Bronya Gets Screwed, Rita Flips Out

"Bronya, take a deep breath and think this through," Fu Hua advised, her voice steady and calming. The three locations that had been identified were all places that the Branch Chief had visited today, and his subordinates had frequented in the past few days.

One location was nestled within the heart of the branch's main circuit control system, a labyrinth of wires and blinking lights. Another was tucked away in a remote lab in the suburbs, surrounded by lush greenery and the quiet hum of nature. The last was situated in a high-tech lab, its sleek glass walls reflecting the bright lights of the nearby Oceania Minister's office.

The first location was quickly dismissed. It was too obvious, too exposed. That left them with two options - the remote lab in the suburbs or the high-tech lab near the Minister's office. Bronya hesitated, her mind racing. The suburbs? Or near the gate?

If the Herrscher truly posed as great a threat as they had been led to believe, then it would make sense for Wendy to be hidden away in the suburbs. With this thought in mind, Bronya made her decision. "Here, the suburbs!" she declared confidently.

"Good!" Fu Hua praised, her eyes shining with approval. Without wasting another moment, they set off towards the remote laboratory in the suburb.

Meanwhile, a figure emerged from the shadows - a delicate silhouette leaning on a massive scythe. "Such naivety," Rita murmured to herself, a small smile playing on her lips as she watched their retreating figures. "Then~maybe~, I'll take it downtown!" With that, she gracefully turned and headed in the opposite direction.

Back at their original location, a patrol mech lay discarded in a corner. A gaping hole had been torn into its side, revealing a mess of wires that sparked and fizzled ominously.

....

The quartet swiftly bypassed the patrolling mecha on the outskirts of the city and arrived at the suburban laboratory. The building was nestled amidst a thicket of trees, its exterior appearing deserted and overgrown.

Upon entering, they were taken aback by the stark contrast between the interior and exterior. The lab had clearly undergone recent renovations and improvements, its state-of-the-art equipment gleaming under the fluorescent lights.

"The equipment here has obviously been used recently. We're definitely in the right place!" Kiana exclaimed, her voice echoing in the quiet lab.

"Wait, Kiana, something's off. There's no one outside, and we haven't seen any researchers inside either. Something doesn't add up," Mei voiced her concerns, her brows furrowing in worry.

Fu Hua and Bronya led the way, their footsteps echoing ominously in the silence. They stopped in front of an elevator. After a moment's hesitation, Fu Hua gave a nod of approval. The four of them stepped into the elevator, which had only one button marked for a sub-level floor. As they descended, they braced themselves for what they might encounter.

When the elevator doors slid open, they were met with an unexpected sight - an advanced laboratory devoid of personnel. The most striking feature was a large cylindrical container filled with a luminescent green solution. A console nearby flickered intermittently.

"Bronya!" Fu Hua called out urgently.

Bronya nodded in understanding and quickly set to work on a nearby computer terminal, her fingers flying over the keys as she attempted to breach the local network's firewall. After a tense two minutes, an experimental report flashed onto the screen.

[On a certain day of a particular month, it was discovered that an A-ranked Valkyrie from St. Freya's Academy exhibited an unexpectedly high compatibility with the Desire Gem. However, despite her potential, she was unable to fully harness the power of the Herrscher. As a last resort, she was relocated to the suburbs for further observation and experimentation.]

[Later that same month, it was amusingly noted that the Valkyrie had been easily deceived into believing that the experiment was a task assigned by her teacher. With a determined expression, she declared her willingness to endure any pain for the sake of fulfilling her duty as a Valkyrie.]

[The experiment, however, did not go as planned. The failure was attributed to her ■■■, which made the process significantly more challenging. Despite this setback, another attempt proved successful. Wendy was able to control her power, prompting the Minister to request her immediate transfer to the city.]

[■■ Dead ■■ ■■ Branch ■■ ■■ really ruthless ■■ ■■]

[Under ■■ this passage ■■, ■■ heart, ■■■■■ trap]

The entries then became increasingly cryptic and fragmented, with mentions of death and a ruthless branch. A sense of foreboding permeated the text, culminating in a chilling revelation - they had walked into a trap.

Bronya and Fu Hua exchanged alarmed glances as they noticed a tiny red light blinking ominously in the corner of the room - a light that hadn't been there when they first arrived.

"Quickly!" Fu Hua scooped up Bronya and made a beeline for the elevator, with Kiana and Mei hot on their heels. Kiana frantically jabbed at the elevator button, but the doors remained stubbornly shut.

With no time to lose, Fu Hua summoned her Inch Strength and struck at the elevator doors. They cracked under the force of her blow, but there was no elevator car behind them - it had stopped at the first floor level, effectively blocking their escape route.

The roar of an approaching explosion filled their ears as flames licked at the entrance of the elevator shaft. "What i need to do? Do i need activate Phoenix Down?" Fu Hua asked herself anxiously. But before she could make contact with Phoenix Down, they almost engulfed by the explosion.

"Please, the other me!" Mei pleaded, making the difficult decision to use her Herrscher power.

"Heh-, how childish!" 'She' snorted coldly, but her expression softened at the sight of Kiana. "Fine~, for Kiana's sake!"

In an instant, lightning erupted from her body, creating an electromagnetic field that enveloped the group. The field formed a spherical barrier, isolating them from the explosions and flames raging below.

"Boom–" The sound of lightning colliding with fire echoed loudly in their ears. Amidst a cloud of smoke, the ground beneath them collapsed.

The aftermath was a scene of utter devastation. The once bustling laboratory was now nothing more than a smoldering crater, a stark reminder of the power they had just unleashed.

....

The scene unfolds in a room filled with the aroma of freshly brewed tea. The Oceania Branch Minister, a woman of power and influence, turns to Theresa, the Academy Leader, with a smile playing on his lips. "How is it, Academy Leader? Is this tea to your liking?" she asks, her eyes twinkling with anticipation.

Theresa takes a sip, her face lighting up as she replies, "It's not bad! The tea is rich in color and aroma!" Yet, internally she grimaces at the bitterness of the brew. It's nothing compared to her favorite bitter melon juice. All the while, her mind is preoccupied with concerns about her students.

In the midst of this seemingly mundane conversation, Luo Mo's mind is elsewhere. He's pondering over Wendy's ability to complete the drama of the Three junior Herrscher Fighting Worst Herrscher. Wendy, a force to be reckoned with, has managed to suppress the three main characters single-handedly while also maintaining control over everything else.

As Kiana, Mei, and Bronya continue to grow stronger, the significance of that battle continues to escalate. Luo Mo can't help but wonder if only Kevin would be able to stop the cascading attacks of the Herrscher of the End, the Herrscher of the Beginning and the Herrscher of Truth in the future. After all, Wendy's had already accomplished this feat a few years earlier!

Suddenly, their peaceful gathering is disrupted by earth-shattering explosions emanating from the outskirts. Fire and smoke can be seen billowing in the distance. The branch minister immediately stands up in shock while Theresa anxiously tries to make sense of what's happening.

Before they can fully comprehend the situation, another explosion rocks the lower level location of the lab downtown. In the midst of this chaos, they spot a maid carrying a young girl at high speed through the smoke-filled streets.

Missiles fly towards Rita with long tails in the smoke of the explosion. Unfazed by the danger surrounding her, Rita gracefully dodges each missile as if performing an intricate dance. The missiles' trajectories seem to mirror her movements, creating a spectacle that is both beautiful and dangerous.

In the final moments of this dance of survival, an invisible Titan mecha suddenly appears beside Rita. Its fist is already charged and ready to strike. But Rita had sensed it long ago and knows it won't hit her.

Just then, Wendy raises her head as if waking from a dream. Rita is alarmed but it's too late! A loud "Bang–" echoes through the air as their world plunges into chaos.