24. Bishop, Surprise! Didn't See That Coming, Did You? / 25. How About Letting Me Take the Archbishop's Seat?

Standing in a laboratory behind a watchtower, Xia Ling looked at the red armor in front of her and murmured to herself.

"So, record these coordinates, and then..."

Inform Yae Sakura of the coordinates through the Stigmata Space, and Theresa and the others will arrive at the appropriate time.

"Ah, and my aircraft too. Oh well, I guess I'll just have to leave it here for Himeko and Tesla to use."

Xia Ling tossed the key to the aircraft in front of Vermilion Knight: Eclipse: Eclipse's armored pod, looked around, and sighed.

"Fu Hua, aren't you going to come out and have a chat? Or is it fun to look at this blank space?"

As the words fell, Xia Ling's body began to emanate light spots, which transformed into a red and white feather, and then into the shape of Fu Hua.

"It seems I underestimated Otto, and I also underestimated you..." Fu Hua looked at Xia Ling with a complicated expression. "I never thought that what was initially intended to protect your reputation would end up being used in this way."

"Has Otto already made a move against you? Otherwise, you wouldn't have wasted your energy checking the feathers on my body for the sake of your own condition."

"Yes, exactly as you guessed... but Otto told me he's going to the Hyperion himself..."

"As expected. I think you're more curious about why the Feather Dust attached to me can't sense any information at all?"

"Anyway, it's definitely not that I'm so useless that I can't even control my feathers anymore."

Fu Hua shrugged.

"Pfft, I didn't expect you to have such a sense of humor." Xia Ling opened her arms, revealing a green leaf.

Fu Hua's eyes widened suddenly.

"Although you can act as a Mental Perception type Fusion Warrior with Feather Dust, you will still be somewhat inferior when facing a genuine Mental Perception type."

"Who exactly are you...?"

"It was just by chance that I had some exchanges with your comrades." Xia Ling smiled, and the emerald green aura flowing around her gradually receded. "Unfortunately, because Otto was keeping a close eye on me, and I didn't want to reveal these things too early, I never had the chance to show them to you."

"I'm starting to not understand you anymore." Fu Hua sighed softly. "But now that you've gained Su's approval, I believe you're still on our side, right?"

"Hey, did you just get wrecked by Otto? You're probably a bit PTSD. I've been trying my best to make things a better ending."

"So, you've released me now, is there something you need me to do?"

"Hmm... it's not that I need to..." Xia Ling tilted her head. "Next, I'll probably be facing Otto head-on, and you probably don't want Otto to realize that your consciousness is no longer in your body, right?"

"Himeko will come here in a while, wearing this armor. She should have your feather on her too. When the time comes, you can have Himeko carry this feather and then go into Kiana's body to replenish the energy of her feather."

"But, Himeko, she..."

"We all know what choice Himeko will make," Xia Ling interrupted her. "So, I was prepared for this."

"So, Fu Hua, are you willing to help me?"

Fu Hua revealed a faint smile.

"As long as you weren't lying just now."

"I almost burst out laughing. Your lame joke is really a waste of good karma."

Xia Ling placed the feathers here as well, waved, and walked out of the laboratory.

With Fu Hua's problem resolved, Kiana's feathers will be replenished, which should allow her to last longer than in the original work.

As for Himeko, with the flying vehicle I left behind, she should be able to reach the Hyperion in time.

Then... Xia Ling clenched her fist.

Next, there's the question of Otto.

Chapter Twenty-Four: Your Lord Bishop, are you surprised or not?

Half an hour after Sirin left the Schicksal Headquarters, the Hyperion arrived.

"Sure enough, we received another signal, and this time, the source of the signal was Tesla."

Ain looked at the deciphered coordinates on the screen and said.

"The coordinates in the signal are the same as those Xia Ling transmitted through the Yae Sakura. However, the bad news is that we may not be able to get there in time."

Theresa's expression was somewhat gloomy. "According to the radar, the Second Herrscher is quite close to our location."

"Speaking of which, I'm a little curious. Why didn't she just teleport here directly, but instead had Benares carry her?" Looking at the images transmitted back by the detection device, Ain was somewhat puzzled.

"Xia Ling said the key to the plan was to deplete her Honkai Energy, and maybe this is one of the results. Perhaps after the battle at headquarters, her condition wasn't very good?"

Theresa pondered for a moment, "In any case, if we don't make it to that point in time and have to confront her head-on, I will try my best to trap her."

"Once that time comes, don't hesitate, just use that trump card on her."

"The main cannon modified from the Moon Throne engine... But even if we disperse most of the Honkai Energy in her body, she can still use her power to hide in the Imaginary Space, and may even pull us in to defeat us one by one."

"In that case, the situation will only become more complicated..."

"Xia Ling said she would come back at that time, and I believe her; she will definitely make it in time."

Theresa said in a deep voice, "At times like these, trusting our comrades and doing our part is the most important thing."

Ain nodded. "In that case, I'll go back to the captain's cabin first to prepare for the main gun's adjustment."

"When you fight later, be careful not to get close to the main gun core located in the middle and rear of the ship, so as not to affect the main gun."

"Okay, I understand."

Theresa, with Judah by her side, silently gazed out of the ship's perimeter.

"I see, so that's what you're thinking."

The man wearing the white clown mask muttered to himself. In front of him, Ain sat listlessly in the captain's chair, a few golden feathers floating around her.

"So, you're about to have a final showdown with Sirin? Oh dear, it's a pity I couldn't wait for Himeko and Xia Ling to come back. It might have affected the results of my experiment."

"Forget it, a higher difficulty level is fine too. People always need a spirit of challenge, right? Maybe the hope of holding out until Xia Ling and Himeko come and break the deadlock will allow you to hold out longer?"

Perhaps because no one was listening, Otto was talking to himself much more frequently.

"Then let me see where your main gun core is hidden... the conversion engine of the Moon Throne, is that it?"

"Mid-stern section of the ship, underground compartment, hmm, it's hidden quite deep."

"Well then, dear Doctor. Einstein, I won't disturb your conversation with Sirin any longer."

Otto gave an extravagant farewell, even though no one was watching.

"Mimicry: Feather Dust, the hypnosis on her will be automatically lifted in ten seconds."

Activating the stealth system on his Soulsteel body, Otto walked through the Hyperion's compartments as if no one else was there, heading towards the core.

At this moment, on the deck of the Hyperion.

Benares, which had been repaired by the power of creation, unleashed a scorching breath, sterilizing the Hyperion's deck with high temperature.

However, judging from the intensity of the disinfection, the four people on the deck should also be within her scope of disinfection.

Beside Benares, Sirin sat suspended in mid-air, looking down at the scene on the deck.

"My beloved other half, why do you still resist so stubbornly? Just obediently become one with me, isn't that what your heart desires?"

With a deafening flash of lightning, Benares's breath was shattered by the thunder, and Mei's hair came loose, wrapped with dense blue-purple arcs of electricity.

"Stop nagging!" Perhaps due to receiving the Herrscher Core, Mei's personality seemed to have become somewhat subtle... irritable.

"That body never belonged to you. Get out of Kiana's body!"

"It seems you are very angry... Then let's see if your power, which you haven't fully mastered, can withstand the power of my two cores."

"Yae Sakura, just like the plan before," Theresa said in a low voice. At the same time, Judah behind her fully unfolded, with twelve spears of light guarding Mei's sides, intercepting the Spear of Subspace that kept attacking her from the sky.

Yae Sakura nodded slightly, her body transforming into a streak of light, and then instantly appearing above Benares's head.

The Spirit Blade Cherry Blossom Blizzard was immediately drawn, its icy blue blade slashing heavily down at the dragon's white and blue shell.

Belena let out a painful roar and flapped her wings to try to gain altitude, but she found that her wings seemed to have become much heavier.

Bronya held the Star of Eden in her hand, and strange fluctuations emanated from her body. Clearly, the gravity anomaly just now was her doing.

In Theresa's plan, taking advantage of Sirin's covetousness for the Gem of Conquest, she will definitely attack Mei first. Although Mei, who uses part of the Herrscher Core power, can briefly contend with Sirin, she will definitely not be a match for Sirin in terms of either the quality or the quantity of her abilities.

Therefore, she will prioritize using Judah to support Mei, while the two of them hold out, the stronger Yae Sakura will need to take down Benares under Bronya's cover, at least rendering her incapacitated in the short term.

Theresa understood the principle that it's better to break one finger than to injure all ten.

However, once the battle actually began, she discovered a problem.

Clearly, the Second Herrscher also understands this principle.

"The internal structure of the Hyperion seems to have changed quite a bit; even I am a little dazzled."

"It seems that the Doctor from Anti-Entropy have made quite a few modifications to this ship."

Otto strolled leisurely through the lower corridors of the Hyperion, taking in the sights at a relaxed pace.

"Oh, it looks like a fight has already broken out up there?"

"Interesting. The Gem of Conquest on Mei Raiden wasn't taken away immediately. It seems they did make some preparations."

"Then I don't seem to need to be in too much of a hurry. After all, judging from Einstein's memories, this seems to be a trump card for them."

"Ah, we're here, right here."

Otto finally found his target. The golden cube was inserted into the access control slot, and then the locked door slowly opened.

"This is it, the Hyperion's reliance, technology from Previous Civilization, a device that can convert Honkai Energy into other forms of energy."

Otto slowly walked into the spacious cabin and looked at the huge engine.

"Unfortunately, their expectations are likely to be dashed."

"Oh, really?"

A second voice suddenly came from the empty cabin.

"Your Lord Bishop, how could you not inform us in advance if you were traveling incognito?"

Xia Ling's figure slowly emerged from the air.

"Luckily, I'm well-informed. Otherwise, it would be extremely impolite if no one in the vast Hyperion could greet His Lord Bishop."

Chapter Twenty-Five: How about I sit in the archbishop's seat?

"Ha, hahahaha..."

Otto burst into laughter upon seeing Xia Ling suddenly appear in mid-air.

Xia Ling raised an eyebrow. "What, Your Lord Bishop, are you too surprised to find someone welcoming you?"

"If His Lord Bishop is so lacking in affection, why not let Theresa return to headquarters for a few days and enjoy some family time?"

"Surprise, haha, yes, I was really surprised."

"Before coming to Hyperion, I never expected to receive such an unexpected gain."

Although Otto was wearing a clown mask, Xia Ling couldn't see Otto expression, but she guessed that Otto under the mask must be very happy.

"I never expected that there would be someone in St. Freya who thinks the same way as me... well, a real talent."

"No wonder you made these arrangements, no wonder you wasted so many opportunities to turn the tables. Ha, so your ideal plan is basically exactly the same as mine..."

"Little Theresa, you really are my lucky star."

"Your Lord Bishop flatters me. I don't think I'm as ruthless as you."

Xia Ling's lips twitched slightly; she felt that Otto seemed to have misunderstood something.

"Overpraise? No, no, no, I didn't overpraise you."

Otto simply took off his clown mask, making no attempt to hide the admiration in his tone.

"With the mobility and hidden strength you've shown so far, taking Kiana away from Schicksal should be quite simple, shouldn't it?"

"Even if it wasn't now, before Kiana awakens, when you go to destroy the energy barrier, you could have created a time gap and brought Kiana out."