Having a gun pointed at your head is not a pleasant feeling.
And yet, for some reason, Otto felt no sense of danger at all.
Based on the current situation, Kiana hadn't been to Nagazora City yet, let alone joined St. Freya Academy to become a Valkyrie.
Otto was wary of Raven and World Serpent because they posed a genuine threat to his life.
But Kiana, with these two little pistols? She couldn't even scratch the defense of his Soul Steel body.
If the White Comet battlesuit already dealt scratch damage, then the Kiana who existed before even obtaining it might as well be tickling her enemies.
Otto folded his hands in his lap, his gaze softening as he looked at Kiana. For anyone who had played Honkai Impact 3rd, Kiana was the very first Valkyrie they met.
If he had to describe his feelings for her in a single phrase, it would be:
Hu Tao, C6.
Ahem, no, that's not right. It should be:
Herrscher of Flamescion, SSS.
That girl who ignited the flame was so dazzling, the fire that tore across the sky seemed as if it would burn away all the injustice in the world.
However, in this world, Otto was fated never to see that scene.
As long as Murata Himeko didn't do anything to endanger him, Otto wouldn't make a move against her. Because once Kiana became the Herrscher of Flamescion, that blade of fire would most likely be aimed at him.
For his own safety, Otto had no intention of forcing the Paramecium to become the Fire Moth.
Without the kindling, he mused, let's see how you light that flame.
Still, this first meeting with Kiana was off to a rather unpleasant start.
---o---
"Get down, now! Hands on your head!" Kiana ordered coldly, her white pigtails dangling behind her. She couldn't stand to see the weak being bullied. Her sense of justice had flared up the moment she saw Otto carrying Raven, and she had followed them without a second thought.
Unfortunately, she had checked several wrong rooms first, and the pistols in her hands were actually confiscated from one of them.
With the door now broken, Otto could hear the clamor from the hotel lobby. Kiana had certainly caused quite a commotion.
"Stop dawdling! Are you waiting for your goons to show up? Dream on! This young lady isn't afraid!"
Seeing Otto still sitting leisurely in his chair, Kiana kept her gun aimed at his head but took a step toward him.
She planned to subdue him with close-quarters combat.
Honestly, such a handsome man, he'd look great in a dress. Why is he doing such disgusting things?
This young lady is about to give you a taste of the iron fist of justice!
Sensing Kiana's intent, Otto glanced at Raven behind her. Raven had a look on her face as if she were watching a play. The great Overseer of Schicksal, being treated like a common thug with a gun to his head—it was quite the spectacle.
But then, Otto noticed that the noise from outside had abruptly ceased.
The hotel had fallen completely silent, as if brought under some form of control.
He let out a sigh of relief.
Schicksal has finally come to pick up its Overseer.
If it were World Serpent, their methods would have been far more crude and chaotic.
The inexperienced Kiana didn't notice anything amiss, but Raven, who had lived on the razor's edge since childhood, already sensed that something was wrong. She could only hug the pillow in her arms tighter, any thought of escape vanishing from her mind.
A thin layer of frost had formed on the window.
An S-rank Valkyrie had graced them with her presence.
Kiana shifted her left index finger off the trigger. Otto had a slender build, like a noble scion who rarely went outdoors. A weakling like that, she could easily restrain with just one hand.
However, Otto's left hand remained on the Seven Thunders as he raised his right.
Kiana tensed, her life of solitude having instilled in her a deep-seated wariness of her surroundings.
But Otto merely pointed toward the door that Kiana had kicked in half.
"That door was quite expensive, my dear young lady. You're going to have to pay quite a bit."
"Huh?" Kiana had no idea why this creep was suddenly talking about that. "This young lady broke it down to save someone! If you had just opened the door obediently, it wouldn't have broken."
Kiana wasn't concerned with such trivial matters. Even if she had to pay, she'd just use this blond bastard's ill-gotten gains to cover it.
"Saving someone, you say? What a righteous young girl. However..."
A small smile played on Otto's lips.
"There is no one here who needs saving. Isn't that right, Ms. Raven?"
"We are engaged in a perfectly legitimate people-for-money transaction."
Otto smiled at Raven, but Kiana blocked his view with her body.
"Hmph! A wolf in sheep's clothing. How could a weak woman like her dare to resist a monster like you?"
Kiana only believed what she saw with her own eyes.
And the moment she opened the door, she saw Otto bullying Raven.
Otto's eyebrow twitched. Raven, a weak woman? Even ten of this version of the Paramecium would be instantly annihilated by this "weak woman," unless the Queen herself came out to pinch-hit.
"Actually, she's my girlfriend. What you saw was just us playing around," Otto explained again.
"What kind of playing around involves abducting someone in broad daylight? Do you take this young lady for an idiot?" Kiana shot back, giving Otto a look of utter disdain, the kind one might reserve for a certain big idiot.
Yeah, try and see if I believe that bullshit.
She wasn't easy to fool.
Otto sighed internally. Before meeting Mei, the Paramecium still had an IQ.
Once she'd branded him as a villain, it was incredibly difficult to reason with someone so straightforward using words alone.
Moreover, in this situation, his position was rather hard to defend.
"Fine," Otto shrugged. "Ms. Raven, please be sure to give me your answer next time. The agreement between us remains valid until you refuse me."
"I have some family matters to attend to here, so I won't keep you any longer."
"You're letting me go?" Raven asked, surprised. She had assumed Schicksal would detain her until she agreed to join them. "Can I really leave?"
"Of course. Though, if Ms. Raven is willing to stay and keep me company, I would be most delighted."
Otto said with a smile. Before his words had even faded, Raven was already off the bed.
Who the hell would want to stay in a room with the Overseer of Schicksal? Being with a man who hid a dagger behind his smile, Raven felt like she'd already lost half her life to fear.
In her first confrontation with Schicksal's Overseer, Raven admitted defeat.
I'm just a crude mercenary. Let Jackal deal with Otto.
However, Kiana cried out in alarm.
"Don't go!"
"This fiend definitely has his men waiting outside! I can protect you in here, but if you go out, they'll capture you and use you as a hostage!"
If the enemy took a hostage to threaten her, Kiana really didn't know if she should surrender or not.
And if she were captured by these villains, Kiana couldn't imagine what cruel fate would await her.
So, the best course of action was to grab this guy who looked like the boss, take him hostage, and fight her way out with the pretty lady. And maybe, after the whole ordeal, the lady would fall in love with her.
Unfortunately, she still had to find her stinky old dad, so she would have to painfully reject her affections.
Sigh, this young lady is such a dangerously charming woman.
---o---
"A hostage?" Raven's voice was like a gentle whisper. "Little girl, you're really not from around here, are you?"
"You don't understand anything. So naive."
"But, that's fine too."
Her breath was like an orchid as she placed her left hand on Kiana's shoulder, leaning in close to whisper in her ear.
Mmm, she smells so good.
A faint blush appeared on Kiana's cheeks, and the cowlick on her head twitched again. She felt a surge of power course through her. A hero is always invincible when saving a beauty!
She was at full power, an unstoppable force!
"Don't worry, this young lady will definitely protec—huh?"
Her azure eyes widened. Kiana tried to turn her head in disbelief.
But her arms hung limply at her sides.
The pistols slipped from her grasp as she collapsed in front of Otto in a duck-sit.
Otto watched this unfold with great interest.
Kiana's mouth hung open, her jaw feeling unresponsive. Her consciousness grew hazy, and she couldn't muster an ounce of strength. Her body felt like a puddle of melted jelly.
A sharp, stinging sensation lingered at her waist.
"W...hy?" Kiana asked with great difficulty. Just a moment ago, Raven had pricked her in the back with a small needle, instantly robbing her of her ability to resist.
Now, she was just a helpless girl, unable to move.
"But I... was trying to save you."
Kiana didn't understand. She was doing the right thing, so why was she attacked from behind by the very person she was trying to protect?
She didn't understand.
Otto's eyes narrowed as well. Where did that needle come from?
Indeed, one could never be careless when dealing with someone from World Serpent.
"It's just a neurotoxin. It will only make you temporarily lose control of your body," Raven said, putting the needle away.
"I don't dislike people like you who are brimming with justice."
"But sometimes, justice shouldn't be confused with recklessness."
"In a moment, you should apologize to this gentleman. He is a magnanimous man and will surely forgive you."
"Overseer Otto, I trust you wouldn't get angry with a child, would you?"
Not knowing who Kiana was, Raven simply treated her as a passing do-gooder.
She couldn't let her keep pointing a gun at Otto. The price for pointing a gun at the Overseer's head was steep. Although Otto was smiling now, a hypocrite like him was surely concocting a thousand different tortures for her in his mind.
So, in a way, Raven was saving Kiana.
And giving Otto a way to back down gracefully.
An outstanding mercenary not only needed exceptional skill but also a keen understanding of social graces.
"I... will not apologize," Kiana spat.
She didn't feel she had done anything wrong. Even if she could do it over a hundred times, she would still kick down that door without a moment's hesitation.
Kiana tried to struggle, but she could only lie limply before Otto.
"Then I'll be on my way?" Raven asked again. Otto simply gestured toward the door.
"Let her leave," he said flatly.
"Yes, my Lord Overseer."
From somewhere, a voice that was sultry enough to soften one's bones drifted out. For a brief second, even Otto felt his own bones go weak.
Raven's eyes half-closed as she discreetly scanned her surroundings.
So this is Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie, Rita Rossweisse?
Unable to locate the hidden Rita, Raven didn't linger. She walked out of the room, barefoot.
As Otto watched her leave, he secretly let out a breath of relief.
He had successfully escaped the potential threat of World Serpent. Now, all he had to do was pretend to be the real Otto in front of Rita and the others.
As long as I don't expose myself, I am the Overseer of Schicksal!
If he were exposed, he would likely have the original Otto's memories implanted in him. Otto would be resurrected in his body, and he would cease to be himself.
So, he had to keep up the act.
Still, this whole affair had an unexpected upside.
Otto looked down at Kiana, who had collapsed before him.
"Actually, I'm not the kind of bad person you think I am."
"Li...ar... bastard..." was the only eloquent response she could muster.
"I'm not lying, you know," Otto said with a smile. The Paramecium who had been pointing a gun at him just moments ago was now lying helplessly before him. The sudden reversal of fortunes was truly something to behold.
Otto leaned forward slightly and reached out, taking Kiana's left hand in his.
Her soft, cool hand was held in his. Otto felt no resistance, but Kiana's eyes glared at him as if they were about to shoot fire. If she could move, she would undoubtedly have punched him in the face.
Raven's intention had been for Otto to forgive Kiana, but now, it seemed Kiana's rage toward him had only intensified.
"I quite like people like you, filled with a sense of justice. You're so dazzling, it's impossible to look away."
Otto held her hand, fingers intertwined. This wasn't just hand holding hand; it was heart grasping heart.
He wasn't taking advantage of her; he was completing the system's daily mission.
[Daily Mission]
[Hold hands with any Valkyrie for five minutes. Reward: 100 Crystals. Status: Incomplete.]
He was just an emotionless mission-completer. It was all for the system.
"Get... lost..."
Seeing Kiana bare her teeth like an angry kitten, Otto found it rather amusing.
"Cute little kitten, do you know what you look like right now? Like a little puppy on a leash... that's been neutered."
"Such powerless rage." Otto said with a wicked grin.
Kiana's face went pale, but she continued to spit a stream of beautiful profanity. Her vocabulary was rather limited, though, mostly just variations of baka and urusai. Such foul language didn't suit such a cute girl.
"Alright, I'll stop teasing you."
"What will it take for you to believe I'm not the bad guy you think I am?"
"Donations? Charity? Helping the weak?"
Otto stopped his teasing. Pushing it further might cause real trouble.
Kiana glared at him coldly, waiting to see what other lies this man could possibly spin.
Otto gently rubbed her hand and said with a smile.
"Right, you mentioned this part of Italy has a lot of 'polka stars'?"
"If I take care of all those mafiosos and gangs, would that prove I'm a good person?"
"After all, this Overseer has always been a great man, dedicated to sweeping away darkness and eliminating evil."
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