Medical ward, Immortal Blades' exclusive airship.
Soft golden sunlight filtered through the porthole, casting a warm and comforting glow over the bed, gentle enough to be felt even through the blanket.
It was a good day.
Staring out at the cloudless blue sky, the girl couldn't help but think so.
After all, the airship flew within the stratosphere. Even if there were a torrential downpour below, it would remain bright and clear up here.
No matter what, good weather always lifted the spirit.
Bathed in the sunlight, reading a light novel, the girl's mood was calm and content.
Creak!
The door to the ward opened. A Valkyrie with short ash-gold hair, dressed in a sleek black uniform, entered with graceful steps.
"Looks like Lady Durandal is in high spirits today."
With a single glance, the Valkyrie could see how the girl on the bed was doing, and smiled warmly.
"You're here, Rita," Durandal replied with a gentle smile of her own. "What's the situation?"
"The battle report just came in. All the Honkai beasts that appeared in Raymonlet have been eliminated. As for the Immortal Blades squad…" Rita stopped briefly, glancing at Durandal with a trace of hesitation before continuing, "Aside from you, my lady, there were no casualties."
Everyone selected for the Immortal Blades was an elite. Naturally, they all knew how to survive a fight with Honkai beasts.
"I see," Durandal nodded. "Those Honkai beasts... was it because of him?"
"Yes."
Rita gave a slight nod.
Though Durandal hadn't mentioned his name, both of them knew exactly who she meant.
"According to the logistics department's statistics, that man... Welt, in his final assault before leaving, wiped out 887 Honkai beasts. And he did it in under ten seconds."
Rita's voice trembled faintly. She couldn't hide it.
Whether it was the overwhelming power capable of annihilating nearly a thousand Honkai beasts, or the terrifying precision comparable to a supercomputer, it all pointed to one conclusion—if Shin ever chose to, he could eliminate all the Valkyries here just as easily.
"That guy really is terrifying."
Recalling everything related to Shin, even Durandal couldn't help but sigh.
She had to admit, Shin was the most terrifying opponent she had ever faced.
While she could also muster enough strength to obliterate a thousand Honkai beasts, she couldn't control her power with the precision he had shown.
This wasn't about raw strength. Shin's mastery over Honkai energy was simply beyond comprehension.
"Lady Durandal, do you think he's affiliated with Anti-Entropy?"
Rita asked curiously.
In the current climate, Shin had become one of the hottest topics within Schicksal.
An unknowable mystery, unparalleled strength, and possible ties to Schicksal's greatest rival, Anti-Entropy. Everything about him came with attention and speculation.
Undoubtedly, Durandal was the one who had interacted with him the most.
Of course, everyone understood he couldn't possibly be the Herrscher of Reason who had inherited the name of Welt.
The leader of Anti-Entropy wouldn't be that immature.
Even now, they still couldn't figure out what Shin's motives were for all his actions in Raymonlet.
"Impossible," Durandal said calmly, shaking her head. "He may call himself Welt, but he has no emotional attachment to the name. It's like it's just a mask he wears."
Even within Schicksal, people held varying feelings toward the name Otto, fear, respect, admiration… But no matter what, a true member of Schicksal would never be indifferent toward that name.
Yet to Shin, the name Welt was just a mask, devoid of any emotional weight.
Durandal had no doubt that if Shin were facing Anti-Entropy instead, he'd just as casually claim to be Otto.
"Quite unexpected, actually."
Rita chuckled softly behind her hand.
When Shin first insisted on calling himself Welt, no one truly believed it. But at the very least, it had convinced people he was connected to Anti-Entropy.
Otherwise, what was he doing advertising them?
"By the way, the person who acted with him, have we figured out who she is?"
Durandal asked.
Rita nodded. "A mercenary. Top entry on the Charon list. Raven."
Durandal thought for a moment. "Was she hired by him?"
Hearing that, Rita took a moment to consider before answering, "Their relationship didn't seem like that of employer and hired help."
Raven had shown far too much concern for Shin, more than what was typical for a hired mercenary.
And her abilities… far exceeded what their intel suggested.
If Rita hadn't been the one to engage her, if it had been another Valkyrie, there might've been serious casualties.
Normally, the assassins listed on the Charon roster were average at best. At most, they might rival a standard B-rank Valkyrie.
What made them dangerous was their cunning and discretion.
But someone as powerful as an A-rank Valkyrie, someone capable of suppressing even her… people like that had far better ways to make a living.
If she needed money that badly, she could just rob a bank. Why stoop to being a killer?
"Looks like there's more to this incident than we thought."
Durandal stretched with a yawn, causing her loose hospital gown to lift and reveal a slim waist wrapped in bandages.
For some reason, she suddenly recalled Shin's words, that the Honkai outbreak had been an accident.
So, was his final act meant to make amends?
She pondered it silently but didn't voice her thoughts aloud.
It was nothing more than a baseless intuition.
"Now it's the strategy division's headache," Rita said with a grin, her eyes catching the bandages peeking from beneath Durandal's clothes. "Still, it's been a while since I've seen you get injured, my lady."
Ever since that mission in the Sea of Quanta, there had been few beings left in the world capable of harming Durandal.
Perhaps a top-tier Honkai beast could, but those emperor-class monsters were rare. The last sighting had been years ago.
"Well, that guy really is powerful," Durandal said with a smile of her own, a glint of excitement in her eyes. "If I get the chance, I'd like to fight him again."
Battling an opponent of that caliber was an opportunity for growth, a way to expose her own shortcomings.
And if she saw him fight again, maybe she could finally understand how Shin healed so rapidly and how he recovered his strength mid-battle. Then, she'd know how to defeat him.
After all, Durandal was not someone who accepted defeat.
"As long as the organization behind him remains active, there will come a day when you meet again."
Rita smiled as she adjusted the blanket that had nearly fallen off the bed.
An organization capable of producing someone like Shin wasn't going to remain quiet forever.
Durandal gave a slightly embarrassed smile at Rita's gesture, but said nothing. She was used to this kind of dynamic between them.
Creak!
With the scent of citrus in the air, the door opened again. A woman with long white hair and golden-tinted glasses stepped inside.
"Lady Durandal, Miss Rita, good day."
She greeted the two Valkyries politely.
"Lady Amber."
"Hello, Amber."
Rita and Durandal both returned the greeting with warm smiles.
"That box… what's in it?"
Durandal noticed that Amber hadn't come empty-handed. She carried a long silver equipment case, nearly the length of a person.
"His Eminence heard what happened in Raymonlet and asked me to check in on you both. Also…" As she spoke, Amber set the case down and opened it slowly. "He said this item is to be entrusted to you, Lady Durandal."
Inside was a magnificent lance, ornate and silver-white, with its grip a stark abyssal black.
"Black Abyss White Flower?"
Rita gasped softly.
Classified as a Divine Key relic, the Black Abyss White Flower was one of the sacred weapons.
But within Schicksal, it was known for another reason.
It had always been wielded by the strongest Valkyrie of each generation. It was a symbol of power.
In other words, it was the exclusive weapon of an S-Rank Valkyrie.
"Congratulations, Lady Durandal. From this day forward, you are Schicksal's first S-Rank Valkyrie of this generation."
Amber spoke with reverence, holding the lance out before her.
"Black Abyss White Flower…" Durandal whispered, fingers gently tracing the weapon's surface. "From now on, I'll be counting on you."
With those words, she gripped the lance tightly.
Whoosh!
As if responding to her expectations, the engravings along the weapon lit up one by one. A sacred silver-white light flooded the entire ward, instantly healing the last of the girl's wounds.
From that moment on, Schicksal's strongest S-Rank Valkyrie was born.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!