Honkai, Traversing Otto, Path to Godhood

In Cecilia's gasps, in Jackal's fearful gaze—

Jörmungandr's lower body was pulverized, turning into dust in the air!

Jackal froze in place. Even as the upper half of her most prized Honkai Beast fell to the ground, spewing copious amounts of venomous blood, she was completely oblivious.

Just now...?

It wasn't until Cecilia limped over to the World Serpent and plunged her Lance into Jörmungandr's head that she seemed to snap out of a daze, asking in a hoarse voice:

"How did you do that?"

Cecilia didn't speak.

She was here for revenge. Not for idle chatter.

The woman pulled the Lance from the World Serpent's head, found another spot, and thrust it in again, repeating the motion mechanically, stabbing in and out.

Once, twice, thrice...

"Aaaahhhh!!!" Jackal finally roared, "Schariac, you're finished!!! Honkai Beasts, all of you..."

The descent of a red orb of light interrupted her furious shout. When the dust it kicked up settled, a small blue puppet wielding a greatsword stood between Cecilia and Jackal.

"This is... the Lord's puppet?!"

Jackal's voice, a mix of surprise and reverence, rang out.

Heaven helps me!

She looked up at the sky above the River Thames, where a blue train engine flickered in and out of existence.

Presumably, Schicksal was preparing to deploy offensive weapons here, but unexpectedly struck our Thousand Worlds Samsara!

Hahaha, how could Schicksal possibly know that this Divine Key contained a puppet of that Lord!

At this moment, Jackal was blinded by rage, her mind filled only with hatred for Cecilia. Facing this sudden reinforcement, she couldn't help but cry out in excitement, her eyes full of ferocity:

"Even with just one percent of the Lord's power, it's enough to sweep away Schicksal! Schariac, you're dead!!!"

Chapter 36: Cecilia vs. Kevin's Puppet

Cecilia gripped the Black Abyss White Flower, her eyes fixed solemnly on the puppet before her.

Although it barely reached her slender waist and its frame was exceptionally thin, looking as though it would sway precariously with the slightest force, it exuded an invisible pressure, like an ancient, primordial beast growling low before her, showcasing the bloodshed and slaughter of that era.

The Schicksal Saintess and the World Serpent puppet stood opposite each other on the devastated riverbank. A cool breeze swept in from the other side of the River Thames, passing through the puppet's blue trench coat and Cecilia's disheveled black battle armor.

Suddenly, the puppet moved, raising its crimson greatsword. Unquenchable flames surged, and it charged towards the woman with an unstoppable aura.

Cecilia dodged its sharp edge with agile footwork, but the puppet, without any hesitation, turned, lifted its sword, and leaped into the air, slashing down at her from above!

The woman lightly tapped her jade feet, maneuvering several times, searching for any opening in the puppet's attacks where it might be overextended or make a mistake. But it seemed to disregard the rules of mechanical inertia; any charge could be instantly halted after Cecilia evaded, with the puppet controlling its body to stop its swing and then continuing its reckless charge towards her!

It had no other moves, so there were no "overextended" moves; its attacks were simple and full of openings, but any solution ultimately required confronting it head-on!

"Boom!!!"

Cecilia finally parried with her spear, meeting the puppet head-on. The unquenchable flames and the dense mist collided, splitting the world into two colors: crimson and pitch black!

"Cough—Hah!"

Cecilia stumbled back half a step, while the puppet remained still. Her throat felt a surge of sweetness, but she dared not relax. Seizing the opportunity from their clash, she twisted her aching wrist and vanished from her spot. She reappeared above the puppet, its spearhead condensed with black Honkai Energy, descending from the sky, aiming directly for the puppet's forehead!

But the puppet didn't even look at the situation above; it simply raised its hand when the spearhead reached a certain point.

That's right, it just raised its hand.

"Clang!!"

The spearhead collided with the sword body, igniting a fierce burst of light. The greatsword trembled but did not exert any downward force to lessen the impact!

With its formidable strength, the puppet withstood a blow that had instantly killed the Simulated Herrscher of Wind during the Second Honkai Outbreak!

Cecilia frowned, but she didn't have time to think. Using the force from the spearhead, she twisted her body and landed behind the puppet, thrusting with all her might again less than two seconds later!

"Ding—"

The puppet slowly turned, extending its hand to block Cecilia's attack with its greatsword. This time, the sound of the weapons colliding was much quieter.

The woman stumbled back a few steps, struggling to control her unstable posture. But the puppet then began its counterattack, raising its greatsword, wreathed in flames, and charging towards Cecilia!

She blocked with her spear, her wrist once again throbbing with pain. The puppet's attacks did not cease; it leaped into the air and, like a hungry tiger pouncing, slashed down at her again. Cecilia defended passively, the oppressive force from the weapons deepening her injuries.

But the woman did not give up. In the instant after this clash, she forcefully twisted her wrist, stepped forward to close the distance with the puppet, and then, black mist began to emanate from the tip of her spear, rapidly engulfing the puppet!

"A petty trick, daring to show off before the Lord?!"

Jackal's taunt echoed from afar. Cecilia nervously looked ahead, seeing the black mist rapidly spread, enveloping the puppet layer by layer.

But before she could breathe a sigh of relief, a scorching crimson light flared within the layers of black mist. In an instant, rolling crimson flames erupted, burning away the black, mist-like smoke that corroded all things!

Then, the flames coiled back, following a path opposite to the black mist, and lunged straight at Cecilia!

The woman quickly retreated, dodging several times before escaping the onslaught of flames. At this moment, the puppet raised its greatsword again and charged like it did in its first move!

Cecilia dodged with great effort, her movements becoming increasingly sluggish. Her legs had been injured by that Emperor-class Honkai Beast, and the high-frequency dodging now exacerbated the injuries to her limbs.

Finally, in a single turn, the Puppet found an opening. The greatsword slashed down with unparalleled pressure!

The woman only had time to turn her lance to block the blade's edge before being thrown back over ten meters by the immense impact!

She fell to the ground, letting out a muffled groan, then quickly stood up, leaning on her lance to catch her breath, her eyes fixed on the small figure.

The opponent before her... was truly terrifying...

Her previous feeling was not wrong at all. It was a primordial beast, without any techniques or tricks. It only used the flames condensed from Honkai Energy and immense power, yet with just these two, it had utterly crushed her.

How could she possibly win like this...

"You have reason to be proud, Schariac," Jackal's excited and proud voice echoed from afar. "This is a Puppet of the World Serpent's Lord, possessing one percent of the Lord's power. And Lord Kevin can even stop the Herrscher of Finality. You can fight against one percent of the Lord for so long; you have a lifetime's worth of pride."

"Furthermore, foolish Schariac, you were bitten by Jörmungandr. How could I possibly remove the natural venom glands of a serpent when I modified it? Hahahaha!"

"Give up struggling, Schariac! You have no reason left to escape this place alive!"

The woman spread her arms, a wild grin stretching across her lips, as if forgetting the unpleasantness of Otto's "death":

"Hahaha! I can already imagine how much praise the World Serpent will bestow upon me, what power I will gain from the double honor of slaying a Schicksal Bishop and an S-rank Valkyrie! The World Serpent will finally welcome back its Lord and win everything!"

Jackal laughed excitedly, as if everything had gone according to her plan.

Her every move screamed victory, only her clothes were a little dirty.

Cecilia pursed her lips.

Jackal was right. Although the venom of Jörmungandr was being suppressed by something within her, it still made her head feel hazy.

Past memories also erupted in a chaotic and disordered fashion at this moment, interfering with her thoughts.

She was not yet the S-rank Valkyrie she once was. It was difficult for her to maintain a sustained fight while wielding a Divine Key.

After defeating Jörmungandr, she was already physically and mentally exhausted from these hundreds of rounds of combat.

Was this truly the end?

I really... can't do anything...

No... I can't...

Cecilia tightened her grip on the Black Abyss White Flower, enduring the dizziness caused by the overuse of the Divine Key.

I cannot lose... In the name of a Valkyrie...

In the name of Schicksal's Saintess, Cecilia Schariac!

The woman slowly raised her lance, sealed memories gradually breaking free. Her combat skills as an S-rank Valkyrie gradually returned, and the various ways to use the Black Abyss White Flower flooded her mind, forcing her to accept the chaotic and mixed information with the utmost calmness.

But those warm memories had turned into fuel, igniting a raging inferno. Her beating heart resonated intensely with her current desire, like the powerful sound of war drums in a fierce west wind!

Chapter 37: I Am the Devourer of All Black

"One percent of the power... Haha, how interesting."

Otto stood before the projection, watching the duel between the woman and the Puppet with great interest.

"One percent of Kevin is comparable to a Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie. This truly makes me anxious."

Despite his words, the man's face showed no hint of fear. On the contrary... there was a hint of eagerness.

"Guess how much longer little Cecilia can last, Amber? Or perhaps you bet she can win it all?"

"This..."

Amber pursed her lips, watching Cecilia constantly retreat, and shook her head.

"Lady Cecilia... seems unable to resist."

"So, you think she's going to lose soon, right?"

Otto glanced at Amber, a smile playing on his lips.

"Then I'll bet on her winning. The stakes... how about two months of Schicksal documents? If I win, you'll help me deal with those continental documents for the next two months."

But even if I don't lose, Lord Otto, you won't stay honestly in the office and handle those approvals.

The girl wearing goggles grumbled inwardly. She didn't respond immediately, but instead looked at the projection, full of doubt.

"But why are you..."

So confident?

Could it be... you gave Lady Cecilia something?

"No, Amber, at that point in time, I didn't have the chance to leave Cecilia any backup," Otto saw through her thoughts and said. "But have you noticed? Although the Kevin Puppet seems powerful, beating Cecilia back, it has actually never managed to take Cecilia's life."

"They are now in a war of attrition. Whoever runs out of energy first dies."

"But, Lady Cecilia..." also seems unable to outlast him?

"Amber, you need to grasp the essence of the problem. Think about why the Kevin Puppet and Cecilia are fighting a war of attrition. That must mean – this Puppet cannot directly defeat our Schicksal Saintess."

Otto raised his right hand, golden light dancing on his fingertips, obscuring his view of the Kevin Puppet.

"In other words, the Puppet cannot unleash the power to defeat Cecilia in one blow."

"And the Puppet is a mechanical mind, it doesn't have so many tricks to play the fool. If it doesn't unleash its burst power when it should, and instead engages in a protracted fight, it can only mean one thing – its constituent materials or operating system cannot support its explosive attacks."

"Coincidentally, Cecilia holds a Honkai Energy weapon forged with divine authority."

The golden light suddenly vanished, and the man waved his arm as if grasping something in his palm.

"Then, as long as our Saintess seizes the opportunity and unleashes the true power of the Black Abyss White Flower, she can destroy the Puppet's control center and achieve an impossible comeback."

The battle between the Puppet and the Saintess continued, flames and mist intertwining to create a world of black and red.

Cecilia dodged another charge from the Puppet, a flicker of understanding in her eyes.

Behind her, a mass of mist had appeared at some point, slowly swirling as if something mysterious was hidden within.

"Clang—"

The Black Abyss White Flower and the crimson greatsword collided once more, and at the same time, a breathtaking smile appeared on the woman's lips.

"Open."

The mist behind her suddenly scattered, shrouding the entire battlefield like a sky-obscuring curtain. The Puppet ignited in flames, attempting to burn away the darkness as before. The mist did recede, but it was like one curtain after another being drawn open.

The Puppet frowned, flames rising from its body layer by layer, dispelling the fire.

"Is this... your limit?"

Cecilia's voice suddenly rang out, weak yet full of confidence.

"Your attacks are monotonous. You possess immense power, yet your approach is astonishingly consistent every time. I summon this vast black mist, and you merely use fire to disperse it with rapid, stable output."

She tilted her head and smiled, as if mocking something.