A Thousand Threads

Dealing with Durandal was a problem.

The biggest problem Lin Wei had faced, giving him a headache just thinking about it. Even confronting Kevin hadn't been this stressful.

Fighting the Herrscher of Corruption? Different story.

A dying man felt no pressure, only drive.

Kevin was undoubtedly stronger, but their meeting hadn't been stressful. He'd needed Kevin's help. Once they talked, the tension dissipated.

Durandal, however, was the problem.

Could he talk to her? How?

"Hey, I need a favor…"

"Sure, what is it?"

"I'm planning to kill Otto. Could you step aside?"

…

Even his knee knew that would end badly.

But he had to deal with her. His plan wouldn't work otherwise.

To save Anna, he had to kill Otto. Killing Otto would make them enemies. To avoid that, he had to frame World Serpent. To do that convincingly, he needed Otto and Jackal to clash, both confident of victory, one ending up dead, the other framed.

Up to this point, the plan was simple.

Use his "Schicksal spy" identity to lead Otto and Jackal to a suitable location.

Snipe Otto during their confrontation.

Leave.

He'd even chosen his weapon: a simulated Third Divine Key, firing a long-range electromagnetic cannon. Knowing Jackal, she'd shout "Third Divine Key!" upon seeing the attack, taking the blame. She'd probably taunt Otto's corpse too, solidifying the frame-up. Jackal was the perfect scapegoat, practically self-incriminating!

But there was one condition: Durandal couldn't interfere. She'd easily capture Jackal and bring her back to Schicksal. Interrogation might reveal World Serpent's involvement, though Jackal was loyal. More importantly, she'd expose Lin Wei to Otto.

And that would be disastrous.

"This is a headache! I wish I could reach Anti-Entropy…" They could easily distract Durandal, buying him time.

Now…

He grew increasingly frustrated. What was Gray Serpent up to? This seemingly small snag had cornered him.

Moving forward meant facing Durandal, a threat to his entire plan. Should he have Yae Sakura fight her? He was strongly against it. He couldn't risk exposing her, and he needed her for the assassination.

Retreating was worse. He might fall into a bigger trap. And abandoning Manila meant leaving Jackal to Otto, who would extract his information. Either way, it led to the same outcome: a deadly confrontation with Otto.

He wasn't ready. He needed more leverage.

And a direct confrontation might benefit World Serpent, a scenario he wanted to avoid.

"…Should I just stop Jackal myself?" That was the simplest solution, resetting everything. "Stand down. It's a trap." But would she listen? Wouldn't it likely end in a fight anyway?

If I have to fight, why not just eliminate her? A new solution emerged.

Wait, that might work.

Eliminating Jackal would leave Otto with no target, solving the problem. She was already plotting against him; he didn't owe her any courtesy.

This also eliminated the Durandal problem.

"But then there's…" He held the blue, half-heart pendant. "…Otto. And Anna."

One problem solved, another arose.

Without framing World Serpent, should he abandon the assassination? What about Anna? Should he wait for the chaos of the eruption to rescue her?

He reconsidered. "Can a severely injured, unconscious Anna survive the Honkai eruption?" Like a weakened immune system, would her Honkai resistance be compromised?

Was he willing to gamble? The risk was too high.

He sighed, looking apologetically at Yae Sakura. "It seems we have to move that elephant after all…"

He didn't know why he felt apologetic. He just felt that this wasn't the ending that kind, impulsive girl deserved. She had shown him genuine kindness and affection.

"I wish I hadn't met her…" Then, he could have walked away without guilt. Now, he couldn't escape the consequences of inaction. He kept looking at the pendant, asking himself if he'd regret giving up.

The answer was always yes.

And so, he would find a way to avoid that regret.

"…Yes, who asked you to be a meddler?" Yae Sakura understood. Was she bitter, relieved, or simply resigned? He'd been a meddlesome, rude, and unreasonable brute when they first met. She wanted to be angry, but couldn't. She sighed, a complex mix of emotions in her eyes. That's just who he is.

Lin Wei, speechless, felt like he was becoming more of a jerk. He hadn't asked for this, yet he was somehow accumulating debts.

How did things get this complicated?

He couldn't figure it out. Whatever. Just move forward…

He shook his head, focusing on the present, only to encounter another problem.

"Where do I get some Soulium?"

Formulating a plan was easy; executing it was a nightmare. Problem after problem!

"Soulium?" Yae Sakura, no longer the naive village girl, recognized the term. "What for?"

"Otto's Soulium body. A projected Divine Key might not be enough to destroy it instantly," he explained. "Soulium bullets, empowered by a Divine Key, should guarantee success!"

He'd tackle one problem at a time. Since Durandal was a dead end for now, he'd focus on other matters. Only… where could he find Soulium?

"That bastard Otto hoarded all the Soulium, creating useless bodies for himself! What a waste!" he grumbled, venting his frustration at being poor.

"Anti-Entropy should have some… Damn it!" He was annoyed again. He'd never appreciated Anti-Entropy more. He used to criticize their haphazard operations. Now, he realized how valuable allies could be.

He sighed dramatically. "(ノへ￣,)"

"So, it's World Serpent again…" He recalled New Atra, where they demonstrated the ability to produce Soulium, something even Schicksal lacked.

For World Serpent, it was likely a valuable commodity, unlike Anti-Entropy's research samples or Otto's personal stash. Mass-producible, but expensive. Still, producible versus non-producible was a fundamental difference!

"Meaning…" World Serpent's use of Soulium would be more practical.

He looked up at Yae Sakura. "Sakura, I need a favor."

"What is it?" she asked softly.

"Could you check the ruined underground base on Coral Island for any Soulium?" Perhaps some critical infrastructure used it. "Take a Divine Key; it'll make the search easier." It shouldn't be hard to find with the Key of Corruption.

He waited for her reply, but she remained silent, staring at him angrily.

"…Why are you looking at me like that?"

"You really don't know?" Her anger was clear. "I'm a Stigmata. I can't travel long distances alone!" She'd reluctantly agreed to stay behind while he faced Otto, feeling apprehensive afterward. Now, he wanted her to go even further, overseas? Don't push it, Lin Wei!

"…Sorry, sorry… I wasn't thinking." He understood her anger, quickly trying to appease her. "We'll go together. A quick trip…"

He'd check Welt's designs for suitable transportation later.

She continued to glare at him, though a hint of warmth softened her expression. She was angry because she cared about his safety.

He softened his tone. "Sakura, I'm sorry. I won't let you go alone again."

Her anger vanished instantly, replaced by a serene, almost priestess-like composure. "I'll hold you to that." She tilted her head. "What is it, Lin Wei? Is something wrong?"

He was speechless.

She continued, her expression serious. "Didn't you say 'quick trip'? Let's go then!"

She vanished, returning to her Stigmata space within him.

He stared, dumbfounded, feeling tricked.

He sighed, shaking his head. "Oh well…"