February 11, 11:00 a.m., three Valkyries on a search-and-rescue mission walked into a hospital.
"Captain, this hospital was confirmed to have been fully evacuated. Is there really any need to search it?"
"HQ said that a machine in this hospital was activated last night. Someone who was injured nearby might have made it inside. Since there's a possibility that survivors are here, we can't give up!" the captain said sternly.
"Yes, Captain!"
The three of them entered the hospital with their equipment and soon found the only machine that was still operating.
"This... This is Lady Cecilia! And that beside her is... her weapon?"
"Don't touch it! Lady Cecilia's weapon corrodes its wielder. Only a Valkyrie as powerful as her could subdue it. Contact Lady Theresa!"
On February 14, Siegfried had only just regained the ability to move when he heard the terrible news. It struck him like a bolt from the blue.
"Theresa, tell me! What exactly happened?" Siegfried grabbed her shoulders with both hands and shook her violently.
"Grandpa said she released Sania's Sacred Blood to save people. It was capable of killing a Herrscher, but... Grandpa said that once the Holy Blood Liberation was performed, even Black Abyss White Flower couldn't save her." Tears still clung to the corners of Theresa's eyes as she tremulously told Siegfried Otto's conclusion.
Siegfried suddenly lost all his strength and collapsed into a chair.
"Siegfried! I know you're suffering, but Kiana has lost her mother. Is the person who'll accompany her in the future supposed to be a broken-down father?"
Perhaps Theresa's voice had been too loud. The room's door opened, and Kiana cautiously poked her head out before quietly walking over to Theresa.
"Auntie, you're crying. You're already a grown-up, so crying like a baby isn't very good." Kiana planted her hands on her hips and spoke with great seriousness.
"Yes, Kiana is the bravest of all. I'll learn more from Kiana from now on." Theresa bent down and gently stroked her head.
Kiana looked at Theresa, then at Siegfried, her beautiful eyes blinking.
"Auntie, why are only you and Daddy here? Where's Mommy?"
Theresa felt as though her heart had been torn open. She struggled desperately to hold back the tears that were about to burst forth.
"Your... your mommy... she... went... very... very far away... to carry out a mission... She'll... need a long... time... before she can... come back."
"Oh. Then I'm going back to my room. I'll be good and go to sleep. Maybe when I wake up, Mommy will be back. Auntie, remember to praise me a lot in front of Mommy." Kiana trotted into the room.
Theresa could hold back no longer. She rushed into the bathroom, covered her mouth with toilet paper, and burst into tears like a broken dam.
On the afternoon of February 15, at Cheng Lixue's home in Schicksal HQ.
As she rested with her eyes closed, she sensed someone approaching. Judging by the footsteps, the person was extremely anxious—almost frantic.
Not wanting her door to be shoved open, Cheng Lixue went forward and opened it herself. The instant she met the newcomer's eyes, her own widened.
"Master! It's wonderful that you returned safely from South America." Fu Hua, who had been missing for over a month, had suddenly appeared before her. How could Cheng Lixue not be excited?
At first glance, Fu Hua saw the empty sleeve on her left side. A wave of guilt and shame immediately surged through her.
Noticing Fu Hua's gaze, Cheng Lixue smiled calmly. "I'm fine. The Overseer said I can have a new one attached in a few days. It might even be better than the original. Please, sit down. I'll brew you some tea."
Fu Hua immediately raised a hand to stop her. "Lixue, don't trouble yourself. I was the one who failed to return sooner, so..."
Before Fu Hua could finish, Cheng Lixue interrupted her. "You were missing for over a month, Master, so you must have encountered an extraordinary enemy. Since it was an enemy even you considered extraordinary, naturally, we had to eradicate the evil completely."
Although her guess was basically correct, she had already found an excuse for Fu Hua before Fu Hua had even said anything. That attitude only made Fu Hua feel guiltier.
"Hmm? Lixue, your body..."
"As expected of my master—you saw it at a glance. After I was injured, the captain used Black Abyss White Flower's Zeroth Rated Power to treat Siegfried and me, and this was the result. According to the examination, I theoretically broke through the limit of my lifespan. I suppose that counts as a blessing in disguise. It's just a pity that the captain... Sigh."
Recalling the sight of Cecilia's corpse, Cheng Lixue's heart sank again. But before Fu Hua could figure out how to comfort her, Cheng Lixue pulled herself out of her sorrow.
"Hmm..." Her expression gradually turned troubled and bashful.
"What is it?"
"Master, are you actually much older than me...? You and the Overseer seem to have known each other for a very long time. I didn't think much of it before, but now that I'm able to break through the limits of my lifespan... could it be that you also..."
(Not by much. Only fifty thousand years.)
Fu Hua nodded. "Your guess is correct. Otto and I... did indeed meet a very long time ago."
"Gurgle~" Fu Hua's stomach growled, completely ruining the atmosphere. After returning from South America and hearing about Schicksal's dire battle situation, she had gone straight to Cheng Lixue's room without stopping.
"You haven't eaten yet, have you? I'll cook for you." Cheng Lixue turned to leave.
"Wait. How could a disabled person take care of a healthy one? I'll handle it myself."
"Yes." Cheng Lixue's gaze immediately dimmed. If she could cook for Fu Hua, at least she could keep her here a little longer.
Fu Hua smiled and asked knowingly, "Lixue, the kitchen is over here, right?"
"Yes... Wait, Master, what are you...?" Cheng Lixue suddenly realized what was happening.
"Yes. I've been free lately, so I'll stay here. Let your master take care of you for a while."
As she watched Fu Hua walk into the kitchen, tears shimmered in Cheng Lixue's eyes.
On the morning of February 16, in an unknown underground chamber.
"That is the entire story. As for Sania's Sacred Blood, I believe I've explained it clearly enough for you to understand." Enoshia spoke as calmly as possible while looking at Sirin before her.
"So, from the moment she released the Holy Blood, she was destined to die?" Sirin stumbled backward, and Bella quickly caught her.
"That is Schicksal's conclusion. In everyone's eyes, she is indeed already dead. Don't get agitated. Since I've told you this, I naturally have a way to let her live on in another form. However, to succeed, we first need a Data Space."
At that moment, on the frozen earth of Siberia, a white-haired young beauty knelt on the snowfield, staring blankly at her surroundings. Any Valkyrie who saw her would have been shocked.
Because she looked almost exactly like Cecilia.
"Why... why did I come here...?"
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