— Divine City Pharmaceuticals, Industrial Sector
By the time Kagura and the others arrived at the industrial park of Divine City Pharmaceuticals to support Rita, the air was already thick with the stench of blood.
The scene before them was nothing short of hellish—fresh blood pooled and splattered everywhere, painting a picture of pure carnage.
The crimson mist, produced by the "Spear of Godslaying" serum, had only just begun to disperse.
Yet, there was no sign of the anti-Valkyrie weapon, the Death Weaver, nor any indication that the Valkyries of Immortal Blade had made it out safely.
Bloodstains and battle scars marred every surface—walls, floors, street corners.
The entire area was littered with shredded metal debris: twisted blades, shattered weapons, all drenched in blood.
Every fragment spoke of the brutal and violent battle that had taken place moments ago.
But the most unsettling part—not a single Valkyrie body could be found.
"Damn... Are we too late?" Himeko scowled, her face darkening with anger. "What the hell were they trying to do?"
"Maybe they just wanted to prove that they could slaughter Valkyries at will," Kagura replied coldly, fury evident in her eyes. "Destroy everything Schicksal stands for... and then take over the world. What a bunch of lunatics."
"It's strange," Kiana muttered. "There's blood everywhere, but no bodies. If a fierce battle really took place, there should at least be some remains. Why is no one here?"
"Cough... Is anyone... there...?"
A faint voice called out nearby. "Are you... Valkyries...? Cough cough!"
Following the sound, Kagura discovered a girl near the ruins of a collapsed warehouse.
Apparently buried under rubble when the building fell, the girl had narrowly escaped death.
She wore the uniform of Immortal Blade, her body drenched in blood.
Her injuries looked severe.
"Hang in there, I'll get you out," Kagura said, summoning a glowing blue light at her fingertips.
Using the power of the Space Stone, she teleported the girl safely out from under the debris. "Oh no, you're really badly hurt. Just bear with it a bit longer—I'll heal you."
"P-Please... cough...!"
Despite her pain, the girl clutched at Kagura's clothing tightly. "Help... Help the Vice Captain...!"
"The Vice Captain? You mean Rita?" Kagura asked quickly. "Tell me what happened here. Were you also attacked by Stigmata-wielding Deadwalkers?"
"Y-Yes..." The girl nodded weakly. "My name is Alvitr... I'm part of Immortal Blade's Third Unit.
We received orders from the Vice Captain to provide backup, but we were ambushed here by some kind of unknown gas weapon... It weakens our Honkai energy, makes us fragile... powerless."
"Tch. Just like what we encountered before," Himeko growled. "This confirms it—Divine City Pharmaceuticals is the one behind this Honkai disaster!"
"But... why?" Kiana asked. "Why would Divine City Pharmaceuticals and World Serpent cause a Honkai outbreak in Sky Dome City?"
"They're... performing a grand purge. A mass cleansing," Alvitr said, turning her gaze to Kiana. "Ah... you're K-423... no, you're Miss Kiana. We've been observing you for a long time. Your trail... provided key leads."
As the red glow of the Reality Stone coursed through Alvitr's body, her injuries began to heal rapidly.
Soon, her breathing steadied and her voice regained strength. "According to our investigation, Divine City Pharmaceuticals replaced all the Schicksal-provided vaccines with a special compound.
One designed to stimulate Honkai energy in the body. Their goal is to awaken the dormant Stigmata gene in ordinary humans."
"The Honkai outbreaks across the city—they're part of a selection process. Those who awaken Stigmata survive. Everyone else... is eliminated."
"This is insane!" Kagura clenched her fists, her voice trembling with rage. "World Serpent... they're absolute maniacs!"
"Miss Kiana, Miss Himeko... I beg you... please, save my comrades. Save the Vice Captain! She went alone into the depths of Divine City's research facility. She's probably already been exposed... Please... cough cough!"
"I understand. We'll do everything we can," Kagura reassured her. "But your teammates—do you know where they were taken?"
"They... they were all captured."
Alvitr's expression turned grim. "Those Deadwalkers with Stigmata are strong—merciless. But they didn't kill us. Instead, they dragged the wounded Valkyries away... every single one of them."
"They took them away?!"
Hearing this, Kagura, Himeko, and Kiana looked at one another, instantly reaching the same conclusion.
"Those lunatics from World Serpent… they want to use Valkyries for human experimentation!"
"We can't let that happen! We have to rescue them right now!" Kiana stood up with determination. "Even if I don't particularly like Miss Rita, she's still a Valkyrie of Schicksal. If she dies, we lose a comrade!"
"Kiana's right," Himeko added, rising to her feet. Her body radiated a fighting spirit that was almost visible to the naked eye. "We can't just stand by and watch Valkyries get turned into lab rats. World Serpent has completely lost it—they need to be wiped out!"
"Hold on, you two… don't be hasty," Kagura interrupted calmly. "Don't forget—they're using a serum that can neutralize Honkai energy.
If you charge in recklessly, both of you could get caught in the serum mist and become completely helpless."
"Tch… of course it's a weapon designed specifically against Valkyries…" Himeko clicked her tongue. "But we can't just watch Rita and the others get turned into test subjects, can we?"
"Of course not. That's why I will go." Kagura's gaze sharpened. "I'm not a Valkyrie. The serum from the 'Spear of Godslaying' doesn't affect me.
And those so-called 'Death Weavers'—they're no threat to me. That makes me the best candidate for this mission."
"Huh? You're going alone, Kagura-senpai? That's way too dangerous!" Kiana's face filled with worry. "No, no, it's too risky!"
"Relax. I can handle this," Kagura assured her. "Besides…"
She stepped forward and gently took Himeko and Kiana's hands. A soft blue glow shimmered around her.
"You two will be my backup. If enemy reinforcements show up, I'll be counting on you to support me."
[White Moon Combat Suit Transfer Confirmed]
[Nano-Dispersal Defense Mode Activated]
[Energy Shield Fully Deployed]
"What's this…?" Himeko looked down as an invisible substance spread across her body. "Is this… clothing?"
"This is my 'White Moon' combat suit," Kagura explained. "I converted it into a nano-fluid state and split it in two—transferring it to both of you."
"This way, even though you won't get full protection individually, the nano-field formed will still defend you against the anti-Honkai serum. It'll prevent the gas from corroding your bodies."
"With the support of the White Moon suit, you'll still be able to fight even if the battlefield is saturated with anti-Honkai gas.
But heading deep into the underground lab would still be too dangerous—and someone needs to stay and care for Miss Alvitr."
As she spoke, Kagura used the Reality Stone's power to reconstruct a new outfit for herself—so she wouldn't end up literally naked after giving away her combat suit.
"But… Kagura, isn't that suit meant to protect you?" Kiana asked worriedly. "Without it, are you going to be okay?"
"Oh come on, don't worry so much!" Kagura grinned and flashed a V-sign. "I can take a hit, you know!"
With the Power Stone in her possession, Kagura's physical resilience was already far beyond normal limits.
She could withstand most attacks without taking real damage.
In fact, her skin alone offered more protection than the White Moon suit ever could.
Whether she wore it or not made little difference to her combat capabilities.
"Alright then—Himeko, Kiana, and Miss Alvitr… I'm counting on you to hold this position and be my support team."
Kagura turned toward the entrance to Divine City Pharmaceuticals' underground research facility.
"Remember, if anything happens, don't hesitate. Contact me immediately. I'll be there in a flash."
"Please… be careful, Miss Kagura." Alvitr's voice trembled. "Please… save the Vice Captain… and the other Valkyries of Immortal Blade. I'll give anything—anything—even my own life in return…"
"That's too much, Miss Alvitr." Kagura glanced back, her golden eyes glowing faintly.
"From the moment World Serpent began losing their humanity—unleashing Honkai disasters, conducting indiscriminate human experiments, and attacking my friends—these madmen became enemies I will destroy. No matter what it takes."