Chapter 19: Splitting Forces, Fortifying Each Step

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"No need for excessive formalities, just call me Himeko." After sharing a brief laugh, Himeko spoke warmly. As for why they laughed together? She sensed a similar demeanor in Ana, perhaps hinting at shared experiences.

Ana's laughter, however, held more complexity.

As a former Captain in her past life, Ana held a special bond with Himeko. Every Captain likely regarded Himeko as their mentor; thus, seeing her felt like encountering family, evoking a sense of warmth and familiarity.

On a personal level, Ana understood Himeko's history, sharing similar experiences. If Fu Hua hadn't lost her memories, she too would have found common ground in this regard.

For Himeko, there was also a sense of relief. Throughout this mission, she had faltered once already, then got swallowed by Chiyou, sustaining injuries along the way. As a teacher, falling behind her students was unbearable, though Himeko wouldn't express it openly.

"Alright, just call me Ana," nodded Ana, unable to resist using the respectful 'you' form of address.

"Hey, cousin, are you really my cousin?" Kiana suddenly bounded over from the side, approaching Ana and examining her curiously, her eyes filled with intrigue.

"Yes, you must be Kiana." Ana smiled warmly at her. "If Aunt Cecilia could see how much you've grown, I'm sure she'd be very proud."

As Ana spoke, her gaze swept over Kiana, Mei, and Bronya. This marked her first genuine encounter with the trio in reality, fulfilling a significant wish for her.

"Could you tell me more about her?" Kiana looked at Ana, filled with anticipation and curiosity.

"Of course," Ana replied with a gentle smile.

"But let's wait until we're back! First, I'll lead you to safety." As she said this, Ana prepared to raise Judah' Scepter. For her, breaking through Chiyou to evacuate was as effortless as entering this realm, thanks to the unparalleled power of the Key of Binding combined with the invincible Schariac holy blood—especially considering this battle was essentially a cakewalk.

"Wait!" Just as Ana was about to act, a voice suddenly interrupted—it was Raiden Mei.

"Ana-sensei, if we leave now, what will happen to Chiyou?" Mei asked, feeling uneasy under Ana's gaze.

Before Ana could respond, Bronya chimed in from beside them:

"Ana-sensei, Bronya agrees that Big Sister Mei's concern is valid. Additionally, according to my scan data, there are two massive Honkai Energy reaction points within Chiyou's body. If we can destroy those..."

"...," Ana fell silent.

Initially, she had considered tackling this mission solo. However, fate seemed to dictate that the three main characters must be involved.

After pondering briefly, Ana understood the situation.

Indeed, this was the domain of the trio. As a new character yet to be fully integrated, if she were to exclude them, her own storyline would cease to exist, reduced to just a passing mention at best.

"Can you pinpoint the exact coordinates of those two Honkai energy reactions?" Ana asked solemnly.

"Bronya can obtain precise coordinates and provide them to Ana-sensei."

"Then let's proceed."

With that, Ana prepared to set off. In truth, she didn't need to involve them directly. She originally planned to test Judah' rated power output, but even without the test, using Judah' Pursuit Mode, she could remotely destroy those two cores from afar.

However, doing so would deprive the three main characters of their narrative significance, necessitating a compromise.

Moreover, this mission served as a practical combat trial for the trio, opportunities like these being relatively scarce at Saint Freya Academy.

"Yes, Ana-sensei."

Bronya nodded and led the way ahead of Ana.

Why not simply provide coordinates? Well, while there indeed was a map within the game, in reality, they had yet to fully explore Chiyou's body, so no such resource existed.

Kiana and Mei couldn't possibly object to this plan, nor did Himeko have any reason to oppose it.

"This is too inefficient; let's split up into two groups," Ana suggested after gauging their approximate location for a moment, addressing the four individuals behind her.

"You head over to that reaction point first and coordinate with Lady Theresa to attack using the Hyperion's main cannon. I'll take care of the other core."

"No problem." Himeko blinked before readily agreeing.

Inside Chiyou's body, the danger wasn't significant. Although there were Honkai Beasts present, most were primarily of the Charge-class variety. Even if the main trio didn't intervene, the injured Himeko could easily handle them.

"Alright, let's proceed as planned. See you soon!" With a wave, Ana transformed into a streak of light and flew swiftly away. Meanwhile, the main trio and Himeko rushed towards the other heart.

Drawing upon her S-rank Valkyrie abilities, Ana swiftly arrived at the location of one heart within moments. Unlike the main trio, she didn't need to clear minor enemies, significantly speeding up her journey.

However, upon reaching this heart, Ana refrained from immediate action and patiently waited, carefully calculating the time.

To minimize disruption to the original plot, she planned to intervene when the main trio was roughly halfway to the second heart.

Although both cores indeed belonged to Chiyou's hearts, each had been sealed differently: one by Fuxi and Nuwa sacrificing their lives, the other by Shenzhou warrior Ji Lin's self-sealing act.

Before Ana now lay the core sealed by Fuxi and Nuwa. If this core were destroyed, it would weaken the seal on the second core.

Once fully unsealed, Ji Lin, who originally sacrificed herself to contain it, would return. Meanwhile, the main trio's storyline would progress as intended, but the subplot involving the acquisition of Soulium after breaking the first seal would no longer occur.

To generate maximum hype before her character's official release, Ana had meticulously planned each step, showcasing her meticulous efforts.

Later, once the main trio and Ji Lin were engaged in fierce combat, she would rush in to secure the final kill.

With this groundwork laid, her character could potentially be implemented in the next update. However, it remained uncertain which Valkyrie Armor she would receive upon activation.

Logically, it should have been an initial A-ranked armor obtainable through gameplay grind, but Ana couldn't quite envision its specifics. She could only wait and see what the game developers decided outside of the virtual world.

The feeling of having one's fate resting in someone else's hands was somewhat unsettling.

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