SCHICKSAL HEADQUARTERS - WAR ROOM
Kiana was double checking all of her gear.
"Are you sure you wish to deploy?"
The Overseer asked her, his voice full of worry.
"I'll be fine, Overseer Otto. After all, Miss Durandal will sortie with me!"
She reassured him.
"Very well, then. Follow me. It's time for debriefing."
"Umm..Mister Otto…"
"Are you nervous? It's your first time being introduced to the Immortal Blades, isn't it?"
"Mhm.."
"Stay calm. Bianka and I will be there too. If anything, you should look forward to the spotlight!"
Otto tried to lighten up her mood.
Kiana closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
"Okay. Let's go."
Otto stood in front of the automated door as it slid open. He walked briskly to the podium. Valkyries saluted the Overseer, in sync. Bianka and Rita had been waiting for him, donned in their Godsbane suits.
However, hushed whispers began spreading throughout the hall as Kiana entered.
"That's…"
"The Herrscher of the Void.."
"... Why's she here!?"
"Heard she's being trained by Durandal-sama herself!"
"This better be a joke."
"Why are we just standing?! that's a herrscher! A fuc-"
The Valkyries silenced themselves as they remembered the Overseer was in this room. Discipline was of paramount importance as they were in front of the one who ruled all of Schicksal.
"I suppose all of you have now settled down. Let us begin with the debriefing. Firstly, I'd like to introduce our new S-Rank Cadet in training, Kiana Kaslana."
Otto extended his arm in the Errant Knight's direction, as the girl bowed down in front of the Immortal Blades.
"She is soon to be the Third S Rank Valkyrie of Schicksal. I expect all of you to get along well with her. Her abilities and skills will be of great help to our cause."
Bianka whispered something to Kiana. Both of them smiled.
"Now to address the primary concern. Exactly 13 minutes ago, we confirmed a Honkai Eruption at the United Federation of Coral."
Details regarding the South Asian artificial landmass were laid out over the screens.
"Population: 1.8 million. Area of heavy economical and political importance. Satellite scans suggest abnormal temperature variations, implying the presence of an anomalous Honkai agent. External information suggests that said Agent is likely to be the Fifth Herrscher."
"Furthermore, exactly thirteen minutes ago, all communications pertaining to squad Snow Lotus have ceased contact. Taking data provided into consideration, the possibility of a Herrscher awakening is indeed high. It is likely the herrscher is a former valkyrie."
"Therefore, your orders are to secure the perimeter and leave the epicentre of the event to Durandal, Kiana and Myself."
Gasps could be heard.
"Yes, I shall deploy personally onto the battlefield. Do note that this operation will be carried out jointly with World Serpent. You are advised to steer clear of their staff lest we enter into unwarranted conflict."
Durandal was certain she'd seen Rita's expression flinch momentarily at the mention of World Serpent. She could fully understand why, for she too wasn't very fond of their prior transgressions at Arc City.
"This concludes the debriefing. You are all to deploy immediately."
The Valkyries marched out of the hall with great pace, all of them having grim expressions on their faces.
Otto turned towards the S rank Valkyries.
"I'm sure you understand what I'm going to do."
"Mhm! You're actually quite cool when you come up with plans like these!"
Kiana chirped enthusiastically. She'd heard the full plan from him and was to his surprise, thrilled.
There was a time when I was hated just for my schemes.
Otto chuckled.
"But was it really a good idea to sit by and wait for an Eruption?"
This was inevitable. We've already got most of Coral City evacuated. We'll deal with the rest once we get there.
"Fair enough."
"It's… a risky plan. But, if it is as you say.. That it's.. Ana… then I have no qualms with the possible dangers."
Bianka declared, with resolution. Ana was her friend and if there was a way to save her, she would gladly oblige.
"Very well then. We shall commence the Operation at once."
CORAL CITY - OUTSKIRTS
The Immortal Blades had arrived beforehand and set up base at the outskirts of the Eruption.
They cleared out space as a VTOL landed, out of which their Captain and Vice-Captain walked out of. Following them were the Overseer and the Errant Knight.
The Overseer however, had a peculiar armour. Colored grey and bronze, It resembled the godsbane suits the S Rank Valkyries were wearing. A visor covered most of his face.
Durandal immediately took control.
"All Valkyries to battle stations! Break through the honkai and secure the perimeter!"
Several Honkai zombies could be seen.
Durandal, Rita and Kiana all charged towards them.
The other Valkyries lowered their guard, amazed at the speed with which they were shredding the hordes.
"Tch."
The Overseer seemed impatient. The sword sheathed at his waist clicked.
The very next moment, Bright Orange wings sprouted from the back of his armor.
Gamma particle propellants. They were a signature trait of godsbane suits.
The Overseer drew the sword out as he assumed stance.
With a loud boom, he dashed onwards, cleanly cutting zombies into symmetric parts.
He then flew into the air as he spoke-
"Mass Mimicry - Judgement of Shamash"
Portals spanned across the entirety of the bridge, firing shots of infernal heat. Every honkai beast in the path had been slain. All of the ice in their path had melted.
Many of the Valkyries sighed with relief, as the temperature now was more to their liking.
The Overseer's visor flickered, as he scanned the city from atop.
"Honkai Levels rising. Herrscher coordinates confirmed."
With a loud whoosh, he darted back onto the bridge.
"All Valkyries are to rescue any left out survivors. Your maps have been updated with possible locations. Durandal, Rita, Kiana. Please follow."
They ran towards the city, as another horde of monsters appeared.
"We have to find another way! We are running out of time!"
Bianka exclaimed.
The Overseer extended his arm towards the beasts, but before he could end them, a red and black figure darted through them all, killing them.
"World Serpent…"
Kiana grimaced.
"I heard you'd been injured. Yet World Serpent chose to deploy you. It would seem that you all are running low on resources. Isn't that right, Miss Raven?"
Rita asked, her voice dripping with venom.
"I've.. Recovered."
Rita had expected Raven to leave a biting remark like she always did, but to her surprise it seemed as if Raven was struggling to keep her composure.
"Are all preparations in order?"
The Overseer asked.
"Y-Yes sir! We shall take the tunnels for a direct shortcut to the city!"
Raven replied.
"Lead the way, please."
Raven nodded feverishly as she began walking.
When they reached the other end, another figure clothed in red and black stood waiting.
"You sure took your time."
He complained.
"Ran into a few Beasts."
"...Whatever. I am the World Serpent officer codenamed 'Owl'. I will be supporting you on this mission. It's an honour to meet you, Overseer of Schicksal."
"Likewise."
"I have prepared the Scepter of Duat as per Jackal's instructions. All you have to do is weaken the herrscher so we can capture it."
Owl held up one of the scepters.
"You're going to disrupt the core's link to Imaginary Space… with that? That thing you call a sceptre is but a poor imitation of Previous Era technology."
The Overseer laughed.
"Is that so? Nevertheless, it is enough for us to weaken the herrscher so that our Sire will seal it. This will render the herrscher harmless or to be precise, a vegetable."
Owl added.
"Very well, then."
The Overseer nodded and walked off ahead.
"Wait, Overseer!"
Bianka called out to him.
"What is it?"
"To the right, that's where we lost contact with the Snow Lotus squad."
She pointed.
"Scans suggest the herrscher is up ahead. But if you wish to investigate, I shall not hold you back."
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"We were too late…"
The entire Squad had been wiped out.
A comms device left behind suggested that Ana Schariac was indeed the Herrscher.
"Ana Schariac… she was the leader of this squad?"
Owl asked with great interest.
"Yes. She's… a close friend."
Durandal replied.
The Valkyries were silent for a moment.
"Why… did it have to end like this?"
Kiana couldn't help but feel sadness over such a tragedy.
"We ought to take these brave warriors back home."
Durandal remarked. But then she noticed Owl holding up a pendant he'd picked from the ground.
"Owl… that's Ana's."
"Really, now? Even so, what about it?"
Durandal stretched out her hand. Her eyebrows were furrowed.
"Ah, I see."
He tossed the pendant to the valkyrie.
"We cannot afford to waste anymore time. We need to move."
Raven said.
As if by coincidence, Kiana clutched at her head, as if she was in immense pain.
"She's nearby…."
Kiana tried to speak as she lost her balance.
Everyone could see a faint orange glow behind the eye she was covering.
"Rossweisse. Take the girl back. Durandal and I shall deal with the herrscher."
"Very well, Lord Overseer."
The maid supported the valkyrie as the two of them walked away.
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Unbeknownst to them all was yet another figure had been stalking from afar this entire time.
"Yes, my Sire. It is indeed as Jackal speculated. The herrscher of the Void carries multiple gems. Her condition is truly unstable."
It was Grey Serpent.
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"Understood. I shall carry out the plan after this operation. This body is now unfit."
Grey Serpent then let himself fall off the building, for the fastest retreat available to him was death. Another shall pick up where he left off.
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The Overseer and the Serpent Operatives were getting closer. The increasing cold made it obvious.
Durandal seemed to be relatively unfazed. She'd trained in the most notorious situations, as a result, something like this was trivial for her.
"Owl. You might want to wait here. The risks of hypothermia cannot be looked over."
"Thanks for the concern, but 74% of my body is cybernetic. Cold doesn't bother me in the slightest."
"...ah. I see."
She didn't bother asking for further details.
"Here it is."
The Overseer pointed towards an ice crystal, suspended in mid air.
"Leave it to me!"
Raven charged the third divine key and with a shattering explosion, the herrscher revealed itself.
The herrscher screeched loudly.
"Mimicry of Oath of Ju-"
The Overseer was interrupted by a grenade which directly hit his head, dispersing a black cloud over him.
At the same time, several neurotoxin-laced anti-honkai rounds were fired towards Raven, which were fortunately deflected by Durandal.
However, the deflected bullets exploded, spreading gas over the place.
"HSN-B-46!"
Raven shouted with terror.
Durandal had temporarily lost her powers.
By the time the attack settled, Owl and the Herrscher were both gone and he'd taken the Third Divine Key with him.
"Curses! That fucking traitor!"
Raven was livid.
"He took the pendant too…"
Durandal realized she no longer had the necklace.
Raven closed her eyes.
"I didn't expect you to save me… Even though I had killed so many of your Valkyries."
"I didn't wish to save you. I simply followed my orders."
"What? Overseer Otto… knew this would happen?"
Raven immediately turned towards the Overseer.
He stood still in place, for the grenade which hit him was a soulium jammer.
It took 3 minutes for him to regain control.
"That brat. I didn't notice he'd had soulium jammers on him."
The Overseer quipped. Sparks flew off his visor.
Wait. Soulium Jammers didn't work on Otto back at Heliopolis… so why now…
Raven was confused.
"Well we've reached this stage of the plan, I won't be needing this anymore."
The Overseer grabbed the visor with his hand and broke it off.
He opened his eyes. They were gold.
This man…
Was not Otto Apocalypse.
"Who..are you?"
Raven's eyes widened.
"Oh, right. I am the First Divine Key, Void Archives. Pleasure to meet you, Natasha Cioara."
He calmly introduced himself as he sat on the floor, without a care of the reputation of the man to whom this body belonged.
"I don't… understand…"
Raven was genuinely confused. She jerked her head vigorously.
"It's one of his spare bodies. I was just a doppelganger."
"Well now you're up, we need to find that bastard! He's going to get away!"
"Nope. We're not going anywhere. That boy will take it from here."
"...that boy? You mean, the real Otto?!"
"Why yes, indeed. Owl is going to have to face the worst possible obstacle in his journey, the Clown himself."
Durandal didn't seem surprised, almost as if she knew this beforehand. It was then Raven realised that Otto Apocalypse had plans of his own, just like Owl.
"You lot… are after the herrscher core! This is treason! Do you have any idea what the Sire would do if he were to find out?!"
Raven came to a conclusion, as she got back up on her feet and retrieved her bow. Before she could pull the string, however, a golden lance was held inches away from her eyes.
It was the mimicry of Black Abyss. Held in front of her the same way Otto had when he'd threatened to end her life.
"Girl, you'd do us both a favour if you didn't jump to assumptions."
Icy fear grasped her heart, as she let go of her weapon. The bow fell to the ground with a thud.
"I've spent 500 years with that boy, Raven. While he has learnt a lot from me, I too have learnt several things from him."
Raven's eyes widened, as she re-lived one of her greatest nightmares. The golden sheen of the lance was terrifying.
"Which is why you ought to know your place. Don't try anything funny."
The lance disappeared, as he sat back down.
"Now, we wait until he's done. Also, to sate your burning curiosity, we're not after the core. We're after the herrschers themselves."
…themselves?
Bianka and Raven were both confused.
Otto hadn't told Bianka about a second herrscher.
CORAL CITY -?
Owl struggled to help Ana walk. He could feel the organic vestiges of his body necrosing from the frostbite. Every step caused his body into unimaginable pain. The cybernetic pain suppressors were useless.
But he wouldn't stop. He had to save this girl. He owed her his life.
"Just you wait.. Ana… I will find a way…"
"Hagh…"
The Herrscher groaned, unable to form coherent words.
I don't know if anyone else can see it, but I can. The warmth in her eyes. It's still there.
He smiled softly.
But then, the girl's eyes widened with fear, as she recoiled back, pointing her finger ahead.
Owl turned towards the indicated direction. It was just fog.
Until he noticed a pair of green eyes headed for them both.
"Impossible… you're… but… how?"
He was at a loss for words.
"You attempted to murder your own comrade, Schicksal's strongest valkyrie and its Overseer, all the while abandoning your responsibilities and choosing to conspire with the Honkai itself. You've warranted capital punishments from both your organisation as well as mine, boy."
Otto spoke, as the fog cleared.
Owl grit his teeth.
This…is the only one I have…
He retrieved a unique silver canister and threw it directly at Otto, who caught it with his hand.
Grey smoke began releasing. Otto inhaled the smoke and let it out from his mouth, as if he were smoking a cigarette.
"Aerosol based Honkai Energy charged nano-graphite."
He smirked and threw the canister behind him.
"Modern alternative to soulium jammers. Research suggests they're ten times more effective. Though, they are incredibly resource intensive to produce."
Owl was beyond shocked.
"Where'd you get the cash for something like that, kid? Though the look on our face screams that it was the ace up your sleeve. Truly a pity."
Otto turned to glance at Ana.
The Herrscher screeched as she hurled several ice shards at Otto.
He teleported away from them all, leaving gold afterimages in his wake.
Once the attacks stopped, he declared.
"I'm afraid your little escape has now met its end, Herrscher. But first.."
Golden lines began glowing near Otto's neck.
The ground beneath Otto cracked, as he dashed forward, his fist raised.
He was headed for Owl.
I'm sorry… Ana…
Owl thought, as he braced for his death..
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CHAPTER 11- END
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AUTHOR'S NOTE:
I'm really looking forward to writing the next chapter. It's going to be great. Let me know what you thought about this chapter, though! Void Archives got his own body to use here and boy did he go to town. I do apologize if the frequency of uploads slows down. But do know I wont drop this fic. It's something I want to personally see through to the end. Setting time to work on this fic is something I actually eagerly look forward to every evening. Take care and please stay happy!