in the rain-drenched streets of the foggy city, the neon lights refracted distorted purplish-red halos in the puddles.
"For example... asking your beloved Lady Durandal to do me this little favor?"
SWOOSH—!
Elizabeth's malicious words had barely fallen when the scythe lashed out, tearing through the curtain of rain. The instant it split the water, droplets flew from the rose ornament on her head like wilting petals.
The raindrops froze into ice prisms in mid-air, refracting illusory images of Rita's attack trajectory.
Among the reflections of a thousand raindrops, Elizabeth's body split like a mirror image, only to reassemble in mid-air. The scythe merely tore through her cloak, shattering nothing but the afterimage left in her place.
Standing atop a flickering streetlight, she looked down, filled with emotion. "Still as sharp as ever, your Moonlit Glacier Dance."
—Moonlit Glacier Dance, a systematic technique created by Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie, Rita Rossweisse. It combined Eastern sword arts with ancient Celtic ritualistic sword dances, possessing both elegance and offensive power.
Ironically, Elizabeth, her former friend, had contributed a significant part to the development of the Moonlit Glacier Dance, which was one of the reasons why she, a mere A-rank, was able to dodge the attack.
Rita, her attack having failed, showed no sign of discouragement. She twisted her wrist, preparing for the next assault.
Elizabeth's fantasy was a beautiful one, but it was all predicated on her being able to defeat Rita.
As long as that illusion was shattered, everything she had just spouted would be nothing more than flowers in a mirror, the moon in the water.
And did the person in question not know this?
She opened her mouth slightly, revealing a pair of sinister canine teeth, different from a human's.
The next moment—
"Daddy, why did you bring me here?"
A childish voice echoed from a street corner that should have been empty.
As an S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, Rita naturally possessed abilities similar to Wards of Mortal Separation and Idler Dispersal.
The moment she realized Maria was an imposter, a barrier to disperse unrelated onlookers had spread out from her.
The area underfoot was an abandoned building from a failed project. In theory, there should be no bystanders unrelated to this matter.
Yet, the fact was, including the little girl with the childish voice and her silent father, the originally empty construction site was gradually filling up with a variety of figures.
The clamor drowned out the sound of the falling rain. A rough count revealed there were over a thousand people.
Elizabeth spoke. "I actually tried to persuade my dear Galaxy Ranger ally to hand Alexander Rossweisse over to me, as a reunion gift for you and me... Unfortunately, Mr. Boothill's hatred for you seems to run deeper than I imagined."
"But a reunion after so many years shouldn't lack sentiment. So, I took a different approach and invited some people to our party."
She said neurotically, "Yes, that's right. From the intensive care units of various hospitals."
Elizabeth flipped her hand, and a glass tube filled with foul blood flowed in her palm.
"The people in the intensive care units were initially indifferent to me, and many of their friends and relatives angrily tried to drive me away... I suppose so. After all, they were about to say goodbye to this world. How could they care about the words of a stranger like me?"
The woman shook the glass tube. "So, to show them my goodwill, I injected the dying patients with this."
As a gift from the HTR-type modification drug, Heinrich's ability could turn the people he devoured into ghouls that retained a certain degree of reason. In the late stages of World War II, the Nazis used this to create an army that struck fear into the hearts of the Allied forces.
It had been nearly seventy years since the end of World War II. During this time, the Nazi remnants who had retreated to South America had, of course, researched this ability.
Scientists discovered that the reason Heinrich could "reproduce" was essentially due to a biological virus in his blood that could be classified as a Corrosive Stigma.
Once this virus was injected into a human body, it would rapidly spread throughout and contaminate the brain tissue, disabling the brain's protective mechanisms while greatly stimulating the appetite and the production of adrenaline.
The human body actually has considerable potential. Someone had calculated: assuming the complete removal of neural inhibition, pain limits, and muscle strength caps, the theoretical maximum power output of human skeletal muscle is about 3.7 kW, equivalent to an instantaneous burst of 5 horsepower, close to the kinetic energy of a light car impact.
But if that were to happen, the person would surely suffer a comminuted fracture of the wrist, a spiral fracture of the humerus, a dislocated shoulder, and many other injuries, becoming a cripple for the rest of their life.
To avoid this, when muscle contraction exceeds a safe threshold, the Golgi tendon organs in the spinal cord will forcibly relax the muscles through neural feedback, such as suddenly losing strength during weightlifting, to prevent tendon tearing.
This is the human neural protection mechanism.
Adrenaline, a chemical substance, can make people breathe faster (providing a large amount of oxygen), increase heart rate and blood flow, and dilate the pupils, providing more energy for physical activity and making reactions faster.
In other words, by disabling the neural protection mechanism and generating a large amount of adrenaline, a ghoul, combining the two, even if originally just an ordinary person, could erupt with the destructive power of a light tank in a short period of time.
"Did you know, Rita, when the people in the intensive care units saw their friends and relatives who were originally lying in the ICU become full of life, their reactions were truly tear-jerking!" Elizabeth spread her arms, her expression no longer mocking, but one of deep emotion. "They were also very grateful to me for making a small contribution. How does that saying go? 'Willing to go through fire and water'?"
"They were so enthusiastic, I couldn't just brush them off, could I? So I told them that I was going to have a reunion with a friend I hadn't seen in years, and I needed someone to warm up the place and make the party lively."
Her gaze swept over the people below. From her perch on the streetlight, she said with pleasant surprise, "I didn't expect that not only did everyone come themselves, but they also brought everyone they could from their families!"
Rita said softly, "Stop pretending."
"Alright, alright. It seems you've become a bit more impatient after all these years," Elizabeth sighed. "Or is it because of our reunion that you've become like this? Oh dear, our relationship is so good, Lady Durandal won't get jealous, will she? After all, I'm the ultimate childhood friend from out of nowhere. There's no reason for me to lose, is there?"
"..."
"Okay, no more joking," the woman chuckled. "To put it simply, of the three thousand-plus people here, 1,145 have been injected with Heinrich's blood. The moment I die or see that things are going wrong, they will turn into ghouls and go on a killing spree among the innocent crowd."
"Next, I will perform the Blood Exchange ritual to take your body. You can choose to resist, but if you so much as move a finger, at least a hundred of the fifteen hundred ordinary people here will die a violent death."
"Move again, two hundred."
"Move again, five hundred."
"And if everyone here is killed, Mr. Boothill will physically erase your father."
Coming before Rita, Elizabeth said softly, "You can call me despicable, and I will accept any insult you can think of. I've always scoffed at the idea that villains should have style or a sob story. If you're going to be a villain and a bastard, don't try to be a whore and erect a memorial archway to whitewash yourself, and don't occasionally do good deeds to show your so-called complex humanity and disgust others."
"Our Lady Rita is different. You are an S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal. As the captain of the assassination squad with the blood of countless people on your hands, you actually have the absurd creed of 'my scythe will not be stained with innocent blood'."
"I just don't know if those unlucky bastards you killed were all irredeemable villains. Let's just assume they were for now. So, is Lady Rita going to break her bullshit belief of 'my scythe will not be stained with innocent blood' just because her body is about to be taken by me, and watch these two thousand-plus people die at the hands of their ghoulified relatives? Huh? Hahahahaha!!!"
She laughed maniacally, reaching out her claws towards the young woman who was just a breath away.
As the saying goes, when a person came to Great Britain in 1863 and saw their subway, they could only be dumbfounded. Today, in the 21st century, over a hundred years later, if you go to Great Britain again and see their subway, you will be equally dumbfounded.
Thanks to industrialization, Britain completed its civilian infrastructure early on.
However, after losing its hegemonic status and many colonies after the two world wars, this country, which could be called a den of capitalism, saw the maintenance of its civilian facilities decline at lightning speed.
Even for a large city like London, the sudden city-wide lockdown imposed by the House of Lords was bound to cause considerable chaos.
Even with the coordination of the patrolling cavalry and the assistance of spells like Idler Dispersal and Mortal Separation, with the added factor of poor road conditions, the traffic jam on the bridge was not something that could be cleared in a short time.
This undoubtedly caused a great deal of trouble for Fuli and Argenti, who were driving. But no matter how hard he honked the horn until smoke came out, the slow-moving traffic in front of them showed no sign of clearing.
"No choice. We'll fly," Fuli said, glancing at Alexander's Vivre Card on the dashboard. He unbuckled his seatbelt and urged Argenti, who was in the driver's seat, to get out of the car.
The movement of the Vivre Card indicated that Alexander was nearby. At this distance, there was no need to drive.
"Please wait, my lord," Argenti said, placing a hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Flying is not an option," he said. "The Dimensional Administration has just issued a no-fly notice. Within forty-eight hours of the large World Bubble's landing, any flying unit with a Honkai energy reaction within London will be indiscriminately sniped by the Starlight Observation Tower!"
The Starlight Observation Tower, a defensive installation deployed in 33 sub-administrative districts, was equipped with a Gauss electromagnetic repeating cannon that used electromagnetism as propulsion. It had a range of over 10,000 meters, a rate of fire of 30,000 rounds per second, and the power of a single shot was equivalent to a Gauss ion sniper rifle.
One volley wouldn't kill Fuli in his Sunfire Armor, but only just. A second volley, and he'd be tasting freshly made Fuli paste.
Not wanting to become Fuli paste, the boy asked in surprise, "Can't you, a prince, get the guards to make an exception?"
Argenti gave a bitter smile. "I have no right to object to a decision made by the House of Lords. Moreover, I don't think their decision to issue a no-fly notice is wrong."
With the World Bubble's descent, this city had gathered too many demons and monsters.
Without some deterrence, it would turn into a chaotic mess in the blink of an eye.
Fuli had always believed that there were always more solutions than problems. His eyes darted around, and he asked, "What about you? Will you also be identified as a hostile unit?"
"No," Argenti said. "But I can't fly."
"That's simple," Fuli said, and then activated the anti-gravity light wings of his Raiden II Soulium battlesuit.
Three diamond-shaped wings made of light particles appeared behind him. Fuli leaped up, carrying Argenti on his back, and soared into the sky.
He was a prince, after all. No one would have the guts to blast him into elementary particles in front of everyone.
Plus, Fuli had also activated the optical stealth of his Soulium battlesuit, so from the outside, it looked like only Argenti was flying alone, which also saved Great Britain some face.
Sure enough, although a few gun muzzles had reacted at first, after a moment's hesitation, they all turned away, as if nothing had happened.
The people on the ground stared blankly at this scene. A little boy with a runny nose said in a daze, "Brother Argenti has ascended to heaven."
"He is a prince, after all," his mother replied with a smile.
For their generation, no matter what amazing feat Prince Argenti performed, people would only smile slightly and continue with their own business.
On the other side of the city, in an SUV also stuck in traffic—
"Heinrich, I've discovered something," the white-haired Aschour said, resting his chin on his hand and looking at the colorful lights outside the window. "I don't know why, but in modern games, the healing class is called 'nanny.' Playing the healing class is called 'playing nanny.' When you need healing, you say 'nanny me,' 'give me some nanny.' The strength of the healing class is described by the size of the 'nanny amount'."
"I believe this is a kind of sexualized language and culture from the period when the gaming industry was completely dominated by men. As a feminist, I should redefine the name of the healing class and related terms!"
He turned his head excitedly, turning off the new song by the superstar Eden that was playing on the stereo. "Hey, hey, hey, do you think I have a point?"
Heinrich gave him a sidelong glance. "First, don't be a sonar weirdo, it disgusts me. Second, if not 'nanny,' then what? 'Sperm daddy'? When you're low on health, you shout, 'Sperm daddy, give me some ■■■'?"
Imagining that scene, Aschour shook his head repeatedly. "Never mind, never mind, the original term is more appropriate—huh?"
His eyes lit up as he looked at the silver-armored, red-haired figure streaking across the sky. "That person! I remember he's the prince here, right?"
Heinrich recited his information fluently. "Argenti, a knight of the medium-sized organization, the Knights of Beauty. His strength is outstanding among A-ranks. He's a genuinely good person."
"A good person? It's not easy to hear that word come out of your mouth, especially about a surviving Englishman."
"In the past five years, he has donated blood over 300 times because his blood contains a rare antibody that can prevent hemolytic disease in newborns. He has directly and indirectly saved more than 200,000 children."
Aschour gasped. "Jesus would have to offer him a cigarette when he goes to heaven. Why hasn't the Vatican made him a saint?"
"Have you ever seen the Christian Vatican canonize a living person? They did offer him the Order of St. Gregory, but not only did he refuse the honor, he also tried to persuade the Vatican official who came to bestow it to believe in the Goddess of Beauty, Idrila."
Heinrich paused and added, "Besides, Argenti, like the other Knights of Beauty, possesses some kind of idealistic ability. In theory, he can even erupt with combat power that threatens the critical level for a short period of time. It's best not to provoke him. If you do, kill him instantly to prevent him from remembering things like 'friendship,' 'effort,' and 'saving the world' and getting a power-up."
"Even with idealism, it's only critical level," Aschour shrugged. "Then it seems he can't pose a threat to me... huh?"
"What is it now?"
"Heinrich, look at that person! Quick, look!" Aschour became excited, pointing at the invisible Fuli and shouting, "Look at him, isn't he the pretty boy that's been rumored about recently?"
"I can't see him. Which pretty boy?"
"Durandal's!"
"Fuli, a mysterious figure who emerged during the Third Honkai War, the leader of the newly established small organization, the Hyperion. However, he has rarely made a move in the past three months, so his strength is estimated to be between B and A-rank," Heinrich said.
"As for being in love with Durandal, being Theresa's fiancé whom she dotes on, rejecting the proposal of the new Fifth Member of the Senate, Anna Shariac, and kidnapping Cocolia's adopted daughter to train her as his personal plaything, since there is no concrete evidence yet, I personally lean towards these being rumors fabricated by some unscrupulous reporters to attract attention."
"Achoo!" In St. Freya, Houraiji Kyuusyou let out a huge sneeze.
"No, no, no," Aschour wagged his finger. "Putting the latter ones aside for now, the first one is definitely true!"
"Oh? How can you be so sure?"
"Didn't I go out for drinks with that madwoman Elizabeth the other day? She drunkenly told me that her spy in Schicksal personally saw Rita Rossweisse get extremely jealous with Durandal in front of the entire Immortal Blades because of that pretty boy!"
"...So she didn't waste the organization's funds for nothing?" Heinrich raised his eyes slightly, feeling a strange sense of relief. "So? Are you interested in that brat named Fuli?"
"I'm just curious that the blonde she-gorilla who beat me over the head can actually have thoughts like 'love.' I always thought she would just get stronger and stronger until she punched out the Herrscher of the Finality, then fly into space to find new enemies and disappear."
"Even if she trains day after day with beliefs like 'saving the world,' Durandal is still a woman," Heinrich said. "So, shall we follow them and see?"
"Rare! You're actually abandoning the mission to be on my side! In the words of the Taixuan Front, this is called 'two birds of a feather flocking together'!"
"...First, the bounty on Argenti on the dark web is enough for me to order a custom-made A-rank single-person armament. And Fuli, many people who have a grudge against Durandal have said that whoever can bring them his head can get a handsome reward from them."
"I thought it was those guys who have a crush on Durandal who wanted to win back their love's heart."
Aschour said this while sticking his head out of the car window and blowing a breath at the equally chaotic street.
"Hoo!"
The invisible air turned into a gale, cutting everything on the street to pieces.
The citizens stuck in traffic didn't even have time to react before they were turned into flying, fragmented biological organs. A bloody rain of limbs fell from the sky.
The SUV's sensors detected the liquid and automatically turned on the windshield wipers to clean the filth. In the driver's seat, Heinrich gave his companion a sidelong glance. "Who was it that was always clamoring that villains who kill indiscriminately are the lowest of the low?"
"It's a different matter when they're in the way," Aschour said eagerly. "Quick, quick, chase them! That's the man Durandal has her eyes on. I've been wanting to... savor him for a long, long time! Besides, you also want to test the quality of the new Herrscher clone you got, right? The power to understand, replicate, and control gravity—let's test it on them!"
Heinrich didn't reply, just stepped on the gas.
...