Thus Spoke Apocalypse

The screen flickered to life, a familiar anticipation building in the air.

It was time for the animated short, a tradition that had become synonymous with MiHoYo's storytelling.

Fans eagerly awaited the visual feast that always accompanied a Key plot point.

A man's voice, frail and distant, echoed through the speakers, accompanied by the haunting image of a single, obsidian eye.

"When a person truly desires to change the world," his voice rasped, "they realize just how insignificant their own power truly is."

The scene changed. It was the night after a rainstorm, and the sky was a dull, grayish color.

A group of crows, three or four at a time, were making loud, harsh cries from the branches of trees. Their bright red eyes seemed to glow, and their reflections kept rippling in the puddles of water below.

They take flight, flapping their wings and leaving the square.

Even the sun is consumed by darkness, its rays unable to penetrate the tainted earth. Dark clouds blanket the sky, casting an ominous shadow over the square.

This is where Kallen was executed, the place where Otto's regret would forever linger.

Guided by two nuns, the bound Saint Kallen walks towards the execution platform, step by step.

Her white braided hair swings gently behind her as she walks, head bowed, like a puppet.

The Saint glances at the crowd, searching for something, anything, in the eyes of the people she swore to protect.

But in the end, she gives up...

How could she save this world? How could she save him and herself?

"It's all so ridiculous. The Saint gave everything for the people…"

"And all she got in return were cruel shackles and a noose..."

Otto whispers, the scene shifting back to his location.

Before him stretched a vast desert, its sand the color of dried blood. In the center stood a single, magnificent tree, its golden branches reaching towards a sky that was pitch black. 

In this world, people call it the Imaginary Tree!

And in this place, the origin of the world, the forbidden zone of life, a golden-haired figure appears out of nowhere.

He was a man with golden hair, his body covered in wounds. His white robes were stained with dust, and his Overseer's attire was torn and tattered.

But despite his injuries, the will burning within him remained unbroken.

It was hard to fathom the sacrifices he had made, the pain he had endured, to reach this point.

Yet, despite everything, his emerald eyes still shine with unwavering determination...

He will succeed. It's inevitable.

"The world is so chaotic,"

"It's neither fair nor rational."

He continued his journey, each step carrying him closer to the Imaginary Tree, his destination.

The blood-red sand around him begins to churn, gradually forming sand mounds the size of thousands of people. As the sand falls, countless figures emerge, each a perfect replica of Otto.

They are the manifestations of the Imaginary World, born from its twisted rules. The world hated change, it hated anyone who dared to break its established order.

These sand-creatures, these copies of Otto, were the world's way of fighting back.

They were its defense mechanism, its way of ensuring that nothing ever changed.

They would stop him, no matter what.

They would stop him from reaching the Imaginary Tree, from disrupting the balance of their world.

They will stop HIM!

"It persecutes heroes, and breeds scum, it is rife with ugliness, without a trace of beauty..."

Otto sighs softly, muttering to himself.

He looked around at the sand-creatures closing in on him. They were everywhere, a sea of darkness surrounding him.

"The malice of the world shall be sundered---

By the villain!"

As the words left his lips, a light bloomed in his hand, slowly taking the shape of a giant sword. It was the Seventh Divine Key – The Judgment of Shamash.

The blade crackled with heat, the air warping and shimmering around it.

Judgment Of Shamash Unleashed!

he roared, and the sword burst into flames, a fiery inferno radiating from its surface.

The sand-creatures, those dark figures, moved faster, a wave of darkness closing in on him. He was surrounded, outnumbered, but Otto didn't flinch. He stood his ground, his fiery sword held high.

With the courage of a hero and the determination of someone ready to sacrifice everything, Otto charged into the heart of the darkness.

The sand-creatures screamed as he sliced through them, his sword a whirlwind of flames in the blood-red sea.

[Charge, Overseer! You even manipulate the protagonist, these monsters are nothing to you!]

[The Sword of Pure Love! Only a Pure Love Warrior character can wield it!]

[Whether you liked it before or not, you have to support him now. Charge!]

[This is the moment a man fulfills his dream. Nothing... can stand in the way of a man's dream at such close range.]

[I've already popped the champagne... how can I celebrate if you don't succeed!]

[Comment…]

On the other side, Saint Kallen is bound to the execution platform, surrounded by a sea of ignorant faces. As the rope tightens around her smooth neck, a sense of relief washes over her.

Perhaps... everything is finally over...

Not bad.

This is the best way she could think of to make a final stand against Schicksal.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Otto was fighting for her life.

He swung his flaming sword, parrying attacks and striking back with relentless fury.

He couldn't even count how many of the sand-creatures he'd cut down, they just kept coming, an endless wave of darkness.

And he himself is being corrupted by the Imaginary, black veins creeping up his neck...

"This is the distance between her and tomorrow,"

"This is the world's merciless revenge against her."

The black figures around him see his sword shatter and rush towards him, eager to devour him.

It's as if endless darkness is about to swallow the last ray of sunlight, but that ray suddenly explodes with blinding brilliance!

The light in his hand transforms, becoming a golden lance - The Sixth Divine Key: The Key of Creation - Black Abyss White Flower!

"But her believers,"

He roars from the depths of his soul, thrusting the lance forward with all his might, charging towards the Imaginary Tree.

"will never give up!"

How could the Saint's most loyal follower fall here!

He's stopped by a string of black figures, unable to advance any further. He throws away the Black Abyss White Flower, now riddled with puppets, and with a flick of his wrist, a golden longsword appears in his hand.

He slashes out a flurry of sword strikes, slicing through several puppets, sending them tumbling to the ground.

But before he can breathe a sigh of relief,

The endless black figures in the distance merge, coalescing into a colossal monster hundreds of meters tall.

His heart sinks, but he won't back down, he can't back down.

As if two timelines are mirroring each other, the Honkai Beast in the execution square is released at the same time. The colossal creature rampages through the crowd, attacking the very people Kallen swore to protect.

The flames of battle rage around her, the people scatter in panic, but Kallen's once-dimmed eyes reignite with conviction.

—In the name of Kaslana, she will be the people's shield!

She throws herself into the fray, breaking free from her shackles with all her might. Even without weapons, even weakened, she charges into the battle.

-----

"Huh? Is he going to be okay? Why is it so big?!"

Theresa gasps, staring at the monster in the distance on screen. How did it suddenly merge into something so massive?

"That's just the Imaginary taking form, A Imaginary Creation. However, that's going to be a bit of a problem... Considering the anger stemming from his equivalent of love, his body is still severely injured."

Vill-V shakes her head sadly. Even with the help of the Void Archive, this battle won't be easy.

"He'll succeed."

Kallen says softly, her voice filled with certainty.

"You... know something, don't you?"

Mobius frowns at Kallen, confused by her nonchalance.

Logically, Kallen might have clues about the truth of This world.

But she unconsciously ignores her, leaving Mobius feeling strangely unsettled.

"Look ahead, everything will be revealed... I'm seeking proof too, but even so, could he possibly fail?"

Kallen shakes her head, forcing a smile.

Kallen has complete faith in Otto, even though she used to think he was going down the wrong path. It's like she understands him, even the parts everyone else struggles with.

"He'll succeed... even though, even though I thought he did a lot of terrible things at first,"

Theresa hesitates, her voice growing stronger, "But in this case, I still want him to succeed!"

If he doesn't, even those who dislike him will feel a sense of loss! Plus, she actually disliked him from Kiana's perspective, but in reality, he's just been a bit harsh on her.

As for abandoning his granddaughter for love... well, she doesn't have the right, nor the desire, to judge.

At least in this moment, everyone will send their sincerest blessings to the former Overseer of Schicksal.

-----

The vast, red desert stretched out as far as the eye could see.

A monstrous creature, towering and terrifying, leaped into the air. It crashed down with a thunderous boom, crushing Otto beneath its massive weight. 

Compared to its ten-meter-long arms, Otto is a mere ant.

He's blasted away in a single blow, sending a cloud of blood-red sand billowing into the air, creating a swirling red mist.

But in the next instant, dozens of golden chains suddenly burst from the mist, piercing the monster's body with brutal force!

These were the chains of the Eleventh Divine Key – the Oath of Judah!

The Void Archive can mimic all the Divine Key it has possessed, so even with its current limitations, it doesn't matter now.

Countless golden chains bind the monster, completely immobilizing it. Even if it's only temporary, it's enough!

Otto wiped the blood from his lips, his face grim. He leaped onto the monster's back, clutching the powerful Judah in his hand. The monster roared in rage, its body shaking with fury.

Otto jumped high, aiming for the monster's head. With all his might, he brought Judah crashing down.

Then, in a blinding flash, countless beams of light erupted from the top of Judah, obliterating the monster's head in a shower of fragments.

The immense force of the attack sent Otto tumbling to the ground, but he landed just a step away from the Imaginary Tree.

He struggled to his feet, his body aching. Behind him, the colossal monster collapsed with a deafening crash, sending a cloud of dust billowing into the air.

[Theresa, watch and learn! This is how you use Judah!]

[One Hundred Ways to Use Judah!]

[Otto, with only a drop of blood left, will never succumb to the game's health bar at this moment.]

[Though it may seem impossible, charge! Otto, you true man!]

[MVP, Void Archive!]

[Comment…]

A smile plays on Otto's lips as he reaches out to touch the tree before him...

Five hundred years.

For five hundred years, every single scheme, every single thing he'd done had been leading up to this moment.

Since the Saint's death, a piece of his heart had died with her, leaving him a lost soul, wandering the world with no purpose.

And now, only now, in this moment... his heart started to beat again.

On the other side, Kallen sees a lost child, dodging the pursuit of a Honkai Beast.

She's too weak to fight.

But as she sees the Honkai Beast raise its spiked arm, she throws herself in front of the child without hesitation.

Blood splatters as the spike pierces her waist, tearing through her flesh, but she protects the child with her dying breath.

"Cough!!!"

The smile on Otto's face freezes.

He looks down to see a black spike piercing his chest, blood spraying across his vision.

Then, more spikes fly towards him, piercing his body.

An overwhelming wave of pain crashed over Otto, the Imaginary's corruption spreading like wildfire through his body.

He was just one step away.

Could five hundred years of planning, every single sacrifice, be for nothing?

Unwillingness flickered in Otto's eyes, his gaze becoming clouded by the pain.

Through the haze, he seemed to see a white-haired girl.

Five hundred years had blurred her image in his memory.

How long was five hundred years?

Long enough for him to almost forget her face, yet so short, a mere blink of an eye.

But her smile in the sunlight remains etched in the depths of his memory. Her white hair, her unwavering blue eyes, the curve of her lips, her perfectly thin lips, her desire to protect the people, her despair at her execution, the holiness she exuded as the Saint...

No!

He won't lose!

"Kallen..."

Otto calls out her name instinctively. He throws his head back, his eyes refocusing, widening, his emerald gaze sharp as never before.

The First Divine key, The Key of Revelation - Void Archive!

A golden cube appears before him. Otto grits his teeth, twisting the spike that has pierced his left arm, and grabs the Divine key in front of him.

"Once a soul is dissipated, one cannot be brought back to life..."

"The world allows Mind to match a new vessel, but it doesn't allow the vessel to gather the piece of mind..."

Zero-rated power, full release!

A massive golden torrent erupted, instantly dissolving all the spikes piercing his body and the Giand Imaginary Creation.

Free from his bonds, Otto gasps for breath, but a smile curls his lips.

He casually drops the Divine Key, sinking into the red sand.

His old friend, who has accompanied him for five hundred years, will be granted its freedom here.

And he, he will fulfill his greatest desire.

The Golden Judgment of Shamash materializes in his right hand.

He walked towards the Imaginary Tree, his voice a soft whisper as he spoke.

"To save the one and only her..."

"I can only..."

"Create a new... possibility in the past!"

He gently placed his left hand on the trunk of the tree, and a surge of False God power coursed through him.

In a flash, the Imaginary Tree erupted in a brilliant light, a crimson purple radiance that banished the surrounding darkness. The tree, which had grown freely until now, began to change.

It was as if an invisible hand was delicately manipulating the very threads of fate.

Each branch, representing a different world, started to grow and divide once more, creating new possibilities and timelines.

"The other future..."

"Will… Belong to her"

Otto's body began to dissolve, breaking down into countless specks of light that were absorbed into the Imaginary Tree. Only his voice echoed through the vast, empty space.

To create a world where she could live, he had to pay the ultimate price.

Will of Honkai has given the answer, and he... has long understood.

A life for a life.

Fortunately, the rules of the world are still 'fair' at this moment.

[Did he create a world where Kallen still exists... does such a world really exist?]

[To create a new possibility in the past...]

[Five hundred years, he used his own methods to turn this imperfect world into the one he desired!]

[This moment will belong to Otto's time, this is the feat of creating a world!]

[Kallen! This is your Great inventor, his masterpiece… world for you!]

[Comment…]

-----

"...Whew,"

Kallen lets out a long, trembling sigh, watching Otto's unwavering dedication, something no ordinary person could achieve. She feels a deep tremor in her heart.

The world consciousness wouldn't allow it, so he broke the rules.

Even if it was just for that smile, he did so much for her...

A tear falls silently, she doesn't know when it started, but tears have already streamed down her cheeks.

"Perhaps..." she says, her voice choked with emotion, her fingers trembling, "Otto, we could have created a better world together..."

"Never mind... it's too late to say that now..."

She purses her lips, trying to hold back her tears, but sadness can't be suppressed forever.

So, tears continue to flow…

This performance, where the protagonist desperately tries to bring his own story to an end, seems to be drawing to a close...

Along with his five hundred years of perseverance, and he, as if on cue, has brought tears to the eyes of the one who couldn't be there.