Bridge — Schicksal Shuttle EOSA Few Hours Later
The EOS drifted silently above Arc City.
Inside the bridge, the lights were dimmed as Rita reviewed the information gathered from Heliopolis.
A holographic communication window suddenly appeared.
Alvitr's hologram materialised before Rita.
Alvitr: "Adjutant, I've gone through the data that Heliopolis gave us."
Rita looked up from the screen.
Rita: "Alvitr? Echelon 3, am I right?"
Alvitr immediately brightened.
Alvitr: "Yes, I'm squad technician Alvitr! They say you know every Valkyrie by name, and I've just found out that it's true!"
She clasped her hands excitedly.
Alvitr: "They also told me that it's a great privilege to fight alongside you…"
Alvitr: "…But you're often on solo missions. You can't believe how many of us wanted to be on the same mission with you!"
Rita smiled faintly.
Rita: "You flatter me. Enough with the hierarchies. Please just call me Rita."
Alvitr immediately became nervous.
Alvitr: "Oh, yes, Miss Rita. Oh, NO! It's… not right. Captain Durandal will be really cross if she heard me say that."
Rita's smile widened.
Rita: "Hmph. Will she? I shall deliver your generous compliments to our Captain."
Alvitr's expression turned horrified.
Alvitr: "Kyaa, no, please! That won't be necessary."
Rita allowed herself a small chuckle.
Alvitr quickly straightened herself.
Alvitr: "Ahem. Let's focus on work. So… Heliopolis sent us Honkai-related medical records for the past 5 months…"
Several files appeared on Rita's screen.
Alvitr: "…We have over 4000 individual files categorised under 35 Honkai incidents."
Rita's eyes narrowed.
Rita: "35? Appalling. Anything about K423?"
Alvitr began sorting through the records.
Alvitr: "An entry from 2 months ago. Multiple beasts at an overpass south of the city."
Alvitr: "A victim claimed to have witnessed a girl fighting the beasts, but was later diagnosed with post-traumatic stress."
She paused.
Alvitr: "I don't think it was PTSD. This victim probably saw her."
Rita nodded.
Rita: "Well done, Alvitr."
Alvitr smiled proudly.
Alvitr: "Heheh, thank you, Adjutant Rita. Everyone flatters me by calling me the best tool of Echelon 3."
Rita raised an eyebrow.
Rita: "Oh dear, best tool? That isn't very nice… ahem. Anything else?"
Alvitr continued searching.
Alvitr: "No. I mapped descriptions of K423 to the records but got nothing. She probably never went to a hospital."
More files appeared.
Alvitr: "No medical records… no shopping records… even city-wide surveillance records gave nothing. Is she a ninja?"
Rita looked toward the enormous city beneath the shuttle.
Rita: "She can avoid the cameras and hide amongst the people, but if she's stayed in the city…"
Rita's eyes sharpened.
Rita: "…Someone should have seen her and may have even taken a picture. The clues you've found proved this much."
Alvitr sighed.
Alvitr: "But… finding such data from every site and page on the web will take months!"
Rita thought for a moment.
Rita: "Hmm, Alvitr, have you heard about the underground intel market that monitors every single data stream on the web?"
Alvitr looked surprised.
Rita stood.
Rita: "I'll check that market if I'm the one looking for clues."
Underground Intel Market — Arc City
Some time later, Rita arrived at an abandoned facility hidden beneath the city.
She stepped into the darkness wearing her Stalker: Phantom Iron battle suit.
The entrance looked deserted.
Too deserted.
Rita looked around.
Rita: "This should be the Gray Serpent's territory."
Suddenly—
BEEP! BEEP!
Defensive systems activated.
Heavy mechs emerged from hidden compartments.
Weapons locked onto Rita.
She calmly looked around.
Rita: "These defensive mechs still work?"
Her scythe appeared in her hands.
Rita sighed.
Rita: "This place needs a thorough cleanup."
She raised the weapon.
Rita: "Hope it won't be a mess this time."
The mechs charged.
Rita vanished.
SWOOSH!
Her scythe carved through the first machine.
CLANG!
She spun.
Another mech fell apart.
SLASH!
Then another.
And another.
The entire battle lasted only seconds.
The final mech collapsed onto the floor with a shower of sparks.
Silence returned.
Rita lowered her scythe.
The room was empty.
Machines hummed quietly in the background.
This place handled bids from across the world for knowledge—the cheapest yet most valuable commodity.
The Gray Serpent was dead.
But his business remained very much alive.
Rita slowly looked around.
Something about the situation bothered her.
She thought about the man she had killed.
Something did not add up.
She wasn't entirely certain that she had truly killed that man.
Rita shook her head.
There was no time for speculation.
She retrieved the Ningyo's mobile data storage device and connected it to the terminal.
The system immediately responded.
Rita: "Access granted. Ningyo index module detected."
The screen filled with countless databases.
Rita: "Where should I begin?"
She remembered the witnesses.
A girl fighting Honkai beasts.
Then she remembered Cioara's words.
The lone ranger.
Rita's expression changed.
She now knew exactly what she was looking for.
She entered the search criteria.
The system returned the results almost immediately.
A map appeared.
It displayed the coordinates of every Honkai attack recorded in Arc City over the past few months.
Rumors.
Photographs.
Videos.
Posts from countless websites.
Everything appeared across the screen.
Rita scanned the information rapidly.
Then—
She stopped.
A familiar figure appeared in one of the images.
Rita smiled.
Rita: "There you are, K423."
She immediately contacted Alvitr.
Rita: "Alvitr, did you mention that a large number of Honkai beast attacks had occurred in Arc during the last 2 months?"
Alvitr: "Yes. 35 cases in 2 months, mostly at the city's outskirts. They declared martial law as a response."
Rita studied the map.
The attack sites were clustered around several areas.
Rita: "It seems that something within the city was drawing the beasts to it."
She quickly began forming a plan.
Rita: "Keep an eye on the Arc emergency system and deploy the Immortal Blades to the site of the next Honkai attack."
Alvitr blinked.
Alvitr: "Eh? What about K423? Are we giving up on her?"
Rita shook her head.
Rita: "My intel tells me that she frequents the sites of the attacks. Some witnesses even took pictures of her."
Alvitr's eyes widened.
Alvitr: "That's genius! Getting to the next beast attack will give us a chance of catching K423!"
She smiled.
Alvitr: "I guess we can just sit back and wait patiently for the next outbreak."
Rita: "Indeed, and it won't be long before the next attack takes place in this city."
Two Days LaterArc City — North District
Sirens suddenly rang across the city.
Honkai energy levels spiked.
Rita stood among her Valkyrie squad, now wearing her Argent Knight: Artemis battle suit.
Alvitr's holographic display flashed red.
Alvitr: "Adjutant, we've intercepted the alarm signal sent by the ARC Patrols!"
The map zoomed toward a northern sector.
Alvitr: "There are Honkai beasts detected in D-2322 in ARC North."
Rita immediately raised her weapon.
Rita: "Assemble the squad. To the target location."
The Valkyries prepared themselves.
Rita's voice became firm.
Rita: "Alert, all units. Hide yourselves as soon as possible once you enter the target location."
She looked toward the battlefield ahead.
Rita: "Bear in mind that you can only kill the Honkai beasts in the way."
Alvitr suddenly noticed something unusual.
Alvitr: "The zombies… they're entering a state of frenzy!"
She zoomed in on the battlefield.
Alvitr: "Hmm… I can see glowing red patterns on them. Wait, those markings appear to be Stigmata!"
Rita's eyes narrowed.
Rita: "Stigmata? We'll figure that out later. Get into position."
Alvitr immediately acknowledged.
Alvitr: "Roger! I might have made a mistake…"
The Valkyries moved into position.
Below them—
A lone girl tore through the battlefield.
Kiana.
Her Void Drifter form moved like a shadow through the hordes.
Pistols flashed.
Honkai beasts were blown apart.
Zombies were thrown aside.
She moved faster than the surrounding enemies could react.
Rita watched from the shadows.
Her eyes narrowed.
Rita: "K423 spotted."
She raised her scythe.
Rita: "All units! Prepare to engage!"
But Kiana seemed completely unaware of the trap.
She dashed between the beasts and zombies, pistols blazing.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Her final shots tore through another target.
She landed silently.
Her pale hair flowed behind her like moonlight.
Around her lay the defeated carcasses of countless Honkai creatures.
Kiana slowly turned.
She waited.
Silence filled the battlefield.
Then she spoke.
Kiana: "Look, you can stop hiding already. I know where you are."
Rita and her squad emerged from the shadows.
Weapons were immediately raised.
Every Valkyrie aimed directly at Kiana.
Rita stepped forward.
Rita: "A pleasure to meet you again, Miss Kaslana."
She smiled.
Rita: "Or perhaps I should address you as… the Herrscher of the Void?"
Kiana's eyes widened.
Kiana: "Rita Rossweisse?"
For a moment, Kiana remembered their previous encounter.
The maid who had once intervened in the sparring match between Kouga and Durandal.
The same Rita who had ultimately lost to Kouga alongside Durandal—and had later been sent to work as a maid in his dorm.
Kiana's expression became complicated.
Rita remained perfectly composed.
Rita: "You must have had a hard time drifting on the streets. The Overseer cordially invites you back to HQ."
Kiana's expression hardened.
Kiana: "I'm not going with you."
Rita's smile remained.
Rita: "You're unstable and attracting Honkai beast attacks upon this innocent city."
She raised her scythe slightly.
Rita: "Only Schicksal can help you. We will treat you and make sure that you'll no longer hurt anyone else."
Kiana stared at her.
Kiana: "I don't want to repeat myself."
Rita sighed.
Rita: "What a stubborn little girl."
The Valkyries rushed forward.
Kiana moved.
The first Valkyrie lunged.
Kiana sidestepped.
THUD!
A precise chop struck the Valkyrie's neck.
Another attacked from behind.
Kiana turned and drove a fist into her stomach.
BAM!
A third tried to tackle her.
Kiana ducked beneath the attack and swept her legs.
Within seconds, the squad lay unconscious.
Rita watched.
Then—
Rita: "Aesir mechas, initiate the siege."
Heavy machines dropped from above.
BOOM!
The mechs surrounded Kiana.
Their weapons activated.
Kiana raised her hand.
The air distorted.
Honkai energy surged around her.
The mechs suddenly began to rise from the ground.
Their armor groaned under immense gravitational pressure.
CRUNCH!
One mech collapsed in on itself.
Another was crushed into the pavement.
Seeing this, Rita immediately rushed forward.
Her scythe flashed.
Kiana raised her pistols.
The two fighters collided.
CLANG!
Pistols roared.
The scythe sang through the air.
Kiana moved like a comet.
Rita moved like a crescent moon.
Their battle illuminated the dark battlefield with flashes of gunfire and silver steel.
Yet this titanic clash lasted only a few moments.
Both fighters finally separated.
They regained their footing.
And once again, they stood facing each other.
Kiana lowered her pistols slightly.
Kiana: "I have a question for you, Rita."
Rita watched her carefully.
Kiana: "What do you think is more important? Catching me, or saving this city from disaster?"
Rita answered without hesitation.
Rita: "Catching you will save this city from disaster, dear."
Kiana shook her head.
Kiana: "Capturing me won't be easy now."
She reached into her jacket.
Kiana: "Believe what you will, but I'm not the reason behind the Honkai beast attacks."
Kiana walked past Rita.
For a moment, Rita didn't move.
Then Kiana placed something into her palm.
An empty injector.
Kiana: "Take this, and find out what Heliopolis is up to for yourself."
Kiana continued walking.
She paused only once.
Kiana: "And… I'm not leaving the city."
Her voice became firm.
Kiana: "Stopping the disaster means more to me than making it out alive."
She looked back.
Kiana: "I know you've no reason to trust me…"
Kiana turned away.
Kiana: "But the choice is yours anyway."
Then she disappeared into the darkness of Arc City.
Rita remained where she stood.
The injector rested in her palm.
Her eyes followed the darkness where Kiana had vanished.
LaterBridge — Schicksal Shuttle EOS
Rita silently examined the evidence Kiana had presented to her.
An injector.
Standard Schicksal design.
A data card engraved with the Heliopolis logo.
Most likely a pass for opening security doors.
Rita's expression became increasingly serious.
Kiana's words had left her confused.
And that confusion slowly developed into something much stronger.
A compelling need for answers.
Alvitr's hologram appeared.
Alvitr: "Miss Rita, I've traced the injector serial number. It came from the batch of vaccines we supplied to Heliopolis."
Rita looked up.
Alvitr: "But the contents and active agents have been replaced. No, they've been changed…"
More data appeared.
Alvitr: "Our vaccine agent was modified into an activator for significantly boosting Honkai resistance."
Alvitr hesitated.
Alvitr: "But I'm not seeing any negative pharmacological effects on the human body."
Rita's expression darkened.
Rita: "Hmm… What is Heliopolis trying to do?"
Alvitr suddenly remembered something.
Alvitr: "Erm… there's something I need to tell you, Miss Rita."
Alvitr: "I want to talk about the zombies' glowing patterns that I saw while in action today."
She brought up the images.
Alvitr: "I'm now very certain that they're Stigmata!"
Rita frowned.
Rita: "Stigmata? Are you sure, Alvitr? Your claims sound preposterous."
Alvitr shook her head.
Alvitr: "I definitely saw it! People might call me careless, but I'm very certain of what I saw."
Rita stared at the images.
If Alvitr was correct, the implications were enormous.
Rita: "If you're right, then this Arc City incident has turned out to be far more complicated than it appears."
She folded her arms.
Rita: "Stigmata are a secret Schicksal tech used only by the Valkyries. If the zombies have them, it would mean 2 things…"
Rita's eyes narrowed.
Rita: "Someone has been turning Valkyries into zombies… or someone figured out how to implant Stigmata on people."
Silence filled the bridge.
Rita thought about it carefully.
Then she made her decision.
Rita: "I don't think I can sleep tonight. I must investigate this and prove my hypothesis."
Alvitr's eyes widened.
Alvitr: "What?! Are you heading to the Heliopolis facilities? Trespassing is a violation of our treaty with them…"
Rita smiled.
Rita: "Circumventing a few rules is sometimes necessary to achieve our mission."
She looked toward the city.
Rita: "Besides, K423 is the least of our worries now."
Later That Night at Heliopolis.
The facility was almost completely silent.
Security patrols moved through the corridors.
Cameras swept across empty halls.
But Rita moved between them like a ghost.
Her footsteps were almost completely silent.
A security camera turned.
Rita was already gone.
A guard walked past.
She disappeared behind a corner.
Another camera swept across the hallway.
Nothing.
Rita continued deeper into the Heliopolis facility.
And she was determined to find the truth.
Meanwhile — Unknown Location
Far from Arc City, two figures watched the situation unfold.
Raven stood before a holographic display.
Jackal remained nearby.
Raven: "The Schicksal Valkyries have come uninvited. They now suspect us."
Jackal smiled.
Jackal: "A pity… but I thought you always wanted to get rid of them."
Raven shook her head.
Raven: "I would prefer avoiding a fight for as long as possible."
She looked at the data.
Raven: "That Herrscher was supposed to distract Schicksal who would help get rid of her. But things have changed."
Raven paused.
Raven: "No matter. I have a backup plan for this."
Jackal raised an eyebrow.
Raven: "We'll give Rita some of the answers she wants. People tend to be vulnerable when distracted by a treasure hunt."
Jackal's smile widened.
Jackal: "And try to use the gift I've prepared. I hope to observe its efficacy in the field…"
Her eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Jackal: "These Schicksal Valkyries may withstand more pain than ordinary humans. Perhaps they scream differently."
Jackal leaned forward.
Jackal: "I desire to observe them up close… try not to kill all of them and leave me with a live specimen."
Raven remained silent for a moment.
Then she nodded.
Raven: "Once I make a move, the test must start at once to get the data we need before Schicksal arrives in force."
Jackal waved dismissively.
Jackal: "Relax. You'll have a new identity once this is over. Schicksal will never find you again."
Raven looked toward the city.
Her expression became troubled.
Raven: "And the people of this city?"
Jackal's expression hardened.
Jackal: "Do not sympathise with insignificant things. Focus instead on the whole of humanity."
She turned toward Raven.
Jackal: "Despite their great power, Schicksal selfishly tells people lies that they're safe under Schicksal protection."
Her voice became increasingly passionate.
Jackal: "So long as Schicksal stands, humanity will remain helpless sheep cowering in their pens."
Jackal clenched her fist.
Jackal: "But our Sire has returned! He shall end Schicksal's tyranny and we shall help the world evolve under his leadership."
She stared toward the distant horizon.
Jackal: "That is the only world where you and those you wish to protect can survive."
Raven's expression hardened.
She had heard enough.
Raven: "Enough words. Let it begin."
The holographic display went dark.