Given the ongoing Honkai threat, nearby cities inevitably required assistance from the Schicksal organization.
While Schicksal would never use this as an excuse to demand protection fees, it was only reasonable to secure some loan support in return, isn't it?
After arranging matters for research and logistics, Durandal turned her attention to the combat personnel.
Currently, Schicksal had only two combat squads.
First Combat Squad: Captain Durandal, with members Emile and Sakura.
Second Combat Squad: Captain Elysia, with members Ato and Kevyn.
Among them, Durandal and Elysia needed no introduction—their strength was such that they could even face Herrschers directly.
Though Emile and Ato had once been soldiers of Fire Moth, their bodies had not yet undergone modification or enhancement.
Operating outside the military, their current combat abilities likely fell short of even a Chariot-class Honkai Beast. For now, they could only handle the weaker zombies—humans corrupted by the Honkai.
As for Kevyn and Sakura, they showed great potential, but at present, their combat skills were even below those of Emile and Ato. After all, they lacked the most basic experience in fighting Honkai Beasts.
The upcoming Third Eruption wouldn't just be about dealing with the Third Herrscher and its accompanying Honkai Beast, Sesa.
In the early stages, scattered zombies would appear continuously, followed by a surge of Honkai Beasts after the eruption.
Relying solely on Durandal and Elysia wasn't impossible, but it would drag the fighting out far too long.
If it took several months just to handle the aftermath of the Third Eruption, then Nagazora City—and indeed, the entire eastern region of Asia—would be left in ruins.
Therefore, Durandal had to prepare for both possibilities.
Her first plan was naturally to cooperate with Fire Moth.
It was true that Durandal didn't like Fire Moth, but she was flexible enough to adapt to reality.
At the very least, for now, if Fire Moth sent only frontline combat personnel—rather than scheming higher-ups—it would definitely be a boon for the situation in Nagazora.
Moreover, based on the original course of history, the Fifth Squad led by Sakura would have been dispatched to Nagazora for post-disaster rescue.
It was highly likely they would now be sent to assist Schicksal's operations in the city.
However, Durandal hadn't forgotten that Sakura, a native of Nagazora, had joined the clandestine division, Cocoon, after the Third Eruption broke out.
That meant Durandal had to guard against the darker forces within Fire Moth.
To be safe, Durandal directly contacted Einstein via social media. Though not stationed at Fire Moth's main base, Einstein still held considerable influence.
With Einstein's help, at least the Fire Moth combat personnel sent openly wouldn't be mixed with Cocoon agents. Durandal wouldn't have to constantly watch her back for betrayal from supposed allies.
Her second plan was to swiftly enhance Schicksal's overall strength.
Key components included Vill-V's development of the Godsbane Battlesuits and the construction of the Moon Ring system, as well as Mobius's analysis of the Saint's Blood, the Kaslana Stigma gene, and the anti-Honkai vaccine and serum.
Beyond that, there was the matter of improving the individual capabilities of the current squad members and expanding the combat teams.
In fact, according to Durandal's vision, if the members of the two existing squads could hone themselves sufficiently before the full outbreak of the Third Eruption, each of them had the potential to become a Flame-Chaser and lead their own combat squad independently.
The real question was how quickly they could grow.
But before Durandal could tailor a rigorous training regimen for the four squad members, two individuals approached her on their own.
It was Mei and Su, who had participated in Schicksal's group trip but had not yet joined.
After returning to Nagazora from Kinosaki Hot Springs with everyone in the business vehicle, the two had stayed behind.
Seeing that Durandal's busy schedule seemed to have paused for a moment, they entered the office together and ran into her just as she was about to head to the meeting room.
One look at their expressions, and Durandal understood their intentions.
Before either could speak, Durandal said, "For you two, my suggestion is to return and complete your studies."
"Whether to join Schicksal is your own choice—I have no intention of forcing you. But no matter where you go in the future, always remember where your talents lie."
"Mei, Su, fighting the Honkai doesn't always require brute force."
With that, Durandal went to the adjacent training room and called the four squad members, pulling Elysia along as well. The six of them entered the meeting room to begin the first combat personnel conference.
Inside the meeting room, Durandal slid her laptop over to Elysia. "Could you help record the meeting content?"
"No problem~" Elysia took the laptop, opened a blank document, and began taking notes.
At 09:30 on the morning of January 3, 2014 (Previous Era), the first combat meeting was convened in the temporary office meeting room of the Schicksal organization.
Brief meeting content: Combat arrangements prior to the outbreak of the Third Eruption.
Attendees: First Combat Squad Captain Durandal, members Emile and Sakura; Second Combat Squad Captain Elysia, members Ato and Kevyn.
Meeting recorder: Elysia.
Seeing that Elysia had gotten the hang of it quickly, Durandal turned to the group and shared the latest intelligence she had gathered.
"At seven o'clock this morning, I confirmed with Nagazora Mayor Hayato that there have been five sudden zombie attack incidents in the city, resulting in one death and seven injuries."
"The zombies were eliminated by police who arrived promptly, and the related information has been strictly sealed by the authorities."
"The situation is extremely critical, so I can't afford to give you ample time to grow."
"Starting today, Schicksal will respond immediately to zombie attack sites based on alerts from the security system to handle the incidents."
"You will follow Elysia and me separately into action, improving your combat skills through real battles. This will continue at least until Fire Moth's assistance team arrives in Nagazora.
"Kevyn, Sakura—I've already arranged with the Nagazora Board of Education for both of you to receive your high school graduation certificates early. But that doesn't mean your learning ends here."
"Once this period is over, I'll arrange dedicated tutors for you, or even send you to university for further studies. And yes, that goes for Emile and Ato too, not just Kevyn and Sakura."
"Combat personnel also need to arm our minds with knowledge, because what Schicksal needs isn't mere fighting tools—we need combatants who can think for themselves. Schicksal isn't afraid that its members will develop ulterior motives just because they gain knowledge and ideas."
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