Schicksal Headquarters. Special Medical Bay
In the medical bay, Raiden Mei, who had been unconscious for a long time, slowly opened her eyes.
Then, she felt a wave of weakness wash over her body.
What on earth...
Ah, I remember now.
Before, when I heard the news of my father's death, I felt as if my entire being had plunged into darkness, my body nearly torn to shreds by some force.
Although Uncle Siegfried seemed to be saying something, but...
Actually, I remember it all.
There is a demon inside my body.
After that demon took over my body, it not only wanted to kill Uncle Siegfried, but it even wanted to kill Leo Ash.
And the power that continuously spread from my body destroyed everything around it.
If Uncle Siegfried hadn't taken me out of Nagazora City, wouldn't I have harmed even more people inside the city?
No, even if Uncle Siegfried and Leo Ash hadn't stopped me, the demon controlling my body would surely have tried to head towards the city center.
I could feel the malice radiating from her.
If she had reached the city, the casualties she would have caused might have been far greater than I could imagine.
Even though she felt immense anguish over this, at this moment, Mei found that her thoughts, which should have been in turmoil, had instead become remarkably clear.
Both Uncle Siegfried and Leo Ash must already know that I can cause such a terrifying disaster.
No wonder Uncle said 'now is not the time to see Kiana'...
He must not have wanted me to harm more people, which is why he wanted to take me to some deserted place.
To solve the trouble with me, he even missed the chance to see his own daughter.
And it's not just him.
Leo Ash too.
He already knew I had a terrifying demon inside me.
But under those circumstances, not only did he not choose to stay away from me, he even actively approached me.
And at that time, although Leo Ash seemed to genuinely want to kill me, what he was actually doing was trying to strengthen my heart in the most decisive way possible.
But... I betrayed Leo Ash's expectations.
I'm still not strong enough.
After hearing the news of my father's death, if I could have been a little calmer, she might not have had the chance to come out.
It was my cowardice that killed those people near the gas station!
"Miss Raiden Mei, are you awake?"
Just as Mei felt like her mind was about to break again, she suddenly heard a gentle voice in her ear.
"How are you feeling now?"
Surveying the blond man before her and the blond girl standing behind him, Raiden Mei asked with some confusion.
"Who are you, and where... is this?"
"Mm, very good. It seems you can still maintain your sense of self."
After confirming that the girl before him was being guided by her human personality, Otto said to Durandal behind him.
"Durandal, everything is fine here."
"Understood. Then I shall take my leave."
Upon hearing this, Durandal left the room with brisk steps.
And looking at the armor the other was wearing, even if Mei was clueless, she understood that this was no ordinary hospital.
"Ha, so straightforward."
Watching Durandal leave so decisively, Otto chuckled and shook his head, then glanced at the other girl still sleeping on the other side.
Although the toxins have almost no effect on my Soulium body, Durandal's quick departure seems not because she realized this, but because she's genuinely anxious.
And now—the Herrscher of Thunder before me also seems to care a great deal about that young man.
"I forgot to introduce myself."
As Otto pondered his plan, he spoke gently to Raiden Mei.
"My name is Otto Apocalypse, and I am the Archbishop of the [Anti-Honkai Organization], Schicksal."
"Of course, you may not understand what the Honkai is right now, but the abnormal situation you've experienced should have made you realize that you are no ordinary person, correct?"
"Yes... I'm not an ordinary person."
Recalling the frightening deductions she had made, Raiden Mei said with some dejection.
"I... I've killed many people."
Hoh, although her mood is very low, her emotions have actually stabilized.
Even though the number of people she 'killed' has been reduced by 99% thanks to Siegfried and Leo Ash, her psychological fortitude has already exceeded my expectations.
"Killed many people? If possible, I hope you won't misunderstand things like that."
At that moment, Otto's expression became incredibly serious.
"Miss Raiden, you may not be aware of your own identity. But as the head of an anti-Honkai organization, I am very clear that the number of victims in this incident has been greatly reduced due to certain reasons."
"And among these victims, that naturally includes—you."
"Me? But it was me who..."
"There are many concepts about the Honkai that, even if I were to explain them to you now, you might not be able to accept in a short period of time. But if possible, I still hope you can understand one thing."
At that moment, Otto spoke to Raiden Mei with utmost seriousness.
"The reason you awakened as a Honkai apostle, a [Herrscher], was because of a woman named Cocolia."
"It can even be said that Nagazora City suffered this calamity entirely because of that woman's misdeeds."
"Cocolia?!"
I heard Uncle Siegfried mention that name.
"Yes. She is the culprit behind this large-scale disaster."
"And at the same time, she is also the mastermind who had your father, Raiden Ryoma, imprisoned and seized control of ME Corp."
!!!
Hearing this news again from someone else, Mei instantly felt the flames of anger ignite in her heart.
At that moment, she heard that voice from the depths of her heart again.
But the instant she realized it, Mei discovered that she had almost entered that terrifying state once more.
Otto, standing beside her, watched Raiden Mei's reaction and let a faint smile slip out unnoticed.
Heh heh, although the HSN serum is helping to suppress her Herrscher Core, to be able to regain control of her body after her initial awakening, and even forcefully suppress her own Herrscher Personality.
To think Cocolia wanted to kill such an excellent Herrscher to seize the Gem of Conquest. That woman, I really don't understand what she's thinking.
"Mr. Apocalypse..."
Mei, who had completely pushed back her Herrscher Personality, looked at Otto with icy eyes.
"That woman, where is she now?"
"Her whereabouts, I do not know. However, for now, I don't think you need to be in such a hurry."
Otto pointed a finger to his temple and said helplessly.
"Don't let anger cloud your judgment. Is that insignificant woman what you are truly concerned about right now?"
"...I have a question for Mr. Apocalypse."
Persuaded by Otto, the completely calmed-down Mei suddenly asked him with great nervousness.
"Leo Ash..."
"Oh, you mean that classmate of yours."
Just as I thought. The multiple reasons she can suppress her Herrscher Personality are all related to Leo Ash.
That kid, Leo Ash, has done a fine job.
Seeing the nervous look on Mei's face, a teasing smile appeared on Otto's.
"He is an agent of our Schicksal, sent to Nagazora City on a mission. He has already returned to Schicksal headquarters just a while ago."
"Then can I..."
Mei, who was incredibly excited upon hearing this news, suddenly trailed off.
No, it's better not to.
Right now, I have no right to see him.
"If you wish to see him, now is not a suitable time."
After all, Rita is with Leo Ash right now, and Durandal has already gone over.
Even with K423's personality, she would definitely sneak over after hearing that Leo Ash was in trouble.
If I were to take the Herrscher of Thunder over now... Ha, it's probably better for that kid to remain unconscious.
"Additionally, Schicksal will help you track down the whereabouts of your father, Raiden Ryoma. But for now, I have a small favor to ask of you, Miss Raiden Mei."
"...You have been kind to me. As long as it is not an overly excessive request, I will agree to it."
A debt of gratitude... haha, from start to finish, I've only said a few words.
Even though she seems calm now, this little girl's heart has already been torn to shreds by various events.
Mere words of kindness are enough to make her feel grateful towards me.
In that case, the next part will be much easier.
"Don't be so quick to agree to my request. After all, this request also concerns your future."
Gently tapping the space in front of him, Otto opened a holographic intelligence screen and said to Raiden Mei with great solemnity.
"This incident is classified as a Honkai event. And once you master the power within you, you can do a much better job at fighting the Honkai than ordinary soldiers."
"Herrscher of Thunder, Miss Raiden Mei, I, Otto Apocalypse, now formally invite you to join our organization, Schicksal."
"I believe that with your participation, our organization will surely be able to save even more people who have suffered disasters due to the Honkai."
After emphasizing 'people who have suffered disasters due to the Honkai,' Otto, as expected, saw the guilt reappear on Raiden Mei's face.
"Please... let me think about it."
However, hearing Raiden Mei's words, Otto knew he had already succeeded.
Although he could have used Leo Ash or other methods to get Raiden Mei to join Schicksal, if a few words could make her do so willingly, why would Otto resort to less efficient means?
First, inform her of the enemy outside. Then, dangle the olive branch of 'I'll help you find your father.' Finally, invite Raiden Mei with a tone of 'considering her best interests' while simultaneously implying her guilt with reasons like 'people are suffering because of the Honkai.'
Under the weight of these multiple rhetorical tactics, the innocent and ignorant Raiden Mei easily fell into Otto's verbal trap.
Raiden Mei hadn't agreed, but Otto knew she had been moved by his words.
After all—this girl, though a Herrscher, is kind-hearted.
Good people have a decent moral compass.
At times like this, you just need to hint 'you've killed quite a few people,' and anyone with a normal moral compass will start to bind themselves with their own values, endlessly torturing themselves and then starting to think of ways to atone.
Cocolia, thank you for your incompetence and ignorance.
I will be taking the Herrscher of Thunder you created.
Outside the medical bay, Durandal walked briskly towards her destination.
Originally, when Leo Ash returned to Schicksal, he had just passed out from exhaustion.
Knowing Leo Ash's condition, Durandal was initially very relieved.
But just now, when Otto came to visit the Herrscher of Thunder and that Pseudo-Herrscher, Durandal learned from him that Leo Ash was severely injured due to his Stigmata going rampant.
If Durandal herself wasn't such a by-the-book person, she might have abandoned Otto right then and there and headed directly to Leo Ash's ward.
This wasn't to say Durandal wanted to disregard the danger posed by the Herrschers for personal reasons.
Mainly, she could see that the Herrscher was very weak due to the HSN serum and other factors.
And Otto Apocalypse, the bishop who had always guided her, was himself a powerful Honkai energy warrior.
With Lord Bishop Otto present, Durandal was actually very confident that those two weakened Herrschers couldn't stir up any trouble in front of him.
But... orders must be followed.
Especially orders that were not problematic. Durandal did not want to disobey.
Of course, Lord Bishop Otto was very understanding and let Durandal go right away.
At this moment, Durandal was filled with gratitude towards Otto—completely unaware that Leo Ash had been 'hospitalized due to a Stigmata rampage' only after meeting with Otto.
In her frantic rush, she didn't even notice that she was being followed.
And behind her, Kiana, who was supposed to be waiting for news at Schicksal headquarters, had snuck out.
Kiana, wanting to find Leo Ash and Raiden Mei, knew her target had appeared when she saw the anxious Durandal.
Durandal and Senior Leo Ash have known each other for years. If I go ask her now... ah, she looks very anxious.
Could it be that something happened to Senior Leo Ash???
Thinking of Leo Ash's physically and mentally exhausted state before, Kiana's heart was suddenly filled with unease.
And now, the more she thought about it, the more she felt it was highly likely.
Although her academic grades were poor, she had read plenty of extracurricular books.
Some novels said that people on the verge of death can unlock their body's potential.
Then, after that person survives the crisis, they might die from exhaustion upon completely relaxing.
And Leo Ash...
To be honest, just watching Leo Ash push himself so hard made her feel tired for him.
Senior, please be okay!
With this thought, Kiana followed Durandal's footsteps even more carefully.
And honestly, for some reason, her intuition was telling her that she couldn't just walk up openly and ask Durandal to take her to see Leo Ash.
Strange, what am I hesitating about?
Why do I have this feeling that 'I absolutely cannot go over there directly'?
Whatever, I'll follow her for now!
We'll sort everything out after I see Senior Leo Ash!
.....
In the darkness, Leo Ash repeatedly watched the scene of his 'parents' dying before his eyes.
Even though Leo Ash knew full well that this was a false memory created by his own use of Phantasmagoria to rewrite his cognition, it didn't mean he could keep his emotions calm.
This was a cognition rewritten specifically to make Leo Ash's act complete. Under Leo Ash's subconscious, he had even used Phantasmagoria at full power this time.
And a cognition altered by a full-power Phantasmagoria was, to a certain extent, already realistic enough to be mistaken for the real thing.
Leo Ash, deep in his coma, was now in a dream.
According to information Leo Ash had gathered from communicating with others on social networks, sometimes in dreams, even if the dreamer realizes that some terrifying scenes are fake, they can still be frightened by them, to the point of being unable to wake up or feeling incredibly awful.
In the past, Leo Ash had thought such claims were preposterous.
But now, after voluntarily becoming a victim, he discovered...
—They had definitely understated it.
Leo Ash, constantly tormented by this false memory, only felt an unbearable anguish in his heart.
Damn it, it wasn't like this!
My so-called parents abandoned me back then. I never had, and never needed, things like 'parents' from the very beginning!
So, so then...
It's time to wake up!
.......
In the ward, Rita watched Leo Ash's body with a worried expression, feeling utterly powerless.
Leo Ash's physical condition in the ward had already stabilized.
After treatment with advanced medical equipment, the Honkai energy patterns on Leo Ash's body and the injuries caused by the energy explosion had almost completely disappeared.
But even now, Rita could still see cold sweat continuously beading on the forehead of the supposedly recovering Leo Ash.
Not only that, but Leo Ash was also ceaselessly calling out for his deceased parents.
Watching her adoptive brother, Rita only now realized that her little brother was just like he was three years ago, still unable to completely move on from that day.
Even after undergoing rigorous training and obtaining a powerful Stigmata, Leo Ash was still, in the end, that same pathetic boy who had lost his parents.
I... failed to heal his body and mind...
At this thought, Rita felt a sharp pain in her heart.
Leo Ash was different from the amnesiac Durandal.
Durandal had lost her memories, so without any recollection of her parents, she didn't remember the happiness she once had.
Because she had forgotten those happy memories, she wasn't too concerned about having lost her parents.
But Leo Ash was different.
Unable to forget that day, Leo Ash could not face the future as freely as Durandal.
"Dad! Mom! No!"
Crying out these words again, Leo Ash's eyes suddenly shot open.
Then, panting heavily, Leo Ash shakily raised his hands and covered his face.
What a terrible experience.
Finally awake, Leo Ash found that the new memories created by Phantasmagoria's cognitive rewriting still lingered in his mind.
Even when I clearly know this memory is wrong, I'm still disgusted to death by it.
For those whose memories were rewritten by this ability, unable to even detect that their cognition is flawed... Ha, maybe being unaware of the false memories is, in a way, more blissful... like hell it is!
This ability is definitely one of the most disgusting abilities out there.
Deceiving others, playing with their minds... Phantasmagoria... If possible, I really don't want to use this ability of Phantasmagoria.
"Leo, are you feeling better?"
Looking at Leo Ash covering his face with his hands, Rita asked him softly.
"Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere else right now?"
"I'm fine, Sis..."
Drying the sweat from his face with his hands, Leo Ash forced a smile.
"See? I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"
At that moment, a character profile template suddenly popped up in Leo Ash's vision.
[Name: Rita Rossweisse]
[Status: Your adoptive sister, currently bearing considerable injuries.]
[Current Affection: 60]
[Note: She's no longer angry. You can rest assured.]
Ha, so she's not angry anymore...
So the affection level had dropped before because she was angry.
[Isn't that obvious? She went through all the trouble of having a senior arrange for internal staff to alter Leo Ash's data so he couldn't participate in combat, only to come back from a mission and see the report Leo Ash submitted to headquarters, already approved.]
[The fact that she only said 'you foolish little brother' when she saw you was already giving you a lot of face.]
...That's true.
Just as Leo Ash was about to say something else, Rita suddenly stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.
"You idiot! I told you not to go to the front lines!"
Feeling the soft sensation on his face, Leo Ash really wanted to say something.
All those people who envied being motorboated had no idea!
After Rita hugged him, he didn't feel happy at all, he just felt like he was suffocating!
And at that moment, Rita, completely oblivious to Leo Ash's thoughts, and Leo Ash, who was trying to break free from her embrace, both failed to notice something.
The room door, which Rita had not locked...
—was now slowly being pushed open from the outside.
.....