"Sounds impressive—but aren't you mistaken about something?"
"…?"
"You've seen far too many memories, and because of that, you've forgotten some crucial things."
Durandal gazed steadily at the puppet before her.
"In your eyes, perhaps there are many people like Siegfried—people who repeat their ancestors' fate again and again, yet never truly grasp it."
"But that is merely the result of their lives—and results do not possess absolute meaning."
"Precisely because you are the will of the stigmata, precisely because you have the chance to witness all of their lives—"
"You should be even less likely to forget that every memory you have seen belongs to a living, breathing human being."
"To humans who still make choices and shoulder burdens, even amid pressure, pain, and despair."
"Life's value is far more complex than what you perceive…"
Faced with Durandal's perspective, the puppet showed a hint of interest and replied with evident curiosity:
"But I am the will of the stigmata—a rule that has functioned this way for fifty thousand years."
"If you wish to change my view, then the first thing you must do… is defeat yourself."
As the words fell—
Before Durandal appeared a figure identical to herself!
This was exactly what the puppet meant by defeating oneself.
And very soon—
Under Durandal's unprecedentedly firm resolve—
As the false body formed by the stigmata's will was shattered and dispersed,
boundless desolation once more engulfed all of the girl's senses.
Unlike the static memories she had experienced before…
She could feel it—within the depths of this desolation, something like a silent ascetic's will was curled up and dormant.
As if responding to her intent,
that coiled will slowly unfurled,
choosing a corner of the desolation as the landscape of its own heart.
Kevin (?):
"After half a year, we meet again."
In an instant—
With Kevin's appearance before Durandal,
everyone watching the screen was shaken to the core!
At the deepest layer of this space…
It truly was a fragment of Kevin's consciousness!
Though… perhaps only a residual shard.
[Keqing]: Is that… Kevin?!
[Raiden Mei]: Wait—shouldn't Kevin be at the World Serpent base?!
[Ruan Mei]: This seems to be only a fragment of consciousness.
[Ningguang]: So the deepest part of this space really is connected to Kevin.
[Ningguang]: A space drawn by the Kaslana bloodline—no wonder it's filled with Kaslana memories!
[Shenhe]: Since she's passed the trial, does that mean Durandal can leave now?
[Tesla]: Finally! Durandal can escape this space!
[Tesla]: Hurry up—go out there and punch Otto hard!
[Kiana]: You have to stop Otto's scheme!!
[Furina]: But… Kevin's plan is just as extreme…
[March 7th]: None of them are easy to deal with…
[Xianyun]: The closer the apocalypse, the more madmen appear.
Durandal responded immediately:
"…But you are not him."
"Correct. I am merely his shadow—
a bubble left behind to watch over this special stigmata."
"After discarding all the external personalities you saw earlier, what remains is the most fundamental part of him."
Kevin spoke calmly.
"You know what I intend to do next, and I know what you intend to do."
"I cannot maintain this state for long. This is likely our only chance to speak."
"If you have questions—ask them now."
His directness surprised Durandal slightly.
(Compared to the will from earlier… he truly is far more straightforward.)
(No matter what, this is a rare opportunity to obtain critical information.)
At that moment, Durandal knew—
She had to ask everything she could.
Including—
Otto's true intentions.
She was certain Kevin knew something.
"You previously implied that the Kaslana stigmata are fundamentally different from other stigmata."
"Correct."
Kevin did not conceal anything and nodded.
"The Kaslana stigmata are not merely a hereditary set of genes."
"They also include a series of organelles originally belonging to Honkai beasts."
"Much like plants rely on chloroplasts for photosynthesis—"
"These unique organelles ensure that the Kaslana stigmata do not rapidly decay across generations."
"And thus, every descendant retains the chance to awaken true power."
"By that logic… does that mean members of the Kaslana family can't be considered biologically ordinary humans?"
"That depends on perspective."
"Though their genetics and cellular structures differ significantly from normal humans, this is no stranger than mitochondria or chloroplasts in ordinary life."
"If you don't have a particular aversion to such things, there's no need to think of yourself as some ancient aberration."
Durandal nodded, then recalled something crucial and asked:
"Do you believe Otto intentionally exiled me to this space?"
"Though the topic was diverted earlier, it still troubles me."
"How do you interpret the situation from your perspective?"
"He tampered with your navigator—Genius. You should have come straight here to meet me."
"Yet interference from other factors caused the navigator to lose its original precision."
"Was it the power of the Holy Blood you mentioned?"
"The Holy Blood prevented me from meeting you directly, but that had nothing to do with spatial accuracy."
"I'm referring to your navigator itself."
"It had already been privately implanted with multiple navigation systems, making it impossible for Otto to adjust it with perfect precision."
"For instance—you were carrying two Genius units, one old and one new, operating under different principles."
"I see."
Durandal nodded silently.
(Rita… you really did prepare a true talisman for me.)
She continued:
"So the power of Otto, the power of Sumeru-in-a-mustard-seed, the power of Genius—"
"And my Holy Blood—under the struggle between these navigational forces, I ended up having this experience in the space?"
"In simple terms, yes."
"Which brings us back to your question."
"I believe the Bishop wanted you to fully inherit the Kaslana power."
"Because that would make it even harder for me to interfere with his plan."
Kevin's eyes gleamed.
"He seems to be searching for something related to the Kaslana lineage through the Imaginary Tree."
"He clearly does not want his path to intersect with mine unnecessarily."
"But without a doubt, fully inheriting the Kaslana power would only strengthen my resolve to stop what he calls his 'plan.'"
"Perhaps… that is exactly his goal."
Kevin continued:
"Based on your memories, I can offer an irresponsible conjecture."
"For example—perhaps, to him, your efforts to stop him from destroying the world grant his actions a different kind of meaning."
"And it is precisely for this reason that he has chosen, at this moment, to stubbornly fold and reconstruct what he calls the 'intrinsic world.'"
In an instant—
Kevin's conjecture shocked Durandal.
And sent a tremor through every viewer watching.
Kevin…
Had deduced Otto's possible mindset so quickly?!
He wasn't Durandal—he didn't know Otto that well!
Even Rita and Durandal, who understood Otto deeply, had only sensed that something was wrong.
Yet Kevin arrived at such a conclusion almost immediately?!
That was… terrifying.
What secrets and plans was Otto hiding?
Avoiding Kevin's interference was understandable—
But Otto's recent behavior was impossible to decipher.
Provoking the Hyperion crew on purpose.
Putting on one grand performance after another in public.
Why?
[Ningguang]: What exactly is Otto trying to do??
[Yanqing]: This Kevin is terrifyingly sharp…
[Fu Xuan]: Indeed—he inferred that Otto's goal might be far more complex in just a few sentences.
[Herta]: Someone like Otto would never expose his intentions so easily.
[Herta]: Especially not through such reckless world-destroying theatrics.
[Himeko (Honkai)]: Did he deliberately provoke Rita and Durandal into rebellion?
[Kiana]: But… what does that do for him??
[Theresa]: Grandpa… what are you really trying to do…
Durandal fell silent.
Kevin continued:
"Looking at me like that won't give you answers."
"As I said—this is merely an irresponsible conjecture."
"The only evidence is his complete indifference toward the current situation."
After failing to reach a conclusion, Durandal let go of further speculation.
At least for now—
She would stop Otto at any cost.
Stop him from destroying this world.
She shifted the topic:
"At first, I thought this space was some kind of residue within the Imaginary Space."
"But you say it is a Stigmata Space with its own structure and origin."
"They are essentially the same—just different perspectives."
"Stigmata and Stigmata Spaces were flawed failures from the beginning."
"She once tried to directly connect human consciousness with the Imaginary Space through stigmata—but the result was unsatisfactory."
"Thus, the Stigmata Project was born—using those failures as the price to purchase humanity's future."
"As a side effect, only people like you can transcend eras and witness that cruel yet thriving tomorrow."
Durandal shook her head firmly.
"We cannot accept being annihilated by Honkai—
but we also cannot accept such radical plans."
Otto's madness was unacceptable.
But the Stigmata Project was no better.
Kevin nodded, unsurprised.
"I understand. But that lies beyond my scope."
"I am only the will of the stigmata."
"I will not oppose any attempt that benefits the defeat of Honkai."
"But as for the real him… you must understand—his compassion may not exist in the same temporal dimension as yours."
"Not… the same temporal dimension?"
"I'm afraid I can't elaborate."
Durandal fell silent once more.
This Kevin allowed questions—
But always avoided the core truths.
After all…
He wasn't the real Kevin.
She changed direction again:
"Why can you easily switch appearances when embodying others—
yet when you play Siegfried Kaslana, you always appear as that puppet?"
"One reason is convenience—using personality fragments directly is easier than reconstructing appearances from memory."
"The other reason…"
"Isn't it because you lack a clear memory of that man?"
"…"
"Don't rush. You'll eventually have the chance to change that."
"Aside from one person long ago, you may be the first human completely unaffected by the negative influence of stigmata."
"Who was that?"
"Someone you could never know."
"And the reason you're unaffected should be entirely different from hers."
"…"
"The Schariac Holy Blood is indeed a genetic mutation worthy of pride in your era."
"And the one who revived that bloodline—Bishop Otto—"
"At least for you, he is akin to the real Kevin: an indirect giver of your talent and power."
"They are both profoundly complex individuals."
"If circumstances allowed, I would rather not be their enemy."
"But fate—or personal will—no longer permits that."
"So you see them as enemies, but do not simply hate them."
Durandal neither confirmed nor denied.
Then she asked one final question:
"I've heard that the Kaslana family possesses a 'family will' that aids them in desperate moments."
"Is that will… you?"
"My duty is only to help them awaken the power hidden within the stigmata."
"Everything else either belongs to the stigmata itself—"
"Or, as you said earlier, is merely their own indomitable spirit."
"And when accidents occur…"
"The real him personally takes over my role."
"Though that was back when he was sealed in the Sea of Quanta, bored beyond measure."
"Now that he's regained his freedom, I doubt he has much interest in this place anymore."
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