Under the moonlit sky of Sky Dome City, the atmosphere grew increasingly tense.
Kagura stood face to face with Rita, locked in a delicate and precarious standoff.
Behind Rita, the massive scythe Scythe of Eternal Frost—Skadi gave off a chilling aura, resting quietly at her back but ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Opposite it, the elegant white knight lance Abyss Flower radiated a divine majesty—its presence alone commanded reverence.
A strange silence blanketed the street.
It was the calm before the storm—no, something deeper, more ominous.
"…It seems tonight will be quite the troublesome night after all." After a long pause, Rita finally broke the silence with her usual composed smile.
"Since Miss Kiana isn't the source of this Honkai outbreak, it appears the priority of Immortal Blades' mission needs to be adjusted accordingly."
Kagura exhaled softly in relief. "Thank you for your understanding, Miss Rita."
"It's a small matter—not worth thanking me for," Rita replied gracefully.
She retracted her weapon, glanced at Kagura, then shifted her gaze to the two behind her—Himeko and Kiana.
Finally, she gave a flawless and elegant bow, the epitome of a professional maid.
"However, I do hope you'll honor your promise. Once this incident is resolved, please ensure Miss Kiana is brought to Schicksal Headquarters… Otherwise, the Immortal Blades will be forced to carry out our duties."
"Now then…" Bathed in moonlight, Rita's smile was enchanting, almost dreamlike. "Allow me to take my leave—"
"Miss Rita, wait!" Just as she turned to leave, Kiana called out, stopping her in her tracks.
"I have something for you."
"Oh? And what might that be?" Rita tilted her head slightly, curiosity flickering in her eyes. "How rare, Kiana. You're actually the one initiating a conversation with me."
Kiana's gaze was steady, her tone serious and edged with hostility.
"This is the data I've collected recently—it contains patterns of Honkai outbreaks in Sky Dome City, and some clues about the origins of the disasters."
"…Interesting."
Rita took the data drive from Kiana's hand, intrigued.
"I didn't expect you to survive in such a hostile environment, especially with the Herrscher personality constantly interfering… and still manage to gather intelligence on the disaster. Truly impressive."
"It's nothing impressive," Kiana said firmly. "It's what I should be doing."
Her voice was unwavering. "I was immature… and because of that, everyone got hurt. Bronya, Mei, the class rep, Himeko…
They all paid a heavy price because of me. If I had been stronger—more resolute—things wouldn't have come to this. So…"
"…The will to become stronger is commendable, Miss Kiana. Well, in any case, thank you for your efforts. From here on, I'll take over the investigation—as a professional hunter."
With a gentle smile and a trace of sentiment in her voice, Rita nodded.
"Rita Rossweisse, taking her leave."
"Phew—!"
The moment Rita and the Immortal Blades squad were out of sight, Kagura let out a deep breath.
"That was way too close…"
Rita might have been Otto's top enforcer in Schicksal, carrying out all sorts of dirty work—but at her core, she was still a Valkyrie, no different from Himeko and the others.
That's why, unless absolutely necessary, Kagura didn't want to harm her.
Besides… Rita was gorgeous. And a maid.
If she could somehow trick Rita into switching sides, that would be even better.
'Hehe~ A girl can dream…'
"I never thought I'd see the Immortal Blades, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie unit, here in Sky Dome City," Himeko muttered.
"Rita… that woman is incredibly strong. If possible, I'd rather not cross her."
"Don't worry," Kagura replied, dismissing her weapon Abyss Flower into nothingness. "At least for now, she won't be giving us trouble."
"I'm guessing she let us go because of this lance. Abyss Flower probably made her think I'm somehow connected to Durandal. Otherwise, there's no way she would've backed off so easily."
"That reminds me—Kagura," Himeko raised an eyebrow, "why do you have Abyss Flower? And not just that, you've got all sorts of strange weapons. What's up with that?"
"Ahaha… well, that's—" Kagura's eyes drifted evasively to the side. "Let's just say it's confidential for now…"
"Nope~! Spit it out! Come clean, now!"
Himeko wrapped her arms around Kagura, pressing the girl's head firmly into her chest.
"You even pulled out a Divine Key this time—don't think you're getting off the hook so easily!"
"Mmph… okay, okay! I get it already!" Kagura put on a show of struggling, but in truth… she was enjoying the soft, pillowy warmth.
"It's like this," Kagura began, shifting into a suspiciously serious tone. "My weapons aren't the originals. Instead, they're mental constructs—projections from my mind—formed using a technique similar to Void Archives' structural abilities."
She lied through her teeth with a straight face.
"In my world, I gained the power to directly alter reality. On top of that, I also have access to technology that allows me to observe other worlds to a certain degree."
"So actually, I already know quite a bit about this world. Your weapons, your equipment… even the names of some Valkyries and their general relationships—there are records of all of it in my world."
"Which is how I was able to create things like the Divine Key Abyss Flower, and even the Spiritblade: Frozen Hell I used against Kevin in the Sea of Quanta. All of it was based on intel I had from your world."
"I see! That explains why you've always been so calm under pressure," Himeko remarked, impressed. "So your world is that advanced? I'm getting more and more curious about it!"
"I wanna go too!" Kiana chimed in eagerly. "If it's that powerful, then it must be super peaceful and full of amazing food, right? Can we go there with Mei and Bronya someday for a big trip?"
"Ahem…" Kagura cleared her throat. "Well, if the opportunity ever arises, of course you're all welcome to visit!"
"Oh right, Kagura," Himeko said suddenly, her eyes twinkling mischievously. "You said your world has information about ours… so what exactly do you know about me?"
Kagura tapped her lips with a finger, pretending to ponder. "Hmm… let's see. A drunk, a pay-raise maniac, a vacation addict, and—ow ow ow ow ow! Don't rub my head with your fists, Himeko! I'm telling the truth!"
Veins bulging on her forehead, Himeko ground her fists into Kagura's head like a mortar and pestle.
"Listen well—sometimes telling the truth gets you punched!"
"B-but seriously…" After finally escaping Himeko's wrath, Kagura rubbed her sore head and continued, her voice gentler.
"Besides those quirks, you're also someone kind and incredibly strong. You'd sacrifice everything for the sake of others—even burn yourself out completely if it meant protecting someone else…"
Her tone softened, eyes dimmed with a quiet emotion—part admiration, part sadness.
"To me, Himeko… you're someone worthy of the deepest respect."
"I agree with that," Kiana added firmly. "Himeko-sensei is gentle, powerful, and someone I'll always look up to."
"Oh, come on… what kind of nonsense are you two saying now…"
Himeko turned her gaze to the sky, eyes fixed on the blanket of stars above as she took a deep breath through her nose.
"Two little brats… talking like that…"
———————————————————————
—Elsewhere in Sky Dome City—
Rita stood before a holographic projection device, analyzing the data Kiana had given her.
"…Ho? Shinjo Pharmaceuticals?"
A slight smile curled across her elegant face—graceful, beautiful, with just a hint of excitement.
"My, my… I do believe I smell prey…"