The collapse started when Kiana came to the door

Theresa's pupils shrank slightly. Almost at the same moment when Einstein reported the target location to her, she and Raiden Mei's keen five senses as Valkyries also sensed the breath of a living creature in that place.

She took a deep breath and looked at Mei Raiden, and they both turned their bodies to the right at the same time.

The sound of footsteps approached the two people from far away in the silent and dark ruins. Before the other party's figure appeared, Theresa lowered her voice and whispered to Einstein and others who were monitoring the surrounding environment on the Hyperion: "How did they appear here?"

"Based on what the Hyperion captured, although it is a little unbelievable, the most appropriate word to describe the current situation is probably 'appearing out of thin air'," Einstein responded calmly.

"Very good, it's the same as I perceived." Theresa nodded, then raised her hand, signaling Raiden Mei who was standing next to her to stay calm, and she slowly and firmly moved forward in the direction of the person coming.

In the pitch-black night sky, the cold wind howled continuously, the dark sea of ​​clouds was briefly pulled away, and the waning gibbous moon, whose light was partially blocked by the earth, was revealed.

The faint moonlight projected into the ruins, immersing the figures of the three people who were approaching a distance of twenty meters.

Mei Raiden, who was standing behind Theresa, bit her lips. She looked at the young man who appeared in the moonlight and Kiana who was held horizontally by him, and a trace of excitement mixed with strong unwillingness flashed in her eyes.

But she did not disobey Theresa's instructions. Instead, she suppressed the desire and impulse in her chest to rush forward and stood still.

At the same time, Rita Rossweisse, who had been observing Theresa and Raiden Mei in secret, also showed a look of surprise when she saw the young man holding Kiana horizontally.

Theresa and Raiden Mei, who arrived at the ruins, did not hide their tracks. As the strongest executioner of destiny, Rita's specialized biological hunting armor [Hunter Suit·Shadow Iron] allowed her to easily avoid the biological monitoring from the Hyperion.

Therefore, following the location of the Hyperion, Rita also arrived at the ruins on the outskirts of Sky City shortly after Theresa and the others arrived here. She found a building wreckage suitable for hiding with almost no effort, and continued to observe them about 300 meters away from Theresa and the others.

To be honest, Rita didn't know why Theresa and the others came here, nor did she know what Theresa was waiting for. But Rita knew that as long as she followed Theresa's footsteps secretly, she would be able to obtain specific information about the Herrscher of the Void.

Although the first step of the plan was successful, the man who appeared in front of Theresa and Raiden Mei with the [Information on the Herrscher of the Sky] made Rita, who had been observing them secretly, stunned.

He is... the deputy director of the Saint 7308 Research Institute? His name... I remember it was Li Shubai, right?

Obviously, Theresa and the others did not know Li Shubai. In fact, he was only the deputy director in the Mandate. Although compared with ordinary researchers and even ordinary Valkyries, he could be considered successful, but for these top Valkyries and Bishop Otto of the Mandate, he was a little too mediocre.

Rita would recognize Li Shubai's face and name simply because she remembered this personal habit of every employee at the Tianming Headquarters.

At least, as far as Rita knew, Yulandel, who had already arrived in the urban area of ​​Tianqiong City and was on standby and ready to provide support here at any time, should have no intersection with that man.

Why did the deputy director of the Saint 7308 Research Institute appear in front of Lady Theresa? And... he was carrying the Herrscher of the Void's body, K423?

Could it be that he, like Lady Theresa and the others, betrayed the Destiny Headquarters?

Just as Rita was thinking about this question with a frown on her face, the steps of both parties stopped.

Ten meters, let alone Theresa, even for the current Raiden Mei, it is a distance that can be crossed instantly with just one step.

But when they reached this distance, Theresa did not attack immediately. Instead, she lowered her eyes and carefully observed Kiana with her eyes closed.

Contrary to her expectations, Kiana's expression was not at all ugly. The sleeping beauty who was held horizontally had a rosy complexion and her brows were relaxed.

Her eyes were peacefully closed, and the corners of her mouth were even slightly raised, as if she was having a beautiful dream that made her feel extremely satisfied.

"Ms. Kiana's vital signs are intact. Her physical condition and Honkai energy erosion index are..." Before Theresa could ask the people on the Hyperion, Einstein's plain inorganic voice rang in her ears, "...It's really surprising. From the parameters observed by the Hyperion, Miss Kiana's current condition seems to be more stable than when she was at the Skyward Headquarters."

After receiving the conclusion made by Einstein, Mei Raiden and Theresa breathed a sigh of relief at the same time. Their originally extremely nervous emotions also faded away, and their hostility and anger towards the boy also dissipated a lot at once.

Sure enough, just as Dr. Einstein said, although the boy who found Kiana had been trying to provoke them, in fact, Kiana was not harmed by the other party. In fact, judging from the parameters observed by the Hyperion, she may have received some help from the boy.

And for them, this incident alone is enough to make them show goodwill to that boy.

After confirming Kiana's physical condition, Theresa, who felt much more at ease, raised her head and carefully observed the strange man who was holding Kiana horizontally.

Then she was stunned, and even forgot for a moment to ask the other party to return Kiana immediately.

...How should I put it? In her impression, the young boy who contacted them did some things to Kiana that made them feel bad. But from an objective point of view, the young boy could indeed be called high-spirited.

No matter how you think about it, it is hard to predict that a person's temperament can change so drastically even though his appearance has not changed and his eyes have become dull.

And it wasn't just his eyes that were dull... She didn't know if it was an illusion, but Theresa always felt that she could vaguely see several fuzzy red marks under the collar of the young boy.

Compared to Kiana, who they had been extremely worried about but was now lying quite peacefully in each other's arms, it was this young boy who seemed to have endured some inhumane torture during this period of time.

Tsk, what are you thinking about?

Theresa shook her head and put aside these outrageous thoughts. Then she cleared her throat and said as gently as possible: "Thank you very much for taking care of Kiana during this time. Now, can you return her to us?"

"..." Li Shubai's eyes moved. He stared weakly with a dead fish eye, looked around, and then said in a stiff tone, "Where is the Hyperion? I should have said that if you want me to return Kiana to you, drive the Hyperion to the designated location."

"Why are you asking Hyperion?" Theresa frowned and crossed her arms over her chest. "If you need any conditions, just ask me directly. You helped us find Kiana, so as the captain of Hyperion, I will try my best to satisfy you as long as the conditions are reasonable."

"What if I say that I want to replace you and become the captain of Hyperion?" Li Shubai said calmly, "Can you satisfy me?"

The air suddenly froze.

Chapter 4 The Cook Fell Down Again (k)

After a long silence, Theresa narrowed her eyes slightly, and her childish voice revealed a sense of anger and coldness, as if she felt she was being fooled.

"Are you sure you don't need to change to a more reasonable condition? Even if I appoint you as the new supreme commander of the Hyperion, you should understand that I and other members of the Hyperion cannot really follow your lead. The position of captain is not a lifetime position, and you may be dismissed at any time."

"You don't need to worry about whether I can keep my position as captain." Li Shubai said coldly in a flat tone, "In exchange for the command of a ship, you can get a Herrscher from me. Isn't this a very cost-effective deal?"

"You are right. The trade of commanding a ship in exchange for the body of a Herrscher is indeed a good deal." Just as Li Shubai finished speaking, a gentle and calm voice suddenly echoed in the quiet suburbs of Tianqiong City. "So, the reward you asked for from Lady Theresa will be paid to you by us, Tianming."

"Of course... As the party that paid the reward, we at Tianming also hope to get a reasonable return, so, in exchange, can you hand Miss Kiana over to Rita?"

It was a gentle and polite tone that would make anyone who heard it feel like a spring breeze, but the moment that female voice sounded, the cold night wind in the suburbs suddenly became sharper.

The cold wind stung the cheeks of everyone present, and Theresa and Raiden Mei's faces instantly turned ugly when they heard the voice.

They all shifted their gazes to the side at the same time, but the corners of Li Shubai's mouth slightly raised a light arc because of joy. He turned his face and followed Theresa and Raiden Mei's gaze to the uninvited guest who suddenly visited.

Under the clear moonlight, the slender and graceful figure cast a long black shadow on the ground.

After finishing the outfit of the God-killing Armor [Blue Knight·Moon Soul], Rita Rossweisse forcibly intervened in the negotiation between the two with a seemingly gentle but actually extremely tough attitude.

She looked at Theresa and Raiden Mei in turn, who had their eyes fixed on her, and finally looked at Li Shubai's face.

Although Rita was a little surprised by the young boy's half-smile, she soon put away her surprise and her usual calm smile appeared on her face again.

"For the Far East Branch and Lady Theresa, the Hyperion is the only flagship they currently own, so it is difficult for them to give it to you as a reward." Rita said with a sweet smile, "However, for our Destiny Headquarters, the Hyperion-class aerospace battleship is also precious, but it is far from being so precious that it cannot be put on the trading table as a bargaining chip."

"If you are willing to hand over Miss Kiana to me, then, Rita Rossweisse, I swear here on the honor of the S-class Valkyrie of Destiny that after our transaction is completed, you can immediately join the Destiny Headquarters as a captain, and we will provide you with an aerospace carrier that is even better than the Hyperion." Rita stared into Li Shubai's eyes and asserted in a humble but confident voice, "In fact, even if you don't take the initiative to propose this condition to the Destiny Headquarters, with your contribution in finding Miss Kiana for us, Bishop Otto will definitely not treat you unfairly - as the deputy director of the Helheim Institute, you should also know this, right, Mr. Li Shubai."

"What?" Theresa's expression suddenly became solemn. She clenched her five fingers tightly and looked at Li Shubai with a look full of vigilance and hostility. "You are actually from the Tianming Headquarters?!"

"That's right." Rita raised her neck slightly, like a victorious swan. "So, Lady Theresa, I advise you to give up this deal. Moreover, you should also know that for Miss Kiana who is now being invaded by the consciousness of the Herrscher of the Sky, only Bishop Otto can truly help her."

"Of course, if you are willing to continue waiting here, Rita will not stop you." Rita said with a smile, "After all, from my point of view, if I can bring Kiana back to the headquarters of the Mandate of Heaven and capture all of you wanted traitors, I believe Bishop Otto will be very happy to see this scene."

"..." After listening to Rita's warning, Theresa narrowed her eyes slightly.

An obvious threat.

Since Rita has already come here, it is reasonable to speculate based on this condition...it is probably only a matter of time before support comes from the headquarters of the Mandate of Heaven, or even the strongest Valkyrie of the Mandate of Heaven, Yulandel, comes in person.

If that time really comes, let alone whether they can bring Kiana back to the Hyperion, even they may find it difficult to escape Otto's clutches.

But by the same token, since Rita is still trying to use words to make me retreat, it also means that she is not 100% sure that she can defeat me.

That is to say, while Rita is still fighting alone and until the support of Destiny arrives here, this period of time is their only chance to snatch Kiana from that boy and escape from here!

"You want us to give up Kiana?"

Having made up her mind and made her judgment, Theresa no longer hesitated. With fierce kicks of her legs, her petite body moved in a straight line towards Rita at the speed of a meteor.

"Go and have your sweet dreams!"

Accompanied by the exploding sparks, the sound of fierce metal collisions resounded in all directions.

The blood-red cross came into contact with the huge blue sickle without any hindrance.

"It's still the same as always, a rough and wild yet effective fighting method."

Although Rita had the advantage in terms of size, at the moment the weapons made contact, her body was still uncontrollably knocked back.

Although both are S-class Valkyries, in terms of pure physical functions, Rita still cannot compete with Theresa who possesses the blood of Kaslana.

"It is incredible that such a petite and cute body can possess such powerful strength. Until now, Rita still finds it incredible." After Mianli took the vicious blow from the bloody cross, Rita sighed softly, "But, I'm sorry, Lady Theresa, I can't let you leave here so easily."

The huge blood-red cross was flying wildly in the cold wind.

While waving [Imitation of Judas: Blood Embrace], Theresa mercilessly pressed forward again towards Rita who had taken a step back.

"Whether I stay here or not is not up to you to decide!"

Amid Theresa's roar, the cross and the sickle clashed violently again.

Although her power was temporarily suppressed, so that she was knocked back with her sickle, Rita's posture and movements did not collapse.

Rita was well aware of the fact that she was not as powerful as Theresa from the beginning.

For both parties, this battle was not premeditated. However, as senior executives of the Destiny and the original Destiny, both Rita and Theresa had a fairly accurate judgment and estimation of the other party's strength.

Including Yulandel, the training data and parameters of all Valkyries are public within Sentence. As soldiers specialized in Honkai, they do not need to hide their strength. Even in the simulated battlefield used by Sentence for training, the simulation data of most of the Valkyries are preserved.

Therefore, as soon as they faced each other, Rita and Theresa quickly adjusted their tactics based on each other's combat characteristics.

Under the moonlight, two figures, one tall and one short, kept crossing and separating in the desolate ruins. The environment, which had already turned into ruins, was further ravaged by the continuous shaking. Seeing Rita and Theresa entangled with each other, Li Shubai's heart was slightly moved.

Sure enough, at the moment when Theresa entangled Rita, Raiden Mei, who understood Theresa's purpose, rushed over here without hesitation at an extremely fast speed.

The Valkyrie holding the katana had sharp eyes and agile movements. In less than three seconds, she took advantage of the gap between Theresa and Rita to approach Li Shubai, who was holding Kiana horizontally with both hands. Then she raised the katana in her hand and attacked Li Shubai's neck with the back of the knife without hesitation.

The posture of swinging the sword, the point where the blade landed, and the timing when the opponent was holding Kiana horizontally without any resistance, everything was perfect.

As far as Mei Raiden knew, there was no way anyone in this world could remain conscious after withstanding her attack in such a state.

In fact, not only Mei Raiden who swung the knife, but even Rita and Theresa who were fighting with the opponent, couldn't help but show different emotions because they sensed the changes in the battle situation.

Theresa couldn't help but show joy on her face, while Rita's face darkened slightly.

They all knew that the ultimate goal of this battle was not to defeat the opponent from the beginning. Theresa hoped that Mei Raiden could bring Kiana back to Hyperion while she was holding Rita back, and Rita's goal was to delay Theresa and the others until the support of Yulandel arrived here.

No one really took Li Shubai seriously. Even though Rita offered Li Shubai trading conditions that seemed much better than those offered to Theresa and the others, she did not really put herself on the same level as the young boy.

However, just when everyone thought the outcome had been decided.

Raiden Mei's sword-swinging movement stopped at the moment before the back of the sword was about to hit Li Shubai's neck.

“What—?!” Raiden Mei made a horrified sound because of the extreme confusion and incomprehension, “—How, is it possible??”

Shock and fear turned into tremors that permeated the whole body.

What exactly happened?

She clearly didn't feel the sword being blocked by anything, but why did the fatal blow she was about to launch suddenly stop?

No, before that—

——Why did she lose control of her body and become completely unable to move?

Before figuring out these three questions, there was a sharp and piercing thunder and a dazzling flash of lightning exploded.

The sharp arcs of electricity that filled her vision, along with an indescribable feeling of numbness, immediately dominated Raiden Mei's body and ruthlessly deprived her of the right to move freely.

Then, the next moment——

"You should get some sleep first."

After hearing the voice that was so close to her, as if it came directly from her mind, Mei Raiden, whose hair stood on end, instinctively wanted to turn her body and retract the katana that was still swung out.

However, being temporarily paralyzed and having lost control of her body, Mei Raiden could only move helplessly and anxiously feel the impact on the back of her head.

The impact that invaded her brain caused Mei Raiden's thoughts to gradually fade away in despair and the sorrow of being unable to protect the people important to her.

I clearly...haven't given Kiana to...

No, consciousness must...

"Leave Kiana's affairs to us for now. You are still too weak right now."

There was absolutely no room for resistance.

After hearing the last words from the man who easily defeated her, Mei Raiden's body and consciousness were forcibly shut down.

——On the other side, such a violent thunder was certainly not ignored by Rita and Theresa who were entangled with each other.

The two of them simultaneously retreated about 20 meters away, and then focused their eyes on the direction of the thunder at the same time.

However, after seeing the scene, the absurdity of the fact made Theresa and Rita fall into a daze.

“What…is going on?” Theresa muttered unconsciously.

"...I don't know..." Rita also responded subconsciously in a low voice, "But, looking at the situation over there, that lady...who looks very similar to Miss Mei, doesn't seem to be on the same front as your Far East Branch."

“Mei…!!” After hearing the words “Miss Mei” from Rita’s mouth, Theresa finally noticed Raiden Mei who was supported by the tall woman who suddenly appeared. She was shocked and looked annoyed, “What did you do to Mei?!”