Honkai x LOTM: Godish of Mysteries

*Bzzzz--zz--z-z--z-z-zz*

That was the sound of several Archangels soaring through the sky, scouting the entire area for their next victim.

Their eyes gazed at the land below, which included rocks, sand, trees, and many more buildings. It was so foreign to them that the only instinct that bubbled up inside them was contempt.

The Honkai Beasts' only goal was to destroy humanity, so when they spotted several figures grouped on a small hill surrounded by thick trees, they rushed toward their prey.

But as if the Honkai was cruel to bestow them such a Fate of being born as an Archangel, the figures or Valkyries soon noticed the swarm of flying Archangels and started to aim their weapons at the flying pest.

The once empty hill was now fully loaded with defensive barricades and walls to protect the ship, along with acting as the home base if the surrounding Valkryies needed to hold off in a secure position.

Multiple Valkyries lined on the walls started to blast through the flood of white soaring through the blue sky.

Different lines of distinct colors zoomed through the skies as each bullet hit its mark, and the fallen, decaying corpses of those Honkai Beasts started to litter the sky.

The sound of gunshots completely stopped as their targets were now gone.

"Phew...I hope that's the last of them. They're like a bunch of flies, but seeing them gather up and block out the skies kinda gives me the chills. Hey, Alvitr, are there any more coming?" 

A Valkyrie with brown hair and amber eyes asked.

In the middle of the hill lay a single computer screen that showed the surrounding environment, and the one monitoring it was the Logstic Valkryie of the Immortal Blades, Alvtir

Hearing that there was no reply, the Valkyrie called out again, "Alvit,r what's the holdup? Are you looking at Rita Fanart again? I don't think she'll be too happy seeing this."

"Of course not! I am making sure no sort of enemies are sneaking up against us."

"Great job! I remember that time when a camouflaged bastard almost spilled my guts out."

"Please don't bring that up, Cathy! I don't want to throw up my breakfast and let me focus in peace."

"Got it!"

After that interaction with her Co-Worker, Alvitr stared intently at the screen as two sudden heat signatures started to approach the base. 

"We got two people incoming; it's an adult male and a child. Be on the lookout if it's some citizens or tourists," Alvitr called out from the base.

Cathy soon spotted the intruder and responded quickly.

"Well, it's a blonde man that bears a reassemble to our Overseer, and it seems he is escorting a pale child that looks like a little vampire...Never mind, I am simply blind. Welcome back, Overseer." 

Approaching the front gate were the usual doctor-wearing outfit Otto Apocalypse and a little Bloodfiend wearing a white sundress.

"Thanks for the welcome back, Miss Cathy...And thank you, Immortal Blades, for making sure our ship isn't totaled into a heap of scrap."

"It is an honor to be granted such praise, but we're only doing our jobs." Another Immortal Blades Squad Member responded.

"It was still very wonderful...Alvitr, were there any problems that came up while I was gone?" He questioned.

Alvitr flinched for a split second upon being called out, but she recomposed herself and started to answer precisely.

"Upon Captain Durandal and Rita's assault, there have been no huge issues other than the minor swarm of Honkai Beasts storming us...We've been holding out fine. Uhh, if you don't mind, ask me...Who's the child, and why does she look sorta familiar?"

"This is Luna, a survivor of the Church of Monsters. I found her in a very disturbed situation, so I took her in. Why don't you introduce yourself, Dear? This is Alvitr, an employee of mine." 

The vampire's face flushed a little, hearing the word 'Dear' come out of his mouth, but her expression quickly turned back to her usual paleness, and she answered innocently

"Hi, Miss Alvitr...Your blood smells delicious but not compared to my precious and dearest, Liege!"

The Valkyrie took a moment to process the girl's words before responding nonchalantly.

"Is she a vampire, or does she have a penchant for blood?"

"It is a similar case of Vlad the Impaler where an individual is known to have an appetite for blood because of Honkai Experiments or Honkai Energy itself."

"You mean the Valkryie, who was one of the most important rulers Wallachia had before she became a blood-sucking m- I mean a person who likes cherry liquid!"

"Don't compare me to her...I at least ask for consent before drinking any type of blood." Luna chimed in.

"As you can see...She has a very peculiar way of talking to people, but she's a good child. Can you take care of her in my stead, treat her like how I treat Theresa...I still have some work to do."

Luna immediately reacted to his words with a pout, "You're leaving already,y but I wanted to listen more about those heroic tales you tell me...Oh, Thy Dragon Shall Fall!"

Otto got on his knees and started to gently pat her head, "I'll be back you're...Grandpa has to do some work, now be a wonderful noble vampire and don't do anything unclothe. If you need anything, ask the pretty Valkyrie named Alvitr. She will help you."

Both Vampire and Valkryie stared at the distant figure running toward the forest with different thoughts.

'Great, I am all left alone surrounded by strangers...Hopefully, there aren't any weirdos. Just gotta stay put and wait for...Why does he call himself my Grandpa? He's an adult! A delectable adult! I wonder if I could trick him into giving me his last name...Luna Apocalypse sounds so cool! But Who's this Theresa? My Rival?'

'Getting called pretty by the Overseer feels pleasantly different. No, Alvitr, stop thinking these thoughts and focus on the object at hand! How am I going to deal with this? At least she seems reasonable enough...What do little kids like again?'

"Luna was it...Would you like a tour of the place? We have plenty of amazing technology that'll blow your sense of logic out of the window. It'll be real fun!"

The young child nodded her head, "Sure...Do you have any cherry-flavored drinks? I love those!"

...

Once enough distance was reached away from where the ship was parked, Otto stopped at a certain point within the forest. The sound of wildlife croaking its natural voice and the sound of rivers flowing through was very pleasant, but that wasn't the reason why he was here.

His head turned in every direction until it was clear no one was around, and he took the chance to sit on the lush ground. 

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH! I CAN'T BELIEVE THE LOOK ON HER FACE WAS PRICELESS!"

He started to laugh like a wild, elated madman and started to slam his hand onto the ground. His face curled up into a distorted smile.

Otto Apocalypse was a very closed-off man, having very few friends, and instead was a sufferer who liked to bottle up his emotions to the very end. 

But right now, he was only a Clown laughing at the misfortune of a poor little Raven who encountered a blonde-haired Fool.

Tears of joy started to well up in his eyes as his laughter never seemed to stop.

Having your life taken away and suddenly awakening in a death world can be painful but through the harsh cold reality of the Universe...Laughter can help a broken man through his suffering.

Fate is such a cruel and hopeful concept, but whenever it comes to an Inevitable Finality, a Fool will do whatever it takes to fight against their certain death, even if it's meaningless.

He laughed at his Fate.

He laughed at his Situation.

He laughed at his Past.

He laughed at his Present.

He laughed at his Future.

And at the end, he laughed at himself.

The stress that seemed to bubble up inside of him started to dim into pure laughter until he was left lying on the ground. 

Eyes staring up at the eternal blazing sun just for a moment, he thought life was a hopeful and desparing journey.

'Even if I am just a speck of dust in this Universe...Who cares! The point of life is to find meaning in it, and my meaning is...I want to see my life through and do what I think is right; even if it brings me pain and suffering, I will have no regrets. This is Lin Doe and Otto Apocalypse's Path to Foolishness.'

After his silence of solace, he slapped his face a couple of times to fully wake up and sober himself up from all of that Elation and nihilistic thoughts until the usual smug smile itched onto his face.

"What is the color of that electric sheep?"

....

A total wreck, that was what it would seem if one spotted the situation in front of the one pristine and perfectly crafted Gopura.

The once-twenty-floor tower was covered in an ashy texture as if it was burned to crisp and the top of it was barely standing.

On the parking lot ground were numerous craters and scorched marks littered the area. The two culprits who were responsible for such damage were sitting on the same ground and resting their bodies to recover their stamina.

"Seems like you two made such a mess my poor wallet is going to cry a river!"

Bianka and Rita turned their heads to see a smiling blonde who suddenly appeared and slowly walked toward them.

The Maid of Schicksal stood up and gracefully bowed toward her Overseer. 

"I assume your investigation was fruitful, Master Otto," Rita asked.

"It was. The culprit was a kind-hearted mercenary who wanted to get her revenge on this wretched Cult, I let her go because she was but a helpful Raven on this mission, but don't worry if she tries something; let's say it won't end too well."

"I won't pry too much then, Master...Is the mission complete, or are there still some matters that need to be attended to? Like the Shepherd we have in our custody."

"His limbs have been decayed, so he can't move anymore, and we knocked him up so he wouldn't try anything funny." Bianka chimed as well and stood by Otto's side.

"Rita's guess is right, there's one more problem I...No we need to resolve. Thankfully, it'll be much easier to confirm if my guess is right." Otto stated to them clearly.

He took a glance at the unconscious lump on the ground. A sense of pity filled Otto as he saw the man's nonexistent limbs, but that thought quickly ceased. After all this, Shepard was drinking the blood out of people, including the elderly and children.

'Hopefully, I am not the same when I eventually gain the Moon or Chained Pathways...Or even worse, the Abyss...The Path made of Devils. Well, I already am one with my various war crimes.

Lingering out of his thoughts, Otto kneeled onto the ground and placed his hand on top of the middle-aged man's head. A light was cast onto the man's face, and a golden feather was suddenly conjured as it slowly drifted onto his forehead.

Mimicry of Fenghuang Down

A copy of the Eighth Divine Key from the Previous Era of the Herrscher of Sentience. Otto used to extract information from a target's mind by manipulating their thoughts subtly to fish out all sorts of info they have.

The counter to it was to have a strong mind or have abilities that can directly nullify this probing, but luckily, an unconscious Shepard is the easiest mind to break into.

Otto's pupils widen into pins as various of sight flashed before his eyes, scenes of blood, more blood, and even more blood...Automatic skip.

It was like scrolling through a social media feed, but the constant posts were that of Instagram. He had skipped through most of these man's memories until his Spiritual Intuition surged onto what he was looking for.

The purpose of why a single Shepherd and his followers were stationed here. They were siphoning their blood and that of others to cultivate a vessel for their false Deity. 

'They're trying to summon a Evil God onto this world...Well, it wouldn't work since Ourcha doesn't exist, and it's more like they're feeding a Honkai Beast their life force and energy to create a falsified image of said God. Even where they placed it can be seen as ironic and disturbing at the same time.'

Before he went on this mission, Otto made a quick trip to the Sefirah Castle and divined whenever there was danger...There was a medium risk. After that, he then asked where was the danger and gave him the answer of a the large statue of Shiva.

Otto tried prying into his mind's further for the location of the other Shepherds, but he soon found nothing...

'For bloodthirsty deviants, they do know how to cover their tracks. Must have someone who could erase their memories.'

Getting what he needed, Otto deactivated the Mimicry of Fenghuang Down and stood up to tell the news to his two Valkyries.

"I have Good news...The Good News is that the last thing we have to do is slay a Honkai Beast that has been feeding on human blood before it starts destroying everything. The bad news is that we don't have exact information on its abilities and strength, but if we make a reasonable deduction...It's 100% Blood-Based."

It would be a good time for Otto to use his Divination, but it isn't all-powerful as it can give vague answers, and it's up to the user to figure out such answers. There is an inherent risk of guessing what revelation you gained from Divination without any proper foresight.

It wouldn't be much of a problem as Otto advances his Sequences...At Sequence 6 of the Fool Pathway (Faceless), his Divination would have greatly improved.

So, the best option right now would be to blast it away into Smithereens.

"My Battlesuit might be of use, Master. Draining a Honkai Beast's vitality is its specialty, and it seems a quite fitting counter to his Beast if it comes to it." Rita suggested.

"Great thinking as always, Bianka would also help fine as well... Since the boiling point of blood is 100 degrees Celsius, or 212 degrees Fahrenheit." Otto jested.

"I don't understand how people just naturally know the boiling point of everything, but by your orders, Overseer, I will burn the Beast into a cinder...Ah, I forgot. Will we put that "man', into Schicksal's custody?" Bianka asked.

Otto hesitated for a moment before answering.

"To be frank with you, Bianka, I was going to shoot him in the head for what he has done, but if you want him to face Justice, then I'll accept that...So, what will be your choice?"

"Overseer...No, Otto, you don't have to do this. I am grateful that you don't want me to stain my hands in blood but...."

A white lance soon stabbed into the Shepherd's chest, and black vapor engulfed his limbless body as it devoured him into dust. 

He had reached his eternal slumber.

"I already knew that when becoming a Valkyrie, my hands will be stained of crimson and purple."

Otto turned silent for a moment upon the sight before asking gently

"I see...Do you still feel guilty about the lives you have taken, Bianka?" 

"....I do. I always strive to point my weapon at the Honkai, not at humans...But if it comes to shove, I'll do it."

"That's wonderful. That just means you're still a human who sees Beauty in the world...If there comes a time where I go the wrong Path, don't hesitate to point your spear at me."

"I won't...But I'll do whatever it takes to ensure you don't turn to the dark side." She let out a smile of arrogant determination.

"I hope that comes to fruition then." He then turned his gaze to Rita. "I am sorry for that touching moment, Rita. I am sure we will have the same one day."

"It's no problem...Seeing the both of you bond is quite sweet, but if we do have a moment, I would love a bouquet of roses."

"I'll keep that in mind, but it seems I was taking too long with my words, so let us commence forth and slay that Beast! Stand with me and become Heroes! To chase the flame for humanity!" 

Otto proclaimed as a sudden projected sword was in his hand and pointed toward the sun.

The two Valkyries couldn't help but have their faces curl up into bright smiles.

Bianka and Rita joined in as well, directing their respective weapons with their Overseer.

"To chase the flame for humanity!"

...

With four arms and a perfectly sculptured body, the Shiva statue stood at the Murudeshwara Temple complex, and its surface still reflected off the sunlight, giving it a shiny look.

Otto, Bianka, and Rita soon arrived at the hillside where the massive figure of a Deity stood.

"Think you could sense where the Beast is, Rita? Most Valkyries are quite sensitive to Honkai Energy." Otto spoke.

"Well, there is a heavy scent of blood coming from the statue." She answered.

"Huh, those followers are twisted. So that's why they didn't mess with the statue; they were hiding it in him."

After his words, Otto projected one Judgement of Shamash into his hand and pressed the trigger toward it.

An orange light soared through the sky, aiming for the statue, but a sinister crimson glow enveloped it, and a veil of blood dripped from its eyes, blocking the bullet.

"Tsk...That thing is stronger than an Empire Class Honkai Beast. Bianka bomb it before it fully awakens. I'll take full responsibility for the property damage!"

Crimson blood started to drip from the statue and fully engulfed it in its liquid. 

Before it could spread even further, Bianka lit the tip of her spear with black vapor and flames and threw it with all of her might at the oozing Beast.

*BOOM*

An explosion of decay and flames engulfed the entire area. The sound of flames cracking and life being eaten away was the only thing heard where the statue was.

Suddenly, a fierce roar took over the noise of the blaze.

A sudden red mist started to spread and suppress the raging flames. 

What came out from the flames was a thing covered in nurmious eyes with blue pupils and an endless gaping mouth with bladed teeth. Pus and blood dripped from all over its body, it let out wails of despair, fear, and hunger.

Otto couldn't help but laugh at the eldritch monster-like being and said manically.

"Honkai Beasts used to be believable, but is that the Red Mist!"

A/N: Happy Late Birthday, Rita, and Early Birthday for Klein Moretti. Anyways, as usual, fools, fools, fools, Otto could be a wonderful Pathstrider of Elation.