The neon lights were just coming on, illuminating the city in all its vibrant glory.
Even though the outside world had been ravaged and broken by the Honkai, the center of this city remained so prosperous and safe, as if the disasters had never happened. People's joys and sorrows were not the same; when disaster had yet to befall them personally, tragedy became a trivial topic of conversation.
Walking through the streets of ARC City, this was the first thought that arose in Rita's mind. As part of Fu Hua's agreement to assist Otto, Shenzhou was not within Schicksal's sphere of control. Although some contact was unavoidable, overall, Shenzhou was still developing by relying on its own local forces.
Therefore, when she saw this technologically advanced city, even Rita couldn't help but be slightly surprised. The ubiquitous internet and the far-reaching transportation networks were like blood vessels, supplying the entire city.
Of course, the price was the unlimited weakening of the surrounding areas. Apart from the core area, the rest of the region was still in the hellish grip of Honkai attacks. The suburbs had been reduced to marginal areas, drifting further away from the technological metropolis.
It was like a massive heart that only took and didn't give, drawing the blood within its jurisdiction to supply itself.
But that had nothing to do with Schicksal. Rita didn't care how this city developed. She was only concerned about the beast hiding in the dark, baring its fangs.
As she was pondering these things, Rita's beautiful eyebrows rose slightly, noticing a gaze that seemed to be fixed on her.
"Is it someone from Gray Serpent?"
Just as she was about to draw her scythe, a young man, who seemed quite flustered, walked toward her.
"Um, excuse me, miss, are you cosplaying as a maid?" The man was wearing thick, black-rimmed glasses and had messy, unkempt hair, making him look like he wasn't good at taking care of himself. He had been staring at Rita for a while, but had only mustered the courage to approach her after noticing she was about to leave.
Releasing her grip on the scythe's handle, Rita resumed her usual elegant posture. Although she was used to wearing her maid outfit at Schicksal, in the vastly different culture of Shenzhou, maid outfits were not so common.
She carefully observed the man. The inner shirt under his jacket had anime-style artwork on it, and his jacket, while appearing solid, seemed to be merchandise from a certain animated series.
His hesitant expression and averted gaze made him look unnatural when he spoke, unable to meet Rita's eyes directly.
"No," after labeling him as a harmless otaku, Rita denied it with a polite smile.
"Then, can I take a picture with you? Just one, and I promise I won't leak it." The otaku seemed oblivious to Rita's disdain, instead blushing and gathering his courage.
Looking at the camera in the man's hand, Rita sighed. The scythe behind her was already drawn, and with a slight flick of her wrist, the folded weapon transformed into a killing tool. "I think you'd better leave as soon as possible if you don't want any trouble."
Seeing Rita's movements, the man's expression changed drastically. He realized that the surrounding streets had somehow become empty, and a dozen or so figures in black had surrounded them.
"Sorry, my apologies." Realizing that it was not safe to stay, the otaku quickly clutched his camera and ran away. However, before he could take two steps, gunshots rang out. Blood splattered from his back. He endured the pain and kept running, eventually collapsing after repeated gunshots, his camera stained with blood.
Seeing the man who had just approached her die, Rita felt no emotion. She knew that the real hunt had just begun.
Bang, bang—
A barrage of bullets swept towards her, but for a Valkyrie, firearms were no threat. The massive scythe arced through the air, cutting through the curtain of bullets. Using this brief respite, her flexible limbs allowed her to leap onto a lamppost.
Then, with a loud crash, the lamppost was reduced to scrap metal under her weight, and she had already moved at extreme speed toward the first attacker.
Shhh—
Like a hot cleaver slicing through fresh pork, the great scythe cut one of the attackers in two in an instant. Spurting blood flew everywhere, but didn't even touch Rita's skirt.
After easily slaying the first enemy, Rita moved like an elegant dancer, freely wielding the great scythe. The entire street became her stage, and amidst the continuous gunshots, she performed a perfect solo dance for the unwelcome audience.
Thud.
The last corpse fell limply, and Rita's performance finally ended. She nonchalantly patted down her short skirt, as if checking for dust.
"What do you think of my cleaning skills? Mr. Gray Serpent?" As if talking to herself, Rita's gaze fell on the shadows of the building.
The man known as Gray Serpent finally revealed his presence as his iconic black umbrella emerged from the darkness.
"To single-handedly slaughter all my bodyguards, it seems that Miss Rita doesn't seem to want to negotiate."
With a faint smile, Rita said, "Cleaning up the negotiation venue is just a small habit, you don't like it?"
"…"
"Oh well, it seems I did something unnecessary," she said to herself, "Hmm, to make up for your loss, I can offer you a deal; the rewards are plentiful."
His face hidden behind a mask, Gray Serpent's expression was impossible to read, but his voice clearly carried a hint of sarcasm. "It seems that Schicksal's friends are not very friendly. Does this mean I have no choice but to accept this deal?"
"Hmm~ think whatever you want, Mr. Gray Serpent." After confirming that Gray Serpent posed no threat, Rita's smile faded.
"Two days ago, you uploaded a photo, which included a girl. You know who she is, and you understand her value. Despite that, you still chose to upload it to Schicksal's information network. Now, tell me where she is."
Gray Serpent's voice was quite calm. He asked, "Then, what will I get in return for this deal?"
"Hmm, let me think." With a slight frown, Rita seemed to be seriously pondering the question. "A reliable ally and… a guarantee that you'll leave this place safely."
"That sounds pretty good. Although I already have more than one ally, who would complain about having too many friends? But as for the terms of this deal, using someone's life as a bargaining chip, doesn't that go against business ethics?"
"It seems that your bodyguards have not taught you the value of life." Casually kicking one of the black-clad men's corpses in front of Gray Serpent, Rita's voice gradually turned cold.
"Miss Rita, for a snake, death is merely the beginning of the next transaction. You should be careful not to be targeted by a snake, otherwise…"
Before Gray Serpent could finish his sentence, a sharp blade tore through his throat, cutting through his artery.
Watching Gray Serpent fall into a pool of blood, Rita slowly sheathed her dagger.
"You're right, Mr. Gray Serpent. Death is the beginning of the next transaction, so it seems that you have no choice but to accept this deal."