The Overt Scheme

"Wanted..."

Kiana Kaslana was incredibly familiar with wanted posters.

After the Great Eruption, she faced Schicksal's pursuit almost constantly. During that dark period, she had no fixed abode, wandering aimlessly, enduring both the erosion from the Herrscher of the Void within her and the internal torment of having killed Himeko. The immense pressure nearly crushed her.

But it was also during that time on the run that she met Ren and underwent her own transformation. So, seeing a wanted notice again stirred inexplicably complex emotions within her.

"No, I'm not the same person I was back then." The painful memories didn't linger long; she shook her head, pushing them away.

Now, she not only fully controlled the power of the Herrscher of the Void but had also undergone the transformation into the Herrscher of Flamescion. More importantly, her teacher was still alive. Those heavy memories had become precious fuel for her growth.

Compared to the fact of being wanted, she was more curious why her name had suddenly appeared on the news. After the Nagazora City incident, Schicksal's pursuit was supposed to have ended, wasn't it? And during this recent Herrscher of Dominance affair, she had never even shown her face, only participating in a few rescue operations.

"They wouldn't still be thinking of capturing me again, would they?"

"Unlikely," Theresa mused. "With your current strength, Schicksal would need to dispatch at least thirty Valkyrie squads to even try taking you in, not to mention you have us."

In truth, it likely wouldn't matter how many Valkyries Schicksal sent. In Anti-Entropy's previous combat tests, Kiana had defeated the combined force of Bronya and Theresa with almost overwhelming power. In terms of pure combat strength, even Schicksal's top two S-rank Valkyries together wouldn't be her match.

"The news... the news?" Theresa pondered, an idea suddenly flashing through her mind. "Since this incident was caused by the Herrscher of Dominance, then the supposed joint anti-crime operation must also be fake. Given Schicksal's control over the media, if they just wanted to appease the public, they wouldn't need to issue such a global joint statement."

Schicksal had always controlled global situations from behind the scenes. Suddenly stepping into the spotlight like this was clearly out of character. Having lived with Otto for so many years, Theresa could faintly grasp some of his calculations.

"Which means, besides announcing Schicksal's presence to the world, this news broadcast has something else it wants to convey."

She suddenly looked up at Kiana, who evidently realized something too. "The wanted notice?"

"Specifically, the one targeting you," Theresa added. "Honestly, ten minutes ago, I might not have understood what Grandpa was trying to do. But after hearing about your relationship with Ren, I suddenly get it."

"This global wanted notice isn't for the public, maybe not even for you or me. It's for Ren. Schicksal is using this method to forcibly draw Ren out from behind the curtain."

Kiana's heart tightened, panic visibly flickering across her face, but she forced herself to remain calm. "That... probably won't happen, right? It's just a wanted poster. Ren wouldn't expose himself over something so small..."

"Oh, you. Should I call you clever or dense?" Theresa glanced at Kiana, slightly frustrated by her obtuseness. "You're so sharp about other things, but completely clueless when it comes to this."

"If you say Ren isn't the type to suddenly want to destroy the world, and he's not being coerced by the Herrscher of Dominance, then why is he avoiding you? The answer is simple: because there are things he must do away from you. And these things might be related to you, but things you couldn't accept."

"The reason Schicksal issued a wanted notice for you is likely because Grandpa sensed Ren's objective. If Ren cares deeply about you, he'll be forced to act. And any action, big or small, will leave traces."

"For me?"

Listening to Theresa's explanation, Kiana suddenly recalled the wooden puppet she encountered earlier. Although it was sowing chaos, the puppet itself hadn't shown any aggression towards her.

"So that was his way of trying to see me?"

Muttering to herself, Kiana's gaze gradually hardened with resolve. "No, I have to stop him from confronting Schicksal. Otto isn't that easy to deal with."

"I'm afraid it's too late," Theresa's expression turned grim. "Have you forgotten? Ren is connected to the Herrscher of Dominance, and Schicksal just deployed 300 Valkyrie squads..."

"It's a trap."

Crack!

The instant noodle container in Kiana's hand shattered along with the space around it. Her breathing grew heavy. Yet, the more flustered she felt, the clearer her thoughts became.

Her brow furrowed deeply, and then her eyes widened suddenly.

"Right, The Obsidian Concord! Raiden Mei is also a member! She must know what Ren is doing!"

---||---

"Overseer, the news media worldwide have broadcast the message. However, some official state media outlets refused."

At Schicksal HQ, Otto's secretary, Amber, calmly reported the operation's results. But Otto himself wasn't seated in his office; instead, he stood before a massive experimental apparatus.

"Did they give a reason?" Otto asked without turning around, his fingers tracing the cold surface of the device.

"They stated they are not subordinate to Schicksal and have no obligation to follow the organization's directives."

"These people receive benefits from Schicksal calculated in the hundreds of billions annually. No obligation? More likely, they want to use this opportunity to squeeze more out of me."

Otto's tone remained unchanged, but his voice carried an icy chill.

Schicksal had existed for centuries, naturally collaborating with numerous factions. But human nature remained constant: once benefits were received, people always craved more. The councils of five hundred years ago were like this, and they remained so five hundred years later.

If Otto hadn't maintained absolute control over Schicksal, forget fighting the Honkai; the organization would have likely been devoured by various factions long ago.

It was the same for Schicksal as it was for Anti-Entropy. But Otto wasn't Welt; he wouldn't be coerced by such tactics. He narrowed his eyes and stated lightly, "Halve their Honkai inhibitor rations for next month."

"Halve..." Amber hesitated. Halving wasn't as simple as reducing two doses to one; it meant nearly tens of millions would lose access to life-saving medicine. The resulting shortage would inevitably cause prices to skyrocket. For smaller nations, their entire economic systems could potentially collapse.

"Don't worry," Otto reassured her coolly. "These people definitely have plenty stashed away. If they disagree, tell them to come see me personally."

"Understood." Amber said no more, turning and leaving silently.

After Amber left, Otto remained alone in the dim, secret laboratory. Standing before the colossal experimental equipment, his gaze gradually grew distant, lost in thought.

"Kallen... I'll be coming to find you soon. He can definitely take me away from this world, allow me to seek the power to alter reality from Outside the World."

After a long while, the lights in the laboratory gradually brightened, and the massive apparatus began its first operational sequence.

"Gnus System. Commencing first experiment."