"Hahahaha…"
Fu Hua laughed.
It began as a quiet chuckle, then grew louder and louder until her laughter echoed across the battleship deck. It was not the kind of laughter a mortally wounded person should be able to make.
The Crimson Immortal was laughing wildly.
Within that laughter was self-mockery and sorrow, along with regret and remorse.
Bright red blood dripped from the corner of her mouth, splashing onto the ground like crimson flowers blooming at the border of life and death.
"…My old friend," Otto frowned slightly. "I'm asking you seriously now."
"Your actions have already gone beyond my control, so I chose to tell you everything… Even so, will you still resist me? Will you still try to stop me?"
Otto's expression was extremely serious. But no one could be sure whether this was his true face.
The laughter stopped.
Then, using nearly all her remaining strength, she answered—
"…Friend?"
"There isn't a trace of conscience in your words… only bottomless selfishness and lies…"
"You trample on others' feelings and toy with their fates…"
"…And not even for a moment… have you ever thought of yourself as a villain…"
"Otto Apocalypse… from the bottom of my heart… I find you pitiful… and detestable…"
From somewhere within that shattered body, strength emerged. Fu Hua slowly straightened her back. As she spoke, she stood upright, blood staining her clothes.
Though she was technically looking up at him, the blazing gaze in her eyes felt like someone standing above the heavens, looking down.
Her eyes held nothing back as she stared straight at Otto—like she was looking at a clown.
Thunder flashed across the sky. Darkness swallowed the heavens.
It also obscured Otto Apocalypse's face.
He said nothing. He moved.
Golden light gathered in his right hand, gradually forming into the shape of a firearm.
Imitation — Shamash, the Divine Key.
Silently, he slowly aimed the gun at the person standing before him.
It was a long moment.
Five hundred years of memories passed like illusions. From the day they first met during a Schicksal expedition, everything they had experienced together slowly faded away into nothing.
It was also a very short moment.
So short that by the time he came back to himself, he had already made his choice.
"…Crimson Immortal… I wasn't lying…"
Bang—!
With a crisp gunshot and the sound of a heavy body hitting the ground, under a light drizzle, the screen faded into darkness.
After watching the video, everyone turned to look at Fu Hua.
Her face was expressionless, but her hands were clenched tightly. Under the force of her grip, blood dripped from between her fingers onto the floor.
As expected… she should never have had even the slightest expectation of Otto.
This man, in pursuit of his goals, didn't care about the sins or regrets created along the way.
What frightened her even more was that Otto's true objective didn't seem to be defeating the Honkai at all…
Whether by principle or by personal feeling, Fu Hua could never accept what he had done.
"One day… Otto, you…"
Fu Hua's hand tightened as if she were gripping someone's head.
"Fu Hua, have you ever looked into St. Freya's position?" Theresa suddenly spoke.
"My grandfather treats Valkyries like ordinary weapons. If one breaks, he replaces it. I couldn't stand it. That's why I founded St. Freya."
"I thought that if I moved forward step by step, someday Schicksal's treatment of Valkyries would change into what I hoped for. But now… it seems I was too naive."
"A severe illness requires strong medicine. Rather than letting him remain as Overseer, acting tyrannical and treating Valkyries as expendable, it's time for a new order to take control of Schicksal."
Clenching her small fists, Theresa declared with determination:
"Everyone, I'm going to take my grandfather's position and become the next Overseer of Schicksal. So lend me your strength."
Everyone in the room looked at one another.
"I have to help my aunt," Kiana responded first.
"I'll handle logistics at least. I won't let anyone go hungry," Mei said with a gentle smile.
"In the future, Kiana becomes a Herrscher under Otto's schemes. Now that we know the cause through this Q&A system, Bronya doesn't think Overseer Otto will give up. We're likely facing an even more underhanded future."
"Even though Bronya doesn't want to admit it, in terms of scheming, Otto is the biggest mastermind."
"And in the chat, I saw Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie Rita…" Bronya added. "The enemy is in the shadows while we're in the open. Bronya won't let Otto successfully scheme against us."
"What about you, Fu Hua?" Theresa asked.
"…Then there's only one answer."
Fu Hua opened her eyes. "I will pledge my loyalty to you."
"Good! With everyone's help, taking the Overseer's seat will only be a matter of time!"
Theresa nodded. St. Freya would now need to build strength. Perhaps they could even ask Anti-Entropy for help…
After all, Anti-Entropy originally came from Schicksal.
As Theresa was thinking about how the Far East Branch could catch up to Schicksal HQ, a new question appeared on the screen.
No matter the faction—St. Freya planning rebellion, Rita speaking with Otto, the Anti-Entropy scientists, or Raven—after the previous rounds, no one wanted to miss the next question.
Then…
[Question 4: It is widely known that St. Freya of the Far East is a famous "Herrscher academy," and Murata Himeko is reputed as a "Herrscher training teacher." Among the following students, which one is NOT a Herrscher?]
A: Fu Hua
B: Bronya Zaychik
C: Raiden Mei
D: Kiana Kaslana
E: All of them are Herrschers
"—Slander! This is blatant slander! My St. Freya trains excellent Valkyries. What do you mean 'Far East demon cave' and 'Herrscher academy'?!" Theresa felt like her heart was about to explode.
"Auntie, calm down…" Kiana patted her back.
"Yes, Principal, getting too angry is bad for your health," Mei added gently.
Theresa suddenly froze.
She looked at Kiana.
Then at Mei.
Then back at Kiana…
Wait.
Aren't these two… both Herrschers?!
One Herrscher… two Herrschers…
Ah, my brain is shaking…
Rita: Even Schicksal HQ never planned to host multiple Herrschers. Overseer Otto only planned for the Herrscher of the Void. Lady Theresa, you're quite formidable.
Tesla: There are no wrong nicknames. "Far East Demon Cave," "Herrscher Academy"—very fitting.
Raven: Heh. As expected of an S-rank Valkyrie and wielder of Judah. You look like a child but harbor such ambition…
Himeko: I'm just on a helicopter and already half the questions involve me. A Herrscher teacher… I don't deserve that…
The chat exploded again.
Out of the fourteen Herrschers in total, tiny St. Freya already had three.
Theresa… not to be underestimated.
"Ahhh! Stop talking!" Theresa clutched her head and dropped to her knees.
She, a Valkyrie fighting the Honkai… and yet…
This must be a dream. Yes. A dream.
The system, Herrschers, this Q&A space—none of it is real.
The emotional blow was too heavy. Theresa was starting to doubt reality.
"Principal, what's the answer?" Bronya asked, even her usual expressionless face showing slight change.
At least a 75% chance they're all Herrschers…
Her eyes drifted toward option E.
Previous questions had four choices. Now there was a fifth…
Given the "Herrscher academy" title, the answer seemed obvious.
Smart people quickly grasped the key point.
"This is a free question!" Bronya said.
"The answer is E!"
Rita: I choose E.
Einstein: E.
Raven: E.
Theresa: Wait, why is everyone choosing E? It can't be that everyone is a Herrscher…
[Detected: Lieserl Albert Einstein submitted the earliest answer.]
[Answer submitted: E.]