The bodyguard glanced at the two girls behind Welt and noticed their outfits—tight-fitting tops, small vests, ultra-short shorts, and black stockings accentuated by absolute territory. They appeared to match the boss's usual preferences, so he let the three of them in.
After entering the hotel, Wraith turned into a secluded corner and immediately untied the two: "Those foolish bodyguards will figure it out soon. We need to act quickly."
"Wraith," Fu Hua spoke, rubbing her wrists. "Leave the rest to me. You're not a professional combatant, so find a safe place to hide."
"Don't worry about me. With my ability to disguise, I can hide anywhere. But," Wraith touched Lin Ling's head, "what about this little one?"
"Actually~ Actually~"
Lin Ling lowered her head, nervously clasping her hands between her thighs, "just like you mentioned earlier, it's not entirely impossible for the three of us to... have a threes-..."
Duang!
Before Lin Ling could finish, the immortal gave her a solid bump on the head.
"She's staying with me, don't worry. I'll keep her safe," Fu Hua said solemnly, like a husband vowing to protect his wife.
"Well, then I'm relieved..." Wraith nodded, then parted ways with the two and headed off in a different direction.
---
Meanwhile, Kiana, who had been injected with HSN-b46 serum by Dr. Maki, had also woken up.
"Where am I?" Kiana groaned, supporting her forehead as she struggled to sit up from the bed. As she tried to walk, her legs gave out, and she collapsed to the floor. "Why do I feel so weak?"
"Don't worry, little girl. The weakness is only temporary." A white-haired, kindly old man entered, holding two empty reagent bottles. He had likely heard the noise inside. He explained to Kiana, "This medicine neutralizes Honkai energy and repairs the tissue damage caused by it. As long as you continue receiving the injections, you can return to being an ordinary girl and no longer endure the suffering caused by Honkai energy."
"What? Neutralize Honkai energy to become a normal girl? No way!" Kiana opposed the idea fiercely. "If I do that, I won't be able to fight Honkai anymore, right?!"
"Why are you so determined to fight Honkai?!" The once kind old man suddenly became furious. "Why should innocent girls like you risk your lives to fight Honkai? For forty years, I followed Otto's orders, transforming countless girls and sending them to the battlefield. But in the end, they all died. Even my granddaughter perished in one of the experiments I led, right before my very eyes!"
"Grandpa..." Hearing his tragic words, Kiana bit her lip, wanting to comfort him but unsure of what to say.
Dr. Maki continued: "That's when I realized the magnitude of my sins! So, I invented this serum and stole the gem. I will dedicate the rest of my life to stopping Otto from persecuting more girls like you. This is my redemption!"
Clap, clap, clap
"The redemption of a sinner? What a touching scene~" Welt entered, clapping slowly, with a sound collar around his neck.
"However, as much as I enjoy tragedies, I prefer more... adult dramas. Hand over the Valkyrie behind you. I suffered greatly at the hands of her companions, and it's time I get some payback!"
"Don't you dare!" Dr. Maki stepped in front of Kiana. "If you harm her, my cooperation with Anti-Entropy ends right here! Don't forget, without my technology, you'll never unlock the secrets of the gem!"
"Hahaha~ Yes, yes, you're right. We still need your expertise, I wouldn't dare offend you... Oh, wait!"
In a split second, Welt raised his hand and shot a ray that pierced Dr. Maki's calf.
"Old man, you're useless now!"
---
"Little girl, don't worry about me. Run! The demon will follow the trail of my blood."
"No, I'm taking you with me!"
"My leg is injured, and I can't move. You've lost your Valkyrie powers and are just an ordinary girl now. There's no way you can escape with me. I'm sorry. I wanted to help you, but I've only put you in more danger."
"Grandpa, thank you for your kindness, but I won't abandon you. It has nothing to do with whether I have Valkyrie powers. I swore long ago to protect everyone at any cost!" Kiana declared with determination.
"Grandpa, I've decided to become a Valkyrie. I want to protect you and everyone else." In that moment, Dr. Maki saw the image of his late granddaughter in the white-haired girl before him.
Remembering that his granddaughter had died in one of his experiments while holding the same conviction, Dr. Maki covered his face and wept. "What a fool... Are all you girls such fools?"
"Grandpa, what's wrong?"
"Nothing... If you insist on taking me, then head to the basement. The gem is there. If you can get it, you'll have leverage to negotiate with him."
An old man with a weakened body and a leg injury, and an ordinary girl who temporarily lost her Honkai powers due to the serum, the two supported each other and made their way to the basement.
Welt had allowed them to leave, merely playing a cat-and-mouse game. A grand gift awaited them in the basement. But more importantly, he had seen through surveillance that several other people had broken in—including the Valkyrie from the airport who had cut off his tongue the previous night!
He had a score to settle with her.