Under Theresa's coordination, the Hyperion and Anti-Entropy split into three units:
Bronya's Orphanage Recon Team
Tesla and Einstein's Logistics Team
Kiana & Fu Hua's Assault Team — the "FuQi Strike Unit"
…
Bronya's Route
The first perspective followed Bronya's team.
During reconnaissance, they were suddenly dragged into the Theater of Domination — where a formidable enemy awaited:
Rita Rossweisse, clad in her dazzling new battlesuit, Fallen Rosemary.
The reveal stunned players — a new Rita form, glamorous and lethal — although unfortunately still unavailable in the gacha.
Rita and Bronya exchanged blows.
Neither held true killing intent:
Rita was simply stalling.
Bronya's goal was to break through.
Eventually, Bronya unleashed the 9th Divine Key — Star of Eden and shattered the Domination Theater, "defeating" Rita.
With the obstacle down, the POV shifted to the next group.
…
Fu Hua & Kiana's Route
As the two were preparing to move toward the church, Einstein rushed in with new intel.
A newly-detected path — simple, straightforward, and supposedly minimally guarded.
After a moment of thought, Fu Hua and Kiana decided to take the gamble.
But when they reached the route…
There were still Otto's troops waiting.
"What? The scanner didn't detect anything…" Kiana frowned.
Fu Hua's gaze hardened.
"Not an accident. This is exactly the kind of move Otto makes."
Kiana shivered. "So he predicted our route? Our entire plan?"
"It depends," Fu Hua murmured.
"Either this is just a guess on his part… or he calculated that we would be the ones to come here."
"And if it's the second one… he certainly has more traps prepared."
Kiana hesitated. "Should we call Dr. Tesla?"
"No." Fu Hua shook her head.
"If Otto is suppressing signals, that's minor. But if he's watching us in real time… contacting them might reveal more than we want."
"So what do we do?"
"We push forward," Fu Hua said calmly.
"When the unknown is too great, staying on course is a form of adaptation.
Besides, we can end this skirmish quickly."
Kiana brightened.
"Heheh, so as long as we beat these guys fast, it still counts as a sneak attack, right?"
Fu Hua smiled softly. "Yes. In battle, anchoring yourself is key."
Battle began.
Players spotted Otto's silhouette in the distance and immediately flooded Elysia's chat:
"Elysia!! Hit that Otto!!!"
Sadly, that Otto was merely a distant NPC, untouchable.
The fight was short; Elysia mowed them down effortlessly.
After the battle, a cutscene played.
…
Kiana Disappears
"Kiana!"
Fu Hua scanned the area — but Kiana was gone.
"Separated in battle…? I need to find her quickly."
"But if this separation was deliberate… what is Otto planning?"
Fu Hua's expression grew tense.
She had known Otto for decades — and yet he remained the most unreadable person she had ever met.
Before she could decide whether to search or continue the assault—
A brilliant flare burst in the distance.
The flames of the Flameborn Herrscher.
"Kiana… who are you fighting?"
Fu Hua sprinted toward the blazing light.
…
Master Meets Disciple
She arrived just in time to hear Kiana shout:
"Before my Squad Leader gets here — I'll defeat you myself!"
Opposite her stood a lively girl with brown twin-tails — elegant, spirited, deadly.
Li Sushang.
"The plan changed again…" Li Sushang sighed.
"Even the opponent isn't the one I expected—huh?"
She spotted Fu Hua approaching.
"Wait!" she lifted a hand at Kiana, then grinned brightly toward Fu Hua.
"Halt! My Grandmaster is here!"
Fu Hua froze.
"...It's you."
Li Sushang beamed.
"Grandmaster— cough, no, Ancestor Chi Yuan! Long time no see~"
"…Yes," Fu Hua said softly.
"About five hundred years. I never imagined you'd still be alive."
"But it makes sense. It's exactly the sort of thing that man would do."
Li Sushang laughed, delighted.
"When I woke up, I almost fainted. Everything changed except all the old faces!"
It truly felt… like a dream.
Kiana blinked between them.
"Squad Leader… you two… know each other?! For five hundred years?!"
Fu Hua cut her off gently.
"A long story. More importantly — are you unharmed, Kiana?"
"I'm fine." Kiana nodded.
"But be careful — I think she works for Otto."
Li Sushang stomped lightly.
"I do not! He just stuck the title 'Valkyrie' on me himself!"
"And I only promised him one duel — one!
He didn't say anything about a two-on-one, okay?"
"I'm not doing extra work for free."
Fu Hua's eyes narrowed.
As she suspected — Otto planned this. All of it.
Even Fu Hua's arrival here was within his calculations.
"Kiana… you may need to go ahead."
Kiana blinked. "What? But—"
"If I'm correct," Fu Hua continued,
"we could overpower her together, yes. But doing so risks delaying our mission."
"And in the worst case — she might defeat me while holding you back for too long."
The chat exploded.
"WHAT?! Li Sushang that strong?!"
"Fu Hua actually admits she could lose?!"
"This girl's no joke…"
Li Sushang waved her hands frantically.
"Ehhhh?! Don't look at me like that! I'm not confident at all!"
Her honesty only proved she wasn't strategizing.
Fu Hua nodded.
"To accomplish such a feat would require a price."
"And unlike others, who weigh pros and cons… you, Sushang, abide by strict principles."
"'A promise is a promise.' Even if your opponent is a scheming hypocrite—"
She didn't need to name who that hypocrite was.
Kiana looked torn.
"Squad Leader… alone… you…"
But Fu Hua cut her off sharply.
"Kiana. Our mission comes first. Whatever happens — one of us must keep moving."
Kiana took a deep breath.
"…I understand."
She was no longer the naïve girl she once was.
And Sushang and Fu Hua clearly shared a bond — Kiana trusted them both.
"Facing Otto… I don't have much confidence either."
"So hurry and catch up to me, okay?"
Fu Hua nodded. "Stay safe."
"You too, Squad Leader."
Kiana sprinted away.
Fu Hua watched her leave, briefly surprised that Sushang didn't intervene.
"I won't stop her," Sushang said cheerfully.
"I promised one fight. And one means one. Extra battles? No payment!"
Fu Hua: "…"
Sushang's carefree demeanor belied the truth:
Her mastery of Taixu Sword Qi was among the greatest of their era.
A true prodigy.
The battle music swelled — intense, exhilarating — igniting excitement in every viewer.
The duel between Master and Disciple was finally about to begin.
To read 30+ future chapters, head over to Patreon:
patreon.com/WhiteDevil7554