Honkai, Traversing Otto, Path to Godhood

Even if she resisted fiercely, what St. Freya took out could still be used, couldn't it?

—Of course, he would absolutely not use the latter method unless absolutely necessary; he preferred vibrant white flowers swaying by his side, rather than seeing the stagnant, congealed Black Abyss.

Don't disappoint me, Cecilia…

Otto said silently in his heart.

"In my personal opinion, I don't really want to,"

Cecilia finally spoke, shaking her head as he wished, "But Elder Brother, if it's for your benefit, Cecilia is willing to go..."

Congratulations, Miss Schariac.

You've dodged a bullet.

The man with golden hair thought indifferently, feeling neither guilt for his useless suspicion nor satisfaction with the white-haired woman's loyalty.

"The first few words are enough,"

But his words, disguised as firm, immediately cut her off, "That kind of combat power isn't worth me letting you go again. You just do what you want to do, I've given you my promise."

[You just do what you want to do, I've given you my promise.]

Cecilia savored the last sentence, her heart sweetening, but she still wanted to say, "But..."

"There's no 'but',"

Otto's voice feigned coldness, "If you're not looking for him out of affection, but for this ridiculous reason, Kaslana wouldn't mind losing one less foolish former patriarch."

Heh, if it were the former…

The golden-haired man turned his head, not wanting the woman to see the darkness and coldness in his eyes.

Cecilia was stunned for a moment, looking at Otto, who seemed to be angry. Finally, she smiled radiantly.

"I was wrong, Elder Brother."

The woman apologized decisively, moving closer to Otto, "I won't mention looking for him again. As for anything else... you arrange it. Your will is my path."

"Mm,"

The golden-haired man's voice softened, "I will have the two great families reach a termination agreement—meaning, whether he agrees or not, you are free."

"I will follow Elder Brother's command."

"That's my good girl."

Otto's expression brightened. He extended the hand he had kept behind his back, and Cecilia naturally leaned sideways, wrapping her arm around his.

The fragments of the Mimicry Divine Keys turned into golden particles, the firearm vanishing into thin air. The light of the Staff of the Underworld dimmed, and only a few scattered purple sparks flickered on the Seven Thunders of Repose.

This hurdle, you've passed. the golden-haired man thought.

"Shall we go for a walk?" Otto gently pulled her closer, his expression kind as he asked.

"Mm."

The woman naturally had no objections to his question and walked out of the Bishop's resting quarters with him.

It was still January, and the weather was as cold as it had been at the end of the previous year.

Cecilia and Otto walked on the streets of Schicksal's floating island once more. They didn't speak along the way. Cecilia was lost in thought, her face slightly flushed, while Otto pondered the recent events.

The white-haired woman suddenly regaining her sense of taste.

This could be considered a good thing, but he didn't let his guard down.

Even her sense of taste had fully recovered, indicating that Cecilia herself had been restored to an ideal state.

There was an important rule in mysticism: equivalent exchange.

What you gain, you must pay for.

So, what was the price for restoring the woman to this extent?

Furthermore, what other changes had he missed?

"I'm afraid I'll have to be more careful from now on..."

Otto muttered indistinctly.

"What is Elder Brother saying?"

Her white hair entered his vision, and Cecilia leaned in curiously, her Holy Blue eyes blinking. Her soft lips were very close.

Otto smiled slightly and looked down, retorting, "Guess?"

The two stopped by the roadside, looking at each other as if playing a game of freeze tag.

Cecilia was the first to be defeated, as expected. Otto's intense gaze made her face flush, as if a light layer of rouge had been applied. Her clear, bright eyes held a hint of unease, flickering left and right, making her even more endearing.

"I say, Rakshasa, five hundred years have passed, and you've mastered the 'One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones' technique? My word, this is truly..."

A clear voice rang out, and a maiden in bright yellow robes arrived, riding a sword from afar, and then...

She saw her past first love looking at a white-haired woman, hand in hand, their faces very close.

"...Maybe I came at the wrong time?" Li Sushang froze for a moment, and a line she had recently seen blurted out.

"No, you've come at the perfect time."

Otto calmly borrowed the old trope, his expression unchanged, and naturally extended his other hand, putting it around the maiden's shoulder:

"Allow me to introduce you two. This is Li Sushang, Fu Hua's grand-disciple, inheritor of the Void Sword Qi."

"And this is Cecilia Schariac, Schicksal's Saintess, and like you, an S-rank Valkyrie."

The maiden shot the blond man a look, took a step back, cupped her fists, and bowed to Cecilia: "Li Sushang, the eldest disciple of the Unsurpassed Freedom Sect, please guide me in the future!"

Cecilia also let go of his hand and, mimicking her, returned the same gesture: "Cecilia Schariac. We'll be colleagues from now on."

She spoke in the Shenzhou dialect. As Schicksal's former signboard, she could still manage a few phrases in that language.

But for more complex conversations, the woman would have to wait for a translator.

"Colleagues? Oh, I see," Li Sushang said, resting her chin in her hand, pondering. "But... Oh right, Rakshasa, I came mainly to talk to you about this matter."

"Weren't you here to learn 'One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones'?" the blond man teased, referencing her earlier words.

"Huh? You can teach me 'One Qi Transforms into Three Pure Ones'?!" Li Sushang was a bit surprised. "I was just marveling at your elusive immortal techniques; I had no intention of prying!"

"It doesn't matter—I don't mind helping you a bit," Otto said. "If you're truly interested, you can start by learning the art of multitasking, drawing a square with your left hand and a circle with your right..."

"You read 'The Carving' too?!"

Li Sushang clapped her hands together, interrupting him with excitement.

"I had such a hard time finding it through your Amber attendant. The only paper manuscript martial arts novel, and you've read it too?!"

Otto nodded and added, "Was it hard to find? There's a ceremony happening these days, and people from Shenzhou will be visiting. I'll have her bring you a few boxes of martial arts novels."

He didn't ask why she didn't read on a terminal.

Not everyone liked reading on electronic devices, especially "ancients" like Li Sushang from five hundred years ago.

"Thank you!"

Li Sushang didn't stand on ceremony and happily cupped her fists.

"I was actually going to bid you farewell now and return when you were about to do that thing. Since that's the case, I'll stay under your tutelage for a few more days!"

"Staying a few days is for the best," the blond man nodded. "I have considerable assets in Shenzhou. Once I've settled things over there, I'll feel more at ease when you return."

"Eh?"

Li Sushang tilted her head, a smile on her face.

"Rakshasa, you're more human now than you were five hundred years ago!"

"That's for you, my old friend,"

Otto gave a bitter smile.

"Although we were separated by the hibernation of all things for five hundred years, we did go through it together. Of course, I should treat you well, someone from the same temporal node."

His loneliness was palpable, and even Cecilia, who didn't fully understand their conversation, looked at him with concern. However, the girl in yellow tilted her head: "What is a temporal node? What is hibernation of all things... Rakshasa, can you explain it more clearly?"

Otto: ...

His pose was all for nothing.

"I did forget. You, who only practiced swordsmanship, are indeed half-illiterate..."

The blond man sighed and looked at Li Sushang seriously for a long time. His emerald eyes fell upon a bewildered figure.

"I'm saying, among all the people from Shenzhou I've known, I've only been this nice to you."

"..."

Li Sushang was stunned.

Do you know how devastating a cheesy pickup line from your first love can be to an ancient person from the 16th century, a maiden of fifteen or sixteen years old? (Not counting the five hundred years of hibernation.)

No matter how cheesy, a cheesy pickup line is still a pickup line.

The maiden's shyness erupted instantly, her face flushing as if it were about to bleed.

She tried to say something more, but no words came out. Finally, she stamped her foot in frustration, stepped onto the Key of Domination, and flew away on her sword at an unbelievably fast speed.

"She left?"

Cecilia watched her leave with a strange expression. For some reason, she felt a little happy, but the thought of Li Sushang leaving with a red face made the ahoge on her forehead droop slightly.

"She's my friend from five hundred years ago."

Otto, noticing the slight lack of focus in her eyes, guessed the reason for her mood swing after a moment's thought.

But he didn't explain anything further.

When it comes to emotions, one can't always just go along with things. You need to strategically play with the other person's feelings, occasionally making them feel a sense of crisis, and then showing them tenderness elsewhere. That's how you accelerate development.

And Cecilia was, just as he'd expected, a little unhappy.

Anyone would be in a bad mood if a friend of the opposite sex suddenly intruded upon their private time together.

Elder Brother... he's not just gentle with me...

This is the right thing to do, the woman rationalized internally. That young lady is also an S-rank Valkyrie, so it's natural for Elder Brother to treat her a little specially...

But clearly, rationality didn't ease Cecilia's mind. Within her heart, there was always a girl exuding dark energy, staring at her past first love and current Elder Brother with greedy, focused eyes, making Cecilia's true self feel a hint of danger.

Elder Brother, when you look at someone else like that, does it mean... this sisterly role I have with you can be replaced?

That won't do...

I don't want to lose any more...

I want you to continue spoiling me like this...

Even though I've already received so much, Cecilia... is a greedy child.

"Tomorrow is Little Goose's S-rank Valkyrie investiture ceremony, and your homecoming ceremony," Otto suddenly said, pulling Cecilia out of the internal battle between her rational mind and her inner demon.

"Huh? —Ah, what is it?"

"How about you help her pin the medal?"

"That's your authority, Elder Brother."

The white-haired woman's beautiful eyes widened slightly in surprise.

"Precisely because it's my authority," Otto said, "that I'm entrusting it to you."

Cecilia wasn't foolish. After the man's few words of suggestion, she immediately understood the implication.