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

Yae Sakura watched Fu Hua's feather manifestation dissipate, returning to the depths of Lin Wei's consciousness. She picked up a fresh towel, soaking it in the hot water, then turned to the little girl who'd been patiently waiting.

"You've been such a good helper. Here, let me wipe your forehead." She gently dabbed the little girl's forehead and nose with the warm towel, a familiar gesture from five hundred years ago.

The little girl, quiet and obedient, leaned into the touch, then opened her eyes, taking the towel from Yae Sakura. "Sister, you should rest too. I can look after him…" She puffed out her chest, trying to reassure her exhausted sister.

Yae Sakura smiled, nodding, accepting her offer. She looked at Lin Wei's sleeping face, then shook her head. "Not yet. I'll be fine, don't worry."

This was the Stigmata space, a reflection of Lin Wei's consciousness. Yae Sakura was also exhausted, her eyelids heavy, but she couldn't rest yet. The real Lin Wei was still lying on that examination table. She had to stay alert, maintain her connection to him, until the danger had passed.

If not for Fu Hua and Anna, she might have already succumbed to the exhaustion. Lin Wei's reckless use of the Divine Key in Manila had nearly consumed them both.

Just before he'd collapsed, Fu Hua's feather, embedded within his consciousness, had activated, severing the connection between his mind and body, its gentle pink glow soothing his fractured consciousness.

But it was only a temporary reprieve. His exhausted body, his depleted life force, was rapidly succumbing to Honkai corruption.

Fu Hua's feather manifestation was too weak to do anything more. All she could do was protect his consciousness.

Then, Anna had injected the precious serum, a surge of life force that had turned the tide. The influx of Honkai energy, ironically, had also revitalized the fading Stigmata. Yae Sakura, regaining a sliver of strength, had joined forces with the serum, purging the corruption from his body.

The internal threat was neutralized, but the external one remained. She could only watch helplessly as Jell and then Anna risked their lives to get him to safety.

Especially Anna. Witnessing her desperate efforts, her defiance against Durandal, had moved even Yae Sakura, who had initially resented her presence.

Their combined efforts had saved Lin Wei, Durandal carrying him away from immediate danger, towards another, potentially greater, threat.

And when Yae Sakura, desperate, had been ready to risk everything, to unleash Pandora, Fu Hua's feather had intervened, offering a different solution.

"We need to buy time," Fu Hua had said, her tone serious. "You need time to recover, and Lin Wei needs time to wake up. We can't afford to be reckless."

"What do we do?" Yae Sakura had asked, trusting Fu Hua implicitly.

"We can't reveal the Key of Corruption. Otto would never tolerate its existence," Fu Hua had said after a moment of thought, drawing on her centuries of experience with Otto. "We have to hide Lin Wei's true nature, especially the Divine Key. And we have to… mislead Otto, give him a plausible, but incorrect, explanation."

"If he thinks he has the answer, but needs confirmation, he'll wait. That will buy us time. The rest is up to Lin Wei when he wakes up."

Unlike the original, burdened by her oaths and regrets, Fu Hua's feather manifestation had a singular purpose: protecting Lin Wei.

So, guided by her understanding of Otto and Schicksal, she'd helped Yae Sakura navigate the dangerous situation.

"Lin Wei was right. Sometimes, being too clever is a disadvantage," Yae Sakura had said, relieved, seeing Otto draw the wrong conclusions, following the false leads she'd planted. "Perhaps… being a fool isn't so bad after all…"

…

Back in the present, Yae Sakura gently stroked Lin Wei's sleeping face, remembering Fu Hua's response to her words.

"Who isn't a fool, in their own way? Remember what he said when we first met? 'I want to live, and I want others to live.'" Fu Hua had shaken her head, looking at the unconscious Lin Wei. "Such a naive sentiment. But it was that naivete that led him to do what he did, setting in motion… everything that followed."

"You're right," Yae Sakura had agreed, realizing she'd almost forgotten that Fu Hua had met Lin Wei before she had. In fact, if not for Fu Hua, she wouldn't even exist.

"Even the original wouldn't have imagined that someone as clever as Lin Wei would still cling to such a naive belief after all this. Perhaps… that is his greatest folly," Fu Hua had said, remembering the future she'd seen in Lin Wei's memories.

"Unlike Otto, who, in his pursuit of his own twisted vision, has alienated everyone around him, leaving himself with no other option but a desperate gamble, Lin Wei, despite his difficult circumstances, always seems to find help when he needs it. If not for that, his brilliance would be useless."

She'd paused, then added, a hint of self-deprecation in her voice, "I, myself, am proof of that."

"I don't know about others. But he saved me from my nightmares, from my curse, giving me a second chance," Yae Sakura had countered.

"He could have left me to fade away, obtaining a… cleaner Stigmata. But he didn't. He showed me kindness, and I will repay that kindness. It's that simple."

"Yes, it is that simple. Because he wanted others to live, because he acted on that belief, helping countless strangers, that's why, when he was in need, you, Jell, Anna… you all risked your lives to save him, to bring him back from the brink," Fu Hua had said, looking at Lin Wei. "As the saying goes, 'What goes around comes around.' A fitting reward for his kindness. It's a shame Otto doesn't understand that."

"And what about you, Fu Hua?" Yae Sakura had added, smiling.

"You should tell that to the original," Fu Hua had replied calmly. "I'm just a manifestation, carrying out her will."

…

While Yae Sakura waited in the Stigmata space, Lin Wei was finally moved from the laboratory.

But he wasn't taken to Otto's residence in Kolosten. The lab was on the outskirts of town, while the Apocalypse Manor was in the center. It was too much trouble.

So, after consulting with Otto, he was placed in a nearby room, clean, comfortable, with easy access to medical care.

Durandal stood by his bedside, watching him sleep, his breathing steady, his expression peaceful, her brow furrowed in thought.

After a while, she turned and left, closing the door quietly behind her.

In the Stigmata space, Yae Sakura, seeing that he was safe, finally relaxed, her exhaustion catching up with her. She sat down, smiling apologetically at the little girl who had been patiently waiting. She leaned against the bed, one hand resting on Lin Wei's wrist, and drifted off to sleep.

Her long, pink hair cascaded down her shoulders, her fox ears drooping, resting against his chest.

The little girl walked over, took a blanket from a nearby rack, and gently covered Yae Sakura, then quietly left the room, closing the door behind her.

...

Schicksal HQ, the floating island.

Otto compared the new test results with last year's, a frown creasing his brow.

Do Herrschers of Reason just… make up their medical reports?

All the values had increased, especially "Honkai Resistance," from zero to… an absurdly high number.

Only a handful of individuals in all of Schicksal had higher resistance.

This was… excessive.

He sent the report to Fu Hua, who was equally baffled.

"Is this Lin Wei's latest report?" Unlike Otto, she knew Lin Wei wasn't Welt. That's why she was so shocked.

What happened to him this past year?

Seeing her stunned silence, Otto lost interest, ending the call after a few perfunctory remarks.

"Overseer," Amber reported, "Communication with the Philippines has been restored. Rita reports that the situation is under control. The cleanup operation is underway. The Oceania and Japanese Branches are also nearing completion of their operations."

"Good. Tell Rita to return to HQ after the cleanup is complete. That level of engagement doesn't require an S-rank Valkyrie's continued presence," Otto said casually, uninterested in such mundane matters.

"Also, Overseer, the monitoring department has a new report. Increased Honkai energy readings in the South China Sea."

"Oh? That location… interesting…" Otto glanced at the coordinates, recognizing the area. He decided to postpone dealing with it. "Keep monitoring it. I'll send someone to… resolve the situation later."

"Yes, Overseer."

"And keep me informed about our… guest. When he wakes up, let me know. I'll arrange a… welcome party."

"Yes, Overseer." Amber, ever the loyal assistant, would carry out his every command.

Otto's true interest lay in the information Lin Wei possessed, especially about World Serpent. He would recover his losses.

But the simulated Fenghuang Down is useless… he thought, his frustration returning. I'll have to wait until he wakes up…