Chapter 383

Deploying such a defensive mission... it's really baffling. What exactly is that man trying to do?

On the observation deck, Durandal, who had been assigned a mobile mission, leaned against the railing alone, looking at the gloomy sky. Li Sushang and Rita had already gone to their assigned areas, while she had nothing to do for the time being. Not being very familiar with Li Sushang, Durandal hesitated for a moment before connecting with Rita's communication. After all, they were allies in every respect.

[Rita, have you reached the designated location?]

Yes, Durandal. Also, the Bishop just lent me the Domination Theater as well, instructing me to use it properly.

The maid's gentle voice came over. Hearing her voice always made people feel at ease. As someone who was always by her side, Durandal trusted Rita a lot, and now, she had something she wanted to tell her.

I'm going to your place for a bit. There are some things that are bothering me.

After saying that, Durandal headed towards Rita's coordinates. She couldn't just bury her head in Otto's arrangements. Durandal had her own thoughts. She not only needed to contact Rita, but also Changguang. She was sure that Changguang knew more about Otto's plan. Durandal had this feeling in her heart, and it shouldn't be a misperception.

"Hmm? No one's answering."

There was no response when trying to contact Changguang via the dedicated line. This made Durandal even more suspicious. Changguang, who controlled the key technology, had lost contact without anyone noticing. Could this be related to that man?

Go ask Rita if she has any news about Changguang. I wanted to contact Changguang, but now this is the result again. Durandal put away the communicator with a solemn expression. The Valkyrie quickly went to the place where Rita was stationed. Now she needed to gather enough information. Shen Gonglin needed this kind of support.

As Durandal sped forward, she soon spotted the maid. The two S-rank Valkyrie met up. Seeing Durandal's serious expression, Rita also bowed respectfully. Rita roughly understood why Durandal had come to her.

"Rita, can you get in touch with Changguang?"

Without hesitation, Durandal asked the question directly, which is typical of her personality.

Chapter 145

"Changguang... I'm sorry, I can't get in touch with her either. The last time I saw her was on the Hyperion."

Rita also tried to contact Changguang, but the busy tone from the communicator made the two girls somewhat anxious. No one answered. It was exactly the same as when they tried to contact him. Could something have happened to Changguang? Feeling that things were moving in a direction beyond their control, Durandal frowned. What was going on?

"First, the bishop tried to fabricate a new history out of thin air, ordering us to guard key locations to prevent potential interference from others. Then, Changguang, which possessed crucial technology, suddenly lost contact without our knowledge, and the dedicated communication line went unanswered. What exactly happened in places we don't understand..."

Durandal rested her chin on her hand, deep in thought. No, the information was too scarce and fragmented; she couldn't make any contact at all. The girl looked at the somewhat dim Herrscher of the Void mark on the back of her hand. It was a talisman that Shen Gonglin had left for her and Rita. She wondered if it was because the Honkai energy suddenly increased, but the mark seemed to have lost its function, making it impossible for her to contact Shen Gonglin now.

"Durandal, perhaps we can ask Lady Amber. She should know something about what the bishop and Changguang have been doing lately."

Rita made this suggestion, but Durandal frowned subconsciously. This suggestion... Amber was different from herself and Rita. It was a certainty that the two of them were now inclined to support Shen Gonglin. However, as Otto's secretary, Amber must know a lot about Otto. But would she tell them?

"Alright, Rita, you can contact her first. But we don't know how much she's willing to tell us. After all, the bishop clearly didn't want us to know too many details just now."

I don't have much hope for this, after all, not everyone is as understanding as I and Rita, Amber probably won't say anything.

"Durandal, let's give it our all. Even though Lady Amber is the bishop's secretary, perhaps she has her own ideas, doesn't she?"

Rita was much more optimistic. She felt that things wouldn't be as bad as Durandal thought. Perhaps there were many other people like them who were righteous and shared the same ideals.

After a long wait, a calm and steady voice came from the communicator, and the communication with Amber was established. Fortunately, she did not disappear like Changguang.

"Hello, Lady Rita ... Oh, Durandal is here too. According to the bishop's arrangements, Durandal, you shouldn't be in the same area as Rita right now."

The video call connected, and a girl wearing goggles appeared before the two of them. She also saw Durandal standing next to Rita. This was different from the plan Otto had come to know. Good heavens, he was already starting to disobey his orders without any regard for others.

"Ah, um..."

Durandal didn't know how to answer. It felt like being caught skipping class by the headmaster. If Otto was the principal, then Amber was undoubtedly the headmaster.

"It's like this, Lord Amber. The bishop just issued an order to us to establish martial law near St. 537 Church and prevent others from entering, probably because of the urgency... The bishop didn't explain the reasons to us in detail. This leaves us a little unsure about how things will develop, so, I wonder if Lord Amber has any more relevant information to share with us?"

Seeing Durandal's embarrassment and knowing that this straightforward Valkyrie wasn't very good at interpersonal communication, Rita took over the communication and said to Amber, "This maid has high emotional intelligence; she always acts this way no matter who's talking to her."

"I see, I understand... Indeed, the bishop is being more demanding than usual today, but if we're talking about the developments you're most concerned about, I believe Lord Changguang is more qualified to speak on that than I am."

Amber's reaction surprised Durandal. She hadn't expected her to say so much to them. The Valkyrie was about to ask more questions when Rita gently covered her hand, saying, "You handle the fighting. Leave the communication to me."

"But Lord Changguang has already lost contact, so I'd like to see if you, Lord Amber, have any clues."

[Out of contact... I see, things have gotten to this point.]

Amber on the other side of the screen nodded thoughtfully, and her reaction made the two Valkyrie shudder; she really did know something.

[A little over an hour ago, Changguang specifically sought me out and left me a special key belonging to the Gnius system. She said that if she lost contact with us during the progress of the Bishop's plan... then we could use this key to read the data she had previously stored using the spacetime interlayer. I think now is that time.]

She revealed the matter that Changguang had asked her to do before. It seems that the researcher had already anticipated that she would be out of contact like this. Really, why couldn't she just say what was going on? Why did she have to do this kind of riddle? Are all Schicksal people like this? Oh, I forgot, I am also a member of Schicksal.

Rita silently grumbled to herself, and she was now also paying some attention to the information left by Changguang, but before that, there was one more thing she needed to know.

"Lord Amber, is His Holiness the Bishop aware of this matter?"

It is said that they knew.

Amber's answer was not unexpected for Rita. The man seemed to know everything, what he should know and what he shouldn't know. He knew that Changguang would leave a message, yet he didn't stop them from getting it. In other words, it was also part of his plan that she and Durandal would see this message.

Sometimes, when I'm with this man, I really feel powerless.

"... Understood, thank you, Lord Amber."

Regardless, Rita was grateful that Amber was willing to give them this information, while Durandal was worried about Changguang's safety. Her current actions reminded the Valkyrie of leaving a will.

That's how it's portrayed on TV, isn't it? Maybe Changguang is already bankrupt.

Chapter 146 Who's the Bookworm?

"Durandal, there's no need to worry. Changguang's situation may not be dangerous. Although Changguang is indeed usually careless about details, in my opinion, she is actually very good at anticipating risks. If she can always handle dangerous experiments with ease... then similarly, she won't leave any incriminating evidence against herself with Lady Jianjian. Judging from the information she left for Lady Amber, our current actions are entirely within her and the Bishop's predictions."

Seeing Durandal's worry, Rita gently comforted her. Rita was indeed Rita; she described the act of strategically retreating at the slightest sign of trouble as if she were a wise sage avoiding disaster. If Changguang knew that she was praising him like this, he would probably be very happy.

"Huh? Is Changguang really that amazing? I always thought she was more like... a bookworm or something?"

Hearing Rita's evaluation of Changguang, Durandal's confusion became even more apparent. Was she talking about the same person? In Durandal's opinion, Changguang wasn't that amazing at all.

...You are the one who should never say such a thing.

Rita was speechless for a moment. If it weren't for her good manners, she might have burst out laughing. The maid coughed twice to calm herself down.

"Hmm... I'm sorry, but the analogy has a subtle humor to it coming from Durandal... Anyway, let's first read the data that Changguang specifically left for us. Perhaps after reading it, we'll naturally understand the cause and effect of the matter."

Whether Changguang Durandal is more clueless, everyone probably has their own answer, but naturally, it's not something that can be said out loud. Rita subtly changed the subject, thinking, "Durandal, don't you even know your own limitations?"

"That makes sense. Let's enter the key Amber gave us."

After handing the items to Durandal and Rita, Amber's communication ended. She had entered the following information into the program, and Changguang's image suddenly appeared in front of them. Had she taken these photos beforehand?

[Hey, missed me? If you've seen this video, then I guess you've already... been fired by Mr. Otto!]

The opening remarks were very characteristic of Changguang. The director said these words with a smug look on her face, saying that it was only natural for Otto to fire her. Not only her, but Amber would probably be fired soon too, which was why she handed the key to Amber.

[Ahem, since what I'm about to say is quite serious, I'll lighten the mood a bit. I reckon Mr. Otto has already imposed martial law around his church and entrusted you with maintaining order. He certainly has his reasons for doing so... because he's decided to trade almost everything in this world for a chance to reverse time in some way.]

Rita and Durandal were both shocked when they first heard about this. What exactly did Otto want to do, to exchange everything for the chance to turn back time?

[Yes, you must be quite surprised, right? After all, judging from past experience, while Mr. Otto's methods of governance have some problems, at least in a sense, he has been saving the world from the Honkai. However, while this is true, it's also just a consequence of another fact. Whether you believe it or not, for Mr. Otto, what he wants to save might be the world, or perhaps a certain person, but definitely not humanity itself.]

Trying to organize his thoughts, Changguang wanted to explain what Otto had done in the simplest and clearest terms, but this was obviously very difficult. After all, Otto was a complex of contradictions, and it was really hard to evaluate him.

[Rather than that... Mr. Otto probably hates humanity as a collective. Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked me to help him develop such a devastating contingency plan, one that, once implemented... would reset the entire Earth, except for the town of Kolosten, to its state over five hundred years ago. The vast majority of people we care about in this world... would vanish into thin air, becoming the price for allowing the world to roll back.]

Otto has already told everyone in the Hyperion about this, but Rita and Durandal are still unaware. Through Changguang's words, Durandal and Rita finally understand what Otto is planning: resetting five hundred years. Otto really dares to think of such a thing.

Generally speaking, history cannot be changed, and time cannot be reversed, unless—we destroy the present and use it as fuel to reselect the past. We sacrifice the new era to set long-dormant history ablaze. Of course, this is by no means Mr. Otto's only plan. He claims to be 50% confident that he can achieve his goals at a much lower cost. But I also need to let you know that for him... sacrificing the entire world for his planned goals is as ruthless as sacrificing himself for them.

In the video, Changguang speaks of such terrifying things in a matter-of-fact tone. All the events over the years have proven that in Otto's eyes, everything in the world, including his own life, is insignificant in the face of his own plans. He will not hesitate to sacrifice everything if necessary.

Durandal and Rita fell silent for a moment. They looked at the image of Director Changguang and had something they wanted to say. Director Changguang in the image seemed to have guessed how they would react after he said such a thing, after all, he was very smart.

[Ahem, now that you hear this, Bianca or Rita must be wondering why I would devise such a destructive plan for Mr. Otto. The answer is actually quite simple. In my view, scientific research should not be limited by human will, or more accurately, we should not use the good or evil in people's hearts to decide whether something should be born or exist. For example, a swordsmith makes a knife, of course, to make it sharp enough to kill; but that doesn't mean that the swordsmith himself is a profession that intends to kill.]

Changguang explained why he helped Otto formulate this plan. Perhaps this reason wouldn't convince others, or perhaps others would consider it sophistry, but this was Changguang's reason. Moreover, even if he didn't help Otto formulate this plan, Changguang believed that Otto could definitely complete it. So, he might as well participate himself.

Chapter 147 Durandal's Decision

Therefore, returning to our current situation, I hope you understand that Mr. Otto is not the only person in this world capable of resurrecting history. As far as I know, the new bishop also has the ability. If you do not intend to wait and see but choose to intervene and stop him... then this challenge will one day take on a different meaning for you. However, in any case, I hope you will remember one fact.

Changguang's reasoning sounds really ridiculous, since someone else can do it, so his current actions don't count as aiding and abetting evil? But she's not here now, so getting angry over a video is pointless. Let's see what else she has to say.

[Please remember, when Otto Apocalypse gets serious, he is undoubtedly the most dangerous human being in the world, bar none. Alright, I've probably already slipped away to a safe enough place to take refuge. Take care, my favorite Valkyrie, bye-bye~]

With that joking farewell, Changguang's image abruptly ended, while Durandal closed her eyes slightly, processing everything she knew. Returning to five hundred years ago, besides the people of Kolosten Town, at the cost of everyone else? A silent and oppressive atmosphere spread across this land shrouded in gloom and stagnation.

Changguang was right. This man was indeed the most dangerous person. Philosophers say that those in power always impose their own definitions of good and evil on the world: they are loyal to the sky, or to the earth, or to others, or to themselves. Philosophers also say that those in power are always in a state of ancient arrogance; they all believe they already know what is good and what is evil for people... But what if, by chance, a person in power believes that their own good and evil need no evaluation?

"Perhaps I need to have a talk with the bishop, Rita, I mean, now."

After sorting through the clues in her mind, Durandal did what Rita had expected. She was not Otto's puppet and would not blindly follow him in anything. Durandal would make a decision based on her own judgment. She needed to see Otto in person and then decide how to handle the matter.

"Durandal, you understand the potential consequences of doing this, don't you?"

The maid paused for a moment. She knew what Durandal wanted to do. This would be tantamount to openly standing on the opposite side of Otto. In that case, the title of the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal would no longer be a protection. Openly opposing that man was indeed not a good decision. Even with Durandal, Rita still felt uneasy.

"I know, and that's why at this moment... there is something I must entrust to you for safekeeping. If Shen Gonglin were here, he would be the best person to do it, but now... Rita, I need you to take on this responsibility."

Durandal looked up at Rita solemnly, and the maid realized what Durandal meant. Was it necessary to do this, Lady Durandal? She was prepared.

A serene white light seemed to envelop everything. In the next instant, Rita felt as if she saw a giant Bodhi tree. Was this the world that Durandal carried on her back, the source of the Star Armor, another world?

"It's beautiful, isn't it? It's said that it once connected to an unspeakable and unchangeable world, allowing one to glimpse the consequences of various causal misalignments... But now, it's just serving as a protective mechanism for a specific world. I'm sorry that it's only today that I've given you the opportunity to see it. And I think this thing should be very useful to Shen Gonglin."

Standing under the linden tree, Durandal prepared to entrust everything to Rita. Only in this way could she face Otto without any burden, and Rita was also a friend she trusted implicitly.

"Durandal, is this the result of the experiment not long ago...?"

"Well, after that, we each took on a lot of missions... which has dragged on until now. This special World Bubble with the Bodhi tree is called Sumeru Mustard Seed. I intend to entrust it, along with the authority of the Holy Sword, to you. At this moment, you are far more suitable than me to take on the responsibility of anchoring the World Bubble ... Find an opportunity to hand it over to Shen Gonglin. If it is him, he will definitely be able to take on this world."

There's no time to go find Shen Gonglin now. The spatial coordinates he left on me are completely unusable due to Otto's control over me. If nothing unexpected happens, I'll have to face Otto alone, so I need to get everything arranged first.

"... So, you're already mentally prepared to oppose His Holiness the Bishop, right?"

"This responsibility is truly immense," Rita continued, still somewhat unwilling to give up. "It's not advisable for Lady Durandal to act alone. I think it would be best for her to act with the Hyperion. But this Valkyrie... perhaps it's because of her immense strength. Besides, she's quite willful."

"This is the worst-case scenario. I don't know why he arranged for Changguang to research that... plan that seems like it should never be carried out under any circumstances. In any case, I need to ask him personally where his bottom line is. Just like what happened at Schicksal Airport last year... the impact of the Herrscher awakening on the world was much worse than his original plan, but he didn't care at all."

Explain your reasons to the maids: they are both guardians of another world and living people in this world. This dual identity naturally brings them dual responsibilities.

"Rita, we became inseparable partners during that adventure five years ago. Star Armor was originally your power, and I believe you can protect that unique world in your own way. That way, I can also fulfill my other half of the responsibility with peace of mind."

Why does Durandal seem like she's entrusting her son to someone else? Sure enough, even she feels uneasy about being at odds with the bishop, but...

"Then, Durandal... have you ever considered that all of this might be a result of the Archbishop's provocation?"

Rita tried to dissuade Durandal with this reasoning. She really didn't want Durandal to act alone. Since Durandal had entrusted the World Tree to her, she would definitely not agree to let her act with her. But Rita was also worried about letting her face Otto directly.

Chapter 148 Someone got fired

"Provocation? Why?"

"I don't know either... But, Durandal, you can sense it too, right? Ever since we arrived at this Kolosten, the bishop has seemed very strange. He seems to be constantly using lies to cover up an unspeakable secret. Normally, he would never stoop to using lies to hide the truth of something. I think this seems to mean that there is something about the bishop that we haven't been able to see yet."

The maid knew Otto well, and what she said was indeed correct, but this was not something that could shake Durandal's resolve.

"I understand what you mean, Rita, but... in any case, Changguang's messages are something I can't ignore. Please understand me, Rita. I really believe that, for now and for some time to come, you are more suitable than me to take on the responsibility of protecting that world."

Durandal finished speaking, Rita fell silent. She had done everything she could, but Durandal was indeed Durandal; once she made a decision, no one could sway her. The maid closed her eyes slightly; she understood.

In this unique realm where consciousness and physical form intertwine, she sensed the Holy Sword's authority drawing closer to her. The fragments of that long adventure five years ago were gradually coalescing in her heart. It was the opportunity for Bianca Atagina to grow into Durandal, and also the starting point for Rita Roseweisse to rediscover humanity and the world.

At the start of that adventure, she was a well-trained lieutenant, able to stand behind the Valkyrie on the front lines, providing them with all the protection they could think of or hadn't even considered. After that adventure ended, she began to search for something more meaningful... to find the mark that a woman named Rita Roseweisse could leave on this world.

It was around that time that she began to think about how to gain her own space to act independently under the control of that bishop, without her friends knowing... She had done her best to take care of everything she could.

Now, Rita understands that perhaps all her previous efforts were for this moment, so that she could indulge her friend's whims.

"I understand. In that case, Lady Bianca Atagina, I also have something I need to entrust to you for safekeeping."

Rita handed something to Durandal, and seeing the Valkyrie's surprised look, Rita bowed slightly and said, "Just take this as a talisman."

"Thank you, Rita."

"You're welcome, Durandal. I will continue to take good care of the world that we fought so hard to protect five years ago... As for Lord Rin, I can't guarantee that he won't do anything bad to that world. After all, if he were to act cute towards me, I wouldn't be able to control myself. So, Durandal, please come back as soon as possible."

It's as if she can handle Shen Gonglin's coquettishness... Rita's words make a lot of sense. Although she has decided to let Shen Gonglin help her protect this world in the future, given Shen Gonglin's personality, he still needs to be trained. It's not time for her to relax yet. Just for the sake of this world, she has to come back.

"I understand, then... it's a deal."

"Okay, it's a deal."

The environment of Sumeru Mustard Seed dissipated, the Bodhi Tree disappeared, and the scenery before the girls returned to reality. Everything seemed unchanged... However, only they understood that the responsibilities and missions on both sides had subtly shifted compared to the previous few years. Yet, it was precisely this shift that would guide them to rediscover themselves in the future, allowing them to move closer to their true nature.

This time, Rita ultimately didn't stop Bianca from taking the risk, after all, Rita had truly experienced Bianca's resolve.

"Durandal, since you have made your decision, then let me see you off."