"Will this guy work?"
The snow-haired girl didn't hesitate. With her natural monstrous strength, she grabbed the Valkyrie's ankle and lifted Rita off the ground.
Though she didn't know why this woman had been so rash.
Charge in, talk tough, hit the deck.
Her three-step face-plant was executed so smoothly and quickly that it was hard to even react.
However, this provided a perfect excuse for Brian and Kiana to intervene.
A threat. Simple, crude, and effective.
"Of course he will."
The disheveled Valkyrie was held hostage by the righteous Brian.
Meanwhile, Durandal and the Herrscher of Thunder were locked in fierce combat.
"So this is a Herrscher? Strong indeed!"
The blowing wind lifted the girl's golden hair, her blue eyes filled with irrepressible excitement.
The vortex of battle was burning. The unprecedented exhilaration made the girl, who had just recently been appointed as an S-rank Valkyrie, unbearably excited.
Her armored fist, carrying powerful Honkai energy and kinetic force, punched out fiercely. Driven by her combat instincts, Durandal shattered the lightning bolts thrown by the Herrscher of Thunder.
This battle was not for destruction, but for protection.
The girl who knew what she was fighting for erupted with unimaginable combat power.
Even...
"Breaking through in the middle of a fight?" The Herrscher of Thunder's face was cold.
Murderous intent gleamed in her eyes, yet she was still shocked by this woman's powerful abilities.
She didn't have a Herrscher's authority like her, nor the ability to control powerful Honkai energy; but this Durandal woman was continuously improving during the battle, breaking through bit by bit under the pressure she applied.
Such an ability was just like those light novels that Raiden Mei used to love so much...
She was the Demon Lord, and Durandal was the Hero who could constantly improve.
"What a monster!"
Dominance, stalemate, disadvantage...
The Herrscher of Thunder's position was gradually being pushed back; the girl was on the verge of defeat.
Just then...
"Durandal!" a loud shout intervened in the battlefield.
The strong wind ceased, the lightning subsided.
The Herrscher of Thunder let out a cold snort, not quite satisfied with this battle; the blonde Valkyrie looked at her scorched fist, filled with regret.
The two looked towards the source of the voice, knowing that this battle could no longer continue.
"Durandal, you wouldn't want anything to happen to your subordinate, would you?"
Kiana was on the left, Brian on the right. The two of them, like left and right guardians, flanked the disheveled Rita.
It seemed these two wanted to hold her subordinate hostage to force her to let them go.
The blonde girl frowned, very displeased with this tactic.
She had come to this city to stop Anti-Entropy's evil plan; to prevent the three million residents of this city from becoming victims of a conspiracy.
But now her own subordinate was being held hostage due to her own negligence, putting her in a very difficult position.
"Let Rita go. I give you my word as a Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie, you will not be harmed."
Instead of surrendering, the enemy began to try and persuade her to surrender.
As a Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie, she had the authority and qualification to say such a thing.
"Miss Durandal, we appreciate your sentiment." Brian held Rita tighter, just in case the Valkyrie suddenly lashed out.
"But we've already arranged our destination, so we won't trouble you."
Although there wasn't much difference between being at the Far East Branch and Schicksal HQ, being under the nose of the world's biggest scapegoat was somewhat unsettling.
Compared to Otto, Theresa, the legal loli, was much easier to fool.
Durandal's kind offer... was politely declined.
Durandal: "..."
Her warrior-like, resolute gaze swept over the three, lingering on Raiden Mei's face for a long time.
Amidst the silent hesitation, the hostage Rita's eyelashes fluttered.
And then... she suddenly attacked!
A Valkyrie would never be a burden to her comrades, and no one could ever take an S-rank Valkyrie hostage.
In the nick of time, the hand gripping the girl's shoulder tightened at the same moment.
Hand of Katou Taka!
An intense stimulus swept through every cell in Rita Rossweisse's body. The girl who was about to lash out instantly went limp.
Unable to rise again.
Who am I? Where am I? What just happened?
Kiana grabbed the lump on her neck, completely clueless as to what had happened to the S-rank Valkyrie beside her, who was now flushed red and trembling all over.
A flash of inspiration struck. Kaslana's world-shattering intellect, combined with this man's past image, formed a guess.
This guy must have used a legendary divine technique from the Inner World, making this woman named Rita so excited she couldn't control herself and could never leave him.
Indeed, an innocent maiden like her should take her Mei and stay far away from this guy!
Invisibly, Kiana's thoughts added a layer of righteousness to her actions of defending her corner!
Brian didn't know these thoughts, nor did he have time to care.
With the hostage unconscious, they'd have to negotiate with the dodo, and who knows, she might just KO them along with the hostage.
But now that the hostage has regained consciousness...
Hehehe~~~
"Rita, you wouldn't want to lose your composure in front of Durandal and your subordinates again, would you?"
Rita: "..."
Still recovering, Rita managed to roll her eyes, expressing the anger, fear, and shame in her heart.
She had thought this would be a simple mission. With her, an S-rank Valkyrie, on the job, she could at least teach Kiana, the Herrscher of the Void's container, a harsh lesson.
But she never expected the local specialty of this Far East island nation to be so potent, causing her to stumble so badly.
Most importantly...
She had lost her composure so utterly in front of Durandal and her subordinates!
"You... don't... even... think about it!"
The Valkyrie's voice trembled as she spat out the words through gritted teeth.
This lewd man, to use such a lewd ability on her!
A wicked smile spread across Brian's face, almost filling Rita's entire field of vision. "Then let's continue our little game!"
Hand of Katou Taka!
"..." The Valkyrie's delicate body trembled uncontrollably, only her silver teeth remaining clenched.
Under the continuous nerve impulse stimulation, Rita almost felt like she had arrived in hell, just a hair's breadth away from heaven.
Brian timed it perfectly. "Rita Rossweisse, the Schicksal Overseer didn't order you to bring us back at all costs. Being a little flexible is also a way to free yourself from suffering."
His voice carried a magical quality, swaying the Valkyrie's will.
"You know very well that we can never escape from Schicksal's grasp; leaving you, we will just end up in Theresa's embrace."
"Give up. Retreat. It's better for everyone this way."
The hypnosis and psychological suggestion were exceptionally effective, coupled with the fact that Rita was in a post-clarity state with a blank mind.
Under Durandal's worried gaze, Rita spoke with trembling teeth, "Lady Durandal, let them go."
"Alright."
The trio of Brian quickly retreated from the area.
Rita used her weapon for support, preventing her legs from giving out and causing her to sit on the ground.
"Lady Durandal, please give me some water."
If she didn't rehydrate soon, she was going to die of dehydration.
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