Flashback Clip 2F: Identity/Old Friends

Otto's inner monologue in the "Dominion" flashback short film has sparked a lot of discussion among players, offering a glimpse into a hidden corner of history.

[To reshape the world into something she desires? ... A familiar sentiment.]

[It's truly a legacy inherited from Kallen. Chronologically speaking, she should be considered the first to propose such an idea.]

[Kallen... Ragna... Himeko... Kiana. The Herrscher of the Flame, from beginning to end, the flame of the Herrscher burns eternally!]

[Otto... Even after a decisive victory, he remains shrouded in sorrow?]

"Is this... a fragment of my own memories?"

Rita looked at the screen with a hint of doubt, feeling a strange sense of familiarity. She had once held the Gnius (AKA Genius) (I Forgot the name) in her hands, but unfortunately, it wasn't as pristine as the one in the game.

Or perhaps... she hadn't encountered the person from the game.

"The memories retrieved aren't limited to the past five hundred years. They could be fragments from other people's memories, but they must be hidden secrets,"

Luo Mo simply replied, "Of course, this isn't the complete picture. There might be significant discrepancies with reality."

He had his own Rita here, now known as Irene. He glanced at her, only to find her staring intently at him, a graceful smile playing on her lips.

Luo Mo's heart skipped a beat, a sense of being caught cheating creeping over him. It was unsettling.

-----

This flashback event was triggered by Rita.

For the past five years, Rita Rossweisse had always carried a symbolic memento of her adventures: the Gnius.

Back in 2012, with the help of this device, she and Bianca Ataegina, then 12 years old, ventured into a world bubble in the Quantum Sea, embarking on numerous adventures before eventually returning victorious.

...Though the outcome wasn't perfect.

However, the Gnius, once a mere historical relic to Rita, had gained an unexpected ability under new circumstances.

At this very moment, she was alone in the command deck of the transport ship "Hestia," engaging in a mysterious conversation using the Gnius.

"October 13th, from west to east..."

This was a secret that even her captain, Durandal, or her Overseer, Otto, had never known.

"This time, we have a much wider window than before."

A ghostly figure, appearing silently in the secret room, shrugged and spoke to Rita in a familiar tone.

It felt like they weren't meeting for the first time, and indeed, they weren't.

This was a woman with brown hair, calm blue eyes, and a pair of cat-like decorations on her head. Her figure was ethereal, even with the excellent projection signal.

Half of her body was a blue blur, becoming part of the Quantum realm, as if she wasn't in this dimension. Her eyes were calm, and anyone familiar with her would recognize her instantly: the early missing scientist of Anti-Entropy - Schrödinger.

"You still haven't told Bianca about our meetings?"

"If you think it's the right time to reveal everything to everyone, I wouldn't object."

Rita didn't mind the teasing, even though it hinted at a separation between them.

"Heh, you've become even more sharp-tongued than before. What mission are you on this time?"

Schrödinger didn't deny it, but she didn't want too many people to know about her existence, especially those from Schicksal... though she never quite understood this woman's intentions.

She wouldn't betray, but she wouldn't be blindly loyal either. While she walked a tightrope between both sides, Rita did carry out Otto's plans.

"Heading to the World Serpent headquarters to deliver a top-secret letter from the Overseer."

"Hmm, Otto that guy is up to something again."

Schrödinger furrowed her brow slightly.

Who could guess what Otto was up to?

"What does his letter say?"

"I don't know. After all, the bottom line of confidentiality is that it can't be easily broken."

Rita politely declined, a faint glimmer of sadness passing through her eyes as she smiled.

"Alright. You're a strange one, you know."

Schrödinger looked at her for a moment, sighing,

"You maintain contact with someone like me, yet willingly serve someone like him."

"I'm simply doing what I believe is right."

Rita wasn't surprised by her words, maintaining her calm elegance.

After all, Schrödinger had helped her a lot, and as she said, she had no intention of favoring either side.

The last time Schrödinger helped Durandal, it allowed her to escape the world bubble, relieving Durandal of some psychological burden. Rita was sincerely grateful for her help.

She was truly grateful for that.

"Hmm. As expected of her."

Schrödinger had no doubt about Rita's efficiency. Her combat prowess and potential were terrifying...

But she quickly realized something, her expression shifting slightly. The experiment was progressing too quickly, wasn't it?

"You've already finished that experiment so soon?"

"Yes, the Overseer seems more eager than anyone else."

Rita sighed, her words hinting at something deeper. This information made Schrödinger's heart sink, causing her to ponder the implications of Rita's choice.

But she was still powerless to challenge Otto's actions, even if she knew what he was doing.

"Hmm... If he's still trying to control the power of the Herrscher of the Void, your world will inevitably face another wave of bloodshed."

"From the accidental success of the Abyssal Eye, to the North African experiment that created this quantum stealth infiltration point, and then to the subsequent Nagazora City..."

Schrödinger pointed out Otto's experimental trajectory, the path he was striving for in pursuit of his so-called ambition.

"He seems like he's constantly walking a tightrope between skyscrapers, trying to measure wind speed at high altitudes while doing so..."

She made a joke only an experimenter would understand, but it also highlighted the underlying danger.

Rita was taken aback, then smiled slightly,

"The Overseer told me that if we want to reconnect the world bubble with the Imaginary Tree, the power of the Herrscher of the Void is essential..."

"But the reality is, he partially achieved this using only the power of the Second Divine Key."

She paused, seeming to hint at something, a glimmer of light flashing in her eyes.

"Or perhaps..."

"Or perhaps... the resurrected Herrscher of the Void is a key prop carefully prepared for his true ambition."

Schrödinger picked up where Rita left off, understanding the meaning she was trying to convey.

Rita didn't elaborate further, continuing the conversation calmly,

"But at least in terms of props, the new 'Herrscher of the Void' hasn't fulfilled the desires of that gentleman."

"She has a deep and passionate soul - a heroic spirit that might not be inferior to Bianca at all."

[Rita: No one is as good as my Bianca!]

[Durandal! Durandal, nya~]

[It seems the events in ARC City left a deep impression on Rita - and made her remember Kiana.]

[Damn it, Otto still has his eyes on My Tuna!]

[Comment…]

The half-illusory figure was stunned for a moment, then sighed after a while,

"Wow, it's rare to see you give someone such high praise, Rita."

"That person saved a city with a large population while stumbling along."

"So it's just a fair assessment."

Rita smiled without saying anything, but the person's will and choices at that time did have a unique power.

"Is that so..."

"By the way, you know, whenever I start analyzing the people and things around you,"

"I always wonder - how many Miss Ritas do I actually know?"

"The one who takes with one hand and gives with the other..."

"The one who cares for those around her with meticulous attention..."

"The one who can speak with conviction about justice, like Bianca..."

"Which one is the real her?"

"They are all... or perhaps, none of them..."

Schrödinger's scrutinizing gaze fell upon the ever-elegant maid.

Her face was hidden in the darkness, barely visible, but a soft chuckle could be heard. The girl, with one eye hidden behind her bangs, laughed from the depths of her being.

Her cool and elegant voice echoed throughout the room,

"Don't you already know the answer to that question?"

"I am the assassin under the command of Mr. Otto Apocalypse..."

"...and also the Valkyrie descendant of Miss Ragna Lothbrok."

" - I cannot abandon either of these identities."

Rita took a slow step forward, bathed in the moonlight. The familiar smile was back on her face, still radiant and captivating.

-----

"Rita's identity shifts are truly amazing, even I'm surprised. No wonder I feel a huge difference between the Rita I meet on missions and the one I see outside."

Durandal shared her opinion candidly.

"Oh? Which Rita do you prefer?"

Rita smiled, but a hint of killing intent flickered in her eyes as she looked at the blonde knight, seemingly asking casually.

"Uh... I'm just doing my job. Besides, they're all Rita."

Durandal was a bit confused, but she did give the right answer.

Perhaps it could be attributed to her intuition?

"Wait, wait, Ragna... Is she also Rita's teacher?"

Kiana jumped in between the two, curious,

She didn't know that!

She thought Rita only had Himeko as a teacher.

"Well... you could say that. When I was younger, Durandal taught me a lot. And as you saw in the Domination storyline, I inherited her ideology and path."

Rita thought for a moment before answering.

"What about Dr. Schrödinger?"

Bronya had held back her curiosity earlier. She knew the history of Anti-Entropy well, and naturally understood Dr. Schrödinger's situation.

Although she didn't suffer the same fate as in the game's Moonlight Throne event, she did become partially quantized by a twist of fate.

She's still missing.

"I still have the device, but communication hasn't been successful."

Rita explained.

-----

"Yo, old friend. How've you been?"

A golden cube floated in mid-air, its interior seemingly holding a spark of intelligence.

Otto Apocalypse smiled contentedly as he looked at the golden box in his hand.

Six months ago, he had given this treasure to Kevin Kaslana in exchange for the "beacon" he needed.

"Heh, it wasn't like he didn't see through your tricks. That's why he kicked me out."

Its voice held a hint of resentment as it confessed.

Over the past five hundred years, both had understood each other's intentions. Though neither had any good intentions, they knew that separating was the lesser of two evils.

For some reason,

This artificial intelligence, which had experienced fifty thousand years, sounded younger than Otto, who was "only" five hundred years old.

"Tricks? You mean when I half-jokingly told him that you could secretly replace me as the Overseer of Schicksal?"

"You're kidding, my old friend. He's Kevin Kaslana..."

"Would he not know your true value? You hold within you all the knowledge he needs to understand the world of the past thousand years."

"Oh, I'm really worried that after I leave, World Serpent, with your knowledge, will make this world dazzlingly brilliant."

"After all, think about it. It's only because my plan objectively exhausted the Honkai energy that the 'Imaginary Number Invasion' hasn't fallen on everyone's heads."

"Heh. If you really wanted to do good for this world, you should have announced your resignation as Overseer of Schicksal sixty years ago."

Void Archives wasn't fooled. Otto's feigned sincerity made it speechless.

They called each other comrades, but to put it bluntly, they were accomplices.

They both knew what the other was like.

If he truly cared for this world, he had more effective methods.

Instead of doing all these terrible things...

"What a pity...the First Herrscher of this generation. His value in your heart is not as good as a clone child who will never grow up."

Void Archives' voice echoed, clearly referring to someone.

Otto smiled slightly, half-jokingly,

"But aren't you also the first Herrscher to fight for humanity?"

"After I'm gone, you can help guide Theresa, right?"

"Cut it out. For the past five hundred years, I've been stained with your colors and aura. You really think they'd be willing to cooperate with me? To obey my every word?"

"Don't believe it. You wouldn't truly care for them anyway, would you?"

Otto tilted his head, looking up at the ceiling of this space, pondering the final stage of his plan.

[Interesting, both are technically the first Herrschers.]

[Done, Void Archives has become Otto's shape...]

[Guiding Theresa... That's a power grab...]

[Comment]

"Yes, I only serve the concept of 'humanity'."

"In that sense, I'm quite similar to those World Serpent folks."

Void Archives' flat voice echoed through the space.

"Perhaps, but Kevin Kaslana is an exception."

Otto was a bit bored. He needed to figure out how to deal with this 'old friend' who had been inseparable for five hundred years...

"That's also why he let you back. He tacitly allowed you to assist my plan."

"Perhaps I've truly lost my value to be exploited... but what benefit could this bring him?"

Void Archives asked with a hint of confusion.

Admittedly, it wasn't lacking in knowledge, or even wisdom.

But it lacked human thinking, and the perception of change.

Therefore, it didn't understand why the Flame-Chaser no longer needed it. From any perspective, it should still be valuable.

"It's simple. He envies me, so he's willing to make me look good."

Otto said calmly, his tone unwavering.

Although the situation was far different from what Void Archives thought, it was thinking in terms of intricate exchanges of interests and schemes. But coming from this man, it remained skeptical.

"Although, relatively speaking... I should be the one envying him."

[The pure love warrior's approval!]

[Two pure love warriors appreciating each other.]

[Does Kevin also approve of what Otto is doing? Interesting.]

[Pure love is invincible!]

"Heh? Have you forgotten how he scorned you the last time you met?"

"Obey or be destroyed, choose."

" - It's understandable that you envy him; but why would he envy you?"

"Our envy and strength have nothing to do with each other,"

Otto's eyes flickered, a series of images of Kallen flashing through his mind, from their meeting to her death.

"That's only because I can do what he can't;

And he did what I could never do fifty thousand years ago."

"Cut the riddles. What are you referring to?"

"Don't rush, don't rush, my old friend."

"You know, going back fifty thousand years from now is impossible; But fifty thousand years ago, in that era that was even more advanced than today..."

"He didn't choose to do something similar to what I'm doing now."

"...Otherwise, he and I wouldn't be in the same world at the same time."

Otto said meaningfully. The moment he saw Kevin, he understood where his unwavering belief came from, and how it turned to ashes.

Yes, they were similar people,

The difference lay in their choices at crucial moments. Those choices, right or wrong, were their own, and no one had the right to judge them.

"Are you saying he's actually someone who cherishes his own life too much?"

Although he said that, Void Archives didn't believe it himself. He was just thinking along with Otto's words, speaking without thinking.

Except for a few, the Flame-Chasers, as the last warriors, wouldn't hesitate to use their lives as stakes if necessary.

As for the few exceptions... Kevin, naturally, wasn't included.

"Haha, how could that be?"

"Quite the opposite, Void Archives..."

"It's precisely because that man sees the value of 'himself' so low..."

"That he envies me, and I envy him even more..."

A soft sigh filled the room, signaling the end of this conversation.

[Riddle people! Two riddle people!]

[Similar yet completely different experiences, both fighting for their loved ones.]

[It has nothing to do with power, indeed... They've never envied power, they've just plunged into the whirlpool of emotions.]

[Comment…]

-----

"Envy?"

Elysia was a bit confused.

"Because both of them faced the choice between saving the world and their loved ones, but their choices... were different."

Vill-V spoke up, glancing at Kevin, whose eyes were already filled with complex emotions.

"They chose different paths?"

"That's not quite the right way to put it... but the focus is definitely skewed."

Vill-V neither confirmed nor denied.

It wasn't a completely singular choice, but the results of their choices were visibly different.

"Kevin, do you really envy him?"

There's no better way to find out than to ask the person directly. Since he was right there, Elysia didn't hesitate to ask.

"...Yes."

Kevin looked at him for a moment, nodding unexpectedly, directly admitting it.

"If I could revive Mei, I would definitely envy him."

"As for him... I believe that if Mei's plan hadn't been involved, it would be quite obvious which choice he would have made if faced with those two options."

"...Is that so? It's true, I can imagine that, Kevin."

Elysia wanted to smile, but couldn't. Her hand, reaching to pat Kevin's shoulder, stopped in mid-air, then retracted. She sighed.

"Fifty thousand years... impossible to return..."

Vill-V frowned, rubbing her temples, feeling a bit troubled.

She understood what he meant. Otto must have guessed the power of the Finality.

The difficulty wasn't the length of time, but the interruption of the cycle.

But she couldn't think of a solution for the moment.

…

"The Overseer of Schicksal and the Lord of World Serpent envying each other... heh,"

Kallen couldn't help but feel a little helpless. She now understood what Otto regretted and envied.

Once, he lived for her, but he separated from her will, their goals incompatible.

A rift formed between them, almost impossible to heal.

Kevin, on the other hand, must have followed his beloved's will until the very end.

That's the difference, and it predetermined their choices.

It seemed like just a choice, but combined with their past paths, it was a necessity. Otto wouldn't abandon Kallen, while Kevin... couldn't abandon Mei's plan and last words.

Their wills were similar, but they were not for the same thing.

No wonder they envied each other...

...

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