Hua travelled to Mt. Taixuan and trained the bubbly Li Sushang. She was passionate about training and was improving quickly, Hua even thought that she would be the youngest of her supposed disciples that could master eminence. Not that any of them could except the 5th one.
It was the peak of her techniques in which she controls honkai energy and use it as a blade that can't be blocked nor evaded. The edge of Taixuan, they also call it the blade mantra. In which you ki would have substance.
"Master Jingwei, look! I think I can already manifest my blade mantra!" Li Sushang focused and strained, willing a small blade of honkai energy on her hand that was the size of a dagger.
Hua smiled at her and patted her on the back. "Good job Sushang, must be exciting right? Though it would be tiring for your body as you do not yet have enough strength for it." Li Sushang lost her focus and was sweating heavily. She panted, but with a big smile on her face.
"Thank you master. It seems I am pretty awesome right? Can I go to the next stage already?" Sushang was hyped and wanted to be a legend like her master, enough to defeat her even. Hua just sighed at her eagerness and held her shoulders firmly.
"It is good to be excited Sushang. Although it might bring you ruin, countless geniuses have rushed themselves to perfection. But they failed and are lost to the sands of time, keep it up. I will tell you when you are ready." She gave a tender smile to the girl, Sushang understood the wise words of her master. But of course, young people are stupid.
'Hmm, maybe I should practice it in secret? Then I'll surprise master Jingwei, I'm a genius alright. Hehe~ I will be the youngest practitioner of eminence!' Sushang thought.
"Alright then, I will return tomorrow. Say hello to Suyi for me Sushang." Hua teleported, returning to the base and she saw Ein teaching Xuanyuan.
"Okay Xua, I'll show you a pretty cool technique." Ein then made gang signs, ahem. Hand signs and raised his hand that was sparkling with electricity. "Vanish with the thunderclap! Kirin!" A black eastern dragon descended from the heavens, it was kilometers long. Sparking menacingly and was swimming in the skies. It gave a ridiculously loud roar and plummeted to the ground like an orbital strike.
Everything in a 100 mile radius was disintegrated, not even leaving dust. Xuanyuan clapped and had sparkles in her eyes. "How about that? Pretty cool right?" He then fixed the area up and it looked brand new again.
"Ohhhhh! Ein, that's super cool! Teach me how to do it! Please, super please!" The yellow empress begged and he laughed. Patting her head and transferred the necessary knowledge in her head to perform it.
Hua deadpanned at him and thought he was teaching her friend cool techniques that would surely make her a terrorist in the future. Not like she was jealous or anything. "Ein... That's dangerous you know? She might rain that down on some unsuspecting people in the future." Hua was concerned that Xuanyuan would be too excited and try it out carelessly.
"Who do you think I am Jingwei!? I'm an empress! I value the lives of the masses, that is my role as a person who has heaven's favor." She lied as she breathed and was getting itchy to try it out, raining lightning like a madman.
"I can see it in your eyes Xuanyuan. You want to try it out immediately!" Hua called her out and Xuanyuan flinched. "Y-you're just jealous Ein taught me that cool move! It's so much cooler than eminence!" They started bickering and Ein smiled at their antics. He thought that he hasn't even taught variants of it like different elements or use it as weapons or familiars to fight.
"Ladies, calm down. Xua, don't use it all willy nilly okay? Practice it first in the training facilities, and Hua's eminence is pretty cool too." They started to calm down and Ein would pacify them with some food, but he suddenly felt a surge of honkai energy from mt. Taixuan where Hua's current disciple is.
He frowned and thought there must be an accident. "Hua, your disciple misfired something I assume. I felt a disturbance in the force." Hua was confused at first. But she suddenly got surprised.
"That idiot. She must have tried going to the next step of my technique without the necessary body strength and honkai energy control." Ein nodded and the trio teleported to Hua's school there.
They saw Li Sushang was pretty injured and was having signs of honkai corruption. She tried making a bigger sword using her blade mantra and it backfired on her. "Hah, did you warn her about this Hua?" Ein kneeled beside the girl and healed her up.
"I did Ein, but obviously I miscalculated. She's still young, and young people make mistakes all the time." Hua sighed and looked at her disciple. She thought it was a godsend that Ein was here now or Sushang might die. Worse, she would turn.
"Ooh? Is she your disciple Jingwei? you should teach her some discipline. You've gone soft, it seems miss Aponia is needed for subjecting her to multiple disciplines." Xuanyuan shivered when she spoke of the nun. She was subject to discipline once, when she pestered Ein to teach her techniques while they were on the dining table. And it wasn't pretty. Aponia drilled it into her the proper etiquette on the dining table for multiple weeks in a span of a few seconds.
"Aponia isn't needed here Xuanyuan. Are you crazy?" Hua protested and thought Aponia would surely turn her into an Einheri loyalist.
"Hmmm? Someone is coming." Ein's words made them silent and got prepared for battle. A blonde appeared, she wore clothes appropriate for Shenzou, but she was clearly from the west.
"Hmm, Kallen's friend? What is she doing here?" Ein whispered and the woman went closer to them. "Greetings, I am Ottilie Apocalypse. You might remember me, immortal celestial of Shenzou. We've met in the final battle in the war a few years ago." She gave a genuine smile. Hopeful that someone like her might know a way to revive her friend.
"Umu, you are that warrior's friend. But why are you here? You've already lost the war, coming to this place must be for another purpose." Hua thought she was here for that apostle or something. Not knowing that it was Ein Kallen was searching for.
Ottilie scanned the others and saw the other three. She knew one of them, but the 2 were strangers. "I've come to bargain. Can I speak to you in private?" She looked at the others. Ein carried Sushang and patted Xuanyuan's head. "Let's go Xua, this might be interesting."
Ein noticed that she has void archives on her. He then gave a comm to it. "Metatron, are you there girl?" He waited for a few moments and his creation replied. "Master? Yes, I await your orders my creator. Should I execute project Scorched Earth?" It was the order to completely erase everything inside the cube. All the knowledge and secrets it held, along with the will inside in mutual destruction.
"No, it's okay for now. Activate it when you think it's necessary. I leave it to your judgement." He then went away with Xuanyuan and waited for Hua.
"Yes, my master... I am watching you, Ottilie Apocalypse." She went deep inside the divine key again, awaiting for the moment to destroy it if necessary.
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Hua and Ottilie sat down inside the school. "What is it that you need from me? I'll be honest, your invasion here in Shenzou is still fresh in my mind. And for what? It was done for your religion's advantage and political power." Hua narrowed her eyes at the blonde.
"Oh no. It was the decision of the archbishop at the time to search for the apostle... Whoever that is." She gritted her teeth for a moment and thought that if that person was real, Kallen wouldn't have died for doing what is right.
"I'm here for a request. More of a question in truth, do you perhaps know a way to revive someone?" Ottilie asked hopefully, an immortal celestial must have something she thought.
"Reviving someone? That's foolishness, that is impossible. The cycle of life and death cannot be stopped, once someone truly dies. Then it is their time." Hua said, but thought was the exception to this rule. Handing immortality left and right like candy.
"I... I see." The blonde put hope into it. But it was a futile trip. "What happened to Li Sushang, I happen to know her from back then when I travelled here." She changed the topic and wanted to get something at least. The support of the celestial.
Hua raised a brow and thought she wasn't lying as she knew her name. "It was just an accident, my friend has already healed her to full. No need to concern yourself with it." Hua didn't want her to even talk to Sushang, her bias against Schicksal was still pretty strong. Though she didn't know it was technically Aponia's fault.
"Then. Can I at least propose something to you? I would like for us to be in a partnership leading to a prosperous relationship. It must be difficult, protecting this land by yourself no? We could be of help, and you could help us with things that normal people cannot handle." Ottilie gave out the bait and Hua thought it was amusing. After all, Aesir corp. controlled the world and was doing a good job of protecting even people from the ends of the earth. Leaving no one behind, but she got a comm from Ein.
"Accept it Hua. She's pretty interesting." She heard his voice and accepted immediately. "Alright, your proposition would benefit Shenzou as a whole. Send me what would entail of this partnership later." Hua shook the blonde's hand.
Ottilie thought it was suspicious that she agreed immediately. But it must be because she was right that protecting a continent alone is an arduous task. "Thank you for your time, I'd like you to be my friend honestly. It would be an honor for me." She smiled and Hua nodded, playing along.
"I will send a letter about it later. And please do send my regards to Li Sushang. She's a friend I made here as well." She left with a heavy heart. She then remembered the time how she met the young Li Sushang.
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At that fateful day where Kallen supposedly died. Something inside of Ottilie died along with Kallen. She carried Kallen's corpse and escaped from Vienna by boat.
She looked at Kallen's corpse, her eyes hollow and without life. "My dear Kallen..." Ottilie gritted her teeth and clenched her hands. She trembled, in denial that Kallen died due to her, so her mind deflected and put the blame on Schicksal.
"It's all their fault. The holy maiden that did everything for the people... And was repaid with merciless chains and nooses." She slammed the table nearby and put her hand softly on Kallen's face.
"Kallen... How would I save the world? When you're resting here and won't wake up?" Her mind was shattered, her idolization and love for Kallen clouding it even further.
"I will wake you up Kallen... And we will save the world together, just how you wanted." Ottilie grasped her hand tightly and thus the brilliant inventor agonized for her greatest feat and invention. To honor Kallen's wish and let her have a life she rightfully deserves.
She arrived at a place far from Schicksal's HQ. Having an idea, she sent her most loyal people to get Eleanor's corpse and try to experiment with it to get even a single glimpse on how to revive Kallen, remembering the cube's words that the black box contained the way to save her.
She made a facility that housed orphans with stigmatas. It was called St. Michael's abbey, below it is a lab that houses her experiments. Thanks to void archives, she was able to make a decent enough lab that could try gaining enough knowledge to revive Kallen.
The blonde researched on Eleanor's body that was delivered to her. Hours turned to days, and days turned to weeks, and weeks turned to months. But she couldn't even get a single hint on how to revive Kallen.
"It's not enough! I need more resources and power to continue..." She remembered Schicksal and before everything went down the drain. She was popular enough to be the next overseer of Schicksal.
"I must control it. Yes, then I'll have enough influence and resources." Her popularity didn't betray her, many people came to her side and she amassed an army that wielded weapons more advanced than the crude honkai ones Shicksal wielded.
After years of consolidating her power and army. They invaded Vienna and initiated the rebellion. Schicksal was in chaos, they were outmatched by the new weapons she designed that came from the knowledge of void archives.
Ottilie then went face to face with her sister that had reign on Schicksal. "Tilie, dear sister. We can talk about this." The invasion was swift and with Ottilie's intellect. They defeated Schicksal without any hiccups.
"You've taken everything away from me. Now it's time I take what's yours and receive what is rightfully mine." Ottilie stabbed her sister on the heart without mercy, spurting some blood on her beautiful face.
Her sister choked on her own blood and died quickly on the ground. The church bells resounded and the cathedral's floor was dyed red with blood. Ottilie sighed in relief and thought it was a resounding success.
She quickly made reforms to Schicksal and reduced the taxes, she heard the news of the white angel appearing. Healing the masses of the plague. Thinking it was a massive opportunity and sent out propaganda that it was god's sign that Ottilie was approved as the new overseer with the miracles.
Ottilie lamented the fact that if she was able to control Schicksal earlier. Then Kallen wouldn't perish because of the church's corruption. Arriving at the graveyard, she went to Francis Kaslana's grave.
"Forgive me sir... I've failed Kallen. But I will make things right, and she will lead a life that she deserves." She kneeled and her spirits didn't dampen for even a single millisecond.
She then saw a grave next to Francis. Putting her hand on it softly. "Kallen, I will save you. Wait for me dear..." She then left and went to the Kaslana household to reminisce.
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Arriving at Kallen's home. She saw the invention she made that led to her meeting Kallen. It was the moment where the dull world started having color.
"Saving the world huh? I can't do it without you Kallen..." She then saw the oath of Judah and remembered someone that might be able to help her. So she quickly packed up and went on a journey, to find the immortal Phoenix.
Ottilie carried Kallen's corpse with her, in case the immortal celestial really knows how to revive someone. Her carriage while travelling in Shenzou was then seized by bandits. But due to her not knowing much of their language, she thought they were welcoming her and was escorted to their camp.
She knew she was wrong when she got behind bars. Ottilie was preparing to break out and use void archives, but she heard a girl speak to her.
"Hey, want to get out of here miss? Don't worry, I'm a student of the school of Taixuan. I will kill all of these bandits easy." It was Li Sushang, she was sent out for her first mission by the 5th disciple to kill a group of bandits to test her mettle.
"I do actually, how about I distract them and you escape?" Ottilie of course didn't put much confidence in Sushang, but she was proven wrong when she bent the bars and went on a rampage.
Helping with her endeavors, she shot the bandits down with a replica of Shamash and made quick work of the miscreants.
"I did not expect you would be stronger than you look. I am Ottilie Apocalypse, what is your name?" She smiled at her and remembered that the empyrea's school was named Taixuan. So she might get information out of her.
"I am Li Sushang, and I'll be the greatest martial artist in all of the lands! Believe it!" Sushang greeted enthusiastically and Tilie shook her hand.
"You said you're a student of the school of Taixuan? May I know where it is and if your master is there?" She didn't know the location and asked.
"It's on mt. Taixuan of course, it's right over here." Sushang pointed at a map that they took from the bandits. "The master of the school disappeared years ago when it got burned down. And nobody knows why, even my mother that was one of her original disciples says she doesn't know." The betrayal was covered up by Suyi, she did not want her daughter to know it.
"I... I see, then can you please tell me if she has returned? I have important business with her you see?" She then handed her some paper with her mailing address here in Shenzou.
Sushang nodded and waved her goodbye. "Okay lady, don't be too optimistic though." She then ran like the wind and Ottilie decided to wait here for a bit and study the legends. It might contain some crucial information that is hidden and she's grasping at straws to revive Kallen.
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After Ottilie left Hua. Ein appeared with Xuanyuan and Sushang. "Look for Suyi Hua, we will be checking up on Sushang at the base. And I will be telling her not to be so reckless as well. About your partnership with Schicksal, let us see what Kallen's friend has in store for us." They then teleported back to the base with Suyi and Sushang in tow.
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Thanks for reading, ciao