"Your Eminence, the entire base is under massive assault from a horde of Honkai Beasts—estimated numbers around ten thousand. The weakest among them are at least Templar-class. Although the Valkyrie forces have deployed to intercept, the situation is…"
Amber hesitated, unsure of how to phrase it properly.
The elite A-rank Valkyries had been reduced to less than a hundred. The remaining B- and C-rank Valkyries were barely effective against such an overwhelming force.
Most critically, Schicksal had no S-rank Valkyries left.
Well—technically, there was still Li Sushang, but she remained in cryostasis.
Otto had no intention of waking her just yet. The appointed time had not arrived. And, to be fair, this entire mess was entirely his own doing.
Of course, Otto had no regrets. If he could go back, he would make the exact same choices without hesitation.
"Ah~ As much as this is self-inflicted, I must admit, the level of damage has far exceeded my expectations. To think that even after taking a direct hit from a Honkai Fissile Bomb, the Herrscher of the Void is still alive. So this is the power of a multi-core Herrscher…"
"Your Eminence, what should we do now? At this rate, in just a short while…"
"There's no choice. Deploy my hidden assets. I can't have him actually tearing Schicksal apart. Use my soulium bodies as well. Even without my consciousness uploaded, they should still function as B+ rank Valkyries under AI control."
At this point, Otto had no choice but to reveal several of his trump cards. While he cared little for Schicksal as an organization, his plan to revive Kallen was still dependent on its support.
This was going to cost him dearly.
Otto could already foresee a decline for Schicksal in the coming years—
A sharp loss of credibility, and a power vacuum that would allow their rival, Anti-Entropy, to grow beyond what he could ignore.
"Where is the Herrscher of the Void right now?"
"He is actively coordinating with the Honkai Beasts in their assault. He keeps using his authority to teleport across Schicksal's various sectors, making it impossible to target him effectively. Furthermore…"
"Hmm. Looking at this movement pattern… rather than dodging our attacks, it seems more like… he's searching for something. Ah, I see. So that's what he's after."
...
Elias didn't know what impact his actions would have on the future timeline.
But at this moment, he no longer cared.
He would do everything within his power.
[Battle Continuation EX] was still active. In two hours, he would cease to exist. So, he had no reservations about pushing his Herrscher Cores to the absolute limit, completely disregarding the consequences to himself.
Seeing that Otto had resorted to deploying his soulium bodies as additional combat units, Elias took it as an invitation—
And promptly tore several of them apart.
It was… oddly satisfying.
However, Elias was careful with his destruction.
He only targeted Schicksal's facilities. He also commanded his Honkai Beasts to focus solely on dismantling mechs and structures, forbidding them from harming the Valkyries.
Because as much as Otto was a bastard—
Most Schicksal Valkyries were true heroes.
Many had undergone artificial Stigma implantation, willingly sacrificing years of their lifespan to become warriors who defended humanity from the Honkai.
Elias' vengeance would not involve the innocent.
But at the end of the day—
This assault was merely a diversion.
"Hmm? Finally found it."
The floating island was vast. It had taken Elias several sweeps before he finally pinpointed the location Cecilia had mentioned.
It was not some top-secret research facility but a luxurious mansion—Cecilia's home. Every S-rank Valkyrie stationed at Schicksal's floating island had their own private residence.
Knowing that time was short, Elias wasted no effort and teleported directly into the villa.
Instantly, a feeling washed over him—a sense of home.
Warm, cozy decorations, clothes casually draped over the sofa, children's toys scattered on the floor—these small, everyday details painted a picture of a peaceful and happy life. A life that, for a brief moment, Elias found himself yearning for.
"I hope Sirin and the others can live like this one day… Cough—wait, am I too much of a mess right now? Would I scare her? Oh well, Kaslana kids aren't the type to be easily frightened."
He floated into the house rather than stepping on the pristine floor, clearly cleaned to perfection by a certain saintly mother.
Moving past the living room, he entered the deepest room of the house—
There, leaning on the windowsill, was a little girl, her tiny hands resting against the glass as she gazed longingly at the outside world.
Snow-white hair, sapphire-blue eyes, a face still round with youthful softness—
Elias had found a little angel.
"Eh? Big brother, who are you?"
The small girl blinked curiously at him.
She was the true Kiana—
The future Durandal.
Whether it was Elias' natural charm or simply the Kaslana bloodline's fearless nature, this tiny Kiana showed not a shred of fear toward the unfamiliar young man before her.
"Me? I'm here to take little Kiana outside to play. Here, a little gift for our first meeting."
"Mom said I shouldn't take gifts from strangers! And don't treat me like a little kid! I'm not just any kid—I'm gonna be the strongest Valkyrie in Schicksal, just like Mom!"
"…Haha, is that so? Impressive! You really are the future's strongest Valkyrie. Cough—actually, your mom sent me to pick you up."
"Mom sent you? For real?!"
Kiana's eyes widened in surprise. She suddenly jogged up to Elias and gave a few curious sniffs, leaving him at a complete loss for words.
"Mhm! Big brother, you smell like Mom! I believe you!"
She declared, placing her hands on her hips proudly.
"O-oh… By the way, what does Mom smell like?"
"Huh? Mom smells like Mom! A nice, warm scent!"
"I see… Little Kiana is really amazing." Elias chuckled, ruffling the fluffy white-haired child's head.
For some reason—
He felt at peace.
Even as his remaining time continued to tick away—
For this brief moment, he was completely at ease, as if all his burdens had been lifted.