"Damn it. Even with Schicksal technology, a 2,000-year-old supercomputer is still too lousy. It had to fail at the critical moment." Watching the Frost Lantern fly away, Enoshia drew her bow, intending to replicate the previous effect. But within the area of abnormal gravity, the Frost Lantern's trajectory was a complete mess.
"There's no other way. The rest is up to fate." The moment she realized the external aid had failed, she immediately ordered the Emperor-class Honkai Beast under her control to self-destruct.
Although the energy produced by the self-destruction of an Emperor-class Honkai Beast obviously could not compare with the energy of the Herrscher of Frost before them, the resulting shock wave successfully flung everyone lying on the ground into the air. Cheng Lixue and Shigure Kira, who had originally been in the Frost Lantern's attack path, thus narrowly escaped disaster.
But not all the Valkyries were so lucky. Cecilia and Salome happened to be directly in the path of the two Frost Lanterns.
Flung into the air, Cecilia tightened her grip on the Black Abyss White Flower and blasted the Frost Lantern that had already moved in front of her back with a single shot. Due to the recoil, she and Theresa, whom she held in her arms, were sent flying and landed on the snowfield dozens of meters away.
Salome threw all twelve throwing knives, but every one of them was deflected. She could only watch helplessly as the Frost Lantern rapidly grew larger before her eyes. Her body flew away like a torn sack, and the scene before her gradually changed...
May 1996
It was Salome's first mission after joining the Snow Wolf Squad, and her first time carrying out a mission alongside Shub Nicholas.
According to the report, more than a hundred Honkai Beasts had appeared in the Zaporozhye region. However, the strongest among them was only Temple-class. In theory, the Snow Wolf Squad was not needed; several teams of B-rank Valkyries would have been enough. But because there was a large nuclear power plant in the disaster area, the consequences of its destruction would have been disastrous. In addition, sending the two of them was also intended to help them become familiar with the new team.
As a team, the members of the Snow Wolf Squad naturally each had their own specialties. Patrick was responsible for gathering intelligence, while Shigure Kira provided long-range support. During team operations, the two obeyed the others' arrangements without question in areas outside their expertise. Cheng Lixue was undisputedly the strongest among the six A-rank Valkyries. Thus, when Cecilia was present, she served as vice-captain; when Cecilia was absent, she took full command of the Snow Wolf Squad's operations.
Salome and Shub both excelled at close- and mid-range combat, so they obviously needed to work together often. Their strength and age were similar, and both were rising stars of their respective branches. Yet one was calm and elegant while the other was fierce and untamed. However one looked at it, they seemed like the team's most likely source of trouble.
Salome knew perfectly well why headquarters had made such a "thoughtful" arrangement. On the plane, she looked at the elite from the South America Branch sitting beside her, her heart filled with unease. What if she just charges recklessly into battle and ignores everything else? After all, Salome had no authority to command her.
After they got off the plane, Salome looked at the Honkai Beasts below. Just as she was still considering their tactics, Shub grabbed Crimson Whisper and charged in. Salome's heart sank, and she immediately chased after her.
"Wait! Shouldn't we discuss our tactics before acting..." The moment she finished speaking, a wave of low-level Honkai Beasts before them had already been wiped out.
Shub turned around and looked seriously at Salome.
"Why did headquarters send the two of us here?"
"Because of the nuclear power plant."
"Exactly. Since the situation is urgent and there's no Emperor-class Honkai Beast, shouldn't we finish this as quickly as possible?"
Salome stood frozen in place. She had already prepared herself to endure Shub's anger, but she had never expected such a reasonable analysis. Salome realized that she had presumptuously and incorrectly labeled Shub beforehand.
At that moment, a second wave of Honkai Beasts charged over, more than twice as numerous as the previous wave. Shub showed no fear and charged in again. Feeling guilty, Salome took the initiative to support her, precisely cutting down the Honkai Beasts in Shub's blind spots. With the two of them working together, the Honkai Beasts—none stronger than Temple-class—were no match for them at all. In a completely one-sided battle, the two easily eliminated every enemy.
"Thank you for your reinforcements, my lady Valkyries." The Valkyrie responsible for this area bowed to the two of them in gratitude. Ever since they had arrived, the others had simply watched them slaughter their way through the enemy. The battle had ended without a single shot being fired.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Salome reported the mission's status to headquarters. When the communication ended, she noticed Shub carefully examining her.
"What is it?" Salome blinked, completely confused.
"Hmm, you've got a nice figure. No wonder you're as graceful as a dancer in battle. Were you a professional?"
Salome nodded. Her family had been one of dancers, and she had begun training as soon as she could remember.
Shub smacked her forehead. "How could I forget what I read in the files? You wouldn't have recruited Kira into Schicksal if you weren't a professional. And thanks for your help in that battle just now. I haven't killed that freely in a long time. Without your support, I couldn't have fought so recklessly without getting hurt." Shub revealed a bold grin.
"Looks like this woman is surprisingly easy to get along with." Looking at Shub's two rows of shark-like teeth, Salome smiled as well.
At that moment, the communicator rang again.
"...All right, I understand. Don't worry. Since we're already here, we'll see this through and help them to the end."
"What's going on?"
"Headquarters wants us to ensure the nuclear power plant's safety. We're to cooperate with the local Valkyrie forces, inspect the entire facility inside and out, and then return."
"Are there still fish that slipped through the net? I'll drag them all out right now." Shub rubbed her fists, looking excited.
Seeing her like that, Salome immediately frowned.
"Inspecting the equipment isn't the same as exterminating Honkai Beasts. We have to check everything carefully, bit by bit. You can't do it like that."
"Oh, relax, relax. I'll make sure there's no problem." Although Shub refused to back down verbally, she followed Salome's instructions completely during the inspection, carefully examining every area one by one. However, watching such a careless person handle delicate work was truly comical. As a Valkyrie who had received rigorous training, Salome normally never laughed—unless she really couldn't hold it in.
From then on, the two became excellent partners on the battlefield, the two most dazzling members of the Snow Wolf Fangs.
"Strange. Why did I suddenly think of what happened four years ago..." On the snowy plains of Siberia, intense pain dragged Salome back to reality. After the Frost Lantern sent her flying, she slid nearly a hundred meters across the ground before coming to a stop, leaving a blood-red trail across the once-pristine snowfield.
Salome used every bit of strength she had, yet she could not move even a fraction. The agony of having her entire body torn apart made her understand that every bone in her body was broken. She would never stand again.
"Is this... the power of a Herrscher? In the presence of a Herrscher, even the strength of an A-rank Valkyrie is so insignificant..." Salome's vision grew darker and darker. She knew she did not have much time left.
"Nicholas... from now on, when you go on missions, you'll have to leave the advance planning... to someone else. She's actually very easy to get along with. I hope... others will be able to... work with her as seamlessly as I did."
"Nicholas, the third street corner beside the Louvre. Turn right and go straight for 200 meters. The parfait I bought with you the first time... I really wish... I could eat it one more time..."
The snow began to fall even harder. It landed on the ground with a rhythmic sound, as if offering a dirge to this Washer.
Before you continue