"Du... ran... dal?"
Shigure Kira never thought she would see such cool and beautiful clothes in this day and age.
No, wait, that was wrong. It was seeing that once upright and righteous Valkyrie become a Herrscher.
Although she herself had also become a Herrscher, such a shocking image still made Shigure Kira's mind go blank for a moment.
Durandal had stopped Shigure Kira's revenge. Under the power of the Herrscher of Origin, Shigure Kira could only watch as Benares, who she had beaten half to death, slipped away.
Her enemy was gone, so Shigure Kira no longer had any desire to stay in Academy City.
Being surrounded by the power of so many SELENE engines felt like being inside a Elysion Pedion barrier. The range of its effect was even larger than the barrier created by Judah.
Under these circumstances, it was already quite impressive that Shigure Kira could fight Benares to a standstill.
But the person standing in front of her reminded Shigure Kira of the friendship they had shared in battle...
"Why? You... are you not a Valkyrie anymore? And why did you choose to become a Herrscher?"
Shigure Kira didn't understand. She didn't even know how Academy City dealt with Herrschers.
To her, it was as if her enemies and friends had all been brought together, and the one who was truly abandoned was her, someone who had already "died" in the past.
Durandal also had mixed feelings, but she was a simple person. Whoever could defeat the Honkai and protect the world, she would follow them.
Whether that was Schicksal, Otto, or Anti-Entropy, it didn't really matter. Durandal just wanted to do it.
"Because today's Board Chairman can bear the responsibility of the former Overseer Otto, and today's Academy City can bear the responsibility of Schicksal."
"So I will accept the leadership of these people. Whether it's taking on the power of a Herrscher or becoming a Valkyrie of Schicksal, my ultimate goal is the same."
Durandal's explanation not only didn't clear up Shigure Kira's confusion, but it also stung her heart even more.
Under the influence of the Honkai, Shigure Kira roared uncontrollably, "What about the friends who sacrificed themselves in the past?! Are their past merits just going to be brushed aside so lightly?"
Durandal shook her head and said, "You don't know what the Valkyries went through later, nor do you know about the internal split in Schicksal after the Honkai was controlled."
"Today's Valkyries and the Valkyries of the past Schicksal are no longer the same thing. They don't need to bear that so-called responsibility. This was originally something that human civilization should bear itself, a responsibility that every human should have."
"Valkyries are neither glorious nor noble. It's just... just because we didn't find a better way to compromise when dealing with the Honkai."
'Just a way to compromise...'
'A way...'
'A way...'
'We were just a 'way'?!'
Shigure Kira couldn't understand why Durandal could say such a thing. She was bearing the pain of her past friends' sacrifices. Didn't Durandal have partners who had sacrificed themselves?
"You... don't you have partners who have sacrificed themselves?! Their smiles, their perseverance, their fears, their courage... are they all just a 'way' in your mouths? Then what about what Schicksal used to promote?! The efforts we put in during training? Was it all a lie?!!!"
"Cecilia, Niggurath, Salome... they... they're all dead! Do you know that? They're all dead!!"
Durandal looked at the sobbing Shigure Kira.
She didn't know how to explain the changes that had happened over the years. Compared to Schicksal's centralized way of sending all Valkyries to their deaths, Durandal indeed preferred the way Academy City handled things today.
They gave the benefits that should be given and didn't discuss any spirit of dedication with the Valkyries. They relied on their own production capacity to drive more humans to join the army against the Honkai.
Compared to the past situation where Valkyries were bound to die, the current way of fighting the Honkai was unprecedentedly humane.
It was precisely because of this that Durandal knew just how cruel these truths were to Shigure Kira.
She was silent for a moment before explaining, "Only mentioning Schicksal's sins and not the Valkyries' part was something we all decided on together. We need enough time to erase the sinful part of Schicksal, until one day when people talk about Schicksal, they no longer grit their teeth in hatred. Only then can people look at the Valkyries correctly."
"Otherwise, no matter what the Valkyries do now, they will be tied to Schicksal. No matter what they say, it will be wrong. Their sacrifices will not only not be evaluated correctly, but they will also be seen as a packaging tool for Schicksal to maintain its own rule."
"I was once a Valkyrie. I have personally experienced the changes in the world, so I naturally understand better than you what kind of world is truly a gentle world for Valkyries."
"If they only fought against the Honkai for the sake of being remembered and for honor and status, then they would never have lasted until the day they sacrificed themselves. They would have been transferred to logistics work long before they encountered danger."
"Because when a person dies, they can no longer feel any honor or status."
However, Shigure Kira could no longer listen to these things.
She stared at Durandal with bloodshot eyes and said, "These are all your excuses. You have gained benefits now and have forgotten your past comrades in the deserted wilderness! Nothing you say can change how despicable your current actions are!"
'Why won't she listen to reason?'
Durandal had a headache. She found that she was not very good at verbal attacks.
In this state, no matter what she said, it was difficult for the irrational Shigure Kira to hear it. The pain of losing her comrades in the past was constantly tormenting her mind.
"Durandal, you hold her off for now. She can't listen to anything right now. She hasn't experienced the changes in this world, so she will only think that the people of this era have betrayed the previous era, not that we are inheritors who have found a better solution."
After hearing Kiana's words in the communicator, Durandal temporarily gave up the idea of persuading Shigure Kira.
'That's right. Even in the same team, it's difficult to understand each other. I can't use the power of the Stigma to let Shigure Kira directly explore my memories and feelings, so she naturally can't understand my experience.'
'If we followed Schicksal's old requirements for Valkyries, then every single one of today's Valkyries should be eliminated.'
"We have nothing more to say. Let's fight!"
Durandal took out the Abyss Flower that Cecilia had used.
And this weapon completely ignited Shigure Kira's anger.