As she thought, the Valkyrie opened Schicksal HQ's communication channel.
"Hello? Is this Miss Amber?
This is Rita of the Blade of Immortality Squad. We have encountered an unexpectedly powerful enemy. The opponent possesses power no weaker than a Herrscher's.
I hope headquarters can dispatch another Valkyrie squad to support us."
Neither side was the indecisive sort, so the call ended quickly.
Turning her gaze back to the screen, Rita's lips slowly curled upward.
This was Schicksal's home ground!
Bearing Welt's Name, I Cannot Lose
Raymond Castle Ruins.
Raven, hiding in the shadows of a building, felt deeply uneasy.
Were those two monsters!?
Watching the increasingly fierce battle through the scope of Seven Thunders of Sin's Purge, Raven felt her worldview being shattered again and again.
From now on, she felt that nothing she encountered would ever surprise her again.
After all, no matter how bizarre something was, could it possibly be more terrifying than the two monsters before her?
Clutching her Sniper Rifle tightly, Raven felt weak and pitiful for the first time. Even a Divine Key could not give her much sense of security.
Facing the two at full power, she felt that even if she unleashed all of Seven Thunders of Sin's Purge's strength, it probably would not pose much threat to them.
What was even more terrifying was that Shi Hen was only fifteen this year, and he had been exposed to Honkai for less than a year!
Even Durandal, who came from Schicksal, seemed to be only twelve?
At such an age, they had limitless potential ahead of them.
Even the heroes of the Previous Civilization Era probably could not compare to those two monsters.
Raven could not help thinking to herself.
At that moment, Kiana, who was fighting the Honkai Beasts on the other side, also paused and looked toward where Shi Hen and Durandal were battling.
Though she could not see what exactly was happening in the distance, she could sense that something extremely terrifying was taking place.
That dreadful energy fluctuation, like a nuclear bomb exploding, made her feel almost suffocated even from so far away.
Still, there was no point thinking about it. It did not have much to do with her anyway.
Steadying herself, the girl turned her gaze back to the Honkai Beasts before her, her expression growing solemn.
Unlike the scattered Honkai Beasts she had encountered before, this time she was facing an entire pack of dozens of them!
Against enemies that even Schicksal's Valkyrie squads had to treat with caution, Kiana, merely an ordinary wandering girl, naturally could not wipe them out with ease.
The only thing she could do was draw as much of the Honkai Beasts' attention as possible and slow their advance toward the city.
And deep in her heart, the girl still held onto a faint hope.
If it was a Honkai disaster of this scale, that man surely would not stand by and do nothing, right?
Holding onto the hope that she might meet him, Kiana picked up her baseball bat again and charged at the Honkai Beasts.
On the main battlefield.
Boom!
After exchanging a close-range blow, Shi Hen and Durandal suddenly separated. They stopped where they stood instead of continuing their offensive as before.
"You should be close to your limit too, shouldn't you?"
Durandal asked, breathing heavily, her entire face drenched in sweat.
Though the mask prevented her from seeing his face clearly, the girl could sense that Shi Hen's strength had weakened considerably.
Clearly, maintaining this state was no easy matter for him either.
"At least I can last longer than you."
Shi Hen grinned.
Compared to a World Bubble, fully activating the power of his Stigmata put far less strain on his body.
After all, the Stigmata was an ability that belonged entirely to him, while the World Bubble was an external object to the girl.
Of course, the scale of the two was completely different as well.
And in terms of boosting power, the Stigmata was far weaker than the World Bubble, leaving Shi Hen far more badly injured than Durandal.
This girl, who looked as exquisite and adorable as a doll, really struck without mercy.
With one thing offsetting the other, their conditions were more or less evenly matched.
"The next strike will decide the victor."
Durandal said, and the golden light that had dimmed somewhat in her eyes became dazzling again.
Though this form of battle had lasted only two minutes, she was already nearing her limit.
If they remained deadlocked any longer, her body would collapse first.
"I think we can call it a draw."
Shi Hen proposed a tie.
In response, Durandal merely gave him a silent glance as the aura within her suddenly surged.
In her dictionary, there had never been such words as giving up halfway.
Against a dangerous individual like Shi Hen, who had recklessly triggered a Honkai disaster, she had to do everything in her power to take him into custody.
"Looks like there's no room for negotiation." Shi Hen chuckled softly, then raised his head. The white light in his eye sockets was calm and brilliant. "Young Valkyrie, are you ready... to embrace your death?"
Even if his body was covered in wounds, even if he could only use the power of his Natural Stigmata, Shi Hen was still invincible in this world!
Facing Shi Hen's declaration, Durandal remained calm and slowly raised her right hand. "Bianca Durandal Attagina requests your instruction!"
As her words fell, the Valkyrie's white armor was plated with a layer of golden radiance, and a pure golden holy sword extended from the girl's palm.
Whoosh!
The instant the holy sword took shape, an abyssal, prison-like surge of energy erupted. Terrifying pressure spread outward like a tide, causing the girl's high ponytail to come undone as her golden hair streamed upward like a banner.
"In the name of the second Anti-Entropy Leader and the third Herrscher of Reason, I, Welt Bai, accept your challenge!"
With an equally solemn shout, a pure white baseball bat rapidly grew in Shi Hen's hand.
Since his opponent had condensed a weapon from Honkai Energy, he naturally had to respond in the same way.
As for the fact that the Herrscher of Reason had only been passed down to the second generation... once he found the time to talk physics with Old Yang, the man would surely be more than willing to let him become the third Herrscher of Reason.
The instant the baseball bat formed, both of them moved at the same time.
No, more accurately, both vanished from where they stood.
Only in the next instant did two masses of light appear and crash together violently.
Boom—
The holy sword and baseball bat crossed and pressed against each other. Golden and white energy erupted at once, twisting and biting at one another like two dragons, each pouring everything into utterly crushing the other.
Bearing the expectations of the Blade of Immortality Squad, carrying the hopes of tens of millions within that World Bubble, I cannot fall here!
Feeling the terrifying power transmitted through the holy sword and hearing every cell in her body cry out in agony, the Valkyrie's resolve only grew firmer.
Surely, he carried something equally heavy as well?
Their eyes met. Through Shi Hen's eyes, which emitted brilliant white light, Durandal seemed to hear his blazing inner voice.
"Bearing Welt's name, I cannot lose!"
He said it out loud.
Durandal: "..."
Was this guy a drama queen?
At a time like this, he was still pretending to be Welt?
The girl suddenly felt as if a mouthful of ancient phlegm were stuck in her chest, unbearable unless spat out.
But in the next second, the two energies that had been locked in stalemate for so long reached their critical point. The power accumulated to its limit suddenly poured forth, erupted, and devoured and destroyed everything around them.
Tonight's Moon Is Beautiful
After an explosion resembling the birth of the universe, everything returned to silence.
A sea-scented breeze swept past, rolling up the endless dust and sand on the ground with a touch of desolation.
Yet only minutes ago, the area for miles around had still been lush and full of life.
Unfortunately, it had encountered an unreasonable pair of homewreckers.
"Cough, cough..." Wiping the blood from the corner of her mouth, Durandal finally revealed a strained smile. "It seems... I won."
Though pain throughout her body had nearly robbed her of all sensation, as though every cell had declared a strike under unbearable strain, at least... she was still standing.
"Ah, yes." Lying not far from the Valkyrie, Shi Hen's voice was steeped in weakness, and that deliberate rasp was gone. "To think you possess such Honkai Energy. Durandal, I acknowledge you.
Among all the Valkyries I have fought, you are unquestionably the strongest!"
Though she was also the only Valkyrie he had ever fought.
Still, to be fair, the girl really was strong.
Using only the power of his Stigmata, he could not contend with her.
After all, she was a genuine genius too, and she had cheats.
"Thank you for the praise."
Durandal said sincerely.
To be acknowledged by a powerful opponent was the highest praise for her.
"Sure enough, I can't do anything."
Shi Hen spoke softly, his tone carrying the despair of someone who seemed ready to give up everything.
Durandal: "..."
He had only lost one battle. Was that really necessary?
Beneath the mask, Shi Hen blinked, yet no mysterious power surged out from within him.
Was the password wrong? Or did the Honkai World simply not have an account for him?
The youth fell into deep thought.
"Come back to Schicksal with me. I will plead for you before Bishop Sir."
Durandal said. Her voice was somewhat weak, but her tone was earnest.
They said that all it took for experts to understand one another was a simple exchange of fists.
During their battle just now, she had vaguely sensed his thoughts as well and understood that Shi Hen was not an evil person.
"Sorry, that's not possible." Shi Hen refused decisively. "I still want to abduct you into Anti-Entropy."
"...You're not even from Anti-Entropy, are you?"
Durandal was genuinely a little angry.
Could this guy not be a little more honest?
"I am the man who inherited Welt's name." Shi Hen still did not forget his persona. "Bearing Welt's name, I will never submit to Schicksal."
"..."
Looking at the stubborn white mask on Shi Hen's face, Durandal suddenly had the urge to smash it apart and see what kind of face lay beneath it.
But unfortunately, she no longer had the strength to do so.
Before you continue