When Theresa Apocalypse awoke, she saw...
Oh, a ceiling that theoretically shouldn't be unfamiliar, but in reality, she hadn't seen much of.
Although Theresa had spent all these years at the Far East Branch and rarely returned to Schicksal HQ to report, she had, after all, once been a Valkyrie at Schicksal HQ.
It was just that Theresa was so strong that she rarely had the opportunity to be knocked down and see the ceiling of the Schicksal medical bay.
"Theresa, are you awake?"
Beside Theresa, her grandfather, Otto Apocalypse, was gazing at her face with a gentle expression.
"How is your body feeling?"
"Grandpa? I..."
Pushing herself up with her arms, Theresa tried to move her body and found that—she seemed to be perfectly fine.
"Strange, I remember I lost to that Herrscher... This feeling, is it Abyss Flower?"
Recalling the faint, familiar sensation she felt on her body while she was unconscious, Theresa immediately deduced the correct answer.
"That child, Durandal... she really shouldn't have used a Divine Key."
"Alright, don't underestimate her."
Handing the peeled apple in his hand to Theresa, Otto continued.
"Her aptitude is high, so high that she can use the power of Abyss Flower with almost no drain on herself."
"...Is that so."
After accepting the apple from Otto, Theresa didn't rush to eat it but instead asked him.
"What about the child who was with me?"
"Oh, that child. You must be talking about the girl from Russia."
At that moment, Otto pointed to the hospital bed next to Theresa's, a strange hint appearing in his smile.
"You lost to that Herrscher earlier precisely to protect this little girl, didn't you."
"That's right."
Seeing the unusual smile on Otto's face, Theresa immediately asked nervously.
"Is something wrong?"
"Heh, Amber has already investigated. She's a member of Anti-Entropy, and even Cocolia's adopted daughter."
"Theresa, you are, in the end, far too kind. And it is because you are too kind that you were used by a member of Anti-Entropy."
Recalling his earlier panic, the smile on Otto's face gradually faded.
"As the Branch Commander of the Far East Branch and a Valkyrie of Schicksal, you actually put yourself in danger to save a member of a hostile organization."
"After all these years out there, have you really learned nothing?!"
Hearing the sternness in Otto's tone, Theresa immediately retorted with righteous conviction.
"But, even if this child is from Anti-Entropy, she is still a human being."
"As a Valkyrie, I am supposed to protect everyone—isn't that the principle you taught me after I was born?!"
"Yes, I did say that to you once."
"But Theresa, have you ever considered—that you have to be alive to protect more people?"
Hearing Theresa's words, Otto replied with extreme indifference.
"From the moment you went to the Far East, I had hoped you would grow. After relinquishing your S-rank Valkyrie title, you've been the Branch Commander of the Far East Branch for so many years. I thought you would have learned to be responsible for your subordinates."
"But what about now? You risk your life to save even a member of a hostile organization. You think you're upholding the principle I taught you back then, but in reality, it's being irresponsible to the subordinates and family who care about you!"
"If you continue to be this naive, how can I rest assured and hand Schicksal over to you in the future!"
"I..."
Though she knew she didn't agree with his viewpoint, upon hearing the concern in Otto's words, Theresa's imposing manner couldn't help but weaken.
"Sigh."
Looking at Theresa's expression, Otto rubbed the bridge of his nose in frustration and let out a helpless sigh.
"Theresa, I didn't say all this today to blame you. But in the future, you will inevitably take over the position of Schicksal's Archbishop from me."
"At that time, bearing the trust of every member of the organization, you will face even more choices. If you act even slightly on a whim then, it will result in the death of your subordinates."
"Grandpa knows you are very kind, but now... Theresa, you really need to grow up."
"Grandpa, you..."
Hearing what Otto was saying, Theresa suddenly asked with a hint of worry.
"Is there something wrong with the Soulium body's calibration?"
"Ha, who knows."
With a self-deprecating laugh, Otto looked at Theresa, then at Bronya, and chuckled.
"You, me, and this child as well, in the end, our bodies are all different from ordinary people."
"You are an artificial human I created using Kallen's DNA and Honkai Beast genes, while this child clearly bears the marks of Honkai Energy experiments."
"As for me, I'm fine for now, but how much longer can this Soulium body keep me going? Who can say for sure?"
"Being fine now doesn't mean there won't be problems in the future. As warriors of Schicksal fighting against the Honkai, we must always be prepared for the worst."
Seeing Theresa lower her head, Otto knew there was no need to say more.
"Alright, the issues in Nagazora City have all been resolved. You just need to rest and recuperate."
"Wait, Grandpa! This child—"
"Rest assured, I will leave her to your disposal."
With those words, Otto departed from Theresa's sight.
As Theresa recalled the words Otto had just spoken, she felt her heart in turmoil.
Even now, she was still very dissatisfied with some of Otto's past actions.
But in her interactions with Otto, she could also feel that he truly cared for her as an elder.
When two such emotions intertwine, the result is certainly not a dream-like, happy time.
Caught between familial affection and dissatisfaction, Theresa felt truly conflicted.
Moreover, Otto's words made her feel very uneasy.
Grandpa said so much, could it be that his body really is in trouble?
Or perhaps...
Grandpa isn't planning to stir up some major incident again, is he? And this time, it might even be dangerous?
Even Theresa knew full well that Otto, as the Archbishop, was safe most of the time.
So if he, the Archbishop, was going to be in danger, didn't that mean—everyone else would face even more terrifying dangers?
.....
After leaving the medical bay, a touch of melancholy appeared on Otto's face.
After Durandal had brought everyone back to Schicksal HQ, Otto had, according to the original plan, gone to see the Herrscher of Thunder and the other Pseudo-Herrscher.
However, according to the medical staff on site, both Herrschers had fallen into a deep sleep and would not be waking up for the time being.
Furthermore, with Durandal herself standing guard beside the two Herrschers, Otto could feel at ease to go to Theresa's side and check on this granddaughter of his who still hadn't grown up.
The reason Otto had acknowledged Theresa as his granddaughter was precisely because he saw in her Kallen's gentleness and kindness.
One could even say that if Otto himself weren't so vehemently opposed to the existence of the 'soul', he might have even thought that Theresa possessed Kallen's 'soul'.
But it was also because of this that Otto was now feeling a bit of a headache.
His plan was entering its final stages, and if his plan succeeded, Schicksal would indeed be handed over to Theresa to manage in the future.
But now, Theresa was just as she was decades ago, so gentle even to a potential enemy from Anti-Entropy.
To be honest, even though Otto had acknowledged Theresa because of her gentleness, he was still a little dissatisfied and worried about this gentleness of hers.
Sigh, in the end, it was still necessary to pair Theresa with a sufficiently intelligent and loyal deputy.
Originally, Ryusuke's daughter and Rita were both good candidates.
But of these two, one was on the verge of death, and the other's affection for Theresa was so high that Theresa wanted to get away from her on sight.
It truly couldn't be helped.
While Amber was a qualified secretary, her talents meant she could only be a good secretary at best.
Originally, Siegfried and Cecilia would have been good helpers for Theresa, but...
Hmph, it can't be helped. They stood in the way of my plan, becoming my greatest obstacles.
From the moment Siegfried disregarded his own safety to punch me at the start of the Second Eruption, I knew this man was difficult to control.
If he discovered I was trying to revive the Herrscher of the Void, he would definitely find a way to stop my plan.
And Cecilia and Siegfried had a very good relationship. If Siegfried made a choice, she would naturally follow him to sabotage my plan.
At that time, if Siegfried could still wield the Judgment of Shamash and cleave the sky with that one sword strike, I wouldn't be able to stop that brutish fellow.
Moreover, Siegfried's own reputation was poor, but most of the Valkyries in Schicksal admired Cecilia greatly.
If even Cecilia rebelled, a portion of the Valkyries' perception of me would surely decline.
So, it couldn't be helped. For the sake of my plan, you two had to die there.
But I miscalculated the power that burst forth from Cecilia due to love. I never thought that after exhausting her Holy Blood, she would still have the strength to protect Siegfried...
Ha, reminiscing about this now is meaningless.
Instead of lamenting the lack of help for Theresa now, it would be better to find her a suitable deputy.
Leo Ash.
Although I don't know how this young man managed to achieve these accomplishments, the fact that he could do so proves that his power and methods are both outstanding.
After I meet with him, I'll use Fenghuang Down to take a good look at this young man's character.
If he can meet my requirements, he would be quite suitable to become Theresa's subordinate.
With K423's return to Schicksal this time, the most suitable place for her to grow is, after all, St. Freya.
The atmosphere there is good; it can let her experience a school environment.
And the Herrscher of Thunder is her good friend, that poison-using Pseudo-Herrscher is her companion and classmate, and with Leo Ash, the young man for whom she harbors special feelings, and Theresa, her 'godmother', it's enough to let her feel loved.
As long as Leo Ash meets the requirements, letting him get a taste of the Far East Branch's affairs under Theresa will give him plenty of opportunities to grow.
After all, my granddaughter doesn't do proper work all day. If Leo Ash becomes a member of the Far East Branch, there will be plenty of chances to train him.
So now...
Walking into the medical room where Leo Ash was, Otto asked Rita, who was standing by.
"Rita, how is your brother's condition now?"
Leo Ash, don't disappoint me.
"Lord Bishop?"
Rita, who had been calmly watching Leo Ash, immediately stood up and gave Otto a slight curtsy upon hearing his words.
"Leo is just a little exhausted because Lady Durandal used a Divine Key to heal him."
"If you have something to ask him, I can wake him up right now."
"No, no, that's not necessary."
Waving his hand with a smile, Otto looked at Leo Ash on the hospital bed and said magnanimously.
"He is the great hero of our Schicksal's operation this time."
"He went through life and death in Nagazora City for so long, not only successfully completing the mission but also suppressing the Herrscher of Thunder and rescuing Theresa."
"A young hero like him just wants to rest well now. What's wrong with that?"
"...You are right."
Looking at his subordinate, Otto already knew one thing.
His subordinate, Rita Rossweisse, was usually an extremely astute Valkyrie.
But just now when Otto entered the room, Rita had shown no reaction at all, merely watching the young man on the bed quietly.
Coupled with the fact that Rita herself was covered in injuries yet hadn't sought treatment, choosing only to stay by Leo Ash's side, it was more than enough to show that the distracted Rita held her adoptive brother in high regard.
Adding to that the request Durandal had made upon her return to Otto, he truly felt that Leo Ash was, in a sense, a man of profound sin.
To hope that Leo Ash could be sent to a safer place to fight... Ha, for Bianka to say such a thing.
This kid's charm seems to be higher than I imagined.
Just as Otto was preparing to leave for the time being, he suddenly saw the young man before him slightly open his eyes.
"Ah, an unfamiliar ceiling... whoa—?!"
At this moment, watching Leo Ash immediately bite his tongue, Otto smiled and circled the young man.
"Hello, Leo Ash. Although this is our first time meeting, I believe you know who I am."
"As the Archbishop of Schicksal, I'd like to have a chat with you."
..