Judgement of Shamash, Unable to be Drawn

"Looks like I can't leave you alone for too long." Yae Sakura, after returning to Lin Wei's body, glances at his arm. A few faint corruption marks are slowly appearing on his wrist, then they rapidly dissipate when the Stigmata re-activates.

She's worried. "It seems that one year was still too short. There aren't many 'years' before all those big events come one after another. Lin Wei, can you handle it?"

"Don't worry about me, Sakura. Can things be harder than what happened a year ago? I've overcome those tough challenges, and now I have you and RIN protecting me. What's there to be afraid of? It's just a bit of Honkai corruption. Back then, I would have died instantly. I've made a lot of progress now~" Lin Wei smiles, comforting Yae Sakura.

Then he glances at Siegfried lying on the ground, saying softly, "As for the future, I'll just have these big guys handle it. What do I have to worry about?"

"...You're not angry at all about what just happened?" Yae Sakura can't control the future, so she decides to change the subject.

She knows Lin Wei is a good person but doesn't think he's someone with a good temper.

"Angry! Who says I'm not angry! I worked so hard to clean this place!" Lin Wei can't hold back the anger anymore, hearing what Yae Sakura says.

"And he looked like he was ready to kill me when we met. Who wouldn't be angry!?" Even though Lin Wei knows from a few words that he's being mistaken for Otto and feels sympathetic towards Siegfried who has lost everything because of him.

But again, he understands the situation but is not willing to accept it.

A normal person will have emotions. Lin Wei will never suppress his emotions, unless necessary.

Like during the first three months after transmigrating, when he had to force himself to remain calm in the face of looming death and continue living normally…

Then, in front of Fu Hua, he released everything in one go.

Other than that, Lin Wei has never held back.

"But right now, it's him lying on the ground, not me." Lin Wei throws out more than ten chains, binding the unconscious Siegfried from his neck down. He says emotionlessly, "He's a typical example of what happens if you let your emotions control your reason. Someone with great power can become vulnerable because of their stupidity and recklessness."

It's not worth being angry at an idiot.

As he speaks, Siegfried starts to regain consciousness. He shakes his still-heavy and confused head, then looks down at the dense black chains binding him. He tries to break free but is unable. He raises his head and glares at Lin Wei, who's looking back calmly. "What are you planning to do now?"

Having been hit, the anger dies down, and his reason returns. He's no longer impulsive but still unwilling to yield to "Otto."

"No matter what you're planning to do, I'll stop you!"

"Oh? Really?" Lin Wei scratches his ear as if there's something in it, and says mockingly, "In your current state, looking like a dead dog?"

"You!" Siegfried is instantly enraged, but takes a few deep breaths and sneers coldly. "Do you think you can anger me just by saying a few words?"

"So you're capable of a normal conversation, huh?" Lin Wei gestures towards the open doorway. "Tell me, what does this all mean?"

It isn't out of Lin Wei's expectations that Anti-Entropy would send Siegfried to contact him.

After all, he had already clearly shown his ability to mimic "Fenghuang Down". If they haven't established trust, and with his impressive combat strength, Siegfried is pretty much the only viable choice for Anti-Entropy at the moment.

However, the way Siegfried came here was beyond Lin Wei's expectations. He is overly hostile.

Logically, this unexpected situation has two possibilities—

Either Siegfried is having a PTSD episode, and he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or Anti-Entropy as a whole has decided to become his enemy and sent Siegfried, currently their only fighter who wouldn't be affected by Lin Wei, to deal with him.

Although it's small, this possibility does exist. After all, while he had made quite a scene at ME Corp., he had been controlling himself, and hadn't shown his direct combat power, so a misjudgment could have happened.

Lin Wei needs to know which one is true. This will decide whether he acts aggressively or calmly.

"Did Anti-Entropy's two doctors send you here to declare war?"

Honestly, Lin Wei doesn't want to be enemies with Anti-Entropy. Otherwise, he would truly become a "troublemaker."

Even if you ignore the so-called "original story," if he really does whatever he wants, he would most likely end up on Kevin's kill list, and probably as a high-ranking target.

If that happens, then no one can save him.

So far, Lin Wei feels that he has a decent relationship with Kevin. There's no reason to make trouble for himself.

"Declare war? What a joke! Haven't you been forcing us into a corner?" Siegfried snorts coldly, not wanting "Otto" to see him as a joke. "You're still putting on an act after all this, Otto. You're still pathetic as ever!"

Lin Wei narrows his eyes, looking at Siegfried, judging whether his words are true or intended to mislead him.

After thinking for a while, he stops focusing on that question, asking the next one, "I'm very curious. Tesla and Einstein are one thing, since I had contact with them before, but you're meeting me for the first time, yet you're already screaming and shouting and calling me 'Otto', which is all so strange…"

Lin Wei walks over to Siegfried and looks down at him, "You say I'm acting, but I think your acting skills are impressive, Mr. Siegfried. Tell me, do you have a deep-seated hatred for me, or were you ordered by the two doctors to kill me?"

Lin Wei squats down, issuing a threat, "You'd better not make me misjudge, otherwise, even if I don't want to, I'll have to give some retribution. After all, I have zero tolerance for threats."

"...What do you want?" Siegfried has believed that this is all Otto's plot from the beginning. He wants to find out what "Otto" is planning, and at least stop the two doctors from falling into a trap.

"…"

The conversation is disjointed, like two people speaking different languages, clearly indicating a massive difference in their perspectives. So Lin Wei steps back, "Then tell me, why do you assume I'm 'Otto'?"

Lin Wei thinks this is a key piece of information. He doesn't believe that the two doctors would still believe he's Otto, with Fu Hua as an intermediary.

"Heh, wantonly manipulating other people's memories, disrespecting other people's dignity, trampling over other people's souls... Otto, when are you planning on stopping the act?" Siegfried's blue eyes are bloodshot red with rage.

(ノへ￣,)

I understand now.

His operation of erasing Cocolia's memories touched a nerve of this guy's PTSD. After all, Siegfried saw how badly Otto had treated Theresa.

Lin Wei looks strangely at Siegfried, hesitating before asking, "What did you and Theresa go through back then?"

If he remembers correctly, this guy had spent a few years with Theresa before he betrayed them, but why does Theresa have no memories of those events?

Would this guy be the type to keep quiet about it?

He probably told Theresa the truth, maybe even more than once, but each time, Otto washed her memory clean again.

Then Siegfried wouldn't give up and would tell her again. Then, Theresa's memories would be wiped again…

Tch tch tch, no wonder Theresa looks so silly. She doesn't look too smart,

After five or six years of going through this repeatedly, a towel would probably turn into a rag.

Hearing Lin Wei mention Theresa, Siegfried can't help but explode, struggling to break free of the chains.

"Alright, shut up! Give me your communicator. I'll ask them myself." Lin Wei is helpless. He feels like he's just stepping on Siegfried's landmines.

When he left ME Corp., he didn't take Anti-Entropy's communicator and contact information with him. After all, he has the Key of Corruption. By not taking it, he's showing his goodwill.

If Anti-Entropy wanted to cooperate, they would naturally contact him…

"You're not getting it!"

…But then, someone like this showed up.

Okay, it's no use talking. He can't have a normal conversation with a lunatic.

He has to change his approach. Otherwise, with the stubbornness of the Kaslana family, the conversation will be over.

"Can Otto use the Judgement of Shamash?" Lin Wei considers it and asks Siegfried, who's lying on the ground.

"What do you want?" Siegfried is confused. What does the Judgement of Shamash have to do with this? Wait, what is he planning to do?

Lin Wei moves his hand slightly in the air. The chains binding Siegfried start moving rapidly, as if they have a life of their own. After a moment, they reveal his waist, and the two guns hanging there.

"What are you doing!?" Siegfried feels uneasy. He struggles, but can't stop Lin Wei from taking his weapons.

The moment the Judgement of Shamash is taken away, Siegfried is overcome by grief. Is even his last hope being taken by Otto?

But he's powerless now, a prisoner, and he can't resist, despite the humiliation.

Lin Wei plays with the lifeless guns. He can feel their resistance. He can't do anything with them besides use them to beat someone.

"Heh, you're still stubborn." Lin Wei sneers.

"When I see Kevin next time, I'll tell him that you didn't protect his descendants well."

At the mention of "Kevin," the dejected Siegfried perks up. He seems to have heard that name somewhere before.

The Judgement of Shamash seems to come to life. The luster on its surface isn't dim anymore. It becomes a living, flowing energy, as if it's excited at hearing that long-forgotten name.

"Truth or lies, you know. Judgement of Shamash, you don't want to be torn into scrap metal by your own master, do you?" Lin Wei whispers like a devil. He knows the Judgement of Shamash can understand him.

After all, Divine Keys have minds of their own, like the Seven Thunders of Retribution that tricked Raven,

Or like the Oath of Judah that finds lost children.

"Let's make a deal. You help me, and I'll say a few good words to Kevin for you."

Then, Lin Wei feels the energy of the guns surging, wanting to prove themselves.

Siegfried is dumbfounded.

"Sakura, restrain him."

"...Be careful. Without the help of the Stigmata, you can't last long."

Yae Sakura appears before Siegfried, her katana pressed against his neck. She watches Lin Wei with worry, guessing what he's about to do.

As she appears, the chains binding Siegfried disappear, replaced by a change in Lin Wei's clothing. It's a strangely shaped, pitch-black battle suit with some gray and white accents.

"Projection – Key of the Blankness!"

Lin Wei merges the two guns together. The greatsword extends a blade in a torrent of flames, and the surging heat fills the room.

With the merging of the two guns, the Divine Key is complete. The flame core within it connects with Lin Wei's battle suit, gradually coloring it in a similar red hue!

The Key of the blankness uses the user's body as a medium, using the power of a Herrscher core to reach the level of a Herrscher for a short period.

"Siegfried, do you think Otto can do this?"

"Judgement of Shamash, draw..."

"Bang!"

In just a few seconds, Lin Wei's body and the projected Key of the blankness both reach their limits. Pandora appears and slams into the Judgement of Shamash, knocking it out of Lin Wei's hand. Yae Sakura quickly catches it and turns it back into its dual-pistol form.

At the same time, Lin Wei's suit shatters and disappears.

After doing all of that, Pandora indignantly flies back to Lin Wei, merging back into him.

Lin Wei chuckles. He went a bit too far and has a metallic taste in his mouth.

For a few seconds, he felt like his body was about to burn up. And the projected Key of the blankness wasn't able to handle the power of the Judgement of Shamash smoothly.

If Pandora hadn't forcefully intervened, he would have been out for a few days.

"Bang!"

The unrestrained Siegfried had just managed to stand up with his one arm when Yae Sakura, who now had a free hand, kicks him back to the ground. She then returns to Lin Wei's body, her Stigmata faintly glowing as she relieves his pain.

"Who are you?" Siegfried asks quietly.

After seeing Lin Wei's performance, he understands that the guy in front of him is a mortal, not a soulless doll made of Honkai energy.

Did I just do something stupid? He wonders, belatedly.

"Damn it, I'm making you Anti-Entropy pay for my medical expenses!" Lin Wei is upset. The feeling of being burned from the inside out is painful. "And you also have to replace this house for me!"

At that moment, he chooses to ignore a fact—

He already sold this house a year ago.

but who care?

φ(*￣0￣)