The thunderous roar of colossal engines echoed like the bellow of a wild beast.
A Schicksal-engineered airship cut a meteor-like streak across the blue sky and drifting clouds, its destination none other than Siberia.
Alongside Cecilia, the Snow Wolf Squad of Schicksal was also dispatched.
While they could not quite compare to the Immortal Blades that would come later, every member here was still an elite Valkyrie.
Among them, one stood out in particular—Cheng Lixue, a warrior from Shenzhou, and a disciple of the immortal Chi Yuan.
Unlike those seven treacherous disciples recorded in the Chronicles of Broken Swords, Cheng Lixue was truly loyal—respectful and devoted to her master.
Taken in at the age of five, she was raised by Fu Hua, taught to read and write, to use Honkai energy, and to hone martial arts.
To the eyes of those in the martial world, this bond went beyond master and student; it was akin to mother and daughter.
There is an old saying: "One day as teacher, a lifetime as parent."
Cheng Lixue's original fate was cruel.
During the Second Eruption, in the battle against the Herrscher of the Void, she was fated to die protecting Fu Hua.
Her death would become a thorn in Fu Hua's heart, one of the reasons she later chose to avoid forming bonds too close, too intimate.
But now—now that Nagami had intervened at this point in history, she would never allow such tragedies to repeat.
Death once might be unavoidable, but after that, Nagami would bring her soul back to the future.
Surely, it would become a precious gift… a beautiful surprise for Fu Hua.
A gentle pulse of telepathic communication from her mother-in-law pulled C.C. back from her wandering thoughts.
————————————————————————
[By the way, Nagami-chan, do you know where Sirin is now?]
————————————————————————
Cecilia's voice carried through the mental link, softened yet distant.
Dressed in her signature black-and-white Valkyrie battlesuit, her eyes unconsciously drifted toward the window.
From C.C., she had learned what had happened to Sirin—and what sort of bond tied them together.
And after giving birth to little Kiana, Cecilia's motherly instincts were stronger than ever.
How could she possibly sit idly by and do nothing?
She was already impatient, aching to find the girl she considered her adopted daughter, and wrap her tightly in her arms.
————————————————————————
[Sirin… she's with me. Next time we meet, I'll bring her to you.]
————————————————————————
The crisp reply carried a hint of unexplainable guilt, though Cecilia, already overflowing with affection for her daughter-in-law, noticed nothing.
————————————————————————
[We've arrived. It seems Siegfried has come to meet you, Mother-in-law.]
————————————————————————
Prompted by C.C., Cecilia tilted her gaze out the window.
Her eyes instantly sharpened, chilling as frost.
————————————————————————
So it was finally happening.
The moment the standard-issue Schicksal airship touched down, Siegfried's lips curled into a smile.
Strange as the situation might be, so long as he could fight alongside the woman he loved, there was no hardship in the world that could defeat him.
With his usual roguish grin, Siegfried strode forward.
In this period of time, he still barely passed as a dashing young man—if you rounded up generously.
As soon as the hatch opened, he rushed ahead.
Behind him, the members of Anti-Entropy stood at attention, not far away.
Though Nagami had promised to eventually rewrite the memories of all who knew the truth, Welt still kept the matter of the Second Herrscher a closely guarded secret.
Tesla and Einstein knew nothing, nor did the others.
Most of the conversations between Welt and Nagami had been conducted through the psychic link of the Herrscher of Sentience.
To the unaware, this incident still looked like a high-level, urgent Honkai crisis.
And now, in such dire times, the arrival of Cecilia Schariac—an S-rank Valkyrie once given "exceptional" evaluation within Schicksal and the Snow Wolf Squad could only bring reassurance.
The click of high heels rang sharply against the ground, dignified and commanding.
Her long hair flowed behind her like a cascading river.
Cecilia's figure was like a snow lotus blooming in the frozen heights—distant, untouchable, and breathtaking.
Siegfried's grin widened.
This—this was his wife.
"Darling, I just wanted to say—"
—I missed you.
But the last two words caught in his throat, never to be spoken.
Because, before anyone could even comprehend what was happening, Cecilia's body moved.
Like a bullet from the chamber, she vanished from sight.
Her slender frame blurred like lightning, crossing dozens of meters in a heartbeat.
'Bang!'
Her long, toned leg unleashed a force like an explosive warhead.
The man who had spread his arms, ready to embrace his wife, was instead sent flying like a broken doll, crashing into the steel and concrete walls of the Babylon Laboratory.
The impact rang out like bones snapping and steel tearing.
A crater warped the reinforced walls where his body struck, as though the very structure had been twisted by a monstrous strength.
"W… h… y…"
His trembling hand reached toward Cecilia.
His face, contorted in agony, still carried raw confusion and disbelief.
But he could endure no more.
Siegfried collapsed, unconscious, his body slamming to the ground face-first.
His left hand twitched, index finger pointing forward as blood pooled beneath him, staining the floor a dark red.
————————————————————————
[The flower of hope… connects all bonds~]
————————————————————————
A sweet, melodious voice echoed in Cecilia's mind, making her freeze in surprise.
The Flower of Hope?
Before she could even ask, a green-haired silhouette emerged before her, softly clapping her hands.
————————————————————————
[So cool! Mother-in-law! That kick was beautiful!]
————————————————————————
The feather bound to Cecilia carried C.C.'s spirit, visible only to her.
————————————————————————
[To think my two adorable little princesses had to endure such tragedy…]
[Consider this a light punishment.]
[When we return, Siegfried, that's when the real reckoning begins.]
————————————————————————
Her tone was gentler than spring sunshine, yet the last words carried a chilling coldness that could freeze marrow.
Smiling brilliantly at Cecilia, C.C.'s lips curved upward.
'Father in law, don't say I didn't help you.'
'If you can splash yourself with Ranma Spring water before she beats you to death, you might still survive!'
'A husband suddenly turning into a girl should stun Cecilia just long enough.'
'Use that instant to run for your life!'
"Oi oi oi, is this the so-called gentle and approachable Saint of Schicksal?" Tesla tugged at Einstein's sleeve and whispered in her ear.
"Does this… count as gentle?"
Even from a distance, the chill radiating from Cecilia's refined face was enough to freeze blood—her aura was less that of a saint, more like a domineering wife with a penchant for domestic violence.
Without a change in expression, Einstein chopped Tesla on the forehead with a clean hand strike.
"Don't make such comments behind people's backs. And never pass judgment without knowing the circumstances. That's basic discipline for a researcher."
Tesla, rubbing her head in protest, clung to Einstein's arm and opened her mouth to retort—
But Cecilia had already walked forward, her voice soft and melodic:
"Greetings, everyone. I am Schicksal Valkyrie Cecilia Schariac. Could someone from the medical team please provide aid to the… thing lying over there on the ground?"
Her delicate features carried a radiant smile like spring breeze.
Sunlight fell upon her snow-pale face, making it bloom like a flower.
Her tone overflowed with warmth and kindness.
No one could possibly connect this saintly figure with the woman who, just moments ago, had sent a man flying with a kick.
"Y-yes, of course!"
A newly recruited medical Valkyrie from Babel Tower lasted less than a second before succumbing to Cecilia's saintly aura.
She rushed over, dragging Siegfried toward the interior of the Babylon Tower.
That smile alone shifted the entire atmosphere—most present were now casting odd looks at Siegfried.
'To make Saint Cecilia resort to something like that in public… he must have done something truly unforgivable.'
————————————————————————
"Was that… a marital spat?" Inside the control room, Otto stared blankly at the scene.
Just earlier, when he'd briefed Siegfried on his mission, the couple had seemed perfectly fine.
How had it suddenly come to this?
But before he could piece together an answer, a piercing alarm shattered the silence.
Satellite sensors had detected several massive meteorites breaching the atmosphere.
'She really dropped meteorites?!'
Otto's eyes narrowed dangerously.
He had no idea what kind of game the Second Herrscher was playing now.