Unknowingly, she had already been in Sapphire for half a year. An entire semester had just flown by.
Looking at the time on her phone, Fu Hua couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
Compared to the difficult period when she first arrived in Sapphire, Fu Hua found that she didn't dislike her current life at all.
She was very happy in Sapphire.
She had friends here.
It had even, for a time, made her forget her desire to work hard and inherit the dojo.
So happy here, she'd forgotten all about home.
"Let me help you with that."
Downstairs at the girls' dormitory, it was now the holidays, so Otto could finally stand openly on the school grounds. For the past six months, he had been illegally trespassing here.
Seeing Fu Hua come downstairs, Otto expertly went up to help her with her luggage.
"I can get it myself."
In response to Fu Hua's words, Otto nodded, and then proceeded to take the luggage from her hands anyway.
It was heavier than he expected, which surprised him a little. He hadn't thought Fu Hua would be taking so much back with her.
In reality, there wasn't that much inside. Some of it was gifts Fu Hua had specially bought for her family, and some were gifts she planned to give to Big Brother Otto after they got home.
"Hmph, hmph, you two lovebirds are being so sweet so early in the morning?"
Carol came downstairs as well; she was here to see Fu Hua off.
Although her family lived in Sapphire, she planned to stay at the school for the holidays since she was the only one at home anyway.
"Huh?"
Fu Hua's mouth fell open, a little confused.
Lovebirds? Is she talking about me and Otto?
But she didn't dwell on it. Carol was spontaneous and often said ridiculous things.
She's probably just teasing me and Big Brother Otto.
After all...
How could I possibly be worthy of Big Brother Otto?
He was handsome, he could cook, and he was gentle and considerate to others. He was just a little lazy, but after coming to Sapphire, his chronic laziness seemed to have improved quite a bit.
Most importantly, whenever something happened to her, he would always appear before her in an instant.
It was as if he were secretly following her around all the time.
According to her friends, he was the kind of good man you might never meet in a lifetime.
Why would Big Brother Otto be interested in a country bumpkin like me who only knows martial arts?
Carol affectionately linked arms with Fu Hua. She was very fond of this good friend she had made, and the thought of not seeing her until after the holidays made her a little sad.
Carol didn't like holidays. She preferred spending time with Fu Hua and shipping the Otto-Fu CP.
Watching the two friends' intimate gesture, Otto wasn't worried about Carol stealing his Fu Hua away, because...
This girl was going to die today.
The day Fu Hua was preparing to leave Sapphire was the day the Honkai Eruption would occur.
The beautiful days they had enjoyed would be shattered completely, leaving only a prelude to despair.
But Otto thought for a moment, then spoke up.
"Carol, do you want to come with us and hang out for a while? You'll just be alone in the dorm here anyway."
He was attempting to change her fate.
Hearing Otto's suggestion, Carol crossed her arms and thought it over. She suddenly realized it sounded like an excellent idea.
She didn't want to part with Fu Hua, so why not just go to her house and stay for a few days?
Her own family wasn't in Sapphire anyway.
Carol was quite curious about the dojo Fu Hua always talked about. Having lived in a big city her whole life, she had never seen one.
"Okay, okay!"
Carol immediately nodded. She hugged Fu Hua, rubbing her cheek against Fu Hua's, and said excitedly.
"Hua, can I stay at your place for the winter break? Is that okay?"
"Of course, it is." A smile appeared on Fu Hua's face as well.
Carol was her best friend. If her father found out, he would be overjoyed; how could he possibly refuse?
And just like that, it was decided that Carol would go with them. Otto watched this unfold, unsure if his actions would make any difference.
In the original timeline, Fu Hua had turned back from the airport to save this very friend, only to arrive too late, failing to save either her friend or her family.
This time, when booking the plane tickets, Otto had specifically made her buy the earliest flight for this morning.
As long as Fu Hua returned to her hometown, that "map" would be loaded, and her father could be saved.
Along the way, Fu Hua and Carol chatted and laughed. Otto, meanwhile, kept a slight frown, vigilantly scanning their surroundings.
Carol didn't notice anything amiss, but Fu Hua, as a martial artist, was much more sensitive. Though she was laughing with Carol, her gaze would occasionally drift to the unusually silent Otto.
What's wrong with Big Brother Otto?
It feels like something bad is going to happen today.
In the taxi, Otto had both girls sit in the back with him. That way, if a sudden situation arose, he could protect them both at the same time.
He was being very careful.
The Herrscher of Corruption had shamelessly escalated the Deadwalkers that originally attacked Carol into a Chariot-class Honkai Beast. This time, she might intervene to crank the difficulty up to super-hell mode.
But with both Carol and Fu Hua under his protection, Otto felt the Herrscher of Corruption wouldn't be able to break through his guard.
Because Otto could use the bane of all Herrschers, the Authority of Binding!
In the face of Binding, Honkai energy was a joke.
This was the power that had caused the "Binding Tragedy" in the Previous Era!
Even the MANTIS, when faced with the power of Binding, had been decimated, with only thirteen survivors.
In fact, Otto had considered using the Authority of Binding to directly restrain this entire illusionary world made of Honkai energy, but he was worried it might turn Fu Hua into an idiot, so he had refrained.
It was a power so crucial that he couldn't even think of who to entrust it to.
Little Theresa was definitely out of the question.
Just then, Otto suddenly felt something was wrong.
The car felt like it was drifting, as if the driver was drunk.
He looked at the rearview mirror and saw the taxi driver's face. His eyes were pitch black, and faint pink, corrosive patterns of Honkai energy were appearing on his skin.
It was the sign of becoming a Deadwalker.
Dammit, the Herrscher of Corruption is making her move!
Without hesitation, Otto grabbed Fu Hua and Carol by the arms.
Caught off guard, Fu Hua saw the anxious look on Otto's face and didn't struggle.
Carol, on the other hand, was startled, letting out a series of surprised yelps. "Eh, eh, eh?!"
"The gods grant me authority, to command the endless storm, the horizon within reach—King of Desire!"
With no time to explain, Otto used the Authority of the Herrscher of Wind. Blades of wind shredded the car's roof, and he flew out of the vehicle, pulling Fu Hua and Carol with him.
The driver had become a Deadwalker. If they didn't escape immediately, the car would have lost control and crashed.
"Eh? We're flying???" Carol's face was a mask of disbelief. Fu Hua, too, was astonished.
He landed on the ground with the two of them, his eyes warily scanning the area. A direct attack is easy to block, but an arrow from the shadows is not. The Herrscher of Corruption was hidden; he had to be extremely careful.
But at that moment, he heard distinct footsteps behind him.
Abnormally clear footsteps.
And they sounded like bare feet on the pavement.
Before Otto could turn around, a savage, piercing voice reached his ears.
"Fellow!"
"This is the third time you have stopped me."
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