King Crimson versus The World. Time deletion versus time stop. Who is superior?
It's a debate that would surely go on forever, with no one able to convince the other.
Just like Fenghuang Down versus Jizo Mitama, which one is the one true god?
Perhaps, in the end, the only conclusion one could reach is a mediocre one.
It all depends on who strikes first.
The first strike holds the absolute advantage.
And in truth, it was precisely because the Herrscher of Corruption had made its move subtly and without warning. Subconsciously, one assumes that the person closest to the danger will be the first to face it.
Since Otto seemed unharmed, Fu Hua had momentarily relaxed her guard. And so, the invincible Celestial was taken out instantly.
Without even deploying a single countermeasure, she was directly corrupted by the Herrscher of Corruption.
"My invincible Celestial, how did you go down in an instant?" Otto sighed faintly.
He had overestimated the Celestial.
After being killed by her seven disciples, Fu Hua's body was already riddled with wounds. Her past injuries had never fully healed, and she had sustained new ones during the Second Honkai War.
In her current state, without using Fenghuang Down, she could probably only fight Rita to a standstill.
Otto pondered this.
It seems it's time to start treating the Celestial's body.
Of course, not all at once. It had to be a slow and steady process, done in moderation, helping Fu Hua heal a little bit at a time.
Just like a scumbag stringing a girl along.
"So..."
"Where am I?"
Otto stared in confusion at the towering skyscrapers around him.
He then summoned the system panel. It appeared successfully, so it seemed the system was unaffected here.
After a moment, he reached a conclusion.
This was an illusionary world created by the Herrscher of Corruption.
It was the very place Otto had wanted to enter.
Unlike the Celestial Fu Hua, Otto had broken free from the corruption the instant after it took hold.
However, sensing something pulling at his consciousness, Otto hadn't resisted. He figured it was trying to pull him into the Sakura Samsara storyline.
A mere Sakura Samsara instance? Watch me clear it in one life!
Once he secured the Whimpering Donkey and the Big Sister Monster, he would obtain Jizo Mitama.
When that happened, even the tech-focused Anti-Entropy would have to bow before him!
But...
Otto looked around.
Skyscrapers filled the skyline, and maglev cars moved in an orderly fashion along the streets.
Where was this place?
After being pulled into an illusion by the Herrscher of Corruption, wasn't he supposed to be playing through the Sakura Samsara instance?
Where was his shut-in Whimpering Donkey?
Where was the Yae Village where he could go street racing?
Where was the Big Sister Monster who loved to call out "Big Sister"?
What was the deal with this modern, high-tech society?!
Uhh...
Otto was dumbfounded.
This unexpected deviation from the plan made him hesitate. Unlike Fenghuang Down, which could freely alter memories and control consciousness, the illusions created by the Herrscher of Corruption mainly served to amplify the deepest fears within the corrupted individual's heart.
And the content of these illusions was mostly based on the victim's own experiences.
The Whimpering Donkey's nightmare was Yae Village. This was clearly not her nightmare.
Could it be his own nightmare?
But the wheelless maglev cars on the street were not something that existed in his world.
Could it be... the world before I transmigrated?
Otto tried to recall, but everything from his past had become blurry, as if veiled in mist. He couldn't remember clearly.
He quickly dismissed the idea.
He hadn't forgotten anything right now. A conscious person falling into an illusion... it would have no effect at all.
In that case...
Was this the Celestial's "well"?
This world, with its high-tech vibe, could it be the Previous Era?
"Heh. Interesting," Otto chuckled softly.
Could he possibly find some of the Celestial's dark history here?
He could probably shatter this illusion directly with Honkai energy.
Otto looked up at the sky. But Fu Hua should also be in this illusion. If he rashly destroyed it and it caused some kind of damage to her mind, that would be bad.
Although a mentally broken, doll-like Fu Hua who would let him do as he pleased would be nice, Otto preferred the Celestial Fu Hua who would give him a look of disgust.
So, as an outsider, he couldn't just destroy the illusion.
He would have to find Fu Hua, figure out a way to wake her up, and then have her break her own illusion.
So, how to find her?
Otto looked at the bustling streets. The crowd was huge; finding one person would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
However, he noticed the relatively energetic faces of the pedestrians. This likely wasn't the world after the Great Honkai Eruption and the tragedy of the Herrscher of Binding.
This must be the early stages of the Honkai, a time when perhaps only a few Herrschers had appeared.
Humanity had not yet realized what the future held.
Perhaps at this point, Fu Hua wasn't even a MANTIS yet.
"Could my old friend's nightmare be... that she had the MANTIS surgery when she was already a flatboard, causing her to be the Shenzhou Flatboard for her entire life?" Otto said with a smile.
Just then, a crisp voice came from behind him.
"Big brother, what's a 'Shenzhou Flatboard'?"
The voice sounded a little familiar.
Otto turned around in confusion. He saw a young girl standing behind him. She had gray hair and green eyes, and her cute face, still holding a bit of baby fat, was full of youthful innocence, making one want to pinch her slightly round cheeks.
She didn't look very old, probably just a middle schooler.
She was, after all, wearing a JC uniform and carrying a backpack.
She looked like a middle school girl who had just gotten out of school.
But Otto's eyes narrowed slightly. He stared at the gray-haired girl's face in disbelief. In that face, he could see the shadow of his old friend.
Could it be...
"Big brother, why aren't you saying anything?" the girl asked, clutching the straps of her backpack. She tilted her head, looking at the silent Otto with large, curious eyes.
"Little sister, what's your name?" Otto asked subconsciously.
"Um, my name is HUA. What about you, big brother?"
The girl's parents had apparently not taught her not to tell strangers her name.
HUA...
Hua...
Fu Hua!
Otto sucked in a sharp breath. There was no mistaking it. This incredibly cute young girl was Fu Hua!
But!
My Azure Empyrea could absolutely never be a super cute middle school girl!
Still, seeing Fu Hua like this, Otto was suddenly overcome with a playful urge.
He reached out his right hand, gently pinched little Fu Hua's round cheek, and gave her a kind smile.
"Little sister HUA, my name is Otto Apocalypse."
"You can call me Big Brother Otto."
At that moment, Otto looked exactly like a creepy uncle luring a little girl.
"Okay, Big Brother Otto," little Fu Hua replied obediently. This made Otto regret not introducing himself as "Good Husband."
Otto was getting a little carried away.
Little Fu Hua blinked her big, watery eyes and continued.
"So, Big Brother Otto, you're standing at the entrance of my family's martial arts dojo. Do you want to learn martial arts?"