Taunts

"Damn it!"

Otto cursed, his face contorted in rage. A golden pistol materialized in his hand. He fired without hesitation.

"Click…" Nothing.

"What?" His heart sank. He glanced at the weapon, his blood running cold, then flung the "Judgment of Shamash" pistol away. The normally translucent gold weapon was now… black.

"Don't be surprised, Overseer." Lin Wei caught the pistol, tossed it to Durandal, and said casually, "Despite its name, a Divine Key is just a fancy quantum computer. Vulnerable to… certain things."

Durandal watched as the pistol dissolved in her hand, vanishing without a trace.

"Damn it!" Void Archive cursed.

"Durandal, kill him!" Otto stumbled backward, falling from the dais, his composure shattered.

Durandal hesitated.

"I wouldn't recommend that, Overseer." Lin Wei bowed slightly, mimicking Otto's earlier gesture. "Remember how the Previous Era ended. You wouldn't want to see Pandora's 'Zeroth Power Output,' would you?"

Seeing Durandal's hesitation, Lin Wei breathed a sigh of relief. His careful planning, his calculated provocations, had all led to this—Otto's rage, and Durandal's doubt.

"Durandal, you…? Ha… haha… HAHAHA!" Otto's shock turned to bitter laughter. "Well played, Mr. Lin Wei! A brilliant maneuver! I applaud you."

Attacking now was pointless. Even if the "Zeroth Power Output" was a bluff, Lin Wei had had ample time to activate the Divine Key.

He finally understood Fu Hua's warning.

"Damn it!" Otto cursed, his rage now directed at Fu Hua as well. Why hadn't she been more direct?

If she'd just told me, I would have… The thought died in his throat, a chill running down his spine. If that "Zeroth Power Output" was real, killing Lin Wei would only create a bigger disaster.

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! He raged internally, helpless.

"Overseer, brilliant? Maneuver? What are you talking about?" Lin Wei sat back down, adjusting his chair. "I haven't offended you, or Schicksal. You, on the other hand, are the schemer."

"You attacked me in Manila, trying to rewrite my mind with your Divine Key, turning me into your puppet. If it weren't for… divine protection, I would have fallen for your 'Schicksal spy' lie."

He sneered. "But how many people have such protection? I survived. Others might not have. How many have you manipulated, or even killed, over the years? How did Walter Joyce die? Reanna Brigantia? Cecilia Schariac? You know better than I do. Your clever words can't change the facts."

He echoed Otto's earlier words. "Schemer? Manipulator? Don't project your own flaws onto others, Overseer."

"I shouldn't have intervened in Manila. I should have stayed hidden, lived a quiet life. Then none of this would have happened. You wouldn't be in this predicament, and neither would I." He looked at Durandal, a wry smile on his face.

"But I couldn't just stand by. So many people… ordinary people, Valkyries… like Yuno's sister. Many were already dead. Many more would die if I didn't act. I couldn't let that happen."

"Such touching words. Are you trying to sway my strongest Valkyrie with emotional appeals?" Otto sneered, interrupting his speech. "What's next? Assassinating me and taking my place?"

The moment Lin Wei had revealed Pandora, casually neutralizing Otto's simulated Divine Key, Otto had known he'd lost. He'd been completely outmaneuvered.

Lin Wei had exploited his weakness, delivering a fatal blow.

He wouldn't dare say that out loud.

"You exaggerate, Overseer," Lin Wei said, shaking his head. "If I wanted you dead, you would have died in Manila. Why wait until now?" He couldn't show weakness.

"Kill me? You wouldn't dare!" Otto, regaining his composure, scoffed. "Durandal, Rita… all of Schicksal would retaliate. You couldn't handle the consequences." He hadn't felt this helpless, this enraged, in a long time.

"You're right, Overseer. I wouldn't stand a chance against Lady Durandal alone." Lin Wei smiled at the conflicted Durandal, acknowledging Otto's point, then continued, "After awakening, I wanted to leave. But you sent Rita to keep me under guard. When I tried to leave, you lured me here with news of Yuno. Then, this… elaborate trap. You didn't even give me the option to refuse."

He looked at Otto, feigning confusion. "You orchestrated this, Overseer. Why are you accusing me of wanting to kill you?"

He sneered. "If I recall correctly, you were the one who drew your weapon first, intending to kill me. You ordered Durandal to kill me. My actions were self-defense. And I didn't actually do anything, did I?"

He straightened his clothes, his voice calm and steady. "You're a master debater, Overseer. I'm no match for you. But twisting the facts like this… isn't that… dishonest?"

You're not stealing back the moral high ground, he thought, his eyes fixed on Otto.

Why had Durandal hesitated? As Otto's loyal subordinate, why hadn't she acted against such a clear threat?

Because Lin Wei hadn't actually done anything. He'd been Otto's victim, forced to reveal his Divine Key in self-defense. How could Durandal justify attacking him?

Rita would have obeyed without question, but Otto had dismissed her.

This had been Lin Wei's strategy from the beginning: turning the tables, playing the victim, and keeping Durandal neutral.

He couldn't afford to antagonize Durandal when revealing Pandora. If she deemed him a threat, his plan would fall apart. He wouldn't even get a chance to explain.

He had to make Otto the villain, and himself the innocent victim, forced to reveal his weapon in self-defense.

Only then could he safely reveal Pandora, establish his dominance, and begin the real game.

When Otto had drawn his weapon, it had validated Lin Wei's claims, giving Durandal pause. That moment of hesitation had been the most dangerous.

Once everyone calmed down, a fight was unlikely. Yae Sakura could briefly hold off Durandal, but her intervention would only escalate the situation. He didn't want a fight to the death with Otto.

Killing Otto would lead to Durandal seeking revenge, then Fu Hua destroying Schicksal HQ, then Schicksal unleashing its arsenal on the world… a truly spectacular disaster.

Durandal's goodwill had its limits. If he'd attacked Otto, even in "self-defense," she would have turned against him without hesitation. No one would believe he could sway Durandal's loyalty with mere words.

Killing Otto and taking his place? Please. I wouldn't be so foolish. He wouldn't repeat Otto's mistakes.

Otto, after his initial panic, understood this, breathing a sigh of relief.

"My, my, Mr. Lin Wei. You've certainly… surprised me." He was impressed by Lin Wei's restraint. Now, knowing the truth, he realized he'd been thoroughly outmaneuvered.

"So, you're not going to kill me after all?" Lin Wei asked, toying with Pandora, not even looking up.

Otto's face darkened. He's mocking me again.

"Why do you ask, Mr. Lin Wei?" He forced a smile, then continued, his voice turning sharp. "An ordinary citizen of Nagazora, so familiar with my weaknesses, even mimicking Durandal's mannerisms? Your lies are… remarkably unconvincing."

Durandal frowned at his pointed words.

"Still not giving up, Overseer?" Lin Wei chuckled, looking up at Otto, his voice laced with mockery. "Gaining unimaginable knowledge from unimaginable beings… you're not the only one, you know."

Otto's eyes narrowed.