Mediterranean Coast, North Africa
"Teacher, what are you looking at?" A little girl with lavender hair, noticing Raven staring at the sky, approached her, carefully avoiding the other playing children.
She tilted her head back, echoing Raven's gaze. "Such a pretty tail! Do you like watching airplanes, Teacher?" She felt a surge of connection with her teacher, appreciating the beauty of the contrail streaking across the sky.
Raven sighed inwardly, returning her gaze to the little girl, stroking her hair. "Go play."
"Okay!" Reassured, the little girl smiled and ran back to her friends.
Raven watched her go, a gentle smile gracing her lips, then her expression turned serious. She dialed a number she hadn't used in a while.
"Grey Serpent, Schicksal's gone crazy again… I don't know the details, but something that looked suspiciously like a Honkai fission bomb just flew overhead… What? You already knew? Hmph, never mind."
The missile launch had thrown the entire world into chaos.
...
Anti-Entropy HQ
"Einstein, what's going on?! Why are the alarms blaring?" Tesla burst into the room, panting. "Is Schicksal attacking? Is there a new Herrscher?"
"Neither. The truth is… potentially worse." Einstein stared at the satellite map, data streams flashing across the screen.
"A minute ago, we detected a Honkai fission bomb launch from Schicksal. Projected impact: Arc City, Shenzhou. No known reason. There were no signs of Honkai activity there…"
"What?! Another New York incident?!" Tesla rushed to another terminal, her voice rising in anger. "Didn't Schicksal just invest in some industrial park there through Heliopolis Life Sciences? Has Otto lost his mind?!" She couldn't find any logical reason for this attack.
Had the industrial park become another thorn in Otto's side, like the North American branch?
"Damn it! Warn them!"
"Too late. Evacuation is impossible before the missile arrives." Einstein sighed. "Otto is unpredictable. We need to be vigilant. We can't afford another major loss…"
...
Arc City, Shenzhou
Within the industrial park on the northern outskirts of the city, trained personnel filed into underground shelters, seeking refuge beneath the protective earth. World Serpent was prepared.
"Damn it!" Jackal smashed everything breakable in her office. She'd barely arrived, hadn't even settled in, and now she had to run like a stray dog? She was furious.
How dare Schicksal attack us?
"Grey Serpent." Jackal's voice was tight with suppressed fury as Grey Serpent entered the room, stepping carefully over the broken glass.
After confirming Grey Serpent's knowledge of the situation, she cursed again. While she could maintain her composure, this attack threatened World Serpent's investments and plans.
"Things might not be as bad as they seem," Grey Serpent said, his voice smooth and unsettling. "While we prepare for the worst, we might yet achieve the best outcome."
"What do you mean?" Jackal's anger flared. Don't lie to me.
"Lin Wei is at Schicksal HQ." Grey Serpent's voice remained calm. "Such a… coincidence. He might be involved."
"What…?" Jackal started to scoff, then realized what he meant. "The Key of Corruption?" It was an open secret within World Serpent.
"Damn it, is he insane?!" Jackal's fury returned. "One day he's saving Manila, the next he's destroying Arc City?" A chill ran down her spine. "Is this… his revenge?"
Knowing Lin Wei's history with World Serpent, his awareness of Heliopolis Life Sciences wasn't surprising. Jackal, a veteran of such attacks, quickly understood.
"Until the missile hits, nothing is certain. But we should evacuate, just in case." Grey Serpent smiled faintly. "Regardless of the outcome, Heliopolis has grounds to confront Schicksal."
…
Except for the Japanese Branch, blissfully unaware, everyone was in an uproar.
Meanwhile, at Schicksal HQ, in a small, isolated room, Otto and Lin Wei continued their standoff, oblivious to the chaos outside.
"A pity, really. I'm sure Kallen would be… disappointed." Lin Wei's words chilled the air.
"…You dare threaten me with that? You think I wouldn't kill you?" Otto's eyes narrowed, his voice dangerously low.
A mere Divine Key won't save you. This was a personal attack. He felt a surge of murderous rage. He hadn't felt this threatened in centuries.
"Overseer, calm down. It was just… an observation," Lin Wei said, holding up his hands placatingly. "Surely you don't consider that a threat?"
Otto glared at him, silent.
"If you do…" Lin Wei's smile turned cold. "Then so be it."
Golden ripples shimmered behind Otto, hundreds of Divine Keys materializing, their light illuminating the room.
"Void Archive: Simulated-The Gate of Babylon" Where did he get all those? Did he pay royalties? Lin Wei thought, feigning confusion. "What is the meaning of this, Overseer?"
"If you can't corrupt them all instantly, even one is enough to kill you," Otto sneered. "You'll pay for your insolence."
Lin Wei clapped slowly, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Congratulations, Overseer. You've proven you can destroy us both. But do you really think these… toys… can intimidate me?"
He looked at Otto with contempt. "I'm a prisoner, Overseer. I have nothing left to lose. What can you possibly threaten me with?"
"You, however, have much to lose. Your life, for instance. Though, you just said you didn't value it. Then, how about… your 500-year-old obsession? Reviving Kallen."
He smiled coldly. "500 years of scheming, for nothing. What do you think Kallen would say, Overseer, when you meet her again, empty-handed?"
"…Tear your tongue out and feed it to the dogs," Otto snarled, enraged by the repeated mention of Kallen. "A mere trinket won't save you."
"Trinket? No, no, no…" Lin Wei chuckled. "It's a Divine Key while I live. But if I die… well, who knows? But if you insist on treating it as a mere 'trinket,' and you manage to kill me… there will be… consequences."
He continued, ignoring Otto's reaction. "Let's talk about those 'consequences,' shall we?"
"Consider the fate of the Previous Era. I would unleash Pandora's full power, ensuring mutually assured destruction. Schicksal HQ would be destroyed. Perhaps even… most of human civilization, thanks to your vast arsenal. Any objections, Overseer?"
"Do you really think I care about such things?" Otto scoffed, as if looking at a clown.
"No, of course not." Lin Wei smiled. "But others might. The Previous Era MANTIS, seeing their legacy destroyed… who do you think they'll blame, Overseer? Me, the dead man? Or you, the one who caused it all?"
"So what?!" Otto began, then froze, a chill running down his spine.
"Indeed, Overseer. You're so insightful." Lin Wei smiled. "Without that crucial window of opportunity… do you think you'll get a second chance to fulfill your… obsession?" A fatal blow.
Otto was stunned. This scoundrel had found his weakness.
"Why are you looking at me like that, Overseer? Do you think I'm… despicable?" Lin Wei stood up, his smile widening. "You think you're the only one who can threaten others with things they don't value? I can threaten you with things I value, things you value."
"Such hypocrisy, Overseer, is truly… tiresome." He snapped his fingers, a satellite image of Earth appearing, focusing on Shenzhou.
"You're willing to do anything to achieve your goals, Overseer. I know that. And to speak to you as an equal, I have to be… even more ruthless. You brought this upon yourself."
He pulled his chair closer to Otto, sitting down, pointing at the screen. "I'm tired of this game. When that city explodes, our… truce ends. Unless, of course, you want to end it sooner." He gestured towards the door. "Or you have another option…"
"A friendly reminder: if you wait too long, even Durandal might not be able to stop it. That would be… a pity, wouldn't it?"