"One percent of his power… Haha, how interesting."
Otto stood before the projection, watching the duel between Valkyrie and puppet with clear amusement.
"One percent of Kevin is already comparable to Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie. That really does make one anxious."
Despite his words, not a trace of fear appeared on his face.
On the contrary—
There was a faint eagerness in his eyes.
"Care to guess how long little Cecilia can last, Amber? Or would you wager that she wins outright?"
"…This…"
Amber pressed her lips together as she watched Cecilia steadily retreat under the puppet's assault.
"Lady Cecilia… seems unable to hold out much longer."
"In other words, you think she'll lose soon?"
Otto glanced at her, smiling.
"Then I'll bet she wins. The stake? How about two months of Schicksal paperwork? If I win, you handle all continental reports for the next two months."
Even if you lose, Lord Otto, you wouldn't stay in the office and finish them properly anyway.
Amber silently complained behind her visor. She did not answer immediately, her gaze fixed on the projection.
"But why are you… so confident?"
Did you leave Lady Cecilia some hidden measure?
"No, Amber. At that moment, I had no opportunity to leave her any trump card," Otto said, seeing through her thoughts. "But have you noticed? The Kevin puppet appears overwhelming, forcing Cecilia back step by step—yet it has never actually taken her life."
"This has become a war of attrition. Whoever exhausts themselves first dies."
"But Lady Cecilia…" might not outlast it.
"Amber, always grasp the essence of a problem. Why is the puppet fighting a battle of attrition in the first place? Because it cannot directly defeat our Saint of Schicksal."
Otto raised his right hand. Golden light flickered at his fingertips, partially obscuring his view of the puppet.
"In other words, it cannot unleash a single decisive strike capable of ending her."
"The puppet has a mechanical mind. It doesn't scheme or conceal strength. If it could erupt with overwhelming force, it would. The fact that it doesn't—and instead continues this steady engagement—means only one thing."
"Its materials or operating system cannot sustain a true burst-type attack."
The golden light vanished as Otto closed his fingers as though grasping something invisible.
"And in Cecilia's hands is a weapon forged from divine authority itself."
"So long as our Saint seizes the moment and unleashes the true power of Black Abyss White Flower, she can destroy the puppet's control core."
"A counterkill from the brink."
—
The slaughter continued.
Flame and mist intertwined, painting the battlefield in crimson and black.
Cecilia evaded another charge, understanding flashing through her eyes.
Behind her, at some unknown moment, a mass of mist had begun to rotate slowly—like something mysterious lurking within.
"Clang—!"
Black Abyss White Flower collided once more with the crimson greatsword.
At the same instant, a breathtaking smile curved her lips.
"Open."
The mist behind her erupted outward, spreading across the battlefield like curtains drawn across the sky.
The puppet ignited in flame, attempting to burn away the darkness as before.
The fog did recede—
But not by destruction.
Rather, it parted layer by layer, like veils being pulled aside.
The puppet frowned faintly.
Flames rippled outward in waves, dispersing the mist.
"So this… is your limit?" Cecilia's voice rang out—weak, yet brimming with confidence.
"Your attacks are monotonous. Tremendous power, yet each strike nearly identical in output. When I summon endless black mist, you respond only with steady, constant flame."
She tilted her head slightly, almost mocking.
"You wouldn't understand. But my meaning is simple."
The Saint of Schicksal rotated Black Abyss White Flower, glancing at the puppet's swinging blade—and at Jackal's confused expression.
Her tone remained steady.
Her eyes shone with a light that was bright, yet not blinding.
"My turn."
Her blood boiled.
Yet her mind had never been clearer.
She stepped back, knees bending slightly.
Holding the Divine Key, every muscle in her body aligned in perfect coordination for optimal force output.
Her entire being coiled with power.
At the trigger—
She would explode forward at the fastest speed and greatest strength of her life.
"I am the black that devours all."
She spoke softly, as if issuing a command.
Black mist surged from the lance, enveloping her in darkness deeper than the battlefield itself.
It outlined her silhouette like an abyss of annihilation.
"I am the white that nurtures all."
She inhaled deeply, as though drawing in the entire world.
Her blue eyes were calm—yet beneath them flickered an enigmatic green gleam.
Her slender fingers tightened around the shaft of the lance until pale indentations marked her skin.
"Cecilia…" Jackal felt inexplicable tension rising. "Don't be stubborn."
She glanced at the puppet.
It continued dispersing the surrounding mist while calmly observing Cecilia's actions.
Lord Kevin's puppet can surely handle this.
It must be why it remains so composed.
Jackal forced down her unease.
"Born before creation."
Cecilia paid her no attention.
Raging fury and warm sorrow intertwined within her heart.
Her entire body began to radiate light.
A sacred aura surrounded her.
Her silver hair streamed behind her in the winter wind, blooming like a white flower against the abyssal black mist.
"Existing beyond annihilation."
She slowly raised the lance.
Vast Honkai energy spiraled around her.
A supreme clarity enveloped her mind—fused with anger and warmth into a cold, razor-sharp fighting spirit that still burned.
Jackal's brow throbbed violently.
The warning of imminent danger.
Cecilia's eyes—neither sorrowful nor joyful—were as sharp as blades, as though divine wrath might erupt at any moment and devour her whole.
The puppet seemed to wait.
Only now did it raise its crimson greatsword high, flames roaring around it.
As if—
It, too, awaited the final eruption of this power.
"Divine Key—Black Abyss White Flower—"
Cecilia's tone finally rose.
She felt the lance echo her will.
As though weapon and wielder had become one.
Behind her, the Schariac Stigmata flared to life.
"Sacred Lance—Bloom!"
Vast, holy white light blossomed at the spear's tip.
It was wrapped in devouring black mist—
Then descended like a falling star upon the puppet of the Sovereign.
"BOOM!!!"
Cecilia and the puppet crossed paths.
The ruins thundered with shockwaves of clashing airflow and Honkai energy.
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