[Your face-changing is way too fast, completely caught me off guard.]

One moment it was "Otto, why not take me with you," the next it was "Old bastard, goodbye forever (cold)."

["Heroes of Shu, Sichuan Opera Mask Change"]

[Wanting to smash Otto and to toast him with champagne aren't contradictory.]

[Thinking about it, maybe that's Otto's complexity.]

["Only a dead Otto is a good Otto"]

The audience in the livestream sent barrages of comments to vent their emotions.

Meanwhile, in a certain UP Fruit's shared apartment—

"Come, let's have a glass each."

Fruit's roommate poured the last two glasses of champagne, motioning for Fruit to clink glasses.

"Weren't you just saying 'whoever doesn't fight is a little puppy'? Now you're clinking glasses with me?"

"Shut up. Just cheers already."

The roommate rolled his eyes and handed a glass to Fruit.

Fruit still accepted it, clinking glasses with him.

"To the Fool." *2

Both downed their glasses in one go.

After a brief silence, wiping his face with a tissue—

Fruit suddenly jumped up and rushed to the computer.

"What's with you?" The roommate was surprised by his sudden move.

"Feels like if I don't write a long essay about Otto, the thoughts in my head just won't settle."

"So…?"

Fruit solemnly opened the search engine.

"I'm going to look up how to recover deleted files."

"Damn, I shouldn't have impulsively deleted the long essay I wrote. I could've fixed it up and used it."

After watching Thus Spoke Apocalypse.

In short, he felt particularly unsettled.

...

Elsewhere.

The perspective returned to the MiHoYo studio.

The sudden shift in the livestream's comment section after the short film ended made Hokuto pause for a moment.

But thinking about it carefully, everyone reacting this way was only natural.

Because this was Otto.

Melancholy for his farewell with champagne, yet happily celebrating at his funeral—wasn't that to be expected?

Once Hokuto understood, he said nothing more, simply sat back down and set down his champagne.

Elysia, having adjusted her emotions, turned to ask Hokuto:

"'Mr. Otto', what do you think of what everyone in the livestream is saying?"

Clap clap~~

Hokuto, looking more like Otto than Otto himself, clapped lightly:

"They're right. Otto has died with honor, died willingly. So, from now on, he must never appear again."

"Died with honor, died willingly."

Elysia pondered before replying: "Otto truly is satisfied. Even… makes people a little envious."

"After all, Otto really turned this imperfect world—"

Hokuto continued in a discussion tone:

"Into the world he wished for. So, feeling envious of that is quite normal."

"Mm~~ yeah."

Elysia nodded slowly, then shifted the topic.

"But, envy is one thing~~ as for me, I really don't want regrets as impossible to fulfill as Otto's."

[Agreed with Miss Elf. I envy Otto's ability to do anything, but I don't want to be Otto.]

[Yeah, imagine one day we're all shouting about rushing the tree—that scene would be way too weird, completely unimaginable.]

[Rush what tree? I never want to see the Imaginary Tree again! Otto, take me away (tears).]

[Thus Spoke Apocalypse, the more I think, the harder it is to calm down.]

...

Seeing these comments, Hokuto couldn't help but glance at Elysia.

Elysia noticed his inexplicable gaze and was puzzled: "Why are you suddenly looking at me?"

"Actually…"

Hokuto paused for a moment, then answered seriously after some thought:

"I wasn't looking at you. I was just thinking about the future."

Elysia: "???"

"'Mr. Otto', have you been voicing Otto for too long and got infected into becoming a riddleman?"

Elysia felt she couldn't understand what Hokuto was saying at all right now.

"Uh, well…"

Hokuto opened his mouth, but stopped, unsure what to say. He didn't want to delve deeper into this topic now.

Anyway… when the time comes, everyone will understand.

Fortunately, Elysia didn't pick up on that point and had no intention of probing further.

After talking about Otto, she suddenly thought of Kallen and sighed lightly.

"Sigh~~ Kallen doesn't know the five hundred years Otto walked for her. That feels a bit regrettable."

She was referring to Kallen's glance back in the short film.

Kallen seemed unaware that the one who saved her was Otto.

That was indeed quite a regretful thing.

At least, to her, it was.

"Well… Elysia, you can watch the upcoming story. You'll see what you want to see."

Hokuto hinted that Elysia could get ready for the final blow.

"There's more?"

Elysia was slightly surprised but quickly reached out to pick up the device.

Thus Spoke Apocalypse was so… splendid.

She recited that term that gave her PTSD, instantly feeling like she'd been set up long ago.

…Oh well, anyway, she believed the following story wouldn't disappoint her.

Elysia clicked on the screen.

The game screen shifted from pitch black to a field of white.

A line of text appeared.

She softly read aloud:

"The wind travels through still time."

The audience, drawn by her voice and the changing game screen, gradually ceased their discussions and focused on the story.

"The man's consciousness has dissipated, but his final words still echo within the still wind."

Reading up to here, Elysia paused.

That Otto Apocalypse, the beloved Overseer of Schicksal, the arch-villain whose crimes filled volumes, had indeed… entered his final tomb.

And upon that grave, perhaps only a blank tombstone could tell the story of his life as a 'Fool'.

She wasn't the only one thinking this.

The audience in the livestream was too.

They fell silent once again.

Hoo~~

"Let's see what's next."

Elysia continued clicking. The game's voice played.

"…That's how the story goes. I traveled to a future far, far away, experienced many adventures, and finally had the chance to tell you the truth of the world."

That voice… was both the adult Otto and the young Otto, blending several tones with the soft sound of wind, gently recounting five hundred years of everything to Kallen.

"Don't worry. This time, everything will change because of you."

"Just like long ago, when you changed a certain boy's life."

"That was a spring morning… unloved, he met you, who climbed over the wall."

"You greeted him enthusiastically and invited him to play together."

"And at that moment—"

"That boy found redemption for his entire life."

Kallen: "..."

She heard Otto's voice and learned everything he had been through.

She understood how exhausted Otto was after it all, how satisfied he felt, and what kind of end he truly wished for.

She slowly opened her eyes, gazing at the clear and transparent sky, as if looking at that great inventor.

A glimmer of tears flashed in her eyes.

"Farewell, my great inventor."

At this moment.

The players who had just steadied their emotions couldn't hold back again.

Otto had finally conveyed his last words to Kallen.

The you who climbed over the wall, the you who redeemed me.

The you who said, "Let's save the world together, my great inventor."

Was it worth giving so much?

To me, of course, it was worth it.

MiHoYo really gets it.

They always know how to strike right at the heart.

[The childhood plane finally returned to his hands.]

[This is the eternal peace of Otto Apocalypse.]

[MiHoYo, you've done such a good job! Next time, make it even more intense! I fear nothing anymore (twisted face)]

[That guy in front has been stabbed silly.]

...

Poll: What should replace Teaching Kendo in Tokyo 1980 (TKT)?

Hey everyone,

I've decided to put Teaching Kendo in Tokyo 1980 (TKT) on hiatus for now. In the meantime, I thought it'd be fun to run a poll to see what you'd like me to work on next. Can't wait to see what you all pick!

Options:

A brand new fanfic (picked by me)

Continue a recommended fanfic (suggested by Readers and will be voted on Again)

Two chapters a day for Uchiha Kei: Game Dev in the Shinobi World

Two chapters a day for My Game Studio is Full of Valkyries?!

Two chapters a day for Monster Hunter Grand Assembly

📅 Voting will be open on Patreon for one week!

Heres the link to the poll

https://www.patreon.com/posts/poll-on-what-to-137136810?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=postshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkpatreon.com/BestElysium