"Why do you want me to leave the Assault Team?"
"Ah... um..."
Himeko looked around, taking in the system space that had brought her so much surprise, then glanced at Luo Lin with a worried expression.
She struggled to force the words out from between her teeth:
"Because in the near future, to be precise, in the winter of 2010, the Valkyrie Assault Team will... encounter a very difficult situation, and the final result will be..."
Himeko found it hard to articulate the rest of her sentence.
"It will result in heavy casualties, right?" Luo Lin asked.
Himeko shook her head. Once she started speaking, it became less difficult to continue: "No, apart from me, the entire Valkyrie Assault Team will be wiped out... And because it will be impossible to maintain the structure of the Assault Team afterward, the headquarters will disband the Assault Team..."
"Luo Lin, you can't stay there."
The girl countered, "Then where should I go? Teacher Himeko? No, I should call you senior now, the senior of the Valkyrie Assault Team."
"Senior Himeko, are you telling me to escape?"
Himeko looked at the girl's determined eyes, feeling a sense of frustration rising within her. She exclaimed in frustration, "Yes, Luo Lin, I want you to escape, as far away as possible!"
"Look at this place, being able to summon me, Himeko, across timelines. You are like the protagonist in a story, with infinite possibilities!"
"Think about it, we've only known each other for a few months, right? Less than three months, I suppose. In that time, you've gone from being an ordinary C-rank Valkyrie to becoming a B-rank Valkyrie at a terrifying speed. With such progress, you'll soon become an S-rank Valkyrie!"
Himeko's voice grew louder as she seemed to find reasons to convince herself: "But, Luo Lin, you're not strong enough now. You shouldn't get involved in that matter, you should—"
"Senior Himeko!"
Luo Lin interrupted, questioning in a cold tone, "Should I just ignore the danger others are about to face, shrink back like a turtle, and do nothing to protect myself?"
"If I run away this time, should I continue running away when I encounter such situations next time? Should I always use the same excuse—lack of strength—and then run away?"
Himeko furrowed her brows, closing her eyes in pain. "No, what I mean is..."
"Because I'm not strong enough, should I go back and train to become an S-rank Valkyrie before stepping into action?"
Luo Lin continued relentlessly. "The frequency of Honkai outbreaks is increasing, the monsters produced are becoming stronger, and sooner or later, there will be Herrschers..."
"Facing the Apostles of Honkai, whether it's an A-rank, B-rank, C-rank, or even an S-rank Valkyrie, there is a possibility of death. But as far as I know, no Valkyrie would choose to retreat—will I still run away then?"
"..."
Himeko opened her eyes, smiling helplessly. "As expected of an intelligence-focused Valkyrie, you must have studied psychology very well, right?"
Luo Lin looked at the figure in front of her wearing the fiery red St. Freya uniform, waiting for her response.
"But... Honkai doesn't care about your psychology."
"If a person's resistance to Honkai isn't strong enough when an outbreak occurs, they will die—handling Honkai incidents is the same. Why does Schicksal classify Valkyries into different ranks? It's to determine if you have the qualifications to participate in the war between humanity and the Honkai."
Himeko's tone was heavy, with a hint of darkness in her eyes.
"Haha, I'm starting to wonder... meeting you, whether it's my luck or misfortune..." Himeko's gaze shifted past Luo Lin, toward the distant void. "Changing history, seeking the truth, I've thought about many things, but... I finally decided to give up."
"Luo Lin, with your current strength, you're not qualified to get involved in that battlefield... and I'm not qualified to ask you to do anything."
"If I could go back in time, I would definitely be willing to fight to see what exactly killed my teacher, my teammates. But you're different."
"Luo Lin, you're my student, a promising Valkyrie with great potential. You shouldn't fall there."
Himeko pursed her lips.
"Right now, you and I... can't do anything."
Luo Lin suddenly realized what Himeko had been thinking about after learning that she was in the year 2010, the pressure she felt, the inner turmoil, the desire to change history and seek the truth...
But Himeko had given up on all of this. Before this, she hadn't even mentioned the Valkyrie Assault Team to Luo Lin—it was not her intention to let others make sacrifices for her.
The flames roared as Himeko drew her Sunfire Greatsword, a heavy sword designed to be wielded with both hands, lifted with one hand, its crimson blade pointing straight at Luo Lin's face.
"So, run, Luo Lin..."
Himeko said so.
Luo Lin looked at the exhausted face of the red-haired Valkyrie, all her edges submerged in the shadow cast by the Sunfire Greatsword.
"Senior Himeko... But I don't want to run, and your expression... makes it hard for me to do so."
Luo Lin looked intently at Himeko, who tightly bit her lip, furrowing her brow, her fiery eyes trembling slightly—like a cry without sound or tears...
"Also, Senior Himeko, you're mistaken..."
Luo Lin also drew a sword, provided by the system, a training sword that was useless except for its hardness.
The girl gripped the long sword firmly, her expression resolute.
"Words like 'can't do anything,' It's something i won't understand!"
The tip of the Sunfire Greatsword drooped slightly, but was quickly lifted by Himeko's force.
"Is that so?"
Himeko didn't even realize she was smiling.
At this moment, two clear tears spilled from the corners of her eyes, trickling down her cheeks. These two tears hadn't even touched her clothes before they were dried by the scorching wind of the Sunfire Greatsword.
Far away, Bianka covered her mouth, staring at the two confronting figures.
Himeko's face stiffened as she shouted angrily, "Then come at me, Luo Lin!"
"I am Himeko Murata, an A-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, now challenging you as the last member of the Valkyrie Assault Team!"
"Show me! Prove that you have the qualifications!"
Luo Lin responded with a roar—
"I am Luo Lin, a B-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, a new member of the Valkyrie Assault Team!"
The blades clashed, and dazzling sparks blossomed in front of them!
"I want to change history! Save everything!"
Luo Lin could feel the immense impact coursing along her arm. Himeko didn't hold back at all; with just one blow, she sent Luo Lin's longsword flying!
"Teacher Himeko... Senior!"
Her arm trembled, blood dripped from her palm, but the girl still drew another long sword and charged forward!
"We fight for all the beauty in the world!"
With a horizontal slash of the greatsword and a straight thrust of the longsword, Luo Lin was sent flying, crashing to the ground.
She coughed a few times, slowly getting up from the ground.
"Again!"
Another round, Luo Lin predictably fell to the ground again.
Another round...
Another...
"Just this... level of..."
Himeko took a step forward, looking at Luo Lin kneeling on the ground, barely able to move.
"...I haven't lost..."
The girl raised her head, blinking her slightly vacant eyes, trying to locate the figure in front of her.
"...I haven't lost..."
"That's enough... you win..."
Luo Lin turned her head, her vision unusually clear before losing consciousness—
Himeko was crying and laughing, as if she had found redemption.
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Poll at patréon for the new fic. Will last until May and June.