Lihua Kaslana's funeral was the most well-attended funeral in Schicksal's history. Countless civilians from Kolosten voluntarily came to mourn this saint.
In the revolt that had broken out days before, the old guards of Schicksal, led by Archbishop Nicholas Apocalypse, had desperately tried to cling to their power by releasing an ancient and terrifying monster, attempting to kill all who opposed them.
During this event, which was known as the Zeroth Honkai War, Lihua Kaslana had protected the people, and then sacrificed herself to eliminate the monster by activating the Judgment of Shamash, the Divine Key that had been passed down through her family.
Just like she had promised as a child, she had protected people's rights to a peaceful life.
And now, Otto Apocalypse, the newly appointed Schicksal Archbishop, stood at the podium and delivered a eulogy.
"Our loving Father, we are not gathered here today to grieve a life that has passed, but to celebrate a soul that is going to enter your kingdom. Lihua Kaslana was a great person, with the purest soul in this world. She sacrificed her life for the people she loved the most…"
Otto recited the words in his hands mechanically. He wished that he could believe in heaven and the afterlife like the people below. Then, he could tell himself that Lihua hadn't died and had just gone to a better place.
But he couldn't do that. Knowledge was both a blessing and a curse. While it helped him achieve his goals, it also meant he could never believe in self-deceiving illusions.
Death was the end of all things. It was the end of one's consciousness. It was the end of everything.
He would never see her smile again. That was the cold and cruel reality.
It was only when he saw her coffin being buried that Otto began to feel regret.
Why did I always avoid Lihua and treat her coldly? Why didn't I spend that time with her, to talk to her a bit more?
To protect her?
Heh, if I had really wanted what was best for Lihua, I wouldn't have tried to gain power. Then, the useless me wouldn't have attracted any attacks. And with Kallen, a friend who was also the head of the Kaslana family, she wouldn't have had to worry about being sent to dangerous battlefields.
He just wanted to keep Lihua to himself. He wanted to have control over her...
Otto looked at the coffin that was slowly being covered by the dirt. He seemed to have returned to the time when he was at Francis Kaslana's funeral in the church that smelled of burnt flesh.
Back then, Lihua had thought he was scared. She had smiled and told him that she would protect him. Otto had also made up his mind to protect Lihua and never let that event happen again.
Now, Lihua had kept her promise, while he…
No matter what he did, the nightmare that he always had was now reality. And he was the cause of that nightmare.
Otto's exposed skin suddenly felt a chill. He looked up and saw small snowflakes falling from the gray sky.
It was like the day that Lihua had left him.
Was it trying to tell him that Lihua was gone for good?
Otto looked at the corner of the coffin that was still visible. Panic surged through him.
He felt that Lihua was still alive, that she hadn't left him yet. But if the coffin was buried, Lihua would really leave him. She would really be dead.
No… no…
"Get out of here! All of you!"
Otto couldn't take it anymore as he watched the last bit of the coffin being covered with dirt. He broke down. He rushed forward, pushing the people who were burying the coffin away. He jumped into the grave and frantically started to dig up the coffin. "She's still alive. There's still a chance..."
"Otto, what are you doing?!"
Otto's disrespect towards the funeral and the body finally infuriated Kallen and Eleanor, who had been silently participating in the funeral. They approached Otto to pull him away.
Lihua was already dead. Why wasn't Otto letting her rest in peace?!
"Don't come near me!!!"
Otto, without thinking, raised the golden pistol and pointed it at them!
"Otto… are you serious?" Kallen's face had finally turned serious as she saw the Mimicry Judgment of Shamash. "I don't want to fight you because of Lihua, but this is her funeral. You can't mess this up!"
"Otto, you son of a bitch--!"
Eleanor, who had a bad temper and wasn't raised like a noble, was even more straightforward. "If you hurt Lady Lihua's coffin, I'll hang your head on a cross at the Association's headquarters!"
"Don't come near me. I won't let you kill Lihua!"
In front of countless Schicksal Valkyries and civilians, the newly appointed Schicksal Archbishop lost his composure. He was covered in mud, he was holding a golden toy pistol, and he was threatening everyone as if he was insane. All of that, for a coffin with a corpse inside.
"She's still alive. There is still a chance..." Otto muttered, not knowing if he was talking to the others or to himself. "I'll save her. I'll definitely save her…"
At the end of the funeral, the new Schicksal Archbishop, who had been in power for less than three days, ran away with a coffin.
Those who tried to stop him were pushed back by his desperation.
Although Schicksal's two strongest warriors were present, they chose to ignore Otto's betrayal.
Maybe it was because the injuries they had sustained while fighting the Herrscher of Corruption were still not healed, or maybe they also held onto the hope that Otto's resurrection was possible.
Even if they hated him, they couldn't deny that Otto was the smartest person in the world. He had created inventions beyond anything they had ever seen before. If there was one person who could bring Lihua back to life, it would be Otto.
But only Otto knew that he couldn't do it.
Maybe the Previous Era had a way?
If the Void Archive was willing to give him access to all of its knowledge, then he would desperately search for a way to bring Lihua back.
But the Void Archive didn't want to, and it would take too long for Otto to learn everything in the Void Archive's library.
So Otto chose to seek out the immortal.
The Red Immortal of the Ming Dynasty, it was said that she was omnipotent and had lived for thousands of years. Otto knew that immortals were even more ancient than legends. She was one of the heroes that had lived from the Previous Era to this day.
If there was a single person who could revive Lihua, it would be her. It would be better to get the answer from the immortal than to search aimlessly through the Void Archive.
Otto carried the coffin on his back and traveled 15,000 miles without resting. He arrived in the Ming Dynasty, the place where he had his last hope, Taixu Mountain, where the immortal resided.
But as he stood at the foot of the mountain and saw the massive fire burning on the Taoist temple, he was filled with despair once again.
Can even an immortal die?
"Holder of the Key, why have you come here?"
As Otto fell to his knees, a familiar voice came from behind him, reigniting his hope.
He excitedly turned around and saw that the person was indeed the Red Immortal. Though her clothes were a bit tattered, she still maintained her composure.
Though he wanted to ask her how to revive Lihua, he forced himself to calm down and asked politely, "Do you need any help?"
"Nothing much. I was just dealing with some disobedient disciples."
Fu Hua looked down at her dusty clothes and patted them twice. "Just get to the point."