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Later that night at the Immortal Blades' training ground.
Xia Chen, having climbed out of bed, arrived here to release some pent-up energy with nowhere else to channel it.
At this moment, only a few individuals were present in the training room:
Durandal, Rita, Wendy, Sakura, and Ana.
Each of them was engaged in their own training or seemed to be discussing something amongst themselves.
Feeling slightly surprised, Xia Chen waved towards Ana, "Is there a meeting happening now?"
"It's not a meeting here." Ana rolled her eyes and responded, "Didn't you go to rest?"
"I couldn't sleep, so I came over," Xia Chen half-joked. "Looks like fate wants me to stay vigilant."
"I think you're mocking me." Ana huffed but didn't say much more.
Among the S-rank Valkyries, Ana possessed the lowest innate talent, and her training intensity was just slightly higher than Rita's. However, Rita's primary focus had shifted away from combat strength, whereas Ana still needed to handle Honkai incidents across Europe. In essence, she spent comparatively less time and effort on her specialized duties than the other S-rank Valkyries.
As a result, during nights when she couldn't sleep, Ana often found herself at the Immortal Blades' training room, almost becoming a regular visitor.
However, today was indeed an exception.
Since inheriting the leader's position, Durandal rarely visited the training room, especially not with Rita together.
Their workload had significantly increased, often requiring them to utilize even their evenings.
Shaking her head, Ana casually remarked, "It's just a coincidence."
But suddenly, Durandal spoke up, "All S-rank Valkyries are present here now. Rita, your suggestion seems to have worked after all."
"At this time, coming to the Immortal Blades' training room doesn't take much effort, and no additional notice is needed." She praised the maid standing nearby.
Ana looked surprised, realizing there must be something important at hand.
Wendy, who had been quietly training, gradually stopped. "Is there something we need to discuss, Lady Durandal?"
Durandal's gaze sharpened slightly. After glancing at Rita, she decided to proceed.
"Today, World Serpent contacted Amber regarding the completion of major work on their Ark Fortress. If any Schicksal Valkyries wish to join, they would welcome you, particularly you two."
Durandal replied, "Whether it's Wendy, Ana, Xia Chen, or Rita, if you join the Ark Fortress, they will provide a hibernation tank to ensure your awakening in the next era."
She didn't withhold this from Sakura, speaking openly, "The World Serpent believes that individuals of this era lack the strength to overcome Finality. Therefore, they aim to preserve Kindling and knowledge for the following era."
"I do not agree with the World Serpent's viewpoint, but currently, there is no compelling counterargument." Durandal continued without hesitation, "I urge you all not to view joining the Ark Fortress as avoidance. Humanity must defeat Honkai, so please make your choice."
"I refuse to join."
Surprisingly, the first one to decline was Ana.
"I don't have the patience to wait until the next era," she said. "It would drive me insane."
Wendy, pondering nearby, added, "I feel the same way. If we can't find a solution in this era and merely postpone it to the next, what happens if we still fail to conquer Honkai then? Should we continue to yet another era? The longer we delay, the more uncertainties arise."
"Rather than prolonging it indefinitely, we should take a decisive gamble and find a way to overcome Finality within this era."
Wendy's confidence was not unfounded.
Like Xia Chen, she had interacted with the stigma terminal. After learning that Project Stigma aimed to uncover humanity's 'Finality', she consciously began pondering the issue.
Although there were no clear leads yet, Wendy firmly believed that by continuing down this path, they would undoubtedly discover a solution.
While Schicksal had been informed about the stigma terminal, they hadn't found additional information from it. Nevertheless, Wendy maintained unwavering faith in human ingenuity.
Xia Chen spoke slowly, "Wherever Ana is, that's where I'll be."
His response was simple and self-centered but aligned perfectly with his straightforward nature.
Unlike other Valkyries, Xia Chen had spent only a year at most with Schicksal, lacking a deep sense of dedication. His impressions of people in this era remained quite vague.
Therefore, if asked to sacrifice himself for humanity, he wouldn't agree.
However, Ana was his weakness.
He had considered suggesting Ana go to the Ark Fortress, but since she had her own plans, he didn't insist. After all, Ana was first and foremost an individual with her own autonomy.
Moreover, enduring such vast stretches of time can be a torment for humans.
Rita did not respond verbally, but her gaze towards Durandal conveyed her stance clearly.
She has always been Durandal's follower.
Durandal wasn't surprised by this outcome. "Then there's another matter. Gather all Valkyries within Schicksal who have not yet undergone artificial Stigma implantation and send them to World Serpent."
"They represent the hope of the new era; Rita, you will oversee this task."
Valkyries without artificial Stigmata essentially have lifespans similar to ordinary humans, unaffected by severe erosion. Although their combat capabilities against Honkai might be limited, they possess comprehensive Valkyrie knowledge.
After consulting with Amber, Durandal decided to directly transfer these individuals to World Serpent.
However, would they face unfair treatment there...?
Durandal turned to Sakura. "In that regard, we'll need World Serpent's assistance."
Sakura had come to Schicksal as a representative of the World Serpent faction.
Although the Thirteen Flame-Chasers themselves were not particularly unified, they all belonged to World Serpent. Sakura's mission included facilitating cooperation with Schicksal, although she never took it seriously.
"I have no issue with that," she replied.
Her knowledge of the Ark Fortress was limited, but Sakura could tell it seemed intended to pave the way for the next era—much like Dr. Mei did for the previous one.
What surprised her was that, despite having numerous Herrschers fighting alongside humanity and no global-scale Honkai eruptions yet, people still felt compelled to prepare so urgently for the future. Logically, humans should be more optimistic at this point.
At least, Sakura didn't sense the same despair from the last era.
With the top leadership of Schicksal, Anti-Entropy, and World Serpent collaborating, internal power struggles persisted, but compared to the previous era, their relationship was relatively harmonious.
So, she couldn't quite understand why there was such haste in preparing for the future now.
But Sakura had one virtue: she never inquired about matters unrelated to her. This trait was cultivated during her time as the Cocoon, helping her avoid many complications.
"That's all I have to say."
Durandal rubbed her temples and suggested, "Let's keep this matter confidential for now. There's an old saying in Shenzhou, 'It is not scarcity that concerns us but inequality.' Schicksal cannot afford any more upheavals."