"Blegh..."
Thud...
With bloodshot eyes, Qingque silently spat out a mouthful of green liquid before collapsing onto the floor, her face a mask of agony.
"Ah! Senior Qingque!"
Beside her, the black catgirl Qingmu, who had also been working overtime for several days straight, looked on in panic. Seeing Qingque literally work herself to the point of spitting up bitter bile, she quickly scrambled down from her chair and knelt by her side, pressing on her meager chest.
"Blargh! Ptui! Blegh!"
Qingque's eyes were vacant as she continued to spit out "bile (or so it seemed)." Finally, after a frantic series of compressions from Miss Qingmu, the soul of the slacker, who had been completely unable to slack off under the immense pressure of high-intensity work, was shoved back into its mortal shell...
"That's great! Miss Qingque!"
Seeing Qingque slowly come to her senses, though still wearing an expression that screamed 'life is meaningless', Miss Qingmu's exhausted eyes filled with tears of relief.
"Ugh... why... why did I ever agree to this job?!"
Qingque's voice, filled with regret, instantly echoed throughout the entire miHoYo Building.
Here's what happened. Because the Astral Express was on a tight schedule to restore the star rails, the entire crew had to embark on the next trailblazing journey. This left only Dan Heng and Tingyun to handle miHoYo Inc.'s affairs.
Dan Heng was fine; his usual work of organizing the Data Bank was quite similar to managing the company's internal affairs. As for Tingyun, she had served as an envoy for the Sky-Faring Commission on the Luofu before boarding the train, making her exceptionally skilled at handling business and external relations. Not to mention, she had a certain "Lord Ravager, Phantylia" inside her who could be put to work.
But now, both Dan Heng and Tingyun were gone, and there was no one to take over the company's internal operations. Dan Heng had asked Wende for help, and Wende remembered the two guests he had on his planet. With Miss Topaz handling the company's foreign trade, the internal affairs could be handled by these two "distinguished guests" from the Luofu's Divination Commission!
And so, Miss Qingque, who had initially been ecstatic at the thought of getting away from the Divination Commission to slack off to her heart's content, was met with her worst nightmare!
It's endless! It's truly endless! How did Dan Heng handle all this by himself?! The moment she and Qingmu finished one pile, another appeared!
She had no time to slack off now! If she stopped or delayed for even a moment, the work would pile up excessively! That would only lead to more trouble later!
miHoYo! Damn you! Couldn't you have just stayed a simple game company that didn't need managing?! Why did you have to expand into so many businesses?!
"Miss Qingque..."
Looking at Qingque lying on the floor with a gloomy expression, Miss Qingmu's ears twitched, her amber eyes full of concern.
"Hah... I... I'm fine. Let's continue..."
With Qingmu's help, Qingque climbed up from the floor, wiped the bitter bile from the corner of her mouth, and shakily walked back to her seat. Her hands trembled as she picked up her pen and resumed approving documents...
Waaah, Master Diviner Fu, I'll never make fun of your height again! Please transfer me back! I really, really! I really want to go back to work in the archives, I swear!!
At this moment, Qingque had completely lost the desire to get away from Fu Xuan and slack off that she'd had when she first arrived. The Luofu was her home! She wanted to go home!
---o---
"Achoo!"
In front of the Matrix of Prescience, Fu Xuan, who was preparing for a divination, suddenly felt a tickle in her nose and let out an adorable sneeze.
"Strange... could someone be speaking ill of me behind my back?"
Rubbing her small, delicate nose, Fu Xuan wondered to herself.
"Forget it. I can't be bothered to find out who it is. The priority right now is to divine our future strategic direction and forge a path for the Luofu!"
Fu Xuan formed a seal with her hands, her eyes tightly shut. The third eye on her forehead glowed with a flowing, jade-like light.
Ripples spread across the highest point of the Matrix of Prescience. She had made complete preparations for today's ritual. Glimpsing even a sliver of fate's secrets could be the key to turning the tide of a future battle. She could not afford to be careless!
---o---
Honkai World, Schicksal Headquarters.
"Why did the Overseer suddenly call for an assembly? Did something important happen?"
"I don't know. Our squads haven't heard any news of a major incident."
"Look, look! It's the Immortal Blades! They're all here! Something big must be happening!"
"Are we going to war with Anti-Entropy? Are we planning to raid their headquarters?"
In the main plaza of Schicksal HQ, a crowd of Valkyries buzzed with speculation about the mysterious meeting that was about to take place. The man who had called the meeting, Otto Apocalypse, sat quietly in the preparation room behind the stage.
"Lord Overseer, everything is ready."
Amber walked quietly up behind Otto and gave him a respectful bow.
"Mm, now we just need to wait for our distinguished guests..."
His long, fair fingers tapped lightly on the tabletop, as if playing a leisurely and relaxing tune. The corners of Otto Apocalypse's mouth lifted slightly, and he slowly closed his eyes.
---o---
"Auntie, why did that Overseer guy call us to a meeting too? Does he really have that much clout?"
Aboard the Hyperion, Kiana looked at a pensive Theresa with great confusion.
"I don't know either... Grandpa didn't tell me the specifics of the meeting, only that I should bring you all. To be honest, I was going to refuse, but..."
Theresa shifted her gaze to Joachim and Tesla, who were sitting to the side.
"You two are the last people who should be at Schicksal HQ. Why did you accept the invitation? Aren't you afraid it's a trap?"
Theresa crossed her arms, her azure eyes filled with puzzlement as she looked at the pair.
"If we didn't come, I doubt Principal Theresa would have felt safe enough to bring them along, would she?"
Joachim smiled and shook his head. Although this short girl was that man's granddaughter, her dissatisfaction with the Overseer after the Second Honkai War was no less than theirs.
"Hmph. I doubt Grandpa would go so far as to use an Anti-Entropy Sovereign and a lead scientist as bait just to lure me and my students out."
Theresa snorted lightly.
"Sigh... I never thought I'd see the day Anti-Entropy cooperates with Schicksal. It's been almost a month, and I still can't believe it! And I have to go back to that dump with you guys... it's just f******..."
Tesla sat next to Joachim, recalling the days she had been persecuted by Otto. Overcome with emotion, she suddenly let out a censored tirade in front of everyone.
"Dr. Tesla, that's all in the past. Besides, everyone is watching."
Joachim patted Tesla's shoulder helplessly, glancing at the utterly shocked expressions on the three little ones' faces.
"Oh... ah, my apologies. Just pretend you didn't hear that, understand?"
"Um... are we supposed to understand?"
Bronya turned to look at Mei and Kiana.
"I think... it's probably better if we don't..."
Mei pressed a hand to her forehead, looking completely exasperated.
As for Kiana, she wasn't thinking too deeply about it. She simply noted the close rapport between Joachim and Tesla. For some reason, she couldn't help but glance up at Himeko, who was standing on the bridge. Her eyes held a hint of pity as she wrapped an arm around Mei.
Mei: "?"
Himeko, standing on the bridge: I suddenly feel a wave of malice directed at me.
Traveling from the Far East to Europe, even at the Hyperion's high speed, took a considerable amount of time to reach Schicksal HQ.
By now, Valkyries from Schicksal branches all over the world had gathered, along with many other unexpected figures...
---o---
Schicksal HQ, in some unnamed meeting room.
"A pair of Jacks."
"Pass."
"Another pair of Jacks!"
"?"
"No, is that how you play cards? You split up your bomb! What's the point of playing a pair of Jacks?"
Raiden Ryoma stared at the grinning Siegfried across from him, his temper flaring. Was his teammate an idiot? He couldn't even learn a simple game like Fight the Landlord?!
"Hey, what's the big deal? I'm giving him a handicap. After all, it's two against one. It would be an unchivalrous victory if we won!"
Siegfried shrugged, looking completely unconcerned.
"We're the Peasants! The Peasants! He's the Landlord! What do you mean, give him a handicap?!"
It was a good thing Raiden Ryoma didn't have a heart condition, or he'd have been angered to death by this guy! No, I have to keep Mei away from his daughter. I can't let her corrupt my Mei!
"A Royal Flush plus an Airplane. I'm out."
Grey Serpent, sitting opposite the two, placed all his cards on the table, his gaze towards Siegfried tinged with a bit of melancholy.
Sigh... Lord Kevin's genes... how should I put this...
"Forget it, I'm done. My darling daughter will be here soon, and I need to go give her a surprise. You two can continue playing."
Lifting his wrist to check the time, Raiden Ryoma decisively stood up, looking like he was about to bolt.
"Hey? It's not like I'm not going to pick up my daughter. Brother Ryoma, let's go together!"
Seeing Raiden Ryoma looking for an excuse to ditch, Siegfried also decisively put down his cards, stood up, and slung his mechanical arm over Raiden Ryoma's shoulder like they were the best of friends.
"..."
Grey Serpent watched the two depart, simply shaking his head before tidying up the cards on the table.
"Maybe I should call a couple more people to play?"
He had grown quite fond of this card game from Shenzhou.
---o---
"Um... Miss Rita, are you sure you can give me this dress?"
Seele looked at her reflection in the mirror, her face flushing slightly. This dress... it looked just like a bride's gown...
"Of course, Miss Seele. This dress suits you very well," Rita said with a gentle smile.
After all, she was about to reunite with her beloved after a long separation. What was wrong with dressing up a bit more formally and beautifully?
"R-Really? If Sister Bronya sees Seele like this... will she be happy?"
"She most certainly will."
Rita nodded with a smile.
"Rita, are you busy?"
Durandal quietly pushed the door open, her cheeks slightly flushed as she called out softly to Rita.
"Lady Durandal, I've just finished helping Miss Seele with her attire. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Seeing Durandal's somewhat awkward expression, the smile on Rita's lips widened.
"I... I want to get Kiana a gift. Could you help me pick one out?"
The thought of her sister, whom she had never met, made Durandal feel a little helpless... She knew nothing about Kiana's likes or interests... Although she had only just learned her true identity and Kiana's...
"Hehe, of course, Lady Durandal."
Seemingly sensing Durandal's awkwardness, Rita gladly accepted her request.
---o---
"For a vague, ethereal possibility, you're willing to reveal the entire truth to the public?"
Across from Otto, a figure identical to him looked at the man before him with incomprehension. After five hundred years, he thought he had seen through this man... but in truth, he still hadn't...
"The truth? They would have found out the truth sooner or later. It was merely a matter of time. Besides, with the Honkai energy now dissipating, this world is no longer one that needs to be tested. It has passed that trial."
Swirling the red wine in his glass, Otto gently closed his eyes.
Since there was no longer a need to fight the Honkai... then he needed to set out in search of that... possibility.
He had cooperated with Anti-Entropy and World Serpent, welcoming back the world's strongest warrior and a young girl with a natural stigma from the Sea of Quanta.
On Anti-Entropy's side, those who had been imprisoned by Cocolia were all released. And Siegfried, who had been a mysterious fugitive for so long... had learned of the current situation through his own intelligence network and came to question him through Anti-Entropy's channels.
To that, Otto had no defense. He simply told him the truth he deserved to know and had the recently returned Durandal reunite with him. Only then did he manage to stop his old friend from immediately trying to blast him in the face with the Might of An-Utu.
Of course, their hatred for him could not be erased. He had indeed done many wrong things on his path.
However... starting today... Otto Apocalypse would embark on a new path. As for the hatreds of the past... he could only do his best to atone.
"Kallen..."
Taking out the familiar portrait from his coat, Otto was lost in thought for a long time, muttering to himself.
He was about to set out on a new path, abandoning everything here. He was like the most devout pilgrim on a long journey... all to welcome back his... most beloved saint.
After the end of the Honkai, there would no longer be an Otto Apocalypse in this world.
"Heh... how ruthless. Or perhaps, there is no one in this world with purer emotions than you."
The Void Archives before him closed its eyes in acceptance, its form gradually dissipating in front of Otto.
"Human... am I?"
Otto let out a self-deprecating laugh. If he could still be called human, that is.