Upon hearing Hokuto's instigation, Elysia no longer hesitated.

She decisively chose—

[Normal Difficulty].

There was even a save point?

Given her understanding of Honkai Impact 3rd, the hard difficulty was bound to be truly difficult.

Better to be… cautious.

Difficulty selected.

The screen returned to the game. As Durandal charged into the tower, the surrounding space seemed to invert.

What should have been a downward fall turned into a straight, endless corridor.

Durandal rode Krisina at full gallop inside the tower.

"Kiana, leave this to me!"

As her voice fell, the game gave a prompt.

Elysia's eyes lit up with interest: "Another parkour mini-game!?"

"Hmm… the mechanics seem different from previous chapters."

Summed up, this parkour was essentially Temple Run.

Side jumps to collect stamina, jumping, sliding, dodging obstacles…

Durandal on horseback, accompanied by tense BGM, had Elysia fully immersed in the game.

Amidst the tension, that vile voice of Otto suddenly rang out.

"Bianca, Kiana, you've finally arrived."

"In the name of Apocalypse, I welcome you both to witness the moment of the Apocalypse."

With those words, the game's terrain grew more complex.

Previously safe areas were now ablaze with eerie fire.

Obstacles appeared ahead, requiring the use of attack buttons to charge and shatter them while riding.

Failing to react properly would deplete Durandal's HP.

Elysia, unfamiliar with the mechanics, lost quite a bit of HP right away.

She couldn't help but feel relieved—good thing she didn't choose Hard Difficulty.

Otherwise, she'd definitely have wiped.

Just as she was getting used to the gameplay, even having the spare thought to daydream a little—

Otto appeared again ahead, launching frequent attacks, and occasionally conjured flying puppets using the Herrscher of Dominance's power to create new obstacles for Durandal.

The situation worsened.

The game displayed a new line of text:

[Kiana will assist in attacking appearing enemies with Subspace Spears]

With this prompt, Kiana appeared beside Durandal in her Flamescion battlesuit, wielding her greatsword to aid Durandal in attacking Otto.

Seeing the two sisters fighting Otto together—

The viewers' eyes lit up, instantly drawn into the moment.

They seemed to understand why the writers had deliberately revealed Durandal's true Kiana identity earlier.

A Herrscher + Valkyrie pairing was a completely different vibe compared to a simple sister duo.

Elysia couldn't help but smile indulgently, though she had no time to get sentimental. The game's difficulty had noticeably increased.

Sigh, there must be players who chose Hard Difficulty… she sincerely wished them luck.

The path stretched on.

The battle continued.

Elysia finally depleted Otto's HP bar, but both she and the audience knew—it couldn't end so easily.

"[Dominance] has been exhausted, and [Binding] has temporarily faded."

"But they have bought me time, and an undisturbed space—allowing me to transcend Herrscher, to reach [Godhood]."

Otto suddenly resumed his monologue.

"My heroes! I truly thank you. Whether in the past or now, I have never wished to lie to you, nor see you fall into despair."

"Of course, I won't trample on your dignity by turning to care for you—"

"How to end this imaginary authority… I'll leave that for you to ponder."

He hinted at Kiana and Durandal.

Then exited the stage calmly.

The boss fight entered Phase Two.

Kiana and Durandal finally stood before Otto.

Otto had completely merged with the Imaginary authority, displaying his powerful form named [False God].

This was the complete False God. The complete Otto… cough cough.

Seeing Otto's grand transformation on screen, Elysia couldn't help but worry for Kiana and Durandal.

After all, titles like [Embodiment of the Truth of the Macrocosm] and [False God] sounded overwhelmingly powerful.

Given a certain someone's personality, in order to emphasize the grandeur of [False God], they'd definitely design the battle with high pressure and difficulty.

Thinking of this, she mentally prepared herself to die multiple times, even considering lowering the difficulty to [Easy].

But unexpectedly, while Otto's in-game presence was indeed oppressive, it was still quite a bit less than Elysia had imagined.

Her half-baked operation of Durandal, constantly countering Otto's cryptic monologues—

Somehow, she cleared it on the first try.

It felt like… Otto had gone easy on them by an entire Pacific Ocean.

The boss fight officially entered Phase Three.

"Hahaha."

Otto laughed, hand holding his mask: "You've grown quite a lot, as expected."

"But! This is the true power of authority."

He spread his arms, endless Honkai energy pouring into his body.

Otto underwent a second transformation.

At the same time, the space before the girls distorted violently.

The void's cathedral resonated with Otto's power—it disintegrated and reassembled in an incomprehensible form.

The game transitioned back into a parkour segment.

Once again, the sisters teamed up to progress.

Durandal charged on horseback in pursuit of Otto, while Kiana, using her Herrscher of the Void powers, teleported her to unreachable places.

During the chase, they discussed strategies to counter Otto.

Meanwhile, Otto, as always, continued his verbose hints.

"Having been baptized by the Imaginary Tree, I am now [Infinite]."

"How will you conquer infinity… I look forward to it."

The audience, already engrossed in the plot, grew increasingly bewildered by Otto's words.

[Otto's totally hinting at something, right?]

[Could Otto really be asking Durandal to defeat him? But to what end?]

[No wonder the boss fight felt easier than the parkour. Otto is absolutely going easy on them.]

[Story is story, gameplay is gameplay. Boss fight difficulty isn't necessarily connected to plot.]

[First time here? MiHoYo loves their meticulous details.]

...

"You wish to surpass the [True Body] using these shadows of the Imaginary?"

"Heh~ if you can manage that! I'm more than willing to accompany you to the end…"

During the fight, Otto kept chattering away.

"Girls, do you think I'm cruel? Let me teach you the truth of cruelty!"

"Anyone who falls should be given another push down!"

Durandal finally couldn't help but retort: "Your flair for theatrics is really something today."

Otto chuckled lightly: "Isn't that usually said after the performance ends?"

Kiana shot back mercilessly: "That's because your performance is almost over!"

Stimulated by Otto, both Kiana and Durandal unleashed their strongest attacks simultaneously.

A massive Honkai energy surge threatened to tear apart the cognitive space.

Such a powerful combo—

Even the [False God] couldn't withstand it. Otto was blasted away, his second transformation rapidly disintegrating, reverting to his original form in a flash.

Just as players thought it was finally over—

Otto stood up again!?

"There's more?"

Surprise flashed across their minds as they controlled the characters forward, only to find Otto…

He was clutching his right arm, limping, coughing now and then. Every punch he threw caused his body to lurch forward dramatically.

It was the first time players had seen Otto in such a miserable state—well, except for that incident in Schicksal Archives.

It made them pause for a brief moment.

But after that moment of surprise, the players pressed on.

They thought of Cecilia, of Teacher Himeko… and resolutely resumed their assault on Otto.

However, Otto, now connected to the Imaginary Tree, possessed infinite power. No matter how miserable his appearance, his health bar would keep regenerating endlessly. He couldn't be killed.

Unless…

"You cannot kill me… Power that cannot be [Reordered] is absolutely infinite…"

"With just a mere Herrscher of the Void… you cannot do it!"

Without waiting for the players or Kiana and Durandal to figure it out, Otto gave an almost direct reminder.

Combined with the advice given by the Doctors beforehand—

Kiana finally understood. She seized a fleeting opportunity, swinging her greatsword to launch Otto into the air.

Durandal took the chance to hurl her spear, pinning Otto against his mask.

Then, Kiana exerted all her strength, wielding the Herrscher of the Void's authority to disrupt the concepts of [Infinity] and [Finitude] within Otto's body.

"Let your authority be your grave!!"

"Mom, Dad, Teacher Himeko, Squad Leader, Theresa… This is what you owe every single one of them!"

A duel prompt appeared in the game.

Players frantically smashed the attack button, though they couldn't help but recall past trauma—hadn't they always lost these in-game duels?

Would something go wrong again this time?

Fortunately, nothing unexpected happened. Or rather, Otto suddenly smiled and willingly gave up resisting.

The Herrscher of the Void's authority erupted completely.

The entire cognitive space was obliterated under this power, and the girls returned to the place where they had started.

So.

Otto… was dead?

Now that the moment had truly arrived, the players found it almost unreal.

With so much buildup, if Otto died just like this, wouldn't it feel anticlimactic?

It wasn't that Otto shouldn't die.

But for an apocalypse-level villain to be defeated by the main cast through teamwork—such an outcome was too normal. It felt incompatible with Otto.

[Otto just died like that? Feels like something's missing emotionally.]

[Kiana's revenge was achieved. I'm still satisfied.]

[Yeah, yeah, so… shall we pop the champagne now?]

[Pop it, pop it, everyone pop it!]

Even if the emotional punch felt a little lacking, Otto was dead.

Thus, many prepared players eagerly opened their champagne.

For instance, Elysia poured a glass for herself and her friends.

Time to pop the champagne!

[This champagne is so sweet! So satisfying! Hahahaha!]

The livestream chat grew increasingly festive.

Elysia turned to the still-composed Hokuto.

"'Otto'-san, didn't you prepare something too?"

"Heh… cough, it's not over yet. I don't like opening champagne at halftime."

"...As expected, there's more to come."

Elysia realized she wasn't even surprised anymore.

The game scene returned to the real-world cathedral.

"Well done, Bianca, Kiana."

Otto's voice came from the game, making players mid-toast with champagne freeze.

They held their glasses mid-air, attention snapping back to the game.

Might as well drink and watch.

Durandal and Kiana were also startled by Otto's voice, instantly shifting into a guarded stance.

"Heh~ no need to be so tense, my valiant warriors."

"You truly reversed the rules beyond [False God] in that instant, reducing my consciousness to this wandering ghost."

"Soon, everything will settle according to your will… so before that, let me congratulate you."

"Congratulations on defeating [Dominance] and [Binding]. Congratulations on preventing me from destroying your history and your people."

His tone was unlike before.

No longer sarcastic, no longer lofty, no longer pretentious—rather, it sounded gentle? Sincere? Full of relief?

Like an elder who had finally achieved his wish, genuinely congratulating the two sisters.

Hearing this tone, accompanied by the slightly sorrowful background music—

Some players felt the champagne in their mouths seemed less sweet than before.

An illusion, surely. Definitely an illusion.

But their focus unconsciously sharpened.

While the mood had shifted, it didn't affect the players too much—just made them more attentive to Otto's final arrangements.

This part was complex, but to simplify…

If they wanted to create a "what-if" branch timeline 500 years ago without affecting the present world—

The laws of the Imaginary Tree had to fail for just an instant.

And only the authority of the Herrscher of the Void could achieve that. Thus, Otto gave the main cast a chance.

He meticulously crafted this stage, provoking them to challenge him in a state of extreme anger.

He bet that human willpower could create that miraculous moment.

The final result: Otto prepared to sacrifice himself to create a new timeline where Kallen wouldn't die.

The original main worldline would remain untouched, and by the way, they'd bug out the otherwise invincible Herrscher of Binding.

A four-birds-one-stone plan—everyone won hard.

"Thank you for letting me witness a miracle that belongs solely to me and her at the very end of my life."

Hu~~

Otto exhaled deeply.

Five centuries of obsession were finally reaching their end.

"I will eventually die with all my sins. But for you who still choose to move forward…"

"The stairway to conquer the Honkai has now revealed its very first step; the path ahead is winding, nearly impassable—but at its end, there truly exists a light."

"Farewell, my heroes."

With a relieved smile, he prepared to depart. But then, he suddenly remembered something.

"Ah, tell Theresa… it's unfortunate that her grandfather won't be able to attend her coronation."

With that, Otto's presence vanished completely.

His soul drifted into the distance, into the void, towards his final destiny.

…

After this sequence, the players found their mood had become… complicated.

Their fervor from earlier had cooled.

How to describe it…

[The pacing feels off… Miss Elf, maybe we should skip the rest of the plot this time (nervous)]

[I agree with the previous comment (trembling)]

"I'm a story lover, you know…" Elysia looked at the game screen. "Besides, there's no skip button for this scene."

[Damn, MiHoYo was prepared for this.]

[Why are you all so panicked? It's just Otto… no need to scare yourselves.]

In the game.

Otto no longer required player input.

He dragged his battered body toward the Imaginary Tree, leaving a trail of golden footprints on the blood-soaked ground.

It seemed to symbolize his final fate—he would walk to the end by himself.

Players who didn't want to watch, who felt emotionally complicated, who said "don't be afraid"—along with the MiHoYo staff who didn't know the full plot—everyone's gaze was drawn to that retreating figure.

Unconsciously, they all fell silent.

"Life… truly is a fragile thing."

At the end of his obsession, Otto spoke his final monologue.

"When I was a child, my sister died on the battlefield… they told me her soul was immortal, her spirit would ascend to heaven."

"Generation after generation, humanity loves to deceive itself with such lies—believing in the afterlife, in the eternity of consciousness."

"They disguise the world as if death doesn't exist, until death invades their lives and takes those they love."

"Even then, they double down on self-deception—believing that love can transcend all, convinced that emotions are eternal."

"Indeed… love, and even broader emotions, can trigger miracles… but the creators of miracles are always those who are still [alive] at that moment."

As Otto said this, his already unsteady steps faltered suddenly.

As if bearing an unbearable weight of life itself.

He seemed on the verge of collapsing.

In that instant, everyone's hearts skipped a beat. They clearly knew Otto didn't deserve sympathy, nor needed it.

Yet at that moment, they inexplicably feared he'd fall before reaching the end, never to rise again.

They stared intently at Otto, unconsciously tightening their grip on their champagne glasses. As for continuing to drink—they had already forgotten.

Until Otto, supported by his 500-year obsession, stood up once more. Regardless of what others thought, it didn't matter. He would not allow himself to fall here.

He continued trudging toward the Imaginary Tree, the final battlefield.

Even if he now had only a single point of HP left.

Poll: What should replace Teaching Kendo in Tokyo 1980 (TKT)?

Hey everyone,

I've decided to put Teaching Kendo in Tokyo 1980 (TKT) on hiatus for now. In the meantime, I thought it'd be fun to run a poll to see what you'd like me to work on next. Can't wait to see what you all pick!

Options:

A brand new fanfic (picked by me)

Continue a recommended fanfic (suggested by Readers and will be voted on Again)

Two chapters a day for Uchiha Kei: Game Dev in the Shinobi World

Two chapters a day for My Game Studio is Full of Valkyries?!

Two chapters a day for Monster Hunter Grand Assembly

📅 Voting will be open on Patreon for one week!

Heres the link to the poll

https://www.patreon.com/posts/poll-on-what-to-137136810?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkpatreon.com/BestElysium