Interlude: Xing's Diary, Part One

Dear archive visitors, hello.

This is the story that happened before Otto and Theresa went to Changkong City. I also hope that you can learn more about the character of the Order Emissary Xing from this chapter.

—No matter how many times you look at the files, it's useless—

—After all, I'm not someone you can easily imitate!—

Today is another beautiful, sunny day at the St. Freya Academy.

The giant Crimson Kite Bird lay lazily on the playground, slowly watching the group of Valkyrie conduct physical training there.

PS: One of the privileges of the Crimson Kite Bird is that it can move around freely in the St. Freya Academy as long as it does not affect normal teaching activities. Of course, someone has to watch over it, otherwise who will clean up its poop?

Holding the rope Mom Hua sighed softly, missing her daughter just like the giant Crimson Kite Bird.

"Found you, class monitor! There's a concert coming up, and they even gave everyone tickets, including you!" Kiana dragged her away without saying a word, leaving the giant Crimson Kite Bird standing there dumbfounded.

Hey, take me with you too! I miss my daughter!

Just as the giant Crimson Kite Bird was contemplating its life, a hand picked up its rope and gently stroked its back a few times. "Interesting. Is this a celestial beast? I didn't see many when I came to Shenzhou five hundred years ago. I never expected that they would be used as mascots in my granddaughter's school. This is truly interesting."

The giant Crimson Kite Bird turned its head in confusion, and a blonde beauty came into view. It blinked its small eyes in bewilderment, "Did I see her five hundred years ago? She looks so familiar."

PS1: Crimson Kite Bird can live a very long time, even longer than some turtles, so they don't reproduce much. The ones Little Xuan ate were pheasants that looked like Crimson Kite Bird.

PS2: This giant Crimson Kite Bird really did see Otto 500 years ago.

PS3: Sachi's Crimson Kite's Wings was newly born and had only lived for 100 years.

PS4: The Crimson Kite Bird has a high reproductive rate, but this creature has little interest in reproduction; instead, it is very fond of eating.

Lord Otto rarely goes out in his female body, successfully infiltrated the girls' school. The Clumsy Goose classmate who came with her stroked the giant Crimson Kite Bird a few times, and when she turned around, she found that her bishop was gone.

Durandal: "Oh no, today's food... I don't have to worry about food at the St. Freya Academy this time. Let's go spar with Theresa- senpai and visit Kiana and the others. Excuse me, Kiana... they just went on a trip?!"

Note: Kiana and her friends set off for Changkong City first.

—Good luck, Your Lord Bishop!—

Otto pushed open the door that had been opened not long ago by the original owner and entered the dormitory room that belonged to Xing.

"I really had to come here and take a look. After all, what I see myself is more credible. Who knows if my old friend is hiding something from her child?"

When Theresa applied to Schicksal for funds to build St. Freya Academy, a certain kind grandfather generously gave it a grand gesture, making its scale comparable to that of an ancient noble academy, to the point that even the single dormitories were very large.

Note: Eden Investment has made it even more glamorous.

"Hmm, it's arranged very neatly. It seems she's very clean. Hmm, speaking of which, was my adorable great-granddaughter originally a girl who was just dressed as a boy, or was her gender Honkai Energy?" Lord Otto pondered seriously for a second, then shook his head. "Never mind, as long as she's cute."

"However, she poses a considerable threat to me. If I can't use her, then I'll have to destroy her..." A cold glint flashed in her azure eyes, a stark contrast to her previous kind expression.

Otto opened the wardrobe, which contained some clothes that Sachi wore when he was a young boy and a set of St. Freya's uniform (male). Based on Rita's information, Otto successfully opened the hidden compartment inside the wardrobe. Looking at the yellow HOMU doll, she couldn't help but twitch her lips slightly. After all, he was still a child, actually hiding such a thing.

Hmm, there seems to be something inside?

Otto squeezed the doll, and golden liquid formed a pair of scissors in her hand. She gently sliced open HOMU doll's abdomen, and sure enough, there it was...

A failing test?!

Otto: "... Pfft!"

This great-granddaughter is so cute!

Otto smiled, rolled up the test paper again, put it back into the doll's belly, carefully sewed it up with needle and thread, and only put it back after confirming that there was no difference. He then closed the hidden compartment.

Then, there's the desk.

Otto looked at the bookshelf full of books and nodded with satisfaction. As expected of my great-granddaughter, she has fully inherited Kallen's excellent genes and is as studious as her great-grandmother... Kallen didn't seem to like studying much at her age.

I don't care, anyway, I wrote the history book, and Kallen is just that outstanding, and there's no room for argument!

"Huh, 'The Domineering CEO Falls in Love with Me'? She actually likes watching this?" Otto blinked in confusion, then took it down and saw a label on the back: Wendy.

"You scared me! It's her friend's book... Why would her friend's book be here?" Otto had just relaxed when he became nervous again.

"Hmm, 'Kaslana Gun-Kata' is a good book for a studious child... but it looks like it hasn't been flipped through much?" Otto took it in his hand and examined it carefully, finding only a few signs of it being turned.

"According to Rita, she seems to learn everything very quickly; she probably understands it after reading it a few times." Otto put the book back and noticed a pink book next to it.

"Reincarnated as a Fox Spirit and Falling in Love with My Lover... This book was actually borrowed from St. Freya's library?!" Otto gritted his teeth in anger, and the perfectly good book was instantly turned into shredded pieces in her hands.

Damn it, who is the author? I'll assassinate that designer who dared to design a fox-like appearance for my great-granddaughter someday!

"What to do when a girl falls in love with another girl, ha, it seems my great-granddaughter has inherited Kallen in this respect... Why do I suddenly feel like crying?" Lord Otto wiped off some Soul Steel oil and then discovered that this was originally Kiana's work stored here, with her name on the back.

"It seems she and K423 have a good relationship. Next book, next book... Hmm, 'The Basic Swordsmanship of the Hokushin Itto-ryu,' this one is a bit thin, and it's a handwritten copy. Is it signed Raiden Mei?" Otto revealed a subtle expression. His great-granddaughter and her friend really have a good relationship.

"On the Techniques of Assassination... Why would she read this?!" Otto was in an uproar. Hey, Kaslana is a warrior, why do you insist on being an assassin?

Wait, speaking of which, Kallen was also a phantom thief back then. Does that count as carrying on a fine tradition?

"Wow, there really is an anime called 'The Phantom Thief Girl Never Falls in Love with a Detective Girl'!!!"

The weary great-grandfather—no, great-grandmother—put the book back where it belonged, then cremated the pile of scraps of paper before looking at the computer desk.

On the table was a group photo of Sachi and the Fire-Chasing Squad, but what annoyed Otto was that there was also a photo of the ruins of the Yae Shrine.

She picked up the photo of her alone with Theresa and noticed that both of them had genuine smiles in the photo, with a hint of a smile on their lips. "Even though they're not related, their relationship is closer than that of a mother and son? But I feel that her feelings for Theresa are a bit complicated."

Otto picked up another photo and complained, "Who would secretly take a picture of their own mother sleeping?"

P. S.: Actually, this photo was taken secretly by the Silly Mom while her son was sleeping, and Otto didn't recognize it.

"Let's check the computer. Hmm, it needs a password?" Otto was about to ask Void Archives to crack it when he noticed a note stuck next to the computer, "The password is Mom's name."

Oh, I see.

Otto confidently typed in "Theresa Apollyon".

Mistake!

???

Otto, looking utterly bewildered, typed "Fu Hua" into his phone.

Mistake!

???

"Hiss, that's strange, could it be..." Otto typed in "Kallen Kaslana" on a whim.

Mistake!

???

Otto: "... Who is it?!"

She initially intended to have the Void Archives hacked directly, but at this moment, her competitive spirit arose within her.

"No, that's probably unlikely," Otto typed "Otto Apollyon" with a joking attitude.

For some reason, Otto stared at the computer screen with anticipation. The result was—

Mistake!!!

"Damn it, I'm done playing! Void Archives!!!"

Otto angrily Void Archives onto the computer, demanding, "Tell me, what's the password?"

"Mom's name."

"I know the password!"

"It's my mother's name, can't you understand what I'm saying?" the faceless blond boy said dejectedly, while Otto's face showed even more question marks. Seeing this, he took a deep breath—

"The password is Mom's name! Do you understand?"

"Huh?" Otto blinked in confusion. Is this... like this?

In that instant, she was so ashamed that she wanted to disappear into the ground. The Archbishop of Schicksal Destiny, a man who could manipulate the entire world at will, had actually been tricked by a child. How shameful!

Luckily, no one saw it.

The shameless great-grandfather hacked into his great-grandson's computer—

"It's all information about the Fire-Chasing Squad's development, and some popular Yugi, hmm, you've maxed out Kallen, not bad, not bad, but what's with you maxing out that stinky fox too?! Eh, I maxed it out too? Never mind, I won't pursue it."

After searching for a while, not only did he not find any useful information, he also got very angry. Otto was even considering whether to send the memories of this clone back to his main body.

The main body, who was working overtime in the Schicksal Mandate, suddenly sneezed.

Just as Otto was about to leave, she had a sudden thought and ordered the Void Archives to scan the dormitory to see if there was anything she had missed.

If nothing unexpected happens, Otto will discover a very important piece of information.

"Hmph? Interesting, hidden in a place like this. It must be something important." Lord Otto frowned and found a notebook in a hidden compartment of the cabinet.

"This is... a diary? Or Humo Adventure and Arahanto...? Why does everyone in the Kaslana family like this junk now?"

August 23, 2013, Weather: Sunny

Ugh, I suddenly woke up in a strange world. I feel so lost. Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? I don't know any of these things. My head hurts so much...

I woke up in a place called Taixu Mountain. Kind villagers took me in and I unexpectedly got a pet. I originally wanted to eat it, but the villagers said it was some kind of mythical beast, so I decided to keep it for now.

Hmm, what name should I give it? Never mind, too much trouble, I'll think about it another day.

But what about those feathers I encountered on Taixu Mountain? It seems no one else could see them except me; they all flew into my body. I wonder if I was hallucinating. I also coincidentally obtained a Tai Chi ball, which miraculously transformed into a bracelet.

They asked me my name, and I said Xing (幸). Whatever my past identity, I'll use this name in this world. I hope I can be lucky enough to survive in this world...

I was a little scared when I heard that I was going to be sent to an orphanage, but the person who came to pick me up was a very beautiful older sister. Although she looked a little intimidating, she seemed to be a very nice person.

Yeah, when she took me shopping for snacks, she saw me staring at this notebook and bought it for me. To be honest, it was quite expensive, but thank you anyway!

Why am I eating so much?!

August 24, 2013, Weather: Cloudy

Hmm, I had a strange dream yesterday. I dreamt of a White-haired big sister dancing gracefully under a cherry blossom tree. There was a large golden cross next to her. I don't know why, but both she and the cross gave me a very warm feeling, like... no, that feeling was too strange.

Yesterday, an older sister took me to a place called Changkong City. Hmm, it's a bit strange. I don't know why, but after meeting that older sister, I felt a bit weak, but then again, I didn't feel weak. Could it be that some kind of energy, independent of physical strength, was being lost?

No, isn't that a really weird idea?

My older sister took me to play Yugi. I seem to have an extraordinary talent for Yugi. I can learn it after watching her play it once, and I even won first place in the Yugi competition, defeating a little girl named Bronya.

Because she's so cute, I gave her one of the prizes, HOMU toy. I hope she can smile more; her expression is just too stiff.

However, one thing bothers me. While playing the Yugi, one character looks a lot like the White-haired big sister from my dream, and when I control her, the red line on my right hand feels slightly hot. I don't know why, but when I control her against Bronya's fox-eared warrior character, even though my skills have improved significantly, every hit I land feels like a ache in my heart...

It must be just my imagination, right?

However, today has truly been a day of many misfortunes.

I subconsciously sensed something and followed the trail, only to encounter a purple-haired older sister who had suddenly become terrifying. Fortunately, the bracelet I had obtained by chance from Taixu Mountain summoned a weapon, allowing me to fight her.

However, in the face of absolute power, all schemes are useless.

Just as I was about to be killed by her, a white-haired girl joined the battle. Hmm, how strange, why do I feel that she has the same bloodline as me? And the moment I saw her, the surname "Kaslana" popped into my mind. What's going on?

And where did all those robots come from? Bronya, where did you come from? You're even wearing black armor, this isn't a Yugi!

I don't know what happened after that. I think I fainted. In my hazy consciousness, I seemed to have become the White-haired big sister in my dream, and I defeated everyone with almost overwhelming strength. Well, it should just be a dream, right?

August 27, 2013, Weather: Sunny

I woke up to find I'd slept for three days and been thrown into a place called St. Freya Academy to train Valkyrie? What's that?

I officially met Kiana and the others, and we even formed a team. As for the name... "Fire Moth" popped into my head. It sounds good, so I'll use that!

But the people at this school are so strange. They call me "Headmaster" whenever they see me. Do we look alike?

August 31, 2013

They look so alike! Almost identical!

Moreover, she was wearing the cross I had seen in my dream. Principal Theresa said it was called "the Oath of Judas." I asked to touch it, and she agreed.

Huh? I only fiddled with it for a bit, why did the headmaster faint?

Wait a minute, can Judah still fly?

September 1, 2013, Weather: Sunny

Today is my official start of school! But are you all overreacting to my reaction? There were so many rumors before I started school... I should have just filled in "female" in the gender section.

September 7, 2013, Weather: Cloudy

Today was the test! I was really nervous at first, but when I realized that filling in the answer sheet with the correct answers would form the principal's portrait, I instantly calmed down. Thank you, Principal!

September 8, 2013, Weather: Cloudy

Today I went out for a practical test with everyone, and I was so nervous. Originally, Himeko didn't want me to go out, but thankfully Kiana argued with her for a while, saying something like "Warriors of the Kaslana Family don't need to care about age," and she still took me along.

But... why did I encounter these things?

We were crushed, utterly defeated.

Where did that swift, large fox come from?

In my hazy consciousness, on the verge of death, I seemed to see a golden light descend from the sky—it was... Judah?

My body gripped it uncontrollably, but was that snow-white, slender hand mine?

I don't know, it's like a dream. I controlled Judah and easily defeated that stinky fox, but even I don't know how the battle was fought. That memory is like it wasn't mine, and it's hard to recall.

At the end of that dream, I seemed to see a Miko walking towards me, and that was the end of it.

When I regained consciousness, there was only a crimson katana beside me, which seemed to be the katana at the Miko's waist.

Wait a minute, where did the blood on Judah come from? I remember there wasn't much blood on it when I killed that fox, could it be...? No, no, no! I didn't do that!

September 13, 2013, Weather: Cloudy

Strange, since I came back last time, I seem to be able to dream about that Miko maiden again, but why is my image a girl... or like Himeko- sensei?

Hey, Miko, don't take advantage of me! You look just like Kiana!

Armored suits were distributed today, but it seems that because I forgot to indicate that I was male when I filled out the form, the armor department gave me a female suit instead. Oh well, it doesn't really matter anyway.

September 20, 2013, Weather: Sunny

Today, Bronya and I helped Kiana with her tutoring. Speaking of which, Bronya is amazing; she can actually hack into... I hope no one else can see this diary.

However, why did I transform into the older sister from my dream when I entered Kaslana's private space? And why did that Miko sister also open up her data space to come find me? What's going on?!

September 25, 2013, Weather: Cloudy

Today may have been the closest I've ever come to death, but as I finish writing this entry at the Oceania Branch, I still don't regret the choice I made.

After all, it's better for me to do it myself rather than letting Kiana and the others take risks.

Hmm, how strange. What did those people do to me? Genetic hybrid, recessive genes, Lord? Flame-Chasers? What on earth was that Dog-headed Woman talking about?

How strange, I think I know what those things are, but I just can't remember. My head hurts so much...

When the Gem of Stillness was implanted, my consciousness was very blurry. It seemed like I went to a pure white space and saw a faceless person. Strangely, it turned into my appearance...

What's even stranger is that I can't remember anything after seeing it! I only remember it tapping my head once.

My memories after that are also very blurry. It's as if someone else was controlling my body, controlling Judah to save Changkong City or something... Did I do that? That can't be right.

October 2, 2013, Weather: Cloudy

Because of the Polymerization with the Gem of Stillness, I was taken to Schicksal's Oceania Branch, where I met a girl named Wendy.

She's so cute, I want to pat her head!

Before I came, the headmistress told me to take good care of her. Yes, I will. After all, my experience is similar to hers, and... Wendy is quite cute, while Bronya is also cute, but a bit rigid...

Bronya probably won't see this diary, right? No, I need to find a place to hide it after I finish writing it.

"Interesting..." Otto flipped through the diary in his hand, the corners of his mouth curving upwards. "This is truly an unexpected discovery."

"It seems that her Shenzhou bloodline began to awaken during the battle against Chiyou. Although Fu Hua was the one who finished her off, the fact that she was able to penetrate deep into the vicinity of Chiyou's core is enough to prove her strength."

"But it seems she has some kind of Stigmata consciousness? And more than one. KK, I finally know who you are."

"Furthermore, during one of her 'dream transformations,' she mentioned that the mysterious organization she encountered in Changkong City had found her and reached some kind of agreement— the World Serpent? No matter who it is, even if Kevin comes, they are not allowed to touch my people..."

Otto restored the dust from the filled diary to its original state, put it back in its place, his eyes gleaming, and finally made a decision.

"I need to confirm her relationship with Kallen."

Otto took out a syringe and injected it into the Soul Steel body. Sunlight streamed into the room through the window. The white-haired, blue-eyed beauty straightened her clothes, slowly walked out of the door, and closed it behind her.

The miserable Void Archives is cleaning up any traces of Otto's presence—

Author's Note—

Vill-V said, every word is true, but put together they are a lie.

This marks the official beginning of Sachi's battle of wits with Otto, and it is also the origin of Sachi's farewell to him when the story of "Thus Spoke Apocalypse" begins.

Note: Diary entry two will not be released until many chapters later. Diary entry one only goes up to the point before Xing brought Seele back.