In an unknown location beneath the Vatican.
The dome of the council chamber was split by twelve prismatic skylights, with beams of blue and white light intertwining above a floating circular platform to form a DNA helix.
A total of twelve translucent, monolith-like communication devices were evenly distributed around the platform. Upon each, the digital serial number of the person behind the screen was projected via quantum entanglement.
This was the resolution chamber of the Senate, one of the three great powers of Schicksal.
If anyone who had seen the Evangelion series were to come here, they would surely complain about the bizarre setup, which was uncannily similar to when SEELE held meetings with Gendo Ikari.
In fact, this design was indeed the brainchild of a certain young senator who, after watching Evangelion, decided it would be both mysterious and effective at hiding everyone's secrets.
Of course, to everyone else, this was just putting on a pointless show. Was there anyone present who didn't already have a full dossier on everyone else? Just by listening to their tone, you could practically picture the expressions on all these old geezers, middle-aged farts, and young punks!
"Ahem."
As this month's rotating chairman, the wizened voice of a middle-aged man came from Seat Four. "The first topic of this meeting was submitted by Senator Six. It concerns whether to pursue action against Theresa Apocalypse for harboring the wanted fugitive, Fuli."
She put down the documents in her hand, her voice filled with disbelief. "Old Six, you want to go after her? Are you serious?"
Before Old Six could speak, Old Eight slammed his hand on the table. "I can't hear you!"
"No passion! Do it again!"
"Get rid of that middle-aged man voice changer! I want to hear the clear and charming voice of the cute, pink-haired young lady!"
"No."
Senator Four's expression was blank. "And Senator Eight, this is a formal meeting. Please refrain from using the smooth-talking tone you use to trick little girls. Also, please stop broadcasting holographic images of beach bikinis to the public channel."
"Smooth-talking? Am I?"
On a sunny beach in Nice, France, a handsome old man lying on a deck chair took off his sunglasses.
His gaze swept over the flock of beautiful women surrounding him, and he nodded. "Nope!"
The only reason she couldn't just mute the yapping old lecher was that all the high senators had equal authority.
Her face remained impassive. "Please ignore Senator Eight's problematic remarks. Let us continue the discussion on whether to pursue action against Theresa Apocalypse for her act of harboring a fugitive."
"Pursue action? For what?" A languid female voice came from Seat Three. Her tone easily conjured the image of a graceful noblewoman applying floral perfume.
"It's bad enough you're making a big show of putting a wanted notice on a kid who isn't even sixteen, but you actually expect the Overseer's successor to do your dirty work for free? It caused so much trouble that after the meeting, I had to go find little Theresa in person to clear up the misunderstanding... Ugh, why must we always operate by majority rule?"
The Senate had a total of twelve high senators. For any major resolution, it would pass as long as six of them voted in favor.
"If not that, then should we have a dictatorship like that tyrant?" Number Eleven was extremely agitated. The "tyrant" he spoke of was, obviously, Otto.
He then changed his tune. "But I didn't agree with issuing a wanted notice for that unlucky kid in the first place. His parents ended up missing in action fighting the Honkai for Schicksal. Don't you feel disgusted bullying him like this?"
"It is for that very reason that we must bring him back, Lord Kaslana, current head of the house." Number Two's voice was laced with logic. "The 'Detailed Report on the Development of the Third Honkai Eruption' submitted by Lady Theresa was considerably embellished, but not enough to fool anyone present."
The feathery hair tufts under his white hair twitched slightly. He said, "We have ample reason to suspect that the reason Mr. Fuli was able to play such a significant role in the battle against the Herrscher of Thunder was thanks to the research of Dr. Fu and Dr. Zhou."
"That is a limitless, clean energy source that could replace Honkai energy! It is indispensable for the advancement of human civilization, for our journey to the stars!"
Number Five's voice was old and fanatical. The others could even hear the sound of him slamming the table. "So what if we wrong that kid? The well-being of all humanity versus the happiness of a single person—is that even a question?!"
"The well-being of all humanity? Stop hiding behind that excuse, you old fossil of Schariac!" Number Nine sneered. "It's obvious you've extended your life too many times and your own end is near. You desperately need another lease on life, and after your scheme to use Durandal, who now holds Abyss Flower, failed, you had no choice but to pin your last hopes on him."
"Though I suppose I'm in no position to talk," he shrugged. "I've still got time, but I'm certainly drooling over the fruits of those two's research."
The voice from Seat One was steady and dignified. "Frankly, if the results of that project were to fall into the hands of Anti-Entropy or the Taixuan Front, Schicksal would inevitably be suppressed into a second-rate power and carved up. Based on that alone, even if there is only a possibility that Fuli possesses that legacy, I will not allow him to remain at large."
"And what good will that do?" Number Twelve let out a cackle. "Haven't you seen the intelligence reports flying around? There's some serious chemistry between that kid and our Lady Durandal. Didn't you see she specifically put out the word, 'Only I am allowed to capture little Li!' Ooh, I ship it, I ship it!"
She couldn't help but cup her cheeks and gossip, "Speaking of which, we all have a copy of Durandal's growth records. When on earth did those two find the time to hook up? During their world bubble travels?"
"Shut up, you crazy broad!" Number Eleven slammed the table. "This is not the place for you to fantasize about soap opera romances!"
"Hmph. I won't lower myself to your barbaric level." Number Twelve sullenly shrank back.
"I do not agree to holding Theresa accountable. The seven branches have always stood united when it comes to the Senate. A rash move could easily backfire." A cool female voice from Seat Ten echoed in the chamber. "But the recovery of the individual known as Fuli is necessary, even if Durandal obstructs it."
"Hmph." The voice of Number Six, who had proposed holding Theresa accountable, was gloomy. He clearly didn't get along with her.
The chairman, Number Four, spoke with curiosity. "Lady Ten, you abstained from the vote last time, correct? Why have you chosen to side with them this time?"
"After that meeting, I went back and did some more research." Number Ten waved her hand, uploading her findings for the other eleven to see.
"This is—PFFFT!!!"
On the sunny beach, the robust old man who had been flirting with a young woman took one look and spat out his orange juice.
The hologram of the witch at Seat Twelve suddenly distorted, her familiar screaming as it dissolved into data dust.
The star chart at Seat Nine began to collapse. A fine crack appeared on the jade bracelet of the noblewoman at Seat Three.
Even Number One, on his Mediterranean island, shot up from his seat, letting his cigar burn a hole through a million-dollar Persian rug.
He stood up instinctively, frowning. "Ophelia, are you certain this is all real?"
"It's all real," Number Ten said coolly. "This data was shredded and mixed into Schicksal's vast historical records. I hired three hundred people who searched for a month and a half, and I used a ritual to assist them during Ella's recent rebellion. Only then was I able to piece this all together."
"Haha!" The old fossil from Schariac, Number Five, was in a frenzy, his hair and beard standing on end. "I told you that kid Fuli inherited his parents' research! Does anyone still object now?"
The data they had was not much different from what Theresa had shown Durandal and the others, but it contained a few extra lines.
[...Fuli's Honkai energy adaptability is unprecedentedly high. In theory, he is capable of surviving a Great Honkai with a frequency above 6500HW. However, he has surprisingly not undergone any innate or acquired life science modifications and is a purely natural human.]
Number Seven, who had been silent until now, suddenly found his vocabulary lacking. There were so many expressive, powerful, and emphatic exclamations in the world, but the only one that echoed in his mind right now was:
"Holy shit!!!"
"He was eight years old?!!"
Number Eleven, from the Kaslana family, also erupted, not even noticing the stigmata patterns crawling all over his body.
What the hell is with that adaptability? A purely natural human? Who are you trying to kid? And this was from a test when he was eight! Honkai adaptability grows over time! Who knows what level it's at now!
Even the usually calm Number Two, the Vatican's representative, had a tremor in his voice. "The Second Herrscher back then... what was her Honkai energy reading again?"
Of course, they all knew Sirin's energy levels at her peak.
Even Number Two himself knew perfectly well, so no one answered his stupid question.
Without a doubt, it was higher than young Fuli's at the time.
However, one was a miniature Herrscher of Finality wielding the authorities of Reason, Void, Thunder, Wind, Death, and Flame. The other was just an eight-year-old child.
The fact that they were even weighing these two on the same scale said it all.
Lady Three, who was on good terms with Theresa, muttered to herself, "No wonder Ragna reacted so strongly when the Adjudication Hall wanted to keep Fuli in Schicksal as a reserve knight."
They didn't know when this Honkai adaptability test was done, but Ragna, who had been taking care of young Fuli, must have known.
Such talent, and an orphan on top of that.
If he were discovered, he would either be executed immediately as a future Herrscher of the Sequences, or have his personality erased and be forged into a heartless, humanoid anti-Honkai weapon!
What's that? Win him over with emotion? Bind him with love and affection?
Heh.
A long silence fell over the underground chamber. The chairman, Lady Four, sighed.
"First, regarding the motion to hold Theresa Apocalypse accountable for her dereliction of duty. All in favor, please raise your hands."
The lights for One, Six, Seven, Ten, and Twelve lit up.
"Less than half. The motion is denied."
With that, Number Four took a deep breath. "Now, for the second meeting on the recovery of Fuli. All in favor, please raise your hands."
The lights for One, Two, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten, Eleven, and Twelve lit up one after another.
Number Three, the only one whose light remained off, hesitated for a moment under everyone's gaze before finally pressing the abstain button.
Clearly, no one believed Fuli's Honkai adaptability was innate.
The odds of that were probably a zero followed by who-knows-how-many decimal places. Why would it happen to you? Why are you so lucky? Just because the heavens smiled on you? Are you God's (the author's) favorite son or something?
In the eyes of the high senators, he must be hiding the research left by his parents.
Anti-Entropy had sixteen Executors on paper, each commanding a force comparable to a medium-sized conglomerate, capable of standing against a fully armed S-Rank Valkyrie.
The members of this Senate were no less powerful, and they also had the elite Pontifex Guard on standby.
So what if Durandal was protecting him?
As long as they didn't go to war directly with the Taixuan Front or Anti-Entropy, the combined forces of the twelve senators and their factions could create a wave powerful enough to sweep across a third of the planet's surface!
With the decision made to subjugate the Hyperion, there was no need to continue the meeting.
The twelve members prepared to log off, some to mobilize their troops, others to privately tip off Theresa.
However—
"What's going on?"
The most impatient of them, the old fossil Number Five, was the first to ask.
Then, Two and Seven also noticed the problem.
Despite being in different locations and having disconnected from the meeting, the holographic chamber remained perfectly displayed before them.
"The aftereffects of Ella's rebellion?" Number Six said gloomily. "Hmph, I've always said that giving an AI too much authority would lead to disaster."
"Wasn't it thanks to Ella's computational support that your arms dealing business was able to outperform both the Taixuan Front's Vermilion Flame Court and the former ME Corp?"
Tap...
Tap...
Tap...
The crisp sound of footsteps echoed in the vast, dark space.
A blond nobleman in lavish clothes strode brazenly into the Senate meeting, the symbol of one of Schicksal's three great powers.
He held the scepter representing the Overseer's authority, standing in the center of the twelve monoliths, which were now all sparking with quantum fire.
"It seems you are all discussing something very interesting." Otto smiled faintly, his face as handsome and charming as ever. "On any other day, I might have enthusiastically joined in and taken the largest slice of the cake for myself."
"But this time, I'm afraid not."
His turquoise eyes narrowed to a slit, his voice low and magnetic.
"I have just issued an order. The Senate's command to recover Fuli (my brother), as well as the warrant for the Hyperion, have all been rescinded."
His burning gaze seemed to pierce through their very souls. Everyone he looked at could feel an undeniable pressure.
"I trust none of you will disrespect my wishes on this, will you?"
An invisible force seemed to fill the air, commanding an involuntary reverence.
...
In the silent air, the high senators chattered amongst themselves through their private channels.
Even the outspoken Number Eleven didn't retort directly. Instead, he immediately ordered his intelligence units to investigate the connection between Fuli and Otto, searching for any clues they might have missed before.
Judging by stereotypes, the Senate might seem like a collection of power-hungry old relics.
In reality, the department was composed of representatives from leading companies in various industries, half of Europe's multinational corporations, and renowned millennium-old anti-Honkai families.
For example, the noblewoman at Seat Three was a good friend of Theresa's, entrusted with managing the vast assets of the Apocalypse family.
The hot-tempered but upright Number Eleven was the new head of the Kaslana family after Siegfried's defection. The calm Mr. Two was the representative for the Vatican.
And before ascending to the position of high senator, they were always carefully taught one thing by their family elders:
How to deal with Otto Apocalypse, the living fossil who was about to celebrate his 600th birthday.
—By the time you first lay eyes on the Overseer, he has long since etched your reflection into his Soulium.
Even though, on paper, the Senate could stand on equal footing with the Overseer, they were ultimately a coalition.
And a coalition, a fist made of twelve separate fingers, could never be clenched tight. When facing an iron-fisted tyrant like Otto, they were bound to be at a disadvantage.
There were even rumors that the only reason Otto kept the Senate around was to prevent the lower echelons of Schicksal and other organizations from panicking.
A Schicksal with three separate powers would make people wary, but also secretly relieved. A Schicksal under one man's absolute rule would only attract the fear and hostility of everyone else.
Therefore, the senators could read the situation.
The unyielding authority in Otto's eyes was telling them this was not a discussion, but a king's decree to his vassals.
A notification—Do not lay a hand on Fuli (my brother) before I change my mind.
But not everyone could be rational.
For example, Number Five of Schariac.
With his time running out, he sneered, "Who doesn't know that you, Otto, once used the Fuli boy as bait to lure Siegfried? And now you're pretending to be the good guy?"
Yes, the reason Ragna had been able to safely send young Fuli back to Shenzhou was largely thanks to Otto's help.
And his purpose was exactly as Number Five had said—fishing.
Using young Fuli to fish for Siegfried.
After Siegfried defected with K-423, Schicksal had lost track of them for a long time.
Anyone who's been through the Honkai world knows how important K-423 was to Otto's plan.
So Otto went along with the flow, using Ragna to escort young Fuli out of his territory, waiting for Siegfried to be unable to resist making a move to snatch him.
Even a brief contact would have been enough for Schicksal to pinpoint his and K-423's location.
If Siegfried had appeared within a hundred kilometers of Fuli, a Honkai Fission Bomb would have completed its "holy cleansing" within ten minutes.
As for what came after, Otto's original plan was to retrieve the bait and, through persuasion or methods like Fenghuang Down, forge young Fuli into a blade that would fight only for him.
Fenghuang Down-brand hypnotism. Even Theresa would say it works great.
Or, like he did with the previous S-Rank Valkyrie, Reanna Brigantia, he could continuously modify his body with Soulium until he could eventually replace him entirely.
Otto was a man of schemes and methods, but he was ultimately lacking in raw power.
A monster with 6500 HW of Honkai adaptability at the age of eight... such a body, plus ample time and the nearly infinite resources of the Overseer.
To conquer the world, one man and one sword, to suppress all, would not have been a problem.
Unfortunately, Siegfried saw through his plan.
He had actually managed to resist the urge to contact young Fuli, leaving Otto the fisherman completely empty-handed.
Until four years ago, when the Valkyrie squad led by Ragna found K-423.
Seeing that his plan could proceed, Otto had breathed a sigh of relief and was about to retrieve Fuli to continue his original plan.
However, when the man saw the little knight who had inherited the Kaslana spirit, saw him shine like Kallen, reaching out to help others time and time again...
"Forget it," he had said to himself.
That kid isn't a full-fledged Herrscher. With this little time, how much stronger could he get?
And so, Otto had withdrawn the surveillance.
At the same time, he had altered Fuli's records, changing the original [Repatriated to Shenzhou] to [Deceased due to severe radiation sickness].
This was also the reason why certain members of the Senate had not bothered Fuli in the past.
Otto was always meticulous when it came to his plans. They had all thought Fuli was dead.
Until he voluntarily jumped out during the Third Honkai Eruption, once again entering the world stage.
The web woven by fate is always stronger than a Divine Key.
The dark horse he had casually abandoned back then had now connected the cross of St. Freya and the Vermilion Knight, the banner of Durandal, the successors of Anti-Entropy's Executors, and...
[Come to think of it, was it because Rita saw the altered records that she thought her childhood friend (Fuli) had died long ago and gave up looking for him?]
[And Durandal and K-423—well, all I can say is, this love quadrangle is a mess.]
Thinking of this, Otto, the culprit who had practically single-handedly created Fuli's current network of relationships, truly felt that fate worked in mysterious ways.
I truly am a sinful man.
...