Humanity is hopelessly foolish, yet eternally immortal.
...Those who carry the torch for others must not be allowed to freeze in the wind and snow. Those who enlighten the ignorant must not be confounded by their own lack of knowledge. Those who pave the way for the future must not be entangled by thorns. Those who give life to the people must not perish in silence.
In the Schicksal Overseer's private garden, the blonde man meticulously copied these lines into his notebook in elegant cursive, awaiting the arrival of his uninvited visitor—or rather, his former acquaintance.
-
The piercing alarm blared across Schicksal Headquarters, yet was muffled by the soundproof shields in the garden. Throughout the Floating Island, countless cabins and corridors flashed with glaring red lights.
Wearing black and white Valkyrie uniforms, the Immortal Blades and Divine Authority Squad forces surged from the east and west exits of Schicksal Headquarters. Above them, large-caliber anti-aircraft guns futilely pounded the dense Honkai Beast Horde that had breached the final layer of Defense Satellites.
The swiftest Valkyrie Squads had already engaged the enemy and entered combat. Behind them, the artillery-type Titans had fully deployed, bombarding the front lines based on requests from the engaged units.
Occasionally, support requests from the Immortal Blades were accidentally routed to the East Schicksal Titan Emplacement. The fire control officer overseeing the Titan bombardments promptly responded to their pleas for aid, launching precision-guided shells that rained down on the Honkai Beast Horde assaulting their positions.
In return, the Divine Mecha Force of Old Schicksal shielded the retreat of numerous wounded Valkyries from the Far East Branch, evacuating them to the rear.
In West Schicksal, an indigo-haired man strolled through the red-lit corridors. Valkyries in uniform hurried past him in the opposite direction. Several stopped to inquire if the seemingly lost civilian staff member needed assistance, directing him to the nearest shelter. The young man smiled and thanked each one warmly.
"This is the place..."
Joyce gazed at the small garden on the Floating Island, enveloped by a protective shield. He pushed open the gate, which, as he had anticipated, was unlocked. The person he sought sat in the garden's pavilion, having just closed a book, as if he'd been writing something moments before.
"Long time no see, my old friend. What should I call you? Alpha? Joyce? Or perhaps... First Herrscher?"
Noticing the sound of the gate opening, the blonde man looked up, greeting the indigo-haired youth with his trademark, sardonic tone.
The two men, separated for fifty years, locked eyes. Their faces remained as familiar as in their past memories, unchanged.
"What's wrong, old friend? Won't you sit down?"
The Schicksal Overseer remained calmly seated in the pavilion, as if inviting the man before him to stay and reminisce.
"No, thank you. If you want to reminisce, Otto, I have a better suggestion."
Otto Apocalypse sat calmly in the pavilion, appearing completely unfazed. Unbeknownst to Otto, his entire strategy had been laid bare by his own daughter. He sat composed, as if staging an "empty city stratagem," hoping to either receive a lighter beating or stall for time to endure a shorter one. Of course, if he could intimidate his old friend from fifty years ago and avoid the beating altogether, that would be ideal.
"Impressive performance, Overseer Otto Apocalypse. I almost believed you had some hidden trump card up your sleeve—"
"Come, old friend of Schicksal, allow me to introduce you to three companions—"
Three phantom figures materialized behind Welt Joyce, strikingly familiar to Otto. They resembled the accompanying apparitions behind the Fourth-Generation Valkyrie Battlesuits he had designed for Durandal and Rita.
However, these apparitions had been altered to resemble demonic bodybuilders, apparently reflecting their master's personal tastes. A sudden, ominous premonition seized Otto Apocalypse's mind.
"The one on your left is called 'Past.' The one behind me, in the center, you can call 'Present.' And the one on my right is naturally named 'Future.'"
"They represent the beatings you deserved in the past, the beatings you deserve for your present actions, and the beatings you're absolutely going to get in the future!"
"This..."
The blonde man froze.
"These three are all masters of their craft. Otto, how do you feel? How do you feel?"
Watching a ghostly Jotaro crack his knuckles and advance menacingly, Otto Apocalypse made a desperate attempt to stall.
"Old friend, long time no see... Is this really appropriate?"
Sweat poured down the blonde man's face, his lips twitching uncontrollably. Holy shit, you're actually going to hit me!
"What's inappropriate? Our last encounter was in New York, where we were fighting. You cowardly bastard couldn't win fair and square, so you detonated a Honkai Fission Bomb on me. Now I'm going to beat you up first. What's your problem with that?"
"Isn't four against one a bit beneath the dignity of the Anti-Entropy Leader, my old friend?"
"And wasn't detonating a Honkai Fission Bomb when you couldn't win fair and square a bit beneath the dignity of the Schicksal Overseer?"
"Enough talk! Either you fight all four of us alone today, or we gang up on you. Which do you choose?!"
The Schicksal Overseer fell into deep thought, then raised his head and walked to the edge of the Floating Island garden.
"You know, Joyce, human thought has its limits. The same applies to Herrschers who ascended from humanity—"
Standing at the cliff's edge, Otto struck a pose of feigned profundity, reciting the same lines verbatim.
"What's your point, you old bastard? Have you abandoned your humanity?"
Convinced that Otto couldn't escape a beating today, Joyce gave the blonde man one last chance to redeem himself.
Of course, he immediately regretted it—
"My Soulium-supported body no longer requires true breathing or sustenance—even the most grievous injuries won't kill me. And I can rapidly regenerate from any damage—"
Otto calmly watched Joyce approach step by step, casually explaining the capabilities of his unscientific, ultimate form.
"So, you're saying I can beat you up however I want?"
The Jotaro appiration cracked his knuckles, preparing to give the blonde man a rhythmic beatdown.
"No, no, no. My dear old friend, what I mean is—"
"Welt Joyce, my old friend! This is my escape route—!"
The Schicksal Overseer leaped from the Garden Floating Island, plunging into the Mediterranean Sea ten thousand meters below.
"...What the—?!"
"Is this some kind of tactic?!"
"No way! You're not escaping a beating today! I guarantee it!"
The Anti-Entropy Leader, the First Herrscher, followed suit, leaping into the Mediterranean Sea from the same dizzying height.
Meanwhile, in a hidden location, Muninn packed away her camera and pulled out her phone to post on the forum—
Shocking! Schicksal Overseer and Anti-Entropy Leader Commit Double Suicide by Jumping into the Sea!