Bianka's voice made Otto turn his head in surprise. Summoning her courage, Bianka met his gaze for a second before he spoke.
"Why are you still here?" His question was merciless and cold, completely ignoring her plea.
"If the Last Stand Serum is needed, I can..." Bianka gritted her teeth, still trying to make her case.
"You are not worthy." Otto tossed out the three words dismissively and turned back to the screen.
"Why?!" The question escaped Bianka's lips almost subconsciously.
Without turning around, Otto let out a cold laugh. "You think you're worthy? You lost to a Honkai Beast once. Do you really think a single vial of serum will let you swagger back onto the battlefield and turn the tide?"
Otto stood up, his height giving him an immense, oppressive presence over Bianka.
"Lacking self-awareness, fragile, emotional, reckless, stubborn, impulsive, reliant on others... Bianka, how many more of your flaws do you want me to list?"
With every word Otto spoke, Bianka's head sank a little lower. By the time he started questioning her, she could only stare at her own chest, her once-straight spine beginning to curve.
Only her fists, clenched so tight her knuckles turned white, remained defiant.
"Did you think I would support you forever, or were you expecting Rita to clean up your messes?" Otto's voice remained flat and emotionless.
"I didn't..." Bianka whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Tell me, why didn't you retreat?" Otto's voice suddenly grew louder. "Did I not order you to prioritize your own survival? And what did you do?"
"You were the first to descend the mountain, only to run headlong into that Honkai Beast. Instead of disengaging quickly, you started a prolonged battle? You used such a dangerous method just to cover the escape of those survivors?"
"What do they bring to the table? A few more scrap collectors and trash-pickers for ARC City's urban exploration teams? And what does the MOTH stand to lose? A highly trained, elite squad, one in a million. Several sets of equipment forged from vast amounts of resources."
"And the MOTH' rising star, a wielder of a Divine Key?"
"Heh..." Otto seemed to be mocking Bianka's foolishness. "A worthwhile trade... is that what you think? Was your naive plan worth making Rita and Li Sushang pay the price?"
That was Rita's idea... Bianka's head snapped up, tears having welled up in her eyes without her realizing. She bit her lip so hard her face turned red.
She wanted to explain, but the words wouldn't come out.
It was a foolish plan, but Rita had always been so clever; she shouldn't have come up with such a terrible idea... and yet... Rita had indeed proposed that plan because of her own thoughts...
But... why... why did her heart ache so much?
Everyone has vulnerabilities. It's like when a child argues fiercely with their parents, only to fall silent when asked, "Then why don't you study? And don't you dare use another cent of my money." The still-young child is usually left speechless.
Otto looked at Bianka's tear-streaked face, her lips bitten and cheeks flushed. After a moment of silence, he delivered his "verdict."
"Bianka, right now, I am very disappointed in you." A genuine look of disappointment flashed in his eyes. He waved his hand impatiently. "This is your final notice. Go back to where you belong."
With that, Otto seemed to receive a communication. He quickly grabbed two vials from a rack of serums on the lab table and hurried out of the office.
He left Bianka standing there, completely stunned.
Tears streamed down her face, leaving two glistening trails.
I am very disappointed in you—
Those words cruelly negated all of Bianka's efforts over the past month. Everything she had fought so hard to protect was destroyed by that single sentence from Otto.
She wasn't "Durandal," and she could never catch up to "Durandal"... She had disappointed everyone. So much had been invested, only to be wasted because of her...
In that case, what was the point of anything I've done this past month? Was there any need for me to have been born at all?
Completely crestfallen, Bianka turned. Moving with the stiff gait of a zombie, she prepared to obey Otto's command and return to the place she belonged.
Just go back to the darkness. That's where I was always meant to end up...
I can't do anything right...
...
It's time to say goodbye to this world... or rather...
See you never...
Bianka's steps suddenly halted. A flicker of confusion crossed her empty eyes.
See you never... Why does that sound so familiar? And why do I feel such resistance to that phrase?
Her heart ached, ached so much she wanted to cry...
["Lady Bianka, pressure needs an outlet."] Rita's voice suddenly echoed in Bianka's mind. A tiny spark of starlight appeared in her dull eyes.
"An outlet..." she murmured, a hint of confusion in her voice.
In a haze, Bianka seemed to see Rita standing beside her, offering a gentle smile.
"No matter what Lady Bianka does, Rita will support all of your decisions."
"Patron, you are not her, nor do you need to be. You are one of a kind."
"Welcome to this world that is so loved. May we never have to say... see you never."
In the pitch-black night sky, a shooting star will always come to tear through the darkness. And now, that brilliant starlight had fallen into Bianka's eyes!
"I understand, everyone." Bianka sighed softly, then turned without a moment's hesitation and ran to the lab table where Otto had taken the serums.
Just as she expected, the vials left on the rack were all Last Stand Serums.
Bianka snatched up three of them, spun around, and raced out of the office, heading for the elevator and pressing the button.
The doors opened instantly, as always. Bianka strode inside and pressed the button for the twelfth basement floor.
It's not enough, she told herself. Otto was right. I'm too weak. Even with the serum, it won't be enough. I need more power!
The elevator stopped. She bolted out, speeding past row after row of cultivation pods.
The figures within seemed to form a welcoming line, guiding her path forward.
Finally, Bianka stopped in front of a cultivation pod. She had found the power she needed!
Inside the pod, the irregular, ice-blue crystal was shining brightly