"Tsk, tsk, tsk. Looks like your backup plan didn't give you much of an escape route, Lady Jackal."
As the purple light bullets exploded in the sky, Snow turned to face the World Serpent scientist before her.
"You..." Jackal hissed through gritted teeth beneath her mask, glaring at the Valkyrie.
"Don't even think about it! Schicksal's Valkyries can never break the seal left by the Master with your pathetic strength!"
Powerless, Jackal could no longer act, but her venomous words continued to pour forth, taunting the Valkyrie before her.
Just then, a holographic projection appeared before the Valkyrie—a message from the Schicksal forces stationed in England.
"Lady Snow, the mecha reinforcements have been deployed as planned. We are currently scanning the Folded Space for the Second Divine Key's suspected location..."
"—Lady Snow, we've detected a spatial distortion fifty meters above the Thames River! We're initiating the Folded Space disruption protocol!"
Schicksal operatives swiftly reported their progress over the comms. Suddenly, Jackal burst into raucous laughter.
Realizing the implications, Snow urgently issued commands over the comms:
"Halt the Unsealing Procedure immediately!"
"Uh... Ma'am, the lockdown has already been lifted... Wait! Ma'am, an extremely high-energy reaction has been detected within the target space—!!!"
"...Evacuate all civilians from the surrounding area. Have the Mecha stall that unknown target. I'm returning to provide support immediately."
"Looks like your Revered Master came to your rescue after all, Miss Jackal."
"Rita, retrieve the Third Divine Key. Simon Lailey will rendezvous with you and Catherine shortly. Durandal, once you're done playing with that punching bag, join me in London to reinforce the Schicksal units retrieving the Second Divine Key—"
"...As for these two World Serpent agents... ignore them. They likely won't yield any useful information for a while."
"Killing them? I'd much rather watch their impotent rage as they lose both face and resources..."
Snow flashed forward, delivering an uppercut that knocked Jackal unconscious. She ripped off Jackal's mask, pocketing it as a souvenir, before activating her Valkyrie Battlesuit and transforming into a meteor, hurtling toward distant London.
-
Above the Thames River in London, a white-haired doll draped in a black robe danced through the sky. In its hand, a miniature Cleaver of Shamash sliced through the entangled Mecha like a hot knife through butter.
However, the Schicksal Mecha mobilized for this operation were no mere kittens or puppies to be slaughtered by the Armed Puppet.
The continuous barrage of Honkai Energy Rays from the Mecha, though difficult to target the smaller Armed Puppet, proved sufficient to significantly hinder its movements.
"Are you sure you don't need me to support the Schicksal forces?" Kyuusyou asked over a private channel, watching the Mecha dart across the sky.
"No need. Dad promised to make special Valkyrie Battlesuits for you all, but there's still no sign of them..."
"I wouldn't advise flying around recklessly and attracting more trouble. Just keep Ninti safe and away from the battlefield."
"You're really going to wander through the Imaginary Tree and the Sea of Quanta?" Kyuusyou's tone was skeptical.
"It's part of the plan—"
"I don't recall that being part of our plan???"
-
"You're so long-winded—just go back and keep an eye on the Paramecium, you nag! I'll handle the rest!" an impatient voice crackled over the comm channel.
"...Fine," Kyuusyou replied, the veins on her forehead tensing and relaxing. Suppressing her annoyance at being called "nag" by Snow, she swiftly led Ninti away from the battle zone.
In the distance, a golden meteor streaked toward the puppet wreaking havoc among the Mecha over the Thames River.
Boom!
The black ice sword clashed with the miniature blade in the Armed Puppet's hand, the deafening explosion shattering glass across the surrounding city blocks.
Snow punched the Kevin Doll, with whom she was crossing swords, in the face, sending it crashing into the already-cleared urban district.
Amidst the billowing smoke and dust of collapsing buildings, the white puppet, dragging its flaming Great Sword, charged skyward toward the Valkyrie once more.
The melted marks on the Valkyrie's black ice blade had long since been repaired, and their blades met once more.
The Kevin Doll mimicked the Valkyrie, swinging its fist at Snow. Then...
Both figures froze in mid-air for a moment. The Kevin Doll, wielding Shamash single-handedly to block Snow's longsword, vigorously waved its tiny hand.
"..."
Pfft— Snow burst out laughing as she watched the Kevin Doll flail its stubby arms, unable to reach her in mid-air. With a swift backhand punch, she sent the chibi figurine of her Old Ancestor crashing back into the city.
"Sorry, Old Ancestor, but having long arms really does have its advantages~"
The scene gradually devolved into slapstick. The Valkyrie pursued the Armed Puppet, brandishing her longsword.
The puppet flew ahead at breakneck speed, only reluctantly raising its sword to block when the Valkyrie behind it was about to strike. Each parry was followed by a brutal punch that sent it hurtling away.
It was reminiscent of that Dio character, shouting, "This is my escape route!"
"Hyaaah!" Snow sent the puppet flying again with another punch, but suddenly realized something was wrong.
"...Did I just hammer that limited-edition Old Ancestor chibi figure back into the Thames River... again?"
"Damn it! Wait up, limited-edition figure! If you're sinking into the sea, take me with you!" The golden-haired girl darted after the puppet's flight path.
The puppet landed atop the locomotive of the Second Divine Key, its miniature Shamash piercing the keyhole-like mechanism on the roof.
The gates of the Sea of Quanta were slowly opening... The girl didn't so much fall as crash onto the train's engine, unceremoniously grabbing the miniature Shamash from the Kevin Doll's hand.
Even greater Honkai energy surged into the train.
"Second Divine Key—Cosmic Juggernaut—Zeroth Power! Activate—!"
"And the Beacon is... myself!"
The train engine floating above the Thames River roared to life. The girl, using her own unique essence as the Beacon for the Key of Infinity, opened a path to the Imaginary Tree. Clutching a chibi figure of her Old Ancestor, she vanished from the Present World.
Seated calmly within the Second Divine Key, Su stared in astonishment as the Key of Infinity suddenly activated Zeroth Power. His gaze briefly locked with that of the golden-haired girl.
Then, a vein bulged violently on the silver-haired MANTIS's forehead.
That girl had spoken to him in casual tones:
—Hello there, Lady of the Lake Big Sister!
"...A Beacon with no past... yet she activated Zeroth Power... Using herself as the medium to open the gate to the Imaginary Tree... Beautiful maiden, what role will you play in this world?"
...This is the eternal moment, the origin of all endings, the birthplace of all truths and laws.
The Sublime One now walked through this place. The Imaginary Tree Divine Remnant, guardian of this place, planted its Great Sword in the ground, saluting the maiden who strolled through.