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Meanwhile, Rita led a contingent of the Immortal Blades squad aboard Schicksal's transport ship Eos, delivering aid supplies to Tianqiong City.
This wasn't Rita's first visit to Tianqiong City, so she navigated effortlessly upon arrival.
Immediately after landing, Rita contacted Ana, but surprisingly, Ana didn't provide any specific instructions. For Rita, work was work, and personal life remained separate.
However, she could surmise that Ana must be preparing some secret plan. In such a case, all Rita could do was avoid causing any disruptions for her.
Yet, the task assigned by Bishop Otto puzzled her somewhat.
Investigate K423's whereabouts... But K423 is also Ana's student, and considering how long Ana has been staying in Tianqiong City, she likely already knows their movements. Given Ana's relationship with Bishop Otto, they would undoubtedly have discussed this matter.
As a result, Rita found it increasingly difficult to discern Ana's intentions.
It seemed only someone with divine omniscience could truly understand Ana's plans before they were revealed. In this aspect, Ana indeed carried Kevin's legacy, sharing many similarities with him.
Fortunately, when it came to following orders, Rita excelled consistently.
Soon enough, she began to grasp the deeper implications of the bishop's assignment and Ana's objectives.
"Rita, I have a question for you."
After locating the Herrscher of the Void's trail, Rita led her team in pursuit. A brief skirmish ensued between them, but despite donning the Godslayer Armor, Rita couldn't swiftly overpower Kiana, now transformed as the Void Drifter.
Kiana herself was quite formidable; she needed to be incapacitated immediately. Otherwise, if the Herrscher of the Void awakened fully, no one could bear the consequences.
Following their initial clash, both combatants withdrew simultaneously.
Kiana hoped to achieve her objective through Rita, while Rita needed to devise a new strategy to capture the Herrscher of the Void.
"Do you think capturing me is more important than preventing this city's impending disaster?"
"Capturing you is preventing the city's disaster," Rita replied firmly. In her view, the Herrscher of the Void inherently attracted Honkai energy and Honkai Beasts, which explained Tianqiong City's recurring crises.
If Ana were present, she would directly counter this argument. She knew firsthand that if a Herrscher chose not to attract Honkai Beasts or bring about destruction, they could actually exist relatively harmlessly, causing little true chaos.
In essence, the level of threat posed by a Herrscher largely depends on their mental state.
The birth of a Herrscher actually stabilizes Honkai Disasters to some extent. If exposed, a Herrscher Core inevitably triggers a terrifying Major Honkai Eruption. However, the Herrscher's body serves as a containment vessel for the Core, keeping it stable.
This explanation, while not entirely incorrect, lacks supporting research. As such, Rita could only conclude that Kiana was endangering the city.
With no common ground, Rita and Kiana resumed their fierce battle.
Compared to just months ago, Kiana's strength had visibly transformed, and Rita was already considered the weakest among S-rank Valkyries.
She lacked a Divine Key, nor did she possess bloodlines like Ana or Bianka with exceptional affinity for Honkai Energy. Her armor wasn't designed for explosive power either. In comparison to Kiana, Rita indeed appeared somewhat feeble.
On the other hand, Kiana wielded Herrscher energy and had received guidance from one of the top combat masters. When it came to combat training, within Schicksal, none could match Fu Hua's expertise.
Thus, Rita truly struggled against Kiana.
"Pity, but capturing me now won't be easy," Kiana remarked, skillfully evading Rita's scythe with a light laugh.
Agilely dodging Rita's scythe, Kiana chuckled lightly.
"Whether you believe it or not... I'm not the reason for the Honkai Beast attack on this city. The calamity befalling Tianqiong is far more perilous than you imagine."
As she spoke, Kiana reached into her pocket, where she had gathered clues during breaks from combat training over these past few days.
Kiana always aspired to become a hero, often displaying individualistic tendencies and a touch of a spoiled attitude. But now, she has grown.
She realized that the situation in Tianqiong was beyond her capabilities alone. Schicksal's Rita represented significant power, and compared to herself, Rita could accomplish much more.
"With this evidence, you can witness firsthand what Divine City Pharmaceuticals truly aims to achieve..."
With those words, Kiana tossed the items to Rita, who caught them effortlessly.
"And one more thing, I won't leave this place.
"For me, preventing disaster takes precedence over fleeing."
Having made her stance clear, Kiana turned and walked away. She knew Rita couldn't detain her, whether through direct confrontation or any other means—especially considering Kiana possessed the power of the Herrscher of the Void at her disposal.
If necessary, she could escape through Virtual Space, rendering any combat pointless from the start.
"I know you don't fully trust my stance," Kia said. "But the choice always remains yours."
With that, Kiana quietly departed.
Above the sky, Ana and Cang Luan stood, silently observing everything unfolding below them.
"Mistress, this Herrscher of the Void is quite intriguing," remarked Cang Luan, offering her commentary on the side.
Even as a newly born Honkai Beast, Cang Luan could discern the subtlety in Kiana's words, acknowledging how much Kiana had indeed grown compared to before.
Moreover, it was a classic case of turning someone's tactics against them.
Although Rita was dear to Ana, she had to admit that Rita was quite fond of cryptic riddles and possessed vast knowledge—a trait evident during her encounter with Fu Hua previously.
Now, Rita herself faced a similar predicament.
"She wasn't like this before; perhaps her experiences and the teachings of the Red Kite Immortal have influenced her," speculated Ana.
"Is the Red Kite Immortal that Divine Tablet?" asked Cang Luan innocently.
"...Yes." Ana hesitated, unsure how to respond given Cang Luan's genuine curiosity. The Divine Tablet indeed hadn't been taught by her but rather something Cang Luan picked up during its last descent upon the present world.
Instead of learning anything beneficial, she picked up this awful joke from the Divine Tablet.
Hmm, while it might be amusing for Captains, to those existing in reality, it's merely a tasteless gag. Coupled with Cang Luan's age, it gives off a bratty vibe.
I wonder how Fu Hua would react if she heard herself referred to as such...
Ana pondered silently and then nodded.
"Yes, that immortal's consciousness resides within her now, so we can consider her Kiana's mentor."
Observing Kiana's growth also brought Ana immense satisfaction.
After all, Ana was one of Kiana's teachers too. Although unlike Himeko, who imparted profound lessons upon Kiana, Ana indeed played a significant role as her mentor.
For any teacher, witnessing their student's progress is always gratifying.
"From now on, refrain from using 'Divine Tablet.' Call her the Red Kite Immortal instead." Suddenly recalling something, Ana swiftly admonished Cang Luan.
"Understood, my lady."
Cang Luan stuck out her tongue, leaving Ana unsure whether she truly took the advice to heart. However, being her subordinate, Cang Luan should likely heed her words.
"Divine City Pharmaceuticals..."
Rita squinted as she examined the item in her hand, feeling like she had inadvertently tripped herself up.
However, at this moment, the biggest issue was that she recalled seeing documents related to Divine City Pharmaceuticals on Ana's desk before. It seemed Lady Ana might be one of their major financial backers.
If that were true, things became significantly more complicated.
The Herrscher of the Void had no reason to deceive Rita, and Rita trusted Ana wholeheartedly. Ana's kindness and gentleness clearly indicated she would never harm this city.
Moreover, Ana approached her work with utmost dedication, which further suggested her innocence.
Following this line of thought, despite being present in Tianqiong City, Lady Ana didn't personally contact Rita or provide any direct information. This could imply that Ana is intentionally avoiding something...
In that case, everything starts making sense.
While pursuing Kiana, Lady Ana uncovered issues with Divine City Pharmaceuticals. However, due to her own status and connections, it was inconvenient for her to intervene directly. Thus, she used the Herrscher of the Void to pass on the information to Rita.
Knowing Rita's character well, Lady Ana anticipated that Rita would likely take action on this matter. Therefore, the true purpose of sending Rita to Tianqiong City was to address the problems at Divine City Pharmaceuticals openly while Ana operated from the shadows.
Rita felt this explanation made perfect sense. Moreover, if not for such circumstances, Bishop Otto typically assigned clear mission objectives, unlike this ambiguous directive instructing her to follow Lady Ana's guidance as much as possible.
It must be said, Rita's speculation had merit even Ana herself would have approved.
However, from Ana's perspective, the issue with Divine City Pharmaceuticals had become secondary; she had grown somewhat indifferent to sacrifices.
They could halt the experiments in Tianqiong City, but they couldn't stop World Serpent's overall progress. The organization would merely relocate its experiments elsewhere.
For Ana, instead of dwelling on this predicament, it would be more productive to enhance her and Kiana's abilities. By showing Kevin the potential of this generation, they could then promptly seek out Dr. Mei within the world bubble.
Without addressing the root cause, any rescue effort would merely result in swapping one set of sacrifices for another.
Nevertheless, Ana appreciated Kiana and Rita's actions. After all, they couldn't foresee these consequences or view the situation from her perspective. Thus, she wouldn't intervene to stop them but also wouldn't provide significant support.
The issue of saving Tianqiong City was inherently solvable without her interference; why add unnecessary complications? It's best to focus solely on her own objectives!
And those objectives were no less challenging than Kiana and Rita's mission to save Tianqiong City.
Of course, it wasn't yet time for Ana to take action. She awaited an opportune moment, waiting for the Queen... Let's keep that secret for now.
With her resolve set, Rita swiftly began her investigation.
Her actions were closely monitored by World Serpent. As the primary overseer, Raven observed every move Rita made and reported back to Jackal accordingly.
Within the visible range, Ana's presence was notably absent, much to Raven's relief.
Although Gray Serpent had assigned her a task, truthfully, she had no desire to confront Ana.
Despite Ana being younger than her, Raven genuinely liked her. Of course, she also held great affection for Teacher Himeko. Moreover, she understood well the cost of becoming Ana's enemy.
Raven lacked confidence in defeating Ana, even with the Seven Thunders of Purgation at her disposal.
If Ana were involved in this experiment, given Jackal's usual tendencies, they would have likely abandoned Tianqiong City long ago and moved their operations to another city.
Tianqiong City was the best choice but not the only one. If Ana chose to intervene, regardless of the nature of the experiment, there would be no chance for success.
It wasn't just Ana's formidable strength; as a friend of the World Serpent, she comprehended their actions deeply, even more so than some of its senior members. For Project Stigma's sake, confronting Ana meant they had no choice but to yield.
Perhaps only the Lord himself could effectively counter Ana's presence.
Until the Lord intervenes or before tensions escalate openly, Jackal did not wish to clash with Ana directly. She couldn't risk initiating such a confrontation without sufficient power on her side.
The Lord was the Lord, and Jackal remained Jackal; even Gray Serpent might not fare well against Ana.
"Proceed according to the plan. I've prepared a surprise for them inside. Let these fools reap what they sow," Jackal's voice echoed from the other end.
"But, what about that individual? Won't this be seen as provocation?" Raven still seemed concerned, given the World Serpent's findings about the unique relationship between Ana and Rita.
"No worries. When the time comes, we'll spare her life, and 'that one' won't object."
"Understood."
Thus, the original directive for World Serpent to eliminate Rita loosened slightly—a minor deviation from the expected course of events, potentially useful, albeit limited in impact.
After all, everyone understood the implications of Dr. Magi's serum research.
One more or one less Death Weaver didn't make much difference; for now, the World Serpent hadn't factored a certain girl's intervention into their plans.
Of course, even if they had, based on their estimation of her power, she could only manage to break through at best—nothing beyond that.
This time, victory was firmly within the World Serpent's grasp.
And indeed, everything unfolded as the World Serpent anticipated. Rita led the Immortal Blades squad in an invasion, only to be separated and ambushed, leaving Rita besieged.
On the other side, Kiana quietly joined the fray, but unfortunately, she could ultimately save only the outer perimeter Valkyries before rushing inside to assist Rita.
Realizing escape seemed hopeless, Rita made an unimaginable decision: she ordered the cargo ship to crash into Divine City Pharmaceutical's industrial area.
Amidst the chaos, Kiana unleashed the Herrscher of the Void's power. After she managed to flee with Rita using Virtual Space, what greeted them upon emerging was...