Humans are in chaos, despicable outsiders.

"I understand. Go and mobilize the Nibelungen first, and get the standby warships into mobilization mode."

Jiuxiao finished braiding Ningdi's hair, put the small black crown-like hair accessory on her head, and gave Simon her instructions without turning her head.

“Understood. Well, there’s one more thing, Vice Captain… it’s about you and Miss Ningdi.”

Jiuxiao raised his head and glanced at the brown-haired Valkyrie in front of him, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

"Me and Ningdi's?"

"Yes, two sets of non-standard Valkyrie armor have been transmitted from the Nibelungen long-distance teleportation device. According to the information transmitted simultaneously, these are armors that headquarters customized for you and Ningdi, Miss Jiuxiao."

"...Armor?"

Jiuxiao paused for a moment, then suddenly remembered something and nodded.

“I understand. That must be the fourth-generation Valkyrie armor that Snow commissioned his father to make.”

"Wait... the fourth generation???"

Simone Riley's eyes widened in disbelief as she stared at her boss.

Is that strange?

"It's alright... It seems Lord Otto is quite the doting father after all... I'll write that down."

The adjutant pulled out a notebook from somewhere and started jotting down gossip and anecdotes about the current supreme commander of the Heavenly Mandate right in front of Jiu Xiao.

"You really dare to remember that... Go and prepare the warships... You have plenty of time to memorize all the gossip..."

Jiu Xiao's lips twitched, and he waved Simon away.

"As expected, plans never go smoothly—Ninti, let's get ready to go... Once we arrive, if we encounter any 'special' situations... remember to hold onto something heavy..."

"Something heavier?"

The blonde girl's purple eyes were filled with great confusion.

"Something heavy... no, the heavier the better... I suddenly have a bad feeling that we've been tricked, we're probably going to be blown away..."

Jiu Xiao thought of that cheerful Wind Girl, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

“Okay, Ningdi understands, Jiuxiao’s mother.”

Seeing her parents' pained expressions, the little girl nodded obediently, making the agreement a lasting memory.

"I already told you to call me Dad... Never mind... Let's go!"

Jiu Xiao hesitated for a moment, then swallowed his words, waved his hand, and led Ning Di, who was dressed, out of the room and downstairs.

...

"This mission is very coincidental with our original plan. We were originally scheduled to go to the New Zealand branch in a few days to retrieve the Gem of Desire, but now, according to the mission issued by the Schicksal headquarters and the confirmation from the Far East branch's intelligence department—"

“A major collapse has occurred in New Zealand. The current situation is unknown. The defense capabilities of the New Zealand branch are almost paralyzed, and communications are intermittent. We must hurry to support the local branch.”

"Besides its function of fighting against the Honkai, the New Zealand branch is also a bridgehead for Schicksal to suppress the infiltration of anti-entropy forces. The branch here must not be destroyed."

Kiana and the others stood in the Valkyrie maintenance compartment of the Hyperion, listening to Theresa and Himeko Murata give them a brief report on the mission.

"Our mission is divided into two parts. The Divine Authority Squad, led by Jiu Xiao, and its subordinate teams will conduct a comprehensive cleanup and rescue operation in the disaster-stricken area, as well as combat potential invasions by Anti-Entropy. They are aboard the Nibelungen assault ship in front of us."

"Because it's a high-speed assault ship, the Nibelungen will arrive in New Zealand earlier than the Hyperion to begin its disaster relief mission—while our mission is to search for a retired A-rank Valkyrie named Wendy."

A photo of a young girl in a wheelchair was projected in front of the trio.

"Retiring at such a young age... Is there something wrong with Himeko-sensei's leg?" Mei looked at the girl in the wheelchair in the photo with some sympathy.

"Yes, yes, Aunt Himeko, why is she in a wheelchair?"

Kiana pretended not to know the truth and chimed in.

"I told you not to call me auntie... Kiana, you just wait!"

"Simply put, Wendy lost the ability to move her legs due to the failure of Destiny's experiment."

"That experiment was about the Gem of Desire. Schicksal's researchers wanted to use the power of that gem—if the experiment succeeded, Wendy would have power comparable to an S-class Valkyrie. But unfortunately, the experiment failed, and her legs lost their mobility due to the Gem of Desire, forcing her to retire."

Himeko shook her head helplessly, seemingly also feeling sorry for the girl.

"She was the most promising candidate to become an S-class Valkyrie among the students Theresa and I taught back then...sigh—"

"How could this happen..." Mei bit her lower lip, seemingly also feeling indignant on behalf of the senior she had never met.

"Himeko, can't we just take it out?"

The white-haired knight princess asked the same question again, though she already knew the answer.

"Unfortunately, according to the researchers, Schicksal currently does not have the technology to reliably remove and preserve the Gem of Desire... and during the implantation, in order to activate the Gem of Desire, the researchers injected a large amount of Honkai energy to awaken its activity."

"If we take it out directly... there will undoubtedly be a major collapse."

Chapter 109 Rescue in Progress

Just as the group was indignantly defending Wendy, a communication was initiated with the Hyperion, and a projection of the Nine Heavens dressed in a Valkyrie uniform appeared before them.

"This is the acting captain of the Nibelungen, Major Himeko Himeko. We have already arrived at the disaster-stricken area in New Zealand and have not yet found any trace of the Anti-Entropy forces or any Herrscher-like beings."

In the scene, Jiuxiao, with a stern face, reported the advance team's movements and the local situation to Jizi and the others in a very serious tone.

"The four squads of the Theocracy Squad, excluding the fourth detachment which serves as an intelligence support unit, have all landed. So far, no civilian survivors have been found."

"However, the area where the branch, which is the center of the Honkai outbreak, is located is not the population center of New Zealand, but is closer to a nature reserve, which is understandable."

"We have successfully made contact with some of the survivors of the New Zealand branch. Unfortunately, there is no one named Wendy among their current hiding and resistance strongholds—the search for her still needs to be handled by the Hyperion."

After giving his report, Jiu Xiao nodded to Ji Zi and waited for her reply.

"Hyperion received, Major Nine Heavens. We will use the sophisticated detectors aboard the Hyperion to search for the wavelength of the Gem of Desire. Please continue the rescue mission, assist the local branch members, and be aware of the possible presence of high-ranking Honkai Beasts and Herrschers."

"Understood, Major Himeko. Please have Lieutenant Kiana's squad keep an eye on Wendy, who is the vessel for the Gem of Desire, as the most unstable factor in the current uncertain situation."

"Although it is called a gem, we all know what it is—it is essentially an unclaimed Herrscher core. This Great Honkai may have completely awakened that gem."

"Hyperion, proceed with caution. Penglai Temple Nine Heavens Over—"

"The Hyperion has received your deduction, Lieutenant Commander Kusaka. Himeko Murata is finished."

The communication has ended.

Himeko turned to the somewhat tense trio and said:

"You've all heard what Jiuxiao said, right? When searching for and contacting targets, it's best not to provoke Wendy. Kiana, you know this best. Excessive emotions can easily awaken the Herrscher personality."

"We must prepare for the worst."

Himeko looked at the three people in front of her with a serious expression.

"Do you remember what I told you in class—if a comrade is controlled by Honkai energy and loses consciousness, you must kill her without hesitation..."

"Although this is a heavy burden for you who have not yet fulfilled your duties, it is something you must do..."

“Bronya won’t let that happen… that Wendy, whom she hasn’t met yet, reminds Bronya of the past…”

The gray-haired girl's tone carried an undeniable will and determination.

[The Hyperion has arrived at its destination. Valkyrie squad, please prepare for landing.]

An electronic announcement rang out in the cabin.

"Sigh... let fate decide. Sometimes, reality doesn't change just because of one's own thoughts."

Himeko shook her head helplessly and waved to the trio.

"Let's go. We'll provide support as soon as possible if anything happens."

--

In front of the relatively intact branch building in the ruins of the New Zealand Schicksal branch, a small team of Valkyries were using various weapons to take down the approaching Honkai Beasts. Meanwhile, in the bunkers built around the building, Schicksal members dressed in civilian uniforms were also armed with firearms and rocket launchers, continuously firing at the white and purple Honkai Beast horde.

"Damn it, where are the other squads or branches' support? Why haven't they arrived yet!" One of the black-haired Valkyries kept complaining loudly as she kept pulling the trigger on the monsters in front of her. The specially made bullets tore through the Honkai Beasts' silicon shells, and the spray of bullets knocked down wave after wave of low-level rushing Honkai Beasts.

"Pah! You bunch of stinking mosquitoes that you can never get rid of."

As she loaded a new magazine into her weapon, the Valkyrie spat at the corpse of the Honkai Beast on the ground to express her disgust.

The Singapore branch's defenses remained relatively stable up to this point, until the Valkyrie, who was observing from the branch building's rooftop, let out a warning that wasn't even a scream, but at most a dying lament—

"Southeast! Three Honkai Emperors have appeared behind the building 200 meters away! Oh my god, they've noticed us—!!!"

With the warning sounded, the previously stable defensive line instantly descended into chaos after a brief silence.

"Calm down! Abandon the branch building immediately. All personnel must evacuate quickly. All Valkyries of B-rank and above combat units, cover the personnel as they break through towards the northwest road!"

Amidst the chaos, a voice stood out so calmly and clearly, giving the bewildered crowd a sense of direction—it was a Valkyrie with long black hair and sharp red eyes, and the nameplate she wore identified her as: Valkyrie Wilde, an A-rank Valkyrie from the New Zealand branch.

However, Lady Luck did not seem to favor the members of the New Zealand branch. Not long after the order was given, the reconnaissance team from the front brought even worse news—the road to the northwest was blocked by a newly born Emperor-class Honkai Beast, Parvati, which was advancing at high speed toward the main force.

The Valkyries of the New Zealand branch looked at each other, and finally all gave a wry smile.

"Haha, it seems Lady Luck isn't on our side today..." One of the Valkyries unscrewed a beer she'd somehow acquired, took a swig, and looked at the billowing dust heading towards the group in the distance. She then pulled out her sword, which was severely damaged after the intense battle.

"All civilian staff of the New Zealand branch and the local survivors who have been taken in...use all the knowledge you have acquired...escape the disaster area...we will buy you the last bit of time."

The A-rank goddess Wilder, who was leading the group, looked at the Honkai Emperor who was about to approach the group, sighed deeply, and drew her equally damaged sword.

"Warriors of Destiny, the time has come to fulfill our original oath!"

...

I will not be afraid of difficulties, pain, or death.

I will bring hope to those trapped in disaster and fight for every suffering victim.

I will dedicate everything to humanity and spare no effort in the battle to destroy the Honkai.

From this day forward, I am willing to become one of the Valkyries of Destiny's Glory!

—The Valkyrie's Oath of Destiny

.....

At that moment—in the sky where no one looked up—a purple star streaked across their heads and plummeted to the ground.

Chapter 110 The Battle Situation Gradually Becomes Chaotic