Downstairs in the restaurant, Kiana was eating while observing her surroundings.
Although Ryn had said this mission was just a trip for her, and Fu Hua had said to leave everything to her and that Kiana just needed to enjoy her food, this was still a rare mission for her. Moreover, it was a chance to fight alongside Ryn and Fu Hua, so while Kiana appeared to be feasting, she was also mentally calculating various pieces of mission-related intelligence.
"Young lady, could you help me open this bottle of wine?" a sturdy, white-haired old man in the restaurant called out to Kiana, holding a bottle of wine.
Kiana took the bottle and looked around, but couldn't find a bottle opener. So she simply gripped the bottle cap and, with a slight exertion of force, tore it off.
"Here you go, grandpa."
"Thank you for helping me open this bottle."
"Hehe, you're welcome, grandpa!" Kiana placed a hand on her hip proudly and exclaimed, "Protecting the world... no, helping others is my duty."
With that, Kiana waved to indicate she had to leave and turned to go.
"Duty?" The white-haired old man was taken aback by Kiana's words. His grateful smile instantly vanished, replaced by a cold expression.
Long-buried anger rose from within him. He took out a newly made serum he carried with him, quickly walked up behind Kiana, and plunged the syringe into her neck.
Kiana sensed something bad approaching from behind. She turned around just in time to see the sharp, light-reflecting needle of an extra-large, extra-long syringe coming right for her.
*Clang—*
The anticipated scene of a sharp needle piercing flesh and injecting a substance did not occur. A steel-like arm blocked the way in front of Kiana, and at the same time, the man who had suddenly appeared grabbed the old man's hand and snatched the syringe from him.
Upon seeing that armored arm, the old man's heart sank.
Ryn had been hiding in the shadows, prepared for any unforeseen circumstances. Just as he shifted his focus from Fu Hua, he saw someone about to attack Kiana.
Not knowing what the substance was and not wanting any unknown things entering his body, Ryn had partially transformed, covering his arm with Build's armor to block the syringe.
"I thought he was just a normal old grandpa, I didn't expect him to be a bad guy..." Kiana patted her chest, still shaken. She had almost been taken out.
"You let your guard down too much, Kiana. This is not the posture a warrior should have."
Ryn verbally reprimanded Kiana, then shot a cold glare at the white-haired old man in front of him, forcefully crushing the bones in the hand that had been holding the syringe.
"Ahhh—!"
The white-haired old man's scream instantly echoed through the hall, but the countless guards stationed there acted as if they hadn't seen or heard a thing. They remained at their posts, on high alert, not letting even a single mosquito fly past.
"I thought you would have wrapped yourself up tight and hidden in some unknown place, but instead you appeared right in front of us so brazenly. A pleasure to finally meet you, Dr. Magi."
Ryn pulled up Dr. Magi, who was writhing on the ground in pain, and put him in restraints.
"Hah, the most dangerous place is often the safest... I was careless. I didn't expect Otto to send you, the S-rank Valkyrie Ryn..."
Dr. Magi sighed. He spent his days in the lab conducting various experiments, and although he had never seen Ryn in person, he knew some things about their strongest Valkyrie, Ryn.
*Useless Anti-Entropy! Didn't they say it would be two no-name Valkyries and a gofer?* Dr. Magi had thought it would be the same grunts as before, he hadn't expected the big boss to show up...
"Anything else you want to say? Although I might not listen, I can still give you a chance to explain."
"Heh... there's nothing to explain. It seems my path to redemption is over before it even began..." Dr. Magi shook his head with a self-deprecating laugh.
"Have it your way. If you had only defected, it wouldn't have been a big deal... but you killed all those Valkyries who wanted to bring you back to Schicksal and vouch for you.
Dr. Magi, I know a little about your situation. Regarding your granddaughter, I can only offer my personal condolences. But your current actions have desecrated the will of the granddaughter you loved so dearly.
Lin was a glorious Valkyrie, and you, her grandfather, were supposed to be one of the great heroes who made many contributions... but you have destroyed all of that. All the efforts you and she once made will be buried..."
"A glorious Valkyrie? A glorious Valkyrie! To hell with your glory!"
Dr. Magi was so furious he no longer cared about the pain of his shattered arm, yelling at Ryn and Kiana:
"Why should a group of children be sent to the battlefield! Why should you young boys and girls risk your lives to fight the Honkai!
I served Otto at Schicksal for over forty years, modifying countless children around your age, turning them into Valkyries, and sending them to the battlefield!
And then they were sacrificed one by one, and in the end, even my own granddaughter died in front of me! Is this the glory you speak of!"
After finishing his rant, while Ryn and Kiana were still processing his words, Dr. Magi forcefully lunged at Ryn, plunging a spare syringe from his pocket into him.
Due to the Valkyrie body's characteristic of hardening on impact, the syringe needles were also made from anti-Honkai materials, making them incredibly hard and capable of penetrating Honkai energy defenses.
Kiana rushed forward to remove the syringe from Ryn, then glared angrily at Dr. Magi.
Dr. Magi paid no mind to Kiana's anger or Ryn's surprise. Seeing the needle successfully pierce Ryn's body and the liquid from the syringe flowing in, he burst out laughing.
"Haha... after Lin died, I realized how sinful everything I had done was. So I created a serum that can neutralize Honkai energy and turn you Valkyries back into ordinary people... and I stole the Gem of Serenity to stop Otto from continuing to harm you children!"
Ryn stared blankly at his own hands. The effects of the serum were already taking hold. He could clearly feel his own Honkai energy being neutralized by the serum, transforming into a gentle energy that was remodeling his body, turning him back into an ordinary person.