"Even if we really meant you harm, why would we poison you in such an obvious way?"
Rita gently picked up the cup of black tea that belonged to Anna, took a sip as if to verify something, and sighed, a hint of helplessness on her face.
Not long ago, their relationship had been very harmonious. On Rita's desk, there was still a meticulously trimmed candle, its craftsmanship so exquisite that even with her perfectionist's critical eye, it was hard to find any flaws.
It was a gift from Anna, who had just become an A-rank Valkyrie, sent along with a letter of greeting shortly after she was assigned to Manila. Along with it was another equally thoughtful gift for Durandal, but due to various missions and unforeseen events, she had not yet had the chance to deliver it...
Originally, it was obvious that they were destined to be comrades-in-arms, fighting side by side under the same banner, trusting each other.
But who would have thought that Anna, who had just sent her such a passionate letter not long ago, would now look at her with such coldness, distance, and even rejection.
"How did things turn out this way?"
Rita murmured to herself, a hint of bitterness on her lips. Was there not enough sugar in the tea?
"...Yes, why did it turn out this way?"
This soft murmur, like a rough wooden mallet, struck Anna's chest. The tears that were already difficult to hold back gushed out even more fiercely. Without any regard for her image, she lunged towards the trash can in the corner and, as if with all her might, vomited out the sweets that had filled her mouth.
After emptying her mouth, Anna just wiped it carelessly and murmured to herself, "Rita, why did it turn out this way? You tell me, he told me, it shouldn't have been like this!"
"To end the suffering of every victim, to bring hope to every person in disaster"—wasn't the meaning of our battle, the resolve for which we sacrificed, just such a simple yet incredibly pure oath?
"But why..."
Anna stood up abruptly, two more lines of tears rolling down her cheeks. Without any regard for her image, she questioned loudly, "You, me, us... why... why did we have to come to this point for such a ridiculous reason?"
Perhaps she had been suppressing it for too long. For a moment, Anna was choked with sobs, unable to control her grief.
"..."
Rita smiled bitterly, at a loss for how to answer.
She took out a fragrant handkerchief from her pocket and was about to go over to help her clean her messy face, but Yuno was faster.
With a rip, Yuno tore off her own sleeve, quickly walked to Anna's side, and squatted down, gently wiping her face with the half-sleeve.
"Uu..."
The stitching of the sleeve was naturally not as delicate and comfortable as a handkerchief, but Yuno's movements were surprisingly gentle and careful, which surprised Anna, who had instinctively tensed her facial muscles. The gentle touch wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes, her lips, and her face left her a little dazed.
"Is this still Yuno?"
Anna couldn't help but think. The misty tears were wiped away, and her vision cleared. What she saw was indeed that familiar face, and below it, the strange sight of one arm intact and the other torn. For a moment, a warm current flowed through her heart, which had been filled with pain and sorrow—and a hint of absurd amusement.
"Waaah—you're so annoying!"
Anna forced a smile that was uglier than crying, and then the sorrow in her heart surged even more fiercely. She threw herself into Yuno's arms and burst into tears.
"She really is a crybaby..."
Yuno thought silently, gently patting her back.
From behind, Rita watched Yuno's back with some astonishment. Since their meeting in Alexandria, Yuno had always shown a different side to her past, continuously exceeding her expectations.
"How on earth did that Mr. Lin do it?"
This thought flickered in Rita's mind for a moment before she gently brushed it aside. She then walked over to the two of them with the elegance ingrained in her bones.
She gently placed the handkerchief in Yuno's hand, nodded at her, then pulled the trash can away from Anna. With a flick of her wrist, it slid deftly and precisely to another corner, landing perfectly, as if it had always been meant to be there.
"Anna, there are many things that neither I nor you can change," Rita answered Anna's loud question in a gentle tone.
"Since we can't change them, we can only make a relatively correct choice..."
"Relatively... correct?"
The still-crying Anna was once again enraged by this cold word. She wiped the tear-streaked stains from her face, stood up abruptly, and retorted, "You mean helping a tyrant do evil, right?"
"Helping a tyrant do evil? That's a very sad accusation, Miss Anna..."
Rita sighed, but her eyes held an indescribable complexity.
"As a Valkyrie of Schicksal, and even a descendant of the 'schariac' family, which has walked through a long history with Schicksal, to have such deep-seated hostility towards the Overseer..."
"Isn't that the case?"
Anna's anger was difficult to contain as she questioned loudly, "What crime did Lin Wei commit to be targeted so painstakingly by the Overseer? Respected S-rank Valkyrie, answer me!"
Rita was silent for a moment. She didn't want things to come to this point either, so she naturally couldn't answer.
Crime? What crime did he commit?
Should I say it's because he has the Key of Corruption? Or should I say it's because he made the Overseer feel threatened?
"Hehehe... you can't answer, can you? Respected S-rank Valkyrie?"
Seeing Rita's silence, Anna couldn't help but let out a cold laugh.
"You also fought on the battlefield in Manila, and you fought alongside him! In fact, the reason you were even there was because you were with him! You should know better than me whether he's guilty or not, and what kind of person he is!"
Anna's tone grew more and more urgent, her expression more and more angry.
"What he did there, how many people he saved, what he brought us—Durandal doesn't know these things, but you know them clearly! Because you, like me, were a witness to it!"
Anna's expression was a mixture of hatred, confusion, and regret.
"But why can you say such cold words here with such a casual tone?"
Rita stood there motionless, patiently listening as Anna vented all her attacking words. She waited quietly for a moment, making sure Anna was finished. Then she turned her gaze to Yuno, to see if she had anything to add.
Seeing that Yuno was still quiet, and her lips and neck muscles didn't seem to be forming any words, she turned her gaze back to Anna. Meeting Anna's eyes, which were still burning with fire, she closed her own slightly and answered in a voice that sounded somewhat subdued, "Because the Overseer considers him a threat, and because he is indeed posing a threat to the Overseer."
Rita's voice was low and calm, making it impossible to tell how much was helplessness and how much was indifference.
"So, neither I nor Lady Durandal have much choice in this matter."
"...Why? Just for such a ridiculous reason?"
Anna's heart was filled with wave after wave of sorrow.
"So, no matter what kind of person he is or what he's done, it doesn't matter?"
Anna's mind flashed back to the image of Lin Wei critically injured and on the verge of death in Manila, to Captain Jell's sternness and smile in her final moments, and even to the day she arrived at the Snow Lotus Squad, the afternoon she learned of her predecessor's absurd death.
The sorrow in her heart grew even stronger.
"Just like us so-called 'Valkyries,' as long as we don't please that high and mighty Overseer, we can be crushed at any time, dying a worthless death?"
"...The Overseer doesn't necessarily want to kill him. It all depends on his own choice."
Anna's words were too sharp, and even Rita, who knew the situation inside and out, was silenced for a moment. Then she said in a tone that even she found hard to believe, "If he could bow his head and submit, it might not be a bad outcome..."
Even she didn't believe these words.
"Hahahaha... impossible, impossible! Lin Wei has always hated the Overseer the most, he's always looked down on him!"
At this moment, Anna finally had a belated realization.
"No wonder he's been avoiding me, no wonder he's been unwilling to tell me the truth, no wonder he said all those things I couldn't understand at the end... so he knew this day would come all along, he's been looking forward to this day all along!"
"So it was all my fault, it really was all my fault..."
After understanding all this, Anna wore a tragic smile again and murmured to herself, "I really am a disaster that shouldn't exist... if it weren't for me, he wouldn't have traveled thousands of miles to Manila, let alone come to this place at such great risk..."
"I really have been a burden from beginning to end... the Captain, and him... I haven't helped at all, and I've always caused them trouble, caused them to walk a dangerous path because of me..."
"You..."
Seeing Anna's mood instantly sink into an indescribable depression, Rita couldn't help but frown.
Remembering her several dangerous suicide attempts before, she worried that she would do something irrational again. But just as she took a step, she saw Yuno move as well, comforting Anna's trembling shoulders while positioning herself between Rita and Anna.
"Miss Anna, the Overseer doesn't want you to do anything irrational..."
To avoid conflict, Rita had to restrain herself and said patiently, "Mr. Lin doesn't want anything to happen to you either."
"You're right, I can't cause Lin Wei any more trouble..."
Anna murmured to herself.
"But, since I'm the one who caused him to become like this, I have to do something for him!"
But what can I do here?
"...Miss Anna, at a time like this, it's best not to act rashly."
Rita frowned and quietly took a step back without a trace.
"Act rashly? How could I?"
Anna suddenly became excited, a feverish flush even appearing on her delicate face.
"With Yuno's help, as long as we can control you here and find a way to hold off Durandal—then things will be fair for Lin Wei and the Overseer!"
That guy Lin Wei is so full of ideas, I knew he wouldn't walk into a trap so easily!
Putting Yuno with me must have been for this purpose! It must be!
The more Anna thought about it, the more excited she became. She felt more and more that this path made sense, and she grew more and more excited, as if she had grasped a lifeline.
"Sigh... I am an S-rank Valkyrie, after all. Even with Miss Yuno, how much confidence do you have in truly 'taking me down'?"
Rita sighed. A stream of light enveloped her, and the Argent Knight: Artemis battlesuit was instantly equipped, though the menacing giant scythe did not appear in her hands.
She still stood there calmly and sighed, "Even if you do manage to take me down, how long can you hold off Lady Durandal? Don't tell me you want to use me as a hostage?"
Using an S-rank Valkyrie as a hostage to threaten another S-rank Valkyrie... what a wild idea!
Rita shook her head and said calmly, "If this is all of Mr. Lin's plan and reliance, I would be very disappointed."
"Disappointed? Heh, he must be very disappointed in you too!"
Having made up her mind, Anna didn't want to waste any more words with her. Just as she was about to signal Yuno to strike first, she was pulled back by her. Her eyes were fixed on the doorway, where a cat with a strange fur color had pushed the door open a crack and was peeking inside.
"Hehe, I didn't expect that at a critical moment, Miss Yuno would be the one to remain rational."
Rita smiled, and another stream of light removed her Valkyrie armor. She said with a sigh, "Miss Anna, you just said that, like you, I also experienced the battle in Manila, and I fought alongside Mr. Lin... but have you ever thought about why I made the choice I did?"
"...What are you trying to say now?"
Anna never expected that her "grand plan" would be thwarted by a cat, and she was filled with immense frustration.
"Miss Anna, you are also an excellent A-rank Valkyrie, and a descendant of the schariac family. On some important issues, you have more say than I do..."
Rita's tone was calm as she asked, word by word, "But, without Overseer Otto, who can lead Schicksal, lead humanity to defeat the Honkai and escape the fate of destruction?"