One of Us? Why Didn't You Say So?!

The thick cloud cover blotted out the stars and moon, plunging the world into darkness, the air heavy and oppressive.

Otto, immersed in the memory, walked through a burned village, the heat scorching his skin, ashes filling his lungs with every breath.

The only sounds were his footsteps crunching on cinders, the crackling of flames, and the popping of embers. The last time he'd witnessed such devastation was when Kallen's father had unleashed the flames that had scarred the earth, and Otto's soul.

The countless Honkai eruptions he'd witnessed since then, even the recent Manila incident, paled in comparison to that primal trauma, despite being objectively far more destructive.

He hadn't felt this… emotional in centuries. It was like reliving his pathetic, lovesick youth. He would have normally mocked his younger self, but now, he allowed himself to feel the long-dormant ache in his heart, the ghost of a love lost.

He hoped, desperately, that the end of this memory held something… precious.

The memory continued. He ascended a charred stone staircase through a burned forest, the heat radiating through his shoes, scorching his skin, his heart pounding with anticipation.

He crossed a low ridge, passed through the remnants of a torii gate, and there, at the end of the path, beneath a ruined shrine, stood a golden cross, radiating a soft, comforting light.

At the foot of the cross lay a white-haired nun, covered in blood, her face hidden by her tangled hair. But Otto recognized her instantly. He could pick her out of a crowd, even from a fleeting glimpse of her back.

"Ka…" He tried to speak, his voice a dry rasp, wanting to wake her, yet afraid to break the spell.

As if hearing his call, she raised her head, her pale face streaked with dried blood. Despite her pain, her eyes shone brightly, blue and clear as a summer sky. She smiled, a mixture of relief and tenderness.

"You came."

Otto's heart skipped a beat. Before he could gather his thoughts, he heard his own voice, tinged with Lin Wei's inflection, asking, "Kallen Kaslana?"

He felt a surge of anger at the voice's casual tone, then remembered this was just a memory, Lin Wei's memory. The man who had met Kallen's gaze hadn't been him. He felt a pang of disappointment, Kallen's image receding like a mirage.

Lin Wei, watching Otto's shifting expressions, apologized silently to Yae Sakura and Kallen. The memory wasn't entirely accurate. The protagonist had been Yae Sakura, not Kallen. And he'd appeared before "Kallen" immediately after emerging from Yae Sakura's shattered dreams.

Such a truncated memory wouldn't sway Otto. It needed… artistic embellishment. He'd downplayed Yae Sakura's role, emphasizing Kallen's presence, building atmosphere, and creating a dramatic "pilgrimage" for Otto, culminating in a meeting with the injured "saint."

Otto loved this kind of theatrics. Kallen was his untouchable saint.

So, Lin Wei had catered to his obsession, crafting a narrative of suffering and redemption, maximizing the emotional impact. It lacked a dramatic soundtrack, but the effect seemed… satisfactory.

"I'll have to apologize to Sakura later…" he thought, knowing he'd gone too far.

He hadn't meant to disrespect the dead, or exploit Yae Sakura's pain. But he'd had no choice. This was the only way to reach Otto, to appeal to his one and only principle: Kallen.

After their escalating threats and counter-threats, they'd reached a stalemate. Neither wanted to escalate further, nor surrender. By invoking Kallen, Lin Wei hoped to establish common ground.

One of us? Why didn't you say so!

With this shared connection, and the irresistible lure of the Second Divine Key, they could negotiate a mutually beneficial truce. He didn't know how long the peace would last, but this was the only way to break the deadlock. A loss for Otto was a loss for him as well. Why not strive for a win-win?

Otto, having replayed the memory several times, finally returned to reality as the feather's power faded. He seemed… deflated, his usual arrogance replaced by a profound weariness.

I overdid it, Lin Wei thought, seeing Otto's expression. Didn't you keep a copy of Kallen in your digital world? Why didn't you look this heartbroken when you were torturing her with endless loops?

Otto shouldn't believe this was the real Kallen.

"Mr. Lin Wei…" Otto's voice was soft, hesitant. "Is she… alright?" He'd seen her fate in the memory, burning away, leaving behind a seed of hope. But he clung to a desperate hope for a different answer.

"She's dead," Lin Wei said, shattering his illusions. "The real Kallen Kaslana died 500 years ago. And the last vestige of her in this world… as you saw, she faded away, fighting the Herrscher's consciousness."

It had been Kallen's image in Yae Sakura's heart, protecting her for five centuries. A delusion, perhaps, but born from Kallen's genuine love.

"…Is that so?" Otto nodded sadly, his usually straight back slumping slightly. After a long silence, he asked, "Can I… see that Divine Key again?"

Lin Wei conjured the black box, dark and silent, like a miniature black hole.

Otto stood up, reaching for it, wanting to touch Kallen's last relic, as if he could reach across time and touch the girl he'd loved. He seemed to have forgotten its true nature, the dangerous Key of Corruption.

Lin Wei frowned, pulling the box back. Don't push it.

"You…!" Otto's hand froze, then he met Lin Wei's calm gaze, a wry smile appearing on his lips. He sat back down. "My apologies. I forgot myself."

"It's alright, Overseer," Lin Wei said softly. "Pandora is… temperamental. She doesn't like being touched by strangers. I had to… intervene."

"…You won't return Kallen's relic to me, then?" Otto's voice was laced with a hint of menace, as if Lin Wei had stolen something precious.

"Overseer, as you saw, she entrusted it to me. It's my… trophy, won after defeating a Herrscher. It's not yours to claim."

"You ignored it for 500 years, and now you want it?" Lin Wei sneered, seeing Otto's shifting expressions. "No wonder Kallen left you."

"I…" Otto's composure cracked.

"And now, you've disappointed her again, for 500 years," Lin Wei added, his voice cold and sharp.