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Rita had no objections to Durandal's decision.
Throughout history, Durandal has consistently been Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie—of course, excluding Ana's unique case. Honestly, many people no longer consider Ana as part of Schicksal's Valkyries now; she seems sowhat detached from them.
As Schicksal's most powerful Valkyrie, Durandal possesses the capability to engage Herrschers directly and erge victorious. If Rita were to express concern or suggest backup for Durandal, there would be little point in their current deploynt.
If even Durandal cannot face an enemy, keeping the remaining Valkyries at this location would serve no significant purpose—they'd rely beco cannon fodder.
Both the other Valkyries of the Immortal Blades and Rita were well aware of this fact.
In a relatively weakly defended area of Schicksal's periter, a young man stealthily infiltrated Coral Island. With his ash-white hair and lifeless eyes, he appeared sowhat lethargic and dispirited, resembling a programr nearing the end of his days.
Effortlessly identifying gaps in Schicksal's surveillance and defenses, he slipped onto Coral Island. His identity was clear - he was Owl, a high-ranking mber of World Serpent, whose true na was Chen Tianwu, the boy saved by Ana during the Manila Honkai incident.
His presence here was no coincidence.
After the disaster, he had wandered tirelessly seeking survival until eventually joining World Serpent on Raven's recomndation. Undergoing cybernetic enhancents, he beca one of their key operatives.
Following the original storyline closely, upon joining World Serpent, he kept track of Ana's whereabouts and condition just as before. However, compared to the initial plot, Ana's movents beca increasingly unpredictable, especially after becoming the Herrscher of Wind, making her trail nearly impossible to follow.
Despite this challenge, using his technical skills and World Serpent's intelligence network, he managed to trace Ana's movents. In a sense, it could be said that Ana inadvertently revealed her location herself.
With Ana's abilities, if she truly didn't want Otto or Chen Tianwu to track her movents, it wouldn't be difficult at all. For the Goddess of Wind, it was remarkably easy.
By discarding her communicator, manipulating weather patterns with satellites, and concealing her Herrscher aura through fluid manipulation, no one could trace her whereabouts—just as nobody here knew she was also the Herrscher of Ice.
On the surface, this appeared to be rely Ana's Ascension process, but in reality, it might well be part of her elaborate plan.
If Ana fails, it would signal the pursuit against the Herrscher of Ice.
But if Ana succeeds, Coral Island will beco her path to divinity.
"Ana, I'm coming."
Chen Tianwu reached out, retrieving the necklace Ana had gifted him earlier. His eyes glead, and he carefully tucked it away.
Within Coral Island, atop the central platform, the girl encased in solid ice slowly opened her eyes. However, concealed beneath her mask, no one noticed the chilling cold emanating from those icy orbs.
"With this, the final setup is complete."
"Now then, co forth! My inner demon, the true Herrscher of Ice!"
Ana's voice was swallowed by the swirling blizzard. As her words echoed, a fierce storm erupted on the central platform. The fluid barrier isolated the wind and snow from the outside world, while an illusory realm enveloped the area, preventing outsiders from sensing the true situation within.
Unbeknownst to all, deep inside Coral Island, a Herrscher was undergoing the most arduous breakthrough—a single thought separating divinity from demonic nature. The entire island remained shrouded in ice and snow, seemingly unchanged, cloaked in eerie silence...
Shortly after Durandal entered Coral Island, another ssage arrived—an official order from Otto following the bishop protocol.
As Otto's trusted confidante, Rita quickly discerned his intentions with minimal contemplation.
Otto aid for Durandal to participate in the pursuit against the Herrscher of Ice, framing it as her personal mission and initiative. By isolating Durandal from the other Valkyries, he sought to create the impression that due to previous orders, she had independently ventured into Coral Island.
Durandal's involvent in confronting the Herrscher could be dismissed as a minor oversight, not indicative of Schicksal's stance overall.
Rita's eyes flickered, a subtle smile gracing her lips.
Rita held no fondness for World Serpent whatsoever. From the Captains' perspective, Schicksal might not be an ideal organization, but when it ca to its individuals—whether it was Cecilia and Siegfried from the past or Durandal and Rita today—they all lived up to the title of Valkyrie.
They had always protected humanity, fighting on the front lines against Honkai.
And what about World Serpent? The entire group gave off an unsettling vibe. Even if they claid to pursue justice, everyone knew that their version of justice did not lead to the best outco.
Take Raven, for example: one could argue she has her kind side, but she certainly isn't a good person. She's a rcenary; her past missions were rely transactions for paynt. However, World Serpent's plan in Tianqiong City clearly involved slaughtering innocent civilians—a fact that Raven cannot deny.
As for Jackal, he is naturally cut from the sa cloth. Being a mad scientist, his cris may well rival those committed by Babylon's scientists during the Second Honkai Eruption.
Of course, these feelings stem from broader grievances. On a personal level, Rita still harbors resentnt over the incident in Tianqiong City. No one should mistake her for soone forgiving or soft-hearted; she's never been a saint.
These reasons led to the tense standoff between Raven and World Serpent's representative later on.
Of course, Raven didn't see anything wrong with her actions. From her perspective, she was rely carrying out her mission. However, she overlooked that once all the dust settled, as an accomplice, she would be held accountable for her part in the events.
Being a rcenary or contract worker wasn't an excuse to escape responsibility. The only reason there were no repercussions thus far was because the World Serpent's plot in Tianqiong City had failed, prompting them to let it go.
However, Rita maintained a cordial attitude towards Raiden i. She understood the circumstances and hardships behind Raiden i joining the World Serpent, not to ntion, Raiden i used to be one of Schicksal's Valkyries.
Moreover, they had collaborated in the past, fostering goodwill between Rita and Raiden i. Without this prior connection, having just Raven present might have indeed escalated into a fight.
Complicating matters further, Durandal—who should have been here to facilitate the handover—was absent. If a confrontation between Raven and Rita had ensued, given Raiden i's current state, she likely wouldn't have been able to stop them.
However, with Durandal's absence, Raven ultimately didn't attempt to reconcile with Rita. Even she understood that Tianqiong City's incident was not easily forgotten.
Nevertheless, following Otto's orders, Rita engaged in so awkward small talk with Raven for a while, effectively buying ti for World Serpent. Of course, she remained unaware that another World Serpent operative had already slipped inside.
Ultimately, Coral Island's vast size and its isolation as an island made implenting a comprehensive lockdown impractical, requiring unimaginable resources within such a short tifra. The current asures were already the result of Schicksal exerting all their might.
Moreover, Schicksal couldn't solely focus here, as Otto was still deeply involved in researching Unnad Locomotive, consuming significant manpower and resources on that front as well.
anwhile, Durandal had entered Coral Island's territory. Thanks to Schicksal's early evacuation efforts, aside from a few unfortunate souls frozen solid by the icy cold, there were no other casualties.
Judging by their attire and the circumstances of their deaths, Durandal recognized them as subordinates of intelligence traders. Frankly, they got what they deserved.
By attempting to approach the Fifth Herrscher, these individuals should have been prepared for the possibility of death. Moreover, according to instrunt analysis, the spread of ice did not occur instantaneously. In other words, they had ample opportunity to survive but chose to court disaster instead.
Durandal continued advancing, gradually encountering Honkai Beasts ahead.
Due to the lack of significant casualties, this particular Honkai event hadn't produced many Zombies, only so ice-type Honkai Beasts.
Most of these Honkai Beasts were rely low-rank, posing no significant threat to a Valkyrie like Durandal. To her, they were nothing more than minor nuisances, slightly consuming her ti.
Durandal checked the detector on her person, which indicated that Herrscher-level fluctuations were nearby.
After clearing the area, she finally reached the Herrscher—or rather, a massive ice column before her.
The icicle emitted intense Honkai reactions, with its energy levels reaching those of a Herrscher, clearly indicating the Herrscher of Ice was undergoing its ergence process.
Without any hesitation, Durandal prepared to act.
Though uncertain about Otto's intentions with the Herrscher of Ice, as Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, it was her duty to prevent its birth. By defeating the Herrscher while still weak, she could achieve the desired outco.
However, sensing the overflowing Honkai Energy from within, Durandal realized the Herrscher of Ice would not be easily underestimated. If fully erged, even she might struggle to overco it.
"Awaken, O Defender of Glory!" Without delay, Durandal activated the enhanced mode of the Moon Essence Armor, summoning her dual-bladed weapon (not a double-door fridge, mind you) and unleashed a phantom strike towards the ice column.
In an instant, the icicle shattered, revealing the Herrscher before Durandal.
This Herrscher bore no difference from the original Herrscher of Ice in the storyline. However, after freeing her, Durandal refrained from launching an imdiate attack.
With limited knowledge about Herrschers, hastily engaging wasn't a wise choice.
To Durandal's surprise, the Herrscher suddenly spoke, her voice cold yet tinged with familiarity:
"L-Leave... Leave... I...I can't hold on...for long..."
Initially puzzled, Durandal quickly recalled soone who hadn't been seen for quite so ti. If it was indeed her... But why her?
"You... You're Ana?! How...how is this possible?!"
However, the Herrscher before her did not respond to Durandal. As if following a predetermined script, she repeated the sa words:
"L-Leave... L-Leave... D-Destruction..."
"No, I'm taking you back with ! Lord Bishop must have a way to help!"
Durandal gazed at the Herrscher before her, anguish evident in her eyes. Still, she clenched her teeth, raised her riding spear, and launched an attack.
At this point, Ana's mind was on the brink of collapse. To bring her away safely, Durandal had no choice but to defeat her first.
However, with her current strength, controlling the Herrscher imdiately remained beyond her capabilities.
anwhile, those World Serpent agents were swiftly approaching. Although Durandal didn't object to the bishop's decision to collaborate with them, if this Herrscher truly was Ana, she absolutely couldn't allow Ana to fall into their hands.
In that mont, Durandal suddenly empathized with Raiden i's predicant.
Fortunately, Durandal wasn't alone in this fight.
She quickly opened communications and issued orders for backup support from Rita. Ti was limited, leaving little room for detailed explanations; after all, the Herrscher standing before her wouldn't surrender without a struggle.
Regardless, Durandal had to subdue and extract the Herrscher before World Serpent arrived. Only then could she prevent the Herrscher from falling into their clutches.
On the other side, Rita received Durandal's ssage without hesitation. Although Lady Durandal didn't provide specific details, their years of partnership allowed Rita to imdiately grasp the situation.
anwhile, Raiden i and Raven from World Serpent had already infiltrated Coral Island. Rita watched them depart, gritting her teeth.
"Alvitr, take over command authority."
"Huh??? But...why, Vice-Captain?"
"I'm going to support Lady Durandal within Coral Island, understood?"
"Oh."
"If you spot anyone from World Serpent erging, notify us imdiately, clear?"
Sensing the seriousness in Rita's voice, Alvitr's expression turned grave.
"Understood!"
Just as Rita held no fondness for World Serpent, neither did the Valkyries of the Immortal Blades. With this order given, there was no need to worry about Alvitr not following through.
"Excellent. The periter around Coral Island is yours now!"
With that, Rita swiftly pursued Durandal's direction.
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