Destiny Headquarters — Medical Wing
"Ah… the Second Herrscher…"
Theresa jolted upright in the infirmary bed, breath uneven, words spilling as she recalled the battle she had barely survived.
"Truly worthy of the name 'my granddaughter,' Theresa."
Otto sat calmly beside her, peeling an apple with practiced ease. "You wake up and the first thing you think about is fighting Herrschers. I'm very proud."
"Grandpa? Why… are you here?"
Theresa blinked, disoriented.
Her body still throbbed from the backlash of activating the Sankt Sakura Barrier at zero-output.
Every breath burned.
"Is it so strange for a grandfather to visit his injured granddaughter?" Otto chuckled.
"And considering you nearly died at the hands of the Second Herrscher just moments ago—
of course I came to see you."
N-nearly died…?
Memory snapped back into place.
The golden barrier.
The Moonlight Throne.
Durandal's strike.
All of it—
still not enough.
Then Sirin's hand crushing her throat, and—
Darkness.
"The Second Herrscher… where is she? Did she—?"
"Relax," Otto assured, handing her the apple.
"She left. Just vanished. She didn't continue attacking us. Everyone is alive—your Anti-Entropy friends included.
But no one knows where she went or what she intends to do next."
Theresa accepted the apple—
then froze.
"No, Grandpa—tell me the truth. Why did the Second Herrscher reappear? She died years ago!"
Her eyes narrowed.
Her grandfather had spent decades researching clones, resurrective technology, and artificial humans.
It wasn't impossible he had—
"Theresa," Otto sighed, placing the apple on the tray.
"You give me too much credit. The body required to host that kind of power—
I cannot create it. Not even close."
He stood and walked toward the window.
"I wish I could do what you're implying.
But I can't."
Theresa scowled.
"Then explain Cecilia.
How do you explain to her?"
At that, Otto paused.
"Cecilia…?"
His brows tightened.
For a brief moment, genuine confusion flashed across his face.
Could Cecilia have 'returned' too?
"Here."
Theresa took the memory card Siegfried had given her and tossed it to him.
"You can watch it yourself."
Otto caught it, eyes sharp with curiosity.
He inserted it into his communicator—
And the hologram appeared.
Cecilia's voice.
Black Abyss White Flower in her hand.
Lines he never expected to hear again:
"You look terrible… I imagine these years haven't been kind to you."
"Why are your eyes closed?"
"You're not Cecilia. She's… she's already gone."
Otto's expression turned rigid.
Black Abyss White Flower—
in Cecilia's hand?
But that weapon had been stolen by the Fourth Herrscher.
So why was it here?
Which meant—
Cecilia's reappearance was connected to the Fourth Herrscher.
And if that was true…
Then Sirin's resurrection was also linked.
Yet the Fourth Herrscher's cores—
Desire, Fire, Death—
had all been devoured by Sirin.
So the Fourth Herrscher was likely—
…dead.
The situation twisted into a snarl of contradictions.
Otto had no answers.
"Grandpa?"
Theresa watched him, uneasy.
"Theresa," Otto finally said quietly, "who gave you this?"
"It was Siegfried, so— IT WAS YOU, RIGHT?!"
Her voice rose sharply.
"I know you don't trust me." Otto exhaled, raising a hand.
"But all I can say is—this was not my doing.
I also want to know how Sirin and Cecilia reappeared."
Before Theresa could push further—
Knock.
"Bishop, I have urgent news." Rita's voice filtered in.
"Come in."
Rita bowed.
"This concerns Miss Kiana.
Moments ago, the intelligence network detected someone uploading a photograph of Miss Kiana online.
Location—Sky City, Shenzhou."
"Kiana… in Sky City?" Otto murmured.
"So she survived losing her core."
"Can you trace who uploaded it?" he asked.
Rita shook her head.
"They hid their trail well. We cannot track them."
"In that case, Rita… go investigate. And Theresa—"
"My student." Theresa cut him off. "I'll handle it.
I don't need your men anywhere near her."
Otto smiled faintly.
"Of course, of course."
He would not press.
Not now.
"I'm going to find her," Theresa declared, stepping out.
Rita eyed Otto.
"Bishop?"
"Let her go," Otto said.
"Rita, I have another task for you."
Destiny Headquarters — Floating Port
"Headmistress? You're awake?! Shouldn't you rest a little longer?"
Himeko nearly dropped the datapad when she saw Theresa approaching.
"No time.
We need to go to Sky City. Kiana was sighted there."
"Kiana…? She's in Sky City?"
Himeko blinked, shocked.
Theresa nodded.
"Yes. But we're stopping Anti-Entropy first."
Sky City — Rooftop
"Okay, human. Go do what you need to do.
Wendy is clocking out."
The petite green-haired girl waved lazily at the masked figure standing before her.
"H-hey! I'm the great Savior! The one who can see—"
But before she could finish, Wendy vanished without a trace, leaving the girl's rant hanging in the air.
"…I'm the great Savior," the girl muttered to herself, defeated.
She sighed…
And walked off the rooftop.
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