Ten-plus minutes earlier, in the other side's real world...
"Dr. Tesla! Schicksal's Valkyrie forces have surrounded the sea area we're in!"
"Doctor! The mecha units responsible for luring away the Honkai beasts outside have been completely annihilated! A massive swarm of Honkai beasts is heading our way!"
"Aaaaah!!"
In the constantly shaking Qiong Yu City, Tesla scratched her hair frantically, glaring furiously at the Eye of the Deep Sea ahead.
"What are you people even doing in there?! Haven't you found them yet?!"
Tesla was extremely anxious. Just half an hour ago, Schicksal forces had suddenly surrounded them from all directions. Besides the troops directly under headquarters, forces from three other branches had also been dispatched simultaneously.
More importantly, Schicksal's Immortal Blades had all arrived.
Breaking through the outer defenses was only a matter of time, and the Reformist faction idiots wouldn't be able to get there anytime soon.
"This is bad, this is bad! That immortal bastard from Schicksal actually chose this moment to show up!!!"
Tesla shouted anxiously, but her hands never stopped moving. She continuously issued commands, directing the mechs and aerospace battleship groups deployed around them to counterattack.
"Hurry up! If you don't hurry, Anti-Entropy is going to be destroyed on my watch!!"
While Tesla was urgently issuing orders, amidst the many busy personnel in the temporary command post of Qiong Yu City, one person slowly looked up at Tesla.
He wore a black hoodie with the hood up and a strange mask on his face, a mask with only one crimson eye.
Just like Schicksal, Anti-Entropy had long since been infiltrated.
And his unconventional attire was inconspicuous even within the most human-looking Conservative faction.
"Bang!!"
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out in the command post.
In less than ten seconds, the command post fell silent. Gray Serpent stepped over Tesla's fallen body, walked up to the command console, took over Tesla's position, and began directing Anti-Entropy's forces against Schicksal.
In addition, some of the Divine Keys within Schicksal's forces suddenly received override commands and began attacking their own nearby allies.
In the sea, the Honkai beasts swimming toward the Eye of the Deep Sea were immediately affected when the wreckage of the mecha units sank into the water, unknown compounds seeping from the debris into the surrounding water. They scattered in all directions, attacking every living thing except other Honkai creatures.
"Heh heh heh..."
Gray Serpent's low, cold laughter echoed through the command post.
"The master of this world is about to return. Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, this is the gift I have prepared for the Sovereign, to celebrate his return~"
"Zzz... Crackle!"
At that moment, a series of electrical static sounds came from behind Gray Serpent. He was slightly startled and turned around in surprise to see that from the wound on Tesla's fallen body, something seemed to be flickering outward.
Flames?
...
"Lady Durandal, Anti-Entropy's counterattack intensity has increased. Furthermore, a group of approximately 1,500 Honkai beasts is heading towards us. The highest-level beasts among them are Emperor-class."
On the direct battlefield between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, Rita spun her deep blue scythe, slicing apart a massive Paladin, then said gracefully to Durandal, who was ahead dismantling a Heimdall that had been seized by World Serpent.
"Don't let your guard down. Clear out the surrounding enemies quickly, open a path for the follow-up troops, and then continue advancing!"
Durandal, gripping Abyss Flower, replied calmly, and immediately charged toward the Anti-Entropy forces that had just been air-dropped onto the deck of a Schicksal battleship.
"Yes, Lady Durandal."
Rita followed closely behind.
Every move they made was being observed by Otto.
"Interesting..."
Otto watched the chaotic battlefield, smiling playfully.
When he learned that Xia Qi was leaving St. Freya with Kiana and the others to enter the Quantum Sea, he immediately decided to capture her.
Fu Hua thought that by not telling him the location of Qiong Yu City, he wouldn't find out.
And those fools in Anti-Entropy thought he wouldn't notice their large-scale operation. So Otto unhesitatingly cast a vast net, intending to seize Xia Qi at this moment.
As for the Anti-Entropy personnel themselves? They were incidental. After all, the biggest variable in this world, as far as he was concerned, was Xia Qi.
But during the planning, he considered that World Serpent would certainly make a move as well. Therefore, within his plan, Otto devised an additional scheme.
When Xia Qi and the others entered the Quantum Sea, he would initiate the first plan: attack Anti-Entropy. The Immortal Blades and Divine Key units would strike head-on, while aerospace battleships and elite forces from various branches cleared the periphery, destroying the decoys meant to lure Honkai beasts.
Then, he would infiltrate Anti-Entropy's dedicated communications channel and inform Tesla that World Serpent spies had embedded themselves among them.
The Serpent's Sovereign was also currently in the Quantum Sea.
To prevent Tesla from disbelieving him, Otto sacrificed a spy who had been embedded in Anti-Entropy for eight years, having the spy attempt to relay intelligence to World Serpent's channel before being discovered and forced to take their own life.
This way, Fu Hua's name would be impossible to clear. After all, she was the agent he had placed in the Far East. Who else besides her could be transmitting intelligence to Schicksal?
And as for that so-called Sovereign...
Otto thought to himself with quiet amusement.
I wonder, after drifting in the Quantum Sea for a millennium, whether he is still as formidable as described in the historical and Previous Era records.
"Otto..."
However, just as Otto was continuing to advance his plan, a calm, clear young boy's voice sounded behind him, startling him slightly.
"Lord Otto!"
Amber's urgent cry rang out, followed immediately by the sound of her collapsing to the ground.
"Please sleep for a while, Amber."
The boy's voice remained calm as he spoke.
And Amber, an A-rank Valkyrie, lay unconscious on the floor.
The seat beneath Otto rotated slightly as he turned to face the person who had appeared behind him. The corners of his mouth tightened, his eyes narrowed, and his sharp emerald gaze showed a hint of wariness. He spread his hands to show he posed no threat at this moment.
"Welcome... 'far-traveled' guest."
...
"Bronya?"
Raiden Mei helped Xia Qi over to a sofa on one side and looked at her with immense concern.
"I..."
Xia Qi held her head, a pained expression on her face. She had just felt a chaotic, intense pain in her brain, and the scene before her eyes had become extremely disorienting.
Just as she was running a self-check on her system, the pain in her brain suddenly vanished again, and her vision immediately cleared. This left her somewhat bewildered, a look of confusion appearing in her eyes.
"Bronya... what's wrong?"
-------
A/n: New content and stories posted on my patreon go check it out!
patreon.com/deadlygoober