Is it her?! No... it's her!! (cont.)

Even though Otto reacted at top speed, he didn't even have time to pull the trigger before Fu Hua knocked his weapon out of his hand.

"Wait! Old friend, I—"

"What do you mean, 'you'?"

Seeing the Void Archive being sent flying, Fu Hua's eyes turned bloodshot as she spoke to Otto with immense anger.

"You scoundrel, you were definitely up to no good!"

"You actually manifested the Flame-Chaser's Judgment during the negotiations—it seems you really want to test your skills against me."

You were the one who unleashed your murderous intent first; this is entrapment!

Otto, however, is now too afraid to provoke Fu Hua any further.

He genuinely didn't understand what had happened to Fu Hua.

Everything was fine before, so why did she suddenly unleash such murderous intent?

"I'm innocent!"

Looking at Fu Hua in front of him, Otto said in a panic.

"Crimson Heron Immortal, I really didn't lie!"

"You're talking nonsense! Haven't you told enough lies in your life?"

"Inch Force - Mountain Collapse!"

Facing Otto, who was clearly flustered, Fu Hua lightly jumped up and delivered a knee strike to Otto's neck.

The Cun Xin Fist Style should have been an extremely powerful fist technique.

However, in front of Fu Hua, a martial arts master, it is not difficult to achieve the effect of a boxing punch with a knee strike.

The moment the blow struck Otto 'Otto neck, a disturbing cracking sound emanated from it.

Sensing something was wrong, Otto simply gave up resisting.

Giving up resistance didn't mean Otto decided to admit his mistakes and accept punishment. It was mainly because he felt that he couldn't beat Fu Hua, who was still angry, anyway, so he might as well just get beaten up and let Fu Hua calm down.

Besides, this is clearly an opportunity for Otto.

At this moment, Otto had already activated the program that was prepared in his mind.

The first procedure was the one Otto had prepared to set up in this room.

For Otto, getting beaten up isn't a big problem.

Anyway, he had already backed up his consciousness in the computer of Schicksal, and after his 'death', he would use the Soul Steel Body he had prepared in advance to load the consciousness stored in the computer and complete his 'rebirth'.

For Otto, death was death; it wasn't like he was really dead anyway.

Compared to the trivial matter of whether he is "dead" or not, Otto was more concerned about preventing the Void Archive from falling into the hands of others.

The Void Archive, which had transformed into Mimicry: Judgment of Shamash, suddenly had a gap appear in the metal ground where it was located, swallowing the Void Archive.

The other program, of course, is Otto's improved memory storage program.

The program that Otto created fourteen years ago could not perform real-time backup and storage of data on the computer.

That's why, after meeting the 'Honkai God', he immediately returned to the Schicksal Headquarters and told Amber not to activate the Rebirth Program.

Fourteen years have passed; how could Otto possibly make the same mistake again?

Otto was not only a schemer, but also an excellent gamer.

As a gamer, I certainly know the importance of real-time saving.

"Inch Force - Heaven-Splitting!"

With Fu Hua's roar, Otto, whose neck had been broken, was then slammed into the ground by Fu Hua's punch.

Before he 'died,' Otto had already backed up his memories, successfully leaving his previously devised plan in Schicksal's computer.

Old friend... no, Fu Hua.

Now that you've made your decision, there's no need for me to keep backing down.

Let you be smug for a few days. As for the Schicksal Headquarters... heh, what's wrong with giving it to you and Su?

My future plans will require the strength of the Schicksal to execute, but for now, I'll leave this place under your control.

You unilaterally broke our agreement, so be it.

After all, I've found a more suitable ally now.

After defeating Otto, Fu Hua felt an incomparably exhilarating sensation.

Yes, I did nothing wrong.

Rather, I should have smashed Otto's head in a long time ago!

At that moment Fu Hua, after revealing a joyful smile, saw Amber bursting into the 'murder scene'.

"What? It's Amber."

Otto's cyborg lackey... Well, killing Otto today is enough, let her go for now.

After suppressing her murderous intent, Fu Hua spoke to Amber in a commanding tone.

"Go and tell everyone that I have killed Otto."

"Starting today..."

"—This Schicksal is up to me!"

Amber, who already had a guess in mind, naturally took immediate action.

First, she secretly initiated the Rebirth Program, and then...

Amber, who had secretly started the program, received a brain communication from Otto after the program failed to start.

[Stabilize the situation. Let Fu Hua do whatever she wants; I will continue my operations from the shadows.]

So that's how it is. As expected of Lord Otto, he had already prepared everything in advance.

He doesn't need me to initiate the Rebirth Program at all... It seems that Lord Otto has his own plans.

Then I'll do as Lord Otto says.

"I understand, Archbishop Fu Hua..."

After seeing the obvious satisfaction on Fu Hua's face, Amber calmly said to Fu Hua.

"I will go and inform everyone that from today onwards, Bishop Otto will abdicate and hand over the reins to you. You are the one who will be the rightful leader of our Schicksal."

"Wait, something's not right!"

Looking at the very calm Amber, Fu Hua suddenly sensed that something was wrong.

"Otto is dead, so why are you still so calm?"

"This, that..."

Although Amber is Otto's secretary, she is, in a sense, a 'descendant of Kallen's and clearly has no particular talent in acting.

Stunned by the question, Amber broke out in a cold sweat and immediately sensed that something was wrong.

"There really is something fishy going on!"

Looking at the Amber in front of her, Fu Hua stomped her foot on the ground in a fit of rage and said angrily.

"Otto's death was too easy; there must be something fishy about it!"

"Hmph, he definitely hasn't escaped the Schicksal Headquarters yet, so..."

"I'll dig three feet into the ground to find you!"

"Bishop Fu Hua! What exactly are you planning to do?"

"Huh? This is my territory, isn't it?"

After revealing a sinister smile, 'Fu Hua' spoke calmly to Amber.

"So, since this is my territory, then..."

"—To find Otto, even if we tear this place down, no one will object, right?"

It's over, it's all over.

Lord Otto, you've bullied Lady Fu Hua too much. She's really gone mad now.

Seeing Fu Hua break through the ceiling, Amber immediately contacted Rita and Durandal, who were still waiting at Schicksal Headquarters.

"Lady Rita! Durandal! Fu Hua has gone mad and may very well launch a devastating attack on Schicksal Headquarters!"

"... What did you say?"

Upon hearing Amber's sudden news, even Rita, who usually maintained a dignified demeanor, could not hide the surprise on her face.

"Didn't she just go and meet with Bishop Otto a few minutes ago? No, where is Bishop Otto?"

"Well, you might not believe it, but..."

After walking to Otto's 'corpse', Amber spoke to Rita and Durandal.

"Your Excellency, we have just been assassinated."

"And the culprit is, of course, Lady Fu Hua, who might be causing trouble now."

Meanwhile, near the Schicksal Headquarters

Lin Yu, aboard the transport plane, felt truly uneasy.

Is the system present or not?

What do you think?

This... this is something I wasn't even prepared to enter the battle rounds??

[Oh, that's true. The reward mechanism won't trigger either, since you don't really need to face a survival crisis for the foreseeable future.]

This is a good thing, but why am I so panicked?

At that moment, Lin Yu suddenly remembered something.

Because Fu Hua had shown a resentful look in her eyes, Lin Yu hadn't bothered to investigate the strange favorability rating of 55+25.

But now...

Do you want to see it?

Of course, I just feel...

Name: Fu Hua

[Identity: One of the Thirteen Heroes of the Previous Era, the Crimson Heron Immortal of Shenzhou, A-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, your master, and the Herrscher of Reason of this era.]

Current favorability: 60+30

[Note: Is it her?! No... it's her!!]

Holy crap!!!

Something's not right, why did things turn out like this?

"Mike! Speed up! Get to Schicksal Headquarters as fast as you can! And tell me the Schicksal Headquarters Honkai Energy level there!"

"Huh? Lin Yu, why are you suddenly so flustered?"

Following Lin Yu's instructions, Mike accelerated the transport plane to its maximum speed while looking at the Honkai Energy intensity detector on the plane.

"With Durandal and Lady Rita at headquarters, even if Herrscher appears... what the heck?????????"

Mike, who had originally intended to let Lin Yu close his eyes and rest for a few minutes, was completely dumbfounded when he saw the sudden surge in Honkai Energy.

"Wait, the Honkai Energy intensity is really surging!"

"This, this, this—isn't it a bit too much to jump straight to 999HW?!"

Oh no, something really has happened.

The Herrscher of Reason has taken over Fu Hua's body... Logically speaking, this shouldn't be the case.