"Could it be… you want to thank me?"
Those words, spoken so casually by the white-haired girl, made Bronya's eye twitch. Little tic marks popped up around her head, the air practically shimmering with the heat of her barely contained rage.
This jerk is using Bronya's identity to flirt with Bronya's Seele, making Bronya look like a fake Bronya—and I'm supposed to thank him?!
Suka blyat—!!!
Though she nearly exploded with her stereotypical Russian temper, despite her seething rage, looking at that innocent face, Bronya could only grit her teeth and grudgingly admit—she had considered thanking him for rescuing Seele.
But that was before.
Now, with her rage meter exploding but no outlet for her frustration, Bronya just wanted to punch him, to let him experience the "passion" of a Russian girl's fist.
Having been completely outmaneuvered, Bronya could only concede—but this was just temporary.
A Silver Wolf never gives up! Bronya would remember this!
"Report the situation to Dr. Tesla."
"Uh… Bronya will handle that!" she blurted out, a wave of panic washing over her.
No way! If I report this, I'd have to tell them about my pathetic defeat! And I promised Dr. Tesla I'd handle this!
To save face and prevent Jiang Qiao from revealing her humiliating defeat, Bronya eagerly volunteered to send the report—she would embellish it, heavily.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you. Take this Herrscher core back with you as well."
"Aren't you coming back with us?"
"I have some… business to attend to. I'll be delayed."
Bronya, only half-listening, felt a surge of excitement.
Good! If he's not coming back, I can use this time to rebuild my relationship with Seele, to prove to her that I'm the real Bronya.
But—
Looking at the Gem of Serenity in its container, Bronya swallowed hard.
This is a Herrscher core… if I were to absorb it… I could become stronger, right? A dual-core Herrscher… I could even surpass that jerk, Jiang Qiao…
She wasn't obsessed with power, but after being repeatedly humiliated, Bronya yearned for strength—enough strength to crush Jiang Qiao, to get revenge for all the indignities she'd suffered.
The thought of tormenting him with the power of the Gem of Serenity made her giddy with excitement.
Unaware of Bronya's "dangerous" thoughts, Jiang Qiao had a simple reason for not keeping the Gem—it was too volatile.
It wasn't that he couldn't control it. In his own body, he could handle any Herrscher core, even multiple cores simultaneously.
But this body was Kiana's. Storing multiple cores within her, especially with her limited control, would be a burden, even dangerous.
He'd already sent the Herrscher of Ice core back with Tesla. It would be more useful for their research—and it saved on Anti-Entropy's energy bills, powering the base.
Watching Bronya leave, Raven practically fleeing the scene, the white-haired girl glanced at a nearby rooftop and spoke casually:
"Though I wouldn't mind if you continued lurking, I don't appreciate being watched."
Snap!
With a flick of his wrist, invisible tendrils of Void energy sliced through a nearby building, the structure collapsing like a house of cards, sending dust and debris billowing into the air.
And from the dust emerged a girl in bear pajamas, her blonde hair framing a deceptively innocent face. She wore a slightly awkward smile.
"Should I call you Susannah, or… Otto Apocalypse? Your Eminence?"
[Kiana]—Jiang Qiao—looked down at the girl, his sharp blue eyes piercing through the disguise, seeing the man beneath.
The girl's smile melted away, replaced by a mature, handsome face—a veneer of sophistication concealing the underlying darkness and ambition, radiating an almost artificial charm.
"Well, well, well… Fancy meeting you here, K423… or should I say… [Kiana]?" Otto rested his chin on his hand, studying her, then shaking his head. "We should be the same… yet, you seem… genuine."
Otto had been observing Kiana's growth, though from a distance. His instincts told him this [Kiana] should be an imposter, just like himself using Susannah's body—but her appearance, her demeanor, even his internal Soulium analysis systems, all pointed to her being the real K423.
"Does it matter?"
"Haha, apologies, just curious." Otto chuckled, shaking his head dismissively.
The question wasn't important to him. His only true concern was retrieving his beloved—Kallen.
Everything else was secondary.
"I'm not interested in satisfying your curiosity."
The girl's voice was cold. While she respected his dedication and acknowledged his accomplishments, they were enemies.
Especially to this body. Just standing near him, she could feel Kiana's burning rage.
"You've achieved your goal."
Jiang Qiao knew Otto was behind the Honkai eruption in London. He'd orchestrated Dr. Magi's defection.
After all, Europe was Schicksal territory. Before Kevin's return, even World Serpent couldn't challenge their dominance here. Magi's escape had to be facilitated by Otto.
World Serpent needed the Gem of Serenity, they needed a densely populated city for their Stigmata project.
And Otto Apocalypse—his goal was to draw out [Kiana].
To fulfill his selfish desires, he needed a human-controlled Herrscher.
Joyce could have fulfilled that role, but their goals were incompatible. (Those with different goals cannot work together.)
Unable to use the Herrscher of Reason, Otto had turned his attention to Sirin, the Herrscher of the Void from the Second Eruption.
The Second Herrscher resurrection experiment was born—all to create a Herrscher with human consciousness.
And she had to be the Herrscher of the Void.
Only the Herrscher of the Void could fulfill his plan to "save" Kallen.
Knowing the plot, Jiang Qiao understood Otto's motivations. After the Second Eruption, he'd pinned all his hopes on resurrecting a Herrscher, hoping to turn K423 into a human-controlled Herrscher of the Void. Once he controlled her, he could use her powers to project the past into the present, just like Cocolia had attempted with the Cosmic Juggernaut.
If the Cosmic Juggernaut, a mere fragment of the Herrscher of the Void's power, could achieve that, the true Herrscher of the Void could certainly do the same.
But then, Otto had unexpectedly acquired the Cosmic Juggernaut. This further validated his plan, strengthening his resolve.
He no longer needed the Herrscher of the Void to project the past.
But his future plans still required a living, breathing Herrscher of the Void.
Whether it was his original plan of sacrificing an era or his later Project Stigma, the Herrscher of the Void was essential.
And now, that essential element had arrived.
Otto stared at [Kiana] with burning intensity, as if seeing the culmination of his 500-year obsession.
Not only had a human-controlled Herrscher of the Void been born, but she was far more mature, far more powerful, than any Herrscher before her.
"Miss Kiana, as Overseer of Schicksal, I extend a sincere invitation for you to join us."
Ignoring her cold demeanor, Otto stated his intentions.
While he needed the Herrscher of the Void, he wasn't overly concerned about her hostility. He wasn't worried about her causing trouble—as Overseer, he held too much power. If he were to be disrupted, Schicksal, humanity's first line of defense against Honkai, would crumble.
Anyone considering the bigger picture wouldn't dare disrupt him. He held all the cards. Even Kevin was wary of him.
Otto, not yet having fully validated his plan with the Cosmic Juggernaut, still needed the Herrscher of the Void's cooperation.
Therefore, he offered generous terms:
"If you agree, Schicksal will pardon both you and your father, compensating you for your losses. We will also cease all actions against Anti-Entropy."
"All I ask in return is your occasional assistance in some… minor experiments."
Otto extended a hand. Join me, and you are my friend!
He believed she couldn't refuse such a generous offer. Logically, it was a win-win.
Schicksal was the good guys. Joining them meant fighting for humanity.
Without Schicksal's pursuit, her life would improve.
And for Anti-Entropy—though their relationship had improved recently, they were still constantly harassed by Schicksal. Ending the conflict and uniting against Honkai would benefit all of humanity.
As for their past grievances… Otto didn't believe they had any real animosity. Regarding Cecilia… she'd died in the line of duty as a Schicksal Valkyrie. What did that have to do with him? And even if she lost her mother, didn't she still have her father?
He could even argue—as a product of the K-Series experiments, he was her mother.
Cecilia was practically a stranger. So, yes, I killed Cecilia, but I can also be your mother.
To this—
"I refuse."
"What?"
Otto blinked, surprised. He couldn't fathom why she'd refuse. It was beneficial in every way.
"I refuse."
"…Why?"
"Because messing with you is my favorite hobby."
Joining Otto is as dangerous as riding in a convertible with JFK.
But—
More practically, Jiang Qiao's reasoning was simpler:
"I don't trust you, Otto."
No matter how enticing his promises, Jiang Qiao wouldn't trust him.
He admired his dedication, his unwavering love, but his credibility… nonexistent.
"Oh dear… that hurts my feelings. I believe my reputation is quite… solid." Otto, understanding the situation, feigned hurt and regret.
"Do you even believe that yourself? Or do you think your actions warrant anyone's trust?"
The girl's cold voice hit Otto like a hammer.
He chuckled ruefully.
"Alright, I admit, I miscalculated. You seem to know me… surprisingly well."
Otto Apocalypse was undeniably a villain. He manipulated others' emotions without remorse, betraying his comrades, stealing their achievements.
He wouldn't deny it.
And regarding his trustworthiness… while he claimed to be reliable, even he didn't believe it.
If necessary, he'd betray anyone, even himself.
And who in this world, besides Kallen, would trust such a villain?
"A pity. You've made the same choice as the First Herrscher."
The blonde man sighed, the shadows in his eyes hardening. The air grew still.
Crimson feathers drifted down from the sky as he raised a dark gold pistol, flames erupting from the barrel.
Bang!
A sharp crack echoed, not the sound of air being torn, but the shriek of space itself being ripped apart.
"Edge of Taixuan?!"
Otto instantly recognized the attack, dodging instinctively—but six azure spears pierced his body. With a flick of the wrist, the spears transformed into ribbons, binding and crushing his Soulium body.
The white-haired girl lowered her hand, her expression unchanged.
"A pointless charade."
Even if the negotiation had failed, he'd used this opportunity to test her strength. That sneaky old geezer was always calculating.
The Herrscher regalia faded, replaced by her casual vacation attire. She placed her straw hat back on her head and walked away.
…
For Durandal, the London trip wasn't going as planned. Initially, it had been a pleasant vacation, but after a brief stroll, she'd been arrested for disturbing the peace. Thankfully, being in Schicksal territory, she'd used her Valkyrie credentials to expedite her release.
She'd planned to explore London further, hoping to encounter the white-haired girl again, but as soon as she left the police station, the Honkai eruption started.
Her vacation was over, replaced by emergency duty. But what annoyed her most—she could sense a powerful Honkai reaction nearby, a situation that normally called for an S-rank Valkyrie like herself. But the Overseer had ordered her to retrieve the Second Divine Key that had appeared in the Thames.
While confused, she obeyed.
The retrieval itself was rather boring—thankfully, Rita arrived.
"What are you thinking about, Bianka-sama?"
"…" Durandal hesitated. Could she really tell Rita she'd seen an interesting girl and was now eager to find her?
It wasn't like her.
But Rita knew Durandal well. One look, and she could tell something was on her mind.
"If you have something you'd like to do, Bianka-sama, you can leave. Rita can handle this."
"Are you sure?"
Durandal hesitated. She wasn't one to mix business with pleasure.
Rita smiled. "It's just retrieving a Divine Key. Rita can manage. Besides, my original mission was to investigate the Second Divine Key."
"You're on vacation, Bianka-sama. Don't let this unexpected event ruin it. You'll regret it later."
"Alright."
Durandal glanced at the glowing sphere in the sky, thinking retrieving a Divine Key wouldn't be a problem. Rita could handle it easily.
Both were satisfied. Watching Durandal leave, Rita turned her attention to the spatial barrier.
Perhaps because he'd used it recently, Su had reinforced the Key of infinity's defenses. The barrier was much stronger now. Worried about damaging the Key, she couldn't use brute force, resorting to specialized equipment to decode and unlock the barrier. This made the normally simple task rather time-consuming.
But Rita had plenty of patience.
It was a prerequisite for being a maid.
Still, for some reason, as soon as Durandal left, Rita felt a nagging unease. Her right eye twitched. Left eye twitches for fortune, right eye for disaster… Something bad is going to happen…
She dismissed the superstitious thought. I'm just retrieving a Divine Key. What could possibly go wrong?
It's not like a Herrscher is going to pop out…
The equipment hadn't detected any Herrscher-level Honkai energy.
As the barrier thinned, Rita bit her lip, a sense of anticipation building.
Finally—
The barrier dissolved, revealing the Second Divine Key. Rita gasped. She'd never seen a Divine Key this large… it was a train engine!
Wait… there's a guardian?
Looking closer, she saw a white-haired, chibi figure holding a miniature, toy-like flaming sword.
Rita chuckled.
LOL, there's a tiny person with a toy. (you will get popcorn hair with this thing)