"Very well. Let us proceed into the passage you unearthed," Otto declared, gesturing toward the dark opening. The group—Durandal, Rita, Kouga, Catherine, and Otto himself—began their descent into the earth beneath Glastonbury Tor.
As they walked, Kouga's eyes narrowed at the bag Durandal casually carried at her side. Something inside it wriggled.
He pointed at it. "Why did you bring the Honkai beast with us?"
Durandal blinked, then lifted the bag slightly. "Oh—this? It's cute. I want to keep it."
Kouga stared at her, deadpan. "Fine. But if it does anything suspicious, I'm turning it into smoke."
The creature inside the bag trembled violently.
They continued downward until the tunnel grew narrow and the daylight disappeared. Then Otto abruptly lifted a hand.
Everyone stopped.
'Why are we stopping now?' Kouga wondered, though he said nothing aloud.
Catherine, now functioning after a long rest on the walk. When she turned to ask what they are doing, she caught Otto's eyes instead.
The icy glint in them rooted her in place.
"My dear director," Otto said, his voice calm but carrying the tone of a blade, "I've uncovered several… inconsistencies about you. Certain affiliations. Certain curious jumps in your career. Strange things that do not align."
"I—I don't—"
"Please," Otto interrupted gently, but coldly. "Let's not insult each other with lies." He motioned behind him, inviting her to look at the team positioned around her. "If you continue that path…"
His gaze hardened.
"…I cannot promise your safety."
Catherine's composure shattered. She stumbled backward and tried to hide behind Rita—only for Rita to step neatly aside, exposing her again. Desperate, she backed away toward the passage entrance, only to hit something solid. She looked up.
Kouga stared back at her—not threatening intentionally, just confused. But his unreadable expression was more than enough to freeze her in place.
Sweating, trembling, Catherine slowly faced Otto again.
"Um…"
Otto smiled serenely, closing his eyes as if her panic were a pleasant breeze. After several minutes of silence, she finally managed to gather her courage.
"…How did you find out?" she whispered.
"Quite easily," Otto replied with a short laugh. "Our scan of the fresco revealed nothing. And yet—soon after the battle—someone conveniently discovered a shard of Soulium. A little too conveniently, wouldn't you say?"
Catherine's shoulders slumped. "Carelessness… I see."
She straightened her dress, defeated. "Very well. Since I have no leverage left, what do you want to know ?"
"Only one thing," Otto said. "Where the Second Divine Key is hidden."
Catherine shook her head. "I can't tell you because I don't know. My superiors kept that information far above my clearance. My job was simply to plant the Soulium and lure you here for the ambush."
Otto let out a long, frustrated sigh. "A troublesome setback. We needed access to your chain of command."
"…Yes," she admitted softly. "I am useless to you on that front."
But Otto was already reaching into his coat.
Before Catherine could react, he produced a syringe, took a sample of her DNA in one swift motion, and injected himself with it.
His body shimmered—distorted—and then settled.
Standing in his place… was Catherine.
The real Catherine gaped in horror. Kouga's eyes widened. Rita and Durandal remained eerily unaffected, as if this were commonplace.
"Your form still has its uses, my dear," Otto—now wearing Catherine's face—said with a pleasant smile. Sweat dripped down the real Catherine's temple.
Otto then ordered, "Hold her here. I need to… speak with her superior."
Rita and Durandal secured Catherine while Kouga watched, still trying to parse the logic behind Otto's immortality and avatars. The pieces were starting to click.
Time passed. Eventually, Otto returned—his avatar now appearing as a much younger version of himself.
Durandal raised a brow. "Lord Otto, what happened to your battle avatar?"
He offered a small cough. "Ah. I chose to leave him behind. He was attracting far too much attention."
Kouga, now fully understanding Otto's methods, simply nodded to himself.
Rita summoned her scythe with a graceful sweep. "If we've accomplished what we needed, then allow me to finish the cleanup."
She swung at Catherine's neck.
But Kouga moved instantly, intercepting the blade and yanking Catherine to the ground.
"Rita," Otto said calmly, "stop."
Rita dispersed her weapon at once.
"We're returning to London," Otto announced. "I now know exactly what must be done to locate the Second Divine Key."