"Your Eminence… are you… alright?"
Amber cautiously glanced at the man beside her, her voice filled with hesitation. Elias' earlier barrage of insults had nearly fried her brain.
After all—
No one had ever dared to speak to Otto Apocalypse in such a way!
No one had done it.
No one had dared to do it.
Because he was Otto Apocalypse.
The man who had ruled Schicksal for five centuries.
The man who stood at the pinnacle of this world.
And yet—
"Heh… Amber, do you really think I'd lose my temper over something like this?"
Otto's smile remained unchanged. In fact, he seemed even more intrigued by Elias, as if not the slightest bit angry.
"How fascinating. Never before has anyone spoken to me with such a tone. Herrscher of the Void, you are the first."
"Hah. Am I wrong, though?"
"No, no—you are absolutely correct. Every single word was spot on. Otto Apocalypse is precisely the disgusting, twisted, and pathetic fool you described."
"…Tch."
Elias clicked his tongue, displeased.
At the same time, he raised his guard higher than ever, subtly shifting into a defensive stance.
Otto Apocalypse was a genius who had lived for over five centuries.
A man who had lost the most important person in his life and spent his entire existence trying to bring her back.
If someone like him was so emotionally fragile that a mere insult could truly enrage him, it would be an insult to his entire character.
More importantly—
Otto knew exactly what he was. A cold, calculating villain driven solely by his own obsession.
The countless sins he had committed over five centuries in pursuit of his goal had long since stripped him of any right to call himself human.
Elias' insults? They didn't even scratch the surface of his depravity.
If anything, Otto felt that Elias had gone too easy on him.
Considering what he planned to do to this young Herrscher, even a full-length novel of insults would still be too lenient.
"It seems you hold quite the grudge against me… which is entirely understandable," Otto mused. "After all, I am the very one who established Babylon Labs. Which means that, in a way… I personally orchestrated everything that happened to you and your friends."
"Get to the point."
"Very well. I would like to extend an official apology. How about this—you and your friends are welcome to visit Schicksal's Floating Island as honored guests. I guarantee you will receive only the finest hospitality. Let us put aside our grievances and reconcile, shall we? Of course, I do have a few matters I'd like to discuss with you personally."
"…Otto Apocalypse. No matter how much a venomous snake pretends to be harmless, its fangs never disappear. Your acting skills are pathetic. Your words are hollow. So—why don't you cut the crap and say what you really mean?!"
Elias enunciated each word sharply, his piercing golden eyes locking onto Otto's with sheer intensity—
As if he could stare him to death.
At the same time, his fingers curled around the communicator, gripping it tightly.
The message was clear: If you keep talking nonsense, I'm crushing this thing.
"Alright, alright, I surrender!" Otto chuckled. "Honestly, you were so patient and polite when talking to Cecilia and the others—why do you turn into a wild beast the moment you speak to me? Alright, alright, don't break the communicator!"
Perhaps it was because he had spoken in a particular manner for centuries, but Otto truly wasn't used to the concept of "just saying things directly."
Seeing Elias' grip tighten, already cracking the communicator's casing, Otto quickly changed his approach and got straight to the point.
"Herrscher of the Void, I have a question for you. Among your many abilities, do you possess the authority of the Herrscher of Death?"
"Nope. Never heard of it."
"I see. So you do have it."
"Tch."
Elias clicked his tongue.
There was no helping it—he was still just a teenager. Trying to lie to a man who had spent five centuries mastering human nature? A fool's errand.
On the other hand, Otto's excitement was growing.
The Herrscher of Death!
The records in Void Archives had mentioned it—a Herrscher possessing the authority to resurrect the dead.
If this was true, then perhaps… perhaps this boy could bring Kallen back!
"Then, tell me—how far does the Herrscher of Death's power extend? Is it capable of reviving those who have already passed?" Otto asked, his voice laced with hope.
For the first time in centuries, he felt anticipation.
But Elias' response crushed it instantly.
He nodded—then shook his head.
"What does that mean, Herrscher of the Void?"
"It means I can restore a body, but not a soul," Elias stated flatly. "The authority of the Herrscher of Death is, at its core, nothing more than biological manipulation. It does not encompass the mind, the spirit, or the soul."
In other words, even if he used this power to "revive" someone, they would be nothing more than an empty shell.
"..."
The moment those words left his lips, Otto fell silent.
Even when Elias had cursed him out earlier, Otto's expression hadn't wavered.
But now—
For the first time, his face fell.
Disappointment. Despair. Frustration. Anguish.
He became an embodiment of pure, unfiltered negativity.
Otto Apocalypse didn't want to revive just any Kallen Kaslana.
He wanted the real Kallen.
A soulless corpse meant nothing to him.
"I've answered your question," Elias said coldly. "My power cannot fulfill your wish. So—don't waste my time again."
This, at least, was a silent trade.
If Otto had any hope of reviving Kallen through Elias, then he might have continued to pester him.
But since it was impossible, then there was no longer any reason to engage with him.
Or so he thought.
"Wait, Herrscher of the Void—I believe we should experiment further. If we push your ability to its absolute limit, perhaps we can—"
"I know my own power better than anyone," Elias cut him off. "Even a fully awakened Herrscher of Death would not be able to bring back the one you seek. Find another way."
"…No. Herrscher of the Void, unless I see it with my own eyes—unless I test it with my own hands—Otto Apocalypse will never give up. So now… would you be so kind as to hand over your Herrscher Core?"
Otto's voice darkened instantly.
The air grew thick with hostility.
Elias' golden eyes narrowed, and the power of five Herrscher Cores surged to life, filling the atmosphere with immense pressure.
"Come and take it if you can," he sneered. "Let's see if Schicksal has anyone who can stand against me."
"Hahaha. Of course, Schicksal alone is no match for you. From the moment my dear old friend failed to subdue you, I knew—no one could ever force you into submission."
Then—
The communicator's screen abruptly cut to black.
Elias frowned. Had Otto hung up on him?
And then—
"There's no need for such crude methods, Herrscher of the Void. After all… in choosing to reject the Will of Honkai and live as a human… you have given yourself a weakness far greater than any weapon."
"!!!"
Otto's voice suddenly came from behind.
Close—right beside his ear—like the whisper of a devil.
As Elias turned around, his eyes widened in shock, his teeth clenched in fury, and his rage surged to its peak. Hatred and murderous intent boiled over in his heart.
"Sirin!!!"
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Elias… We weren't strong enough. We became a burden to you…"
"Now then~ how about it? Will you hand over the Core now?" Otto appeared before Elias.
He had taken Sirin and the other three hostage, pressing a golden revolver against the young girl's head. His threatening smile needed no further explanation.