Inside the martial arts dojo.
Fu Hua, still dressed in her middle school uniform, placed a cup of clear tea in front of Otto.
He had to admit, he was rather flattered.
The Fu Hua who had never given him a pleasant look was now actually making tea specifically for him. Although he had eaten her cooking before, that was only because he was riding on Mei's coattails.
Even though Otto knew this was an illusion, he still felt exceptionally pleased.
Otto picked up the teacup, took a light sip, and then set it down with a smile.
Damn it!
It was tasteless.
Forget the taste of tea, it didn't even taste like water.
This was Fu Hua's illusionary world, after all; it would only truly affect Fu Hua.
To Otto, everything here was fake. The only real things were Fu Hua and himself.
Sighing inwardly, Otto set down the cup and began to survey his surroundings.
This was the martial arts dojo run by Fu Hua's family. A moment ago, Otto had been standing right outside the main gate when Fu Hua, on her way home, happened to run into him.
And now, his gaze was filled with curiosity.
A martial arts dojo?
Did they teach the kind of "martial arts" where you just tell people to "stop fighting!" or that flashy "Lightning Five-Whip Combo" nonsense?
This was genuinely the first time Otto had ever seen a martial arts dojo. Such establishments struggled to survive in modern society; most were just scams hiding behind a fancy name.
But to have produced someone like Fu Hua, this dojo had to be the real deal.
Even so, Otto could still see that the dojo was not doing well.
That was to be expected.
In the face of the Honkai, martial arts were useless.
In over fifty thousand years, there had only ever been one Fu Hua.
The Previous Era civilization had suffered deeply at the hands of the Honkai. The Herrschers brought endless suffering, making humanity and Herrschers irreconcilable enemies—to the point that even Higokumaru was later brutally killed by people who feared the Herrscher of Terror.
Under such circumstances, even if an ordinary person learned martial arts, the most they could do was fight a few zombies, and even then they'd have to risk being infected by Honkai energy.
Weapons capable of harming Honkai Beasts were far more useful than a person skilled in martial arts.
And far easier to produce.
---o---
"Would you like some snacks? My father bought some delicious pastries yesterday."
Fu Hua said with a smile, her happiness evident.
The dojo, which had practically no students, was finally getting a newcomer.
"No need to go to such trouble."
Otto replied with a smile of his own.
But the Celestial really is adorable when she smiles.
Looking at the beaming Fu Hua, Otto wondered what could have possibly turned her into the stoic, unsmiling person of the later era.
Was it despair she had experienced?
Or was it that time, unable to flatten her chest, decided to flatten her emotions instead?
Keeping such suicidal thoughts to himself, Otto spoke up.
"Little Sister Hua, have we met somewhere before?"
Hearing his question, Fu Hua looked at Otto with a hint of confusion. She pressed a finger to her lips and closed her eyes, seemingly trying her hardest to recall if she had ever seen him before.
Watching her, Otto felt a little nervous.
He was attempting to awaken Fu Hua from the illusion.
But then, his heart skipped a beat.
He realized that even if Fu Hua was trapped in an illusion, if she did manage to break free, she would probably remember what happened within it...
Would Fu Hua remember that she had affectionately called him "Big Brother Otto" in this illusion?
Oh boy, I think I'm done for.
Would a mortified Fu Hua use her Inch-Force to shatter the heavens upon his face?
Just the thought of Fu Hua's fist made Otto's cheeks ache.
However, Fu Hua simply opened her eyes and shook her head at Otto.
"I can't remember, but I have a strange feeling."
"I feel like I want to spar with Big Brother Otto in the dojo."
"But if you're going to learn martial arts here, according to the dojo's rules, you'll have to call me Senior Sister, and I'll have to call you Junior Brother."
Ah.
So she just wants to beat me up.
Wanting to beat me up—low EQ!
Wanting to spar with me—high EQ!
Otto nodded. Looking at the middle-schooler Fu Hua, a smile spread across his face, like that of a sly uncle up to no good.
He stood up from his chair and positioned himself in front of Fu Hua. Her head only reached his chest.
Then, the wicked man leaned down and whispered.
"Well then, Little Sister Fu Hua, would you like to spar with me right now?"
Fu Hua frowned, her eyes scanning Otto's skinny arms and legs.
"Hmm, is that a good idea?"
"Besides, you look really weak. Don't let the fact that I'm still in middle school fool you, I could probably take on ten of you with one hand."
Fu Hua could tell with a single glance that Otto had never trained. This was a new student she had worked so hard to lure in from the front gate. Her own skills weren't yet perfected; what if she accidentally crippled him?
Hearing her words, Otto couldn't help but chuckle. This brutally honest reply had a familiar ring to it.
This kid must have survived this long only because no one could beat her.
"It's fine."
"I, your Junior Brother, am eager for my Senior Sister's guidance."
Otto said with a grin, putting a slight emphasis on the words "Senior Sister."
Fu Hua, who had yet to be beaten down by the harsh realities of the world, felt a little giddy at being called Senior Sister. Seeing the word "thrilled" written all over her face, Otto truly wanted to see her expression after she finally escaped this illusion.
"Alright then, but I'm not at a level where I can 'guide' you. We can only call this 'sparring'."
Then, Fu Hua quickly added another condition.
"But you absolutely must not tell the dojo master, my father. He doesn't allow me to do this."
Otto nodded.
"Of course I won't tell."
"This will be our little secret."
A smile played on Otto's lips. It was clear that Fu Hua deeply respected and admired her father.
And since it's a secret, couldn't I use this to my advantage?
Otto, his mind full of lewd trash, couldn't help but think of certain doujinshi plots.
But he wouldn't do that.
He was far more interested in the father Fu Hua spoke of.
After all, the Herrscher of Corruption didn't go to all this trouble just to let Fu Hua relive her childhood memories.
Although Fu Hua, the wielder of Fenghuang Down, had been caught off guard, the Herrscher of Corruption couldn't control her directly, just as it had failed to directly control Yae Sakura and Kallen back then.
That was why this illusionary world was created.
The purpose of this illusion was to dredge up the darkness in Fu Hua's heart, to plunge her into an endless abyss, so that in the real world, her body could be controlled by the Herrscher of Corruption.
And what is the best way to make someone despair?
Nothing works better than the destruction of their home and the death of their family.
But for Otto, this was a rare opportunity to reverse Fu Hua's opinion of him.
He just needed to be there to lend a hand when Fu Hua was experiencing that moment of despair.
Perhaps he could raise Fu Hua's favorability of him from a negative value to zero.
"Then let's go quickly."
Fu Hua pulled Otto towards the dojo's sparring area, perhaps eager to show her future junior brother just how amazing his senior sister was.
Unfortunately for her, she had run into a cheater.
"By this divine Authority, I command the endless storm. The horizon is but a step away, King of Desire."
As they walked, Otto whispered the words under his breath.
Power descended upon him.
Even within the illusionary world constructed by the Herrscher of Corruption, he could act as he pleased.
"Hmm? What's wrong? What did you just say?"
Fu Hua seemed to have heard something and turned her head. Otto simply gave her a smile.
"It's nothing."
"I just can't wait to see how incredible my Little Senior Sister is."