"Haah!"
Lihua, looking at Otto and Kallen, found that Kallen's condition was surprisingly good, just like Eleanor's.
After all, Kallen was the strongest Valkyrie. Her body was extraordinarily strong. Even though she had been stabbed a few times by the Herrscher of Corruption and had run out of energy, her vitality was still strong. Lihua had a feeling that she would be fine even if she was left there.
Though both looked severely injured, the reason they were unconscious wasn't because of the injuries. Eleanor had been knocked unconscious from slamming into the mountain, while Kallen had simply run out of energy.
Otto was less lucky. As a man, his Honkai resistance was low. He was also a researcher, his body was nothing compared to a Valkyrie. Not to mention his minor injuries, a gaping hole in his abdomen was no longer bleeding. If Lihua hadn't sensed his heart faintly beating, she would have thought that he was dead.
That was a close one! If the main villain in Honkai died, what would happen in the rest of the story?
Without Otto leading Schicksal, controlling the world, and suppressing Honkai, countless more people would die from the Honkai outbreak.
Regardless of his selfish motives, his actions had objectively protected humanity.
And most importantly, as a man of conscience, Otto had just gifted her a whole heap of energy.
A million points of energy! Her heart ached at the thought of him dying after that.
But it would be difficult to heal injuries like that.
The Obsidian Flower's natural healing powers could easily heal Kallen, but Otto was already on death's door. The Obsidian Flower wouldn't be effective on him.
Luckily I learned how to use the Obsidian Flower from Eleanor when I was bored. Otherwise, you would have died today, buddy.
Lihua covered Otto's wound with her left hand and raised her right hand with the Abyss Flower. She said softly.
"I am the darkness from the abyss. I am the light that descends from the sky. I will give the water of life to those who thirst."
"Black Abyss White Flower, Zeroth-rated power: Holy Lance - Agave"
At the next moment, the unique creation power of that Divine Key glowed with a white light.
"I've made so many mistakes in my life…"
Feeling her own life force draining away, Lihua couldn't help but recall her life in the Honkai world. She found that there were many things she could have done better.
If only I had known that Otto and Kallen both liked me, my energy farming methods would have been far more efficient. I could have earned twice the amount of energy that I have now.
I should have never been biased.
She also blamed her friend for saying that Otto was absolutely faithful to Kallen, and would never like anyone else… That was all a lie!
And if she had known that Otto and Kallen were like that, she would have dealt with those old men in Schicksal long ago. Then, the world would have been more peaceful.
"So many people have died…"
Lihua looked at the ruins of Schicksal HQ. The bodies of those who were infected and killed by Honkai beasts were scattered everywhere. Even with their preparations, many people had still died.
It all came down to strength. The ordinary Valkyries were not as strong as those in the future because Otto hadn't created the artificial Stigmata system yet. Though that system drained life force, it had significantly boosted their fighting strength. If the Valkyries at Schicksal HQ had that kind of power, they would have defeated the Honkai beasts easily.
"Big inventor, the future is in your hands." Lihua looked at Otto whose injuries were finally stabilized and said, "Go become the savior of mankind and make this imperfect world a place where everyone can smile."
But even if the Honkai world changed and everyone could smile, her Earth wouldn't be able to do so. Her Earth didn't have Otto, that kind of genius. Even with the spiritual revival, there would still be chaos.
Thinking of the dimensional rifts that were threatening her peaceful life, Lihua sighed in helplessness. Even though she had the System and her amazing clone ability…
"I am probably never going to be that great."
She couldn't become stronger, or rule Earth, maintain order, or protect the world.
She just wanted to laze around. She should leave such great things to great people!
For now, the Lihua in the Honkai world needed to rest.
Looking at Otto's healing injuries, Lihua smiled slightly. She no longer resisted the tide of weariness. She slowly closed her eyes.
...
Otto didn't want to open his eyes. If he did, he would have to face all the things that had happened.
If not seeing it meant that it didn't happen, then Otto would have gouged his eyes out just to stop time. Unfortunately, the world didn't work like that. He couldn't control time, just like he couldn't stop his tears from falling.
The person he loved most was gone, and that weight in his chest was the proof.
Otto had regained consciousness earlier. Though he couldn't control his body, he could hear Lihua sighing and wishing him well.
She had tried her best and done everything she could, but in the end, she still felt like she had failed, and that she had failed to protect him… She still trusted him and believed that he, a man covered in blood and who had betrayed her, was a great inventor.
She regretted that she couldn't become a great hero. But she believed that I, someone who has done nothing, would be a savior.
...
The girl who would climb the tree to bring down his paper airplane and call him an inventor was no longer here.
The person who had believed in him the most was gone.
She had vanished in a blaze like the other Kaslanas.
She wouldn't sit up and tell him that it was just a joke.
She wouldn't cook for him, and she wouldn't believe in him without any condition…
And the last thing he did for her was to betray her along with Kallen, and lock her in a cell.
"Haha, hahaha…"
When he realized it, Otto was laughing, but the laugh was more piercing than a cry.
It was like the heart-wrenching wails of the most desperate of the desperate.