Chapter 66: Himeko After Class: Ana's Rescue

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As the Unnamed Locomotive entered Virtual Space, Ana, seated in the locomotive cabin, suddenly collapsed to her knees. Veins bulged on her forehead, drenched in sweat; her face paled, eyes squeezed shut, teeth clenched, and body trembling uncontrollably.

The Ultimate Knight Armor automatically deactivated, and blood began seeping from Ana's orifices and skin, turning her almost entirely crimson. As it dripped onto the floor, one could notice a faint purple hue in the blood, indicating Honkai-infused plasma yet to be converted.

A gentle white glow emanated from the Abyss Flower, healing Ana's injuries. This was not under her control but rather the Abyss Flower instinctively protecting its master.

"I'm starting to regret accepting the holy blood," Ana muttered with a wry smile as she sat on the ground.

If she were a regular Valkyrie or possessed only the Kaslana Stigmata, such severe rejection and conversion reactions wouldn't have occurred. It was indeed the influence of the holy blood causing these issues.

However, Ana merely acknowledged this thought; since the moment she accepted the holy blood, there was no turning back for her.

Throughout her journey, the holy blood had indeed provided significant assistance. The pain she now endured was merely the price for that earlier ease—a cost without complaint.

ELF Heaven's Fire floated beside Ana, silently observing her. Though he remained unspoken, his eyes conveyed deep concern and worry for Ana.

Originally, Heaven's Fire served Kevin, the most powerful Fusion Warrior of the previous civilization. Although Kevin never displayed such agony before him, Heaven's Fire knew well that his old master endured no less suffering than this new one.

Yet, he harbored no mockery towards his current master; at her age, his former master likely hadn't experienced these trials yet, according to the records in his central archive. Feeling helpless, Heaven's Fire could do nothing to alleviate Ana's pain—an unfortunate reality for any ELF.

Gradually, Ana regained her composure. Straining against her weary body, she stood up, lifted her head, and gazed at the instrument panel before her.

"I should still make it in time..."

In truth, Ana wasn't entirely sure if she would arrive on schedule. She couldn't gauge how much time she and Otto had lost, making her timing incredibly tight.

If she arrived too early, Herrscher of the Void might not have yet ensnared Himeko, meaning Ana would need to confront her directly.

And if she came too late, Himeko would already be dead. Abyss Flower's ability to reverse life and death only worked while there was still a breath left; it couldn't resurrect someone who had passed on entirely.

Fortunately, Lady Luck favored Ana—or rather, Himeko.

As the Unnamed Locomotive navigated through space, alarms suddenly blared. Checking the instruments, Ana detected two powerful Honkai Energy signatures nearby. Based on reference data, both sources matched the strength expected from Herrschers.

Given their presence within Virtual Space, possessing Herrscher-level power, their identities were unmistakably clear.

"Unnamed Locomotive, target core area, initiating teleportation!"

Ana issued commands to the locomotive and once again activated the Ultimate Knight Armor, despite not being fully recovered. To prevent catastrophic failure, she had no choice but to forcefully reconnect, risking further harm.

"Beep, detecting your physical condition..."

"Spare me the chatter, I'm fine!"

"...Establishing connection..."

As the Ultimate Knight linked with the Gem of Desire, Ana once again entered a partial Herrscher transformation state. Her holy blood and Herrscher energy clashed anew, this time escalating rapidly like fated adversaries, causing her to cough up a mouthful of blood instantly.

"Damn it! Why is the backlash so severe this time..."

"Master, your body condition..."

"Shut up!"

Schicksal's Godslayer Armors typically integrate AI systems to assist Valkyries during combat. However, these AIs rarely initiate communication on their own; usually, they provide mechanical prompts. Perhaps due to Ana's dire situation or possibly fearing replacement by ELFs like Heaven's Fire, the AI became unusually active.

Unfortunately, no matter how proactive it tried to be, Ana dismissed it outright.

"I don't need you telling me what to do!"

Silence ensued.

On the sidelines, Heaven's Fire remained silent, merely standing beside Ana, focusing solely on companionship. This new owner truly bore striking similarities to his old master.

Hmm, not just the old master but also to his creator even more...

Finally, after some time traveling, Unnamed Locomotive approached its destination.

Within the vast Virtual Space, a train engine was navigating its course. Starlight converged before it, forming celestial tracks upon which the locomotive traveled through the void, steadily approaching its destination.

Much like the Stargate Express, Vill-V likely designed the Unnamed Locomotive with the hope that one day, it could traverse countless worlds akin to an interstellar train journeying between realms.

In the distance, Himeko and the Herrscher of the Void's battle neared its end. Even from aboard the Unnamed Locomotive, Ana could hear Himeko's furious roars and the Herrscher's surprise.

A fiery meteor streaked towards them from afar.

Ana raised her hand, manipulating Ideal Fluid to slow and dissipate the meteor. However, its power exceeded her expectations, requiring more effort than she had exerted against the three Valkyries earlier.

As the fire meteor floated in her palm, feeling its intense energy, Ana managed a wry smile.

While the Authority of Wind was not weak, compared to the Authority of Flame, she couldn't help but desire this immense strength. The Authority of Flame possessed such straightforward, brutal power.

Just neutralizing the excess energy from this single meteor consumed a significant amount of Ana's Ideal Fluid.

Indeed, controlling wind blades and constructing wind walls barely consumed any of Ana's Herrscher energy; the significant drain occurred only when creating Ideal Fluid.

The three S-rank Valkyries from Schicksal had little means to effectively deplete her Ideal Fluid reserves. Within this substance, she essentially operated like the Herrscher of Binding within her Barrier of Order.

However, these fire meteors imbued with the Authority of the Herrscher of Flame continuously destroyed the structure of the Ideal Fluid—a truly enviable power.

"Ah well, such strength is best suited for Kia-chan."

"You should cherish this sentiment dearly, you know?"

Involuntarily adopting Elysia's tone, Ana murmured softly before breaking into a smile.

She genuinely missed Elysia now.

With girls like Elysia, you might find them slightly annoying while together, but once apart, their positive qualities come to mind, akin to withdrawal symptoms causing various aftereffects.

Elysia undoubtedly possessed the capability to claim and harness this power herself.

After all, rescuing Himeko was imminent, and retrieving the damaged Fallen God Sword posed no issue—it was simply that she didn't want to bother.

Wouldn't it be better to preserve this Easter egg for future developments on the Stargate Express?

Moreover, even if Ana retrieved the Gem of Haste but didn't bring out Himeko, would that idiot Kiana make a fuss with her?

Indeed, despite aiming to rescue Himeko, Ana had no intention of taking her back to Schicksal Headquarters.

Himeko was no longer suited for staying within Schicksal, given its pervasive deceit and intrigue. Her straightforward personality simply clashed with such an environment. Additionally, with Theresa still on the run, returning Himeko would only place her in a difficult position similar to Fu Hua's dilemma.

And what choice would Himeko make? Naturally, she'd choose Theresa without hesitation.

There was no need to ponder it further.

Therefore, Ana planned to send Himeko to World Serpent, entrusting Gray Serpent to look after her.

While Himeko might be an excellent experimental subject for Jackal, reaching an agreement with Gray Serpent would deter him from interfering.

Securing cooperation from Gray Serpent was relatively easy, as Ana held substantial leverage against one particular Lord of World Serpent.

Before Kevin's return, Gray Serpent had no reason to refuse; afterward, it wouldn't matter—she could always rely on Kevin or seek assistance from Mei in another world bubble.

Regardless, now that she possessed the Unnamed Locomotive, Ana could pursue any course of action she desired.

One might wonder, couldn't Ana directly oust Otto instead?

Theoretically, it might seem feasible, but practically speaking, as Schicksal's bishop, Otto was highly competent beyond his personal ambitions. His efforts were instrumental in transforming what once was a weak and chaotic organization into the most powerful one in the world today.

To discard such a divinely chosen workhorse, aiming to kick him out and seize the position for herself? Has she lost her mind?!

Only a naive fool like Theresa or a scholarly type like Welt would be suitable for the role of Schicksal Bishop. And since Welt is eventually destined for Star Rail, squeezing out some final value from him here isn't a bad idea either.

Moreover, even if Ana reveals Kallen's resurrection method to Otto, he will still need to carry out the process using his authority as Schicksal Bishop. Thus, there wouldn't be much difference in the outcome.

So, instead of causing unnecessary turmoil, all Ana needs to do is protect those dear to her.

As for Theresa, rest assured—would Otto ever harm her? Let her wander and evade capture a while longer; it'll refine her character, preparing her to succeed Otto as the new servant of the people.

While Ana indulged in these wild thoughts, waiting idly, the distant battle neared its conclusion.

Thanks to Ana's manipulation of Authorities and Himeko's relentless engagement, the Queen remained oblivious to their spectator's presence throughout the fight.

Himeko finally injected the last Gun of God into the Herrscher of the Void's body.

With the power of the Gun of God, if Himeko had injected herself with it, she could have purged her body of Honkai Energy and stood a chance at survival—but she chose not to.

This was both a teacher's love for her student and Kiana's final lesson from her mentor:

"Live on...Kiana... This is...the last lesson..."

Herrscher of the Void frowned deeply as she shoved Himeko away forcefully. Inwardly, she scoffed at this Valkyrie; even at the end, this ant remained soft-hearted like a woman.

As Herrscher of the Void basked in self-satisfaction, she noticed a faint smile at the corner of Himeko's lips.

In that instant, the medication within the Gun of God entered Herrscher of the Void's body, promptly dissolving the Honkai Energy inside her. As the Honkai Energy vanished completely, the Herrscher's powers were confined back into the Herrscher Core.

However, the Gun of God couldn't damage the Herrscher Core because, fundamentally, the Gun itself also contained Honkai Energy—thanks to the unique properties of Schariac's holy blood.

With the Herrscher's energy no longer dominating her body, it signaled the awakening of Kiana's human persona.

"Ugh—ahh—" The Herrscher of the Void let out a pained wail, and amidst this cry, Kiana's consciousness began to resurface.

It wasn't quite accurate to describe it as "awakening," since her awareness had remained intact all along; it was merely suppressed by the Herrscher's personality. This suppression served as one method for the Herrscher persona to completely overpower the human self.

Naturally, within that anguished wail, there was also a part belonging to Kiana herself.

As the Authorities of the Herrscher of the Void were sealed away and its personality subdued, the surrounding Virtual Space started collapsing. Already ravaged by the battle between two Herrschers, without the control of the Herrscher of the Void, its collapse became inevitable.

In the midst of this crumbling space, a figure gradually emerged.

Clad in the Ultimate Knight Armor, Ana descended slowly from the sky in her partially Herrscher-transformed state. She attempted to mimic the Queen's graceful stride across the void but couldn't quite achieve the same effect.

The Ideal Fluid forming the heavenly ladder couldn't produce crisp footsteps upon contact, and her attire lacked the Queen's commanding presence. Instead, it evoked more of an angelic sanctity or divine Buddha-like aura.

"Ah, finally my cue to enter?"

With a light chuckle, Ana momentarily resembled FuFu next door, putting on what she thought was a grand performance, only to realize her audience had fallen asleep.

However, Ana seemed unfazed by this.

She glided through the air, descending alongside Himeko while scrutinizing her with audible clicks of disapproval.

"Oh dear, why won't you listen? Are all Valkyries so stubborn?"

Himeko remained silent, the remnants of her previous smile still lingering at the corners of her mouth, which genuinely pained Ana to see.

Although Ana had witnessed this scene in the animated short from her past life, experiencing it firsthand and examining Himeko up close revealed just how severe her injuries truly were.

Honkai had ravaged Himeko's entire body, already showing signs of Zombie transformation. However, she no longer qualified to become a Zombie; her shattered physique could not withstand the Honkai energy any further.

Moreover, she never met the prerequisites for becoming a Zombie in the first place. Himeko's resilience to Honkai was entirely due to her artificial Stigma; only individuals with inherent resistance could potentially transform into Zombies.

"Ah—this is truly unfair! I just treated you not long ago, why... You simply don't cherish yourself enough..."