[Host, to deceive such an innocent young girl... you truly have a wicked sense of humor.]
The System's voice echoed in Otto's mind the moment he closed his bedroom door.
Inside, Mei was resting. The instant Otto left, she began rolling back and forth on the bed, without a trace of a proper young lady's decorum. She was acting more like a certain Paramecium.
She had only ever attended all-girls schools and had very little contact with boys, let alone any experience with romance.
Thinking back to her first encounter with the man named Otto Apocalypse, he had been wearing a mask. Wasn't that just like the masked phantom thieves or masked riders who always appeared in stories and fairy tales to save the princess?
Ooooh.
Mei continued to roll around on the bed, the chuunibyou girl lost in her wild fantasies.
However, Mei didn't notice one crucial thing.
The only person on her mind was Otto.
---o---
Outside, Otto leaned against the door, speaking to the System with undisguised irritation.
"So you're not playing dead now? You dared to play dead on me when the Will of the Honkai showed up?"
Having settled Mei down, hearing the System's voice now caused the fire that had been simmering in Otto's gut to finally explode.
He had almost died back there.
[Host, please do not get excited.]
"How can I not be excited? That was desertion in the face of the enemy! That's grounds for a court-martial!" Otto seethed, wishing he could turn the System into Bronya just so he could pick her up and spank her.
[Host, please do not be excited. This system was only hiding for your sake.]
The System continued to speak in Bronya's voice.
[The Will of the Honkai did not detect this system's presence. When you next meet, this system will be your hidden blade.]
[You yourself said it: the first time you met your fate, you were caught unprepared and were utterly defeated.]
[Therefore, we should conceal our strength in preparation for the second encounter.]
[At that time, you will drag the lofty god down from its divine throne, and there will be a seat there for you.]
"Why do I get the feeling you're completely unreliable?"
Still, the fact that the System could snatch the Seven Thunders of Retribution from the Will of the Honkai's grasp meant it could still contend with it. That, at least, was good news.
[That is merely your perception, Host. Everything this system does is in service to you.]
It seemed that for now, he could only rely on the System. He was, after all, a marked man. There were no other paths for him to take.
If he didn't rely on the System now, was he supposed to just sit around and wait to die?
Damn it, why does this situation feel so familiar? Isn't this exactly like Mei's situation with me earlier?
Except the roles were reversed.
Unbelievable. Instant karma.
"But why doesn't the Will of the Honkai just drop a Judgement-class or Planet-class Honkai Beast on me now?"
Otto was puzzled. He had taken Mei away in the morning, and it was now evening. The Will of the Honkai hadn't appeared again after that one time it descended upon the Herrscher of Thunder.
Shouldn't the omnipotent Will of the Honkai have just killed him outright?
[Because you are like a cheater in an examination hall. And the Will of the Honkai, as the proctor, needs to expel you. However, it cannot blow up the entire examination hall just to get rid of you.]
Otto nodded. So the Will of the Honkai was also restricted in how it could deal with him. This was good news.
As long as it couldn't just snap its fingers and erase him from existence, he still had a fighting chance.
Otto breathed a sigh of relief.
He could finally catch his breath, just for a moment.
"By the way, can you contact the Will of the Honkai? I'm actually open to switching sides. I can even help it proctor the exam."
Somehow, being the cheater didn't feel like a job with a future. The original Overseer Otto, the man most likely to defeat the Honkai, had been replaced by him. Could he really defeat the Honkai?
[Apologies, this system does not have that function.]
[Besides, rather than a cheater or a proctor, why not become the one who writes the test?]
The one who writes the test?
Otto crossed his arms, pondering this, when he heard the sound of approaching footsteps.
Kiana had returned. She was wearing her White Comet battlesuit with his own jacket over it. She was holding a meat skewer, eating as she walked, the corners of her mouth glistening with oil. She had clearly eaten quite a few.
Otto pushed his troubling thoughts aside, a smile spreading across his face.
Earlier, Kiana had rescued Asakura Miyuki from the falling rubble of the school building. Because Miyuki had suddenly lost consciousness, she had rushed her to the hospital.
Otto had sent her a message asking where she was, and after she told him, he'd instructed her to stay away from Senba Academy for the time being.
At that time, Otto's main focus had been on Mei.
"And where did this cute little kitten come from? It's already eight o'clock at night. I'd really like to know what kind of parents would raise such a delinquent girl." Otto said jokingly.
Kiana shot him a glare, then swayed her body, leaning forward with her hips pushed back slightly, and pointed the bamboo skewer at him.
"What do you think?"
"You know my stinky old man, don't you?"
Otto sucked in a sharp breath. This was a bit much.
He looked at Kiana's mischievous expression and ruffled her hair. What a clever, impish girl.
"Don't point skewers at people," Otto said with a laugh.
Kiana escaped from his clutches, then looked at him standing in front of his own bedroom door and asked with a frown.
"Why are you standing outside your room?"
Because the one in my room is your sweetheart.
Of course, Otto wouldn't say that. The current Kiana had never even met Raiden Mei, let alone fallen in love with her.
Now, they were both his.
So, Otto simply smiled and said,
"Because tonight, I want to be with you."