Aboard the Schicksal transport, Raiden Mei stared blankly at the wall.
She was no longer wearing the tattered dress ruined when the Will of the Honkai tore the Gem of Conquest from her, but the standard-issue uniform of a Schicksal Valkyrie. It didn't fit perfectly, but once she officially became a Valkyrie, she could have a personalized uniform tailored.
However, her heart wasn't in any of it.
Mei's mind endlessly replayed the image of Otto's final moments.
Every time she closed her eyes, every time she opened them, his face would appear before her.
Unwittingly, despite having only spent a few short days together, that man had already become a vital part of her life.
Was it his death that beautified my memories of him?
Mei didn't know, but every time she thought of Otto, an unbearable pain filled her heart, accompanied by a wave of guilt she couldn't suppress.
Because... the one who killed Otto was very likely herself.
Her out-of-control self had destroyed the Senba Academy school building. So, was Otto's death also a result of her rampage?
But Otto had said nothing.
He didn't blame her, didn't curse her, and certainly didn't complain.
Even as he was dying, he faced her with a smile.
And she... she couldn't even fulfill his final wish.
If only she had been decisive enough to kiss him then.
A deep sorrow filled Mei's eyes. She closed them, reminiscing about her days with Otto.
Suddenly, she longed to return to that time.
Their happy life together in the hotel... if Otto liked it, she would have worn any clothes he wanted to see her in.
But... there was no going back.
The dead cannot be revived.
A warmth welled up in Mei's eyes.
At that moment, a whisper from an unknown source suddenly reached her ear.
[Wife.]
The voice carried a strange power. Mei felt as if Otto were standing right in front of her, pulling her into his embrace, a hug that seemed to grant her infinite strength.
Mei's eyes snapped open. She looked around, but in the vast cabin, there was only herself and Miss Fu Hua, who stood leaning against the wall.
Did I imagine it?
Do I miss Otto so much that I'm starting to have hallucinations?
But...'wife'... huh?
A sad smile touched Mei's lips.
She closed her eyes again, and tears streamed down her cheeks.
She had to admit it.
Otto had succeeded.
He had successfully used his own death to make the seed he planted in Mei's heart take root and sprout.
Their relationship, which had been more than friends but not yet lovers, had just been hit with a potent dose of medicine.
---o---
Leaning against the wall with her arms crossed, Fu Hua glanced at the silent Mei.
She sighed inwardly.
That man, Otto, truly plays with the human heart to the extreme.
Yesterday, Fu Hua had found Mei in the ruins and taken her under her protection.
When she heard the news of Otto's death from Mei's lips, the Azure Empyrea almost broke character and laughed out loud. Fortunately, thanks to her specialized training, she managed to merely nod to express her sorrow.
But how could a man like Otto possibly die?
That guy was an unkillable cockroach who could resurrect even after dying.
As the woman who had been by Otto's side the longest, even with most of her old memories gone, Fu Hua knew that Otto absolutely had a backup plan for revival.
However, Fu Hua wouldn't reveal this to Mei. She had a contract with Otto, and as long as he didn't violate it, she wouldn't betray him.
But as Fu Hua looked at Mei, she wondered.
Could this be Otto's method for controlling Herrschers?
Binding them with emotion.
Is that reliable?
Fu Hua didn't know, but she just needed to do her job.
She closed her eyes. The pouch containing the Black Box was still tucked inside her clothes.
Fu Hua had not handed it over. It was something Otto had entrusted to her protection. Unless Otto himself came to ask for it, she would not give it to anyone.
Just then, Fu Hua felt the transport come to a stop.
"We've arrived," Fu Hua said, looking at Mei.
"This is the independent prison where your father is being protected."
"Per Otto's prior instructions, Schicksal has cleared your father's name of all false charges. He is free to leave."
Hearing Fu Hua's words, Mei realized she could finally see her father again.
Otto had fulfilled his promise to her.
But for some reason, she couldn't feel happy.
Her father was back, but Otto was gone.
She would never be able to lie in Otto's arms again.
Pressing her lips together, Mei followed Fu Hua out of the transport and found herself on an island floating high in the sky.
This was a Schicksal independent prison.
But before Mei could even register her surprise, Fu Hua was already leading her inside.
"Your father is being protected in here," Fu Hua explained as they walked. "I think he will be very happy to see you."
Mei stared at the ground and nodded absently.
---o---
Raiden Ryoma was being "protected" deep within the prison, living the same monotonous life day after day. But for the past few days, he had found himself frequently staring in a daze at a tablet computer with a permanently black screen.
He was terrified of missing something.
Right now, he was sitting on his bed, hugging his knees as he stared at that tablet.
I wonder when I'll be able to see Mei again.
Even just hearing her voice would be enough.
"Father."
A familiar voice sounded by his ear.
It was Mei's voice.
Raiden Ryoma's eyes lowered. He thought it must be a hallucination, born from his intense longing.
One could say they were truly father and daughter.
"Father?"
But the voice called out again, followed by the sound of a door opening.
Raiden Ryoma's head shot up. Standing in the doorway of his cell was the figure he had longed to see day and night.
"Mei!"
Raiden Ryoma shot to his feet in excitement, nearly falling off the bed. Mei rushed forward to support him.
"Father, please be careful."
Seeing her father, Mei's eyes grew warm. The grief she had been accumulating since her father's imprisonment and Otto's death finally overflowed, and she could no longer control her tears.
I've seen my father, but... will I ever see Otto again?
She had once considered ending her own life, but Otto's final words, "Wait for me," had stopped her.
The look in Otto's eyes back then... it was as if they were destined to reunite one day.
But the dead cannot be revived.
Mei threw herself into her father's broad embrace and began to wail.
No matter how much she grew, in her father's arms, she was still that little girl who never grew up, a girl who could cry her heart out.
Raiden Ryoma gently held his precious daughter, his own eyes growing warm. Seeing his daughter cry so heartbrokenly, he thought, she must have missed me so much.
This child probably doesn't have many friends. She must have endured these days all alone.
Life has been so hard on this child.
But it was alright now. From now on, he would spend all his time with her.
Raiden Ryoma gently stroked Mei's back. Fu Hua and the Valkyrie guards did not enter, instead standing quietly with their backs to the cell, leaving this space for the father and daughter behind them.
Mei cried her heart out in her father's arms.
She recalled everything she had experienced with Otto.
As she released her emotions, Mei suddenly understood.
In the beginning, the primary emotion she felt for Otto wasn't love, but simple dependency.
Having lost everything, she had relied on Otto.
But...
She didn't know when, but she had fallen in love with Otto, fallen in love with that incredibly charming man.
Was it when he ate the terrible meal she cooked?
Was it when he kissed her?
Was it when he let her see her father?
Was it when he held her and taught her how to cook?
Was it when they held hands and walked through the streets?
Or was it when he died in her arms?
Mei didn't know.
But she knew, without a doubt, that the feeling she now held in her heart for Otto was love.
She was in love with Otto.
She remembered the whisper she had heard on the way here.
Perhaps... that was her own subconscious thought.
Wife...
Subconsciously, I must have wanted to become Otto's wife.
In this lifetime, it would probably be difficult for her to ever love another.
Having lost Otto, there might be no more joy or sorrow for the rest of her life.
Mei's sobs gradually subsided. She hugged her father, burying her face in his chest.
In her heart, she silently spoke to the father she hadn't seen in so long.
I'm sorry, Father.
Your daughter is now...
A widow.