Honkai, Traversing Otto, Path to Godhood

"The path of those with noble ideals inevitably deviates from the masses."

"Mm." Himeko lowered her head, her expression unreadable.

Chapter 17: This is the End of Civilization

"Grandpa! Grandpa! Don't bully my subordinates!" Theresa, sensing the wrong atmosphere, steered the conversation back. "Since you won't let me return to Schicksal HQ, you can at least tell me over the phone what that's all about!"

"What's what?" Otto quickly regained his composure, a teasing expression on his face.

"That thing!" Theresa's eyes blazed. "You know what I'm talking about!"

"I do many things," the man spread his hands. "Many bad things, and I've taken blame for a lot. If you want me to guess one by one, I don't mind wasting a little time."

"Do you really want me to say it out loud?" Theresa's voice cracked with emotion. "Fine! It's the St. Freya basement! That pile of clones! Tell me, what is going on?!"

Otto narrowed his eyes, slowly toying with the Oath of Judah in his right hand.

"Theresa," he said, "I have a few questions for you."

"Stop changing the subject, Grandpa!"

"First," Otto ignored her, "her blood can eliminate Honkai Energy, correct?"

"Yes." Theresa seemed a little calmer, but her eyes still blazed.

"So, second, do we need her blood?"

"But..."

"But it's disrespectful to her? It's an offense to your friend?" Otto smiled faintly. "My dear granddaughter, this girl signed a body donation agreement a long time ago, willing to offer her final strength to Schicksal."

"I'm sorry, Theresa, your friend is far more noble than you imagine."

"That's still just her blood!" Theresa roared. "Not for you to clone her multiple times!"

"If she were cloned, we would have a greater chance of winning the war against the Honkai."

"This isn't about winning or losing! This..."

"This is, Theresa," Otto interrupted. "This is the chance to win. This is the Honkai."

"Perhaps Schicksal has painted reality too beautifully, but you, as a retired S-rank Valkyrie, should know that since the Second Herrscher incident in 2000—or even earlier, after the first Honkai outbreak, the blade of destruction has already slit the throat of civilization."

"War, slaughter, death. This is no longer a simulation game where pretty girls in short skirts defeat monsters. For those of us who truly live in this world, this is the Honkai, a disaster capable of annihilating all of humanity."

Otto spoke word for word into the video, telling Theresa and himself.

"This is the end of the world. The end of civilization."

"Anything done to help civilization survive the apocalypse can be executed. You may not understand, but it is logical, even if it violates human ethics."

"Whether it's to pacify Herrschers or kill them; whether it's human experimentation or cloning the strong, resorting to any means necessary for survival is a skill humanity has possessed since its primitive days."

His voice softened as he continued:

"Little Theresa, I don't expect you to agree with my values, and I'm glad you can maintain a free and pure heart—this is absolutely not sarcasm. Our ancestors were trapped in the mud so that future generations could gaze at the stars."

"I bless you, I bless this era, and I bless all the children who fight for a better world."

"But I want to tell you that to prevent the world from truly becoming the end of days, it's inevitable that some will tear away the beautiful, thin sugar coating. For the sins they commit, these people will express deep apologies to the dead, but they will not repent."

"They are willing to be dragged to hell by the souls of the dead, but when asked by the living if they would do it again, they will only offer the smile of elders or villains."

"Bishop, Cecilia's clothes have arrived."

Amber's voice suddenly cut through. Otto's eyes lit up. He gave Theresa, who was still stunned, a cryptic smile, then raised his hand, hung up, and said without looking back, "Alright, help her get ready and bring her out."

"Yes, Bishop."

Amber understood his meaning, glanced to the side, and turned away.

"Rita Rossweisse."

Otto closed his eyes gently and suddenly called out.

"Bishop, I am here." The black-stockinged maid trembled slightly, involuntarily straightening her posture again, her legs pressing together.

"You know Little Durandal's identity." The man used a declarative sentence.

"Rita will keep the secret." She did not deny it, a flicker of worry in her eyes.

"Very good, very good. Continue the mission I've assigned you," Otto smirked. "Also, tell Durandal that in three days, there will be a temporary S-rank Valkyrie exam at Schicksal HQ."

Rita nodded, her anxious heart finally at ease.

This kind of temporary exam, starting before the Christmas holiday even ended, and inaccessible to Valkyries outside of Schicksal HQ, was clearly for Durandal.

The Bishop was indirectly telling her that he placed great importance on Durandal.

As long as she served Durandal wholeheartedly, keeping her mouth shut about what she shouldn't say, she wouldn't get into trouble for hearing too much.

And coincidentally... she was willing to do so from the bottom of her heart.

Cecilia stood there, wearing a mid-length light yellow-green down jacket, a white turtleneck sweater underneath, and black skinny pants on her lower half.

The knee-length down jacket concealed the woman's graceful figure, but her perfect face and slender legs made it easy to be confident about the body beneath the coat.

"You look beautiful," Otto praised.

Cecilia returned his smile.

"Bishop," Amber took a step back, "do you have any further instructions?"

"Hmm... halt the Gem of Serenity experiment and transfer it to the research institute related to Divine Keys," Otto mused, then continued, "Prepare three Soul Steel bodies that can be awakened at any time. One will be stationed at Schicksal headquarters, and I will take the other two as backups."

"Furthermore—handle all the documents you can. For the more difficult ones, contact me later. It's best to delay until I return to Schicksal. I believe you can handle it."

"Yes."

Amber displayed the excellent demeanor of a secretary. Without asking why, she acknowledged his words and left.

After Amber departed, Otto stepped forward and gently brushed Cecilia's snow-white hair, "Have you remembered anything?"

"No..." Cecilia's tone was dejected.

"I'll say it again, there's no need to force yourself to remember," Otto said nonchalantly. "No one needs you to be the person you were before."

"Okay." The woman's voice became much lighter. She suddenly stepped forward and gave Otto a hug.

"Thank you, Brother."

A wisp of fragrance drifted past Otto's nose, and he raised an eyebrow.

"Between us, there's no need for thanks."

He led Cecilia out of the house. The sun was bright outside, but as always, it offered no warmth.

"Let's go somewhere different today," Otto said as they walked. "We'll go out from Schicksal headquarters and take a walk somewhere else."

"Where are we going?"

"Do you remember the place I mentioned yesterday?"

Otto gazed into the distance, a glint of eagerness in his eyes.

"We're going to England."

Chapter 18: Amusement Park

Staffordshire, England.

This city had long been famous for the Hormu Amusement Park at its center, boasting that if you wanted to know the population of England, you could just come to the park and count the queues.

And now, a private jet from the European continent was slowly descending here.

"Fasten your zipper, Cecilia. It's not heated down there."

"Okay, Brother."

Otto led Cecilia off the plane and into Attra. He used Mimicry Feather of Dust a few times on the approaching police officers who were questioning them, and the passage issue was resolved.

Cecilia seemed a little nervous, gripping Otto's arm tightly as if afraid he might suddenly run off.

"We'll go to the Schicksal branch here first," Otto said to her, to ease her emotions, outlining the plan for the next few days. "They will handle accommodation and other issues."

"And then?" Cecilia asked cooperatively, "Are we going to deal with the problem Durandal... mentioned?"

She still struggled a bit when saying "Durandal," frowning slightly, as if an unseen voice told her that girl's name wasn't quite right.

"Investigate the person Durandal mentioned?" Otto shrugged and led the woman toward a small shop. "We can put that issue aside for now. You are the most important."

The man's tone was extremely calm, as if this were the most ordinary fact, yet every word landed precisely on the softest part of Cecilia's heart, causing ripples of shimmering light.

"Then where are we going, Brother?" Cecilia's voice became even softer, and she moved a little closer to Otto.

"To the amusement park."

Otto bought a map at the small shop and answered casually.

"To the amusement park?"

Cecilia's large eyes were full of confusion and bewilderment.

"Yes, it's part of the plan," the man said with mock seriousness. "You have many memories at the amusement park, so you can use the attractions to help you recall the past."

???

"Okay."

Ever since the Hormu character first appeared in the public eye and became a massive hit, many related industries had sprung up.

This amusement park in Staffordshire was originally famous for Alton Towers Castle, but after a series of business dealings, the theme park had been re-skinned with Hormu.

"It looks different from the facilities in that world..."

Otto sighed and led Cecilia through the entrance after they got their tickets.

Hormu Amusement Park was vast, equipped with all sorts of modern amusement facilities. It also had many diverse supplementary products and attractions, including, of course, a Hormu merchandise center.

"Pick whatever you like," Otto said, pulling out a black card as he saw the longing expression on Cecilia's face. "Don't carry too much; we still have a whole day of playing."

???

Cecilia couldn't see any connection between the two and looked at him in confusion.

"If you buy too much, I'll just send it to the branch hotel," Otto said, patting Cecilia's head. "It's inconvenient to play with too many things on the road."

He thought for a moment and added, "Buying everything is fine too, you can't max out this card. But I remember you saying that choosing items is a pleasure."

Cecilia nodded obediently, her big eyes blinking, and suddenly handed the black card back. "Let's buy them on the way back. For now, let's go execute the plan."

"Yes, right, the plan—the plan to have fun," Otto chuckled, accepting her change of mind. "So, where do you want to go now? My suggestion is to wander around and go wherever you see something you want to play with."

"Go wherever I see something I want to play with..."

Cecilia looked at the novelties filling her vision, wanting to say something but holding back.

"You want to play with everything? Don't know where to start?" Otto saw her intention and asked with a smile.

The woman stuck out her tongue, tacitly admitting it.

"Then let's play with everything, we'll have it all," the man's voice was very gentle. "We have plenty of time. And no smart person would dare to disturb us."

Cecilia didn't clearly hear the last sentence, but she understood Otto's intention. So, the woman nodded happily, took Otto's hand, and walked towards the nearest amusement ride.

Otto followed Cecilia at a leisurely pace.

The woman flitted from one attraction to another, her ups and downs like an angel who had stumbled into the human world. The distance in her pupils, which had been present when she awoke from a long slumber, gradually disappeared as she looked at the world. Each call of "Brother" became more affectionate than the last, her voice lingering on the final syllable as if she wanted the word to linger on her lips for longer.

It was as if there was no Honkai, no enemies, and they were just a normal brother and sister playing in an amusement park.

"Mmm... this haunted castle is quite interesting, but Brother, can we play more of these thrilling rides?"