Adding Fuel to the Fire

"Data? That's something you wouldn't understand. With a second-rate force like yours, even if I gave it to you, you wouldn't be able to recreate it."

Jackal spoke with utter contempt, looking down on these organizations. World Serpent had its reach all over the world. If she weren't in such a difficult situation, people like these would only be good as experimental subjects.

Bang—

Ren didn't give her the chance to continue. He had more important things to do. All he needed was a quick excuse, and that would suffice. If he understood research better, he would have taken Jackal's entire lab with him.

But, he thought, scientists like Jackal would be more useful for his goals. However, she was someone Kevin had taken a liking to, so moving against her now would be too risky.

For now, he had to settle for the next best thing: get some research data and leave.

The Honkai patterns on Jackal's body were becoming denser, signaling that the erosion was intensifying. Once she became a zombie, Jackal wouldn't be able to handle herself. Helpless, she had no choice but to hand over some of her data to Ren, though she didn't give him everything.

"What a perfect agent," Ren murmured, eyeing the pale blue liquid in the syringe. The golden-haired woman's expression softened as she seemed to see a glimmer of hope. Without another word, she injected it into herself.

Jackal stared, dumbfounded. She had seen plenty of crazies, but none quite like this. Wasn't she afraid something would go wrong?

As soon as the needle was inserted, the woman, already beginning to zombify, spiraled into an even more chaotic transformation. The beast transformation agent Jackal had developed allowed one to transform into a Honkai beast while maintaining their sanity. However, that was only possible if the user's will and physical condition were stable enough.

In her current state, the woman would only turn into a true Honkai beast.

"A madman…" Jackal cursed under her breath, then quickly pressed the control panel by the experimental table. She activated the equipment that Ren had previously turned off, then fled the scene.

Meanwhile, Ren remained in place, but his transformation had already begun. Of course, this was all just a cover. After confirming Jackal's escape, he transported his spoils to the Dominance Theater, then used it to teleport to his next destination.

The Honkai beast left behind, now under his planned control, began to move toward the ground. There was another performance awaiting him there.

The perspective switched to Raven. Her request for backup had failed, but it hadn't surprised her. In fact, it only solidified her belief that this was all part of Schicksal's plan.

Now, with her supply of backup pistols completely depleted, Raven could only fight and retreat as Rita continued her attacks.

If Raven had been fully prepared, with enough arrows and the Divine Key—Seven Thunders of Retribution—that World Serpent had given her, she wouldn't have needed to fear Rita at all. But after a fierce battle with the Herrscher of the Void, all of her arrows were gone. The sniper rifle form of the Seven Thunders of Retribution wasn't ideal for close combat.

Helpless, Raven could only try to negotiate with her Divine Key. The Seven Thunders of Retribution had many forms, but it demanded a lot from its user. If the user didn't meet those requirements, it would immediately strike.

Raven had spent years cultivating her bond with the weapon to use it smoothly, but now, even in its sniper form, it was clear the Divine Key was unhappy about being forced into close combat. It completely ignored Raven's attempts.

With little choice, Raven tried to use the sniper form to fight Rita, but it wasn't enough. She was slowly falling at a disadvantage.

Just as things were looking grim, the red-haired woman—who had just escaped with the Herrscher of the Void—appeared again. Looking at Raven, who was struggling against Rita, she shouted, "I've brought Jackal's agent! I've also dealt with the Herrscher of the Void! We can take her down together."

Raven's confusion was evident. Who are you? Why are you so calm about this?

Ren, controlling the Himeko puppet, tossed the recovery agent he had just acquired from Jackal towards Raven. At the same time, he grabbed the katana Mei had left behind and charged into the fight with Rita.

"It's you! Scarlet Serpent!" Rita growled, recognizing Ren. The memory of her previous defeat to him burned in her chest, fueling her anger. With a fiery resolve, she abandoned the struggling Raven and turned to face Ren. A blade-to-blade battle ensued.

Finally getting a chance to breathe, Raven subconsciously grabbed the agent Ren had thrown to her. She glanced at the label—it was indeed a product of Jackal's. The seal on the agent was intact, so there was no chance it had been swapped out.

"Could she really be a hidden cadre of World Serpent?" Raven's thoughts swirled with confusion. As the fight progressed, she realized the red-haired woman was nothing like the Murata Himeko in the records. If she wasn't from Schicksal, then where had she come from? Why was she so familiar with Jackal?

Raven quickly recovered her stamina. She didn't immediately drink the agent Ren had given her. Instead, she first conducted a series of tests. Even Jackal's agents were divided into different types: some restored energy, others repaired damage, and some could turn a person into a Honkai beast. Raven couldn't be sure what kind of agent she had been given.

After confirming that it was safe, Raven didn't hesitate and drank the agent. A warm current surged through her body, quickly dispelling the cold left by Rita's attacks. She felt much more comfortable now. Raising her Seven Thunders of Retribution, she prepared to take down Rita first. As for the red-haired woman, she would deal with her later, regardless of whether she was an ally or not.

With their combined forces, the situation had completely reversed. The Schicksal Valkyries were known for their strength when fighting as a team. Now that Rita was separated from her backup, she couldn't keep up with her supply and support.

Especially with Ren holding her back in close combat, Raven was free to use her Divine Key. It wouldn't be long before Rita was defeated.

Just when the situation was improving, Ren once again made an "unavoidable mistake", and was slashed by Rita's scythe. The powerful force sent him flying, crashing into the ruins.

Looking at this familiar situation, Raven suddenly remembered that the Herrscher of the Void from before had also been similarly hit by an arrow. Could it be…

Unfortunately, her thoughts were interrupted as Ren, who had crashed into the ruins, cried out in pain, and then gradually fell silent.

Having finally taken the advantage, Rita would naturally not let this opportunity pass by. Raven's heart tightened, and she immediately aimed Seven Thunders of Retribution at the ruins.

But, without fully understanding the situation, she didn't immediately open fire. The red-haired woman's side was still undetermined. If she really was on their side, then she would also have to shoulder the blame of killing a teammate. Therefore, she could only try to block Rita's path.

After confirming that Scarlet Serpent wasn't moving, Rita, exhausted, once again started attacking Raven. And without a suitable weapon, Raven could only barely defend herself.

What neither of them noticed, however, was the quiet rift that had opened in the ruins, silently taking Himeko back to the Dominance Theater.