A young woman and an elderly man were resting on the staircase. The woman gripped the handrail, gasping for breath.
"Huff... huff—I'm so tired, Grandpa. Let me bandage your wounds first."
Kiana crouched down and tore strips of fabric from the old man's white lab coat to bandage his injured ankle, stopping the blood that had been dripping steadily onto the floor.
"That should stop the bleeding for now," the girl said, wiping sweat from her brow.
"Run, child! That demon will soon follow the trail of blood..." Magi urged, watching the panting girl beside him.
"No! I'm taking you with me, Grandpa!" Kiana interrupted.
"I can't walk anymore, child. And without your Valkyrie powers, you're just an ordinary girl now. You can't possibly carry an old man like me out of here."
"...I'm sorry. I wanted to help you, but I've only put you in danger."
"Child... you—!"
Kiana hoisted the old man onto her back.
"Thank you for your kindness, Grandpa, but I won't leave you behind."
"This has nothing to do with whether I have Valkyrie powers or not—"
"Ever since I was a child, I swore to give everything I have to protect everyone!"
Her eyes met his, unwavering and resolute.
I want to protect Grandpa... and everyone else. The words his granddaughter had spoken long ago echoed in Magi's mind. The old man gazed steadily at Kiana, tears streaming down his face.
"What a fool... are all you young girls such fools?" The old man covered his face with his right hand, trying to wipe away the tears.
"Grandpa, what's wrong?" Kiana asked, her eyes filled with concern.
"No... it's nothing... If you insist on bringing me along, take me to the first basement floor."
"The Gem of Serenity is there. If we can get it, we'll have something to negotiate with him—"
The old man's words were cut off by a bloodcurdling scream from the upper floors.
"—No, impossible... How could those weaklings possibly push me this far? How could they?!"
It was the man's voice, but unlike his earlier arrogance and confidence, it was now filled with pain and terror.
The girl and the old man exchanged bewildered glances, their faces etched with confusion.
"Aaaah—!" A scream even more agonizing than before echoed from above, followed by frantic footsteps pounding down the stairs.
"Grandpa, let's hide on this floor first," the white-haired girl said, pushing open the emergency exit door nearby and helping the old man slip inside.
After settling the old man in a corner, the girl nervously watched the door around the corner.
Silence—ever since the last scream and the frantic footsteps, there hadn't been a sound for a long time.
-
Ninti stared at the Herrscher Clone's corpse, which had been whittled down to a near-human trunk before finally succumbing to blood loss. She was lost in thought.
Have my skills deteriorated, or was this one just exceptionally evasive?
-
"That guy hasn't moved in ages. Could he be dead?" Kiana murmured, tending to the old man.
"Oh, right, Grandpa! Once we escape, could you do me a favor?"
"My teacher's body has been severely corroded by Honkai energy. Could your Honkai-Neutralizing Serum help her?"
The white-haired girl's eyes shone with hope as she gazed at the old man.
"I understand. Once we escape, take me to see your teacher, and I'll find a way to heal her," the old man nodded, accepting her invitation.
As they spoke, a pale-gold-haired girl wielding a dagger entered their room.
"You—!" Magi spotted the white-robed girl first, the blood still clinging to the dagger in her hands. The old man's heart clenched with renewed tension.
"Huh? Ninti, what are you doing here?" Unlike Magi's tense expression, Kiana's face lit up with curiosity.
"The First Herrscher's clone has been eliminated. The Gem of Serenity beneath the Empress Hotel will activate in a few minutes, engulfing this city in a Great Honkai Eruption."
"Please evacuate immediately, Sister Kiana."
Ninti, watching the curious girl, relayed Snow's earlier instructions to the white-haired "clump" before her.
"What?! A Great Honkai Eruption?! No way, I have to stop it! Grandpa, do you know the password to the underground warehouse?"
The girl panicked upon hearing that a catastrophe would erupt in minutes.
"The password to the underground warehouse? It's 8088, child. If you want to do something, go now..." Magi nodded at the girl.
"Alright, I'm going right away! Ninti, please take care of Grandpa!" Kiana dashed downstairs in a hurry.
The golden-haired girl cast an indifferent glance at the old man beside her.
"...You're different from that child... You're a killer... and you only need an order to act... right? Little girl, now that you've sent the child away, how do you plan to deal with me, this traitor to Schicksal...?"
Magi met the Valkyrie's gaze calmly, his expression composed.
"...If you're going to kill me, please give the last Honkai-Neutralizing Serum I have to that child's teacher. I promised her I would."
"...Uncle Yang wants to see you," Ninti said, tilting her head slightly, showing no intention of attacking.
"Who?" The old man looked confused.
"Welt Yang, the current Leader of Anti-Entropy," Ninti repeated, raising her voice, assuming the old man's hearing was failing.
"Aren't you a Schicksal Valkyrie...?"
"Allow me to explain, Miss Ninti," a brown-haired man interjected, stepping forward from the doorway.
"Then I'll go assist the adults—" Ninti tilted her head again and vanished before their eyes.
"Alright, take care, little one," Welt waved at the empty doorway before turning to face the white-haired old man.
"Hello, Dr. Magi. I am Welt Yang, the true current Leader of Anti-Entropy—" As the old man stared in disbelief, the middle-aged man revealed his identity.
"Come, let's go. I think we have much to discuss," Welt said, extending his hand.
"Just a moment. Please allow me to leave a gift for that child. I promised her I would," the old man replied, producing a vial of medicine and placing it on the room's table.
-
The golden-haired girl impatiently tore through every Self-Destruct Mecha in her path. These pesky little things were starting to make her feel a flicker of irritation.
After all, she couldn't just demolish the entire building.
"Get out of my way, soulless machines!" Snow kicked the last Spider Mecha to pieces and strode into the underground warehouse.
There, a white-haired girl with golden eyes was watching her with haughty disdain.
"Greetings, Schicksal Valkyrie... I believe we're about to create some truly unforgettable memories?"
"Funny, I was thinking the same thing..."
"Now—kneel, human/worm beneath the tree!"
Both girls spoke simultaneously, declaring their arrogance and superiority.