It must be miHoYo's doing.

"You're my most important friend!" Kallen's eyes sparkled. "We train together, together... Eh? Omar, why do you look so grim?"

"No, nothing!" Otto hurriedly stuffed a large mouthful of meat into his mouth, only to have his tongue stick out from the burn. Kallen quickly handed him ice water and couldn't help laughing.

When Kallen then mentioned "there was a little kid who always followed me when I was little," Otto pricked up his ears again. Hearing Kallen's comment that he was "clumsy but reliable," her face flushed unconsciously.

Volume 2 must be miHoYo's doing! 乆! : 025 Kallen: I want to drink Ice City Mixue!

As night falls, the commercial street, where the lights are just coming on, is bustling with people.

Otto followed Kallen out of the restaurant. The night breeze blew across her face with the refreshing air of late summer, ruffling the golden hair on her forehead.

She subconsciously grabbed the corner of Kallen's clothes, her small hands tightly gripping the piece of cloth, as if the person in front of her would disappear if she let go.

"Oh my god, look!" Karen suddenly stopped and pointed at the milk tea shop on the corner with sparkling eyes. A bright LED sign flashed the words "Ice City Mixue," and the glass window was covered with colorful posters for various drinks. "The drinks on that sign look delicious!"

Otto stood on tiptoe to peer in. A long line had already formed in front of the store. A dozen or so young couples and close friends stood waiting in groups of three or four, their voices occasionally filled with cheerful laughter. She turned to see Kallen's expectant eyes, her bright smile particularly vivid under the neon lights.

An inexplicable urge surged in his chest. Otto suddenly straightened his back and patted his chest, which was not even as high as Karen's waist, with his small hands: "Karen, wait here! I'll go buy it!"

"But the line is going to be long..." Kallen looked at the line hesitantly.

"It's okay!" Otto started running to the end of the line. "I remember you like sweet things, right?" she called back, her golden ponytail bouncing happily behind her head.

Every minute in line felt incredibly long. Otto stood on tiptoe, counting the people in front of her. "Seven more..." she muttered softly, her delicate white hands twisting the hem of her skirt unconsciously.

Suddenly, a loud boom was heard in the distance, and the ground shook slightly. Screams followed, one after another. The crowd around them began to stir, and some began to look around anxiously.

"Another event..." Otto wrinkled his nose, staring intently at the moving procession ahead. Her mind was now filled with the smile Kallen would likely make when she drank her milk tea—the crescent of her azure eyes, the beautiful curve of her lips...

"Next!"

The cashier's call brought Otto back to his senses. She stood on tiptoe, clinging to the edge of the counter, and put on her most serious expression. "Two cups of our signature bubble milk tea, full of sugar."

The young cashier was amused by the stern-faced blonde girl and couldn't help but reach out to rub her head. "Are you buying this for your sister? You're so considerate."

Otto nimbly dodged the hand, a flicker of displeasure in his emerald eyes. But remembering that Kallen was still waiting, she politely accepted the milk tea, carefully carrying it as she walked back. The warm cup's walls conveyed just the right temperature, and the pearls swayed gently at the bottom, emitting a sweet aroma.

Turning the corner, Otto stopped dead in his tracks. The bench was empty; the man who had been waiting for her was gone.

"Karen?" Her voice trembled unconsciously.

Otto spun in a circle, her round-toed white leather shoes tapping anxiously on the floor. The milk tea cup trembled slightly in her hand, and a few drops of amber liquid splashed onto the white hem of her skirt, leaving a small brown stain.

There was another commotion in the distance. A terrified crowd surged towards us like a tide, and someone shouted, "Run! There's an explosion over there!"

Otto suddenly grabbed a passing office worker and asked, "Excuse me, what happened?"

"There's a gas explosion in the old city..." The man's face was filled with fear, and his suit was distorted as he ran. "The whole building is on fire... The fire truck hasn't arrived yet..."

Otto felt his heart suddenly tighten as an invisible hand gripped him. She let go of him and, without hesitation, dashed in the opposite direction of the crowd, her golden hair fluttering in the wind. The milk tea in her arms was squeezed and most of it spilled, but she no longer cared.

"Karen...you must wait for me..."

Countless thoughts raced through her mind: Had Kallen heard the explosion and rushed to help? Was it Yiqi Liuyin (three?)"亻(/尔亻尔氿 (two) like she had five hundred years ago, rushing to the rescue when someone was in danger? That foolish saint who always put others first...

The streets narrowed, and a faint smell of burning began to fill the air. In the distance, orange-red flames dyed half the sky red, and thick smoke billowed into the air. Otto's pace quickened, her calves aching, but she didn't dare stop.

Turning the last corner, the sight before her nearly stopped her heart—a familiar figure in white, aiding an injured elderly man as he evacuated a burning residential building. The flames had already singed a corner of Kallen's skirt, but she remained steadfast, standing at the forefront of the danger at the temple.

"Kallen!!" Otto shouted with all his strength, his voice filled with unprecedented panic.

At this moment, five hundred years seemed to overlap. Otto suddenly understood that no matter how many times he reincarnated, some people would never change—and he, Otto, would always risk his life for this person!

…………

Otto rushed into the fire, and amidst the thick smoke, he strode over to Kallen. Her golden hair, soaked with sweat, lay plastered to her flushed face. Flames licked the walls on both sides of the hallway, crackling the wooden handrails.

"Cough... cough cough... you... why are you here..." Kallen's voice came from the smoke, and her white figure appeared and disappeared in the firelight.

Otto gritted his teeth and used his small body to support the old man's other side. The old man's violent coughs echoed in her ears, and hot ashes continued to fall from the ceiling.

Several people felt as if a ball of burning cotton was stuffed into their lungs, and every breath was accompanied by burning pain.

Finally, they stumbled out of the apartment building. Fresh air washed over them, and in the distance, the sound of an ambulance siren could be heard faintly. Otto was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw Kallen turning and running toward the fire.

"Kallen!" Otto screamed, grabbing the hem of her skirt. "What are you doing?! You're fighting so hard... what are you trying to do?! You're even hurting yourself!"

"There are two more children on the third floor!" Kallen didn't answer Otto's question. She just broke free from her grip, her blue eyes gleaming with determination. "I heard them crying! They're waiting for me!"

Otto watched the white figure rush into the sea of ​​fire again, her heart almost jumping out of her chest. She looked down at her hands covered in black ash and suddenly stamped her feet in anger.

"You...you stupid saint!"

The temperature inside the fire was even higher than before. Otto bent over, covering his mouth and nose with his wet sleeves, trying to identify Kallen's footprints. Her leather shoes made a teeth-grinding squeaking sound on the charred floor.

She finally found Kallen at the corner of the third floor. The white figure was kneeling in front of a deformed door, banging against it with her shoulder.

"Kallen!"

"Oma? What's wrong with you..." Kallen turned around in surprise, her face covered with black dust and sweat.

"Stop talking nonsense!" Otto squeezed in beside her, his small body slamming into the door like a cannonball. "One, two, three!"

Volume 2 must be done by miHoYo! 乆! : 026 You... stupid saint!

With a loud bang, the door lock finally broke free. A little girl's suppressed cough echoed through the thick smoke inside. Kallen dashed inside and dragged two trembling little girls from under the bed. The elder sister hugged her younger sister tightly, their faces streaked with tears.

"It's okay, sister is here to save you." Kallen gently wiped the tears from their faces, her voice as soft as if she was singing a lullaby.

As they were about to evacuate, a loud bang suddenly came from the corridor. A burning beam fell down, completely blocking the stairwell.

"This way!" Otto dragged Kallen in the opposite direction, but soon found it was a dead end. The fire grew more intense, and the smoke almost filled the entire place. She felt her vision begin to blur, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

"Omar," Kallen called out suddenly, her voice unusually calm amid the crackling of the flames. "Don't you want to know... why I'm fighting so hard?"

Otto turned his head and saw Kallen with that familiar smile on her lips. The firelight reflected on her dirty face, making the smile look even more holy.

"Actually, I've long felt I only have one day left to live," Kallen whispered, shielding the two children in her arms with her body. "Today, I'm already very satisfied with the time I've spent with Omar."

Otto's pupils suddenly contracted. She opened her mouth, but no sound came out.

"If the remaining time and life could be exchanged for more lives..." Kallen's voice was so soft it sounded like a sigh. "Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

In the smoke and dust, a tear slid down from the corner of Otto's eye and disappeared before being evaporated by the high temperature.

Otto bit her lip until she could taste blood. Five hundred years of obsession, five hundred years of pursuit, and in the end, she still couldn't change this man's choice.

"Idiot..." Otto's voice was choked with sobs, "You... a complete... idiot saint..."

At that moment, the ceiling above suddenly made a terrible cracking sound. Otto almost instinctively rushed towards Kallen, and at the critical moment, pushed her and the children into the corner of the triangle.

"Boom—"

Accompanied by a deafening roar, the whole world fell into darkness.

………………

Flames danced wildly around Otto, the burning ceiling bearing down on his petite frame. The blazing flames licked the tips of her golden hair, making a sizzling sound. Thick smoke filled her lungs, causing her to cough violently.

"Ahem... Damn it..." Otto moved his fingers with difficulty. This level of flame couldn't actually hurt her at all—as a former Bishop of Heaven's Fate, even now in her lolita form, her physical strength far surpassed that of an ordinary person.

At this moment, the terminal on his wrist suddenly lit up, the light screen particularly conspicuous in the thick smoke:

[Sacrifice yourself to save others, reward 1 point of redemption]

Otto was stunned. Atonement points... was that how they were earned?

"So... is this what atonement is?" she murmured, her voice clear in the sea of ​​fire. "Doing good... saving others... isn't that what Kallen has always done..."

She suddenly smiled. Her golden eyes, through the dancing sparks, gazed at Kallen, who she had pushed out of the danger zone. The white-haired girl lay quietly on the ground, holding the two little girls tightly in her arms.

"Exchange!" Otto shouted without hesitation, "Use 1 point of atonement to exchange for perfect status!"

A dazzling light suddenly burst forth from her body. Amidst the blazing flames, her petite frame began to grow rapidly—her long golden hair cascading down like a waterfall, her slender limbs gradually becoming slender and powerful, and her once loose dress now perfectly fitted her mature frame.

"BOOM!"

The burning ruins were shaken apart by an invisible force. Otto Apokalis, restored to his full glory, slowly rose from the sea of ​​fire, his white and gold bishop's robe rustling in the flames.

"I'm more comfortable this way." He flexed his knuckles, a confident smile playing on his lips. "Now I can accomplish truly great things."

He opened his arms, and golden energy surged from him like a tide. These rays of light wove into a vast net in the air, gently enveloping the entire burning building. Each beam of light precisely found a trapped person and gently lifted them up.

"Hey, Otto." Tianming's teasing voice suddenly rang in his ears. "This fire was a natural event, not caused by an alien evil. You used your power without permission to save people... I will punish you."

Otto raised an eyebrow, his hands moving without stopping: "President, it's up to you. Even if you have to turn my body into a little girl for the rest of my life, please do as you please!"

"Oh? So tough?" Tianming laughed playfully, "It seems someone finally figured something out~"

The golden light grew brighter, and the trapped residents were safely transported out of the fire one by one. When Otto's power touched Kallen, he obviously softened his grip, as if he were handling a fragile treasure.

In the haze, Kallen slightly opened her eyes. In her blurry vision, a tall golden figure stood in the firelight. The familiar silhouette made her heart tremble.

"That is..." Her lips trembled slightly, "Who..."

Before she could see clearly, darkness once again swept over her consciousness.

Inside the Dust Song Pot, Tianming looked at the surveillance footage and shook his head helplessly. "What a reckless fellow..." He snapped his fingers. "But... I'll make an exception and help you this time."

Outside, the firefighters who had just arrived were surprised to find that the fire in the building, which had been burning fiercely, had mysteriously subsided. Even stranger, all the trapped residents had been moved to a safe area without anyone noticing.

"What's going on?" The fire chief stared at the scene in amazement. "Why did the fire shrink on its own?"

No one noticed the fleeting glint of a faint golden light above the building. In a small corner, Otto, now in his youthful form, leaned wearily against the wall, a satisfied smile on his face unlike anything he had seen before.

Volume 2 must be miHoYo's doing! 乆! : 027 Fire hero Kallen escapes the scene

The burning embers slowly died in the night breeze, and Otto huddled in the shadows of the corner of the third floor. Her long golden hair had turned gray, and her delicate dress was covered with scorch marks.

The footsteps and shouts of firefighters came from the stairwell, getting closer and closer.

"We have to leave quickly..." Otto bit her lip and forced herself to stand. Her small hands were supported on the wall, but they were shaking slightly from the excessive force. The aftereffects of the force she had exerted to save everyone were still there. Her legs felt weak, as if she had just run a marathon.

Before the firefighters noticed the corner, Otto tiptoed down the emergency exit. Each step stung her knees, but she didn't dare stop. As she turned the corner on the second floor, a slight "crack" froze her in place—a charred wooden floorboards broke beneath her feet.

"Is anyone there?" a firefighter shouted alertly.

Otto held her breath and moved slowly, hugging the wall. Fortunately, more shouts came from the other direction, distracting the firefighters. She seized the opportunity and rushed down the remaining stairs two at a time, finally reaching the first floor.

The scene outside made Otto pause. The blue lights of the ambulances flickered in the night, and medical staff shuttled between stretchers. The rescued residents were sitting or lying, some being examined, others hugging each other and crying.

Otto's eyes searched the crowd anxiously until he finally spotted the familiar figure on a stretcher in the corner. Kallen Kaslana's white hair stood out in the darkness, like a small moon.

"Oma?" Kallen opened her eyes just as Otto approached. Her sky-blue eyes were filled with confusion. "Why am I here? Where are those two kids?"

Otto's heart leaped, and she hurried forward. "They've all been rescued." She blinked, then suddenly had an idea. "Don't forget, I'm a little magician!" She waved her hand pretentiously. "In a hurry, I used summoning magic to summon another person. That person was amazing, and he saved everyone in an instant!"

Kallen frowned slightly, trying to recall the scene before she fell unconscious. There was indeed a tall, golden figure... but why did it feel so familiar to her? It was as if she had seen it a thousand times before...

"Then..." Kallen asked hesitantly, "What about the person you summoned, Oma?"

"Ah! He..." Otto's throat suddenly tightened, and his little hands unconsciously grasped the hem of his skirt. "He...left after saving the man! Yes! He walked away so fast! He left without even looking back! Haha~~"

This exaggerated explanation made Kallen even more suspicious, but before she could ask further questions, a commotion interrupted their conversation. The elderly man who had been rescued earlier came staggering over, supported by his family, followed by a young couple holding a child.

"Thank you... Thank you so much..." The old man held Kallen tightly with his rough hands, and turbid tears slid down his wrinkled face.

"If it weren't for you, my old bones..."

The little girl's mother knelt down, her voice choked with sobs, almost unable to speak: "My children... my babies... thank you..."

Karen hurriedly sat up from the stretcher and gently helped the mother up: "Please don't do this. This is what I should do." Her voice was gentle, as if she was comforting a frightened little animal, and her fingers gently wiped away the tears on the other person's face.

Otto stood aside, watching Kallen surrounded by a grateful crowd. A smile unconsciously formed on her lips, but it quickly tightened again—in the distance, a cacophony of voices and the click of flashbulbs could be heard.

"Look over there!"

"I heard those two girls saved everyone in the building!"

"Make way! We are reporters from the City Daily!"

To make matters worse, Otto glimpses a familiar figure in the crowd—the man with glasses who took their picture at Comic Con!

Gu Jingyan was holding a camera and looking around, with the lens occasionally pointing in this direction.

"Karen! Run!" Otto grabbed Karen's wrist without saying a word and dragged her out of the crowd.

"Eh? Wait! What happened?" Kallen staggered, but subconsciously followed Otto's footsteps.

The two of them ran through the night, their long white hair and golden twintails fluttering in the wind. Behind them came the shouts of reporters: