"Sis, don't say any more."
Faced with his clearly gossiping adoptive sister, Leo Ash was so embarrassed he couldn't look Rita in the eye.
"Can we change the subject?"
"Alright, let's change the subject then."
Seeing her very flustered adoptive brother, Rita withdrew her right hand and asked Leo Ash with a grin.
"So, how many little brothers and sisters do you plan on giving Isla?"
At that moment, upon hearing this question, Leo Ash reverted to his usual expressionless demeanor.
"Sis, why don't we just talk about business?"
"Eh, but what I'm saying is business."
Faced with her brother who was trying to change the subject, Rita retorted with a hint of surprise.
"Could it be that your life's most important event isn't considered business to you?"
Ah, so annoying. I don't know what to say, but I really want to retort.
[What's so annoying about it? Just tell her what you're really thinking.]
'Starting today, I'm a harem king'—is that something I can say to my sister?!
"Alright, alright, perhaps the topic of having children is indeed too soon for you. Then, next topic."
Seeing that Leo Ash was still maintaining his deadpan expression, as if to say 'you talk first, I'll speak after you're done,' Rita, hearing footsteps, waited a few dozen seconds before smiling and taking the coffee for both of them from the waiter who had just entered.
"Excuse me, but please refrain from approaching this private room for the time being."
"Yes, I understand."
After dismissing the waiter, Rita placed the iced milk Leo Ash had ordered in front of him, then picked up her own coffee and took a gentle sip.
Meanwhile, Leo Ash, picking up his iced milk, fully experienced what it meant to be on pins and needles.
Although he was now quite formidable in terms of personal strength, but...
An older sister is like a mother. Especially since Rita was the one who had saved him from that hell back then. Under the pressure of this dual identity and emotion, Leo Ash, having regained his memories, naturally felt a pressure far greater than usual at a time like this.
[Pressure for what? Host, you need to be clear about one thing—this is the Honkai universe!]
[The Honkai universe is basically an apocalyptic one. And what matters in an apocalypse—whose fist is bigger!]
[If this woman dares to give you a hard time, just knock her to the ground and take her back—]
Can you speak like a normal person.
Unless it's a special situation, how could I possibly lay a hand on Sister Rita.
[Eh, isn't this situation special enough?]
You and your 'special'! It's just family making small talk, why did you suddenly take the topic in that direction!
"Leo, you don't have to be so nervous."
Seeing Leo Ash revert to that stoic, almost paralyzed expression, Rita put down her coffee cup and said to him with a smile.
"You're an adult now. Your sister won't, and can't, control the choices you make in your relationships."
"I just want you to understand one thing. No matter what choices you make, we are family."
"Your sister, I, will always support the choices you make, Leo."
"...Sister."
Looking at the girl before him, Leo Ash suddenly had a thought he shouldn't have.
But soon, this thought was actively suppressed by him.
"Alright, it's not like we met yesterday. Why are you getting so emotional?"
Rita, gazing at Leo Ash, suddenly revealed a meaningful smile.
"If you're really that moved, why don't you tell your sister, right now..."
"—Besides Miss Kiana, who else have you taken a liking to?"
???
[Oh, the System retracts its previous statement. You really shouldn't raise a hand against such a good sister.]
[Looking at the expression on Rita's face, you, who know her very well, are certain that Rita is genuinely asking for your thoughts right now.]
[She really isn't angry that her brother might become a man who's two-timing—or who knows how many-timing. In fact—she's a little proud?]
Although I really want to refute what you're saying, but right now...
[Right now?]
Damn, why do your words suddenly seem to make so much sense.
"Oh my, is Leo shy, or is it that..."
At that moment, as if recalling something sad, a few crystal tears suddenly appeared in Rita's eyes.
"I know, I've always known. My Leo, he actually finds his sister annoying."
"From the past until now, there are many things you'd rather hide away yourself than talk to your sister about."
"It was my own wishful thinking, my meddling."
Looking at Rita, who was clearly putting on an act, Leo Ash just felt a bit overwhelmed.
Although Rita's expression was definitely an act, she wasn't wrong about one thing.
The Leo Ash who had been adopted by Rita in the past did indeed keep many things to himself, not communicating with her.
To a certain extent, the reason Leo Ash agreed to be adopted by Rita was also to use her status to join Schicksal and thus achieve his revenge against the Honkai.
At this moment, seeing the girl on the verge of tears, even though he knew she was acting, Leo Ash still felt a pang of guilt in his heart.
"...That's not what I meant, Sis."
"It's just, a lot of things... I actually haven't really thought them through."
"Oh, is that so?"
Taking out a handkerchief to wipe the tears from her eyes, Rita immediately acted as if nothing had happened and said to Leo Ash with a cheerful smile.
"Even though you're an adult, Leo is surprisingly innocent in this regard."
[Still a virgin, yet acting like he knows everything.]
[Faced with this kind of teasing brat, your course of action is, of course, to—]
To what! Stop it!
[Eh, the System hasn't said anything yet, what are you getting so worked up about?]
We've known each other for so long, you think I don't know what you're going to say?
"Before that, I have a question."
Facing his adoptive sister, Leo Ash asked Rita cautiously.
"Sis, you really don't think there's a problem with me being like this? No matter how you look at it, choosing more than one person as a partner is..."
"Hmm, in the eyes of the secular world, your behavior would probably be considered scummy."
As I thought.
That's what I thought too.
"But, Leo, you need to understand something."
Looking at Leo Ash, Rita's previously lighthearted attitude vanished, her eyes and demeanor suddenly becoming incredibly serious.
"Perhaps in the eyes of the secular people who don't know about the 'Honkai,' they still live in a world where daily life can be maintained at any time."
"But for us who know about the Honkai, tomorrow could be the last day of our lives at any moment."
"I'm not trying to be pessimistic, but in this apocalyptic world where death can come at any time, many things can be compromised and ignored."
"The girls around you are all good girls. Rather than choosing only one and letting the others suffer in sorrow, I would prefer you to bear the pressure, be a scum criticized by the world, and give them a happiness that is unfair but at least exists."
[...Ah, the topic suddenly got so heavy.]
Yeah, the topic suddenly got so heavy.
"Alright, it wasn't my intention to make the topic so heavy. Compared to these things that don't need too much attention, right now, Leo..."
"—Tell your sister, who have you taken a liking to?"
If Leo Ash had any thoughts or emotions in his heart right now, the boy being watched by Rita probably only had the word 'awkward' left.
Ah, if I were to say right now that I want to embrace everyone except Bronya, would my sister beat me to death on the spot?
This appetite... is a bit too big.
"Eh, you don't even want to talk about this?"
Seeing the clearly troubled Leo Ash, Rita let out a faint sigh and asked him again.
"Then let's change the topic—how do you see Lady Bianka?"
"So you were setting me up for this, Sister."
Hearing Rita's words, Leo Ash finally realized what all her previous build-up was for.
Thinking about it, it made sense. Rita, who regarded Durandal as her closest person, would naturally try to probe Leo Ash, the culprit, after realizing some of Durandal's thoughts.
"What else?"
Rita, stirring her coffee with a small spoon, let out a helpless sigh.
"Your mental state seems a bit better than before, so it's time to put these matters on the agenda."
"Moreover, based on the changes in your actions and attitude from Nagazora City until now, I've probably guessed that you've gotten some information you shouldn't have from somewhere."
"After knowing that information, and knowing Miss Kiana's true identity, you've probably realized a lot of things."
In the past, Leo Ash knew that he couldn't hide his actions from Rita forever in all aspects.
His adoptive sister already had a formidable mind. With her sharp intellect plus her understanding of him over the past two years, it was only natural for Rita, as Otto's confidante, to deduce some information from the current situation.
This is very troublesome.
Originally, I didn't want to involve my sister.
But now, Otto has been hiding for so long without showing himself, which can only mean he's definitely planning something big.
At a time like this, it's better to lay everything on the table than to keep it hidden.
When facing Otto, being a hundred and twenty times more cautious is not an exaggeration.
For example, right now, he might already be plotting to use Sister Rita's parents as hostages to threaten her into doing his bidding.
In the following moments, the private room became incredibly quiet.
Rita didn't rush her adoptive brother either, as she knew that she needed to give him some time to think and make a reasonable judgment.
"Hah, since I can't hide it from you, Sister, I'll tell you everything."
After organizing his thoughts, Leo Ash said to Rita.
"The reason I went on that mission with Bianka behind your back was not only to prove my worth and climb higher, but also because I had learned some things I shouldn't have known."
"For example, Archbishop Otto's implementation of the sirin project was not actually to study the power of the Herrscher of the Void, but to directly resurrect her and have her descend upon this world again."
"For example, that Kiana is the host for the Herrscher of the Void, and that Cocolia was preparing to trigger the Third Eruption in Nagazora City."
"If Cocolia's plan had succeeded back then, the Herrscher of Thunder would have wrought destruction on everything around, and the Herrscher of the Void might have awakened as well. Realizing that, I think Sister can understand why I chose to go to that location."
"You..."
Reaching out, Rita pinched Leo Ash's cheek hard and said angrily.
"It's one thing if you don't bring it up, but talking about it just makes me furious!"
"You survived that time entirely by luck, you know! Reckless, all you know is how to be reckless. Do you have any idea how worried Lady Bianka and I were for you!"
"Yes, I did survive by luck back then, but—what else could I have done?"
With his face being pinched by Rita, Leo Ash continued to speak in a muffled voice.
"When I thought about the millions of people who would die in Nagazora City, and the possibility of two Herrschers awakening at the same time, did you want me to just watch from the agent-candidate base back at HQ?"
"And even if you knew about these things, Sister Rita, you wouldn't have been able to act freely under the Archbishop's watch. At a time like that, if I didn't want the Honkai to continue its rampage, I could only charge forward myself."
Faced with Leo Ash's completely irrefutable words, Rita...
—was clearly even angrier.
"...Tch, I can't win against you. Never mind."
"Sister, I know you're worried about me, but just as you said, we are warriors who could die at any moment."
"When the Honkai descended, Archbishop Otto stood by and watched, Anti-Entropy was powerless, and World Serpent was lying in wait in the shadows to reap the benefits. If I hadn't acted at that time and just watched the Honkai rampage, I don't think I would have forgiven myself even if I had survived."
"And speaking of which, I think you've laid these things out today, Sister, because you've clearly realized Archbishop Otto's true intentions."
"Yes, I've roughly guessed it."
Mentioning the person she once tried to serve but now thoroughly despised, Rita's face was filled with nothing but disgust and dissatisfaction.
The usually elegant maid, at this moment, even made Leo Ash feel a chilling killing intent emanating from her.
"All the plans Archbishop Otto told me and Lady Durandal were fake."
"I see it now. He only pretended to be preparing to deal with the Honkai, but in secret, some of his actions were clearly helping the Honkai grow."
"Exactly. Now that you think about it, Sister, if I had told you all that back then—do you think he would have continued to value you so much if you, who were being specially 'cultivated' by him, had shown your hand?"
"...Perhaps at that point, I would have been dealt with in advance."
Hearing the word 'value' from Leo Ash, Rita let out a sarcastic smile.
"I know my own strength perfectly well."
"Although I am an S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, in the eyes of the Archbishop, I am probably just a rather convenient pawn."
"A pawn shouldn't have its own thoughts, and when a pawn learns something it shouldn't, even if that pawn is very useful, Archbishop Otto would probably dispose of it."
"So, since you're so clear on this, Sister—when are you going to Kolosten?"
Now officially in work mode, Leo Ash clasped his hands together and said to Rita calmly.
"Uncle and Aunt are in Kolosten. In other words, if Otto has any intention of harming them, you will be constrained by him."
"Now that Otto is in hiding, he's one hundred percent planning something big. Instead of being constrained by him then, I think it's better for you to go to Kolosten now and bring Uncle and Aunt out."
Just as Rita was about to ask something more, there was a sudden knock at the door.
"Excuse me, sorry to interrupt."
Hearing the knock from outside, Rita said with great dissatisfaction.
"...I believe I already said not to approach this private room?"
"That's true, but..."
Hearing the waiter's tone become very troubled, Leo Ash gave Rita a look to calm down before asking the person outside.
"Alright, my friend, we're all just trying to make a living. It's not easy."
"If there's something, just say it. I'm guessing someone 'from above' had you lead them here to find us, right?"
"Let him in. I trust my compatriots from my homeland are not the kind of unreasonable sons of bitches."
"Mr. Leo Ash is truly quick-witted."
After receiving Leo Ash's approval, a man in a suit pushed open the door, walked into the room, and bowed to both Rita and Leo Ash.
"Miss Rita Rossweisse, a pleasure to meet you for the first time."
"And Lord Leo Ash, it's been a while. I am relieved to see you are well."
"...Oh, it's you."
Recognizing the man as the fellow from Shenzhou who had been passionately arguing with the Schicksal members at Jiuyou last time, Leo Ash asked.
"Last time was a bit rushed. I didn't get to ask for your esteemed name."
"You can call me Li Pu."
Though he complained about other people's names, this guy's name was really...
Quite outrageous.
The man who stated his name, seeing that Leo Ash was not displeased with his arrival, naturally found a seat and sat down.
"I know that my sudden visit may have caused some trouble for you two, but my impoliteness was truly out of necessity."
"After all..."
"—The Immortal has given an order, requesting Lord Leo Ash to visit Mount Taixu for a talk."
Hearing this, Leo Ash was not surprised that the martial artists from Shenzhou had come to find him.
In fact, the reason he had used the Quantum Teleportation System to bring Rita here was because any random café in Shenzhou would, at the very least, not be full of Schicksal personnel.
Over the past five hundred years, Schicksal had probably been secretly extending its reach into Shenzhou.
But as a major power that could ostensibly 'not interfere' with Schicksal, Shenzhou was not yet infiltrated to the extent of a Schicksal branch.
Furthermore, after Fu Hua returned to Shenzhou under the name [Immortal Red Kite] and gave Shenzhou a boost of confidence in its foreign relations, the Schicksal members lurking within Shenzhou would likely have to lie low for a while.
Discussing work here, the chances of information being leaked and known by Schicksal were extremely low. That was the reason Leo Ash returned to Shenzhou to talk about these things.
As for Fu Hua sending someone to find him, that was perfectly normal in Leo Ash's view.
The Previous Era's Herrscher of Sentience could erode the consciousness of countless people through special means. While the current era's Herrscher of Sentience seemed a bit different, detecting a 'familiar consciousness' by extending her own was not a difficult task for her.
If there was anything Leo Ash hadn't expected, it was that the people from the Taixu Sword School would be so efficient as to show up at his door before he and Rita even left the café.
Looking at the silent Leo Ash, the martial artist who called himself Li Pu naturally did not dare to say any more.
Regarding Leo Ash's identity, not just within the Taixu Sword School, but all of Shenzhou now knew that he was a disciple of the Immortal Red Kite.
The young man sitting before him was not only Schicksal's strongest knight, but also one of the Immortal Red Kite's disciples, and a powerhouse with the terrifying record of easily defeating a Herrscher.
Any normal person sitting here right now would not dare to say anything more to court death after already having offended the other party.
Seeing the swordsman sitting upright before him, wanting to say something but not daring to, Leo Ash chuckled and patted his shoulder.
"Alright, Brother Li, no need to be so tense. Since Master has given an order, I will naturally go back to see her."
"However, I have other matters to attend to right now. When you go back to report, please help me tell Master that I will go to Mount Taixu to find him in half a day."
"...Hah."
Hearing Leo Ash give the answer he wanted with a smile, Li Pu let out a long sigh of relief.
"That's great. I can rest assured then."
After saying this, Li Pu immediately darted to the door and gently closed it.
"Then I won't disturb you two any longer. Please, continue."
After their conversation was interrupted, neither Leo Ash nor Rita had the mind to continue their discussion there.
Rita, who cherished her family, couldn't wait to rush to Kolosten and bring her parents to a safe place the moment she thought they might become Otto's hostages.
"Alright, Sister, I have an almost foolproof plan."
Placing a hand on Rita's shoulder, Leo Ash snapped his fingers lightly.
And with this gesture, done purely for show, the scene before the two of them instantly changed.
"This is..."
Looking at the architectural style before her, Rita looked around with some confusion before exclaiming in surprise.
"This is Anti-Entropy?"
"To be precise, this is Abyssal City."
Just as Rita's voice fell, a figure suddenly appeared before the two of them.
And seeing the man named Su calmly appear in this place, Rita, who had been brought here by Leo Ash, suddenly seemed to have thought of many things.
Then, she looked at Leo Ash beside her with a complex expression and complained helplessly.
"Leo, you and Mr. Su are actually good friends, aren't you?"
"How many more things are you hiding from me?"
"Well, how should I put it—Sister, you should understand that Otto wouldn't have let you go if he found out about certain things."
As he said this, Leo Ash pressed his palms together and said to Rita with a face full of guilt.
"I really didn't mean it. Just forgive me this one time."
"Just one time?"
"...There will definitely be many more 'one times' in the future."
Listening to Leo Ash's words, Rita really didn't know whether she should be sad that her brother was hiding so many things from her, or happy that she had such a smart and capable brother.
Perhaps, while I was still lying in that hospital bed, Leo had already arranged everything meticulously.
"Mr. Leo Ash, congratulations on resolving the issues with Miss Kiana."
"Ah, let's skip the pleasantries. I don't think we need to waste time on such talk. In short..."
After explaining his thoughts to Su, Leo Ash said to him.
"Although I can also complete the general steps of these plans, the one thing I find difficult is creating 'Uncle' and 'Aunt'."
"But I imagine, for Mr. Su, this is a trivial matter."
"Naturally."
After saying this, the three of them, using the coordinates provided by Rita, arrived in Kolosten.
In the following moments, Rita, after making up a random excuse to her parents who were relieved to see her, had them leave the place with her.
At the same time, after seeing Rita's parents, Su, with a little thought, used his power to create doubles with the same appearance as them.
The reason Leo Ash had Su do this was mainly because in the Legacy arc of the original story, Su casually created a double that looked exactly the same as Durandal.
According to the explanation of Su's ability at the time, that double possessed the exact same memories as Durandal.
This double, almost identical to Durandal, was only lacking the power Durandal had obtained from the Sea of Quanta compared to the original—so Su himself claimed.
Although judging from Su's actions afterward being a 'test' for Durandal, Leo Ash thought the idea of Su casually creating a Durandal-level powerhouse was highly likely to be bullshit, but at the very least, Su himself creating one or two realistic-looking ordinary human doubles was no problem.
With Su's strength, creating a pair of energy doubles with the memories of Rita's parents to fool the people of Kolosten was not a difficult task for him.
Of course, both Leo Ash and Su knew very well that this was an action Leo Ash took out of personal desire.
However, in Su's eyes, after Leo Ash took this action, he felt even more at ease with him.
In Su's eyes, Leo Ash was, after all, only a seventeen-year-old boy. It was only human for a seventeen-year-old to have personal desires and want to save his adoptive sister's parents.
It was precisely because Leo Ash still possessed this 'human nature' that Su didn't have to worry that he would become someone who would stop at nothing to destroy the Honkai.
I had some concerns before, but now it seems that even after becoming the Herrscher of Binding, Mr. Leo Ash's fundamental nature hasn't changed much.
Sigh, only in this way can I continue to assist him in his actions with peace of mind.
Kevin, I've sent you the organized intelligence.
And after reading this intelligence...
—I hope that you, now, will no longer be fixated on the Stigmata Project.
...
That night. Schicksal HQ
Upon discovering that Leo Ash had not returned all night, Bronya, who had intended to contact him, first contacted Mei and Yuna, who were still at HQ.
After the two entered her room at HQ, Bronya, looking at their puzzled expressions, first asked them a question.
"Sister Mei, Sister Yuna, you haven't told anyone else about what happened tonight, have you?"
"Of course not."
"I definitely wouldn't say anything."
After getting the answer she wanted from the two, Bronya showed a relieved expression.
However, the two who had just replied still looked a bit puzzled at the girl's demeanor.
"Bronya, is it really just the three of us today?"
"Yes, today's matter is only suitable for the three of us to know."
Looking at the thoughtful Yuna and the slightly confused Mei, Bronya said to them helplessly.
"Sister Kiana is related to what I'm going to say today, but she's not in a good state right now and definitely isn't suited to be stimulated further."
"Instead of pulling her in now and giving her more pressure, it's better to let Isla continue to soothe her emotions."
"As for Sister Anna, to be honest, she hasn't been in contact with us for long enough."
"I don't think Sister Anna is a bad person, but we've only known each other for less than a month. Sister Anna, who trusts Schicksal completely, might make some inappropriate moves after hearing what we have to say."
Mei and Yuna didn't speak in response to Bronya's opening statement, instead signaling her to continue with their eyes.
"As for Theresa's role as acting Bishop and Major Himeko, they aren't suitable to hear this either."
"I've already hacked all the surveillance systems in this area. Now, after organizing all this information, I can finally speak."
"Let's talk about one thing first—Sister Yuna, Sister Mei, do you know how the Second Eruption ended?"
"The Second Eruption?"
Hearing this rarely heard term, Mei immediately said quite naturally.
"Didn't the database say? Kiana's mother, Ms. Cecilia, at that time, with the Herrscher of the Void..."
Mei's words trailed off, and she suddenly froze.
Then, as if she had realized something, her face instantly became incredibly grim.
"Yes, the Herrscher of the Void."
Emphasizing the Herrscher's title, Bronya's expression remained unchanged, but both of them could hear a sense of gravity in the girl's tone.
"According to Schicksal's database records, she should have been blown to bits by a Honkai Fission Missile in that great battle fourteen years ago, thanks to Lady Cecilia's selfless sacrifice."
"But now, the Herrscher of the Void has appeared again, and the host is none other than Sister Kiana."
"Additionally, Bronya saw a completely different record in Anti-Entropy's database."
"In Anti-Entropy's database, it is clearly recorded that the Second Eruption was a major event resolved by the joint efforts of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy."
"And during this process, Anti-Entropy's executives, Dr. Einstein and Dr. Tesla, piloted a special mech and stripped a 'fragment' from the Herrscher of the Void, Sirin."
Noticing Bronya's gaze turn to her, Mei instantly understood what she meant.
"This so-called fragment is the Gem of Conquest inside me, right?"
"Yes. In fact, the Gem of Conquest inside you, Sister Mei, is enough to prove that the information in Anti-Entropy's database is not entirely false."
"And during these twenty days, I didn't have the same powerful strength as you and Sister Yuna, so I put some effort into intelligence gathering."
"After hacking into some of Schicksal's database, I discovered some things, things that other Schicksal members must absolutely not know."
After bringing up some topics that couldn't be ignored, Bronya said to the two with utmost seriousness.
"Sister Mei, your identity is not only a Valkyrie of the Far East Branch, but also a Herrscher and the daughter of an Anti-Entropy executive. I think, during this time, you must have felt someone watching you in secret, right?"
"Hmm, now that you mention it... that's true."
Reminded by Bronya, Mei suddenly realized something.
"You're also a member of Anti-Entropy. Could it be that you, Bronya, were also being monitored by those above?"
"Yes, that's right. And to be honest, their judgment was correct, since I did indeed hack Schicksal's database."
"However, precisely because the two of us are people related to Anti-Entropy, our sense of belonging to Schicksal is not that strong."
"However, I am different from you two."
Hearing Bronya's words at this moment, Yuna said faintly.
"Bronya, I believe you are a smart person and won't make any unnecessary moves at a time like this."
"But I must also tell you one thing. I have always been a Valkyrie of Schicksal, and in the days to come, I will only continue to save more people as a Valkyrie of Schicksal."
"Yes, I know. It's fine for Sister Yuna to maintain that attitude, but—please listen to me carefully."
Looking at the extremely serious Yuna, who was even emitting a sharp aura, Bronya immediately spoke as fast as she could.
"Sister Yuna, your heart is in the right place, but what Bronya is about to do is not a bad thing for Schicksal."
"Next, I'll be direct. Schicksal might be a great anti-Honkai organization, but there is one condition..."
"—Its master cannot be Otto Apocalypse."
.....