Honkai, Traversing Otto, Path to Godhood

The girlfriend sitting on him froze for a few seconds, then looked at everyone. The bloody heart in her hand was still beating weakly, her pale skin like a dead person who had crawled out of a coffin.

People saw her face clearly. Purple light patterns, gained from Honkai erosion, appeared on her pale face, and her pupils flickered with a strange light, like the eyes of a dead fish.

"Ahhhhhh!"

One person screamed madly and ran towards the amusement park entrance. As his high-pitched voice rang out, everyone seemed to have flipped a switch, surging desperately towards the exit like a tide by the sea.

"Hey Tugaming, don't abandon me!"

"Sorry Cassan, I'm scared of him dying like that!"

"Tom, killing them is useless. Those zombies don't eat people, they just kill. It's not like they'll stop because you kill... Ah!"

"But I'm sorry, old friend, the corpses might be able to slow them down."

Amidst the crowd, only Cecilia and Otto beside her remained motionless.

The woman felt a little uneasy. She looked at Otto, wanting to ask something, but saw that he had his eyes closed.

As if sensing Cecilia's gaze, Otto opened his eyes, reached out, and a giant golden lance slowly formed in his palm.

"Mimicry of Black Abyss White Flower, a simulated version of your old weapon," the man said, handing the lance to her. "Do as your heart desires. I'm behind you."

Cecilia nodded, took the lance, and felt a familiar yet unfamiliar sensation. The place where she held it seemed to still hold the warmth of the man's palm.

She steadied herself, stepped forward, and blocked the dead soldier: "Stop!"

The dead soldier obviously wouldn't give her face. It raised its scythe high, appearing as if it would split her in two.

Cecilia looked at it calmly, her face filled only with determination.

She should have been afraid. Her vague memories were not enough to make her calm in such a situation, but the thought of Otto's calm demeanor and his promise to her filled her heart with endless courage.

Brother will protect me.

No matter what.

Even under a Honkai energy fission bomb—Huh? What's that?

The term suddenly popped into her mind. Cecilia tried to recall it, but her hands didn't stop. She blocked with the lance, then spun it and thrust it out, hitting the dead soldier squarely in the head.

The dead soldier, which had just killed its boyfriend, had its forehead split open and knelt on the ground. As it slowly slid to the ground, its eyes suddenly cleared, and it looked down at the heart it had been clutching tightly in its hand.

Then, there were no more actions.

Cecilia frowned, not because of the instantaneous parting, as her current memories couldn't let her understand such complex emotions and betrayal.

What bothered her was the term that had just appeared, which she couldn't find any information about in her mind.

It was like this again.

It was always like this.

Her memories were like fleeting mist, always just out of reach. When she deliberately tried to recall them, they always disappeared.

She looked back at Otto and saw a huge cross appear behind him. He leaned against the cross, holding a light yellow-green down jacket, and smiled faintly at her.

Brother is behind me.

Cecilia's heart suddenly calmed down.

At this moment, the dead soldiers moved, some quickly, some slowly, surrounding her in scattered groups.

There weren't many of them at first, but under the erosion of Honkai Energy, those dying women also stood up, their eyes gradually turning red, and purple patterns crawling up their necks.

There were more and more dead soldiers.

"Then come on."

The woman said in a low voice, skillfully twirling her right hand. Golden mist emanated from the lance.

Some of the dead soldiers seemed to sense the horror of the golden mist, and their steps slowed down due to their biological instincts. However, more showed no signs of consciousness and gradually stepped closer to Cecilia.

Then...

The dead soldiers' flesh and skin melted in a short period. Their outstretched arms hadn't even been fully raised before they were reduced to white skeletons midway!

This was the "Black Abyss" ability from Black Abyss White Flower. Although it was severely weakened because it was only a "mimicry," it could still corrode in Cecilia's hands.

The dead soldiers' ferocity was instantly suppressed by the golden mist. Cecilia seized the opportunity, thrusting her lance and hitting multiple dead soldiers in succession.

"Your technique is still a bit rusty..."

Otto sighed as he watched the smooth attack.

Indeed, Cecilia's attack sequence looked fluid and invincible, but Otto could clearly see that she was merely wielding the lance with muscle memory. Several times, when the dead soldiers got close, they were dealt with by the golden mist.

Furthermore, using normal attacks against a group was fine, but against someone on the level of a Herrscher or Kevin... she lacked a finishing move.

The woman seemed to realize this too, frowning. With a twist of her knightly stance, she disappeared in front of the dead soldiers the next second, only Otto could see the leaping phantom.

Cecilia leaped up several times to a high position, then inverted her spear and descended from the sky, falling straight towards the center of the dead soldiers' encirclement!

A surge of Honkai Energy rippled outwards from the center, and the lance emitted golden mist in the night, striking in all directions!

The bodies eroded by Honkai Energy also disintegrated. One by one, the dead soldiers let out their final cries, then rotted away, leaving no bones!

Cecilia wiped away the sweat that wasn't there and turned to look at Otto, like a child who had finished a task and was waiting for praise from an elder. However, the next second, her eyes widened, and an intense sense of pressure came from behind her!

The woman's peripheral vision caught sight of the ground. Her shadow was engulfed by a massive, inhuman body. The owner of the figure raised a circular object high above its head and brought it down towards her with swift, brutal force!

Chapter 21: I Will Never Abandon You

Cecilia only had time to turn her head behind her, and then—

She saw Otto standing beside her, driving a cross into the ground.

"Oath of Judah."

He said it simply.

Countless chains shot out from the cross, blocking the attack of the inhuman monster. They continued to extend, pinning it in place.

"This isn't good, Cecilia," he turned, giving her a slightly scolding look. "You didn't even notice a Honkai Beast behind you."

"But you did well when using the Black Abyss White Flower."

"Mmhmm..."

Cecilia smiled sheepishly, then glared fiercely at the Honkai Beast, which was completely restrained. She turned her gaze back to Otto.

Seeing the man nod, the woman stepped forward a few paces, raised her lance, and swiftly and accurately stabbed the Honkai Beast in the forehead.

"Bang!"

Black mist billowed, and the Honkai Beast vanished.

"I've already dealt with the Deathsinners who ran off elsewhere," Otto raised his hand, and the cross shrank back into a bracelet. "Let's go."

He raised his hand, and golden feathers appeared in the center of the crowd. The people around them suddenly felt disoriented.

"What happened to me?"

"Huh... Why was I running?"

"Ah!!—Someone's going to die!"

"I think I just saw a man and a woman standing there... Huh? Where did they go?"

"I saw them too. Come to think of it, they were quite good-looking..."

The Bishop of Schicksal and the Saintess strolled down the street, their shadows stretched long by the streetlights.

"Regarding combat... you had some issues this time."

Otto thought for a moment before he couldn't help but comment.

"Your combat is currently purely based on instinct, and your alertness isn't great either—it's frankly unbelievable that a Honkai Beast could get that close to you."

"And also..."

Otto muttered on, while Cecilia didn't reply, lowering her head and kicking at the cobblestones on the street with her small leather boots.

Her dejection was palpable.

Cecilia didn't know why she felt this way. She understood her Brother's actions and knew he meant well, but...

Strictly speaking, this was the first time since waking up that she had performed like this in front of her Brother...

It wasn't that she didn't think the Honkai Beast's surprise attack was her mistake, but... but she had defeated so many Deathsinners...

"Unhappy?"

A figure blocked her path. The woman looked up and saw Otto's teasing smile.

"Think I'm wrong?"

Cecilia quickly shook her head. Otto sighed and said, "I know. You're thinking that since this is your first battle after waking up, there's no need to be so harsh. You might even suspect that what I told you and Durandal yesterday was just talk."

"But in reality..."

He raised his hand, and golden feathers formed at his fingertips.

"Mimicry Feather of Dust can implant memories into your body. If I really wanted you to become an S-rank Valkyrie, I wouldn't need to force you to fight Deathsinners to recover your memories."

"I could directly infuse you, mold you into the person I want."

Otto snapped his fingers, and the golden Mimicry Feather of Dust vanished from his fingertips.

Cecilia was startled by his action, and her gaze towards him held a hint of further questioning.

Of course, there was no fear.

"The reason I let you try to fight is because to survive in this world... you need to know how to fight."

He looked up at the sky, a vast expanse of night with no stars visible.

"This is a world of Honkai, with frequent Honkai outbreaks of varying scales. Your life is precious, and getting stronger is your only option."

"This has nothing to do with me, with past memories, or with the mission you have to bear. It's only closely related to yourself. You need those combat skills to protect your life and the friends you'll make in the future."

"I want you to have a new life, but that's on the premise that you can protect yourself."

Otto paused, then nodded as he watched Cecilia lost in thought.

"I can't be by your side all the time, and I can't save you every time something happens like I did during the Second Honkai Outbreak. Therefore, it's necessary for you to recover your strength in a timely and rapid manner during these smaller Honkai events."

"This way, you can protect yourself when I'm not around."

"Brother?!"

Upon hearing Otto's final sentence, Cecilia quickly linked her arm with the man's, her eyes filled with panic and fear.

Ever since she awoke, Otto had been guiding her through this familiar yet strange world, helping her adapt.

Although it had only been a day, the trust planted deep within her soul, along with the wonderful experiences of the past day, had caused her to quickly fall in love with this carefree life.

She cherished the flutter she felt when a wooden comb glided through her hair, the tranquility of holding hands on a roller coaster, and the warmth of being able to completely trust him with her back.

She wished for more, and more, of these moments.

But now, he was telling her he would leave, that he might not be there...

No, no, don't...

"I will get those things back," Cecilia said earnestly. "I will recall them during every battle and eventually meet your requirements. If necessary, I don't mind accepting the forced recovery from Feather of Dust..."

As long as you don't abandon me.

The white-haired woman added softly in her heart, her gaze towards Otto filled with sorrow, pleading, and longing.

"Don't overthink it."

Otto could clearly see the apprehension in her eyes. He smiled kindly, stroking her hair, his emerald eyes meeting Cecilia's.

"I will accompany you, but not at every moment, every second. So, I hope you can protect yourself and not almost get overwhelmed by an ordinary Honkai Beast like today."

"Your life is precious and singular, so I hope you will care more about yourself, consider yourself, and become stronger."