SCHICKSAL HQ
"Do try implementing all I've told you today. Feel free to use simulacrum anytime. You're dismissed."
The Overseer spoke to a certain Knight.
"Yes, sir!"
Tianwu saluted.
"Be at ease, Tianwu. You don't have to be this tense."
"Uhm, alright, Overseer. You've taught me something incredible today."
"It won't be easy to incorporate into battle, so make sure to practise. Also, I hope you narrow your info-searches to look for Raiden Ryouma. We intend on rescuing and adding him to our ranks."
"I…may have a few leads regarding him. I will look into this, Overseer."
"Excellent. You may leave."
Otto waved his hand.
"Lord Overseer?"
"Yes, Tianwu?"
"Could you please recommend a good place for quality chocolate?"
"...Ah. Today's White Day. There's a place in Kolosten, makes the finest handmade chocolate you'll ever get to lay your hands on, though if you were to go there you'd probably have to line up. However, I might just happen to have the chocolatier's contacts. I'll have a box delivered for you."
"You can't be serious!? I'm greatly indebted, Overseer!"
He bowed down, thanking Otto.
"Make her day count, young man."
"Sir, yes, sir! Gladly!"
The Knight saluted.
A girl who had been watching the young male's training from the Observatory deck ran down with a chirp in her step, humming a tune. She stood near the exit, waiting.
The Knight turned away and walked towards her.
"You were brilliant, Tianwu!"
It was Ana Schariac. A-Rank Valkyrie, The Herrscher of Ice.
"I always am, love. Didn't keep you waiting too much, I hope?"
Tianwu leaned towards her, extending his hand. She took his hand in hers as the two of them began walking away.
"Not at all, I just got free from Miss Bianka's daily training regimen a little while ago! Figured I'd see your special training with the Overseer. I've got the rest of the day off, there's quite a bit I want to do! You'll come along, right, Tianwu?"
"Ofcourse, I will! How could I ever say no to you? I've got a little something for you too!"
Their voices gradually faded away into the corridors of Schicksal HQ.
"Quite the personality switch there. Almost corny, even."
Void Archives commented on Tianwu's behaviour.
Let them have their moments, Archives…
"Right. And let you play cupid."
The divine key retorted, before adding-
"Well yes at least they're not too mushy, unlike a certain Kaslana and her inventor."
I don't regret those memories one bit, old friend. Those were the best times of my life.
"She said that too, you know? The night before her execution."
Otto let out a sigh.
I was too absorbed in my own sorrow to even realise the hand she was trying to extend to me.
Perhaps in another world, she had said.
The Overseer of Schicksal had indeed heard her parting words that night, though he refused to register them in his heart. It would've been too much for him.
"Though I doubt such a world is unlikely. Everywhere you live she doesn't."
And vice-versa.
Nevermind. No time to brood, archives. Let's get to my office.
SCHICKSAL HQ - OVERSEER'S SANCTUM
The Overseer sat in his chair, quickly compiling countless reports, taking Schicksal assets and their status into account.
"Profits are at an all-time high, due to the popularity Schicksal has gained owing to the media releases of your combat incidents, Lord Otto. The public has greater confidence in us and more valkyries are enrolling to institutions such as St. Freya."
Amber spoke, as she summarised the various reports.
"More publicity stunts are in order, then."
I'm…not so sure about that.
INCOMING COMMUNICATION REQUEST - THERESA APOCALYPSE
Would you look at that?! It's my lovely granddaughter!
Otto accepted the request right away, the adorable face of his granddaughter stretching out over the screen.
"Grandpa!"
"Good Morning, my dear Theresa. Did you have breakfast? Are you well?"
"I'm alright grandpa…I just need your help with a little something…."
"Did something happen to Kiana?"
The Overseer narrowed his eyes, his expression becoming grim.
"N-No! It's nothing serious!"
Otto relaxed his face, with a smile.
"Then what is it, my dear?"
"You see uh… Himeko's all hungover..and a good bunch of our teachers didn't even show up today…Because it's well, you know…March 14…So I was just wondering if you could-"
"You want me to be a substitute teacher? Consider it done!"
"W-Wait let me finish!"
"I'll be there shortly!"
Otto excitedly cut the comms device off, getting up from his chair.
"At least wear a disguise-"
It was in vain. The call had been disconnected. Theresa held her head in her hands.
"Prepare a RPC-6626 unit immediately! We're going to St. Freya! My granddaughter needs my assistance!"
He ordered, with a toothy grin.
Amber nodded, a bead of sweat forming on her forehead.
St. Freya was going to have a field day.
ST. FREYA HIGH SCHOOL
Otto's aerial vehicle landed a distance away from the school, as he wished to walk into the institution and have a look around himself. He stopped in front of the main gate.
"Good afternoon, who are y-"
The guard's mouth was agape.
"Why yes, good afternoon to you too. Would you mind opening the gate? I'm a substitution teacher for the day."
"Sir…are you the real Otto Apocalypse? The Lord Overseer himself?"
"Yes, I am."
"I-I-I hope you have a pleasant day at St. Freya High School, Sir…"
"That, I shall. Thank you."
The Overseer smiled, before walking into the institute.
"Kyaaaaa!"
Otto heard a scream in the distance.
Trouble? As soon as I'm here?!
LIMITER - 5%
Otto ran towards the source of the sound, only to be greeted with 3 mechs running berserk and a few students desperately trying to hold them off.
"Don't be afraid, girls! Stand back!"
The Overseer ordered, stepping in between the girls and the mechs.
Husky! Do your thing!
"GLORY TO THE FALSE GOD!"
The mechanical construct manifested itself. The wheels in its leg whirred as it dashed towards the mechs, slashing them as if they were bamboo, leaving traces of gold dust.
"So cool…."
One of the girls whispered.
The Overseer turned his attention to the third mech and simply slashed his finger, cleaving it into a perfect half.
"Disperse."
The construct held its sword as if in a salute and vanished into thin air.
"Are you girls okay?"
Otto turned around to greet them with a smile, only to be greeted with a bunch of flustered girls who glared at him with starry eyes.
"Th-That was incredible! Thank you for saving us, Lord Overseer!"
"Don't mention it. Rather, tell me, who is your instructor?"
"...That would be me, Lord Overseer. I'm Stella Sapphire. A-Rank valkyrie, current combat instructor for first year valkyries."
A Valkyrie, much older than those girls, walked towards him. She seemed embarrassed.
"How could you leave your students to train with mechs without proper supervision? I am certain you are aware that accidents like these can happen."
"Lord Overseer… this was a surprise assessment for the students to see their response to an urgent situation. The mechs were in non-lethal mode and would shut down after sustaining some damage.."
Oh.
Otto grit his teeth out of embarrassment. He'd carried out such assessments for valkyries at HQ. He should've known.
"Miss Theresa…I don't know what to write in the report for her."
Stella seemed anxious now.
"Don't worry Miss Stella. I shall speak to Theresa myself regarding this incident. Rest assured."
Stella bowed down to thank Otto.
"I'm grateful, Lord Overseer. It is also my honour to meet you in person."
"Glad to meet you too. I would remain and converse with you and your lovely students, but it would seem I have a class to take. Now, if you would excuse me-"
Otto waved to the valkyries in training and began making his way to the classrooms.
Strangely, the school seemed empty. However, Otto could feel eyes on him from the end of the empty corridor. Whenever he peeked, he'd see a bunch of girls going back into hiding.
The Overseer chuckled.
MEANWHILE
KIANA'S CLASS
"Tch. Subject Idiotka is reading manga in class again."
"What? Why can't I? There's no teacher here yet!"
"The Bronya recommends catching up on your notes and syllabus. Subject Idiotka has missed out on several chapters of mathematics already."
"Humph. Math is easy peasy! No biggie for me!"
A lot had changed in the past months. Both of the girls were now Herrschers. Yet they were able to bond again in little to no time, bantering like the friends they once were and still are. Though, both of them often feel sadness at the absence of the third member of their group. Had she still been here, things would have been just the way they once were.
Except for all the girls circled near Kiana's desk, staring at her as if she were some legend.
"Kiaanaaaa, did you get chocolate from any guy today? It's white day after all!"
A girl asked.
"Pffft. Me? Get chocolate? Not a chance, sadly."
"No way! If Kiana herself couldn't get chocolate from anyone, what's going to happen to us? It's so over!"
Another responded, holding her head in her hands.
It wasn't everyday you got to see a S rank Valkyrie, let alone study with someone who was about to become one. It was just as everyone had predicted, Kiana had become the school celebrity. From training with Bianka to taking part in official missions, the soon to be S-rank valkyrie was faced with endless questions.
Quite a lot of questions, however, pertained to Otto. His personality, his strength and what not. He sure was famous amongst the students. Though many of the students' guesses were right, there were some things about the Overseer only Kiana herself knew.
The valkyrie smirked with pride at the fact that she was recognized and valued by someone like Otto himself.
Just then, a girl barged into the class.
"Eeek! Do you guys…do you guys…"
She was panting. Kiana put her manga down.
"Jeez. Take a breath, will you? Do you guys know what?"
"The Overseer…Otto…He's here! He's here on St Freya grounds!"
The class burst into uproar. It was as if you had told them their favourite boy band group was in town.
Kiana was surprised herself.
"Mister Otto!? He's here?!"
The chaos ensued and before Kiana could go out to take a look herself, the doors of the classroom opened again. A figure clad in white, red, black and gold walked in with his footsteps resonating throughout the lecture hall.
Everyone stopped in their tracks.
The man picked up a piece of chalk and wrote on the board- Substitution Class by Otto Apocalypse.
"Good afternoon class. Please, sit."
It was the real deal.
"Miss Himeko is sadly unavailable today, which is why I have filled in as her substitute. May I know what subject are you all having most difficulty with? I believe an extra class for the same could prove to be handy to you all."
Otto was met with dead silence.
"I feel everyone's having a hard time with math, Mister Otto!"
Kiana spoke from the back of the class.
"Ah, Kiana. Have you been well?"
The girl nodded in affirmation. The entire class looked back and forth with wide eyes as the one of the strongest individuals of the planet was having a casual conversation with their classmate.
"Mathematics, hmm. Let me have a look at your syllabus."
"I've found a document regarding their math course."
Thank you, my friend.
Coordinate geometry, Introduction to Calculus…hmm… Vectors.
"Can anyone here tell me what speed is?"
He asked.
"The distance covered by a moving object in a second!"
A girl answered from the crowd.
"Correct. Your temperature, your mass, your speed. They are all numbers. They give us an idea of how much of something there is. You could say that they are one-dimensional. There is a term for such quantities. Does anyone know what I'm speaking of?"
"Yep, they're known as Scalar quantities!"
Kiana spoke up, drawing the attention of the entire class.
"Subject Idiotka…answered correctly during class…?"
Bronya, who normally held monotonous expressions, was also clearly surprised.
"Brilliant, Kiana. Now let's say the moving object from our example earlier now has to move along a particular line. What would you say about its speed now?"
"If we were to speak about its speed with respect to a certain direction, we would now be talking about its velocity, overseer. If the speed tells us how fast the object is going, the velocity tells us how fast and where it is headed to."
"My oh my Kiana, excellent explanation. I have a feeling you might be able to take this class instead of my place."
He flashed her a knowing smirk and she responded in kind.
"Everyone, what your friend Kiana is talking about is a quantity we refer to as a Vector. A quantity which gives an idea of both magnitude and direction."
Otto, with a piece of chalk, drew an arrow on the board.
"Which is why we represent these Vectors with arrows. The length gives us a relative idea of the magnitude while the direction of the arrowhead gives us the idea of where it is headed to. You all will mostly be solving problems on the X-Y plane which we also refer to as the..?"
The Overseer asked the classroom.
Kiana raised her hand yet again to answer,
"The cartesian plane, Overseer!"
"Indeed!"
Bronya nudged at her deskmate.
"Impossible….Subject Idiotk- No, Kiana. The Bronya wishes to know when you acquired such knowledge."
"Well….it was a few months ago…"
A FEW MONTHS AGO
ARC CITY
OTTO'S HIDEOUT
It had been a few days since Kiana had begun training under Otto, learning how to use her abilities. Everyday she'd wake up to breakfast prepared by the Overseer himself and then would spend most of her day undergoing medical checkups or training.
"What's for training today, Mister Overseer?"
"You, young lady, are going to be studying today."
"Whaaaat!?"
"You will eventually have to graduate from St. Freya, yes? You should be able to pass your courses. I don't want you lagging behind in your academics, Kiana."
"But what good will math and all this do? We've got to fight the honkai, after all!"
"What good will your physical prowess do once the honkai is gone?"
Otto posed a hypothetical question. It was something they'd only see far in the future provided everything went right. Yet, he couldn't just dismiss the girl's education. Not anymore, at least.
"And I'll let you know, young miss, most of my fighting relies heavily on calculations."
He smirked.
"Argh…"
The girl groaned, dejectedly.
"How about this? You study a little with me everyday and we can visit the mall or any cafe you like. Sounds nice to me. What do you say?"
Kiana didn't want to admit it back then, but she had found herself enjoying the man's company. It was as if she'd almost forgotten how he'd put her life in danger a week ago. While they weren't training or going over her medical condition, the time she spent with him walking about the city made her feel a little like a normal teenager.
The girl took a few seconds to think, before opening the textbooks.
PRESENT DAY
"I guess you could say it's another thing I owe Mister Otto for."
She smiled.
"You've truly changed a lot, Kiana. Even the Bronya believes you've become incredible."
"Ehehe. Thanks."
"Now now, please refrain from talking in the class."
Otto spoke.
"As I was saying, if I were to draw a vector AB like this and draw another vector, BC having its tail touch the head of AB and then join the space between A and C with a line, we'd obtain a triangle. Now, if I look at this, doesn't it resemble the directions in a GPS app? I moved from point A to point B. Then, I moved from point B to point C…so essentially, I moved from…?"
"Point A to Point C"
The class answered in unison.
"So, can I say that Vector AB plus Vector BC gives us nothing but Vector AC?"
"Yes sir, we can!"
"Brilliant, we've just understood the triangle law of vector addition!"
The class continued for another hour, however, most of the class was engaged in the lecture. Though, some had their eyes on the instructor more than what was being taught.
"Alright everyone, please enjoy your lunch break. Class is dismissed."
Before Otto knew it, he was surrounded by several students.
"Lord Overseer, you should seriously replace our mathematics teacher! I understood everything!"
"Who will run Schicksal then, dummy?"
Another girl interjected.
"Seriously, Lord Overseer, you're really cool and amazing and-"
"I'm merely doing my job, young valkyries. Though if I may know, why did some of you seem sullen before I'd arrived at class?"
"Oh, uhm.."
"No need to be apprehensive, if there is a problem here I shall speak to my granddaughter myself."
"Granddaughter…?"
One of the girls was confused.
"Principal Theresa Apocalypse is his adoptive granddaughter…"
Another girl whispered into her ear.
"N-No, lord overseer! It's nothing too serious. It's just that some, I mean, many of us were a little sad as we didn't get any chocolate on White Day…"
She was shut off by the other girls, who were embarrassed.
"Please, Overseer, it's just something trivial. We're so sorry to bother you with something like-"
"No, no it's alright. I'd be disheartened if I were in your shoes myself. Sometimes things can't really be helped."
The girls nodded in agreement.
"Um…Overseer Otto? Could…we get a picture taken together? Like you did for those valkyries…?"
Otto chuckled, before signalling for the class to gather up.
"Hey, are you all taking a picture?!
Kiana practically ran into Otto's shoulder, catching a few envious glares from the other students. She held up the camera, getting almost the entire class in the frame.
"Say cheese!"
Kiana exclaimed, as Otto smirked into the camera lens.
Everyone quickly sent the picture to each other and the class dispersed shortly after.
"Pleasure to meet you, Miss Bronya Zaychik."
Otto greeted the herrscher of reason.
"The Bronya greets the overseer of schicksal. She has heard much about you from Subject Idiotka."
Otto glanced towards Kiana.
"Quite the nickname you have the-"
"Sh-shut…."
"Pfft…"
He tried his best to stifle a chuckle.
"I assume the Sovereign oversees your training?"
"Affirmative."
"I possess the divine key of reason, if you're curious. You can always consult me for advice and pointers. In fact, my friend Void Archives would be more than glad to instruct you on how to better use your abilities."
"The Bronya shall remember this, thank you, Overseer."
"Very well. I shall leave you two for lunch, I suppose."
"Um…Otto…?"
"Yes, Kiana?"
"How's Bianka and the rest?"
"We're doing quite fine, though Bianka misses you quite a bit. I suggest you try calling her today. Don't worry about disturbing her. As for Tianwu, he's cleared as a Rank A Knight meanwhile Ana is currently helping Bianka and the immortal blades."
"Hmmmm. I see… and how's…class monitor…?"
"Her injuries have healed almost perfectly. Though…there's little brain activity…"
Kiana seemed dejected.
"She will wake up. Believe me."
She held up a familiar feather.
"I've…been talking to her through this. I've also learnt quite a big deal about her too. She's…from..the previous.."
"I know."
The girl smirked.
"Of Course you do. It's just…I don't know how long she has until she's gone…"
"Hey, don't worry. You have to trust me on this."
"O-Okay, Overseer."
"Now hurry up, aren't you hungry?"
"Mhm. See you around, Mister Otto."
She hugged the Overseer momentarily, before leaving.
Once Otto was certain he was alone, he used his comms device to place a phone call.
"HOMU Dairy production CEO?"
"Who are you?! How do you have my contact information!?"
"I am the director of Otto Industries, Otto Apocalypse. I am certain you are aware that all that is related to the HOMU franchise comes under the jurisdiction of Otto Entertainment."
"N-No way…you're THAT Otto?"
The Overseer switched to video communication.
"Does this answer your question?"
"Oh god….How may I be of service to you, sir?"
"I need an urgent order of the limited edition HOMU Gift chocolate. I will be providing you a certain address alongside the number of boxes required. The faster, the better."
Otto sent a file with the pertaining information.
"THIS MANY?"
"Is it a problem?"
"N-Not at all, sir. It's just the limited edition is already restricted in count, so we will have to create new batches."
"Do not worry about losses, I shall account for them."
"Ah..Very well, sir. Would you…like to add a message for every box? Since this is a custom batch, it can be done."
The Overseer snapped open a digital panel and began writing.
"Yes. This shall suffice. See to it that the batch is delivered before this evening."
"Understood, sir."
The call was cut.
Otto heard knocking on the door. It was none other than Stella from earlier that day.
"Miss Theresa wishes to speak to you…"
"Ah, my granddaughter wishes to see me!? Splendid! I was just about to meet her!"
PRINCIPAL'S OFFICE
Otto did not have the slightest idea that he'd find himself in the very same chair students do when they get themselves into trouble.
It was truly quite the sight. The Overseer of Schicksal was getting yelled at by someone who was physically no older than 12.
"Do you know how much those mechs cost, grandpa!? This isn't Schicksal HQ where you can just manufacture new ones! We have to get them shipped and there's maintenance too! They're not your regular security mechs, they're meant for students!"
"I'll compensate-"
"It's not just that! I tried to tell you to wear a disguise and now you're all over social media! You used to be so secretive, what happened now!?"
"That was then, my dear Theresa. I'd…rather appreciate the social media attention now. We're really going to need public approval, you see."
Theresa sighed.
"You know, Grandpa…? I don't want St. Freya to become a centre of Schicksal politics…"
"Trust me, it's the last thing I'd want for this place too. I practically own the land for this place…it wouldn't hurt if I visit once in a while, would it?"
"I….I suppose so…you just wanted to see Kiana, didn't you?"
"And you too, of course!"
Theresa held her head in her hands.
"Can…I get a hug, grandpa?"
Otto chuckled, before holding her gently.
"It's rough, hm?"
"Yes…there's school and then there's the hyperion and Anti-Entropy..There's also the forces you've assigned to me… It's quite a bit… But I'll manage."
"That's my sweet little Theresa. Do you want to go to the city and get those bitter gourd burgers you're so fond of?"
"Mm….I really want to but…I don't have the time…"
"It's alright, some other day then. For now you should rest and let the dream elf do some of the work."
"Mhm…I just need a little bit of time to calm down and nap…"
"Yes, it's important that you take some rest, my Theresa. I'll be around for a little longer and head back to HQ, okay?"
"Okay…Thank you so much for helping me today…grandpa…you're the best…"
Otto chuckled, before gently laying down Theresa on the couch and covering her with a blanket.
The Overseer began sorting and working on his granddaughter's documents. A few minutes later, a familiar redhead walked into the room.
"OVERSEER OT-"
"Shh…"
Otto held up his finger to his lips and pointed at Theresa's sleeping figure.
("Why are you here?")
Himeko asked, her voice lower than a whisper.
("I was your substitute for the day. Ask your class, you'll know. As for why I'm on Theresa's desk doing her work….I'm her dream elf.")
("Oh so it's YOU who magically does her work every now and then? I should've known…")
She was momentarily surprised.
("I own this place, after all. I visit in secret once in a while and help out when I can.")
("I see…Otto..? Would you be interested in some grape juice…?")
She handed him an ice cold bottle of what appeared to be grape juice.
The warm feeling flowing down Otto's throat as he took a gulp suggested otherwise.
("Miss Himeko…this juice of yours could get you into major trouble someday. I'll turn a blind eye as you're not teaching today and the school day is almost over.")
("Oh come on, I figured you could use some. I heard you got yourself an earful from Miss Theresa…")
("I appreciate the concern, Miss Himeko.")
Otto smiled, reassuring her.
("My work here is done. I shall be leaving now. Miss Himeko, I suggest you wait a little, there's a little something I've arranged for everyone here.")
("Oh?")
("You'll see.")
("If you say so, Mister Otto. See you around.")
("Likewise, Miss Himeko, though I'd suggest laying off the alcohol for your own health.")
Himeko flushed red momentarily before hesitantly nodding.
Otto walked through the campus, as he neared the main gate.
So, this was your dream, Cecilia?
I must admit, it's a beautiful school. One I wish I had the chance to attend in my own childhood.
The Overseer saw the delivery drones enter the campus, leaving behind crates.
"Guards!"
Otto called out.
"Sir, yes, sir!"
They saluted him.
"There's chocolate boxes inside. Please ensure every student and staff, including yourselves, gets one. I shall take my leave now."
Otto heard Amber chime in from his comms.
"Lord Otto, do you require extraction?"
"Yes, Amber. A little away from St. Freya, please. Preferably near the hills towards the city."
"Understood, Lord Otto."
The Overseer stepped outside the gate.
IMAGINARY AUTHORITY
NIHILUS SEED: CHRONOS
The sounds of clockwork were heard, as Otto was enshrouded in his new armour. Before anyone could speak to him, he vanished, leaving a golden trail.
The entire city felt like a blur and in the blink of an eye, Otto was near a hill, on the city outskirts, away from St. Freya.
"Formidable speed, I must admit."
It feels amazing.
A few minutes later, Otto's RPC-6626 unit arrived for pickup.
Let's get going.
The Overseer sat in the cockpit, as the machine whirred and took off, giving him an aerial view of St. Freya as he flew past it. He could see the students jumping about and giggling, as they'd just gotten their hands on a limited edition HOMU chocolate set, free of cost.
"White Day chocolate, hmm?"
Murata Himeko eyed the box in her office.
"May your future be as rich and sweet as this chocolate - Otto Apocalypse"
She read out the tag which had been attached to every such box.
Oh my, isn't he sweet?
Himeko giggled.
I feel bad for my other colleagues. Imagine skipping work and then finding out everyone else got limited edition boxes from the Overseer himself. Hahaha.
She thought to herself.
Otto was mid flight, as his Kallen Fantasy account received a text from NekoCharmKiana:
-Thanks for the choco, Mister Otto! Everyone loved it! :3
-Don't mention it, Kiana.
The Overseer set aside his device and sighed contently.
"What a day, hm?"
A day well spent, I'd say. Also, Archives?
"What is it, boy?"
Does my personal pantry have enough materials for chocolate?
"...I've checked. You do."
Brilliant.
LATER THAT DAY
Upon returning to her quarters, Bianka was greeted with a box of handmade chocolates.
"To my greatest student and my brightest knight."
Such boxes also greeted the quarters of Rita Rossweisse and Amber.
"To Schicksal's greatest maid and my valued accomplice."
"To the one who has always stood by my side and endured hardship after hardship."
All of them knew where this chocolate came from.
While they might not have uttered a single word, they all thought the same thing.
"What a strange Overseer. Why would he spend so much of his time and go so far for something like this?"
Only for all of them to also remember:
"Well, it is Otto Apocalypse, after all…"
SIDE STORY 1 : END
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
This is Side Story 1. As you expected, there's nothing serious. These side stories are always situations I've wanted to write for the sake of humor and interesting interactions. I apologize for any errors.