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On board the Hyperion, both Fu Hua and Theresa wore expressions of utter disbelief.
"..."
"Grandpa… said he's resigning??"
Theresa's big eyes were filled with confusion as she turned to Fu Hua.
At that moment, Einstein's projection responded as well.
"From the literal wording of the statement, Mr. Otto has indeed resigned from the position of Overseer of Schicksal."
"But that's not the only sudden development!"
Welt's voice suddenly joined in.
"Just now, we also received a faxed transmission from Schicksal."
"Ms. Theresa, in line with the public announcement, they are inviting you to travel to the old headquarters outside Vienna to hold the ceremony for your succession as Overseer… and…"
"And they also claim that they have discovered the whereabouts of the Herrscher of Domination's core, and hope that we will personally go there to complete its retrieval."
For a moment—
As Welt spoke, Fu Hua and the members of Anti-Entropy all fell into deep contemplation.
As expected…
Otto hadn't resigned as Overseer on a whim or as a joke.
He clearly had another purpose.
Inviting them all to the old Schicksal headquarters—whether for the succession ceremony or the recovery of the Herrscher core—
None of it was going to be as simple as it appeared on the surface.
But even knowing that Otto was laying a trap, they had no choice but to go.
Theresa, however, was in even greater turmoil.
She hadn't prepared at all—
To accept an enormous entity like Schicksal.
Or rather…
Just as she had confided to Fu Hua before: founding St. Freya, rebelling against Schicksal Headquarters—these were all things her grandfather had once done.
Unconsciously, she had been imitating Otto all along—his decisions, his mannerisms, even the way he sat.
Theresa… was still accustomed to living beneath the sky that Otto had propped up for her.
Elsewhere.
At a location outside Vienna.
Inside Schicksal's old headquarters.
Amber respectfully reported to Otto.
"Overseer, the Hyperion from the Far East Branch has sent a message."
"Due to time zone differences, Lady Theresa and the main members of the Far East Branch will arrive at the old headquarters palace tomorrow at 3:00 PM local time."
Otto showed no surprise at Amber's report, maintaining his composed, all-seeing elegance.
"Very good. Everything is proceeding exactly as planned."
"Even though they know full well that this is bait I've cast, they still have no choice but to bite."
"After all, they can't ignore the whereabouts of the Herrscher of Domination's core. And the data I provided them is more than enough to prove I'm not lying."
As he spoke, Otto turned his back, hands clasped behind him, gazing into the silent night sky.
"Next, they will step onto the stage I've prepared."
"And come to a deep and perfect understanding of exactly what kind of person Otto Apocalypse truly is—what it is that occupies his mind."
"And that understanding itself is precisely the most critical variable in the entire plan."
"Alright. Go get some rest. The coming weekend—will be a very long forty-eight hours."
Otto smiled faintly.
As the secretary who had served him for many years quietly withdrew,
the Overseer's study returned once more to its usual, absolute stillness.
His low murmur, spoken to himself, now rang clearly.
"The dice have already been cast."
"The few remaining uncertainties can only be left to fate."
"Otto Apocalypse hereby declares—"
"—in this gamble, more lavish than life and death itself, I have prepared everything I possibly can."
In the silent study,
Otto's whisper reached the ears of every viewer before the screen.
The mystery woven into his words slowed everyone's heartbeat.
Otto…
What exactly is he planning?
This time, drawing in the Hyperion—and even Anti-Entropy—
Is the purpose really just to set up such a stage?!
(To deeply and perfectly understand what kind of person Otto Apocalypse truly is.)
(And that understanding itself is the most crucial variable in the entire plan.)
(Otto Apocalypse hereby declares—)
(—in this gamble more extravagant than life and death, he has prepared everything he can.)
Each of these cryptic whispers pushed everyone's curiosity to its absolute peak!
[Sparkle: It's getting more and more mysterious! I can't wait~]
[Sparkle: This performance is definitely going to satisfy everyone, right?]
[Tesla: Damn it… Otto is always like this!]
[Tesla: Absolutely despicable—playing everyone like chess pieces!]
[March 7th: Using the Herrscher core as bait… there's no way anyone could refuse…]
[Himeko (Honkai): And the coronation ceremony at the old Schicksal headquarters, too?]
[Kiana: Everyone… please, please be extremely careful!]
[Raiden Mei: Why am I not by Kiana's side right now… it's clearly so dangerous…]
[Aventurine: Hahaha! My friend.]
[Aventurine: Even if you're not a gambler, this all-in wager is something truly worth admiring!]
In reality.
Inside Schicksal headquarters.
Otto tapped lightly on the desk, clearly in an excellent mood.
He had never cared about how others judged him.
But the scenes on the screen—
Or rather, his own actions in the future—
Filled Otto with immense satisfaction.
Everything was perfect.
A perfect stage.
The outskirts of Vienna—
The old Schicksal headquarters, steeped in art and history.
The church where he once declared his succession.
The church where Kallen left him.
The church that witnessed New Schicksal overthrow the old.
A witness to history—
And soon, it would witness Otto Apocalypse's grand performance.
This was a perfect stage.
And it would be a perfect performance.
Or rather… a final curtain call.
Even through the screen, Otto could feel it deeply.
Because he was him.
This was overwhelming fulfillment—
The end point of a journey spanning more than five hundred years.
On screen.
The next day.
The Hyperion followed its planned route, approaching the outskirts of Vienna.
(One hour until the Hyperion lands…)
Theresa thought silently, her unease lingering.
She decided to chat with the others on the deck.
"Good afternoon, Kiana."
"Afternoon, Auntie—ah! In public I should call you Headmistress, right? Are you here to enjoy the view too, Headmistress?"
"Mm, something like that. After all, what we're about to face…"
Theresa looked unusually tense and serious.
Seeing this, Kiana quickly changed the topic.
"By the way, Headmistress, you should be pretty familiar with Europe's geography, right? That snow-capped mountain over there—is that the famous Alps?"
"Mm, that's right. The old Schicksal headquarters we're going to is located on its easternmost spur. Before the floating islands were built, this route was extremely busy."
Theresa reminisced.
"Back then, it wasn't just Valkyries—there were also all kinds of trade partners from the three great families…"
"…Up until 2007, some research facilities were still stored at the old headquarters."
"—Including the experimental equipment used to create the K-series clones, right?"
"Huh? Kiana, you… you remember things from back then?"
"…Strictly speaking, I saw the memories left behind in the Herrscher core. When I was nine, I was completely clueless—there was no way I could've understood what was really happening."
Kiana spoke with realization, tinged with longing for Siegfried.
"Back then, I only remembered that Dad saved me from the bad guys… I didn't even understand that I wasn't originally his daughter."
"You are without question his daughter now. Kiana Kaslana. It's better to let the past stay in the past."
Theresa sighed.
She knew all too well that this tragedy was caused by Otto.
And what was meant to lift spirits turned into Theresa comforting Kiana instead.
Fortunately—
Kiana, like a little sun, didn't sink too deeply into sorrow.
"Maybe this was Dad's wish too—to let me inherit her name, and remember the kindness she left behind in this world."
"I had the exact same face as her. Otto stole her genes to create a vessel for a Herrscher, cloning me into this transgenic human."
"But she never took it out on me. On the contrary, she truly treated me as her little sister—she and Dad freed me from all those shackles, and even protected me with their lives…"
"…Mm. I know."
"Grandpa even lied to me back then, saying that after the incident, your sister stayed at headquarters for treatment."
"I know now. According to the memories in the core, she probably… already left this world after that incident."
Kiana sighed.
Both of them fell silent at the same time.
For Kiana, if not for that accident during their escape, she might have continued wandering—but she wouldn't have been alone.
And Theresa also knew that ever since World Serpent attacked Anti-Entropy's base earlier that year, Siegfried's whereabouts had remained unknown.
"We have far too many debts to settle with that man. But right now, what matters more is bringing the Herrscher of Domination incident to a true conclusion."
Their conversation strengthened their resolve to face Otto.
In the chat group.
Everyone sighed in unison.
They all recalled the tragedies suffered by Siegfried's family.
It could be said—
This was a tragedy orchestrated by Otto himself.
Cecilia.
Siegfried.
And later, the clone K423—now known as Kiana.
All misfortune traced back to Otto.
[Kiana: Come on! Future me!!]
[Raiden Mei: Kiana really is the strongest.]
[Himeko (Honkai): Sigh… Otto has truly hurt far too many people…]
[Himeko: These wounds will never fully heal.]
[Tesla: Which is why everyone has ended up standing against Otto, one by one!]
[Tesla: Anti-Entropy, the Hyperion—this time, we'll definitely defeat Otto!]
"Good afternoon, Dr. Einstein, Dr. Tesla."
"Mm—morning—ah damn this time difference—good afternoon!"
"Dr. Tesla's really fired up today—she's planning to knock a few bumps onto Otto's pig head!"
Tesla raised her clenched fist, her mood plainly written on her face.
Theresa hesitated slightly.
"Hmph! You're just too soft-hearted, Theresa! Look at everyone on this ship—how many of us haven't been messed with by him?"
"Joyce, Ragna, and Joachim's father—those blood debts haven't been settled yet!"
"Ah—sorry, I shouldn't be venting like this in front of you."
Seeing Theresa's dim expression,
Tesla belatedly realized her mistake.
"No matter how much we hate that guy… he's still your family, isn't he? Sorry, I got carried away."
"N-no need to apologize… Grandpa really did do many things that wronged Anti-Entropy…"
Theresa hesitated again, feeling something was off.
"I just feel like… this time…"
"This time, his theatricality has gone beyond what's necessary, hasn't it?"
Einstein calmly analyzed from the side.
Theresa nodded immediately.
"Y-yes, that's exactly it. I just have this feeling—Grandpa seems to have changed in some subtle way… compared to before."
"That may be true. But even so, he remains one of the most dangerous people in the world."
Einstein said gravely.
"We must stay on high alert and guard against every possible scheme lurking in the shadows!"
[Tesla: Hah! Looks like future me is fired up too!]
[March 7th: Be careful! Otto's final scheme!]
[Himeko (Star Rail): Choosing this place as the final stage, gathering Anti-Entropy and the Hyperion together… anyone who says there's no conspiracy is lying.]
[Kiana: But… Otto always hides in the shadows. No matter how careful we are, we could still fall into his trap, right?]
[Ningguang: And this is Otto we're talking about.]
[Kamisato Ayaka: Indeed… the final plan of the world's most elite schemer.]
The atmosphere in the chat grew heavy.
Everyone worried about the group aboard the Hyperion—
Facing a master manipulator like Otto,
Would they really have any room to maneuver?
And as time passed—
The Hyperion finally approached its destination.
It was about to land on the outskirts of Vienna.
To land upon the final stage
so carefully prepared by Otto Apocalypse—
And the most perfect… auditorium.
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