden halo descended before the three of them, stirring up thick gray smoke.

Otto's expression remained unchanged as he spoke to the figure within the smoke.

"Fu Hua, my old friend, why are you like this?"

As the smoke cleared, Fu Hua, clad in her Shadow Knight battlesuit, appeared before them.

Hearing Otto's words, Fu Hua recalled that scene and replied calmly.

"Otto, are you still trying to deceive me?"

Hearing this, Otto shook his head.

"My old friend, I have never lied to you."

"Everything is as you see it; everything is going according to my plan."

Fu Hua listened to these words without replying, only coldly staring at Otto.

Otto sensed Fu Hua's attitude and said nothing more. He took a few steps back and said to the petite girl,

"My friend, she is in your care."

After saying this, Otto remained silent and walked towards the flagship.

The plan had begun, and he only needed to witness its completion.

The girl with long brown hair, tied in a single ponytail with blue highlights and held up with a sky-blue ribbon, looked at Otto with a helpless expression.

"Rakshasa, your plan has gone wrong again! Even the opponent you agreed on is different."

Her voice was clear and crisp, with a soft tremor of innocent girlhood.

The girl bypassed Otto, walked to his side, and then fixed her gaze on Fu Hua, her eyes sparkling with joy as she called out,

"Master is here!"

Upon hearing the voice and recognizing the girl's face, long-buried memories froze in Fu Hua's mind, causing her to drift into a daze.

However, she quickly regained her composure and recognized the girl.

She replied with surprise and disbelief.

"It's you!"

Seeing that Fu Hua recognized her, the girl's smile widened. She came to face Fu Hua, her smile fading, and gave her a disciple's salute, saying crisply,

"Grandmaster Jingwei—long time no see."

Hearing this voice she hadn't heard in so long, Fu Hua fell into a brief silence.

After a moment, she nodded to the girl and slowly replied.

"Indeed, it's been... five hundred years. I never imagined you were still alive. But..."

At this point, Fu Hua's gaze turned to Otto, and she continued,

"That's exactly what Otto would do."

Hearing Fu Hua's words, Li Sushang quickly echoed,

"Right? I was startled when I woke up too."

"However, although times have changed, the people from five hundred years ago are still here. It feels like a dream."

Fu Hua nodded upon hearing this, then said to Li Sushang,

"When did you become a Valkyrie, Sushang?"

Hearing this, Li Sushang pursed her lips, looking speechless.

"What Valkyrie? That's a title this guy gave me—I don't want to be that kind of person."

With one hand on her hip, she spoke confidently in front of Otto.

As for Theresa and Rita, their fight was becoming increasingly intense. Although Rita possessed the strength of a seasoned S-rank Valkyrie, Theresa was no less formidable. With the help of the Divine Key, the Oath of Judah, and Einstein's intervention to remove her Godsbane Battlesuit privileges,

she was truly not afraid of Rita.

Li Sushang didn't finish her sentence and explained again to Fu Hua.

"Grandmaster Jingwei, don't overthink it. The Rakshasa saved my life; that's why I helped him, not because I became some kind of Valkyrie."

"But he said I had to fight some Herrscher, not my Grandmaster Jingwei. If my mother knew I was fighting my grandmaster, she'd tear my ears off again."

Otto, hearing this, couldn't help but show a helpless expression on his usually calm face.

However, considering Li Sushang's personality, he had no other choice. He glanced at Durandal, who ignored him and headed towards the dormitory building.

With Durandal involved, Otto didn't believe they had anyone who could stop her.

Seeing Durandal leave, Fu Hua was also helpless.

Durandal was the most powerful person she had ever seen in this era. With her current strength, she wasn't confident she could fight two against one, let alone buy them time.

Therefore, she could only pray that Himeko could quickly leave with Kiana and the others.

...

Meanwhile, Xiyue quickly arrived aboard the Hyperion. Himeko, along with Kiana and the other two, boarded the ship, and Xiyue immediately started the Hyperion.

After Himeko's explanation, she understood what had happened.

Xiyue was completely bewildered. She knew that letting the people in the livestream know the future trajectory would affect the future, but it would definitely cause the timelines to converge.

However, she hadn't expected the timelines to converge so quickly.

Then Xiyue realized that Otto hadn't told her, a double agent, about such a grand plan; it appears he still didn't trust her.

However, for her now, the spy identity was dispensable.

After all, they would soon become Schicksal's wanted persons, preparing to begin her escape.

Einstein and Tesla were contemplating their next move when Xiyue noticed a high-speed beam of light approaching them, about to land on the Hyperion's deck.

Soon, Xiyue also saw the true form of the light.

"Durandal!"

Xiyue's words drew the attention of the others. Seeing this, Einstein decisively said to Xiyue,

"Use all the ship's cannons; aim at Durandal!"

Xiyue quickly gave the order, but as all the cannons fired at Durandal, she simply flicked her Black Abyss White Flower, and the cannons were destroyed.

Durandal herself was completely unharmed.

Seeing this, even Tesla couldn't help but sigh.

"That bastard Otto, what kind of luck did he have to possess someone like Durandal?"

Kiana also witnessed this scene. Kiana had always aimed to defeat Durandal and become the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal. Although she usually resented Durandal, she had heard rumors about her.

And she had to admit that Durandal did indeed possess immense power.

But Kiana didn't give up.

She continued with this goal.

After all, one shouldn't underestimate a young person's potential.

However, Kiana was stunned when she saw it today. The ship's cannon, capable of instantly killing a Hall-of-Fame Honkai Beast, hadn't done a single scratch to Durandal.

This was far too powerful.

For a moment, Kiana felt a void in her heart at the thought of surpassing Durandal.

Just as everyone was stunned by Durandal's power, Himeko smiled gently and walked towards the preparation room.

Seeing this, Xiyue hurriedly followed.

Himeko looked at Xiyue, placed her hands on Xiyue's shoulders, and said with a solemn expression.

"Xiyue, I'll go stop Durandal. You quickly take Kiana and leave in the small transport."

"Don't stay a moment longer."

"Understood?"

---

Chapter 150: Sirin's Bewitching and the Despicable Green Trap

Hearing Himeko's words, Xiyue was about to say something when Himeko shook her head.

"Xiyue, I know what you want to say."

"But it's alright. I'll hold off Durandal. You take Kiana and the others and leave quickly."

With that, Himeko turned, greatsword in hand, and walked toward the Hyperion's deck.

Her strength was vastly different from Durandal's, but she was confident she could hold Durandal off for a while. She would never let Kiana be taken away before her eyes.

As a teacher, she had to protect her students at all costs.

Xiyue stood there, watching Himeko's disappearing figure, silent for a long time. Finally, a faint smile appeared on her face.

This was Himeko Murata, and only Himeko Murata could do such a thing.

This senior is truly likable.

She took a deep breath, then activated her clone, sending it with Kiana and the others onto the transport ship.

As for her real body...

A flash of golden light enveloped her, and the magnificent and noble Xuanyuan sacrificial robes appeared on her body. Her face gradually changed, and the adult version of Ji Lin reappeared in this world. Xiyue felt the change within herself and clenched her fist in the air.

She couldn't help but sigh.

"This is Ji Lin's power at its peak, truly awe-inspiring."

Ji Lin's strength was undeniable. In ancient times, relying on her innate holy marks, she single-handedly fought against the Judgment-class Honkai Beast, Chi You. Although she didn't kill Chi You, she sealed it away.

This alone is something most Schicksal S-rank Valkyries couldn't accomplish.

Thinking of this, Xiyue couldn't help but feel fortunate.

Fortunately, she had drawn this [Ji Lin Trial Card] in her last gacha pull, which allowed her to temporarily possess Ji Lin at her peak. She had initially thought it was useless, but it unexpectedly proved very useful at this moment.

Having spent so many crystals without getting anything substantial, Xiyue felt slightly satisfied.

Then she chased after Himeko. Keep in mind that Himeko at this time didn't have the Vermillion Knight. Even with her current strength, she couldn't hold off Durandal for long, no matter how hard she tried.

After all, Himeko was facing the most powerful Valkyrie in Schicksal history.

Durandal, also known as the Original Kiana, is also a divine child, meaning she is more of a protagonist than anyone else.

She lost her memory in childhood, then joined Schicksal and became a Valkyrie.

At a young age, she quickly became an A-rank Valkyrie, then traveled through the World Bubble, gaining the world's recognition and obtaining the ultimate power-up, the Durandal Holy Sword, essentially possessing her own world.

Compared to protagonists like Kiana who relied on "mutation," Durandal is a pure human powerhouse, forged step by step.

In other words, the strongest human in the Previous Era was Kevin, and the strongest human in the current civilization is Durandal.

Unfortunately, after Dudu and Chongchong rescued Siegfried, Dudu's role disappeared, and this second protagonist had very little screen time.

Back when Durandal first appeared in the story, Xiyue didn't hesitate to try and get Dudu.

Now, she is facing off against Dudu.

Fate is truly unpredictable.

As for whether she could defeat Durandal, Xiyue hadn't even considered it; even with Ji Lin's full power, it wouldn't be enough.

Currently, the only one who could probably defeat Dudu is the still-sealed ancestor, Kevin.

Then there is Senti, who on the surface seems to be evenly matched with Dudu.

As for the others facing Dudu, they wouldn't last more than a few moves if Dudu didn't hold back.

All Xiyue could do was stall for time.

She hadn't expected the timeline to converge so quickly and so severely. This was several times more difficult than the original storyline, where Dudu was merely observing and mediating.

Unlike now, Dudu was personally taking action.

While lost in thought, Xiyue quickly reached the deck. There, Himeko and Dudu, holding the Black Abyss White Flower, faced each other.

Himeko looked at Dudu with a complex expression.

"Durandal, are you really going to do this?"

"You know very well what Otto is doing. Even so, are you still going to help him?"

Hearing Himeko's words, Dudu simply shook her head, answering calmly.

"Major Himeko, you know that a soldier's duty is to obey orders."

Hearing this, Himeko was silent for a moment, then raised her greatsword at Dudu.

"Since that's the case, I won't let you succeed!"

Dudu looked at Himeko, at Himeko holding her sword, her face resolute. Knowing the future plot, she admired Himeko, both then and now.

Recalling The Final Lesson from the live stream, and then Kiana's transformation, she sighed sincerely.

Kiana was able to defeat the Herrscher of the Sky only because of such a teacher.

However, even so, she still had to act. She didn't support Otto's plan, but as a Valkyrie, she still had to obey Otto's orders.

Although she secretly hoped Kiana could escape, she couldn't show any weakness on the surface.

With that, she charged toward Himeko.

A swift and decisive victory.

After exchanging a few blows, Himeko was quickly forced to retreat.

Her physical condition was already poor, let alone facing such a difficult battle.

Durandal remained expressionless, speaking softly to the panting, coughing Himeko.

"Major Himeko, you are no match for me. Please step aside."

Himeko didn't answer but tremblingly raised her greatsword again, facing Durandal.

"Durandal, you know me. I'll give my life rather than let you pass."

Hearing this, Dudu was also helpless, even though she knew what kind of personality Himeko had from The Final Lesson.

She didn't lay a hand on Himeko; she wasn't a Herrscher. Her only task was to take Kiana away; the rest was beyond her control. Of course, she didn't know whether Himeko was actually stalling for time.

Durandal certainly knew that.

They were holding back, weren't they? They could have easily defeated the heavily injured Himeko in one move, but they had dragged it out for so long.

However, Dudu wasn't too optimistic about this either.

After all, you can dodge one, but can you dodge fifteen?

Of course, she didn't have time to think about these things yet.

Durandal glanced at the time; it was late, and if she slacked off any longer, Otto would notice.

Then, spear in hand, she walked toward Himeko, intending to knock her unconscious. Himeko, however, was making a final counterattack.

Just as Durandal's fist was about to strike Himeko, a golden, ancient-looking longsword, moving at a speed almost invisible to the naked eye, thrust toward Durandal.

Durandal quickly sensed this, retreated, and raised her lance, clashing with the golden longsword.

Xiyue, sensing Durandal's immense power, slightly crouched, raised her sword, and immediately distanced herself from Durandal. Durandal looked at Xiyue, a hint of confusion in her blue eyes.

"Who are you?"

Xiyue looked closely at Dudu. Dudu was still as handsome and dashing as ever.

As a Dudu fan, she was overjoyed inside.

Of course, she didn't answer Durandal's question but continued her attack. To stall Dudu, she couldn't fight her head-on; she had to use a kiting tactic.

She would stall for as long as possible.

Durandal easily parried with her spear, then stared intently at Xiyue.

Then, with a cold snort, she began her counterattack.

...

Battles erupted in all three departments of the Far East Branch. While the three sides were engaged in fierce fighting, Xiyue's clone appeared before Kiana and the other two, leading them toward the transport plane.

On the way, Kiana clung tightly to Mei's arm, watching Xiyue walk ahead. Hearing the commotion outside, Kiana couldn't help but ask Xiyue a question.

"Xiyue, can't we really go help?"

"I want to help Aunt Himeko and the others."

"We can't let them protect us forever."

Hearing this, as Xiyue's clone pondered how to respond to Kiana, Tesla spoke.

"Idiot, your current strength would only make things worse."

"The battle up there requires at least A-rank strength. You three D-rank Valkyries are going to help?"

"Besides, Himeko, Theresa, and Fu Hua are fighting them to buy time for us to escape."

Tesla was known for her directness.

Faced with Tesla's honesty, Kiana, Mei, and Bronya all lowered their heads in unison.

Yes, they were simply too weak.

Too weak to even run away.

Even if they knew what the future held, their weakness wouldn't change anything.

Thinking this, the three girls clenched their fists tightly.

Xiyue's clone sensed their distress and quickly comforted them.

"The future is long; we will all become stronger."

"But right now, the most important thing is not to let the headmaster and the others down. Let's board the ship quickly."

Hearing Xiyue's words, the usually carefree Kiana hung her head, walking absentmindedly.

She felt the helplessness of her weakness once again.

She was too weak.

So weak that even appearing on the battlefield now would result in instant defeat.

Outside, her teacher, her class monitor, and her companions were all desperately trying to buy her time, while she could only act like a coward, able only to run away.

This made the usually confident Kiana feel incredibly distressed.

She was unwilling to accept it, truly unwilling.

She couldn't bear feeling so weak, so powerless.

At this moment, Kiana's desire to become stronger grew even stronger.

Unlike Kiana's inner resentment, Sirin, within Kiana's consciousness, sensed Kiana's intense emotional fluctuations. A smile spread across her face. She had thought that because of the livestream, it would become increasingly difficult for her to gain control of Kiana's body.

Unexpectedly, the opportunity had arrived so quickly.

How could she not be pleased?

Taking advantage of Kiana's current vulnerability, she hurriedly asked Kiana in a questioning tone:

"Do you want power?"

"Do you want to kill Otto? Kill everyone who wants to capture you?"

"Do you want to stop hiding under someone else's wing and become independent?"

"Kiana, if you give me your body, I'll do all this for you."

Kiana, her heart beginning to weaken and waver, was seized upon by Sirin, whose voice, brimming with irresistible allure, rang in her ears. Kiana heard the voice and knew it was Sirin.

Immediately, the plot of The Final Lesson flashed through her mind, along with the thousands in Arc City who had lost their homes and loved ones because of the Honkai.

And then she remembered what Sirin had done.

Kiana firmly refused.

"Sirin, it's impossible!"

"I will never be deceived by you!"

Hearing Kiana's words, Sirin was unmoved. If it weren't for what had happened today, her words wouldn't have swayed Kiana, but today was different. She could sense the panic and confusion within Kiana.

Her resolve wasn't as strong as Kiana had imagined.

This was the perfect moment for her to break down Kiana's psychological defenses.

"Are you really going to just stand by and watch Theresa, Himeko, and Fu Hua die at Otto's hands for your sake?"

"Ha, you're still as selfish as ever."

"At your core, you're still that worrywart!"

"You think you lack power? No, you don't. You're just afraid to use it. Why are you afraid to use it?"

"Are you afraid I'll take over your body after you use it?"

"Are you afraid of The Final Lesson happening?"

"Are you afraid you'll cause thousands upon thousands to die?"

Kiana, overwhelmed by Sirin's relentless barrage of words, could only hastily retort.

"No, that's not it."

"I'm not afraid. Herrscher, you can't fool me!"

Hearing Kiana's words, Sirin sneered again, retorting to Kiana.

"Is that so? Ask yourself honestly, am I lying?"

"A coward is still a coward. Someone like you can only get those around you killed, one after another. Heh, still unwilling to believe it? How long will you continue to deceive yourself?"

"Foolish, overestimating yourself."

Sirin's words grew increasingly sharp, relentlessly attacking Kiana's psychological defenses until, the moment Kiana entered the transport ship, her legs gave way, and she collapsed to her knees, clutching her head again, muttering to herself.

"No, no. It's not!"

"Sirin, you can't fool me! I won't fall for your tricks, absolutely not!"

Seeing Kiana's state, Mei instantly understood what had happened. She quickly knelt down, hugging Kiana tightly and comforting her.

"Kiana, don't believe Sirin."

"No matter what she says, it's all lies, all deception."

"Don't believe her!"

Hearing Mei's words, Kiana's rationality gradually returned. Sirin, seeing this, merely glanced at her, unconcerned. After all, she had successfully planted a seed in Kiana.

The seed would surely blossom.

Although hearing these words from an ant still infuriated her.

So much so that Sirin vowed in her heart that the moment she regained her freedom, the first thing she would do was kill this ant.

Just as Kiana recovered and the transport plane was about to take off, another incident occurred.

On the transport plane's projection screen appeared Otto's composed face.

Otto, with a faint smile, spoke calmly to Kiana and the others.

"Anti-Entropy doctors, and my lovely experimental subject K423, long time no see."

"I know you want to run away."

"But if you really run, then they are doomed."

Then the screen shifted, revealing Theresa and Fu Hua who were both unconscious in their view.

----

Chapter 151: Kiana's Second Choice: Hiding Otto's Face

Seeing this scene, Xiyue was stunned, somewhat unable to believe what she was seeing.

Theresa and Fu Hua were both lying on the ground.

What was going on? If Theresa were going all out, even Rita would be half-crippled, let alone Fu Hua.

Even if Fu Hua had been nerfed by many levels, it was impossible for Li Sushang to have seriously injured her or even knocked her unconscious, right?

For a moment, Xiyue's mind went blank. Although she knew the timeline would converge, this was far beyond the original plot!

Deeply shocked, Xiyue was almost hit by Durandal's lance.

Then, standing side by side with Himeko, both of them instinctively stopped, glancing at Durandal's expressionless face and reflecting on the battle just now.

Xiyue looked down at the Xuanyuan Sword in her hand and could only sigh inwardly.

“As expected of Dudu.”

“She’s gone all out.”

However, Xiyue hadn’t expected Durandal to hold back; after all, it was Dudu. Dudu wasn’t one to blindly obey Otto, much less show any favoritism toward the people of St. Freya Academy.

She hadn’t initially thought Dudu would actually attack her.

Then, her gaze shifted from Dudu to Theresa in Rita’s arms and Fu Hua in Li Dazhen’s arms. Xiyue still couldn’t understand, unless…

Suddenly, something occurred to her, and Xiyue looked at Otto.

Sure enough, she saw the golden gun in Otto’s hand—the same one from the original story where Otto shot Fu Hua in the back.

Otto had made his move.

No wonder.

Xiyue wasn't the only one puzzled; Himeko, Einstein, and Tesla, who also knew Theresa and Fu Hua's fighting prowess, were equally confused.

However, upon seeing the golden spear still in Otto's hand, they slowly understood.

Otto himself sensed something, glancing at Theresa with a smile before turning to look at Himeko and Xiyue.

His gaze lingered on the person with the mask for several seconds.

After all, this person was someone who had appeared suddenly, someone he hadn't expected. Moreover, there was no information about this masked one in any of Schicksal's intelligence reports.

It was as if they had appeared out of thin air.

This was hard not to attract Otto's attention.

However, Otto's attention didn't remain on Xiyue for long. He then turned to Himeko and Tesla, cheerfully saying.

"Aren't you puzzled that my dear granddaughter fainted so quickly?"

"Aren't you also wondering how the invincible Jingwei was so seriously injured?"

"Heh."

At this point, Otto chuckled coldly.

Then, with an incredibly joyful laugh, he continued:

"My lovely granddaughter wore the Godsbane Battlesuits invented by her own grandfather, she's still not grown up."

Hearing this, Xiyue's suspicions were confirmed.

Theresa, wearing the Godsbane Battlesuit "Twilight Paladin," and Fu Hua, wearing the Godsbane Battlesuit "Shadow Knight," both wore Godsbane Battlesuits personally developed by Otto. It was indeed impossible for anyone to detect any tampering with them.

If that were the case, it would explain how Theresa and Fu Hua could have been defeated so quickly.

"Otto really is terrifying."

Tesla and the others in the transport ship immedtely understood what was going on upon hearing Otto's word and stopped the ship. The hot-tempered Tesla immediately launched an attack on Otto.

Kiana was also angrily berating Otto.

"Otto, you despicable villain! One day, I'll smash your face!"

Kiana's voice reached Otto's ears, but he remained unmoved. Instead, he turned his gaze to the transport ship where Kiana was, as if watching her through the ship itself.

He spoke calmly.

“K423, I think you probably don’t have that chance anymore, ha.”

Hearing Otto’s words, especially hearing him call her by her number, Kiana’s body trembled uncontrollably, her brows furrowed, and her demeanor underwent a dramatic change.

Fortunately, a pair of gentle, soft hands grasped Kiana’s hands.

“Kiana, don’t let him provoke you.”

Mei’s gentle words reached Kiana’s ears. Kiana immediately reacted, then opened her mouth and shouted at Otto again.

“Green Otto, listen to me! My name is Kiana Kaslana, not K423!”

In her excitement, Kiana used the name Xiyue used to call Otto during her livestream.

Hearing Kiana’s words, especially the “Green Otto” part, Xiyue almost couldn’t hold her tongue.

Calling him “Green Otto” in front of Otto was something she had always wanted to do when playing games in her past life. She never imagined Kiana would achieve this.

Kiana truly never missed a chance to make a shocking statement.

Durandal also heard this. Even with her usual composure, she almost choked when she heard "Green." Knowing a lot, she somewhat understood why Otto was called that.

However, to save face for her Overseer, Durandal tried her best to suppress a laugh.

Although Yuexi often used the nickname "Green Otto" during the livestream, saying it in person, especially in front of Otto himself, was a different matter.

Dudu decided not to turn around and look at the Overseer's expression.

The only one who didn't understand was Li Sushang, who had been watching after her attack. Hearing Kiana's words and noticing a slight change in Otto's confident expression, a strong curiosity welled up inside her. She restrained herself and asked Otto curiously.

"Rakshasa, why does she call you Green Otto?"

"Does this name have some kind of meaning? You know, if you listen closely, it's quite interesting."

Otto's usually indifferent face twitched slightly as he listened to Li Sushang's words.

Glancing at the usually carefree girl, Otto decided to ignore her.

Ignoring Kiana's words, he crossed his arms and continued softly.

"Although I don't know how my lovely granddaughter knew my purpose,"

"And I don't know where you found out,"

"None of that matters."

"The only thing that concerns me is, K423, do you really want to see my dear granddaughter and Fu Hua die for you?"

Xiyue sighed inwardly upon hearing this.

She finally understood what Otto wanted to do: either use Theresa and Fu Hua to make Kiana give up her escape and willingly return to Schicksal headquarters with him, or use Theresa and Fu Hua to provoke Kiana.

Therefore, Kiana, experiencing a huge emotional upheaval, would give Sirin an opportunity to regain control of her body.

Then, just like in the original story, the world would begin to collapse.

Upon hearing Otto's words, Himeko naturally realized what he intended to do. Holding her greatsword, she angrily rebuked him.

"Otto, you're using this to threaten a child?"

Otto, hearing Himeko's words, smiled and shook his head.

"A child with Herrscher powers and a Herrscher persona?"

Otto retorted sarcastically.

Then, he pointed the golden gun at Theresa's forehead and continued.

"Choose."

"K423, will you choose to run away, or will you choose what I say?"

Watching Otto point the gun at Theresa, Xiyue was momentarily stunned. For a moment, she couldn't tell if Otto was acting or if he would really do it.

After all, this was Theresa, his granddaughter.

“Otto, are you really going to be this heartless? This is Theresa, your own granddaughter. How could you… could you be any more shameless?”

Tesla couldn't hold back any longer and blurted out:

“Shameless!”

Mei gritted her teeth.

“Bronya really hates Otto.”

Bronya stared intently at Otto, her silver eyes filled with murderous intent.

Otto chuckled at Tesla's words, a mocking and contemptuous look on his lips, and spoke coldly.

“For the plan, everything can be sacrificed.”

“Even if she's my granddaughter, it's the same.”

Himeko couldn't bear it any longer. She swiftly swung her greatsword toward Otto but was stopped by Durandal. Otto stood on the deck, looking down at the transport ship.

He spoke again.

"K423, make your choice."

"Only if you choose to come with me will I promise not to harm my granddaughter or your teacher, Fu Hua."

"And everyone else right now—hahahahaha."

A cold, sarcastic laugh echoed across the Hyperion, reaching everyone present.

Upon hearing Otto's words, Kiana clenched her fists, trembling all over, her azure eyes reddening. Einstein, seeing this, sighed softly and addressed the group:

"At the transport ship's speed, Schicksal cannot currently catch up."

"However, the choice rests entirely with Kiana."

With Einstein's rational mind at its peak, she considered the best and most urgent method: activate the transport ship and escape quickly rather than remain in a stalemate.

After all, everyone could see through Otto's scheme.

Meanwhile, Kiana was also caught in a dilemma; rather, her consciousness was shattering.

Sirin moved about excitedly within Kiana's consciousness.

Even if Sirin was foolish, she knew this was the best time for Kiana to escape. Therefore, she constantly tempted Kiana in her mind.

"See that? This damned ant—what's with all the swagger in front of us?"

"If you let me out, I'll cut his head off, help you get revenge, and easily take down all these ants who bullied you."

"I, the Herrscher of the Void, am invincible!"

Kiana was anxious and unsure what to do, especially with Sirin constantly interfering in her mind.

Having experienced the trials of the livestream, she slowly learned how to deal with Sirin's words.

“But if you were truly invincible, you were scared away by Otto in the story.”

Sirin who was filled with excitement and imagining the wonderful days ahead became completely stunned by Kiana's words.

She truly hadn't expected Kiana to say that.

However, Sirin quickly composed herself and spoke seriously.

“If I'm not there, how will you deal with him? Only I have the strength to fight him. Do you want to see them die?”

“Without me, do you have any power?”

“You can only rely on me, understand?”

Kiana heard Sirin's nagging in her mind, while in reality, Mei and Bronya watched her with worried expressions. Tesla and Einstein did nothing, simply waiting for Kiana's choice.

Mei hugged Kiana tightly.

Himeko, seeing this, knew Kiana was thinking. She glared at Otto, wanting to smash his face.

But at this moment, she hadn't obtained the Godsbane Battlesuits as the storyline suggested.

With her current strength, she couldn't.

Kiana, meanwhile, ignored Sirin's words.

Her mind replayed fragments of her life in St. Freya and the events she'd witnessed in the livestream. She saw herself being captured, her loss of autonomy, the Final Lesson taught to her by Aunt Himeko, and everything the Class Monitor had done for her.

She even saw Mei from her time in the Elysian Realm.

The memories continued to rewind. She saw her life in Siberia, the scene of her playing snowballs with her eccentric father, and the image of her embarking on her journey to find him with her little backpack.

Finally, she saw everyone she had met at St. Freya Academy.

She saw their radiant smiles.

At that moment, Kiana knew what to choose.

Kiana gently released Mei's embrace, then cast an apologetic glance at Mei, Bronya, and the two doctors before walking toward the transport ship's exit.

As she walked, Kiana turned back, tears welling in her eyes, and said to everyone:

“Mei, Bronya, Xiyue, Dr. Tesla, Dr. Einstein, I will never let the Herrscher take my body!”

“Wait for me to come back.”

Leaving these words, Kiana resolutely walked toward the transport ship's hatch.

The moment Kiana turned to leave, Mei could no longer hold back her tears. Reaching out her hand, she called out in a sob.

“Kiana!”

Tesla and Einstein exchanged a glance and shook their heads helplessly.

Seeing this scene, Xiyie sighed softly and muttered to herself.

“In the end, it still comes down to that one move?”

“Damn world line convergence! I refuse to believe that even with all my cheat codes, I can't change anything. What was the point of my time travel?!”

“Kiana, in the end, it still depends on your sister Xiyue!”

Having said that, Xiyue looked at the item in her palm, a slow smile playing on her lips.

----

Chapter 152: Green Otto, Goodbye!

The story returns to the bishop's office before Otto's departure.

"Rakshasa, for that slight possibility, are you really going to harm an innocent girl?"

After reading Otto's plan, a flicker of reluctance crossed her eyes. As a woman with a kind heart and a chivalrous spirit, she simply couldn't face such a plan.

She couldn't bring herself to harm an innocent person.

However, she had no reason to refuse Rakshasa's life-saving grace and his offer to help.

This was what troubled her greatly.

The plan was to resurrect the second Herrscher, have the second Herrscher kill K-423, and then allow K-423 to defeat Sirin's consciousness and regain control of its body, thereby creating a "human" with Herrscher's power.

This was Otto's initial plan, but after realizing something was wrong during the last experiment, he adjusted the order of the plan, but the ultimate goal remained unchanged.

Li Sushang felt disgust and rejection towards this plan.

Although she was from hundreds of years ago and knew very little about this era, including the immense devastation the Honkai catastrophe had caused, harming an innocent girl was no big deal.

If this era required the sacrifice of a girl to save the world, that would be a much bigger problem.

Otto wasn't surprised by Li Sushang's words. He knew what kind of person the girl before him was, and he knew she was unlikely to agree to help him in such a way.

If it weren't for the unexpected incident with Fu Hua, he wouldn't have wanted to involve Li Sushang.

After all, relying solely on Rita and Durandal would make the plan fraught with uncertainty, greatly reducing the success rate, and the expected outcome would be far from what she desired.

After all, Durandal, the Valkyrie he had watched grow up, he knew all too well what she was capable of.

Not to mention Durandal's close relationship with Theresa and Himeko.

The only one who could go all out was Rita, but Rita had too much room for error against Fu Hua and Theresa.

He didn't like this.

"Old friend, I understand what you mean."

"It's not about sacrificing her, but about using her to confirm my suspicions."

"Once my suspicion is confirmed, there are so many things that can be done."

Hearing Otto's seemingly nonsensical words, Li Sushang looked helpless and was about to continue speaking when Otto interrupted her.

"Old friend, you only need to act once."

"I won't let you do anything to hurt others."

After saying this, Otto didn't say anything more, but lowered his head to continue what he needed to do. Hearing these words, Li Sushang completely understood what Otto meant.

Since Otto had put it this way, she had no choice but to agree.

Back to the present, seeing Otto's actions, and seeing Kiana slowly walking out, looking at Kiana's youthful face, about the same age as her, she was truly puzzled.

Is it really necessary to do this to fight Honkai?

Li Sushang's eyes were filled with confusion and bewilderment.

Seeing Kiana, Otto smiled slightly and walked in the direction he had planned.

He knew Kiana's Herrscher Persona would definitely have a way to communicate with her. If Herrscher took over Kiana's body through this, it meant the Second Honkai would be activated again.

At this point, Theresa and Himeko's roles would become crucial.

Having experienced the Second Honkai War, he knew better than anyone what kind of personality this Second Herrscher would have.

The Second Herrscher would definitely choose to attack Theresa and Himeko.

Then, it would be time to test the experiment.

As for the second possibility, K423 wasn't currently possessed by Sirin, but was brought back to Schicksal headquarters in his original personality. However, at headquarters, he still had a way to awaken the Second Herrscher and then induce him to kill those close to K423.

His plan would still achieve its objective.

These were Kiana's two choices, and the only two choices she could make.

However, whichever she became, his goal would be achieved.

As Otto had predicted, Kiana, who had just emerged, was now being manipulated by Sirin.

“Fool, let me out. I can kill everyone in front of me, then no one can threaten you. Isn't that better?”

Seeing hope for escape, Herrscher, the pufferfish, completely forgot about manipulating Kiana.

He utterly forgot the scene in the original story where Otto threatened her with the God-Slaying Spear.

"Don't worry, after I appear, I promise you, I'll only kill your enemies, especially Otto. I absolutely won't kill anyone you care about. That's a reliable request, isn't it?"

"You idiot, why aren't you making up your mind?"

"Do you really think she'll let the short guy and the stupid woman go? Ridiculous! You actually trust this man?"

"Promise me, okay? Just let me out, and all these problems will be solved."

.......

Sirin tried desperately to persuade Kiana, but after the livestream storyline, Kiana had completely lost faith in Sirin. Although neither Otto nor Sirin were good people, Kiana was still more willing to trust Otto.

There wasn't any other reason, just one.

That is, no matter what, Theresa was her granddaughter. Even if he was heartless, he wouldn't break his promise and actually kill Theresa.

But Sirin was different, as the Herrscher.

Her cruelty was already evident in the livestream storyline.

Once she gains control of the body, will she turn against Himeko and the others?

Kia didn't dare to think about it, nor did she dare to gamble on it.

Rather than risk her life to awaken her, Aunt Himeko, Kiana chose to be captured by Otto willingly, rather than have her body possessed by Sirin.

Sirin, seeing that Kiana ignored her, grew increasingly angry and verbose.

Finally, he resorted to using vulgar language he'd learned from Xiyue.

As for Himeko, she wanted to stop Kiana, but Kiana stopped her with a look. She understood what that look meant and what it signified.

“This idiot,”

“Since ancient times, it’s only teachers who protect students, never students who protect teachers.”

At this point, Himeko touched her pocket, then felt the reagent, her eyes hardening with determination.

This wasn’t the serum Fu Hua would give her in the future, but something she'd obtained from Einstein, at the cost of her own life and all her potential. It was a forbidden drug called “Last Stand,” capable of briefly unleashing twenty percent of a user’s peak power.

Ever since she saw the plot of "The Final Lesson," she knew she would inevitably face the same choice in the future.

But the difference is that Fu Hua's storyline won't follow the original plot.

Seeing her subsequent events, it's unlikely she'll be given the God-Slaying Spear.

Therefore, she secretly sought out Einstein to obtain this forbidden drug, all for this day to come.

She absolutely wouldn't let Kiana be taken away by Otto!

Mei on the transport ship watched helplessly as Kiana walked away. At this moment, she truly felt her own weakness. Although she felt a lot of powerlessness through the live-streamed plot, that powerlessness did indeed support her becoming stronger.

Never as intense as today. She thought that the plot shown in the live stream had changed in reality, and that those who knew the future wouldn't repeat the same mistakes.

But reality dealt her a heavy blow.

What was destined to happen would still happen, only in a different way.

At this moment, she hated her weakness more than ever before.

"Herrscher of Thunder, may I borrow your full power?"

"Please!"

Mei closed her eyes, fighting back a torrent of tears, her hands pressed to her chest, praying to the Herrscher Persona within her.

Durandal silently watched the scene unfold. She utterly disagreed with Otto's plan. She shared Li Sushang's beliefs: how could the hope of defeating the Honkai be placed on one person?

Even if she had a chance to wield the power of Herrscher, how much could she change the situation?

The Honkai would still descend, and Honkai would still erupt across the world.

Instead of placing hope in these things, it would be better to let her go around the world and kill more Honkai beasts. Whether Kiana could control and wield the power of Herrscher or not, it wouldn't change the current situation.

Why conduct such an experiment?

She had told Otto these things, but he hadn't explained anything to her, instead remaining silent and speaking to her.

"Durandal, you will know the true meaning of my plan in the future."

Indeed, the Riddler is annoying.

She also recalled how Kiana had indeed defeated the Herrscher Persona and seized control of the Sky Herrscher, but the price she paid was far too high. If it weren't for Fu Hua.

Thinking of this, Durandal's mind flashed back to the image of Kiana committing suicide with a gun.

...

Back to the present, the atmosphere gradually became heavy. Kiana passed Himeko, walked past Rita, and gradually approached Otto.

Looking at Otto's face, Kiana's expression showed disgust.

She spoke coldly to Otto.

“I’ll go with you, let Class Monitor and Auntie go.”

Hearing Kiana’s words, Otto laughed, his gaze fixed on Kiana, unfazed by the disgust in her eyes.

“Auntie? Looks like you really are Kiana Kaslana, K423.”

“Inherited that name, and inherited her life, huh.”

“How fickle fate is.”

After saying this, Otto was about to say something more, his mocking gaze lingering, when Kiana coldly interrupted him.

“If you wanted me to come here and listen to your long-winded nonsense, you didn’t need to.”

“Please keep your promise.”

Despite Kiana’s retort, Otto’s expression remained unchanged, and he answered Kiana with interest.

“Of course.”

“One is my beloved granddaughter, and the other is one of my few old friends.”

“How could I bear to hurt them?”

Kiana, hearing this, could no longer hold back and blurted out.

“Hypocritical!”

Otto remained unmoved, then beckoned to Rita.

“Rita, please escort our distinguished guest back to the warship. We should return.”

Rita, hearing Otto's words, glanced at the cold-faced Kiana, then gave a maid's curtsy.

“Yes, Your Excellency.”

She gently laid the unconscious Theresa down and walked towards Kiana, who said nothing, letting Rita approach.

Just then, Himeko could no longer restrain herself and was about to take out the reagent from her bosom to inject it when a clear, undeniable voice rang in everyone's ears.

“No, Otto.”

“Kiana is mine, only I can take her away~”

“You’d better wait for the next Kiana!”

With that, a golden flash shot towards Rita and Kiana. Sensing danger, Rita immediately raised her scythe to block and took a few steps back.

Before Rita could react, a woman in magnificent, ancient attire, with short hair and wielding a golden longsword, appeared beside Kiana.

A faint smile played on her lips as she watched Rita and Otto.

As for Li Sushang, she had already taken Fu Hua to receive treatment; she was still very worried about her grandmaster's well-being.

Rita sheathed her scythe, her eyes fixed on Xiyue with interest.

"It's you?"

"The one who fought Lady Durandal."

Otto, looking at Xiyue, also showed a hint of doubt. Ñ

His brows furrowed slightly, and a change finally appeared on his usually calm face. He felt a little strange.

How could he have ignored this person's existence?

He had noticed her while he was fighting Durandal, and even wondered where Xiyue had come from.

After all, he had information on powerful figures from all over the world, but he didn't recognize Xiyue.

However, for some reason, after she finished fighting Durandal, he ignored or rather, forgot about her existence.

This puzzled him greatly.

A bad premonition suddenly gripped his heart, a premonition he hadn't felt in centuries—a premonition stemming from someone outside his plans.

So without further ado, Otto sternly called out to Durandal, who had witnessed the entire spectacle.

"Durandal!"

Hearing Otto's tone, Durandal knew she couldn't slack off any longer.

She immediately picked up the Black Abyss White Flower and shot it towards Xiyue.

Xiyue also sensed the change in Otto's expression and, seeing this, couldn't help but secretly rejoice.

Of course, she didn't know why Otto would do this.

Because she had used the golden item she had just obtained from her last hundred-pull:

[Air Man (Gold)] Note: Reduces one's presence; unless actively exposed, it's difficult for others to notice.

This was an exclusive item.

Seeing the puzzled look on Otto's face, Xiyue blinked, feeling incredibly pleased.

Watching the lance hurtling towards her, Xiyue quickly crushed the talisman in her hand and shouted loudly at Otto.

“I'm taking Kiana with me.”

“Green Otto, bye-bye!”

The words had barely left her lips when Xiyue and Kiana vanished from their spot, leaving only Black Abyss White Flower that splattered onto the polished floor, creating a huge crater.

Everyone else who witnessed this was stunned.

“What happened?”

“Where did those two huge people go?”

----

Chapter 153: The Final Changes to the Plot and the Future

When Otto saw Xiyue who resembled Ji Lin disappear with Kiana, his handsome face could no longer maintain its composure; surprise finally appeared on his face.

For hundreds of years, this was the first time he had encountered an unexpected variable.

However, his expression quickly returned to calm. He looked at Rita and Durandal and spoke calmly.

"Interesting."

"All Valkyries, move out and give chase."

He then walked toward the Schicksal flagship. He wanted to see clearly who this variable was!

Rita, upon hearing the Overseer's words, came to her senses, then saw Theresa in her arms. Watching Otto turn and leave, she softly asked.

"Your Excellency, should Lady Theresa be taken back to headquarters?"

Hearing Rita's question, Otto stopped, turned around, and looked at Rita—or rather, at Theresa in Rita's arms.

Looking at Theresa's serene face, Otto's eyes flashed with a hint of doting affection, but it vanished in an instant.

He waved to Rita, leaving a few words before stepping into the warship.

"My lovely granddaughter will not leave her beloved academy."

"Since the objective has vanished, there is no need to worry about the rebellious Theresa."

"Let's go. Search with all our might for the mysterious girl who took K423."

Rita nodded upon hearing his words.

"Yes, Your Excellency."

Then she looked at Theresa in her arms, a slight smile playing on her lips, and murmured,

"Excuse me, Lady Theresa."

She did not want to fight Theresa from the bottom of her heart. She and Theresa were good friends, and besides, facing Theresa—who was reckless and unleashing her full power—would be very troublesome.

Not only would she have to deal with the trouble, but she also had to worry about Theresa's health.

Fortunately, the Archbishop did not force her and Theresa to fight at full strength. Instead, she used the Valkyrie battlesuit's anti-control features to put Theresa into a brief coma.

Feeling this, Rita once again marveled at the comprehensiveness of Otto's plan.

Composing herself, she carried Theresa and walked toward Himeko. Looking at Himeko before her, she wore her usual smile, gave a maid's bow, and said gracefully,

"Major Himeko, I apologize. It is my duty."

"Theresa is in your care."

With that, she handed Theresa to Himeko. Himeko looked at the maid before her, then at the unharmed Theresa in her arms, and nodded to Rita with a complex expression.

However, she did not say anything.

Himeko was still in shock from Kiana and that person's disappearance.

Rita, seeing this, still smiled gracefully and walked toward Durandal.

Durandal, holding the Black Abyss White Flower, stood rooted to the spot where Kiana had vanished, reflecting on the previous battle and Kiana's barely perceptible presence.

A few guesses formed in her mind, and she spoke through the voice she heard.

"Was that you, Streamer?"

Just as she was pondering, Rita appeared beside her. Seeing her expression, Rita gently inquired,

"Lady Durandal, are you still thinking about what just happened?"

Hearing Rita's words, Durandal snapped out of her reverie, looked at Rita, then at Himeko behind her, and nodded.

"Hmm."

"I have a guess."

"But I'm not sure."

"Let's go. This is over."

Rita nodded, then followed Durandal toward the warship.

With the departure of the Schicksal warship, this "farce" came to an end.

Einstein stood on the deck, watching the departing fleet, resting her chin on her hand and lost in thought.

There were still many things she could not understand.

Tesla, seeing Einstein's confusion, walked to her side, patted her shoulder, and spoke to her.

"Mophead, don't overthink it. You'll understand everything in time."

The viewers in the livestream also had their own guesses about who took Kiana away.

After all, besides the streamer of that mysterious livestream, they could not think of anyone else capable of such a thing. Based on their trust in the livestream—or rather, their impression of the streamer—taking Kiana away was not necessarily a bad thing.

Besides, could it be worse than being taken away by Otto?

Himeko carried Theresa back to the Hyperion command center. After settling the unconscious Theresa, she was about to consider her next move when the main control system sounded another piercing alarm.

Ai-chan's voice quickly rang in everyone's ears.

"Alarm! Alarm! Alarm!"

"Anti-Entropy fleet ahead!"

"Alarm."

Hearing the alarm, Himeko and the others quickly looked up. At that moment, Ai-chan transmitted back the Hyperion's monitoring footage, showing the massive warships and the fluttering flags.

Einstein and Tesla exclaimed in unison,

"Cocolia?"

The camera zoomed in quickly, and Cocolia, dressed in a green military uniform, appeared on the warship's deck.

Tesla, looking at Cocolia's arrogant demeanor, said with resentment,

"What is that bastard Cocolia doing here at this time?"

"My gut feeling tells me that this bastard is definitely up to no good."

Tesla's words drew Himeko and the others' attention, making them focus on Cocolia. Bronya, looking at Cocolia, thought of the Cocolia from the story, her eyes flashing with complex emotions.

She murmured to herself,

"Mother Cocolia."

At that moment, Cocolia initiated contact with the Hyperion, and a huge virtual image of Cocolia appeared in the Hyperion's command center. Cocolia addressed the group,

"Long time no see, everyone."

"I never expected the mighty Schicksal to put on such a show. It was quite a spectacle."

Tesla, not one to back down from Cocolia's words, directly asked her,

"Cocolia, what are you up to now?"

Cocolia was not surprised by Tesla's question. Instead, a cold smile appeared on her face as she replied directly,

"Dr. Tesla, I have not even asked you yet. How could a scientist from Anti-Entropy appear on the territory of an enemy force?"

"You have the nerve to ask me?"

"Dr. Tesla, you need to understand one thing. I am the leader of Anti-Entropy now."

Upon hearing this, Tesla's anger flared instantly, and she was about to confront Cocolia,

"You—"

But Cocolia interrupted her, continuing her words, this time with a mocking tone.

"But it is harmless. I should thank you for giving me such a good show."

"As a thank you, I will reluctantly help you deal with the Herrscher."

"Heh, I am taking Wendy with me."

"No need to thank me. I solved a problem for you."

Hearing this, everyone reacted.

"Wendy!"

But before they could confirm, Cocolia showed them a video of Wendy being carried by two Titan mechs. Seeing this, everyone became furious, glaring at Cocolia.

Wendy should have been safely placed in the best hospital in the academy.

However, their base was raided while they were fighting Otto.

Tesla could not stand it and started arguing with Cocolia, but Cocolia seemed immune to Tesla's insults. She left a single sentence and did not argue further, leading the fleet in a retreat.

"Heh, I will take good care of her."

"And Bronya, Mom is waiting for you to come home for dinner."

Then, the Anti-Entropy team quickly withdrew.

In the Hyperion command center, the atmosphere fell silent again. Fortunately, Bronya broke the silence first, calmly addressing everyone.

"Bronya wants to go back and talk to Mother Cocolia, and also to rescue Wendy."

Einstein, hearing this and seeing the determination in Bronya's eyes, instinctively asked,

"Bronya, this is not easy. Cocolia has many secret bases; it is difficult to deduce which one she has returned to."

Bronya shook her head and explained,

"Doctor, Bronya knows where Mother Cocolia is."

Einstein wanted to say more, but Tesla stopped her. Everyone else present, except Einstein, was in the livestream and knew about the future developments.

But they could not tell Einstein, who was not part of the audience, these things.

"Mophead, stop asking."

"Just trust Bronya. She is confident."

Einstein was a little surprised by this, as she rarely heard Tesla speak to her like this, and it felt a little strange. After saying this, Tesla turned her gaze to Bronya.

Knowing the future plot, she naturally knew what Bronya wanted to do.

She addressed Bronya, Mei, and Himeko.

"Bronya's method is feasible."

"Therefore, we will split up, just like we did before, but with some adjustments."

"Bronya, Himeko, and I will go to Cocolia's secret base. Mei, Einstein, and Xiyue, you will take care of Theresa and then search for Kiana."

"We must find Kiana before Otto discovers her!"

"Does everyone understand?"

Mei and Bronya nodded in agreement.

After all, they understood Tesla's intentions—except for Einstein.

Einstein, watching their incredibly smooth teamwork, could not help but feel suspicious.

"What are these people hiding from me?"

After assigning tasks, everyone sprang into action.

Bronya sat on the transport ship, her mind replaying the events of that time. Her silver eyes shifted again, and she spoke softly,

"Mother Cocolia..."

...

Mei was carefully preparing a meal. As she cooked, her mind replayed the events of the day. Once again feeling her own weakness, Mei's resolve to become stronger grew even stronger.

She needed power—enough to protect Kiana, to protect everyone.

"Please, Herrscher of Thunder."

Mei's power erupted with purple light.

Meanwhile, Li Sushang, who had taken her great-grandmother to be treated earlier, found Fu Hua unresponsive despite her efforts to wake her. She rushed to the Overseer's office to find Otto.

She wanted to know what state her great-grandmother was in.

Otto arrived and, seeing Fu Hua lying on the bed with her eyes closed, felt a strange emotion.

After a careful examination, he discovered that Fu Hua's consciousness had fallen into a deep sleep, or perhaps had been taken away by the Divine Key. In other words, Fu Hua only had a body, not a will.

Li Sushang felt dizzy listening to these words.

Otto looked at Fu Hua, one of his few remaining old friends, and sighed inwardly.

"I did not expect that activating the Valkyrie Armor's small countermeasure would put you into such a strange state. It seems this is also a function of Fenghuang Down."

"But old friend, have you forgotten?"

"When consciousness leaves the body for too long, there is a high chance of a personality emerging."

"Heh, but I suppose you will not be that unlucky, my beloved old friend."

Li Sushang, seeing Otto rambling, ignored him and asked again,

"Rakshasa, is my grandmaster alright?"

Hearing this, Otto nodded immediately.

"She is fine, do not worry."

Hearing this, Li Sushang felt relieved. Then she smiled and said to Otto,

"Rakshasa, I have fulfilled my promise to you."

"It is time for me to get to know this world better."

"Farewell."

"Send me a message by carrier pigeon if you need anything."

With that, Li Sushang flew off on her sword toward St. Freya Academy. Otto watched her graceful flight, a faint smile on his face, then looked at the picture in his hand.

He murmured.

"Everything comes at a price."

...

Xiyue and Kiana arrived in an unknown, bustling city using her last trump card, the [Large Teleportation Talisman]. Xiyue looked at the unconscious Kiana.

A joyful smile spread across her face.

Because, in the end, she changed the plot!

---

Bonus Chapter: The Crystal-like Girl – Elysia

The path of creation is but a small trail emerging from countless others, equally rugged and long. Like a towering ravine, it is easy to fall into but difficult to fill; like a sky full of stars, easy to see but difficult to reach.

At times like these, I try to associate with all things beautiful: crystal-clear gems, a profusion of flowers, innocent smiles… Beauty is so vast that many forms of it cannot coexist in one person.

Day and night, I think, trying to touch the boundaries of dreams and the flawlessness of humanity. Numerous memories surround me like a melodious, rich symphony, a vibrant black, a gray stained with ten colors, always difficult to capture with my own desire, unable to outline such a perfect and concrete contour.

I conduct an endless exploration in the depths of my mind.

I wander in the depths of the starry sea. I linger on the burnt-out earth.

I shout in noisy crowds. I roar in the clear, empty world.

I am restless. I am uneasy. I am impatient. I am already insane.

The goal remains, but the path is lost.

The long night is endless, and Daybreak is approaching.

I cast everything aside, using my ears, eyes, and heart to perceive the three thousand worlds.

I see the rising sun, its rays piercing the east. I see wide streets with crowds of people moving about. I see birds soaring freely. I see children playing carefree… all of this is the beauty of everyday life, perhaps not embodied in any specific image, but hidden in the small, everyday moments of 感动 (gǎndòng, touching moments).

What I want to think about, what I want to create, is such a divine being, representing beauty and symbolizing the flawlessness of humanity.

I strive to break free from binding ropes and unravel the threads of fate. All beauty is before me, like the root of the world, intriguing yet difficult to fathom, rooted in society yet transcending all phenomena.

I am lost in the long river of time, silently engaging in endless contemplation, searching for a strange yet familiar outline, a perfect description, a story that touches the heart.

I do not know when, but as if touched by a sudden moment of clarity, everything became clear. My spirit traversed wilderness and grasslands; my thoughts flowed through clear springs and vast oceans. I must say it was God who bestowed upon me His creation. She has always existed with me in this world and never will perish.

She seems to be a carefree child, forever full of enthusiasm and joy, yet also carrying unknown secrets that make her journey mysterious.

My thoughts flowed with her, around me, sometimes near, sometimes far, like clouds appearing on the horizon, upon which my free spirit drifted unpredictably. She seems to exist in the primordial sea of stars. She seems to exist at the end of the world. She took root and sprouted with the name “humanity.” She danced and tumbled with vibrant falling blossoms, needing no compromise with the chaos of the world.

God’s blessing, God’s whispers, God’s flawless and pure love—I feel the weeping of my soul at this moment, the clear evidence of good and evil, the unbridled freedom of love and hate, and the sublimity of my heart.

She must have been born out of thin air; her extraordinary identity prevented her from falling into the mundane. She treated others with kindness, and those around her treated her with kindness in return.

She should walk through deserted streets at night, through dilapidated towns at dusk, through the bustling Golden Theater, and through prosperous cities.

She should receive kindness from others, and in this apocalypse, she should also endure betrayal. Her life should be divided in two: one side light, the other shadow. She should travel the world, see its true nature, remain true to her heart, and aspire to find a lasting, eternal paradise. Thus, she should use kindness to guide others, creating a paradise in this apocalypse with her own hands.

I witnessed her bearing the cross of suffering on her back, imprisoning sin in its deepest cage. I witnessed her using her body as a candle, guiding the way through the darkest of times. Her eyes shimmered with tenderness, and her lips parted slightly:

"Dear titmouse, give my arrows, my flowers, and my love to that solitary traveler. May your path be illuminated by stars. May your footprints be graced by blooming flowers. You are God’s gift, and the world is made more beautiful by you."

Her words were filled with human warmth, and her eyes often reflected a love for humanity. She was radiant like a flower just beginning to bloom. She was elegant like a tapestry with intricate patterns.

She should be the embodiment of all that is beautiful in the world, the hope and aspiration of humankind, the most vulnerable part hidden deep within everyone’s heart, the proof of what it means to be human.

I looked out the window and saw the swaying shadows of osmanthus trees, the moonlight like water gently sprinkling upon the world. Perhaps this shows that the world still holds hope for humanity.

Under the dim lamplight, I picked up my pen again and wrote:

"One day, She fell from the sky. People looked up and saw the starry sky."

"The stars and moon sent God’s daughter, who wished to become humanity’s companion."

"The long wind becomes her chariot; the four seas become her garden. Birds bring seeds of goodness. A hundred flowers weave hymns of love."

Thus, she was born into the world, walked upon the earth, grew alongside humanity, and sprouted alongside the world.

"A flawless maiden walks among the people, taking in all their beauty."

"Ego’s Flamechaser dances in the apocalypse, carrying on goodness and love to the very end."

Beautiful eternity, the human Ego. Favored by the gods, she steals the spark of hope for humanity; possessing power, she brings new life to humankind. She cares for humanity; therefore, she comes to earth. She dresses in her finest only so that she and the world can signify each other. She becomes a seed of new life, blooming the blossoms of humanity on the slender branch called "The Age."

That flower is called Elysia.

The Signet of "Ego," Elysia!

Night has fallen, the inky black sky dotted with stars, and even the cicadas are silent, reminiscing about the warm breeze and sunshine of the day.

Perhaps I should say this is just a story.

A world on the verge of extinction, a girl as flawless as crystal, walking through the world, growing up in it, loving everyone, and in the end receiving everyone’s love and respect.

However, this love not only endures within the story but also transcends it. It will be remembered and inspire those who come after, passed on to the future and existing forever. The path she walked will become a beacon for others, illuminating their long journey through life.

To meet her was my greatest honor.

It truly is the most wonderful story in the world.

What a beautiful crystal flower, just like her.

Beautiful and radiant, never fading—since birth from chaos, she has held "beauty" deep in her heart, carrying it throughout her life.

Her first cry at birth symbolized her arrival.

This is the only time I know she cried.

The determination and joy in choosing her name reflected her vow to find an eternal paradise, a flawless haven.

"My name is Elysia!"

In the paradise she built, she heard the stories of many people connected to her, beginning with herself.

What were her feelings when she had to leave her home?

The first time she saw the bustling city, her joy could only be expressed in words: "So many lights... so many houses... so many... so many..."

After feeling "beautiful," she continued her search for her paradise.

She passed by a monastery.

She walked past a train station.

She strolled through an opera house.

She learned about a vigilante who did good deeds but ended up doing bad ones.

She visited a school renowned for its student cafeteria.

She saw a man covered in knife wounds, yet willingly surrendering.

She learned archery from a master in the East.

She heard of a magician who was either a fraud or a fraudster.

She was once mistaken for a pink-haired assassin.

She overheard a couple’s romantic reservation.

Finally, she returned to the still-bustling city.

Her footprints covered the world.

And everyone she passed filled the gaps in her soul, enriching and perfecting their hearts and minds.

Human good and evil, perhaps to her, were light and shadow existing in opposition. She sensed human contradictions yet understood them most of all. But she still loved humanity, loved their unpredictable and monotonous lives.

She met many people and made many friends. Many more were connected because of her existence. She felt she could continue living a simple and beautiful life.

On this journey, she slowly began to guess where she came from.

But how difficult it was for her to accept this truth.

Logically, she was born to be on the opposite side of what she loved. All her comrades should have come to kill her.

So she wanted to invite her eleven remaining colleagues, hoping they could witness her perfect farewell.

She bought a huge pile of cosmetics she never used and carefully applied makeup for her first and last time in front of the mirror.

The crooked lip liner, the smudged eyeliner…

How much did she care about this final meeting with her comrades?

But perhaps they would not want to see her.

"After all, I told a huge lie," she thought wistfully.

But she mustered her courage and murmured to herself, "If Herrscher no longer means farewell, if every Herrscher has the possibility of regaining their humanity..."

"People would not have to face such difficult choices, and humanity would have hope of finding an opportunity."

"Then, in the end, let me take them back to the place where I was born."

"I want human civilization to bloom once more, a flawless and eternal flower."

Her beloved friends did not wish to be her enemy.

They still loved her.

And in her moments of bittersweet joy, perhaps she thought, "I must walk to the end surrounded by everyone."

Amid mixed emotions of sorrow and joy, she watched her friends arrive, walking toward her final stage. Her voice trembled with tears, yet her face remained radiant with a smile, tears uncontrollably streaming down her cheeks.

Under the gaze of her friends, she merged with the starry sky, transforming into endless starlight, scattering its brilliance across the world.

That dazzling and romantic nebula spread out where the sea met the sky. Pink and blue intertwined, rolling and shifting.

She may have lived in a fragmented, desolate era.

But she planted a new seed called "humanity" for the next era, just as she said and thought.

Everything belonging to her as an individual returned to the place of her birth, but the memories of her remain forever in the hearts of others.

Our beloved Elysia may have already gone to the paradise she pursued her entire life.

Her song, "True," is beautiful and inspiring.

Does it inspire us to look to the future and maintain our hope for beauty?

Does True, a Boolean value, symbolize the paradise we explore?

Does the Chinese pronunciation of True (真) tell us that Elysia’s life was flawless and pure?

Does that capital E symbolize Elysia?

Through her beautiful story, she brings us beautiful daydreams.

Perhaps miHoYo is also telling us that humanity and the world they live in are beautiful things worth loving and protecting.

Just as the prologue of Honkai Impact 3rd says, "Fight to protect the beauty of the world. May all the beauty be blessed."

We should be like her, like Elysia, facing the world with song.

This is the person who led us to understand the "Thirteen Flamechaser," the one who made us feel her pure love—a love that is universal and selfless. She does not retaliate against others’ malice, always facing them with her purest kindness. She is the representative of a noble and pure soul, the embodiment of human goodness.

But she is also lonely.

Simply because she is a Herrscher, people fear her, distance themselves from her, and subject her to verbal abuse. But she does not care. She has good friends: Eden, Mei, Kevin, Su, and others. She bears the burden of saving humanity, and even when questioned, she never speaks out, only blooming her crystal flower at the final gathering.

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The Long Road of a Lonely "Hero": Offering this icy flame as a sacrifice, a solitary journey, ascending the ladder of "salvation."

Pure and "Flawless" Love: Reflected in this crystal, hearts are hard to unite, shaping the vision of "Ego."

Compassionate Retreat to Seclusion: Bound by these chains, a destiny difficult to defy, building the protection of "Discipline."

The Brilliant "Singer’s" Gift: With this golden cup offered in distant tribute, glory lost forever, the final chapter of "Gold" begins.

The Multifaceted "Fool’s" Gear: With this contradiction and inversion, common sense defies comprehension, twisting the reality of the "Helix."

The Mask of the Unparalleled "Mad King": With this, all is annihilated, rage unquenchable, witnessing the carnage of "Decimation."

The Fallen Leaf of the Physician "Awakener": With this, the world is seen through, answers elusive, falling into the bubble of "Bodhi."

Freezing the Time of "Cherry Blossoms": With this fleeting moment, loved ones irretrievable, the miracle of "Setsuna" unfolds.

The Harmonica of a Yearning "Youth": Witnessing the Dawn, childhood is precious, walking the path of "Daybreak."

The Yearning for the Life and Death of the "Snake Lord": Through eternal reincarnation, life and death are unforgettable, unveiling the taboo of "Infinity."

The Brushstrokes of a Beautiful "Painter": Accompanied by the lonely moon, hope is hard to see, watching the dream painted by the "Stars."

The Resolve of a Confused "Warrior": Recorded with a Fallen Feather Signet, the difficulty of crossing the mortal world, experiencing the perseverance of "Vicissitude."

The Lament of a Joyful "Mortal": Rushing alone, nine lives are hard to turn back, only the disillusionment of "Reverie."

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Sidestory Chapter: The Extraordinary Nature of Vill-V

Vill-V sat on the bed, deliberately bobbing up and down forcefully, making the person on the bed toss and turn.

“Captain? Get up, get up!”

“Ugh!! Aaaaaah!” Startled awake, the Captain sat up abruptly. As expected, a strong wave of dizziness washed over him, making him want to collapse.

The back of his head did indeed touch something soft, but judging from the sensation on his skin, it did not seem to be his pillow, as it was still slightly warm.

Vill-V looked at the Captain leaning against her and smiled maliciously.

“Captain, are you so eager to be my assistant?”

Upon hearing the word “assistant,” the Captain’s blood ran cold. It was common knowledge that those who had served as assistants to Mobius and Vill-V often suffered from severe PTSD after escaping. The Captain had naturally heard others talk about this.

“Uh, well, Vill-V, you’re in your Magician personality now, right?” the Captain chuckled awkwardly, knowing he could only try to reason with Vill-V for now. He knew he could not escape her clutches on his own.

“So, Captain can tell us apart now? Looks like you’re pretty smart! Come be my assistant! I need your help with today’s performance.” Vill-V placed her hands together near her cheeks and winked at the Captain.

While he was undeniably charmed, his life was more important than her looks.

The Captain quickly scrambled to his feet, only to be pulled back into Vill-V’s arms.

“Captain Please help me”

“!!!!”

“I’ll go find Kosma for you! He’ll be more than happy!”

“Kosma left early this morning as soon as he heard I had a magic show. He’s probably going to buy some food!” The Magician winked confidently.

“As expected, a genius’s thought process is beyond the comprehension of ordinary people…” the Captain muttered under his breath.

Finally, with no other option, the Captain had no choice but to agree to Vill-V’s request.

During the performance, the Captain was stuffed into a box and then bombarded by Vill-V’s guns and cannons in front of everyone for a full half minute. Although the Captain, due to his exceptional physical condition, surprisingly survived, Vill-V seemed quite disappointed. After the performance, he went backstage and made a few marks in a small notebook.

The Captain went over and glanced at it. The crossed-out item was “Kevin MK 114514. Dimensional Magic Box.”

“Good heavens! You couldn’t get Kevin, so you used me as an experiment, huh? Vill-V, you just wait!”

“Wait for what?”

Startled by the voice behind him, the Captain immediately turned around and found that Vill-V had appeared behind him at some point.

“N-nothing… it’s nothing…”

He had the guts to be stubborn, but the Captain did not have the guts to turn on a girl.

“So, what do you want to eat for lunch? I’ll make it for you.”

“A hundred flavors?”

“Yes, it’s me. The Magician… She seemed really disappointed and ran back to her own space. Did you do something to her?”

“Instead of asking what I did, you should ask what she did to me. Anyway, I’m hungry. Do you have any special dishes? I’d like some Chinese food.”

The Captain and Vill-V walked toward the kitchen together.

“Special Chinese dishes? That seems like a lot.” Baiwei scratched his head, looking troubled.

“How about you name a few, and I’ll choose?”

“Okay, like…” Vill-V took a deep breath.

“Steamed lamb, steamed bear paw, steamed deer tail, roast duck, roast chicken, roast goose, braised pork, braised duck, soy sauce chicken, cured pork, preserved pork belly, dried meat, sausage…”

“Hey! Stop! Stop! Stop!”

Vill-V finally stopped; otherwise, it felt like she could have continued listing more.

“So, Vill-V, you have a talent for stand-up comedy?”

“You know how to cook a lot, huh? How about I make you one of everything?”

“No way! Even if you’re not tired, Theresa will punish me by making me sweep the deck for a month when she sees my food allowance!”

“But you didn’t say what you wanted to eat. I know, you must think my cooking isn’t as good as Mei’s…”

Vill-V immediately deflated, as if even her hat had collapsed.

“No! I really just don’t know what to eat right now! Vill-V!!”

The Captain shook Vill-V, trying to get her to look at him. When she finally raised her head, her eyes were filled with caution and seriousness.

“If you keep shaking me, the experts will definitely come out and give you a good beating.”

To be able to say such a threatening thing in such a calm tone, the one coming out this time must be the Type 5 Mk for Kevin, right? the Captain thought to himself.

Vill-V simply removed the Captain’s hand from her shoulder and continued in her previous emotionless voice.

“The conductor told me to take you to the amusement park. You had better come with me. You should know you’re not qualified to let me use my weapons.”

“Goodness, no wonder you’re armed with Kevin’s weapon; you’ve even learned Kevin’s words!”

While the Captain was being sarcastic, Vill-V pulled out her triple-mounted machine gun, the black muzzle pressed against the Captain’s head.

The Captain immediately raised his hands and looked at Vill-V, but her layered pupils remained as calm as ever, as if the weapon in her hands did not exist at all.

“Uh, I was wrong.”

“Good to know. Come with me.” Vill-V grabbed the Captain’s hand and pulled him forward, as if afraid he would run away if she turned around.

“Hey, hey, hey, slow down, slow down!!”

Soon afterward, the two arrived at the entrance of the city’s largest amusement park.

“Alright, my mission is over. Next should be…”

“Huh? Another personality switch?”

Although he had experience with Seele before, it was only two personalities at most, and in some ways, Seele was easier to please. Vill-V was different; she had eight personalities, each completely different. It was like going out with eight different girls.

“Captain, I heard you like playing cards?”

Vill-V’s voice changed again; this time, it sounded like a lecturer.

“Uh, just a hobby, but I can’t play weaponized cards.” The Captain shielded Vill-V in front of him and joined the long queue.

“I wasn’t planning on having you use weapon cards, but I have something I want to give you. You’ll see when we go inside.”

“Actually, I’ve been wanting to ask, what are we even queuing for?”

“The card shop, of course. This amusement park was invested in by Eden; it just opened today, and the Commander arranged for us to show you around.”

Vill-V’s words made the Captain’s eye twitch. Investing in an entire amusement park—what kind of wealthy woman would do that?

Thinking about how he would have to work for 40,000 years without eating or drinking to reach Eden’s wealth, the Captain felt his life was bleak.

“What’s wrong? Why are you suddenly so down? It’s our turn now. Don’t get too excited when you see what I’ve prepared and do something regressive.”

Vill-V skillfully found a two-seater booth, snapped her fingers, and a clerk brought over a black metal box.

“Open it and see! You’ll love it.” Vill-V, hands clasped under her chin, looked at the Captain with interest, who was filled with suspicion.

“Is it some strange invention by an expert?”

The Captain said this as he opened the box. He was stunned, his jaw dropping, completely unable to believe what was inside. He stared at the cards as they slipped through his fingers.

“This!! This… this… this is!!!!!”

“Hehe, this is something I prepared for you! A Sky Striker deck with all holos!”

He was so excited he could not speak. This was an unparalleled gift.

“I don’t need to teach you how to play, right? Want to play a round? The loser has to grant the winner a wish!”

……

Time flew by, and it was evening.

“Ugh… my head is spinning…” Klein groggily woke up. “Where… am I?” Klein tried to sit up but found she could not move.

“Klein, you’re awake?” A voice suddenly came from the shadows.

“That voice… Doctor, is that you?”

Klein looked in the direction of the voice.

“How were you? Did you sleep well?” From the direction of the voice, a slender figure slowly emerged from the shadows, its emerald-green snake eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.

“This bottle of medicine, I’ve treasured it for a long time~” Mobius said, pointing to a pink bottle next to Klein.

Hearing this, Klein immediately understood why she was there.

“Doctor… why did you do this?”

“Why? Hahaha” Mobius chuckled, leaning close to Klein’s ear and whispering, “That’s to—possess—you, of course~” Mobius stuck out her tongue, smiling.

Klein fell silent.

Seeing this, Mobius climbed onto the bed and pressed her body against Klein’s.

“Doctor?”

Mobius pretended not to hear, reaching for the buttons on Klein’s chest and yanking them open—

“Doctor… please don’t do this!"

Seemingly realizing Mobius’s intention, Klein began to struggle, but no matter how hard she tried, her body remained firmly bound to the bed.

“B-Doctor!”

“Be good, Klein. Let me taste what you’re like~”

Looking at Klein’s body, Mobius swallowed hard. She straightened up and began to remove her clothes, one by one.

“Klein, please grant my wish~”

Mobius pounced on Klein, relentlessly making intimate contact with her. One arm encircled Klein, while the other slowly moved toward the inside of her legs.

“Doctor… um…”

Klein kept her eyes tightly shut, suppressing the strange sensations emanating from her body and remaining silent. The only sounds in the room were their breathing and the rustling of their hands.

A few minutes later, Mobius suddenly stopped.

“…” Klein remained silent.

“Klein, do you hate me too…”

“Huh?” Hearing Mobius’s words, Klein looked puzzled.

“I dump a ton of work on you every day, and I always make you attend meetings in my place. I make you do everything… You must hate me, right…” Mobius’s voice was soft and trembling slightly.

“I don’t think so.” Faced with this sudden turn of events, Klein seemed caught off guard. “Helping the Doctor is just my duty as an assistant.”

“If I force you like this, you’ll definitely hate me too…”

“Eh? Doctor, why are you…?”

Just as Mobius finished speaking, Klein felt a warm, wet sensation on her chest. At first, Klein did not know what it was, but when she heard the sobbing that accompanied the warm sensation, she understood.

“Doctor… why are you crying…?”

“Klein, if you hate me too, just tell me, so I can give up,” Mobius said through tears.

“But I really don’t hate the Doctor.”

“Re… really…”

“Really!”

Hearing Klein’s words, Mobius hugged her tightly.

“Doctor?”

“Klein, you know what kind of experiments I’ve been doing all this time. People outside treat me like a ‘demon.’ Even my own labmates won’t talk to me…”

“Doctor…”

“But, Klein, I still have you. You’ve always been there for me, but if even you…”

Looking at Mobius in her arms, Klein felt she was a completely different person. Usually, she looked so gloomy, but inside she was so insecure. Thinking of this, Klein gently hugged Mobius.

“I won’t hate you, Doctor. Not before, not now, not in the future.”

“Thank you, Klein.” Mobius hugged her even tighter.

“Even if the whole world rejects you, I will still stay by your side, Doctor, forever.”

“Yes, I mean it.” Mobius held out her hand.

“Yes, I mean it.” Klein also held out her hand.

At that moment, moonlight streamed in through the window. In the bright moonlight, their thumbs touched, making a promise.

“Doctor, look, the moon is much brighter than usual tonight.”

“…”

...

Mobius opened her eyes.

"It was just a dream…”

She sat up and realized she had fallen asleep on her desk, which was covered with files.

"Sigh, was I just too tired…”

Mobius sighed. She opened a drawer under the desk and pulled out a photograph. In the dim light, Mobius put on her white lab coat and left her room.

Mobius went outside and sat on the steps by the door. She looked down at the photograph, then up at the night sky, tears welling in her eyes.

“Klein, look, the moon is bright tonight too."

Mobius spoke to the photograph in her hand.

In the photograph, Klein was smiling.

“Sigh… Klein, you broke your promise. You said… you’d always be with me… We even pinky swore… How could you…”

Mobius could not continue, tears streaming down her face and dripping onto the photograph.

Mobius sat alone under the night sky, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Klein… I miss you…”

Under the deep night sky, a solitary figure sat on the steps.

Memories tugged at the threads of her thoughts; one end of the thread was longing, the other the deep night sky. The promise they made under the moon had now become a solitary longing beneath it, like the moonlight—desolate and cold.

Under the deep night sky, following the threads of her thoughts, she carried that longing far, far away...

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