"Are you surprised to see me in this new world? Since you can be here, then there's no reason I can't appear here as well, right?" Hearing Ren Amamiya's question, the smile on Goro Akechi's face widened.
From the intensity of Ren's reaction to the presence of "Goro Akechi," Otto knew his decision to appear in this guise was absolutely correct. By interacting with Ren as Akechi, especially when Ren was unprepared, he could surely gather more information than before.
The last time he invaded Ren's dreams using the mimicked Fenghuang Down, Otto Apocalypse had read some of Ren's memory fragments. Among them, the figure Ren remembered most vividly and reacted to most strongly was this Detective Prince, "Goro Akechi," whom Otto was now impersonating using Soulium.
If he had appeared in any other form, Otto believed Ren absolutely wouldn't, or at least wouldn't so easily, utter crucial phrases like "this new world," which could reveal his identity as a survivor of the Previous-Previous Era.
"As for the one beside me," Otto, maintaining his Akechi disguise, chuckled and gestured towards his silent old friend next to him, "her name is Fu Hua. She is also an excellent detective, even praised by some enthusiasts as a 'Detective Prince'."
"Hello, I am Fu Hua." Only after Otto finished speaking did Fu Hua, clad in her grayish-beige English detective-style trench coat, finally speak, nodding slightly at Ren seated at the coffee table.
Although this girl named Fu Hua was remarkably beautiful, her features leaned towards an androgynous, spirited look. Combined with her flat chest, if Fu Hua were to tie up her long gray hair and change into male attire, she would pass perfectly as a handsome young prince, and it would be natural for passersby to mistake her as such.
It was a bit of a joke: two "Detective Princes" were now present. But one wasn't actually a detective, and the other wasn't actually a prince.
Behind her monocle, Fu Hua's emerald eyes showed a flicker of interest as she looked at Ren. Although Otto had urgently dispatched her to Nagazora City in the Far East and tasked her with approaching Ren to act as an undercover agent, Fu Hua hadn't learned Ren's true identity from Otto. Everything about Ren was a complete unknown to her.
The phrase "this new world," mentioned during Ren and Otto's earlier conversation, had undoubtedly caught the attention of Fu Hua, who was privy to certain truths. Besides her modern public identity as a Schicksal Valkyrie, Fu Hua had left countless other names in history, such as Phoenix, the Celestial.
Tracing back through time, Fu Hua's true identity was a survivor of the Previous Era, one of the pioneers who fought against the Honkai and supported humanity in the Current Era.
Anyone else hearing the conversation between Ren and Otto would be as clueless as Bronya, completely unable to understand the riddles they were speaking. But Fu Hua, as a pioneer from the Previous Era, was one of the very few in the Current Era who could understand the coded exchange between Ren and Otto.
Based on their words, Ren also seemed to be a survivor from the Previous Era. Yet, Fu Hua had absolutely no recollection of him. Ordinary citizens who survived from the Previous Era into the Current Era had long since perished due to their natural lifespans thousands of years ago.
Since Ren was alive now, and still looked like a vibrant youth, he ought to be a powerful MANTIS comrade...
Fu Hua's delicate brows furrowed slightly. She stared intently at Ren, wracking her brain for any memories. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't recall any trace of Ren, as if he simply didn't exist in her memory. After a fruitless attempt, Fu Hua somewhat dejectedly gave up.
Due to the side effects of being a MANTIS and having lost most of her power, constantly burning memories using the Key of Sentience, Fenghuang Down, to gain strength, Fu Hua's memories of the past had nearly vanished completely.
Logically, even if she burned memories, she would at least retain important ones useful to her. For instance, while she had almost entirely forgotten the names and faces of comrades who died in the Previous Era, she still retained some memories of Kevin, Su, and others who survived into the Current Era and continued to execute plans against the Honkai.
Since Fu Hua couldn't recall Ren, it meant she didn't know him. Or, in her understanding, Ren should have already died.
"Do you mind if we share this table? You should have many questions you'd like to discuss with me, right?" Otto stood by the coffee table, a pleasant smile on his face as he addressed Ren.
The Pancake Man's smile added another layer of gloom to Ren's already troubled mood. Although he didn't particularly want to talk face-to-face with the Pancake Man... Goro Akechi was right. Akechi clearly retained memories of the previous cycle and had likely gathered considerable information about this current one.
To gather enough intelligence, Ren decided to grit his teeth and endure a conversation with the Pancake Man before making other plans.
Having made his decision, Ren nodded slightly towards Bronya on the other side. Bronya, understanding, picked up her coffee cup and scooted further into the innermost seat, leaving the aisle-side seat for the brown-haired youth.
"Excuse me," Fu Hua said with a slight nod to Ren. After Otto sat down, she also took the seat Ren had vacated.
'...Hmm?! This ring?!' Fu Hua sat upright and composed beside Ren. As she impeccably faced forward, her peripheral vision inadvertently caught Ren's left hand resting on the table.
Ren wore a silver ring on his left middle finger. The ring had a spiral pattern, and a peculiar blue-purple gemstone was embedded in the center of the spiral. After that casual glance, Fu Hua's pupils dilated to their maximum, her gaze completely captivated by the ring on Ren's hand.
A violent tremor of emotion flickered within her emerald eyes.
'The craftsmanship of this ring... It's unmistakable. It's Vill-V's work! And that gemstone isn't an ordinary ornament; it's the Herrscher of Thunder's Core! This unassuming spiral ring is a powerful Divine Key!!'
Among Fu Hua's remaining memories, traces of that great machinist, Vill-V, happened to exist. Having just tried hard to recall memories related to the Previous Era, Fu Hua recognized the origin of the Mighty Thunder Ring at a glance. Her sensitivity as a battle-hardened MANTIS also allowed her to instantly realize the true nature of the magnificent gemstone in the ring's center.
The Key of Judgment, Seven Thunders of Retribution, shouldn't have a ring form. Which means this is a new Divine Key from the Current Era... But if my memory serves me right, Vill-V should have died long ago! It's impossible for her to reappear in the Current Era, let alone create a new Divine Key?!
Fu Hua's gaze grew increasingly bewildered and doubtful.
The side effects of being a MANTIS prevented Fu Hua from truly forgetting memories; she could clearly recall everything she had experienced. Even if she discarded and burned past memories using Fenghuang Down, the remaining memories in her brain should still be absolutely authentic.
Could it be... I've really accidentally forgotten some crucial, vital memory?!
Vill-V, who should have been dead, created a new Key of Judgment in the Current Era... Ren Amamiya, a suspected deceased pioneer from the Previous Era, was now appearing before her openly, even wearing a Divine Key ring made by Vill-V...
Fu Hua observed Ren surreptitiously. Although Ren made no outward display, Fu Hua, focusing intently, unsurprisingly caught a fleeting glimpse of familiarity in Ren's eyes when he looked at her.
So that's it! No wonder Otto suddenly dragged me here without explanation to find this Ren Amamiya!! As it turns out, this Ren Amamiya is clearly a comrade from the Previous Era who once died but has been resurrected for some unknown reason!!
Fu Hua gently bit her lip, a look of dawning realization spreading across her tense face. Most of Fu Hua's past memories were ones she herself had sifted through, discarded, and burned. However, there was one instance—when she was assassinated by her seven disciples on Mount Taixu—where the resurrected Fu Hua passively lost a significant amount of memory.
Perhaps the reason why her comrades from the Previous Era could be resurrected and continue fighting the Honkai in the Current Era lay within those memories she lost on Mount Taixu...
Feeling the fragmented, blank-filled memories in her mind, Fu Hua couldn't help but sigh softly. And when she looked up again at Ren beside her, Fu Hua's gaze had subtly softened, becoming much warmer and more cordial.