"Boom!!!"
A thunderous cannon blast erupted from the river. Violent tremors rippled outward in all directions, the ground shaking intensely.
"Shhk—!"
Jackal suddenly hurled a grenade at the ground. Smoke billowed outward, and within it, she vanished.
Through the haze, Otto caught a glimpse of the woman's twisted smile.
"Brother!"
Cecilia stepped in front of him instinctively.
"They're coming!"
"I know."
Otto answered calmly, eyes fixed on the rolling dust in the distance.
One. Two. Three…
Countless Honkai Beasts surged forward from afar, their charge shaking the earth.
Towering monsters over ten meters tall loomed before Otto, who stood barely over one meter tall in comparison. Their overwhelming presence pressed down like a collapsing sky. Crimson optical cores glowed densely across their bodies—like drifting stars in a silent night.
Synthetic Honkai Beasts.
World Serpent's current peak military force.
Individually, they might not be extraordinary—but enhanced by Previous Era technology and deployed in overwhelming numbers, they were enough to force even Schicksal's elite Valkyries into retreat.
In the game, such creations were insignificant before Kevin's power. But in this era—before Herrschers walked freely and S-ranks became commonplace—this kind of swarm could cripple any Schicksal squad.
Even the Immortal Blades would struggle at this stage.
Now they stood before Otto.
A living wall of flesh and steel.
"Release Honkai energy! Kill that bastard for me!"
Jackal's voice echoed from the sky.
The beasts responded with a unified roar, closing in layer by layer until Otto and Cecilia were completely surrounded. The encirclement tightened steadily.
Dark clouds pressed against the city—threatening collapse.
"Beast tide tactics… Not quite World Serpent's usual style."
Facing the overwhelming swarm, Otto remained unperturbed.
Hands clasped behind his back, he even smiled faintly—like he was attending a banquet at Schicksal Headquarters rather than standing on a battlefield.
"How amusing."
"Before Kevin returns, World Serpent…"
"…is nothing more than snake soup on my table."
"Anyone can boast, Otto," Jackal's voice rang out again—calmer now. "But you are already my prey."
Her tone was certain.
"You've suppressed your emotions," Otto analyzed casually. "That composure comes from believing the outcome is inevitable."
Indeed, this tide would be a nightmare for any Valkyrie squad.
But standing here were—
Schicksal's second-strongest and strongest forces.
S-rank Valkyrie Cecilia Schariac.
And Overseer Otto Apocalypse.
Otto glanced at the advancing beasts and smiled at Cecilia.
"We've never fought side by side before, have we?"
"I shall be your steadfast shield, Brother," Cecilia said solemnly, lance raised.
"No, Cecilia."
Otto shook his head.
"You were born a warrior. Every part of you longs to charge ahead."
"I want you to be my lance."
"To pierce through every obstacle."
"I shall obey."
Cecilia nodded seriously.
"Then—my Black Abyss White Flower—"
Otto raised his hand. The constructed weapon ascended into the air.
"Follow me… into battle."
Artillery roared.
The lance struck ground.
—
Several minutes earlier.
"The crowd has been dispersed. All secondary issues resolved."
The brown-haired woman reported word by word to the exceptionally beautiful blond boy before her. Her rose-red eyes flickered with ambiguous emotion.
"Well done," the blond boy nodded. "But please stop looking at me like that."
By Kallen… he could sense danger in her gaze.
"Rita has no improper thoughts," she smiled faintly. "I merely view myself as a maid. Seeing such a childlike appearance fills me with maternal affection."
Her smile twitched slightly.
"This body… would look adorable in a frilled dress."
You call that maternal?
He coughed, glancing at his current small frame.
"It's just a convenient vessel."
He struck a pose deliberately.
"Put the frills aside—look at this face. There's still masculine charm, isn't there?"
"…My lord," Rita's hand twitched upward involuntarily. "I would trade two months' salary for one moment of indulgence."
"Absolutely not, Miss Valkyrie."
He rolled his eyes.
A man does not belong beneath, he added silently in his heart.
"Enough."
He shifted topics.
"Your assignments—completed?"
"I have not failed you, Overseer."
She curtsied gracefully.
"Good. And her?"
"We could not locate Miss Natasha."
"Those little snakes have been hiding for fifteen hundred years," the boy sighed. "Their concealment technology is formidable. It's no surprise."
"I never expected to avoid this trial entirely."
"But it can still be… entertaining."
His final words were too soft for her to hear.
A greedy glint flickered in his eyes beneath the innocent exterior.
"I'll savor this snake soup first—an appetizer before the real serpent."
He licked his lips.
"I'll rest briefly. Have Amber continue monitoring all of London. Stay by my side until I finish over there."
With that, the blond boy leaned against the wall.
His eyes dimmed.
Rita Rossweisse gazed at the small body before her, lips curving into a mesmerizing smile.
"As you command, Overseer."
—
Flames raged along the Thames.
Honkai Beasts roared as their bodies disintegrated one after another into dust.
"Haah!"
With Cecilia's sharp cry, the final beast was pierced through the skull and dissolved.
"Finished."
Otto withdrew the Eleventh Divine Key from the ground and made a few motions in midair. Instantly, the grime and debris on both him and Cecilia vanished.
He had contributed somewhat.
Though lacking Cecilia's flawless battle instincts, he had no need to fight like a frontline warrior.
With Judah's Oath and the Void Archives, it would be wasteful not to fight as a long-range caster.
And Cecilia had perfectly covered his melee blind spots.
Together, they erased the beast tide with efficiency.
Jackal's voice had fallen silent.
As though she had simply given up.
"Well done, Cecilia—"
Otto opened his arms, stepping forward to embrace her.
But at the very last instant—
His expression shifted.
He twisted sharply, shoving Cecilia aside.
A violet sphere slammed into his palm.
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