Otto felt a surge of anxiety.
Originally, he had instructed the Nagazora police to arrest the thugs who had harassed Asakura Miyuki, but after that, he had paid the matter no further mind.
To him, it was just an insignificant detail.
Not worth his concern.
But just as he had, after much hardship, finally gotten a taste of the Thunder Queen...
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...his aide, Amber, had sent him a message. All the wanted thugs had vanished, as if they had been erased from the world.
Sensing something was amiss, Amber had ordered the Valkyries in Nagazora to investigate, and they found traces of residual Honkai energy in the men's homes.
Ordinary people couldn't detect Honkai, but Schicksal were experts in the field.
Following the clues, they discovered that something was wrong with Asakura Miyuki.
There was now sufficient evidence to prove that she had been corrupted by Honkai energy and had killed not only the thugs who harassed her but also several other girls at Senba Academy.
Upon hearing the news, Otto could only leave Miss Herrscher of Thunder at the hotel, with Fu Hua protecting her from the shadows, and rush to Kiana's side immediately.
Fortunately, Kiana was wearing her White Comet battlesuit, which had a positioning chip inside.
Otto soon arrived at the amusement park.
The place was peaceful, with people coming and going, showing no signs of any danger.
The Cecilia Stigmata manifested on his back. Although Otto couldn't fully adapt to its power, activating the Stigmata still granted him the combat instincts of an A-rank Valkyrie.
Coupled with his Soul Steel body and the Seven Thunders of Retribution, it was more than enough to deal with a corrupted individual who had not yet become a Herrscher.
His only worry was that Asakura Miyuki might take everyone here hostage.
What a headache.
The crowd should be evacuated first.
Otto frowned. He felt he was falling short as the Overseer of Schicksal. A truly ruthless Overseer would have handled this far better.
Have I gone soft? Have I been blinded by the soft, fragrant company of Kiana and Mei?
The moment Asakura Miyuki had approached Kiana, he should have investigated eighteen generations of her ancestors!
Otto looked at his terminal with a gloomy expression. Kiana's position was marked on it, but it hadn't moved for a long time.
He couldn't help but feel anxious. Could Kiana have been harmed?
No, no, no... if it were a life-or-death situation, the Queen of the Void would have definitely awakened and taken over her body.
The current calm was the best proof that Kiana was fine.
With a heavy heart, Otto walked slowly into a remote alley, his frown deepening as the strong scent of blood hit him.
He stopped and looked ahead.
The white-haired girl was sitting on the ground. The black-haired girl was lying across her lap, her expression peaceful. Perhaps she was dreaming of some beautiful scene, as a faint smile graced her lips.
Asakura Miyuki's blood had traced a beautiful floral pattern on the ground, like a blooming red spider lily.
A pistol lay on the ground beside them, soaked in blood.
Kiana's eyes were dull. She stared at the girl in her arms, her right hand clutching a sachet tightly.
Asakura Miyuki was dead, but Kiana was alive.
Seeing this, Otto's first thought was one of relief that it was Miyuki who had died.
He breathed a sigh of relief. The Cecilia Stigmata faded, and Otto dropped his guard.
Looking at the girl sitting on the ground, Otto walked toward her. He squatted down behind Kiana, looked at the white-haired dumpling before him, and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"I'm here."
Otto said softly, glancing at the lifeless Asakura Miyuki without a shred of concern.
He felt a bit heartless. In his eyes, a hundred Asakura Miyukis weren't worth a single Kiana. She was like a teddy bear for a child to play with.
If it breaks, you just find a new one.
"Otto..." Kiana said softly.
"You found me again."
She hadn't told him where she was, but no matter where she went, he could always find her.
However, she felt no happiness, only a profound sadness in her voice.
Her friend was dead, killed by her own hand.
She originally had two friends.
Now, there was only one left.
"I killed someone again."
The same words as yesterday, but the feeling was worlds apart.
Otto lowered his head, resting his cheek against the back of Kiana's head. He stroked her hair with his right hand and said gently, "She was corrupted by the Honkai. Her fate was already sealed."
Otto lied.
If Asakura Miyuki had been captured and sent to Schicksal HQ for treatment, there might have been a sliver of hope.
After all, Schicksal's medical technology was the best in the world.
However, since Kiana had already killed her, he certainly couldn't say that.
"Don't worry. Asakura Miyuki was already being eroded by the Honkai before she ever met you."
"As her friend, you did the right thing by giving her release."
"Look," Otto said softly. "She's smiling."
Kiana was silent. Otto looked at the sachet in her hand and asked, "What is this?"
Kiana looked at the sachet with a vacant gaze.
"If a girl makes a sachet from the same cherry tree for three years... then the gods will bless her."
"This is... the Three-Year Sakura."
Kiana clutched the sachet tightly in her hand.
A gift that took three years to make was truly precious.
How could she possibly return it?
"Otto... why did Asakura Miyuki become like this?" Kiana asked softly.
"Because she was eroded by the Honkai. We have to drive out all Honkai... no, completely eliminate it."
Otto felt that after this incident, Kiana would become an unwavering warrior against the Honkai.
This was a good thing.
The thought made him feel ridiculous. Kiana was clearly grieving, yet he still felt that if Asakura Miyuki's death could be exchanged for Kiana's awakening, it would be a bloody gain.
"Then... why was she eroded by the Honkai?"
Kiana's voice was a little hoarse.
No one could bear it. To finally make a friend, only to lose them in two days.
Am I destined to be alone?
Kiana felt the warmth of Otto's body behind her.
At least, for now, Otto was still with her.
"It's likely her past experiences made her mentally unstable. After she transferred to Senba Academy, the Honkai took advantage of her vulnerability," Otto explained.
But he suddenly felt that something was wrong.
"Then why... is there Honkai erosion at Senba Academy?"
Kiana looked down at the girl in her arms.
Goodbye, my second friend.
"Because the Gem of Conquest in Raiden Mei's body has initially awakened..."
Otto suddenly stopped talking.
Damn it. He realized his mistake.
Kiana raised her head, her azure-blue eyes looking at Otto behind her.
"Otto, I want to see Raiden Mei."
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