Chat Group : Another Fate From Honkai

"Beyond the Imaginary Tree?"

The moment that unfamiliar energy surged from C.C., the green eyes of Otto—usually as calm and unshakable as a still pond—suddenly rippled with visible shock.

He sprang to his feet.

Nagami's casual statement carried implications so massive that even someone like Otto couldn't help but be shaken.

"What is this power?" he demanded.

"This is energy from beyond the multiverse," C.C. replied. "You can call it mana, or perhaps M||A energy.

But that's not the main point—I'm simply using it to prove one thing: I possess power that originates from outside the Imaginary Tree."

With a graceful flick of her pale hand, the floating magic circles dissolved into nothingness. C.C. looked at Otto, whose expression had shifted to one of grave seriousness.

The light seemed frozen on his handsome face.

The usual gentleness between his brows had vanished, replaced by a gaze as cold as permafrost—a gaze that held, deep within, a madness capable of destroying worlds.

"Do you believe me now, Overseer?" she asked, a teasing smile curling her lips. "If not, I have plenty more proof to show"

Leaning back, Nagami crossed one leg over the other, eyes fixed on Otto like a man patiently awaiting judgment.

But Otto didn't respond immediately.

He took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes, letting the cold air flow through his soullium body.

'Kallen…'

For five hundred years, Otto had lived in regret.

To the world, he was the man who held everything in the palm of his hand.

But in the silence of night, whenever he closed his eyes, those distant memories came flooding back.

He remembered fire streaking across the sky, staining the world crimson—like the wrath of heaven set ablaze.

To save the townspeople, Kallen had taken a massive Honkai Beast's spear through her abdomen.

Blood poured like a fountain onto the streets, painting them red.

And all Otto could do was cradle her in his arms and cry—helpless.

Those base, ignorant commoners had wept for her, honoring her death with silence and solemnity.

But as time flowed like a river, her name faded from their lips.

Some even forgot it entirely, as if the girl who died for them… had never existed at all.

Otto despised himself.

'Why did I ever release those Honkai Beasts?'

If he hadn't—if only he hadn't—would Kallen still be alive?

If...

If...

But no matter how many times he wished for a different past, the world did not deal in "ifs."

The bloody truth stood before him: Kallen was dead.

And he was still alive.

"…No need. I believe you."

His voice was barely a whisper, like a breeze rustling through a dying forest.

"Then tell me, Nagami—tell me your method"

Suppressing his sorrow, Otto's voice came out tight, almost forced, as if pried from between clenched teeth.

His eyes burned with madness. "I will bring her back—no matter the cost. No matter what it takes, I will resurrect her."

Nagami met the gaze of the man who now looked more like a demon than a human.

Behind those emerald eyes, he saw it—a soul blazing like an eternal flame.

Unyielding.

Undying.

Truthfully, Nagami didn't completely despise Otto.

Yes, Otto couldn't be absolved—but he didn't need to be.

In five centuries, Schicksal had developed countless anti-Honkai technologies: space-time fracture systems, artificial Stigmata, Valkyrie armors, and even god-slaying suits.

Among the Valkyrie ranks, many admired and respected him.

One could argue that most of the tragedies in the Honkai-infested world were caused by him—but it was also true that he had protected this blue, fragile planet.

Not by choice, no. All of it was merely by-products of his singular goal: to resurrect Kallen.

But that alone didn't erase his achievements.

And again—this wasn't about justifying Otto.

He didn't need justification.

In fact, from a certain perspective, everyone in the world could hate him—but Kallen… she was the only one who never could.

"To be honest," Nagami said, "there are plenty of ways to resurrect someone outside the Imaginary Tree. Like, I don't know, gathering seven orbs that grant wishes… or maybe using some kind of eye power that brings people back to life."

He said it with mocking humor, just enough to make Otto's eyes flash with murderous rage.

That jab hit the mark perfectly.

"Calm down! We're just talking, Overseer!" the black-haired youth said, still playing it cool.

Otto clenched his fists.

He had no options.

Suppressing his urge to summon the mimicry of the Void Archives and unleash a Heaven's Fire slash on the spot, Otto exhaled sharply and rubbed his temples.

"…Apologies. I lost my composure."

"Ahem, well," Nagami continued nonchalantly, "with the powers I currently have access to, there is one method that could bring Kallen back."

He raised one finger.

"Time…"

Otto's expression grew almost feral with anticipation.

Nagami slowly finished, "—reversal."

"Overseer Otto, I can give you a chance to make an 'if' real."

Tokisaki Kurumi was a uniquely dangerous spirit.

Her power over time was among the strongest across any universe.

She could accelerate, freeze, or slow down time… leap into the future… or return to the past.

Alone, she held every time-based ability you'd find across all of JoJo's Bizarre Adventure.

And yet—why wasn't Tokisaki Kurumi invincible, despite wielding such overwhelming time manipulation?

The answer, of course, lies in the cost of her ability.

To wield a power on the level of time manipulation doesn't consume ordinary spirit energy—it consumes time itself.

Kurumi used City of Devouring Time to absorb the lifespans of nearly ten thousand people, all for one singular purpose: to go back thirty years into the past, to the moment the First Spirit appeared, and deal with her personally.

Her goal was to prevent the birth of Spirits altogether, to save countless lives lost because of them.

And yet, even now, she still hadn't gathered enough time.

All Nagami had to do was enter the Date A Live world—just showing up in front of Tokisaki Kurumi would be enough.

He didn't even need to say a word.

She would come to him on her own.

Because with the Code, his time was limitless.

He was a walking eternity—a source of time Kurumi could siphon forever~

…Okay, that might have sounded a little pervy. Ahem…

"Time reversal."

Otto's pupils shrank to needlepoints.

His voice remained hoarse, barely above a whisper.

In Einstein's theory of relativity, there's a concept known as a Closed Timelike Curve.

In a four-dimensional space, the distance between two points could theoretically be zero.

In Euclidean space, that would mean the points overlap entirely.

But in spacetime, while the two points may share the same location in space, they exist at different times.

This creates a structure known as a light cone.

If you're within the cone, you're in what's called a timelike region—light can travel between the two points.

Outside of it is the spacelike region, where time travel becomes impossible.

Constructing a closed timelike curve means enabling reverse travel on the time axis—actual time travel.

Theoretically, it could be done.

Otto had once attempted such a feat himself.

But just thinking about the equations was enough to make even the brightest minds tremble.

Using the Second Herrscher's authority—space—as a foundation, even with all of Schicksal's top scientists combined, they couldn't make progress.

The result everyone knows: the Valkyrie battlesuits with basic space-time fracture systems. That was all they could manage.

"But I can go back five hundred years," Nagami said calmly. "To the moment just before Kallen died… and extract her soul."

"And once you have her soul, I imagine you don't need my help to bring her back anymore, do you?"

Nagami could clearly see it in Otto's eyes—that terrifying glint of obsession, madness barely held in check.

His expression twisted into something fierce and beastly.

He exhaled slowly.

"Two questions," Otto said.

"What's the price?"

"And how can I trust you?"

Every word was heavy, as if suppressing something just beneath the surface.

"I'll answer your second question first," Nagami said.

C.C. beside Nagami raised two slender fingers, her lips curving into a light smile. "You're aware of my connection to Kiana… and to K423, aren't you?"

"None of them ever had the chance to know a mother's love. If I bring back their mother-in-law, don't you think I'll earn quite a lot of affection points?"

Nagami's tone at this point sounded more like a guy in a college dorm asking his bros whether his dating strategy would work.

Even Otto, caught off-guard by the absurd reasoning, momentarily paused in surprise.

"…Hahaha… HAHAHAHAHA!"

A crazed, unrestrained laugh burst from Otto's lips, echoing like that of a madman who'd just found something utterly hilarious.

After a moment, under Nagami's calm gaze, Otto finally composed himself and smiled—a perfect, refined smile.

"Then allow me to sincerely wish you success in your romantic pursuit. The Sirin Project will be terminated immediately."

"And now, Nagami…"

"What is the price?"

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