The Stigma-enhanced battlesuit was even more useful to Durandal than she had imagined.
However, its Honkai compensation ability was somewhat redundant for her. Her body's resistance to Honkai Energy was so overwhelming that she had no need for such a feature.
"This thing looks much better than the original Stigma battlesuits. I guess humans really are visual creatures. The aesthetic of the original suits was just way too ahead of its time."
Even someone as worldly as Durandal couldn't stand that aesthetic, which gives you an idea of just how strange the design of the original Stigma battlesuits was.
"Durandal, are you ready?"
"Okay!"
As the hatch opened, Durandal saw Babylon Labs, now sealed off by the SELENE Engines. There, her former teacher, Otto Apocalypse, was fighting Sirin.
Poor, unfortunate Sirin didn't even have a last name, nor did she ever have anyone she could truly call family.
"Henshin!"
Huh? Why did Anti-Entropy have to make the new battlesuit's activation so ridiculously complicated?!
Durandal figured it was most likely a safety feature to prevent accidental activation in daily life, hence the complex pre-startup sequence.
But since it wouldn't be used in combat anyway, Durandal didn't mind the pre-battle safety measures.
"Whatever, let's go!"
With a single leap, Durandal soared down from the airship.
---||---
Sirin never thought she'd be unable to defeat even the Schicksal Overseer. In her understanding, Otto wasn't known for his martial prowess; he was mostly seen as a researcher and a behind-the-scenes operator.
But now, Otto's fighting style was as fluid as running water. This fluency demonstrated his mastery of the battle's rhythm and his accurate prediction of his opponent's state of mind.
Sirin didn't know if this was the end for her. It brought back memories of the Second Honkai Eruption.
What was she thinking before she died?
Was it that she had always been alone?
No, that didn't seem right. At that time... she vaguely remembered someone holding her, bringing her a final trace of warmth.
She wasn't alone. Cecilia had fought desperately until the very end to save them both.
A foot suddenly intervened in the battle. With a powerful kick, it knocked the Abyss Flower off its intended attack trajectory.
But the moment the attack connected, Durandal realized something was wrong. This wasn't the Abyss Flower she frequently used.
Just as she suspected, another Abyss Flower appeared from behind Sirin, moving like a shadow.
Two Abyss Flowers?!
Durandal was slightly shocked, as if she had witnessed something impossible.
She could no longer afford to be reckless. Sirin was now powerless to dodge, all the Honkai Energy in her body having been fissioned and decomposed by the power of the Abyss Flower.
Sirin only felt a strange force pulling her. Then, the scenery before her twisted and changed, and she found herself in a completely unfamiliar place.
The surrounding scenery was beautiful...
Huh? Wait? Wasn't I just in a fight?
Sirin looked down at her hands, confusion filling the young girl's heart.
---||---
After a brief clash with Otto, Durandal finally understood the battlefield situation.
Two Ottos?
"Overseer, Director Otto, could you tell me... why there are two of you?"
"Durandal, you can't possibly think I'm one of those strange game characters who likes to explain their abilities in the middle of a fight, can you?" Otto smiled. As he spoke, the other Otto quietly dissipated.
Of course, there were two of them. Otto had specially prepared a Soulium body for the Void Archives. It was only natural for two Ottos to appear here, both wielding an Abyss Flower.
"Fair point, Director Otto... Could you tell me why you provoked a fight with the Second Herrscher?"
Durandal's question did not receive a direct answer from Otto.
He thought for a moment before saying, "You've worked under me many times. I don't need to explain this to you in detail. Besides, without conflict, without the suffering brought by the world, how else would a Herrscher descend? Our Mr. Future Man never cared about the Honkai. In fact, one might even say..."
"This is the outcome the Director was hoping for."
"After internal research by the Board of Directors, we've reached a startling conclusion. The existence of the Honkai is not to exterminate human civilization, but to act as a kind of brake. Its purpose is to give humanity the power to turn the tables when they are at their most desperate and suffering, thereby dealing a devastating blow to the social structures that inflict that pain."
"Only when everyone knows that such a thing can happen will humanity, in its march of progress, deeply consider the balance between individual happiness and collective benefit, and thus take their governance more seriously."
"This is what the Director believes to be the reason for the Honkai's existence. It is neither a weapon airdropped by aliens, nor a monster spawned by human civilization, but an important tool that has, from the very beginning, served to protect the collective of life from truly collapsing."
"To change humanity's tragedies, we must ensure that the Honkai Herrschers have sufficient knowledge of civilization, so that they can reflect on suffering from within society and lead the way to a new civilization with their power."
"I am one of the root causes of all the sins of the old era. Therefore, my job as the Schicksal Overseer is to settle the accounts of these old mistakes. Including myself. Durandal, are you still going to stop me from fighting the Herrscher of the Void?"
Otto's reasoning made Durandal frown. As a top-tier Valkyrie, she understood the significance of what Otto was saying.
This was a well-thought-out consideration, not an action taken for personal gain.
Durandal knew her teacher best. In a way, Otto was very similar to Noldrei. He tied his personal interests very closely to the collective interest.
"No one can bear the historical mistakes of an entire era," Durandal said. "I was once one of Schicksal's Valkyries. Back then, I pretty much turned a blind eye to the things you did. I even tried to make excuses for you in the end."
"It is precisely because of the tacit indifference of those in power, and the trampling of life, that I realized we Valkyries are not without sin."
"Whether it was Rita, myself, or even Cecilia back then, we all tried to change these evils. That's why Cecilia sacrificed herself for the sake of both humanity and the Herrscher."
"But, human choices do not always have to be made through cold, rational thought. They do not have to abandon the happiness and joy that comes from simple hormonal interactions. These feelings don't even participate in metabolic activities; they exist solely to complete the so-called 'interaction'."
"Human life is interaction. It is communication. It is the embrace we share with each other."
A helpless smile appeared on Otto's face. "It seems, Durandal, that you have fully accepted Mr. Future Man's new interpretation of life."