However, Shun suggested that before searching for survivors, they should first recover the bodies of the Snow Lotus Squad's fallen.
Ana naturally refused at first, but when Shun pulled her along, she didn't resist. People are selfish compared to searching for strangers who might still be alive, deep down Ana wanted more to collect her comrades' remains.
But she was a Valkyrie protecting the people was her sacred duty so she couldn't show it openly. That's why Shun gave her a gentle push from behind. This way, Ana could tell herself she had been "forced" by Shun.
"What? Searching for the survivors of a heroic squad suddenly doesn't count as searching for survivors? How do you know no one's alive if you haven't looked yet?"
Ana gave a rare smile. Shun's unreasonable sophistry had never failed to convince her.
On the way, the two dealt with quite a few Honkai beasts that had appeared after the Judgment-class one's death before reaching the original battlefield. At this point, Shun noticed the weapon in Ana's hand Schicksal's [Throne of the Gods] series [Constant Frost Skadi], the signature weapon of the game's fridge owner without Overlimit.
It could only be said that Ana truly lived up to being a Schariac big spender she could actually afford a Throne of the Gods weapon. A genius who became an A-rank Valkyrie at 16 if she hadn't later Herrscher-ized, she would have been a solid S-rank Valkyrie. Just like Wendy, the Shame of Herrschers next door.
The silly goose had also become an A-rank Valkyrie at around real age 15. Though it wouldn't be long before she went full cheat mode and became Honkai-proud Tian'e, it still proved their talent. At the very least, Sister Tazi hadn't become A-rank as early as they did.
Ana wielded her scythe far better than Seele. The current Seele was so light and floaty that even she would be dragged along by a scythe bigger than herself.
But on Ana, there was no sign of the person being pulled by the weapon. It could only be said that this A-rank Valkyrie had zero fluff she was the real deal. With one swing of her scythe, Ana could cleave a ten-story-tall chariot-class beast in half.
Actually, when dealing with Honkai beasts, the most troublesome weren't the typical large ones like chariot-class or temple-class. Instead, the ones jokingly called "mosquitoes" in the game the assault-class Honkai beasts were the real nightmare.
Because in reality, they weren't mosquitoes at all they were damn fighter jets! Compared to those large Honkai beasts visible from far away that could be casually one-shot, these stealth-capable, small-bodied, instant-acceleration monsters with bodies harder than any alloy were the true problem.
Can you imagine walking along normally, only for a supersonic fighter jet to suddenly burst out and slam into you? And their wings were like two giant blades anything in their path got sliced clean through.
The performance gap from the game was massive. According to Ana: "Assault-class Honkai beasts are true rookie killers. Any Valkyrie who gets careless on the battlefield won't survive them."
It fully illustrated that lesser Honkai beasts had no real hierarchy except for the Honkai Emperor, that thing was clearly the pinnacle of lesser Honkai beasts, a multi-ton Gundam.
Upon returning to the battlefield, Ana immediately saw Christina propped against a fragment of a building the one Shun had helped sit up. Now she had peacefully closed her eyes, fallen into eternal sleep.
Shun placed Christina's body into Cosmic Juggernaut for preservation. But corpses killed by Honkai-related causes couldn't be buried in the earth bury them, and next year a Honkai beast might sprout.
As for why preserve bodies in Cosmic Juggernaut don't ask. Ask Su he did it too. In Arthurian legend, after King Arthur died, Merlin (Su) brought him back to Avalon. In the Honkai world, that wooden ship carrying the body was Cosmic Juggernaut, and Avalon was naturally Su's Seed of Sumeru.
Using Cosmic Juggernaut's spatial perception, Shun had already discreetly stored away any remains that would be inconvenient for Ana to see. So the ones she uncovered next were relatively intact.
For example, one of the deceased paid homage to the famous novel All Quiet on the Western Front. Shun had no lunchbox or spoon, and he couldn't let Ana witness such a cruel scene.
It would have been too brutal for her. The two searched through the ruins for a long time before collecting all the remains.
"Shun, on behalf of the Snow Lotus Squad, thank you." Though the words sounded somewhat hollow, Shun deeply felt Ana's gratitude from the heart. She expressed her solemn thanks to him an emotion that transcended language.
"Collecting the bodies of fallen heroes is my honor. And it's what I should do."
"You know exactly what I'm thanking you for don't play dumb. Thank you for giving them the final dignity of warriors." Ana indicated that Shun truly was a master at playing dumb. Did she not know how many people were in her own squad?
"So it's what I should do no need to thank me."
"Mm." Ana nodded, smiling in response.
Next, their task was to wait for Schicksal headquarters' reinforcements while also searching for survivors. With spatial abilities, Shun's solo efficiency far surpassed any rescue team. He located the roughly five thousand survivors left in Manila after the Honkai.
But to avoid being too shocking, he only led Ana to rescue over a hundred of them those in immediate life-threatening danger. The rest who could still hold on were quietly protected by Shun until the real rescue teams arrived.
However, during the rescue, Shun discovered yet another plot point he had altered Chen Tianwu had died. He succumbed to Honkai energy erosion. His innate Honkai adaptability had never been high, and with Shun delaying while bringing Ana along, he simply hadn't held out.
On the other hand, his younger sister Chen Tianwen survived. It was just a mortal wound nothing more. Shun's "White Flower" short dagger, while not able to rewrite genes like the genuine Death Authority, made limb regrowth child's play.
This was probably another butterfly effect, huh... Sigh! So tragic... Tianwu, how could you just leave like that? I haven't even popped the champagne yet.
That night, Schicksal's temporary shelter was set up in the very public square where Ana had been waiting. It seemed Christina hadn't lied at all about the rendezvous point.
Shun and Ana were assigned to the same tent. The assigning Valkyrie probably thought they had developed feelings during the disaster she kept hinting at Ana during the allocation.
Why not hint at Shun? In the worldview of Schicksal Valkyries, did ordinary men even hold the dominant role in that regard? The Valkyries themselves were the real "men" here.
Shun could only say: "Well done you're clearly built for big things."
At this moment, under the dim light inside the tent, Shun and Ana sat on their respective assigned beds. The atmosphere was inevitably a little awkward and ambiguous.