Far East Branch.
Intelligence from Nagazora City was converging into Theresa's hands through the channels of power, giving the short, legal loli a clearer understanding of the situation.
The Far East was not within Schicksal's sphere of influence, but Schicksal had intelligence agencies all over the world, enough for Theresa to grasp the current state of affairs.
The intelligence was vague, clearly because the situation in the Far East had changed so rapidly recently that even Schicksal's intelligence network was affected.
But some things, once done, cannot be hidden, no matter how one tries to cover them up.
"Himeko, we need to move faster. The frequency of Honkai events in Nagazora City has started to rise recently."
"Branch Chief, I have some bad news for you as well." The red-haired beauty in military attire had a solemn expression. "Headquarters is already aware of the situation in Nagazora City and has begun to take action."
The worst-case scenario had occurred.
Schicksal HQ knew what was happening in Nagazora City and, under the will of that Overseer, had begun to intervene.
If it were only related to the Gem of Conquest, that would be fine; Theresa would be thrilled to have as many hands on deck as possible in that situation.
But Kiana was also in Nagazora City right now. If her grandfather were to find her...
"Himeko, we must depart immediately!"
A few years ago, she had gone through great lengths to help Siegfried and Kiana escape from Schicksal HQ, even to the point of falling out with her own grandfather.
Now, that bastard Siegfried was nowhere to be found, so it was up to her to protect Kiana.
Theresa didn't know what kind of emotional journey Siegfried went through after losing his biological daughter, but since he chose to let K423 inherit that name, it meant he acknowledged her identity.
Kiana Kaslana, she was her grand-niece.
As an elder, she had to protect her junior!
Murata Himeko: "Since you've put it that way, I have no choice but to follow orders."
The azure waves crashed against the massive white battleship. A-rank Valkyrie Murata Himeko felt a long-lost thrill of excitement.
"A Herrscher, is it..."
...
"Damn it! Which bastard leaked the information!"
The woman in the military green coat was furious, causing the group of Anti-Entropy members to fall silent like cicadas in winter.
In this place, the Sovereign Welt was their spiritual leader, but the one actually in charge was this she-wolf who had fought her way out of the Siberian snowfields.
Cruel, violent, vicious...
All the elements required of a conspirator could be found in this woman, sending shivers down one's spine.
But conspiracies... were things that could not see the light of day.
Schicksal's actions were not concealed in the slightest, carried out with absolute power.
Anti-Entropy's spies within Schicksal transmitted the news almost simultaneously.
Schicksal HQ had dispatched a Valkyrie squad, and the Far East Branch's floating battleship, the Hyperion, was already on its way.
There were no large-scale Honkai events happening worldwide, and the destination was the Far East.
Cocolia could only suspect that her operation had been exposed, prompting Schicksal to react.
The woman's eyes were as sharp as a wolf's. All who met her gaze lowered their heads.
The organization's interests were not their own interests; saints who would sacrifice themselves for others were ultimately a minority.
No one wanted to die, no one wanted to take the blame, and no one dared to cross Cocolia at a time like this.
Except for her daughter.
"Getting angry now is useless. You'd be better off thinking about how to solve the problem." The calm voice held no trace of politeness, yet it caused Cocolia's gloomy expression to relax slightly.
This was her daughter. Only her daughter was family, united in heart and mind.
"Bronya, do you have any ideas?" Cocolia asked.
The silver-haired girl's expression didn't waver in the slightest. "You should ask yourself. You are the leader here."
What did Cocolia's business have to do with her, Bronya?
She just wanted to rescue her sister from the Sea of Quanta; she didn't care about anything else.
"..." Cocolia was silent for a moment. "Bronya, our plan may need a few small adjustments."
As expected, this woman seemed to be asking for Bronya's opinion, but in reality, she had already thought of a countermeasure.
"The Artificial Herrscher Project cannot be abandoned. It is our only chance to surpass Schicksal."
In Cocolia's view, Schicksal's greatest strengths were only two.
S-rank Valkyries, and the Divine Keys from the Previous Era; the combined power of these two could even vanquish beings like the Herrscher of the Void.
If Anti-Entropy were to surpass Schicksal, the power of a Herrscher Core was essential, and the power of an artificial Herrscher was also essential.
Now that their operation has been discovered, in order to ensure the smooth implementation of the plan...
"Retrieve Raiden Mei!" Cocolia ignored Bronya's potential objections. "If the situation becomes impossible, I permit you to kill Raiden Mei and bring back the Gem of Conquest in her body."
The Herrscher Core was the key; everything else could be discarded.
Bronya, who had long anticipated this, showed no reaction, merely asking a single question calmly, "And the Schicksal Valkyries? How do you plan to deal with them?"
"Bronya," the woman called the girl's name.
"I'm leaving the S-rank Valkyrie to you."
"..."
Huh?
I'm fighting an S-rank Valkyrie?
Even though she couldn't show any expression, Bronya's eyes suddenly widened, filled with disbelief.
She strongly suspected that this woman had seen through her decision to defect and was planning to have her find a dignified death at the hands of an S-rank Valkyrie.
One must know that although Schicksal's Valkyries weren't necessarily born with the superhuman strength of someone like Kiana, they had all undergone artificial Stigma implantation surgery, trading their lifespan for the power to fight the Honkai.
Every seemingly delicate and fragile young woman was actually a tyrannosaurus that could collapse a building with a single punch.
Even though she had Project Bunny, a gift from Seele, she didn't think she could stand against such a monster.
"Cocolia, if you want me to die, you can say so directly."
The surrounding Anti-Entropy members lowered their heads once more, not daring to witness the dispute between this mother and daughter.
Cocolia's expression softened. "Bronya, you're overthinking things. How could Mother possibly arrange such a dangerous mission for you?"
"Valkyries are people too, not some bloodthirsty executioners."
"Mother never intended for you to confront those freaks head-on, just to make some arrangements and find a way to delay their actions."
"..." Bronya kept a cold face, offering no response.
So...
I still have to fight an S-rank Valkyrie?
Will I win? I'll die!