"???"
"Mr. Savior"…???
Otto turned slightly to the right.
A young woman had approached him—ashen-gray hair, crimson eyes. Her robe was worn somewhat boldly, subtly outlining a graceful and alluring figure.
When she noticed his gaze, her lips curved upward. Her pupils shone brightly, as if striving for pure innocence—yet the faint turn of her eyes betrayed a youthful charm.
Oh? Isn't this…?
From the corner of her eye, Cecilia also noticed the girl. She instinctively shifted, intending to step in front of Otto—but he stopped her with a light motion.
It's fine.
Cecilia paused, though her eyes narrowed slightly as Otto turned to speak with the girl. Her cheeks puffed just a little—like someone who had spotted a cat sneaking cream.
The red-eyed girl tugged at the corners of her lips, clearly attempting to arrange her expression into something priest-like—solemn, warm.
But no matter how she adjusted it, she lacked the priest's mercy.
Still, the visible effort made her oddly cute.
Otto noticed the stiffness in her expression but responded with a cooperative smile.
"Very well. But not here."
He took Cecilia's hand and moved to a less crowded area. The girl followed eagerly, as though relieved he had agreed.
"Please begin your performance," Otto said, making no effort to conceal his curiosity and amusement.
The girl seemed not to detect the teasing tone. Instead, her smile grew more genuine.
"Thank you! You may call me Natasha. I'm very grateful you've stopped to listen. Perhaps to you, this may sound like a fairy tale—but to me, it's extremely important!"
"Kallen above…" Otto pressed his lips together, giving the girl's subtly mature figure a brief, complicated look before meeting her "innocent" smile. "It seems between dignity and… that outfit, you chose the latter."
"Excuse me?"
"Ah, nothing. Please, continue."
Otto lowered his hand. Hidden within his sleeve, he constructed a pen-shaped device and pressed a button.
"Once again, thank you for pausing! May our Lord bless you!"
Natasha bowed deeply. Then her expression became solemn.
"Our Lord calls Himself [Savior]. In the past, in the present, and in the future. He is the great leader who governs [Bygone Days], the Frost King who commands blazing flames, and the divine redeemer who grants eternity to all living beings."
"… "
So it really is that man.
The strongest MANTIS of the Previous Era, bearer of the Signet of [Deliverance]—
Kevin Kaslana.
The existence Otto currently feared most.
"So powerful?" Otto praised at just the right moment. At the same time, he lightly poked Cecilia and pointed toward a nearby milk tea shop, slipping her his wallet.
Cecilia understood. After casting Natasha a cautious glance, she took the wallet and trotted off.
"Yes! Our Lord is that mighty!" Natasha declared proudly. "In the primordial era, when the flames of civilization still burned across the earth, our Lord fell into slumber beyond the mortal world and the Imaginary Sea for the sake of His dearest friend. Yet His mercy still blankets heaven and earth, spanning endless past and future. Even now, humanity lives beneath His grace."
"Makes sense. Makes sense."
Otto accepted the milk tea Cecilia handed him and adopted an attentive posture.
"Beside our Lord stand five Martial Gods, awaiting His command to guide humanity toward the gates of heaven."
"Oh? And who might those five be?"
"Allow me to tell you of the Martial Gods who are blessed by our Lord—and who in turn bless all living beings."
Encouraged by Otto's timely interjections, Natasha's tone grew increasingly impassioned.
"The Martial God of [Stars]—the embodiment of the firmament, our Lord's most beloved daughter. She expands His dominion and spreads His divine name across the cosmos!"
"The Martial God of [Heavenly Wisdom]—the one who has followed our Lord the longest, the overseer of myriad worlds. He witnesses the rise and fall of civilizations and warns humanity through their fates!"
"The Martial God of [Fleeting Life]—the Lord's clarion horn, the messenger of knowledge. She leads humanity from naivety to maturity, quietly advancing its future!"
"Your Lord truly is impressive," Otto remarked, chewing thoughtfully on a tapioca pearl. "To have so many Martial Gods in service."
"There's more," Natasha lifted her hand dramatically, as if to summon thunder. "Beside Him also stands the Martial God of [Anti-Entropy]!"
"Entropy—you know what that is, yes? If not, allow me to explain! It is the root of all decay!"
"And yet this god—after our Lord granted Him a planet within His palm—can reverse entropy itself! He is our Lord's thunder, His wrath, His hand! The judge and executioner who declares war upon all false and vulgar notions of beauty!"
Otto paused mid-sip.
I've seen many things in my life.
But this… this is new.
Calling the Star of Eden a "planet within His palm" was one thing.
But interpreting Anti-Entropy like this?
If those scientists truly mastered entropy reversal and cracked the Second Law of Thermodynamics completely, he might as well retire and enjoy a few carefree days before the Honkai escalated beyond imagination.
Prometheus' plan in the Previous Era hadn't even been able to control Honkai's rampage.
That a single reset hadn't erased everything entirely was already a mercy from Finality and whatever higher civilization lurked beyond.
Still…
Arranging the Anti-Entropy Sovereign in this fashion gave Otto a faint sense of foreboding.
"And opposite the Martial God of [Anti-Entropy] stands the Martial God of [Schicksal]," Natasha continued—just as he expected.
"He is the supreme being of ancient times, the king at the world's end. Once incarnated as the iron-willed dark destiny that led ignorant mortals and ended the dreadful Middle Ages. In the end, He submitted to our Lord, striking the bells of heaven for Him!"
"…Impressive. Truly impressive."
This time, Otto's praise was entirely sincere.
"Fifteen minutes have passed—I won't take more of your time," Natasha said, clearly pleased with his engagement. She pointed toward the distance. "If you and your wife are interested, you may visit the Thames canal for deeper understanding."
"If I have the time," Otto replied with a gentle smile, taking another sip of milk tea, "I'll take a look."
"Thank you! You're truly a good person!"
Natasha bowed once more.
"May you and your wife enjoy your time in Britain!"
She turned away, already approaching another tourist.
"Sir, may I have a moment? I'd like to tell you about our god and our leader…"
"What a devoted believer…"
Otto watched her thoughtfully for a moment before tossing his empty cup into a trash bin.
He turned back.
"Cecilia?"
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