A Simple Plan of Opportunity

"Mr. He Kun, where are you?" Durandal, after leaving Stan, called Lin Wei. They'd exchanged contact information at the pet store, planning to choose a cat together.

"The Overseer believes you might be in danger, so he's assigned me to protect you." Her tone was firm yet gentle, like a natural leader. "Tell me your location. I'll meet you there."

"Lady Durandal, I must decline your and the Overseer's kind offer." Lin Wei's voice, after a pause, was calm but resolute.

"Why? Give me a reason." Durandal was taken aback.

"I believe I understand the Overseer's concern. I uncovered information that caused that organization significant losses. They might retaliate against me." His voice hardened. "And that's precisely why you cannot be near me!"

Durandal stopped walking, her eyes fixed on the communicator. "What do you have in mind?" Tell me your plan. If it makes sense, I'll agree.

"Thank you for understanding." Lin Wei sounded relieved. "I know I'm in danger, but this is also a chance to capture them!"

"That's why you can't be involved! As Schicksal's top S-rank Valkyrie, you've been here a while. If I know you're here, they might too! Meeting me would scare them off!"

"We'd lose a golden opportunity! For Schicksal, for the Overseer's plan, for humanity's future, I must face this alone!"

Durandal was conflicted. Her orders were to observe He Kun, then follow his attackers back to their base and eliminate them. Otto didn't care if "He Kun" died. She couldn't stand idly by, but she couldn't disobey Otto either.

After some thought, she'd decided on a compromise: follow Otto's orders, but protect He Kun. Her reasoning to Otto was simple: how could she observe him without knowing his location?

Contacting him for his coordinates without meeting him would seem suspicious. Wouldn't He Kun, an intelligent operative, realize he was being used as bait?

Otto, unable to refute her logic, had agreed.

Durandal was intelligent, observant, a quick learner, with sharp intuition and a calm demeanor.

She was anything but foolish. However, her bluntness and disregard for social graces sometimes made her seem clumsy outside of combat. She was the embodiment of "great wisdom often appears foolish."

But she hadn't expected He Kun to accept his fate so readily. His courage impressed her. "What's your plan?" How can I assist?

"Lady Durandal, your every move might be watched. Don't get too close. I'll act oblivious, giving them an opening."

"Then, at the crucial moment, I'll send you my coordinates. You can then take them down!" He sounded eager.

"...Do you understand the risks?" Durandal asked calmly.

"Yes, but He Kun isn't important." His voice was equally calm, like a soldier accepting death. "I know what I must do!"

"I respect your choice, Mr. He Kun." Durandal nodded solemnly. "Stay safe, and keep in touch."

"I will."

"Good." Durandal smiled reassuringly, her eyes filled with warmth. "Don't forget you promised me a cat after this." Unfortunately, their communicators were incompatible, so Lin Wei couldn't see her smile.

"I won't."

Durandal ended the call.

Lin Wei, watching her from a distance, put away his communicator, feeling a pang of guilt. "I feel like a con artist."

"You're too modest, Lin Wei." Yae Sakura nodded from within his Stigmata space. "Exploiting a girl's kindness... 'con artist' seems too mild."

"Don't tease me." Lin Wei sighed. "I wouldn't do this if I had other options. Durandal is a formidable opponent."

"So you avoid her and deceive her with sweet words?"

"Deceive? Perhaps. But from Schicksal's and 'He Kun's' perspective, my words were sincere. I'm sure Otto thinks so too." He regained his composure. "I'm deceiving them, yes, but we're enemies. Using every advantage is natural. I apologize for deceiving Durandal, but it's necessary."

"Enemies now, but what about later? When 'He Kun' miraculously survives, how will you explain yourself to her?" Yae Sakura's gentle smile sent chills down his spine. "She's not as gullible as Anna."

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Let's focus on the present." He waved his hand dismissively. "Besides, it's not like I can just bump into an S-rank Valkyrie on the street."

"After this, I'm moving. I've decided – North Africa, right outside World Serpent's HQ!" He smirked. "Let's see if Gray Serpent dares to start anything there! I'll dig up their headquarters and gift-wrap it for Otto!"

"As long as World Serpent understands my threat, I won't have to deal with Schicksal. As for after the Honkai Eruption, there will be plenty of opportunities to clear up misunderstandings. Otto tampered with my memories first. I'm just playing along. He started it!"

"If anyone should apologize, it's Otto!"

Yae Sakura, used to his logic and blame-shifting, simply sighed. She knew that given a choice, he'd prefer their peaceful days together to this life of constant scheming. She resented World Serpent and Schicksal for forcing him into this.

"It's almost over, right?" She, too, longed for an end.

"Yes, almost. All preparations are complete. From now until the final operation, Durandal and Otto won't be together." Lin Wei nodded, holding up his communicator. "With this opening, and a little nudge to Durandal's judgment, we'll have enough time to isolate Otto and take him down!"

He sighed in relief. After countless calculations and gambles, he finally felt confident in his audacious plan.

"I have to thank Otto for his cooperation." He chuckled. "If not for his overactive mind, he wouldn't have fallen for my hints. Sometimes, smart people are easier to fool than dumb ones."

His efforts to conceal his identity had created this almost one-sided transparency, allowing him to manipulate events from the shadows.

"...That's another benefit from the university incident, right?" Yae Sakura knew that without it, Durandal might have contacted him directly.

"Indeed. Otto understood the opportunity." Lin Wei stared into the distance. "From his perspective: a lone operative caused World Serpent significant damage. They'll definitely retaliate. This gives his secret weapon, Durandal, a purpose."

"Durandal's priority becomes 'He Kun,' which is me, not Otto."

"This is the opportunity I was looking for, and Otto handed it to me on a silver platter." He shrugged casually. "See? It's not that complicated."

Yae Sakura, his sole audience, remained speechless.