On the border of a certain country. In the air.
Aboard the transport plane, Yuno recalled the intelligence she had received from Otto that morning, and she couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong with this mission.
According to the detailed description in the intel, Schicksal scientist Dr. Magi, dissatisfied with Lord Bishop Otto, had stolen the Gem of Serenity and fled from Schicksal HQ.
And although Otto had dispatched an assassination-focused Valkyrie unit in pursuit, he was concerned that the enemy might send powerful fighters to protect Dr. Magi, which was why a stronger Valkyrie was needed for the chase.
As for why Yuno was chosen, the reason was actually quite simple.
Before this incident, the two A-ranks, Leo Ash and Fu Hua, had been on constant missions and were already physically and mentally exhausted.
Other B-rank and A-rank Valkyries weren't chosen because ordinary Valkyries couldn't handle powerful enemies.
"Although you've only just been promoted to B-rank, the strength you've shown so far is already enough to easily suppress an ordinary A-rank."
"While you were defeated in the last confrontation with that Pseudo-Herrscher, I personally judge that the powerful clone from that time and the ones appearing this time should be different."
"In addition, a pursuit mission cannot be done with a large force, so I personally believe you are the most suitable person for this mission."
"I trust you will not disappoint me, Captain Yuno."
To be honest, the reasons Otto gave were more or less plausible.
And over the past forty to fifty days, I have indeed been working hard to improve my standing in the eyes of Headmaster Theresa and Major Himeko.
There's nothing wrong with Lord Bishop Otto's words.
My mindset... after confirming that Senior would help me kill Cocolia, my mindset should be fine as well.
Everything seems to be in order, so why am I feeling so uneasy right now?
"Huh, what's going on???"
The pilot flying the transport suddenly shouted at Yuno, his face changing drastically.
"Captain Yuno, prepare to bail out!"
"What?!"
Hearing the shout, Yuno instantly felt the transport she was in begin to lose balance in mid-air.
"Damn it, the operating system on the console has malfunctioned. I can't control the plane."
"This must be the enemy's doing. Be extremely careful when you go down!"
Even though the pilot's chances of survival were practically zero after a fall from this altitude, Yuno was surprised to find that there wasn't a single trace of fear in his voice.
Even on the brink of death, he was still trying to complete his mission.
Ah, enough of this.
I was actually starting to worry because of some inexplicable feeling.
Compared to my seniors in Schicksal, my resolve is still far too weak.
At that moment, Yuno did not, as the pilot suggested, simply leap from the sky, relying on her armor and Herrscher body for protection.
Channeling the power of the Herrscher Core within her, Yuno instantly created countless layers of soft plants to envelop both herself and the pilot, then began to push the power within her body even harder.
With Yuno's desperate actions, a massive tree began to grow wildly from the ground nearly five hundred meters below.
Before the plane could crash, the tree, its structure altered by Yuno's power, used its newly formed wooden frame to forcibly catch the transport that was supposed to have been destroyed.
However, even so, Yuno still felt a slight discomfort in her body.
If even her Pseudo-Herrscher body was almost compromised, then the pilot still inside the transport must be...!
"I don't know what you did, but it seems I survived."
Protected by the soft plants, the still-living pilot calmly said to Yuno.
"Get me down, then find a place for me to rest. I'll contact HQ for rescue myself."
"...I understand."
Hearing the other's voice, tinged with a hint of pain, Yuno immediately made the plants around him dissipate. She then held the frail woman with one arm and began to gently leap down the branches of the great tree.
Using the branches as footholds, Yuno, after a few leaps, brought the female pilot to the ground.
It was only when she took out her communicator that she realized...
—The communication system is malfunctioning too???
At that moment, Yuno recalled something that came up in casual conversations with everyone.
Back when Leo Ash was operating in Nagazora City, he had been unable to contact Schicksal HQ for a period due to interference from the Herrscher of Thunder's power and Anti-Entropy's electronic warfare, temporarily losing all support from HQ.
And now, Yuno's communicator was experiencing the same thing.
Damn it, interfering with the transport's operating system, obstructing my contact with HQ...
—Cocolia, is this your doing again!
Looking at the conflict and pity on the young girl's face, the pilot maintained a calm expression, but an irrepressible joy was surging within her.
Excellent, this will hold up the Pseudo-Herrscher.
Lord Gray Serpent, I don't think I'm going to make it.
But for the glory of World Serpent, I—have no regrets in death!
...
At almost the same time. Near the border of Singapore.
Dr. Magi, who had just defected from Schicksal, stared at the black-clothed figure that had appeared before him, vigilantly clutching the container holding the Gem of Serenity.
"You... are you Gray Serpent?"
"Indeed."
Gray Serpent, now standing before Dr. Magi, gave a respectful bow and said politely.
"I am Gray Serpent, an officer of World Serpent."
"Dr. Magi, I have been waiting for you for a long time."
"However, I have a small question that I need your help to answer."
"You—why did you not follow the route we agreed upon?"
Tsk, as expected, he's become suspicious because of this.
Staring at the black-clothed man using a voice changer, Dr. Magi felt a sense of unease.
Initially, Dr. Magi had intended to follow the escape route provided by the other party.
But halfway through, he suddenly realized something was wrong.
It wasn't that there were any hitches along the way.
On the contrary—it had been far too smooth.
He had stolen the Gem of Serenity with ease, and the pursuers dispatched by Otto had failed to catch up to him.
While Dr. Magi despised Otto, he would never dismiss him as an incompetent fool.
It's been so long since the Gem was stolen, and Otto's pursuers still haven't caught up... No, the fact that I could walk away with the Gem so easily is, in itself, a major blunder for Otto.
Rather than hoping Otto's brain suddenly short-circuited, I should consider another possibility.
He did it on purpose—he absolutely did it on purpose!
After Lin died, Otto never again found a Valkyrie whose wavelength compatibility with the Gem of Serenity reached over 25%.
For this reason, the Gem of Serenity fusion project was temporarily shelved.
I thought the matter would be paused due to the lack of a suitable host, but now it seems...
Damn you, Cocolia, did your insane actions give Otto enough inspiration?
Bring the Gem to an area with millions of people, and let the Gem choose a suitable candidate itself.
This method, while inhumane, is far more efficient than Otto's method of screening candidates one by one.
For Otto... what does he care about humanity?
He's just like me, a demon who disregards the lives of others. A person like him would feel absolutely no psychological burden in doing something like this.
And, if something really does happen, Schicksal will be the victim in this matter, and Otto will surely dispatch Valkyrie units to suppress the Herrscher of Death at the first opportunity.
The Gem was taken by me, the traitor Magi. If a Herrscher is created, Schicksal will be the victim who successfully suppressed the Herrscher, not the perpetrator who caused the Honkai Eruption.
Realizing this, Dr. Magi immediately switched his escape route.
Right now, he would rather hide with the Gem in the wilderness and die there than take it to a place where it would be the cause of death for millions.
His sins were already deep enough. If he implicated others at a time like this...
Damn it, I didn't bring the Gem of Serenity out for this.
Now, facing Gray Serpent's polite inquiry, Dr. Magi thought for a moment before directly laying out the cards he couldn't be bothered to hide.
"To be frank, I don't really trust you, World Serpent."
"Oh, that's perfectly normal."
Gray Serpent nodded with great understanding at Dr. Magi's opening statement.
"Building mutual trust requires an opportunity. Your reaction is very normal, Dr. Magi. In fact, it shows that—you genuinely wish to cooperate with us, which is why you're speaking the truth."
Seeing how agreeable Gray Serpent was, Dr. Magi felt a temporary sense of relief.
Then, with a complicated expression, he continued.
"But, while I don't trust World Serpent, I trust Otto even less... No, it would be more accurate to say that I have absolute faith in Otto."
"I firmly believe that Otto, like me, is not a good person. So, the fact that I was able to get away with the Gem of Serenity might be because Otto allowed it."
Hearing these words, Gray Serpent said nothing, merely signaling with his silence for Dr. Magi to continue.
"He wants me to go to Singapore, and use the millions of people there as a sacrifice to directly trigger the next major Honkai Eruption."
"Considering the recent small-scale Eruptions in multiple areas, the date of the next Eruption is approaching. When I arrive in Singapore with the Gem of Serenity, this gem will most likely turn this nation into a living hell."
"Heh, Dr. Magi, you are truly a man of great principle."
After giving Dr. Magi a round of disingenuous applause, Gray Serpent said with a satisfied smile.
"And, contrary to the rumors, your intelligence outside of scientific research seems to be quite good as well."
"In fact, we have considered everything you've said. But, please believe that we, World Serpent, are not an incompetent organization."
Taking out a dark-colored box, Gray Serpent said to Dr. Magi.
"This is a storage box forged from Soulium. I believe this box should be able to suppress the fluctuations of the Gem of Serenity more stably than the special glass container in your hands."
"We just need to place the Gem into the Soulium box, and all your problems will be solved."
Looking at the box, Dr. Magi, who had seen Pantheon-class weapons before, showed a flicker of surprise.
Although he knew that an organization like World Serpent daring to challenge Otto must have some tricks up its sleeve, for them to be this prepared was still somewhat beyond his expectations.
"But, moving this Gem... is no easy task either."
"Oh, that's simple."
Casually snatching the glass container from Dr. Magi, Gray Serpent slammed his fist into it, instantly shattering the glass with his modified mechanical prosthetic and grabbing the Gem of Serenity itself.
"Hey!"
Seeing Gray Serpent's fingers instantly corrode from the black mist of death, Dr. Magi shouted.
"Let go! Are you trying to get yourself killed! Touching a Herrscher Core with your bare hands!"
"If you could, I'd hope you wouldn't be so nervous, Doctor."
Pinching the Gem of Serenity between his thumb and index finger, Gray Serpent placed it into the storage box and handed it to Dr. Magi.
"This is..."
Looking suspiciously at Gray Serpent's fingers, Dr. Magi suddenly understood why he dared to touch the Gem of Serenity.
"Your right thumb and index finger... are also made of Soulium????"
"Ah, a minor modification. I'll have to take the Soulium off when I get back."
Seeing the shock on Dr. Magi's face, Gray Serpent said with feigned helplessness.
"After all, Soulium is a precious treasure to us as well. We wouldn't waste it where it's not needed."
"As for the Gem of Serenity, since you brought it here, Doctor, it should naturally remain in your care."
"Dr. Magi, please believe in our resolve to cooperate with you. And this is our initial show of sincerity."
Seeing the suspicion in the old man's eyes dissipate considerably, Gray Serpent knew that his performance had temporarily stunned him.
In this short exchange, Gray Serpent first doubted him, then displayed the organization's strength, and finally expressed his trust in him. Through this contrast, he successfully manipulated Dr. Magi into believing that Gray Serpent was genuinely willing to cooperate.
But in reality, while Gray Serpent hoped to obtain the formula for the HSN serum that Dr. Magi possessed, Dr. Magi himself... was not that important.
In Gray Serpent's eyes, a man who betrayed Otto because of his granddaughter's death was undoubtedly an emotional person.
For World Serpent, which aimed to complete the Stigmata Project, someone like Dr. Magi, who was driven by emotion and still held onto some semblance of a moral bottom line despite his evil deeds, was not suitable for recruitment as a core member.
And because of Otto, World Serpent's subsequent actions would only become more and more radical.
As long as Dr. Magi held onto those boring bottom lines, it was only a matter of time before he and World Serpent parted ways.
Rather than give Dr. Magi the chance to backstab World Serpent in the future, the iron-hearted Gray Serpent would definitely choose to squeeze him dry of his usefulness first, then find an opportunity to get rid of him.
In the end, if the Quantum Teleportation System in Singapore hadn't suddenly all failed, Gray Serpent would have just snatched the Gem and run, why would he waste his breath talking to Dr. Magi?
Gray Serpent, now retreating towards Singapore with Dr. Magi, was actually just as worried as before.
Besides the Quantum Teleportation System being down, Schicksal's forces had already begun moving towards Singapore.
In other words, Gray Serpent's side was completely surrounded.
Although Jackal claimed she could troubleshoot and repair the Quantum Teleportation System, that would also take time.
The situation Gray Serpent now faced was—if they ran blindly, they'd be encircled and wiped out. If they didn't run and Jackal couldn't fix the quantum system, they'd be sitting ducks.
By then, the forces they had just gathered would be wiped out in one fell swoop... well, that was a minor issue.
But if the Gem couldn't be delivered, and after all this running around, they ended up being played like a fiddle by Otto without rescuing the Lord, that would be a bit disastrous.
Even though Gray Serpent was a strategist, he still felt his processor was overloading.
He had played all the cards in his hand, only to find that the opponent still held a royal flush.
What could he do? He was desperate too.
On top of that, Singapore had been too hasty recently, and a few of its higher-ups were being uncooperative, which made Gray Serpent consider abandoning them.
Under such urgent circumstances, even when he received news that his subordinate had 'successfully delayed the Pseudo-Herrscher's arrival at the destination,' he really couldn't feel happy.
In the current situation, being one Pseudo-Herrscher down was basically still a dead end for Gray Serpent.
Sacrificing a precious mole who had been planted for a long time and could have been of greater use in the future, only to achieve this result, Gray Serpent was genuinely not happy.
Hah, enough of this.
Hopefully, Jackal can fix the interference with the Quantum Teleportation System quickly.
And, it's not time to despair yet.
I didn't originally have this plan, but now, Otto has foolishly allowed Dr. Magi to act.
At the same time, he has dispatched a large number of troops near Singapore... Heh, while this means we're surrounded, it also means that other Schicksal branches must be short on troops.
If other branches are short on troops, it means that even with only a tenth of our forces, we can still conquer any one of them.
If worse comes to worst, then we'll resort to Plan B.
We'll do exactly as Otto wishes and trigger the Fourth Eruption right here.
Then, while Schicksal is busy fighting the Herrscher, we'll attack the Oceania Branch.
As long as we can get our hands on that Herrscher Host named Wendy, we'll still be able to obtain a gem.
However, this feeling is really uncomfortable.
After being forced into a corner by Otto, I actually have to pin my hopes on Jackal.
That woman is full of big talk, but now...
—Can she really fix the problem with the Quantum Teleportation System in time?
...
At the same time. Another region.
Inside the transport plane, Stan, sitting stiffly among the four people, dared not show any sign of dissatisfaction.
Just before, Leo Ash, who was preparing to leave St. Freya High School, suddenly remembered that there was another powerful combatant in the dormitory and decisively decided to bring Stan along.
Under these circumstances, Stan was forced to participate in this mission that it absolutely did not want to join.
It wasn't that it sensed any danger, it was mainly because...
—It was lazy.
Stan, the overachieving cat who once fought for survival, had spent a week in the dormitory living a good life of eating and sleeping, and found that this kind of life was really quite good.
And now, it was suddenly dragged away to return to the battlefield. Even if the one who dragged it was Leo Ash, there was no way it could get into the right mindset to work.
As the atmosphere grew increasingly somber, the pilot in the cockpit suddenly spoke to Leo Ash behind him.
"Leo Ash, it's been about seven or eight days since we last met, why do I feel like..."
"—you seem even more exhausted than before."
"Ah, is that so?"
Hearing his words, Leo Ash, who had been calm, smiled at the pilot.
"Hah, you're overthinking it, Mike. I slept like a log last night."
"Oh, nice try, but I don't believe you."
After confirming that the flight path ahead was clear, Mike turned his head to look at the smiling Leo Ash, then nodded as if confirming something.
"Mm, I knew I wasn't wrong."
"The expression on your face is probably fine, but the aura you're giving off just screams 'ah, I'm so done with this'."
"The legend of you being Schicksal's King of Grinders, the Avenger, has already spread at HQ. If even a grinder like you feels tired, I can probably guess how much you've been torturing yourself."
Hearing the pilot say such things, Kiana, Mei, and Bronya, who had been silent all this time, looked at the pilot named Mike with utter astonishment.
"Oh, ladies, don't look at me like that. Instead of looking at me, you should be thinking about how to get young Leo Ash here to get some proper rest when you get back."
With a meaningful smirk, Mike said no more.
But at that moment, Kiana, as if something had occurred to her, suddenly wore a thoughtful expression.
What could Leo Ash say to Mike's words?
He could only say that the man was truly an elite. They had met twice, and both times he had easily seen through his true feelings.
Not only that, but Mike had also used his words and gaze to hint at certain things to Kiana, Mei, and Bronya.
Mike, we've only met twice, but... you're actually helping me out here. I really have to thank you.
It's just a shame that I have to disappoint you.
With two time bombs by my side, if I really let loose and fool around, when the bombs go off, I'll be the first to die.
Sigh, if it weren't for the two potential explosions next to me, even if I secretly held a developer conference... it wouldn't be a big problem, right?
Mike's right.
No matter how much I tell myself that stopping Yuno is beneficial for me, but...
—Damn it, not wanting to work overtime is just human nature!
Who wants to work!
If it weren't for survival, my life's calling would be to lie in the dorm, unleash my inner beast, and sleep for over ten hours at a time!
[Ding! Detected that the Host meets the conditions for receiving a reward. The reward has been sent to the system mailbox.]
[Ding! The reward received by the Host this time is (Special Item - Intermediate Lottery Ticket)]
Upon hearing these two notification sounds, the expression on Leo Ash's face, in front of everyone, suddenly froze.
[System, I don't think we've reached Singapore yet.]
[There's still some distance to go. In fact, the System can tell you that Yuno is closer to Singapore than you are. You haven't even caught up to her yet.]
Then this notification is...
[Well, how should I put this? The System's notifications are never wrong, so...]
Son of a bitch, there's an ambush waiting for me before I even get to Singapore?
And it's an ambush that can pose a threat to my life???
Are you kidding me? I'm this strong, are you sure your judgment is correct?
[Um, please don't look down on the System's judgment capabilities like that.]
[Although the System usually acts like a gag system, it wouldn't mess up on such a basic function.]
My mistake, I shouldn't have doubted you.
Which means, this is at least a threat on the level of an Emperor-class Honkai Beast + Welt.
Ah, enough of this. Since a threat to my life has appeared, then...
—This plane probably isn't going to make it, is it?
"Holy shit! What's happening!!!!"
Mike, who was piloting the transport, suddenly shouted to the four people and one cat behind him.
"Fuck! The controls are malfunctioning!"
"Enemy attack! It's an enemy attack!!!!"
Ah, just as I thought.
Damn it, I don't know if it's World Serpent or Cocolia's people, but...
—You guys really have a death wish, don't you?
.