To force the opponent to reveal themselves, Theresa immediately ordered the Hyperion to fire a main cannon blast directly at them—obviously, this was impossible.
Of course, Theresa *did* have the thought, but Himeko and Rita, who were standing beside her, immediately stopped her from doing something so terrifying.
The person who had likely fought the Herrscher of Thunder was currently concealing their presence, clearly wishing to avoid a confrontation with Schicksal's Valkyries.
However, hiding one's tracks was a perfectly normal reaction. Rita felt that if they responded to that by bombarding the person with energy cannons...
Well, that would be a sign of brain damage, not strategy.
Rita couldn't even guarantee that she herself could fight the Herrscher of Thunder without losing.
Even though she now possessed the Godsbane Battlesuit [Argent Knight: Artemis], she could only guarantee a stable kill against standard Emperor-class Honkai Beasts.
Against anything stronger than a standard Emperor—like top-tier Emperors, Judgment-class beasts, Pseudo-Herrschers, or actual Herrschers—she truly had no confidence that she could engage such entities and survive.
In other words, the opponent's strength likely exceeded that of Rita, even equipped with *Skadi Ondurgud* and [Argent Knight: Artemis].
With Rita Rossweisse's intellect, there was no way she would actively offend someone they might be able to recruit.
As for the option of "helping him be decent," that was a measure reserved in Rita's mind for when there were absolutely no other options.
At the very least, before a formal falling out, Rita didn't want to start a fight with an S-Rank equivalent combatant whose attitude was still ambiguous.
"Hmph... a sneaky guy like that obviously isn't a good person, right?"
After glancing at Himeko, who looked panicked to death, and Rita, who wore a helpless expression, Theresa finally put away her simple and crude idea.
"Fine, seeing you two like this, I won't fire. But if you think that's no good—then give me a reliable solution."
"Hmm... as for a solution... persuasion really should be the priority," Himeko said to the group after a moment of thought.
"Rita, you have the best eloquence among us, so the main task of persuasion falls to you. Durandal, please go down with Rita."
"We don't know the opponent's attitude or temper. If he gets angry and tries to fight us, as one of Schicksal's strongest Valkyries, you should at least be able to suppress him."
"I'll stay here to monitor the situation. If things go wrong, I'll prepare to use the Nexus System immediately. Theresa..."
Himeko thought for a moment and decided to save some face for her old friend.
"You prepare to command from the bridge. After all, the Hyperion needs a backbone, and that position belongs to none other than you."
"Mhm, mhm, Himeko, you make a good point. Then Rita, Durandal, I'll leave that sneaky guy down there to you two."
Theresa looked at the ruins and said grumpily.
"If the situation goes south, contact us immediately and retreat. After all, this is a guy who fought a Herrscher. If he really turns hostile, then when dealing with such a villainous character, we'll just use the Hyperion to cripple him first."
"Yes, understood."
"Then, we will be heading down."
Watching her two juniors leave the Hyperion, Himeko suddenly let out a sigh of relief.
Although Durandal and Rita held no hostility toward her, the invisible pressure radiating from them made it hard for her to breathe, even though it wasn't directed at her.
Honestly, Himeko had met them a few times for work after their promotion to S-Rank, but the problem was, they hadn't given off this feeling before.
And as qualified warriors, they wouldn't normally project this kind of pressure onto innocent Valkyries around them—if they couldn't control their aura, the people around them would have collapsed long ago.
Himeko could withstand it because she was strong for an A-Rank. An average A-Rank in this situation would probably be breaking out in a cold sweat by now.
The reason they were emitting this aura was actually quite simple.
Ultimately, when facing an unknown figure who might have defeated a Herrscher, they didn't have confidence either.
The two had raised their guard internally, perhaps even subconsciously preparing for battle, which caused them to radiate such terrifying pressure.
"This is going to be tricky... Theresa, let's prepare for combat as well."
"Mm, indeed. A sneaky guy... Hmph, even if he's from Anti-Entropy, he's definitely a lackey of that vixen."
"If it were Dr. Einstein's people, I think we might be able to exchange a few words. But if it's the vixen's faction, and a fight breaks out... well, that's fine too. In that case, we won't have to consider holding back!"
"You still dare to consider holding back?"
Listening to Theresa, Himeko shook her head with a helpless, bitter smile.
Counting the Hyperion's Nexus System support, they effectively had three S-Rank combatants.
Theoretically, adding Durandal, a Super S-Rank Valkyrie, meant their combat power should be sufficient.
But they needed information on the Herrscher of Thunder. That meant they couldn't silence him; they had to capture him alive.
Everyone knew the massive difference between capturing someone alive and killing them.
That was why Himeko felt this was difficult.
If the opponent wasn't strong, Durandal and Rita could handle it. The problem was if Himeko had to connect to the Nexus to intervene...
Reaching that step would mean Durandal and Rita couldn't handle him.
Combined with the massive commotion caused by the Nexus combat mode, capturing the opponent alive would become extremely troublesome.
*Sigh, I thought if the 'guest' this time was from Anti-Entropy, I might be able to learn something about my father's death from them.*
*But looking at it now, the vixen's faction only developed in recent years. Back when my father died, it's debatable whether the vixen had even joined Anti-Entropy.*
*Whatever, the mission is what matters.*
*Although I really don't have much time left, right now, my identity is a Valkyrie.*
*Protecting all that is beautiful in the world is what I should be doing.*
*Personal matters... can wait for another chance.*
...................
**Nagazora City. Somewhere.**
Somewhere in Nagazora City, a petite girl with gray hair finally managed to contact her adoptive mother using the chip in her brain.
"Mama? Mama Cocolia? Can you hear me?"
"Finally! Bronya, what's the situation?"
Hearing Bronya's transmission, Cocolia breathed a temporary sigh of relief.
Due to the electromagnetic Honkai energy shockwave caused by the birth of the Third Herrscher, most electronic products in Nagazora City had been interfered with directly, rendering them unusable.
Naturally, Bronya's brain chip fell into this category.
Before the operation, Cocolia had asked her subordinates to process the brain chip to increase its Honkai resistance. The problem was—even with the added resistance, the thing was easily overwhelmed by the Herrscher of Thunder's characteristics within her 'domain'.
It wasn't until now, several hours after the Herrscher of Thunder had disappeared, that Bronya's brain chip finally resumed operation.
"Because Bronya's brain chip was interfered with, movement was difficult earlier. However, using Project Bunny, Bronya discovered that Schicksal's people have already begun searching Nagazora City."
"Yes, I received intel on that as well. The Immortal Blades and the Far East Branch... Schicksal attaches such importance to the Third Herrscher."
Thinking about the intelligence she had received, Cocolia felt a headache coming on.
Originally, according to her plan, she intended to deploy a specially treated Titan squad the moment the Third Herrscher awakened. While the Herrscher was just waking up and unable to use her powers properly, they would launch a surprise attack.
She felt her speed was fast enough, yet just minutes after the Third Herrscher awakened... the Third Herrscher's signal simply vanished.
It wasn't a state of weakening energy; the entire person had disappeared.
Although Cocolia had learned some intelligence regarding the [Siren Project] from the mole planted with Dr. Einstein, according to Dr. Einstein's calculations, the core of this plan, the [Herrscher of the Void], shouldn't be able to use the powers from the Second Eruption era at this time.
A Herrscher of the Void unable to use the Authority of [Void] couldn't take the Herrscher of Thunder away via teleportation, even if they were together.
Because of this, Cocolia thought of another possibility.
Siegfried Kaslana. The former war hero who defected from Schicksal had now joined the Anti-Entropy Conservatives.
Her own quantum teleportation technology couldn't be hidden from Einstein's group, so Cocolia had 'magnanimously' chosen to hand over all relevant intelligence on quantum technology.
Her demand was simple—if the 'compatriots' in the Conservative faction made new discoveries regarding the technology, they had to give her a copy of the data.
This seemingly generous act was purely because Cocolia knew her own researchers were far inferior to those two old hags.
Although they weren't on the same path as her, they were indeed geniuses.
And not only were they geniuses, they were good people. Good people... well, even if they disliked you, they would still keep their promises.
That was why Cocolia now possessed this nearly perfect quantum teleportation system.
But if she had this system, it meant Siegfried had it too.
*I see. The Herrscher of Thunder's signal disappeared because Siegfried knocked her out and took Raiden Mei away one step ahead of me... Hmph, that cripple. To think he still has that level of strength in his condition.*
Thinking of this deduction, Cocolia felt a burst of annoyance in her heart.
She had chosen to trigger the Third Eruption in Nagazora City essentially to secure the Herrscher of Thunder's power immediately.
On one hand, this was for her missing daughter, Seele. On the other hand, it was for her own vision.
Using a 'Herrscher' to fight Herrschers—that was Cocolia's plan.
If she could subdue Raiden Mei immediately and place shackles on her, Cocolia believed the Herrscher of Thunder could become her ace.
Of course, Raiden Ryoma definitely wouldn't agree to this measure, so Cocolia had sent him to prison.
Although Ryoma certainly wouldn't be locked up for a lifetime over a mundane crime, keeping him away from Anti-Entropy's circle of power for a while was enough for Cocolia to complete this plan.
Furthermore, after conveniently seizing Massive Electric Corp, Cocolia's finances, which had been precarious due to quantum experiments, were instantly replenished without issue.
As for the millions who died in Nagazora City...
Cocolia didn't want this either, but the problem was that the 'shackles' binding a Herrscher clearly couldn't just be physical tools.
Physical tools were unreliable. But if the Herrscher of Thunder awakened in Nagazora City, Cocolia only needed the Titan squad to defeat Raiden Mei, and then, after she woke up, reveal that "you killed all these people." There was a high probability Raiden Mei would completely break down.
She had looked into Raiden Mei. Although the girl was a sheltered young lady, she was essentially a kind person.
Kind people... heh, those who know, know.
They have morals, so they can be morally blackmailed by Cocolia.
And morals were something Cocolia herself had thrown into the sewer long ago.
Morals... could morals fight the Honkai?
Without the resolve to become a demon, how could one defeat demons?
"Mama Cocolia, what should Bronya do next..."
"Come back for now. Nagazora City is too dangerous."
"No, Mama Cocolia. Bronya intends to remain in Nagazora City."
At this moment, while communicating with Cocolia, Bronya was hacking into some surveillance cameras that were functional again via her brain chip.
"Come back! I said Nagazora City is too dangerous right now!"
"However, Bronya has discovered that Schicksal Valkyries seem to be searching for something. They must be here for the Herrscher of Thunder as well. If they haven't given up, perhaps there are still things Bronya has missed at the scene."
"..."
Knowing she had swayed Cocolia, Bronya continued.
"Bronya will not come into conflict with Schicksal. Bronya is well aware that even with Project Bunny, Bronya is no match for them."
"But at the same time, Bronya has the quantum teleportation system Mama Cocolia gave Bronya. In other words, Bronya can disengage from the battlefield at any time. So, Mama Cocolia, I will try to search for traces of the Herrscher of Thunder a little longer."
"Even if there is only a sliver of possibility, Bronya wants to find the Herrscher of Thunder. After all..."
"Seele is still waiting for Bronya."