บท 60: A Clash of Paths
[Fu Hua's Point of View]
Fu Hua's steps echoed through the silent open field of the Schicksal HQ as she waited for a response on her earpiece. "Overseer Otto, I've arrived at HQ. Awaiting further orders." There was no response.
"No response... What's going on?" she muttered to herself.
Suddenly, her earpiece crackled to life, and Rita's voice came through. "Fu Hua? Rita here. The Overseer has entered the lab and has ordered me to welcome you. I've sent you a location signal. Rendezvous with me there."
"Rita? Why did Otto send her here?" Fu Hua frowned. As she moved forward, Fu Hua noticed a few Honkai Beasts roaming around the area. "It seems that this place is crawling with Honkai Beasts," she observed.
"Kiana... did you summon them?" she muttered as she charged forward, her battlesuit glowing with a violet hue.
Fu Hua swiftly engaged the Honkai Beasts, her movements fluid and precise. With calculated strikes, she targeted their vital points, using a combination of hand-to-hand combat and powerful kicks to incapacitate them one by one.
As the beasts fell under her assault, Fu Hua maintained her focus, "That should be the last one."
"Time to move," Fu Hua muttered to herself, her focus unwavering. Without wasting a moment, she rushed towards the rendezvous point. However, her pace was abruptly halted by the sound of an explosion in the distance.
"...Explosions? Has Rita already arrived?" Fu Hua paused, glancing towards the source of the explosion. "According to the signal, the location is just up ahead."
She changed her course, swiftly making her way towards the explosion. As she arrived, she saw Rita surrounded by Honkai Beasts.
"How bothersome. Time to clean this place up. Master Durandal prefers everything tidy." With a determined stance, Fu Hua sliced through the beasts with ease, each one falling and dissolving into dust.
"...Rita." Fu Hua approached her.
"Welcome back, Master Fu Hua." Rita curtsied. "You handled those Judgement-class Honkai Beasts splendidly. Would you care for a cup of tea?"
"Why are you alone? Where's Captain Durandal?"
"Master Durandal has led a squad to clear out the Honkai Beasts attacking the HQ."
"I'm surprised you weren't with her..."
"I am concerned for Master Durandal's well-being... But this is different. The Overseer tasked me with welcoming you and assisting in your mission."
"That won't be necessary."
"It's my duty, Master Fu Hua. Please understand."
Fu Hua looked into Rita's eyes, sensing something hidden behind her polite demeanor. "...Very well. What's the mission?"
"Theresa-sama and her Anti-Entropy allies have taken Air Terminal 3. The Overseer wants us to calm her down a little."
"Understood." Fu Hua turned away, glancing back at Rita over her shoulder. "On one condition."
Rita met Fu Hua's gaze. "No killing."
"No worries. The Overseer wants Theresa-sama and her team safe as well... and I, too, care for Master Shin's well-being."
"Let's go, then."
"Fighting alongside you is an honor, Master Fu Hua." Rita bowed once more.
Fu Hua nodded and walked forward.
"We can't harm them? Well, it's dangerous to let emotions rule on the battlefield, Master Fu Hua." Rita murmured to herself as she followed.
[Meanwhile... on the other side.]
As they entered the firing range of Schicksal defenses, Himeko took cover and turned to Dr. Tesla. "Any battle plan?"
"Battle plan? Yeah, we should call Otto, and ask him to shut down all Honkai powercores. Then lay down the red carpet and prep the champagne while we waltz into the lab. What do you think?" Tesla replied sarcastically.
Himeko chuckled. "Very funny."
"Pfft. Plans. My plan is simple. If it moves, smash it," Tesla said with a smirk.
"I like that plan."
Lead the way!" Tesla exclaimed.
"On it!" Himeko replied, rising from cover and charging forward, smashing every mech in her path. "We must first confirm the location of the Honkai power core," Himeko stated as she destroyed another mech.
"There should be a terminal nearby, let's search for it," Tesla suggested, her titan mech assisting Himeko as they pressed forward.
As they walked to the platform, Himeko noticed the terminal on the side.
"I've found the terminal. We should be able to use it to pull up a map of the area," she said, activating the terminal. A massive map hologram appeared.
"This place is further than I thought. How are things over there?" Himeko asked.
"Doing better than people with no sense of direction. I hacked into the system and located the Honkai power core."
"That's fast," Himeko murmured. "You talk like a pain in the butt."
"I talk like a pain for idiots. You took up this super dangerous mission because you're out of time. You want to sacrifice yourself for your friends. People like you think like idiots. I can see right through you," Tesla said bluntly.
Himeko paused before responding, "You came here to tell me this?"
"Hmph. I'm not trying to be nice here. There was another idiot dumber than you are. People like you piss me off," Tesla retorted.
"Fine. Thank you anyway, Tesla."
As they followed the map toward the Honkai power core, a mecha suddenly dropped down in front of Tesla and Himeko.
"Asleikr Mystletainn on sight! Himeko!"
"Yeah, I got it already," Himeko replied.
She rushed forward, attempting to smash and slash the mecha, but it proved too fast for her.
"Tch! Mass-produced model using Aesir Baldr's data. Schicksal has yet to popularise its use in combat for some reason," Himeko commented as she clashed with the mech.
"It couldn't be that Schicksal ran out of money, could it?" Tesla quipped.
Another Asleikr Mystletainn dropped down and charged towards Himeko.
"Another one!?" Himeko dodged and stepped back.
She continued to counterattack the mechs as she dodged and blocked, while Tesla provided support. Suddenly, the defense core dropped.
"Wait, it seems that we could make use of this core."
"...Hey! That's just what I was thinking. It's connected to the mainframe. We can use it to hack into the Honkai power core control system..."
Himeko crushed the other Asleikr Mystletainn, but more drone mechs arrived.
"Watch out! Reinforcements have arrived."
"Can you buy me some time here!? I have a plan!" Tesla exclaimed as her mech stopped. "I have a big surprise for my old Schicksal colleagues."
Himeko took a defensive stance, panting. "I feel like all I'm doing today is buying you time, Dr. Tesla!"
"Give me 30 seconds!" Tesla shouted back.
Himeko fought fiercely, providing Tesla with the time she needed. She countered attacks and launched her own, keeping the enemies at bay.
Suddenly, the defense core floated down from the ceiling unguarded.
"Quick, destroy it while the barrier is down, Himeko!" Tesla shouted.
"You don't have to tell me twice!"
She dashed past the drones and mechs, completely obliterating the core with powerful strikes.
"Hah, got it! Honkai power core down!" Tesla confirmed.
But more mechs arrived.
"Quick, let's get out!" Tesla said.
"Then we'll have to take care of these small fries first!" Himeko said, rushing towards the new wave of enemies alongside Tesla.
Another menacing mech dropped down, an Aesir Baldr.
"An Aesir Baldr," Himeko identified.
"A large mech, courtesy of Schicksal. It's speedy, powerful, and versatile. A model with balanced stats across the board," Tesla explained. "Himeko, we need to retreat!"
"We can't, or else this guy will go after the others," Himeko replied.
"Are you serious!?"
"Yeah."
Tesla fell silent. "Fine... Let's sign your death warrant."
"Heh... As if I'll die from a mech."
Himeko clashed blades with the Aesir Baldr, while Tesla provided ranged support.
"You're very annoying!" Himeko dashed forward, clashing blades with the Aesir Baldr.
Despite her increased speed, the Aesir managed to graze her, knocking her back. Without wasting a moment, Himeko leaped higher, plunging her sword into the ground and slashing the Aesir in half, causing it to explode.
"Hahh... Haahhh..."
"Himeko, Are you alright!?" Tesla asked, concerned.
"Yeah, more or less." Himeko sheathed her greatsword and Tesla stepped out of her titan mech.
"Every obstacle has been taken care of, time to withdraw," Tesla said, grinning.
"Yeah."
"Schicksal is pathetic, calling these wrecks mechs is an insult to my mighty Titans."
"Oh my, is this Anti-Entropy's new mech unit?" A voice interrupted from above.
Himeko and Tesla turned to the source of the voice and saw Rita standing on top of the Titan.
"Cleaning up this one might be slightly... more difficult, I presume," Rita said, before gracefully jumping backward and slashing the Titan, causing it to explode. She then landed on the ground and turned to Himeko and Tesla.
"Careful, Dr. Tesla!" Himeko warned, her grip tightening on her greatsword.
"This is where it ends, Major," another voice came from behind them. "Give up and surrender."
"Fu Hua." Himeko paused, surprised.
As Fu Hua was about to charge her ki, an abrupt interruption halted her movements. She swiftly stepped back, narrowly avoiding an air slash aimed at her from the left.
"Tch... That was close," a young boy's voice remarked as he walked calmly towards the group. "Principal Theresa, This is Shin, reporting in. I've made it to the rendezvous point. I can see Himeko and Dr. Tesla with Rita and Fu Hua."
"Good work, Shin. Protect the two at all costs," Theresa's voice came through the earpiece.
"Roger."
"Shin... What are you doing here?" Himeko inquired.
"Oh my~ It's been a while, Shin~" Rita said, performing a curtsy bow. "I missed you."
"Yeah... I missed you too, Rita. Not in a good way." Shin slowly sheathed the pink katana from the air, and then he pulled out the sword, a purple katana emerged, and he took a stance.
"Looks like... I'll have to clean this up very carefully," Rita remarked.
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