That night, within a certain Schicksal base.
Inside the Schicksal base, looking at the intelligence gathered today, the perpetually headache-ridden Mr. Otto now felt his Soulium head, which shouldn't be capable of pain, ache even more.
According to the footage from Schicksal HQ, Leo Ash went out to have fun with Raiden Mei and Yuna today.
In the past, Otto would have just shouted "Great!" upon seeing Leo Ash's current behavior.
After all, a month ago, Otto was worried that Sirin couldn't defeat Leo Ash, so he hoped that Leo Ash and Kiana's relationship wouldn't heat up so quickly, desperately trying to pump the brakes.
To Otto, Leo Ash going out with other girls was a sign of him pumping the brakes himself. Seeing such a thing back then would have been a relief.
But now, even after the Herrscher Personality within Kiana awakened, she was still brought back to Schicksal HQ by Leo Ash.
Under these circumstances, Otto really couldn't be sure if Kiana had become the Herrscher of the Void he needed.
Furthermore, after Kevin emerged from the Sea of Quanta, World Serpent should have put even more pressure on Leo Ash.
But now, Kevin had lost, and Leo Ash, after awakening as a Herrscher, had actually become so relaxed.
Otto didn't know that Leo Ash's relaxation was an act.
But now, as Otto tried to put himself in Leo Ash's shoes, he realized—something was wrong!
It was well-known that although Leo Ash was an avenger bent on taking revenge on the Honkai, that didn't mean he had abandoned everything for the sake of revenge.
While being an avenger, Leo Ash's actions also proved that he had always hoped to keep damage to a minimum.
After all, this person dared to tackle a Herrscher-related incident right from the start with just a tube of serum and a Stigma. From this, it's clear that Leo Ash's haste was partly motivated by the desire to protect the residents of Nagazora City.
And now, Leo Ash had been brought back from the Sea of Quanta by Bianka, and Welt had met with Theresa and other Schicksal members.
So, Leo Ash must know Otto's true identity.
After learning Otto's true identity, Leo Ash still had the mood to leisurely wander around, even doing something he had never done before, like 'asking two girls out'.
For this to happen, it either meant Leo Ash was putting on a brave face, or he truly wasn't worried about Otto's backup plans.
From a probabilistic standpoint, no matter how Otto analyzed it, he could only conclude that the former was much more likely.
But, you can never be too careful.
It was precisely because Otto underestimated Leo Ash that the situation had devolved in just four months from 'Oh, K423 has found someone important, the plan can proceed to the next step' to 'Fuck, how did things turn out like this'.
Because of the suspicion that arose in his heart, Otto spent today checking all the contingency plans he had hidden in major cities of various countries.
After checking all these plans, Otto received one piece of good news and one piece of bad news.
The good news was, he felt that Leo Ash's recent actions were probably just due to high stress, and he had been overthinking it.
As for the bad news... well, it couldn't be called bad news, more like preemptive troubleshooting.
Of all the contingency plans Otto had laid out, apart from the one in Shenzhou, none of the others had any problems.
As for why the plan in Shenzhou was discovered...
His old friend possessed the authority to manipulate consciousness.
With Fenghuang Down to assist her, Fu Hua only needed to release her authority and take a stroll around a few key locations in Shenzhou to accurately identify who Otto's spies in Shenzhou were, and then use this method to trace and uncover Otto's hidden plans there.
Otto even felt that if the Honkai wasn't still working hard to keep Fu Hua's condition unstable, she could probably disable all of Otto's plans in this regard just by taking a quick trip to other countries.
Otto, who had been busy spinning in circles during this period, probably wouldn't have discovered this. But because of his wariness of Leo Ash, he ended up discovering that his plans were becoming increasingly unreliable.
This... sigh, should I say that Leo Ash is truly a lucky charm of mine in every sense?
If I had brought him under my control earlier, perhaps...
*I can't have such weak thoughts, Otto.*
*Right now, Fu Hua's condition is just unstable. Once 'It' can no longer suppress Fu Hua's state, Fu Hua, realizing the problem in Shenzhou, will sooner or later think of searching the major cities around the world for the trump cards I've hidden.*
*Although these trump cards are ineffective against top-tier combatants, but... heh, who told you all to be the good guys?*
*Before my old friend makes a move, I must act first.*
*The acceleration of the Honkai began after the Third Eruption, so it seems that Leo Ash is the biggest variable.*
*I must launch my plan before they disable all of my contingencies.*
*Relying on the power I now command and 'Its' support, I will either seize the Herrscher of the Void and the Key of the Void, or seize the authority of the Herrscher of Binding to cripple Leo Ash.*
*As long as I can cripple Leo Ash, the Honkai will naturally stop accelerating the birth of Herrschers, and I will have more time to complete my plan.*
*As for Anti-Entropy and World Serpent...*
*World Serpent's power has already been crippled by me. Without Schicksal's support, they can't complete the Stigmata Project in a short time.*
*And with Kevin now seriously injured, Theresa would never agree to World Serpent's plan. It could be said that among the three major organizations, World Serpent is now the least threatening to me.*
*But Schicksal and Anti-Entropy have completely joined forces. The opponents I will face next time will include at least Welt, Fu Hua, Su, Leo Ash, and Bianka—five experts strong enough to give me a headache.*
*Furthermore, those young Herrscher girls, although I have prepared plans to target them, they...*
*Damn it, after being led by Leo Ash and having their inner wounds healed, even if I target them, they won't fall into despair so easily.*
*In the end, all I can do is divide the battlefield and use targeted tactics to stall for time.*
*And 'It' has hinted to me that the odds of winning this time are not as low as I imagine.*
According to Otto's original plan, he intended to leave a complete Schicksal for Theresa to command after his plan succeeded.
But now, this naive idea has been completely abandoned by Otto.
From the moment Fu Hua could potentially fly to Schicksal to suppress him, Otto could no longer openly command Schicksal.
And Schicksal, now free from Otto's control, has become a stumbling block to his plans.
When his plans were going smoothly, Otto didn't mind using gentler methods to solve problems.
But now, his plans are on the verge of bankruptcy, so...
—*I've been betraying my comrades in Schicksal from the past until now, so what does it matter if I betray Schicksal one more time?*
In his office, the old man, consumed by his obsession, looked at his Soulium body with a grim expression.
*Originally, I intended to spend a month adjusting all my Soulium bodies to their optimal state before launching the plan, but now...*
—*At most one week, I must make my move.*
*Leo Ash, don't blame me. After all...*
—*You forced my hand.*
......
Almost at the same time, Schicksal HQ.
Inside Schicksal HQ, Leo Ash and Mei, who had been enjoying their time in Shenzhou, sneakily returned to Schicksal HQ using the Quantum Teleportation System.
Upon returning to a corridor in Schicksal HQ, thinking back on his actions today, Leo Ash could only feel...
*Well, it was satisfying, but tomorrow I'll definitely be surrounded by gossipmongers.*
*Most of my colleagues here at Schicksal are good people, but being good people doesn't conflict with their love for gossip.*
Today, Leo Ash had gone out in such a rare and showy manner. By tomorrow...
*Ah, I suddenly feel like I should start working.*
*As long as I'm busy, the gossipmongers will surely retreat.*
"Um, Leo Ash."
Seeing Leo Ash standing motionless, Mei blushed and tugged at the corner of his clothes.
"How much longer... are we going to stay here?"
"Hmm, there should be no one around. I think we can go back to our rooms."
[No one around... hmph, there's indeed no one around, but why do I feel like there are eyes watching us?]
*Ah, so you're finally awake?*
[...What do you mean by that?]
Listening to the Herrscher of Thunder's clearly off-key tone, Mei followed Leo Ash while cautiously speaking to her.
*Today, I passed out several times.*
*Based on the fact that you can take over my body when I pass out, I thought you were asleep at the time.*
[...Mm, indeed. I haven't been feeling well lately. I did fall into a deep sleep after confirming everything was fine.]
*Is that really so.*
Listening to the Herrscher of Thunder's words, Mei, without suspicion, said with great regret.
*I was originally hoping to ask what Leo Ash did after I passed out.*
[...Don't ask me. The last time I spoke to him was in Nagazora City. How would I know what he does!]
[Anyway, I'm still not feeling well, so you just go ahead and spend time with your playboy lover!]
*Wait, why are you suddenly angry?*
Completely unaware of what had happened, Mei could only feel that the Herrscher Personality inside her was being a bit strange today.
As for why this was happening...
The Herrscher of Thunder indeed hadn't spoken with Leo Ash at the time.
But she had indeed taken over the body.
After all, taking over the body was already an instinct for the Herrscher of Thunder.
It was fine when Mei was sleeping. Although she was a sound sleeper, sleeping was still different from being completely unconscious.
When Mei was asleep, the Herrscher of Thunder wouldn't take over the body out of instinct.
But being unconscious was different. In many cases, unconsciousness meant danger, and to protect Raiden Mei, the Herrscher of Thunder would subconsciously take over the body after Raiden Mei passed out.
As for what happened after Mei passed out...
Well, Leo Ash, upon seeing Mei pass out, had beastly continued his impact without stopping.
If it were just that, the Herrscher of Thunder would have only thought that Leo Ash was just a starved lecher who had been pent up for too long, and at most would have cursed him under her breath.
But later on, not only did Leo Ash not stop his impact, he even pinched her nose for a long time, or kept playing with her... well...
Even on the last time, when Mei passed out for the fifth time, she vaguely heard Leo Ash's voice full of regret.
"Ah, she really didn't wake up. Oh well, can't keep tormenting Mei."
So in the end, the Herrscher of Thunder, who had been enduring that sensation all along, finally realized that this beast knew from the very beginning that she would take over the body.
The Herrscher of Thunder, having been treated this way for so long, now wanted nothing more than to draw her tachi and slash Leo Ash.
But she couldn't beat him.
It was so frustrating.
*And he was so gentle when doing it with Mei, but when it was me, he was just playing pranks.*
*Damn it, that makes it even more frustrating.*
Feeling the Herrscher of Thunder's foul mood, Mei cautiously asked her again.
*You're... really not feeling well.*
*Is this really okay?*
[...Of course, it's okay. I'm not you, getting done in until you passed out five times.]
*Wait.*
Catching a specific number, Mei suddenly asked with a hint of confusion.
*I didn't say how many times I passed out. How did you know how many times I passed out in the end?*
[...I guessed!]
*Could it be...*
*Um, are you still there?*
Discovering that the Herrscher of Thunder had gone completely silent, Mei felt like she had vaguely guessed the correct answer.
*Could it be that she was awake the whole time?*
"Mei."
After escorting Mei to her room door, Leo Ash said to her softly.
"You must be tired today, get some good rest."
"Mm, okay, good night."
The conversation between them was no different from any other day.
But feeling the love contained in Leo Ash's words, Mei suddenly took the initiative to hug him and kiss his lips.
After they separated again, Mei said to Leo Ash with a blush.
"See you tomorrow... darling."
After saying this, Mei immediately opened her room door and hid inside.
"See you tomorrow... huh?"
After watching his partner leave, the blissful smile on Leo Ash's face gradually faded.
*Happy times are always short.*
*With Otto not making a move, I can't just keep waiting either.*
*I'll rest well today. Starting tomorrow, I need to contact Su and prepare for the counterattack.*
The intelligence advantage I had as a transmigrator is no longer up to date.
But if it's him...
—*He can probably give me a satisfactory answer.*
.