Inside Schicksal Headquarters.
"Reporting to the Overseer. According to the medical examination, A-rank Valkyries Cheng Lixue and Patricia did not suffer severe injuries. They should be able to return to combat within this month."
"However, we did not find any trace of Cecilia at the scene. She was most likely taken away by the enemy."
Amber looked at the report in her hands as she spoke.
After hearing this, Otto's brows furrowed, a clear displeasure appearing on his face.
To him, the lives of two A-rank Valkyries were irrelevant.
But Cecilia could not be lost.
Ever since the previous S-rank Valkyrie, Reanna Brigantia—the soulium Valkyrie—had perished at his own hands, Schicksal had not produced a new S-rank in decades.
Of course, the rank itself was not what truly mattered.
What mattered was the extraordinarily pure Schariac Holy Blood within Cecilia's body—a power capable of suppressing even a Herrscher. The natural enemy of Honkai.
Otto was currently in an extremely anxious mood.
It was like spending an enormous amount of resources in a game with no pity system, finally pulling a rare SR card as an unlucky player—only to have that SR disappear.
He had already nearly maxed Cecilia out. Experience books and materials had almost been fully invested. She was practically ready for graduation—just one signature weapon away: Abyss Flower.
And now she was gone.
"Find her!" Otto ordered coldly. "Search immediately! Cecilia is extremely important to us. Mobilize all intelligence forces at once and investigate her whereabouts. The moment there is news, report to me. No matter what, bring her back… or destroy her."
If she could be found, bring her back.
If she could not return, eliminate her.
That was Otto—cold, ruthless, and merciless.
...
Meanwhile, inside the World Serpent base...
"Where… is this?"
As Cecilia regained consciousness, she stared at the unfamiliar ceiling above her.
Sitting up, she realized she was inside an elegantly decorated room.
"Welcome to World Serpent, Miss Cecilia Schariac."
"Huh? May I ask who you are?"
Cecilia looked at the person before her in confusion.
A young man—judging by his voice—sat upon a genuine leather sofa. His face was covered by a white-and-gold mask, and his snow-white hair seemed even purer than her own. His bearing was incomparably noble.
Elias tossed a peeled apple toward Cecilia.
"I've already treated your injuries. How do you feel?"
"My injuries?"
Taking a bite of the apple, Cecilia was surprised to discover that her wounds had indeed completely healed.
After suffering that gravitational attack, her internal organs had shifted and bled.
But now, not only was there no pain—her entire body felt light and comfortable.
"Th-Thank you for saving me, I mean…"
"Just call me Elias. No need to be polite. As for the mask, don't worry about it. It's for your safety."
Elias tapped the white-and-gold mask lightly.
Cecilia immediately grew nervous.
Is he the kind of person who kills anyone who sees his face?
"Your expression tells me you're overthinking it," Elias said calmly. "I'm not letting you see my face simply because it would be too lethal for you."
Those who possessed the Schariac stigmata would unconsciously develop affection toward him.
If one were to score it out of a hundred, that innate goodwill would already be around ninety points.
However, if Elias restrained his aura and concealed his appearance, he could suppress it to roughly sixty.
It might sound like just barely above half—but in truth, it was outrageous.
A stranger typically started at around thirty points.
Sixty already meant a trustworthy friend.
If Elias removed the mask, Cecilia would likely fall in love at first sight and be almost completely conquered.
But that would be far too dull. He had no intention of doing so.
"I'm not entirely sure what you mean," Cecilia said sincerely, "but regardless, Mr. Elias, thank you for saving me."
"It was nothing."
Seeing the pure smile on the girl's face, Elias raised a brow behind his mask.
At this stage of her life, Cecilia truly seemed rather innocent.
Thinking about it, that made perfect sense.
As the young lady of the long-standing and notoriously generous—ah, no—the Schariac family, she had been raised with upright education from childhood. After Otto set his sights on her, she had barely stepped outside Schicksal Headquarters.
By that logic, she was practically an inexperienced noble lady.
Combined with her pure disposition…
It was fortunate that the one who picked her up was Elias.
If she had fallen into the hands of a villain, she might have helped count the money after being sold.
"Oh no, I need to return to my mission immediately."
Seeing the time displayed on the wall clock, Cecilia hurried to get out of bed.
She searched herself and helplessly discovered that her terminal device had already been destroyed.
"Wait, Valkyrie of Schicksal."
"Huh? You know I'm a Valkyrie?"
"Heh. Isn't the large emblem on your uniform obvious enough?"
Elias pointed toward her chest.
The golden insignia of Schicksal resembled a bold character at a glance—though it was in fact two steel wings.
Cecilia glanced down at herself and suddenly found the resemblance oddly amusing. The corners of her lips lifted slightly.
"Ahem." Elias' tone shifted. "As the one who saved you, I'd like to ask you something. Why did you become a Valkyrie?"
"…" Cecilia hesitated before answering. "To fight for all that is beautiful."
"A beautiful answer," Elias replied, shaking his head. "But not the real one. At least—not for you right now."
"To fight for all that is beautiful" was the slogan Otto had set for Schicksal.
Of course, it was largely a lie.
For that fool, the only beautiful thing in his world had died five hundred years ago.
Yet in another sense, it was true.
After all, most Valkyries genuinely believed in and fought for that ideal.
"Cecilia," Elias said softly as he stepped closer, "becoming a Valkyrie was not your own choice. It was a destiny arranged for you. You have yet to find your own 'beautiful,' so you cannot truly fight for it."
Even through the crystalline lenses of his mask, Cecilia could clearly feel his gaze.
"Mr. Elias… do you know me?"
"Mm-hm~ I heard about you from someone. She said that the current you hasn't found your true self yet. You're just a puppet acting according to someone else's orders."
"A… puppet…"
Cecilia's eyes widened slightly.
She could not find any words to refute him.
Up until now, her life had indeed been arranged and manipulated—by her family, or by a certain scheming Overseer.
Although she had long known this in her heart, hearing it stated so bluntly still hurt.
At that moment, Elias extended his hand toward her.
"So, would you consider joining World Serpent?"
"Huh?"
"I can change your destiny—but I won't arrange your life. What do you say, Cecilia? If you take this hand, you'll gain freedom."
Cecilia stared blankly at the hand he offered.
It felt strangely alluring.
As though if she simply grasped it, the invisible chains binding her would shatter.
She also realized that she had subconsciously developed trust in Elias—instinctively believing his words. Though, to be fair, she would not normally doubt her savior anyway.
Unconsciously, she raised her hand.
But just before her fingers could touch his—
She withdrew.
"…I don't sense any malice from you. I can feel that you're genuinely thinking for my sake. Thank you for the invitation. But I don't intend to give up my identity as a Valkyrie."
"Why?"
"Because I've accepted who I am now. Even if I've lost my freedom, I don't regret it. And I believe that becoming a Valkyrie is something right and meaningful."
Cecilia spoke earnestly.
Her sky-blue eyes were filled with unwavering determination.
"I see. So you choose acceptance."
Unlike Siegfried, who rejected the Kaslana mission in pursuit of freedom—
Cecilia chose to accept her mission.
Even if it meant losing her freedom.
Even if she had not yet found the 'beautiful' she wished to fight for.
She knew that the path she walked now was not a mistake.
"Well then, my attempt at poaching you has failed. What a pity."
Elias withdrew his hand without hesitation.
In truth, he hadn't expected much.
If Cecilia had agreed, that would have been the real surprise.
"I'm… very sorry."
Cecilia lowered her head apologetically.
Then she suddenly realized she had likely been out of contact for quite some time. She needed to return to headquarters and report in as soon as possible.
"So impatient. This is the outside world you've always longed for, isn't it? Wouldn't it be nice to stay a little longer? Why rush back into the cage?"
"Because… my mission…"
"Ah~ You're far too serious. I wonder if that little goose inherited this from you. And speaking of which… Cecilia, do you actually know the way back?"
"Huh?"
Cecilia froze.
Looking out the window, she realized she was in an unfamiliar region. There were no recognizable landmarks in sight.
Not to mention that World Serpent's base was, of course, highly concealed.
Aside from this mission, Cecilia had never left headquarters before. And now her terminal was destroyed.
She wasn't exactly directionally challenged—but there was no way she could independently find her way back to Schicksal Headquarters.
"May… may I ask where we are?"
She asked Elias blankly.
The name he gave her was one she had never even heard before.
Cecilia instantly felt lost.
After hesitating for a moment, she spoke shyly.
"Mr. Elias… could you please help me return?"
"Why should I?"
"Um—please! I'll definitely repay you properly later. I'll do anything you ask!"
Cecilia said with complete sincerity.
Elias' eyelid twitched slightly as he looked at the pure and somewhat airheaded girl before him.
She felt rather different from the version in his memories.
Though the Cecilia of the original timeline had the same personality, she at least possessed far more knowledge and experience.
This Cecilia—who knew far less—seemed even more dangerously adorable.
In the end, Elias agreed to send her back.
(It's not like I'm in a hurry. I still have plenty of leeway in this time travel. And if I forcibly kept her here, the only thing left to play would be imprisonment play.)
Elias had always respected personal will.
Besides, in this era he had the power to do as he pleased. If she changed her mind later, there would be nothing stopping him.
"Then let's go. I'll take you for a ride."
"O-Okay!"
...
Half an hour later.
With the roar of a quantum engine, a sleek blue-and-white motorcycle sped along the highway.
"How does it feel, Cecilia?"
"It's amazing!"
Sitting on the back seat, Cecilia wrapped her arms around Elias' waist and gazed at the scenery ahead in delight.
The strong wind sent her white hair flying. The sensation of speed made her heart race.
Elias smiled faintly and twisted the throttle further.
By the way, the motorcycle he was riding was Project Bunny—directly constructed using the authority of the Herrscher of Reason.
In fact, Project Bunny was also a product of the Previous Era.
"…Mr. Elias, could you slow down a little?"
"Just call me Elias. Why slow down? A future S-rank Valkyrie wouldn't be scared of—ah. I see."
They had already entered the town.
Unlike a certain Bronya, Elias didn't have to worry about anyone revoking his license and could have maintained top speed straight through.
But with his emotional intelligence, he immediately understood Cecilia's thoughts and slowed the bike, allowing the girl behind him to take in more of the scenery.
"This place is so lively! There are so many things I've never seen before. Elias, what shop is that? There's a yellow bunny on the sign. It's so cute."
Cecilia pointed curiously.
"…I truly don't understand what's so cute about that yellow rat. Bronya is just as obsessed with it. It's just an ordinary Homu Happy Restaurant. Want to stop and eat?"
"N-No, that's alright. I've already caused you a lot of trouble. And I need to return to headquarters as soon as possible to report."
Cecilia shook her head.
Suppressing her desire, she simply wanted to look at this vibrant, colorful world a little longer before returning to Schicksal Headquarters.
That way, once she returned and lost her freedom of movement again, she would at least have a few more memories—and fantasies—to hold onto.
But her questions still wouldn't stop.
"What about that shop?"
"A regular arcade."
"And those clothes in that store are so beautiful—but they don't look very practical for combat."
"Because that shop sells wedding dresses."
"Are those people doing some kind of aerial combat training? They're shouting so loudly."
"Uh… they're just screaming on a roller coaster. Don't tell me you've never heard of an amusement park?"
Elias patiently answered each and every one of Cecilia's questions.
These were ordinary sights for most people.
But for Cecilia, they were entirely new.
It was as if she were seeing the world for the first time—everything felt novel.
"So this is what the outside world is like… There are so many interesting places… I never knew…"
The hands clutching Elias' clothes tightened unconsciously.
Her gaze lingered longingly on the surroundings, like a bird in a cage yearning for the open sky.
"Want to stop? You really want to go in and look around, don't you? Shopping is practically instinctive for girls."
"Is… is that so? This is the first I've heard of that too. But I think I'll pass. Being able to see all this like this already makes me feel very fortunate."
"Oh? Alright then."
Elias shrugged as if indifferent.
Then he pressed his earpiece and contacted a certain highly efficient subordinate, lowering his voice so that Cecilia couldn't hear.
"Gray Serpent. I need you to do something."
(Please give any order, Lord!)
"Create a reason for us to stop."
(Understood! Mission will be completed within three minutes!)
And so, three minutes later…
Elias and Cecilia were stopped by traffic police—World Serpent personnel in disguise.
They first informed them that the road ahead was under temporary traffic control and currently inaccessible.
Then they declared that Elias had been speeding and that his motorcycle had been illegally modified. His license and vehicle would be temporarily confiscated.
(Lord, the mission is complete.)
Elias: "...Fine."