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

Anna didn't fully grasp Lin Wei's reasoning, but one phrase stuck out.

"This is the second time you've mentioned the Overseer. What do you mean?" A wave of fear washed over her. "Do you have to be his enemy?"

Don't you know who I am? I'm a Schicksal Valkyrie!

Do you expect me, a Schariac, to betray Schicksal for you? Or are you trying to force a break between us, making me draw my blade against you?

Anna's heart ached. She couldn't do either.

"It's not that I want to be Otto's enemy. He's the one who insists on being mine. I'm just defending myself…" Lin Wei stated firmly. He knew his words were causing her pain, but this wasn't the time for hesitation.

"Why? I don't understand…" Anna murmured, lost and distressed.

What didn't she understand? Why he opposed the Overseer? Why he was telling her all this? Why he was forcing her to make this impossible choice? Or something else entirely? Even she couldn't say for sure.

"Yeah, I don't understand either…" Lin Wei sighed, shaking his head. "I don't understand why I arrived in this world with nothing. I don't understand why I'm susceptible to Honkai. I don't understand why I just want a peaceful, ordinary life, yet I keep getting dragged into these bizarre situations."

"Honkai, Schicksal, World Serpent, and that useless Anti-Entropy…" His voice grew colder. "I don't understand… why these damned organizations keep causing me trouble, forcing me to do things I don't want to do!"

Anna, sensing the profound anger and confusion in his voice, snapped out of her daze. She grabbed his arm, her voice urgent. "Lin Wei, run! Hide! Forget about me!" Tears streamed down her face. "You're just one person. You can't fight Schicksal, you can't fight the Overseer…"

She chose to play dumb. Her words, filled with concern, were like a soothing balm to his agitated heart.

He chuckled, gently stroking her auburn hair. "I also don't understand why I had to go to Coral Island that day, only to meet a silly girl like you."

"You think I'm a burden?!" Anna bristled, feeling even more aggrieved. I'm worried about you, and you think I'm a burden?

"Of course not. I just feel it's unfair to drag you into my mess…" He paused, a wry smile touching his lips. He'd always warned others about St. Freya being a vortex, yet he'd become one himself. "But then again, if I hadn't gone to Manila, a clumsy hothead like you would probably be dead by now…" He teased, trying to lighten the mood.

"Waaah… you do think I'm a burden…" She burst into tears again. He's looking down on me! A girl's mind worked in mysterious ways.

"No, no, it's not like that. It's just… a strange twist of fate." He sighed, ruffling her already messy hair. "I'm sorry you're caught between me and Otto. It's a difficult position to be in."

As a Schariac, raised in Schicksal, her entire life, beliefs, and worldview were intertwined with the organization. Dragging her into this conflict was undeniably cruel.

"…Run, Lin Wei. Hide. Don't let anyone find you." After her tears subsided, Anna looked at him, her eyes red-rimmed. "Something big happened in Manila. Schicksal's main force will arrive soon. You have to leave!"

"What about you?"

"Don't worry about me. I'm an A-rank Valkyrie. I can protect myself!" She patted her weapons, trying to sound confident.

"Roar!" A Honkai beast's howl echoed in the distance, making her jump. Her bravado crumbled instantly. It was understandable. She'd been running for her life since the eruption; her nerves were still frayed.

Seeing her flustered reaction, Lin Wei couldn't help but laugh, earning him a glare. "You're laughing!"

Anna didn't understand her own emotional volatility.

But before she could get truly angry, she deflated like a punctured balloon. "You shouldn't have saved me. You shouldn't have told me any of this…" She shook her head, her voice filled with uncertainty. "I know Schicksal has done bad things, hurt many people, including you. But I… but I…"

She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence.

But I'm a Schicksal Valkyrie, so I have to side with them? She couldn't bring herself to say it. It was too selfish.

But should I betray Schicksal for you? That was equally impossible.

I'm just an ordinary Valkyrie. Why is this happening to me? For a fleeting moment, she wished she'd died back there.

But could she blame him for saving her? No, she couldn't do that either.

Once again, she was caught in a whirlwind of conflicting emotions.

"Silly girl, overthinking again?" Lin Wei saw right through her. "My conflict with Otto is personal. Technically, I helped Schicksal solve a long-standing problem. But Otto… he's not exactly grateful. He prefers to repay kindness with… attempted murder." He pointed at himself, chuckling. "That's my luck~"

"Don't be ridiculous. Don't slander the Overseer like that." Anna was still despondent. "Besides, does it make a difference?" Wasn't it still being enemies with Schicksal?

"Of course it does!" To rouse her spirits, he dropped a bombshell. "Strictly speaking, my claim to the position of Overseer might be just as legitimate as Otto's!"

"You're talking nonsense again!" Anna exploded, clawing at his chest as if trying to rip out a chunk of flesh. "You're not an Apocalypse! And the Overseer has held that position for five hundred years! What claim could you possibly have?!"

Growing more agitated, and afraid of hurting him, she grabbed his collar and started shaking him again. "You're just bullying me! Bullying me! Bullying me!"

"Calm down, calm down! Let me explain!" Seeing her renewed energy, he quickly stopped her. "I have my reasons for saying this!"

"Fine, tell me!" she huffed. "Let's see what you come up with!" I'm a Schariac! Who do you think you're fooling?

"Remember my Divine Key?" he asked calmly.

The question brought Anna up short. She frowned. "Right, I almost forgot. How many Divine Keys do you have?"

She'd seen the Black Abyss White Flower, the feather that implanted memories (which he claimed was a Key of Sentience), and the gravity manipulation that had led her to believe he was the 1st Herrscher, likely the 9th Divine Key.

That was three already! And the Black Abyss White Flower shouldn't even be in his possession! If not for the shocking revelations, she would have questioned him about it sooner.

"Just one. I'll explain that later, as it's related to what I'm about to say." He smiled. "Since you're a Schariac, you must know Schicksal's history well, right?"

"Of course!" she declared proudly. She was a top student, after all!

"Then let me test you. What do you know about the events of five hundred years ago?"

"Ugh… being quizzed on Schicksal history by an outsider feels weird…" she grumbled, but complied. "Five hundred years ago, during the Black Death in medieval Europe, the Old World Schicksal was tyrannical. Kallen Kaslana, a young saint, led a rebellion. She was persecuted and fled to the Japan with a Divine Key containing a great disaster. She later returned willingly and sacrificed herself. Her follower, Otto Apocalypse, inherited her will, overthrew the corrupt Old World Schicksal, became the Overseer, purged the rot, restored order, and led the new Schicksal to this day…" She finished breathlessly, then looked at him quizzically. "Why are you asking?"

"Follower? Tsk, tsk…" Lin Wei scoffed at Otto's "humility." He brought the conversation back on track. "Do you remember how I got my Divine Key?"

"You defeated a Herrscher from the Previous Era in Nagazora, and then…" Anna recited readily, wondering why he was bringing it up again.

"Where is Nagazora?" he prompted.

"In the Japan, of course…" she answered automatically, then her eyes widened. "Ah, you mean…?"

"You're so smart, Anna~" he chuckled, then his expression turned serious. "Five hundred years ago, Schicksal had two Divine Keys, one gold and one black. They were 'divine artifacts' discovered by Schicksal's founders."

"The golden one, found in Asia, was called the 'Śarīra' and enshrined in the Apocalypse family's sanctuary. Naturally, it fell into Otto's hands." He smiled faintly. "Its true form is the 1st Divine Key, Void Archives, created from the Core of the Herrscher of Reason after the Previous Era defeated them. It contains almost all of their knowledge. It's this Divine Key that allowed Otto to lead Schicksal to its current state, and it's this Divine Key that has allowed him to overcome the limitations of mortality and live for so long."

He paused, letting Anna absorb the information before continuing. "The 1st Divine Key possesses the authority of the 1st Herrscher, allowing it to replicate and simulate the appearance and abilities of other Divine Keys, based on the data it contains – except, of course, for the 12th."

"The 12th Divine Key?" Anna repeated, feeling overwhelmed. "How do you know all this?" She hadn't known any of this. Otto had kept the existence of the Void Archives a closely guarded secret.

"Yes, how do I know?" Lin Wei echoed her question, his tone enigmatic. "You may not know about Void Archives, but you should know about the black box, right?"

"Yes. Schicksal records state that it caused a terrible disaster due to the Old World's mistakes. Saint Kallen sealed it again at great cost and fled with it to the Japan, where it was lost…" Anna trailed off, then looked at him, realization dawning. "You're saying… it's in your possession, aren't you? The Divine Key you obtained is the lost Divine Key of Schicksal?"

"Yes, that's right." Lin Wei nodded, his expression solemn. "The 12th Herrscher, who destroyed the last hope of the Previous Era, was sealed within a piece of Honkai-resistant material by their scholars. They intended to forge it into a Divine Key, but they failed. Five millennia passed, and it was eventually found by Schicksal, then taken to the Japan and sealed again by Kallen…"

"After the 3rd Eruption, the seal was broken, and the Herrscher of Corruption reemerged. Finally, defeated by a cunning mortal, it relinquished its past and fell into slumber, granting this mortal a Divine Key…"

He held out his hand, and the true form of Pandora materialized – a black box. He gazed at it with tenderness, as if admiring the most beautiful thing in the world. "This is it, the completed 12th Divine Key. I named it 'Pandora.'"

"Really…?" Anna was speechless, as if witnessing history unfold before her eyes. She reached out a trembling hand towards Pandora, but it floated away, hovering near Lin Wei's shoulder.

"Sorry, Pandora might… not like you?" He chuckled awkwardly.

"…It's okay," Anna mumbled, retracting her hand.

"Saint Kallen Kaslana rebelled against the Old World Schicksal and fled to the Japan with the Divine Key. Five hundred years later, I cleaned up the mess she left behind, bringing closure to the past." He held Pandora aloft, his voice ringing with conviction. "Therefore, in a sense, I am the true inheritor of Saint Kallen's will! As for Otto? He's just a pretender!"

His impassioned speech, filled with righteous indignation, almost convinced him as well.

Whoa, is that actually true?

Whether it was the rebellion five hundred years ago or his five-century reign, Otto had always used Kallen as a symbol, claiming to be her follower. His legitimacy as Overseer stemmed entirely from her.

And now, Kallen's true successor had appeared, bearing her legacy!

How does that feel, Overseer Otto?

A taste of your own medicine, perhaps?

A mischievous thought crossed Lin Wei's mind: Otto Apocalypse? A usurper! I, Lin Wei, am the true rightful leader of Schicksal!

Carried away by the idea, he projected images of Judah's Oath, Black Abyss White Flower, and Seven Thunders of Retribution, boasting, "See? Whatever Void Archives can do, Pandora can do too!"

Dazzled by the display of Divine Keys, Anna grabbed his hand, her voice earnest. "Lin Wei, don't be foolish. Return the Divine Key to Schicksal! I swear on the Schariac family name, both the Overseer and Schicksal will treat you well!"

She knew he had no chance of staging a successful coup. Otto's rule was too deeply entrenched. No one would support him.

Lin Wei understood her good intentions, but he shook his head firmly. "I can't do that, Anna."

"Why? Do you actually want to be the Overseer?" Anna was exasperated. "Even if I agreed to this madness, what good would my support alone do?"

"You misunderstand, Anna. I don't want to be the Overseer!" He chuckled. "I'm a free spirit. I wouldn't want such a tedious job!"

"Then why?" she asked, bewildered.

"Pandora is bound to my life force. I can't give it to anyone else…" He smiled. "Besides, didn't you forget, Anna? I'm just an ordinary person with no Honkai resistance. It's thanks to them that I survived, that I can stand here with you, unharmed, in this Honkai-infested city."

If he'd had these powers from the start, he wouldn't be in this mess. He would have joined the main cast long ago!

His explanation silenced Anna. It made sense. He couldn't give up something essential to his survival.

"Then… you don't have to be enemies with Schicksal, do you?" she asked hesitantly. "If you just… presented it as a normal Divine Key, without all the… baggage, Schicksal would welcome you!"

"Otto has already converted himself into a digital consciousness. His physical body is just a shell made of Honkai-resistant material," Lin Wei countered. "The Key of Corruption is a direct threat to him. He won't tolerate my existence."

"But… but…" Anna stammered, her arguments weakening with each word.

Was Schicksal truly a force for good? She'd once believed it, but now she wasn't so sure.

And if Schicksal itself wasn't entirely righteous, was Otto Apocalypse truly the benevolent leader he appeared to be?

She didn't know.

"Lin Wei, run! Hide! Don't let anyone know you have the Key of Corruption!" This was the third time she'd urged him to flee. "Thank you for telling me this. I don't blame you. But I don't want you to get hurt!"

Lin Wei opened his mouth to reply, but a soft groan from the bed interrupted them.

"Mmm… what time is it?" The little girl rubbed her sleepy eyes, muttering to herself. "Mommy, Daddy, and big brother… no one woke me up…"

She sat up, then froze, realizing she wasn't in her own bed. The room wasn't familiar, and everything around her was in ruins, as if ransacked by bandits.

Then she saw the two figures sitting by the bed. One was the girl she knew.

Reality crashed down, shattering the pleasant haze of sleep.

"Anna…" she cried, looking around frantically. "Is the nightmare… not over?"

Anna looked at Lin Wei helplessly, unsure what to do.

He sighed, patted the child's head, and addressed Anna. "Let's go. I'll take you somewhere safe. You need to rejoin your captain and the others."