Honkai x LOTM: Godish of Mysteries

As a curious and cautioned man, Otto Apocalypse was made to be sure he was in control of every situation dealt to his hand and added onto that to ensure he wasn't in a conspiracy he was going to do a multitude of Divinations for some answers...Even if they didn't work.

In his ancient stone seat, Otto projected the usual topaz pendant into his left hand, closed his eyes, and asked it seven times in a blank tone.

"Am I a backup plan to resurrect the Oldest One within me and to claim all of "His" Authorities and Sefirot?"

Instead of moving back and forth, it simply stood quiet and still as if it were an unexplained mystery.

This didn't calm his nerves but worsened them, and if it did give him a concrete answer, he could make preparations to deal with such a predicament. 

The Unknown is much scarier than the known, and knowing such an answer, Otto vowed himself that if he was going to be used as a pawn, then he'd go out kicking and screaming to such a being.

'If I am going down, we're going down!'

He was going to have to try at an even Higher Sequence to get the truth of his transmigration. The thought of returning to his Earth was but a half-baked dream...There were some things he missed there. 

The comfortable atmosphere of peace, his simple everyday life, and the nonexistent loom of death above his head, but knowing where he was...The possibility of returning to his so-called reality was none.

This was his reality now; he was Otto Apocalypse...He gained everything from him and mixed it into his shade of color. He was the Overseer of Schicksal and also the normal human named Lin Doe....He will live this life until the end of a Fool.

He laid his head on the ancient table and closed his eyes, muttering to himself.

"I need to make some friends." He stared at the misty sky adorned with white and no stars were shimmering this time.

After such reminiscing, he asked himself seven times.

"Is the Chaos Sea within the Sefirah Castle?"

Darkness lapped with his sight, as overwhelming murmurs flooded his senses before a scene was depicted before him.

In an endless white blank canvas, a single door of light pulsed as if it was alive, and in the next second, it started to drip black liquid containing every single color from its opening then it faded back into obscurity.

His eyes opened to the foggy space, and he said to himself with a smile.

"So that's how it is...I wonder what how Sefirah Castle will look like when fused with the Chaos Sea? A lonely castle onto a sea of oil, how romantic."

Instead of descending back to reality, Otto took the time to admire the scene of the Sefirot and laid his head back down on the ancient table.

The calming atmosphere soon lent itself to his eyes closing and sleep overcoming him.

...

In an apartment room lay a black-haired man with sluggish eyes as he opened his sight to the sun peering light onto him.

"Praise the Sun." 

After his musing, he got from his bed and headed to the simple bathroom. Looking in the mirror, weary blue eyes and greasy hair reflected back against his sight.

Water splashed against his face and his eyelids brightened feeling the cold liquid waking him up. He took off his t-shirt and hopped into the shower. His rough arms lay against the cubed wall and his eyes closed as the pleasant sensation of hot water steamed his body.

He walked out of the bathroom with newly cleaned clothes. A neatly tucked-in buttoned shirt and dress slacks accompanied him as he stepped out of his room. White walls stretched his eyes as far as he could see and he arrived at his living room.

An aqua-blue couch sat in the middle of the room facing a large-screen TV, playing a news anchor blurring outlines that he ignored. Sitting on the couch was a young lady laying her back on the comfy pillow lazily.

Her hair was white as snow and her eyes azure as the deepest of oceans. The cartoon cuttlefish clinging onto her body tightly.

The black-haired man's face grimaced upon seeing the sight but he still sat right next to her.

"Still stealing my stuff, Lira?" He called out.

"Yup! Comfy and smells nice just like you...Unlike your luck though, Lin."

"Losing every fifty-fifty in a game of probability does not mean I am unlucky...It's a matter of the right situation whenever luck is on my side...For how I met a wonderful roommate who's stealing my belongings and my bed."

"...I forgot to clean my sheets so I had to "borrow" your bed. Comfy."

"Suspicious." His blue eyes glared back at the girl while she aimlessly lay on the couch and her face looked away from his...

He let go of his glare and silently lay by her side. He didn't know how much time passed as the silent atmosphere enveloped the two.

A heavy weight suddenly fell onto his lap as blue azure eyes stared up at him. His lips parted to his next sentence.

"This is a dream isn't it."

"Hmmm...How did you know is it because she wouldn't do such an act?" She asked.

"No the moment I clicked my teeth I could suddenly see color might suggest I was still a Beyonder...Dreams are influenced by their one's subconscious and by that definition...You're the Lira I envisioned from it." 

Her mouth morphed into a smirk, "Disappointed that you couldn't meet your precious roommate?"

"Does it matter? You're still Lira the one lazily roomie who'd still be stuck on a couch if I didn't move you...Real or fake, you have an aspect of her."His hand patted the girl's lush white hair.

"Ha...I see why she's so obsessed with you." She let out a huff feeling his hand and said, "So what do you plan to do next Lin? Trapped in your beloved game of Honkai Impact and especially in the body of a Fool."

He replied solemnly, "Get a good ending of course. Otto Apocalypse in my opinion is a despicable, arrogant, and egoistical man but the Overseer of Schicksal knew that fact as well he was a coward who couldn't do anything to save Kallen Kaslana. 

With his self-hatred of himself, he tried every possible way of getting her back even at the cost of the world. As he puts it in his own words

The amount of people is irrelevant. Like how in a universe without observers a song praising it will never be born...

...There is no point to a world without Kallen!

But to everyone's surprise, he Fooled the players, the world, fate, and even the universe itself. Tricking them into believing in rewinding the world back when his Kallen was alive but instead sacrificing his entire existence to create a new branch where his Saintess will have infinite possibilities of living her life to the fullest."

"Oh...So is that what you want to do pull a Kaslana and save the ones who couldn't be saved? They'll be mentally destroyed if you pull that off...A role perfect for the infamous Hamlet, a Calamity that ruined a Kingdom to avenge his Father. Is that what you want to do."

"Maybe...A Fool who wants to save the world at the cost of his life does sound splendid but Fate is always changing one cannot predict what will happen."

"Why though? You could be living your life and slowly growing stronger to the point of crushing the Honkai with a mere finger. Why go through the trouble of saving some PNGS?"

"Because I am a selfish bastard who despises seeing my favorite characters suffer in this unjust world. It wrongs heroes and breeds scum. One thing I learned from the man Otto Apocalypse is that being more Human and emotional can invoke miracles to turn the tides of changing the world...If I want to do that and defeat the Honkai sometimes you have to be a madman."

Lira turned silent hearing his words and after a dull moment she replied with a somber tone, "I wish I could help on your Path of your so-called Justice but alas I am merely a flicker of your mind."

"Don't worry about it just seeing you, refreshed my mind. Let's stay like this a bit longer?"

"Sure..."

It was complete serenity after that...At this moment was peace.

Within his eyes, the usual news on the TV screen blackened and what was reflected was a blonde man with emerald eyes...On his lap was a Holy Saint, with a crown of thorns atop her head and a roped broken noose around her neck.

Lin closed his eyes and proclaimed one last time.

"A man can be destroyed but not defeated."

...

A white-haired woman wearing a black cloak with the symbol of a yellow cross etched into it stared at a single metal door with her visored eyes.

A-303 was her production name...a mechanically enhanced bionic based on the genes of a Saint named Kallen Kaslana. Her face and body were made to replicate the Saint...But even her creator deemed her a false Kallen.

Nevertheless, she would serve her purpose and assist her master, Otto Apocalypse

...The False Saint named Amber opened the door and what she saw wasn't her usual Master twirling a cup of wine but the Schicksal Overseer quietly sat in his office chair with steam rising from his cup of coffee.

"Master Otto, I have arrived with the weekly report...I am sorry for my tardiness yesterday. My workload was a bit overbearing." She softly closed the door and entered the room with a tablet.

"It's nothing to be concerned about. Take a seat, Amber." He gestured toward the empty spot in front of his desk.

"Is there no need for the flashing screens and the completely dark room?" 

It was usual for her Master to facade himself as a villain in a dark room while smirking at being one step closer to reviving his beloved, Kallen Kaslana.

Amber would be lying to herself if she didn't feel an ounce of envy toward Kallen...If only her Master would feel one percent of that dedication toward herself.

"None at all, a talk-to-talk is more effective and will be for the rest of my days as Overseer."

She nodded and took the seat but before she could start talking Otto calmly asked her.

"You can take off the Visor as well...I would to see your eyes while we talk."

Her hand reached out to the yellow-glowing and took it off onto his desk. Blue orbs stared into his green eyes and he softly smiled.

"How beautiful...You should show your face more often, especially your eyes."

She responded blankly with a slight redness on her face, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind, Master Otto."

After an hour Amber finished reporting her findings on the current situation in Schicksal.

"There aren't any major problems to pay attention to, Anti-Entropy hasn't made any movements yet and their Sovereign Welt Yang hasn't appeared since his disappearance." 

"Is the Gem of Serenity still within the Headquarters or is it held in Schicksal Lab 3 for the experiment."

"It's in one of the highly contained storage areas...An S-Rank Valkryie would have trouble cracking into it and a supposed Herrscher would take a few minutes to destroy it...Master Otto, do you want to hasten the experiment of inserting the Herrscher Core into a Valkryie?"

He shook his head, "Put it on a definite hiatus along with the other Gems and any other experiments dealing with human test subjects...Be sure to treat Miss Wendy with utmost care. Having a Herrscher Core implanted in one's legs and being left disabled is distasteful"

Her eyes falter with surprise for a bit before asking, "Is there any reason for a change, Master?"

He smirked, "A matter of change in my approach plus there are better options."

"Such as?" Amber asked.

His gloved finger went on to make a hush gesture, "Secret..."

Amber tilted her head in confusion and soon started to prepare to leave.

Otto called out to her before she departed in a somber tone, "Amber...I may not show it but...Thank you for being my assistant...For all those years you always were a diligent worker and one of my dearest...Companion."

She kept her back facing him and asked, "Is there any meaning for this sudden praise."

"No, I just felt like it all of a sudden. Oh, you forgot your visor, want me to throw it back at you?" He picked up the orange-tinted object and held it in his hand

"You can keep it or throw it away. I don't mind which..." She continued her heavy steps until she was out the door.

"Be sure to get plenty of rest, my dear." Otto bid farewell.

"I will...And I hope you praise me for more of my work."

"Sure, I'll be sure to always remember."

His sweet smile was locked onto her passing figure and now that he was alone, Otto started to scrutinize the object in his hand.

His sight turned bright orange as he placed it on his face. Screens flashed rapidly into his eyes and he took it off after a moment. Placing the visor down, he made a mental note to ticker with it later and drank the cup of mildly warm coffee down his gallet.

The sound of paper cracked as he threw it into a nearby garbage can and sat in his seat wondering what to do before his training with Bianka.

Otto snapped his fingers and figured it out.

"Bang!"

...

Bang, Bang, Bang, Bang

That was the constant flickering noise she heard as hit one target after another.

It was a shooting range dedicated to Valkryies who wanted to train their aim. It was divided into three areas, the Control Room where all the technological and automatic systems were, and the Firing Lanes where each individual would have their own area to shoot their targets at the Simulated Holographic Target Line.

The bullets, guns, and targets were simulated to mimic their real counterpart. As such the texture, speed of the bullet, and recoil of the gun were calculated to fully match it.

In one of the shooting lanes a thin and pale girl. She had long, ecru hair trailing into white at the tips and an outlying white strand on the right side of her face...It was Ana Schariac

Her cerise eyes sharpened as another holographic target moved past. As a Member the of Snow Lotus Squad, she woke up as early as she could train, and since she noticed her aim getting rusty, the shooting range was the perfect place to get back her edge.

It was also the perfect place to strengthen her confidence and with most of the firing lanes empty because of the early morning, it brought a sense of peace to her. 

With the stress and expectations of being a Valkyrie born out of one of the Three Noble Families firing a gun did wonders to relieve stress.

She'd fight for humanity and exceed the expectations of the Overseer. Especially the fact when said Oversee ran into her squad and unexpectedly praised her...She was quite flustered but was praised because of her Lineage or...Her sense of self

Her train of focus was broken as she heard the door creaking open and she rubbed her eyes to make sure what she saw wasn't an illusion.

It was a man with striking blonde hair wearing the usual fifteenth-century clothing and he called out to her.

"Early morning, eh?"

"Y-Yes! It is." Ana hastily replied back and stared at the suddenly appearing man.

The Overseer of Schicksal went to another firing lane and tapped onto the screen as it welcomed him to the firing range. He clicked on a random gun to materialize into his hand and stared out onto Ana's lane where numerous holographic targets of Honkai Beasts were perfectly shot in their weak spots.

"Nice shooting, as expected of Miss Ana." He complimented with a light chuckle.

"...Thank you!"

"Don't mind me...I was thinking of making myself more accurate. I won't bother your training." He prattled while admiring the gun in his hand

"No, No, it's not a problem at all, Overseer."

A screen clouded Otto's vision onto the difficulty he wanted for his targets...He wasn't confident in his aim as he didn't have any experience in aiming a gun and not wanting to crowd with the wrong people but with the memories of a five-hundred-year-old clown and the enhanced vision of a Spectator, it'd be a breeze hopeful.

'Too bad I can't cheat, this Avatar doesn't have aim botting but who knows to cheat when I am already doing it.'

His finger pressed onto the Hard difficulty just below the Hell and Ultra Hell modes. The empty lane of his protruded numerous holographic targets of Honkai Beasts.

Even simulated it showed how those monsters were outer worldly to the core. Their common feature was their bodies were made out of white silicon with constant lines of light purple coursing through their "flesh"...

The most common type of Honkai Beasts were the Seraph Class with a purple halo atop their heads and the buzzing sounds of their wings making it easy to spot them and shoot down. They were weak, as B-Rank Valkyries could easily subdue them.

Since an Honkai Beast's shell was very hard to crack one needed a weapon to damage them or enough force to completely wipe them out. 

Honkai Energy Weapons were one of the ways to deal with such Beasts along with Honkai Based Attacks or you could take the route of Fu Hua and punch them hard with Honkai Energy. 

If you wanted to shoot one with a gun, tough luck only specific compound metals could pierce through them like "tyre alloy" or any type of carburized titanium.

Seeing such targets approach his position, Otto's eyes sharpened like a dragon and positioned his gun with a fierce grip. With this being a shooting range such hardened shells of Honkai Beast wouldn't be reflected onto the field so...He could freely shoot it up and with his hands steady, his mind prepared, his fingers soon pressed the trigger.

'BANG'!

A flicker of light pierced into the small-winged bastard named an Archangel.

Otto haughtily chuckled at the name, a mere small cannon fodder sharing the same title as a Sequence 1 Beyonder, and "They" were the closest thing to a True God.

'What hilarious blasphemy.' 

He rapidly kept up his momentum shooting at each target and his worries about being in this hellish world slowly faded as each beast was blasted into a decaying mass. 

The stream of bullets kept on coming onto the beasts and with the constant satisfying sound of metal piercing into their heads his finger kept on going.

A smile etched onto his face as his finger clicked on the trigger, it didn't matter if he missed he had "unlimited" ammo!

The back of his hand wiped across his forehead and cleared away his nonexistent sweat as his rage of shooting was completed. Even a screen displayed his results.

Otto Apocalypse

Difficulty: Hard 

Shots Fired: 340

Target Hit 270

Missed: 70

Retry?

He clicked his tongue seeing such a sight of his score.

"I could have done better but hey a beginner is still a beginner," Otto muttered to himself.

"Is that your first time in the shooting range, Overseer? It's pretty good still to consider that you're a beginner." A voice called out next to him.

Ana peaked into Otto's firing lane over the thin barrier and popped her head in.

"Sorry for peaking in...I was just curious. Your style of shooting was rough around the edges but it had that sense of freedom and emotion...No offense."

He smiled upon her words and replied, "None taken...Since you're here want to go a round of who can hit the most targets...We can even have a prize."

Ana put a hand on her chin pondered for a moment and asked, "If I win will you be able to answer a question of mine?"

Otto nodded, "I'll answer to the best of my ability if you do win."

Hearing his response she proposed a condition, "May we both use Honkai Energy?"

"You really want to set that rule in a friendly contest of shooting? The place can handle it but why are you so willing to go this far."

"Well I want to exceed your current expectations plus I always wanted to know what your capabilities as the Overseer were."

With a hand on his chin, Otto smirked and replied "Alright I'll bite Miss Schariac." He took off his gloved right hand and presented toward the Valkryie.

"May we have an honorable and fair duel."

Ana hesitated momentarily at the gesture but responded in kind and took off her black-gloved. It was unexpectedly warm as she shook his hand and after that, the two returned back to their lanes.

"Which mode are we doing, Overseer?"

He answered with the tap of the screen and Ana's face immediately cringed as the words Ultra Hell flashed onto his screen. 

She followed suit and pressed the button. As the two pressed it, the entire room started to have a crimson hue covering itself, electronic music started to blast and a female robotic voice stirred itself.

"Ultra Hell Mode Commencing."

"The Logistics Team really does have a sense of humor!" Otto let out a hearty laugh and aimed forward ready to unleash hell.

"Is this always necessary?" Ana asked and prepared herself.

"Life is short, why not give it a try!"

Multiple Honkai Beasts of various sizes started to simulate all at once and covered both of their sights with flashing purple.

"Begin, Clear All Targets Within 3 Minutes."

Otto raised his armed hand up and several holes of space with a golden hue appeared by his side. Within those pockets of space came numerous golden-crafted pistols floating out into reality.

Mimicry of Judgement of Shamash - Firing Squad!

The Overseer let his arms down and within a second those Divine Keys unleashed an onslaught of blazing shots onto the field.

Otto manically laughed as his score kept on going up and with his Honkai Energy Reserves along with his Spirituality, he could keep this up for 3 Minutes.

"What's wrong Miss Ana, can't keep up." He provoked.

Seeing such a wicked smile, she lashed out with a wave of frost onto the stage freezing her incoming targets and shooting them in the head.

"Quite slow isn't it?" 

Her face ticked hearing this and she had this dark desire to wipe that smug smirk off his face. Her right foot stomped onto the metal ground as the colden ground sharpened into spikes piercing into many of the Beasts.

"That's much better my dear!"

Heat traversed into Ana's body as she manipulated the moisture in the air to rapidly freeze itself. Her breath was heavy and inlaid with a frosty tone but she couldn't help but maniacally smile hearing the maddening laugh of her Overseer constantly firing shoot after shoot.

She couldn't help but join in the laughter herself after all...Madness is an eternal infectious melody.

Outside of the Shooting Range many Valkyries and workers passed by the range. Some of such people wanted to enter to train their aim but heard the insanity coming from inside and icy mist spreading from the inside...They would rather not.

After 3 minutes of the intense match, the Overseer and Valkryie put a stop to their madness as the score was soon calculated in front of their eyes.

Otto Apocalypse

Targets Hit: 1204

Ana Schariac

Targets Hit: 1105

Ana let out a tsk seeing her score and leaned against the wall from exhausting herself by unleashing a constant stream of ice attacks. 

Her breath was heavy and full of a frosty singe but with a hand on her heart, she could feel it beating faster never before...This was the most fun she ever had in her life. 

She smiled warmly at the Overseer and noticed the small dots of snow in his hair but decided not to tell him for Revenge!

"I am sorry for my unsightly appearance, Overseer...I didn't I would enjoy this much with you."

"No worries it's natural for someone of your age to be excited about doing something like this...You're a brave person despite knowing the consequences of being a Valkyrie you still choose that Path.

"You know my Schariac Family teaches their children at a young age how to fight the Honkai...While I was influenced by my upbringing, even after all that I still want to help as many people as I can. The innocent shouldn't have to suffer because of the Honkai and even if my childhood is the price to pay to protect this World I'll gladly accept such an outcome."

Otto looked at the strong front of the Valkyrie with a sense of pity and softly said, "It's admirable for what you fight for but...Miss Ana, sometimes it is okay to be afraid, scared, and fearful. I know you're putting up a strong front."

Her face flinched when she heard this: "How did you know?"

"Experience and I have good eyes. Those who bottle up their emotions will eventually develop. So take your time to relax thoroughly and be sure to smile more it suits you well...If you want we can have another match another day."

Ana didn't know how to react hearing such a thing from the Overseer of Schicksal but a soft smile was flashed toward him.

"I'll keep that in mind, Overseer...Thank you for accompanying me in this short match." Her gaze reached the heavily damaged shoot range but she saw the area itself was slowly mending itself.

"You're welcome...I should be going now I have a "Goose" teaching me." Otto left his lane and started to walk forward toward the exit

"Huh? Okay...Have fun with that?"

Otto tilted his head and responded "Sure thing...You don't have to call me Overseer, next time just regard me as Mr. Apocalypse."

Ana nodded her head and straightened up herself...Seeing Otto's fading back Ana took a heavy breath and wondered.

'What drives you to fight...Mr. Otto?'

...

Making his way to the "Gym" Otto pondered about the Valkryie named Ana Schariac or the future Herrscher of Ice. 

One of the many reasons she was chosen as such a Herrscher was because of her mental instability and was an A-Rank Valkryie wielding ice ability. It was easy pickings for the "Will of the Honkai" to corrupt her once the seed of doubt was planted into her.

It was intentional for him to interact with her and slowly warm up to her...Ha. Maybe she'll preserve and keep her Humanity permanently unlike in the original story where she was fighting against her Herrscher-Self with an Owl and then lost...What a tragic love story.

He wouldn't do anything malicious to her and more like slowly guide her so the fate of going berserk and freezing everything to absolute zero wouldn't happen. 

Such guidance would include having a therapist who would be himself since the next few Sequences of the Specator Pathway would delve deep into the mind and Otto could Pre-Farm his Acting for such stages.

'I wouldn't be surprised if the Sequence 4 Manipulator would be instantly digested...I am already manipulating a young girl and soon-to-be Herrscher in the future...Human hypocrisy at its finest.' He mocked himself and opened the door.

He was soon met by a blonde young girl, it was Bianka wearing a usual white tank top and shorts.

 "Ah, you're finally here...Why is there Snow on you're head?"

Otto let out a cheeky smile, "I had a little too much fun with an acquaintance of mine. Don't worry about it."