Schicksal HQ, Bishop's Office
"So, about that..."
Seeing the girl before her suddenly zone out, Theresa sighed softly and trailed off.
Realizing her gaffe, Kiana snapped back to attention and immediately bowed her head apologetically to Theresa.
"I'm sorry, Lord Bishop, I was distracted."
*Lord Bishop...*
Hearing Kiana's painfully distant form of address, Theresa felt a genuine pang of discomfort.
Alright, she'd already learned back in Jiuyou that the girl in front of her was the 'resurrected' Sirin.
But so what?
Siegfried accepted her as his daughter, which meant she was now Theresa's niece.
Sirin had done many unforgivable things in the past, but if Kiana was now willing to admit her mistakes, repent, and atone, then Theresa would of course accept her as family.
And now, Kiana, having been raised by Siegfried with a proper moral compass, was truly willing to admit her mistakes, repent, and was prepared to spend her life atoning.
The only problem was, did Siegfried's upbringing make this unlucky kid a little *too* good?
It's one thing to repent, admit your faults, and prepare to atone, but why are you being so formal and distant at a time like this!
Ugh, I'm the worst at dealing with this kind of thing.
But right now, Himeko is swamped with paperwork, Rita came back today and went to help her, and Amber has vanished somewhere, leaving just me...
Fine, time for the direct approach.
"In any case, call me Great-Auntie—and don't refuse. That's an order from me as the Bishop of Schicksal!"
Being pointed at so forcefully by Theresa, Kiana muttered under her breath.
"But... you were the one who said I should use your title in public..."
"Hm?"
"I didn't say anything!"
"Good."
Looking at the slightly flustered Kiana, Theresa felt a bit more at ease.
Just a moment ago, after giving Kiana a suggestive smile, Theresa had seen a shadow of the old Kiana in her panicked expression.
Perhaps Kiana's sudden knowledge of her own bloody past had made it temporarily impossible for her to accept reality, leading to a drastic change in personality and even causing self-loathing.
But old habits die hard. At the end of the day, this little girl was still that stupid paramecium.
Given enough time, she would eventually go back to being herself.
*Sigh, that's a relief for now.*
*Siegfried, you...*
Thinking of her missing comrade-in-arms, Theresa's expression didn't change, but a shadow fell over her heart.
In the past, Theresa had found Siegfried a bit annoying. Even though he and Cecilia were in love, Theresa still felt like he had 'stolen' her Cecilia.
However, after Cecilia died in the Second Eruption, their relationship had softened considerably.
It was only after seeing Siegfried's devastated state that Theresa truly understood just how much he had loved Cecilia.
And now, Siegfried's adopted daughter was having psychological problems. While time could slowly heal her, Theresa felt that if Siegfried were here to guide her as a father, Kiana would surely recover much faster.
But, but...
—Siegfried, that poor, unlucky bastard, had been captured by World Serpent.
Under these circumstances, even if Theresa had a plan, it was impossible to execute without the key 'factor'.
*Leo Ash is back at Schicksal HQ now, so at least we don't have to worry about him.*
*Moving forward, aside from keeping an eye on Grandpa and World Serpent, we need to put rescuing Siegfried on the agenda.*
*His dissatisfaction with Schicksal was only ever because of Grandpa.*
*With Grandpa missing, if he came back, his formidable combat strength would surely make him one of Schicksal's main pillars.*
*And if he returned, not only could he help Kiana, but he could also cover for the other top fighters.*
*Once Siegfried is back, Leo Ash can finally relax a little and go take a few days off.*
"Oh, right, Kiana."
Remembering Kiana had been distracted just now, Theresa suddenly asked with a hint of curiosity.
"What were you thinking about just now? Was it Leo Ash?"
"...To be honest, yes, a little."
Seeing her second niece admit it so readily, a surprised Theresa suddenly flashed a mischievous grin, hopped off her chair, and bounced over to Kiana.
"Well now, aren't we being honest today."
"Mhm, because..."
Thinking of Leo Ash, Kiana suddenly gave Theresa a radiant smile.
"I already belong to my Senior."
Theresa, who had just started to feel a bit relieved, saw that smile and her own immediately vanished.
*I actually thought this problem would be easy to solve. I must be going senile.*
Kiana's smile, coupled with her tone of voice—this was a huge problem, wasn't it???
Theresa didn't consider herself a genius.
But while she didn't trust her own brain, she trusted the ancestral intuition of the Kaslana family.
And just now, her intuition told her that Kiana's problem was far more serious than it appeared on the surface.
What gave Theresa an even bigger headache was that, upon realizing Kiana's problem was worse than she'd imagined, she truly didn't dare provoke this junior of hers, whose self-loathing was already at an extreme high.
*Now I really have to find Siegfried.*
Even Leo Ash, with his sharp mind and eloquence, couldn't handle Kiana. In the end, it was up to Siegfried, the father, to see if he could solve his daughter's psychological issues.
Noticing that Theresa was lost in thought, Kiana suddenly looked in a certain direction.
Staring that way, Kiana felt a slight sense of unease in her heart.
*Strange, that's the direction of Shenzhou, right?*
*Why over there...*
*—is there a feeling that makes me so uncomfortable?*
.
Shenzhou, Taixu Sword School Secret Meeting Room
Inside the meeting room, the group sitting on the sofa no longer had the tense, confrontational atmosphere from before.
In fact, if an outsider were to see them now, they would absolutely assume the cheerfully chatting group were friends who had known each other for years.
"Mhm, so Big Sister Mei, Big Sister Yuna, and Big Sister Bronya have all been through so much with Senior Brother."
Listening to everyone recount their past experiences with Leo Ash, Wendy smiled happily.
"I misunderstood you all before. I'd like to apologize."
"You are Senior Brother's comrades, yet I treated you like Otto's lackeys."
"I'm sorry, I was really wrong!"
Seeing Wendy proactively apologize, the three exchanged glances, and each saw a hint of relief in their friends' eyes.
Although Wendy had been courteous to them from the start, the three could sense that she was still wary of them.
But after they had all opened up, Wendy's guardedness had gradually dissipated.
Of course, the three also noticed that as Wendy listened to their stories about Leo Ash, there was a light shining in her eyes.
Never mind Yuna and Bronya, who had been the 'masterminds' behind the scenes, even Mei could tell that Wendy had a crush on her Senior Brother.
But that wasn't surprising to them. After all, Leo Ash was handsome, capable, and responsible, and he had saved Wendy when she was at her most desperate. It was only natural for her to like him.
*But still, why does this whole 'experienced despair → met Leo Ash → regained hope → fell in love with Leo Ash' process feel so familiar?*
[Isn't it obvious? In the whole dorm, besides that freeloader of a cheating cat Anna, only the girl with glasses didn't follow this pattern.]
[For Leo Ash, this is practically his standard operating procedure. Sometimes I even suspect he does it on purpose, timing his rescues perfectly.]
...How can you slander someone like that.
When Leo Ash did those things, he had no way of accurately predicting they would happen.
He was able to save us in time purely because he's a warm-hearted person...
At this point, Mei suddenly couldn't continue.
At the same time, the Herrscher of Thunder cooperatively refrained from saying anything more.
Is Leo Ash a warm-hearted person?
The answer was obviously yes.
Although he wasn't particularly talkative on a normal day, whenever someone was feeling down or troubled, Leo Ash would instantly turn into a chatterbox to comfort them.
Not only that, but even in battle, he was always the one on the front lines, taking out the most difficult enemies for his companions first.
Because of this, despite not having gone on many missions, Leo Ash had received almost unanimous praise from his colleagues at other branches and at HQ.
But at the same time, Mei, who knew him well, was also keenly aware that while Leo Ash was a warm-hearted person, that wasn't the main reason he was always there to save them in time.
Leo Ash always saved them when they were on the battlefield, on the verge of turning into Herrschers.
And the fundamental reason he always arrived in the nick of time was...
—Leo Ash was, at every single moment, trying to take his revenge on the Honkai.
This was a guy who dared to face a Herrscher in Nagazora City when he had no power. Now that he had power, he would naturally charge in even more recklessly.
Even though Leo Ash was now, without a doubt, the strongest person in the world, Mei still worried that if he kept charging in so fiercely, he might slip up one day, and they wouldn't be able to reach him in time to help.
Realizing she couldn't cure Leo Ash's obsession, Mei cut off this frustrating train of thought.
As for the seemingly cheerful Wendy, she had a lot more on her mind.
Admittedly, part of the reason she was happy was that she had judged the Valkyries before her to be nothing like Otto's lackeys.
Despite everything she had been through, Wendy was, at the end of the day, still just a young girl.
Oh, and she wasn't just any young girl.
Judging from how Wendy addressed Bronya as 'Big Sister Bronya' in the story, her age was likely younger than Bronya's.
For such a young girl, after having a gem implanted in her, being discriminated against by people at her branch, kidnapped by World Serpent, and betrayed by her direct superior, making a few friends her own age was, in a way, a form of salvation.
However, that was ultimately a secondary reason.
The main reason was...
—*I thought Senior Brother was so close with them, but it turns out they've only known each other for less than four months.*
*I don't just have a chance, I have a great chance!*
*Big Sister Mei, Big Sister Bronya, Big Sister Yuna, I'm sorry for thinking this right after meeting you, but...*
*—Sorry, but Senior Brother is mine now!*
Completely oblivious to what was going through Wendy's mind, Bronya watched as Wendy sized them up with a beaming smile, feeling that something about her state was a little... off.
But today was, after all, the first time they had met. Even if Bronya noticed something strange, it wasn't appropriate to say anything at this time.
"Alright, let's end the idle chat here."
Yuna looked at her companions and the girl she had just met, her expression suddenly turning cold as she asked Wendy.
"Wendy, is it really 'safe' enough here?"
"The topic we're about to discuss with you absolutely cannot be known by anyone other than us."
"Yes, it's absolutely safe."
Seeing Yuna switch into serious mode, Wendy, knowing it was time for her to get down to business too, replied with great seriousness.
"Actually, the things I want to talk about also can't be known by others."
"Big Brother Li Pu is the leading figure of the younger generation of the Taixu Sword School. He is absolutely loyal to Shenzhou, so it's impossible for him to..."
Wendy, who was about to say that Li Pu couldn't possibly be one of Otto's lackeys, suddenly stopped herself.
She trusted Li Pu, but at a time like this, she had a feeling that just saying that man's name would bring trouble.
"Sigh, never mind. I think we should still be cautious."
Mei released her electromagnetic powers into the room, directly frying all the electronic devices within.
"After our conversation today, please tell Mr. Li Pu for me, Wendy, that I will compensate for the damages to this room."
"Oh, right..."
Seeing the flash of lightning in Raiden Mei's eyes, Wendy giggled and stuck out her tongue.
"I almost forgot Big Sister Mei is the Herrscher of Thunder."
"No, that's still not safe enough."
"Mei, put up the Imaginary Barrier."
"I was thinking the same thing."
After simultaneously extending the Imaginary Barriers around their bodies to their maximum range, the barriers merged, sealing the four of them off from the space outside.
"Mhm, this should be foolproof."
Seeing her new friends jointly set up such a 'grand formation', Wendy was basically certain that they were definitely not people she needed to be wary of.
"Sigh, in that case, I can finally say what's on my mind."
As she shifted into work mode, the smile on Wendy's face was gradually replaced by anger.
"Ladies, do you know why, even after returning to Schicksal HQ, I still tried to escape from that place?"
Listening to Wendy's opening, Mei replied matter-of-factly.
"...Isn't that normal?"
"You had the Gem of Desire implanted in you at Schicksal HQ, and because the experiment failed, your legs were crippled. It seems perfectly normal to me that you would be extremely wary of Schicksal."
"...Big Sister Mei, you're wrong."
In response to Mei's guess, an angry Wendy gently shook her head.
"You think too highly of me."
"In reality, although I have the talent to advance to S-rank, I'm well aware that my talent only lies in my control over Honkai Energy and the speed at which I learn combat techniques."
"When it comes to brains, I've never been a brilliant thinker."
Faced with Wendy's self-deprecating words, the three of them unanimously chose to continue listening.
After all, they felt that the 'main event' was about to begin.
"It's actually not like what Big Sister Mei said. Even though the Gem of Desire was implanted in my body, leaving me unable to move normally, at the time, I held almost no resentment towards the Schicksal organization."
"In my view, although the experiment failed, it was a necessary sacrifice for the greater good. As a Valkyrie, I should feel honored."
Listening to Wendy's determined words, Bronya felt a pang of guilt and couldn't bring herself to meet Wendy's gaze.
Although she had, in a broad sense, turned over a new leaf after joining Schicksal, well...
—Compared to this righteous Valkyrie who was willing to sacrifice herself to fight the Honkai, Bronya, who was still trying to use her companions even now, truly felt she was no good person.
"However, that way of thinking completely vanished on that day."
Remembering the events of that day, Wendy clenched her fists tightly, suppressing the rage that was nearly erupting from within her as she spoke.
"The reason I repeatedly confirmed and tested whether the three of you were Otto's lackeys was also because of this."
"After I was kidnapped by World Serpent and taken to their base, they, for some reason, kept trying to make me despair and turn into a Herrscher."
"But I saw through their intentions and kept telling myself that someone would definitely come to rescue me. That's how I held on until that day—twenty-four days ago!"
"On that day, when I was teleported by World Serpent to Anti-Entropy's Abyssal City, I saw someone who absolutely should not have been there."
"At first, I thought I was mistaken. But when I realized I couldn't deceive myself any longer, I faced reality and saw..."
"—Otto Apocalypse, the Bishop of Schicksal, was actually consorting with that World Serpent trash!!!!"
What?
What?
What???
After hearing Wendy spit out those words with a voice full of hatred, the three of them were instantly shocked into believing her.
That tone, a tone that made you want to grind the other person's bones to dust, was one you would only use for a mortal enemy.
Last night, after reviewing the data, the three had confirmed that Otto was a monster.
But today, after meeting the victim, Wendy, they realized they were wrong.
How could this Otto guy be even more of a monster than they had imagined???
"It seems that even though you all knew part of the truth, you never expected him to do something like this, did you?"
Seeing the utter shock in their eyes, Wendy fought to suppress her killing intent and continued.
"And that's not all. Afterwards, Otto even came up with some grandiose excuse to find a chance to silence me for good."
"If it weren't for the people from Anti-Entropy being competent enough, I might have really been taken out by Otto."
"You all know what happened next. I escaped from Abyssal City, ran into Senior Brother, got knocked out by him, and was given a shot of the legendary HSN serum before being sent to Schicksal HQ."
"But when I woke up, I no longer dared to stay in a place like Schicksal HQ."
Although Wendy herself didn't notice, the three facing her immediately saw that her words were filled not only with endless anger but also a trace of unconcealable fear.
"This place is Otto's personal dictatorship. For someone like me who knows his true face, he would absolutely find a chance to silence me."
"That's also why, as soon as I woke up, I left Schicksal HQ and headed for Shenzhou, where the 'Immortal Red Kite has returned', hoping to meet with her and seek protection."
After listening to Wendy's pitiful story, the gentle Mei softly hugged the trembling girl and patted her on the back.
"Don't be afraid, it's all over now."
"At least for now, Otto can't just pop up and get rid of us."
"Mmm, let me organize the intel."
Opening a holographic screen she had created herself, Bronya swiped her finger across it a few times, displaying the organized information for everyone.
"This is roughly the information we have now."
"And if we add in the information Wendy has..."
"1. After getting beaten up by Class Rep Fu Hua, Otto didn't dare show his face at Schicksal and could only flee HQ with the Gem of Haste."
"2. After that, he joined forces with Schicksal's enemy, World Serpent, to try and release their leader, Lord Kevin, who was trapped in the Sea of Quanta. Judging from what happened twenty-four days ago, they clearly succeeded."
"3. After that, Otto abandoned his duties as Schicksal's Archbishop, not even making contact with Schicksal HQ, something that Class Rep Fu Hua wouldn't have stopped."
"And so..."
Looking at the stunned Wendy, Bronya sighed softly.
"Wendy, I know you're shocked, but while our deductions might not be one hundred percent correct, they're at least eighty percent accurate."
After confirming several times that her eyes weren't deceiving her, Wendy slammed her hand on the coffee table in a fit of rage.
"That damn bastard, how dare he!"
"Out of the seven Herrschers that have appeared so far, he's responsible for messing with six of them. Is this guy not a mole sent by the Honkai???"
Seeing Wendy's reaction, Bronya felt a deep sense of dread—Otto's crimes absolutely could not be known by anyone else right now.
Even someone like Wendy, who already knew Otto's true nature, was utterly shocked by the things he had done.
If the other seniors at Schicksal found out about what Otto had done...
The 'Bishop Did Nothing Wrong' faction would purge them, these little 'rumor-mongers', while the 'The Bishop Was Wrong, Who Can We Trust Now' faction would probably collapse completely.
If Schicksal fell, the entire front line against the Honkai would crumble with it.
If this matter wasn't handled with extreme care, every single one of them would go down in history as a sinner.
"Wendy, calm down."
Seeing the girl who wanted to curse but couldn't find the words, Mei quickly thought of a topic to distract her.
"I heard before that Theresa, the acting Bishop, is your teacher. Now..."
"—Do you still resent her for recommending you as the subject for the Gem of Desire fusion experiment?"
"Teacher Theresa..."
After a moment of hesitation, Wendy told Mei what was truly on her mind.
"Honestly, I used to resent her a little for my legs not being able to move."
"But we in Shenzhou—"
"*You* in Shenzhou?"
Seeing the three of them looking at her suspiciously, Wendy, realizing she'd misspoken, quickly cleared her throat and said.
"Don't worry about the details. I'm the disciple of a Shenzhou immortal, so it's perfectly fine for me to call myself a person of Shenzhou—right, everyone?"
"Anyway, we have an old saying in Shenzhou: 'In life and death, there is great terror, but also great opportunity.'"
"After what happened, I thought to myself—why should I hate Teacher Theresa?"
"She was forced to recommend me. By recommending me, I at least had a chance to survive. If it had been someone else, they might have ended up like that Valkyrie senior who was rumored to have been annihilated by the Gem of Serenity, dead."
"In the end, she helplessly chose to protect her student. Instead of hating Teacher Theresa, who had no choice, I think—why hate her? The only person I hate is that bastard Otto!"
Seeing the murderous intent reappear on Wendy's face, the three were certain that Wendy was on their side.
*Sigh, now all that's left is Big Brother Leo and Class Rep.*
*It's fine if Class Rep is busy today, but where on earth did Big Brother Leo go?*
*After meeting with Miss Rita yesterday, neither Big Brother Leo nor Miss Rita returned to Schicksal HQ.*
*Leaving Miss Rita aside, given Big Brother Leo's style...*
*—Could he be dealing with something Herrscher-related again right now?*
.
Meanwhile, at the summit of Mount Taixu
Within the Phantasmagoria at the peak of Mount Taixu, Fu Hua, having achieved the great harmony of life, lay on the grass, feeling that her mood was... somewhat different from what she had imagined.
Having been treated like this by Leo Ash, Fu Hua had thought she would be too shy and resist his actions.
But after the two of them had completed their most direct form of communication, Fu Hua found that her feelings at the time were completely different from what she had anticipated.
The more intense Leo Ash's actions became, the more she enjoyed the process of being with him.
Even though both of them were in a state akin to a newborn baby in its place of birth, Fu Hua, held in Leo Ash's embrace during their intense 'duel', felt nothing but tranquility in her heart.
In all this immeasurable time, Fu Hua couldn't remember the last time she had felt even a moment of serenity.
Logically, having been treated so roughly, Fu Hua should have condemned Leo Ash's 'atrocities', including his earlier extreme actions taken without her consent.
But now, as Fu Hua turned her head to look at Leo Ash beside her, she suddenly abandoned all the thoughts she was supposed to have.
The Immortal Red Kite, her heart a placid lake, had entered a state of complete mental emptiness.
It was a bit embarrassing to admit, but right now... she...
—was really enjoying this feeling.
Leo Ash, meeting Fu Hua's gaze, said nothing. He simply mirrored her posture, waiting quietly, waiting, waiting...
Then, after they had looked at each other for a full minute, both of them burst out laughing.
"Master, are you feeling better now?"
Seeing a happy blush appear on the woman's face, Leo Ash asked Fu Hua.
"Do you still feel like your heart is filled with pressure?"
"Pressure? Something like that can't just disappear so easily, of course. But right now, more than these responsibilities, there's something else I want you to do."
"What is it?"
"Don't call me Master anymore, Leo Ash."
Moving closer to Leo Ash, Fu Hua whispered in his ear.
"I want you to call me by that name."
"Call me by my real name. My real name is..."
"Hua?"
"Mhm."
After nodding slightly, Fu Hua was about to say something more.
But in the next moment—
[Aaaargh, I've had enough! You Herrscher, how dare you, how dare you—I'll kill you!]
As the furious words erupted in her mind, Fu Hua suddenly felt the Herrscher Personality's power begin to surge uncontrollably.
Before she could say anything, Leo Ash saw the incredibly calm Fu Hua before him, her eyes suddenly turning crimson.
After Fu Hua became 'Fu Hua', tears of grievance suddenly appeared in the woman's eyes.
"Why, why didn't you reject her?!"
"Kissing, hugging, even falling in love with you."
"I was here first..."
"—From the very beginning, it was me who was here first!"