To create Honkai Impact 3rd in a world where Kallen exists.

"Five hundred years have passed in the blink of an eye... Now, you finally have the chance to change this moment."

The Void Treasury slowly spoke,

Even it could sense the inner turmoil of the man beside it; the most important person to him was resting peacefully here.

"Ah, or is it that for you, time has never actually passed?"

Void Treasury asked, still unable to see the true face of the man before him.

He hid himself too well, wearing one mask after another, never taking it off, and never truly showing his face.

Chapter 199 Twilight of the Fool (2/18)

"Yes...she's dead."

Otto seemed not to hear Void Treasury's question, his eyes lowered, and he softly repeated the sentence, his tone melancholy and low.

"...Huh? Hey, are you even listening to me?"

“In many languages, people avoid mentioning death itself.”

Otto ignored it and continued speaking to himself.

At this moment, he did feel a sense of melancholy and resentment, as well as a faint sense of relief and acceptance.

"Death, the permanent dissipation of subjective will, the concept that makes existence itself cease to exist, is indeed the eternal terror before all wisdom."

"But when we try to defuse this terror by becoming blind in the face of death... a blatant form of self-deception is born."

He smiled as he looked at the stone tablet before him, but it was unclear who he was referring to.

"We always subconsciously believe that our loved ones are immortal and eternal."

"Although our reason tells us that the other person is also made of flesh and blood, we are emotionally unwilling to accept that."

"...Are you saying that humans will always be frightened by death in some form?"

The Void Treasury asked with some interest, for the other party's views always gave it a fresh perspective.

"That's right. We are so afraid of death that the panic and recklessness that this fear leads to... creates more unnecessary deaths."

"Discrimination, abuse, murder, war... Who isn't driven by the fear of death, and thus casts that shadow upon others prematurely?"

Void Treasury: "But aren't you the same? It's just that what you fear is not your own death."

Otto sighed softly.

“Yes. That’s why I’m just a bishop at best… while Karen is a saint in people’s eyes.”

He wasn't afraid of his own death, but he was terrified and even panicked by Karen's death.

This was his greatest fear.

Unfortunately, it has come true;

Fortunately, it will soon no longer be a reality.

...

Seeing one's own grave is a strange feeling, but the complex emotions within suppress the restlessness.

"Death...? But who in this world can truly escape the shadow of death?"

Karen couldn't help but sigh, as if offering advice to Otto that he didn't have to do this, as long as he continued on his path to saving the world.

He need not worry about his own death.

But as intelligent as he was, how could he not know? However, understanding does not equate to acceptance, nor does it mean wanting.

What is universally acknowledged does not necessarily mean that one must gain his approval.

He will not accept Karen's death, not for a moment, never!

“Death, ha—I will not accept Mei’s death either,” Kevin thought, a sense of agreement rising within him as he looked at Otto’s words on the screen.

Although he was completely different from me—different in era, thought, experience, and so on.

But Kevin genuinely agreed with some of what he said.

I will never accept Mei's death, never.

Even though reality was already madly foreshadowing all of that, and there was the cold touch on his hands and the cessation of breathing, he never once wholeheartedly approved of Mei's death.

If it weren't for the constraints of Paradise, if it weren't for the obstacles of the so-called plan, if it weren't for Mei's advice,

He wouldn't mind making that choice.

The world, and even the concept of humanity, was not as important to him as he had imagined.