Barehanded Blade Catch!

Watching as Kiana and the others finally assembled, Ai Yi became even more worried.

"Say, Ai-chan," Ai Yi asked Ai-chan, who looked like a smaller version of herself, beside her. "Back when our company was still small, I could keep this promise. But now, won't this really make the company lose money...?"

Clearly, Ai Yi had doubts about the company's finances.

Ai-chan's expression did not change in the slightest. Instead, a strange male voice completely at odds with her cute appearance answered the question. "This is being held as a company team-building event, so it doesn't count as overtime. Naturally, there's no need to..."

Ai-chan's expression gradually turned lecherous, while she made a gesture for more money with her hand.

"And the footage we shoot can be turned into an event for the game later whenever the writers run out of ideas. No matter how you look at it, this is..."

At that moment, Ai-chan's face was full of sinister cunning, thoroughly embodying the spirit of a capitalist.

The moment Ai Yi heard that, she perked up and shouted at A-Quan and the others who were still making preparations:

"Good! Film as much as you want! This admin will make your wish come true today!"

[Asta: If I remember correctly... that Ai-chan is an artificial intelligence AI from your world, right? Isn't the voice you chose a little... too distinctive?]

[Ai-chan: Ahhh! Ai-chan's image!] ??o·(????????????)?o·?

[Theresa: Don't misunderstand, Ai-chan from our world doesn't have such a "special" voice.]

[Ai-chan: That's right, Ai-chan's voice is super~ cute!](??ω??)?

[Oswaldo: But setting aside the voice, this AI is quite good. Very suitable for joining the company!]

[Oswaldo: Especially the idea of treating work as team-building. Hmm~ I've decided. We'll use team-building as the excuse for our next Trailblaze planet. That'll save us a chunk of funding too.]

[Borteo: Oswaldo! Where the hell are you hiding?! I'm coming to deliver you a little present right now!]

[Borteo: Damn it! Even talking here gets affected by the Synesthesia Beacon!]

[Oswaldo: Hehe, Mr. Company fugitive, it seems you have some misunderstandings about me. I may have had some impact on certain members of your family, but didn't I also help your planet successfully connect with the galaxy? You could say I was one of your planet's benefactors at the time.]

[Borteo: You damned Wuwuber! Just wait for me! No matter where you run, I'll find you! Then I'll shoot you full of love!](╬◣д◢)

At this moment, A-Quan still had no idea that her wish-fulfillment event had, with the help of certain unscrupulous cabbage-heads, become unpaid overtime without a single cent of wages.

A-Quan was still grinning foolishly.

"Just wait, the Herrscher of the Void you all fear is coming back! Hahahahahaha..." ╰(?＞?＜?)╯

Behind her, Himeko, who had just changed clothes, felt the clearly ill-fitting Valkyrie armor and was somewhat depressed.

"Have I gained weight recently? Wearing this... feels so tight..." (.?_?)

"Forget it. I'll just work seriously later and count it as losing weight."

[Kiana: Wow! Himeko, that armor looks so cool! Why have I never seen you wear it before?]

[Murata Himeko: Kiana! How many times have I told you not to call me Himeko? Call me Instructor Himeko or Major.]

[Murata Himeko: But I've never seen this armor either. It must have been developed by Schicksal in the future.]

[Kevin: That armor is... the Key of Blankness!]

[Elysia: Oh my! It seems this Divine Key has found a new owner.?]

[Murata Himeko: You all seem to know this armor?]

[Elysia: That's right! After all, we worked very hard to develop this armor back then~?]

[Otto: That's right. Schicksal discovered this armor in the ruins of the Previous Civilization. Not only that, we also found much information from the Previous Civilization regarding Divine Keys. This included the armor—the Key of Blankness. As long as it connects with a Herrscher Core, this armor can allow a person to wield the power of a Herrscher. And judging by the looks of it, the gem Miss Himeko is using is the Gem of Calamity.]

[Theresa: So this armor is currently at Schicksal Headquarters, right?!]

[Theresa: But Grandpa, if there's something so powerful, why have I never seen anyone use it?]

[Otto: Because this Divine Key not only requires a Herrscher Core to operate, but also places an enormous burden on its user and may even cause immediate death.]

[Theresa: What! The side effects are that severe?]

[Theresa: @Murata Himeko, Himeko, in the name of the Principal, I order you never to use this armor!]

[Murata Himeko: Principal, strictly speaking, I'm only a teacher right now. No matter how you look at it, this armor wouldn't be for me to use. Besides, this is only a video. It shouldn't be taken seriously.]

In truth, Himeko knew as well that while she was an A-rank Valkyrie, her strength was nothing remarkable at Schicksal Headquarters. There were plenty stronger than her.

And technically, she now belonged to St. Freya. She generally would not go to Schicksal Headquarters, much less use this Divine Key. But if she were to use this Divine Key, the most likely reason would be...

Himeko looked at A-Quan in the video and murmured, "Kiana..."

[Theresa: It had better be.]

Just as A-Quan was still striking poses, someone behind her suddenly shouted while holding something up.

"Ready, action!"

A-Quan slowly turned around. "Come, humans..."

What entered A-Quan's sight was Himeko, dressed in the Key of Blankness and wielding the Sword of Divine Ruin. Like a true Valkyrie, she swung at her as Surtr...

"Huh?" Σ(????)?

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait! I'm going to die, I'm going to die, I'm going to die—" (;≧д≦)

At the critical moment, A-Quan used that legendary martial arts secret technique—100% Barehanded Blade Catch!

"Didn't you say you wanted to display the majesty of the Herrscher of the Void? So I gave it my all?" [?_??]

Himeko looked at A-Quan, who had barely caught her strike, somewhat confused. She could not understand what A-Quan was doing. This was rather different from the script for what came next!

A-Quan felt a little embarrassed upon hearing Himeko's words.

"I haven't exercised in too long, so I couldn't react in time." ?(????ω????)?

A-Quan replied to Himeko while barely holding up the Sword of Divine Ruin.

"My..." "(oДo*)

A-Quan wanted to say something else, but suddenly, her body froze.

"My arm seems to have cramped..."

A-Quan finally could not hold on any longer. At the last moment, she finally shouted the words she had wanted to say from the very beginning:

"Go easy on me! Please..."