On the rooftop of a skyscraper in Guangzhou, Ming Yu looked at the gloomy sky, sighed, and said in as cheerful a tone as he could muster, "This weather certainly matches the upcoming mission."
Higokumaru glanced at the overcast sky, her gaze then falling upon Ming Yu. She pursed her lips and said hesitantly, "Is Chiyou... really that strong?"
Based on her understanding of Ming Yu, she could clearly sense his current mood: apprehension, unease, and even a hint of fear. As a formidable A-rank warrior of Schicksal, and with the full support of the Far East Branch for this mission, she couldn't imagine how powerful Chiyou must be to make Ming Yu worry so much.
"To be honest, I'm not sure how strong Chiyou is, but it certainly won't be a simple enemy. Perhaps it's more accurate to say it's a mysterious enemy."
Ming Yu thought seriously for a moment before speaking slowly.
In truth, Ming Yu knew very little about Chiyou's strength.
Although many rumors claimed Chiyou was a Honkai Beast that surpassed the Judgment-class, it was ultimately defeated by one A-rank Valkyrie and three B-rank Valkyries, plus at most one Key of Domination that had been split into three. Moreover, Himeko, who should have been the main force, was even weakened by being controlled by the Xuanyuan Sword.
The only one that could compare in terms of reputation and track record was that incredibly embarrassing Herrscher of Wind.
If calculated based on this lineup, the current Ming Yu could probably solo the Jiu You instance.
But as a Honkai Beast theoretically stronger than a Judgment-class, a monster that caused Ji Lin, who wielded the Xuanyuan Sword and bore a Natural Stigmata, to never return, and even forced the two great gods Danzhu and Cangxuan to sacrifice their lives to leave a seal, could Chiyou really be that weak?
It was precisely this huge gap between "known intelligence" and common sense that made Ming Yu feel extremely uneasy. He couldn't be certain of Chiyou's true strength at all!
"Then, Big Bro Yu, can't you just not go!?"
Biting her lip, Higokumaru said with some reluctance.
It was Theresa who wanted the Stigmata; Ming Yu's original mission was only to find Jiu You. In a sense, this operation no longer had anything to do with Ming Yu.
Even if Theresa requested again that Ming Yu carry out the mission to conquer Jiu You, he had the right to refuse.
From Ming Yu's behavior over the past few days, Higokumaru knew very well that he was unwilling to participate in this mission.
"Although my strength is what it is, and it might not amount to much against Chiyou... if I don't see it with my own eyes, I won't be at ease."
Ming Yu laughed self-deprecatingly, speaking in a gentle but firm tone.
To him, both Himeko and Fu Hua were people worthy of respect. Even if his strength was mediocre, those two wouldn't need his protection. But if he chose to back down, he would feel a sense of guilt in his heart.
"But—"
Although Ming Yu's reasoning was sound, Higokumaru had no intention of giving up. Even though Ming Yu said he was just going to take a look, Higokumaru knew that if something happened, he would definitely be the one standing at the very front.
"Alright, Hyperion's helicopter is here. It's time for us to go."
Pointing to the helicopter flying straight towards them not far away, Ming Yu cut off the girl's further persuasion.
"Mm~"
Glancing at the black helicopter, Higokumaru finally lowered her head in resignation. Once Ming Yu had made up his mind, there was nothing she could do to change it.
Sighing softly, Higokumaru's hands clutched the light blue fairy dress she was wearing, but she eventually let go.
This was a new dress they had just bought yesterday, and Ming Yu had specifically asked her to wear it today. At the same time, this also meant that her name was not on the list for the trip to Jiu You.
......
Walking through the corridors of the Hyperion, Ming Yu couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion.
The first time he had any interaction with the Far East Branch was when Himeko brought him back to St. Freya from Nagazora on the Hyperion. But he had been unconscious the entire time, without a single memory of it.
Although he had boarded this legendary ship again later, he was also unconscious and had no recollection of it.
This time, it was Ming Yu's first time walking onto this legendary warship while conscious.
Facing the place where the dream began, he couldn't help but feel a stir of excitement in his heart.
But soon, he arrived at his destination.
The metal doors of the combat briefing room opened, and Ming Yu saw the people from St. Freya he hadn't seen in days.
Greeting everyone one by one, Ming Yu also took out the small gifts he had bought earlier.
"Kiana, some of Guangzhou's specialty foods. Consider it an apology for last time."
He tossed a large food container, saying with a light laugh. If it weren't for his intervention, this gluttonous Kaslana would probably have had time to sweep through all of Guangzhou's delicacies.
"That kind of thing, I've long... but since you're being so sincere, I won't be polite."
Catching the food container Ming Yu tossed, Kiana felt its weight and instantly perceived his sincerity. The words of refusal she was about to say were immediately swallowed, and her blue eyes narrowed into two crescent moons.
"A cookbook for Mei, a HOMU doll for Bronya…"
As he spoke, Ming Yu took out the gifts he had brought for everyone from his backpack. He hadn't forgotten to buy some exquisite trinkets for even Himeko and Fu Hua.
"Ahem! Ming Yu, you…"
A hint of displeasure appeared on the Principal's face, who was seated at the head of the table. This was the combat briefing room, an extremely serious occasion, yet Ming Yu was openly distributing souvenirs. Did he treat his previous missions as a publicly funded vacation!?
But the next moment, after accepting the HOMU figurine Ming Yu handed her, the Principal silently placed it aside and, with a stern little face, admonished, "Considering you completed your last mission well, I'll let it slide this time. But there won't be a next time!!!"
Glancing at Theresa's little hand still resting on the figurine, Ming Yu nodded with a completely serious expression.
Although he and the Principal had a rather unpleasant falling out a few days ago, since Theresa wasn't holding it against him, he naturally wouldn't cling to it either. Though neither had formally apologized, the matter could be considered closed.
If one of them were to truly yield, it would have to wait until the Jiu You incident was completely resolved. But before that, they both tacitly agreed to a temporary truce.
Looking at the two who were acting amicable on the surface, and then thinking about how furious Theresa was when she talked about Ming Yu a few days ago, Himeko couldn't help but sigh and facepalm.
"According to the intelligence provided by Ming Yu, it's not just us who have our eyes on Jiu You this time, but also the folks from Anti-Entropy. Taking all factors into account, the Jiu You exploration mission will be carried out by Himeko, Fu Hua, Ming Yu, and Bronya. I will coordinate from the center to prevent any unforeseen situations. Do the four of you have any questions?"
Knocking on the conference table, the Principal gave the order in an unquestionable tone.
Although she didn't pay much attention to the Chiyou that Ming Yu had mentioned, since Anti-Entropy had chosen to make a move, and having witnessed Ming Yu's power, she couldn't afford to take it lightly.
If Anti-Entropy wasn't going to give up, then this time it would surely dispatch sufficient forces, at least no weaker than the strength Ming Yu had displayed.
And this was also the reason why the Principal had chosen Ming Yu and Bronya, and even she herself had rushed to Shenzhou with the Hyperion at the first opportunity.
The three A-rank Valkyries, who were already aware of the situation, naturally had no problems. As the only B-rank Valkyrie, Bronya only hesitated for a moment before figuring out the twists and turns of the situation and slowly nodding.
Seeing that the four had no issues, the Principal breathed a sigh of relief in her heart and was about to give the order to set out.
Suddenly, a vibrant voice rang out: "What about me? What's my mission?!"
Hearing this voice, Theresa couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. Looking up, she saw, as expected, Kiana's right hand raised high in the air.
"Stay on the Hyperion, await orders, and be ready to provide support at any time."
Before the Principal could answer, Himeko said in a deep voice.
Although Kiana was nominally part of the support unit, which sounded important, everyone present knew that if they encountered something that even three A-rank Valkyries couldn't solve, a mere B-rank Valkyrie would be of no help. The only one who could change the situation was the Principal, the sole S-rank Valkyrie.
"But, why can Bronya…"
Looking at the stoic girl beside her, Kiana asked with some reluctance.
"If the opponents are Anti-Entropy's mecha units, Bronya's abilities can play a special role."
Pointing to Project Bunny behind Bronya, Theresa explained with a deadpan expression.
"I…"
Looking around at everyone in the conference room, Kiana suddenly realized her own powerlessness. The strength she had once been so proud of was so feeble when facing real situations.
Mei possessed extraordinary combat power when she became a Herrscher, and Higokumaru, rated only as C-rank, was extremely outstanding in intelligence processing, but she herself…
Looking at the crestfallen Kiana, and then at the resolute Theresa, Ming Yu seemed to understand something.
......
In a cluster of clouds at a different location from the Hyperion, a gray floating warship was concealing its form.
On the deck, a girl with half-pink, half-purple ear-length short hair was looking down at a tablet in her hands. On the screen, two intersecting crimson sword auras were slowly growing larger. Even through the screen, the girl could still feel that destructive power.
"So this is the second target of this operation? How interesting~"
Looking at the proud black figure on the screen, the girl licked her lips, and a flame called excitement ignited in her golden right eye.
She looked back at the neatly arranged Titans behind her, and a sense of confidence instantly grew in her heart.
Her gaze fell on the clouds ahead. A heroic feeling began to rise in her heart, and she couldn't help but shout, "Jiu You, Xing the Great is here!"