"A Token of Gratitude"

Swish! Slash!

"Captain, look out!" A Valkyrie cried out, firing several shots, forcing back a double-bladed Deadman that had just teleported behind Jell.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Seizing the opportunity, Jell spun around, driving her blade deep into the Deadman's chest and abdomen. With her other hand, she drew her pistol, pressing it against the Deadman's eye socket and pulling the trigger.

Bang!

The Deadman collapsed, its sharp blades clattering to the floor.

"Thanks!" Jell grinned at the Valkyrie who had saved her, returning fire in her direction, taking down several ordinary sickle Deadmen that had tried to take advantage of the opening.

"Whoa! Where did all these Deadmen come from?!" The B-rank Valkyrie, relieved from the sudden pressure, couldn't help but yell. "This is just a normal university! Why are they here?!"

"Focus! Keep fighting!" Jell cleaved through a few more Deadmen, barking orders. "Clear out the enemies! Check the doors and windows! Don't let these things escape and threaten civilians!"

"Yes!"

"Can someone go after those who just ran away? They're important clues! Interrogate them after the fight!"

"Captain, they're too far gone. We won't make it…"

"Tch!" Jell angrily sliced a Deadman in half. Looking at the seemingly endless stream of Deadmen pouring out of the torn-open elevator shaft like rush hour commuters, she abandoned the thought. "Then focus on the fight! Eliminate every enemy here and then go support Yuno!"

The sudden turn of events had soured her mood. Her usually gentle voice was now laced with anxiety and frustration.

"Ye-yes!" The Valkyries, sensing her change in demeanor, didn't dare to slack off. They fought diligently within the confined space, desperately trying to clear the ever-increasing number of Deadmen.

The situation had taken a sharp turn for the worse. Just a while ago…

A group of lively girls entered the university campus, easily passing the security at the gate. They arrived at their destination without any trouble.

"Captain, the area scanner is complete. No anomalies detected…" A Valkyrie took off her headset, straightening her back after a long period of bending over. She reported to Captain Jell, "The scan matches the blueprints we accessed. It's just a storage room for experimental samples in the basement. Nothing special."

She glanced at the ornate, Egyptian-style building nearby, her tone puzzled. "Besides, who would make a secret base so flashy? Shouldn't it be hidden, like the one on Coral Island?"

She was referring to the hidden cavern where Deputy Captain Anna had bravely infiltrated, single-handedly defeated the enemy, and disarmed a dangerous bomb at the last moment. Her triumphant return was awe-inspiring!

Could they have a chance like that too? The Valkyrie was both skeptical and eager.

"…Is that so?" Jell pushed down her mixed feelings, nodding calmly. "Everyone, stay on guard outside. Just to be safe. I'll…"

Noticing "Yuno's" eager gaze and obvious desire to fight, Jell paused before continuing, "I'll go in and investigate alone. Keep the comms open. Call for backup if needed."

Then, turning to "Yuno," she gave her a gentle smile. "Yuno, I'll count on you to lead the charge if things get hairy."

"Yuno" hesitated, biting her lip before reluctantly nodding.

Just then, another Valkyrie whispered, pointing cautiously in a direction. "Captain, something's happening!"

"Hmm?" Jell followed her gaze towards the laboratory—their target. The doors were wide open. Dozens of men and women were filing out, chatting and laughing as if leaving work.

Jell glanced at the time. It was still a while before closing time.

Something's not right…

She gave her team a "stay put" look and approached the group with a smile. "Excuse me, are you leaving work early today?"

"Ah… student, is there something you need?" A man, mistaking Jell for a student due to her youthful appearance, smiled back. "Leaving work? I suppose so. Management suddenly announced an equipment inspection and told everyone to finish up and leave early. If you're looking for a specific teacher, you're out of luck. I'm one of the last ones left."

"Is… that so…" Jell paused, tilting her head to look inside the building. "Is your management still inside?"

A sudden inspection? What a coincidence.

"Uh, probably still inside. She's always the last to leave…" The man, sensing Jell's sudden urgency, was confused. "Do you want me to tell you which office she's in?"

"Yes, please! Thank you!" Jell watched him leave, her expression shifting. Should she apprehend him? If this place was suspicious, everyone here could be involved! But he seemed harmless. She couldn't bring herself to attack him out of the blue.

Since there's still a 'leader' inside, letting one or two 'employees' go shouldn't matter, right?

_"Maybe it's just a coincidence…" Jell shook her head, returning to her team to share the information.

Suddenly, "Yuno" sprang into action, shooting towards the now-empty laboratory like an arrow. She ripped open the heavy double doors with her bare hands, the screeching sound echoing.

By the time a stunned Jell reacted, "Yuno" was already inside.

"Damn it, after her!" Jell cursed. Another one who doesn't listen to orders?

When she and the rest of the squad rushed inside, "Yuno" jumped down from the second floor amidst the wreckage, shaking her head. The leader's office was up there—empty.

"Yuno, wait, we…" Before Jell could finish, "Yuno" locked onto the elevator. She dashed towards it, thick, dark green vines erupting from her body. The vines tore the elevator apart, then wrapped around her, launching her down the shaft like a cannonball.

She didn't give Jell a chance to speak.

"Now I understand why she's a C-rank Valkyrie… Honestly, they probably kept her at Schicksal to prevent her from causing mayhem outside," Jell said to her team, exasperated. "Alright, let's go. I hope she doesn't cause too much trouble…"

Jell didn't understand why the usually gentle and agreeable "Yuno" had suddenly gone berserk. But now wasn't the time to ponder it. They had to regroup.

"Captain, incoming!" Before Jell could say anything else, a Valkyrie cried out. "Detecting a rapidly rising Honkai energy reaction! Source is…"

Her eyes moved from the detector to the mangled elevator shaft, disbelief etched on her face.

How?

No further explanation was needed. A tremor, growing stronger by the second, shook the building. From the gaping hole of the elevator shaft, a horde of Honkai beasts, armed with various weapons, swarmed out, attacking the unprepared Valkyries.

"Engage!" Jell reacted quickly, summoning her weapon and kicking back the first Deadman, knocking down several others behind it. "What are you waiting for?!" she yelled at her stunned teammates.

"Ah? Ye-yes!" The Valkyries scrambled to summon their equipment, cries of dismay filling the air. "Where did they all come from?!"

The elevator shaft seemed to have become a disturbed hornet's nest. Deadmen poured out endlessly. Within moments, the Valkyries were surrounded, enemies at their front and back. The elevator continued to churn out reinforcements, increasing the pressure.

"Did… did Deputy Captain Anna face this on Coral Island? That's terrifying! How did she do it alone?"

"Captain, what do we do?!"

The Snow Lotus Squad was caught in a desperate struggle. Their space was shrinking rapidly.

Should they retreat?

Jell was torn. Yuno was still down there. What was her condition? Jell had brought her here. If something happened to her, how could she face Anna? And these Deadmen… if they escaped…

As Jell struggled with the decision, a violent tremor shook the ground, followed by the rustling of vines. Looking up, she saw thick, dark green vines erupting from the elevator shaft, snaking upwards like monstrous tentacles. They coiled around the densely packed Deadmen, crushing and pulverizing them.

Then, the vines retreated back into the depths, dragging a gruesome mass of mangled corpses with them.

"Is… is that Yuno?" A Valkyrie, pale with shock, stared at the scene. She had just been sitting next to "Yuno" calmly…

"Focus! Yuno is supporting us!" Jell snapped, bringing her team back to their senses. She pointed at the elevator. The flood of Deadmen had dwindled to a trickle.

The pressure on the Snow Lotus Squad eased considerably.

"Alright, listen up! Eliminate all remaining enemies! Don't let a single Deadman escape! Don't let the Honkai spread!"

"Yes!"

...

A kilometer away, in an elegant café, student waiters served coffee to students and teachers. Soft conversations and gentle saxophone music filled the air. A tremor suddenly interrupted the music. It was brief, quickly fading before it could cause alarm. The saxophone resumed its melody.

"Hmm… looks like the show has begun."

Lin Wei nodded to the waiter, accepting his coffee. He inhaled the rich aroma, closing his eyes in appreciation. "This is a lovely place, Dr. Cleo. You have excellent taste."

The elegant woman sitting across from him, however, didn't share his relaxed demeanor. She had been meticulously wiping her hands with napkins, as if trying to cleanse herself of some invisible filth.

Jackal's movements froze as she felt the tremor. She glared at Lin Wei. "What did you do?"

"Dr. Cleo, you wound me. I'm right here in front of you. What could I possibly do?" Lin Wei chuckled, setting down his cup. "More sugar?"

"You…" Jackal swore she had never hated anyone as much as she hated him at this moment. She wanted to flay him alive.

"Trust me, as long as I'm here with you, I can't do anything." Lin Wei ignored her murderous glare, casually dropping a sugar cube into his coffee. "So, as long as you stay here with me, Schicksal won't find you. I guarantee it."

He flashed a brilliant smile. "This is my token of gratitude for the coffee. Do you like it?"