Sky City — A Desperate Quest for Ice Cream
Inside an abandoned convenience store, Jackal flung open the freezer door—
Only to find… nothing.
"Anything?!" she snapped.
Raven sighed, holding up a sad, sloshy puddle in a broken wrapper.
"There's some," she said helplessly. "But they've all melted."
Of course they had.
After multiple Honkai outbreaks, civilians had panicked, stockpiled everything, and vanished indoors.
Stores were stripped bare, supply routes were cut off, and the city was under lockdown.
Ordinary food being gone made sense.
But today… they weren't searching for food.
Today, they were on a mission for something far more dangerous.
Ice cream.
Because if they returned empty-handed, they both knew—
Wendy would not be pleased.
Jackal gritted her teeth.
"I still don't get it. Why does a Herrscher—
a HERRSCHER—
like ice cream so much? Is it really that good? And movies?!"
The existence of the Fourth Herrscher had already shattered her world view.
A Herrscher who binge-watched films, demanded snacks, and pouted when ignored?
Absurd.
Impossible.
Yet here they were.
Raven rubbed her forehead tiredly.
"And here we are searching for ice cream like errand girls. Wonderful."
Even she couldn't believe this was her life now.
Jackal exhaled.
"Fine. Forget this. We go back, load up another batch of HSN-B64, and hit the Herrscher by surprise.
If that gas could almost take down Destiny's Valkyries, it'll work on her too."
Raven stared at her.
"…You go die if you want. Don't drag me with you."
Even Durandal couldn't beat the Fourth Herrscher.
Even Fu Hua couldn't stop her.
And Jackal wanted to pick a fight using gas?
Raven rejected the idea on every level of biology, physics, and common sense.
"Scaredy-cat."
Jackal snorted.
But even she faltered when Raven reminded her exactly who Durandal was.
"…Fine. Maybe not."
"Good. Now move. We still need more ice cream before she—"
Raven froze.
"Wait. Don't leave me behind!"
Jackal scrambled after her.
Wendy's Temporary Base
Inside an improvised base, Wendy sat cross-legged, watching a movie projected on the wall while licking the last ice cream cone.
"All gone? Seriously?"
Wendy pouted.
"I want moooore."
Raven scratched her cheek awkwardly.
"There's… none left. The city's in lockdown. Everything's sold out."
She never imagined her life would come to this—
running errands for a Herrscher, who was now lounging on a couch like a spoiled child.
Worse—Wendy had inhaled the entire stockpile of ice cream in less than three minutes.
Jackal and Raven exchanged a look heavy with despair.
Another search?
More wandering through abandoned markets?
No. Absolutely not.
"Lockdown?" Wendy tilted her head. "Is it because of Wendy~?"
"No. It's—"
"Okay, Wendy's full. Bye~"
Before Raven could finish explaining, Wendy vanished.
No sound, no wind, no sign.
Just gone.
Jackal blinked.
"She's… gone?"
"Probably," Raven muttered, though even she wasn't sure.
"Anyway—we wasted too much time on her.
Destiny's Valkyries know about this place. We need to finish the experiment and leave."
Jackal nodded.
"No problem. I already sent mechs to hunt down those Valkyries.
And I've cut off all communications in the district.
We still have time before Destiny arrives."
Underground — A Dead Signal
"This isn't working. Communications are jammed.
We can't reach the outside at all."
Einstein placed the device down with a sigh.
Their only escape route required the Hyperion to retrieve them—
but the Hyperion was still docked in Anti-Entropy's base, charging the Moonlight Throne.
Walking out of the city on foot would be suicide.
The World Serpent was everywhere.
Theresa clenched her fists.
They needed a plan. And fast.
Before they could regroup—
"I feel it!"
Jiuxiao jumped to her feet.
"That ominous aura is back!
I'll go take a look!"
Before anyone could stop her—
She bolted.
And then—
A familiar voice echoed down the dim corridor.
"Eh? It's you guys again~
By the way, do you have ice cream?
If you do—
Wendy might help you~"
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