So Otto did not intend to reveal K422, his trump card, this early.
Who would play two Joker bombs first when they still had four Kings and four Aces in hand?
Besides, he was looking forward to seeing whether K422 would bring him another surprise.
Ever since K422 had awakened, the surprises she brought him had never stopped.
Theresa, gripping a golden chain, sighed softly.
"I still made my move..."
She glanced at the Anti-Entropy battleship flying away and pursed her lips in displeasure.
The Anti-Entropy organization had been highly active around the Far East Branch lately. As Schicksal's active S-rank Valkyrie, she naturally had to step in and straighten out her own territory.
But this time, Anti-Entropy was fleeing with Siegfried.
Naturally, she could not intercept them.
"I wonder whether Siegfried and the others are doing well. Did they manage to get Kiana out of Schicksal?"
Theresa did not know whether Kiana would be better off living with her father or continuing to receive that kind of treatment in Schicksal.
She could not make that choice for Kiana.
Now, the only person qualified to decide for Kiana was Siegfried.
"...Run. Run somewhere Schicksal can't find you, and don't ever come back."
During the Second Eruption War, she had failed to protect Cecilia.
When Siegfried had wanted to take Kiana and flee, she had been unable to help them.
She would consider this repayment for her past regret.
"Extend! Judas!!"
With Theresa's soft cry, the golden-and-black cross behind her burst into dazzling light.
She controlled four chains and attacked the Floating Battleship's anti-gravity engines.
As a Valkyrie with her own Floating Battleship, Theresa naturally knew its weaknesses.
Once the front and rear gravity engines were destroyed, the Floating Battleship could only crash.
Of course, Theresa did not want to kill the Valkyries and crew aboard the Floating Battleship. As long as she disabled one anti-gravity engine, the Floating Battleship would be forced to land.
As the Soul Steel within the cross rapidly transformed into the four chains Theresa controlled, the golden-and-black cross began to shrink.
In the few minutes since she had made her move, Theresa had already forced two Floating Battleships to land.
But once the Floating Battleships landed, the Valkyrie units within would deploy and surround Theresa, who was still attacking the ships.
After all, she was Theresa Apocalypse.
Even Valkyrie units were not authorized to attack her.
"...They came quickly."
They were clearly all elites.
Although promotion reviews were far easier now than they had been in the past, the sudden appearance of seven or eight A-rank Valkyries still made Theresa feel rather flattered.
Of course, by the standards of Cecilia's era, they were only at the peak of B-rank at most.
Back then, Schicksal did not have many Valkyries, so it took a more elite-oriented approach.
Of the mere six A-rank Valkyries, every one of them possessed the strength to fight Emperor Honkai, the upper limit among lower-class Honkai Beasts. Five of them had joined the Snow Wolf Squad, Cecilia's S-rank Valkyrie unit tasked with guarding against Emperor-class Honkai Beasts.
Nowadays, it took five or six A-rank Valkyries just to put up a fight against an Emperor Honkai.
That was only because Valkyrie Armor was better now than it had been back then.
It was also related to the greater number of Valkyries today.
Most of these Valkyries had been displaced during the Second Eruption War, losing their loved ones and choosing to become Schicksal Valkyries in pursuit of revenge.
In fact, that was why most Valkyries became Valkyries.
They lost their homes, their parents, their brothers and sisters in Honkai incidents.
So they hated the Honkai and despised Herrschers.
Even if today's A-rank Valkyries were rather mediocre and far inferior to the A-rank Valkyries of the past, once modern Valkyries gathered in sufficient numbers, they could unleash even greater combat power through teamwork.
They were in no way inferior to those Valkyries of the past who only knew how to fight alone.
Theresa did not dare underestimate them.
If they stopped her, the remaining Floating Battleships would continue pursuing Anti-Entropy's battleship.
"Lady Theresa, please stop resisting."
"Please stop attacking."
"Lady Theresa... please surrender."
"We don't want to hurt you."
"Lady Theresa, you are aiding Anti-Entropy. Please stop."
The Valkyries aimed their weapons at Theresa, but none of them dared launch an attack.
The leading A-rank Valkyries naturally tried to persuade Theresa.
When they saw Theresa retract the extended golden chains, relieved smiles appeared on their faces.
But those smiles quickly froze.
Having recalled the four golden chains, Theresa took up an attacking stance toward them.
"Lady Theresa??"
An A-rank Valkyrie cried out in panic.
"I'm sorry."
Theresa apologized softly, then swung the golden chain in her hand. Four golden chains swept toward the Valkyries around her.
"Lady Theresa, please stop!"
After sweeping back the surrounding Valkyries, Theresa gripped one of the golden chains and hurled it toward a Floating Battleship attempting to pass over her.
The Soul Steel inside the cross continually transformed into chains as that golden chain shot straight toward the Floating Battleship's anti-gravity engine.
The Valkyries who had been knocked back immediately attacked the golden chain.
But ordinary Honkai Energy weapons could not damage a Divine Key in the slightest.
"I'm sorry, Lady Theresa. Please forgive our offense!"
"Attack together and stop her!!"
In only a few seconds, another Floating Battleship's anti-gravity engine was attacked.
Judas' Oath was not a Divine Key particularly suited for destruction, but as long as she inflicted some damage on the anti-gravity engine, she could affect the Floating Battleship's normal flight.
Watching the Valkyries continuously surround her, Theresa controlled the remaining three golden chains to meet them in battle.
But facing A-rank Valkyries wearing Valkyrie Armor while also having to divide her attention to stop the Floating Battleships, Theresa could soon only fight while retreating, breaking through from the weaker Valkyries.
"Lady Theresa, it is our duty. Please forgive us."
The A-rank Valkyrie who said this actually had a fairly good relationship with Theresa.
As an S-rank Valkyrie active for decades, Theresa had shown kindness to many of Schicksal's Valkyries. Quite a few had been rescued by her in cities suffering Honkai incidents before she became the administrator of the Far East Branch. Many others had originally belonged to the Far East Branch but were recommended by Theresa to Schicksal Headquarters.
They did not want to attack Theresa.
They also knew that Theresa had been holding back. If she had not needed to stop the Floating Battleships, she could have attacked both anti-gravity engines at once.
Once both anti-gravity engines of a Floating Battleship were destroyed at the same time, everyone aboard would die without a burial place.
But now, they had no choice but to attack.
Even if she was Theresa Apocalypse, what she was doing now was equivalent to betraying Schicksal.
Even if the Grand Bishop of Schicksal was her grandfather, he would likely hold her accountable for what she had done.
It might even affect her future succession to the position of Grand Bishop.
After all, Theresa was still the current head of the Apolcalis Family. If Bishop Otto stepped down as Grand Bishop of Schicksal, Theresa would become the next Grand Bishop.
The Valkyries did not want Theresa to sink any deeper into this matter.
If someone pinned the charge of colluding with Anti-Entropy on her, it would certainly affect her future career.
Theresa sighed. Against A-rank Valkyries clad in Valkyrie Armor, she truly had no way to keep holding back.
She grabbed the cross behind her, then swung it like a heavy hammer, directly sending the nearby A-rank Valkyries flying.
The Valkyries who were sent flying were completely dumbfounded.
Was the Eleventh Divine Key supposed to be used like this?
They did not really understand. After all, cross-shaped weapons in Schicksal were autonomous machine guns. Aside from manual control mode, they had autonomous control mode.
The former was like a heavy machine gun, capable of emptying three hundred rounds in several dozen seconds. Once enough Valkyries equipped with such weapons gathered together, they could form terrifying suppressive firepower. Even a hundred Honkai Beasts would be unable to break through a hundred Valkyries wielding such weapons.
The latter autonomous control mode was better suited for solo suppression combat. However, most Valkyries could only control one autonomous machine gun. It was said that powerful Valkyries could control four autonomous machine guns at once.
Of course, the Eleventh Divine Key was not an autonomous machine gun, but Theresa's method of using it had truly caught them off guard.
It'll Definitely Become a Worldwide Hit
Theresa herself possessed astonishing strength, and a Divine Key made from Soul Steel was exceptionally hard.
The Valkyries who had been sent flying and hit the ground were all dazed.
They were also baring their teeth in pain.
They had been worried about losing control and hurting Theresa, so they had not dared to strike too hard. After all, if Bishop Otto announced his retirement someday, Theresa would become their superior's superior.
Of course, Theresa had probably never considered becoming Grand Bishop.
The Valkyries knew Theresa's personality as well. It was hard for them to imagine her becoming Grand Bishop one day, but she was the head of the Apolcalis Family and the first in line to inherit the position of Grand Bishop.
Unless the Apolcalis Family gained a second heir someday.
Or unless Theresa suddenly lost her mind one day and chose to join the Honkai's forces, her position would be difficult to shake.
The stunned A-rank Valkyries quickly climbed back to their feet and fought to stop Theresa from continuing down the wrong path.
On Anti-Entropy's Floating Battleship, Tesla and Einstein stood in front of Siegfried.
"Siegfried, what use would it be for you to go there now?"
"Please do not let Theresa Apocalypse's efforts go to waste."
Yet Siegfried had no intention of listening to them. He looked ready to jump from an altitude of over a thousand meters.
"Don't stop me!"
Siegfried said coldly.
Although his relationship with Theresa had not been particularly good, Theresa was someone his wife Cecilia cared about.
Now, in order to help him and the Anti-Entropy people escape, she had attacked Schicksal's Floating Battleships.
By now, she had likely come under attack from Schicksal's Valkyrie units.
Siegfried had not expected her to truly make a move.
He truly had not expected Theresa to defy her grandfather, Bishop Otto, for Kiana's sake.
"I'm going to save her!"
Welt, standing nearby, said with a headache.
"If you go, you'll only make things more complicated. Unlike Theresa Apocalypse, Bishop Otto definitely wants you dead."
As he said this, Welt played the recording of Theresa contacting him when she had made her move.
Before you continue