Kallen, 〈So that day's Honkai Beast was released by you, Otto? How could you sacrifice the lives of other innocents!〉
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[The screen slowly unfolds, and a tombstone engraved with the name "Kallen Kaslana" comes into view.
Otto's figure stands alone in front of the tombstone, silent for a long time, his brows and eyes heavy with the weight of years.
At this moment, from off-screen, the voice of Void Archives echoes softly, "Oh, she's dead. That was indeed your doomsday."
"Five hundred years have passed in a flash... and now, you finally have the chance to change it all."
"Ah. Or perhaps, for you, time has never truly passed at all?"
After a long silence, Otto lets out a faint sigh and says, "Yes... she's dead."
Feeling somewhat ignored, Void Archives says with mild dissatisfaction, "...Hm? Hey, are you even listening to me properly?"
Otto does not respond, but instead remains lost in thought, speaking slowly, "In many languages, people avoid directly mentioning 'death' itself."
"Death. The permanent disappearance of subjective will. A concept that turns 'existence' itself into 'nonexistence'..."]
Fu Lin pauses briefly, then says with interest, "Speaking of death, it reminds me of something... there's a saying that's quite fascinating."
With that, his expression turns serious, and he slowly begins, "A person experiences death three times."
"The first is physical death. When the heartbeat stops, breathing ceases, and the body's functions are completely lost, that is when death arrives in the biological sense."
"The second is the disappearance of one's social identity. After the solemn farewell of a funeral, the roles an individual once played in society are gradually forgotten. This means their 'existence' on the social level no longer continues."
"The third death is the complete erasure from memory. When the last person who remembers you dies, or when every record of you is lost, you are wiped entirely from human memory, as if you had never existed in this world. This is the ultimate annihilation on the spiritual level."
[Miss Lily]Otto, 〈Though life may perish, spirit endures. What Mr. Fu Lin said is entirely true. Therefore, Kallen must not die as a sinner!〉
Kallen, 〈So that's how it is...〉
Theresa, half-understanding but reassured by her grandfather's approval, nods seriously, 〈Mm-hm! I didn't expect you, Fu Lin, to be able to say something so philosophical.〉
Himeko, 〈Then I suppose Welt has always been lingering between the first and second deaths.〉
[Sit-ups King]Welt, 〈Why am I being dragged into this?〉
Himeko, 〈Because Mr. Welt, you keep sacrificing your own life. You must have feelings about death that others could never understand.〉
[Sit-ups King]Welt, 〈...〉
["We always instinctively believe that those we love are immortal, everlasting. Though our reason knows they are flesh and blood, our emotions refuse to accept this truth."
Void Archives muses, "...You mean to say, humans will always be intimidated by death in some form."
Otto, "Exactly. We fear death so much that the panic it brings makes us blunder into creating more deaths that never needed to happen."
"Discrimination, abuse, murder, war... who among us has not been ruled by the fear of 'death,' bringing its shadow down upon others ahead of time?"
Void Archives points sharply, "...And do you think you yourself are an exception? You are far more deeply mired in this swamp than anyone else, only, what you fear is not your own 'death.'"
Otto gives a bitter smile, his voice tinged with self-mockery, "Yes. That is why, at most, I am only a 'bishop'... while Kallen is forever the 'saint' in people's hearts."]
Tesla scowled and complained, 〈Hmph! That Otto, he's done so many terrible things, yet when he talks, it's always high-sounding nonsense. How infuriating!〉
[Miss Lily]Otto, 〈Oh~ my, dear Dr. Tesla, has your mute ban actually been lifted?〉
Tesla snaps back irritably, 〈Hmph, yes, it has. And I don't want to be muted again, so stay out of my face, OK? And drop that damned London accent of yours.〉
[Otto suddenly turns his head, his calm gaze falling on Void Archives, and slowly speaks, "Do you still remember the letter I once wrote to 'Welt'?"
He pauses, as if immersed in old memories, then recites slowly, "'We are so fragile that we can only exchange fleeting peace through mutual threats,' 'and we even use lofty words like "order" and "ethics" to conceal the most despicable motives.'"
After speaking, a faintly scornful smile appears on Otto's face as he continues, "These words remain true even today. After all, humanity repeats the same mistakes, and even turns a blind eye to this fact itself."
Void Archives, "...I suppose I must remind you, these words apply just as well to criticizing yourself."
Otto calmly admits, "Indeed, Void Archives."]
Otto's expression grows solemn, his gaze deep, as he slowly says, 〈When we look across the long river of human history, it becomes clear that humanity's greatest enemy was never the so-called Honkai, but humanity itself. This is a beautiful world, but also a terrible one. I believe the people of the Previous Era must have felt this most profoundly.〉
Kevin, 〈....〉
A surge of rebuttal rises in Kevin's heart, but recalling the downfall of the Previous Era, he cannot help but admit Otto speaks the truth.
The Previous Era possessed the means to defeat the Honkai, yet because of conflict and division among the leaders, they missed their best chance to eradicate it.
By the time everyone awoke to reality and sought unity, the Final Calamity had already arrived, rendering all efforts futile.
[Magical Girl]Theresa, 〈Grandpa, why are you suddenly saying all this?〉
[Miss Lily]Otto, 〈Just like Mr. Fu Lin, I felt a sudden surge of sentiment when I saw my past self in the video.〉
[Miss Lily]Otto, 〈The Honkai is like a merciless test. It tests humanity's conscience, it tests humanity's soul. When the waves of Honkai come crashing, some choose to support each other amidst the ruins and survive together; while others, for selfish gain, plunder resources in the chaos, even at the cost of harming their own kin.〉
[Miss Lily]Otto, 〈We are the same. We form armies, but under the name of protection, we invade. We draft laws, yet under their shadow, some commit evil.〉
Kallen looks troubled, asking softly, 〈Then is there truly no way for us to change all this, Otto?〉
[Miss Lily]Otto, 〈It is the baseness of human nature. Even if we defeat the Honkai and usher in peace and calm, in truth, humanity's inner conflicts and struggles will never cease.〉
Tesla, 〈Otto, is this really all that's in your head? Are you ever going to stop with these endless speeches about grand principles?!〉