"Fuck." That was the first word that surfaced in the imitation Fenghuang Down upon hearing Otto's question.
Otto was far more impatient than Conductor had anticipated...
Conductor had originally assumed Otto would probe her repeatedly, set layer upon layer of traps, confirm her true identity, then verify whether she truly possessed the ability to resurrect Kallen—only after that would the real showdown begin.
Although Otto was a gambler, after a century of deception and gamesmanship with Void Archives, he should have treated everything except Kallen with extreme caution.
By that time, Vill-V would have already found a way to return to the Previous Era and said goodbye to him.
But Vill-V had not expected that this man, who had waited five hundred years, would refuse to wait even a few more days.
Perhaps for Otto, although he had marched forward through blood in blind despair, even willingly extinguishing his own conscience...
People grow tired. Otto was human too. He was not Kevin, nor was he Azure Empyrea.
He had once said, "To deceive the world, you must pretend to be like the world."
He had also said, "And most of the world will not search for sunlight within layers of dark clouds."
And Otto was precisely the one who struggled forward within those clouds, searching for that sunlight.
Every day after losing Kallen was torment. He would not wait even one second longer than necessary.
So if he confirmed that someone truly knew a way to save Kallen, he would seize and exploit it without hesitation—rather than waste time building friendship and slowly extracting information.
Just like now. Although Vill-V could not see Fenghuang Down, based on the soulium detection device, she could confirm its presence. After all, Fenghuang Down was also made of soulium.
The moment Otto asked the question, he had already activated Fenghuang Down to search her mind. He had no intention of sincerely listening to her answer.
Expecting Otto to genuinely become your friend? Just look at the last person Otto called a friend—Welt had practically been stabbed along with his entire family.
There was a phrase perfectly suited to the current Otto: black. Too damn black.
...
Having realized this, Vill-V adopted the flippant, playful tone of Magician to dispel the heavy air. "Ha, what an impatient audience. Guessing the answer is part of the fun of magic, you know?"
"Very well. Since the audience is so eager, the Magician cannot possibly disappoint them. Allow me, Vill-V—the creator of all escape magic—to present to you a breathtaking performance!"
Otto continued to watch Vill-V without expression, observing her every movement.
Oh? Under the self-revelation of the imitation Fenghuang Down, her true self is... this energetic? More open than her exterior suggests. Judging from various subtle habits, she should be far darker.
The creator of all escape magic? Heh. An arrogant and interesting title.
After delivering her opening lines, Magician lifted her chin and pointed the greatsword Otto had bestowed upon her at him. "Lord Bishop, I am not lying! Whatever you do, don't blink. This is a world-class magic trick—unique to Vill-V—The Great Transformation!"
Clang. A dull sound echoed through the silent dining hall.
It was not the sound of Otto's soulium dog head being cracked open by Vill-V's greatsword.
It was the sound of space itself being struck by some immense force, splitting open with a fissure.
A crack suddenly shattered the empty air, rapidly spreading until a locomotive—futuristic yet carrying a heavy retro aesthetic—burst through in a plume of steam.
Otto, who had believed everything firmly within his grasp, was calmly reading the Vill-V memories replicated within Fenghuang Down. Before he could react, the locomotive sounded its whistle and charged into Schicksal's dining hall, and Vill-V vanished into the steam.
Everything was within Conductor's plan.
The imitation Judah could indeed seal the authority of Cosmic Juggernaut. However, Void Archives could only simulate one Divine Key at a time. If it was already simulating Fenghuang Down, then it naturally could not simulate the imitation Judah to prevent Vill-V from using Cosmic Juggernaut's spatial authority.
With Otto currently simulating Fenghuang Down, this was the perfect opportunity to slip away.
The seed had already been planted for him to search for the Herrscher of Reason Planck's whereabouts. Vill-V's objective in coming here had been accomplished. If she didn't run now, when would she?
Surely no one actually enjoyed chatting with Otto.
Thus Vill-V leisurely drove Cosmic Juggernaut away—
Right in front of Otto and Schicksal's many Valkyries.
Fighting? Not my specialty. Running away? First place. Did you forget what world I come from? If you can't flee at light speed, you're finished.
...
Otto's raised hand holding the imitation Judgement of Shamash ultimately lowered. The blazing flames in his palm gradually extinguished.
Looking at the wreckage scattered across the floor and the shattered walls, Otto brushed the dust from his sleeve. A trace of helplessness flickered between his brows.
"I really was played for a fool. Whether you answered or refused, I truly did not expect you to give yourself this kind of 'surprise,' Vill-V."
Otto's reaction speed had exceeded Vill-V's expectations. The moment she entered the steam, he had already raised the imitation Shamash and locked onto her.
As for Vill-V's identity, Otto had already formed numerous conjectures.
Who Vill-V was, what her purpose might be, what her personality was like, whether she could help him—he could afford not to know.
It was like his journey years ago to Shenzhou in search of Azure Empyrea.
But there would not be a second Li Sushang. And Otto did not need a second Li Sushang to assist him.
He had given Vill-V a welcoming gift, suspended his campaign against Schicksal's North American branch for her sake, and displayed his own resolve.
"Only Otto himself... or rather, Kallen's fate—Otto must know it. Even a single lie would become his lifeline."
Otto let out a self-mocking laugh. Those words were undoubtedly his true feelings. And precisely because they were true, they carried boundless power.
If Vill-V truly pursued beauty as she appeared to, she should not have been able to refuse his request.
He had considered many possibilities. Vill-V might evade him, expose him, or even feed him a false truth.
But he had not expected this reaction—turning around and running without a word.
She made no demands. She did not even ask why. As if his question were some raging beast.
However, this also indirectly informed Otto that Vill-V bore him no clear hostility. If she had used Cosmic Juggernaut against him, he might already be on the moon by now.
That was why Otto had lowered the imitation Shamash in his hand.
So innocence and radiant enthusiasm were all lies. Her strategic foresight surpassed even Otto's expectations. He did not believe any of this was coincidence.
"What does 'fuck' mean? What information does it contain?"
"Is she unable to tell me future intelligence? Or does she have other designs?"
Otto walked to the wall Vill-V had blasted open into a skylight. He placed his now-empty wineglass upon an unused flower stand, then seemed to speak to the wall itself.
"My old friend, what insight do you have?"
A gray-haired, green-eyed, handsome young girl stepped out from the corner. She calmly surveyed the surrounding wreckage—and Otto standing within it.
"You mean... Hua?"