Cocolia was furious.
Her plan had been perfect. If everything had gone according to schedule, she would have already obtained the Herrscher of Thunder's Core.
But!
It was all because of the Anti-Entropy Conservatives' stubborn resistance that everything had become such a mess.
Since last night, Schicksal had become active in Nagazora City, sweeping away most of Cocolia's hidden lookouts and arrangements.
Their lightning-fast efficiency made Cocolia suspect that Schicksal had been watching her for a long time, just waiting for the right moment to strike.
No, how could Schicksal have known about me? My plan couldn't possibly have been discovered by them.
This was all the doing of the Anti-Entropy Conservatives.
If it weren't for their meddling—abducting Raiden Mei and making a huge scene by destroying Senba Academy—Schicksal would never have turned its attention here.
Cocolia had even discovered that Raiden Ryoma was no longer in his original prison cell. He had been taken away long ago, most likely rescued by Tesla and the others.
Who else would rescue a member of the Anti-Entropy Conservatives?
Schicksal? Don't be ridiculous. What use would Schicksal have for Raiden Ryoma?
It seemed Tesla and her faction hadn't been wasting their time all these years.
They had even managed to turn one of her Walter Joyce clones!
When that clone, Walter-01, had returned the other day, Cocolia had immediately sensed that his attitude was off. So, she checked the messages on his communication device.
Everything Walter-01 used had been prepared by her, so there were backdoors that allowed her to monitor his activities.
And on his device, Cocolia found a string of numbers.
It was a contact method.
The name attached to it was... Tesla.
Because Walter didn't know the name of the man who had tricked him—Otto—he had only caught the name "Tesla" during their conversation.
Cocolia had her subordinates try to hack into the communication address, but they were powerless. Their technological level was somehow insufficient to breach it.
The only factions with technology superior to her Reformists were the Anti-Entropy Conservatives and Schicksal.
And Schicksal could be ruled out immediately.
This instantly solidified Tesla's identity as the mastermind behind the scenes.
However, Cocolia didn't act against Walter-01. Although he was now harboring thoughts of betrayal, she felt he could be turned to her advantage.
She could use him to feed false information to Tesla's group, then seize the opportunity to eradicate the Anti-Entropy Conservatives once and for all.
With the Sovereign absent, Anti-Entropy would become her personal domain.
If she could install her own prepared puppet, it wouldn't matter even if the true Sovereign returned!
There was an old saying in Shenzhou: "One must handle internal affairs before dealing with external enemies."
Cocolia, a veritable god of infighting, felt this saying was absolutely correct.
Only after winning the civil war would she have enough energy and leeway to confront foreign adversaries.
The main reason her current plan had suffered a setback was her failure to eliminate the Conservatives first.
But now the situation in Nagazora City was chaotic. Schicksal had taken over, and most of Cocolia's assets had been rooted out. It would be difficult to extend her reach under Schicksal's very nose.
Then, Cocolia thought of her precious daughter, Bronya.
She was one of the few assets Cocolia had left in the city that hadn't been compromised.
Cocolia was unwilling to simply give up on Raiden Mei. Anti-Entropy only possessed the Gem of Conquest; if she lost it, she would have to set her sights on the other Gems held by Schicksal.
After a moment of deliberation, Cocolia contacted Bronya and issued her command.
"If you encounter Raiden Mei or the awakened Herrscher of Thunder, find an opportunity to seize or directly dig out the Gem of Conquest from within her body."
Her words were cold and cruel.
After a brief pause, a flat voice responded from the other end of the line.
"Understood."
---o---
After a simple breakfast, Fu Hua still felt a little ill at ease.
It was because Kiana and Mei were being far too attentive to her.
They were afraid she might bump into something or trip. If Fu Hua made even a slightly large movement, their hearts would leap into their throats.
Anyone would be a little nervous with a pregnant woman around.
Otto sat in his chair, sipping his black tea, watching the scene with great interest.
He had actually figured out what was happening midway through the meal.
Hee hee, but I'm not going to say anything.
He would just let Kiana and Mei continue their misunderstanding.
After all, watching them like this brought him great joy. The sight was so amusing, he could have eaten three extra bowls of rice.
His original, unintentional action had evolved into such an interesting situation. It was a truly unexpected reward.
Otto stood up and gave an instruction to Mei. "Mei, you'll stay with Fu Hua from now on. I have other matters to attend to and will find you later."
"Okay," Mei nodded.
Then, Otto looked at Kiana.
"Let's go. We're going back to the room to pack your things."
"Mm," Kiana replied obediently.
After eating breakfast, she had already forgotten her earlier declaration to ignore him. She was just a little puzzled as to why they needed to pack.
Suddenly, her hand tightened around the Three-Year Cherry Blossom she always kept in her pocket.
Kiana realized she might be leaving Nagazora City.
Leaving this city where she had only stayed for a few days, yet it felt like so much longer.
A knot formed in her chest, but she still followed Otto out of the restaurant, leaving Fu Hua and Mei behind.
Staring at Otto's broad back, Kiana noticed that his attire was different from before. It was incredibly ornate; the white and gold outfit he wore looked expensive at a single glance.
Still, Kiana thought the clothes suited him very well.
He looked very handsome.
"Otto, are we leaving Nagazora City?" Kiana finally asked as they stood in the elevator, just the two of them.
Hearing her question, Otto turned his head, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
"No. I'm staying in Nagazora. The one who's leaving is you."
Kiana's eyes widened slightly.
She stared at Otto, suspecting she had misheard him. But she knew there was nothing wrong with her hearing.
Her left hand clenched into a fist, while her right clutched the Three-Year Cherry Blossom tightly. The image of Siegfried leaving without a word surfaced uncontrollably in her mind.
For some reason, her eyes began to feel hot.
"Otto... are you abandoning me too?" she asked subconsciously.
In that instant, Otto suddenly felt that Kiana looked just like a stray kitten, her eyes exceptionally fragile.
What a sensitive girl.
She had already come to see this place with him as her shelter.
After tasting warmth, no one wants to return to the cold winter.
Otto's expression softened into a gentle smile, and he reached out to ruffle Kiana's hair.
Kiana didn't resist, simply standing there and letting him pat her head. For some reason, whenever Otto did this, a warm, comfortable feeling spread through her entire body.
The kitten had gotten used to being petted.
"How could I ever abandon you?"
"It's just that some dangerous things are going to happen in Nagazora soon, and I'm worried about your safety. So I want to take you to a safe place first."
"Once I've handled things here, I'll come and get you."
"When that time comes, you'd better come home with me obediently. Don't let someone else snatch you away."
Hearing Otto's explanation, Kiana let out a sigh of relief.
She... wasn't being abandoned again.
"I can actually stay and help you," Kiana said earnestly.
But Otto shook his head.
He cupped her pretty face in his hands and gently squished her cheeks.
"You are my treasure."
"If you stay here, you will become my only weakness."
Otto refused her offer without hesitation.
Are you kidding me? he thought to himself.
If you stay here, the one who gets hurt will be me.
The Herrscher of the Void, with the Will of the Honkai acting as her cheat code? Is that someone a normal person can fight!?