Three days later. Schicksal Headquarters
Three days after the Eighth Eruption, Rozaliya, Liliya, and Seele, who were still technically members of Anti-Entropy, felt that the situation at Schicksal Headquarters was just a little bit... off.
From the moment they arrived at Schicksal Headquarters, all three of them felt something wasn't right.
And now, after so much time had passed, even the slow-witted Rozaliya had realized it.
"Um, we're from Anti-Entropy, right?"
Glancing at the staff members coming and going, Rozaliya whispered to her sisters.
"I remember Mama Cocolia saying that Anti-Entropy and Schicksal are mortal enemies, right?"
"But now, why do I feel like all the big brothers and sisters, uncles and aunts here at Schicksal aren't treating us like we're from an enemy organization at all?"
"About that..."
[You know, it *is* a bit strange.]
Hearing Rozaliya's question, the other Seele chimed in with agreement, feeling just as puzzled.
[I was worried before that Leo Ash, being a Schicksal Knight, would be hostile to us. But now, forget Leo Ash, the entire Schicksal... doesn't seem to treat Anti-Entropy people as enemies?]
[Oh, no, wait. There might be a few.]
Sensing a few people directing slight malice towards Seele and the others, the other Seele, for once, didn't get angry.
After all, in her view, it was only normal for some people at Schicksal Headquarters to be unhappy with Anti-Entropy members.
If everyone warmly welcomed Anti-Entropy members to tour Schicksal's home base, the other Seele wouldn't feel gratified; she'd just think there was definitely something wrong with this organization.
The fact that some people were unhappy with them actually put her a little at ease.
But, this current situation...
After giving an apologetic smile to the Schicksal members who had suddenly glared at her, Seele also felt that her companions' thoughts were perfectly valid.
She was a naive little girl, but the problem was, even the most naive person could tell that the three of them were being treated far too well.
But thinking about it now, Seele felt that she probably already had the answer in her heart.
[Hah, don't tell me you think...]
"I think, it's probably because Big Brother Leo has a lot of say in the organization, so we're able to move around Schicksal safely, right?"
After giving her speculative answer, Seele whispered to her two friends beside her.
"Besides, when the Valkyrie big sisters from the Far East Branch brought us back to the headquarters today, they also said, 'These are Lord Leo Ash's orders.'"
"From that, Big Brother Leo's position in the organization might be even higher than we imagined."
"Ah, so that's how it is?"
After thinking for a moment, Rozaliya suddenly asked Liliya.
"Liliya, who's... Leo Ash again?"
"Stupid Rozaliya. Leo Ash is Isla's father."
After saying this to her sister, a strange expression appeared on Liliya's face.
"But it's normal that Rozaliya doesn't remember him, because up until now..."
"——Neither of us has actually met him even once, right?"
"Ah, you three children. Are you acquaintances of Lord Leo Ash?"
At that moment, a Schicksal staff member, having overheard the conversation between the three, smiled at them.
"If you want to see him, he probably won't have any free time today, at least."
"Aww, Big Brother Leo is that busy..."
Hearing the staff member's words, Seele couldn't stop a look of disappointment from crossing her face.
"Well, it can't be helped. Since his position in Schicksal is so high, he must have a lot of things to deal with."
"A high position... you say?"
Hearing this not-incorrect description, the Schicksal staff member's face took on a peculiar expression.
"It seems you don't know what everyone is busy with today."
"Today is Lord Leo Ash's coronation ceremony."
"After today, he will be replacing Theresa Apocalypse as the acting Archbishop. He will become the new Archbishop of Schicksal, leading us in the fight against the Honkai."
*Huh???*
[Huh???]
"Ehhhh????"
Upon hearing this news, the three girls, plus the other Seele lurking inside her, were all completely stunned.
Seele knew Leo Ash's position was high, but she never thought it would be *this* high.
*And, I remember Big Brother Leo is only seventeen, right?*
*A seventeen-year-old becoming the Archbishop of Schicksal...*
*——Is that really okay?*
...
At almost the same time. The Schicksal Archbishop's Coronation Ceremony
At the ceremony, Leo Ash, his face expressionless, truly felt...
——He was so glad he'd drawn the 'Cold, Handsome Man' Title.
Even after all he had been through, after defeating so many powerful enemies, his mindset, in the end, still couldn't be said to have matured enough.
Usually, when he was tricking those girls of the same... well, *roughly* the same age, Leo Ash felt he could only succeed by knowing their personalities and goals in advance to make judgments.
But now, he was facing not just all of Schicksal, but arguably all the anti-Honkai forces in the world.
At a time like this, even with Mind Like Still Water and Cold, Handsome Man, he felt an undeniable panic rising in his heart.
"Alright, stop panicking, Ash."
Beside Leo Ash, Wraith, who was disguised as Theresa, smiled at him.
"In a few hours, you'll be the Archbishop of Schicksal. At that point, you'll be the most powerful person in the world."
"At a time like this, others should be afraid of you, not the other way around."
"Ah, Teacher Wraith, is that how you understand this position?"
Hearing Wraith's words, Leo Ash, who had already forced himself to calm down, looked at the other staff members around them and let out a deep breath.
"The Archbishop of Schicksal is indeed the most powerful person in the world, but this position doesn't just mean power, it also means responsibility."
"Even if I already have a way to deal with our powerful enemy, that method isn't guaranteed to be 100% effective. In this situation, worrying about whether I can fulfill the responsibilities of the Schicksal Archbishop..."
At this, Leo Ash cut himself off, not continuing on the topic.
The moment he chose to accept this position and shoulder this responsibility, he had already lost the right to feel uneasy.
Although he despised Otto, he truly had to admit, Otto at least put on a good show on the surface.
This 'show' didn't just refer to Otto, a man who let the Honkai develop, pretending he wanted to fight it.
No matter what situation Otto faced, no matter how much he was panicking internally, most of the time he would choose to put on a confident, self-assured facade in front of others.
This posture not only boosted the morale of his own side but also made enemies, who might have pressed their advantage, hesitate and second-guess themselves upon seeing Otto's expression.
*From now on, I must be even stricter with myself than before, play my new role well, and not reveal the slightest flaw.*
"Ah, see? You're putting pressure on yourself again."
Seeing Leo Ash suddenly fall silent, Wraith sighed helplessly.
"Sometimes I really think you should learn a little from Otto."
"Look at Otto—used funding to make games, skipped paperwork to play games during work hours, used Soulium that could have made more weapons and protected more people to build himself a Soulium Body, just to let it gather dust here at Schicksal Headquarters."
"Learn from him, be a little more selfish. You're a person, not a precision machine. You don't need to pressure yourself like this in private."
"Ah, about that..."
Leo Ash, straightening his formal attire, said to Wraith with a blank face.
"Pressure breeds motivation."
*But you're putting way too much pressure on yourself...*
Wraith, who had been about to say this, glanced at the time and decided it was better to keep quiet for now.
After all, the new Archbishop's inauguration ceremony was about to begin.
"Lord Leo Ash, Lady Theresa, everything is ready."
"Mm. In that case..."
Giving a slight nod to the staff, Leo Ash stood at the podium and looked at the camera in front of him. His heart, contrary to expectation, gradually returned to a state of calm.
The nervousness he'd felt had vanished without a trace the moment the ceremony began.
"My colleagues in Schicksal, my allies from Anti-Entropy and Shenzhou, everyone from World Serpent, and the leaders of all nations. I believe a boring self-introduction would be a waste of everyone's time."
"Everyone who can see this ceremony today knows who I am. So, I will be brief and just say a few words."
Looking at the camera, his mind now completely calm, Leo Ash first dropped a piece of news that some had already suspected, but Schicksal had not yet fully disclosed to the public.
"The former Schicksal Archbishop, Otto Apocalypse, has already chosen to side with the Honkai for his own selfish desires."
"He has been personally executed by me. And now, after discussions with the Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, Welt Yang, and the Immortal Red Kite of Shenzhou, Fu Hua, I have signed a new pact."
"From this day forward, the day I, Leo Ash, take office as Archbishop, Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and the Shenzhou anti-Honkai organization will form a new alliance, so that we may continue to fight the Honkai."
"Any other nations interested in joining this alliance may contact Schicksal directly. We will share a portion of our technology with you, to give you the means to contribute more to the fight against the Honkai."
At this, certain people who were still thinking about how to profit were scared stiff by Leo Ash's words.
They had to understand, Schicksal's past status as 'ruler of the world' to some extent relied on its technology, which was far ahead of the rest of the world.
And now, this young man was throwing out this tempting bait on his very first day in office...
They didn't know whether to call him magnanimous or foolish.
But regardless of what they thought of Leo Ash, they could all imagine what would happen next.
The various nations, which had previously only provided Schicksal with some funds and resources, would now absolutely trample over each other to join Schicksal's new alliance.
After all, regardless of Leo Ash's true intentions, the benefits he offered were tangible.
Everyone had been hoping to get their hands on this technology, and now he was just giving it away—only a fool would refuse.
"Of course, the technology I provide to you can only be used to fight the Honkai."
As Leo Ash said this, an undisguised killing intent clearly surfaced on his cold face.
"I know some of you are definitely planning to use this technology to satisfy your own selfish desires, so I'll give you a fair warning..."
"——I, Leo Ash, can bury Otto. Naturally, I can also bury any of you preparing to harm the world."
"If anyone wants to cause trouble at this critical juncture in humanity's fight against the Honkai, then believe me, I will be the first to 'solve' you and the problem you created, together."
"As for anything else—ah, there really doesn't seem to be much need to say more."
Taking out the speech manuscript others had prepared for him and tearing it into pieces, Leo Ash dismissed his murderous expression and smiled at the camera.
"The situation is critical. If the Honkai doesn't die, we all die."
"I think everyone present understands this simple truth, so I won't waste time with any more nonsense. Just keep doing what you were doing before. Your basic work hasn't changed."
"And so, this ceremony is, for now, concluded—you can cut the feed."
Signaling a staff member to cut the worldwide broadcast, Leo Ash once again put on a slightly more serious expression.
"Alright, the nonsense for the outsiders is done. Now, it's time for me to have a good talk with everyone inside Schicksal."
"I know that even today, there are still those who think 'Otto letting the Honkai develop' is just a rumor I fabricated to seize power. And perhaps some of you believed it, and felt lost because Otto betrayed Schicksal."
"But now, I must tell you all one thing, and that is..."
"——With eleven Herrschers having already descended, the arrival of the Herrscher of Finality is inevitably near."
"Perhaps you still hold dissatisfaction towards me, hatred for Otto, or the confusion of having lost your faith. But right now..."
"——Humanity no longer has time for us to continue this 'degeneration'."
...