Otto, having received his answer, ran to the mourning hall and cried to Kallen, "Kallen... your father will come back to life..."
"?"
Tears streaming down her face, Kallen looked at Otto in confusion.
Otto used the Relic to transform into Mimetic: Black Abyss White Flower.
"Someone told me that if I'm willing to trade my own life... As long as you never grieve again…."
Otto aimed the Black Abyss White Flower at himself, but Kallen stopped him...
Kallen slapped Otto across the face in anger.
Sobbing, she cried, "What are you thinking?! Father protected you, not so you could do this!!"
Otto stared blankly at Kallen, who was now crouched on the ground, weeping in pain. This was the first time Kallen had ever been angry at him...
Seeing Kallen's tears, Otto, feeling utterly helpless, began to cry as well. He cupped her face in his hands, sobbing and apologizing repeatedly...
Kallen embraced Otto, weeping uncontrollably. "I'm sorry, Otto... I don't want to see anyone die.
Help me, Otto. I must become stronger, strong enough to protect everyone..."
The Schicksal Organization was jointly governed by the three great clans: the Kaslanas, whose Knights used their strength to protect; the Apocalypses, who commanded with their wisdom; and the Schariacs, who saved through their Saintess.
However, the Schariacs' Holy Blood was an accidental byproduct of a Herrscher altering the rules and was not part of the Stigmata Project.
The Holy Blood neutralized Honkai Energy, while Stigmata required it. This conflict between the Holy Blood and Stigmata led to the steady decline of the Schariac Clan.
To preserve their family's status, the Schariacs chose to form a marriage alliance with the Apocalypses. Otto was a hybrid of the Apocalypse and Schariac bloodlines, and even the entire later generation of the Schariac Clan couldn't match his blood purity.
Eventually, the Shaniacs declined to the point where they couldn't even produce a Saintess worthy of representing their clan. The Apocalypses seized the right to bestow the title of Saintess.
Ultimately, through Otto's secret machinations, the title of Saintess was bestowed upon Kallen Kaslana, the eldest daughter of the Kaslana Family.
One starlit night.
Kallen and Otto huddled together beneath a tree.
"Otto... why have you always been so kind to me?"
"Because... Kallen, you are my most cherished friend."
"Just friends?!"
"Yes, but beyond the usual definition of 'friend.' Your unwavering loyalty and integrity are qualities I trust implicitly."
Hearing Otto's resolute words, Kallen's heart clenched. She desperately wanted to punch him.
(Kallen's feelings were romantic, while Otto's were purely platonic.)
Fate, however, played a cruel trick on the two.
Kallen and Otto were betrothed by the Schicksal Organization. If Francis, the head of the Kaslana Family, were still alive, this would have been a joyous occasion. But Francis was gone.
This marriage was orchestrated by Otto's father, Nicholas, to seize control of the Kaslana Family's power.
Kallen and Otto had feelings for each other at this point, but they weren't fools. They would never agree to such a political union.
They refused the betrothal, but this was the tragedy of the situation. Regardless of their reluctance, Schicksal simply announced the engagement to the world.
Kallen couldn't stop the public outcry. In the end, she had to accept this reality in silence...
In 1469, at the age of 16, Kallen became the Captain of Schicksal's Valkyrie Squad, standing at the forefront of the battle against the Honkai.
Later, Kallen inherited the Oath of Judah, one of the Divine Keys passed down through the Kaslana Family. However, Schicksal publicly declared it a reward for her service.
In the year 1470, the Overseer of Schicksal decided to launch an eastern expedition. The Schicksal army, long experienced in fighting against the Honkai beasts, advanced with unstoppable momentum.
However, they eventually encountered the hegemon of Shenzhou — the Ming Empire. After several battles between the two sides, a final decisive confrontation took place on the Kipchak steppe in 1475.
In a desperate bid for victory, Schicksal deployed Honkai energy weapons during the war — an act that drew the attention of the immortals of Shenzhou.
Immortal Chi Yuan of Mount Taixu descended from the mountain. Schicksal's entire army proved no match for her. Forced to deploy their ultimate trump card, Kallen Kaslana, Schicksal sent her into battle. Despite harboring deep doubts about the war's righteousness, as Captain of the Valkyrie Squad, Kallen chose to fight for Schicksal...
Only to be casually defeated by Immortal Chi Yuan. Gazing at the Oath of Judah beside Kallen, Immortal Chi Yuan spoke for the first time in public, her words like thorns piercing Kallen's heart.
"The weapon you wield exists to protect humanity. Only those who have truly resolved to 'protect' can unleash its true power."
At that moment, Otto arrived on the battlefield. He had been searching for Kallen ever since he learned of her participation. Facing the Immortal Chi Yuan, who truly resembled a divine being, Otto resolutely stood before Kallen.
However, the Immortal Chi Yuan did not attack Kallen or Otto. Instead, she left only the words, "User of the 'Key,' ponder carefully... What is it you truly wish to protect?" before vanishing from the world's sight.
Schicksal's Eastern Expedition ended in a disastrous defeat, forcing them to retreat back to Europe. Otto brought the heartbroken Kallen back to Schicksal.
One night during the retreat.
Otto and Kallen sat by a campfire, reaching out to warm their hands by the flames.
Otto shivered violently, catching Kallen's attention.
"Otto... are you trembling? Are you cold?"
"I'm... I'm fine. My coat just got wet when we crossed the river earlier..."
"...Hey! You'll get frostbite if you stay in wet clothes in this weather! Get up, I'll set up a rack to dry them first." Kallen said, immediately grabbing firewood to build a drying rack.
"But... when we retreated, there weren't any spare coats or blankets left in the supply crates..." Otto shook his head at Kallen without getting up.
"What are you talking about? Here, wear mine first." Kallen snatched Otto's wet coat and draped her own over him.
"The strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal won't be defeated by mere cold! Achoo—" Kallen had just puffed out her chest and boasted to Otto when she sneezed violently.
"What's this? You're sneezing too?" Otto opened his coat, shielding both himself and Kallen from the cold.
"It's fine! You take care of yourself first... really."
Afterward, the two huddled together under the starry sky to rest, just as they had on countless other nights in the past.