Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

Schicksal HQ, the floating island.

"Overseer, the mission is complete. I'm returning to HQ," Durandal reported, her voice echoing in Otto's private quarters. She was flying above the clouds, carrying the unconscious Lin Wei. "I left Yuno in Manila to assist Rita. She'll return with them later."

Otto, seemingly uninterested in Yuno, simply replied, "Since you took her with you, you should at least let her see her friend." Then, his tone turning serious, he asked, "Report." He dispensed with pleasantries.

"It went smoothly." Durandal held Lin Wei close, deliberately slowing her flight, careful not to jostle the unconscious man.

She hadn't cared much before, but after witnessing his actions, she felt… a strange sense of respect. "The target seems to be suffering from severe exhaustion. He was unconscious when I retrieved him." She glossed over the incident with Anna, not wanting to cause trouble. She admired the girl's loyalty.

"Is that so? Excellent." Otto's voice was a mix of disappointment and amusement. "Let's give our 'hero' a proper welcome." Despite the honorific, his tone was devoid of respect. He had little patience for heroics.

"I confirm that this 'Lin Wei' is the same individual as 'He Kun' from the previous mission," Durandal continued. "I also made… another discovery."

"Oh?" Otto's interest was piqued.

"The individual who interfered with my previous mission and took the target… is likely connected to him." Durandal glanced at the katana still clutched in Lin Wei's hand. "I recognize the weapon. He's holding it now."

"Is that so?" Otto was surprised. He'd assumed it was World Serpent, not another player interfering with his plans. This was… intriguing. "Our old friend seems to have… improved." The naive, idealistic Welt he remembered had become a cunning schemer. He was impressed.

Normally, such news would have angered him, but now, with Welt himself as his target, this only made the prize more valuable.

"It seems we might be able to… recover what we lost," he mused, his voice filled with a predatory glee. Not only would he capture Welt, but he might also retrieve what Welt had taken from Raven. A double victory.

As for Durandal's earlier report about a woman interfering with her mission… that wasn't a problem. Welt could easily disguise himself as a woman. He just needed to understand the… mechanics of female anatomy.

And a Herrscher, with the element of surprise, could easily overpower Durandal and steal her target.

He'd already constructed a plausible explanation, based on the limited information available. Who would have anticipated a completely unknown player entering the game?

There were still unanswered questions, of course. If Welt was so powerful, so cunning, why had he remained hidden, allowing Anti-Entropy to tear itself apart? Did he have another agenda?

"Are you certain he's unconscious?" he asked, still wary of Welt's abilities.

"Yes, Overseer," Durandal replied, checking Lin Wei's condition again. "It appears to be extreme exhaustion from his earlier actions. He won't be recovering anytime soon. As for any other injuries, we'll need to conduct a thorough examination."

"Of course, it's Welt, after all." Otto relaxed. "No matter how much a person changes, some things remain constant. We'll get our answers when he arrives at Schicksal HQ. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

He was confident he could control Welt. A man burdened by such a strong sense of justice, of duty, was easily manipulated. As long as Welt clung to his ideals, Otto had him on a leash.

And if Welt abandoned those ideals… then he wouldn't be Welt anymore, would he?

He looked at the satellite image, the large gap in the clouds above Manila.

Insignificant.

"Good work, Bianka," he said, satisfied. "Safe travels. And don't keep our guest waiting too long." He ended the call. He trusted Durandal to handle any unforeseen circumstances.

"Now, while we wait, let's check on another old friend with a… strong sense of duty." He smiled, his expression strangely amused. "I hope our dear Fu Hua isn't too surprised by this news…"

He still trusted Fu Hua, but he wanted to remind her of her place, to discourage any… independent thoughts, to ensure she continued playing her assigned role.

Just like he'd done countless times over the past five hundred years, whenever she'd shown signs of rebellion, like that little stunt she'd pulled in New York half a century ago.

He always forgave her, of course. All he had to do was mention her oath to protect Shenzhou, and she would immediately fall back in line.

It had always worked.

Even though the once naive Immortal had become more cunning, more adept at deception, her fate remained unchanged. She was still his pawn.

"A strong sense of duty… such a tragic flaw," he murmured, his smile cold and calculating.

It was because of Fu Hua that he'd so readily accepted Welt's "transformation," confident that he could still control him. Such people were so easily manipulated.

"Hello, my old friend. How are you?" He contacted Fu Hua, his tone instantly shifting to one of friendly concern. "I have some good news. The Sovereign of Anti-Entropy, Welt, has been invited to Schicksal HQ. He'll be arriving shortly…" He wanted to see her reaction.

As expected, she was momentarily stunned, then, after a brief pause, she replied, her expression and tone unchanged. "That's not funny, Otto."

Did you discover Welt's presence at St. Freya? Are you trying to pressure me? she wondered.

Welt, in the next room, after his initial shock, came to the same conclusion. He held his breath, listening intently, ready to flee if necessary.

"Not funny? My dear Fu Hua…" Otto was pleased by her reaction. Such surprise couldn't be faked. He decided to push a little further. "On the contrary, we've located Welt. He's currently with Durandal and will be arriving at HQ soon." He paused, feigning excitement. "Isn't that… wonderful news?"

Fu Hua stared at him, her expression unreadable. She didn't believe he would waste her time with such a childish prank.

Durandal escorting Welt to Schicksal HQ?

Then who was the sickly man she'd just seen?

Welt, equally confused, continued to listen intently.

"Overseer, instead of wasting my time with these… jokes, I suggest you focus on the current Honkai eruption," Fu Hua said, her tone sharp. "I'm currently on the Hyperion. My time is limited. What do you want, Otto?" She knew he always had an ulterior motive.

"Very well, I'll be brief." Seeing her annoyance, not surprise, he abandoned his little game, slightly disappointed. "A year ago, I asked you to investigate a civilian named 'Lin Wei' near St. Freya. Do you remember?" He knew she remembered everything. Unless she was deliberately feigning ignorance.

Fu Hua paused, surprised by the sudden change of subject. From Welt to Lin Wei… and it was such a minor incident… why bring it up now?

Did you capture him? she asked, her brow furrowed.

That's why he wasn't in Singapore… she thought, her worry growing. This was bad news.

"You seem rather… concerned about this Lin Wei," Otto chuckled, noticing her frown. "You're right. He's currently with Durandal, on his way to Schicksal HQ."

"Wait," Fu Hua interrupted, her eyes narrowing. "Are you saying… Lin Wei is Welt?"

Otto confirmed it.

Fu Hua touched a feather to her forehead, its pink glow enveloping her, checking her consciousness. "I'm not dreaming…" she muttered, confused. But this is… absurd.

Lin Wei was Welt? Impossible! She knew Lin Wei. It didn't make sense.

I'm right here. How can Lin Wei be Welt? Welt, in the next room, was equally baffled.