Call Me Otto-Man

Sheng Jiu and Theresa walked down from the Hyperion together. It was Sheng Jiu's first time at Schicksal Headquarters, and he was soon captivated by all the high-tech equipment.

Two mechs soon descended from the sky and slowly approached them. They were about five or six meters tall, with humanoid frames and two long arms. Their bodies were painted white, and the words "testversion" were printed on them. The large blades hanging from their arms were proof enough that these machines were no pushovers.

"Ms. Theresa, welcome to Schicksal Headquarters. The Overseer has been waiting for you for a long time," said a mechanical voice from inside one of the mechs, without a hint of emotion.

"Mm. Lead the way."

"By the way, Principal, is Schicksal developing mechs now, too? I'd only heard of Anti-Entropy using mechs in battle," Sheng Jiu asked Theresa quietly.

Walking along with the mechs, Theresa replied in an equally hushed voice, "I haven't been here in a few months either. They're probably something new the Research Department came up with during that time."

As they talked, they passed a massive hangar. Through a gap in its doors, Sheng Jiu saw over a hundred mechs parked inside.

"There are so many mechs! Why can't we get Headquarters to assign a few to our branch?"

Theresa flicked Sheng Jiu on the forehead in exasperation. "These are Headquarters' latest equipment. I don't have the authority to deploy them. If you like them so much, why not ask the Overseer?"

By then, the two had followed the mechs to the administrative center on Jotunheim, Schicksal's main island. Theresa took Jueying and reminded Sheng Jiu, "I'll go in first. You can wander around nearby, but don't go too far, okay? I'll take Jueying to the Research Department for you!"

With nothing better to do, Sheng Jiu sat on a bench, clutching a can of latte as he gazed longingly at the mechs walking back and forth. His eyes glittered with yearning.

"Hello. May I sit here?" A stranger's voice brought Sheng Jiu back to his senses. A young-looking man stood in front of him, his blond hair strikingly bright. If not for his sky-blue eyes, Sheng Jiu might have mistaken him for Otto Apocalypse, Schicksal's current Overseer.

"Of course. Have a seat." Sheng Jiu hurriedly patted the empty spot beside him.

"Thank you." The man sat down after politely thanking him, then followed Sheng Jiu's gaze. "It seems you're quite interested in these Demi-God Machines, my friend."

"I sure am. Here, have some of this." Sheng Jiu handed him the other can of latte. "I haven't asked your name yet. I'm Sheng Jiu, from the Far East Branch."

"Thank you, my friend. Just call me Otto-Man." The man smiled and accepted the latte, introducing himself.

"Huh? Otto-Man?" Sheng Jiu wondered if he'd heard that right. What a strange name!

"Haha, forgive me for making you laugh, my friend. I heard you say you were interested in these Demi-God Machines. Is that true?"

"Demi-God Machines? So they have a name of their own?"

"That's right. These mechs are currently an experimental unit at Schicksal Headquarters. They were designed to contend with Anti-Entropy's mechs and large Honkai Beasts, and are still in the testing phase." Otto-Man patiently explained the Demi-God Machines to Sheng Jiu.

"Man, these things look so cool. I wish our branch could get a few of these mechs someday."

Seeing the longing in Sheng Jiu's eyes, Otto-Man smiled confidently. "Don't worry. I can put in a request with the War Preparedness Department to assign a few to your branch for collecting combat data."

"Really?! That's far too generous. Can you really do that, Brother Otto?"

"Hey, it's no big deal. You bought me a latte, so this little favor is nothing." Otto-Man pulled out a gleaming gold card and waved it in front of Sheng Jiu. "I'm the head of a department in the Research Department. One phone call is all it'll take to sort this out for you."

"Holy crap, thank you so much, Brother Otto!" Sheng Jiu gazed at Otto-Man with stars in his eyes.

"Don't mention it. Our department is developing a set of light armor specially designed for male combat personnel. You and I hit it off right away, Brother Sheng, so I've decided to give you the first prototype to test. What do you think?" Otto-Man flipped his hand and offered Sheng Jiu a black-and-gold USB drive.

"Ah????"

Staring at the enthusiastic Otto-Man before him, Sheng Jiu was utterly baffled.

"Brother Otto, you're being far too good to me! I only bought you a latte, but you've given me all this. And at most, I'm only as strong as a B-rank Valkyrie!"

Otto-Man smiled and waved a hand. "It's fine. I'm asking you to help test our new research, after all. Don't be shy. I may need your help someday, too."

Beaming, Sheng Jiu accepted the USB drive. "Then I'll gladly accept. Thank you, Brother Otto! If there's ever anything I can do for you, just ask. I'll do everything I can to help!"

Otto-Man patted Sheng Jiu on the shoulder in a friendly manner. Just then, a short-haired woman in a maid outfit walked up to the bench. "Otto..."

"My name is Otto-Man, Ms. Rita. That's the third time you've forgotten my full name," Otto-Man said with a rueful smile.

"...I'm terribly sorry, Mr. Otto-Man. The Overseer said he has something to discuss with you, so please come as soon as possible." The woman smiled apologetically, then turned to Sheng Jiu. "And who might this gentleman be?"

"He's my good friend, Sheng Jiu, from the Far East Branch. He's a... uh, combat personnel."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Sheng Jiu. I'm Rita Rossweisse."

"It's nice to meet you, Rita."

"It's getting late, so I'll be going now. Goodbye, old friend. Come visit again sometime!" Otto-Man reluctantly bid Sheng Jiu farewell, then left with Rita.

Watching them walk away, Sheng Jiu finally remembered that he still needed to buy food for Kiana and the other two. He rushed around and managed to buy the snacks he needed before Theresa finished her meeting.

As the Hyperion rose into the sky, Otto-Man stood by the window and slowly peeled the mask from his face. A familiar face appeared underneath.

"Overseer, Rita has delivered your orders to the Research Department. They'll send the equipment over before long."

"Excellent. Thank you for your efforts, Rita." The blond man glanced at the coffee cup in his hand. "We'll meet again, my friend."