A/N: It has been quite some time since I published fanfiction, so for any longtime readers of my fics, please pardon if there's anything that hints rust. As well as any canonical/factual errors that I may have overlooked. Do not be afraid to review or PM me if there are any issues with the chapter and/or the fic in general.

24 October 2016

12:58 Central European Summer Time (CEST)

Support Wing, Schicksal Headquarters

Past the hallways plastered in quasi-religious imagery akin to that of a prophet or god. White like Italian marble. Markings similar to on Schicksal vessels too, with trims in gold, and the colors being varied, but ranged from purples to white to red to blue to green.

A man in his mid-twenties with a briefcase, with only a leather jacket, blue jeans, and a black and gold shirt. A full head of black hair, with a little bit of white underneath, reaching to his chin while it flapped with his sprinting. Bloodshot blue eyes fired straight for one of the office rooms within the side of the door. Until moments later, that's what he was doing.

Now things have changed, he screeched to a halt against the metallic surface the floor was fabricated out of.

"EZEKIEL!" he shouts. "SHIT'S GOING DOWN OUTSIDE!"

The door would side upon as soon as it detected a human soul. Revealing an office space adjacent to one of the headquarters' numerous medical rooms. It was his personal office, as it had the name attached to it, Luca. A female's visage no older than seventeen appeared to his eyes.

Schicksal Medical Personnel

Luca Balakin

"Sen… Sensei, what's going on?" asked another soul inside.

Luca's Protege

Ezekiel (REDACTED)

Ezekiel's brownish red hair with similarly colored eyes, becoming maroon at her pupil. Having on some tight-fitting shorts that only cover half of her thighs that are white with a blue stripe down the sides, wearing a tank top of similar color and arrangement. Her neck had a white choker on with a glowing light blue line with flaming motifs that occasionally flashed light blue and connected with it.

Almost crumpling a few documents before he saved them at the last minute. Aware he has to take control of the situation. Speaking with a stressed yet composed tone.

"Ezekiel… Calm yourself. This is very important… We have to evacuate with the documents. The headquarters is under attack!"

"By… By who?!" Ezekiel asked again at Luca.

"Rebellion. By the Far East Branch and some St. Freya students, they're gaining ground."

She goes quiet, her head faced downwards in the face of what Luca said.

"Can you pack the documents while I focus on something else real quick?"

"I can…" she'd get a pat from Luca's hand before he departs the room.

They split off. Allowing Luca to head to a nearby weapons room, not a small one. But large enough to arm several D and C-rank Valkyries in an emergency. Including additional stuff that can be used when the situation demands it. Rushing between the office space and the room to accumulate what he thinks they'll need to escape and protect themselves in the outside world full of Honkai and other sorts of threats.

Ezekiel's speed changed quickly, becoming akin to a skilled speedrunner on a game. Throwing in recorded tablets, papers, photos, all sorts of things that she subconsciously was able to deduce he wanted in a nearby white and blue-lined suitcase.

"Are we going somewhere?" she asked quietly.

Luca seized his previous movements, walked towards her, and kneeled, saying quietly to her ear, "I've contacted Solange. He's going to bring his chopper to get us to one of his Italian safehouses. He will be here in ten minutes, but we have to move the point now."

"Got it..!" she'd close the briefcase and hands it to him.

He grasps it with his left hand. Pointing to the groups of munitions and weapons he's brought inside. As he spoke, she approached them.

"We'll need to sabotage their attempts to kill us once we come out weapons drawn until the getaway. See some thermite, EMPs, and charges? Put them in a medical bag, make it look convincing."

She starts to put it all together after fetching Luca's personal medical bag. Before he screeches in front of her in a second, shaking his head. Which put the bag on the floor, then taking it with him as well.

Ezekiel got a downsized bag, although the size of the things he asked to put into it didn't make it a problem.

"Head to the storage room and set off the thermite at the marked spot and wait for it to burn out. Get what's inside, then head to the utility section," he orders.

"Roger!-" she responds, quickly slinging the bag over her shoulder.

"Also, I expect we'll have to fight to get out. So get a weapon in case we have to." Luca runs out of the office and makes a right turn.

Alone, Ezekiel locates a lighter as she prepares to do her objective. Bringing it with her before quickly walking out. Bringing a blue single-edged dagger with the spine having an empty hole and straight. Turning to the left and entering into the hallways.

What Luca saw before, Ezekiel sees now. Pacing through the vast length the corridor went. Albeit, a snag would be hit, as she encountered a detachment of three Mystletainn mechs near the storage room. Her mind immediately went to combat mode as she saw their sterile white, blue, and gold color scheme. Slim limbs and body parts, with cross motifs at the upper legs, chest, and head. Including two held blades.

Each of them had better height and reach than her. Ezekiel quickly ran towards them while they weren't in the position to anticipate a move. A white aura and outline surround her, clearing nearly twenty-five meters of distance within an instance, leaving a trail and a forceful backdraft behind. Bringing her tanto, which channeled the aura. Which would get released when she made the cut, being as swift as the movements that brought her to the mechs.

A major aspect of Ezekiel's increase in speed lies in the fact that it also increases momentum due to that increase, much like anything that moves fast. Slicing through one of the Mystletain cleanly without there being any noticeable drop. Taken aback, she tried to stop it and managed to slow it after the blade pierced through the metal. A tide of sparks threatening her as well as the enemies in front of her. Skidding a few meters away.

The surface below them rips open, revealing a network of wires. A strong gust presses against Ezekiel, trying to force her off her feet and split the floor further. The wires animate as they split and mangle, fraying and igniting small fires that begin in the networks. Panic soon ensued into the girl, slowly breathing quicker and shallower, exasperated once a loud bang and a fireball increased the light for a moment, setting the scene for Luca's return from what he originally did.

A few splatters of blood smeared on his shoulder quickly moved away, his clothing having grayer spots indicative of doing something ballsy, and the emotionless, robotic expression instilled a sense of fear into Ezekiel, although Luca was on her side. Shaking her legs before almost falling to the ground before he came and kept her up with his hand.

"With engineering crippled, the armoury breached, and with the worst case of faulty wiring I've ever seen…" he pauses. "The cameras tell no lies. He will know of your secret now with your impressive display of power..."

She remained silent on it. Which he took one of the explosive charges from her bag, setting it to ten seconds. Wiggling in his hand for a moment as he muttered.

"From Russia with Love, Mystletainn idiotov."

The moment he was done, he threw the charge before discharging another round with his pistol at it, causing the device to detonate prematurely. Forcing Ezekiel to back away and fast while he didn't flinch being that close.

Another massive fireball ripped through the headquarters. Everything near it turned into nothing. No hint of it ever existing in the first place except for the scarring made by its shockwave as well as two floating objects in a black, white, and gold visage with the form of dual pistols. Their light shone against quickly vanishing smoke.

He'd smirk, hiding the gun in his jacket. Rushing to the two objects at superhuman speed. Grasping the two after a jump of fate before climbing onto one of the levitating platforms near the building. Panting, but still ready to go. Signaling for Ezekiel to follow.

"Wow! You did that without needing help from additional powers?" she got up and ran to the edge.

He chuckles as he examines the two handguns. "It's a side effect when you get to the level I am, being one of the team leaders within the Immortal Blades."

She stood up, her hair delaying its return to a pre-jump state due to how sudden the shifts had been. Even Luca's hair was a little messed from it all, as well as other parts of his clothing.

She examined the weapons, gasping as she figured the weapon's name, "Y-You r-r-really have her in y-y-your hands?"

"Yes… Although the stops me and Solange had to pull are infeasibly difficult to comprehend."

"Oh…"

"We still have to buy time for him to arrive. We better get moving if things are to get worse." Luca said, examining the exterior extent the uprising has produced.

"Right..!"

13:01 CEST

Exterior, Schicksal Headquarters

Smoke and flames enveloped parts of the headquarters' buildings. Broken rubble and pieces were falling from the upper levels, causing parts or even entire sections below to break. Between the chaotic mixture of Honkai beasts, Valkyries, Anti-Entropy mechs, airships, Schicksal mechs, and rebel forces, the damage intensified, and that was the least of Luca and Ezekiel's concerns.

As he hid the Divine Key in two holsters concealed under his shirt, the environment they found themselves in was the least of their worries.

"Ezekiel, look towards your left."

At the left, she'd see a female, holding another female by the arms, as it soon changes into another person supposedly… Three pointed lances soon shows up out of nowhere.

"...Blyat!"

Ezekiel tilted her head, watching Luca's posture stiffened, clenching his fist.

"So another eruption is imminent, is that right, Sirin..."

"Sirin..?" Ezekiel asked.

He turned his face towards Ezekiel, the most serious of tones and stares followed, "We don't have time, and I am not kidding. Sirin is a full blown Herrscher."

Her eyes suddenly widened. The first time she actually saw one, they were in the visual range of such a being.

"I-I… She's so pretty..."

"Yet, so dangerous. Siegfried Kaslana fought Sirin seventeen years ago. He was a valiant Valkyrie, yet it still had to use the full extent of the Might of An-Utu to defeat her. And clearly, that wasn't enough as she's very alive..."

Suddenly, a lance punched a hole through the bridge, with another heading towards Luca as he attempted to flee. Ezekiel suddenly moved in front of him. As if she was about to do an unthinkable act to him.

"NO! EZEKIE-"

A powerful force came from her speed, a small explosion blew from her hand nearby, halting the momentum of the Subspace Lance and pushing it back in the direction it came from.

"EZEKIEL! DO NOT ENGAGE WITH HER!" he shouts again, as his trembles intensify from how close she was to knocking on death's door. "Releasing your power to fight a Herrscher is only going to attract the rest!"

The figure in the sky soon turned towards Luca and Ezekiel, descending as if she was a god having a second coming. Frightening Ezekiel into submission as an aura of Herrscher energy flooded her senses, hiding behind Luca.

Alone, Luca eyes Sirin, as he soon replied, watching the girl falling from the sky. A smile came to his face as his blue met her orange-yellow, knowing full well what to do next.

A comment came from him, devoid of all the things associated before when she showed herself initially, "Your lust for death made you lose focus of your friend, Sirin… No… Kiana..."