"I can't... my child. I won't have the chance to apologize to them... nor do I deserve their forgiveness—"
"My former friend... my child... and them..." Otto gazed down at K-423 fighting fiercely below on the rooftop, his eyes deep and inscrutable.
"My daughter... A person's life unfolds in three stages. First, we learn the difference between right and wrong. Then, we realize that things aren't always so clear-cut. Finally, knowing the difference, we still choose to pursue our own path with unwavering resolve."
"I am the third type... a villain who knowingly commits wrong, yet stubbornly presses onward... This much is beyond doubt."
"You're different from Theresa... You're more like me—stubborn, relentless, and willing to use any means necessary. But you possess something I never had: ambition."
"I still remember the look in your eyes the first time I took you to the Cathedral at Schicksal Headquarters—"
"Unlike others who were awestruck by the grandeur of Schicksal Old Headquarters' magnificent cathedral, mesmerized by its opulence... your eyes burned with pure desire—a lust for dominion, like a monarch hungering to rule a foreign land."
I also remember the look in your eyes on your 15th birthday when your wish was granted—
Like a demonic wolf freed from its chains, eagerly baring its fangs to the world.
"The Apocalypse Family itself is a symbol of wisdom and cunning... a breeding ground and cradle for the ambitious," Snow observed, her gaze fixed on her father.
"Originally, I had none of that, Snow. I only hid in my room tinkering with my little inventions, occasionally interrupted by Kallen. Those were the most fulfilling and happiest times of my life..." Otto's eyelids lowered, as if recalling a distant past.
"Father... speaking those words while wearing the robes of the Schicksal Overseer lacks any credibility—"
"Indeed, it lacks any credibility whatsoever... I became just like my siblings—the once-great inventor transformed into a great schemer, a great conspirator."
This family itself symbolizes conspiracy and power! Otto, my naive younger brother, stop hiding in your little room tinkering with those toys all day! Even if you resist with all your might, once you inherit this surname—you will ultimately be devoured by it!
Just as the Knights of the Kaslana family are destined to fall on the battlefield! This is our curse, the fate of the Apocalypse Family! The words of a long-dead brother echoed in my ears.
"Ah... You're the child I worry about most, Snow. Once I'm gone, I can't imagine anyone being able to stop you. There will never be another Apocalypse in this world."
"Little Theresa only inherited my surname, not my blood. Her true surname should be Kaslana. You are the sole legitimate heir to the Schicksal Overseer."
"Perhaps your mother could have done it, but with Kallen's nature... she was destined to clash blades with you. Bound by blood, yet devoid of any familial bond..."
"It wasn't until Rita told me you had found someone you loved, a shackle strong enough to hold you back, that I resolved to come before you."
"The peaceful life you've built with them is about to be shattered by me. Some will be scarred beyond recognition, while others will bid farewell to this world forever..."
"And you, Snow, my child... what is your choice?" Emerald eyes turned to the girl beside him.
A brief silence enveloped the terrace.
"...Unable to decide? That's understandable... perhaps it's too early for you," Otto shook his head and sighed.
"I'm just like you... stubborn, obstinate, and willing to use any means necessary—"
"Father, you already had the answer in your heart from the beginning, didn't you?" The girl continued, her gaze fixed on the somewhat startled blond man.
"I will wear your ceremonial attire, take up your scepter... and kick you off the sky island of Schicksal Headquarters—"
"Then I will forge the grand vision and world I desire..."
"Only adults make choices... children want it all! You'd better start thinking about how you'll apologize when the end comes!" The blond girl threw a punch at her father's bewildered face.
The battle below the terrace was also nearing its conclusion. The recording of this historical moment was coming to an end.
"Hahahaha—! Then go ahead, my child! I'll think of an apology later! But—whether I get to use it depends entirely on you!"
Otto Apocalypse, his face stinging from the punch, let out a wild laugh and vanished as the recording ended, disappearing from the girl's sight. In the next moment, her consciousness returned to the original room.
"Feels good... but what was that? My old man's Soulium face made a cracking sound under my fist?" The girl shook her head, removing the virtual reality headset. Beside her, Bronya and Kiana lay quietly on the sofa.
It seemed Kiana's cramming session wouldn't be finished before nightfall. Snow shook her head, opened the door, and headed toward her own room.
She had many things to handle. Kicking her dear old dad off Schicksal's floating island into the Mediterranean Sea below wasn't as simple as saying it...
"Looks like you've rested well?" Snow pushed open the door. Houraiji Kyuusyou was sitting on the bed, fiddling with a game controller.
"Kill it, Krishna!" On the screen, a blonde Valkyrie charged at a monster on her warhorse. The purple-haired girl seemed completely absorbed in the game, oblivious to Snow entering the room.
"...I saw my father," Snow said, looking helplessly at Houraiji Kyuusyou, who was completely engrossed in her game.
"Oh... wait, who?" Kyuusyou finally snapped out of her trance, shifting some of her attention to her companion.
"Otto."
"...Who did you say?" Kyuusyou's eyes, which had been glued to the screen, swiveled completely toward Snow. Her hand froze on the controller, her expression utterly bewildered.
"Otto. Otto Apocalypse—the Schicksal Overseer," Snow repeated, watching Kyuusyou's bewildered expression.
"Am I still half-asleep, or are you?" Kyuusyou muttered instinctively, staring at her companion standing in the doorway.
"...Even though your utterly bewildered, 'I refuse to accept reality' look is kinda cute... this is reality."
"—Otto Apocalypse, the Overseer of Schicksal, is my father... my biological father."
"Wh... what the fuck...?" Kyuusyou's bewildered expression gradually transformed into one of utter shock, as if she had seen a ghost.
"Then I said to my father—"
"I will don his ceremonial robes, seize his scepter, and claim his throne... and I will kick him off the floating island of Schicksal Headquarters."
Before Kyuusyou could even process this revelation, the girl dropped an even more explosive bombshell: she was planning a coup d'état.
"Houraiji Kyuusyou, my comrade, my partner... will you join me?" The girl extended her hand to her companion.
"...Since He has determined it, who can overturn it? His hand is already stretched out, who can turn it back?" Kyuusyou rose from the bed, her gaze fixed on the golden-haired girl.
"I know what you're saying... but please speak like a normal person from now on," Snow's eyebrow twitched.
"I agree. Come to think of it, would this count as punching my father-in-law...?"
"So, am I supposed to be a model of filial piety now?"
"Signal Axe, Clarent, or Frostmourne — wanna pick one?"
"Beating someone up doesn't mean killing them, okay?"
"Tch—"