The meaning of "first-encounter kill" comes from the Japanese gaming term "shoken-goroshi," which originally meant "to be instantly killed by a special design on the player's first attempt."
When a player is killed on their first attempt at a certain level due to an unnoticeable trap, an unbeatable move, etc., it can be said that the player was "first-encounter killed."
And Jizo Mitama, having only just been successfully forged, yet being one of the top-tier weapons in the Honkai world, was undoubtedly a weapon capable of inflicting a "first-encounter kill."
A scarlet light gleamed in the eyes of the mechanical hound with the development code HD-603 and the scientific name "Carbon-Based Hunter."
Neurotoxin from Schicksal's Helheim Labs began to spread throughout the space, which was not small, but by no means large.
Under the power of the Key of Erosion, this high-tech product, the mechanical hound, was no longer Rita's comrade-in-arms, but her enemy.
What is happening?
Rita looked at the mechanical hound that had turned to face her after releasing the toxin, a chill running through her heart.
Why would this weapon of war, bound to my Valkyrie armor and theoretically only obeying my commands and those from Schicksal's Helheim Labs, become my enemy?
"Cough, cough—"
The maid coughed, a paralyzing sensation in her throat.
She could clearly feel her skin growing numb, her muscles tightening, on the verge of spasming.
Rita had seen many people with these symptoms before.
Anyone eroded by the Carbon-Based Hunter's toxin exhibited these signs.
The "Carbon-Based Hunter" was an extremely dangerous weapon of war. If it released all the poison gas in its body at once, it could even take down an entire enemy platoon.
But I'm wearing my toxin processor.
Rita's mind was in chaos, completely unable to understand why her Shadow Knight: Iron armor couldn't filter out the toxin.
She could only hold her breath and squint her eyes to minimize the damage from the gas.
However, even so, she knew some things had to be done.
For example, dealing with HD-603 as quickly as possible.
Although she wanted to take care of the one who was likely the culprit behind all this first, once HD-603 locked onto a target, it would begin a relentless hunt.
If she didn't deal with it quickly, it would be real trouble if she were caught in a pincer attack.
The target's control over Honkai energy was indeed poor, but he could command an incredible amount of it, achieving victory through brute force, and he seemed to be hiding other powers as well.
If HD-603 was added to the mix, she definitely wouldn't be able to hold out.
With this in mind, Rita tightened her grip on the scythe "Gene Harvester."
The "Gene Harvester" had a potent toxin specifically designed for mechanical units. As long as she adjusted it, dealing with HD-603 would be a simple matter.
She gripped the scythe, preparing to switch the "Gene Harvester's" mode.
And then, the long scythe held in her hand did not change at all.
A chill shot up from the soles of her feet to the crown of her head.
She looked at the long scythe in her hand. The blade, which had always glowed with a faint cyan light, was now swirling with a bizarre, dark red hue.
Just like the tachi the target was using.
Like a flash of inspiration, Rita remembered.
The tachi in the target's hand had been constantly wreathed in a faint, inconspicuous black mist.
And earlier, that black mist had spread out and had, at one point, made contact with her own weapon...
Then, the enemy left.
Subsequently, HD-603 began to release poison gas.
After that, her Valkyrie armor lost its anti-toxin capability.
And finally, her own weapon, the Gene Harvester, went out of control.
The elegant composure on the maid's exquisite and bewitching face was gone, replaced by a grim, ashen pallor.
That sword can erode technological creations!
She gathered all the Honkai energy in her body and fiercely hurled the scythe in her hand at the distant HD-603.
The Gene Harvester, whose power relied mostly on its toxins, was transformed into a streak of black and red light under the support of immense force, smashing viciously into the gas-releasing hound.
As a top-tier technological creation of Schicksal, HD-603, despite its keen reflexes and timely leap, still had one of its forelegs severed.
Due to the unstable center of gravity, its body instantly lost balance and crashed to the ground.
An S-rank Valkyrie was an S-rank Valkyrie, after all. Even in extremely poor physical condition, she possessed immense explosive power.
Theoretically, all Rita had to do was pick up her scythe and strike again, and she could easily finish off the mechanical hound. But, she only gave it a single glance before beginning to retreat.
The Gene Harvester concealed an extremely terrifying toxin inside, all of which was regulated by a database. When necessary, it could be released all at once like an explosive.
If her opponent could erode technological creations, there was no reason he couldn't find the toxin inside, and no reason he wouldn't use it.
To continue holding that already-controlled, highly toxic scythe was simply courting death.
Her breathing now more difficult than before, Rita began to retreat towards the window, tearing off her own corroded armor and throwing it on the ground as she went.
She had lost all her weapons, and her body's functions were declining due to the poison. She was in no condition to continue fighting the target.
She had already lost. Now, she had to escape.
With that thought, she slammed her fist into the tempered glass railing, shattering it to pieces.
Her current position was above the second observation deck of the Tokyo Skytree, at an altitude of nearly five hundred meters.
Jumping from here was tantamount to suicide.
However, Rita didn't think she would die from the fall.
During the descent, she was fully capable of finding points to break her fall, constantly changing her foothold to make a swift getaway.
Given her current physique, she might get injured along the way, but this was already the best option.
After all, if she stayed, her enemies would be the still-combat-capable Carbon-Based Hunter and the target whose abilities were almost entirely intact.
Either die, or be captured. There was no third option.
Not wanting to become a prisoner, the maid took a deep breath and jumped backwards.
And then—
A slender and strong hand, slightly cool to the touch, grabbed Miss Rita's forearm just as she jumped.
Subsequently, the young man's face came into the maid's view.
Around his neck hung the Shadow Knight: Iron's toxin processor, and beside him stood a three-legged mechanical hound.
"Miss, I came at just the right time, didn't I?"
The young man, who had appeared at the last moment and grabbed Rita's arm, had a voice filled with the relief of arriving in time to save someone.
Rita's face stiffened, and then she gave a bitter smile.
"You arrived at precisely the right time."