In the real world, when Otto's punch-worthy face appeared on the screen, people enthusiastically offered him their warmest greetings.
[Damn Otto sushi!!!]
[Why don't those two just start fighting, and then kill Otto who's stuck in the middle afterward]
[Exactly, exactly, if the writers really wrote it like that, then this would truly be a masterpiece]
———
[Back to the video.]
Everyone turned toward the sound, only to see Otto Apocalypse slowly walking over, with a calm expression on his face.
"Archbishop?"
Durandal froze for a moment, but still withdrew her power and stepped aside.
Otto walked up to Kevin, slightly bowed, and said, "Leader of World Serpent, I've long admired your name. You've already fully demonstrated your strength. Since that's the case, I must return the courtesy."
Kevin stared coldly at the person who had stopped the fight before him, but the surrounding chill did not decrease one bit.
Facing the other's cold and indifferent gaze, Otto spoke steadily, meeting Kevin's eyes directly.
"I, Otto Apocalypse, the current Archbishop of Schicksal. Leader of World Serpent, are you interested in making a deal?"
Kevin was silent for a moment, his gaze still icy, "What deal?"
Otto's voice remained calm, but there was a trace of anticipation in his eyes.
"A deal that will benefit both World Serpent and Schicksal..."
———
[At the Same Time, Elsewhere.]
Far from the Schicksal base, in the desert, Kiana was trudging forward with difficulty on the scorching ground.
Her body was gradually sinking, and fatigue kept tormenting her brain.
Although in Sky Dome City, Van had already helped her seal the Herrscher of the Void's consciousness in the deepest place, but after absorbing a vast amount of Honkai energy and frequently using the Herrscher's power, that consciousness which had been deadlocked began to stir again.
Thinking of this, Kiana couldn't help but feel dispirited. She didn't know what she had been holding on for all this time.
Whether it was the frustration at her own lack of ability, or the helplessness at being unable to change the current situation, but soon, she pulled herself together.
The person who made her lift her head and move forward was still vivid in her mind.
"Van..."
She didn't know whether it was sweat or tears, but droplets slid down her cheeks, and Kiana still closed her eyes.
She didn't know why, but she suddenly wanted to go back there. Back to the place where her destiny began, back to where she and he first met...
Back to, Changkong City.
———
[On the Other Side, Outside Schicksal's Laboratory.]
The high-ranking members of World Serpent who had been summoned were scattered around, gazing at the golden spherical object in the sky, their faces filled with fanaticism.
Because the one they swore to follow until death, their honored leader, was inside it.
They had once thought the leader's power existed only in legend, but now, the fact that Schicksal was compromising proved the reality of this.
At the same time, inside the Void Cage, in the microcosmic garden, two men sat opposite each other.
Otto scrutinized the man before him.
He was the leader of World Serpent, and also the former Number One of the pre-civilization organization "MOTH" – the MOTH that Chased the Flame.
And the look in this man's eyes made Otto feel indescribably nostalgic.
'What kind of eyes were those, so indifferent that nothing in the world seemed to matter to him.'
Of course, if he hadn't heard some gossip in advance from his old friend, Otto truly wouldn't have guessed that the man in front of him had that kind of past.
Shaking off the strange thoughts in his head, Otto suddenly placed his right hand on his chest and called out with a smile, "Long live World Serpent."
———
[???]
[Wait, Otto, aren't you afraid of being sued for copyright infringement by the neighbors?]
[Hail Hydra!]
———
[Back to the Video.]
Yet, what responded to him was Kevin's unchanging expression.
Seeing that his cold joke had failed to achieve the desired effect, Otto wasn't the least bit embarrassed. Because the concept of face, he stopped caring about that a long time ago.
"Haha~ Just a joke. Using a friendly opening to try and create a relaxed atmosphere for our conversation."
At this point, Otto put away his exaggerated expression, and a touch of respect appeared on his face.
He knew everything about this man. He knew what this man had once sacrificed to fight against the Honkai.
Precisely because of that, he also knew just how mad the man before him would become in order to achieve his goals after going through so much.
The Stigmata Plan.
This name sounded incomparably sacred, yet it would bring about an apocalyptic disaster for the humans of this planet.
A plan akin to genocide, was actually the only way to fight against the Honkai?
Otto could not agree.
Sure enough, when the man before him finally asked Otto to help carry out the Stigmata Plan, Otto's face showed a satisfied smile.
'Here it was. Finally here.'
A faint smile lingered on Otto's face, "If you make a request, you must offer a corresponding price. So, what are you prepared to trade in exchange for my promise?"
After speaking, Otto began calculating silently in his mind.
Everything was within his control. But from here on, he had to be extremely cautious, because the real show had just begun.
As long as everything went smoothly, he would finally realize the plan he had dreamed of for so many years.
Kevin was silent for a moment, then said coldly, "I don't need your promise. Obey, or be destroyed. You have no other choice."
———
[Cool! Kevin! So cool!]
[Kevin, don't ask anymore, just destroy everything]
[I can't wait to see them start fighting!]
———
[Back to the Video.]
However, in the face of Kevin's threat, Otto remained composed.
He stated that Schicksal was indeed no match for World Serpent, but he was not someone who would sit and wait to die either.
Moreover, once war broke out, he would do everything in his power to delay World Serpent, to buy time to stop the implementation of the Stigmata Plan.
Basically, a mutual destruction scenario.
After a while, Kevin asked, "What is your request?"
Seeing Kevin finally back down, Otto's face finally showed satisfaction, because it meant his plan was already halfway to success.
Otto looked Kevin in the eye and slowly said, "I need something. Something that has no value in your hands… the Second Divine Key, Key of Eruption."
After hearing Otto's words, Kevin's brows furrowed slightly, "You want to reach the Imaginary Tree?"
"That's right," Otto answered frankly,
"I need to use Key of Eruption to open the door to the Imaginary Tree. On the other side of that door is the eternal moment, the origin of the end, and also the destination I must reach."
Kevin's voice remained icy, "You know the consequences of doing that."
Otto chuckled lightly, "Of course I know. To be precise, it's because we both know the consequences of doing this that this deal can proceed."
After speaking, Otto fell into a quiet wait. He knew the next moment was the most crucial.
As long as Kevin nodded, all his plans would smoothly move forward.
Under Otto's gaze, Kevin finally spoke, "To make a request, you must pay a price. So, what is your price?"
Kevin's words made Otto feel ecstatic. When the other party asks for a price, it means the deal has been made.
Otto smiled slightly, his tone calm but filled with deeper meaning.
"After the plan is completed, I will not only disappear from World Serpent's sight but also hand over the Divine Key in my hand, Void Archives, to you. With it, you can use it in the future to control Schicksal as your puppet. Now, I officially return Void Archives to you..."
———
[Wait, the deal is settled just like that?]
[Don't trust Otto! If he reaches that Imaginary Tree, he's definitely up to no good]
[Otto definitely wants to become a god through the Imaginary Tree, and from there achieve his goal of ruling the world. If not, I'll live stream myself eating a Laoba burger!!!]
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