When he came to, he was in his office at Schicksal HQ.
An opportunity which only felt like a dream. That's what it felt like.
Otto slapped himself across the cheek.
I'm really… back. But…
He needed to know the point in time he was currently in. Before he could do so, however,
He received an incoming call from Rita Rossweisse.
"Rita here, Overseer. We have neutralised all Honkai attempting to infiltrate Helheim."
Helheim…Helheim Energy labs?
This means…
I've been sent back to the time where I used K42- no, Kiana Kaslana, to awaken the Void Queen. The Eruption must've spread by now. I don't have any time to plan things out. Damnit.
"Hello?"
Rita was expecting a response.
Otto remembered what the entity told him.
You must not repeat your mistakes.
He had to act now, before things spiralled to the point of no return.
"Excellent. Remain on standby until your rendezvous with Durandal and the rest of the immortal blades. You're no longer required to supervise A-Rank Valkyrie Fu Hua. Let her act as she pleases."
"... Are you sure, Overseer?"
"Yes. There has been a change of plans. I will be arriving shortly."
He disconnected the call.
"Void Archives, can you hear me?"
"Quite the spectacle you've gotten yourself into, boy."
"It seems you've already caught on. Prying through my memories, are we?"
"Something about you felt off and let's just say curiosity got the better of me. I'm… surprised to say the least. Rest assured, boy. You have my full cooperation. Our goals now align, after all."
Otto would laugh if he wasn't so strapped on time. He never knew Void Archives was capable of genuine communication, given the amount of biting sarcasm he had to hear in the past.
"How very touching, old friend. Though, now is not the time for such talk. I need you to configure a soulium avatar which can integrate the imaginary authority efficiently. Make haste, we do not have much time."
Void Archives materialised in front of him. However, instead of the child-like form Otto was used to seeing, he was faced with an apparition of himself, donning a gold mask with long, unkempt hair.
So, this is how he will treat my body after I'm gone?
Otto sighed.
"You make an unreasonable request. It's going to take me hours to create a body with such demands."
Void Archives replied, waving his hands.
"Then is there any battle ready avatar I can use?"
Otto asked as he shuffled through cabinets, looking for a particular serum.
"There's one, though it's got rather bad memories attached to it. It's...Clown Alpha."
Marvellous. The same avatar he used to cause Second Eruption would now be used to dissuade the Herrscher of the Void. How very poetic.
"Fine… that will do."
Otto affirmed his decision as he picked up the red vial and saw his reflection on the glass wall of the tube.
A part of Otto wished he'd been sent back earlier. Even if Second Eruption could not have been prevented, he could've still managed things for the better. Perhaps, Cecilia would still be alive. If she lived, then maybe his adorable granddaughter wouldn't despise him as much as she did today. But, he wouldn't complain about the olive branch he was offered nor would he waste such a chance.
HELHEIM ENERGY LABS
Durandal and Rita observe the fleeing figure of the Shadow Knight.
"Do you think letting her go was the right call, Master Durandal? She will die."
Rita Rossweisse, in her maid uniform, asks the S-Rank Valkyrie.
"It was her choice. Besides, the Overseer himself ordered it, in a sense."
"He said…he'd be coming here himself. It's not like the Overseer to directly appear on the frontlines amidst such chaos."
"I suppose so. But, he has always had his reasons. All we can do and are supposed to do is uphold our duty and comply with what he says."
Rita stared at Abyss Flower, lost in contemplation, as a valkyrie carrier went overhead.
A figure in a white suit, with blonde hair jumped out of it, performing a perfect landing.
He wore a mask of a clown.
"Rita. Durandal. I take it Fu Hua ran off?"
Both of the valkyries stared at the man with a dumbfounded expression.
He took off his mask.
"It's me."
"We know."
A…clown?
The overseer's tastes are certainly…pronounced.
It was their first time seeing this particular avatar.
"Durandal. Secure the perimeter. We cannot let this eruption spread into civilian territories. Rita. You'll be coming with me. The Hyperion is bound to have had casualties. Your assistance will be required."
Otto issued his orders without wasting a single breath.
Durandal nodded and dashed away. Rita was taken aback.
But..wasn't the original plan to not interfere with Hyperion's struggle? And, securing civilian territory?
This was definitely not the Otto Apocalypse the maid was accustomed to. She had to ruthlessly assassinate countless people in the past at his behest. For him to suddenly play pacifist was strange.
This reeks of a setup.
But what could she do, anyway? She simply nodded and followed him.
.
.
.
.
.
Was the Overseer always this fast? This is a new Solium body, I assume. It's…impressive. But it's also alarming. I wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of whatever he carries in his sleeves.
Rita thought to herself.
Two Emperor Class Honkai beasts were spotted along the way.
"Lord Overseer, please stand ba-"
Two portals opened. Golden chains with spearheads shot out of them, skewering the beasts and killing them instantly.
Rita did not finish her sentence. She'd forgotten the Overseer could hold his own with the First Divine Key. The Overseer silently kept advancing onwards, with great pace.
"Interesting. Even though you aren't using an Avatar capable of utilising the Imaginary Authority, your newfound abilities have enhanced the efficiency of your own body and of the mimicry Divine Keys too. You can use multiple keys at once now, without having to risk taking damage."
Void Archives remarked.
But they're still fake imitations. Do you think I can fight the herrscher head on without the Imaginary?
"You certainly can. Given your current avatar, you can tap into the Nihilus Seed for a maximum of 2 minutes before Erosion begins. A minute more than that, however, and your avatar will become useless."
That should be more than enough time, I hope.
BATTLESHIP HYPERION
Fu Hua had lost. Very quickly, at that.
No one capable of fighting was left.
The Herrscher's strength was unmatchable.
"You're different from the others, but you're still human."
The Void Queen spoke, strengthening her grip on the neck of the valkyrie she was holding mid-air.
"You held back, didn't you? You possess two Divine Keys, but you used only one. Why haven't you used the other? Is it broken? Do you perhaps not know how to use it?"
There was no response.
"Well, it doesn't matter. You're going to meet your creator soon, anyway."
The Herrscher of the Void raised a Subspace Lance, aimed for the Valkyrie's heart-
"I'd rather you not do that, Herrscher."
She was interrupted. Annoyed, she looked around for the source of the intrusion and was met by a man wearing a mask of a clown.
Otto took a moment to take in everything in his sight. His lovely granddaughter was unconscious, her injuries visible. Another valkyrie, the soon to be herrscher of reason, struggled to get herself together. The Herrscher of Thunder's host had been knocked out too. Her core, stolen.
This… was my fault, was it not?
In the past Otto had known this would happen. That's why he had left the scene as soon as possible. He had a villainous role to play, yet his heart wouldn't be able to tolerate seeing Theresa get hurt.
Now, however, Otto saw the full impact of his actions with his own two eyes.
It felt so easy, watching it all from a screen.
"If it isn't the greedy human who awoke me."
The Void Queen caught his attention.
She was still holding his old friend by the neck.
Otto could feel his hatred for the honkai begin to well up inside him. Perhaps, the one who sent him here made him feel such hatred to make his mission easier. Perhaps, this could have been what Otto Apocalypse would've felt, if he wasn't blinded by obsession.
"You seem…different. It's as if…"
The herrscher's eyes widened. She let go of Fu Hua immediately.
"She's seen through you, boy. She knows what you are."
That makes things simpler.
"You're..you're one of those enforcers!"
A what?
Before Otto could ask for a clarification, multiple lances were shot at him.
Void Archives: Mimicry- Cleaver of Shamash.
A streak of golden fire cut through all the lances fired at him, like butter.
Otto was using the signature weapon of the Kaslana Household.
He pointed the weapon towards the herrscher, as he spoke,
"Rita, take Master Fu Hua and Theresa indoors. Tend to their wounds. I'll take care of this herrscher myself."
The herrscher of the void surrounded him with portals and lances sprouted from them, aiming for him.
Otto covered his masked face with his palm and swiped his arm, summoning a golden cube.
With my enhanced body, I can probably-
Void Archives: Mass Mimicry - Judgement of Shamash
Otto responded in kind with a multitude of portals - a magnitude he could only reach in the final hours of his past life, and from them emerged projectiles of golden fire, rendering the herrscher's volley of lances useless.
The Void Queen, who looked as if she was in fear, did not notice that the Blonde Clown had already closed the distance between them and was now sporting dual blades- made of gold.
She materialises two lances, barely avoiding what could've been a lethal strike. The Clown's blades broke.
She smirked at what she thought was an opening and prepared a lance which would pierce his body. But, her assumption was wrong.
Void Archives: Mimicry- Abyss Flower
The Clown simply pulled out a spear from thin air and thrusted it towards her.
She had no choice left. Out of what seemed to be fear and desperation, she created a portal behind her and retreated from the battlefield, dodging the attack in the process.
"Curses. She escaped."
"On the bright side, boy, you've gotten the answer to your question. You can and will defeat her."
Yes, you're right. I didn't even have to try.
Otto glanced at the serum he had prepared to use on the Herrscher.
But, this just proves I need to exercise caution. I might end up killing her if I'm not careful enough.
Otto looked at the sky and exhaled sharply. He took off his mask and crushed it into pieces.
This sure is mentally exhausting.
He decided to walk back to the deck of the Hyperion and check up on everyone's condition.
Valkyries were carried to-and-fro on stretchers. Supply and other staff rapidly worked away at their stations. It reminded him of the Schicksal Civil war, where he once fought for the "good", but for the sake of another's ideals.
The first thing he did was look for Theresa. She was severely injured and was being treated by several nurses. He simply pushes them aside and they look at him with annoyance in their eyes, until they realise who the man standing before them was. He pays them no heed as they scurry away from him and he materialises a golden lance and slams it into the ground. The girl's wounds began to heal rapidly.
It's…almost as good as the real thing now.
Otto remarked at the pace with which the imitation Key was healing her wounds.
Gasps and hushed murmurs could be heard. Otto did not care if people found out about the existence of his projection abilities. It didn't matter to him as long as he could keep his true nature as a false god hidden.
"That reminds me, boy. What do you think an 'Enforcer' is? I've got no records of such a thing existing. The herrscher clearly called you one."
Now that you mention it…you're right. But if we take the name at its face value, it would mean I'm enforcing something. That can only mean one thing.
"You'd be... enforcing the laws of the world? Hmm. Good point. I suppose we'll find out eventually."
The entity had left Otto with so many questions. What exactly was an enforcer? Were there others? did he not appear for the pioneers of the previous era? If he did, did he fail?
Given Otto's nature, he was itching to know. His thirst for knowledge was something which would never subside.
The girl in front of him flinched. Otto immediately snapped out of his reverie and focused his attention towards his granddaughter.
"Theresa! Are you alright?"
"...mmmmm"
Oh. She was fast asleep.
Otto took a sigh of relief and relaxed his shoulders. He gazed at her sleeping figure as feelings of remorse and guilt began to claw on his heart. He couldn't help but think of the hypothetical future of the world she was overseer.
You've always been so brave, my dear Theresa. I'm sure you did far better than I could. Did you ever… wear the cape I stitched you? If only I was a better grandfather… perhaps… You would've remembered me?
Just then, a biting voice, full of hatred, spoke-
"If you cared so much for her, why would you put her into such a situation in the first place?"
"...Ah, Miss Tesla. How do you do? From your tone, it seems you're doing well. Too well, if I might add."
Otto, turned around towards a former Schicksal researcher and replied, with a fake grin.
"Well enough to want to deck you."
"Huh?"
Watch out boy, incoming attack at your 5 o' clock.
Otto turned to his side and saw a pattern of red and orange as a fist connected to his jaw, sending him flying and crashing into the wall.
That's…the godsbane suit.
If it weren't for my newfound abilities, that punch would've killed me.
The Captain of the Hyperion was fuming with anger and as she glared down at his fallen figure with disgust, asked,
"What..just what did you do to Kiana!? Do you have ANY idea of the lives we've lost? Why are you even here?! Just leave us alone!"
She was being held back by none other than Fu Hua, who looked towards Otto with what looked like an understanding gaze. She had been watching the Overseer from the moment he stepped into the Hyperion, trying to ascertain what he was doing. She now knew.
"Can't you see it, Captain? That man's eyes. They're full of guilt, remorse and self-loathing. I do not believe he is here to cause us any more harm. As for an explanation, we shall get one once the current matter at hand has been dealt with."
That's…the celestial..for you.
Otto thought as he got back onto his feet.
He narrowed his eyes with determination.
"Yes, she's right. I'm not here to cause you any more pain. I've already caused enough for a lifetime."
He glanced towards the red haired researcher before showing the Anti-Honkai serum to everyone in the room.
"I will get your student back, Captain of Hyperion. I promise you that."
Himeko's eyes widened as she immediately checked her thigh holster. She still had her serum with her.
"I invented that serum. Of course, there's bound to be more than one. So please, trust me this one time."
Himeko took a few moments to contemplate her decision. Fu Hua tagged along beside her.
"...I'm not sure I believe your words. Which is why, we'll be coming with you."
"It's decided then. You've both sustained heavy injuries, so entrust the combat to me."
A temporary truce was announced. Just then, however, alarms went off.
"Honkai life-form approaching rapidly! Distance: 2000m….1300m…"
.
.
"She's here."
This is it. The first milestone of my journey.
Wish me luck, Kallen.
CHAPTER 1: END
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you so much for reading this chapter of Beyond Will- Reinvention!
At first, I thought of sending Otto all the way back to Second Eruption, but I thought against it. I wanted to give our man a bigger challenge. Plus, I want to write Durandal in a certain manner, for which I felt this would've been the best way out. So, I put Otto in his shoes during the events of Chapter 9.
I've also weeb-ified void archive abilities a bit, because it's cool to me.
I've also tried balancing the serious aspects of the story with a few light hearted scenes, as I think it keeps the reader engaged! Do let me know if it's bothersome, though.
Lastly, please review the chapter and let me know your thoughts on the story thus far!
Take care!
