The battle between the Losers

Kallen was filled with countless emotions, but she didn't know who to confide in.

She was simply in a daze, replaying unrealistic scenarios in her mind.

Perhaps if she had been willing to submit back then, to accept any of Otto's proposals, to yield to the nobles even for a moment, she wouldn't have been sentenced to death by hanging.

Or perhaps, if she had agreed to marry Otto, even if it was just a temporary solution, even if it meant the Kaslana family would eventually be absorbed by another...

Perhaps... if she had been more patient, planned more carefully, she could have not only recovered everything but gained even more...

But there are no "what ifs." She would never surrender.

In that case, she wouldn't be Kallen, she wouldn't be the Saint.

There are always some people who cannot yield; she represents something far greater than herself.

Kallen had entertained many "maybes" and "what ifs" in her heart, but none of them felt true to who she was.

And time wouldn't wait for her to dwell on hypotheticals.

She was willing to die fighting, rather than by surrendering.

"Wow, he even praised you as the only one worthy of his everything. Kallen, there's no need to look so gloomy, okay?"

Elysia smiled faintly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her pink hair swaying in the air, her smile as beautiful as a flower.

Recently, Kallen had enjoyed a rare holiday.

Although she still couldn't completely forget about work and occasionally dealt with some, she and Cecilia had been frequenting this courtyard and became quite familiar with the people here.

Among them, the pink-haired Elysia was particularly enthusiastic... well, except when the white-haired man with the mask was around, according to Luo Mo.

"Thank you for your comfort, Elysia."

"Hmm?" Elysia tilted her head, just about to continue her enthusiastic display when...

"But I don't understand why Luo Mo said to minimize contact with you... He said that Elysia, you... ahem, never mind?"

Perhaps a bit absentmindedly, Kallen let slip what was on her mind. After spending several days here, she had let her guard down around Elysia and this place.

Of course, Otto's actions had left her in a state of shock, contributing to her unguarded moment.

"?" Elysia's face stiffened, and she slowly blinked in confusion, her head tilting towards Luo Mo.

Luo Mo blinked back innocently, caught off guard by the sudden shift of attention.

His initial intention was simply to protect every "pure love warrior," even if they were a female couple! He, Luo Mo, was determined to safeguard every ship!

But looking at Alicia's pouted and angry expression, he felt something was not going well in his heart.

It seemed that he would have to settle the matter in the future.

A tragic heroism welled up within him.

By the way... Kallen shouldn't mind if he throws Theresa in, after all, it's partly her fault!

…

"Hey, hey, Mei! If Auntie Theresa really became the Overseer, what do you think would happen to Schicksal? I can't even imagine!"

Kiana whispered to Mei, a mischievous Expression spreading across her face.

With some distance between them, Kiana seized the opportunity to gossip while Theresa trailed behind Kallen.

As for Otto... Kiana's initial impression of him was deeply ingrained.

After all, she had suffered the most at his hands.

While his "new look" was somewhat interesting, it did little to quell her fundamental dislike.

However, she wasn't about to cause a scene. A little harmless chatter with Mei was more her style.

"With the Principal as Overseer... well, finances might be a bit tight," Mei replied, glancing quickly at the petite figure in the distance, her voice a low murmur.

"But other than that... it should be alright?"

The image of Theresa as Overseer had also sprung to Mei's mind, but a different question occupied her thoughts: Would Theresa even be able to reach the floor from the Overseer's chair?

Mei's face flushed slightly at the feel of Kiana's warm breath near her ear. She quickly shook her head, trying to dispel the odd image that had popped into her mind.

What was she even thinking? The chair could always be adjusted. Although Theresa's height... Wait, why was she thinking about it again?!

"As for finances, with the gaming company now part of Schicksal and with Anti-Entropy's contributions, there shouldn't be anything to worry about," Bronya interjected unexpectedly.

"Right, right! The boss is pretty good at making money, so it should be fine," Kiana agreed, a hint of hesitation giving way to certainty.

Her aunt might not be the best at everything—education, diligence, frugality... all foreign concepts to Theresa. And her love for bitter melon was just...weird. But if there were capable people around, then everything would work out!

And if there weren't? Well, there was always the option of starting a revolution...

And Theresa was watching intently next to Kallen. As for what grandma blurted out, if it wasn't in front of Alicia, she would have nodded fiercely. That woman... is so terrifying! Must stay away!

-----

After Otto left alone, heading towards what he said was his personally long-awaited journey,

Even Rita stayed behind, and now he seemed to be really alone, preparing to go to the last shore.

But based on Otto's inhuman performance in the past, they had to be on guard.

There was speculation about the consequences of what he wanted to do, since it was something he had never mentioned.

Through those who had served Otto for years, like Rita and Nagamitsu, they learned his resignation was indeed driven by a desire to return to the past, to reunite with Kallen and fulfil his long-held wish. However, a significant question remained:

"If the Overseer is truly capable of single-handedly achieving the feat of 'time reversal,' then his current actions seem rather excessive," Rita remarked, her expression Full with concern.

With the guarantee of Durandal, several people accepted her, and she was indeed an important part of the Destiny S-class Valkyrie. In the absence of Otto, her relationship with Theresa was actually quite 'good'.

Rita, in turn, willingly shared her knowledge of Otto. He had, after all, given her permission to reveal everything she knew, leaving her with no reservations.

"Precisely. This isn't Overseer usual style. If 'recovering the Herrscher core' and his 'journey' are genuinely separate matters—" Durandal added thoughtfully.

"—then he's invested an excessive amount of energy and showmanship into a 'relatively insignificant matter'," Rita finished, her tone laced with suspicion.

"…Indeed. Though prone to theatrics (flamboyant person), Grandfather is usually quite practical and efficient when it comes to crucial matters," Theresa conceded, a frown etching itself onto her face.

Her grandfather wasn't one to be swayed by fleeting Glory or momentary displays of power.

There had to be a deeper reason behind his actions!

Theresa resolved to strategize with the others, determined to untie the truth behind Otto's intentions. The Herrscher of Domination's core, now safely in their possession, provided a sense of relief.

Finally, they had eradicated that troublesome threat.

However, they remained oblivious to a crucial fact: everything that had emerged was but a carefully orchestrated performance directed by the very Overseer they sought to understand.

Or perhaps, on some level, they had their suspicions right.

They just hadn't grasped the sheer scale of what was to come, failing to recognize that what they perceived as the end was merely the beginning for Otto's grand scheme.

-----

"Showmanship? An apt description. His clumsy act seemed deliberately staged for Theresa and the others... He needn't have gone to such lengths," Mobius mused, her voice Full with a amusement.

"Though, it's true that the plan requires the Herrscher of Void's power..."

Mobius furrowed her brow, her mind digging into deeper implications.

"Huh? Is Sirin's power really that important?" Kiana interjected, surprised.

To her, Sirin's use of her abilities always seemed rather unusual, mostly employed for everyday laziness and convenience.

Though, a envy always accompanied her observations. Why was Sirin able to conjure snacks out of thin air, while she, Kiana, could only manage to burn sushi?

It simply wasn't fair!

Clearly, the two Herrschers had vastly different perspectives on their respective powers. However, in their current state, Sirin's core undeniably held greater practical value.

"The power of the Gem of void isn't as simple as you think. In some ways, its true potential shouldn't manifest until encountering later Herrscher forms... though, that mainly applies to its scientific applications. For a Herrscher alone, mastering it is indeed a formidable task," Mobius explained patiently, perhaps swayed by Kiana's presence.

However, judging from the blank look in Kiana's eyes, her words seemed to have fallen on deaf ears.

Mobius, for once, refrained from further explanation. Had she known what truly occupied Kiana's thoughts, she'd likely retract her statement entirely.

The girl's mind was solely focused on snacks!

-----

Research on the Herrscher of Domination's core wasn't progressing smoothly. Einstein and Tesla had hit a wall. The core possessed activity, yet it proved difficult to manifest.

The observed activity patterns deviated from their theoretical models.

This brought to light a crucial difference between the Herrscher cores of the Previous Era and the Current Era: activity.

Cores of the Current Era maintained a flexible link with the Imaginary Space, allowing even those seemingly unrelated [Yang, Bronya, Mei(?), Wendy(?), Kiana] to become Herrschers.

Cores of the Previous Era lacked this capability. It wasn't due to the absence of Divine Keys Structure, but rather an inherent limitation.

At their core, they were fundamentally different: one dynamic, the other static.

Then, they finally pinpointed the problem. They couldn't find the Imaginary singularity within the Herrscher of Domination's core—a feature every Herrscher core should possess.

Nagamitsu opinion on this is that the observation level of the Thousand Herrscher core has been weakened a lot due to the dominance of the theatre, and other methods may be needed.

After thinking for a moment, they called Bronya and Kiana, and prepared to use the Herrscher's power to bombard the Herrscher's core at the same time.

Of course, the current situation is not just about this core. They also have another purpose...to determine as soon as possible whether this core has been tampered with by Otto.

The most troublesome thing about Otto is that they can't just believe each other's words, nor can they just sit idly by and ignore his behaviour.

There was no predicting his next move.

If he genuinely intended to embark on his journey alone, he wouldn't have felt the need to stage this elaborate performance for their benefit. But if that wasn't his true intention... then they had even more reason to be concerned.

…

While preparing for that verification experiment, the blond knight approached the girl who refused to admit defeat.

She seeking to finally settle their unfinished duel from five months ago.

She also had words she wanted to say.

 On the battlefield in North Africa, the conflict started when the two met for the first time.

Back then, the young adventurer had yet to fully comprehend the path of a hero, while the knight was accustomed to the constraints of her duty.

Despite this, they both felt a strange, inexplicable certainty – that the opponent before them was perhaps the most similar soul to their own in the world.

Now, here, in the last town where Kallen had lived, they met again. This time, they stood on the same path, sharing the same ideals.

Standing at the edge of the moss-covered stone steps, gazing at the distant statue of the saint, Kiana's eyes held a distant look, perhaps recalling the happy times she had spent with her dad.

"Saint Kallen... my dad used to say she was the role model for all the Kaslanas."

"She, like you, chose to betray Schicksal," Durandal said softly.

They both betrayed Schicksal, but they did it for a better destiny. Betraying Schicksal doesn't mean betraying the people. Just like how Overseer Otto always preached Kallen's spirit.

Although, he wasn't perfect in certain aspects.

"I still don't understand... why you serve Otto?"

"Heh, I remember my answer at the time was... without Schicksal, who would protect the billions of people on this planet from Honkai?"

Kiana looked at her, their azure eyes meeting. She slowly uttered the rest of Durandal's words from back then:

"There's no absolute good or evil, only duty."

"But even now, I still don't understand what your duty is. Why do you have to obey Otto's every command?"

Durandal felt a pang of bitterness. She looked towards the distant, grayish-blue sky and said quietly,

"Let me put it this way: Overseer Otto is to me, perhaps like how Theresa Senpai is to you."

"You can't deny that he shaped me into who I am today. And you can't deny that his understanding of Honkai surpasses all of us."

There was a moment of silence. Kiana looked at her, and she looked back.

"More answers... at least after we settle our duel?"

She shook her lance, twirling it with a flourish, her fighting spirit ablaze. Kiana was not to be outdone, drawing her twin pistols to meet her challenge.

It was just a sparring match, but it deepened their understanding of each other and resolved past grievances.

After their duel, Durandal revealed another reason:

It had to do with stabilizing the world bubble within her.

She needed Otto's technology and resources for that.

The world she had carried on her shoulders since she was twelve...

She spoke slowly, her eyes still solid, "From your perspective, I'm clearly a fool who aids the wicked. But for me, Schicksal, both publicly and privately, has irreplaceable value."

She had never changed her mind, nor had she been swayed by Otto.

She always knew right from wrong.

Meanwhile, on another battlefield, the maid had found Bronya. Perhaps it was because they had both lived in the darkness, the two assassins began to share their experiences.

But Luo Mo preferred to call it a final showdown between two "losers."

One was the Maid who was 50/50, never winning a single match since her appearance, ending in a stalemate before sadly leaving the stage.

The other was the Ghostfire Motorcyclist, who after obtaining the supposedly ominous core, was either eating dirt or on her way to eating dirt.

Now, they were exchanging assassination techniques, exploring the power of not eating dirt together.

The maid and the rumoured Ural Silver Wolf were also sparring here, vying for the title of "weaker."

It was truly... a sight to behold!!

[Red and blue are the colors of love! Kiana and Durandal are both dressed in white with some blue or red, so friendly]

[jealous-Mei- jealous]

[They actually feel like sisters, is it just me?]

[Preaching Kallen's spirit? - Otto: Who doesn't believe in Kallen? Step forward, you! You've betrayed Schicksal!]

[Mei: How many women have you messed with while I was gone?! (Slowly takes out her cooking knife)]

[Compete! Who is the biggest loser!!]

[Shhh... If the opponent was anyone else, we wouldn't even need to open the betting market. But these two undefeated legends together... it's tricky]

[comment]

[TL: If anyone reads please comment please, I'm a bit lonely here]