K424 of the Collapse World

In Shirley's vision, "herself" seemed to want to say something, but the severe injuries reduced her voice to a low roar. Angry, yes, although she didn't know what the image of herself wanted to say, Shirley knew very well that it was a possible expression of her anger when it reached its extreme...

“Is that so… hmph, even though you are wearing human skin, you are still a Herrscher of destruction in your heart? If so, please turn into ashes of heavenly fire, Shiris… no, the eleventh Herrscher!”

“It doesn’t matter… At this point, even if my consciousness is devoured and I become a lackey of the Honkai, I will kill you—!!”

In the hallucination, with a hoarse roar, he stood up shakily with the reconstructed spear, pointing the spear blade at the familiar white-haired man in front of him. "I" took the initiative to charge, accompanied by countless chains rising from the ground, and the golden spear he swung met the flaming giant sword...

The image disappeared, and the clear sky suddenly filled her sight, causing Shirley, whose eyes were scattered, to squint uncomfortably. With a slight gasp, Shirley realized that her body was covered with a layer of sweat, which looked extremely obvious and strange in the cold winter.

(There is no doubt that the scene in the hallucination is St. Freya Academy! And the man holding the Skyfire Greatsword, his appearance, I remember it should be...)

Thinking of this, she suddenly felt a warm touch between her fingers, and Shirley realized that there was a woman with anxious eyes beside her.

"Lillian..."

"Shiris! Are you okay? Just now... I was really scared. You suddenly became like this... How do you feel now? Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

Lillian, who was holding Shirley's hand tightly and saw the girl's strange behavior throughout the whole process, was really scared. However, she immediately reacted when she felt the girl's slightly trembling hand. Just as she was about to use the terminal to contact Theresa and others, the girl suddenly returned to normal.

"I'm sorry, Lillian, for making you worry. I'm fine. I was just...well, adjusting the natural outward manifestation of my battle memory."

"Ah? Is that so, but..."

"It's really okay. Look, I'm fine now, right? But if possible, it's best not to tell Siegfried and Theresa about this, or they'll point fingers at my personal habits."

After breaking free from Lillian's arms, Shilis quickly stood up and left the bench, hiding her doubts in her heart. She smiled back at Lillian, who still looked worried.

"I will go to the Tianming headquarters to do some work soon. I will find out the news about Claire. Wait for my good news, Lillian."

"..."

Gently waving her hand and smiling goodbye, Shilis turned and walked away along the path. Little did she know that in Lillian's sight, her back was so heavy that she could tell at a glance that she was hiding something important...

520 Road Ahead

The moment after the girl left the green area of ​​the academy, she took advantage of the fact that no one was around and quickly rushed out of the back door of Saint Freya along the path and ran towards the woods on the edge of the artificial island...

After confirming that there was no reaction from any living organisms around her, Shirley heaved a sigh of relief, sat down right where she was, leaned against a bare willow tree, and began to breathe softly.

The astonishment that she had suppressed with great difficulty just now appeared on her face again.

What on earth did I just see?

After seeing the extremely clear images twice in a row, Shirley didn't think it was an illusion caused by her nervousness. Those images were like memories that already existed in her mind. They were awakened again under the impact of similar scenes, and the memory was played in her mind in the form of images.

But this is just a vague feeling. It is called memory, but the source of these images is completely unknown. In addition, this may also be a kind of foresight generated by the Herrscher's energy. Today, the secret of Honkai energy has not been truly explored by humans. What kind of power does the Herrscher who controls this magical energy have? Shiris herself does not know...

(Let’s not think about the possibility of stigmata memories for now. If those images are a prediction of the future, then that’s a bit…)

There is already a clear plan for future strategy. If the ability to predict the future appears at this moment, when I see the predetermined future under the original development trajectory, no matter the final result is success or failure, the world will no longer be able to develop along the original trajectory.

A person who is terminally ill but knows nothing about his physical condition may be able to live for a long time by relying on an optimistic and positive attitude, but once he knows everything about himself, he may die of depression within a few days. When the future is clearly presented to a person, it has already changed his future. Even if the person keeps everything on the original track step by step, the butterfly effect will give him a bigger surprise later.

But now, when it is not even clear whether these scenes were predicted or not, there is naturally no need for Shiris to worry about these things.

There are obviously more important discoveries here than these.

Regardless of whether it was another timeline or something that might happen in the future, Shiris was certain that she did not know the man holding the Skyfire Greatsword, and it was impossible for her to know that man!

Because, she had already vaguely sensed the other party's identity...

The founder of the Kaslana family, the strongest fusion warrior in the pre-civilization era - Kevin Kaslana! Although what she saw was just an illusion, Shiris could clearly feel that the man's control over the Holy Judge of Skyfire was many times stronger than Siegfried! Combining the Kaslana family tree and the documents of the previous era, there was only one warrior with such strength.

However, as a survivor of the last civilization era, Kevin did not seem to be sleeping in the life support capsule like Hill, but continued to fight in this civilization era and created the Kaslana family with his own blood. Logically speaking, after so many years, he should have died without a single bone left, so how could he meet him in the future?

Moreover, even if Kevin had gained immortality through some special means like Fu Hua, why would that guy fight with him? And also destroyed St. Freya Academy...

Whether it was the records in the literature, or Hill's impression and her memories of the stigmata, it could be proved that Kevin Kaslana was an upright person, a great warrior who was willing to risk his life to fight against the Honkai and fight for humanity. It was hard for Hillis to imagine that such a person would kill an ally with the same goal.

Or is Kevin a stubborn person who must be exterminated just because he is a Herrscher? However, whether it is the enhanced warriors of the previous civilization or the Destiny Valkyries of the current civilization, they all rely on Honkai energy to transform their bodies and gain the power to fight Honkai. It can also be said that the warriors who fight Honkai have become half-Honkai creatures. If Mr. Kevin really can't tolerate Honkai, why doesn't he kill himself first?

In Hillis's opinion, it would be fine if those images had nothing to do with reality, but if that was really something that might happen in the future, then she would need to make more preparations for certain potential enemies.

"call......"

After letting out a long breath, Shirley slowly raised her hands and looked at her still trembling hands, her eyes became solemn again.

Apart from the content of the video, another picture suddenly appeared in her field of vision, which was also a troublesome thing. The sudden shock brought by the Skyfire Sword that fell in front of her just now made her lose her balance in a stable sitting position. If these pictures appeared in front of her again without any warning in an emergency, the consequences would be unimaginable...

(Please... at this time, the mission handover date agreed with Otto is almost here, right? This damn Herrscher body, please don’t give me any more trouble!)

Although he would not encounter any danger in the Destiny Organization if he temporarily allied with it, it would definitely be disadvantageous to him if he revealed anything in front of Otto, that cunning guy.

"By the way, that Kevin... Tsk! Regardless of whether the scene in the video is an illusion or a premonition, if that old man really dares to set fire to St. Freya's Academy, I will never let him go! Although I may not be his opponent alone, if we gather our strength... hehe~!"

The fear of the man in the video gradually weakened, and as a feasible countermeasure came into her mind, a hint of confidence appeared on the girl's face again.

"Whether it's Kiana, Wendy, or Hill, their true strength is not much weaker than mine! Putting aside the special abilities of the Herrschers, the direct destructive power they can exert should be stronger than my functional constraint energy. So, using my abilities to assist them in their attacks can probably make up for each other's shortcomings. If some blind guys really want to make trouble, Saint Freya Honkai Academy can definitely give them a big surprise! Well, as long as everyone's strength is gathered... eh?"

520 Road Ahead >>

(Everyone's...power?)

Thinking of this, the girl's expression suddenly froze. Her lips moved, as if she was a little girl with a fickle mood.

Like a child, the smiling expression just now was once again covered with a shadow.

(When I encounter difficulties, will I still subconsciously rely on them... I have decided to bear everything alone, why do I still...)

Patting her cheeks, the facial nerve stimulation and the Honkai energy signal calmed her down a lot. Having regained her composure, she naturally put aside the "irrational idea" that had just come to her mind.

That's right, dangerous battles should only be one's own job, and should not be handed over to those who need protection...

No warrior would want his wife and children to go to the same battlefield as him, because they know the cruelty and danger of the battlefield. Having already come into contact with the origin of the collapse, Shilis naturally knows what kind of terrible opponent she will face in the end.

Therefore, even if the human side's combat power is reduced, Shilis is unwilling to put everything she cherishes in danger. In her opinion, no matter how strong the girls are, as long as they are on the battlefield, they may be injured or even die. Therefore, keeping them away from the battlefield and not fighting at all is the best way to protect them!

Shirley knew very well that her thoughts were an extreme and almost twisted desire to protect. But even so, even if Kiana resented her afterwards, she would not change her decision to completely conceal the truth of the collapse and the battle plan she had formulated...

As long as we can defeat the Herrscher of the End with that method, Otto should be able to handle the rest. Although that guy is a cunning and hateful old enemy, in the face of the threat of Honkai, we can only choose to trust that guy.

(Kiana's birthday party is over, and St. Freya Academy has returned to its normal routine. There is no reason to stay any longer...)

The girl stood up and brushed off the dust on her school uniform. She wiped away the confusion in her eyes and glanced at the dead trees next to her calmly. Her usual gentle and deep smile appeared on her face again.

"If you need anything, just come over here. For your own safety, I suggest you don't sneak up on me."

Sirith spoke directly to the empty forest, without looking back, just standing there quietly waiting. Not long after, with a very slight rustling sound, a red shadow slid out from the overlapping part of the branches, tapped the tip of the toes on the very thin branches, and then went straight through the crisscrossing branches and fell quickly, landing lightly on the ground. The dead leaves piled on the ground flew up in the impact, but there was no sound at all.

The furry fiery red ears trembled nimbly, and the red-haired wolf-eared girl with a big tail stood in front of Shirley, lifted the hem of her pleated skirt with her fingertips, and saluted Shirley with a joking expression.

"Excuse me, Lady Shilis~"

"What are you doing here, Charlotte?"

"I just like this kind of secluded place. It seems that this point coincides with that of Lady Shilis..."

Sticking out her tongue playfully and looking at Shirley's slightly narrowed eyes, Charlotte turned around gently, her flying red hair and fluffy tail intertwined together, and her high-flying skirt looked like a blooming lily.

Looking at the absolute domain that slightly expanded with the girl's fluttering skirt, Shirley subconsciously shifted her gaze, and in that instant, the nimble wolf-eared girl appeared beside her the next moment, slightly close to Shirley's ear.

"And... the agreement only stipulates that I am not allowed to leave the academy without someone accompanying me, but it shouldn't be a violation if it's just in a border area like this, right? Master~"

Whispering softly in Shirley's ear, the two of them were in an ambiguous distance that was close but not excessive. Facing the wolf-eared girl's unpredictable attitude, Shirley just hummed lightly and turned around to distance themselves.

"There's no need to be attentive to me. I don't intend to take you in as a subordinate. I just regard you as a partner, or a tool. In Saint Freya, you can enjoy all the freedoms within the limits of the treaty. I will only give you orders when I need them. I will save your friend, and you will offer your labor for me. There is no other relationship. Is there any problem?"

"Eh~ But it sounds like this is no different from a master-servant relationship, but I don't hate it... Lady Shilis, do you like my ears~? Now, you can touch them as you like~"

"Tsk, I could touch you as I pleased before, okay? Do you have room to resist?"

"..."

Looking at the wolf-eared girl with a somewhat hurt expression, Shirley shook her head. Under normal circumstances, she would have been very interested in teasing this prisoner of war, but given Shirley's current poor condition, she was in no mood to joke with Charlotte.

"Okay, put away all your little thoughts. I will fulfill my promise, whether you please me or not."

"Uh-huh...understood."

As if she had noticed that Shirley was in a bad mood, Charlotte stood up straight and her tone changed from the beautiful girl style just now to a more capable one.

Although she is good at using her cute appearance to gain favor, Charlotte's more essential side is her side as a warrior.

(Since you can control the core of a Judgment-level Honkai Beast, you must have the qualifications to become a Herrscher, right? Charlotte...)

The lack of high-level combat power caused by one's own selfishness can only be made up in other ways.

Looking back at Charlotte's calm eyes, Shirley closed her eyes and turned away. I wonder if the girl in front of her knows her fate...

521 The Price of Trust

Among the companions that Shiris brought to the Far East Branch from all over the place, except for a few who chose to enroll in Saint Freya, the rest of the girls have basically found their own jobs.

For example, Asakura Miyuki, knowing that her physique is different from that of ordinary Valkyries, refused to join the Valkyrie army, but instead became a school janitor like Benares and Yae Sakura. However, unlike Bella who patrols and Yae Sakura who cooks, she has no special skills and can only handle chores such as cleaning and watering flowers and plants, which is basically the same as the F-level chores Valkyrie.

At lunch time, she naturally took on the job of serving food to those staff members who were too busy to spare any time...

"Sorry for the wait~! Dr. Tesla, here's your lunch~ Where do you want to put it?"

"Huh... just give it to me directly."

Standing at the door of the control room, Asakura Miyuki knocked politely and called softly. Then, after hearing the weak response from inside, she pushed the door open and walked in.

"Eh... Dr. Tesla, your studio will eventually become like this!"

Looking at the messy computer room, Asakura Miyuki smiled bitterly. During her time at the ME company, she had also seen Dr. Tesla's private laboratory. To be honest, when she first saw it, she couldn't imagine that such a terrible environment like a garbage disposal center would be the office of a scientist.

(Could it be that this infamous Dr. Tesla is also not valued in the Anti-Entropy Organization, and the president is even unwilling to give her a better office?)

Asakura Miyuki, who had once guessed this, now looked at the Tianming terminal room which was comparable to the garbage plant office over there. Asakura Miyuki could only admit that this was just the working habit of Dr. Tesla.

However, with such bad living habits, it is no wonder that this legendary lolita lover has not yet got any lolita. After all, the girls in Saint Freya like to be clean...

Asakura Miyuki made some malicious guesses, walked around the instruments and cables of unknown purpose on the ground, and handed a packed lunch box to Tesla.

(By the way, Dr. Tesla, who is rumored to like young girls, seems to have targeted Lady Silis first, right? Hmm~ What happened between Dr. Tesla, the lolita-loving nympho, and young Lady Silis... Ugh~! No no, I'm getting excited...)

"Thank you for your hard work, Miyuki."

Tesla took the lunch box and placed it directly on the Photon keyboard, seemingly unaware of Miyuki's slightly rude look. She saved the program she was editing, closed the terminal, and prepared to enjoy her lunch.

"Well... Dr. Tesla, I always feel that your work is really busy. You have to stay in front of the terminal all day long, without even time for lunch or meals. It's really hard..."

After getting rid of some bad images in her mind, Shenxue, feeling a little guilty, coughed, looked at the Tesla that had stopped working beside her, and took the initiative to talk to him to hide her embarrassment.

"Don't mention it... This is a task that has a deadline set long ago. Now that the deadline is approaching, no matter how much time I spare, it may not be enough... But in the end, it's just paying for the laziness in the past few weeks."

Tesla sighed deeply, half opened his empty and tired eyes, and numbly stuffed food into his mouth. Thanks to these jobs, Dr. Tesla finally understood the feeling of students who put off their homework until the last day of the holiday.

(Wow... If I had known earlier, I would not have come to join the Far East Branch. It would have been better for me to stay in Haiyuan City with Jiwotou and the leader...)

Tesla was thinking casually in her heart, looking at Asakura Miyuki who was thinking about something beside her. Suddenly she thought of what Shiris told her yesterday, she clapped her hands suddenly, waking up Miyuki who was picturing some indescribable pictures in her mind.

"Miyuki, you seem to like her very much... No, this question is completely nonsense. Which girl around her would not like her... Tsk! How enviable."

"?"

"Don't worry about it. Anyway, after lunch break, Shirley should be heading to the branch airport soon. Go see her off before she leaves."

"Eh? Doctor, are you saying... Lady Shilis is leaving again today?"

After hearing the news, Shenxue showed up as Tesla expected.

Tesla nodded slightly in response to the girl's confusion. Then, before Miyuki could ask any more questions, she spoke again.

"If it weren't for the birthdays of the two children, Shilis would not have come back at this time in the first place. She took time out of work to celebrate Kiana's birthday. Although I don't know what kind of messed-up agreement that girl signed with Otto, there is no doubt that her work must be busier than mine."

"So... Miss Kiana and the others know about this?"

"I know, but Shirisi probably won't let them go to the airport. As for the farewell, they should have said it all during the lunch break."

Tesla picked out the ginger slices from the bento with a spoon and threw them away. He glanced at Miyuki who was hesitating about something again and tapped the edge of the table lightly.

"Go ahead, Miyuki. Many people, including Yaesakura and Wendy, don't know what Shiris' next itinerary is, so there won't be many people who will go to the tarmac to see her off. I'm too busy here to leave, so in order to make sure she doesn't feel too lonely when she leaves, I'll leave the task of seeing her off to you."

"Hmm... I see, Dr. Tesla."

When Asakura Miyuki was rushing to the airport apron in a panic, she didn't know that the girl she wanted to see off was already standing on the runway, fully ready to depart.

"This is really... Although you just said this morning that you would leave here soon, I didn't expect it to be so hasty..."

Charlotte said helplessly, pressing down her long hair that was flying in the wind with her hands and tightening the scarf around her neck.

She had just arrived at Saint Freya the day before yesterday and had not yet figured out the terrain of the academy. Now, under the command of Shiris, she had to embark on a journey towards an unknown destiny.

However, with her quick thinking, she had already guessed about her future when she established the agreement with Shirley...

Watching the aircraft slowly rising from the underground helipad, Shilis remained silent and ignored the wolf-eared girl's words. Slowly turning her head, she looked at the floating island of the academy in the distance with a sense of loss, and a trace of ripples flashed in her lonely eyes.