Honkai Impact: I, The Herrscher of Ice, Am Loved By Players

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Shortly thereafter, Otto appeared at the laboratory entrance.

Instinctively, Ana checked the progress of Unnamed Locomotive's activation. Unlike offensive weapons such as Abyss Flower, the operation and logic behind Unnamed Locomotive were considerably more complex.

The Unnamed Locomotive had now fully activated. Even if her plans didn't proceed as expected, she could still enter it and subsequently access the Sea of Quanta—a strategy previously intended by Heaven's Fire.

With this assurance, Ana felt utterly confident facing Otto; she was already on invincible ground.

Otto couldn't truly threaten her anymore. Her family members had passed away, leaving only close friends like Bianka and Rita, along with those from Saint Freya Academy. Clearly, they weren't effective emotional leverage for Otto.

Unless he attempted another cringe-worthy move, reminding her that despite losing her father, "there's still me" - which would likely disgust her even further.

As for finding a place to go, she needn't worry about that either.

She could join World Serpent or Anti-Entropy; regardless, Otto held no real power over her decisions.

The only thing Otto could realistically achieve was to foil Ana's plan to rescue Himeko. Even then, she believed breaking ties with him for Himeko's sake would be worth it.

She was an independent individual, not one of Otto's pawns. If he insisted on treating her as such, she'd flip the table—after all, she now held enough capital and leverage to do just that.

"Hello there, Bishop Otto."

Ana gazed at Otto nonchalantly. Rita and Amber flanked him on either side, while behind them, concealed from view, stood Li Sushang.

It seemed Otto intended to exploit Li Sushang's mobility for surprise attacks.

"What exactly are you planning with this grand display?"

"Ana, deactivate Unnamed Locomotive, and I can overlook your transgressions. Surely, you're merely trying to save Fu Hua, aren't you?" Otto maintained his composed smile.

"Don't worry, my child, I've already rescued her. She is receiving proper treatment, and I'm confident you'll soon reunite with her."

"Really?" Ana sneered coldly. "By 'rescue,' you mean saying, 'I swear, Red Kite Immortal never lied,' followed by... bang—" She mimed firing a gun. "At this point, there's no need to feign courtesy or deceive me with empty gestures."

"Let me be frank: I activated the Unnamed Locomotive to rescue a Valkyrie—a simple yet dedicated warrior who devoted her entire life to tirelessly fighting for Schicksal."

"Now, due to the Lord Bishop's absurd and ludicrous plan, she has descended into the Abyss."

Ana raised her voice, speaking not just to Otto but also addressing all the Valkyries of Schicksal.

"How utterly ridiculous! She gave everything for Schicksal, only to be forced back into battle when she should have been able to retire peacefully—giving up even her last breath."

"Otto, do you intend to hinder my efforts to save this hero's life?"

With these words, Ana took the moral high ground unequivocally.

The Valkyries of Schicksal fought against Honkai to protect their people, never as sacrifices for someone's selfish desires.

"Furthermore, Otto, what personal ambitions drove you to revive the Second Herrscher? Shall I spell them out for you?"

"If you truly needed a Herrscher's power, wouldn't it have been easier to control the Third or Fourth Herrschers instead of this Second one?"

Ana methodically exposed Otto's lies and tore down his facade.

Rita and Bianka remained silent; they didn't even need to ponder to know that Ana was right. With the Herrscher of Thunder, obtaining her power would have required no effort at all—though now, that power had already been reclaimed by the Second Herrscher.

Thus, Lord Bishop's plan aimed solely at harnessing the Second Herrscher's strength, specifically hers alone.

But as Herrschers themselves, what made the Second Herrscher so unique? This must be Otto's underlying motive, as Ana suggested—his personal desire.

"If despite this, you still choose to stand against me, then let us commence!" Ana declared, raising Abyss Flower. The power of the Abyss surged, forming a spear-like glow that etched a deep black line on the ground.

"Cross this line, and you become my enemies! I will show no mercy!"

Otto observed Ana before him, his gaze shifting uneasily, expression darkening.

Without question, each word from Ana pierced straight through Otto's defenses. No matter how eloquently he tried to justify himself, it amounted to mere sophistry.

However, there was still a chance for Otto.

If Ana needed to control Unnamed Locomotive, she couldn't afford distractions. By restraining her, he would regain complete authority over the situation.

Otto remained unaware that the Heavenly Fire Puppet beside Ana was already operational and currently controlling Unnamed Locomotive. Had he known, he would never have opted for direct confrontation.

"The Second Herrscher's abilities hold immense significance for our research on Honkai and understanding it; hence, she is more valuable than other Herrschers."

"As for the Valkyrie you mentioned, I'm sure she has been safely placed in Schicksal's containment unit, receiving treatment now," Otto calmly stated, aiming to reassure the Valkyries present.

Indeed, studying the Second Herrscher had value in comprehending Honkai, but primarily, it held great importance for his quest to resurrect Kallen. As for Murata Himeko...he could simply create a replica when needed—a straightforward task for him.

Moreover, Otto wasn't concerned about surveillance footage being reviewed. He could easily manipulate it, and with the Void Archives at his disposal, he could even alter the memories of other Valkyries if necessary.

"Given the circumstances, can you still spout such falsehoods?"

Ana softly sighed; although she was well aware of Otto's shamelessness, she didn't expect it to reach this extent. It truly is laughable.

"Then dare you swear on Kallen's name? If you lie, Kallen will never have a chance to be resurrected again. Do you dare?"

A determined gleam flashed in Ana's eyes; if Otto chose to be ruthless, she wouldn't hesitate either!

This time, however, Otto genuinely hesitated.

He could play the villain or even accept blame, but when it came to Kallen, he had no choice but to surrender.

The Ana before him seemed well-informed about his situation, and judging by her confident demeanor, she might have additional strategies up her sleeve.

Otto feared nothing else, only whether Ana truly held the means to resurrect Kallen. If exchanging his reputation for Kallen's return was the price, he would unhesitatingly bear that burden.

But did Ana really possess such leverage?

Otto harbored doubts. He had thoroughly studied Ana's background, finding no apparent inconsistencies-everything appeared logical. Yet, inexplicably, she seemed to know far more than she should.

In this world, numerous impossibilities existed, which is precisely why he never gave up on reviving Kallen's hope.

"Hmph, enough with the nonsense! Let's fight! We'll talk after!"

Before Otto could speak, Li Sushang, clad in Jade Knight: Moon Trace—a type of Godslayer Armor—suddenly charged forward. Holding the Divine Key of Domination and wielding her mastery over Taixuan Sword Qi as the Void Sword God, she possessed formidable power.

Although in the game, her appearances were limited, and her armor primarily served as support for secondary roles, at this point in time, she was a powerful Valkyrie comparable to Durandal.

"Hmph, Miss Li Sushang, are you taking sides based on their emotional ties?" Ana asked while deflecting Li Sushang's sword strikes with Abyss Flower.

"Did you know that all this stemmed from Director Otto's one-sided desires?"

As Ana spoke, she infused Honkai Energy into Abyss Flower, activating its full potential—the second ability, Holy Lance Reversal.

"He could have been her hero, yet he chose to become a Fool instead," Ana coldly remarked before thrusting back Li Sushang with her spear.

Without utilizing the Void Sword God, Li Sushang's strength couldn't match Ana's when fully harnessing Abyss Flower's capabilities.

Rita and Bianka exchanged glances beside Otto before ultimately deciding to join the fray.

Since the battle had commenced, and they had no intention of leaving Schicksal, their only choice was to intervene. If Ana's words were true, it would be dealt with later.

She trusted that Otto would provide Ana with a fair response.

"It seems you both still chose to stand by Otto." Facing Rita and Bianka's advance, Ana sighed. She understood this decision well; betraying Schicksal and Otto required courage beyond mere words could convey.

Thus, while Ana admired Theresa, she couldn't help but find her naive.

As for Rita and Bianka siding with Otto, Ana didn't fault them either. However, confronting friends and family who shared laughter just days ago now armed against each other brought a pang of sadness to Ana.

"Ana, step down. Even without our intervention, victory is out of your reach," Bianka advised as she thrust her weapon towards Ana.

Bianka cautioned Ana while thrusting her gun towards her. However, familiar with Bianka's tactics, Ana effortlessly blocked the strike and simultaneously deflected Rita's scythe.

The Abyss Flower in Ana's hand split into two separate lances: Abyss and White Flower. Wielding both weapons, Ana fought like an unstoppable war goddess against three S-rank Valkyries.

Once there was the legendary tale of Three Heroes Against Lü Bu; now it became 3S Valkyries versus Ana, who stood akin to a formidable boss character.

Despite several rounds of intense combat, Ana held her ground without showing any signs of weakening. Instead, she grew more formidable as the battle progressed. Over time, she had amassed extensive combat experience. Since returning from Saint Freya Academy, she focused on recuperation and hadn't truly engaged in battle, maintaining her peak condition.

In contrast, Rita and Bianka were continuously fighting, while Li Sushang had just awoken and wasn't fully acclimated yet.

Moreover, employing a wheel attack strategy against Ana proved futile due to the Gem of Desire on her person, which replenished Honkai Energy endlessly for her. Any injuries sustained could be swiftly healed by Abyss Flower and White Flower.

Currently, Ana was a formidable force with high offensive capabilities and rapid recovery, virtually invincible unless someone could instantly annihilate her. And among those present, only Otto possessed such capability.

However, Otto remained indecisive for a moment before swiftly making up his mind.

Regardless of the circumstances, allowing Ana to leave with Unnamed Locomotive was non-negotiable. Thus, his primary objective now was to restrain her. As for other matters, like reviving Kallen, they could be addressed through subsequent negotiations.

Otto considered himself magnanimous; if Ana truly could help revive Kallen, not only would he overlook past grievances, but he'd even consider giving her control over the entire Schicksal organization.

With his goal set, Otto decided to take action.

Raising his hand, golden light intertwined, transforming into a golden firearm—a sight eerily familiar to Fu Hua. It was none other than Simulated Heavenly Fire Judgment.

Aiming at the heart of the battle, energy gathered within the Holy Judgement. With a loud bang, a bullet imbued with the power of flames was fired directly towards Ana.

Naturally, this spectacle did not escape Ana's notice.

"Otto, is resorting to such underhanded tactics all you've got?" Ana growled as she activated her Ultimate Knight Armor.

"Connecting Gem of Desire... Strong Honkai energy reaction detected. Lunaris the Moon Knight - Restrictions Lifted!"

With a series of notification chimes, Ana's body emitted a brilliant azure glow. Simultaneously, her Honkai energy threshold rapidly increased, swiftly approaching Herrscher levels.

Her originally pale pink eyes instantly turned blue, though no Herrscher sigils appeared. This indicated that Ana had entered a state akin to Himeko's Red Knight mode, granting her true control over the Wind Authority.

As Ana wielded the Wind Authority, a gust shield deflected the light bullets fired by the Judgment of Shamash. At the same time, a swirling vortex formed around her, launching the three Valkyries out of the fray.

"What is this thing?" Li Sushang frowned deeply, noticing her sword qi could no longer reach Ana. In truth, she had never encountered a Herrscher before.

"So, the Gem of Desire is your trump card?"

Observing the swirling winds around Ana thoughtfully, Otto clapped his hands.

"Truly remarkable! I never expected you to possess the Gem of Desire."

"This is just one of my trump cards."

Ana slowly ascended, her Honkai energy transforming into interwoven azure and pale green wings behind her. Under its influence, her gaze became even more detached and aloof.

In that moment, she resembled a divine descent. Although not yet fully awakened as the Herrscher of Wind, she was close enough.

If Ana wished, she could instantly become the Herrscher of Wind. After all, she inherently possessed the potential to become a Herrscher, being chosen by Cocoon herself.

"If Lord Bishop finds this card insufficient, I can certainly reveal others."