The three rushed downstairs. Breakfast was on the table, but Mei was nowhere to be found in the kitchen. Not only that—
"In the dorms right now..."
After sensing the surroundings for a moment, Cangxuan, the expert in insight, shook her head. "There is no one here."
At the same time, Danzhu walked to the window. Looking at the massive black hole appearing in the distance, she gasped in shock. "I-Isn't that the power of the 9th Divine Key, the Star of Eden?"
"This is bad! Everyone is in danger!"
Though she wasn't certain what was happening, the appearance of such a massive black hole told Bronya everything she needed to know: an enemy was attacking. She suddenly recalled Luo Hong's earlier warning to be careful. She just hadn't expected the enemy to come so soon, and to launch an invasion of St. Freya High School in broad daylight.
"Let's go."
As Bronya charged out using Project Bunny 19C, Cangxuan and Danzhu followed close behind. However, when they arrived at the scene, they all wore peculiar expressions because the battle... was already over.
"Principal... what happened here?"
Looking at the wreckage of mechs scattered across the ground and a few pools of blood, Bronya asked with concern. Fortunately, none of her comrades were injured; the blood evidently belonged to the enemies.
"Oh, you're finally awake?" Theresa turned around, arms crossed, and said with a proud tilt of her chin, "Just a few small fries. We've already driven them back."
"That's good..." Bronya frowned, wondering if the "danger" Luo Hong mentioned was still yet to come. I must ask him tonight!
"Ji Xuanyuan, you came too?" Cangxuan noticed the Xuanyuan Sword in Himeko's hand and called out.
"Yes." The soul form of Ji Xuanyuan drifted out from the sword. "I wanted to do my part for everyone."
"Thank you for the help, Miss Ji Xuanyuan," Himeko added. She let go of the sword, allowing Ji Xuanyuan to control it as it floated in mid-air. "If it weren't for you, we wouldn't have repelled them so easily."
"You're too kind, Miss Himeko. It was your bravery that won the day; I was merely the finishing touch."
After a round of polite mutual praise, Ji Xuanyuan maneuvered the sword into Danzhu's arms.
"You're awake?" Mei walked over with a sheepish look, accompanied by Kiana, who was busy cleaning up the aftermath. "That was truly dangerous. It's lucky everyone was in the dorms."
Mei had been in the kitchen alone, just finishing breakfast when she was ambushed. If Ji Xuanyuan hadn't flown down to warn her, and if Theresa and Himeko hadn't been nearby, she felt that even with Kiana's help, they would have struggled. After all, even with their combined strength, they only managed to drive the enemy away.
"I'm sorry, Sister Mei. Bronya wasn't able to help." Bronya bit her lip, looking guilty.
"It's fine. I know what you were 'busy' with, and everyone is safe, right?" Mei, knowing Bronya had been in Luo Hong's territory, was understanding.
But Kiana had other ideas. "Hmph!" she said, walking over with her arms crossed and a boastful grin. "Bronya, you have no idea how heroic I was! I drove those enemies away in no time!"
"Kiana, that was clearly the work of the Principal and Major Himeko." Mei ruthlessly exposed the lie to keep Bronya from feeling too guilty.
"Even if Sister Mei didn't say so, Bronya wouldn't have believed you," Bronya added bluntly. "Idiot Kiana isn't that strong yet."
"Hmph! Well, I'm still better than a Bronya who was fast asleep during a battle!" Kiana countered. "At least I destroyed a Titan mech!"
"Enough, you two." Mei cut the argument short, dragging Kiana toward the wreckage. "Kiana, come clean up the Titan you destroyed. Bronya, you help too."
Bronya followed to help, wanting to make up for her absence. Seeing this, Cangxuan and Danzhu joined in as well. Cangxuan was particularly interested in modern technology and planned to study the Titan fragments. The only thing that puzzled her was why the enemy would attack so openly. It felt like... a diversion!
Meanwhile, in the basement of the St. Freya Chapel.
"We've certainly run into the most troublesome enemy," Einstein muttered, scratching her head as she looked at Fu Hua.
"I'm sorry, but I cannot let you leave this place," Fu Hua replied. After receiving a message from Otto, she had come here alone. Since she did morning exercises every day, her absence didn't raise any suspicion from the others.
"She's just an A-rank Valkyrie, nothing to fear," Cocolia sneered, ordering three Titans to charge at Fu Hua.
"She is no ordinary Valkyrie," Einstein countered, quickly gathering data through a sixty-year-old backdoor. "I have what we need. Let's go."
If Theresa had come, Einstein could have shown her the Cecilia clones to create the chaos she wanted. But with Fu Hua, Einstein knew too much of her background to think she had any bargaining chips, otherwise, she would have tried to recruit her long ago.
"Go?" Before Cocolia could react, Fu Hua destroyed the three mechs with lightning speed and absolute precision. Cocolia was stunned, but Einstein managed to pull her away before she could be captured.
"I'm sorry," Fu Hua said to Otto over the comms once they were gone. "I couldn't stop them."
In reality, if she had used her full strength, she could have detained them. But she wasn't protecting her comrades or fighting the Honkai, so she wasn't about to risk everything. Driving them away was enough of a favor to Otto.
"It doesn't matter," Otto replied, unbothered. As long as Einstein didn't have free reign in the basement, it was fine. "Rita is about to arrive. My friend, please provide her with some support."
"Understood." Fu Hua ended the call and adjusted her glasses. Her eyes gleamed with wisdom. So this is why Anti-Entropy took the risk of a frontal assault.