Red Kite Immortal, I Didn't Lie

Bronya: "Even Chakravartin, who fears neither heaven nor earth, has things he's afraid of?"

Chakravartin: "Afraid? You call this fear? Hahahaha, good, very good! One day, I'll tear Apponia's mouth apart with my own hands and throw it into filthy blood and gore, so you can see what true terror is!!!"

Himeko Murata: "Great, we can't communicate with him again."

It was always like this. Whenever Apponia was mentioned, Chakravartin would lose control. Everyone was practically used to it by now.

Kiana: "I still don't understand how Apponia managed to make Chakravartin back off. Did she really just call his name?"

Pardofelis: "It was the Precepts, Sister Nia's Precepts."

Bronya: "What is that?"

Fu Hua: "It's something similar to a mental imprint. It imposes Precepts upon a person's mind, thereby influencing their actions."

When it came to this, Fu Hua had the most authority to speak.

Back when she was the Immortal Crimson Bird, she had also been subjected to the Divine Tone Precepts.

Other than Apponia herself, Fu Hua was probably the person who understood Precepts best in the world.

Theresa: "Wait, imposing mental imprints on people? Isn't that ability completely overpowered?"

Eden: "The third of the Flame-Chasers, Apponia, is, generally speaking, a very mysterious and somewhat dangerous person."

Pardofelis: "But Sister Nia is really nice. Even though she always makes certain mistakes... like the outcome of something going in the complete opposite direction from what she originally intended."

Elysia: "That's precisely what makes Apponia so heartbreaking. She was clearly such a beautiful girl, yet she bore such a cruel fate."

Even Apponia, who possessed the ability to foresee the future, could not interfere with her own destiny. Instead, she pushed herself step by step into the abyss.

Reality was always this cruel, just like Honkai.

Kiana: "I've noticed that each of the Thirteen Flame-Chasers seems to have something special about them. Chakravartin has his rage, and Apponia can predict the future. Class Monitor, what's special about you?"

Theresa: "That's right, Fu Hua. You've never told us."

Everyone focused their gazes on Fu Hua.

What was the Immortal Crimson Bird's defining trait? Could it be her flat... ahem, her unwavering mission to protect Shenzhou?

Fu Hua: "I-I suppose it's my memory. In theory, I can remember everything I see and retain those memories forever. But excessive memories put pressure on my brain, so I need to use Fenghuang Down to clear them out from time to time."

Raiden Mei: "Why does that sound so ordinary?"

Kiana: "Yeah, Class Monitor. Can't you find some other trait? Compared to the others, yours is kind of embarrassing."

Fu Hua: "..."

Sorry for being embarrassing, then.

Besides, Fu Hua felt that they simply did not understand how powerful an eidetic memory was. It was the foundation that ensured her limitless potential for growth.

In theory, she would become stronger and stronger as her memories and experience accumulated!

Who was shot in the head by Otto Apocalypse, then entered a rampage mode, punched Schicksal Headquarters, kicked World Serpent, fought Kevin to a draw, beat up Durandal, and tore apart weak Herrschers?

[A: Kiana.]

[B: Raiden Mei.]

[C: Bronya.]

[D: Fu Hua.]

Bronya: "Kiana, what did you just say? That the Class Monitor was embarrassing? I suggest you reconsider your wording."

Kiana: "I was wrong! Class Monitor, I was wrong!"

The moment the new question appeared, most of those present were stunned. There was only one thought in everyone's mind.

Whose child was this fierce?

Fu Hua: "Why did you all immediately narrow it down to me? Aren't there several other options?"

Raiden Mei: "No, no, no. I'm still in the Previous Era Elysian Realm. I don't even know when I'll get out, so it definitely wasn't me."

Bronya: "Class Monitor, don't look at me. You know my strength. I couldn't even last one move against Kevin. How could I possibly fight him to a draw?"

Kiana: "Class Monitor, while it might be me, I don't think I have that kind of ability yet."

Himeko was usually a little full of herself, but she knew exactly how capable she was.

If they were talking about becoming the strongest Valkyrie, Kiana felt she had to fight for it. Against someone like Durandal, it was still uncertain who would win.

But just look at the achievements listed in that question. Were those things a person could do?

Punching Schicksal Headquarters, kicking World Serpent, fighting Kevin to a draw, and beating Durandal senseless.

Any one of those feats would make people's jaws drop, let alone all of them being done by one person.

Fu Hua: "You think I did this? Impossible. Even if I went looking for trouble with Otto, I wouldn't go so far as to tear Schicksal apart."

Besides, every one of those achievements was outrageous. It was practically offending every major force that could be offended.

Huh? Anti-Entropy?

Anti-Entropy just seemed a little too weak. Someone this impressive was hardly worth their time dealing with it.

Theresa: "Give it up, Fu Hua. The facts are right in front of us. The only person who could be backstabbed by my grandfather and then accomplish such glorious feats is you!"

Pardofelis: "Hua, you're amazing! You aren't even afraid of Boss Kevin. You have to look after me from now on."

Elysia: "I couldn't tell at all. Hua, you're actually such a dangerous girl. Whenever you get angry, you stir up trouble everywhere. You really do know how to steal the spotlight."

Fu Hua: "Uh... but did I really do this?"

The Immortal Crimson Bird stared at the options, feeling that something was off.

Could it have been some Herrscher who called herself Fu Hua and did all these awful things?

Beating Durandal, challenging Kevin, smashing Schicksal Headquarters... it sounded like the sort of revenge a child would carry out.

And it seemed she had even been shot in the head by Otto?

Fu Hua: "If Otto backstabbed me, then it must have happened after Kiana became the Herrscher of the Void."

Theresa: "Fu Hua, I told you long ago that my grandfather can't be trusted. Rather than let him shoot you in the head, why don't we backstab him first?"

Kiana: "Auntie, you really are such a filial granddaughter."

Raiden Mei: "Still, Otto has malicious intentions toward Kiana and wants the Herrscher of the Void to awaken. I wholeheartedly support backstabbing Otto!"

Bronya: "Count me in!"

Fu Hua thought for a while and felt that Theresa made a lot of sense.

The conditions of her deal with Otto had ceased to apply once Fu Hua recovered her strength. And now Otto had even backstabbed her and put a bullet through her head.

If she did not return the favor in kind, it would be hard to justify!

Fu Hua: "Then I choose D."

Correct answer.

Congratulations to Fu Hua for obtaining the item: "Zhang San's Criminal Law: Fraud Edition."

Description: This book contains detailed legal essentials concerning fraud crimes. Once again, please cherish life and stay away from fraud.

Theresa: "Why is it another book? And a law book at that."

Fu Hua: "Uh, is there some deeper meaning behind giving me this?"

Kiana: "Maybe it's to strengthen the Class Monitor's legal awareness, so she won't get scammed in the future."

Thinking about it carefully, that possibility was extremely high.

They had just learned that Fu Hua had been fooled by Otto and then shot in the back. Maybe she would get fooled again in the future.

Pardofelis: "But Hua isn't that easy to trick, and she also has Fenghuang Down. Could it be to stop her from scamming other people in the future?"

Elysia: "Looking at it from that angle, perhaps this book isn't meant to prevent fraud, but to help her evade punishment."

Fu Hua: "Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

The Immortal Crimson Bird had lived an upright and honorable life. She disdained such sneaky, petty acts. How could she possibly deceive others for a trifling profit?

Fu Hua put the book into a cabinet and swore that there would never be a day when she needed it. Then she noticed her own figure appearing on the screen.

In the scene, Fu Hua lay on the ground after being severely injured by the Herrscher of the Void. Otto explained his purpose and the plan behind everything to her.

"Ha... hahaha..."

After hearing Otto's explanation, Fu Hua lay on the ground and laughed maniacally.

Otto had gone mad.

In her eyes, Otto had absolutely gone mad. Only a madman would devise such a twisted plan.

No, perhaps Otto had been a complete madman from the very beginning.

"My friend, I'm asking you seriously now."

Otto stared directly at Fu Hua, his expression more solemn than ever before.

"Your actions have gone beyond my control, so I chose to tell you everything. Even so, will you still resist me? Will you... still stop me?"

Fu Hua's laughter gradually faded.

Then, using almost the last of her strength, she answered.

"Friend? There is not a shred of conscience in your words, only bottomless selfishness and lies. You trample upon others' feelings and toy with their fates..."

"Otto Apocalypse, from the bottom of my heart, I find you pathetic and detestable."

Thunder flashed across the heavens, and dark clouds covered the sky.

They also concealed Otto's face. Golden light gathered in his right hand, gradually taking the shape of a firearm.

Otto aimed the manifested Judgement of Shamash at Fu Hua.

It was a long process, a difficult choice. Five hundred years of memories seemed like bubbles, dispersing before Otto's eyes into nothingness.

Yet it was also an extremely brief process.

By the time he came back to his senses, Otto had already made his choice.

"Immortal Crimson Bird, I did not lie."

With a gunshot, the Immortal Crimson Bird fell into a pool of blood.

Fu Hua: "Otto... I never expected that, in the end, not only would the two of us fail to become friends, we would even become enemies."

Watching the entire process from a third-person perspective, Fu Hua did not know what she was feeling.

Regret for her own foolishness?

Did she hate herself for trusting Otto? Did she regret not seeing his true face sooner? Or should she never have chosen to believe him from the start?

Perhaps it was all of those things.

But upon hearing the words, "Immortal Crimson Bird, I did not lie," Fu Hua suddenly recalled the first time she met Otto.

That year, when Schicksal marched east, the Immortal Crimson Bird single-handedly defeated thousands upon thousands of troops.

Even Saint Kallen, wielding the Divine Key Judas, was no match for her.

Fu Hua remembered that it was on that day that she first saw Otto.

At the time, Otto was still ordinary. He also possessed the potential to become someone who fought for all that was beautiful in the world, just like Kiana and the others. When Kallen was struck to the ground by Fu Hua, Otto stepped in front of her without hesitation.

Even though he knew his strength was negligible, and that he might be nothing more than a clown who could accomplish nothing, Otto still stepped forward without regard for himself.

At that moment, Fu Hua saw the radiance and greatness of humanity within Otto.

But after all these years, Fu Hua could no longer tell whether Otto was still the person he had once been.