Chapter 82: Valkyries and Titans

"Kallen the sinner, accept your judgment!"

Zofia glared at Kallen perched on a tree branch, looking down at her with disdain. Her anger flared.

Do you think you're still the same old you? I'm now an S-rank Valkyrie wielding a Holy Relic. Even if you were my former superior, what chance do you have against me?

As she spoke, Zofia swung her sacred sword upward, unleashing a massive golden blade of energy that slashed toward Kallen.

Facing the incoming sword energy, Serenade remained calm. She leaped from the tree branch onto the Titan Berserker below.

The sword energy sliced through the air where Serenade had stood moments before, severing the entire top of the tree. The massive trunk crashed to the ground with a thunderous boom.

"If I remember correctly, your name should be... Zofia, right?" Serenade stood atop the Titan Berserker, gazing at the knight girl before her. For now, she decided not to elaborate...

Her beauty alone was indeed striking!

One might almost feel reluctant to harm her...

However, such thoughts were fleeting. Serenade wasn't known for mercy, nor would she hesitate to act against a beautiful girl.

After all, she herself possessed dozens of Valkyrie bodies...

"Insolent! Don't you dare look down on me!"

Zofia's anger flared at Serenade's words!

Having served beside Kallen for so long, this display of ignorance regarding her name proved complete disregard for her existence.

How could Zofia, who had always strived to prove herself Kallen's equal, tolerate this?

She had been working tirelessly to surpass Kallen, yet her very goal had never acknowledged her worth.

"Perish! [Crosscut Storm!]"

Enraged, Zofia unleashed two massive golden sword slashes in quick succession. The destructive energy slashed through the air, striking both the Titan and Serenade in an instant.

As the intersecting blades formed a cross, they triggered a massive explosion.

The blinding light engulfed a hundred-meter radius, obscuring the scene completely.

As Zofia observed the destructive power of the Cross Wind, she suddenly felt a pang of regret. The Bishop's command was to capture Kallen alive. If Kallen died, Zofia would face severe consequences.

Perhaps I overdid it!

Is Kallen really dead?

But... when the explosion's glow faded, Zofia's expression changed abruptly as she surveyed the scene before her.

"Impossible..."

A translucent energy shield had materialized around the strange steel behemoth, completely nullifying her attack's effects on both the armored colossus and Kallen.

"Attack complete? Now it's my turn!"

Serenade stood atop the Titan Berserker, gazing at Zofia with an air of indifference, as if the Valkyries' earlier assault had never posed a threat.

"Titan Berserker, crush them!"

With that command, Serenade leapt off the Titan's frame.

The armored giant immediately charged toward Zofia.

"Valkyries! Capture the criminal Kallen!"

Zofia raised her holy sword without retreating, her voice ringing clear as she issued orders. "I'll handle this intruder myself."

"Yes, Captain."

Hearing Captain Zofia's command, the Valkyries behind her drew their weapons without hesitation and charged toward Serenade.

Though they held great respect for their former captain Kallen, Valkyrie discipline prevented them from showing mercy.

Kallen was now their enemy.

Fourteen A-rank Valkyries advanced, but Serenade didn't take them seriously.

Though she could have fought them all alone, her disciples wouldn't let her face the enemy alone when they knew the attack was coming.

The moment the Valkyries charged, Yae Sakura and her sister, Hokushin Mei, and the real Kallen rushed out from all directions.

Facing the charging figures, the Valkyries seemed to have anticipated this move. However, when another Kallen emerged, they appeared slightly puzzled and surprised.

Serenade stood before them, and suddenly another Kallen appeared?

Two Kallens?

Though puzzled, the seasoned Valkyrie didn't hesitate. Suppressing her doubts, she split her forces into two teams and charged toward Serenade and Kallen simultaneously.

At that moment, Zofia, facing the charging Titan Berserker, couldn't spare attention for anything else. As the colossal warrior closed in, she raised her Holy Relic, gritted her teeth... and swung with all her might.

But... when the sacred blade struck the Titan, Zofia's hand went numb from the impact. The damage inflicted appeared minimal.

The Titan Berserker reached Zofia, its mechanical fist smashing toward the knight girl.

Though the Titan's strength and defense proved formidable, its speed remained mediocre.

The colossal fist swung through empty air as Zofia evaded. Undeterred... the Titan launched a second strike, then a third.

Yet its sluggish movements couldn't match the Valkyrie's agility.

Having adapted to the Titan Berserker's combat style, Zofia immediately identified the creature's weakness. Her previously anxious heart now relaxed with understanding.

If it's so slow, what's there to fear?

After evading another strike, Zofia positioned herself behind the Titan Berserker. With a powerful swing of her Holy Relic, she delivered a devastating blow to its back, sending the creature crashing to the ground.

As the Titan Berserker struggled to rise, Zofia seized the opportunity, unleashing a barrage of strikes that rained down upon the creature.

Within minutes, the Titan Berserker's body was marred with massive sword scars.

"End this, monster!"

Zofia leaped upward, raising her Holy Relic for a final strike.

But... as the relic descended, the Titan Berserker abruptly shifted direction, activating its energy shield in counterattack.

The Holy Relic struck the shimmering barrier, and the full force of the blow was reflected back at Zofia. Her own attack's momentum hurled her backward, sending her flying over a dozen meters.