The wind inside the barrier calmed slightly; the chaos outside was muffled.
-Himeko, tense voice from the Hyperion: "We're detecting a massive energy interference at your position! What the hell is that? Durandal is minutes away!"
Wendy, watching the scene, hesitated. Tears in her turquoise eyes. "Why... why are you all helping me so much...?"
At that exact moment, a dark figure descended from the sky like a comet: Durandal, fitted black coat with bright stripes, short fluttering cape, black military hat, brown leggings, and dark reinforced boots, Eos Gloria—her lance—in hand, landing with controlled impact that cracked the rock.
"Herrscher of Wind located." Her voice cold and professional. She looked at the barrier and then at me. "You are the anomaly from Nagazora. Mikael von Lindeman. And this seems to be your doing; you emanate the same energy as this barrier."
Before she could say or do anything else, I dissipated the barrier with a subtle hand gesture. The dome vanished into black particles that dissolved in the air.
In a calm voice, I said: "Don't misunderstand me; I just wanted to make sure unwanted parties didn't ruin this moment."
Durandal narrowed her eyes, evaluating me with clinical attention. Eos Gloria still on guard, but not pointing directly. "Explain yourself."
I took the initiative: "Anti-Entropy planned to capture Wendy. The barrier blocked communications and prevented their mechs from interfering. Wendy is not a threat by choice; she was a failed Schicksal experiment. She deserves a chance to be heard."
-Theresa over communicator, nervous:
-"Durandal! Listen to him! We can reason with her!"-
Durandal lowered the lance slightly after a second of silence. "Five minutes. Prove your theory. If you fail, I will intervene."
Kiana stepped forward. "Wendy! Come with us! You're not alone!"
Mei: "We can help you control that power... together."
Bronya: "Bronya promises to find medical treatment. For your legs... and for the pain."
Tears fell freely. The turquoise wings folded slowly. Wendy descended, knees on the ground, exhausted.
"...I don't want to hurt you."
Durandal observed the scene, her expression softening imperceptibly. "Decision accepted... for now. I will personally escort her to the Hyperion for secure containment and medical evaluation." She looked directly at me. "You will come too. I want a full demonstration of that barrier technique... and answers."
Then, Bronya froze in the air. Project Bunny vibrated violently, cannons aiming at Wendy. Glassy eyes. "Error... system... remote override detected..."
Kiana and Mei turned alarmed. "Bronya!"
Looks like they won't give up, huh...
During the months of training at the academy, I had noticed a crucial detail: although my Cursed Spirit Manipulation didn't allow me to directly absorb users who controlled Honkai energy (Valkyries, Herrschers, etc.), I could drain a significant portion of their circulating Honkai energy, especially if their rank was lower than my current one.
Bronya, still classified as a B-rank Valkyrie, was no problem. I extended my hand toward her and activated the technique with surgical precision: "Absorb."
A black and cold flow emerged from Bronya—not her natural stigma, but the excess Honkai that Cocolia had remotely triggered through the chip to force the overload. The energy flowed into me as a dark sphere, dissipating the overload before it could take full control. At the same time, I used basic Uzumaki to fuse minor spirits and create a temporary containment cage around her, just in case any residue remained.
Bronya gasped, regaining control almost immediately. Project Bunny stopped vibrating and returned to neutral position. "...Bronya... is fine. External signal interrupted. Honkai energy stabilized." She looked at her own body, then at me with an expression rare on her: genuine surprise. "Subject Mikael... drained the overload directly. Bronya... thanks you. Debt registered."
As they escorted Wendy carefully—without brute force—Himeko spoke over communicator: "You did it! Anti-Entropy's battleships withdrew upon detecting Durandal... Great job!"
[System:]
[Main Mission Completed: Save Wendy from Anti-Entropy. Reward: +1 ticket]
[Secondary Mission Completed: Prevent Cocolia from controlling Bronya or stop her when controlled. Reward: +50 points.]
[Legacy System activated. Welcome, Host: Mael.]
[Updated Stats:]
General Level: 2
Rank Equivalent Rank: A (Special)
Cursed Energy: 4500/4500
Unlocked Skill Templates:
→ Cursed Spirit Manipulation (Level 10 – Max: Instantly absorb Honkai beasts weaker than the user).
→ Ten Shadows (Level 3 – 300/1000: Summon Shikigami capable of interacting with Honkai energy).
Passive Abilities: → Honkai Block (neutralization and automatic conversion). → Partial Honkai energy drain on users (effective against rank A and lower).
Weapons in Possession: N/A
Special Features: N/A
Keys: 250
Tickets: 2
That's right, I got the Ten Shadows technique right after completing Cursed Spirit Manipulation. It seems that every time I complete a template, the system grants me another at random.
Final thought as we boarded the Hyperion: I reflected on the significant changes. Wendy alive and with real recovery potential, Mei with us, Bronya protected and now aware that I can counter her chip when necessary... Durandal intrigued, but not hostile.
Though Cocolia will surely know someone blocked her control. And Otto will be analyzing every part of this. I managed to avoid the ME Corp assault arc and Wendy's subsequent death, as well as Bronya's coma.
The Hyperion sailed the Pacific back to base, engines humming with steady rhythm. The interior was unusually silent: Wendy rested in the infirmary under soft but vigilant containment—light sedatives and Honkai wave monitors—guarded by two medical Valkyries and Bianka Ataegina herself—better known as Durandal.
[System:]
[New Main Mission:]
[Evaluation with Durandal: Reward: +100 points → Ten Shadows Level 4 (400/1000) – New shadow: Great Serpent.]
Right after arriving, I walked through the metallic hallways to the main training room. Durandal had "invited" me as soon as we landed to a full demonstration of my abilities, no excuses. Her tone had been cold and professional, as always, but there was something in the way she pronounced my name—a minimal, almost imperceptible pause—that made me stop a second longer than necessary.
Upon entering, I found her already there, standing in the center of the spacious room with reinforced walls and floor marked by countless battles. She wore her Valkyrie Gloria battlesuit—a fitted black coat with bright teal stripes, short fluttering cape, black military hat, brown leggings, and dark reinforced boots. Her blonde hair fell loose to her waist, fading into light pink tones at the tips, framing her light blue eyes that evaluated me with surgical precision. Tall and athletic, her figure projected an imposing presence: elegant, but ready for the charge, like an elite officer on a battlefield. The lance Eos Gloria, her current weapon—black, sharp, with turquoise green and gold details—rested propped on the floor beside her.
"You're punctual," she said without preamble, voice calm but authoritative. Her eyes lingered on me a second longer than strictly necessary, as if measuring not only my power, but something deeper. "Show me that barrier. And explain how a civilian with a 'special talent' from Nagazora obtained that power."
I smiled slightly. "I'm not exactly an ordinary civilian."
I formed a symbol with one hand and activated the technique: the dark dome expanded, covering the entire room. Durandal inspected it with precise movements, touching the edge with the tip of Eos Gloria—the cursed energy sparked against the lance's core, but it held. "Interesting. It contains Honkai selectively, blocks external signals... and doesn't depend on a battlesuit or stigma..." Her expression remained impassive, but I noticed how her fingers paused for an instant on contact with the barrier, as if evaluating the very texture of my energy.
I dissipated the barrier. "It's my own ability. I absorb and control entities and Honkai energy."
"Then let's do a practical demonstration." Her light blue eyes shone for the first time with genuine interest—a shine that, for an instant, seemed less clinical and more... personal. "A sparring match. No lethal restrictions. I want to measure how far your potential goes."
The fight was intense from the very first second, a duel of frontal charges and close control where her aggressive style with piercing thrusts clashed against my chaotic versatility.
Durandal charged with inhuman speed—a black and lethal blur—, Eos Gloria launching a thrust that released burning waves, followed by a lance throw. I dodged by millimeters, summoning my shadows for the first time in a real duel. With the template at Level 3, I had progressively unlocked the summons in the same order as in the original work: the Divine Dogs, Nue, and the Toads.
However, I didn't summon them externally: I applied their powers directly to my body. In a way similar to how Sukuna in Megumi's body summons Mahoraga's wheel on his head. Another example of this was shown recently in the Módulo manga with Yuta's granddaughter and Maki.
I activated the Divine Dogs on myself: my senses sharpened like a predator's, tracking her every movement with instinctive precision, and sharp claws in glove form materialized over my hands, ready to tear. I blocked her thrust with a quick counterattack, claws clashing against the lance in a burst of sparks—she responded with a spinning throw, hurling me backward, but I rolled and counterattacked before the full impact hit me.
Durandal raised an eyebrow, her stoic expression breaking for an instant of genuine surprise. "Energy weapon creation? Intriguing..."
She retreated and charged again, executing a descending throw that generated a fire wave. I quickly summoned Nue: the spectral bird descended with electricity-charged wings, paralyzing the air around it and distracting her with lightning. I took advantage to cancel Nue's summon and use its power on myself: ethereal wings sprouted from my back, granting short flight and explosive speed. I rose, descending in an aerial attack to intercept her advance while launching electric rays.
The impact pushed her back a step—her black coat singeing slightly from my lightning—, and for a second, our eyes met in the chaos: hers light blue, intense, not looking away immediately.
I summoned Toads to flank her: winged Toads emerged from the shadows, their prehensile tongues trying to trap her lance or immobilize her, temporarily entangling Eos Gloria's shaft to unbalance her. Durandal broke the grip with an explosive spin, releasing a massive fire area, but I noticed how her stance adjusted—not just defensive, but as if she was enjoying the challenge.
I proceeded to summon some high-rank Honkai beasts I had absorbed before. The Emperor—the colossal armored warthog—emerged partially from the shadows, charging with brute force to force her back. At the same time, I reinforced my body with massive amounts of cursed energy: I leaped toward her, exchanging direct blows, claws against lance in a dance of sparks and burning waves. Each clash vibrated my arms, but the cursed energy absorbed part of the Honkai-based fire, turning it into fuel.
Durandal blocked the Emperor's charge with a precise thrust, dissipating it temporarily, but I was already on her: a combo of reinforced claws tore the air, forcing her to spin and counter with a throw that hurled me against the wall. I rolled, summoning the spectral Chariot to cover me while I caught my breath, and returned seeking openings in her perfect defense.
The duel lasted ten intense minutes. I didn't win—it was impossible against the current strongest S-rank—but I held out against her serious blows and thrusts, even managing a symbolic scratch on her cape with a final combo, interrupting her burning wave before it fully spread.
In the end, she stopped Eos Gloria inches from my neck. She breathed calmly, but a strand of her blonde hair had fallen over her face, giving her a less perfect, more human air. "Enough. I've confirmed your potential... and it's superior to what I expected." She lowered the weapon with elegance, and for the first time, her gaze lingered on me not as an evaluator, but as if she saw something worth watching closely. "You are an unpredictable variable, Mikael von Lindeman. Schicksal will watch you closely... but we will also protect you, as long as you prove to be a valuable ally."
Theresa burst into the room, panting. "Durandal! Don't kill him, please!" Seeing us both unharmed (only sweat and minor marks), she sighed in relief.
"Preliminary medical report: Wendy's gem is stabilized. With proper therapy and time, she could regain full mobility... and control over her power."
Bronya appeared at the door, Project Bunny floating beside her. "Bronya confirms the medical data. Also... thanks again for the previous intervention."
Kiana and Mei arrived running. Kiana, eyes shining: "That was epic! You have to teach me those weird summons!" Mei, worried but serene: "Are you okay, Mikael-kun? That was... impressive."
[System:]
[Evaluation with Durandal completed. Reward: +100 points → Ten Shadows Level 4 (400/1000) – New shadow unlocked: Great Serpent.]
Thought as we left, with the image of her light blue eyes still fresh: Durandal—Bianka Ataegina—is not just the strongest; she's disciplined, honest, and protective to the extreme. Intriguing... and perhaps something more. Wendy has a real future. And with Ten Shadows at Level 4, the fusion in my body feels even more instinctive. I'm one step closer to facing greater events. But Otto must already be planning his next move, analyzing every detail.
-End of the capter.-