Otto guided Theresa back several steps.
In the real world, such an action would be commonplace. With Theresa's petite stature and lightweight frame, anyone who wasn't physically impaired could effortlessly move her if she didn't resist.
However, this place was different. In front of the God of Honkai, pulling away one of His chosen apostles is no small feat; even Kevin might not succeed. It transcends mere strength—competing with the God of Honkai, whose influence spans countless worlds, through brute force alone is sheer folly.
Thus, Otto had to pay a price.
From Theresa's perspective, Otto's body flickered momentarily, then cracks appeared all over him.
"G-Grandpa..."
Weakly collapsing onto her knees, Theresa stared dumbfounded at Otto's figure, her thoughts still hazy yet instinctively worried for his predicament.
Otto turned around, a loving smile gracing his face despite the golden fissures spreading across it.
"You've done remarkably well, Little Theresa. Not just anyone can persistently defy Him until the very end like you."
"Grandpa...why did you come here..."
"Did you think I would let my adorable granddaughter face such unfathomable danger alone?" Otto replied matter-of-factly.
He then turned his gaze forward to the silent figure standing there from start to finish—the divine being.
Otto beheld a pure white visage identical to his own, reminiscent of when he first encountered the God of Honkai through Sirin's eyes years ago. He understood that Theresa saw something different—a vision of herself—what one might call the true form of all living beings.
"It has been quite some time since we last met. Confronting your awe-inspiring presence once again truly fills me with trepidation, O Divine One!"
Ignoring the peculiar state of his body, Otto, with his face marred by fine golden cracks, bowed respectfully towards the deity before him.
"..."
The divine being remained silently still, offering neither response nor any acknowledgment.
This was entirely reasonable.
Etiquette and rules are human inventions, and human history is but a thin layer compared to the age of the universe itself. When facing principles like Honkai, which existed before the birth of the cosmos and endure beyond its demise—if you perceive any rudeness, it must be the concept of politeness itself that is flawed.
After all, can one really discuss morality and humanity with the universe itself?
Otto had a clear understanding of these concepts, so after ceremoniously expressing his respect, he nonchalantly straightened up.
"Crack!"
At that moment, several fragments peeled off Otto's face like shattered porcelain, disintegrating into countless specks of light before touching the ground.
Glancing sidelong behind him, Otto saw Theresa weakly kneeling on the floor, devoid of any strength to stand. He sighed,
"Little Theresa, Grandpa wishes he could effortlessly rescue you just like your beloved hero. Unfortunately, the entity before us defies convention. The extent of my current self is merely to distance you slightly from this vortex... Can you still get up?"
"I—I can!" Theresa panted, her voice resolute despite her feeble body remaining motionless.
Otto let out a long sigh.
"Sigh..."
"As civilization advances, Honkai intensifies. It seems the elusive Will of Honkai has placed heavier burdens upon you, Herrscher of Binding, than we imagined."
"But it's all right; Grandpa knows magic, Little Theresa!"
The final words didn't come from in front of Theresa but behind her, infused with a hint of amusement.
In the real world, amidst turbulent waves on the ocean surface, crisscrossing chains restrained the slumbering Theresa, suspending her mid-air.
Zeke stood atop the sea, gazing up at Theresa before turning his attention to the numerous Ottos approaching from all directions across the water.
"More troublesome than you anticipated?"
"The intensity of Its gaze is far greater than when I last encountered It. Little Theresa tried her best, but with the Herrscher Aspect uncooperative, she couldn't overcome it."
"So, will you die inside there?" Zeke asked mildly, directing his ice-blue eyes towards the nearest Otto, their expression unreadable yet unusually solemn.
Otto responded cheerfully, "Who knows? Maybe indeed."
"I feel it's somewhat wasteful, but let me just say: may your journey be peaceful."
"Haha! Considering the sins committed earlier, that wish for a peaceful journey truly shows leniency—it doesn't quite sound like you, my dear friend."
"Respect for the deceased, after all," Zeke said earnestly. "Rest assured, I'll do my utmost to prevent those people from desecrating graves... well, as much as possible."
Everyone knew about Otto's multitude of clones; if anyone insisted on creating tombs, it could result in hundreds or even thousands upon thousands. Guarding such a vast number wouldn't be easy, so Zeke wisely promised only what he reasonably could achieve. As expected from an emperor, his words were meticulously chosen, preemptively absolving himself of any future responsibility—how prudent!
"Ha ha ha!"
In the depths of the consciousness domain, within an indescribably dimensional white space, Otto at the forefront burst out laughing—presumably amused by Zeke's "wit."
Theresa, however, had no interest in deciphering the cause of this laughter. Her eyes widened slightly as she knelt on the ground, watching one after another Otto pass her with smiling nods.
"Grandpa..."
Theresa knew Otto had multiple lives and was virtually invulnerable in the real world—a fact that once filled her with despair. The only way to kill him definitively was by eliminating all his avatars.
With so many Ottopresent now, did it mean he was about to unleash his full power? Did it imply—even—he could die this time?
"Grandpa!" Theresa's pupils contracted as she collapsed forward, straining to call out.
But the Otto ahead didn't turn back, nor did any of those passing by halt their steps.
"The great God, I, Otto Apocalypse, seek answers for my doubts." This plea echoed N times as each fragment of consciousness entered this domain, their scattered strength continuously converging.
Otto Apocalypse addressed God thusly:
"..."
As always, God remained silent—just like during their first encounter amidst the Second Major Honkai Eruption. It did not engage in human-like conversation or banter, adhering to standards far removed from humanity. Yet simultaneously, It never refused inquiries.
Last time, Otto witnessed a vision of himself committing suicide by sword, accompanied by an overwhelming flood of knowledge nearly shattering his mind. If not for utilizing the Void Archives to withstand the impact and distributing the load across multiple consciousness backup bodies, the person known as "Otto" might have ceased to exist long ago.
Following that revelation, Otto's ultimate plan took shape and began unfolding over more than a decade.
Although he had since abandoned this scheme, one thing remained certain: God would not refuse questions. Perhaps it was simply part of the rules—just as nature does not resist humanity's efforts to study and harness gravity, magnetism, microscopic structures, and other physical mysteries, neither would It deny humans' inquiries. Whether they could comprehend and assimilate the answers, however, depended solely on the questioner themselves.
In any case, posing queries was the best way to divert God's attention and create an opportunity for Theresa to escape—if there were any other options, what might they be? Engage the God of Honkai in direct combat? But with what means?
"First question: Using information interference techniques, can combining the Life Formula with the Time Information Substitution Model truly revive Kallen?" asked Otto, voicing a query for which even a positive answer would make him willingly accept his demise here.
The divine entity remained silent for a long moment before slowly nodding.
A flood of knowledge surged into Otto's mind, but since he sought validation rather than methodology, the volume of information was relatively limited, and the cost wasn't as steep.
"Ahh!"
"Boom!"
Several Otto clones clutched their heads, wailing in agony, then shattered into golden sparks that vanished without a trace.
Moments later, all the Ottos' lips curled upward simultaneously, erupting into wild laughter.
"Hahaha! It's correct!"
"Indeed, it is!"
"It can be done; my lifelong dream will come true!"
"Kallen! I knew this day would arrive!"
"Hahahaha!"
The cacophony of voices left Theresa bewildered, squinting her eyes in confusion. However, she had no interest in focusing on this peculiar scene. Instead, she turned inward, deep within her consciousness, facing the Herrscher persona swinging on chains like a swing.
Help me! she pleaded.
"What nonsense! Why should I help you?"
You must assist me! she insisted.
"I couldn't care less if Otto dies! Whether he perishes before God or returns severely weakened, either outcome pleases me. Unlike you, I don't coddle and call 'grandpa' to the very man responsible for our suffering... You disgust me, Theresa!"
I... If Siegfried, Kiana, or any person he has harmed sought vengeance against him, perhaps I could have remained indifferent. But now, he's risking everything for me! This is my final plea: Will you help me or not? As part of me, surely you understand how I feel!
"...Get lost! If you want to put on some sentimental grandfather-granddaughter act, do it far away from me! I'm not interested!"
Deep within her consciousness, Theresa watched herself hesitate slightly before ultimately displaying defiance.
After a long moment of silence, she silently turned and ventured deeper into her inner domain seeking strength.
The Stigmata... can protect me once more amidst this chaos. Perhaps its power is much greater than I imagined. Grandpa, don't do anything foolish; trading your life for mine isn't worth it!
She had indeed contemplated killing Otto... Theresa admitted that truth; she hated him deeply. However, if such a scenario were to unfold, she couldn't remain indifferent. Especially after Otto's recent years of restraint, gradually becoming harmless, Theresa's feelings towards her grandfather, their complex yet genuine bond, became clearer once again.
Humans are emotional beings, and Theresa was no exception, often excelling in these sentiments.
The final Otto approached Theresa calmly. Noticing her dimmed gaze, he didn't have the luxury to fully assess her condition but paused momentarily, sighing:
"It seems you've reached your limit too, little Theresa. But don't worry; when you wake up, everything will be fine. Grandpa will protect you. The story of Otto Apocalypse, spanning five hundred years... Today is another beautiful day!"
With a sigh, Otto crouched down and gently patted Theresa's head, showing a hint of reluctance before standing back up with a smile. Alongside countless versions of himself, he faced this silent, pure-white deity.
"The second question: Who can kill Zeke?" × N