"Fine, you don't understand, but what I mean is very simple."
The Saintess of Schicksal rotated Black Abyss Hundred Flowers, glanced at the puppet wielding its greatsword and Jackal, who frowned in confusion, and spoke in the same calm tone. In her eyes was a bright yet gentle radiance.
"It's my turn to strike back."
Cecilia's blood boiled throughout her body, yet her mind had never been clearer.
She took a step back, bent her knees slightly, gripped the Divine Key, and tensed her entire body. Every part of her was aligned for the most appropriate exertion of force.
The woman's entire body was gathering strength. With a single trigger, she would explode forward with the fastest speed and greatest power of her life, striking in one direction!
"I am the black that devours all."
Cecilia spoke softly, as though issuing an order to something.
Black mist rose from the lance, spreading around her in a darkness clearer than the battlefield itself, outlining an utterly dark silhouette like an abyss of annihilation.
"I am the white that nurtures all."
She took a deep breath, as though inhaling and exhaling the entire world. Her azure eyes were calm, yet they seemed to flicker with an unfathomable dark green light. Her slender fingers slowly tightened around the lance until the shaft left marks on her fair hand.
"Cecilia," Jackal said, seeing Cecilia's movements and growing tense for some reason. "Don't be too stubborn."
She glanced at the puppet. It was dispersing the black mist around itself while quietly watching everything unfold, its expression unchanged.
The Lord's puppet must be able to handle this, or it would not be so calm. Thinking this, Jackal's unease eased slightly.
"Born before creation."
Cecilia paid her no attention whatsoever. Blazing fury and warm, sorrowful memories filled her heart, leaving her no time to heed any of Jackal's clamor.
Her entire body became brighter than ever, overflowing with a holy aura. Her three thousand strands of silver hair scattered and danced behind her in the winter wind, resembling a blooming white flower against the abyssal black mist around her.
"Existing after annihilation."
Cecilia slowly raised her lance as immense Honkai Energy swirled around her.
An extreme calm enveloped her thoughts, mingling with the rage and warmth in her heart and forging them into a cold, sharp fighting spirit that still burned fiercely.
Jackal felt her brow twitch violently, as though warning her of danger. She looked at Cecilia. Those eyes, impossible to distinguish as sorrowful or joyful, were as dangerous as blades, as though the killing intent of gods and demons might surge forth at any moment and devour her.
The puppet seemed to be waiting for Cecilia to finish gathering power. Only now did it raise its crimson greatsword high, flames twisting around it.
It was as though he, too, was waiting for the final eruption of that power.
"Divine Key—Black Abyss White Flower—"
Cecilia's tone finally rose. She felt the lance convey the same emotions as her own, as though woman and weapon had become one.
What the woman did not see was that the Schariac Stigmata on her back lit up at that moment.
"Holy Lance Bloom!"
Vast, sacred white light emerged at the lance's tip, wrapped in black mist that annihilated all things. Then, like a falling meteor from the heavens, it crashed down toward the Lord's puppet!
"Boom!!!"
Cecilia and the puppet crossed paths, and the entire ruin was filled with thunderous roars created by clashing air currents and Honkai Energy!
The Taste of Snake Stew Was Truly Delicious
Lance fell, sword crashed down.
The Kevin puppet lay on the ground, its pupils devoid of light, though the corners of its mouth seemed faintly curled, as if... it were pleased about something.
Its head hung limply to one side, unable to continue operating—unless a specialized Armed Puppeteer repaired it.
Cecilia was not doing much better either. Her body trembling, she slowly crouched down, struggling to steady Black Abyss Hundred Flowers against the ground before leaning on it.
What a... troublesome opponent.
Thankfully, I won... at least, I'm still standing...
But... something like this suddenly appeared, so next... what comes next...
"You damned Schariac," Jackal's voice came from the side, carrying fury she desperately suppressed and an unmistakable chill. "You've crossed my bottom line."
As Jackal spoke, countless monsters slowly crawled up from beneath the River Thames, surrounding Cecilia.
Dual-blade-wielding zombies, Honkai Beasts swinging limbs like sledgehammers, mechs corrupted by Honkai Energy... countless creations of World Serpent encircled Cecilia.
Throughout the battle after killing Otto, Jackal had treated Cecilia as nothing more than a plaything. Even bringing out Jörmungandr, the strongest Honkai Beast, had merely been for the pleasure of a cat toying with a mouse.
Her words appeared calm, but in truth... it was merely a pretense of composure after winning everything—though she would never admit that.
But Jörmungandr's destruction had nearly shattered the composure on her face. Then the Kevin puppet's defeat made her unable to restrain the fury in her heart any longer, filling her with killing intent toward Cecilia.
That was the puppet of the World Serpent Lord! How could it possibly lose to this woman?!
"Only by tearing you apart can I make up for World Serpent's losses."
"Yes, kill you, kill you."
"Kill you, kill everyone here, and I can continue receiving World Serpent's praise. With the double honor of slaying the Lord Bishop of Schicksal and an S-rank Valkyrie, I can gain everything, welcome back the Lord, win everything..."
"No one will care about the process. Everyone will only see my great achievements..."
Jackal muttered as if possessed. Even she did not realize that her thoughts were more deranged than ever before.
She controlled the Artificial Honkai Beasts and zombies to surround Cecilia, while she herself slowly approached like a madwoman.
"I'm going to kill you... kill you... kill you!!!"
"Heh, so next... it's beast tide tactics again."
Cecilia watched the approaching horde and muttered before straightening her back.
"What a nuisance."
The dizziness from blood loss interfered with her thoughts, and the exhaustion caused by overusing the Divine Key left her barely able to hold Black Abyss Hundred Flowers.
Yet Cecilia still lifted her head and looked toward the nightmare closing in around her.
"Then let's keep fighting."
There was not the slightest fear in her heart.
There was even a trace of relief.
I was delayed for only a little while... I should still be able to follow Lord Bishop along the path of death, right?
They said that when people were about to die, they would experience a final flash of clarity and remember everything they had done in their lives. Cecilia now truly felt it. Her chaotic memories were arranged by the tranquility before death, and pieces of the past surfaced in her mind one by one.
I am Cecilia Schariac. An S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal.
In this life, I fought for the beauty of the world, and I fought for Lord Bishop.
There was nothing much to regret...
It was only that... I never watched little Kiana grow up... and I did not die before Bishop Otto...
Over these years, Lord Bishop must have taken good care of Kiana... but I still failed to avenge him...
Still... I'm a little... unwilling to accept this...
Cecilia raised her head, gritted her teeth, and looked at the encroaching Honkai Beasts as she tremblingly raised her lance high.
"Black Abyss White Flower..."
But just as she was about to strike, a pair of arms wrapped around her waist, and she was pulled into a warm embrace.
"You did well, Cecilia," the man said as he stroked her silver hair, his voice warm and composed. "Leave the rest to me."
Behind him, black openings appeared one after another, golden light shining from within them as they took the shape of firearms.
"This world has no need for eternal things. Dreams are fleeting bubbles, moments are impermanent, and that is reality."
The man spoke.
"First Divine Key, Seventh Plural Mimicry—Void Archives, Rain of Myriad Flowers."
His tone was not passionate like a young man shouting out a move in an anime or novel. On the contrary, it was extremely calm, as though... he were merely stating a fact.
But as he spoke, the firearms erupted like crimson dragons exhaling, unleashing a barrage of countless bullets!
Golden flames rose one after another from the openings, carrying bullets condensed from Honkai Energy as they shot fiercely in every direction, slamming into the bodies of World Serpent's creations!
"Bzzzz—"
Honkai Energy bullets collided with silicon-based bodies. The creations let out low growls, their bodies pitted with craters. But before they could react, flames clung to them, spreading and crawling across their bodies until they were completely covered.
The flames grew wantonly, as though they could absorb any substance as fuel. At the same time, the bullets suddenly exploded, releasing golden corrosive mist. In the blink of an eye, countless Honkai Beasts turned into smoke and dust where they stood!
"Damn it, you..."
Jackal's eyes widened, her golden pupils filled with terror and denial—but it was clearly useless. The man raised his hand again, and four small swords materialized at his fingertips, spinning back and forth as the patterns on their blades rapidly became distinct. The moment the markings stopped forming, he pushed forward. The small swords suddenly enlarged and shot out from four directions!
"Use the heart as a sheath, and nurture the keen blade."
He still spoke in a declarative tone.
"Pseudo-Tai Xu Sword God, formation arise."
The four giant swords descended like towering mountains. The sky above World Serpent's creations, empty only moments ago, was suddenly replaced by four colossal swords that blocked out the heavens. No matter what they were, all were cowed by the oppressive force and forced to their knees one after another!
But it was not merely an imposing display. Before those creatures could make another move, the four golden greatswords roared in unison and came whistling down like divine punishment from the heavens!
The sunlight above World Serpent's creations was completely obscured, making the flames beside them shine even more brilliantly. Golden swords, golden flames, and golden mist seemed to merge into one, trapping them within a golden killing sword formation!
"Rumble!!!"
When the entire golden sword formation finally vanished, silence surrounded the man. All the creations had shattered beneath the might of the four swords, leaving devastation across the ground!
"Cough, cough..."
Jackal was, after all, an executive of World Serpent. Her body had long undergone experimental modifications, and she barely clung to life. She crawled out from a stretch of flaming grit, staggered to her feet, and stared straight at the man and woman before her.
Pain and fury both showed on Jackal's face, making her expression somewhat hideous.
But the man merely raised his head high, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery.
"Two moves to finish it—snake stew tastes truly delicious."
Would You Accept Such an Ending...?
"Brother—Lord Bishop..."
Cecilia looked at the scene of utter destruction before her. Her taut nerves suddenly relaxed, and joy overflowed from her eyes.
She turned around and reached out as though to touch Otto's face, but suddenly realized that would be inappropriate. She smiled sheepishly and instead pressed a hand against Black Abyss Hundred Flowers.
"You're still here... that's wonderful."
"You worked hard," Otto said, releasing the hand that had supported the woman's slender waist and patting her shoulder. "Looking at you now—have you recovered your memories?"
"Mm... more or less," Cecilia replied with a weak smile. "Otherwise, how could I use Black Abyss Hundred Flowers so skillfully?"
"I saw it. Holy Lance Bloom, infinitely close to its zeroth rated power," the man said with a nod. "My Cecilia truly is amazing."
"The Tai Xu Sword God simulated by Lord Bishop was also extremely powerful."
"Haha, why have we started praising each other commercially?" Otto laughed. Then he rotated his right hand, and a golden lance appeared, touching Cecilia's shoulder. "Still, the Honkai Beast tide, the Emperor-class Honkai Beast, the Kevin puppet... you performed very well today."
"Ah—ha," Cecilia struggled briefly, but ultimately did not refuse Otto's treatment. "Thank you, Lord Bishop."
"You needn't be so polite." Otto healed the final wound on the woman's body before putting away the lance. "It was my failure to leave you fighting alone for so long."
Cecilia gently shook her head. During those battles, sending any other Valkyrie would have been unsuitable. If the Lord Bishop had arrived in person, she might have hesitated and been unable to unleash the killing move she had used against Kevin.
"Alright, no matter what—this should be over."
Otto took a step forward.
"Now, get behind me—no refusing."
With his hands behind his back, he looked at Jackal's twisted face. "I told you, you know nothing about Otto."
"So that's how it is... so that's how it is... no wonder Schicksal suddenly attacked above the River Thames, no wonder the Kevin puppet suddenly appeared..."
Before you continue