Otto: Target Located

From Blade of Immortality to the Hyperion, Otto had been watching the live feed from the scene through the surveillance camera on Rita.

Ever since realizing that K423 had a close connection with the Herrscher of Thunder of this era, Otto had been plotting a new plan.

However, after seeing the young man's performance aboard the Hyperion, Otto's expression changed completely.

Theoretically, Sirin's Herrscher Core should have been inside K423.

Yet after the young man caused the disturbance, Otto abruptly noticed the most unusual part of it.

Even though he was observing from afar through technological equipment, Otto still sensed that the barrier around the young man had not caused [destruction], but teleportation.

The barrier had teleported the surrounding deck to an unknown location rather than destroying it outright.

Although this barrier looked different from the spatial portals opened by the Second Herrscher, this particular trait made Otto think of a highly bizarre possibility.

"Wait, did this kid take Sirin's Core out???"

He glanced at K423. Well, although she looked extremely nervous, both her body and mind were clearly in good health.

If the Second Herrscher's Core had been removed, K423 would not have been so unaffected.

But the ability the young man had unconsciously used was undoubtedly spatial in nature.

Filled with doubts, Otto immediately contacted Durandal, who was still on her mission.

"Durandal, have the Blade of Immortality squad continue their scans in Changkong City."

"As for you, move beneath the Hyperion and prepare yourself. If that young man you just met falls from the battleship, make sure you catch him."

"Remember, stay concealed. When you catch him, no one else must discover it."

"And if anything happens to the Hyperion, Theresa and Rita's safety must be guaranteed."

"Understood. I understand, Lord Otto."

After confirming that Durandal's coordinates were moving toward the Hyperion, Otto immediately contacted Theresa through Rita.

"Theresa, my dear granddaughter, have you decided you don't even want to hear my calls anymore?"

Upon hearing Otto's words, Theresa immediately stopped walking.

"Grandpa?"

"You child, are you planning to do something foolish again?"

With an indulgent sigh, Otto watched the utterly flustered Theresa in the image and suddenly thought of his late fiancée, Kallen.

It had to be said that although there were some differences in build and appearance, their inner selves were simply far too alike.

Whether it was their kind hearts that always sought to protect others, or...

—Their inability to think straight at critical moments.

Otto knew full well that Theresa was carrying the Oath of Judah over there because she likely intended to use its hidden ultimate technique, [Divine Prayer Barrier], to isolate the young man from the battleship.

But precisely because he had guessed Theresa's intentions, Otto had to stop her.

He did not want to see his beloved granddaughter left aching all over because of something like this.

Of course, there was another reason.

Within the Divine Prayer Barrier, an ordinary human body simply could not endure it.

With that strange armor and the stigmata in his hand, this young man had already unleashed combat power no weaker than Rita's, an S-rank Valkyrie. Theoretically, he should not have counted as an ordinary person.

But Otto believed this was a new possibility. He could not let a young man brimming with potential be accidentally killed by Theresa in one mistake.

If the stigmata directly became inactive because its host died, that would be rather awkward.

Therefore, Otto decided that this young man had to "die."

"Alright, solving this problem is very simple."

Gently swirling the wineglass that still held a little red wine, Otto said with a soft laugh.

"Since he is the culprit behind this disturbance, all we need to do is separate him from the deck."

"Just cut away this section of deck and let the young man fall from the sky."

"This???"

After hearing Otto's order, Theresa was completely dumbfounded.

She had originally calmed down to listen to Otto because she knew that her grandpa was indeed very clever.

If it was Grandpa Otto, he would surely come up with a perfect solution in a short time!

And Otto really had given her a solution—if you could not solve the problem, solving the person who brought the problem was just as OK.

But Theresa felt that something was wrong here.

Wasn't this murder???

Oh, it was not the first time her grandpa had said something like this.

During Theresa's first mission, faulty intelligence had put her in possible danger. Otto immediately ordered Theresa to return, then bombarded the A-rank Valkyrie squad fighting desperately in blood, along with the Honkai Beasts.

During the Second Honkai War, her dear friend Cecilia had also been taken out by a single shot from her grandpa while holding back Sirin, the Second Herrscher.

Looking at it this way, this seemed to be her Grandpa's usual tactic?

"Grandpa, this is murder...!"

"So you want the entire Hyperion to be buried with this boy you just met?"

Hearing Theresa's words, Lord Otto frowned slightly, his tone gradually turning cold.

"Theresa, you are my beloved granddaughter. But I hope you understand that people die in war."

"In the war against the Honkai, anyone can die. On one side is a stranger you have only just met; on the other are subordinates and comrades who have followed you for years. And you are still hesitating?"

"You are the person in charge of the Far East Branch. You must be responsible for the branch and everyone in it! The reason I indulged you and let you become the head of the Far East Branch was so that you could develop the sense of responsibility expected of Schicksal High Command!"

"And you? You are still this naive!"

After being subjected to Lord Otto's scathing rebuke, Theresa wanted to argue, yet found herself unable to say anything.

She knew perfectly well that cutting away a section of the deck here and sending the boy and that section into free fall was the solution that would cause the fewest casualties.

Nor could she refute Otto's words about responsibility—she was the person in charge of the Far East Branch, and she had to be responsible for her subordinates and comrades.

But to take an innocent stranger's life over something like this... how was that any different from the mastermind who had deliberately caused the Honkai?

"Stop hesitating, Theresa. Hyperion does not have much time left."

After confirming that Durandal was in position and hidden, Otto continued pressuring Theresa with his words.

"If you think this would dirty your hands, then... Rita!"

"I understand, Lord Otto."

After glancing at the boy before her, Rita let out a soft sigh.

Even though she knew Otto's plan was not to kill the boy, being made to do something like this in front of everyone still felt far too cruel.

Not to mention—Miss Raiden Mei, who had just heard Otto's speech, looked like she was about to erupt in lightning.

What exactly was Lord Otto thinking...?

She had a feeling that if she brought her scythe down, the Third Herrscher would awaken on the spot.

PS1: Today's joke.

PS2: Normally, I should have been able to update as usual on Sunday, but...

Well, yesterday my supervisor called to tell me that I had to go cover a shift at a work site on Sunday.

After cursing internally, all I could say was, "Yes, yes, yes."

The place was out in the countryside, fifteen kilometers away by bicycle.

I got up early and rode over. Just as I was nearing the workplace, my supervisor told me it was fine and I did not need to cover the shift after all, but I had better get my ass into the city for a meeting on the twenty-fifth.

What could I do? There was nowhere to rest along the way, so I could only ride back.

After baking under the blazing 38°C sun for five hours, I finally came to a conclusion.

From today onward, I, too, am a mature [physically] Rider.

Then, unsurprisingly, I got heatstroke. On top of that, my leg muscles cramped from overexertion, and I spent ages wishing I were dead. I did not even clear Abyss.

The fact that I managed to crawl up and post an update means I am already amazing, okay? Sob sob sob.

PS3: To that friend who went to download the game yesterday, it is not too late to turn back.

Ahead lies hell.