A few kilometers away from the tower. Tesla was shivering and was being battered by the frigid winds in the tundra. "It's so bloody cold. Why the hell are we even here without any heating or something? So much for being genius scientists." Tesla grumbled.
Meanwhile, Einstein was just wearing a coat and was in shorts. Making Tesla give her the stink eye. "There's merit in patience Tesla. It's a virtue, something you sorely lack. We have an operative inside. We will be hearing from her shortly." Lieserl sighed and didn't look affected by the cold one bit.
"Umu, you're being too grumpy Tesla. How can you get Joachim's interest if you grumble all the time and keep on moaning and bitching." Erwin gave her brutal comment with a straight face as always. Making Tesla frown heavily and blush like a tomato.
"We can also get lucky. Kidnap a certain girl to avoid battle against Schicksal forces when the worst comes." Nancy thought of the new Kaslana kid.
Emma chuckled. "Try to remember that our sovereign prefers peaceful methods girls. Not all problems needs kidnapping and violence. Also, Aponia would have a word with you if you tried." She smirked and everyone had chills. Remembering Tesla that got disciplined by Aponia as she cursed in front of children. And it wasn't pretty to say the least.
"Be ready, someone is coming." Joachim that was leaning on a tree opened his eyes and noticed that someone approached their location. Although their agent is the only one that knew the place, it was still good to be wary.
An injured Patricia then started walking to them. Having lost an arm that was bandaged in a hurry for emergency.
Joachim helped the struggling valkyrie and lent her a hand... "Nice to see you Pat. Good job in there." Joachim narrowed his eyes and saw that her missing arm was sliced cleanly. Too cleanly.
"Sorry sovereign, this mission is a failure. She has awakened and grows ever stronger right now." Patricia panted as she grew weaker. Only able to run for her life through the skin of her teeth.
Emma quickly patched her up and Joachim frowned. "It seems we're too late. Don't worry Pat, I'll handle this myself." Joachim looked at the tower and prepared himself to talk to her or even kill her.
"I have a good idea where she would be. But I need to ask something from you." Joachim looked at her and gestured that he was listening. "I have friends in Schicksal too. A maelstrom of hate is upon us. Please save them."
Pat thought of the inevitable war that would happen. Not believing that the 2nd herrscher would listen to anything Joachim would tell, or offer her. As the girl clearly went through a lot and hated Schicksal to its core.
__
"Hehe, Hahahaha! I've defeated her! A valkyrie of Schicksal! I can't believe it! I won! Now... To drain the reactor of every last bit of honkai. Then I will kill every single one of them." The 2nd herrscher grinned and absorbed the energy in the reactor with incredible speed.
But after her short travel. She saw Theresa guarding the reactor with a team of other staff from Schicksal.
"Tch, I can't get near the reactor with that little nun there. I've used too much power to beat that valkyrie..." She then saw a small seraph class fly to her.
"Hmm? I've never seen a fly like this before... But I can hear it, it speaks to me. What? You'll lead them away for me?" She was skeptical, but then it told her that a horde outside the tower is all ready.
Meanwhile, Theresa looked at the minigun that Pat used and a stain of blood on the floor with sad eyes. "Why does this have to happen to my friend?" Theresa thought another one has disappeared from her small group of friends.
"Overseer Ottilie has already sent back up an hour ago master Theresa. Master Salome and Master Niggurath will be coming shortly. Master Siegfried has also been deployed." One of the staff members told Theresa.
"Master Theresa! We have a code red! A honkai horde has been spotted nearby the tower. We need you at battle command immediately!" Theresa perked up at the news and frowned.
"Our scanners didn't pick up anything until now. They must've emerged from the tundra, about 500 honkai beasts are starting to converge here to the tower." The one who made the report explained.
Theresa then nodded. "Don't panic people! Bring me Judah right this instant. I will take care of it myself." She ordered, but she heard a comm from Siegfried.
"Oi oi oi, calm down Theresa. Just sit tight in there and direct us from the tower's comfy heating. We'll be giving our uninvited guests a toasty welcome." Sieg arrived with 2 more members of squad snowwolf.
Salome Jokanaan, a mid range specialist that uses electromagnetic waves to use the large halo with monomolecular blades floating on her back that could turn into segments and fly independently into 12 pieces. (pic)
Shub Niggurath, a close range fighter with immense strength that wields a lance that also acts as a cannon. Firing vibrations from the tip that destabilizes tough enemies like the high frequency blade. (pic)
"Pfft. These honkai beasts don't impress me at all." Shub grinned and showed her sharp teeth. A relatively large seraph class was then about to ram into her. But it got sliced apart from behind.
"Focus Niggurath. I can't watch your six forever you know?" Salome chided her with a cold look on her face.
__
Tesla looked at the three trying to hold off the honkai beasts with a skeptical look on her face. "Is this really the best Schicksal could offer? While they dance around down there, the 2nd herrscher must be absorbing the reactor like it's some delicious juice." She snorted and thought they were ridiculously stupid.
"Welt, we really don't have a lot of time. Let me deploy my mechs, then I'll bust that tower open like a tin can." Tesla said with annoyance and impatience.
"No, Tesla. Keep your titans in the reserve, I've got an old friend down there. Siegfried Kaslana, it's for the better that we have him on our side." Joachim then floated and was going to have a discussion with them.
"There's no end to these bugs Salome! Hey, the baptist. Let's have a bet, one who gets 50 kills first wins." Shub thought it was getting boring and decided to have a little contest with Salome.
"I'm not interested black goat. Can't you at least try to treat this as a mission?" Salome raised a brow at her friend and sweatdropped from her happy go lucky mood.
Shub then stood still and talked like she wasn't in a battlefield. "Well, our mission is to keep them away from the tower right? Won't we be completing it if we kill as much of them as possible?" She asked calmly, showcasing her experience from the tons of battles she fought.
She then smiled savagely and brandished her lance. But a templar suddenly fell down and got smashed to the ground. "We have another uninvited guest! Salome, Shub! Get out of there right now!" Siegfried thought they're going to be attacked again.
"Wait... That's a. Man!?" Siegfried looked at Joachim that was floating in the air. With star of eden on his hand. The surroundings crackled with honkai energy. And the orb glowed a reddish black menacingly.
"Kneel." Joachim multiplied the gravity on them and the trio immediately got on their knees. But they were superhumans, so they struggled and stood up with a lot of effort.
"Begone!" Joachim raised his hand and rained down honkai energy on the beasts. Killing every single one in the premise with relative ease. Using properties of black holes to destructure them and they turned into dust immediately.
He then landed on the ground. Einstein and Tesla followed along with a mech of their own. With Tesla of course near a red one. Matching her hair and eyes, also her fiery personality.
"Wait a minute..." Siegfried thought he saw the guy that just appeared before. But his thoughts were broken when he saw the insignia of anti-entropy on his belt.
Tesla almost slipped because of the mushy snow and her companions thought it was so uncool. But they kept their calm nonetheless.
"Stop right there anti-entropist. State your purpose for coming here!" Siegfried aimed the pistols of Shamash at Joachim and narrowed his eyes.
"Well met, warriors of Schicksal. We mean no harm, I am Welt Young. The sovereign of anti-entropy." Joachim introduced himself and the Schicksal operatives got gobsmacked.
"The sovereign of AE?" Shub said, not quite believing it. But Salome immediately made a call to HQ. "It's the 1st herrscher himself! Lady Ottilie must know immediately."
"Good warriors, know that the entity responsible for all of this is inside that tower. And that entity could doom all of humanity. How about we settle our differences and join forces for now to handle this threat?" Joachim offered, but Siegfried fired near his head.
"I've got no beef with AE. But orders are orders, Schicksal needs no help from traitors. And I won't miss the next time. I will not accept even if it costs us our dear life." Siegfried immediately declined.
"Hmph, even if it costs the lives of the ones you hold dear? You're a knight from house Kaslana are you not? Have you forgotten your oath already? Siegfried Kaslana." Joachim reminded him where he came from. And Siegfried immediately remembered his 2 year old with Cecilia.
"I know this will be a leap of faith for you. And we do not have any evidence that we won't betray you. But let our troops camp first and we'll agree to almost anything you impose on us." Joachim reached out to them.
"Ugh, fine. I don't want to mess your face up with Shamash anyway. You'll probably get pissed off and your ult will waste us in a second." Siegfried remembered his feat earlier.
"You look like an honorable person. Reciting even the Kaslana oath. You've earned my trust with your words. If the entity inside the tower is a danger to the world as you've said. Then we will deal with it together." siegfried shaked hands with Joachim and thought almost everyone knows the Kaslana oath though.
__
Tilie was in a simulation of her memories. One in which she played with Kallen. "Kallen! Give me my plane back you'll break it if you hold it like that." A young blonde chased around a young Kallen with an awkward run as she panted.
"If you want it, you'll have to get it! Come on Tilie, we can just build another one if it breaks. And you'll make a better one too." The little Kallen ran circles on the weaker Apocalypse.
"Is that a piece of your memories? Reliving them I see." Kallen appeared and looked at the scene with nostalgia. A time where they didn't have any problems.
"Ahhh, Kal-en... Yes, it was the best time of my life." Tilie smiled at her, but it contained sorrow. "I see... Would she be proud of you right now? I think she would, with how you've been helping people." Kallen played mind games on her and Tilie flinched.
"Maybe, maybe not. Do you really not want to help with this incident Kal-en?" The blonde asked, testing if she had the peculiarity of her idol. The maiden that sacrificed herself for the people.
"Hmmm, I might. Do pray tell Tilie. Why do people make mistakes and not own up to it?" Kallen asked as she knew this was most likely the fault of Schicksal. Being located in the babylon labs in Siberia.
The blonde didn't know what to say. Her guilt killing her from the inside as she felt like the real Kallen was critiquing her where it hurt. "It seems I must go. Goodbye, great inventor Tilie. Think long and hard about your choices as all the rest will be torn up when you pick. Even the strongest of bridges do not recover when you burn them down." Kallen then left and Tilie was almost really sure she was the real Kallen. But she had no proof and she was left agonizing. Almost at the breaking point in her endeavors to get her back.
"Lady overseer. Master Siegfried has a message for you." Her chaotic thoughts got broken down and gained her wits. "Continue, did Siegfried made any progress on the babylon incident?" She sighed and sat on the room. Exhausted from the small time Kallen visited her.
"He met with the sovereign of anti-entropy." Tilie then frowned and remembered the incident back in 1955 with the North American branch declaring their independence.
'The 1st herrscher Welt... They clearly know what has happened there, is their goal the 2nd herrscher?' She thought about it and the entity inside the tower must be the one they came for.
"AE is our strongest adversary. Make sure they won't intrude on the investigations and missions of our staff in the labs." She ordered.
"Yes lady overseer. But Master Siegfried did not engage and he is seen shaking hands with one of them. They are already inside the babylon labs." The report made her stunned.
'They're already inside? Damn it. Why did I have to make the lose cannon Siegfried be the leader of their operation.' She realized once again that the Kaslanas are unpredictable.
She then saw a picture of the so called Welt. But it wasn't Welt Joyce. Though she saw Einstein and Tesla with him. And the star of eden was also used earlier.
"Hmm, tell Siegfried that I received his message and thank him for the sound judgement. Engaging the 1st herrscher will only lead to unnecessary losses. We will partner up with AE. For now..." She thought this will be in their favor. Especially if the 2nd herrscher is stronger than expected.
"Since this Welt... Likes to play hero so much. I'll simply entertain his choices. Once this avatar of mine is complete, I'll be able to deal with any herrscher." She looked at the Soulium avatar that was nearly done. Basing it on Reanna Brigantia's Soulium body.
Kallen who was watching from the sidelines was disappointed once again. Like a housewife that had enough of her spouse's crap. Shaking her head and massaging her temples. "It seems you are too far gone Tilie. You've burned the bridges of our almost non-existent friendship. And your choices would lead you to the ultimate. Failure." She then left with a heavy sigh.
__
Back in Siberia, Tesla's mech squadron was camped 30km away from the tower while Einstein and the others entered inside.
"Achoo! This isn't fair! Why is mophead inside the tower! And I'm outside here in the freezing cold!" Tesla complained. While the others patted her on the back with a cheeky smile. Now equipped with their heating mantles.
Sorry Tesla, we thought you'd be inside. So we only brought 3 heating mantles." Nancy patted her shoulder with a malicious smile on her face.
__
"Good news, the overseer accepted our alliance!" Siegfried gave them a thumbs up and Einstein thanked the overseer for granting them entrance with a straight face.
"We will now search at the reactor. But before we do that, there's something you must know. A secret prison where humans are made to be test subjects is hidden under the reactor floors." Einstein explained and Theresa's heart got faster as she heard it.
While the one they've been looking for warped outside the tower approximately 17km away from it. "Hah, I've never warped that far before. I feel as though my whole body is drained. Why did you lead me here anyway?" The girl asked the little honkai seraph.
She then saw a huge sphere of honkai material along with crystalized pieces of energy that jutted out at the sides.
"Wait, what is this? Is this why you brought me here?" The girl got curious and saw her companion enter it like it was water as the surface rippled.
"Wait! Where are you going?" She then entered it as well and heard a voice. "Yes, you may enter as well."
She then saw a memory of hers in which her mother has died. Bawling uncontrollably, just like how a child would. And shortly after this, the orphans of her village were taken in by Schicksal to serve a higher purpose.
The girl that viewed the realistic scene teared up. Remembering the painful loss of her mother. "Yes... Sirin. Tear apart your human heart and rise as a true herrscher." The voice whispered at her. Manipulating the young girl to do the honkai's bidding. And she would now start a crusade against humanity.
__
Thanks for reading everyone, Ciao.