In the grand hall of the British Museum, Rita stood waiting for her contact. She didn't have to wait long. A mature woman with long, wine-red hair and glasses hurried over.
"My apologies for the delay, Miss Rita. You must be the Schicksal Valkyrie?" The woman greeted her proactively and introduced herself.
"I'm Catherine, the current Curator of the British Museum."
"Please, call me Rita. I assume you're already aware of the purpose of my visit," Rita replied, producing her credentials to confirm her identity.
"Of course, Miss Rita. Please follow me." Curator Catherine gestured invitingly.
"The British Museum houses historical and cultural treasures from across the globe," Catherine explained as she led Rita through the exhibits. "And though the history you've requested to investigate pertains specifically to Britain, its value is no less significant than any other artifact on display."
Catherine continued guiding Rita through the museum, sharing anecdotes about its history, until they arrived before a stone tablet.
"This Celtic Scroll, dating back to around the 6th century AD, has been preserved for centuries. It recounts a very ancient legend—the legend of King Arthur."
"The tale tells of a young man named Arthur, who, with the aid of the great magician Merlin, drew the Sword in the Stone and became the King of Britannia..."
-
Just as the Curator was telling Miss Rita the story of King Arthur, the British Museum, which had been reserved entirely by Schicksal, welcomed another guest.
The golden-haired Valkyrie strolled through the deserted exhibition halls, admiring the cultural treasures from around the world.
Then, a painting caught her eye: a man with the same golden hair and green eyes as her father. What drew her attention, however, was the man's attire.
It was the ceremonial robes of a Schicksal Overseer. The white robes in the painting were stained crimson with blood, and several swords pierced the man's torso. His eyes were wide with fury, his mouth frozen in a silent roar.
Lowering her gaze, Snow read the painting's title:
The Death of a Tyrant
"This depicts the fall of Marseille Apocalypse, your father Otto Apocalypse's nephew—your cousin by lineage—and the former tyrant of Schicksal, five hundred years ago, when your father overthrew his rule."
"Yet he forgot—the dragon slayer inevitably becomes the dragon..."
A man wearing a hooded black sweatshirt and a one-eyed mask appeared behind the girl, recounting the painting's story.
"And I bring you a condition you cannot refuse, nor have the right to refuse."
"Snow Apocalypse, you will succeed your father as Schicksal's new Overseer."
"The price, however, is submission to the World Serpent." The blonde girl turned a mocking gaze toward the man behind her.
The once-proud man was now drenched in cold sweat, realizing he had lost control of the conversation.
Because the girl before him was stealing his lines, word by word.
"An excellent piece of theater," the Valkyrie remarked.
"Using the death of Marseille Apocalypse, the tyrannical Puppet Overseer from five hundred years ago, as an insinuation."
"Guiding the concept of 'tyrant' to transfer onto the current Overseer, Otto Apocalypse, my father, who has ruled Schicksal for half a millennium."
"And the uncle-nephew relationship between the Puppet Overseer Marseille and Otto Apocalypse further suggests that the current Overseer is a heartless, bloodless creature incapable of human connection."
"Afterward, you'll simply release more evidence of his human experimentation and his actions during the Second Eruption... solidifying this image in the public's mind."
"Finally, you'll propose the irresistible condition: overthrow this Tyrant and allow me to ascend to the throne of Schicksal Overseer."
"For you, Gray Serpent, a senior member of World Serpent—"
"This is indeed a compelling condition and temptation, one I couldn't possibly resist."
The Valkyrie turned and slowly approached the pathetic rat before her.
"However... a condition I cannot refuse?"
Black ice crystals began to spread, and the single eye behind Gray Serpent's mask narrowed.
"A condition I have no right to refuse?"
The ice crystals crawled up the man's body.
"Absurd and laughable—"
The Valkyrie reached out and seized the mask on the paralyzed man's face, or rather, his skull.
"Since when did you... gain the confidence to rant at me like this?"
Her grip tightened, and the man's mask began to creak, its structure straining under the increasing pressure.
"Even if you retrieve the Gem and open the gate to the Sea of Quanta—"
"And allow that sealed Hero from the past, the Savior Kevin Kaslana, to descend upon the present once more—"
"Your so-called conditions would only warrant a fraction of my consideration... a mere after-thought."
"Like my ancestor, Gray Serpent..."
"We need no one's promises. For us, this has never been a complex analytical problem... but a simple choice between submission and death."
"Trades and negotiations always require parity—in power, status, and identity. And you? You lack all three."
The mechanical mask shattered completely along with his crushed skull, leaving only the man's final question echoing amidst the wreckage:
"Where did you obtain our intelligence and plans...?!"
"Hmph—" With a final stomp, she crushed the fallen body's mechanical head into dust. Black ice crystals surged forth, engulfing his remaining body and reducing it to the same fate.
"I know everything—"
-
In the dimly lit surveillance room, Gray Serpent opened his eyes, staring at the flashing red "Lost" alert indicating a disconnected avatar. He took a deep breath.
A staunch believer in the spirit of commerce, Gray Serpent had always upheld his end of any bargain, regardless of the other party. Yet for the first time, he added a name to his absolute no-deal blacklist:
Snow Apocalypse
"Who exactly are you...?"
The man gazed at the golden-haired girl on the screen, a member of the World Serpent, an organization that had observed the evolution of human civilization for millennia.
Gray Serpent's long-held arrogance, once unshakeable, had been utterly shattered into ethereal fragments by the Valkyrie on the screen.
After a long silence, he dialed a communication channel.
"Raven... set the highest priority for the Third Divine Key target to Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie Snow Apocalypse—no... forget it... continue prioritizing Durandal."
Gray Serpent issued the order to another World Serpent executive, then abruptly retracted it.
"Freezing cold... why does she possess such power...? The Sire should have sealed this very ability within his descendants long ago..." Gray Serpent fell into deep thought once more.
-
Later, Gray Serpent might reclaim fragments of his pride, shattered beneath the Valkyrie's heel, by preying on others. But for now, he could only stare at the sparse intelligence on Snow Apocalypse displayed on a blank screen, sigh deeply, and push his questions aside.
"The known information is too scarce... Snow Apocalypse... you're the true serpent, completely hidden in the mist..."
On the other end of the line, Raven muttered incessantly after the call ended, wondering what madness had seized Gray Serpent this time.
"That guy's been acting strange lately. Snow Apocalypse? Sounds like someone connected to the Schicksal Overseer."
"Don't tell me she's the Overseer's illegitimate daughter..."