Ten minutes ago, Schicksal Headquarters.
When Durandal put down her terminal, she immediately looked at Rita on the hospital bed.
At this moment, Rita was not in a coma as Durandal had told Leo Ash.
As an S-rank Valkyrie, Rita Rossweisse, even if temporarily affected by the Honkai Energy inside Jiuyou which amplified and distorted her inner feelings, couldn't possibly remain in such a negative mental state after being separated from the Key of Domination.
It was just that when the communication from Leo Ash came, Rita had, very uncharacteristically, asked Durandal to tell him that she was 'still in a coma'.
"So? Why are you still pretending to be asleep?"
After putting away the terminal, Durandal sat down on the edge of the bed, perplexed, and looked at Rita, who was still in her hospital gown.
"You know he'll worry because of this."
"Normally... you wouldn't do something like this."
"Yes, Leo will definitely be worried after hearing that I'm still in a coma."
After saying this, Rita, leaning against the hospital bed, had a trace of loneliness flash in her eyes.
"But... I'm not mentally prepared yet."
"All this time, I believed his talents weren't enough for him to survive on the battlefield, so I always hoped he could operate in a safer place."
"But now, he has unknowingly become so strong, even stronger than I am right now."
"As long as he's given some time to adapt to this power, he will only become stronger than he is now, and at that time..."
Thinking of the scene she didn't want to see, which might become the future she would have to face, Rita suddenly closed her eyes wearily.
"He will also inevitably face even more terrible dangers than now, won't he?"
"Yes."
After hearing Rita's words, Durandal also nodded in frustration.
"Last time I heard he only managed to land the final blow on Chiyou by borrowing the Herrscher of Thunder's power, but now, he can even defeat a Pseudo-Herrscher."
"Hmm, with Lord Bishop Otto's personality, he will definitely want to make more use of him."
"However..."
Thinking of this, Durandal suddenly had an idea.
"He's an S-rank combatant now anyway. We can just apply to Lord Bishop Otto to transfer him to the Immortal Blades."
"That way, as long as our missions don't conflict, the three of us can act together—isn't that great?"
"Ha, Lady Durandal."
Listening to Durandal's seemingly reasonable but completely unworkable idea, Rita could only shake her head with a bitter smile.
"Please, you must not do that. Lord Otto will not allow the three of us to act together."
"Eh, is that so?"
Listening to Rita's words, Durandal asked, puzzled.
"Why?"
"Leo will inevitably be the fourth S-rank in the future. And now, with Lady Theresa's retirement, we have never met the third S-rank, so Leo will become the third S-rank on paper."
"Three S-ranks living together, with a strong bond—do you think that's a good thing for Lord Otto?"
Seeing that Durandal still didn't understand what this meant, Rita could only sigh slightly and begin to explain further.
"S-rank is already the highest level of combat power in Schicksal's combat forces, and it's public knowledge that our relationship with Leo is very good."
"After he is promoted to S-rank, if the three of us act together, Lord Otto will probably have a thorn in his side, thinking we're forming a clique."
"Huh? Is it that serious?"
Listening to Rita's explanation, Durandal just felt that Rita was overthinking things.
"The Bishop may not be a good person, but he's not that petty in this regard, is he?"
"Please believe me, he will not allow this."
"...Sigh, alright."
Seeing Durandal drop the topic, Rita's thoughts drifted far away.
*The Bishop may not be a good person, but he's not that petty in this regard—Lady Durandal's answer is undoubtedly correct.*
*Of course, Lord Otto isn't worried, nor will he suspect us of forming a clique—after all, given our relationship, even if we live apart, our hearts are connected.*
*From this point of view, the three of us have, in a sense, already formed a clique, and it's too late for him to stop it.*
*But for Lord Otto, our clique poses no threat to him.*
*Lady Durandal's personality is too straightforward and easy to fool.*
*And my parents are still in Kolosten.*
*Leo, on the other hand, doesn't have many attachments in this regard... except for me.*
*Looking at it now, I've gone from being Leo's protector to his weakness.*
*The real reason Lord Otto won't let Leo join the Immortal Blades is that he needs Leo to stay by K423's side.*
*K423 has clearly set her sights on Leo, and the stronger Leo gets, in Lord Otto's plan, the stronger he will only become a sacrifice for Lord Otto to feed to the Herrscher of the Void.*
*If it were any other child, it would be one thing, but it's K423 of all people...*
*Leo, you should have listened to your big sister back then and not acted so recklessly.*
*If you hadn't gone to Nagazora City, if you hadn't met K423, you wouldn't be in the middle of the world's most terrifying vortex right now.*
Durandal, who was originally about to leave, saw Rita suddenly seem even more exhausted, and the worry on her face became more and more obvious.
Then—Durandal took a few steps and picked up the Abyss Flower she had placed in the corner of the room.
"Lady Durandal, you..."
"Alright, don't say anything. Lie down obediently."
Seeing that Durandal was actually planning to use the Divine Key's ability on her, Rita said to Durandal with a bitter smile.
"The power of the Key of Creation cannot heal mental fatigue."
"My body wasn't injured in the first place. Leo really didn't hit me that hard."
"I'm telling you..."
Listening to Rita's words, Durandal said with great dissatisfaction.
"The way Leo Ash is so stubborn now, he probably learned it all from you."
"Perhaps—but please don't look so worried."
Rita, looking at Durandal's gaze which was a mix of dissatisfaction and helplessness, said to Durandal with a light chuckle.
"Lord Bishop Otto has already sent me the subsequent work plan—"
"What, he still wants you to continue working!"
Upon hearing this, Durandal instantly flew into a rage and muttered to herself.
"He's going too far!"
"Please don't be anxious. Lord Otto's original intention was for me to rest well for a period of time, but I'm just someone who can't stay idle."
"Besides, these are all investigation missions. In ordinary investigation missions, even if some enemies appear, I can easily handle them with my strength."
At that moment, Rita, after coughing twice, said to Durandal with great confidence.
"I'm an S-rank, after all. Ordinary strong enemies can't trouble me."
"...Alright, I understand."
Looking at the confident Rita, Durandal just felt like she didn't want to talk to her.
She had been with Rita for several years. How could she not know what kind of person Rita was?
Rita Rossweisse, elegant in peacetime and awe-inspiring in battle, was indeed a confident person.
But she usually hid this confidence in her words and actions, almost never showing it as openly as she did today.
Today's situation was clearly not right. Working backward from this point, it could only mean that Rita's self-confidence was already lacking.
*She seems gentle in her words and actions, but her heart is as stubborn as Leo Ash's.*
*Tsk, how troublesome.*
*You two siblings, why are you both the same when it comes to such a troublesome issue?*
*Can't be persuaded, and in the end, you get hurt from being stubborn...*
Glancing at the Abyss Flower in her hand, Durandal suddenly felt that she had to work harder.
She had a feeling right now...
—*The number of times I'll have to use 'White Flower' in the future will probably increase.*
.......
Next day. Far East Branch.
After confirming that there were no serious problems with her body, Fu Hua decisively refused Otto's offer to stay and immediately chose to leave the headquarters.
Without a moment's delay for her injuries, Fu Hua, who rushed back to the dormitory, now very impolitely pushed open the dormitory door.
Then, she saw Leo Ash, who had just finished making breakfast and was taking off his apron. Her face immediately turned cold as she walked into the house.
Seeing a woman dare to look down on Leo Ash, Stan, who had just submitted to him, immediately stood up.
"Meow! (Show some respect to my master, you little brat!)"
It wasn't that Stan was deliberately trying to be a lackey, it was just that...
Last night, after Leo Ash and Kiana's conversation ended, Leo Ash went out in the middle of the night to a 24-hour supermarket on the commercial street and bought cat food for Stan.
Although almost no one kept cats at St. Freya High School, which meant the cat food was near its expiration date and being sold at a loss, Stan was still moved.
Even if his master used high-pressure tactics or even ignored him completely, Stan would have obediently listened for the sake of his own life.
But his master actually said with an apologetic tone that special cat food was on its way and asked him to make do with these cheap goods for a few days.
Look, that's what you call class! What you call personal charm!
A cat will die for one who appreciates it... okay, Stan didn't want to die yet.
But besides his life, Stan felt he could put in a little more effort for that man.
For example, intimidating this rude little brat in front of him—
"Hmm, a cat?"
Fu Hua narrowed her eyes and began to size up the bristling Stan.
"So you're the Emperor-class mentioned by headquarters? What's your business?"
Although the other's presence and Honkai Energy intensity were far inferior to his own, after seeing the woman's eyes, the previously aggressive Stan suddenly couldn't help but take a step back.
*This woman... why would I be afraid of a little girl whose Honkai Energy intensity and aura are far weaker than mine!*
*That Kiana girl is one thing, but after this woman glared at me, I can't even move?*
*Stan, oh Stan, you have the power of an Emperor-class, and now your master's dignity has been insulted, yet you retreat—what kind of disgrace is this!*
"Hmm?"
Seeing Stan's wary gaze, Fu Hua's eyes grew slightly colder.
"Has your ferocity as a Honkai Beast not been completely erased?"
"It seems you need to be taught a lesson."
"Meow!"
At Fu Hua's words, Stan subconsciously dropped to the ground, performing the 'Tiger's Landing Pose'.
Then, Stan broke out in a cold sweat.
*W-what am I doing—this woman isn't right!*
*No, it's not this woman that's not right, it's this place that's not right!*
*Besides the master, that Kiana girl might be a Herrscher.*
*And besides Kiana, I can faintly sense two... no, three existences in the dorm that surpass the Emperor-class.*
*No, wait, doesn't that mean there's only one source of Honkai Energy that's of average intensity?*
*Master... are all the girls around him monsters?*
*Forget it, I'll just lie low.*
*Master is so strong, he doesn't need me to step up for him anyway.*
"I'm telling you, what are you doing this for?"
After picking Stan up and putting him back near his cat food, Leo Ash looked at the clearly unhappy Fu Hua.
"What's wrong, Class Rep Fu Hua..."
"Oh, so you still see me as the Class Rep, Second Lieutenant Leo Ash."
Fu Hua looked at Leo Ash before her, suddenly grabbed his wrist, and said to him with great annoyance.
"Back in Jiuyou, why didn't you follow my orders!"
"I was the commander-in-chief of that mission. Did you consider the consequences of disobeying a direct order at a time like that?!"
"Well..."
*Wow, she's so fierce...*
*Sigh, she's not going to try to drag me away and hypnotize me with her feathers again, is she?*
After grabbing Leo Ash's wrist, Fu Hua could clearly feel that the true qi inside his body was, as she had imagined, in great turmoil.
*It's just as I predicted.*
*Leo Ash's speed in cultivating the Edge of Taixu is too fast, and at this speed, he has come into contact with and used a Herrscher's authority.*
*The Honkai Energy left in his body by the Herrscher of Thunder seems to have disappeared, but it has actually affected his true qi.*
*If I don't help him solve this problem, he will unknowingly fall into qi deviation and eventually become a demon.*
*If Leo Ash falls into qi deviation and becomes like that... it's all my fault!*
"Um, well."
Having heard their argument, Kiana came out of her room and said to them helplessly.
"Class Rep, let's talk things out. Senior probably didn't..."
"'Not on purpose' can't be an excuse, Classmate Kiana."
Fu Hua pushed up her glasses and said to Leo Ash.
"Classmate Leo Ash, come with me for a good talk."
"Today, I must find an opportunity to properly correct this ingrained flaw of yours of not following orders!"
......