Clack~ Clack clack~
Accompanied by somewhat messy footsteps, four rather peculiar figures appeared in the quiet Jiu You caverns.
A mature woman with red hair and golden eyes, holding a golden greatsword half as wide as a person, walked at the very front of the formation, her sharp gaze vigilantly scanning everything in the cave.
Behind her was an ordinary-looking Eastern girl. Although her long gray hair and blue eyes added a touch of exotic charm, her blue uniform revealed her origins in every detail.
Further back was a small loli with gray, spirally curled hair. The girl floated forward with a blank expression, her features quite pretty and cute, but the giant robot hovering behind her showed that she was no mere cute thing.
At the rear of the team was a black-haired man walking at an unhurried pace. He held a pitch-black longsword in his arms and had another exquisitely crafted tachi hanging at his waist. From the corner of his eye, he occasionally glanced behind, guarding against any possible dangers.
Without a doubt, these four were the team sent by the Far East Branch, responsible for exploring this cavern called Jiu You in search of the possible existence of the Xuanyuan Sword and Stigmata.
Although the Honkai Energy concentration in Jiu You was quite high, and the density of Honkai Zombies and Honkai Beasts in some areas was almost comparable to a typical B-rank battlefield, and even slightly higher in terms of intensity.
But with the team's luxurious configuration of three A-ranks and one B-rank, these dense clusters of Honkai Zombies and Honkai Beasts couldn't cause much of a delay to the team's progress.
Whether it was Himeko, Fu Hua, or Ming Yu, all of them possessed the ability to go on a rampage in a horde of Honkai Beasts. Even to accommodate the weaker Bronya, the team's pace didn't slow down much because of it.
Moreover, Bronya's own combat ability was not bad; the firepower of Project Bunny was still very commendable and was quite effective against both Honkai Beasts and Honkai Zombies.
The four of them cleared the monsters along the way while searching for a path to the deeper parts of the winding cave. Fortunately, although Jiu You was vast, its terrain was not that complicated, and the group was not short of experienced veterans, so there was no need to worry about getting lost.
Suddenly, Ming Yu's forward steps came to an abrupt halt. The crisp sound echoed in the cave, like a sudden rest note mixed into a harmonious melody.
"What's wrong?"
Noticing Ming Yu's abnormality, Himeko turned her head sharply, her golden eyes exceptionally bright in the somewhat dim cave.
Fu Hua and Bronya also stopped, and although they didn't speak, their inquiring gazes were no different.
"The things I placed at the cave entrance have been cleared out."
Ming Yu closed his eyes to sense it carefully before explaining to the three.
Although he had only briefly corrupted those Honkai Beasts and Honkai Zombies with Jizo Mitama earlier and couldn't control them with much precision, sensing the existence of those puppets was not difficult.
Hearing Ming Yu's answer, Himeko didn't reply immediately, her eyes still fixed on Ming Yu's slightly surprised face. She knew very well that if it were just this small matter, it wouldn't be enough to shock the person in front of her.
As expected, the young man's next words made even Himeko's expression change.
"From the start of the battle to the end, it only took about ten seconds."
If it were just the Honkai Beasts and Honkai Zombies at the entrance, although they wouldn't pose much of an obstacle to the Far East Branch's four-person team, it would still take some time to completely annihilate them.
And the forces sent by Anti-Entropy this time had finished the battle in just over ten seconds!
Even if the strength of their firepower couldn't fully represent their combat effectiveness, a unit capable of doing this would have a configuration no worse than the Far East Branch's side. In terms of a frontal battle, the Far East Branch was even at a clear disadvantage.
Considering the previous conflict, although the Principal didn't think Anti-Entropy would just let it go, she also didn't think they would make such a big move.
After all, Jiu You was just a thousand-year-old ruin, with the addition of Ming Yu and possible support from the Far East Branch at most.
But from the current looks of it, not only did Anti-Entropy find Jiu You with a speed not inferior to the Far East Branch, but they also sent such a large-scale force. This was somewhat beyond the Principal's expectations.
"Damn it! What are those Valkyrie units doing? The enemy has snuck up right behind us, and there's no news at all!"
Stomping her foot, Himeko's face flushed with anger, and she gnashed her teeth resentfully.
Although they were currently in Shenzhou, and there were bound to be some lapses in defense, they shouldn't have been completely unaware of the enemy's movements. If Anti-Entropy could really appear freely in the Far East Branch's territory, it would undoubtedly pose a great threat to the Valkyries on missions.
Glancing at the angry Himeko, Ming Yu sighed and tried to console her: "Anti-Entropy has been able to confront Schicksal for many years; they're bound to have some tricks up their sleeve. By comparison, at least we still have the first-move advantage now."
To be honest, Ming Yu also found this situation quite troublesome.
Although Schicksal had set up the Far East Branch in the Far East, the region felt more like Anti-Entropy's backyard. Whether it was the Third Honkai Eruption in Nagazora or the possible future invasion of St. Freya High School, Anti-Entropy could come and go as they pleased.
But these deployments were far beyond what a small A-rank Valkyrie like Ming Yu could change; that was something for the Principal and the branch's high-level staff to consider.
Hearing Ming Yu's words, Himeko immediately calmed down. After a cold snort, she turned and walked towards the depths of the cave, her pace even faster than before.
Just as Ming Yu said, their only advantage now was the first move.
With Anti-Entropy's firepower, the Honkai Beasts and Honkai Zombies along the way posed no threat at all, not to mention they had already been cleared once by the Far East Branch. Moreover, the signs of their advance were too obvious, and the traces of battle had not been cleared, which was tantamount to leaving a trail for Anti-Entropy.
Under these circumstances, Anti-Entropy's advance speed would definitely be much faster than the Far East Branch's. But fortunately, they had the first move, having set out much earlier than Anti-Entropy.
Although if it really came to a fight with Anti-Entropy, the four from the Far East Branch might not necessarily lose. But before finding the Stigmata, a direct confrontation with Anti-Entropy was undoubtedly extremely unwise; they needed to conserve their strength to deal with the Honkai in Jiu You.
As for letting Anti-Entropy trip the traps ahead, that was an option that could be dismissed without a second thought. For something like a Stigmata, although there was an element of fate involved, the phrase "first come, first served" was extremely applicable.
After all, Schicksal had yet to develop the technology to strip a Natural Stigmata.
With a final glance at the endless darkness behind him, a glint flashed in Ming Yu's dark eyes, as if he could see Anti-Entropy's mecha units at the cave entrance.
"You'd better hurry up~"
Leaving behind a soft sigh, Ming Yu quickened his pace to catch up with the team.