Looking at the unconscious Wraith, Leo Ash knew that what she needed now was not physical healing, but mental comfort.
Her current state of being 'physically unharmed but not waking up' was, in Leo Ash's eyes, quite similar to Rita's previous condition.
Previously, the Wraith had told Leo Ash that the reason Rita had slept for so long was because she usually only slept four hours a day, constantly pushing herself as a Valkyrie to save others.
But thinking back now, Leo Ash, who knew that Rita had long suspected something was wrong with Otto, felt that the Wraith's judgment had been mistaken.
The idea that an 'iron woman' like Rita would be so exhausted that she wouldn't want to wake up... the reason itself sounded rather strange.
Rather than Rita being too tired to move, Leo Ash felt that her failure to awaken at that time was, to some extent, due to a psychological blow.
For a warrior whose mentor had been dead for several years and who had long since gotten back on her feet to continue fighting, what else could possibly worsen her mood?
[Of course there is. For example, a disobedient adoptive brother who always wants to run off and play outside.]
...Alright, I can't deny that. I'm definitely one of the reasons.
But, if I am one reason, then Otto must be another.
Sister Rita is not like Bianka. She's too smart, and she's been exposed to far too much information that ordinary Valkyries don't have access to.
Under these circumstances, it's perfectly understandable that she would gradually become aware of Otto's true intentions.
When facing a strong enemy, she might not think too much.
But after being injured and falling into a deep sleep, it's not impossible that Rita's mood soured, even falling into a state of despair, for the reason that 'our own leader has no intention of fighting the Honkai'.
Although Teacher Wraith's strength is not on par with Rita's, as Schicksal's ace agent and head of intelligence, the information she possesses is definitely more extensive than Sister Rita's.
Under these circumstances, she gets injured and doesn't wake up...
Was it because Otto pulled out the Judgment of Shamash this time and failed to kill her in one shot, allowing her to see the Divine Key and his identity?
Or was it that after discovering some information she shouldn't have, the Wraith was certain that the disguised person before her was Otto, and then despaired for the reason that 'dammit, the Archbishop is leading the charge to surrender to the Honkai and even came to HQ to kill loyal subjects, what's the point of me fighting anymore'?
Sigh, I'll try using Phantasmagoria to see if I can wake her up.
If that doesn't work, then I'll have to ask my Master for help.
"Bianka, you should head out for now."
Looking at his still-sleeping mentor, Leo Ash said quietly to Durandal.
"I'll think of a way to see if I can get Teacher Wraith to recover."
"Alright. Leo, don't worry too much about these things."
Looking at the calm expression on Leo Ash's face, Durandal said with some concern.
"Senior Wraith's physical injuries have already been healed by me. Under these circumstances, she'll wake up sooner or later."
"Mmm, I know."
*Sigh, I hope you really do know.*
Durandal, wanting to console him, found herself at a loss for credible words.
*There's nothing for it. I'm not good with words and my brain isn't sharp. It's better for me to say less at times like this to avoid making things worse.*
*Besides, those of us who have the specific details pretty much know who the culprit is.*
*Fourteen years ago, he killed my mother.*
*Fourteen years later, he tried to kill Senior Wraith.*
*And these are just the betrayals we know of. In the times we haven't seen, that man has surely betrayed everyone in Schicksal countless times.*
*Bishop, you are truly as you said yourself, you are a 'Medea'.*
*In that case, I will follow the words you once told me and will not sympathize with you, this 'witch'.*
After Durandal left, Leo Ash activated Phantasmagoria, covering the Wraith's body with it.
He knew that Durandal was trying to tell him that the Wraith's injuries had healed, and that as long as they waited for her to wake up, she should be fine.
Leo Ash wasn't at fault in this matter, so he didn't need to blame himself too much.
But the problem was, just because the Wraith's physical injuries had healed didn't mean she hadn't been hurt.
While blaming himself, Leo Ash also felt his usual killing intent towards Otto ignite.
*Now that Otto is away, and I have sufficient strength, it's time for me to set my own plans in motion.*
After enveloping the Wraith's body with Phantasmagoria, Leo Ash immediately discovered one thing.
The Wraith's cognition had been altered.
*Fenghuang Down... as expected.*
*But something of this level is no longer a threat to me, now that I can skillfully wield the power of Phantasmagoria.*
After erasing the power of Fenghuang Down, Leo Ash entered the Wraith's consciousness and began to try to awaken his mentor from the spiritual level.
But just as he was about to delve deeper into her consciousness, Leo Ash discovered...
"Huh? Ash?"
In the real world, the Wraith woke up on her own.
"Where am I..."
Seeing the woman clutching her head and moaning, Leo Ash let out a soft sigh of relief.
"Teacher Wraith, as long as you're okay, I can rest easy."
"How am I okay? It hurts so much!"
Hearing Leo Ash's words, the Wraith, as if triggered by a keyword, began to roll around frantically on the bed.
"Aaaah! That damn spy! How dare he shoot me!"
"...Teacher, everyone knows that person was Otto."
"Ah, is that so."
Hearing Leo Ash's words, the Wraith, who had just been rolling around frantically, immediately sat up on the bed with a serious expression and said to him.
"That old dog was exposed that quickly?"
"The Judgment of Shamash. A Judgment of Shamash with that kind of elemental output that can't kill an A-rank Valkyrie can only be a fake mimicked by Void Archives."
Listening to the information Leo Ash provided, the Wraith, who now fully remembered what had happened last night, had a shadow cross her face.
"That's true... That old dog really isn't even pretending anymore."
"Mmm, wait a minute."
Realizing something, the Wraith looked at Leo Ash in utter shock.
"You, don't tell me you knew all along that this old dog was no good?"
"I've known for a long time. It's just... no one would have believed me if I said it before."
*That's true.*
*If I hadn't encountered these things, hadn't investigated those past records, and Ash had told me this, I would have only thought he had been mind-controlled to slander Otto.*
"When did you find out his true colors... Never mind, it's not important anymore."
Shaking her head slightly, the Wraith muttered to herself.
"According to the information I've seen in the database, for a Herrscher Host to become a Herrscher, one of the most necessary components is emotional despair."
"You are the Herrscher of Binding now, which is enough to prove that you were in a state of despair before."
"I always thought that this despair was an emotion born from your failure to save your parents, but now it seems..."
"This despair, could it be related to Otto?"
*What can I say?*
"Teacher Wraith, you're too smart."
After saying this with a sense of resignation, Leo Ash pulled over a chair and sat in front of the Wraith, telling her something he had never told anyone else.
"I knew about these things much earlier than you all imagine."
"It's just that at the time, I thought that although Otto was rotten, the organization of Schicksal was good."
"Whether it was to fight the Honkai or to seek revenge, joining Schicksal was my best choice."
Watching the calm narrator before her, the Wraith didn't interrupt, but chose to listen quietly.
"Of course, you all know what happened next. I learned my skills under your training, and then, behind your and Sister Rita's backs, I participated in that mission in Nagazora City."
"During the mission in Nagazora City, after discovering that my comrades were being picked off one by one by Cocolia's subordinates, a thought began to surface uncontrollably in my mind..."
"—With Otto as the Archbishop of Schicksal, is there really any meaning in me striving to do all this?"
At this point, a bitter smile appeared on Leo Ash's face.
"Looking back on it, maybe my consciousness was already being corrupted by the Honkai at that time, and I was starting to think and be guided in a bad direction."
"But objectively speaking, in Otto's eyes, our group of people would only be divided into [important chess pieces] and [unimportant chess pieces]."
"And with K423 being fine, he probably didn't care much whether the rest of us pawns lived or died."
"Realizing that this bastard could do whatever he wanted while I couldn't even resist him, I, who was being secretly corrupted by the Honkai, gradually fell into despair in Nagazora City."
"Although I eventually used a special method to suppress this despair and interrupt the advent of the Herrscher of Binding, this despair was only suppressed, it never disappeared."
"This suppressed despair, after I came to Otto's attention and was forced to clean up his messes, didn't deepen, but only grew with each passing day."
"Perhaps in some people's eyes, I despaired because of Kevin's sword strike, but in reality..."
"—That despair had jack squat to do with Kevin."
"Kevin's sword strike was less of a catalyst and more of a switch that made me fully awaken, unleashing all my accumulated despair at once."
"Teacher Wraith, your guess was not wrong."
"The key reason I became the [Herrscher of Binding] is because of Otto Apocalypse."
Although Leo Ash only had a slight, bitter smile on his face as he said these words now, if she put herself in his shoes for just a moment, the Wraith was now left with only one thought.
*This kid, it's a real miracle he hasn't gone insane.*
*Or rather—how have you not only not gone insane, but are even able to maintain your self-awareness as a Herrscher and fight for humanity?*
After this thought formed in her mind, the Wraith suddenly realized something.
*Fighting for humanity?*
*That might be the wrong answer.*
*Leo Ash's actions may not be for the sake of humanity, but simply to fight against the Honkai.*
*His values dictate that he will try his best not to harm others while fighting the Honkai, but that doesn't mean the order of priority has changed.*
*Perhaps it's not 'how has he not gone insane yet' but 'he went insane long ago' and we just didn't see it.*
After the end of the Fourth Eruption, the Wraith had once asked Leo Ash in a bar to 'wear that mask well' to inspire others.
*But looking back now, how presumptuous I was.*
*He didn't need my reminder at all. Ash had been wearing the mask from the very beginning.*
*Bearing such despair, yet because he brought hope to others, he had to disguise himself to encourage the others in the organization to keep fighting...*
—*What kind of hellish joke is this?*
"Alright, let's not make the atmosphere so heavy."
Seeing that the Wraith was clearly starting to enter 'overthinking' mode, Leo Ash suddenly smiled and placed his hands on her shoulders.
"The fact that I'm saying all this today means that I've long since thrown any despair into another dimension."
"Right now, I'm the strongest in Schicksal. Not only can that bastard Otto not cause any trouble, he's so scared he doesn't even dare to return to Schicksal HQ."
"I'm completely fine now. You just focus on recovering, Teacher—after all, there's still a ton of work to be done, and as Schicksal's head of intelligence, you don't have much time to rest either."
*Sigh, still smiling.*
*The question is, how much of that smile right now is real?*
After Leo Ash finished speaking, a character profile template suddenly popped up from the System.
[Name: Wraith]
[Identity: Schicksal A-rank Valkyrie, Head of Schicksal Intelligence, your teacher in espionage.]
[Current Affection: 40]
[Note: Her attributes overlap with Fu Hua's, but she can switch between being busty and flat-chested. Look at how her heart aches for you after all that imagining. Go for it, Host!]
*Go for it my ass. How can you still be thinking about that in this atmosphere?*
[What else? Should I follow the oppressive mood you two have going on and make it even more depressing?]
[Forget it. Cheer up. After all, in a little while...]
[You probably won't be able to laugh anymore.]
*Wow, those are some scary words.*
*But the problem is, besides Diabolic Kevin and False God Otto, no one is a match for me anymore.*
*Diabolic Kevin needs to camp to recover his energy, and False God Otto lacks the opportunities to descend upon this world. Under these circumstances...*
—*You're not trying to say Finality is coming, are you?*
[Well, this system can't say anything about things further down the line. In short...]
[—Do your best to stay alive, Host.]
[The mood is already at this point. It wouldn't be right if you didn't win some spectacular battles.]
....