North Africa — Maghreb
"Long live World Serpent—"
Leaning casually against a wall covered in black Honkai crystallization, Otto Apocalypse chuckled faintly as he faced the emotionless man before him.
Of course, Kevin showed no reaction at all.
"A joke, just a joke," Otto continued smoothly. "Let's get to the real conversation. Welcome, leader of the World Serpent. We finally met face-to-face.
Otto Apocalypse — Overseer of Schicksal. Though you arrived a bit later than I hoped, waiting has never been difficult for me. After all, I know quite a bit about you."
His golden eyes gleamed.
"The Hero of the Previous Era who fought the Herrschers.
The progenitor of the Kaslana bloodline.
The executor of the Stigmata Project—"
"That is enough."
Kevin cut him off without a hint of emotion.
"I'm not here to listen to your meaningless chatter. I came here for one thing only — your cooperation with the Stigmata Project."
Otto stopped smiling.
He expected this.
"Then state your price," Otto said softly. "Requests require payment. What will you offer for my assistance?"
"I am not negotiating," Kevin replied coldly. "Obey, or be destroyed. Those are your two options."
For an instant, Otto went silent.
Then—
He laughed.
"No, no… that's not a wise approach. Surely even you understand — the current world still rests upon Schicksal's framework. Imagine it: if Schicksal exhausts every resource, every weapon, every Valkyrie to wage war against the World Serpent…"
His tone dropped, uncharacteristically earnest.
"We would lose.
But you would lose something far more irreplaceable — time."
Kevin's eyes narrowed slightly.
Otto pressed on.
"And without time, you cannot complete the Stigmata Project before the end descends. You know that. Better than anyone."
Kevin fell silent.
For the first time, he reconsidered.
"…Your conditions?" he asked at last.
Otto smiled.
He had won the first step.
"I want the Second Divine Key — Key of Transcendence, Sumeru's Thousandfold World. Specifically, its locator. Only with that can I activate its Zero Rated Power."
He raised a hand.
"I will use it to open a gate — one that leads toward the Imaginary Tree itself."
Kevin watched him, unreadable.
"And in exchange," Otto continued, "you'll have everything you want: stability, resources… and most importantly, time. I will even disappear from your path entirely. But there is one more thing—"
Otto leaned forward.
"If you can obtain Xuvoid Wanzang, you'll possess the perfect puppet — something that can control Schicksal even after I step aside. It is currently in the hands of the Fourth Herrscher.
I will retrieve it… or, if you're willing, you may try."
Kevin went silent for several long seconds.
He understood the weight of Otto's proposal.
The Fourth Herrscher — unpredictable, bizarre, terrifyingly powerful.
The reborn Second Herrscher — now possessing unfathomable Honkai energy.
And whatever other unknown Herrschers the future would bring.
They were running out of time.
Finally—
"Fine," Kevin said. "But the exchange happens in Arc City."
Otto's smile deepened.
"A wise choice. I planned to go there as well."
Sky City — Hyperion
"…I understand," Einstein said slowly after Teresa's briefing. "But Hua… this isn't normal."
The meeting room was silent.
Einstein tapped her pen against the table lightly.
"She behaves differently. Her mannerisms, her attitude… everything feels altered. There is Herrscher energy around her, but unlike the others — she hasn't lost her identity, nor shown hostility toward humans."
Teresa sighed.
"I'm just as confused. She's been recovering at Schicksal since the injury she took fighting the Fourth Herrscher… but somehow she came back like that."
A mix of exasperation and worry flashed in her eyes.
But that still wasn't the most pressing concern.
"Kiana and Mei…" Teresa muttered. "We have to find them."
Just then—
Crash—
Tesla burst into the room holding a tablet.
"Teresa! I found your ship!"
Teresa immediately stood up.
"Really?!"
Tesla nodded sharply.
"With Anti-Entropy's satellite tracking, we confirmed a transport vessel flew out of Sky City shortly after the incident. It headed toward Africa. But—"
She tapped the screen.
"The Second Herrscher intercepted it mid-flight and dragged it into the Imaginary Space."
Teresa froze.
"How… how could this be…"
But Tesla wasn't finished.
"Wait—new satellite data just came through…"
Her expression tightened.
"Second Herrscher sighted again.
Location—Arc City."
Teresa's eyes widened.
"Arc City?!"
What in the world is happening now?
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