After yet another battle,
the girl was once again affected by the device, sinking deeper into a memory.
This was from the day she had just obtained Black Abyss White Flower.
Once more, it was Otto's voice.
"Time really does fly. In the blink of an eye, you've already become an S-rank Valkyrie."
"Effort is always rewarded. That outcome is only natural, Overseer."
"Haha. For you, perhaps that's true. But do you know? When I first began treating you, it took nearly a full year just for you to regain consciousness."
"You said that when I was young, I was gravely injured in an accident. And the reason you became my attending physician… was because everyone else had already run out of options."
"Heh. Coincidentally, at the time I was experimenting with a new technique—a rather unconventional therapy I devised while upgrading my prosthetics."
Otto stroked his chin as he recalled it.
"Using soulium as a carrier to regulate stigmata, artificially inducing stem-cell redifferentiation, so that the newly formed living tissue would eventually reach performance comparable to soulium itself."
"You were very lucky… out of all the experimental subjects who underwent that therapy, you were the only one who survived normally."
"And not only that—you recovered almost perfectly, far beyond expectations."
"In fact, the only 'flaw' it left behind was this head of glossy, radiant curls—like winter waves—so uniquely yours."
"After all, without that experience, I doubt I could have manifested a blade within the Sea of Quanta and inverted a world bubble into myself during that operation."
"Hehe… such things are what we call coincidence and fate. Life always hides its surprises in the most unexpected corners. Whether we notice them in time often marks the boundary between tragedy and comedy."
"So those favored by fate should strive even harder, to live up to that blessing."
"…That makes sense. It's just that sometimes, we can't clearly see the direction in which we should be striving."
Otto gazed forward, then suddenly asked:
"Oh, by the way—have you heard the name Kiana Kaslana?"
"No. Is she someone from the Kaslana family?"
"In a sense, yes. There isn't much to say about her personally… but her clone carries the Herrscher of the Void's core."
"That sounds dangerous."
"Not necessarily. She has a good father—one willing to treat her as his own biological daughter. That alone will allow her to experience human love."
"Don't you think that's wonderful, Durandal? If we could make a Herrscher core operate as peacefully as the world bubble within you…"
"…then solving Honkai would be only a matter of time."
Otto sighed, sounding almost regretful.
"It's a pity. If not for the Anti-Entropy leader—the Herrscher of Reason who fought for humanity—throwing a childish tantrum back then…"
"…why would we have to go to such lengths, experimenting on a Herrscher of the Void clone?"
"Of course, I'm not saying the Herrscher of the Void's power isn't important. For example, she might be able to save your world bubble—something the Herrscher of Reason could never do."
"What I mean is this: if the First Herrscher had chosen to stand with us…"
"…Schicksal might have already developed a reliable system to make all Herrschers fight for humanity."
"A shame, really. That person happened to gain a human heart by coincidence—yet it also caused him, and his successors, to act impulsively on major matters, failing to distinguish what truly matters."
Instantly—
With Otto's accusation—
Inside the secret base, Tesla leapt to her feet and exploded in rage!
"Damn it! I'm so mad! So damn mad!!"
"That bastard!! Otto—damn him!!"
"He's still slandering Joyce even now!!"
"I'm going to beat Otto into dust!! Grind him to ashes!!!"
Nearby,
Einstein said nothing—but the icy glare in her eyes was unmistakable.
But what followed in the memory
went far beyond anyone's expectations.
"You're referring to Anti-Entropy always opposing Schicksal?"
"Exactly. Let's take the Second Herrscher of Reason as an example."
Otto sighed, sounding troubled and puzzled.
"I only killed his father because I had no other choice… yet he's held onto that grudge ever since, opposing me for decades without fail."
"What am I supposed to say to that?"
"He may have lost his father—but he still has me, doesn't he?"
"I could have been his guide in life. Isn't that perfectly fine? Just as I nurtured you."
In an instant—
The moment Otto finished speaking,
the entire chat was flooded with question marks!
Everyone was utterly stunned by Otto's astonishing logic!!
What does he mean—
"He lost his father, but he still has me"?!
Complaining that Welt opposed him over patricide?!
[Hu Tao: ?????]
[Silver Wolf: ?????]
[Amber: ?????]
[Diluc: ?????]
[Fu Xuan: ?????]
[Kiana: ?????]
[Sampo: ?????]
[Tartaglia: ?????]
[Charlotte: ?????]
[March 7th: Huh??? Did I hear that right???]
[Honkai · Himeko: He lost his father, but he still has me—wait… I need a moment to process Otto's meaning…]
[Theresa: ]
[Sparkle: Hahahahaha—hic… sorry, it's rude, but this is REALLY funny!!]
[Asta: What kind of theory is that?!]
[Tesla: Is this guy INSANE?! What nonsense is he spouting?!]
[Durandal: emmmmmmmmmmmm]
[Rita: Hehe, the Overseer's way of thinking can be… rather unconventional at times.]
[Einstein: For once… I am completely speechless…]
[Bailu: Let me just punch him once!!]
[Star Rail · Himeko: Killing someone's father… and expecting them not to hate you…]
[March 7th: Wait—Uncle Yang, are you okay???]
[Star Rail · Welt Yang: ?]
[Tesla: Otto really deserves to die!!]
On the Astral Express,
Welt Yang's eyelid twitched violently.
Even after everything he'd been through—
even as the man jokingly called "Yang the Sit-Upper"—
his emotions still surged uncontrollably at that moment.
He clenched his fist.
How… how can someone say something this revolting?
What made it worse—
Otto genuinely believed it.
He wasn't trying to provoke.
He was sincerely confused—
confused about why Welt hated him so deeply.
And that
was what made it both infuriating and absurd.
Even on screen,
Durandal was left speechless.
"..."
Otto, however, laughed it off.
"Ah, dear me. I suppose I got carried away myself. That won't do."
"In any case, when it comes to matters involving the First Herrscher, I myself am a negative example."
"Durandal, you'd do well to take that as a warning."
"A true savior must be able to sever all personal attachments when necessary."
"And Otto Apocalypse… has been incapable of that from the very beginning."
(Overseer… are you simply accustomed to speaking without restraint, or are you deceiving everyone at every moment?)
(You exiled me to Imaginary Space through trickery—was it merely because I interfered with your plans… or was it deliberate, with another purpose?)
(If it's the latter… then your strange behavior today makes sense—yet your true plan becomes even more unfathomable.)
(Imaginary Space… the origin of Honkai… what exactly are you expecting?)
As the memory fragment ended,
confusion filled Durandal's heart.
She couldn't see through Otto.
She couldn't understand his actions.
But based on everything she knew—
this situation was far from simple.
Otto was definitely hiding something more.
Later,
within the nameless space of consciousness,
she continued walking toward the exit indicated by Genius.
The Arbiter still did not appear.
Her chance-encountered doll companions were gone.
The key was about to reveal itself.
After even fiercer waves of battle—
A memory fragment appeared before her.
"What… I can't feel anything…"
"Am I… dead?"
"Cecilia… is that you?"
"Are you… crying?"
Siegfried's weak voice echoed.
"I'm sorry… Siegfried…"
"I lied to you… this time, I can't go back with you."
"You have to take good care of Kiana… make sure she grows up healthy."
Cecilia's voice trembled with sobs.
In that instant—
Everyone realized it.
This was the Second Honkai.
Cecilia died protecting Siegfried—
killed by the Honkai missile launched on Otto's orders.
And at that very moment—
All the scattered memory fragments
began to piece together.
[You once ran freely against the wind, fresh air filling your lungs and cleansing your soul.]
[You cast your family's mission far behind you, wanting only to know the world in your own way.]
[Back then, you believed you could do anything.]
"Hahahaha! Shout with me! Ara-hato!"
Siegfried shouted joyfully.
This… was his life flashing before his eyes.
Durandal watched quietly—
confused, yet vaguely understanding.
That doll…
[Later, you encountered her by fate—]
[At the time, you could never have imagined that this girl, so innocent you worried for her, would one day become a great mother.]
"Haha, you don't have to force yourself to tell me what happened last night. I hate getting dragged into trouble anyway."
"This place is safe. Stay here for a few days—heal your wounds."
"No… I can't. I have a mission. I need to return—return to headquarters."
"Wait—do you really think your mission matters more than your own body?"
"..."
"Hey, I've changed my mind. If you're in such a hurry, I'll take you there myself."
[On that fateful day, you let her taste freedom—]
"Wow! The screen's moving! So that's how you play!"
"Pretty fun, right? Too bad I messed up today and didn't get first place."
"…Can I try too?"
"Of course! Just don't be upset if you lose. This latest machine is brutal—even with all your training, real combat and gaming aren't the same—"
"I won!!"
[You fell in love with her, vowing to give her happiness and freedom in your own way.]
[Of course, you never knew that one day, she would sacrifice her life for you.]
The scene shifted.
It was Otto approving Siegfried and Cecilia being together.
Nearby, Theresa thanked him sincerely.
"No matter what, I have to thank you, Grandpa."
"It's been so long… since I've seen Cecilia smile from the heart."
"Thank me? Hehe, my dear Theresa. You don't think I did this out of kindness, do you?"
"I simply wanted to know—if purified Schariac blood and Kaslana blood were successfully combined…"
"…would an even stronger Herrscher killer be born?"
Otto's words remained as cold and cruel as ever.
At this point,
Durandal vaguely understood that bloodline—
Kiana.
And yet—
An ominous feeling began to coil tightly around her heart.
[In the year 2000, you lost her.]
[And seven years later… you lost the most precious gift she left you.]
[Your only remaining emotional anchor was something fundamentally opposed to your family's mission—]
"..."
"Hey, Siegfried—how many days are you planning to ignore me?! Stop right there!"
Tesla's voice rang out.
Siegfried replied coldly.
"Get to the point, Dr. Tesla. I still have a family to support."
"Two years ago, when Anti-Entropy's forces—"
"—If it's about that, I don't want to hear it. If you'd arrived in time back then, Kiana wouldn't have—"
"We're truly sorry. But regarding K-423—"
"Anti-Entropy guaranteeing Kiana's safety was the condition for handing her over. Our deal ended long ago. Goodbye."
"If… you really want to treat her as your daughter."
"I don't understand what you're talking about, Dr. Tesla."
Siegfried's voice trembled slightly—
and Tesla caught it immediately.
"Siegfried! K-423 may be a clone of your daughter—but her body contains the Second Herrscher's genes, her core, her consciousness! You know this!"
"But conversely, if someone can let her experience what love is…"
"…then the Second Herrscher within her may be suppressed!"
"As long as you play the role of her father properly, you can keep her by your side—"
"And the world can gain more time to breathe!"
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