Wary Pufferfish

February 1, 2000 AD, midnight. The snowfields of Siberia lay in utter silence. But in stark contrast, the once orderly Babylon Laboratory had descended into chaos.

"Huff... huff..." On the wide walkway, two researchers in white coats sprinted for their lives, gasping for breath. The bespectacled middle-aged man leading the way didn't forget to warn his companion as he fled. "Run faster, that monster is catching up!"

Unlike the pair's desperate flight, the white figure behind them emerged unhurriedly from around the corner, letting out a girlish laugh, "Hehe☆" But to the two researchers, that laugh was like a ghost's death knell. They quickened their pace, racing toward the gate ahead.

"Just a little further, if I can just... reach that place..." The researcher in the back pushed himself with all his might, but the terrifying figure still caught up. With a "thud," he crashed to the ground. In an instant, he felt his legs go numb. Watching his companion who had already escaped outside the gate and was frantically pounding the close button, he shouted in despair with his last breath: "Don't leave... save me..."

Was the researcher who escaped outside the gate safe? Of course not. After watching his companion fall, he slammed the button with all his remaining strength. "Damn it! Just close already!" Strangely, the normally highly responsive gate chose this moment to disobey. No matter how hard he pressed, it remained motionless. The exhausted researcher had just sat down on the ground when the white figure appeared before him.

"Don't come any closer!" After that desperate roar, the entire Babylon Laboratory fell silent once more. In one night, all 322 researchers had vanished.

In the central computer of the Babylon Lab, a pair of smooth-skinned hands reached out, and Enochia crawled out of the machine like Sadako. "Hmm, no one else in the world can move like this," she mused. She stepped out of the room and looked down. Beside the massive collapse furnace stood a girl, silent and still. With purple hair and eyes like yellow mushrooms, she was the creator of the Second Collapse in the original story, the favored one of the Collapse Will. Despite looking formidable, she was the pufferfish Herrscher who nearly got soloed by Old Yang, Theresa, and the Immortal in battle—Sirin.

Enosia vaulted over the walkway and jumped down, landing beside Sirin. "Hi? First time meeting, how do you feel?" Having taken on this form, Enosia found herself greeting her unconsciously. Sirin was wary of the sudden appearance of Enosia and took a few steps back.

"Don't be nervous. If I were with Schicksal, I could have acted when you killed those 322 people. At the very least, I could have sent a message to Schicksal HQ and held out until reinforcements arrived, right? I'm like you—a Herrscher too." "Then... what are you doing here?" Seeing that Enosia wasn't from Schicksal, Sirin relaxed her guard slightly.

Perhaps because she saw Sirin let down her guard, perhaps because taking on Elysia's form had given her some of her habits, or perhaps she was just being true to herself—Enosia pressed herself close while Sirin wasn't paying attention. "Mm, your body's pretty solid." Even though Sirin had endured repeated Honkai energy experiments, her figure was still well-maintained. Sensing that this stranger meant her no harm, Sirin didn't resist the sudden embrace. Feeling Enosia's body against hers, she couldn't help but wonder: When was the last time someone held her like this?

Watching her slightly shy, nervous expression made her look even cuter. Feeling Sirin's warmth, Enosia thought to herself, Girls really are wonderful together. "Ahem, looks like she's not so tense now. Time to talk business." Though Enosia wanted to keep cuddling, business clearly came first. She cleared her throat and continued. Now that Enosia had forcibly closed the physical distance, Sirin found herself involuntarily paying more attention when she spoke.

"Schicksal subjected you to inhuman torture. It's only natural you want revenge. But by yourself, you're no match for them. No matter how many ordinary people and Valkyries you kill, Overseer Otto, who ordered the Babylon experiments, will still get away scot-free. So I want to help you." Without experiencing someone's suffering, don't tell them to forgive. Enosia knew that to minimize the casualties Sirin would cause, she couldn't first deny that killing was wrong. Putting herself in Sirin's shoes—if she were the experiment subject, enduring the pain of having her nerves soaked in concentrated sulfuric acid day and night, would she be able to hold back from killing after gaining power? Absolutely not.

"Heh, help me? As long as I can absorb enough Honkai energy here, what can the entire Schicksal do to me? I don't need your help. I can take revenge on my own!" Sirin looked at Enosia, her tone filled with both hatred and a hint of pride. Watching her puff up with her hands on her hips, Enosia thought she really did look like an inflated pufferfish.

"Alright then, how about we make a bet? If you can destroy the entire Schicksal on your own, I won't say a word. But if you face a life-threatening situation, I'll step in to help, and then you'll have to agree to one condition of mine. Don't worry—I won't let any of the Babylon experiment executors, or those who knew about the human experiments but thought it was a fitting sacrifice for Valkyries, get away either. I just want you to come with me to a place." "What place?" "You'll find out after you agree and I win. Anyway, it's nothing dangerous."

"I agree. But you can't step in while I'm still able to fight." "Don't worry, I keep my word. Tomorrow Schicksal will send Valkyries here to investigate the disappearance of those 322 people. Have fun." Enosia finished speaking and left without looking back.

February 2, 2000, 11:55 AM. An airplane landed in front of Babylon Laboratory. A short, white-haired, blue-eyed figure who looked like a young girl stepped off the plane. The Siberian gale blew her black nun's habit upward. She closed her left eye and instinctively raised her left hand to shield her forehead. "Theresa, the Overseer ordered me to assist you." Hearing a familiar voice, Theresa turned around in surprise to see a mature woman with a bold appearance, wearing a black coat. "Ah, Patricia, long time no see." Patricia Highsmith, A-rank Valkyrie, member of the Snow Wolf Squad, codename "Genius." Despite her boisterous appearance, she was a meticulous, strategic fighter who held three PhDs from MIT.

After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Theresa got straight to the point. "Any progress in the investigation?" Patricia shook her head helplessly. "When the incident happened, all the surveillance footage inexplicably showed nothing. The recent days' experimental data is also missing, yet the equipment is still running normally. My preliminary investigation turned up nothing." The two took the elevator to a computer in Babylon Laboratory. After pressing a few keys, a screen full of static snow appeared before them.

"It's okay, Patricia. Keep investigating—we'll definitely get to the bottom of this. You're the expert here! I just hope it's not ghosts causing trouble." Theresa tried to comfort Patricia, but the thought of ghosts made her involuntarily afraid. Seeing this, Patricia placed both hands on her shoulders. "There are no ghosts in this world. Almost every phenomenon here is caused by Honkai energy. So let's go investigate near the reactor." Theresa pointed at herself with her right hand, then at Patricia with her left. "Just... the two of us?" Patricia flashed a benevolent smile. "The area near the reactor is filled with high-concentration Honkai energy. Only Valkyries like us can enter. So yes, just the two of us."

The two arrived at the reactor area. Patricia found traces of residual Honkai energy on the ground. At that moment, countless wails and sobs rose and fell around them. "Help! Is anyone there? Come save us!"