"But, without Overseer Otto, who can lead Schicksal, lead humanity to defeat the Honkai and escape the fate of destruction?"
A simple sentence, yet it struck Anna like a bolt of lightning. Her mouth went dry, and she felt as if she had been plunged into an icy cavern, her mind a complete blank.
Although she desperately wanted to deny it, the education she had received since childhood, and the stories passed down through the Schariac family, left her with no other answer to this question. Yes, without Overseer Otto, who could possibly replace him?
"It seems you understand this principle. There's no need for further explanation..."
Rita gave the now sweating Anna a deep look, then went to the door that had been pushed open a crack and closed it again.
"This is what I meant earlier, making a 'relatively correct' choice."
To be fair, she didn't dislike Lin Wei at all. In fact, after fighting him, cooperating deeply with him, and witnessing him single-handedly hold back a monstrous tide that could have overwhelmed any defense, she admired him even more—even though Lin Wei's attitude towards her was always quite hostile whenever they met.
It can't be helped. I brought it on myself...
"Sometimes, even I regret some of the things I've done—even if they weren't exactly mistakes."
The curve of Rita's smile held a hint of helplessness.
"Mr. Lin... he won too well, so much so that none of us realized his existence. But he didn't win well enough, and as a result, I accidentally caught a trace of him..."
Ever since the end of the Manila Honkai Eruption, she had regretted her overly cautious professionalism and her perfectionist work attitude. Even if I found some flaws in Lady Fu Hua's words and actions back then, why did I have to suspect her?
Was I being too clever for my own good?
"Back then, I never would have thought that an investigation into a sudden clue would lead to such a major incident."
Rita smiled bitterly. If her upbringing didn't forbid it, she might have actually slapped herself a couple of times...
In fact, after the Manila Honkai Eruption, Lin Wei's proactive offer of a truce had already dispelled most of her hostility. And she had clearly seen all the effort he had put in on the battlefield to save lives and the collapsing defense line.
It was for this reason that when contact with HQ was re-established and the Overseer ordered her to bring him back, although she accepted the order without hesitation as usual, there was a trace of resistance in her heart. And so, she had told him in an extremely subtle way: Your mission is complete. Hurry up and run!
She believed that with the cunning Lin Wei had shown in their first encounter, he would definitely understand her hint.
But what happened next was far beyond her imagination—an even more ferocious disaster struck, only to be quelled by him at the cost of almost his own life...
And so, she regretted it even more.
Her adventure in the Sea of Quanta had led her to become partners and good friends with the awakened "unofficial founder," Dr. Schrodinger. She had heard some vague information from her—not that she had brought it up intentionally, but Rita's ears were very sharp, very good at picking up key information.
After returning to Schicksal HQ, while reviewing old files, she had pieced together the truth of what had happened more than half a century ago, and learned many secrets she shouldn't have known. Then, she buried them deep in her heart.
Like Otto, the true witness to that story, she had once connected Lin Wei with Welt Joyce, who had created another legend in New York more than half a century ago. But she never expected that later developments would completely exceed her imagination:
Lin Wei knew Otto's secrets inside and out, so he loathed him.
Otto, because Lin Wei knew him so well, wanted to dispose of him quickly.
The "Key of Corruption," which should have been Otto's top priority, seemed less important in this relationship...
When things had developed in such a runaway fashion, what could she, a Valkyrie from a gray area, say but sigh?
"Before I found him, Mr. Lin had been hiding very well. It was only because of my own cleverness that he was exposed for the first time."
Rita said with a sigh.
"Even you yourself, Anna, said that he had been preparing for this day, even avoiding you..."
"...What are you trying to say?"
Anna's heart clenched. She seemed to realize what she was about to say.
"It means that even Mr. Lin himself probably realized this problem..."
The expression on Rita's face was quite complex, even tinged with an indescribable sadness.
"Because even Mr. Lin understands that when it comes to the future of humanity, no one can replace the Overseer. That's why he's been living a life of anonymity..."
This sentence pierced Anna's heart like a sharp knife.
She wanted to be selfish, to shout "I don't care," but she couldn't.
The Schariac family's teachings, the Valkyrie's oath, the captain's earnest advice before her death...
They were all deeply engraved in her soul, making it impossible for her to open her mouth, impossible for her to let go of her mission as a "Valkyrie"...
"Vice-Captain Rita, you're mistaken. He just likes that kind of life."
Just as Anna's eyes were wet with tears, Yuno, who had been silent, suddenly spoke, startling the other two.
Anna's attention was diverted, and her heart, which was about to be torn apart by conflict, suddenly found a moment of respite.
"Is that so?"
Rita was taken aback by Yuno's sudden words, then she smiled.
"That's right. After all, Miss Yuno has spent so much time with Mr. Lin. You should know him better than I do."
"..."
For some reason, hearing Rita say this, Anna's heart felt a sour pang. She couldn't help but turn to look at Yuno.
It was only then that she remembered that Yuno was already much closer to him than she was. Or rather, as a survivor who had been saved by Lin Wei from the ruins of a Honkai Eruption, Yuno should have been closer to him from the start...
"I'm so jealous..."
Anna thought to herself.
Jealous of what? She didn't know. And she no longer had the energy to think about such a complex issue.
She only knew that she was tired, cold, and scared. She couldn't help but squat down, curling herself into a small ball...
"No one wanted things to come to this point, Anna..."
Rita sighed slowly, walked to her side, and seeing that Yuno didn't stop her, she gently patted her back and said softly, "In this world, in order to finally defeat the Honkai, we all have our own missions to bear—Lady Durandal, you, me, and every one of our colleagues in Schicksal. We all gathered together for a common ideal, and then we were swept up by this grand ideal, unable to help ourselves..."
She thought of all the incomprehensible and absurd things Overseer Otto had done over the years, of Lady Durandal's inconvenient true identity, of all the "roadblocks" of questionable guilt she had killed while carrying out her missions over the years, and of all the Valkyries and other colleagues who had sacrificed themselves on various fronts for Schicksal over the years...
"Sometimes, we have no choice, Anna."
Seeing Anna's curled-up body begin to tremble slightly, Rita said gently but firmly, "The mission of 'defeating the Honkai and saving humanity' is too heavy for any individual to bear alone. Besides uniting and gathering under the banner of 'Schicksal,' do we have any better choice?"
"What unites us is Schicksal, not the Overseer!"
Anna seemed to have finally found a point to refute. She raised her head and shouted, "Lin Wei did so much for us, made such great sacrifices, but how did the Overseer treat him? What right does he have to lead humanity to defeat the Honkai?"
Her recent experiences and what she had seen and heard had left her completely disappointed in Overseer Otto.
"Overseer Otto has been the Overseer of Schicksal for the past five hundred years. Who else could there be besides him?"
Rita was also helpless about this reality. Seeing Anna open her mouth to speak, she asked, "Are you going to say that Mr. Lin can replace him?"
"I..."
Anna wanted to say "yes," but she couldn't get the word out.
Yes, Lin Wei himself is just a young man. How could he possibly point out a viable path for humanity?
"Mr. Lin... I know, of course, that he is a reliable comrade, a trustworthy partner, and even a hero who can stand tall in a crisis. But when it comes to a major issue like the fate of humanity, compared to an irreplaceable leader, what can one, or even a few heroes, do?"
Rita's voice was soft, but so rational that it felt cold.
"Even if he can defeat one Honkai Eruption, or two, there will always be a tenth, a twentieth, more violent Honkai Eruption to crush him."
"He can save a million, two million, or even more people. But in the face of a violent Honkai Eruption that could wipe out all of human civilization, if we can't achieve ultimate victory, what is the meaning of temporary success?"
"Anna, don't forget, even the civilization that could forge powerful weapons like the Divine Keys was completely destroyed by the ravages of the Honkai..."
"I... I..."
Anna was defeated. Any grandiose reason seemed so insignificant in the face of the ultimate issue of "the future of humanity."
"Lin Wei can."
Yuno spoke again, her tone so flat, so matter-of-fact, that it sounded natural.
"He's just not ready yet..."
"Is that so?"
Rita gave Yuno a deep look, then smiled faintly, but didn't refute her.
"Then Rita will wait for the good news."
It's not bad to think of it as a good wish for the future, she thought silently.
"But, what should I do now?"
Anna said as if in a dream.
"Yuno... Captain... Lin Wei... what should I do?"
Curled up in a ball, she looked like a piece of porcelain covered in cracks, a sight that would make anyone's heart ache.
"Although it's too pragmatic to say so, Mr. Lin is ultimately just one person. Compared to the Overseer, who shoulders the entire future of Schicksal and humanity..."
Rita paused, then sighed lightly.
"Which is more important is self-evident."
"..."
Anna's slightly trembling body suddenly went still, as if her heart had died with those words. Rita's heart ached at the sight, and she sighed again, adding, "Of course, if Mr. Lin is willing to compromise, perhaps there will be a happy ending for everyone."
Hearing these words, Anna felt as if a lifeline had been thrown to her. She couldn't help but look up, her eyes filled with hope as she looked at Rita, then at Yuno.
"Lin Wei won't compromise. He doesn't trust Otto."
Yuno's voice was so calm, yet so cruelly pierced through Rita's not-so-malicious lie.
"Even if he does compromise, with Overseer Otto's personality, he would never let him go."
"..."
Hearing her good friend say this, Anna was just stunned and silent. After a long while, she buried her head deep in her arms, then curled her already balled-up body even smaller.
At this moment, Anna was exceptionally quiet. Even her sobs had ceased...
"..."
Rita once again stared deeply at the surprising Yuno, this time for a very long time, as if trying to see through her completely. It wasn't until she met Yuno's questioning gaze that she retracted her probing look and said with a sigh, "If that's really the case, then it's too much of a pity..."
Yuno looked at her with confusion, frowned in thought, and nodded. Then she also squatted down, leaning against Anna and quietly keeping her company.
---||---
On the other side.
Far above on the surface, Lin Wei and Otto were still walking and "chatting" under the scorching sun, on the hot yellow sand.
"You presented the Second Divine Key and did a great service for Schicksal. For that, I am deeply grateful..."
After seeing the "silo" of the Second Divine Key, Otto bowed slightly, spread his arms wide, and showed a sincere smile to Lin Wei. In a very serious tone, he said, "To express my gratitude, I would like to invite you to join Schicksal. How about it?
(TL: kinda Slow but now came back to track)