Though the meaning of victory and defeat was already self-evident, the battle itself was not yet over.
What was it like to fight Durandal?
Using his "counterfeit Zeroth Divine Key" produced by the true Third Divine Key + the Key of Corrosion, Lin Wei threw all his "counterfeit" Herrscher power into a head-on clash with the world's number one, the "Super Goose."
Although he was pathetically beaten back to his original form in just that one exchange, it didn't stop him from brazenly shouting, "Is that all you've got?"
Because that single strike had bought enough time for the ELF Kevin to successfully pour its energy into the Second Divine Key.
The world barrier was shattered, and the giant, locomotive-shaped Divine Key began to sink slowly, like a magnificent ship...
Durandal's heart sank too. She had spent a considerable amount of time in the Sea of Quanta and knew that if it completely submerged, it would be nearly impossible to "salvage" once the ripples of the world barrier subsided.
Thinking of the immense loss this would entail, Durandal didn't dare hesitate any longer.
The aura surrounding her erupted with even greater intensity, and she desperately unleashed all her power, her momentum so overwhelming it seemed as if she could turn the tide of the universe.
The ELF Kevin, as always, remained silent like its creator. After completing its task of "activating the Divine Key," it silently faced the unparalleled enemy once more, using its dwindling energy to carry out its final, and initial, mission—to stop Durandal.
BOOM!
Sword and spear clashed again, but this time it was no longer an even match. With Durandal at full power and the ELF Kevin's energy depleting, the Starfall [Dea Anchora] Armor completely overpowered it.
The ELF Kevin was sent reeling, while Durandal was only momentarily halted.
The next moment, Yae Sakura arrived with her bewitching demon blade, as swift and fierce as a flash of lightning. Durandal still parried it with ease.
The moment after that, Yae Sakura retreated explosively, leaving only an afterimage. Almost simultaneously, a surging bolt of lightning shot through the afterimage, crashing toward Durandal.
Durandal remained unfazed, twisting and turning, dodging the attack with pinpoint precision, it barely grazing her chest.
The moment after that, the repelled ELF Kevin recovered and re-engaged Durandal...
"Tsk, tsk, tsk. What a magnificent 'Three Heroes Battle the Goose'," Lin Wei said with a smile from atop the locomotive, not feeling at all that his "sneak attack" was wrong. This was a battlefield; this was tactics.
Yae Sakura gave him a knowing glance, too lazy to respond. Her form faded as she returned to the Stigmata space.
This battle had cost her dearly, and she had expended a great deal of energy. Now that her mission was complete, she needed to rest and recover.
"Thank you for your hard work, Sakura."
Lin Wei smiled. Without Yae Sakura's unwavering, silent support, he could never have pulled off this magnificent "curtain call performance"—the kind that would make even Elysia's eyes sparkle if she heard about it back in the Elysian Realm.
Wait, curtain call performance? That sounds rather ominous...
Lin Wei clicked his tongue, then glanced at the still-raging battle not far away. The ELF Kevin's energy was dwindling, its movements becoming sluggish. Its defeat was imminent.
But Lin Wei only spared it a glance before turning his attention elsewhere. He squinted, searching for a moment, then tossed the Seven Thunders of Retribution high into the air. He conjured a "replica railgun" of similar shape but entirely black, aimed at the "genuine Third Divine Key" he had thrown into the air, and gently pulled the trigger...
BOOM!
The Seven Thunders of Retribution felt like it had never been so wronged in its life, being sneak-attacked by a knock-off!
But it was just a Divine Key. It couldn't speak or resist. It could only silently endure this "humiliation," transforming into an angry bolt of lightning and flying toward the horizon.
Then, a vine burst from the ground, leaped high, and "plucked" it out of the air before disappearing completely into the raging sandstorm kicked up by the battle...
"Good, everything went smoothly."
Lin Wei breathed a small sigh of relief. He couldn't lose the Third Divine Key that had been so kindly lent to him.
Having Yuno return it to its "rightful owner" was also a perfect excuse for her to stay there for a few days, sheltered from the elements. A win-win!
With Raven looking after the homeless little girl for a bit, Lin Wei was quite relieved.
After Yuno rested for a while, she would return to the Elysian Realm with resentment and anger. With this "shame-fueled" motivation, she would surely make great progress and soon become a mature and excellent warrior, no longer needing anyone's care or protection.
As for Anna...
Lin Wei shook his head helplessly. In today's battle, she was probably the biggest victim, if not the only one.
Lin Wei wasn't surprised by her choice, just as he didn't blame Durandal, Rita, or even Fu Hua for being his enemies.
After all, in this life, everyone has their own difficulties, tightly bound by threads from all directions, unable to act freely, unable to escape.
If she were a weak, submissive girl, it would be one thing. But as it happened, the seemingly soft and gentle foolish girl carried an extremely fierce and stubborn fiery soul within her.
An extremely fierce and stubborn fiery soul.
A short life for the profound, a quick break for the overly rigid. Meeting the wrong person at the wrong time, it wasn't surprising that Anna would end up like this...
In fact, Anna had already done very well, tried very hard.
Back in the Manila, if she hadn't protected him with her life at the end, holding out until Durandal arrived, he probably wouldn't have made it out of that hellish battlefield. Even at that time, she had protected him, even willing to cross blades with Durandal.
For that, Lin Wei had always been grateful. He had never thought he was worthy of someone protecting him with their life...
But besides him, there were other things in the world equally worthy of her protecting with her life—for example, the expectations and high hopes of the team that had stood with her at the crossroads of life and death that same day, before they parted ways.
That expectation was too heavy. She couldn't bear the position of captain, so she couldn't betray the mission known as "Valkyrie."
If before, "Valkyrie" was a simple dream and pursuit for her, like the beautiful aspirations of any child just leaving the ivory tower, which would gradually fade under the harsh sun and rain of reality;
But after that day, this dream and pursuit, born in childhood, somewhat ethereal and even empty, was silently replaced by a heavy pressure and responsibility.
And so, the past joke became a self-fulfilling prophecy: "Anna," "Schariac," her heart was split into two different halves. When they clashed in an irreconcilable, life-and-death conflict, her soul suffered in the midst of this contradiction and tearing...
As one of the culprits, Lin Wei felt guilty toward her. And after she fired that shot, which was tantamount to personally killing half of her soul, that guilt intensified.
She was not a selfish girl.
Whether it was desperately defending him before, or becoming the final obstacle in his path at the end, from beginning to end, she was always doing what she believed was right.
But the world is just that absurd—often, being "right" brings even greater pain...
A selfish person wouldn't suffer from inner turmoil, but such a girl wouldn't have earned Lin Wei's special favor either.
The moment Anna fired that shot, which hurt no one but herself, Lin Wei's pity for her grew even stronger.
He knew he was the one who had forced her into this position. It wasn't that she had wronged him, but that he had wronged her. He could have pushed all the blame onto Otto, but he disdained to do so.
In any case, the result was passable: he had forcefully asserted his undisputed sovereignty over Otto; Anna had also found temporary relief.
At least for a short time, Anna wouldn't have to endure the torment of her torn heart, nor would she have to bear the boundless, deep malice from Otto.
She would even receive a considerable amount of attention and care from the entire Schicksal high command, enjoying a certain degree of freedom and protection.
This was the reward for her self-sacrifice, and also one of the dividends Lin Wei had fought so hard for...
Although, in a way, his actions had pushed her into an even more dangerous abyss—in the original timeline, Anna would become the Herrscher of Ice in the near future.
Lin Wei had once made great efforts to prevent this future from happening, but in the end, he found with a wry smile that all his past efforts would be thrown into the fire by his own hands, even adding fuel to it.
It had to be said, it was a kind of black humor...
But since things had come to this, Lin Wei could only adjust his mindset. It wasn't the first time he'd had to do "psychotherapy" for a Herrscher. One sheep or two, might as well take them all on!
The only problem was, he had to return to the Eigenworld before all this happened, before it was too late, to return the half she had torn out and entrusted to him, to make her missing heart whole again...
Wake up...
Lin Wei shook his head. Why do I always do such bad things?
"Ugh!"
Not far away, the ELF Kevin's energy was on the verge of depletion. Its momentum greatly diminished, it could no longer hold back the still-powerful Durandal for much longer.
Even so, Durandal's heart grew more and more anxious, simply because...
"Durandal, let's stop here," Lin Wei said with a smile.
"Your power won't last much longer. If you keep this up, you'll probably end up lost in the Sea of Quanta with us."
At this moment, the Second Divine Key had almost completely sunk into the Sea of Quanta. Although Durandal's [Dea Anchora] Starfall Armor allowed her to walk freely in the Sea of Quanta for a short time, it could only last for a mere three minutes.
And she had already wasted much of that precious time in fierce combat.
There wasn't much time left.
Therefore, Durandal remained silent, continuing her fierce battle with the ELF Kevin. She knew that until she dealt with this troublesome enemy, it would never give her a chance to get close to the Second Divine Key.
Not to mention, behind it was Lin Wei—the guy who managed to pull off something beyond imagination every time they met.
Although that guy looked like he was at her mercy, who knew if he was secretly hiding some unexpected killing move?
If she delayed any longer, she really might not make it...
Blame? Anger? Not at all.
Durandal was an extremely mature warrior. Within her twenty-something-year-old body was the mature soul of a battle-hardened, calm, and resolute warrior.
She fully respected and understood everyone's choices and difficulties, just as she herself had a heavy mission she couldn't escape.
Though she didn't understand Lin Wei's heart, she fully understood a basic fact—everyone has the right to resist, and even more so, the duty to resist.
Just as if Anna were a selfish girl, Lin Wei would still respect her choice but wouldn't favor her.
If Lin Wei were a mediocre person who gave up without a fight, Durandal wouldn't look down on him, but she wouldn't have a high opinion of him either.
Therefore, the more trouble and difficulty Lin Wei caused her now, the more Durandal recognized and respected him.
She was an undisputed powerhouse, and a person with a clear heart. If she were truly defeated, she would accept it with grace, completely convinced, and would never hold a grudge.
Because of this, the more difficult the situation, the more she gave it her all.
"Hah!"
BOOM!
With a final throw, she sent the exhausted ELF Kevin flying. Durandal gathered her remaining strength and charged toward the Second Divine Key. But there was no joy of impending success in her heart.
Instead, she became even more cautious, wary of a possible sneak attack from Yae Sakura, and of Lin Wei pulling out another unknown trump card that could turn the tables.
But...
"Wow, as expected of Durandal," Lin Wei just said with a smile.
"You probably don't have much time left. In that case..."
"..."
Durandal's heart tensed.
"Forget it, I give up," she was surprised to hear Lin Wei say with a look of regret.
"As the victor's spoils, I'll let you have the Second Divine Key!"
He had just tried several times, but Su's chicken wasn't in the Second Divine Key—that guy was really well hidden!
Since Su wasn't here, the moment the world barrier was opened, this overly cumbersome Divine Key was of little use to him. In that case, he might as well do her a favor!
Durandal's expression faltered for a moment, but her movements didn't slow in the slightest.
Lin Wei's expression at this moment was extremely aggressive, having practically brought the entire Schicksal to its knees. Because of this, she didn't dare to easily believe a single word he said.
But to her surprise, after Lin Wei finished speaking, he unhurriedly gave her a standard, elegant curtain call bow, then spread his arms and fell backward, tumbling off the edge of the Second Divine Key and straight into the Sea of Quanta.
"!"
Durandal was shocked. She rushed to the "top" of the Second Divine Key and saw Lin Wei's body falling into the endless abyss.
He threw out a black chain, not to cause her any trouble, but to catch the now-completely-depleted ELF Kevin in mid-air and pull it into his hand.
Seeing Lin Wei truly fall into the abyss of the Sea of Quanta, Durandal became anxious and was about to chase after him.
But she saw Lin Wei just smile and point at the Second Divine Key, silently reminding her of a fact—time was running out, choose one of two, it's up to you.
"..."
Durandal was silent for a second, then made her decision.
"Hah!"
The starry aura of her Starfall [Dea Anchora] Armor erupted with full force once more. Durandal's slender arms, which seemed almost insignificant compared to the massive size of the Second Divine Key, gripped a corner of it.
With a loud shout, she began to pull the behemoth, which seemed to be stuck in a swamp, out inch by inch, slowly but unstoppably!
"Whoa..."
Lin Wei, watching this shockingly violent yet beautiful scene from afar, couldn't help but click his tongue in amazement.
"The Kaslana bloodline really lives up to its name!"
Unfortunately, the ELF Kevin was shut down again at this moment, otherwise, who knows what it would have thought of her...
---||---
On the other side, after Lin Wei clearly conceded, Durandal, with no more obstacles, went all out and finally managed to pull the Second Divine Key out of the "quagmire" of the Sea of Quanta before the power of her Starfall [Dea Anchora] Armor ran out.
With a loud BOOM, she threw it onto the sand nearby, where it was quickly half-buried by the kicked-up dust, looking like an abandoned locomotive.
Seeing that everything was fine, the people from Schicksal let out a long sigh of relief.
"Lady Durandal..."
Meanwhile, Rita, who had just been "pursuing" Yuno, returned and rushed to Durandal's side, letting out a sigh of relief.
"I'm glad to see you're safe."
In all these years, it was the first time she had seen Durandal in such a "tough fight," and even get injured. She had been deeply worried about her.
"Yes, I'm fine, Rita," Durandal said, dismissing the Starfall Armor and running a hand through her slightly messy golden hair with a smile.
"The Second Divine Key is also fine. Everything went smoothly. It's just..."
Just what?
They both knew, but said nothing.
Today's battle, was it a victory or a defeat? And this result, was it good or bad?
Durandal was a little lost, and Rita couldn't give her an answer.
It was just that after Lin Wei had truly left, after the dust had settled, they both suddenly felt—as if the whole world had gone quiet, as if something noisy was missing, yet there was an indescribable loneliness...
After a moment of silence, Rita just smiled helplessly.
"As long as you're safe, that's what matters. Please get some rest now..."
In any case, what happened had happened, and it was over. They still had to move forward.
"Mm."
Durandal nodded, then remembered something. "Where's Anna?"
Rita pointed behind her. Durandal looked back and saw Fu Hua sitting on the Second Divine Key, with Anna lying quietly beside her, her head resting on her lap, as if lost in a sweet dream she didn't want to wake from...
"Sigh."
Durandal sighed softly, not knowing what to say. After a moment of silence, she said, "Let her rest..."
Everyone here owed her a lot, but they didn't know how to repay her.
"Where's the Overseer?" Durandal asked again.
"I'm here," Otto said, his voice weary.
"That Bianka still cares about me, how delightful..."
To be honest, in today's battle, he was somewhat injured. Although he had successfully driven away the great threat of Lin Wei and the Key of Corrosion, he had paid many intangible prices. It was a victory that felt like a defeat.
Even Durandal had first asked about Anna's condition before inquiring about his well-being...
Going his own way had its price. Lin Wei had successfully made him taste some of the bitter fruit in advance and had caused a slight crack in his unshakable position.
Though it was just a trivial point, Otto knew clearly that when Lin Wei returned to the Eigenworld and appeared before him again, they would probably not support him as unconditionally as they had today.
"Vice Overseer of Schicksal?"
His promise, which he had made in jest not long ago, had been contemptuously discarded and spread by Lin Wei. But when the dust settled, it was as if that guy had invisibly pried something indescribable from his grasp.
His Valkyries wouldn't reject him because of it, but at the same time, they had invisibly accepted Lin Wei's existence...
They might not even be aware of this fact themselves. But as the one who had taken the most direct hit, Otto understood it perfectly.
For example, right now, he could have, and even should have, asked Rita, "Where did Yuno go, and why did you come back empty-handed so quickly?"
But he couldn't.
The loss of prestige would take a long time to repair. If he were to be aggressive at this time, it would only aggravate their hidden dissatisfaction.
Originally, Otto wouldn't have cared. But now, because of Lin Wei's existence, he had to care, because that guy was definitely waiting for him to expose more weaknesses.
Unlike Welt, this one was a real viper!
"You Joking, Overseer. As long as everyone is safe, that's what matters," Durandal said, noncommittal about Otto's slight fatigue.
"The Second Divine Key is safe, and the threat has been eliminated. The next phase of work can proceed as scheduled."
She supported Otto as always, not only because of their deep bond but also because she believed that he truly could and would find a future for both worlds.
"Ah, yes..." Otto murmured.
"It must proceed as scheduled."
Lin Wei's departure had actually increased his sense of urgency, because he didn't know when that guy would be back, nor what unimaginable obstacles he would bring...
---||---
On the other side.
Yuno had thought Rita would chase her relentlessly.
Because that woman was not just an S-rank Valkyrie, but also a professional assassin specializing in "anti-personnel combat." She had been prepared for a tough fight, even to be taken captive.
But to her surprise, she had only "chased" her symbolically for a while, then just watched her from a distance before turning and leaving. It even gave her the illusion that Rita was actually "escorting" her away.
"..."
Yuno was completely bewildered, not understanding. But she knew she was probably safe now.
"Tsk, what an annoying guy. Always causing a bunch of trouble..."
Suddenly, a voice sounded from not far away, startling Yuno.
"Who?"
The next second, a flash of slightly crimson dark light appeared, and Raven materialized in front of her.
"Not welcome? Then I'm leaving!"
"Ah, it's you!"
Yuno was stunned for a moment, then let her guard down completely. Then, as if remembering something, she handed over the Third Divine Key.
"Thank you. Here you go."
"..."
Raven was also stunned for a moment, taking the familiar Seven Thunders of Retribution.
"Thoughtful of you."
Although she knew Lin Wei probably wouldn't do something as classless as running off with a Divine Key, getting it back so quickly still made her feel a little emotional.
And she probably understood Lin Wei's intentions. So she didn't hesitate and said, "Come with me. My car is hidden not far from here."
"Oh."
Yuno obediently followed her. After a moment, she remembered something and asked, "Natasha... Sis... Teacher..."
After being glared at several times by Raven for not knowing what to call her, Yuno asked with some confusion, "Why are you here?"
"Hunting," Raven lied casually.
"And picking up a few lost kids, see if I should send them to the police station or straight to the orphanage."
"..."
Raven's mouth was still quite sharp. Yuno wasn't Lin Wei and had no idea how to respond.
"...Forget it, just kidding."
Seeing her joke fall flat, Raven waved her hand with some disinterest.
"To be honest, I was a little worried about you two, so I came to check. You guys made such a big commotion here, I could hear it all the way from the kids' place..."
"...Thank you," Yuno said, sincerely grateful, because Raven had no reason to take such a risk for her.
"No need," Raven smiled, then said with some regret, "I even prepared a few surprises for that S-rank Valkyrie just now. What a shame they weren't used. Tsk, what a pity..."
Who isn't an "assassin" here?