Team Three / Raven's Defeat Once Again

And clearly, she couldn't be wrong.

So the only ones who could be wrong were those Stigmata Awakened.

"???"

Shi Hen felt that his understanding of the world had developed a problem.

Although Stigmata technology was related to Fusion Warriors, they were fundamentally not the same thing, okay?

Kevin represented the limit of Fusion Warriors, while the limit of Natural Stigmata... theoretically, it should have been him.

As far as he could sense, the Stigmata within his body had already been fully developed. There was no hidden power left to uncover.

Yet even when he pushed his Stigmata's power to its limit, he could only contend with a Herrscher for a short time. He was still far inferior to a Fusion Warrior.

But why did both Jackal and Raven believe that Stigmata could stand shoulder to shoulder with Fusion Warriors?

Was there a difference between his understanding and that of the executives, or had he overlooked something?

Gazing through the lounge's porthole at the underwater harbor outside, Shi Hen could not help sinking into thought.

Chapter 25: Team Three

Somewhere in northern India.

Two days ago, this had still been a thriving urban district. Hundreds of thousands of people lived here, building together a home that might not have been magnificent, but was enough to shelter them.

But now, whether the buildings that had once stood here were exquisite or dilapidated, all that remained were broken walls and ruins.

The white beast packs roamed among them, occasionally letting out resounding howls as if proclaiming themselves the new masters of this place.

Yet if one looked down from high above, one would discover that the city had not yet entirely turned into a decayed gray wasteland. A small patch at its southern end still retained brilliant colors.

Green-painted armored vehicles formed a ring around the outside. Within it, green dots moved about—the soldiers of the passing troops. Farther back was a conspicuous stretch of white: gauze drying outside the hospital.

And at the very rear was a colorful expanse, the refugees' temporary settlement. Its colors were chaotic, yet full of life.

Within the same city, the two colors confronted each other without yielding, like two bulls locked in combat, every muscle taut as they tried to tear the other apart completely.

Since ancient times, across heaven and earth, the confrontation between Honkai and civilization had mostly been like this. If one side retreated, the other advanced. There was no room for compromise; only the defeat and destruction of one side could bring it to an end.

Standing on the deck of the Hover Battleship, Leona could not help spacing out as she watched the scene.

No matter when it was, humanity and civilization's resilience was always so astonishing.

The high-altitude wind howled past, whipping the Valkyrie's long coffee-brown hair against her cheeks with a faint tickle.

"Leona!"

A call came from behind her. Leona turned around and saw a woman with waist-length black hair walking toward her against the fierce wind.

"Shima!"

At the sight of the woman, a smile naturally appeared on Leona's face.

"I knew you'd be here."

Shima smiled as she spoke, then sat down beside Leona.

The Hover Battleship's deck had not been fitted with guardrails or anything similar. If an ordinary person stood on the deck of a moving battleship, they would probably have been blown into the air long ago and started free-falling.

But for two well-trained Valkyries, walking steadily on the deck was no difficult task.

In some situations, they even had to step on high-speed drones to rush to the battlefield.

"Compared to a projection screen, I still prefer observing the battlefield with my own eyes."

Brushing aside the somewhat unruly strands by her ear so they would not slap against her companion, Leona explained with a smile.

Separated by a screen, the image might have been clearer, and the shipboard AI could even help mark important details, but she still preferred seeing the scene firsthand with her own eyes.

Only then could she truly feel how close she was to the battlefield—so close that it seemed she could jump down and land before those monsters at any moment.

Though most of the time, that really was the case.

Hover Battleships were steel fortresses built for battle. They never hid in the rear.

"Yeah, it really does look different from inside the bridge."

Shima likewise leaned her head slightly over the side and looked down at the scene below, her voice carrying a hint of emotion.

From this altitude of a thousand meters, everything on the ground looked as tiny as ants, and the houses and buildings resembled building blocks.

With a sweep of the eyes, the entire battlefield could be taken in at once, giving one the illusion of having everything under control.

Watching points of light flare up across the ground as black smoke rose after them in thin lines, Shima fell silent for a moment before speaking. "Team One deployed three minutes ago."

When faced with a large-scale Honkai disaster, Valkyrie units usually did not send out just one team.

Multiple teams working together, supplemented by artillery bombardment—that was how people of this era normally dealt with Honkai.

What era was this? Who still fought Honkai Beasts in fair one-on-one duels?

Just like now, conventional troops had entered the battlefield three hours ago, trying to scatter the Honkai Beasts, reduce their numbers as much as possible, and create openings for Valkyries like them to attack.

After all, Valkyries were human too, not monsters who could drink a few potions and fight for seven days and nights without rest.

Normally, if a three-person team could eliminate twenty Honkai Beasts in a day, that was already an outstanding achievement.

"How long until us?"

Leona asked, her tone as calm as a lake at dawn.

"The estimate from above is ten minutes," Shima answered in an equally calm voice. "But if Team One gets lucky, it'll be even sooner."

Move one hair, and the whole body followed.

Several Valkyrie teams gathered in one place formed an enormous war machine. Once one gear completed its objective, it triggered the next gear to turn.

"I see."

Leona sighed, and her voice finally gained some fluctuation.

"This time, the target is Ganesha, a new Emperor-class Honkai Beast."

As Shima spoke, her voice involuntarily sank.

Leona remained silent.

"A day ago, Team Seven encountered Ganesha. Not a single person survived." Shima continued on her own. "According to the intelligence department's analysis afterward, Ganesha's shell was too tough. Team Seven's firepower couldn't penetrate its defenses."

For some people, a new Emperor-class Honkai Beast meant new research material.

But for frontline Valkyries like them, a new monster meant mystery, the unknown, and death.

Every piece of intelligence regarding the enemy's abilities had to be bought with the lives of Valkyries.

"I'll do it."

Leona finally spoke, her tone gentle yet firm.

"Mm. I believe in you."

Shima nodded.

"I will do it."

Leona reiterated, bright light shining in her brown eyes.

"Leona..."

Shima was slightly dazed as she looked at the determined girl.

"I'm Team Three's best heavy gunner, so I can definitely do it." Whether it was an explanation or a declaration, Leona spoke slowly and heavily, every word seeming to carry weight. "I will bring everyone back."

For Valkyries, every deployment could be a final farewell, because they could never foresee what they would encounter.

Some people went out and never came back. Their place would remain empty from then on, until a newcomer filled it.

But no matter how well the new team worked together, the scar left by that vacancy would always remain. It would never disappear.

Leona had been a Valkyrie for eight years. She had long grown accustomed to such things.

Yet even so, she had never chosen to accept them. Every time, she fought against them to the end.

Because she was Team Three's best heavy gunner, Team Three's captain for four years...

"Captain..."

Shima could not help calling out that title, one she had not used in a long time.

Having been partners for so many years, they had long grown used to calling each other by name.

"Mm." Leona answered softly. Glancing at the signal flare rising below, she patted her clothes and stood up. "Let's go, Shima. Team One has found Ganesha."

Team One's mission was complete. Next came the battle that belonged to Team Three.

Chapter 26: Raven's Defeat Once Again

The transport ship sailed out of the harbor. The energy barrier that had risen long ago kept out the seawater, leaving the vessel dry despite being nearly a hundred meters beneath the surface.

On the deck, Shi Hen looked at the energy barrier overhead, which protected the Hover Battleship like an eggshell, and could not help sighing. "What amazing technology."

Although he could create a similar effect with Honkai Energy himself, he still could not understand how machinery accomplished it.

After all, he was purely a combatant. He could not even operate a mech.

"That's nothing. I heard Anti-Entropy even has an underwater city. Now that's what you call spectacular."

Raven curled her lips, feeling deeply superior to the youth's behavior, like a country bumpkin entering a grand estate for the first time.

She was a mercenary who had seen the world, after all.

Jackal... oh, sorry, Jackal was still hiding in the lounge.

As a researcher, Jackal did not possess the overwhelming strength of Shi Hen and the others. If he stayed on the deck, he might fall off at any moment.

"Has Sister Natasha been there?"

Shi Hen asked in surprise.

At this point in time, Haiyuan City was still an unopened map. Not even Schicksal knew such a place existed, yet World Serpent actually... forget it. Everyone knew that Anti-Entropy was World Serpent's branch. Continuing to marvel would just be padding the word count.

"No."

Raven answered frankly, with not a hint less pride on her face.

Shi Hen: "..."

What were you proud of if you hadn't been there?

Boom—

The transport ship broke through the surface. Bright sunlight immediately poured down, bringing the exhilarating feeling of emerging from clouds into daylight.

At the same time, the energy barrier retracted to conserve power. Fierce winds immediately swept over them, making their clothes flap loudly.

"Ah, it's been so long since I last basked in the sun."

Raven stretched lazily. The sinful curves on her chest trembled as they announced their presence, making the youth beside her instinctively avert his gaze.

The Mercenary Queen only looked young. In truth, she was rather well-endowed.

"Oh? Are you embarrassed already? Plenty of assassins love using honey traps, you know~"

Noticing the change in the youth's gaze, Raven could not help teasing him. She deliberately shook the two soft mounds on her chest.

She felt like she was back in control.

Growing even more awkward, Shi Hen involuntarily took half a step back. "Those people aren't qualified to use tricks against me."

Even with his eyes closed, he could still slaughter his way through the underworld.

To those who had not mastered Honkai Energy, the terror of someone at Shi Hen's level was beyond imagination.

In the ignorant ages before science had developed, Stigmata Awakened were equivalent to gods walking among mortals.

Of course, that only applied to those who had developed their Stigmata to a certain level.

Though both were Stigmata Awakened, Shi Hen could already contend with Schicksal's S-rank Valkyries, while a certain coward could only hide in toy boxes.

"What about big sister, then?"

Raven spoke with a coquettish smile and stepped closer to the youth.