"For the sake of Saint Karen... Bishop Otto actually cross-dressed to seduce the guards?!"
"Lord Otto got cucked?!"
"The villain in Karen's fantasies is actually the very one who made Lord Otto a green hat-wearing fool?!"
Ever since Nagami began revealing Otto's dark and embarrassing past, Rita's shocked expression hadn't left her face for even a moment.
This was truly the juiciest gossip she'd ever heard.
Rita seriously suspected that if she brought all this intel back to Schicksal, Otto might resort to physical force to keep her quiet.
After all... there was already the precedent set with Lady Cecilia.
As ridiculous as these revelations sounded, if everything Nagami said was true...
A faint sense of fear stirred in her heart, impossible to suppress. Rita kept a polite, gentle smile on her face as best as she could.
This level of intelligence-gathering ability... was beyond understanding—completely unthinkable, utterly unanalyzable.
And then there was that casual, almost off-handed mention from Nagami about reviving the dead—whether by magic or some unknown tool—when he was scolding Otto's stupidity...
This whole conversation had far surpassed what she could possibly comprehend.
It was clear she needed to report all of this directly to Lord Otto.
Rita could vaguely sense the reason why Nagami was revealing so much to her.
It wasn't because the two of them just happened to "get along" as people.
Well... not only because of that.
If they were on the same side, the two could probably become quite close friends.
Especially given Nagami's unique "entertainer" personality.
But this level of intel was not something to casually share just because they got along.
Most likely... Nagami wanted her to carry these words straight to Bishop Otto.
Even knowing Nagami's intentions, Rita had no other choice.
She had to report everything to Otto.
Because the implications hidden behind this information were far, far greater than what they appeared on the surface.
As she watched Nagami casually chatting away—still telling amusing, captivating little stories—it was tempting to keep listening.
But no. Enough for now.
She needed to find a chance to leave and report this conversation to the bishop immediately
Still...
She did hope that someday she could genuinely become friends with Nagami.
As a maid who shared certain quirks with Nagami, Rita could sense the natural compatibility between their personalities... but sadly, as things stood, this was not something she could control.
Besides, no matter how well they might get along, a few days of casual contact wasn't nearly enough to shake the authority Schicksal—or rather, Otto—held in Rita's heart.
"Nagami-sama... is there anything in this world you don't know?"
She made the sincere compliment as she gracefully poured fresh, steaming tea for both herself and Nagami.
The rising mist lightly kissed her face, like a soft veil.
Nagami gently lifted the teacup and took a small sip.
A sweet, fragrant taste spread in his mouth.
When it came to tea-making, Rita's skills far surpassed even that of the Herrscher of Rice.
"Of course I don't know everything," Nagami replied with a soft chuckle.
"For example... 92, 61, 92. These strange numbers—I've been wondering what they mean lately. Rita, what do you think they could possibly represent?"
His words once again left Rita utterly dumbfounded.
Rita's long, curled lashes trembled slightly, and a faint blush crept across her elegant, flawless face.
"Rita... has no idea."
"Oh, right. I ran out of seasoning last night. I need to go buy some, so I won't be able to keep you company any longer."
Without giving Nagami a chance to say more, Rita gracefully lowered her gaze, gave a polite and elegant bow, and walked away with perfect posture—one stockinged leg and one bare, just as before.
To the sound of Nagami's soft farewell, she stepped out of the dorm.
Behind her, Nagami quietly watched the slim figure fade into the distance, his eyes calm and unreadable.
Leaning lazily back onto the sofa, he crossed one leg over the other and rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.
Once Rita finished making her report, control of the situation would likely fall back into Nagami's hands.
Until Otto figured out the true source of Nagami's information—or got a clearer grasp of who Nagami really was—he probably wouldn't make any rash moves.
Nagami casually picked up the game console Bronya had left on the table and launched a random game.
As he played, he mulled over whether to bring Inori into this world once everything settled down.
No... it'd be best to personally make a trip there.
Judging by how the Apocalypsis Virus exploded during the anime's finale—spreading worldwide and wreaking havoc on the global biosphere, this thing had power on the level of wiping entire ecosystems off the planet.
Definitely not weak.
In fact, even in the world of Honkai Impact 3rd, it would rank as a Tier 0 threat.
As for Honkai Gakuen 2nd... no comparison at all.
And considering its potential for growth, the final result would be hard to predict.
Within the setting of Guilty Crown alone, the Apocalypse Virus—the virus that had the absurd ability to not only wipe out life on Earth but even infect souls themselves.
Calling it the "invisible hand of God" was no exaggeration.
With Nagami's current power, he would be utterly unstoppable in that world.
It would be foolish not to claim that strength for himself.
On top of everything else, Nagami had another rather unusual idea in mind.
One of the defining traits of the Apocalypse Virus was its ability to crystallize the bodies of its hosts, covering them in purple, gem-like formations.
The more advanced the infection, the more widespread these crystal growths became—both inside and outside the body.
At its core, the virus activated itself through genetic resonance.
Once inside a host's cells, it would multiply explosively, hardening tissues and gradually transforming the body into a crystalline form.
But far more significant than this was the Void—the mysterious weapon born from those infected with the Apocalypse Virus.
These so-called "Voids" were the physical manifestations of a person's soul itself.
Those who possessed the Power of Kings could extract them from people's bodies. And if the Void weapon was destroyed, its owner would die almost instantly.
It made sense—ordinary human souls, even when materialized, were not naturally strong. The fact that they could be broken was only natural.
But the reason why the Void Greatsword was regarded as the ultimate Void weapon came down to its original wielder—Mana Ouma.
Mana was the first human ever infected by the virus.
When she first touched the Origin Stone, the Apocalypse Virus invaded her body.
Long before the Lost Christmas incident ever occurred, Mana had already fused her soul with the virus, becoming a new kind of life form entirely.
You could even think of her as the virus itself, wearing Mana's memories and thoughts like a mask.
She... or rather, it... or perhaps "they"—no matter how you described this existence, the soul manifested by such a being would never be on the same level as an ordinary human's.
And that was exactly why the Void Greatsword's power utterly overwhelmed all others.
But let's turn our attention elsewhere for a moment…
In the world of Terra, the land was ravaged by mysterious natural disasters of unknown origin.
After each catastrophe, a strange mineral would appear in the affected area—Oripathy Ore, commonly known as "Originium."
The people of Terra had grown dependent on Originium, using its power to drive their civilization into modern times.
But this same mineral also gave rise to "Infected"—humans afflicted by Oripathy.
If someone was exposed to Originium for an extended period—or worse, if it entered their body through wounds or direct contact—they would develop Oripathy, an incurable disease.
The symptoms were eerily familiar to the Apocalypse Virus: crystals growing from the skin and inside the body, cells slowly fusing with the mineral.
Uninfected people required Originium catalysts like staves to perform Arts (magic), but Infected individuals could manipulate Originium directly through the crystals in their own bodies—no tools required.
Nagami couldn't help but wonder… could this phenomenon also be a form of soul materialization? It didn't seem like such a far-fetched guess.
The more severe the infection, the greater the power these people could draw from Originium.
Could it be because their souls were also becoming partially materialized?
The Apocalypse Virus.
The Originium Virus.
Both led to the growth of crystals within the host's body.
The Apocalypse Virus altered genes.
Originium fused directly with a host's cells.
And when the infected of both worlds died, their bodies would fully crystallize, shatter, and release clouds of infectious dust—spreading the plague anew.
The Apocalypse Virus produced the Void—physical manifestations of the soul itself.
The Originium Virus dramatically boosted Arts capabilities, granting powers ordinary humans could never reach.
The purpose of the Apocalypse Virus? To force humanity into the next stage of evolution.
The reason for Originium's appearance? Still unknown.
But how could anyone ignore such eerie similarities?
How could Nagami resist the thought of testing the Power of Kings in the world of Terra?
Even if these two phenomena were entirely unrelated, there was still an old saying:
"Fight poison with poison." Perhaps one virus could be the cure for the other.
So really… wasn't it perfectly natural for Nagami to be considering bringing the Apocalypse Virus into Terra?
Besides, there was no need to worry about the viruses merging into an uncontrollable disaster.
After all—the Apocalypse Virus had a mind of its own.
The "Mana" consciousness that once resided in Inori Yuzuriha was no fluke; it was the collective will of the virus itself, having chosen its own "Eve."
Sorry, Terra.
Looks like you'll soon be following in the footsteps of the Honkai Will
———————————————————————
Meanwhile, outside the door—
Long, pure-white hair cascaded down like a waterfall, flowing smoothly over her back.
The silver-haired girl gently tucked a few stray strands behind her ear, revealing the slender curve of her neck hidden beneath her shoulder-length locks.
She carefully straightened her collar and smoothed the corners of her clothes.
After making sure everything was perfect, she raised a delicate hand and lightly knocked on the door.
For the first time, a trace of nervousness appeared on her beautifully sculpted face.