She looked at Otto, her eyes full of longing:
"Brother, dance with me."
Otto raised an eyebrow slightly. "Do you still remember the steps? I can't guarantee I won't step on your feet."
"Of course—I remember a little—but I should get used to it after a while,"
Cecilia smiled with a hint of mischief.
"Just keep up with my rhythm, Brother—after all, I am the Goddess of Dance."
"Sure, Goddess of Dance." Otto raised his hand in invitation. "Then I'll have to make a fool of myself."
"My pleasure, Brother." Cecilia dipped into a small curtsy before placing her hand in the man's palm.
Otto took the woman's delicate hand, wrapped an arm around her slender waist, and naturally began leading the dance by instinct.
As the slow waltz played, Cecilia's pretty little face was before him, less than thirty centimeters away.
The man was not especially skilled at dancing, but his reflexes and control over his strength were exceptional. Every step landed in as appropriate a place as possible, making the woman's rises and falls light and graceful.
That required powerful perception, observation, and analytical deduction.
And those were precisely what he did not lack.
The air was filled with perfume. Cecilia's knee-length down jacket fluttered like a skirt as she spun in the man's embrace, swaying like brilliant summer flowers.
Otto's arm was strong. As Cecilia danced, she could feel the reassurance of having something to rely on, along with a light, dizzying sensation. She entrusted her body to his turns without worry, never fearing that anything might go wrong.
It was absolute trust.
They wore ordinary clothes, yet their handsome and stunningly beautiful faces made them the center of attention. Their dancing went from slightly awkward to smooth, and in the end, there were few flaws to be found.
Some people came over hoping to exchange partners, but the two exchanged smiles. Their fluttering steps swept past to the beat, shifting positions perfectly and making the newcomers leave of their own accord.
At that moment, their eyes reflected only each other.
At the very end of the dance, Cecilia stepped back half a pace and slowly sank into a curtsy before Otto.
Her spread "skirt" drew together against her body, like summer flowers that had fulfilled their purpose, gathering their delicate petals in the autumn wind—quiet and serene, with the solemn grandeur of an ancient ritual coming to an end.
Otto returned the salute, his gaze fixed entirely on the woman.
Applause rose around them, though not much. After all, most people here were eager to seize such an excellent opportunity to socialize.
No matter how much their looks made them the center of attention, no one would keep focusing on a couple who had only each other in their eyes.
"I wonder whether you liked that dance, Brother?"
Cecilia helped Otto straighten his collar as she asked.
"Your hair is messy—well, it still looks quite nice."
The man wiped Cecilia's forehead and brushed her hair behind her head.
"Especially you. My girl is naturally the best."
Cecilia did not entirely understand what Otto meant, but that did not stop her cheeks from flushing. Every gesture of hers brimmed with shy sweetness.
"Let's keep looking around," Otto said, taking Cecilia's delicate hand. "Maybe some novel game is waiting for us along the way."
"Okay!" The woman smiled sweetly, breathtakingly beautiful.
Just as Otto and Cecilia walked hand in hand out of the square, he suddenly heard rapid breathing approaching. Then a voice sounded beside his ear:
"Beautiful lady and handsome gentleman, may I take a little of your time? I would like to tell you about our god and leader, Mr. 'Savior.'"
My Lord Calls Himself Savior
???
Mr. "Savior"...???
Otto looked to his right and discovered a young woman walking beside him. She had gray hair and red eyes, and her robe was worn rather boldly, faintly outlining her graceful, alluring curves.
When she noticed Otto looking at her, her lips curved upward and her pupils gleamed. She seemed intent on appearing pure and untainted, yet her eyes shifted subtly, revealing a young woman's charm.
Oh, wasn't this...?
Cecilia caught sight of her from the corner of her eye and moved to step in front of Otto, but the man stopped her.
It's fine.
The woman halted, but as she watched Otto turn to speak with the girl, her eyes narrowed slightly and her cheeks puffed out just a little, like she had spotted a cat caught stealing fish.
The red-eyed girl tugged at the corners of her mouth, seemingly trying hard to make her expression resemble that of a priest in a church—deep and warm. Yet no matter how she changed it, she could not manage a priest's benevolence.
Still, that visibly obvious "performance" made the girl a little cuter.
Otto saw the stiffness in her expression, but he still smiled in cooperation and nodded. "All right, but not here."
He led Cecilia somewhere that would not block others, and the woman followed after them as if delighted.
She seemed to let out a breath of relief after hearing Otto agree.
"Please, begin your performance." Otto stopped walking, making no effort to conceal the curiosity and amusement in his heart.
The girl acted as though she had not heard the suppressed laughter in his tone. Instead, her smile became more genuine. "Thank you! You may call me Natasha. I am very glad you stopped to hear me speak—perhaps you may regard it as a fairy-tale story, but to me, it is extremely important!"
"By Kallen..." Otto pressed his lips together, his expression complicated as he looked the girl's faintly visible mature figure up and down, then looked at her "innocent" smile. "It seems you chose that thing over your dignity."
"What did you say?"
"Ah, nothing. All right, go on."
Otto said nothing further. He lowered his hand and constructed a pen-shaped object inside his sleeve, then pressed its button.
"All right... thank you again for stopping for this! May my lord bless you!" Natasha bowed, and then her expression turned solemn.
"My lord calls himself Savior—in the past, the present, and the future. He is the great leader who governs the past, the Frost King who commands blazing flames, and the savior god who helps every living being attain eternity."
"..."
It really was that man.
Kevin Kaslana, the strongest Fusion Warrior of the Previous Civilization, bearing the name of Savior—the existence Otto was currently most wary of.
"So powerful?" Otto praised at precisely the right moment. At the same time, he poked Cecilia and pointed at the milk tea shop by the roadside, then took out a wallet.
Cecilia understood. She gave Natasha a wary glance, accepted the wallet, and nodded before hurrying over to the shop.
"Yes, our lord is that powerful!" Natasha said "proudly." "In the primordial age, when the fire of civilization still burned upon the earth, my lord fell asleep beyond the mortal world and the Imaginary for the sake of his dearest friend. Yet his benevolence still filled heaven and earth, covering the endless past and future. Even now, people continue to receive his grace."
"Makes sense, makes sense."
Otto accepted the milk tea Cecilia handed him and put on an expression that said, "I'm listening, go on."
"My lord transcends the world. At his side stand five martial gods awaiting his command, helping humanity ascend the gates of heaven."
"May I ask who these five are?"
"Allow me to tell you about these martial gods, who are sheltered by my lord and in turn shelter all living beings."
As if encouraged by Otto's perfectly timed responses, Natasha's tone became increasingly fervent:
"The martial god of Stars is the incarnation of the heavens and my lord's most beloved daughter. She expands my lord's territory and spreads the name of god throughout the universe."
"The martial god of Heavenly Wisdom is the being who has followed my lord the longest, the governor who oversees all worlds. He witnesses the rise and fall of civilizations and uses them to warn the people."
"The martial god of Fleeting Life is my lord's horn and the bearer of knowledge. She guides humanity from immaturity to maturity, quietly pushing forward humanity's future."
"Your lord truly is impressive, to have so many martial gods serving him."
Hearing this, Otto chewed apart a tapioca pearl and said with a smile.
"There is more." Natasha raised a hand as though she were about to summon lightning to heighten the atmosphere. "At my lord's side is also the martial god of Anti-Entropy—do you know entropy? It does not matter if you do not; let me tell you—it is the cause of all decay!"
"And after my lord bestowed upon this god a planet in his palm, this god could actually reverse entropy! He is my lord's thunder, my lord's wrath, my lord's hand—the judge and executioner who declares war on all false and vulgar beauty!"
What haven't I seen before?
This really was my first time seeing something like this...
Otto stopped sucking on his tapioca pearl. He looked seriously at Natasha, finding this somewhat novel.
Calling the Star of Eden a planet in one's palm was one thing, but Anti-Entropy could be interpreted like this too?
How ridiculous. If scientists mastered entropy change and those people in America thoroughly deciphered the second law of thermodynamics... then he might as well give up and enjoy himself for a few days.
What would they do, and to what extent would Honkai be strengthened because of it? Otto truly did not dare imagine.
That Prometheus plan from the Previous Civilization would absolutely be unable to control a Honkai rampage.
Even a single cycle of cleansing the world was the mercy of the End and the civilization above it.
But now the leader of Anti-Entropy had been assigned this role... Otto suddenly had a bad feeling...
"Opposite the martial god of Anti-Entropy is the martial god of Schicksal," Natasha's next words indeed did not surprise him. "He is the supreme being of ancient times, the king at the end of the world. Once, he transformed into dark, iron-blooded Schicksal to lead ignorant people and end that terrifying era known as the Middle Ages. In the end, he submitted to my lord and struck the bells of heaven for him."
"...Impressive. Impressive." Otto praised her sincerely.
"A quarter of an hour has already passed, so I won't take up more of your time." Natasha seemed very pleased with Otto's support as she pointed into the distance. "If you and your wife are interested, you can learn more beside the Thames River."
"If I have the time," Otto replied with a smile after taking another sip of milk tea, "I'll go take a look."
"Thank you—you truly are a good man!"
Natasha bowed again.
"I hope you and your wife enjoy your time in Attra!"
She turned and left, setting her sights on another tourist.
"Sir, may I take a little of your time? I would like to tell you about our god and leader..."
"What a devout believer..."
Otto gave Natasha a thoughtful look, tossed his milk tea cup toward a trash can, then turned back. "Cecilia?"
Let's Go Ring Some Bells
The woman looked dazed, and only after a long moment did she hurriedly reply:
"I'm here, Brother."
"What are you thinking about?"
Otto tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear as he asked.
"I was thinking..."
Cecilia hesitated before asking:
"What does... wife mean?"
"Wife..."
Otto thought for a moment, then replied, "It means being with someone for a lifetime."
"A lifetime?"
"That's right, a lifetime—and sharing one blanket," the man said with complete seriousness. "It means that you are willing, from the bottom of your heart, to accompany someone through hardship, across mountains and seas, for all your life."
"Is that so? Then... hehe..."
Cecilia suddenly began laughing foolishly, joy overflowing in her eyes like a clear spring.
So... other people can tell that I will follow Brother Otto for the rest of my life.
Before you continue