Some things remained as they were, while others had quietly changed.
But no matter what, as the source of the change, everything had to be tempered and fermented by time to reveal its true impact.
In a way, Lin Wei was both Otto's enemy and the catalyst for his plan. His departure allowed Otto to proceed with his plans without worry, but because he couldn't just disappear completely, the threat remained, prompting Otto to accelerate his plans.
Durandal's arrival had also served as a reminder: the plan needed some new variables...
According to his original plan, he would let K-423 grow freely and then, at the right time, harvest the final fruit, letting this new Herrscher of the Void open the door to the final answer for him.
That was the original idea. Otto, in his pride, believed that no one could stop this process.
Because he, Anti-Entropy, and even Siegfried, who had defected from Schicksal to Anti-Entropy, all knew one thing for sure: "K-423 becoming the Herrscher of the Void" was a foregone conclusion. The only question was what kind of Herrscher she would become.
Would she be like the former Sirin, bringing great disaster to humanity, or would she still believe she was Kiana Kaslana and turn that power into a force to resist Honkai?
On this issue, everyone's interests were aligned, because there was no other choice. So, entrusting the ignorant her to Theresa was the optimal solution that Otto, Anti-Entropy, and Siegfried could all accept.
After all, his rebellious granddaughter's character was trusted by everyone...
And as her Herrscher power began to reawaken, the real struggle would begin, and this too was part of the plan.
As the front line of this "struggle," the Far East Branch would bear the brunt of it. The fractured Anti-Entropy couldn't easily gain Theresa's trust, so a well-timed enemy would push the small team of the Far East Branch to unite even more closely under pressure.
Then, at the most opportune moment, the "nail" Otto had long since planted within this small group would help him reap the rewards first, and then let the cornered Anti-Entropy, along with the betrayed Theresa, help him complete the core part of his plan...
It was an extremely confident and meticulous plan. Before an enemy that could truly threaten him appeared, he was indeed certain of victory.
In the original timeline, during the battle in ARC City, if Durandal hadn't arrived in time, he would have almost completely lost the chance to get Kiana. But that was because, before that, World Serpent had never posed a real threat to him. In his eyes, they were just another group of sneaky rats hiding in the dark.
But now, things were different. Lin Wei's ambiguous relationship with World Serpent had made him feel the hidden threat of that organization in advance.
And at the same time, the surgical precision and deadly threat that Lin Wei himself posed was a thorn in his side, a constant source of anxiety. He had tried to eliminate this threat, putting almost all his cards on the table, believing it to be foolproof. But the final result... was a mutual loss.
So, besides the losses from the battle itself, Otto now had to consider these two hidden threats. For World Serpent, investigation and vigilance were self-evident.
And for Lin Wei, even more vigilance was needed. Especially, he needed to be wary of him suddenly jumping out at the most critical moment and snatching the ripe fruit of St. Freya Academy from under his nose!
Before Durandal's arrival, he had already been thinking about this problem. And Durandal's worries, while not identical to his original intentions, coincided in content.
One unexpected event leads to another. What if one day, K-423 also stood behind Lin Wei, baring her teeth at him?
That guy was completely different from the trash at Anti-Entropy!
Even, in the face of their "common enemy," it wasn't impossible for him and the guys from Anti-Entropy to form a complete alliance. Wouldn't that be even more troublesome?
Even Fu Hua, a key piece he had always trusted—when the critical moment came, would she be as reliable as before, or would she be bewitched and defect to Lin Wei's side?
Everything was unknown, and everything had to be considered.
Because, if before, this was just a possible threat,
Then after yesterday's battle, as long as Lin Wei could return from the Sea of Quanta alive, that guy would definitely do everything in his power to turn this possibility into a reality!
And in such a future, he would be passive everywhere—just as Lin Wei had been so wretchedly hiding from his inescapable net before that one battle...
So, since Durandal had taken the initiative to suggest some changes, he had gone along with her request. Although in the face of the unchangeable facts of the past, these efforts were just a drop in the bucket, but as long as they were made, they would be of some help in the future.
And besides that...
"Lin Wei, and that World Serpent, what is their relationship?"
After Durandal left, Otto muttered to himself.
"From every indication, he is inextricably linked to that organization. But according to the various intelligence Rita has gathered, he is clearly more closely related to Anti-Entropy?"
Otto was desperate to find the final answer to this question, because—
"If the two are not one and the same, but there is indeed a conflict... can it be used to get rid of that guy for me?"
The enemy of my enemy is my friend. Otto's stance had always been flexible. To deal with his greatest enemy, he didn't mind smilingly extending an olive branch to a demon...
---||---
Far East Branch, St. Freya Academy.
It was still as peaceful and serene as a paradise, with the chirping of birds and the fragrance of flowers, laughter and cheerful chatter, the sound of reading and playing echoing endlessly. It made Fu Hua, who had just returned from North Africa, feel a little dazed.
She knew that this tranquility would one day be shattered. But it was precisely because she knew this that she cherished this fleeting moment of beauty even more—even if it was just an illusion deliberately maintained by many...
Because, to Fu Hua herself, no matter how prosperous the city, how exquisite the art, in the face of the great tide of the Honkai, they were as fragile as castles built on sand.
But whether it was herself, her former comrades, or her current companions, wasn't what they had always wanted to protect this seemingly fragile and ridiculous thing?
If the Fu Hua of fifty thousand years ago was filled with confusion, blindly following in the footsteps of others,
Then the Fu Hua of fifty thousand years later, her battle-scarred body had long since forged a heart as hard as a rock, and she would give everything for the ideals she pursued...
"Headmaster..."
Before bidding farewell to Otto and the others, Fu Hua had already returned the "lady riding the 'Moonbeam'," and was now wearing a simple martial arts uniform, back at her "campus." She had prepared a whole speech, ready to report to them on what kind of mission she had just carried out.
Specifically, Otto had already prepared it for her: A-rank Valkyrie Fu Hua assisted the headquarters' Valkyrie forces in successfully eliminating an underground organization "smuggling Honkai energy crystals," an extremely dangerous item, in the Australian region.
She had even found Theresa, who had returned to St. Freya Academy ahead of her and was now working as the headmaster, in front of her.
One could only say that with the Overseer of Schicksal helping to cheat and cover up, you could really do whatever you wanted...
"You've worked hard, Class Rep. Are you injured from the mission?"
With complete paperwork, sufficient evidence, and a seamless story, Theresa naturally couldn't see anything amiss. Seeing Fu Hua safe and sound, she let out a long sigh of relief. "Alright, go back and rest. You still have classes tomorrow."
She didn't want to listen to those long mission reports. In her opinion, as long as the mission was completed successfully and the person returned safely, that was enough. With that time, letting the little one sleep for half an hour and herself read a couple more pages of manga was better than anything!
"Yes. By the way, where is Teacher Himeko?"
After nodding, Fu Hua seemed to suddenly remember something and said with some embarrassment, "I brought back some local specialties from Shenzhou this time. They're not expensive, just a small gift for everyone..."
Of course, these things were also prepared for her by Otto in advance—to better maintain her persona.
"Hey, Class Monitor, you're still so polite."
Theresa "huffed" and jumped down from her chair, walking out from behind the tall desk with her short legs, her chest puffed out proudly. "As for Himeko... that woman is probably busy right now, right?"
"Ah, is Teacher Himeko also on a mission?"
Fu Hua was slightly taken aback and blurted out, "Where is she? Is it dangerous? Do I need to go and support her immediately?"
If at first, coming here was just an act, after more than a year of getting along, she genuinely cared about her companions here.
"No, no, Class Monitor, you've misunderstood. Don't be so nervous."
Theresa raised her small hand to comfort her, then explained, "It's like this—a few days ago, I don't know how, but Kiana was caught skipping class to go online by someone from headquarters. They called my office on the spot, demanding that I enforce teaching discipline. At that time, Himeko was sitting right where your left hand is, munching on..."
As she spoke, her slender little finger pointed to the side, where a large and comfortable sofa was—next to it, on the coffee table, was an opened can of beer, seemingly not yet finished...
No wonder the room smelled of alcohol when I came in, Fu Hua thought strangely.
"Teacher Himeko... must be very angry, right?" she said with empathy. Kiana's nature wasn't bad, it was actually excellent. But for some reason, she was always a huge headache.
"Tell me about it," Theresa shrugged helplessly. "Now the entire combat training camp is basically being used by her to give Kiana one-on-one 'tutoring.' She's really furious this time, and can't be reasoned with..."
As they spoke, faint "thump, thump" sounds could be heard from a distance, along with a muffled but still audible scream...
"..."
Fu Hua was silent for a moment, choosing her words carefully. After a moment's hesitation, she said, "That's really rough..."
"Tell me about it," Theresa shrugged again, looking helpless.
As they spoke, the office door was suddenly pushed open, and a red-haired woman with a murderous aura stormed in.
"Headmaster...eh, Fu Hua, you're here too?"
Seeing the second person in the office, Himeko's murderous aura instantly subsided. Her eyes swept around, then lit up. She walked over, grabbed the beer can from the table, tilted her head back, and chugged it down.
After finishing, Himeko threw it into the trash can with a look of disgust. "Ptooey, ptooey... this has no taste anymore. Theresa, you didn't throw it away?"
"Didn't you put it there yourself?" Theresa shrugged innocently. "And isn't it just right? Drinking is forbidden during class, but this kind of 'wheat beverage' that's been open for a few days and the alcohol has mostly evaporated should still be within the rules, right? It's just... you'll probably have to go to the infirmary later."
This was one of her little pranks. She and Himeko often teased and disliked each other like this.
"Go to the infirmary? You're underestimating the constitution of an A-rank Valkyrie! Get out of the way!" Himeko said with a dismissive pout. She then deliberately pushed aside Theresa's small body and expertly retrieved a new bottle of beer from the headmaster's office cabinet. With a "click," she opened it and chugged it down again, sighing with satisfaction. "Ah... this is what beer should taste like..."
One could only say that neither of them was very proper.
"So, tired from fighting?" Theresa propped herself on the desk, waving her hand in disgust to drive away the smell of alcohol. "Drinking so much, aren't you afraid of not holding back?"
"Not holding back? That girl is tougher than you!" Himeko rolled her eyes and shouted. "You didn't see Kiana's antics just now. She was screaming and jumping around, but she tired me out!"
"Who are you calling tough?" Theresa was instantly offended, jumping up and shouting, "In the whole school, you, the bombshell woman, have the thickest skin!"
She was triggered.
"Alright, alright, there's a student here. Watch your words!"
Seeing Theresa's words getting out of hand again, the morally upright Himeko quickly raised her hand to stop her. She turned to Fu Hua and said, "Class Monitor, you just got back from a mission. Don't stand here watching us boring adults fool around. Go back to your dorm and rest. You don't have to attend classes this afternoon."
"Okay, Teacher Himeko."
Fu Hua nodded seriously like a truly good student, then added, "If there's anything I can do to help..."
"Hey, no need. It's just punishing a disobedient bad student," Himeko waved her hand. "Go and rest. By the way, if you have time, go check on Kiana for me. That girl is always stubborn and likes to act tough. Don't let her hide any injuries and pretend she's fine..."
Even when she was this angry, she was still concerned about her student's physical condition.
"...Okay."
Fu Hua gave her a deep look, left two of the "gifts" she had prepared, and turned to leave the large office.
Behind her, the faint sound of their conversation could be heard.
"That Fu Hua girl is still so polite..."
Himeko said, her tone a mixture of disappointment and frustration. "They're all students in the same class. How can the difference be so big?"
"I don't think the difference is that big. Look, aren't they both embarrassing themselves at headquarters?" Theresa said with a very annoying laugh.
"What kind of headmaster are you?" Himeko was instantly annoyed and shouted, "That good student of yours, skipping class to go online is one thing, but to go to the Valkyrie forums and make a fool of herself? And now you're not ashamed of it, you're proud of it?"
It was both infuriating and funny. Anyone who didn't know better would think she was the headmaster.
"Hey, don't I have you to vent my anger for me?" Theresa said with a smile. "I haven't been on the Valkyrie forums in a while. Because of this, I even went to take a look, to see what kind of earth-shattering trouble Kiana had gotten into this time. But I found something very interesting..."
"What interesting thing?" Himeko scoffed. "That forum has long since become a gossip hub. What's there to see?"
"It's because of the gossip!" Theresa's voice suddenly became mysterious. "Let me tell you, there seems to be a good man at headquarters recently. What's his name... what was it again? Forget it, I can't remember. But from the name, he's probably from Shenzhou like Fu Hua. What do you think, want to seize the opportunity? I'll set you up and marry you off?"
Bang!
Another loud crash made Fu Hua, who was eavesdropping at the door, wince.
"My kindness is taken for granted. If you don't want to, fine. Why such a big reaction?" Theresa grumbled. "The repair costs for the office will be deducted from your salary!"
"..."
Hearing this, Fu Hua didn't listen any further and quietly left. Since they didn't suspect her, she didn't need to be on guard.
It was just...
The person Theresa had accidentally mentioned had surprised her a little. So his name had even reached here.
"Terrifying."
Fu Hua shook her head, thinking, though she didn't know what she found so terrifying.
Was it terrifying that he had no connection to this school? Because a year ago, she had seen with her own eyes that he had a special feeling for this school...
Was it terrifying that he had no connection to her, to the others here? Because this was Otto's experimental ground, she was Otto's accomplice, and he was Otto's enemy...
Or was it terrifying that he had already left, and even if there had been a connection before, there was no chance now? She didn't know.
She only knew that she both regretted his departure and was relieved by it. Because the conflict between him and Otto had not, as she had most feared, resulted in a tragic outcome that would have greatly damaged Schicksal. If that had happened, humanity's already bleak future would have been cast in an even deeper shadow.
"Thank goodness..." Fu Hua thought.
"Terrifying..." Fu Hua thought.
Her heart was full of contradictions.
Just like everyone who knew him, but she had met him first, she had witnessed his initial path, so this contradiction was particularly strong.
She understood his heart, knew that he didn't want his friends to be troubled by this conflict, so he chose to exile himself, actively resolving this conflict for everyone.
So besides relief and regret, her heart couldn't help but feel a sense of guilt, just like the others who were present at the time.
But as his first acquaintance, his witness, this guilt was as strong as that contradiction... Compared to Otto, she would rather be partners with someone like Lin Wei.
Although the two of them had so many similarities, that tiny little difference made Lin Wei a completely different person.
She had seen it, his changes over the past year were great. But she had also seen that even with such great changes, there were some things about him that had never changed...
"Terrifying..." Fu Hua thought, if Teacher Himeko had the chance to meet him, she would probably like him a lot too, right? But if that were the case, would it be a good thing or a bad thing? She didn't know, because such an "if" had never happened...
Fu Hua moved quickly.
As a model student of good character and excellent learning, she delivered the "gifts" she had prepared long ago, one by one, to every teacher's office, every student's dormitory.
She went from door to door, room to room, visiting and leaving, treating everyone equally, with no one being an exception and no one being left out.
For example...
"Knock, knock, knock."
Fu Hua knocked gently on an office door again.
"Come in."
A somewhat weak male voice sounded. Hearing the voice, Fu Hua gently pushed the door open.
"Class Monitor, you're back?"
Welt looked up, his eyes behind the thick lenses smiling at the girl carrying a bag of gifts. He asked gently, "Is there something I can help you with?" His tone was like that of a respected teacher.
"Yes, there is indeed something I need to tell you, Mr. Welt."
Fu Hua politely placed the bag of gifts on the table, took off her glasses, and said in a low voice, "Otto's plan is about to begin. This place will soon become a land of trouble. So, for your safety, it's best to prepare to leave as soon as possible!"
The reason she had gone through such a big roundabout way was for this one small purpose...