— — — — — —
A few days later - Schicksal HQ
"Kallen is about to wake up, right?" Otto's voice trembled with excitement. Five hundred years—he'd waited five whole centuries for this moment. 'Kallen… we're finally going to meet again.'
"Yeah, it won't be long now," Rimuru answered casually.
Just a few days earlier, he'd revived Fu Hua and Welt. After that, he went to Anti-Entropy and brought back Schrodinger, Cocolia, and the others, then pulled them into the guild.
Without a break, he rushed over to Schicksal HQ. Using a guild item called the Soul Stone (not from Marvel, no), he summoned Kallen's soul back, and while he was at it, also retrieved Yae Sakura's soul from Theresa's Stigmata Space—both ready to be revived together.
Not far away, Whitebeard's crew were all grinning, struggling to contain their laughter.
Having already seen plenty of Honkai drama in the Guild's cinema, they knew exactly what Kallen and Yae Sakura's relationship was. And now that Otto had joined the guild, the rules meant members couldn't hurt each other. So once Sakura joined too…
"Hehehehehe…" A chorus of sinister cackling echoed through the room.
The ghastly laughter made Otto frown. 'What's with these people? Did I make a mistake joining this guild?'
"Do you all… need something?" Otto asked, brows knit. "If there's a problem, say it. If I can help, I will."
"Nope, nothing. All good." They waved their hands innocently, but their faces said otherwise.
Meanwhile, off to the side, Himeko, Fu Hua, and Theresa were huddled together, whispering. Every so often, they'd steal a glance at Otto.
"I'll bet five hundred crystals Otto completely loses it," Kiana said, grinning wickedly. 'Hah, you tried to scheme against me? Just wait—I'm getting every single one of your expressions on camera. I'll turn them into stickers, share them in the chat group, and make sure you see your own humiliation every day! Hahahahaha!'
"You can't say that about Grandpa! He truly loves Kallen. How can you all make fun of him like this? Anyway, I'll bet one thousand crystals he breaks down," Theresa said angrily—before calmly placing her wager.
"Theresa~ where exactly did you get that many crystals?" Himeko asked with a bright but dangerous smile.
"Eh? Just, you know, sold a few worthless things, hahaha…" Theresa chuckled nervously, hoping to bluff it off.
"You stole something, didn't you?" A vein bulged on Himeko's forehead as she marched forward and unleashed a flurry of punches.
"Aaah! Himeko, I'm sorry! I won't do it again, please spare me!"
Otto quietly watched the chaos, sighing to himself. He suddenly remembered how his own arsenal had been looted clean not long ago. ''Day and night I guard against enemies, yet in the end it's thieves from my own house… and even if I catch them, there's nothing I can do. How pathetic.''
Before long, one of the glowing spheres cracked open. A graceful figure stepped out.
Kallen Kaslana opened her eyes and immediately saw the blond man standing before her.
"Otto?" she asked in confusion. "Why are you here? Didn't I… die? Where is this?"
"Kallen, it's been five hundred years," Otto said, voice heavy with longing. "Rimuru revived you—he brought you back to the world." He gestured toward Rimuru.
"You saved me? Thank you so much!" Kallen said sincerely.
"It's nothing, really. I've always been a huge fan of yours," Rimuru replied with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of his head.
"Then I owe you my gratitude, Rimuru," Kallen said warmly.
"And I owe you as well," Otto added, bowing his head. "Thank you for letting me see Kallen again."
"Uh… maybe hold the thanks for now," Rimuru said awkwardly. 'Once Sakura wakes up, you might wish you could kill me. But guild rules forbid that, hahahaha… kind of looking forward to it, honestly.'
Crack—hiss.
The second sphere shattered. All eyes turned as Yae Sakura slowly emerged.
A strange heaviness settled in Otto's chest. Something felt wrong.
"Kallen…" Sakura whispered, stunned to see her again.
"Sakura…" Kallen's eyes lit up with joy.
The two rushed into each other's arms and shared a kiss.
"Ooooh~" Everyone except Otto made dramatic noises, covering their eyes with their hands—while peeking gleefully through their fingers.
"What… what's happening? Who am I? Where am I? What am I supposed to do?" Otto froze in shock. In their eyes, he didn't see friendship. He saw love.
"Wait! Kallen—what's going on here?" Otto's voice cracked with disbelief.
"I'm sorry, Otto. I already have someone I love. You're a good man, but…" Kallen trailed off with an apologetic look.
You're a good man.
good, a man, you're…
good… are you… a man.
The words kept crashing in his eyes, a storm he couldn't hold back.
Otto turned to stone. For a brief, insane moment, he thought maybe the entire world deserved to burn.
"He's a REALLY good man!" Rimuru and the others couldn't hold it in anymore. Laughter exploded from every corner.
"Hah! Never thought I'd see Otto like this. Got every shot on camera too!" Kiana howled, clutching her stomach.
"Grandpa… is he gonna be okay?" Theresa muttered, looking at Otto's pale, lifeless face. She quietly saved the photos she'd just taken, then slipped her phone into her pocket.
"Hahaha! 'You're a good man.' That's what every single one of the hundred girls who rejected me said!" one of Whitebeard's sons burst out laughing.
"What's so funny about that? That means you're worse off than him," Marco shot back dryly.
"…You're right. Boohoohoo!" The son burst into tears and ran off.
"K-Kallen!" Otto stayed crumpled for a moment, but centuries of being Schicksal's Overseer had given him iron willpower. He forced himself upright, jaw clenched, and glared fiercely at Kallen and Sakura. "I don't care who you claim to love. I, Otto Apocalypse, will never give up!"
"I waited five hundred years—I can wait five thousand more! I'll make you fall in love with me. You there—do you dare accept my challenge? In Otto Apocalypse's name, I swear Kallen Kaslana will be mine!"
"Otto, there's no need for this…" Kallen said helplessly.
"I accept." Before she could continue, Sakura cut in sharply. "I'll prove I love Kallen more than you do. You dare try to steal her from me? Then let's see who wins!"
Rimuru doubled over laughing, clutching his stomach. "A man and a woman fighting over another woman—what can I even say? Truly fitting for the title Pathetic Man… Otto, the poor soul betrayed by love itself."
"Maybe he should just try for a harem and take both of them. Go on, Otto, you got this!"
Everyone else looked on with shameless glee, their grins as indecent as their laughter was demonic.
.
.
.