Chapter 315
In the original timeline, the Herrscher — the Herrscher of Consciousness— was born from within himself.
Strangely enough, even though it was their first meeting, the moment Hua touched the other person, she felt a sense of familiarity, as if there was an invisible connection between them that bound them together.
However, Hua quickly realized that this was not an illusion, because she could really feel a certain power coming from the other party, which she could control with a thought.
That's... the Herrscher authority?
Of the four, the Herrscher of Consciousness was the quickest to react. While Hua was still bewildered by the sudden Herrscher authority, a figure suddenly rushed into her arms. "Old timer, why did you take so long to get here!"
Feeling the slight trembling of the body in his arms and the emotions transmitted through their mental connection, Hua was stunned for a moment before hesitantly patting the other's back. "It's... alright now."
But soon, the other person suddenly pulled away from Hua's embrace, staring at Hua with a wary yet bewildered look. "No, something's not right. Even though you're an old-fashioned person, something feels off... What's going on?"
Meanwhile, Raiden Yae Sakura finally regained consciousness. Realizing that this was not a hallucination, she hugged Kiana tightly.
"Alright, alright, Yae Sakura, everyone's watching," Kiana replied via the mental connection while returning the hug. "Calm down, we still have things to do!"
A moment later, at the Observer Center.
"This is a possibility I never even imagined..."
After listening to Kiana's description and Hua's explanation, Raiden Yae Sakura finally understood everything Kiana had experienced after returning to the past. She looked around curiously but didn't see the figure she had met on the moon before. "However, Mr. Ai Yue doesn't seem to be here?"
She didn't actually understand it completely. After all, concepts like "timeline," "cause and effect," and even "recreating a world" were all quite absurd to her. The first two concepts were not easy to understand, but the last one was something she could understand but found hard to accept.
After all, the original situation could be described as being surrounded by enemies, and sending Kiana back to the past was just a desperate struggle. But who knew that in the blink of an eye, it would be a prosperous situation? Even though Raiden Yae Sakura had imagined countless possibilities for the outcome of this matter, she really could not have imagined such a divine intervention solution.
That man Ai Yue looked just like Dr. Einstein and his group, but was he really such a powerful god?
"The teacher said he has something to do and will be back later." Kiana noticed Raiden Yae Sakura's nervousness and took her hand, saying, "Yae Sakura, don't be nervous. Teacher Ai Yue is a very nice person, you'll definitely like him!"
Meanwhile, the Herrscher of Consciousness focused his attention on Hua: "So, you are indeed an old relic, but not that old, that is... an antique?"
Upon hearing this, Hua herself didn't react much, but Black Seele, who rarely spoke, couldn't help but let out a sneer.
"You can understand it that way." Fortunately, Hua took over the conversation before the Herrscher of Consciousness could explode. She looked into the Herrscher of Consciousness's eyes and said seriously, "But even so, the connection between us hasn't changed."
"Hmph," the Herrscher of Consciousness turned her head away with a subtle expression, but then quickly turned back, as if she had thought of something. "Wait, if we're talking about it now, it's actually my side that has more 'memories,' right? In other words, I am the real Fu Hua now, right!"
"That's not necessarily true."
A voice suddenly appeared, answering the question, "Leaving aside the fact that the weight of memories doesn't determine the authenticity of an identity, are you really sure you still have so many memories?"
"It's you!" The Herrscher of Consciousness turned around and saw Ai Yue walking towards them. Knowing how powerful he was, she didn't rush to refute him, but instead began to recall her memories. Her expression quickly changed. "Wait, my memories..."
It was only then that she realized that although she could clearly recognize that she possessed Fu Hua's complete memories of 50,000 years, at this moment, she could not recall anything about what happened in the Post-Civilization!
"Finally figured it out?" Seeing the change in the Herrscher of Consciousness's expression, Ai Yue shrugged. "You're supposed to be Herrscher of Consciousness, how can you be so oblivious to your own changes?"
"Teacher, what happened?" Kiana and Raiden Yae Sakura also turned their gazes over. "Is Shiki alright?"
"I can only say it's not a big problem," Ai Yue shook his head slightly. "Don't overthink it. This is a reshaping of your existence based on the new timeline. If it weren't for Hua's cause and effect here, you wouldn't have survived at all."
The Herrscher of Consciousness remained silent, only glancing at Hua with a complex expression.
Although she was quite childlike, she wasn't completely stupid. Considering her previous situation, she quickly realized something.
Just as those who once joined the world had their life trajectories altered with Kevin's disappearance from the timeline, she, as Herrscher born from Fu Hua, would naturally disappear along with Fu Hua.
After all, if she hadn't been overwhelmed by Fu Hua's vast memories, she wouldn't be who she is today.
But for some unknown reason, she did not completely disappear, but remained in a strange state, unable to contact people outside, and unable to be sensed by anyone.
Just now, a warm hand rescued her from that state.
"So, what exactly happened?" Hua couldn't help but look at Ai Yue. "Also, that Raiden Yae Sakura... shouldn't she be sealed in her original timeline?"
"It's very simple. Because of Otto's changes, the original timeline has become 'loose'." Knowing that no one present would understand, Ai Yue explained casually, "You can think of it as, because the karma on that guy's body is too heavy, moving one part affects the whole thing, causing the entire timeline to become loose."
In other words, the current Herrscher of Consciousness is actually no longer a person, but since the timeline has not yet been fully stabilized, Ai Yue still has a way to bring her back from it.
The price she paid was that she had to connect with the current Hua, thus losing the memory in between—after all, theoretically, that memory no longer exists.
Of course, what has taken its place is Hua's current memory.
It was precisely because of this that, upon seeing Ai Yue's presence, the Herrscher of Consciousness, contrary to her usual behavior, did not adopt the attitude of "I am the boss, not the boss."
"Is that so?" Raiden Yae Sakura scratched her head, seemingly understanding, but still smiled. "But regardless, I still want to thank you for everything you've done, Mr. Ai Yue — Kiana has been well taken care of by you."
"It's too early to say thank you," Ai Yue waved his hand, then got to the point, "Did Kiana tell you about it, about Otto?"
"Hmm," Raiden Yae Sakura nodded, then a hint of hesitation appeared on her face. "It's really hard for me to judge this person, but I'm willing to believe Kiana."
Raiden Yae Sakura's dislike for Otto stems mostly from what he did to Kiana. Therefore, if Kiana could accept the current Otto, she would naturally have no objection.
"So, what about you?" Ai Yue nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to the Herrscher of Consciousness.
"Me?" The Herrscher of Consciousness paused for a moment, then frowned and spoke, "If it were up to me, Otto would naturally be torn to pieces—what good person could have that face? But..."
She glanced at Hua, then at Ai Yue, and finally turned her head slightly to the side. "But if you all think he has no problems, then naturally I won't object."
"Well, the ball has been kicked around and come right back." Faced with the two people's responses, Ai Yue couldn't help but shake his head. "I thought it would mean two more people would have their opinions, but it seems like nothing has changed at all."
"In that case, let's proceed according to your plan, teacher," Kiana finally made up her mind. "Actually, I'm not entirely without doubts about Otto, but I believe that as long as you're here, even if he harbors malicious intentions, you'll definitely have a way to deal with him!"
"That's true." Ai Yue smiled. "Then it's settled. Leave the rest to me."
At this point, he looked at Raiden Yae Sakura and the Herrscher of Consciousness: "Besides that, do you have any other questions?"
"I'm fine," the Herrscher of Consciousness shook her head. "Since we're already here, let's just leave it at that. As long as... cough, it's nothing."
She glanced at Hua subconsciously as she spoke, then swallowed the rest of her sentence.
"I want to know, what's going on in reality?" Raiden Yae Sakura said with some worry. "Although I don't quite understand, if the Herrscher of Consciousness and I can appear, what about the others?"
"Theoretically, it is possible for this to happen, but it's difficult to interfere with the 'present' in the short term," Ai Yue explained. "You were drawn into this by Kiana and Hua's causal relationships with the 'real timeline,' which is actually quite random."
"In other words, anyone connected to Kiana and the others could potentially be brought out using this method?" Raiden Yae Sakura quickly extrapolated, "So, if that situation can be replicated, we could even bring out everyone in the world?"
"That won't work, because your current situation isn't permanent."
As Ai Yue spoke, he snapped his fingers.
At the same time, Raiden Yae Sakura and the Herrscher of Consciousness both showed illusory fluctuations. Although the fluctuations only lasted for a moment, everyone present changed their expressions.
"Teacher?!" Kiana looked at Ai Yue nervously, "What was that just now...?"
"Don't be nervous. Like I said, they've only temporarily escaped the 'real timeline'," Ai Yue explained. "Since they're not like you, who are already able to break free from the influence of the timeline, they can only move freely for a short time under my power. They'll go back soon."
"It's just returning to the original timeline, right?" Kiana breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this. "That's good. As long as our plan succeeds in the end, everything will be fine."
"So this is only temporary?" Raiden Yae Sakura's tone was slightly helpless. "I thought I could help a little and make things easier for Kiana."
"Yae Sakura ~" Kiana's face immediately lit up with emotion as she grabbed Raiden Yae Sakura's arm. "Knowing that Yae Sakura is safe and sound is the best thing that could happen to me!"
"Then what do I do?" The Herrscher of Consciousness looked bewildered. "At least Yae Sakura is fine, but I'm different, right? Do you expect me to go back to that previous state?"
Thinking of the indescribable feelings she had experienced before, Herrscher of Consciousness couldn't help but show a hint of panic on her face—after all, she was just a child of a few years old, and it was difficult for her to face such a thing with a calm mind.
"Don't worry, Xiao Shi." Hua naturally used this affectionate term of endearment. She patted the Herrscher of Consciousness on the shoulder, then looked at Ai Yue, "Mr. Ai Yue will definitely have a way."
"To be honest, I didn't expect to be able to pull you out directly, since theoretically you should no longer exist," Ai Yue's expression became somewhat subtle as he said this. "I was originally thinking of waiting until the timeline returned to normal before dealing with this issue, but since we're already here, we might as well resolve it all at once."
"Is there really a way?" The Herrscher of Consciousness's expression softened considerably. "You wouldn't lie to me, would you?"
"Why would I lie to you? It's not that difficult." Ai Yue shrugged. "Simply put, your connection to the timeline is too weak; you only exist because of Hua's causality. So, all I need to do is find a way to deepen your connection with the timeline."
The Herrscher of Consciousness nodded, but her expression clearly showed she hadn't understood at all. "So how exactly does it work?"
"Then it's up to you to choose." Ai Yue's gaze flickered between the two women for a moment, then a subtle smile appeared on his face. "Mother and daughter, or sisters? Choose one."
"Ah?"
Chapter Twenty-Two: I've been reborn. This time, I'm going to...
In the bishop's study at the Schicksal Headquarters, the blond man slowly opened his eyes. His expression was incredibly complex, as if he had just experienced something indescribable.
Indeed, this is true—after all, it's rare for someone to look back on their own life from an outsider's perspective and still be able to face it with a calm mind.
Not to mention that Otto Apocalypse's life far exceeded what ordinary people could comprehend.
Even setting aside all other factors, the sheer length of the journey is enough to deter most people. A life spanning five hundred years might seem to fulfill humanity's yearning for longevity, but if this life is bound from the very beginning by an unfulfilled wish, then probably few people could bear such heavy pressure.
Seeing him open his eyes, Ai Yue, sitting opposite him, couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "How do you feel after seeing another version of yourself live your life?"
"Let's put my thoughts aside for now," Otto said, rubbing his temples, feeling that he hadn't completely shaken off that 'dream.' "Suddenly, I had over five hundred years of life crammed into my head. Teacher, you really trust me."
Looking at Ai Yue sitting in front of him, who hadn't changed at all compared to a few years ago, a complex feeling welled up in his heart.
Although his five hundred years of life were nothing but a dream, the experiences of the other Otto still resonated with him in a certain way. This resonance made it difficult for him to distinguish between reality and illusion, which is why he uttered the above exclamation.
"Trust what? Trust that you can withstand this kind of mental shock?" Ai Yue probably understood Otto's thoughts. "Or do you believe that you won't be influenced by the will of another Otto?"
"Don't you know that perfectly well?" Otto gave a somewhat helpless smile. "Then it seems you must have a way to prevent the worst from happening."
"Actually, no, because I think you're perfectly capable." Ai Yue shook his head slightly. "You've been a bishop for several years now, you should have some confidence in yourself, right?"
Although he said that, Ai Yue was not completely unprepared. Otto's witnessing of everything from the perspective of an observer in the dream was something he had planned in advance.
Because of the difference in perspective, a little mental suggestion was enough for Otto to distinguish between the two. No matter how long everything in the dream was, in his eyes it was just a movie-like performance.
Even though Otto is still somewhat dazed, he will soon be able to fully recover.
"My mere few years of life experience can't compare to those five hundred years of painful struggle," Otto sighed, but then laughed. "However, I must admit that if we're talking about happiness, I'd say I've won."
Throughout his more than five hundred years of life, Otto rarely experienced happiness. As a child, he was a sickly and indifferent person. As an adult, he was deeply shrouded in the pain of losing Kallen, and this became the dominant theme of his entire life. In comparison, only his childhood could be considered a period of happiness.
But for this fleeting and ephemeral happiness, he paid an incredibly heavy price, yet he was still happy to accept it.
In contrast, although I received a lot of cold treatment before the age of twelve, my life afterwards can be described as "soaring to great heights," and I could say I was as happy as could be.
"Thinking about it now, I really am a terrifying guy." Recalling the actions his other self in the dream took to revive Kallen, Otto couldn't help but show a subtle expression. "Thank you, Professor Ai Yue."
Now that things have come to this, Otto naturally understands what kind of life he would have experienced without Ai Yue's intervention. It can be said that Ai Yue's appearance not only saved him, but also saved many other people.
"Don't thank me yet," Ai Yue waved his hand in response to Otto's heartfelt thanks. "Well, strictly speaking, even without my intervention, you would never have become the person in the dream."
Otto was taken aback for a moment, then fell into deep thought.
After a moment, he hesitated before speaking, "Is it because you changed this world a long time ago?"
A clever person like Otto could not possibly have been unaware of the many differences between dreams and reality. For example, in his dreams, the source of his knowledge came from the Divine Keys - Void Archives left by the Pre-Civilization, but in reality, it was replaced by Ai Yue's reward.
In other words, in the timeline of the dream, there was absolutely no trace of Ai Yue's existence—but reality is the complete opposite.
Therefore, Otto only needed a little thought to reach the conclusion.
"I suppose this kind of simple reasoning can't stump you." Ai Yue shrugged. "In short, you should actually hate me—maybe without my intervention, you and Kallen in this timeline could have gotten married?"
"No, I think that kind of thing is unlikely to happen." Unexpectedly, Otto shook his head. "Admittedly, without your intervention, teacher, I might still be longing for Kallen as I am in my dream, but longing can't turn into love, let alone one-sided feelings, so..."
Otto paused mid-sentence, then casually changed the subject. "In short, now is not the time to talk about these things, is it? Since you chose to entrust this memory to me, there must be some task that requires it to be completed, right?"
"Since you've already thought this far, do you still need to ask me the rest?" Ai Yue didn't intend to dwell on Otto's personal affairs, so he simply shrugged and let the topic drop. "Don't tell me you can't figure it out."
"Isn't this just to get a definite answer from you?" Seeing that his little scheme had been exposed by Ai Yue, Otto naturally stopped hiding it. "So, these are all facts that have already happened, right?"
Ai Yue raised an eyebrow but remained silent.
But his silence had already answered Otto's question.
Otto sighed deeply, then slumped into his chair, as if this reality was even harder for him to accept than his previous five hundred years of life.
After all, wouldn't this mean that he has already committed those irreparable sins?
Although it seems there's still a chance to salvage the situation, how can the damage already done be undone?
"Can we not tell Kallen about this, teacher?" After a moment of silence, Otto finally spoke with difficulty. "If she finds out, I really can't imagine what will happen."
If Kallen knew that the original Otto not only orchestrated her death but also committed countless sins in his attempt to resurrect her, what emotions would flow from her clear, sky-like eyes?
Otto dared not think about it further; every second he spent pondering it felt like torture.
"I wasn't planning on telling her anyway," Ai Yue shrugged. "After all, she's the most innocent person in this whole thing, right?"
"Yes, she is innocent. Those sins were merely Otto Apocalypse's obsession." Otto gave a bitter smile. "Teacher, didn't you want to hear my thoughts?"
Ai Yue straightened his posture slightly to show that he was listening attentively.
"In my opinion, the Otto in the dream lost himself the moment Kallen died. All that remained was a zombie driven by obsession." Otto pondered, then slowly spoke, "Because he lost himself, he had no choice but to cling tightly to his remaining obsession, even at the cost of his soul being scattered."
"He is a despicable person—and also someone I must look up to."
"It sounds like you haven't completely denied him," Ai Yue said with a meaningful smile. "That's good; at least it shows you've indeed developed a sufficiently stable personality."
While Otto is undoubtedly a heinous scoundrel, his achievements cannot be ignored when evaluated objectively. Recognizing this means that the Otto before us can truly examine and reflect on everything that happened in the original timeline from an outsider's perspective.
In this way, Ai Yue wouldn't have to worry that Ai Yue would go to another extreme because he excessively hated his original self.