The fireworks from the violent explosion cleverly bypassed the figure standing before everyone.
The rolling heatwave billowed the edges of her magnificent battleskirt.
The blue-clad figure seemed so small in front of the three massive beasts, yet she exuded a unique sense of reliability.
Sometimes, appearance was indeed the most direct way to judge a person. Shu had certainly felt the effect of the flamboyant long coat Otto had given him.
Often, people weren't looking at him, because when he wasn't emitting some strange light, the clothes were more eye-catching than he was. His empathy would always receive feedback immediately; the flame on his clothes brought a sense of security the moment it appeared.
...It can't be because that flame represents me, can it?
But the figure standing in front of everyone was truly, extravagantly magnificent. Her armor was as complex as Bronya's and the others'.
"That's..." Rita narrowed her eyes slightly. "Ana Schariac?"
"To be able to stop three charging Honkai Beasts head-on... so strong!" Susannah's eyes sparkled. But looking at Ana, she once again showed a confused expression. "But... I've never heard of her before..."
She had searched through everyone she remembered in her head, but she still couldn't find this person.
Shu knew who she was, but in this world, he had never heard of Ana's name, let alone how she possessed such combat power.
And...
Why can I feel a sense of anticipation and excitement from her?!
Was Ana some kind of show-off? The Ana he remembered wasn't like this...
But... those little things he had just detected...
Shu's expression went blank for a moment, then he lowered his head and sighed helplessly.
He really wasn't good at this kind of thing...
The Titan mechs were still on their way. The three Templar-class Honkai Beasts that had been forced to a halt had already raised their weapons at Ana.
Compared to the giant knight lances in the hands of the Honkai Beasts, the slender spear in Ana's hand seemed particularly fragile.
But it was this seemingly delicate spear that, with a single strike, sent all three Honkai Beasts tumbling!
A series of gasps immediately sounded from the base.
Bianka's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at Ana.
To be able to topple three Honkai Beasts from the front with that kind of move?! What kind of power was that!
This sense of surprise was also transmitted to Shu, but he couldn't bring himself to be as surprised as Bianka.
Did Ana really knock over three Honkai Beasts with one hand? The three Honkai Beasts did indeed fall, but it wasn't because of the spear in Ana's hand.
He had sensed it clearly. The three Honkai Beasts had fallen due to a sudden impact from below.
There were some "little gadgets" planted there in advance. When triggered, they could release a powerful impact force. It was this impact that had toppled the three Honkai Beasts. Ana had just happened to swing her spear at that moment.
Just happened to?
It was probably deliberate.
From Ana's position, if Shu hadn't been able to detect the presence of those small devices, he probably would have thought that Ana had some kind of magical power.
The three Honkai Beasts crashed to the ground. Ana twirled her spear beautifully, then leaped forward, actively charging towards the three beasts!
No one thought she was overestimating herself. With the previous strike as a prelude, everyone watched Ana charge forward, a sense of anticipation rising in their hearts.
What other amazing feat would she perform?
"Hah!" Ana gripped her spear tightly, but used the weapon, which was only suitable for thrusting, to make a powerful downward slash.
Before Bianka could wonder why she was so unfamiliar with her own weapon, she saw a series of explosions occur where Ana had slashed.
It looked as if Ana's powerful slash had created a powerful shockwave.
And it wasn't just for show. This one attack had actually "split" a Honkai Beast!
"Amazing..." Bianka was stunned. Shu glanced at Rita. He couldn't read anything from her eyes, but he could feel the confusion coming from her.
Ana was about to strike again when a Titan mech finally rushed onto the battlefield and punched a Templar-class Honkai Beast in the face.
In an instant, white Honkai Beast fragments flew everywhere. The Templar-class Honkai Beast's body was almost shattered by this one punch, igniting a wave of excitement in the base.
But Rita's brows furrowed at this moment. The Titan mech that had delivered the heavy blow also froze for two seconds.
The Honkai Beast... was that weak?!
Just looking at it didn't give a sense of it, but after landing a punch, the Titan mech's pilot realized that this Honkai Beast was ridiculously weak!
Weren't normal Honkai Beasts supposed to be tough and durable? It usually took several Titan mechs to surround and destroy one.
But he had almost destroyed a Templar-class Honkai Beast with a single punch... This was clearly not normal.
But the only explanation at the moment was...
"Just in time!" Ana acted very surprised, then raised her spear and turned its tip towards the remaining Honkai Beast. "Then I'll leave that one to you, and I'll take care of the rest!"
Although Ana's performance was natural, Shu could still sense the tension in her heart.
What is she doing?
Faced with the two abnormally fragile Honkai Beasts, the Titan mech and Ana quickly resolved the somewhat ridiculous crisis in cooperation.
The Titan mech, with its strength, quickly hammered the Honkai Beast into pieces, while Ana, after a series of flashy moves, relied on the pre-arranged gadgets to finish off her Honkai Beast before the Titan mech.
As the Honkai Beasts fell, the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers. Discussions and praises filled the air.
"As expected of the Titan mechs, they can even deal with Honkai Beasts so easily!"
"Our squad once encountered a Deadman with a scythe. All six of us almost died there! It was the Titan squad that arrived just in time to save us!"
"If I remember correctly, in the Fire Moth handbook, Deadmans are much less dangerous than Honkai Beasts!"
"Wait, didn't that female warrior take down two Honkai Beasts by herself?"
"She's even stronger than a Titan!"
The crowd's praise was undisguised. Shu kept his eyes on Ana and finally saw a hint of...
Relief?
Shu was taken aback. If she was the show-off he had guessed, then she should have been enjoying the praise. But relief clearly carried the meaning of completing a mission...
This was very intriguing... What kind of mission required her to be praised by others? And who was this mission from?
Shu thought for a moment, then decided to give up thinking and took out his phone.
[TheDawnIPromised: I've run into something. I'd like to ask for your opinion.]
[KallenFantasyDevStudio: Oh? Tell me.]
[TheDawnIPromised: I met Ana in Sapphire City...]
Shu quickly described what he had seen and the small details he had noticed to Otto, including the abnormal appearance and unusual weakness of the three Honkai Beasts.
It was nice not having to think for himself. He could just dump everything he knew on Otto and wait for the correct answer.
Otto was silent for about two seconds before sending a single question mark.
[KallenFantasyDevStudio: As far as I know, the only one who has appeared in Fire Moth is Chen Tianwu. As for Ana... I haven't seen her.]
[TheDawnIPromised: ?]
[TheDawnIPromised: image.jpg, then who is this?]
[KallenFantasyDevStudio: Hmm... it does look like Ana, but I really haven't seen her at the base. It's possible I'm mistaken. I'll need some time to check all the records of Spark and Fire Moth.]
Shu: "..."
Looking at the now-silent Otto, Shu blinked, confused.
That's not right. Shouldn't Otto have given him a reasonable explanation immediately after receiving the information, and then started teaching him what to do step by step?
As soon as the thought appeared in his mind, Shu let out a helpless laugh.
Really... what do I take Otto for? Some kind of magic conch that answers every question?
Carefully sensing the emotions radiating from Ana, Shu confirmed that she had no malicious intent.
Just as he was about to approach Ana to see if he could get any information, he saw that she had already left the battlefield and was walking towards him in her magnificent armor.
To be precise... towards Rita.
"Deputy Captain Rita, Ana Schariac reporting!" Ana showed no signs of battle. She held the slender spear in one hand and saluted Rita with the other.
"It seems... the assessment can begin now," Rita said with a smile, nodding at Ana. "A bit of a surprise, I didn't expect everyone to be gathered in Sapphire City."
Ana... is the last newcomer?
Shu couldn't help but look down at the message Otto had sent.
If Ana had never appeared in Fire Moth... then where did her newcomer slot come from? Who submitted her resume?
Ana had Rita's testimony, so was there a problem with Otto's information?
And Chen Tianwu... Otto said he was in the Fire Moth base right now. Shu didn't quite believe that there was no connection between Ana and Chen Tianwu.
He had met almost everyone from the original story by now, and everyone had some of their original characteristics.
And the most outstanding characteristic of Ana and Chen Tianwu... was probably their relationship, right?
But it was hard to say... better wait for news from Otto.
"Everyone, there's no time like the present. Since we've all met here, let's start the assessment now."
Shu's spirits lifted. Susannah, beside him, stood at attention. Azhar also swallowed nervously, her face a mask of uncertainty.
Among them, only Ana seemed to be doing well... Wait, why was Bianka nervous too?
"Rita, why so sudden?" Bianka tugged at Rita's hand and whispered.
Rita didn't say anything. She just clapped her hands. "Before we start the assessment, why don't we all have a meal together? It would be too cruel to make you start the assessment on an empty stomach."
"Ahem, that's right!" Bianka immediately understood that this was Rita's way of buying her some time. She put her hands on her hips, tilted her head back, and cleared her throat. "It's dinnertime now. Although it's a bit unexpected, we must eat!"
Ana looked at the strangely familiar little blonde girl, opened her mouth, but in the end, just nodded seriously.
"Yes, ma'am!" Susannah, standing ramrod straight, gave a very forceful salute.
Yes, very forceful.
Shu, who was standing next to her, was caught off guard and slapped by Susannah's raised hand. He gasped, barely managing to keep his expression from twisting.
"I'll do my best," Azhar said weakly, probably because there were too many people around, but the determination in her voice was unwavering.
Shu, his face taut, nodded expressionlessly at the others. A coldness emanated from him, almost freezing the atmosphere.
After the commotion, the queue had thinned out. The remaining people, who would rather die than miss a hot meal, made way for the group after seeing Ana.
Ana walked with a normal expression, not at all embarrassed by the stares.
The group got their food as usual. Shu casually picked two dishes, quickly paid 3 Contribution Points, and then turned and walked away without giving anyone a chance to say anything.
As soon as he sat down, Shu stared at his food for a while before picking up his chopsticks. He then felt the table tremble slightly, and something blocked the light from in front of him.
He looked up to see a very familiar mountain of food.
Bianka is a Kaslana too, so it's normal for her to eat a lot.
Shu, unfazed, picked up a piece of food from his own plate, then turned to look at Susannah, who also had a large plate.
Shu held the food near his mouth for a moment, then moved it away. He looked at Susannah, who was clearly forcing herself, and after a moment's thought, said nothing.
It was obvious she had gotten her food with Bianka. She definitely couldn't eat that much herself.
Forget it, to be able to eat is a blessing... Can these girls really get fat?
Shu was silent for a moment. He recalled his own magical weight of 54.8, and became even more silent.
Actually... maybe they can?