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As Otto stood there—
even Fu Hua, powerful as she was at the time, was moved by his actions.
She cast a deep look at Otto and, contrary to everyone's fears, did not strike him down on the spot.
Instead, she spoke to the two of them with clear implication:
"Bearer of the Key… think carefully. What is it that you truly wish to protect?"
With that,
the mighty immortal turned and left the battlefield.
Yet even without Fu Hua continuing her assault,
the Schicksal army present had already been frightened out of their wits by that terrifying being from Shenzhou.
In the end, the decisive battle of the Eastern Expedition concluded with Schicksal's defeat.
After the loss, Schicksal withdrew and returned to Europe.
On the road back, Kallen continued discussing with Otto whether Schicksal's actions in this war had been right or wrong.
But as mere chess pieces manipulated by Schicksal,
they had no way to resolve anything themselves.
All they could do was leave everything to the "great figures" at the top.
After returning to Europe,
in order to compensate for the losses incurred by the war,
Schicksal introduced an inhumane policy known as atonement bonds,
using it to further oppress the civilian population.
This decision deeply angered Kallen
and further strengthened her doubts about Schicksal.
Thus, Kallen became the Phantom Thief Violet Kite,
stealing from the rich to give to the poor.
And Otto…
He had understood long ago—
from the moment he officially became part of Schicksal's upper echelon—
that Schicksal's conduct had already betrayed the organization's founding ideals.
But in order to see Kallen smile,
to conceal Schicksal's darkness,
and to keep Kallen from danger—
Otto stayed by her side,
supporting her actions as a phantom thief,
while secretly using his authority to protect her.
However…
Truth, once hidden, is always uncovered.
Kallen soon noticed something amiss—
she discovered Schicksal's inhumane experiments being conducted in secret within the city.
And the mastermind behind those experiments…
was Otto.
Unlike Kallen's idealism,
Otto had long since seen reality for what it was.
This world was not beautiful.
If he wanted to stand his ground within it,
he had to dirty his hands alongside those corrupt figures at the top—
only then could he protect the woman he loved from becoming the world's target.
He firmly believed in his own path.
He had to unravel the secrets of Honkai
to gain the power to protect Kallen.
But none of this was understood by Kallen.
Carrying the Oath of Judah, she stormed into the cathedral,
put a stop to Schicksal's continued experiments on Pandora's Box,
and after a fierce battle, seized the artifact and left—
leaving Schicksal,
leaving Otto,
leaving behind the place where they had grown up together.
But peace did not last long.
Barely a year later,
Kallen was captured and brought back to headquarters.
Awaiting her
was an unjust trial—one she could never possibly win.
The nobles and the Castle Council seized upon her "betrayal" as an opportunity,
using it to strike at Schicksal's three great families.
The current head of the Kaslana family lacked the power
to protect Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie.
And in the end,
the verdict of the council was clear:
Kallen Kaslana was sentenced to death.
She was imprisoned once again in Schicksal's dungeon.
And Otto—
in order to save Kallen,
frantically sought out everyone he could possibly turn to.
In the end,
he stood before his father.
[Ningguang]: Schicksal's corruption… even Otto's father has completely changed, hasn't he?
[Jing Yuan]: An organization like this no longer deserves to exist.
[Furina]: Otto and Kallen's ideals… have finally diverged.
[Ruan Mei]: Kallen's thinking was still far too idealistic.
[Herta]: Otto had already seen the darkness of reality. And someone as emotionally distant as him cared for no one except Kallen.
[Raiden Ei]: Under the threat of Honkai, sacrificing a few for the future of many can be justified.
Under the dim yellow sunlight filtering through the stained glass of St. Peter's Cathedral,
Nicholas Apocalypse's expression was inscrutable.
Otto's gaze, however, was unwavering.
No matter the price,
he would save Kallen.
"Toppling the Kaslana family is only the first step,"
the old man said in a low voice.
"The nobles will make an example of this case."
"Their goal is to dismantle the power-sharing structure of the three great families and force us to cede authority to the council. This cannot be allowed."
His gaze lingered meaningfully on his third son.
"Kallen Kaslana—
must die."
[In that instant—]
[Even though he had prepared himself mentally, Otto Apocalypse still felt as though he had been struck hard. His body swayed as dizziness overtook him.]
[He had exhausted every possible means, begged everyone he could think of—]
[and in the end, unwillingly came before his biological father, only to be refused.]
[Kallen must die.]
[Those words became a crushing weight, pressing endlessly upon Otto's heart, forcing it lower… and lower.]
[He fixated on those six words, scarcely even hearing what his father said next.]
"I am old,"
Nicholas Apocalypse—the most powerful man in Europe—said slowly.
"With age comes blindness, and mistakes made without realizing their gravity."
"The disastrous Eastern Expedition should have been my warning, yet I hesitated."
"I failed to advance by retreating, and instead left us vulnerable."
"This impeachment aimed at the three great families is my responsibility."
"After Kallen Kaslana's execution, I will retire."
"This will satisfy the Castle Council, yet also catch them off guard."
"But the problem remains—
who will succeed as Overseer of Schicksal?"
"The most ideal successor is dead."
"If Nando were still alive, the Eastern Expedition's failure would not have had such consequences."
"Fabian? My second son—strong on the outside, weak within."
"And you, Otto…"
Hearing his name snapped Otto back from his daze.
He looked at his aging father, startled to see a trace of warmth on his face—
something never shown to him before.
"Otto… do you think I underestimate you simply because I rarely show you affection?"
"No. No matter what, you are still my son."
"Of all my children, you are the most complex."
"You inherited your mother's brilliance, learned political cunning from me, and your darker side resembles your grandfather."
"People say you are weak and incompetent—clearly, that is not true."
"Your achievements during the Black Death proved your capability."
"But let me be clear—
you are still not qualified to become Overseer."
Otto said nothing.
He clearly remembered that in the last family meeting,
Nicholas had personally promised to pass the position to him.
He waited for his father to continue.
"I will pass the position to Ferdinand's eldest son, Marcel."
"The boy is only sixteen, yet already has a heart of iron."
"Your mother, Fabian, Lisa, and I will all retire together—this will lull the council into complacency."
"This was the best decision, agreed upon by all of us.
Only one variable remained."
"That variable is you, Otto—
which is why you are allowed to remain here and hear this."
Nicholas stepped forward.
The oppressive authority of the Overseer froze the air in the room.
"The Kaslana family has become Schicksal's—and the three great families'—greatest liability!"
"Times have changed. The Kaslanas are no longer our allies."
"If we do not bring this traditional third family back under our control, it will eventually destroy Schicksal!"
Otto understood immediately.
In the end,
neither he nor Kallen truly mattered.
What mattered
was the marriage contract between them.
"Otto, my son—
I now offer you a bargaining chip you cannot refuse."
"Kallen Kaslana's life."
"And my demand is one you have no reason to reject."
"I want you to marry Katarina."
"No matter the means, you must force her to fulfill the engagement."
"In exchange—
I will spare Kallen's life."
[The old man's words were calm, yet utterly cold—nothing more than calculation and exchange.]
[Otto's lifelong dream lay right before him.]
[Fate, time, and causality converged, pushing him toward a long-desired outcome.]
[Forcing Otto Apocalypse to marry the only woman he truly loved.]
[Yet he felt no joy.]
[Because he knew—this was not what Kallen Kaslana wanted.]
That very night,
Otto went to the prison.
"Fulfill our engagement," he said.
"You know I won't let you die."
In the darkness, within arm's reach—
yet utterly unreachable—
stood Kallen Kaslana.
A former saint of Schicksal,
imprisoned behind iron bars.
Otto grasped the railing.
He could reach her if he wanted to.
But her response was calm.
"Schicksal doesn't care whether I live or die.
Nor does it care about my relationship with you."
"If I accept, I merely become a hostage used to control the Kaslana family, don't I?"
"Yes."
Otto did not lie—
because that was the truth.
But his voice grew urgent.
"So what?! If the engagement is a pretense, it can remain a pretense forever!"
"What matters is that you live!"
"Kallen—so long as you live—"
From the other side of the bars came her unwavering reply:
"Living may be important.
But betraying one's heart and becoming a chess piece—
is that truly living?"
"That kind of life
is no nobler than death."
Silence fell.
The entire cell sank into stillness.
Otto already knew what she would say—
every word, every syllable.
Yet he refused to accept it.
His hands clenched tightly around the cold iron bars.
"Tell Overseer Nicholas—Kallen refuses his offer.
This is my own decision."
"I reject Schicksal's actions."
"I despise the blackened heart hidden beneath its radiant façade!"
"Kallen Kaslana would rather die!
This is my resistance—nothing more than resistance!"
Otto Apocalypse could not move.
"I understand… Kallen… I truly do…"
Silent rain fell upon his heart.
"But I won't let you die."
"No matter the means, whether you agree or not—
I will not let you die!"
For the first time,
Otto's elegant voice cracked.
Otto Apocalypse—
who could remain perfectly composed before death,
before godlike pressure—
lost all control
when faced with Kallen's execution.
His heart
was in complete chaos.
In Schicksal's command room,
Otto cast one last deep glance at Kallen on the screen
and waved his hand, concealing the image.
"When the timeline reaches the present, report to me."
After briefly instructing Amber,
Otto lowered his gaze and returned to work.
Not because he had urgent duties to attend to—
but because what was about to happen
had already replayed countless times in his nightmares.
It was a past engraved into his soul—
one he did not wish to witness again.
"I promise," Otto murmured softly in his heart,
his voice gentle.
"Next time we meet,
you will no longer be a memory."
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