Rita's Cavalry Charge

The world is vast, so vast that some are waking to a new day while others are just falling asleep.

Yet, it's also small, so small that a pebble dropped on one shore can send ripples across the entire globe.

It's said that human joys and sorrows are unconnected. One family mourns a dying loved one while their neighbor listens to music, someone upstairs celebrates a winning hand, and a child downstairs cries from a scolding.

But when disaster strikes, an earthquake, a bomb, a collapsing building… suddenly, everyone's fates are intertwined.

Like a disaster, like the Honkai.

Like Anti-Entropy's "butterfly effect," a minor disturbance in the deep ocean causing catastrophic damage thousands of miles away, drawing attention back to the beleaguered Philippines.

Manila, Philippines.

The second earthquake struck without warning, even more violent and destructive than the first. Buildings that had survived the initial tremors now crumbled, their weakened structures unable to withstand the renewed assault.

Lin Wei and his companions weren't the only ones affected.

Buildings collapsed, burying Valkyries collecting supplies, volunteer survivors, and scouts observing the battlefield. The stadium, sheltering thousands of survivors, partially collapsed, causing countless casualties.

The nightmare had returned.

The survivors, their minds consumed by terror, panicked, fleeing the crumbling stadium, a desperate tide threatening to overwhelm everything in its path.

The defensive line, established by Jell and Snow Lotus, reinforced by Rita, and finally stabilized by the arrival of reinforcements, crumbled under the combined assault of the earthquake and the panicked crowd.

"Get out of my way! I'm going home!"

"This is terrifying! I have to get out of here! Anywhere!"

"No! It's too dangerous! Ah!"

The survivors, driven by primal fear, pushed and shoved, knocking down the Valkyries trying to maintain order. Then, restrained by a last shred of sanity, they carefully stepped around the fallen girls – they still remembered these young women had saved their lives – before continuing their desperate flight.

A scattered, terrified mob.

Rita, having just rescued a Valkyrie from beneath a pile of rubble, saw the chaos unfolding, her expression darkening.

"Rita, what do we do?" the rescued Valkyrie asked, looking at her for guidance.

"It's just a matter of reorganizing a messy closet. Leave it to me." Despite her inner turmoil, Rita's expression remained calm. She smiled at the Valkyrie. "Can you still fight?"

"Uh… yes! I… Ow!" The Valkyrie, about to declare herself fit for duty, winced in pain, her face paling. She took a few deep breaths, then forced a smile. "Just a few broken bones. Nothing serious. I can… still fight!"

"Don't push yourself." Rita paused, then said, "But if you insist, I have a task for you."

"What is it?"

"Protect yourself. Return to the stadium," Rita pointed towards the chaotic scene. "You, and any other injured Valkyries, will be responsible for maintaining order there."

"But…" The Valkyrie looked at the panicked crowd, unsure how she could possibly restore order in such chaos.

"I said, leave the cleaning to me." Rita's smile was calm and resolute. The Valkyrie, reassured by her confidence, nodded. "Yes, ma'am! Cough, cough…" She winced again, her voice strained.

"I told you not to push yourself…" Rita shook her head, then her expression turned serious. "Time is of the essence. Let's move." She nodded farewell and sprinted away, activating her communicator. "This is Rita Rossweisse. New orders. All units, abandon the perimeter and fall back to the stadium. Maintain order. Await my return!"

"What? But… yes, ma'am!" The remaining Valkyries, confused but obedient, retreated, joining the desperate effort to contain the panicked crowd.

"Other squads, report!" Rita contacted the other Valkyrie units.

"Static…" Only silence and static answered her, her heart sinking.

Communication was down again. The situation was worse than she'd thought.

If even she, an S-rank Valkyrie, was struggling to maintain order in Manila, what about the other squads, now cut off from communication?

"One problem after another…" She couldn't maintain her cheerful facade any longer. Her smile faltered. "I hope Mr. Lin Wei can help…"

She didn't know where he was, what he was doing, or if he'd already left. But she had a feeling he wouldn't abandon them so easily.

Relying on others… that's not what a Schicksal Valkyrie does, she chided herself, pushing aside the momentary weakness. One step at a time.

She focused on the task at hand, her pace quickening.

"Swish! Crack! Slash!" She cut down Honkai beasts and zombies as she ran, searching for a specific target. She dismissed the lesser creatures, her crimson eyes scanning the battlefield.

Crabs and squids… nothing interesting at all, she grumbled, then spotted a Knight-class Honkai beast, its massive lance held high, patrolling the ruins of a collapsed building. Perfect.

She changed direction, heading straight towards it.

She activated her stealth, masking her presence, using the rubble as cover, moving swiftly and silently.

Reaching the highest point, she leaped, appearing above the Knight in a flash, her scythe gleaming like a crescent moon, slashing downwards.

"Slash! Slash!" "Roar!" The Knight, caught off guard, lost both its arms, its lance clattering to the ground. It roared in pain.

"My noble steed, may I borrow you for a moment?" Rita landed lightly on its back, her scythe gently "petting" its head, a deceptively sweet smile on her lips.

The beast, enraged, bucked and reared, trying to throw her off.

"Such a disobedient steed. You need to be punished." Her smile turned predatory. Ice erupted from her battlesuit, forming a makeshift saddle, securing her position.

"So, Honkai beasts can feel pain. How interesting…" she mused, then sliced open the back of its neck, driving her scythe deep into the wound. "Will you be more cooperative now?"

She twisted the scythe handle, forcing the beast's head to the side, altering its course.

"Yes, my good steed, that's it." Her smile remained fixed as she increased the pressure. "Now, take me… somewhere."

......

It had only taken a few minutes.

The area around the stadium was still in chaos. If not for the Valkyries' efforts, the crowd would have scattered.

"Get out of the way! Let us leave!"

"They're all dead! Hahaha… I'm going to die too! Hahahaha!"

"Please, kind ladies, let us out of this hellhole!"

"Calm down! Reinforcements are coming! A new safe zone will be established soon! We'll escort you to safety then!" The Valkyries pleaded, their voices hoarse. "It's too dangerous outside! You'll die! And we don't have enough Valkyries to escort you all safely!"

"You just said there are only a few of you left! Why won't you let us leave?!" The crowd grew more agitated.

"Move! Get out of our way! We're leaving!" Panic, once unleashed, was hard to contain. It needed a harsh dose of reality.

"Incoming Honkai beast!" a Valkyrie scout yelled. "Prepare for battle!"

The warning only fueled the panic.

"This is Rita Rossweisse," Rita's calm voice echoed through their communicators. "Maintain your positions. Do not engage. Avoid unnecessary casualties."

"Rita? What…?"

"Why is she with a Honkai beast?" The Valkyries exchanged confused glances. This was… unexpected.

The Knight-class Honkai beast, its massive form and terrifying speed, charged towards the stadium, its appearance instantly silencing the panicked crowd. They turned and fled.

"Aaaaaah! Help! Run!" Then, seeing Honkai beasts on the other side, they scattered in all directions.

The Valkyries, resisting the urge to attack, focused on preventing a stampede.

Rita, riding the Knight, circled the stadium, herding the survivors like sheep, forcing them into a tight, terrified group.

Seeing her objective achieved, she decided to end the charade.

"Good work, my steed," she said, smiling. "You can rest now."

She yanked on the scythe handle, severing the beast's head, which landed with a sickening thud, spraying dark blood.

She'd already leaped clear, landing gracefully as the headless body crashed to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

She covered her mouth with her handkerchief, disgusted by the dust and the blood, then approached the huddled survivors, her smile returning, her posture regal.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the immediate threat has been neutralized. You're safe now."

The survivors exchanged uneasy glances. Do you think we're stupid? We saw you riding that thing!

But they remained silent. This young woman had just toyed with a terrifying monster, then casually killed it. They weren't about to provoke her.

"You all seem rather… shaken," Rita said, her tone apologetic. "My apologies for the… dramatic entrance. But now that the immediate danger has passed, you're free to leave, if you wish." She gestured towards the open space.

"…Really?" Some were tempted.

"Of course. We won't stop you." She smiled, then added, her voice turning colder, "However, there are many more… creatures… like that one, outside. Without our protection, your safety cannot be guaranteed. So, choose wisely."