ARC CITY OUTSKIRTS
Kiana dodged a scythe swing and while she did so, she materialised a subspace lance in her free hand.
She impaled the zombie in its head as she dashed onwards.
"Hmph."
Her expression was focused. She slid under a simultaneous attack of two zombies and turned around while she fired both of her pistols, cleanly executing them.
Her final targets, the two Emperor Class honkai beasts, howled. A month ago she'd be terrified at such a sight. But now, things are different.
Wings of light sprouted from her back.
One of the beasts threw a crashed truck in her direction.
She jumped onto it and flung herself higher.
"Lightwings! Unleash!"
Lines composed of pure honkai energy followed zig zag patterns, forming an inescapable barrage for the two beasts which were beneath her.
They had been completely annihilated. She landed gracefully on her feet, with a satisfactory hum. She noticed one of the two beasts was still struggling.
Drat. That one's alive.
She pointed her hand towards the direction of the survivor as three portals, surrounding it, shot lances at the beast, skewering it. Gaping holes were left on its carcass.
Kiana took a good look around and noticed another group of Zombies approaching. But these were armoured in odd patterns, as if they had been experimented on.
A figure, perched atop a building, who had been observing her fight, finally decided to enter the fray. He landed with the same elegance the girl had shown.
"How'd I do, Mister Overseer?"
She asked him.
"Splendid. I'll take it from here."
He replied, as he retrieved a grenade from his belt.
It read HSN-F-032.
He tossed it towards the group and they got enveloped in its smoke. The screams of the zombies could be heard clearly.
The man pulled out a throwing knife. He pressed a button at its hilt and then with a precise swing, threw the blade directly at the head of one of the zombies.
Beep.
The knife exploded and the smoke began burning with a very bright purple flame.
Kiana raised her eyebrow.
"Any derivative of the HSN Vaccine in the gaseous phase is highly flammable."
He remarked.
Otto Apocalypse had wiped out an entire group of Honkai Beasts without even breaking a sweat.
"Don't you think it's odd for zombies to be armoured like that?"
Kiana asked.
"It's precisely why I disposed of them fast. We need time to investigate their bodies."
He replied as he walked towards the corpses.
With a knife he pried open the armor of one of the zombies.
Stigmata…
Otto retrieved a device and took a blood sample.
It was marching the profile of a patient at Heliopolis life services.
His fears were now confirmed.
World Serpent was planning to test Project Stigma. He hadn't told Kiana anything pertaining to Kevin Kaslana or his plans, for this was information he'd carried over from his past life.
Kiana looked at the device.
"Heliopolis… again.. They're really up to something, aren't they?"
"Definitely. It has started to become painfully obvious."
"You said Miss Rita would be arriving today, right?"
"She will be meeting with Heliopolis staff in a few hours. We can trust her with espionage."
"Mhm. Let's just keep watch until then?"
Otto nodded.
THREE DAYS AGO
Otto and Kiana had begun coming across Stigmata awakened zombies in their nightly patrols. Many a times they'd also be armoured and heavily armed.
Someone was clearly trying to weaponise the honkai. All records pointed to Heliopolis Life Services. A firm which had entered business partnership with Schicksal.
Analysis of blood samples showed the presence of an altered variant of Otto's HSN vaccines. They had repurposed the compound for sinister purposes.
Ofcourse, as Overseer, Otto could take strict action. But first, he'd need definite proof that this was their doing.
For that very reason, Otto Apocalypse contacted his most trusted Valkyrie, Rita Rossweisse.
"Lord Overseer!? I am pleased to see that you are doing well. How may this maid be of your service?"
"Rita, I have a job for you."
"What is the assignment, Overseer?"
"You should be aware that Schicksal has invested in several Biochemical and Pharmaceutical companies. One of them happens to be Heliopolis Life Services."
"... Would you like me to investigate them?"
"Mhhm. I fear they have repurposed my vaccines into potential bioweapons. We have a routine supply headed for Arc City, Shenzou, in three days. You will be our representative. Use this opportunity to infiltrate their facilities and uncover what their true intentions are."
"Very well, Lord Overseer. I shall ascertain whether they are our enemies or not."
Rita disconnected.
A few moments afterwards, Otto received another transmission.
"I am greatly sorry to have troubled you, Lord Overseer. But.. Someone wishes to join me in this mission as support."
Rita spoke as another transmission joined.
".. Ah..Hua? Weren't you with Hyperion?"
"I'm afraid not. They had left me behind at St Freya as I was injured when the Herrscher of the Void had reawoken."
Fu Hua replied.
"I see.. Well, you can join as auxiliary support if your injuries aren't getting in the way. I won't ask you why you're signing up for this as I'm pretty sure of the reason for the same. Rest assured. She's doing well."
"That's a.. relief. See you in Three Days, Otto."
The screen faded to black.
PRESENT DAY
Of course, Otto hadn't told Kiana about Fu Hua's arrival. She'd only enter a state of panic if she were to find out.
Kiana had spent the most of the month training and mastering her powers, one step at a time. She was a fast learner and could certainly hold her own now. Other days, Otto would have her do less strenuous activities in order to give the valkyrie a break and to lift her spirits should she seem downcast. Sometimes they'd play video games, other times he'd try to teach her cooking, only to have near death experiences. Nevertheless, Otto had gotten accustomed to the child's company. It reminded him of the days when he used to run an Orphanage for Valkyries, during the civil war.
Both of them were currently sitting on a rooftop.
Otto spoke.
"You've… grown faster than I expected you would."
"You.. Think? I believe I still have a long way to go."
"Would you look at that? She's being humble. Almost self depreciative. Looks like you're rubbing off on her, boy."
Void Archives commented in a blunt tone.
"Kiana, you can currently take on any A-Rank valkyrie and give them a run for their money, if not completely decimate them."
She laughed.
"Such explosive growth is a Kaslana trademark. Your old man was like that too."
He continued.
"Hmm?"
Her eyes perked up at the mention of her father.
"When he first showed up to ask for your mother's hand in marriage, he could barely survive against an A-Rank Valkyrie. He'd end up having all vital organs damaged and bones broken."
Kiana was listening intently.
"...The current him, however, has a hard time holding back his own power. Incredible, isn't it? Someone who once had a hard time just barely surviving now has a hard time resisting his own potential for destruction, even with a single arm."
"That's.. My old man for you.."
She replied.
"Hahaha, I suppose so."
They were quiet. None of them spoke a single word.
Kiana looked towards Otto's direction. His eyes seemed lost and distant. It wasn't his usual daze whenever he'd speak with Void Archives.
"... What are you thinking about?"
She asked him.
Otto opened his mouth to speak, but seemed hesitant.
He sighed.
"I'm..honestly surprised. You could've had a normal life. You could've been with your mother and father. You'd never have to be in those labs. You could've lived without having to go through such pain. You could've..had so much..if it weren't for me. Yet, you choose to laugh and fight alongside the very person who took all of that away from you."
"Then who else am I supposed to be fighting with? Though yeah, things were going well, until you blundered them up. But.. You could say all of this showed me what reality was. I was bound to go through something similar eventually, wasn't I? I am a valkyrie, after all."
"Not to mention YOU are the one who promised to aid me in my journey. That makes us acquaintances, does it not?"
She added.
Otto inhaled sharply.
"I'm still looking forward to hearing what exactly drove you to such madness."
"...There was once a fool. He was born in an era where society was ruled by vices. He was but a frail boy, looked down upon by the world and even his own family. He'd been an outcast ever since the day he learnt to speak. So he always stuck to himself, making whimsical toys. But..one afternoon. He met the Holy Maiden. For the fool's entire life, she'd remain the only one to have noticed his talents and abilities."
Otto lowered his gaze.
"He finally had a purpose. Finally had someone whom he could think of as family. You see, at that moment, he had fallen in love with the Holy Maid and her ideals. But, as he grew..he realised.. The world he was in, only made mere mockery of such ideals and chose to kill its heroes. The world was a place where only Evil could make a change. Only evil could flourish. Such a world, as one would expect, decided to douse the light of the Holy Maid. She'd been declared a traitor. She was to be hung. Why? Just because..she stood up for her ideals and wouldn't bend to their twisted wills. The Fool loved her oh so much. He couldn't let her die. He wouldn't let her die. His sister knew that. She laced her cruel scheme with sweet, promising words and handed him the shovel with which he dug the graves of the Holy Maid and himself."
"...The Holy Maiden couldn't be saved?"
She asked.
"Even in her final moments, she'd chosen to fight for the people. The very people who had sentenced her to the noose. She died, taking the dreams and the ideals the fool idolised alongside her. It was then he realised. To change this world, to make it the one she always fought for…one would have to become a villain. He'd seen it before. His Father, His Sister. All of them. They had the world on their fingertips."
Kiana knew where this was going. Her eyes widened.
Otto chuckled.
"This was where the fool truly earned his name. He decided he'd save the Holy Maiden. He didn't care of the magnitudes of sin he would have to commit. He didn't care how much blood would have to be shed. If the Holy Maiden could walk the earth again, it would all be worth it. He will become the greatest of evils and use that evil to shape the world into the one she wanted."
"...and he did succeed. No one looked down on him anymore, no one called him weak. The Fool had made the world his. Aside from the Honkai which threatened to destroy the world, he was the only evil left in it. But, his mission wasn't over. Now he had to bring back the Holy Maiden. He would welcome her into the Utopia she longed for."
Otto sighed.
"However, once a soul dissipates, it cannot be brought back to life. By the time he realised this..it was too late. He was despised by those who worked alongside him. He was despised by the little family he had left. He was despised by the very ideals he worshipped. He could no longer make amends. He had walked the path of evil for so long that he could no longer turn back."
"He knew he had walked this earth for too long. He had taken too much from it, all for the sake of a futile goal. He couldn't make amends with his allies. But he could still help them. He would simply have to do what he had been doing for the past 500 years. He'd simply have to be the villain."
Kiana bit her lip.
"The Fool donned his mask and walked on to the stage one last time. This time he'd commit atrocities on a scale unimaginable. He will sing the Song of Sorrow so that the ones who come after him will write Songs of Hope. He will fool his friends, he will fool his family, he will fool this very world - only to walk off and never be heard from again."
Otto breathed in deeply.
"That person's..not a fool.. He's.. an absolute idiot."
Kiana decided to speak. Her voice was shaky, as if she was on the verge of tears. She knew full well who this fool was.
"He's not fooling anybody. He's..only fooling…himself. He's…just running away.."
She added.
Otto's eyes widened.
"Otto Apocalypse. This is a personal opinion of mine. You never fooled anyone. You merely fooled yourself."
Those were the exact words the entity had said, before he sent Otto back in time.
Otto was now hearing these very words, yet again.
Otto laughed.
"Isn't that right? He thought he could fool the world. How oblivious of him. He doesn't know there are things which can't be deceived. The world wouldn't let him get away with it."
"Mhhm."
Kiana nodded.
"But..I'm..glad you've chosen to not walk that path anymore."
Otto turned towards her.
"You made this world into the one which the Holy Maiden desired, didn't you? So why don't you realise that this world is no longer the one you were born into?! We are now in an era where the righteous can make a change! We're doing it right now, aren't we?!"
Kiana was furious.
"I know, I know. That's why I have no intention of playing a villain. I'm not going to run away anymore."
He reassured her.
"No one deserves to live a life like that... To walk alone, being seen as the ultimate evil when all you want to do…is help someone. So, just fight with me and keep your promise, okay!?"
Otto's vision was being clouded.
Ah, this kid made me cry. Siegfried…you've..raised a brilliant child. I'm sure you'd be proud of her.
"..."
Void Archives had nothing to say.
"I intend to do just that, Kiana."
"Um…Thank you…for trusting me. I don't think it was easy..remembering all of that."
"Oh, don't mention it. Just..don't bring this up when Bianka's around, okay? I'll..tell her all of this myself…someday."
Kiana nodded and turned to observe the cityscape.
Just then, a device on Otto's belt began to beep loudly. He pulled it out and was presented with a map, a red dot blinking rapidly.
Rita Rossweisse had used her emergency beacon.
HELIOPOLIS LABS
Two Valkyries stood amidst several chambers, having people, no, honkai zombies contained in them. The maid was examining the data she'd just extracted. The shadow knight was on her guard, examining the area.
"Madness! They want to perform their test…on an entire city!?"
Rita exclaimed. She was horrified by what she had just found.
Fu Hua turned to ask what Rita had found, but before she could do so-
A giant screen on the other side of the lab suddenly switched on. It was Raven.
"I happen to agree with you. Only sometimes."
At once, all of the chambers opened, the beasts within began crawling out.
"We're..surrounded!"
Rita drew her scythe into a defensive stance. Fu Hua's armour turned bright amber, as her visor descended.
"Immortal Blades! Assemble!"
Rita ordered via comms.
"Spying and trespassing. How typical of Schicksal. Do take a good look around, you two. You should always pay for something you want, right?"
"The lives of your Valkyries seems like a fine price for the knowledge you've acquired from this place."
"You… have no idea what you're dealing with."
Fu Hua interjected.
"It's going to take more than things like these to take down a Schicksal Valkyrie."
Rita slammed her scythe into the ground. Her suit transformed into the Argent Knight, another suit of the godsbane series.
The duo began cleaving their way through the crowd with great pace. Even though Fu Hua was nowhere close to the levels of strength she once had, she could still put up a formidable fight in her Shadow Knight suit.
Just then, canisters of gas began to be released onto the lab floors.
"Let's see if the elite warriors of the Immortal Blades can keep up with their backs against the walls."
"Such underhanded tactics.. Goes to show how pathetic you are."
"Miss Rossweisse.. This is…"
Fu hua's eyes widened as she tried to remember the last time she had seen those letters.
Zombies and Honkai Beasts began to fall.
… Otto's serum!
Fu Hua remembered.
"HSN-B46 is no simple gas. I'm pretty sure you know what it is. A serum designed by a genius from Schicksal which can neutralise honkai energy within the body. We've.. Made modifications."
".. The serum is now cutaneous, meaning it can now enter via skin contact and make you human again. Oh, the irony. Using Schicksal weapons against Schicksal Valkyries."
More beasts and mechs began charging.
The scythe in Rita's hand had begun to feel heavy. The rate of Fu Hua's kicks had declined greatly.
"What's wrong, Valkyries? Weren't you going to show me the power of the Immortal Blades?"
Both of the Valkyries were now on their knees.
Display screens popped up all over the lab.
"I love sharing. It's why each of your sisters is getting their own fair share."
Countless Valkyries had been slaughtered.
"... Rita, the smirk on your face just goes to show how heartless you are."
"I'm just wondering… how he'll return the favour. You see, our Lord Overseer himself…is coming. He's.. Not going to be pleased."
BEEP
BEEP
BEEP
Three simultaneous charges were set off.
The lab walls exploded.
A man wearing a white suit and a clown mask landed onto the ground. He had a pair of golden gauntlets.
MIMICRY OF TAIXUAN FISTS
Fu Hua couldn't help but chuckle at his choice. Following the Overseer, however, was another figure, who had her head covered with a hood. She landed next to the Overseer and prepared her pistol and lance.
"Kiana. Get them out of here. This place is flooded with Biotoxins."
The girl nodded as she grabbed both of the weakened Valkyries with an arm each and walked into a void portal.
"Figures. I knew someone was feeding Rita information from the start. Just didn't know it… was the clown Overseer himself. Unlike last time, however, I will make sure you die."
Beasts charged towards Otto. He flipped away from their swings and threw half a dozen knives into the air.
With precise blows each of the beasts had been hit and sent flying into different directions.
"How do you intend to keep fighting like that?"
"I have no intention to fight. I'm here to rid this lab and its research."
Raven could feel the smirk under the clown mask. She'd just realized something she hadn't known before.
"I made those vaccines. I never really bothered telling my business partners that they tend to be… explosively flammable if they're.. In gaseous phase."
BEEP
The knives went off at the same time.
The lab was blown into bits. However, this had just let loose every single beast contained in it.
WHAT!? They're.. Fire resistant?!
Oh. Their.. Stigmata…
I should've known they'd have more advanced test subjects…
Otto was outnumbered. He began fighting the beasts, using all of the power his pitiable soulium avatar could harness.
MIMICRY OF WATER'S EDGE
He slashed off several beasts, quickly killing them. But he wouldn't be able to stop them all. Nor could he run away, as these beasts would only escape into the city or even harm the few Valkyries which survived.
Otto was beginning to feel dizzy.
"Soulium Jammers detected."
Void Archives spoke.
Ah, this can't be real.
Otto's movements were getting sluggish. He could no longer focus on his projections. They'd shatter instantly.
He wished he had stronger weapons.
He wished he had prepared more.
He wished for more power, even though he already was a false god.
Otto fell on his knees. He gasped for air. He looked up and saw a group of beasts, with their arms poised to end him.
Before the claws could cut him in half, however, time stopped.
A yellow hue painted it all. Cracks began to form in space itself.
This was just like how he'd saved Kallen.
The cracks shattered, like glass.
Otto found himself in what appeared to be a throne room. There were Schicksal banners hung as far as the eye could see.
"You've finally arrived. I had grown quite anxious. I've.. been looking forward to meeting you, Otto Apocalypse."
Otto's eyes widened at the figure seated on the throne.
Impossible.
He was dressed like a mediaeval noble.
He held a sceptre in his hand.
His eyes were a bright green.
His hair was blonde, albeit short.
His suit had the emblem of House Apocalypse.
The man before Otto…
Was Otto himself.
CHAPTER 5 - END
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Remember when I said this story will get wacky?
THIS IS THE EXACT POINT WHERE IT HAPPENS.
I've actually been looking forward to this for a VERY long time!
I'm sure many of you probably know which Otto this one is.
We're reaching the peak of the Arc City chapters. Can't wait to write more.
Also I had to make Kiana use Lightwings, seriously, reburn is sick.
As always, do let me know your thoughts!
Take care and be well!
