Desperate Situation

"Thank you all for saving my sister. Our lives, and the lives of my sister and I, were all given to us by you. If there's anything I can help with, please don't hesitate to ask," Chen Tianwu said respectfully to everyone.

"Mr. Chen, you're too kind. This is what we should do," Himeko waved her hand, then pulled out a map. "You're a resident of the East District, aren't you? The locator we brought has malfunctioned due to some unknown factor. We need your help to find a way to the outer districts."

"No problem! My sister and I have lived here for eleven years. We know every inch of this place like the back of our hands. If you go this way, then..."

Sheng Jiu nudged Kiana, who unceremoniously punched him on the head. "Ouch!"

"What are you doing? Trying to take advantage of me?"

"No," Sheng Jiu scratched his head aggrievedly, then made a shushing gesture. "Look over there."

The two looked closely at the corner by the window. Anna was sitting there with her back to them, seemingly sobbing softly.

Kiana slowly walked over and sat down beside Anna. "Sister Anna, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

Anna hastily wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, cradling her head with teary eyes. "N-nothing, I'm not crying!"

"Sister, you're lying~" Kiana leaned closer to Anna, who flinched and retreated.

"Let me do a magic trick for you," Kiana pulled out a ribbon and clenched it in her palm. "Watch closely, 3, 2, 1, ta-da!" Kiana opened her left hand, and the ribbon had turned into a lollipop.

"? That's amazing!" Anna, her tears replaced by a smile, took the lollipop.

"Thank you, Miss Kiana!"

Seeing that Anna's mood had improved, Kiana gave a relieved "OK" gesture to the shadows. Sheng Jiu also left with satisfaction.

"Sister Anna, can you tell me why you were crying just now?"

Anna was silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "Actually... when I was retreating, I passed by the ruins where Mr. Chen's sister was. I heard her cries for help. But my teammates were already very far away. I was so scared of falling behind them that I... I abandoned her."

"...I'm so useless... I'm a Valkyrie... I can't even protect everyone. How can I be worthy of being an A-rank Valkyrie... What's the point of me living..." As she spoke, Anna's eyes filled with tears again.

Kiana gave Anna a big hug. "Sister Anna, it's not your fault. Even Bishop Otto makes mistakes, let alone us Valkyries."

Meanwhile, at Schicksal Headquarters, someone sneezed. "Ugh, looks like Durandal is complaining about me again..."

Kiana paused, then continued, "Everyone has a purpose when they're born into this world, and Sister Anna does too. Even in this imperfect world, we should strive to live on and create even a little bit of beauty for it..."

"Thank you, Miss Kiana. I won't falter again. I will live well and witness humanity's victory over the Honkai with my own eyes." Anna wiped away her tears, her pretty face gradually becoming resolute. She smiled faintly at Kiana. "Also, please thank Mr. Sheng Jiu for me."

"Huh? Huh? You already noticed?" Kiana blushed and turned off the tiny earpiece. Sheng Jiu, in the next room, chuckled helplessly...

Night had fallen, and the heavy rain showed no signs of stopping. The Honkai Beasts gathered downstairs also showed no intention of leaving. One by one, they and the Mortals roamed the streets aimlessly.

Sheng Jiu glanced at the time on his communicator. Six hours remained until the bombardment. He punched the wall fiercely, creating a large hole in the concrete.

"Ah! What are you doing? Are you crazy?" Kiana, who was sitting on the floor hugging her knees, jumped in fright and quickly got up to check Sheng Jiu's profusely bleeding right hand.

"Tch, we might not escape this time. Ever since the rain started, we've lost contact with the Hyperion. I think... huh?"

The communicator on the table suddenly rang without warning. Sheng Jiu and Kiana exchanged glances. Sheng Jiu immediately answered. "Hello?"

"Thank goodness, we finally reached you! Where the hell have you been?!" Theresa's furious roar came from the other end of the communicator.

Sheng Jiu briefly reported their current situation to Theresa, while also hearing faint sounds of crossfire from the other end of the line.

"What happened on your end, Headmaster?"

"Things aren't looking good. The Hyperion was attacked by a large number of flying Honkai Beasts in the area near Manila and can't break free anytime soon."

"Furthermore, the entire fleet has lost contact with your search and rescue team in Manila. All communication equipment has completely malfunctioned. Headquarters has dispatched the Blade of the Immortal elite guard to the area."

"In the last image transmitted by a drone before we lost contact, we spotted an Emperor-class Honkai Beast... You must... be careful... don't..."

The communication signal was completely cut off. Kiana, who was bandaging Sheng Jiu's hand, looked at the grim-faced Sheng Jiu worriedly. "What's wrong?"

"We're trapped here. An Emperor-class Honkai Beast has appeared in the Manila area. We have to escape within four hours. And... wait!"

Sheng Jiu suddenly raised his hand to interrupt Kiana's question, staring intently out the window. "Something's coming."

"Huh?" Kiana also moved closer to the window, trying to see through the thick fog. "I don't see anything..."

"Quick, go wake everyone up immediately and prepare to evacuate!" Sheng Jiu abruptly drew Jueying and entered combat stance. Seeing that Sheng Jiu was not right, Kiana immediately ran out of the room to wake the others.

At that moment, a huge sound came from outside the room, and the entire building began to vibrate rhythmically the next second.

"Damn it, what's going on?" Himeko stared coldly at the large number of Honkai Beasts suddenly fleeing downstairs.

"Bronya believes something big is rapidly approaching."

"What are you all waiting for? Hurry..."

Before Sheng Jiu could finish speaking, the glass of the window suddenly shattered, and rainwater poured in.

"Brother, I'm so scared!"

"Don't be afraid, Tianwen, your brother is here."

"Don't worry, Mr. Chen, I'll protect you!"

Himeko rushed into the room and stood shoulder to shoulder with Sheng Jiu, sword in hand.

"Damn it, what is this thing?" Sheng Jiu wiped the rain from his face and looked out the window.

Through the broken window, a huge purple spherical light appeared before their eyes, floating motionlessly in the air.

With the help of a fleeting lightning flash, they saw the owner of the light. It was a giant Temple-class Honkai Beast, its body clearly over fifty meters long, looking like a massive city wall, with dangerous blue light pulsing all over it.

According to Schicksal's field manual, Honkai Beasts between 10-50 meters in length are classified as Lesser Honkai Beasts. Those between 50-100 meters are Emperor-class Honkai Beasts, and those exceeding 100 meters are the rarer Judgment-class Honkai Beasts. It was clear that the massive Temple-class Honkai Beast before them was an Emperor-class Honkai Beast.

"Supernova - Slash!" Sheng Jiu didn't hesitate, setting Jueying to its third gear. A thick wave of sword energy immediately slashed towards the Honkai Beast outside the window. The Honkai Beast easily raised its right claw, its shield blocking the attack that could have eliminated a Knight-type Honkai Beast in a single blow.

"What—" Sheng Jiu stared in astonishment at the unharmed Honkai Beast before Himeko yanked him out of the room. "Are you trying to die?! Run!"

"Boom!" The Honkai Beast furiously swung the sword-spear in its left hand, impaling the room. The small space was immediately blown apart, reduced to a pile of wood chips and bricks.

The two ran out of the room to find everyone else waiting.

Chen Tianwu, holding his sister, nodded confidently at Himeko. "I know the way, follow me!"

"Let's go!"

The group descended the stairs at a speed that could break a Guinness World Record, fleeing the building that was on the verge of collapse from the attack and heading out into the pouring rain.

"Keep up, don't fall behind!" Sheng Jiu stayed in the middle of the group, repeatedly checking the headcount.

Just then, a Clawed Soldier suddenly leaped out of the fog and tackled the unprepared Sheng Jiu to the ground. The soldier pinned Sheng Jiu's arms with one hand and raised its sharp claws, poised to strike at his throat. Sheng Jiu closed his eyes, awaiting his demise...

Gunshots rang out. The soldier's raised hand froze mid-air before it collapsed onto Sheng Jiu.

"Huh?" The rain made it impossible for Sheng Jiu to open his eyes. He confusedly pushed the dead soldier off him.

"What, just gonna lie there? Waiting for me to pick you up?" A familiar voice sounded beside his ear as someone pulled him to his feet.

"Hurry, keep up!" Kiana pulled Sheng Jiu and rushed into the thick rain.

Sheng Jiu wiped the rain from his face, finally able to see his surroundings. Honkai Beasts and Soldiers kept appearing from the fog, blocking their path. Yae Sakura and Himeko, clearing the way, quickly dispatched them, while Anna and Bronya protected Chen Tianwu and his sister.

"Hiss, I don't think I saw that big guy."

Kiana breathed a sigh of relief. "Maybe it already left..."

A deafening roar echoed as the building behind them collapsed. A dark silhouette appeared behind the group.

"Oh my god, your mouth is like a curse!" Sheng Jiu cried out, on the verge of tears.

"Is this the time to talk about that? Run!"

"This way, turn left." Chen Tianwu tried to calm himself, calmly leading the group through the alleys, making left and right turns.

"Bronya, quickly, help me contact Theresa!" Sheng Jiu cut down an Assault-type Honkai Beast with a single strike, wiping the rain from his face again.

"Roger that." In less than a minute, Theresa's voice came through Sheng Jiu's earpiece. "Thank goodness, I finally got through to you. What are you guys doing... My god, are you being chased by that Emperor-class Honkai Beast?"

"Who knows! Maybe it had a bad breakup today and is in a bad mood. Think of something, Theresa!"

"Oh, okay. We just managed to shake off the pack of Honkai Beasts that were bothering us. The Hyperion can fire a round of its electromagnetic cannon towards your location. Estimated arrival time is two minutes."

"Then you better hurry, or you'll be collecting our corpses. When will the Hyperion have a full squadron of carrier-based aircraft? When we're in danger, they could—"

"Careful!"

The group ran out of the alley and onto a flat open space. The massive dark silhouette behind them leaped up, blocking their path.

Only then did they get a close look at the Honkai Beast's full form. Unlike its kin, this colossal Temple-class Honkai Beast was covered in blue markings, from which wisps of mist emerged. The rain that came into contact with the mist instantly turned into sharp hailstones, pelting the ground.

"Damn it, an ice-attribute Emperor-class? Looks like this is going to be tough," Sheng Jiu noticed a prominent sword mark on the Honkai Beast's left shoulder. "...If I'm not mistaken, this guy was attacked by someone, and then we just happened to run into it by chance..."

"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Himeko drew the greatsword from her back. Kiana turned to Chen Tianwu and his sister. "Mr. Chen, there will be a fight, please stay clear."

Chen Tianwu nodded. "We won't be a burden, you don't need to worry about us."

Sheng Jiu handed Chen Tianwu a dagger. "You know how to use it, right? Remember, protect your sister. Leave the rest to us."

"Understood!"