The London Schicksal Residence, a place usually reserved for accommodating Schicksal Cardinals and High-level Valkyries, now welcomed its new guests.
"So, you impersonated me, demolished an entire street in Dubai, and even blasted a hole through the Burj Al Arab? Then you had them send the bill to me?!"
The Valkyrie, with her matching blonde hair and blue eyes, pointed accusingly at Snow, who was calmly sipping coffee in a living room chair.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes... Bianca, you're absolutely right," Snow replied, nodding with her head bowed.
"You jerk...! Since we're both S-rank Valkyries, let's settle this with a fight!" Bianca, completely stymied by Snow's nonchalant attitude, began flexing her hands, her anger boiling over.
"Ah, yes, yes, yes... ah, no, wait! I must decline, beautiful lady~"
The Valkyrie gracefully finished her coffee, stood up, and gave Bianca a slight bow in farewell before darting out of the room like an arrow shot from a bow, leaving the others frozen in shock.
"...You jerk! Don't you have any sense of honor as an S-rank Valkyrie?! Get back here!!"
Bianca stared blankly for a moment at the girl who had bowed so elegantly even as she fled. Then, she suddenly snapped out of her daze, furiously summoned her Valkyrie Battlesuit, and charged after her.
"Get back there just to get beaten up? No way~"
Across London City's skies today, two comets—one golden, the other blue—streaked through the heavens, their stability rated at -1.
The golden and blue stars chased each other across the sky until the sun set and the moon rose.
"Huff... Huff... All you ever do is run away!" Bianca shouted at Snow, who had landed in the garden of the Schicksal Residence.
"As long as I don't want to win, I can't lose." After a moment's thought, the girl who had been flying in circles with Bianca all day nodded earnestly.
Bianca's face twitched. "Where did you pick up such a scoundrel?!"
"Lady Bianca, Lady Snow, dinner is ready. You both must be exhausted today. Shall we dine in the restaurant?"
Rita appeared in the garden, cutting off the rekindled conflict between the two girls with overlapping attributes.
"Fine, I'll listen to you, Rita. But I won't give up, Snow Apocalypse!"
"...Honestly, if you were the one who punched that Emperor Class Honkai beast, the result would have been about the same anyway..." The girl smoothed her hair, which had become disheveled during their aerial chase.
"You—!"
"...Is there a problem?" Snow tilted her head slightly.
"But you wreaked havoc everywhere and then pinned all the blame on me!" Bianca snapped, glaring at Snow. "I still remember the finance department members giving me those 'I want to say something but can't' looks when I returned to Schicksal."
"Ah, that? My apologies, then. But a fight is still out of the question, of course."
"Then why did you go on a mission disguised as me?!" Bianca glared at Snow, her cheeks puffed out, clearly still nursing her disappointment at not getting a fight.
You're just like that cheap little sister of yours—fight first, make friends later, huh? What a tyrant. Snow's lips twitched as she sighed inwardly, resigned to explaining herself.
"Since you just called me by my full name, you should know who I am, right?"
"Exactly. Rita told me about you: Snow Apocalypse, the Overseer's daughter. So what?"
"How many people in all of Schicksal share that surname... my dear silly goose?"
"Um... including you... only three?"
"So, imagine this: ordinary Schicksal members see a name they've never encountered before, bearing the designation of an S-rank Valkyrie and the Overseer's surname..."
"How intensely do you think their gossip-loving souls would burn?"
Snow rolled her eyes and glanced at Bianca.
"Umm... probably as scorching as the sun...? I get it now... you don't want to become the after-dinner gossip of every Schicksal Branch, right?" Bianca nodded in sudden realization.
"Exactly, especially the Far East Branch... Don't forget the complicated relationship between Theresa and my father..." Snow whistled.
"Emmmm... that is a very complex situation... Wait a minute! Did you just call me 'silly goose'? What kind of weird nickname is that?!" Bianca finally caught on, turning to glare at Snow.
"Ah, this... you just realized? Well, I can only say it fits you perfectly." Snow nodded seriously, then bolted.
"You little—! Don't even think about escaping!"
The two golden-haired figures darted into the dining hall, one chasing the other.
Trailing behind them, Rita smiled wryly.
"They're so close..."
-
The group at the dining table leisurely continued their meal, while Rita stood nearby, explaining tomorrow's plans.
"Lady Bianca and Lady Snow must be here on vacation. I have duties to attend to tomorrow and won't be able to accompany you."
"You mean searching for information about the divine key in British myths, Rita? Father told me about that... He even hinted that if I showed interest, I might stumble upon some unexpected insights..."
"Yes, Lady Snow. According to Overseer Otto, there's a passage in British mythology closely related to the Second Divine Key." Rita nodded in confirmation of Snow's guess.
"I bet the King Arthur legends—being the most famous stories in Britain—might be a good starting point?" Snow raised an eyebrow, glancing at the maid beside her.
"Hmm... it's likely the Arthurian cycle we should focus on. That would allow us to exclude elements from other mythologies—"
"After all, as the core of the legend, Avalon is described as a utopian paradise far removed from the mortal world, existing in another dimension. If we're seeking the Second Divine Key, forged by the Herrscher of the Void, the Arthurian myths seem the most relevant."
"That's right, a correct deduction, Lady Snow—Miss Catherine, the curator of the British Museum, and I have arranged to view some of Britain's own historical artifacts tomorrow."
"—A stone tablet inscribed with the legends of King Arthur, Lady Snow, Lady Bianca. If either of you are interested, you're welcome to join me at the British Museum tomorrow. The other ladies are also welcome to visit the museum," Rita said, nodding to the group at the dining table.
"Hmm, I see. History isn't really my thing... but of course, Rita, feel free to contact me if you need anything." Bianca finished her last bite and nodded at Rita.
"I'm quite interested, though I might be a bit late. Rita, you can go ahead without waiting for me. I'll catch up later," Snow said, accepting the maid's invitation with a keen look.
"Ninti, would you like to see some new cat breeds tomorrow?" Kyuusyou, sitting beside Ninti who was quietly eating her dinner, nudged the girl gently and asked softly.
"?!" The girl's eyes lit up as she turned to her guardian.
In the distance, a Siamese cat shivered involuntarily.
"Meow—! (Who's talking about me?)"