The Saintess of Schicksal, Chapter 39

Among the forces attacking Schicksal, Anti-Entropy was undoubtedly the main force. However, the troops Anti-Entropy had brought were only destroying facilities, seizing laboratory data, and even taking equipment from supply crates. The forces truly attacking the experimental district belonged to other organizations.

Meanwhile, Siegfried continuously drew attention by causing destruction everywhere.

Of course, that was only on the surface.

Otto remained in his laboratory, watching the surveillance footage displayed on the screen. His right hand rested against the armrest, his head lightly leaning on it, and the chaos before him did not disturb him in the slightest.

"So, they really haven't shown themselves?"

Otto let out a quiet sigh.

He had dispatched most of the troops stationed at Schicksal Headquarters and even allowed the enemy to attack for half an hour, all to lure out the deeply hidden organization.

"Tch. They're practically earthworms, only knowing how to burrow into the dirt. Even now, they have no intention of kicking someone while they're down?"

He had deliberately allowed Anti-Entropy to cripple the anti-air systems and surface-to-air cannons across the Nine Floating Islands. It was like a young girl being attacked by thugs—not only refusing to resist, but voluntarily taking off her clothes.

It could be said that Schicksal Headquarters, especially Asgard, one of the Nine Floating Islands, currently had no defensive strength whatsoever. Most of the Valkyries left in the Valhalla district were rookies. They could not stop Anti-Entropy's Alliance Leader or Siegfried, at most dealing with the trash troops of those trash organizations.

"Those pieces of trash... What makes them think they can take advantage of Schicksal?"

Against the organizations attempting to loot, murder, and burn, Otto moved his pieces like a chess player, using sturdy isolation walls to guide them into encounters with Valkyrie squads.

Even though Valkyrie Armor offered no protection against gunpowder weapons, the gap in their basic capabilities was simply too great.

Moreover, the weapons in the Valkyrie squads' hands were Honkai Energy weapons. Even the most advanced modern exoskeleton armor could not defend against Honkai Energy.

The dozen or so Valkyries at the front used Honkai Energy weapons such as Water Sprite Type I and Fire Sprite Type I to break through the armor's defenses.

Then, over a dozen cross-shaped autonomous machine guns fired silver bullets at once, instantly riddling one country's most advanced mechs with holes.

Of course, this was the proper use of such cross-shaped machine guns. It was just that when a certain S-rank Valkyrie had first debuted, she loved using machine guns shaped like this as blunt weapons to smash people. Who knew what had influenced her.

"Those equipped with ice bullets, move to the front."

"Understood, Captain."

"Understood."

"Understood, boss."

The Valkyries carrying pale blue crosses walked toward the front line.

These were improved cross-shaped autonomous machine guns. They could fire ice bullets to freeze and injure enemies, making them more powerful than ordinary crosses.

They were also weapons that a certain S-rank Valkyrie had used during her early days.

It was said that the enemies in this invasion possessed fire-element weapons, which was why the Valkyrie squads had adjusted their armaments in the equipment room.

As for that S-rank Valkyrie, she still used the improved cross-shaped autonomous machine gun to smash people.

"Even if she's only B-rank, she's more than enough to deal with trash. As for Siegfried and Welt... I'll play with you using this new body. Once you wound me, I wonder whether those earthworms burrowing underground will take the bait."

Otto glanced at a section of surveillance footage on the screen.

That was also the target he had been watching closely.

Although the other party's mobility had exceeded expectations, she still had not escaped his grasp.

Even Amber's unauthorized actions had fallen within his calculations.

Thanks to Amber, he had obtained valuable combat data.

"A Herrscher Killer—no, a Honkai Killer—and one far beyond Cecilia..."

Otto had always thought it was a pity that Cecilia Schariac, who possessed Saint blood, had died.

During the Second Eruption War, the only people he had truly wanted buried were Siegfried and Welt. Yet those two were like irritating little bugs under his hand—impossible to crush, and always jumping around afterward.

Amber, whose strength was roughly equivalent to an A-rank Valkyrie, had lost over seventy percent of her combat power before that girl because her modified prosthetic body relied heavily on Honkai Energy.

"The more an opponent relies on Honkai Energy, the more vulnerable they are before her. She's practically a weakened version of the Eleventh Herrscher. I wonder what it would look like if she wielded Judas' Oath. What a pity—you exposed your weakness far too early."

Watching the little girl's diligent figure in the surveillance footage, Otto's upturned lips curled into a mocking smile.

He was certain she would not find the real Kiana, and he was equally certain she would not truly fall out with him.

Although her act of holding back was childish, it also proved that she would choose to surrender once her plan failed.

"Since Feather of Dust cannot brainwash her, and a miniature bomb cannot be implanted, then I'll control her through fear."

Though she was special, there were countless ways to control a person.

For example, prolonged and intense psychological suggestion—a method using hypnosis and psychology. Some trash organizations loved using such methods to control their subordinates.

There were also addictive drugs, which could likewise be used to influence the mind.

Of course, given her unusual physique, drugs probably would not affect her for long. Even her muscle density was eight times that of an ordinary person. She would likely develop resistance to normal drugs soon after taking them.

He still had plenty of options. It was merely that the most effective methods could not be used.

To make her fear him, Otto naturally allowed her to struggle. Or rather, the harder she struggled, the more keenly she would feel her own helplessness, and the deeper her despair would become.

"Struggle as much as you like, my adorable Little Princess."

"Laboratory, laboratory... The laboratory for Valkyrie modification surgery! It should be here!"

As he advanced, the feet of his mascot costume made biu-biu sounds every time they hit the ground.

The sound was rather irritating, but the costume was made from anti-Honkai Energy fabric.

Although the Kaslana Family naturally possessed extremely high resistance to Honkai Energy, Siegfried did not mind having an extra layer of protection. Besides, it could conceal his identity.

Thinking this, he fired Heavenly Fire Sacred Judgment at the laboratory before him.

The Honkai Energy surging from the Herrscher Core within Heavenly Fire Sacred Judgment formed destructive Flame Bullets, instantly blasting a large hole through the metal door.

The researchers hiding in the laboratory fled in panic.

On an experiment table, a white-haired little girl wrapped in numerous bandages lay sleeping.

"Found her! It's Kiana!!"

Forty-three minutes after Schicksal Headquarters came under attack, Siegfried found his "daughter," whose modification surgery had already been completed, in one of the laboratories.

A doubtful voice immediately came through the headphones in his hood.

"Siegfried, are you sure? The one who underwent surgery today may not necessarily have been your daughter. It could very well be the Substitute Little Princess Bishop Otto deliberately put out as bait."

When Siegfried had approached him and wanted to cooperate with Anti-Entropy, Welt Yang had already told him that the girl he encountered at Schicksal Headquarters was a clone.

In other words, all of Bishop Otto's publicity during that period had been fake.

The heartbreaking daughter of a hero, the next strongest Valkyrie—every last bit of it had been a clone impersonating someone else.

Naturally, after learning this, Siegfried became even more worried about his daughter's safety.

As for the clone Bishop Otto had put forward, she was merely a Substitute Little Princess created by Bishop Otto and had nothing to do with him. Theresa had also said that her circumstances were not bad, so Siegfried only wanted to take his own daughter away.

"It shouldn't be the substitute. She doesn't have any muscle at all. That substitute should have trained under Laguna for over half a year. Even Theresa said she'd developed some muscle, but I just gave her a squeeze. Her whole body's soft—there's not the slightest sign of training."

Siegfried spoke with complete confidence.

To be honest, he had squeezed her twice. She was chubby and soft, and it was a little addictive.

If the situation were not still dangerous, he definitely would have wanted to hold his daughter and rub his face against her.

When his daughter had been two years old, Siegfried had loved getting close to her this way. His daughter had also liked the prickly stubble on his chin.

"Siegfried, something may be wrong. Your daughter may have more than one clone. And the one receiving Valkyrie modification surgery this time was clearly the Substitute Little Princess, yet the girl you found isn't her. That means you only found a decoy."

The voice coming through the headphones in his hood was fast and urgent.

Siegfried held the sleeping white-haired little girl and revealed an incredulous expression.

"A decoy? How could she be a decoy? If they only wanted to lure us out, Bishop Otto wouldn't have needed to create another clone. He could've just used that Substitute Little Princess as bait."

Siegfried did not believe Bishop Otto had specifically made another clone on the premise that they would take away the bait.

The girl in his arms was not the Substitute Little Princess Bishop Otto had publicized, so the odds that she was his daughter were naturally very high.

Looking at the traces of experimentation beneath the bandages, Siegfried's hatred for Schicksal steadily rose.

"That may be true, but there must be something we don't know. The little girl you found definitely isn't your daughter."

"Then I'll keep looking."

Siegfried hugged the little girl tighter. Even if she was not his daughter, he could not possibly abandon a child who looked exactly like his daughter.

"You need to hurry. The other organizations that broke into Asgard are probably all finished, and Anti-Entropy's mech troops can only hold out for a little longer... Sorry, Siegfried. Bishop Otto is coming for me. I can only buy you half an hour. You need to move fast."

"Yeah—I'm counting on you, Welt!"

You Can Die Here

Siegfried stored one Heavenly Fire Sacred Judgment inside his hood, then freed one hand while carrying the clone who might be his daughter as he left.

He did not choose to ask the researchers in the laboratory where his real daughter was. With their level of clearance, they surely knew nothing.

Fortunately, Bishop Otto had been drawn away by Welt Yang. There was now nothing at Schicksal Headquarters capable of stopping his advance.

Meanwhile, at the Valhalla transport port, Welt Yang looked at the blond man who had appeared before him.

"Bishop Otto, although I always believed I would eventually face you in battle, I never expected this day to come so soon..."

This was neither a crisis threatening Anti-Entropy's survival, nor a moment when the Grand Bishop of Schicksal stubbornly sought to push the world toward destruction, much less the day of reckoning after Honkai had been eliminated.

Welt Yang truly had not expected Bishop Otto to act personally.

Anti-Entropy's presence today had merely been taking advantage of the situation. They only intended to disrupt Bishop Otto's plans and lend Siegfried a hand along the way.

"Of course, this result isn't bad either."

The Grand Bishop of Schicksal had always hidden within Schicksal Headquarters, while large numbers of Floating Battleships continuously patrolled its surroundings.

The defensive fields of the Nine Floating Islands were easy to breach from within, but if attacked from outside, even Welt Yang would need considerable time.

No matter how weak the Valkyrie squads were, they were not something Anti-Entropy's current mechs could handle.

So when Otto deliberately dispatched Schicksal's combat forces, moved away most of the Valkyrie squads, and even allowed their hackers to breach the anti-air and surface-to-air defense systems, Welt Yang could not think of a reason to refuse, even knowing it was a trap laid by the other side.

Such an opportunity was too rare.

There might not be another opportunity like it in the future.

Welt Yang also knew that the tempting bait Otto had thrown out was not meant solely for Anti-Entropy. Otto was also curious whether that ancient organization would take the bait.

But now, Welt Yang would fight Bishop Otto with everything he had.

Whether it was to buy time for Siegfried or to defeat Bishop Otto right here.

"Heh. Come on... Welt II."

Otto, having switched to his new body, went all out as well.

A strange golden pistol condensed in Otto's hand.

Welt Yang frowned. There was no doubt that the pistol Bishop Otto had manifested was identical to the Heavenly Fire Sacred Judgment Siegfried possessed.

In theory, there were only thirteen types of Divine Keys, created from Herrscher Cores and Soul Steel by the civilization of the previous era that had resisted Honkai.

There could not be duplicate types of Divine Keys.

Whether Black Abyss White Flower or Judas' Oath, each was a unique existence.

"So it really is the First Herrscher's ability... No, it should be the power of the First Divine Key."

As the inheritor of the First Herrscher Core, Welt Yang finally became certain, upon seeing this phenomenon so similar to his own abilities, that Otto Apocalypse was the holder of the First Divine Key.

His companions Tesla and Einstein had long suspected that the mysterious power Bishop Otto possessed was the First Divine Key, but Bishop Otto had sealed off all information concerning the First Divine Key.

In fact, Bishop Otto had also concealed information about the other Divine Keys to a great extent.

During the Second Eruption War, Theresa, who had wielded the Eleventh Divine Key, Judas' Oath, had not unleashed the Divine Key's true might at all.

Just as he used the First Herrscher's abilities to replicate the Ninth Divine Key, Eden Star, even though the imitation was far inferior to the original, he could still unleash the Divine Key's full power and use Eden Star to create a Simulated Black Hole that swallowed his enemies.

Perhaps Bishop Otto feared the complete power of the Divine Keys.

"Tesla, the First Divine Key is indeed in Bishop Otto's possession."

As Welt relayed this intelligence to his companion, he controlled the sphere roughly ten centimeters in diameter floating above his left hand, applying gravity to the Flame Bullets fired by Bishop Otto's simulated Heavenly Fire Sacred Judgment.