Chapter 380

"As expected of Dr. Einstein, he always manages to find my weaknesses. But this isn't good... All you need to know is that if I succeed, the world will grant humanity an extra five hundred years to fight the Honkai. The price will be that all mortals during those five hundred years, except for those present today, will be returned to their unborn state."

As for this communication itself, you should understand it as an opportunity I am giving you all—an opportunity to uphold the values of fair competition.

Chapter 133

"... Understood. We will do as you wish and defeat you seriously."

Much calmer than Tesla's reaction, Theresa looked at Otto on the screen and said these words very formally. Wasn't he just hoping for a reaction? Well, Theresa would give him that reaction and stop him from doing everything he wanted. Wasn't that their purpose in coming here? Everything was just back to the beginning.

Theresa has always had this resolve to fight against Otto.

[Hahaha... very good, very good, quite excellent, my dear granddaughter. Your reaction is even better than I expected. So, like last year, once you get serious, be a doer. This is a necessary event for the succession of the Bishop of Schicksal, Theresa. I will be waiting for you at the church at a leisurely pace. Goodbye.]

Looking at Theresa with approval, he thought that his granddaughter had grown into a qualified leader. Shen Gonglin served as the symbol to unite everyone, while Theresa was absolutely capable of managing the entire Schicksal. In a sense, Shen Gonglin was equivalent to the "Saintess" of that time, and Theresa was equivalent to himself. When he succeeded as the Bishop of Schicksal, he also launched a rebellion against the bishop at the time. Isn't the current situation exactly the same as it was back then?

Having done everything he wanted, the outgoing bishop of Schicksal resorted to his old tricks once again. After expressing his intentions, he unilaterally cut off communication. His words were like nails driven into everyone's hearts: the agreement to destroy time, history, and the Will of Honkai. In the final twelve hours, every key point he left behind far exceeded everyone's comprehension.

"Alright, now you can let go of me, right? Seriously, it's infuriating to let that guy spout such nonsense and then swagger away. What should we do now? How about we unleash our full power and rush over to drag Otto out?"

Having broken free from Kiana and Bronya's restraints, Shen Gonglin brushed off imaginary dust from his clothes and looked at the group in front of him. Strategizing wasn't his Shen Gonglin; he was more inclined to act recklessly.

No wonder Rita is Shen Gonglin's personal maid. These two are actually the same; they both seem smart but are actually quite impulsive.

"Shen Gonglin, calm down. I want to confirm something first... Einstein, Dr. Tesla, the Will of Honkai, are we really completely ignorant of beings with these names?"

After calming Shen Gonglin, Theresa asked in a deep voice, "Otto's words just now left many questions that are of great concern to us. Theresa is particularly concerned about the issue of the Will of Honkai. What does it mean that Grandpa said he reached an agreement with the Will of Honkai?"

"Unfortunately, from a technical point of view, that is indeed the case. Although the core of the Herrscher of Reason blocked the communication between Welt and the Will of Honkai, making him Herrscher who fought for humanity from the very beginning... on the other hand, it also deprived Anti-Entropy of the opportunity to study the Will of Honkai in any way."

Tesla shrugged helplessly. The only way Anti-Entropy could study the Will of Honkai was through the Herrscher of Reason Core that Welt once possessed. However, because of this, Anti-Entropy's research on the Will of Honkai was really no match for Schicksal.

"I understand. In other words, under the current circumstances, we should perhaps err on the side of caution and take their claims with a grain of salt."

Theresa frowned slightly. The current situation was indeed not good for them. They really had no way to deal with the Will of Honkai.

"Or... should I try to trick the Herrscher of Consciousness out of here and ask him?"

Fu Hua raised her hand and made the suggestion. As for the so-called Honkai Consciousness, of course, only the Herrscher herself would understand it best. The honest Fu Hua came up with this idea, while Shen Gonglin secretly twitched the corner of her mouth. Shibao had been talking to her about it for a long time. In the Domination Theater, she was scammed by Fu Hua and had her power stolen, which made this Fu Hua, who was like Fu Sansui, so angry that she ran away from home to clear her mind. Now Fu Hua was actually thinking of deceiving her again?

You can't bully honest people like this. Even Shen Gonglin has trouble contacting her now.

As expected, under everyone's expectant gaze, Fu Hua closed her eyes for a long time before finally shaking her head. It seems there's still no way.

"Well, sometimes things like this happen on the battlefield. No commander in the world has the ability to control all strategies at all times. Sometimes, a decisive battle is unavoidable. Let's go. We'll discuss the attack tactics as we go. The only thing we can decide now is that we must take action."

Theresa made the decision, and after the Hyperion was raised to the highest alert level, the usually quiet inner cabin passageway was now filled with tense and noisy sounds.

As if by prior arrangement, Shen Gonglin walked at the front, with Theresa close behind him. The group of people who walked out of the bridge looked at the gray sky with heavy hearts. The decisive battle was about to begin.

Theresa delivered a tense and brief strategic plan, which Tesla found quite surprising. He thought it didn't make sense.

"Wait a minute, split up our forces? Wouldn't that weaken our advantage?!"

Tesla was quite surprised when Theresa said that they should split their forces. Why would she make such an arrangement? Wouldn't that be giving up their advantage? Tesla felt that they should concentrate their superior forces to break into the church and beat Otto to a pulp. That would be more in line with Tesla's combat aesthetics!

"Dr. Tesla, this enemy is no ordinary foe. We must first ascertain his strengths and weaknesses with the utmost caution."

Einstein explained helplessly, "Admittedly, Tesla's idea is simple and effective, but in this situation, we must carefully consider all possibilities. Dividing the operations among ourselves is a reasonable approach."

"Hmph! In my opinion, that guy's emphasis on twelve hours was just a delaying tactic. We should concentrate all our fighting force in one place, use the Hyperion to prepare the firepower first, then break through directly from the nearest road, capture that church in one fell swoop, and then beat Otto to a pulp. That way, everything will be solved."

Tesla waved his little fist, and Shen Gonglin listened from the side, nodding repeatedly. The others, however, remained silent. Just how much did those two want to beat Otto to a pulp? Calling them over to discuss countermeasures seemed a bit inappropriate. Did they think this was a game of military chess, where beheading the enemy commander was all that mattered?

Chapter 134 Operation Plan

"Please calm down, Dr. Tesla. After all, we're not playing chess here. If you keep going like this, you'll blow up all the other Schicksal -related personnel still in town. If nothing unexpected happens, these people will eventually become Shen Gonglin's subordinates and our colleagues. Dr. Tesla, you don't want to be labeled as tyrannical by your colleagues before you've even started, do you?"

Having effectively stopped Tesla's "tyranny," Einstein had much to consider. If Shen Gonglin succeeded Schicksal, they would not only have no reason to continue their rivalry with Schicksal, but this would also be the best opportunity for Schicksal and Anti-Entropy to unite. On Anti-Entropy's side, she and Tesla, the two executors, were already in the shape of Shen Gonglin. Although Cocolia was dismissed, her pro-war foundation remained, and she would definitely support her son-in-law. Welt was sidelined... well, no, he wouldn't have any objections. So, from any perspective, this was not the most suitable solution.

"Moreover... we actually know nothing about Otto's true hand yet. If we rashly start a decisive battle, we may unexpectedly face some risks that we cannot predict."

Her tone remained languid. There were some reasons Einstein couldn't fully explain right now; after all, she had her pride. To openly admit that she wanted to be a traitor... she wasn't one of those shameless Valkyrie from Schicksal.

"Huh? He only stole the power of a Herrscher of Domination, right? We've already defeated the real Herrscher of Domination, are we going to be afraid of a knock-off?"

Tesla raised an eyebrow. She felt that Einstein was making a mountain out of a molehill. They had the Herrscher of Flamescion, the Herrscher of Reason, the Flame-Chaser, the Valkyrie, and Shen Gonglin on their side. Their lineup was incredibly strong. How could they possibly be afraid of Otto having any backup plans?

"Don't forget, Dr. Tesla ... Although it may sound a bit demoralizing, the man we're facing is named Otto Apocalypse. The suffering we've endured against him is perhaps more than the amount of coffee beans needed to make a strong cup of coffee."

It wouldn't be excessive to value Otto, and Tesla clearly understood Einstein's meaning. However, she was still somewhat uneasy about letting the girl abandon her decapitation strategy so easily. She really wanted to keep Otto's head hanging on the wall, but Einstein's words did indeed make sense...

"Theresa, what do you think? Don't pay too much attention to that guy with the Chicken Coop Head. You are the real commander here who is responsible for formulating the battle plan."

Wanting to find some allies, Tesla looked expectantly at Theresa. In fact, this kind of thing should be done by Shen Gonglin, and he would have no objections if he did it. However, this guy is really not good at this kind of thing, or rather, he is not ready to be a commander. As the saying goes, "an incompetent general can ruin an entire army. "Shen Gonglin is aware of this, and it is better for him to keep quiet at this time.

"Well... Dr. Tesla, I actually agree more with Einstein's idea. At present, we have only detected the movements of those Soul Steel replicants, but they are just puppets of the other side. Perhaps we can handle the power of the Herrscher of Domination with ease, but right now we know nothing about the movements of the S-rank Valkyrie or the agreement reached between the other side and the Honkai Consciousness."

Theresa glanced at Tesla apologetically. As a qualified commander, Theresa had to consider many things, especially since the enemy was her own grandfather. Theresa had to concentrate even more on considering any possible scenarios.

"Therefore, in my view, our operation must now be divided into two phases. In the first phase, we should indeed divide our forces and explore while fighting, trying to find out as much as possible about the enemy's strengths and weaknesses before the decisive battle. In this way, in the second phase, after regrouping our forces, we can engage the enemy in the final decisive battle in a more solid and methodical manner."

Theresa's arrangement was reasonable and well-organized, Tesla couldn't find any point to refute it. She preferred a blitzkrieg-style approach to end the battle quickly and effectively. After all, the other side had said he was in the church, so they should gather the Hyperion's main guns and blow up the church right now. But it seemed that no one was willing to cooperate with her tactic.

"Dr. Tesla, I understand what you mean, but tactics like Blitzkrieg require a huge intelligence advantage as support, and intelligence is exactly what we lack most right now. In other words, the tactics you proposed are too risky for us at present."

Finally, Einstein reached a conclusion. Tesla clenched her fists in frustration, while Shen Gonglin reached out and patted her head to soothe her. Reassured by Shen Gonglin, Tesla finally gave up her insistence. Well, since they all said so, then it's fine.

"Alright, I reserve my opinion. You do have your reasons. I'll just revise the plan according to the two phases Theresa mentioned. That way, our engineering department will also have some useful tools."

It must be said that Einstein and Theresa were indeed more comprehensive in their considerations than I was. Tesla wasn't the kind of person who was stubborn; she just really wanted to get rid of Otto's dog head and redefine the strategy, which she was also good at.

"Alright, in that case, all combat personnel, assemble."

With Theresa's command, Shen Gonglin, Kiana, Bronya, Fu Hua, Seele, Rosaria, and Liliya, all stood solemnly in the somewhat gloomy sky, awaiting the commander's order.

Could it be said that Theresa has usurped my power? But then again, as the commander of the Far East Branch and the acting captain of the Hyperion, it doesn't seem wrong for Theresa to issue orders like this... I'll give Theresa proper orders after I become the bishop. The so-called vice bishop handles things when there's trouble, and when there's nothing to do... cough cough, I can't think about it.

"Shen Gonglin, what are you thinking about?" Standing next to Shen Gonglin, Kiana could easily sense Shen Gonglin state. What was he thinking? She had a feeling he was up to something.

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about the future. I might need to hire a secretary someday."

Kiana was even more confused after hearing Shen Gonglin's words. Who else could be the secretary besides herself?

Well, this girl also doesn't seem to have any self-awareness.

Chapter 135 Advancing on Three Fronts

"Everyone, before announcing the battle plan, I need to share two pieces of information. First, according to Otto's side, he has reached an agreement with the so-called Honkai Will of Honkai, which allows him to forcibly trigger time reversal. He intends to use this method to rewind the entire world outside of Kolosten to the state it was in more than 500 years ago, so that Saintess Kallen can gain a second life."

With all personnel present, Theresa needs to share the intelligence they have gathered with everyone and make sure everyone knows how serious the situation is.

"Secondly, not long ago, scientists at Anti-Entropy discovered through research that Otto had actually stolen the power of the original Herrscher of Domination through some means. The puppet clones surrounding the Hyperion now are the result of his use of the Herrscher of Domination's power to unify and manipulate them. Because of these two points, in the upcoming battle plan, I plan to divide the front-line combat personnel of the Hyperion into three groups."

Having calmly formulated a strategy, Theresa, though petite like a child, exuded a powerful aura standing before everyone, befitting a commander. After all, she had been trained by Otto for many years and served as the head of a branch; there was nothing Theresa lacked in her knowledge.

This is also part of the principal's duties.

"The first route, consisting of Bronya, Seele, Rosaria, Liliya, will proceed along the main road of the city on the opposite bank of the river towards St. 537 Church where Otto is located. In addition, we will analyze the area suitable for Dr. Tesla to install the Spartacus System based on the data transmitted back by the detection devices you carry."

First, tasks were assigned to the first group of each department. As the Herrscher of Reason, Bronya, with her extremely calm mind, could lead the others in this task. As for the Spartacus System she mentioned earlier...

"The Spartacus System can limit the power of the Herrscher of Domination by broadcasting interference signals. It was originally developed to deal with the Herrscher of Domination, but the Herrscher of Domination incident was resolved before it was completed. Unexpectedly, it will be used again. After analyzing the signals you automatically transmit back, we will choose a suitable location to install the signal interference tower of the Spartacus System. You don't need to worry about this."

He explained what the Spartacus System was, which was also the task of the third group. Since it was an automatic detection, Bronya and the others didn't need to worry about it.

"This is your first group's mission. Also, Rosaria and Liliya, you don't have much combat experience yet. If you encounter any difficulties, you can stay and wait for support. Don't push yourself."

At this point, Theresa began to give instructions to the Arin sisters. To be honest, Theresa was also hesitant to let the two of them participate in the battle, but now every manpower was important and everyone had to be on the field.

"Yes, we will follow Seele and Sister Bronya's arrangements."

Knowing the seriousness of the mission, even the usually carefree Rosaria didn't cause any trouble. The two girls nodded quietly; they wouldn't want to cause any problems.

"Alright, that's the situation for the first team. Now let's deploy the second team's mission. The second team consists of Kiana and Fu Hua. You will set off shortly, taking control of the upstream bridge along the mountain road on the south side of the river. As a surprise attack, you will quickly and unexpectedly approach St. 537 Church to gather intelligence. Hopefully, the students in the first team can help you draw the enemy's attention during this time. Similar to the first team, the detection devices you carry will also transmit a message back to Dr. Tesla to help her choose a suitable location to build a signal jamming tower."

Theresa had her reasons for arranging them this way. In terms of combat strength, besides Shen Gonglin, Kiana, who wields the power of the Herrscher of Flamescion, and Fu Hua, with her calm and collected personality, are undoubtedly the best. She places high hopes on the two of them. Compared to the first team, the second team needs to quickly storm the enemy's base and figure out the situation there in order to obtain more intelligence.

"Your mission is of utmost importance, so you must not linger in battle. Even if you split up, someone must maintain an advancing posture."

She emphasized the importance of the mission to the two women, reminding them that they were no longer children and that Theresa had come to treat them as true warriors, making this journey especially crucial.

Fu Hua and Kiana nodded seriously. It was wartime, and strictly following Theresa's orders was only natural.

"Then the third team is left. The team consists of myself, the two doctors from Anti-Entropy, and the logistics personnel from Hyperion. We will install and upgrade the Spartacus System on-site, do our best to block the Herrscher of Domination's special communication mechanism, and use this as a basis to support everyone's battle. Does anyone not understand the above battle plan?"

Having explained the entire plan, Theresa crossed her arms and looked at the students in front of her. Kiana and the others exchanged glances, and finally their eyes all fell on Shen Gonglin. Had Theresa forgotten something? Why hadn't she assigned Shen Gonglin any tasks? His words should have been very helpful.

"Shen Gonglin will temporarily operate with the third team. At the same time, he will distribute the Herrscher of the Void's mark to all of you. If any team encounters a difficult problem, he will arrive as soon as possible... If you encounter Otto himself, please try to delay him and wait for reinforcements. Since we do not know which team Otto will encounter, this is the only arrangement we can make for Shen Gonglin."

Knowing they would be curious about Shen Gonglin's arrangements, Theresa naturally wanted to keep such a valuable trump card to herself. Shen Gonglin's role was undeniably significant, but precisely because of this, she needed to prevent the other side from adjusting their battle strategy in response to him. After much thought, the best course of action was to have Shen Gonglin remain in the Hyperion without making any moves. After all, he possessed the energy of the Herrscher of the Void, and as long as the imprint was properly placed, he could provide timely assistance no matter which side appeared.

"I see," everyone nodded, looking at the markings on their wrists. "This arrangement is very reasonable and ensures everyone's safety. Theresa's plan is truly thorough."

"Does anyone have any other questions...? Okay, if not, we'll begin in five minutes. Operation, commence!"

Once there was certain that everyone understood their task, Theresa gave the order, and everyone began to prepare. They had come to Kolosten to deal with Otto's troubles, and now that Otto had made his move, it was time for them to respond.

Chapter 136 Thinking about houses at a time like this

"Hey Bronya, are you all ready?"

Five minutes can feel like a long time, but it can also feel very short. As the first team to set off, Bronya, Seele, and the others were ready. At this moment, Shen Gonglin came over and greeted them. As someone who stayed behind, seeing Bronya and the others preparing to carry out their mission, Shen Gonglin felt that she also needed to come and offer her her regards.

"Bronya is ready, but Seele... doesn't seem to be ready yet."

Bronya leaned closer to Shen Gonglin and whispered. Feeling she needed to put in some effort, Bronya didn't shy away from being intimate with Shen Gonglin in front of others. The girl reached out and hugged Shen Gonglin's neck, gently pressing herself against him. This action made Rosaria and Liliya want to whistle, but the delicate girl seemed somewhat absent-minded. Bronya was a little worried. Would Seele really be able to carry out the mission in this state?

"Really? Let me go take a look."

Bronya's initiative was somewhat unexpected, but she really is flat-chested, just like the headmistress. She doesn't give off that cute, innocent vibe at all, making her the complete opposite of Kiana and Mei. So Shen Gonglin remained calm and didn't react at all, acting like a proper gentleman.

"Hey, Seele, what are you doing?"

The blue-haired girl looked up at the surrounding buildings. When she heard the sound, she turned around and saw Bronya with her arms around Shen Gonglin's neck. Sister Bronya is truly a mature adult. She dares to hug Shen Gonglin in front of so many people. If it were her, she would be so embarrassed that she would die... No, no, she had never imagined such a scene. It must be another version of herself who was thinking about it.

"No, I didn't do anything... It's just that the buildings here are very beautiful, and I feel a little bad if I accidentally damage them during the battle later."

Shifting the blame to her other self, Seele expressed her confusion, a reason that left Shen Gonglin and Bronya exasperated. "Girl, what we need to do now is the great cause of saving the world, and you're worried about damaging someone's house? Truly, Seele."

"Seele, this is Schicksal's former headquarters, a place that conceals countless tears and sins. Bronya believes that Seele's own safety is more important than protecting the building."

Bronya was also helpless about Seele's mentality. If she encountered any accidents in the battle because she was worried about damaging the building, then it would be putting the cart before the horse. Shen Gonglin was speechless. What kind of saint is Kallen? It has to be Seele. If Bronya hadn't been there, Shen Gonglin would have wanted to curiously tap Seele on the head. What is this girl thinking all day long?

"But those buildings are innocent, aren't they? The people who designed, built, and maintained them must have put in a lot of effort, as must the people who once lived here. Most of them probably had little to do with the dark side of Schicksal; they were just diligently doing their jobs. I just saw the garden over there; there were signs of careful arrangement. The previous owners must have cherished the scenery here. And other things... I don't want to destroy their place of memories. I think everyone's memories deserve to be protected."

Sister Bronya and Shen Gonglin were not outsiders, Seele mustered up her courage and spoke her mind. Although it might be a little immature, it wouldn't hurt to say something wrong in front of them, since they would all be family in the future.

"You silly girl, this is wartime... but that's something only you would say."

Shen Gonglin secretly rolled his eyes, then stepped forward and vigorously ruffled Seele's hair. The girl's smooth short hair was ravaged by Rin Shen Gonglin and ended up looking like Einstein's Chicken Coop Head. However, the girl looked pitiful and dared not resist. After all, he would be her brother-in-law in the future, and she was just a little sister-in-law. Wasn't it normal for him to tidy her up?

Yes, these things were told to Seele by another version of herself, who said they were very normal things.

"I'm sorry... Did Seele say something very capricious?"

The girl obediently accepted Shen Gonglin's punishment, then timidly looked up and said, "It was indeed a bit willful, but in front of Shen Gonglin and Sister Bronya, it's okay to be a little willful, right?"

"Bronya understands. Bronya promised Seele that she would try to avoid directly attacking these buildings during the battle, and she would also remind Rosaria and Liliya later. Seele doesn't need to blame herself. Bronya thinks Seele is right. With a heart of protection, we will certainly face more difficulties on the battlefield... but that is also the source of our strength, our strength."

Bronya comforted Seele, Shen Gonglin remained noncommittal. She would just spoil her, but that was indeed something only Seele would say. Under certain circumstances, such things were acceptable, and she believed Bronya could handle the situation well.

"Sister Bronya... Oh, it's almost time, Sister Bronya, we should get going."

Tidying her disheveled hair, fearing that Shen Gonglin would continue to grope her, Seele quickly ran to the other side. At this time, it was time for the first team to set off. Their route was to take a detour from the direction of the city square to approach the church. The more commotion they made along the way, the better. They were both the main attack and a feint attack, so their mission was quite important.

"Bronya understands... Shen Gonglin, Bronya is leaving."

Bronya reached out and hugged Shen Gonglin once again, burying her head in Shen Gonglin's shoulder and taking a deep breath. After replenishing her Rin element, the girl looked energetic. Then she set off with Seele and Rosaria. Rosaria, who witnessed all of this, came up to Bronya and scratched her cheek.

"Sister Bronya, you're so shy."

Everything that just happened was seen by them. Although they knew that Sister Bronya and Shen Gonglin were close, she had never openly displayed such a relationship in front of them before. How embarrassing!

"Bronya isn't embarrassed; Rosaria is just making a fuss. You'll understand later."

Bronya remained calm, while Rosaria, who had been criticized, puffed out her chest defiantly.

"How could Rosaria not understand? I've already experienced it all. I knew all along that Shen Gonglin's first kiss was mine!"