[March 7th: A little shock of pure devotion for the Anti-Entropy sisters!]
[Tesla: Indeed… If it weren't for this exposure, none of us would know when we'd finally understand the depth of Otto's obsession.]
[Tesla: We might've kept believing everything he did was for greater power!]
[Durandal: Even within Schicksal, we would never hear such words from the current Overseer.]
[Rita: Five hundred years of time have only carved that obsession deeper into Lord Otto's heart.]
[Charlotte: It's rare to find someone in this world as steadfast as Mr. Otto…]
[Sushang: W-waaah… I really don't want to be moved by this bad guy, but I can't help it…]
In the scene itself—
Even Tesla couldn't help but press him with a question.
"Don't you have a life of your own?"
"A future Overseer of Schicksal, someone who shaped the fate of the world for five hundred years—yet you're nothing more than a walking shadow, a pitiful puppet?"
"…You seem surprised."
Otto? smiled faintly, with a touch of bitterness.
"I imagine that's because you live in a world open enough that you've forgotten how rare and fragile free will truly is."
"You should understand—ordinary people like me—
always busy on the stage, making a great deal of noise, yet finding precious little meaning in life."
"Tomorrow… tomorrow… tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day,"
"until the last syllable of recorded time,"
"and all our yesterdays have lighted fools the way to dusty death."
"—You seem quite familiar with Shakespeare's works, Mr. Otto from another world."
"Ah, yes. Kallen and I both met her once."
"When I was twelve, I also encountered a Shakespeare from another world. She was a ship's captain, and she taught me many things during our journey."
Durandal recalled her experiences within the world bubble.
"She taught me to view people and events with a more independent perspective, and to base my decisions on facts."
"She helped shape my values. That's why I'd like to use her words as a starting point—to get us all moving forward with our feet on solid ground."
"Everyone—there's no denying that the missing Herrscher core brought us together in cooperation. And just as undeniably, nearly everyone here is worried that this cooperation might be ruined by someone who never plays by the rules."
"But what I want to say is this—precisely because that person doesn't follow the rules, we should cooperate even more closely, and resolve the problem cleanly before he interferes."
At Durandal's words, the group fell briefly silent.
Theresa was the first to nod.
"…Indeed. As Durandal said, the fundamental goal of our cooperation is to eliminate the dangers brought by the Honkai."
"So, let's put philosophical debate aside for now. I'll restate the action plan we've already agreed on—"
"First: Overall, we'll conduct inspections at several locations where spatial anomalies resembling the Herrscher of Domination's puppet strings have been detected, to determine the core's position in subspace."
"Second: The personnel conducting the inspections will include Dr. Tesla, Ms. Durandal, student Kiana, Mr. Otto from another world, and myself."
"Third: Based on geographical proximity, we'll prioritize Saint 1491 Plaza for the first round of detection, to obtain the initial batch of data on the Herrscher core."
"Everyone—time waits for no one. Let's move!"
With Theresa's words, the group nodded in unison.
Once again, Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and the Hyperion crew reached cooperation under the looming threat of a Herrscher.
And the Otto working in the shadows—
Remained a presence none of them could afford to ignore.
Not long after—
"So this is Saint 1491 Plaza… Named to commemorate our overthrow of Old Schicksal, I presume? That's a rather strange feeling."
"Yes. It was personally named by Lady Otto-Vera—ah, to you, she'd still be called Vera, wouldn't she?"
Theresa spoke, then suddenly paused.
Looking at the otherworldly Otto—
The surname Vera had been the final gift Otto gave her at the time of her death.
Otto? pondered this for a moment.
"…I see. In that case, although I don't know why I've come to your world, Vera should be fine in my original world, shouldn't she?"
"Probably. Anyway, until we resolve the Herrscher core issue, you likely won't be able to return. Since you're here, you might as well settle in."
Tesla remained as blunt as ever.
Then she gave the otherworldly Otto a few instructions.
Otto? nodded and replied sincerely,
"Please rest assured. I'll follow your instructions carefully and do my best not to hold you back."
"We'll see. I won't threaten you like that doctor would, but you should understand—I don't have any obligation to be nice to you."
Although Otto? maintained an excellent attitude,
Kiana still couldn't bring herself to feel any goodwill toward that face.
Thinking of the suffering she and her companions had endured—
And Himeko's image flashing through her mind—
Her tone grew increasingly stiff, and she turned her head slightly, refusing to look at him.
Yet, unexpectedly—
This otherworldly Otto, faced with the group's hostility, remained humble and polite.
He carefully memorized every instruction.
"…Yes. I'll keep that in mind."
For a moment,
Even the viewers couldn't help but marvel.
[Xiangling: It's hard to imagine Otto having a side like this…]
[Furina: Such a good, obedient Otto!!]
[Rita: How adorable, Lord Overseer!!!]
[Kiana: Seeing Otto's face still makes me angry… but if the real Otto were like this, how great would that be!]
[March 7th: I never realized time could change a person this much…]
[Keqing: It's not just time.]
[Ningguang: It's all because of his obsession with Kallen—five hundred years completely reshaped Otto…]
After that,
The group conducted data collection at several points around the plaza.
"There are two more destinations ahead—let's keep this efficiency and press on!"
Just as Tesla confidently declared their advance, someone's communicator rang at the worst possible moment.
And for some reason, Tesla felt a chill crawl up her spine.
"—Excuse me, I need to take this call."
"This is Durandal."
"…"
Durandal answered the Schicksal communicator.
As silence stretched on, a sense of foreboding rose in everyone's hearts.
"Yes, Senior Theresa and Kiana Kaslana are with me."
"…"
Another pause.
Clearly, someone on the other end was speaking.
"I'll transfer this to a public channel."
Durandal looked toward the others.
"It's Amber. She says she's relaying a message from the Overseer."
Hearing Otto's name,
Theresa frowned.
(Huh…? With Grandpa's usual style, why go through so much trouble?)
But before she could think further,
Amber's image appeared on the channel.
"Good day, Lady Theresa, Lady Durandal, and everyone aboard the Hyperion. This is Amber, personal secretary to the Overseer."
"The Overseer has informed me that he and Lady Rita have already locked onto the location of the Herrscher of Domination's core at Saint 537 Church. He asked me to convey this information to you."
"Rita? Wasn't she on a mission involving World Serpent? And the Overseer said he was handling resignation procedures—was that just a cover?"
"The Overseer only stated that he and Lady Rita have locked onto the Herrscher core at Saint 537 Church."
"As for how the Overseer identified the core so quickly, and why Lady Rita is there—please forgive me, but I am not authorized to inquire into those matters."
Amber shook her head, her expression unchanged.
Tesla immediately flared up.
"What the hell is this—did that old bastard play us again?!"
"No—the Overseer says that as long as you all proceed to Saint 537 Church together, he can assist the Hyperion in recovering the Herrscher core."
Theresa, however, instantly caught the implication.
"All of you? Amber—who exactly does he intend to have present?"
"Lady Theresa. Lady Durandal. Miss Kiana Kaslana—"
"And the other Mr. Otto you discovered."
"…Me?"
"Yes. The Overseer believes that in order to fully secure the Herrscher of Domination's core, your presence is indispensable."
Though Amber remained polite,
Otto's intentions had clearly crossed a sensitive line.
"Damn it—did word leak out?! Well, with so many people involved, maybe that was inevitable! Theresa, what do you think?"
"Saint 537 Church was already one of our targets anyway. Since he's making this move, we don't really have a choice."
"The good news is—if Amber says Grandpa and Rita have already locked onto the core, we don't need to mobilize everyone."
Theresa looked at Amber.
"Amber, please tell Grandpa that Theresa will personally head to Saint 537 Church for support. If he already has a way to lock onto the core, there's no need to drag Kiana into this."
Amber paused for two seconds—
As if seeking Otto's approval.
"The Overseer says that the Herrscher of Flamescion may remain absent."
"But he emphasizes that, in this case, the assistance of the other Mr. Otto is absolutely indispensable."
"Doing what I can—that is my responsibility."
Otto? nodded, agreeing to Amber's relayed request.
Beside them—
"In that case, for safety reasons, I'll have to ask the remaining two to return to the Hyperion and stand by."
Theresa turned to Kiana and the others.
"Kiana, I don't want you taking any risks in front of that man."
"I understand, Headmistress! I'll stay in the rear and protect everyone!"
"Thank you. Then—Durandal, and Mr. Otto—we're heading out."
With lingering unease in her heart,
Theresa and Durandal led the other Otto toward the church.
Outside the screen,
Sensing the strange atmosphere,
Everyone felt a growing sense of dread.
Otto could clearly communicate with Amber—
So why didn't he contact Theresa directly?
Why go through Amber instead?
And why specifically insist on the presence of that otherworldly Otto at Saint 537 Church?
Every part of this—
Reeked of something wrong.
[Ningguang: Otto… what exactly are you plotting?]
[Keqing: Is Otto planning to do something to… himself?]
[March 7th: No matter what, Theresa at least kept Kiana out of danger.]
[Theresa: Because… no matter what… I have to protect Cecilia's family.]
[Honkai·Himeko: He really never lets anyone rest easy… Otto… just what are you planning?!]
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