"Danger? Hmph, Headmaster Theresa fears nothing, least of all danger! My Oath of Judah isn't just for show."
Noticing Kyuusyou's concerned gaze, Theresa drew the Oath of Judah and brandished it with fierce, wind-whipping swings, demonstrating she was no pushover.
"Don't worry, Kyuusyou. The newly resurrected Herrscher will definitely be weakened at first. I'll personally bring Kiana back myself! As for Himeko... I'll never approve of her plan. I'm counting on you to keep an eye on that Bomb Woman and make sure she stays off the battlefield!"
Theresa pretended to wave confidently at Kyuusyou, then turned away, her expression shifting as she headed toward the Hyperion. The massive white battleship had already docked, and she needed to meet with Anti-Entropy's two Doctors to explore further solutions.
...The purple-haired Valkyrie quietly watched Theresa's retreating figure, her own concerned expression fading.
"Everything's proceeding according to plan, just as predicted... Still, the Oath of Judah is no pushover... But what does this have to do with the Headmaster?" she murmured to herself, until a communication interrupted her thoughts. The sender was marked as [Otto].
"An excellent analysis, Houraiji Kyuusyou, my dear daughter-in-law. You've guessed nearly everything correctly."
Kyuusyou answered the call, and a man's voice, laced with sardonic amusement, filled her ears.
"Yo—isn't that my Father-in-Law?"
Kyuusyou deliberately emphasized the "Father-in-Law" part, and the purple-haired girl heard a faint creaking sound from the other end of the line—whether from a cup, a chair, or a table, she couldn't tell.
"So, what brings my esteemed Father-in-Law to call today—just here to chat about family matters with your 'dear' daughter-in-law?"
"I'm just an old man curious about what kind of person my 'good' son-in-law truly is. Think of it as an old man worrying about his daughter..."
The man on the other end of the line gritted his teeth, emphasizing the "good" in "good son-in-law."
"So, what does my esteemed Father-in-Law think?" Kyuusyou retorted, adopting the same flippant, mocking tone.
"You're a clever one, Houraiji Kyuusyou. Entrusting my little Princess to you was indeed a wise choice—intelligent, composed, and powerful enough. You won't repeat the mistakes of my generation."
"Leaving aside my personal feelings as a parent, I wish you well..."
A sigh echoed through the line, followed by a brief silence.
"...Schicksal will enter a new era in the hands of you younger generation. Perhaps one day, under your leadership, humanity will finally overcome the Honkai's Trial and walk among the stars."
"You're practically shoving power into our hands. Even as a stalling tactic, Mr. Otto, your actions are far too deliberate and rushed... You've practically stuffed half of Schicksal into our hands with your passive consent..."
"Welt Joyce must be green with envy. After all, you once sent him a Honkai Energy Fission Bomb."
"...You'll be leaving soon, won't you? Leaving forever... Mr. Overseer?"
"...Indeed, you clever little one. Once my plan reaches its final stage, I must step down... and transfer my authority to you young people."
The man's words carried a casual indifference.
"Have you considered what your beloved little princess might think? You're her family, after all. Don't forget she bears the Kaslana family bloodline."
"Even if she resembles you greatly, she still counts as a Kaslana—"
"Friendship, familial bonds, saving others—she values all of these deeply. And you plan to leave without a word... Father-in-Law?"
"Ha ha... sorry, young one. An old man like me has his own things he must do. Please convey my apologies to her. This old man must reverse time and fate, resurrect the dead—I must make the withered branches on the tree sprout new leaves..."
The man's voice over the communicator had lost its playful and cynical tone, now filled with solemnity and gravity.
"I'm going to bring her back... That's the reason I've clung to life this long. From here on out, let her mother accompany the child on their journey..."
"Kallen Kaslana, right?"
Leaning against a shipping container, Kyuusyou closed her eyes and sighed deeply.
"Never mind. Just as Snow said—Dear Father-in-Law, you truly deserve a beating."
"Turning a motherless child into a fatherless one—what a cruel joke! Even laughing at it would send you straight to hell."
"...I'm sorry." The man's voice carried genuine remorse.
"Hmph. We won't interfere with your plans—not for now, at least. But, my 'dear' Father-in-Law, you'd better brace yourself for a brutal beating from Joyce."
"As the price for keeping that good-natured old man from intervening—you'd better go ask for that beating yourself."
"Ha ha... this is what I owe them..."
"Hmph, you'd better think carefully about how you'll face everyone when the final moment arrives—a beating is nowhere near enough."
"I'm starting to wonder what my child and you have been plotting together. But... everyone has their little secrets, don't they?"
At the other end of the communication, the blonde man reached out to disconnect the call.
But before the signal was cut off, Houraiji Kyuusyou's final words echoed through the channel:
"Every complete jigsaw puzzle was once shattered into pieces. And all those scattered fragments will ultimately be pieced together into a flawless whole. Our role is merely to serve as the invisible force that assembles this perfect picture."
"I'll repeat what she already told you—Otto Apocalypse, you'd better have a damn good apology ready for all those you've wronged—"
-
Silence fell over the Overseer's office.
"Apologize? Perhaps I should give it some thought..."
The blonde man drained the wine from his glass in a single gulp.
-
"So you're saying that Otto, that old bastard, has been hiding a special divine key from the last century—the Key of Blankness—and you want to use it to save your student?"
"And now you're coming to me, asking if I have anything that can delay the Honkai energy's corruption?"
"Fucking hell! What's with you people? All acting the same way! Get the hell out of here! Get out!"
Aboard the Hyperion, Himeko had taken the initiative to approach Dr. Tesla, the lobster-headed scientist, to explain her request.
But she must have hit a nerve with the volatile, red-haired doctor, because Tesla immediately threw her out.
Himeko stood outside the laboratory door on the Hyperion, forcing a wry smile, until the door swung open again.
"Come to the lab tonight..."
The red-haired doctor spat out the words stiffly, her face rigid.
"Doctor, you've agreed?"
"What does it matter if I disagree? You idiots will just rush in one by one anyway!"
The laboratory door slammed shut once more.