#int is their dump stat and that's what makes them resistant to honkai whispering in their ears about how you REALLY win the war

[theabysscomeshome]

Honkai Impact Webcomic - Elan Palatinus - Abridged Part 2

Part 1 here

Here is where the actual story summary starts to break down, because if I am being honest I was only interested in yelling about These Two Trainwrecks.

Love the Kaslanas and their stubborn dedication to using Int as a dump stat. The epitomy of Pure Of Heart, Dumb of Ass, truly. Also, shoutout to the fact that Otto apparently just? Collects outfits specifically tailored to Kallen's measurements, as well as making inventions specifically designed to match said outfits.

Though it's not JUST Kallen he's collecting outfits for:

Honestly an excellent look. How to support your childhood friend slash crush's vigilante dreams 101, everyone take notes. I did not screenshot but he proceeds to "trip and twist his ankle" so the guards rush over to help.

Meanwhile inside the mansion, Kallen is so bad at vigilantism. She's Trying. Also shoutout to the last moment in history when Kallen's hair and eye color will actually be an identifying feature instead of a coloring held by like 25 people at any given time.

The basement, huh? What's in the basement? And how is Otto involved? I did not screenshot this either but earlier, Otto talked Kallen into sending a letter announcing her intent to rob Victor, which is why Victor was waiting for her when she arrived. In the letter he specifically says "And I'll also come for what's in the basement", prompting Victor to assign most of his guards there. One wonders what Otto's motivations are here.

Skipping forward a bit, we're in another flashback now. In this version of history, the Black Plague still happened but was specifically caused by Honkai. We look back now to Otto's attempts to find a cure, as one of his patients goes full honkai zombie and has to be dispatched by a guard as Otto stands by.

Otto: I must find a cure, not because people are dying or it's the right thing to do, that's all fine I don't care about that. I need to find a cure specifically because Kallen will be happy with me if I do.

Otto Apocalypse motivations in a nutshell right here, even as he turns around and tells Kallen only the parts he thinks she'll approve of. Man reading this again after finishing the comic: the fact that Kallen sees Otto as inspiration and a role model for her own desire to do good is So. In light of what's about to happen.

Speaking of: skipping a bunch of story, Kallen does end up finding the basement when a girl she's trying to protect goes missing. BUT: inside the basement we find what literally looks like the big boss lair of a jRPG or something and ABBREVIATEDLY:

Otto: Listen just don't ask questions about why I'm in the human sacrifice dungeon, I can explain. Haha actually no I can't.

After this confrontation Kallen is taken away to the dungeons, and we cut to Otto dreaming:

He wakes up and visits Kallen, and is told to bring her to her senses, as the church needs the support of her family.

Naturally, slapping someone is terrible if a guy does it, but cute and passionate when a girl does it.

Man, Otto's simple, childish wish :c

I'm sure the fact that he's sold his body to a mysterious and malevolent force will absolutely not come back to bite him later, what consequences could this possibly have.

Nice to see that Kallen specifically and explicitly has told him she doesn't want him sacrificing himself for her sake and that this will not make her happy. The lesson Otto takes from this is that he must make sure not to TELL her when he's doing stuff like that, and then he spends the next 500 years running around committing atrocities so he can kill himself and bring her back. Because at the end of the day it's not about what Kallen wants or what will make her happy, but about what Otto wants and what will make Otto happy.

But right now it IS genuinely about making Kallen happy and I have so many questions about how much of that change is related to the little malevolent voice he now has in the back of his head.

Part 3 here