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Of course, targeting Sa effectively would require detailed and meticulous planning.
In the original storyline, the pursuit of Sa was based on Su's thorough calculations, and ultimately, it was his proxy agent Vita who sealed Sa's fate.
Ana didn't want anyone else to reap the rewards; she now possessed the capability to take down Sa herself, viewing them as a stepping stone. Thus, she absolutely wouldn't allow any unexpected interference.
However, there was no rush.
Until Earth fully passes Finality's trial, she would remain patient, waiting for the opportune moment.
With Su keeping watch over Griseo, there would be no issues. If Sa indeed senses something, Ana could swiftly intervene, overturning everything outright. Having such power grants unwavering confidence.
Version 5.4 arrived promptly, and although Ana's new armor dominated the cover art, the actual storyline took a different approach.
Notably, Ana's new armor introduced a unique Virtual Being support character—a riding spear user wielding Judah' Lance Mode, "Oath of Radiant Glory." This character specialized in breaking shields and providing significant buffs.
As an initial S-rank character, her strength was unquestionable. Essentially, she served as a replacement for Carole but differed slightly in functionality and attributes due to being an initial S rank. Nonetheless, she remained a versatile support unit.
To avoid overshadowing Herrscher of Sentience on similar grounds, the developers made compromises and adjustments.
Facing such a compelling character, Captains had no choice but to spend their crystals on summoning her.
Fortunately, this time, Captains were well-prepared with ample crystals. By optimizing out characters like Lacta and Carole, they saved a significant amount, allowing most Captains to accumulate substantial reserves.
As for the storyline, the first half remained largely unchanged from the original plot. However, compared to before, Durandal now also witnessed Ana's presence, albeit briefly.
With the descent of the divine self, many records about Ana gradually became hazy. This obscurity differed from Otto erasing himself from the Imaginary Tree; it represented a different form of transcendence.
Unless Ana chose to reveal herself, over time, she would inevitably be forgotten by others.
Ultimately, Durandal successfully transcended the Heavenly Origin Realm and encountered the true Stigma's will of the Kaslana lineage. These events unfolded similarly to the original narrative.
Following this sequence, Durandal and Kiana entered the church together, ready to confront the fake god, Otto.
Throughout their encounter, Bai Zhi observed silently, serving as a passive camera-like presence. There was little need for interference, after all, this outcome had been chosen by Otto himself. Any abrupt disruption could only lead to mutual dissatisfaction.
To be fair, the power of the fake god Otto should not be underestimated. The creation of a false deity relies on the Imaginary Tree, whereas Herrschers depend on the Cocoon of Finality.
In terms of hierarchy, Otto's fake god falls just beneath Sa's achieved evil deity. Positionally speaking, it even surpasses the Herrscher of Finality; however, actual circumstances don't align so neatly.
Compared to Finality, the weaknesses of the fake god were glaringly evident.
Nevertheless, without doubt, if Otto truly wished to eliminate Durandal and Kiana, it would have been as effortless as flipping a hand.
Rather than engaging them in battle, Otto was essentially allowing them time to seek ways to defeat him. In essence, he provided ample opportunity.
Even gods search for their own Executioners, and Durandal and Kiana serve as the Executioners for the fake god, Otto. In this aspect, there is a certain understanding between him and Sa.
Of course, this only applies to Sa and Otto, not necessarily Ana's divine self.
At least, Ana has no intention of seeking any Executioner. Falling along the path of exploring the unknown holds little consequence for her.
Naturally, everyone has their aspirations.
Moreover, becoming a fake god was merely one step in Otto's grand plan. Existing genuinely as a fake god would undoubtedly be tormenting for him. After all, a fake god can be seen as a slave to the Imaginary Tree.
However, at least Otto successfully made genuine contact with the Imaginary Tree within the realm of Virtual Beings. Although, Ana had achieved this feat long before him.
Unfortunately, she couldn't assist Otto directly, or rather, the price he could offer was insufficient for her to help fulfill his lifelong ambition.
It wasn't about being elitist; intervening would indeed require such a cost, and it's not something Ana initially possessed either.
Of course, instantly reviving Kallen on the spot remains impossible due solely to the laws governing Honkai's universe.
Finally, as the Herrscher of the Void unleashed its power, the Infinite facade of the fake god momentarily faltered. Seizing this opportunity, Durandal and Kiana decisively defeated Otto once and for all.
With the curtain falling on the false deity Otto Apocalypse, what remained in existence was merely a solitary wandering spirit—the true Otto Apocalypse.
After all, the real Otto died completely the moment the priestess perished.
In the Present World, within the live stream's chatroom:
The screen displayed an explosion of the Herrscher of the Void's power, followed by a brief moment of darkness. Everyone understood that at this instant, Otto Apocalypse's chapter had come to an end.
Of course, his journey was far from over, but as for the Honkai World, Otto's story had reached its conclusion.
Amidst a short silence, the bullet comments erupted like fireworks.
Some players popped champagne bottles.
[Ewoo! Finally, Otto is dead!]
Others reflected on Otto's life and offered their assessments.
[Otto... Actually pretty tragic, despite being villainous at times. But this outcome... In any case, he did genuinely help humanity against Honkai!]
[Sigh, even Kia and Durandal struggled quite a bit. Imagine how much harder it would've been if Otto didn't hold back!]
[Kiana: My apologies, Otto, for not giving you a more satisfying fight!]
[Hahaha!]
"Regardless, Otto's tale has indeed reached a significant turning point."
Brother Cake scanned through the bullet comments, feeling somewhat nostalgic.
Indeed, despite Otto being the antagonist, he had been a constant presence throughout the story. In the past, his antagonism wasn't as pronounced either.
Otto's existence was complex; to the main characters, he often felt both as an enemy and a friend. Of course, this didn't absolve him or whitewash his actions, nor would Otto himself care for such redemption.
However, from the perspective of the Captain and players from another world, it rang true.
While he certainly wasn't a good person, much like Kun, although fans constantly joked about him, they still held fond memories. Unfortunately, Kun failed to live up to expectations. As for Otto, one comment perfectly summed it up:
"Everyone might pop champagne, but the first bottle-or perhaps the first toast-would undoubtedly be placed at Otto's grave." Naturally, if Otto were to rise from his coffin, everyone would swiftly hammer more nails down.
"Don't worry, folks, there's still a part of Otto's story left," Brother Cake spoke after a brief moment of silence.
After a brief silence, Brother Cake spoke again.
"He won't let it end here; he still needs to save Kallen."
Indeed, while this marked the conclusion for the fake god Otto, the final chapter of Otto Apocalypse's story had yet to unfold. There was no way Otto would choose death without purpose—he must have a goal in mind.
And now, his sole obsession and likely objective is to resurrect Kallen.
However, even at this point, viewers were unsure how exactly Otto planned to revive Kallen. Nonetheless, this didn't stop them from offering their support.
[Go, Otto! You can do it!]
[Otto, despite being a jerk, hang in there this time!]
[Maybe don't cheer too much; who knows what sneaky moves Otto might be planning behind the scenes!]
[True, celebrating prematurely isn't wise.]
[Alright, Brother Cake, keep pushing the plot forward. Don't make us wait too long, bros!]
[Exactly, let's see what happens!]
As usual, Ana watched the screen, but this time it was her phone's display, as she wasn't in her dormitory but outdoors.
Around her lay an open field, and not far away stood two figures—Sirin and Bella.
"I must admit, Otto does make for a rather charming villain," Ana chuckled softly while reading the bullet comments. Naturally, she wasn't surprised; even without foreseeing it explicitly, in the original timeline, Otto received similar treatment from viewers.
Her presence hadn't fundamentally altered Otto, so naturally, there wouldn't be any significant changes.
But why would present-day Ana be here? The reason is simply because...
"Big Sister!"
Sirin's voice called out from a distance.
"Coming."
Ana casually slipped her phone into her pocket and walked towards them.
"Young Lady."
Bella respectfully bowed and handed a lighter to Ana.
Bending down, Ana lit the fireworks placed on the ground. Instantly, they soared into the sky, exploding and blossoming into brilliant floral patterns.
In the distance, Sirin lifted her head, her cheeks flushed with excitement, a smile gracing her face.
Undoubtedly, this display of fireworks commemorated Otto's death, symbolizing Sirin's complete liberation from his influence.
Moreover, it also marked Sirin bidding farewell to her past and embracing a happy life moving forward in this world.
Due to these meanings, Ana had specifically taken time off to accompany Sirin for this event. The surrounding area was secured by the housekeeper's financial prowess, ensuring their privacy.
After all, safety is paramount, especially in such a fragile world.
As Ana watched the fireworks light up the sky, her eyes sparkled, filled with new ideas. Whether they could be realized... well, that would depend on the System.
The System, after all, had been inactive for far too long. This time, if it didn't yield some gold coins, she'd let the divine self absorb it!
As for whether it can be achieved, only trying will reveal the answer.
(System: Having you is truly my fortune.)
In the Honkai World, Kolosten, within the church:
"Well done, Bianka and Kiana."
Otto's voice suddenly echoed, but his physical presence had vanished.
"That voice?"
"Otto?!"
The girls were caught off guard; they hadn't anticipated hearing this supposedly forever silenced sound again.
"No need to be tense... my formidable warriors."
"You indeed reversed the laws governing the 'fake god' in an instant, transforming my spirit into its current state of a lonely wandering ghost."
"Soon, everything will settle according to your will—therefore, before that moment arrives, allow me to congratulate you both."
"I congratulate you on preventing me from destroying your history and fellow comrades."
"Of course... I also congratulate myself, as I can finally bid farewell to my life without any regrets."
"...Bishop! We stopped your insane plan," Durandal abruptly spoke up.
"Now, isn't it time you reveal your true purpose?"
Indeed, even now, Durandal couldn't comprehend why Bishop Otto's actions were so peculiar. There was no apparent reason for him to behave this way, yet he persisted.
Durandal certainly didn't believe that Bishop Otto had lost his mind; after all, this was none other than Bishop Otto himself.
"Ha... You truly remain steadfast, Bianka."
"How is it possible? Even at this point, you still refuse to see me as your enemy?"
"Certainly, I cannot forgive what you've done to me. However, I also won't forget the guidance and training you provided."
"And even today, I firmly believe..."
"In the depths of your heart, you still, in some form, hold onto the beliefs you taught us."
"Heh... Such a stubborn child."
"To be honest, from the start, I hoped each of you would stand against me, viewing me as utterly irredeemable—"
"While the first part succeeded, unsurprisingly, the second failed."
"Oh dear, should I feel vexed or relieved, my friend?"
Suddenly, Bishop Otto's tone shifted, startling both Kiana and Durandal.
"But I am relieved."
A figure emerged from the depths of the church. Clad in black veils and wearing a mask, she exuded an enigmatic aura. In her hand, she held a golden box—the Void Archives.
"It's you," Kiana exclaimed, surprised.
However, the newcomer didn't respond, merely standing still without any movement.
"Ah ha ha, perhaps indeed. Regardless, they did defeat me, even momentarily overcoming 'Him' behind me—a remarkable feat. She must be incredibly pleased! Ha ha!"
"She?"
Kiana exchanged glances with Durandal, feeling somewhat puzzled. Initially, they assumed "she" referred to the priestess, but upon further thought, it didn't fit the context.
Bishop Otto continued without explanation, absorbed in his own thoughts: "Finally, I have the chance to perform a similar act for the world I cherish. To be precise, returning a lost torch into Her hands."