Having seen the scene so many times, it had become familiar—whether it stirred emotion, sorrow, or a sense of genuine reverence for the story, everyone who had come to visit this alternate world wore different expressions.
As for Otto, who was about to die and fade away in the very next moment, their hatred and disgust for him had lessened significantly.
Regarding that thorough, long-planned scheme of his… the only thing they could express was perhaps a heavy, heartfelt sigh.
He had said—many people die too late, and some… die too early.
As for himself, he would use his own death to show Kallen just how beautiful life could be.
And he succeeded.
In the world they had let go of, a world without Otto, there were no traces or legends about this man. And that alone proved his point.
Right and wrong couldn't be used to judge him—it would be too simplistic, too crude. And Otto himself didn't need anyone's judgment.
Just like that man once said, he had only completed one supremely selfish act—so selfish that it disregarded every other life in the world. That was all.
From beginning to end, he had always preached, acted upon, and longed for one thing: to resurrect Kallen.
Resurrecting someone—an unimaginable plan to outsiders.
But if it was Otto… it made sense.
Because he was a madman.
A man who had played the role of humanity's leader for five hundred years, through and through, driven by madness.
Thanks to books and public accounts of Otto, and their multiple encounters with him, Kiana and the others had already come to learn bits and pieces about that legendary member of the Kaslana family—Kallen. A saint, whose name was bound to the heroic sacrifice made during the downfall of the old Schicksal.
The name "Saint Kallen" represented purity and unyielding resolve, never bending to oppression.
Under Otto's persistent glorification, she had become the Valkyries' symbol to emulate. Her spirit had been passed down.
But to that foolish man… that wasn't enough.
He didn't want a successor.
He wanted the original Kallen, just as she had been from the start.
And so...
"Hah... This really is the kind of thing Otto would do. He never cared how others saw him. All he ever had was that obsession so subtle and deep it couldn't even be detected…"
"Who would've thought… the thing he was obsessed with was that girl from five hundred years ago. For someone who once led the highest ranks of Schicksal… it's hard to imagine."
Fu Hua adjusted her glasses, her tone serious and measured.
Perhaps different versions of Fu Hua existed, but in this world, what set this one apart most clearly was her glasses.
After being dragged around by the Herrscher of Sentience —sometimes advised, sometimes tormented—this Fu Hua had already shed her old disguises. Even Elysia had once joked: "Fu Hua with glasses is just impossible to look away from."
"He always exceeded what we could understand… from evil, to emotion…"
"No wonder he believed that I could fulfill his final wish, could defeat him…"
"In most hero manga," Kiana added, "the Demon Lord always loses because he underestimates the power of emotion. But this time, the Demon Lord… actually trusted that power."
She paused, feeling a bit conflicted.
During the final battle, she had felt something strange—Otto constantly prodded at her emotions, tried to stir hatred in her with his words.
And when the truth was finally revealed, all she could do was remain silent.
There was something bittersweet about it all.
Was this… really the power of love?
She didn't know. But it had shaken her.
She couldn't say for sure if she'd ever go so far for Mei.
When she truly imagined herself in Otto's place, she realized she couldn't understand someone like that at all—so extreme, so obsessed.
And resurrection…
It was just about creating a version of someone for the world.
To make a person who had clearly disappeared return to life right before your eyes—who hadn't imagined that at least once?
When she wandered alone through Sky City, that thought had crossed her mind more than once:
"Why can't people be resurrected?"
"Why couldn't Himeko-sensei… get back up and look at me one more time?"
She was immersed in a certain atmosphere, surrounded by others. By experiencing Otto's perspective as he walked the final stretch of his path, they came to understand and assess the man who had died in a more nuanced and different light.
"...No wonder, back then Kevin lent him the Void Archives. When he saw the faraway scene, there was a turbulent force hidden beneath those calm and icy eyes. Perhaps, at that moment, he truly did envy the other side," original Mei sighed, her voice tinged with emotion.
Compared to digging into the past's tragedies, the current peaceful moment allowed her to calm down immediately. This was the normal pace of life, after all. Her originally stern face also began to soften under Kiana's persistent, carefree nuzzling—this was who she truly was, someone who naturally gave others a sense of ease and contentment that couldn't be ignored.
"Aiya, Otto's story ends here. The process wasn't exactly beautiful, but the conclusion... it was solemn enough."
"Next up is the tale of our heroes. Mei~, it's your story next, how about it? Are you interested? ♪~" Elysia approached with a teasing smile, seemingly examining the tear streaks on Mei's face. Observing the somber mood hanging over everyone, she tried to liven things up. A pretty girl quietly crying was of course adorable, but their smiling faces were just as lovely.
"M-My story?" Mei looked confused and a bit flustered. Wasn't that… the future? Even if she had anticipated it, hearing it so clearly made her feel a little overwhelmed. A future appearing in a game…?
She stared at the screen, deep in thought.
"The group of heroes—that means the friends you met in World Serpent, right? So it's your shared story?" Kiana blinked, realizing she had to prepare herself to meet her rivals in love.
"Exactly! Speaking of which, Luo Mo, I'm really curious—why can't the others in the academy see that strange black vortex? And, can we actually travel to another world?" Elysia eagerly replied to Kiana, then turned her curious gaze to Luo Mo.
From the window of the main hall, they could still see other students walking around outside like nothing was wrong—chatting happily and smiling. This only deepened Elysia's suspicions.
"It's possible," Luo Mo explained. "The condition for seeing it is being an important character in the world—basically, you must have appeared in the storyline. As for entering it, you must first be able to see it, and also have a corresponding self that exists in both worlds. That's why you girls can enter."
He had just confirmed this while communicating with the system.
"Ah, but the minor characters probably won't be able to come. As for you all—if you want to enter... which part of the Elysium Everlasting arc has Mei's story reached?" he asked, smiling gently at Mei.
"...Which part?" Mei furrowed her brows slightly and looked up at him. He was even taller than her, despite her wearing heels—black hair, black eyes, quite rare these days. She wasn't sure if she was right, but he seemed composed and orderly, and that was often a sign of someone with unique traits. Plus... Elysia seemed to trust him completely.
That was rare.
But what he just said also hinted at something else—someone in Elysium Everlasting might die? But why?
"Ah, when Bronya connected to the network of this world, she found a key term: 'Elysium Shattered Ice'... It didn't give a good feeling," said Bronya calmly, the ever-reliable hacker who had taken action first.
The Bronya beside her didn't try to stop her from speaking either. Instead, she smiled faintly.
"Elysium... shattered ice..." Mei was surprised, slightly confused. That can't mean the entire Elysium Everlasting is destroyed, right? That shouldn't be possible... Was Aponia's prediction truly that accurate?
Instinctively, she remembered the prophecy they were chasing—the one that spanned ten days.