K424 of the Collapse World

"Good morning, Himeko."

Noticing the gaze from afar, the silver-haired girl who was sitting on the bench with her eyes closed raised her head and greeted the woman who was walking over.

"Good morning~ Shirley. By the way, this seems to be the first time I see you in the gym..."

Sitting down next to the silver-haired girl, Ji Zi rubbed her hands which were a little red from the cold, and yawned with her hands covering her mouth.

"So, what are you doing at the gym so early?"

"I have some free time, so I just wandered around the academy... But you, I remember today is Sunday, right? Why are you here on a rare day off?"

"Hehe... I was planning to go to the branch base, and when I passed by the gymnasium, I felt some kind of energy reaction, so I stopped by to take a look. I didn't expect it to be you..."

"Can you sense my breath?"

"Well, barely. Although it's as blurry as an illusion, I can still basically confirm that there are living things... Is there any problem with this?"

"No...nothing."

Shirley shook her head, but there was a ripple in her eyes.

Being able to sense her own energy fluctuations, that is to say, Ji Zi's strength has completely surpassed the ordinary Valkyries and Honkai creatures, and is close to a higher level existence...

As expected of a surviving soldier of the "Stormtroopers", after his physical defects were repaired by Ji Xuanyuan's stigmata, he reached such a height solely through his strong willpower and resonance with the Key of God, plus his own unremitting efforts.

Ji Xuanyuan's stigmata plus the tenth divine key. Shilis believes that as long as Ji Zi is given enough time, she will definitely reach the strength of the super warriors of the previous civilization. However, I am afraid that there is no time for her to slowly become stronger. And facing the perfect Herrscher, this level of strength is far from enough...

"By the way, why did you suddenly go to the branch base? Did something happen?"

After dispelling the chaotic thoughts in her mind, Shilis came back to her senses, and thinking of what Ji Zi had just mentioned, she asked with some concern.

Although she was a Valkyrie instructor at Saint Freya, Jizi was also the combat commander of the Far East Branch. It must be no small matter for her to rush to the base so early in the morning...

However, seeing that she came to chat with me leisurely, it doesn't seem like there is anything serious going on?

"Well... well, actually it's a secret order from headquarters, saying that a disaster suspected of Honkai phenomenon has been discovered, and an executive officer with ministerial authority is required to go to the base terminal to receive secret intelligence. It's not an attack mission, so there's no need to rush."

Ji Zi said nonchalantly, as if she didn't take the so-called secret order seriously.

"That's it..."

"Well, all we know is that a fire broke out in a remote area of ​​South America yesterday. But there was no detailed information about the exact location or the scale of the disaster. It was only said that the disaster might be related to the Honkai. I guess this specific information is the content of the secret intelligence... Shiris, what's wrong with you?"

Looking at the silver-haired girl who was suddenly stunned, Jizi raised her hand and shook it, remembering some of the girl's previous abnormal behaviors, her expression became a little worried.

"Ah, nothing... Maybe I'm just overthinking. After all, fires caused by Honkai creatures are not uncommon. Not to mention the emperor-level ones like the Lava Emperor, even ordinary ballista-level Honkai beasts can easily do it..."

After recovering from her daze, Shirley smiled apologetically and hid the gloom in her eyes deep in her heart.

It shouldn’t be that fast, right?

573 Morning Chat

The cold winter wind whistled through the school campus, which was isolated by the thick glass walls. On the morning of the holiday, in the school stadium that seemed particularly empty, two women, one big and one small, sat side by side on a bench, and from time to time, bursts of laughter could be heard...

When some Valkyries who were doing morning exercises came to the stadium, they could easily see two women sitting on a bench in the corner talking to each other. Of course, the woman with long red hair was no stranger to them.

.

"Good day, Major Wuliangta. And... classmate Diana."

"Well, good morning, Ms. Erza."

Smiling and greeting a girl who was giving her a ladylike salute, Jizi turned around and looked at the silver-haired girl beside her who was indifferent and even a little absent-minded. She smiled, raised her hand and placed it on her shoulder, leaning close to her ear.

"Siris, I mistook you for Diana. Don't you want to return the favor on behalf of your sister?"

"Hmm? So, if the other party recognized the wrong person, why should I return the gift?"

"Ah~ But wouldn't it be more troublesome to explain? What's the relationship between the three of you..."

"It's okay, I've already left."

Shilis spread her hands and watched the Valkyrie return to her companions, then turned her head to look at the gray-blue sky outside the glass wall. As her thoughts surged, something began to appear in her eyes.

As more Herrschers joined the human side, the balance between Honkai and civilization was broken, and the actions of the Honkai side could not remain unchanged. Just at this time, Destiny observed the Honkai phenomenon. Although it was more likely a coincidence, it still made the girl a little uneasy.

Do I seem to be becoming more and more neurotic?

"Oh, I just said hello... You're so talkative and cheerful in front of everyone. Could it be that you're the shy type, Shiris?"

"No, Wendy and Xi'er are shy. I just don't want to get involved with irrelevant people."

"Oh......"

Following the uninterested response, Jizi sighed and stopped talking about this topic. But soon, she seemed to have thought of something interesting, and her golden eyes lit up again.

“Um… Although it seems a little early to say this now, I’m suddenly a little curious. If we defeat the remaining Herrschers and completely put an end to the Honkai Impact, what will Shiris have planned?”

"Eh? What are your plans after the collapse? I haven't really thought about it. After all, this is only the fourth sequence of collapse..."

As if she hadn't expected Jizi to bring this up, the girl was stunned for a moment, then a helpless smile appeared on her face. Indeed, aside from some whim, she had been busy preparing for the Quantum Sea Project since more than half a year ago, and had never really thought seriously about what to do after the collapse...

"Why don't you think about it now? Even if it's just about future plans, it's a rare break, so you should think about something happy sometimes~"

Looking at the silver-haired girl who seemed to be lost in thought, Ji Zi was not in a hurry. She held her chin and waited for the girl's answer.

She was indeed very curious about what this legendary girl, who was both an anti-entropy executor and an S-rank Valkyrie, would do after she finished her career as a warrior...

"Ugh...I can't think of it."

After several minutes, what Ji Zi was expecting was the girl shaking her head in distress.

"How can it be possible to suddenly ask someone to plan for the future?"

“Hey, hey… What’s so difficult about this? Shiris, don’t you have anything you want to do but don’t have time to do, or a life you desire… Let’s put it this way, if from today on, Honkai completely disappears from this place, how would you arrange your day?”

"Hmm... I should probably start investigating why it disappeared inexplicably. According to Einstein's theory, Honkai energy exists in various forms in every corner of the world. Such a huge amount of natural energy cannot disappear out of thin air. If this happens, it means that something more troublesome may happen, so..."

Jizi: "..."

No, once this topic is touched upon, the conversation will not be able to proceed normally. Looking at the silver-haired girl who was talking freely, Jizi felt her temples twitching.

Could it be that Miss Hillis also has the attribute of being a natural fool?

......

Of course, it wasn't that Shiris really didn't understand Ji Zi's words. She pretended to be innocent and didn't answer because she didn't want to express her boring wish.

As long as my dear friends can escape the shadow of the collapse and live in a peaceful world, I will feel satisfied... It's a bit embarrassing to tell others such words.

(If only it could end smoothly...)

Looking at her own hands, Shilis's eyes became blank for a moment. But the next moment, she shook her head and turned to Ji Zi beside her.

"So, what's Jizi's plan?"

Hearing the girl's question, the red-haired woman, who had been in a daze for some time, came back to her senses and her eyes lit up.

"Of course I want to find a good man and marry myself! I'm already 27 years old this year, but this is the only thing I can't put off any longer. Hehe... Although it's impossible to retire at this time, it shouldn't be a problem to secretly get married without telling the army, right?"

"Marrying secretly...

Is it really okay to tell me this?"

"Anyway, you won't tell anyone casually, right? Hey! By the way, Shiris, your current physical age is 16, right? If the Honkai ends, in a few years, would you consider having a relationship? I heard from Dr. Einstein that many guys in the special operations team of Anti-Entropy have a crush on you!"

573 Morning Chat>>

"..."

"Eh...? What's wrong, Silis? Did I say something wrong? Don't look at me like that... Could it be that you are planning to rekindle your relationship with Siegfried..."

Come to think of it, in Jizi's cognition, it seems that Shilis is still regarded as a copy of Cecilia...

"...You think too much. I don't have such an intention."

Shilis recovered from her daze, took a deep breath, and shook her head expressionlessly. The next moment, the corners of her mouth suddenly curled up, and her eyes were filled with frost.

"Wait, you just said that there are agents of Anti-Entropy who have a crush on me? Are they interested in my current shriveled and short body? Haha... It turns out that there are so many lolita lovers in Anti-Entropy~ I remember when I was in the ME Club, someone did propose to me. Do you know what happened to that guy later?"

The girl's smile gradually became malicious.

"I smashed that guy's head with one punch! Although I was young and hot-tempered at that time, if this happens again, I can't guarantee that I will do the same thing..."

"Ahahaha... I see. Sorry, Shiris, for bringing up something that made you unhappy. Let's leave it at that..."

Seeing the silver-haired girl with a cold smile and a strange state, Jizi laughed and hurriedly ended the topic. Originally, she thought that this former "married person" should have something in common with her in this regard, but she didn't expect the girl to react like this.

What's wrong with these girls? Why are they so disgusted with marriage? As a woman, this kind of thinking is absolutely weird...

"Oh, that's right..."

Suddenly remembering something, Ji Zi looked down at the time on the terminal, then tightened her scarf and stood up.

"Well, after being delayed for so long, I should also leave. Although it's not an important matter, the base still requires me to go there in person. But Shirley, don't you have any plans for the future? Are you going to sit here all morning?"

"Of course not... Although it's nice to just close your eyes and rest quietly, I came out today for something to do."

As the topic just now came to an end, the girl's expression returned to normal and she showed a faint calm smile again, as if everything that had just happened was an illusion.

"It's been less than three days since you came back, are you going out again?"

Jizi raised her eyebrows, and her eyes began to become complicated as she looked at the silver-haired girl. Although this girl named Shilis was the memory inheritor of Saint Cecilia and the real Eleventh Herrscher, Jizi also knew that she was actually just a clone girl who was only six years old.

Even though he didn't know much about Shilis's past, the fact that this girl had been on missions for a long time was witnessed by everyone around him. Even if he didn't know the details of the mission, it must be a very dangerous mission that required this Herrscher girl to solve it personally.

It's really pitiful that she was forced to follow the path of a Valkyrie from birth. She is the youngest among all, but she has to shoulder the responsibility of a leader...

Rather than admiration and envy, Ji Zi felt more pity. Even if she had the thinking of an adult, what did six years old mean? When she was this age, she was still a carefree little girl, right?

"Don't let your imagination run wild. I'm just going to the airport to pick someone up. I'll be back in half an hour at most."

After seeing Ji Zi's expression just now, Shirley knew without thinking that this woman was probably imagining something strange again. After experiencing this situation too many times, she could already see through similar things just by looking at them...

"Uh... pick someone up?"

"She is Dr. Iselin of Anti-Entropy, an executor who went to Haiyuan City with Walter and the others. It is said that there is no work for her in the ruins research now, so Aiyin decided to let her come back early. Well... at the speed of her submarine, she will arrive at the Far East around ten o'clock."

Looking at Ji Zi's slightly embarrassed expression, Shilis rolled her eyes, already certain that this woman was just imagining something about herself...

"Like I said, if there are no special circumstances, there should be no missions in the near future. However, I guess my free time will only be these few days."

Seeing Jizi getting up and preparing to leave, Shilis also stood up, straightened the back of her slightly wrinkled coat, and stretched.

"That's it... Go and do your work. There are still more than two hours until ten o'clock. I want to walk around here for a while..."

"See you later, Shirley."

Towards less

The woman waved her hand, and Jizi hurried to the exit of the stadium. Although she acted indifferent in front of Shirley, in fact, she still attached great importance to the secret order from the headquarters...

Watching Ji Zi's figure gradually disappearing into the distance, Shirley shook her head helplessly. She was about to follow Ji Zi's footsteps and leave the stadium through the main gate, but the next moment, her movements suddenly froze.

"The reaction of liquid soul steel... And it's nearby?! What is Tesla doing..."

Immediately sensing the true nature of that energy, Shilis's expression changed. After a brief hesitation, she turned around and walked towards the side door of the gymnasium.

574 Miss Bishop

The sun had not yet risen completely, and Saint Freya was still wrapped in a hazy mist on the weekend morning. The Valkyries, who had already gotten up according to their daily routine, walked around the school in groups of three or two.

Due to the work and rest habits developed during training, many Valkyries would habitually get up early even on holidays in the cold winter, and then have breakfast in groups of three or five with their teammates or friends.

Soon, on the way to the restaurant, a small figure caught their attention.

"Eh? Look over there! What a cute child...!"

"Maid outfit! Is it cosplay clothing? In this kind of weather, isn't it cold to wear it like this?"

"Is it our Valkyrie? But, I don't think I've ever seen one before."

"Is this an illusion? I feel like it looks familiar..."

"Oh, you mean her hairstyle? It's exactly the same as Principal Theresa's! And her body shape is similar~"

"That's true, but her blonde hair always feels familiar in another way..."

"..."

She was a petite blonde girl, wearing a neat black and white dress, a white maid's bow-shaped headband on her head, and her long golden hair tied into a side ponytail, which fell softly from her left shoulder. She walked on the main road of St. Freya with a slightly nervous pace, and her big green eyes with a little curiosity scanned the school campus, as if she was full of interest in everything around her.

Next to the blonde girl was a red-haired girl wearing glasses and looking a little gloomy. The two of them walking side by side were obviously traveling together. However, perhaps because the blonde girl was too dazzling, not many Valkyries paid attention to this featureless red-haired girl.

There were many young Valkyries around twelve years old in Saint Freya Academy. Therefore, the first reaction of the girls when they saw this little girl was that she was a Valkyrie student here. But soon, several sharp-eyed Valkyries from the Intelligence Department discovered that things did not seem to be that simple.

Although her figure had reached the standard of a Valkyrie, the girl's behavior was obviously not like that of a trained Valkyrie. Her slender white hands were crossed on her abdomen, and her steps were dignified and slightly restrained, just like a real little maid, but her unpretentious elegance and graceful temperament made her look like the eldest daughter of a traditional aristocratic family.