Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

"I can't believe you're such a… troll…"

The black feather dissipated, revealing the pink feather hidden beneath. Fu Hua's figure materialized beside Lin Wei, looking down at him with a bemused expression.

"You're quite the prankster, aren't you?" She added, a hint of amusement in her voice.

"You flatter me, my lady," Lin Wei deadpanned, his tone unchanged from when he'd been reporting to Otto. He remained motionless, Faking unconsciousness. 

Maybe Otto will come back, he thought. But this didn't stop him from conversing with "Fu Hua" in his mind. He'd been fully conscious the entire time, simply playing along with Otto's charade.

Back in Nagazora, Fu Hua had left him two feathers. One he'd given to Yae Sakura to allow for a desperate gamble; the other was now materialized beside him.

Of course, this wasn't the Fu Hua, but a projection of her consciousness residing within the feather. She wasn't truly present, nor could anyone else see her. She was a phantom, visible only to him.

"..."

Seeing Lin Wei address her with the same deadpan tone he'd used with Otto, "Fu Hua" was momentarily speechless.

"Since you're no longer in danger, I'll take my leave." She stated simply, her figure dissolving into a soft pink glow, reverting to a single feather, sinking back into the depths of Lin Wei's consciousness.

She came and went like the wind, leaving no trace, as if she'd never been there. Her hasty departure made it seem like even a few extra words were a burden.

"…Why so quick? I'm not going to sell you," Lin Wei muttered, feeling a little slighted. "It's been so long, I wanted to chat…"

Even knowing this wasn't the real Fu Hua, but a fragment of her consciousness, he still wanted to talk. After all, in this world, only Yae Sakura, the RIN, and Fu Hua knew all his secrets.

He felt a unique kinship with them. But the RIN chose slumber, waiting for their promised future; and Fu Hua had chosen to compartmentalize this part of her memory, returning those secrets to him. Only Yae Sakura truly shared his burdens.

And this "Fu Hua" represented the part Fu Hua had intentionally forgotten, the memories concerning the "future." There were some things he couldn't reveal to the real Fu Hua, but he could speak freely to this echo of her past self. Too bad she didn't give him the chance.

"Stingy, couldn't even spare a few more words…" Lin Wei grumbled, feeling a bit wronged. "You clearly enjoyed seeing Otto get played."

Both versions of Fu Hua shared an equal disdain for Otto. The real Fu Hua was simply burdened by too many considerations, unlike this fragment of consciousness, slumbering undisturbed. Her sole purpose was to protect him when needed, nothing more.

She would simply wait until the time was right, when he would return her, along with those memories, to the Fu Hua who had chosen ignorance.

"It's the genuine Fenghuang Down after all. My feather doesn't have that function, and neither does Otto's… Tsk, knock-offs are knock-offs," Lin Wei mused, lying there waiting for Yae Sakura to return, starting to ramble to himself out of boredom.

"Ugh, headache…" His tone shifted, becoming troubled.

"Why did Otto actually show up? I'd rather have struck out…" Then, he chuckled wryly, "But he couldn't even see through such a simple trick. So, the Overseer of Schicksal is nothing more than this… No, no, can't get cocky…"

He quickly sobered, "Stay focused, stay focused… This was just a lucky shot, can't get complacent. Otherwise, what's the difference between me and Otto? How can I laugh at him then…" Lin Wei reflected on his actions.

He admitted, this plan had been risky.

He usually avoided risks, but against Otto, some risk was necessary to bait him.

So, when he'd noticed Anna and Yuno frequenting remote areas, he'd discussed the current situation and his plan with Yae Sakura.

And as expected, she'd vehemently opposed it.

...

"Absolutely not!"

Yae Sakura's voice wasn't shrill, but calm and melodic, laced with unconcealed anger and urgency. The moment he'd voiced his plan, before he could even finish, she'd materialized, standing before him with outstretched arms, blocking his path.

They were in their hotel room, a relatively safe and enclosed space, yet she stood firm, as if stopping him from jumping out the window.

Lin Wei had anticipated her reaction, but couldn't help feeling exasperated, though he understood her anger. His plan did sound ridiculous – if World Serpent showed up, he would distract Otto while Yae Sakura followed World Serpent, locating their hideout and uncovering their motives.

He'd specifically emphasized that she should take Pandora and leave him alone.

That was the trigger.

"This isn't a plan, it's suicide! I won't allow it!"

Unlike her gentle exterior, Yae Sakura was fiercely protective and stubbornly loyal, willing to fight to the death for those she cared about. Gentle as water, yet fierce as fire. That was Yae Sakura, the girl who'd captured both Otto's and Kallen's hearts.

Lin Wei felt only gratitude and guilt for her concern-fueled anger.

"…Sakura, please calm down. Let me explain, okay?"

He stepped forward, taking her cool hand, gently pulling her down to sit, urging her to listen.

She didn't budge. Lin Wei sighed.

With their difference in strength, if she resisted, he wouldn't be able to move her an inch.

"Tell me right here!" she insisted, her voice strained, each word carefully enunciated.

Beneath her disbelief and anger, a subtle panic stirred.

With the Key of Erosion, she could exist independently, walking and breathing like a normal person, no longer a Stigmata bound to another. This should be good news, but it wasn't what she wanted.

She only wanted to protect her small village, protect him. Her world was small, and she wanted it to stay that way. Her power was meant only for this.

Lin Wei's plan made her feel abandoned, as if she would lose her village, her sanctuary, and be left alone again, adrift.

So she panicked, and she lashed out. She demanded an explanation.

"Sakura, you know how much effort I put into acquiring you," Lin Wei started, understanding her true concern, her untouchable boundary. He began by soothing her, easing her tense nerves. "Now, you're the only one in this world I can share all my secrets with…"

"Hmph!"

Yae Sakura fumed. Here he goes again with his silver tongue, she thought. But why, knowing he's full of it, am I actually calming down? Am I that easily manipulated?

Her anger began to fade, replaced by a frustrated embarrassment.

"Stop. Get to the point!" She snapped, trying to maintain her righteous indignation.

Lin Wei chuckled, then gently tugged at her hand again.

She didn't move, a silent testament to her stubbornness.

"…All our precautions, our surveillance, and this plan, are based on the premise that this 'Yuno' is actually Otto in disguise," Lin Wei conceded, getting to the point. He laid out his reasoning. "The real Yuno poses no threat. So, if I'm wrong, and she's not Otto, then no matter how risky the plan, there's no real danger."

Yae Sakura didn't question his logic, but simply watched him with a knowing smile, waiting for him to continue his "performance."

"..."

She's still mad, Lin Wei realized, feeling a bit nervous. But having started, he had to finish. He'd find a way to appease her later.

"If she is Otto, and we let him spend all this time with Anna, the longer it goes on, the higher the chance of us being exposed."

"And if Otto is going through all this trouble, disguising himself and coming here, then his primary target can't be us – at least, he has no reason to know about the Key of Erosion yet. I believe, even to maintain this facade of peace, Gray Serpent would be careful to block any information about it from reaching Schicksal."

As he spoke, Lin Wei's expression turned sly, he stroked his chin thoughtfully.

"After all, our Mr. Gray Serpent is a very capable information broker…"

Revealing the Key of Erosion now benefited no one. Gray Serpent was a cunning strategist, and could be trusted to be "rational."

"..."

Seeing that familiar, unsettling smile, Yae Sakura sighed inwardly. Why did I ever think this schemer would willingly sacrifice himself?

But she maintained her knowing smile, letting him continue to squirm.

"Continue," she prompted, her voice flat.

"Yes, ma'am." Lin Wei was relieved she'd finally spoken. He continued, "Since it can't be us, then it's obviously World Serpent. Using Yuno's identity also suggests he's hoping her unique physiology will attract their attention…"

He scoffed. "Otto clearly underestimates World Serpent. If any fusion warrior could pique their interest, then Fu Hua would be the most valuable asset. But as you know, World Serpent chose to observe from a distance, not making any significant moves."

"So, Otto's plan will most likely fail. The bait isn't valuable enough."

He narrowed his eyes.

"But… you never know… If World Serpent does show up, it means they have their own agenda."

The consistently calm Honkai energy readings in Southeast Asia gave Lin Wei a bad feeling about the upcoming Honkai eruption. The Stigmata Project required a densely populated city to trigger a large-scale Honkai eruption.

Who said the Stigmata Project would only happen in Arc City?

What if the Manila incident was just a failed experiment…?

"Regardless of their motives, we need to find them and uncover their plans."

Lin Wei's expression turned serious as he considered Gray Serpent's possible motives.

"Only then can we avoid being led around blindly."

"…So that's your goal? You distract Otto, buy me time; I follow the trail, find this unknown World Serpent base, uncover their motives, and foil their plans?" Yae Sakura scoffed. "Why not just leave it to Schicksal? Isn't saving the world their responsibility… Why are you looking at me like that?" She glared at him, annoyed by his strange expression.

"Nothing, just thinking how happy Otto would be to know someone has so much faith in him. Of course, I only have the same faith in him in the opposite direction." Lin Wei joked, then continued with a smile, "So, to prevent our dear Overseer from interfering, I'll have to… interfere with him first…"

"…Easy for you to say. What about your safety?" Yae Sakura persisted, her concern unwavering. "Without me, without the Divine Key, you're just a slightly stronger than average person."

"If, as you say, the Overseer of Schicksal appears before you, how will you protect yourself against such a terrifying enemy?"

"That's precisely why I want you to act alone and take the Divine Key, Sakura. Your power is too great. To avoid detection by Otto, you'd have to use Pandora to mask your presence when you're close to him."

Lin Wei's tone was half serious, half exasperated.

"And if you use the Divine Key, with Otto and the Void Archives' intelligence, the secret of the Key of Erosion will be quickly discovered."

His trump card was too powerful. Its exposure would bring unforeseen risks. It was a double-edged sword.

"What about your safety?" Yae Sakura repeated, refusing to back down. "What if you're captured? What will you do? What if Otto uses the Divine Key to read your memories, alter your consciousness, like you did to him? How will you resist?"

"Don't worry about the Divine Key, I have a plan. Look…"

Lin Wei extended his hands. In one, a dull black feather tumbled gently; in the other, a katana crackled with lightning.

"As you know, I can only maintain one projected Divine Key at a time."

He gestured to the feather.

"This isn't the complete Fenghuang Down, just one of its three thousand feathers."

"What's the difference?" Yae Sakura was confused.

"A big difference!" Lin Wei smiled, patiently explaining. "Each feather of the true Fenghuang Down can exist independently, performing separate tasks, like storing memories or protecting someone's consciousness. And compared to the complete Divine Key, a single feather is much harder to detect."

In the original timeline, the feathers Fu Hua had left behind had saved the day more than once, appearing like divine intervention.

"Of course, our knock-offs, created from other Divine Keys, don't have such convenient functions!"

Yae Sakura didn't interrupt. She was waiting for him to get to the point. If he was explaining this, he must have a solution.

"Back in Elysian Realm, Vill-V and I researched and developed many uses for the Divine Keys."

Lin Wei continued.

"As you know, I think outside the box. As for Vill-V… she's… adequate. Barely able to keep up with me."

"…Get to the point," Yae Sakura interrupted, exasperated. She knew exactly what kind of chaos those two had caused in Elysian Realm. The entire place had been in an uproar because of their bizarre experiments.

Even the Flame-Chasers, accustomed to extraordinary events, had been unnerved. Kevin had finally intervened, separating them by confining Vill-V, restoring some semblance of order.

Lin Wei, however, remained unfazed, simply tapping his head.

"Using the feather Fu Hua left behind, with the resonance of a true Fenghuang Down feather, our 'shadow feather' can exist independently for a short time, achieving a similar effect."

That was his plan, as audacious as ever. Challenging the Overseer of Schicksal with a single feather?

"What if you fail? What if you're captured?"

Yae Sakura's concern remained. Everything else was secondary; Lin Wei's safety was paramount.

Lin Wei, however, was confident in his understanding of Otto.

"If Otto wants to play this 'role-playing game,' then a nobody like me isn't significant enough for him to abandon his current plans."

This didn't satisfy Yae Sakura. She continued to stare at him intently.

Seeing her stubborn gaze, Lin Wei sighed.

"If I fail, if I'm captured, then I'll have to trouble Miss Yae Sakura to take the Divine Key, destroy half of Schicksal, and break me out of my cage…"

He stepped closer, looking into her beautiful eyes, his voice sincere.

"I believe you'll come for me, won't you?"

Though phrased as a question, his tone was filled with unwavering certainty.

"..."

"Ugh, I'm such a sucker for you…" Yae Sakura finally relented, sighing in defeat. "You're always so unreasonable, aren't you, Mr. Lin Wei?"

The formality of the address made Lin Wei pause, then smile.

"Yes, I've put you through a lot, haven't I, Sakura?"

"You have no idea," she grumbled, then shook her head, her expression softening. "I don't want you to take this risk, but since you've decided, then I'll be with you. Even if you fail, I will rescue you, even if it means staining my hands with blood again. I don't care."

Her gaze drifted to his face, her hand reaching out to gently caress his cheek.

"Just… don't leave me behind!"

"I've already lost Rin, lost Kallen, lost everything. I don't want to lose you too…"

"That's my only request. Don't leave me behind…"

Lin Wei's heart warmed. He took her hand, its touch cool as jade, nodding firmly, then chuckling self-deprecatingly.

"I really am a jerk, aren't I…?"

Yae Sakura laughed through her tears.

"You have no idea."