Bianca finding out had been purely accidental, an accident reserved exclusively for Rita's closest friend.
There were no written records, no reports. No one could have known.
So Feather Rabbit must have learned of "Bai Yan" through rumors from the Far East branch.
Bai Yan was puzzled. Why did she care about his situation?
"I don't know, and don't ask around."
"I see... But it's fine. He was only incidental. I'm still more curious about you."
"I'm straight. Get lost."
Feather Rabbit's attitude did not change in the slightest despite being so enlightened. Instead, she pinched her chin and pondered something.
Jackal stepped forward. "Hmph, that's all you've got on your mind. Just as childish as the things you said back at the Far East branch."
"Then stop hiding behind her if you've got the guts."
"Enough nonsense. Surrender quietly! Don't tell me you think you still stand a chance?"
Rita gently placed a hand on Bai Yan's shoulder. "Go. Quickly."
Bai Yan shook his head.
He added, "If you want information about him, you'll have to trade information about someone else."
"Who?" Feather Rabbit asked.
"Bronya Zaychik. We got separated, and I still haven't heard anything about her.
"Since World Serpent has set things up here, you must have found out something about her, right?"
"Heh. You think you're qualified to negotiate?" Jackal suddenly said.
"Go cool off somewhere else, you old hag."
"You! Hmph!" Jackal sneered.
Feather Rabbit froze and looked at Jackal. "Bronya?"
Seeing her colleague looking over, Jackal suddenly remembered something.
"Tch. Cocolia took her away."
Bai Yan pressed, "You didn't catch Cocolia? Was she that hard to catch?"
Jackal could not keep her face from darkening. "Didn't she capture you too?"
"I escaped, but I didn't find Bronya."
Feather Rabbit hesitated.
Bronya... Nothing happened to her, did it?
"And you don't care about Kiana Kaslana?" Jackal asked again.
"Kiana. She's your target?"
"Ah, right. She's our target. We don't care about anyone else." Jackal's tone was teasing.
Even after stalling for this long, Bai Yan still could not think of a solution.
From that brief exchange earlier, he had already confirmed that he could not defeat Feather Rabbit, much less protect Rita at the same time.
Durandal's strange disappearance left him with only one guess: the other side had obtained Thousand Worlds One Step.
Perhaps the attack on the Far East branch, along with the news of Cocolia's release, had all been meant to divert attention so World Serpent could take Thousand Worlds One Step.
Durandal had been trapped...
"Feather Rabbit, we don't have much time. Capture them and withdraw quickly. Schicksal's reinforcements will be troublesome once they arrive."
Feather Rabbit looked at Bai Yan. "Come with us. Don't worry. With me here, they won't hurt you or the one behind you."
Jackal: "..."
Bai Yan had little impression of Feather Rabbit. He only remembered that she was a sentient stigma and could trade blows with the fully matured Bronya.
As for her promise, Bai Yan did not believe it.
As he was thinking, a soft weight pressed against his back.
"Xiao Yan..."
Rita had reached her limit. Her attempt to force more strength from herself failed, and she finally collapsed against Bai Yan's back.
She tried to get up, but her eyelids and body were equally heavy, and she gradually lost consciousness.
Rita fainted again.
Bai Yan swiftly wrapped an arm around Rita's slender waist while taking her massive scythe.
Valkyrie training had introductory requirements for all kinds of weapons. Bai Yan was simply unfamiliar with long-handled weapons, but he had no other choice now.
"You still won't surrender? Your companion can't even move anymore, little girl."
At that, Bai Yan's lips curled into a faint smile.
The next moment.
A violent gale suddenly erupted around Bai Yan, sweeping across the ground beneath them.
The long battle between Durandal and Feather Rabbit had already cleared away all the vegetation here, leaving behind only yellow earth.
Now, the gale ravaged the ground and sand filled the sky, instantly engulfing them all.
"You! You fused with the Gem of Desire?!" Jackal cried in alarm.
Bai Yan said nothing and only frantically increased his output.
Jackal and the Death Weavers, whose bodies were far more slender than Titans, were now swaying on the verge of being blown away by the terrifying gale.
Yellow earth was swept into the air, obscuring everyone's vision.
Bai Yan seized the opportunity to ride the wind into the sky, taking Rita with him as he sped away.
The moment Rita lost consciousness, Bai Yan's abilities were completely unleashed.
It was not because he did not trust his Sister Rita, but because he did not want to put his superior in a difficult position.
If she did not witness it herself, there would be none of these worries.
But World Serpent clearly had no intention of giving up. Feather Rabbit and Jackal quickly caught up using their technological advantage.
Bai Yan continuously blasted them with exhaust, while they kept changing direction to evade and tried to surround him.
He had no great advantage in speed. At most, he would not be caught for the time being.
But this could not go on. He had to shake them off somehow.
One black figure after another flashed through the high sky.
Gray Serpent looked up, saw the black figures clearly, and fell into thought.
The next moment.
Bai Yan suddenly dove down, heading toward that cluster of white.
He recognized Kiana, but he did not see Raiden Mei.
Gray Serpent is here too. So he really was drawn over by the scale of Durandal's battle.
But if their target is Kiana, what are they trying to capture her for?
As Bai Yan remembered it, Jackal was the only one who wanted to capture Kiana later on. World Serpent should not have cared about her at this point.
He would deal with this Gray Serpent clone first.
First, a small tornado sent Gray Serpent flying. Then Bai Yan dove in and cleaved him in two with a single sweep of his scythe.
At that moment, Kiana suddenly opened her eyes.
"Xiao Yan?!"
She had never been unconscious. She had merely been playing dead while waiting for an opportunity.
"Kiana, you weren't knocked out?"
"Of course not! I was planning to sneakily give this guy a hard hit, but then you showed up."
As she spoke, more than a dozen Gray Serpents surrounded them.
Bai Yan raised his scythe.
The Gray Serpents recognized him, stopped in their tracks, and fell silent.
After a moment, they all retreated.
"Heh, they all ran away. Looks like they're scared." Kiana laughed.
The sound of engines rapidly approached, and Jackal landed across from Bai Yan.
Jackal said, "Not running anymore? You— It's you? Gray Serpent, what's going on?"
Feather Rabbit arrived, the black fabric concealing her body tattered beyond repair.
At that moment, Kiana's eyes suddenly went unfocused for an instant.
She shook her head to clear it, then leaped to Bai Yan's side and stood shoulder to shoulder with him. "Xiao Yan, why are you here? And why are these people chasing you?"
"Bronya and I were captured by Anti-Entropy. I barely escaped, but Bronya's whereabouts are unknown."
Kiana frowned.
Bai Yan had a headache. If Kiana had been unconscious, he could have carried both of them and fled.
But now that he had displayed his Authority, it was hard not to worry that Kiana might let it slip one day.
One of the Gray Serpents suddenly spoke. "We should withdraw for today."
"Withdraw? Gray Serpent, did your thinking system get infected by a virus?"
Why withdraw when they had such a massive advantage?
Jackal did not understand.
Gray Serpent said, "There isn't enough time. You know that perfectly well, Jackal."
Jackal furrowed her brow.
Using Thousand Worlds One Step to trap Durandal had been a hasty operation.
She could have trapped Durandal for much longer, but that would have required time for extensive preparations.
Such lengthy preparations could easily be discovered by the other side and ruin everything.
That was why she had chosen this expedient measure.
She simply had not accounted for the variable that was Bai Yan.
Even so, there was still something wrong with Gray Serpent's words.
"You want to retreat without even trying? What are you afraid of?"
Gray Serpent remained silent and slowly backed away.
Seeing his reaction, Jackal inexplicably felt as though she were facing an unknown terror.
What are you cowering from, Gray Serpent?
Suddenly, a gunshot rang out in the silent darkness.
A metal projectile shot straight toward Feather Rabbit.
Her body flashed abruptly, and the bullet grazed past her cheek.
The bullet tore away a piece of fabric from her face.
The black fabric covering her body had first been shredded by the aftershocks of her battle with Durandal.
Before you continue