Shenzhou. Near Jiuyou.
Somewhere near Jiuyou, aboard the Hyperion, Theresa and Himeko were already feeling a little uneasy about losing contact with the group.
To be honest, for members of Schicksal, undertaking missions where they couldn't contact their branch or headquarters was practically routine.
They were always out fighting the Honkai, and even if their communication terminals were treated to be Honkai-resistant, they could easily malfunction in places with high Honkai Energy intensity.
But this time, the main issue was...
—Of the six people who went in this time, five were rookies.
Now that this whole group of greenhorns was out of contact, it would be a miracle if they could remain calm.
"Major Himeko, Branch Commander Theresa, the intelligence analysis from Shenzhou is here."
"Good! Let me see..."
Theresa casually tapped the light screen in front of her. After reading just two lines, she felt a flare of anger she could hardly contain.
"What do you mean 'no trace of Anti-Entropy mechs seen in the vicinity'—is Shenzhou trying to say that Anti-Entropy didn't go in, that there's no foul play in Jiuyou at all???"
"Those guys, could they have teamed up with Cocolia!"
"Theresa, calm down."
Looking at the brief report, Himeko spoke to Theresa beside her.
"Shenzhou's interests align with ours on the Jiuyou matter. If those kids inside are in trouble, they're probably more anxious than we are."
"Anti-Entropy's reputation is already in the gutter. Anyone in Shenzhou with half a brain wouldn't team up with them at a time like this."
"Compared to the almost impossible scenario of 'Shenzhou teaming up with Anti-Entropy,' I think this intel from Shenzhou might mean that we in Schicksal will have to face a new kind of trouble in the future."
Listening to Himeko's calm words, Theresa said with great dissatisfaction.
"Trouble? No trouble could be bigger than the one we're facing right now."
"Grandpa... I really don't know what he's thinking, making Mei and Yuno participate in this mission."
Right now, Theresa truly regretted not charging into Jiuyou with the others.
At first, everyone thought, 'Jiuyou is dangerous, but with Fu Hua watching over them, it shouldn't be a big problem. We can let them get some training.' But now it seemed—a big problem was exactly what it was.
Ultimately, Theresa never liked commanding from a warship.
Her command abilities were far inferior to Himeko's. Rather than commanding from a warship, she herself preferred to be on the battlefield, killing enemies and protecting her comrades.
But now, it was too late to say anything.
Beside Theresa, Himeko stared at the intel in front of her, forcing herself to discard the unnecessary thoughts that were creeping into her mind.
"Shenzhou searched the surrounding area with their intelligence network and found no trace of Anti-Entropy."
"That leaves only two possibilities—either Anti-Entropy didn't send anyone over at all, or they have a special means of entering Jiuyou."
"If we consider a worse possibility, then Theresa..."
Himeko, thinking of a possibility, spoke to Theresa with a bitter look on her face.
"Anti-Entropy may have already mastered spatial travel technology."
"If this guess is correct, then in the future, we'll be facing a hostile organization that can raid our rear at any time."
"That..."
Upon hearing this, Theresa's body instantly went rigid.
"That's not possible, right?"
"If I could, I would certainly hope my guess is wrong. But now, think about it carefully."
"The probability of Shenzhou lying and cooperating with Anti-Entropy is very low."
"The probability of Cocolia causing trouble is very high, and she's reckless when she does. Why would she be so quiet this time?"
"Plus, our communication with the team inside was suddenly cut off, and Mei is still Cocolia's target. If you connect these two things, you can actually reach a very simple conclusion."
"Cocolia definitely sent her troops into Jiuyou and has begun preparations to capture Mei."
"Hmph, fine. I never liked this slow approach anyway."
With that, Theresa grabbed Oath of Judah and walked directly towards the door of the Hyperion's bridge.
"Theresa, I should probably remind you..."
Hearing Himeko's helpless voice, Theresa replied without turning back.
"I know, I know, I'm the Branch Commander so I have to stay here and command, right—so annoying! I'm the Branch Commander, but I'm also the Headmaster of St. Freya High School. My students are in danger and I'm just supposed to sit here? Do you think I'm capable of doing something like that?"
"I'm leaving the command here to you, but you are not to use the Nexus System unless it's absolutely necessary."
"No, what I mean is..."
Watching the departing Theresa, Himeko said helplessly.
"Jiuyou is underwater. Aren't you going to bring a diving suit and an oxygen tank?"
"...Shut up! I have Emperor-class genes in my body, of course I don't need to worry about such trivial details!"
After watching Theresa quickly disappear from her sight, Himeko's helpless expression vanished, and she calmly addressed the others on the bridge.
"Expand the radar's detection range to maximum, and prepare the ship's main cannon to be ready to fire at a moment's notice."
"Those guys from Anti-Entropy are bound to cause trouble. If they dare to show their faces in front of us again—we absolutely cannot let them get away with it!"
....
Depths of Jiuyou.
After being pulled into another location by the ground beneath them, Leo Ash's group of three, surprisingly, didn't pass out.
"Ptooey, ptooey, dammit."
Kiana, getting up from the ground, furiously dusted herself off and glared around angrily.
"This young lady would like to see just which bastard ambushed us! If this young lady catches them... this young lady will definitely land a hundred punches on their head!"
"Ugh, this feeling of weightlessness... is really uncomfortable."
Yuno, placing a hand lightly on the ground, looked at the vine that appeared before her and muttered to herself in confusion.
"Strange, my Herrscher authority can actually be used normally here?"
"What on earth is going on with this Jiuyou place?"
After saying this, Yuno looked at the motionless Leo Ash, who had stood up in front of her, and suddenly became nervous.
On the other side, Kiana, having finished her tirade, saw Leo Ash's current state and immediately walked over to him with great concern.
"Senior, your body is still—"
"I'm fine."
"Or rather, at least we're fine for now."
Holding out a hand to stop Kiana, Leo Ash looked at the seemingly empty space ahead, his vigilance raised to the absolute maximum.
The area in front of them was the very spot where Murata Himeko, controlled by the Xuanyuan Sword, had attacked Kiana and the others.
But now, the Xuanyuan Sword that should have been placed here had vanished.
Not only that, but Leo Ash, standing in place, could feel... a strange sensation relentlessly assailing him.
It wasn't killing intent or malice, but feeling this abnormality, Leo Ash unknowingly took a step back.
"Who... who is it!"
"Oh my, you can actually sense my presence..."
After Leo Ash let out a tense shout, a figure suddenly walked towards them from a distance.
However, this figure, which had just been far away, suddenly appeared before them after taking only a few steps, revealing her true face.
"You've really grown a lot, Leo."
Before Leo Ash and the others stood Rita Rossweisse, holding the golden greatsword. She gazed at Leo Ash's face with a gratified expression, the corners of her lips slightly raised.
"It seems Senior Wraith has taught you very well. You've grown to this extent without even realizing it."
"Rita..."
Looking at the beauty who appeared before him, Leo Ash never expected that the opponent here would be Rita Rossweisse.
*That's right, thinking about it now, K423 is the most important part of Otto's plan. How could he possibly send only Fu Hua to ensure her safety?*
*Although Rita's strength is average, as a Schicksal executioner, she is proficient in assassination and concealment techniques, making her the best candidate to watch over K423 from the shadows.*
*Furthermore, her Godsbane Armor [Argent Knight: Artemis] and her Pantheon-class weapon [Skadi of Eternal Frost] both have the ability to freeze enemies.*
*She might not win against a strong foe, but for her, stalling the opponent to let the weaker ones retreat first isn't a difficult task.*
*But now, Rita has clearly been dominated by the Xuanyuan Sword.*
*I thought only a near-death A-rank like Himeko could be dominated by the Key of Domination.*
*And now... no, it's possible it's not just the Key of Domination.*
*Could Ji Lin's resentful spirit, attached to the Xuanyuan Sword, also be a factor in leading Rita into darkness?*
"Sigh. Leo, why are you so quiet after seeing your big sister?"
Watching the silent and even wary Leo Ash, the smile on Rita's face gradually faded, replaced by a look of sorrow.
"Leo, what on earth did I do to make you disrespect me so much?"
"I know you became a knight in the Far East, your strength has improved quickly, you're living a good life, you have a teacher and close friends who care about you. Perhaps in your eyes, you no longer need a bothersome sister like me who excessively controls you."
"But, to see me now and not even say hello..."
"You have no respect for me at all. You don't see me as family. You're not even willing to call me 'Big Sister.'"
At that moment, Rita, filled with sorrow, took a step forward and suddenly said coldly to Leo Ash.
"Your big sister, I, am truly angry now."
"Senior, Miss... Rita is acting very strangely right now!"
Looking at the frost-faced Rita, Kiana instantly felt an unprecedented sense of pressure from the Valkyrie.
*This young lady still doesn't know what an S-rank Valkyrie signifies, but now...*
*—Is this, is this the oppressive aura of Schicksal's strongest warrior?!*
Seeing the panicked expression on Kiana's face, Rita spoke to her calmly.
"Oh my, Miss Kiana, did your father, Mr. Siegfried, not tell you..."
"—that it is very rude to interrupt other people's conversations!"
Though the golden sword in Rita's hand was enormous, she effortlessly swung it with one hand, sending a gilded-gold sword wave slashing towards Kiana.
"Tch."
Leo Ash, who had shoved Kiana aside, instantly activated Mind Like Still Water and Royal Guard, precisely blocking the strike while storing its power within his body.
But Kiana, who had been pushed to the side, only slowly came back to her senses to find...
—Her body was soaked in a cold sweat.
A long, long time ago, when her father Siegfried was drunk, she had tried to kill a Honkai Beast on her own and had felt this same sensation.
At that time, Kiana had no idea how terrifying the twin pistols, the Judgment of Shamash, were.
Taking the Judgment of Shamash out, Kiana only realized after encountering a Honkai Beast that she couldn't use Siegfried's weapon at all.
If Siegfried hadn't arrived in time, Kiana might have been killed on the spot by that Honkai Beast.
As this memory surfaced in her mind, Kiana realized that if Leo Ash hadn't blocked that strike for her in time, she might have already died under Rita's sword.
*After all these years, I'm still feeling... fear because of something like this???*
Realizing this, Kiana was shocked to find that compared to herself several years ago, she might not have changed at all.
In the past, she relied on Siegfried to protect her, which was why she could fight Honkai Beasts.
And now, whether in Nagazora City or in Jiuyou, it was because Leo Ash protected her that she was able to survive safely.
In the end, after all this time...
—*Is this young lady, in essence, still just a burden?*
"Oh my, Leo, how can you look at your big sister with that kind of expression?"
Staring at Leo Ash, who was now ready for battle, Rita took another step forward.
"You child, you're truly mischievous. And naughty, bad children..."
"—really ought to be taught a proper lesson."
With that, Rita walked towards Leo Ash step by step with light, graceful footsteps.
"But rest assured, Leo. I am your big sister, after all."
"You are my beloved little brother. I won't kill you."
"As long as I can break your arms and legs, you child..."
"—should be able to recognize your own weakness and obediently give up the idea of taking revenge on the Honkai, right?"
...