"Actually, I have two interfaces prepared right here as well."
Vill-V's words were the final straw that broke Durandal's resolve.
"I understand..."
Durandal looked from Elysia to Vill-V, finally beginning to truly empathize with Kiana's state of mind during the Lament of the Fallen.
However, Durandal was not exactly like the Kiana of that time.
She didn't harbor the same crushing sense of guilt or self-destructive tendencies, but the desire to shoulder the entire world's burdens alone was a sentiment they shared deeply.
But in the end, that path was unsustainable.
The road to defeating the Honkai had never been a matter of one person's isolated courage.
No matter how much she wished otherwise, when the Honkai finally descended, every single person—whether protected by her or not—would eventually have to face the impact of that moment on their own.
"That's more like it."
Elysia flashed a bright smile and produced two Moon Rings.
Durandal stared at the pink Moon Ring meant for her and let out a quiet, internal sigh. She thought she had hidden those things well enough, but somehow, Elysia had still managed to root them out.
Elysia didn't possess Durandal's innate ability to actively absorb Honkai energy into her body. Therefore, the only way for her to share the burden was through the use of the Moon Rings.
As Elysia slid the pink and gold Moon Rings onto her and Durandal's respective upper right arms, she took the two interfaces in hand. Handing one to Durandal, she said, "I'm ready. We can begin."
Durandal nodded, then turned her gaze toward Vill-V.
"The equipment is fully calibrated. Whenever you're ready, Boss, just give the word," Vill-V confirmed, signaling that everything was in place.
With things having progressed to this point, Durandal knew her original plan had been thwarted. She stopped dwelling on it.
Her armor shifted once more, transforming from Palatinus Equinox back into Dea Anchora. In her hand, the ornate Holy Sword, Durandal, manifested out of thin air.
Holding Elysia's hand with one of hers and gripping the Holy Sword with the other, Durandal spoke up.
"Fuxi, Nuwa, and Vill-V—you three need to retreat at least five hundred meters. When the Honkai energy begins to converge, even the dissipated remnants will be more than your bodies can handle."
Hearing this, the three—who at this stage were still ordinary researchers without any biological modifications—obediently withdrew.
Vill-V left a single robot behind on the scene so she could monitor the situation firsthand. If anything went wrong with Durandal or Elysia, she could immediately pilot the machine to intervene.
Once the three had reached a safe distance, Durandal finally raised the Holy Sword high. "Holy Blade, I'm counting on you."
As soon as she spoke, a lively, almost hyperactive voice rang out from the blade: "You got it! With my energy manipulation skills, I can link an entire Ether Anchor to a World Bubble and 'invert' Honkai energy right into your body. Soaking up the energy from a measly Third Honkai Eruption is a walk in the park. Just watch me!"
"And who is... she?"
Curiosity flickered brightly in Elysia's eyes.
"This? She is a weapon capable of altering macroscopic properties by manipulating microscopic particles. Her name is... Durandal."
Durandal reflected on her time in this world. Although she had used the power of Dea Anchora in public more than once, her personal combat habits meant she rarely summoned the Holy Sword itself.
Aside from the time she had manifested it as a temporary weapon for Sakura during their first mission together, she had never shown it to anyone else.
And Sakura, being a woman of few words, had obviously never felt the need to gossip about the details of that mission.
Now, facing Elysia's curiosity—and perhaps hoping to distract herself from the impending pain of the Honkai absorption—Durandal began to recount the history of the Holy Sword.
To be honest, when Durandal looked back at her past now—whether it was the life of Bianka Ataegina or the memories of a certain ordinary college student—it felt like looking through a thick veil.
It was much like how Elysia felt when she recalled the memories of the other Elysia she had merged with in the simulation.
This was likely why, despite being in this world for so long, Durandal hadn't felt a single pang of homesickness for the people she once knew in either of those lives.
In her mind, the parts of her life that felt "real" only truly began from the moment she eliminated the Second Herrscher and spotted a disguised Elysia among the Fire Moth soldiers.
Perhaps that was one of the reasons she had fallen for Elysia.
Was it some sort of unconventional imprinting?
Of course, Durandal wasn't about to say that out loud.
If she did, knowing Elysia's lack of restraint, she'd probably try to turn it into some sort of mother-daughter "roleplay."
"The story starts when I was twelve... or rather, when my chronological age was fourteen."
Elysia had already learned about Durandal's true origins during their previous talks, so she wasn't surprised by the distinction.
"Back then, I went by the name Bianka Ataegina. At twelve, I became an A-Rank Valkyrie for Schicksal. I was assigned a top-secret mission by Bishop Otto called 'Lonely Panthalassa.' My task was to enter the Sea of Quanta with Rita to search for an Ether Anchor."
Durandal paused there, expecting Elysia to ask what the Sea of Quanta or an Ether Anchor was.
Instead, Elysia's brow furrowed. The Holy Sword had already begun drawing the surrounding Honkai energy into Durandal's body, and through the Moon Ring, Elysia was now bearing half of that load.
Even for someone like Elysia, the sensation of such a massive volume of Honkai energy scouring through her system was uncomfortable for a first-timer.
However, it was only enough to make her wince.
Keeping a clear head, Elysia asked a question that felt a bit like a trap: "Who is Rita?"
Durandal: "..."
Who is Rita? That was an excellent question.
Durandal fell silent.
Not because she realized she was walking into a metaphorical minefield, but because Rita had filled so many roles in her life that she didn't know where to start.
After taking a moment to gather her thoughts, she finally spoke.
"You might not realize this, but back then, I was completely obsessed with becoming stronger. I might have been an A-Rank Valkyrie at a young age, but my personal life was a total disaster.
"Because of that, the Bishop assigned Rita—who was sixteen at the time and very good at taking care of people—to be my adjudant."
"In our daily lives, she was my maid, looking after my meals and well-being. In battle, she became the adjutant of the Immortal Blades squad I eventually led. She was my right hand."
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T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL