Chapter 91: The First Meeting Between the Sovereign of World Serpent and the Overseer of Schicksal
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Wow, Kiana-chan really did something incredible...'
As the screen displayed the scene beyond the doorway, a pink-colored comment floated across the screen...
Elysia clearly understood the deep meaning behind that brief scene.
In fact, some viewers in the livestream had drawn the same conclusion.
『Your Great Inventor:』 'As expected, this is something only the power of the Herrscher of the Void could accomplish... Heh, very impressive.'
A green-colored comment floated by... It wasn't hard to tell that Otto Apocalypse was now filled with confidence about the future.
Sharing his viewpoint was none other than fellow scientist, Mobius.
『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 'Ah, as expected, these kinds of things are still better suited for Herrschers. But launching such a reckless attack... If something irreversible happens, that wouldn't be very good, would it~?'
Clearly, even Mobius, despite her extensive research on Herrscher energy, would exercise caution in such an uncontrolled experiment—especially one that could influence the "Tree" itself...
As the livestream chat buzzed with discussions about Kiana's bold move, the in-game scene continued.
["The void has disappeared... It worked...!"]
["Next... it's your turn..."]
But as soon as she finished speaking, Kiana collapsed onto the ground. That final attack had drained nearly all of her strength.
She could no longer continue fighting, her consciousness fading between unwillingness and exhaustion.
The last thing she saw was the golden-haired Valkyrie approaching her.
At that moment, she had yet to realize what this experiment truly meant.
As the narration faded, the stage concluded.
With the start of the next stage, the game's background shifted to an underground laboratory.
However, the first character to appear on the screen was not Kiana, but Durandal.
She remained silent, as if waiting for something.
Moments later, Kiana appeared on the screen as well, arms crossed with an unmistakable look of displeasure on her face.
On the way back to the underground base, the two had remained silent. The brief truce from earlier had once again returned to an icy stalemate.
["Liar. You said if I won, you'd let me go."]
After a long silence, Kiana bluntly voiced her dissatisfaction.
To her accusation, Durandal calmly responded.
["You only defeated the Quantum Shadow. Our fight hasn't been decided yet."]
["I had just started getting serious, and you suddenly stopped. That's not fair! So sneaky!"]
["The 'serious move' you're referring to... is the Edge of Taixuan. I recall, that is Fu Hua's exclusive technique."]
Durandal didn't play along with Kiana's complaints. Instead, she threw a question back at her.
["When and where did you learn this technique from her?"]
At this moment, she couldn't perceive Fu Hua's presence. It was impossible for her to realize that Kiana carried a feather imbued with Fu Hua's consciousness.
Naturally, this truth wasn't something Kiana could reveal to anyone.
["...I don't want to answer that question."]
As she coldly spoke, the atmosphere became tense...
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Are they arguing? Honestly, why keep secrets? Wouldn't it be better to just talk it out properly at a time like this?'
A pink comment floated across the screen...
Clearly, Elysia wanted to see the two beautiful girls have an open and honest conversation...
And her comment once again surprised the participants in the chat.
『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 'Talk it out properly? About what?'
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Their feelings, of course! If you don't say it, how is the other person supposed to know?'
『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 'Feelings... Hm, is that the truth? Perhaps it's worth trying. I'll take note of that.'
Durandal once again displayed an expression of realization. What exactly had she understood from this...?
『Your Great Inventor:』 '...'
As the conversation played out, Otto's signature green-colored comment appeared in the chat.
At this point, he was growing increasingly suspicious—could Durandal actually be taking this so-called "Pink Fairy Miss" seriously?
In any case... once the experiment subject woke up and it was time for testing, he'd have to remind her not to take things too far...
["Why..."]
As the chat messages continued scrolling, Kiana spoke once again in the game.
["Back at St. Freya Academy, I heard many stories about you. Everyone saw you as a hero."]
["Schicksal's strongest S-rank Valkyrie. That title was my admiration, my goal."]
["But... you chose to stand with Otto... Do you even know the truth? Do you know what kind of experiments I've been through? Do you know what that man has done?!"]
After suppressing her emotions for so long, Kiana finally let them all out.
She accused Durandal of her indifference, her tone carrying helplessness and sorrow.
『Your Great Inventor:』 '...Heh. Very good. I can see the Herrscher's heart is filled with hatred toward a certain someone.'
A green comment floated across the screen...
The one who sent it was none other than Kiana's tormentor—Otto Apocalypse.
Of course, he had no intention of refuting her words. Because, as the intelligent man he was, he knew that every accusation she made was true.
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Kiana-chan... so pitiful. Ahh... Why does she have to endure so much pain?'
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'If Otto does not receive the punishment he deserves in the end, I will be disappointed.'
『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 'Heh, I'm really curious. That man named Otto, how does he plan to calm the Herrscher's fury? Unless he already has a way to eliminate her completely, he's absolutely going to die~'
As Otto summarized the situation himself, a flood of comments followed in the livestream chat...
And almost without exception, they were all filled with resentment toward him.
As the subject of all this criticism, Otto must have been experiencing what it truly meant to be the target of collective condemnation...
However, Hokuto still hadn't heard any system notification about earning a reward.
This meant that Otto Apocalypse's emotions remained stable.
Did that mean... he truly didn't care about the opinions of the masses?
Or perhaps, he had already anticipated that he would need to become a true "villain" to achieve his goals.
If that was the case, then being condemned and cursed was inevitable.
As more chat messages scrolled past, Kiana spoke again in the game.
["Why... You're so strong, you're not a bad person..."]
["Then why are you helping Schicksal?"]
After a long silence, Durandal finally responded to the girl's questioning voice.
["If Schicksal didn't exist, then who would protect the billions of people on this planet from Honkai?"]
["You were once a Valkyrie of Schicksal. You should understand this better than anyone."]
Seeing that her words hadn't moved Durandal, Kiana felt frustrated.
Not only that, but her previous words seemed to have struck a chord with Durandal.
["There is no absolute good or evil in this world, nor absolute right or wrong. There is only duty."]
["And I fight for my duty."]
Boom—!!
Just as the two continued their conversation, a sudden explosion rang out.
A series of dull explosions echoed from above, followed by the sudden blare of alarms.
["Lady Durandal! The base is under attack! It's World Serpent's mech forces!"]
As the voice of the communicator relayed the urgent report, a violent explosion erupted overhead.
In an instant, flames engulfed the ceiling!
Several mechs emerged from the explosion, blocking Durandal's path.
However, rather than immediately engaging the enemy, her first thought was elsewhere.
["Kiana!"]
Receiving no response, Durandal quickly scanned her surroundings—until she noticed a door that had been forcefully kicked open, half of it completely destroyed.
["Did she escape...?"]
With those words, the game transitioned into an interactive sequence.
Players now had to control Kiana as she attempted to flee the laboratory, eliminating enemy mechs along the way before she could make her escape.
The process wasn't particularly difficult, though navigating around obstacles was slightly tedious.
Before long, Kiana had defeated the mechs and was ready to board an electric tram to escape.
However, upon approaching it, she realized the doors were locked. Left with no other option, she took the elevator up to the surface.
Once she reached the surface, Kiana didn't immediately run. Instead, she hid behind a ruined wall, gun in hand.
["The enemy's numbers are even greater than I expected. Isn't this Schicksal's territory? They sure have some nerve. But... getting around their formation shouldn't be too hard."]
["Sorry, but I won't be getting caught by you guys!"]
Just as Kiana was about to make her move, a figure in the distance caught her attention.
["Huh? That person is...?"]
As if sensing her gaze, the man lifted his head.
From several meters away, their eyes met—
["...Kevin Kaslana?"]
With Kiana's startled exclamation, the screen displayed Kevin turning his gaze toward her.
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Whoa! It's Kevin—Kevin actually showed up! ...But why did it end already?!'
A pink comment excitedly floated across the screen the moment Kevin appeared.
Unfortunately, Kevin's silent stare toward Kiana was the last thing shown in this stage.
As the results screen popped up, it was clear that whatever would happen next... could only be revealed in the following stage.
Fortunately, this time, there was no timed progression lock on the main story stages. As soon as the results screen disappeared, the game transitioned directly into the next mission.
This time, the game's perspective shifted—players now saw the story from Kevin's viewpoint as he led the World Serpent's mech forces in a large-scale assault on the laboratory.
After a brief search, he successfully located his target.
The timeline seamlessly connected to the end of the previous stage...
Then, gameplay resumed.
Players now controlled Kevin, fighting through elite mechs deployed in the area.
Much like the last mission, the combat was simple. Before long, Kiana had cleared the enemies in her path.
Perhaps because everything was going too smoothly, she even allowed herself to start imagining the next step.
["Once I get past these ruins, I'll be able to leave this city. After that..."]
["Where do you plan to go?"]
Kevin's voice suddenly rang out.
Kiana froze in shock as he appeared before her.
["Wha—?! You! What are you doing here?!"]
Facing the man standing before her, Kiana found herself unable to move. Even the very act of trembling had been abandoned.
His gaze was deep and unwavering, as if it reached into the depths of human instinct—the kind of stare a predator gives its prey.
["...Are you here to kill me?"]
Kevin did not answer.
All Kiana could feel was an intense, searing heat surging toward her chest.
A flaming greatsword aimed directly at her heart, without hesitation—
And then, it struck.
However, the expected devastation did not occur.
Instead, countless feathers drifted through the air, landing upon the greatsword.
A phantom-like figure materialized between them.
[" Fenghuang Down... Hua, it's been a long time."]
["Kevin, stop."]
At last, after so many years apart, two survivors of the Previous Era—now the pioneers of the present civilization—had finally reunited.
How could such a scene not leave everyone in the livestream both shocked and eager for more?
And then... the stage ended again.
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Why does this keep happening?! Leaving girls hanging like this is how you get hated, you know!'
["Because of your livestream content, Pink Fairy Miss is furious. You have received 1,680 Crystals!"]
It was clear that Elysia desperately wanted to see what happened next.
But unfortunately, the way the stage was cut off was just too perfect—so perfect that it actually made her mad...
『Hokuto:』 'Ahem, yeah... That was a bit cruel. But don't worry, I'll start the next stage right now.'
Not wanting to keep the adorable lady upset any longer, Hokuto promptly clicked to start the next mission.
As the stage began, the screen displayed a conversation between Kiana and Fu Hua.
["Haa... haa... Class Monitor..."]
["Kiana, go. Don't look back."]
Now that she had finally reappeared, Fu Hua immediately prepared to stay behind and cover Kiana's escape.
["...What?!]
["I had hoped to walk alongside you a little longer... but now, it's time for us to part ways."]
Hearing Fu Hua's words, Kiana was filled with reluctance. She didn't want to just leave like this...
However, no matter how much she resisted, Fu Hua remained resolute.
["Do you remember our promise in Arc City? You swore to me. I will buy you time—now, leave this place."]
["If you die here, then your vow to change the world will become nothing but empty words."]
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'This is too sad... I don't want them to separate like this!'
["Do what you must. That is your responsibility."]
In the end, under Fu Hua's urging, Kiana softly muttered a quiet apology.
Lowering her gaze, she turned away and ran, unwilling to look back even once.
She ran faster and faster—until her figure was swallowed by the swirling dust.
["Goodbye, Kiana."]
[" Fenghuang Down...Hua, you've changed."]
At last, the ever-silent Kevin spoke.
His words elicited a quiet sigh from Fu Hua.
["Perhaps."]
Suddenly, the surrounding scenery shifted—
The barren wasteland vanished, replaced by a mirrored space of clear skies and drifting clouds.
["hua... You know it cannot interfere with my perception."]
With his vast experience, Kevin instantly recognized that Fu Hua had used the power of a Divine Key to create this illusionary realm.
Yet, in response to his words, Fu Hua stepped forward—standing tall like a mountain, extending her hand, palm facing upward.
["I am not here to interfere with your perception..."]
In that brief moment, a flicker of nostalgia flashed through the man's eyes.
It was the same presence that had stood by his side countless times, five thousand years ago.
As Fu Hua spoke her truth, her past materialized behind her—countless shadows formed from the memories of her long existence.
["I won't fight you…"]
["Instead, I will show you… everything I have experienced."]
At last, all the lingering echoes of time coalesced into a single Fu Hua, reaching out her hand toward her old friend.
["And the state of my heart."]
As those words fell, the screen faded to black.
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Wait… is Hua actually going to fight Kevin?"
A pink-colored comment floated across the screen.
Elysia had clearly not expected that these two former comrades and friends would immediately engage in battle upon reuniting.
Normally, shouldn't they catch up first, reminisce about the past, maybe have some snacks together?
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "And can Hua even defeat Kevin?"
Elysia posed the question that everyone was thinking.
As soon as her comment appeared, another message followed immediately—this time from Hua herself.
『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 "Impossible. The gap between them is far too great."
Kevin was the first MANTIS, the leader of the Flame-Chasers, the holder of the "Salvation" sigil—
A warrior destined to bear the weight of humanity's future.
Hua had never even considered the possibility that she could defeat him.
And according to the game's narrative, she was already in an extremely weakened state.
Her only option was to stall for time—there was no meaningful chance at victory.
『Your Great Inventor:』 "So the legendary Immortal Phoenix chose to stay behind and delay the enemy? How tragic… Will she meet her end at the hands of the World Serpent's leader?"
A green-colored comment floated across the screen—
The one responsible for Fu Hua's weakened state: Otto Apocalypse.
From the beginning, he had found it strange that Fu Hua had even survived in the first place.
But now that she was facing Kevin, there was no chance of victory.
Or at least, that was what he thought—until a golden-colored comment suddenly appeared, contradicting him.
『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 "Hehe, is that so? Losing a battle doesn't necessarily mean death, you know~"
『Your Great Inventor:』 "Oh? I see. That is indeed a possibility."
As the discussion in the chat continued, the game's main perspective shifted—
Back to Kiana, who had successfully escaped.
The text narration appeared on screen.
Her hurried footsteps crushed the sand and stone beneath her—
She ran forward, reckless and desperate.
From ahead, mechanical behemoths emerged from the sandstorm, pursuing her relentlessly.
But to Kiana, they were nothing more than outlets for her frustration.
["Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"]
Rage and helplessness swirled in her chest.
Her attacks tore through her enemies with ease, breaking through them like paper.
But—
It was meaningless.
Because she knew—
At this moment, she was nothing but a fugitive.
As the text faded, the game transitioned into gameplay mode.
The player now controlled Kiana, facing off against:
World Serpent's mechs The Valkyrie-specialized assassination units—Weavers of Death
Of course, at this point, these enemies stood no chance against Kiana.
After an intense battle, the final enemy fell.
With a final roar, a storm of Honkai energy swept through the battlefield,
Clearing the dust and mechanical debris in its wake.
With her stored energy fully expended, Kiana collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath.
For a moment, she had found a release—
But as her mind settled, a new wave of uncertainty and helplessness surged forward.
She looked toward the distant horizon, where the sandstorm obscured the sky.
At this moment, she had no other choice.
If she stopped moving forward,
She would simply be buried beneath the sands.
As the text narration disappeared, Stage 15-11 officially ended.
At the start of the next stage, the perspective switched to Durandal.
She had already dealt with the mechs that had previously appeared.
Now, she was actively tracking Kiana.
A voice came through her communicator.
["Lady Durandal, the enemy's assault is weakening."]
Durandal remained silent.
Instead, she simply continued following Kiana's escape path.
More World Serpent mechs appeared, trying to slow her down.
But none of them could stop her advance.
After clearing all obstacles, she finally reached the surface.
At that moment, another report came through her communicator.
["Lady Durandal, we've located the Herrscher of the Void."]
Durandal gazed toward the boundary between the desert and the city.
Through the shimmering heat waves, a figure could be seen in the distance.
She spoke calmly.
["Let her go. That is the Overseer's order."]
The voice on the other end hesitated.
["But… is it really okay to just let the Herrscher escape?"]
Durandal closed her eyes for a brief moment,
As if pondering her own perspective on Kiana.
Finally, she answered with certainty.
["It's fine. She's not our enemy."]
There was something unspoken in her words—
A hint of regret.
["…I just didn't get the chance to tell her one thing—"]
["Basa fish doesn't have intramuscular bones, so there's no need to remove them."]
With that, the stage concluded.
At Stage 15-12, the game immediately threw the player into a battle sequence.
Two Weavers of Death appeared as boss enemies,
And the player was required to control Durandal to eliminate them.
With Durandal's overwhelming strength, the battle was a breeze.
She quickly defeated the enemies,
Ending World Serpent's invasion attempt.
But—
While this battle raged in reality,
Another battle within the dreamscape was coming to a close.
["Hua, your final move was impressive. But you no longer have the strength to support it."]
Kevin appeared on the screen once more.
The setting remained the same—the same pure white void.
But this time—
Fu Hua's figure was gone.
All that remained…
Was a single floating feather, resting in Kevin's open palm.
["We could have witnessed the day humanity triumphed over Honkai together."]
Kevin spoke softly, his voice tinged with regret.
But after a moment of silence, he returned to his usual composure.
["You have sacrificed enough. Rest now.
I will fulfill our mission."]
The dream dissolved, fading into nothingness.
When Kevin opened his eyes, he was once again standing in a ruined wasteland.
["Once everything is over, I will wake you. Until then… rest in peace."]
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Hehe, I knew it! Kevin is still the same bright, sunny guy I remember~"
A pink-colored comment drifted across the screen—
Leaving everyone else in the chat unsure how to respond.
At that moment, Kevin had made up his mind.
The attack on Schicksal's laboratory had been a resounding success.
The benefits gained from this operation were enormous—
A major advantage for the Stigmata Project.
There was no doubt in his mind.
He had to proceed.
As Kevin silently finalized his decision,
A communication link finally connected in the game.
["Lord Kevin, you're finally responding! What happened just now?"]
["Just catching up with an old friend."]
Jackal didn't press further—she was too focused on delivering her report.
["The Herrscher of the Void escaped using her abilities. We haven't pinpointed her location yet. Meanwhile, Durandal is heading your way."]
["Then let's start with her."]
Kevin was unfazed.
He had more than enough strength to defeat Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie.
If he wanted to, he could even destroy the entire organization itself.
However, before he could finish his thoughts—
A golden-haired warrior had already arrived before him.
["You… you must be the leader of World Serpent."]
Durandal's voice was steady, but the intense battle spirit in her eyes was unmistakable.
She hadn't outright declared her intent to fight,
But Kevin could already sense her hostility.
There was no need for words.
Kevin simply spoke one phrase.
["Come."]
["As you wish!"]
Beyond the ruins, the sea shimmered beneath the horizon,
Its waves crashing endlessly—a mirror of the eternal conflict between warriors.
But in the blink of an eye—
A cold wave surged forward, freezing the ocean into an endless field of ice.
This sudden phenomenon heralded the arrival of a colossal battle.
As the narrative text faded, the game transitioned into a cinematic cutscene.
It was the same PV trailer that had been shown during the version update,
But with one key difference—
After the cutscene ended, the game continued the story.
Two unstoppable forces clashed—
Like raging tidal waves, threatening to consume one another.
Just as the battle was about to erupt in full force—
A third figure calmly stepped forward.
He moved with the ease of a spectator admiring a masterpiece.
As the narration faded,
Through the whirling snowflakes,
A familiar figure emerged.
He wore the same long coat, same boots, same slacks—
Even his hairstyle remained the same dangerously elegant look…
["Durandal, stand down."]
["…Overseer?"]
Otto ignored Durandal's reaction and turned toward Kevin instead.
["Sovereign of World Serpent, you have sufficiently demonstrated your power."]
["As such, it would be improper of me not to reciprocate in kind."]
With an aristocratic smile, he introduced himself.
["I am Otto Apocalypse, current Overseer of Schicksal."]
『Pink Fairy Miss:』"Otto?! He actually showed up?! He dared to stand before Kevin?!"
『Today's Performance Wasn't Perfect:』 "Is this Overseer… unafraid of death?"
『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 "Oh my~ Facing Kevin directly? That takes courage~ But I'm more interested in seeing how many pieces the Overseer will be cut into."
The livestream chat exploded with reactions.
Most of the Flame-Chasers watching were stunned—
They didn't know one crucial detail:
Otto had countless backup bodies.
Even if this physical form was destroyed,
He would not truly die.
So, his appearance here wasn't bravery—
It was simply a calculated move in his grand plan.
With Otto's arrival,
The main story of Chapter 15 officially came to a close.
Normally, this would be the time to start the next chapter.
However, Hokuto wasn't in a rush to proceed.
Instead, he opened the Interlude Story – Shifting Sands.
At that moment, two additional side stories unlocked:
"Before the Storm""The Distant Figure"
He selected the first one, which played a scene before Otto's arrival.
Schicksal Floating Island – Otto's Laboratory
Otto sat alone, deep in thought.
His mind replayed the results of the previous experiment.
Even Durandal had failed to penetrate the "membrane" of the Imaginary Tree.
Yet, with a single attack, K423 had shattered it completely.
["The Herrscher of the Void's interference with Imaginary Space is undeniable."]
He leaned back slightly, a smirk forming on his lips.
["We're close. Only time remains… along with…"]
Before he could finish his thought,
A communication link opened.
Durandal's holographic projection appeared before him.
["Overseer, the base has been attacked by World Serpent. The enemy numbers are overwhelming—it was a planned operation. The laboratory has been compromised.
The Herrscher of the Void escaped in the chaos. I will locate her, but the Divine Key must be protected. I cannot handle everything alone."]
Otto processed the information instantly.
World Serpent had timed this perfectly.
Clearly, they had been waiting.
After a brief moment of consideration, Otto issued his orders.
["We still do not know World Serpent's true objective.
Guard the Second Divine Key.
Under no circumstances should it fall into their hands."]
Once he had given his strategy,
Otto shifted his focus to Kiana.
["As for K423… let her go. The farther she escapes, the better."]
["With her gone, we have more room to negotiate with World Serpent."]
["I have already left safeguards in place.
Her whereabouts will never escape Schicksal's sight.
Once this is over, we can retrieve her at our convenience."]
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Wait… 'the farther she escapes, the better'? Is he actually worried about Kiana-chan?"
Elysia was confused.
Otto's words didn't fully make sense to her.
Was he implying that letting Kiana go was actually beneficial?
She didn't get it.
And if she didn't get it—
Then no one else did either.
『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Why is everything this man says so hard to interpret?"
Even Hua from the Previous Era was mentally exhausted trying to follow Otto's logic.
As a pure warrior, she struggled to grasp his manipulative reasoning.
But in the end, it didn't matter.
Because what was coming next—
Was even more important.
Hokuto selected the second side story—
The scene switched to Kiana's departure.
Beneath the blazing sun,
She walked through the desert, her steps heavy and unsteady.
Sweat dripped down her face.
Or perhaps—
They were tears.
["Mei…"]
She closed her eyes.
She wanted to go back—
Back to where it all began.
Back to Nagazora City.
End of Chapter 91