Chapter 413: Old Friends
Boom! Boom! BOOM!
One heavy mech after another slammed into the ground, shaking up rocks and sand and whipping the air into howling gusts.
When everything finally settled, one could see that atop the dismembered remains of hundreds—if not thousands—of colossal Honkai Beasts, either standing or sitting at ease, was a hundred-strong formation of Valkyries. Each of them was radiant and composed, lingering calmly on the battlefield like a host of war angels descended upon the mortal world.
Rita lightly leapt down from the massive beast's head, more than ten meters high. One hand held a silver-gray scythe, the other lifted the hem of her maid's skirt as she bent her knees slightly in an elegant curtsy.
"Rita, Valkyrie of Schicksal, is honored to meet the warriors of Anti-Entropy."
She smiled charmingly, her eyes alluring and playful.
Long legs, a graceful figure, picturesque brows and eyes, poised and captivating—this sight appeared in the vision feed of every cockpit, and it was enough to leave many pilots momentarily dazed.
Frontline commander Lei Zhen saw it as well. Compared to Rita's beauty, however, what truly drew his attention was the line of information displayed beside her in his field of view.
"An S-rank Valkyrie from the Immortal Blades squad, huh? That is rare," he said with a shake of his head, projecting his voice through his mechanized mount so that it echoed for several kilometers. "If I remember correctly, this area falls under Anti-Entropy's jurisdiction."
"So we're merely passing through," Rita replied.
"Fair enough. Thanks for clearing the roadblocks for us. Since we're obviously headed for the same destination, how about hitching a ride with us?"
"That's exactly what Rita was about to suggest. Thank you for your generosity, Colonel Lei Zhen! Immortal Blades, find your spots—we're catching a ride!"
One after another, the Valkyries leapt up, quickly claiming positions on the shoulders or heads of the giant mechs, settling in securely.
"You're really not holding back, are you…"
Through the holographic tactical display, Lei Zhen looked at Rita standing on his mech's shoulder and shook his head, speechless.
Soon after, the vast follow-up forces linked up. The earth trembled, and clouds of sand and dust billowed into the air.
"Move out!"
Lei Zhen took a step forward, and the giant mech followed suit.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The massive steel behemoths sent tremors through the ground with every step. Even their normal march revealed a mere glimpse of their terrifying power.
Rita stood steadily on the mech's shoulder, which remained perfectly stable despite the motion. She couldn't help but tap the long handle of her scythe lightly with a finger.
Five years ago, the Immortal Blades had numbered little more than a dozen members in total. Yet Rita had been confident that, even without their captain Durandal, she could lead that team to near-invincibility on this planet.
Five years later, after Schicksal's restructuring and expansion, the number of elite Valkyries in the Immortal Blades had grown to over a hundred. And yet, when Rita beheld Colonel Lei Zhen's steel legion—one hundred and twenty mechs strong—she could no longer say with absolute certainty that they would prevail in battle.
Five years ago, no Valkyrie thought much of Anti-Entropy as an organization.
Five years later, not a single Valkyrie believed that, if things truly came to blows, Anti-Entropy would lose.
The times had changed.
In terms of average individual quality, Valkyries bearing stigmata still surpassed Anti-Entropy's enhanced soldiers by several tiers. But in sheer numbers, even after multiple expansions, Valkyries amounted to only a fraction of Anti-Entropy's forces.
More importantly, Valkyries relied on close-combat armor and specialized weapons to amplify individual strength. No matter how powerful, they were still individuals. Anti-Entropy was different. Their warfare was built on saturated long-range firepower, endless swarms of intelligent machines, and the ability to call in devastating aerial support at any moment.
All these changes seemed to have happened quietly, without anyone noticing. And yet, when people finally looked up to take stock of the situation, the entire balance of power had already shifted.
"Sigh…"
Rita let out a soft sigh, though there was no sorrow in it at all.
The times had indeed changed, but the value of Valkyries was still irreplaceable.
Anti-Entropy excelled at large-scale warfare, while Valkyries specialized in special operations: rapid breakthroughs, guerrilla actions, rescue missions, special specimen capture, and the assault of high-value individual targets.
Between the two sides, the relationship was far more one of complementary strengths than blind competition, something that was explicitly written into their cooperation agreement.
Because of that, the growing power of humanity's resistance against the Honkai brought Rita only relief and joy. There was no sense of fading heroism or melancholy to be found in it.
"I wonder what Lady Durandal is doing right now…"
…
"Achoo!"
Durandal rubbed her nose. With her other hand raised in guard, she used her white armguard to block a sweeping kick that carried the weight of a mountain.
"Sneezing in the middle of a fight? Don't tell me you've caught a cold, Bi-bi-bi… You… You-ghost-dale?"
"It's Bianca Ataegina. You can just call me Durandal, Miss Li Sushang."
"Uh, right! Sorry—your Raksha names… I mean, Western names, they're really a mouthful. I'll need to memorize them a few more times! So, are we still fighting?"
"Of course. I can see that your body is only just starting to get back into form. Since I was ordered to assist you in restoring your strength, we should press on in one go!"
Boom!!!
Their fists collided, shockwaves blasting stone tiles into the air as the twin-tailed girl in the archaic white dress was sent flying backward.
At the same time, the immovable Durandal frowned as she saw a single strand of her hair quietly severed and drift down, cut by the sharp residual force.
"What a fascinating technique. It reminds me of that unfathomable celestial, Fu Hua."
"Oh? You know the Immortal Emperya? She's my grandmaster, you know. Though… our last meeting wasn't exactly pleasant."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Even as they spoke calmly, their fists and kicks clashed again and again, moving like chasing wind and lightning, each strike producing explosive bursts of compressed air.
Durandal suddenly realized something.
"So you're from the same lineage? Then that explains it."
"Hehe! So, how do you think my sword qi compares to my grandmaster's?"
Boom!!!
"That's hard to say. I never truly fought that girl. But if I had to judge… she should be stronger. From her, I can instinctively feel a pressure that feels impossible to overcome. That's exceedingly rare."
"I totally get it! After all, she's a legendary figure. Even the Raksha—ah, I mean, Archbishop Otto told me the same thing. The grandmaster I met was always grievously injured. Compared to her true self, what I saw was probably less than one ten-thousandth of her real strength."
Boom!!!
The exchange never ceased, and neither did their relaxed conversation—as though battle and dialogue existed independently of each other. That alone was proof of how at ease both sides were, even in such fierce combat.
Boom!!!
After countless collisions, Durandal finally took a step back.
Li Sushang landed on both feet, slid several meters across the ground, then raised a hand to her forehead, wiping away sweat with an exaggerated gesture.
"Phew! That was exhilarating! I've never met anyone like you, your physical body is unbelievably strong, and your technique and battle sense are just as outstanding. If you don't reveal a trump card, there's basically no way to deal with you at all!"
"You flatter me, Miss Li Sushang. Your strength is what truly exceeded my expectations. As expected of the S-rank Valkyrie personally appointed by Lord Otto—you live up to the title."
In the face of praise, Durandal remained neither arrogant nor self-effacing, her demeanor refined and composed.
That temperament—so closely aligned with the gentlemanly, jade-like virtue admired in Shenzhou culture—made Li Sushang's eyes light up. A smile crept onto her face before she even realized it, her fondness growing unconsciously.
Durandal, in turn, smiled as well. Strong, easy to get along with, an ally—one label after another was placed upon Li Sushang in her mind, and she found herself genuinely appreciating the girl before her.
Clap! Clap!
At that moment, crisp applause rang out nearby.
A girl of stunning beauty, radiant and flawless like pure gold, approached at an unhurried pace. She wore a luxurious crimson gown embroidered with golden patterns, dazzling and supremely noble.
"Alright, that's enough for warming up and introductions. If we check the time, it's about time we made some preparations."
"Yes, Lady Hera!"
"Preparations? Preparations for what? Raksha didn't tell me anything about that… And, uh, who are you, anyway? You look kind of familiar, somehow!"
Durandal responded with obedient calm, but Li Sushang sniffed lightly, as if catching a scent, while scrutinizing Hera from head to toe, a hint of suspicion flickering in her eyes.
Hera revealed a bright, flawless smile.
"Honorable S-rank Valkyrie Li Sushang, I am Hera Schariac—Archbishop Otto's representative and Schicksal's chief external affairs officer. Simply put, the Archbishop has transferred his authority to issue orders to you to me. What I say is what he says. I believe he should have informed you of this already."
"Oh… when you put it that way, I remember now. Yeah, that did happen."
"Then please do as I say and change into something more formal. We are about to witness a moment of history—one that is destined to be etched into the annals of civilization."
"That sounds… kind of mystical."
Faced with Hera's captivating smile, Li Sushang muttered while stroking her chin. A moment later, she was pulled away by Durandal.
After the two ace combatants departed, Hera looked at the training ground, now riddled with damage, and gently shook her head.
"Honestly… you never realize how expensive things are until you're the one paying the bills. Every brick and tile here costs a fortune."
The corners of Hera's lips curved upward as she opened her lady's folding fan, elegantly covering her mouth.
In the next instant, the shattered floor and walls began to restore themselves, as if time itself were flowing backward. Before long, the entire training ground looked as good as new.
"Old friends… two old friends. I'm rather looking forward to your meeting. I hope this will be a surprise you'll both be happy with."
Gazing at the fully restored training ground and imagining the scene of Li Sushang reuniting with Fu Hua, the curve of Hera's smile deepened behind the folding fan, brimming with anticipation.
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