"Who's there?"
The moment they stepped out of the alleyway, the trio felt their vision instantly widen.
Right before them stood a perfectly ordinary, abandoned warehouse, guarded by mercenaries armed with weapons identical to those used by the Fire Moth soldiers they'd encountered during the Second Honkai Eruption.
Naturally, they saw the guards, and the guards saw them.
In an instant, the three found themselves completely surrounded by these mercenary-types.
Undaunted by the armed figures surrounding them, Durandal shot Connie a questioning look, ignoring the ones brandishing live weapons.
"The answer lies beneath the warehouse. Someone high up in the Fire Moth organization privately collaborated with a certain official in Nagazora City to establish this base... Its purpose seems to be conducting illegal human experiments."
Connie, having once been a local small-time boss in the mafia, had a particularly sharp nose for these kinds of shady dealings.
She'd only been in Nagazora City for a week, yet she'd already managed to uncover the deepest darkness hidden within it.
At the mention of 'human experiments,' both their own side—Durandal and Elysia—and the mercenaries opposite them visibly paled.
BANG!
A single gunshot seemed to act as a signal. Instantly, several dozen mercenaries lined up and opened fire on Durandal and the others.
However, just like the first shot which Durandal had effortlessly blocked, none of their bullets could penetrate her defense.
Amid a shower of sparks, Durandal was no longer in her ordinary high school girl attire.
She was now clad in blue-and-white armor—the Bright Knight: Excelsis.
Using her Holy Sword powers against this lot was serious overkill.
The 4th Generation Godsbane Suit, Bright Knight: Excelsis, renowned as the all-purpose, versatile armor, with its excellent blocking capabilities and mobility, was perfectly suited for the current situation.
It's worth noting that the weapon in Durandal's hand wasn't the over-limited Hler's Ataraxia, but rather the Abyss Flower: Liminal Spiral.
After a brief exchange, Durandal keenly noticed something: these mercenaries weren't thrown into disarray by the power she displayed.
Furthermore, their attacks were disciplined, with coordinated advances and retreats. She thought she had already guessed their true identity.
They weren't mercenaries who'd gotten their hands on Fire Moth standard-issue weapons through that high-ranking official. They were Fire Moth soldiers, merely disguised as mercenaries.
Taking a deep breath, Durandal temporarily suppressed the anger rising in her heart.
After all, she couldn't be certain yet that the so-called illegal human experiments here were like those conducted in the Babylon Labs 50,000 years later.
Maybe this was all just a misunderstanding?
Durandal didn't deny she was deceiving herself.
But she genuinely didn't want to come to this world and end up killing more humans than Honkai Beasts or Herrschers.
So, in the ensuing fight, Durandal exercised maximum restraint, only incapacitating the soldiers disguised as mercenaries, without directly taking their lives.
In less than a minute, the soldiers who had been firing at the trio were now strewn across the ground, unconscious.
Behind Durandal, Connie, who had little combat strength, and Elysia, who hadn't had a chance to act, both breathed sighs of relief.
Of course, if it were discovered that the human experiments beneath the warehouse were excessively cruel, and these soldiers were fully aware of it, the very least they would face would be a court-martial.
Having finished clearing the area, Durandal turned back. Seeing Connie and Elysia, she reined in her intimidating aura and nodded at them.
"I'll take the lead from here. Connie, you'd best find a place to hide. Elysia, you're responsible for protecting Connie and watching our rear. After all, we have no idea if that Nagazora official might send reinforcements."
"I'll definitely hide well!"
Connie shrunk her neck in, indicating she valued her life greatly.
Elysia's expression was now somewhat more serious.
"Don't worry, leave your backs to me. Elysia will be your most trustworthy partner on the battlefield~"
Hearing this, Durandal's azure blue eyes deeply regarded Elysia for a moment before she turned and walked towards the warehouse.
"I trust you, Elysia."
"I definitely won't betray your trust, I promise~"
Elysia's lips curled up in a slight smile.
Somehow, without her noticing, she had fully adapted to her role as a member of the Flame-Chasers organization.
As for the Fire Moth?
Sorry, not really familiar with them~
Up ahead, Durandal pushed open the now unguarded warehouse door. Her gaze swept across the interior, finding that, on the surface at least, nothing seemed amiss.
She strode into the warehouse, her footsteps echoing in the empty, silent space. Tilting her head slightly, she detected a hint of incongruity.
She quickly stepped forward and tapped the floor ahead with her Black Abyss White Flower. Sure enough, it sounded hollow underneath.
Not bothering to search for some hidden mechanism, Durandal directly activated the Excelsis armor's mobility system.
She soared up to the warehouse ceiling like a comet, then, gripping the Black Abyss White Flower, plunged downward with full force.
With a tremendous BOOM!, the warehouse floor instantly collapsed.
Even the heavy, password-protected metal door revealed beneath couldn't withstand Durandal's impact and was smashed open, leaving a large hole.
Amidst the rubble and dust, Durandal found herself facing a group of white-coated figures who had just narrowly escaped disaster.
One had to admit, the soundproofing on that metal door Durandal shattered was truly effective.
These people before her still hadn't grasped the situation, completely unaware of the gunfight that had just occurred above ground.
Then again, who knew how long these people had been conducting human experiments here, never having been disturbed before?
It was only natural they'd let their guard down, unlike when they first arrived, constantly monitoring the surface via surveillance.
But now, faced with the sudden, powerfully imposing Durandal, these researchers—their faces sickly pale from years spent underground devoid of natural light—finally displayed expressions different from their usual numb or frenzied states.
Among them, some looked terrified, as if sensing impending doom; others wore looks of relief, as if they had long awaited this day; still others showed regret in their eyes, though whether it was a flicker of remaining conscience or one sparked by Durandal's arrival was unclear.
Of course, there were also those who remained numb, or still crazed. To them, the power Durandal displayed held far greater attraction than the threat she posed.
--+--