Thinking about how Mobius had already made thorough preparations, Kurumi felt the weight in her heart ease once more.
Despite having lived so long, this was the first time she felt the future held genuine promise, rather than being an uncertain path shrouded in fog.
Though there wasn't anything requiring her immediate action yet, no matter what needed to be done, Kurumi felt fully motivated.
Even if it meant having her clones—or even herself—dissected by Mobius, she wouldn't resist much.
After all, her Sephira Crystal could be transformed at will. Whoever possessed the Sephira Crystal was the original.
The Hyperion hadn't landed on the ground.
When you thought about it, it made sense—such a massive aerial warship had nowhere to dock in Tengu City.
So, like the Fraxinus, it remained stationed in the sky. Travel between the ground and the ship was accomplished using quantum entanglement technology to achieve a teleportation effect.
This technology actually exists in reality already, though it's far from being true teleportation.
Quantum teleportation was considered mature technology within Schicksal.
The reason it wasn't used during Tohka and Mana's fight was simply because Japan didn't have the infrastructure for it.
Schicksal had almost no presence in Japan. Its only asset was the St. Freya Hotel.
Given the circumstances, having a training ground and logistics support was already quite good; more advanced equipment naturally wasn't available.
But with the Hyperion now here, it alleviated the urgent need caused by Schicksal's limited footprint in Japan, namely the insufficient logistics equipment and training facilities.
As Kurumi led the little rabbit into the St. Freya Hotel, a staff member warmly approached them. Learning that the two hadn't eaten breakfast, they intended to guide them to the cafeteria.
However, out of the corner of her eye, Kurumi caught sight of a golden-haired figure accompanied by a maid.
Wasn't that Durandal?
Yoshino's eyes lit up, and she immediately scampered over to meet them.
"Yoshino, welcome! I thought you'd be having breakfast in the cafeteria."
Seeing the girl's delighted expression, Amber also smiled, walking up to her and gently ruffling her hair.
Yoshino hadn't gone out in her Astral Dress today. Instead, she wore a somewhat simple, light blue dress with blue patterns and lace trim.
Since living with Schicksal, the three Spirits rarely wore their Astral Dresses anymore.
Without her hat in the way, Yoshino could clearly feel that Amber's body temperature was slightly higher than most people's.
Although the little rabbit typically preferred cooler sensations, she didn't mind this warmth at all. On the contrary, she affectionately nuzzled against it.
"Yoshino... was just about to go..."
"My, it's been so long~ Though it hasn't even been a month, our dear Yoshino has been thinking about you all this time, even though you hardly ever called."
Compared to Yoshino, Yoshinon's tone carried a hint of accusation.
"My apologies, I didn't consider your feelings during this time."
Amber directly expressed her regret.
Truth be told, she hadn't completely lost contact with Yoshino, the Yamai sisters, and the others. She'd called them every three or four days or so.
But it seemed even that hadn't been enough to reassure the little rabbit completely... It was probably because they hadn't been separated for this long since Amber first brought Yoshino back.
After all, she was the one who had brought her here. Whether as a friend or a fellow warrior, making the fragile-hearted girl feel unsettled was her responsibility.
Thinking this, Amber felt a pang of guilt. "We won't be apart for this long again afterwards, I promise."
Two cute girls, both around thirteen years old in height and appearance, were sticking close together.
The curve of Rita's smile widened slightly, but she didn't forget to remind them, "Lady Durandal, perhaps we should first take Miss Yoshino and this unfamiliar young lady to get something to eat."
"A suitable, delicious breakfast helps one face the new day in the best of spirits. What do you think, Miss Yoshino?"
Yoshino wasn't very familiar with Rita.
After all, Rita had been in a vegetative state for the two years she was absorbing the Neighboring Realm, while Yoshino had been brought back by Amber during those same two years.
But the sensitive and perceptive little rabbit could sense the goodwill the other party radiated.
Though she didn't understand why this goodwill was so strong upon their first meeting, Yoshino still nodded shyly.
Kurumi nodded to the staff who had greeted them, indicating they didn't need assistance for now, then followed Yoshino over to the group.
"To think the legendary strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal has really become a child. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Lady Durandal. My name is Tokisaki Kurumi, a Spirit who has recently joined Schicksal."
"Hello, Tokisaki Kurumi."
Amber nodded, then introduced herself, "Though you know me, let me properly introduce myself. I am Bianka 'Durandal' Ataegina. Kurumi, you aren't my subordinate, so there's no need for honorifics with me. Just call me Durandal."
Having said that, she gestured towards Rita. "This is Rita Rossweisse. She is also a Valkyrie of Schicksal, and my trusted, reliable adjutant."
The implication was clear: don't treat Rita merely as a maid.
Though Rita didn't particularly mind others' attitudes, Amber's consideration nonetheless pleased her.
"I see, my apologies, Adjutant Rita."
Kurumi genuinely hadn't known this.
After all, people only remember the world's highest peak, but she understood well that anyone trusted and valued by a powerhouse like Durandal must be extraordinary in her own right.
"Please, don't mention it. Miss Kurumi, like Miss Yoshino, is a guest of the Overseer. You may simply call me Rita."
Perhaps because they shared certain traits—each covering one eye, possessing crimson red eyes, speaking with a somewhat aristocratic cadence, and exuding an aura of 'mystery'—the two women's first impressions of each other were somewhat nuanced.
It wasn't clearly good or bad, but each found themselves paying extra attention to the other.
But for now, Kurumi was more intrigued by the Durandal standing before her.
Over the years, she had consistently gathered intelligence through various means. Her tenth bullet, which allowed her to read memories from objects, enabled her to extract information from all sorts of items.
Thus, she was fairly knowledgeable about Durandal's information.
She was particularly aware of the incident where Durandal had swiftly subdued the Yamai sisters in an extremely short time.
While the high-altitude nature of the event limited the information she could gather, the astonishing speed involved spoke volumes about the sheer prowess of this 'strongest human.'
As for what happened later with Yoshino, there weren't many records or details, only a Schicksal notification announcing the 'death of the Hermit,' which informed the world.
Though, looking at it now, these reported 'killings' were clearly quite watered down.
Yet, the terror associated with Durandal hadn't faded in Kurumi's mind in the slightest. After all, subduing and capturing someone alive is far more difficult than killing them.
Back when she realized that infiltrating Schicksal's defense facilities without alerting them would be very difficult, she had simply given up.
Part of the reason was that Kurumi had no desire to confront Durandal directly.
Durandal might not necessarily be able to kill her, but Kurumi's time was precious; she couldn't afford to waste it in a drawn-out conflict with Durandal.
"Anyway, let's head to my room first. Rita has prepared plenty of delicious food. Yoshino, I'm sure you'll love it," Amber invited.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.