The class schedule at Tachikawa Academy in the Far East wasn't as tense as other high schools Evan knew. As long as you arrived before class started at 7:30 in the morning, it was fine. This wasn't too early for most students; some nimble sleepyheads could even get up at seven without any problem. Naturally, Evan didn't indulge in sleeping in. He washed up and prepared to head to school.
Although most of the knowledge taught at Tachikawa Academy held little appeal for Evan, who was not attending high school for the first time, some parts of the physics and chemistry curriculum had changed, perhaps due to the existence of the Honkai in this world. History was also quite different. So, it wasn't a complete waste of time. Now that he was no longer pushing his body to the limit as he had in the past, Evan had more energy during class, and listening to some of the lessons wasn't so bad.
He went downstairs and paused as he passed Kiana's room. Through the broken door, he could see the general situation inside. As he had guessed, Kiana was not up yet; she was still sleeping.
Evan didn't intend to wake her. He took out a note he had written earlier with his contact information, which he had forgotten to give her, along with some cash. As he bent down to place it by the door, he suddenly noticed the thin thread and the small bell tied to the bottom of the door.
He hadn't expected the seemingly carefree Kiana to use such little tricks to ensure her safety. It was quite impressive. He just didn't know if the sound from this tiny bell would be enough to wake her up.
Evan was tempted to reach out and jingle the bell a few times to satisfy his curiosity, but then he remembered the exhaustion she had tried so hard to hide yesterday. He decisively let her sleep.
He turned and left.
Time passed. Three hours later, at ten in the morning.
Kiana, who had slept for more than ten hours, took out her phone and checked the time. She felt no regret for the lost time, only a sense of contentment and comfort. She stretched lazily.
"Ah, that was a good sleep~"
Kiana slowly got up, ready to go wash up in the utility room. As she pushed open the broken door, she found the note and cash on the floor. Without a doubt, Evan had left them.
When did he come? If it was just to leave these things, he probably didn't come in the middle of the night. And if he had other intentions, she should have heard the bell ring when he touched the door.
So he left it this morning...
Kiana paused for a moment, then picked up the note. Besides leaving his phone number, Evan had written something else.
"I've gone to class at Tachikawa Academy. I won't be back until evening. You can do as you please. Please take care of your own meals. The money on the floor is your living expenses for a week. Don't spend it all at once."
The message wasn't long; in fact, it was pitifully short.
Evan had only stated his whereabouts and left her money. Nothing more. At least, he hadn't asked her to do anything to repay his care and help.
This message, which was so full of goodwill it was almost excessive, left Kiana stunned for a long moment. Then, she tilted her head and muttered to herself.
"Does this mean I can finally live a life of eating and waiting for death? That sounds pretty good." [t78]
...
In Europe, in a courtyard whose architectural style was out of place with the current era, rich with the characteristics of centuries past, a blond, blue-eyed man who appeared to be in his twenties leaned back in a chair. He looked at the familiar surroundings, long since engraved in his mind, and silently took a sip of red wine.
Otto Apocalypse, Overseer of Schicksal. He had held the title for over five hundred years.
He was the youngest son of the Apocalypse family in the 15th century. Although he had a brilliant mind, he was looked down upon by his family for his lack of combat ability. As the youngest son, it was a given that he would not inherit the position of Overseer. Without a doubt, his childhood was not a happy one.
And Kallen, the kind-hearted girl who had accidentally stumbled into this courtyard—the only place Otto could play in peace during his childhood—was a ray of sunshine in his shadowy years.
Though not valued by his family, Otto still had access to his father's study, who was the Overseer at the time. There, Otto learned about the Honkai and began his research on it. During his research, perhaps due to the influence of an object he had accidentally acquired, or perhaps because he was destined to change, his empathy for others began to fade, and his values deviated from common sense.
However, his feelings for Kallen did not fade with time; instead, they grew stronger. Kallen remained special.
Unfortunately, while Otto's heart was full of Kallen, Kallen's heart was only full of the world. Or rather, before she fled, it was only the world.
For various reasons, Kallen, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie of that era, betrayed the organization and fled to the Far East. During this short period, Otto seized the opportunity to continuously acquire power, trying to climb to the true upper echelons of Schicksal, and even obtain the position of Overseer that belonged to his father [t78]. That way, Kallen would no longer have to be a fugitive.
Naturally, in that short time, Otto did not succeed in seizing absolute power. And unexpectedly, in that short time, Kallen found true love in that remote place called Yae Village.
When he learned this news, Otto was devastated. But this despair did not last long, because events changed too quickly.
Kallen was brought back by Schicksal and, at her trial, declared that she was in love with the Pseudo-Herrscher, Yae Sakura.
As a Valkyrie who fought against the Honkai, falling in love with a Herrscher, an emissary of the Honkai that brought destruction to the world—even if it was just a Pseudo-Herrscher—was a monumental joke.
The members of the council felt that Schicksal's once-strongest Valkyrie had fallen to the lowest depths and decided to sentence her to death by hanging.
Otto tried many methods to stop it, but Kallen died in the end. Not by hanging, but by a Honkai Beast that Otto had intentionally released to disrupt the execution. Otto knew he had to take responsibility for Kallen's death, and he did.
He hated himself for being held back by familial affection, for not seizing power to the fullest extent. He didn't think Kallen was wrong, nor did he think he was wrong for trying to save her. The fault lay with damn humanity.
If not for the hindrance of this humanity, he could have seized power faster, become the Overseer, and disbanded the council. Kallen would still be Schicksal's pride, its strongest Valkyrie—even if she was in love with a Pseudo-Herrscher.
Otto transformed. Or rather, he went mad.
He killed his father and brother, became the Overseer, and ruled Schicksal for over five hundred years. He single-handedly created one tragedy after another, one conspiracy after another, watching indifferently as the innocent died. His goal had always been one thing—to resurrect Kallen.
He had made many attempts but had yet to succeed. And now, it was time for a new attempt.