Chapter 74: The Current Schicksal Overseer Says, "The Future Overseer is Adorable~"

Chapter 74: The Current Schicksal Overseer Says, "The Future Overseer is Adorable~"

['Such a careless mistake... The culprit surely didn't expect to leave behind something so important.']

Upon hearing Bronya's report, Mei immediately expressed her surprise.

This clue was clearly a breakthrough.

['Principal, crucial intelligence often has backups. With this identification chip, Bronya can access Grey Snake's territory and locate the backup data.']

Bronya volunteered to take on the mission, but Theresa didn't immediately approve.

It was clear that, compared to the two young Valkyries, the principal had a much more rational and composed approach.

['No. Grey Snake was just an information broker, but no one in Arc City dared to move against him so recklessly. Such blatant murder is likely linked to Schicksal. The longer we stay in this city, the greater the danger.']

Faced with the principal's rejection, Bronya calmly presented her case.

['Bronya knows what it's like to be manipulated, to lose control over oneself. Kiana is now experiencing the same suffering. No matter what, Bronya must rescue Kiana…']

At this moment, although Bronya's height was about the same as Theresa's, the sheer force of her determination completely overwhelmed the principal.

Theresa even stammered slightly as she replied.

['I... I understand... But if the situation changes, we will immediately abort this mission.']

Livestream Chat:

『Your Great Inventor:』 'Hahaha, never thought I'd see Theresa getting pressured by her own subordinates. As always, Theresa is adorable~'

[Because of your livestream content, your Great Inventor feels amused. You have gained 840 crystals!]

A green-colored comment floated across the screen…

And the one who sent it was none other than Otto Apocalypse, Theresa's dearest grandfather.

With his keen mind, Otto naturally understood Bronya's underlying message.

The phrase "No matter what" was equivalent to "If you don't agree, I'll go on my own."

In essence, the little girl named Bronya had seized the initiative.

In a high-stakes mission, openly defying a superior officer could lead to immediate expulsion from the operation or even being charged with insubordination.

But Bronya was lucky—her superior was Theresa, a merciful and kind commander.

Had Otto himself been in charge, Bronya would have already been severely disciplined.

New Mission—Rita and Otto's Conversation

As the game transitioned from the previous scene, the next level began.

The screen switched perspectives to focus on Rita and Otto, who were communicating remotely.

['Lord Overseer, I have contacted Grey Snake as per your instructions. However, he refused to provide any useful information…']

['Oh? Then we no longer need him.']

Otto's response was swift and cold.

His ruthless attitude naturally provoked dissatisfaction from a certain person in the livestream.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Honestly, being this coldhearted—won't your beloved dislike you for it, Otto~?'

『Your Great Inventor:』 'Cough, cough!'

A green-colored comment floated across the screen.

Clearly, Elysia's words had struck a nerve with Otto…

In-Game Dialogue:

['I handled the "clean-up" myself. However, one thing stands out... Just before he died, Grey Snake said something strange. He told me, "Now... you too are in the Eye of the Snake."']

On the screen, Rita's reply was displayed.

Otto remained silent for a moment after hearing those words.

['That man was World Serpent's agent in Arc City.']

['Then… does that mean this intelligence is fake? Just a decoy World Serpent threw out to create chaos?']

At this moment, as Rita sought to dig deeper, Otto decisively demonstrated the composure of a true leader.

['I will handle matters concerning World Serpent. You don't need to concern yourself. Regardless of whether the intelligence is real or not, Grey Snake is dead. The lead is broken. Theresa will surely become even more cautious.']

['Heh, this is a stalemate, Rita. You were prepared for this outcome, weren't you?']

With just two sentences, Otto silenced Rita—both confirming her plan and pressing her to reveal if she had a contingency.

If she dared to say she had no plan… a harsh punishment would surely follow.

Of course, for someone as skilled in politics as Rita, she was more than capable of holding her own in Otto's court.

['Yes, Lord Overseer. This was precisely my desired outcome.']

['All of Grey Snake's electronic devices require his biological components for authentication before they can be accessed. I neither have the time to test each one, nor do I have the ability to forcibly hack them. My only option was to remove his biological components and take his personal equipment, cutting off the traitors' chance to retrieve intelligence from his corpse.']

['As for the Herrscher of the Void's whereabouts… such vital information must have a backup. Theresa will never ignore this possibility. After hiding for so long, they took an enormous risk coming to Arc City. There's no way they would let the trail go cold.']

Livestream Chat:

With Rita's explanation, the viewers in the livestream saw the full scope of her strategy.

If one were to summarize Rita's plan in a single phrase, "laying a long trap while waiting for the prey" would be the most fitting.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 'Mmm~ This girl named Rita is so smart. A beautiful and intelligent girl—who wouldn't like her?'

『Hard Work Always Pays Off: 'I see… A well-constructed plan.'』

『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 'Hmph, minor tricks. But… commendable nonetheless.'

『Your Great Inventor:』 '...'

While the strong fighters of the previous era acknowledged the strategy, Otto wasn't the type to be impressed by mere planning.

To him, the joy of strategy came not from formulating a plan but from seeing the results it produced.

Next Mission—Hunting Theresa's Team

['Oh, an impressive deduction. But a deduction is still just a deduction. Whether it succeeds depends on whether Theresa acts as you predict.']

['Rest assured, Lord Overseer. I will set an ambush near Grey Snake's base and wait for them to take the bait.']

With that, the game returned to real-time gameplay.

This time, however, the player could not only control Valkyrie Rita but also her summoned unit, the Carbon-Based Predator.

After an uneventful battle, the screen displayed another dialogue box.

['So many mechs… The ground is littered with metallic junk. Ugh, I can't take it. I really want to grab a mop and clean everything up…']

['...But for now, the top priority is waiting for the prey to walk into the trap. Theresa… don't disappoint me, okay?']

Mission Transition - Entering Grey Snake's Base

As Rita revealed her objective for this phase, Stage 3 of the intermission chapter officially ended.

The game transitioned into Stage 4, and as soon as the mission started, the narration displayed that Theresa, Mei, and Bronya were infiltrating Grey Snake's base.

In-Game Dialogue:

['Bronya used Grey Snake's identification chip to disable the patrol mechs... Let's begin.']

['Who exactly was Grey Snake? How could an information broker afford so many mechs? With such tight security... what was he trying to protect?']

After Theresa voiced her doubts, the game returned to real-time action. The three-person team initiated their infiltration, systematically taking down the patrolling mechs.

After numerous skirmishes, Bronya successfully hacked into the system, beginning her specialty—cyber warfare.

Discovery of the Cyborg Girl

After a prolonged hacking sequence, the game screen suddenly trembled.

Then, appearing on the screen was the same young girl who had watched Grey Snake's murder from the shadows.

Streams of digital data flooded across the interface, eventually revealing her true form to the livestream viewers.

The girl... had cables connected to her head, wore a black mask, and sat lifelessly in a chair like a machine.

As the mysterious girl appeared, a dialogue box popped up on the screen, revealing her inner thoughts:

['(Intruders... but they don't seem to be the ones who killed my master?)']

At this moment, she was merely observing the intruders from the other side of the data stream.

Unaware that she had already been detected, Bronya continued hacking. Shortly after, she made a shocking discovery.

['Grey Snake… He actually archived all of Arc City's network data. What's even more surprising is that he didn't organize any of it.']

Theresa immediately asked:

['Is there any information about Kiana?']

Bronya stated that there might be, but it would take several days to sort through all the data.

Waiting that long was impossible, so Theresa suggested taking all the data with them.

However, this would take even more time.

Feeling frustrated, Mei asked if there was any other way.

Bronya then proposed a theory.

['For an information broker, indiscriminately collecting data like this is highly unusual. Unless... this was exactly what Grey Snake intended. Let me check something.']

After a brief investigation, the answer was revealed.

Grey Snake had been funneling all data into a single interface—connected to a Cyborg.

Livestream Chat:

『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 'Cyborg? Hehe, this is getting interesting.'

As Bronya and Mei discussed cybernetic modifications, a gold-colored comment floated across the screen—expressing great interest in the subject.

The comment was from Mobius, a known expert in this field.

『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 'So, the final boss of this arc is the Cyborg, huh?'

『Hokuto:』 'Ah…'

Watching the comments, Hokuto realized that Mobius had misunderstood something.

The cybernetic modifications of this era were nowhere near as advanced as those from her time.

Creating something as powerful as a Fusion Warrior was impossible.

『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 'Oh? Do you have something to say?'

Hokuto heard Mobius' response and immediately recognized her tone—she thought he was challenging her.

『Hokuto:』 'Not really, I just think… this Cyborg isn't all that scary.'

『where did the little lab rats hide?:』 'Hmph, is that so? Fine then. Let's wait and see.'

Clearly, Mobius wasn't convinced.

Hokuto, on the other hand, simply shrugged it off.

Theresa's team fought their way through Arc City, dismantling mechs along the way until they finally arrived at the Cyborg's location.

['Apologies, but to find our friend, we'll need you to come with us... Wait... this is just a child?!']

The moment Theresa saw the Cyborg, she instinctively tried to explain their situation—fully intending to take the girl with them.

However, as she spoke, she realized something shocking.

The Cyborg was just a powerless child.

That wasn't the real surprise, though.

The true surprise was the girl's response.

['I don't have time to answer childish questions. Let the adults talk. The usual payment rules apply.']

['C-Childish?! Y-You... How dare you! My age is—']

Hearing the Cyborg's words, Theresa was so angry that she could barely speak.

Thankfully, the gentlest member of the team, Mei, stepped in and calmed the situation.

Using a soothing tone, Mei spoke as if she were comforting a child:

['I'm sorry, but Mr. Grey Snake has passed away. We were supposed to trade with him… We are his business partners. Please don't be afraid. We're here to protect you.']

['Protect me? You just destroyed all the mechs that were supposed to protect me… Well, I guess I do need protection now.']

['We need your help to locate our friend—']

['I already told you, questions require payment.' (Pulls out a POS terminal) 'Cash or card? Electronic payment is preferable. Don't glare at me, it's the master's policy.']

Within just a few lines of dialogue, this Cyborg girl had managed to:

Insult the future Schicksal Overseer.Frustrate the future Herrscher of Thunder.

In the end, it was the Herrscher of Reason's logic that finally subdued her.

['We can't waste too much time here. Let Bronya handle it.' (Raises her cannon) 'This will be our payment. Now, come with us.']

Before leaving, Theresa assigned Mei an additional task.

As the mission ended, the game transitioned into the next level.

As soon as the next stage loaded, the player's perspective shifted from Theresa's team to Rita.

At this moment, Rita was navigating through the streets of Arc City, tailing her target.

Everything was going smoothly.

However, as she entered the next area, the screen suddenly went black.

Mei's inner monologue appeared on the screen.

When the screen lit up again, Rita was standing still, seemingly in thought.

Then—

"Hah!"

With a sharp sound, a clash of metal rang out.

Mei's figure appeared on the screen.

['Oh? A sneak attack? Miss Mei, that's not very honorable.']

['Honorable? Hearing that from you is laughable. Compared to what you did to Kiana, this attack is nothing!']

After her failed ambush, Mei laid out Theresa's deductions.

Rita listened carefully, then suddenly began clapping.

['...Hehe, what a brilliant deduction. But where is Lady Theresa? She isn't here to back you up? Did she find what she was looking for and leave you behind to stall for time?']

['Stalling? Hmph, Miss Rita, you're far too confident.']

It was evident from Mei's tone that she was ready to kill.

However, she overlooked one very crucial fact.

S-Rank Valkyries aren't defeated so easily...

As the mission alarm blared, the game returned to real-time combat.

The player now controlled Rita, equipped with the Stalker: Phantom Iron Valkyrie battlesuit, engaging in battle against Mei, who wore the Valkyrie Bladestrike battlesuit (Bio-type).

As soon as the fight started, Mei's HP plummeted at an alarming rate.

When Rita summoned her Stalker Carbon, the fight became completely one-sided.

Mei had no chance to counterattack, and Rita effortlessly overwhelmed her.

The battle ended when Mei's health dropped to a single bar.

At the end of the fight, Mei's dialogue appeared on the screen.

['Ugh… Such powerful attacks… This woman is way too dangerous…']

Rita paused, ceasing her attack. She then calmly assessed Mei's strength.

['I assumed you only lasted this long because of the Gem of Conquest. But even without it, your strength remains impressive. Quite remarkable.']

['Now I understand why Lord Otto holds the Far East Branch in such high regard… No matter how desperate your situation becomes, you always find a way to push forward.']

Her tone remained composed, her face still carrying the usual polite smile.

Yet, despite the seemingly courteous words, Mei could feel the condescension behind them.

Having her confidence shattered, Mei showed unexpected bravery in response.

['In the past, I hid behind my Herrscher powers, fearful yet reliant on that strength. It wasn't until I lost Kiana that I finally realized… just how weak I truly was. Too weak to hold her hand. Too weak to protect her!']

['Now, I will never hide again… Kiana… I will be the one to protect you!']

『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 'Hmm?'

As Mei declared her determination, a brilliant white comment suddenly floated across the screen.

The sender was none other than Kevin Kaslana, the leader of World Serpent!

Seeing this, Hokuto couldn't help but feel curious.

Did Kevin just take an interest in Mei?

At World Serpent's headquarters…

A man sat upon a throne, surrounded by the weapons he had prepared for the coming war.

The room was vast and empty, completely silent except for his own presence.

Yet, this solitude did not affect him.

Everything was proceeding according to plan. All he needed to do was wait.

However… before he could execute a certain inheritance from the Previous Era, there was still one matter to attend to.

"Elysia…"

Kevin spoke the name of his old comrade and closest friend.

To him, this name held a meaning far beyond friendship and camaraderie.

Perhaps…

She could offer guidance to the Herrschers of this era.

"Grey Snake."

The moment Kevin uttered that name, a masked man, holding an umbrella and carrying a suitcase, suddenly appeared in the empty hall.

It was Grey Snake, the very same man who had supposedly been killed by Rita.

Now, he stood before Kevin, completely unharmed, showing no trace of death.

Grey Snake stood respectfully in front of Kevin.

His demeanor was vastly different from how he had acted toward Rita and Cocolia—gone was the arrogance.

It was only natural—before him stood the god he worshiped, the true leader of World Serpent.

["Lord Kevin, what are your orders?"]

Kevin, seated on his throne, asked a simple yet unexpected question.

["That girl… Raiden Mei. How much do you know about her?"]

Grey Snake was momentarily stunned.

["You mean the Herrscher of Thunder, Raiden Mei? Is something unusual about her? If necessary, I can arrange for her to be brought to you."]

But that wasn't what Kevin wanted.

["I only need information on her."]

["Understood."]

Without hesitation, Grey Snake relayed everything he knew about Raiden Mei in full detail.

After analyzing the data, Kevin came to a conclusion.

Right now, Mei had yet to awaken her true strength.

However, her situation was unstable.

This was an opportunity.

Kevin realized that this was the perfect moment to approach her.

Having reached his decision, Kevin rose from his throne.

Seeing his master preparing to leave, Grey Snake respectfully stepped aside.

["Lord Kevin… where are you headed next?"]

Kevin did not answer.

['No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai has left the livestream.']

Hokuto was caught off guard by the sudden system notification.

The cutscene had been playing perfectly fine—so why did Kevin suddenly leave the stream?

Did he really take an interest in Mei?

Was he planning to recruit her into World Serpent?

If that was the case…

Wouldn't this mean that Hokuto indirectly influenced the story's development?

Considering the current timeline, the main story was inching closer to the "Everlasting Sin" arc.

If so, then the events of "Skyfall Meteor" should be happening soon in the real world.

The coincidence was almost eerie—how was the livestream aligning so closely with real-world events?

Would Kiana have any thoughts about him exposing her every move to Schicksal's Overseer and the warriors of the Previous Era?

Hopefully… she wouldn't recognize him.

While Hokuto was deep in thought, the battle between Mei and Rita reached its climax.

It was clear—Mei stood no chance.

After all, Rita was an S-Rank Valkyrie—defeating her was not an easy feat.

Soon, Mei's health hit zero.

The game transitioned to a CG cutscene.

['Struggling is meaningless. When your strength cannot match your resolve, resistance only leads to tragedy.']

On screen, Rita wore her tactical mask, gazing down at Mei from above.

Meanwhile, Mei clutched her injured left arm, gritting her teeth as she glared back.

At that moment, Theresa's voice came through their comms.

['Mei, don't fight her! Retreat immediately!']

As soon as the transmission ended, smoke filled the battlefield.

Using the cover of the smokescreen, Mei vanished into the shadows.

Unfortunately for her…

She failed to notice the blinking red light on her leg—

A tracking device.

End of Chapter 74