Chapter 68: Otto – "My Dear Friend, Let Me Explain!"

Chapter 68: Otto – "My Dear Friend, Let Me Explain!"

 [My beloved other half, my burning soul. There is no need to wait any longer—embrace me.]

As the Gem of Conquest—along with its Herrscher personality—was torn from Mei,

A joyful smile crept onto Sirin's lips.

 [Once again, become my power!]

—

As the CG cutscene ended, the screen displayed a conversation between Theresa and Bronya.

Both of them were deeply worried about Mei,

And both had already realized the horrifying truth—

The Gem of Conquest had returned to the Herrscher.

 [Hahahahaha—ahh! Such a delightful thunderstorm! Such beautiful lightning!]

 [Come forth! Become the sacrifice for God!]

 [—For this moment is judgment!]

—

As the Herrscher of the Void declared her verdict,

The game transitioned back into combat mode.

This time—

Players controlled the Herrscher of the Void, utterly overwhelming Theresa.

Even though Theresa was using her S-rank Valkyrie battlesuit,

She was completely powerless against the Herrscher's relentless assault.

She was knocked down repeatedly, forced into an endless cycle of falling, standing up, and falling again—

Until her HP was completely depleted.

 [Ah… ah…]

The game played Theresa's ragged breathing,

And Bronya's voice rang out, filled with concern—

 […Theresa!]

As the two of them struggled in despair,

The Herrscher of the Void spoke once more—

 [Are you prepared… to accept your fate?]

However—

Just as she finished speaking,

Her expression suddenly shifted.

 [Oh? It seems… a little pest has arrived—]

The moment she spoke,

A brilliant flash of light descended from the sky.

As the radiance faded,

Bronya and the others saw the new arrival—

Fu Hua.

Dressed in her combat uniform, she had come alone.

The screen froze on this moment,

And the mission completion screen popped up.

—

 『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Oh? So Fu Hua actually stepped in at a time like this? Hehe~ Looks like she really does care about Kiana-chan and the others~"

A pink comment floated across the screen.

Clearly, Elysia was delighted to see someone so familiar appearing once again.

It was almost like watching a close friend starring in a TV drama.

However—

Right after her comment, another one followed immediately after.

 『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 "Coming back at this moment… is she really planning to face a Herrscher alone? That's not a wise decision at all…"

Unlike Elysia, Hua's comment was filled with worry.

Her understanding of Herrschers was deeply ingrained—

They were terrifying enemies that required the combined strength of many to defeat.

So, to her, this "Fu Hua" stepping forward alone seemed reckless.

—

Seeing Hua's concern, Hokuto felt no emotional turmoil whatsoever—

In fact, he almost wanted to laugh.

After all, having read the script, he knew the truth—

If Fu Hua still remembered just how powerful she truly was…

Even at full strength, the Herrscher of the Void wouldn't stand a chance against her.

—

As their comments drifted across the screen,

The game loaded into the next mission.

—

 [Thirteen minutes earlier. Schicksal Headquarters, Honkai Energy System Laboratory—"Helheim," Containment Sector, Cell No. 7.]

 [This small 15-square-meter room was originally a "prison" for holding experimental subjects.]

 [Aside from a tiny bed and some basic sanitary facilities, the only things present were four barren walls.]

—

As the beeping of monitoring equipment echoed,

Rita appeared on screen.

 [The test results are in—Miss Fu Hua's vital signs have fully stabilized.]

A few seconds later,

Fu Hua herself appeared.

 [But she still hasn't regained consciousness.]

 [It's merely a state of exhaustion and fatigue-induced coma.]

Rita then proceeded to briefly summarize the status of Himeko and Tesla for Fu Hua.

Through their conversation,

The livestream audience finally understood—

During their transfer, Himeko had suffered serious health complications,

Which had led to her temporary detainment in Helheim.

 [Then, if you'll excuse me.]

After saying this, Rita politely took her leave.

Once she was gone, Fu Hua let out a small sigh—

 [Rita… she truly is flawless.]

She didn't dwell on it, however.

Instead, she turned toward Himeko's bed.

—

On-screen, the dialogue box described Fu Hua's next actions—

 [Fu Hua extended her right hand, a warm light radiating from her palm.]

 [The light, as gentle as the morning sun, bathed Himeko's body. Her breathing gradually stabilized.]

However—

Just as the treatment was underway,

A sudden alarm blared.

—

Fu Hua immediately left the room.

Outside the laboratory,

A horde of Honkai Beasts had already gathered.

Without exchanging any unnecessary words,

Both Fu Hua and Rita engaged the enemy.

After fighting through the waves of Honkai Beasts,

They finally secured the laboratory.

—

At this point,

A communication screen popped up—

It was a call between Rita and Otto.

 [Rita: Lord Overseer, this is Rita. The Honkai Beasts invading Helheim have been neutralized. Awaiting orders.]

 [Otto: Excellent. Stay where you are. Durandal will lead Immortal Blades to rendezvous with you.]

—

Hearing this, Fu Hua suddenly tensed.

 [Wait—Durandal is coming here? Then who is monitoring the Herrscher?

 [Without her, no one else can keep the Herrscher in check.]

Her tone was sharp—uncharacteristically so.

She sensed that something wasn't right.

—

Otto, however, remained calm.

 [Relax, my dear friend. Everything is within my control.]

 [My beloved Theresa… will help us obtain the Herrscher's power.]

Hearing these words,

Fu Hua's expression shifted—her wariness deepened.

 […What did you say? Theresa is fighting the Herrscher?!]

 [Calm down, my friend—]

Otto's voice remained composed,

But before he could finish explaining—

The transmission was suddenly cut off.

—

Rita conducted a diagnostic scan—

The communication system had been disrupted by an electromagnetic pulse.

Fu Hua immediately reacted—

 [Rita, repair the communication equipment at once. Contact Durandal. Tell her—the reborn Herrscher may already be out of control. She must immediately regroup with the Valkyrie forces.

 [I will go hold off the Herrscher and buy you time—]

However—

Before she could finish speaking,

Rita interrupted her.

 [Miss Fu Hua, I'm afraid… I cannot comply with your request.]

 『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Hmm~? So our dear class monitor Fu Hua… isn't actually on Otto's side? But she also betrayed Theresa-chan and the others… Just whose side is she really on?"

 As soon as Rita gave her answer, a pink comment floated across the screen.

 Clearly, after seeing Fu Hua's actions, Elysia had realized something.

 With her exceptionally high emotional intelligence, she didn't even need to think too deeply—she could feel it.

 Otto and Rita were wary of Fu Hua.

 That alone was enough to prove—

 They weren't on the same side.

 Realizing this, Elysia turned her head toward Hua, who was sitting in the Flaming Moth headquarters.

"Hua, what do you think?"

"I… find it difficult to accept."

"Oh? Is it because you feel bad about being isolated, even in a game? Aww~ Hua, sometimes you're just too cute. Don't worry! You can always open your heart to me~"

 Faced with Elysia's gentle reassurance, Hua shook her head and politely declined—

"Thank you for your concern, Elysia. But… I'm used to it. So there's no need to worry about me. Right now, we should focus on analyzing this 'Fu Hua' character's identity."

"Oh my~ Hua, are you inviting me to get to know you better? Sure~"

"No! That's not what I—"

"Alright, alright~ Just kidding. But really, Hua, I do think… the Fu Hua in this game is actually you."

 Elysia rested her chin in her hand, flashing a playful yet knowing smile.

 She had already made up her mind—

 Fu Hua = Hua.

 Seeing her so convinced, Hua rubbed her forehead helplessly.

 She still refused to believe it.

—

At that moment, the game began playing Fu Hua and Rita's conversation.

 [Why?]

 The dialogue box displayed Fu Hua's shock.

 [Lord Overseer has never given the order to fight the Herrscher.]

 "?"

 A blindingly white comment floated across the screen.

 Even though the person who sent it had only typed a single question mark,

 That one simple symbol was enough to perfectly express what Kevin was thinking.

 『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "Never gave the order to fight the Herrscher? What does that mean? Isn't this 'Schicksal' organization supposed to exist to fight Honkai?"

 『Your Great Inventor:』 "Calm down, calm down, my dear viewer."

 Right after Kevin's comment, a green one followed.

 『Your Great Inventor:』 "Perhaps this is all part of a much grander plan?"

 After Otto's comment, the livestream fell silent.

 Hokuto had originally planned to explain it himself—

 But since the man behind the scheme had already spoken,

 He figured it'd be more entertaining to see how Kevin would react.

 A few seconds later—

 The system's notification sound suddenly chimed.

 [Due to your livestream content, "No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai" is feeling surprised. You have received 840 crystals!]

 『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "Oh? Hmph. So they're planning to experiment on a living Herrscher? A madman's plan."

 Kevin's mind was sharp.

 In just a few moments, he had already deduced the truth.

 Live experimentation on a Herrscher…

 What kind of lunatic would even think of such a thing?

 The current Overseer of Schicksal… truly a terrifying man.

—

Meanwhile, in the game, Fu Hua refused to back down.

 [I don't want to argue with you. If that's what you believe, then I won't force you to help me. The moment innocent people came into contact with the Herrscher… the plan was already out of control.

 I will stop the Herrscher!]

 Her words were firm and decisive—leaving Rita no room to negotiate.

 However, Rita did not yield.

 […Miss Fu Hua, you still don't understand. We are all caught in a great whirlpool. Every action we take will affect others in ways we cannot predict.

 Lord Overseer specifically ordered me…

 You must not be allowed to disrupt the plan and put everyone in danger.]

 At this point, their stances were crystal clear.

 A fight was inevitable.

 [Valkyrie Rita Rossweisse, my sincerest apologies.]

 The moment Rita made her declaration,

 The game entered combat mode once again.

This time—

Players controlled Fu Hua to fight Rita.

—

However—

Rita had a glaring weakness in this battle…

She wasn't immune to crowd control.

This meant—

The moment Fu Hua launched her aerial combos,

Rita was sent flying…

And kept flying…

And kept flying…

 『Maintaining Elegance Is a Maid's Duty:』 "…This is… truly crude design."

 A purple comment floated across the screen.

 Hokuto glanced at the sender—

 It was Rita herself.

 …Wait, she was watching this whole time?!

 She never spoke—never sent a single message—until now?

 Even in a livestream, this maid never forgot her elegance…

—

Hokuto refocused on the gameplay.

Under Fu Hua's relentless aerial strikes,

Rita's HP finally reached zero.

—

As the battle ended, the game returned to dialogue mode.

The screen displayed Fu Hua's inner thoughts—

 [Every attack was perfectly measured… not to overpower me, but to block my offense.

 She was only trying to stall me.

 There's no time left.]

Just as Fu Hua was about to activate her Divine Key—

A familiar spear suddenly pierced the ground.

—

The 6th Divine Key—Black Abyss White Flower.

—

The one who had thrown it sat silently nearby, watching.

 [Durandal?!]

As Fu Hua's eyes widened in shock,

Durandal spoke calmly—

 [Stand down, Rita.]

 Durandal did not respond immediately. Instead, she simply instructed Rita—

 [Stand down, Rita.]

 Once Rita lowered her scythe, Durandal finally turned to Fu Hua and spoke.

 [We cannot offer you assistance. Our battle is not only for our own beliefs, but also for those we cherish.

 If I were in your position, I would likely make the same choice.]

 Realizing that Durandal was intentionally letting her go, Fu Hua expressed her gratitude and acknowledged that she owed Durandal a favor.

 With that, the story showed Fu Hua departing…

 However, just as she left, Rita suddenly spoke.

 [Why… Why didn't you stop her?

 —She's going to die.]

 [That was her decision to make.] Durandal replied calmly.

 『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Hua… Fu Hua, will die? Talking behind someone's back isn't very ladylike, you know~"

 A pink comment floated across the screen, carrying Elysia's surprise at Rita's words…

 『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "See? There's no way Fu Hua would actually be in danger~"

 A pink comment floated across the screen.

 Elysia, after seeing the latest development, firmly believed that Fu Hua had the upper hand.

 She really had no idea…

 What was about to happen next…

—

 Hokuto clicked into the next stage, and the playable character switched from Fu Hua to the Herrscher of the Void.

 Even though Fu Hua was a mech-type, which theoretically countered the Herrscher's bio-type,

 Type advantage meant nothing against a Herrscher.

 The moment the Herrscher unleashed a full combo, Fu Hua's HP plummeted.

 Finally—

 A devastating ultimate attack landed.

 The battle ended.

 Fu Hua collapsed.

—

 The game transitioned into a cutscene.

 The screen showed the Herrscher gripping Fu Hua's throat.

 [Ah… ah…]

 The sound of Fu Hua's ragged breathing played in the background.

 Just hearing it was enough to make anyone feel her pain.

 『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "How… How could this happen? Hua…"

 『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 "This… It looks like she lost…"

 Two comments appeared almost simultaneously.

 One from Elysia.

 One from Hua.

 The battle was over.

 Now, Fu Hua's life depended entirely on the Herrscher's will.

—

 [You are… quite different. I'll grant you that. But in the end, you're still human.]

 A narrator's text appeared:

 [The attacks were not completely ineffective. But the wounds healed at an astonishing rate.]

 [As the Serenity Gem continued to merge, the power of the Herrscher of Death became the strongest shield.]

 [With no means of countering it… the battle's outcome had already been decided.]

—

 [Strange… Even in that battle just now, you never used your full strength.

 You possess two Divine Keys, yet you refuse to use 'the other one.' Why?]

 Fu Hua remained silent.

 [Is it because you think it's not the right time?

 Or because you can't control it?

 Or perhaps… you can't use it at all?]

 [But it doesn't matter. It changes nothing.

 —Die.]

 The Herrscher raised her spear—

 The screen abruptly turned black—

 Then…

 Clap. Clap. Clap. Clap.

 A slow, deliberate applause rang out.

 The sound interrupted the Herrscher's strike.

 She turned toward the source—

 A new figure had appeared on the battlefield.

—

 The screen faded back in—

 A golden-haired man stood before them.

 『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Eh? Is that… Otto?!"

 『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "Why is he here?"

 『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 "Hmm? The mastermind is stepping onto the stage himself?"

 The moment Otto appeared, the MANTIS warriors flooded the chat with stunned reactions.

—

 [A truly magnificent battle.]

 [As expected of the Queen of Honkai. Your radiance never fades.]

 Despite being the one who orchestrated everything, Otto chose to start with praise.

 Classic Otto—his words and demeanor were a perfect contrast to the Herrscher's arrogance.

—

 […You. I recognize you.]

 [You are the one who awakened me. A pitiful human, coveting the power of gods.]

 The Herrscher's tone dripped with disdain.

 Otto, however, simply chuckled.

 [Heh heh… To be remembered by you is my greatest honor.]

 [Now, as a token of gratitude for granting you a second life…

 Would you be so kind as to spare her?]

 Otto spread his hand, gesturing toward Fu Hua—

 At the same time, a crimson fluid began seeping from his body.

 The blood-like substance coiled around his arm, spiraling upward, forming razor-sharp spikes.

 The blood spears were aimed directly at the Herrscher.

 As if ready to strike at any moment.

 [She is my friend.

 I would prefer if she remained unharmed.]

—

 Otto's voice was as playful as ever.

 But the Herrscher did not share his amusement.

 It wasn't Otto that unsettled her.

 It was those blood spears.

 That substance… It felt familiar. Yet… something was off.

 Did she really want to fight this jester here?

 […Hmph.

 She's not worth my effort.

 If you want her, take her.]

 With that, the Herrscher released Fu Hua.

—

 『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Wow! I didn't expect this… This Otto guy actually saved Fu Hua?"

 Elysia's pink comment appeared once again.

 Clearly, she didn't understand Otto.

 She had no idea what was coming next…

 The real danger to Fu Hua…

 Wasn't the Herrscher.

—End of Chapter 68—