Chapter 264: Facing God! Otto: For Kallen, I Am Willing to Give Everything!
Otto's maneuvers carry a distinct flavor of "Belial" from certain tokusatsu series. To achieve his goals, he resorts to disguises, brainwashing, and manipulation—truly leaving no stone unturned. While Otto is a pure, devoted lover, the abilities of Fenghuang Down in a less serious story could easily lead to even darker paths of hypnotic control.
Currently, Otto's actions are arguably despicable. Sirin's past was already tragic enough, yet he uses memory manipulation to force her to relive her mother's death, exploiting her fragile psyche to find the answers he craves. Under Otto's subtle prompting, Sirin uses the power of the Herrscher of Death to extract her mother's DNA and the power of the Herrscher of Reason to create organic matter. Finally, Sirin's mother reappears before her.
Seeing her mother resurrected, Sirin throws herself into her embrace like a weary bird returning to its nest. At this moment, Sirin is no longer the Herrscher of the Void seeking revenge on the world, but merely a child longing for love. Looking at the happy smile overflowing on Sirin's face, Cecilia Schariac, watching the livestream, feels a profound heartache.
In Cecilia's view, if Sirin's mother had not died in that world, Sirin might never have become what she is now. Or, if Sirin had met someone who truly cared for and protected her after her mother's death, she wouldn't have taken such an extreme path. Unfortunately, Sirin encountered Schicksal's experimental staff and was treated as material in Babylon Labs, suffering inhuman torture day and night while her companions perished one by one. Growing up in such an environment, how could Sirin not hate humanity and everything else?
Because she has never seen the beauty of the world, she has no reason to cherish it. Her desire to burn the world to ash and destroy everything might be influenced by the Will of Honkai, but that Will only nurtured the hatred and rage already present in Sirin's heart.
"Sirin... sigh..." Thinking of this, Cecilia hugs the Sirin beside her tightly.
"Mom... you're hugging too tight... everyone is watching..." Sirin, held by Cecilia, feels shy but her heart is filled with warmth. The Herrscher of the Void seeking revenge in the game feels like something that happened to another version of herself in a different world. But it doesn't matter. At least in this world, she grew up surrounded by love. She is infinitely satisfied and happy to live as the daughter of Cecilia and Siegfried.
"Sigh... Schicksal's experiments have made countless children like Sirin suffer. For his own goals, Grandpa has truly harmed so many people..." Theresa Apocalypse shakes her head. "I don't know how Grandpa will meet his end in the game, but I imagine he won't come to a good one."
The crimes Otto committed over these five hundred years make even death seem like too light a punishment. The experiences of Sirin and the poor orphans in Babylon Labs further confirm this for the audience. No matter how strong Otto's obsession is or how much effort he has put in, none of it serves as an excuse. After all, only a dead Otto is a good Otto.
"Haha..." Outside the livestream, Otto wipes fine beads of sweat from his forehead. For a while now, Kallen has been looking at him with a resentful gaze. Kallen is a sentimental person, possessing the classic Kaslana trait of emotion over logic. Seeing Sirin's longing for love in the illusion has brought mist to her eyes.
"The weather is quite nice today, isn't it..." Otto's gaze wanders.
"Isn't it supposed to rain today? Thundershowers, actually." A certain fox (Yae Sakura) snickers, pointing at the weather forecast on her phone. Otto feels a surge of resentment—that damned fox is kicking him while he's down!
"To hit someone, hit their face; to kick someone, do it when they're down... a great scientist I know told me that," Yae Sakura explains with a smile.
"What kind of scientist would say that... are you serious?" Otto is stunned.
Yae Sakura glances at him: "Why not? I heard from Su Mu that there's also a scientist who likes making cat cakes... Being a scientist is just a job; making cat cakes is life."
Otto is flabbergasted: "What on earth is a cat cake? It sounds a bit hellish..." Fortunately, Yae Sakura's banter shifts Kallen's attention to the "cat cakes".
"That's right, Sakura, what are cat cakes? They sound like they might be very cute?" Kallen asks.
"I'm not quite sure either. Why don't we ask Su Mu after the stream?"
Watching the two discuss "cat cakes," Otto breathes a sigh of relief, having escaped another disaster. He thinks to himself, Su Mu, I have no grudge against you, so why do you always target me? Why is it that every part of Honkai Impact 3rd's plot involves me? Wait... in a sense, does that make him the protagonist of Honkai Impact 3rd? Having a presence everywhere is truly unique.
While Otto is lost in thought, the scene in the game where Sirin throws herself into her mother's arms leaves him deeply dissatisfied. Because he has already done everything Sirin is doing. What is the difference between this and using DNA to clone Kallen? A cloned body is merely a shell with Kallen's appearance but no soul. This is not the method to resurrect Kallen; what Otto wants to bring back is the true Kallen Kaslana, not a similar clone!
Consequently, Otto, disguised as Benares, continues to induce Sirin, telling her that the mother she resurrected is merely a shell—an existence without a soul. Under his questioning, the mother Sirin created disappears. However, when the soul is mentioned, Sirin falls into confusion.
["No... Benares, I don't understand. What is a soul?"]
This is a question even Otto cannot answer. For five hundred years, he has pondered this every moment without finding an answer. Even if he clones Kallen's body and inputs her memories into the clone's brain, it is still not Kallen. A soul is something purer, yet ethereal and elusive. If he cannot retrieve Kallen's soul, her resurrection is impossible.
This scene reminds many viewers of the Kallen who appeared in "Sündenjäger" (Sundown Fantasy) and her battlesuit story.
["We are all... 'things that should not exist in this world' from the beginning... I often think this way. This body already died 500 years ago, and the price of awakening through Theresa's ability is losing most sensations, as well as the fragmented memories of the person named Kallen. She is not me, at least... not anymore."]
The viewers are divided. Is the Kallen in "Sundown Fantasy" the real Kallen, or just another person with fragmented memories? Some think her personality and choices suggest she is real, but others argue that without memory, she isn't the same person. Clearly, Otto made many attempts to resurrect Kallen, and the "Sundown Fantasy" Kallen was just one possibility.
Elysia looks puzzled: "Soul? Is there really such a thing as a soul in this world..."
Kiana scratches her head: "Well, I don't know about the real world, but in the world of Honkai Impact 3rd... there probably is, right?" Everyone looks at Kiana with curiosity.
"Think about it, the Class Monitor (Fu Hua) can attach her consciousness to Fenghuang Down to help me in the game; her every word and action are exactly like the Class Monitor we know. She is clearly the real Class Monitor."
"And the 'Senti' who woke up in the Class Monitor's body for some reason—even though she has the Class Monitor's memories, she isn't the Class Monitor."
"So I'm thinking... the real Class Monitor's soul might be in Fenghuang Down, and her original body was just a shell because it lost its soul."
Kiana's analysis leaves everyone stunned. Siegfried looks at her as if she were a stranger: "Are you really Kiana? How could my dummy daughter have such a high IQ!"
Su Mu is also surprised and nods in agreement with Kiana's viewpoint. In reality, the concept of a soul in Honkai Impact 3rd has always been ambiguous, existing in a state of quantum superposition. But as the saying goes, Honkai energy is omnipotent; when in doubt, blame it on Honkai energy!
In the game, Otto cannot answer Sirin's question, but a casual remark from Sirin strikes him like a bolt of lightning. Of course! He can go find "God"! If he meets "God," he might find the answer he wants. Though this path is extremely dangerous, Otto chooses to gamble. This might be the only chance in his life.
Under Otto's guidance, Sirin develops the idea of seeking answers from God. The world before Otto turns into a white light. When he opens his eyes, "God" (Will of Honkai) is before him. He realizes he is facing something that transcends human wisdom. He is surprised, but not afraid. The God takes on Otto's appearance and turns toward him. To resurrect the person he loves most, Otto has long since set aside life and death.
The God of Honkai should be the enemy of humanity. Otto is on full alert; since he is so close to the answer, he won't back down even if he has to fight God. The God doesn't speak, but his answer is transmitted directly into Otto's mind.
["Wha... what? You say you will do your best to help me?"]
Otto is taken aback. He cannot easily believe such an unexpected answer and decides to test the other party. However, before he can ask the question, answers flood into his mind. Even if the brains of every wise person in history were combined, they couldn't withstand the countless truths pouring into Otto's mind at this moment.
In that instant, Otto knows that the being before him is indeed the omniscient and omnipotent God. He also understands why God is helping him. He is the Overseer of Schicksal, the enemy of Honkai, and supposed to be the smartest person on earth. But what of it? In God's eyes, humans are like ants. As a human, would you care about an ant's thoughts? Would you feel hostility toward an ant?
["God, I have only one doubt remaining. I want to know how to truly resurrect a dead person."] Otto clasps his hands toward the God, pleading for an answer. ["She is the most important person to me. Her name is Kallen... Kallen Kaslana!"]
Otto shows absolute reverence. But this time, God does not answer him. In Otto's mind, only past memories appear. The people he hurt, the crimes he committed, the lies he told. Does Otto feel guilt? Remorse? Perhaps, but not now. Right now, he only wants the answer.
["Please tell me the answer, Lord God. To save her, I will spare no expense."]
At this, the God smiles. He takes down his own cross, transforms it into a sharp blade, and stabs himself. The God in Otto's form gradually dissolves. Otto doesn't understand the meaning behind this act. The significance of this image is something he won't grasp until ten years later.
"Otto actually went to see the God of Honkai..." Even though she hates Otto's actions, Senti cannot help but show a shocked expression at how far he went. After all, that is "God"! If He wished, killing Otto would be no different from crushing an ant. Yet Otto successfully met God and even received His help.
However, the act of God stabbing himself leaves everyone, including Senti, bewildered. What was He trying to express?
END OF CHAPTER
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