Cecilia's intervention immediately drew the bulk of the Titans' fire.
On the battlefield, the Titans still capable of combat adjusted their orientation, reloading their shells. Mounted missiles locked onto Cecilia as they prepared for a final, desperate strike.
"This is bad! Mom's in danger!"
Kiana's expression shifted. She started to rush forward to help, but was stopped by a sharp look from Cecilia.
"Kiana, they aren't a threat to me! Focus on taking care of yourself!" Cecilia shouted.
Kiana calmed down.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sounds of gunfire were deafening.
In a single volley, thousands of high-explosive shells and missiles flew out like a violent storm, screaming through the air toward Cecilia's position in a chorus of high-pitched shrieks.
"Watch out!"
Seeing this, Wendy broke into a cold sweat and hurriedly warned Cecilia, who was holding her.
If they didn't dodge this, their bodies wouldn't even be left intact.
Cecilia's eyes sharpened. She quickly freed a hand to grab the Abyss Flower pinned to the ground and immediately channeled the Authority of Creation.
A blinding light erupted from the Abyss Flower, and the ground shook violently.
In the next instant, hundreds of mounds burst open in the surrounding soil as dense trees, vines, and other vegetation erupted from the earth.
The plants coiled around the Titans while simultaneously forming layered shields to protect Cecilia, Wendy, and the immobilized Valkyries nearby.
Rumble—!
The shells and missiles slammed into the tree trunks. The fierce explosions shook the ground and sent thick smoke billowing everywhere.
Inside the spherical defense formed by trees and vines, Cecilia gently settled Wendy onto a seat made of roots.
Under Wendy's stunned gaze, Cecilia pulled out the Abyss lance, leaving the White Flower behind to maintain the growth of the trees.
Gripping the Abyss lance, she walked toward the battlefield outside. The roots and vines blocking her path retracted, voluntarily opening a narrow passage.
Once Cecilia stepped out, the roots and vines sealed the exit again, shielding Wendy behind a tight defense.
Wendy: "..."
Does this count as a narrow escape?
There were many such spherical defenses scattered across the battlefield; every Valkyrie who had lost the ability to fight was being protected by Cecilia.
Crackle!
The Titans violently tore through the vines constricting them, sending wood chips flying through the air.
But before they could organize a second wave of attacks, a pitch-black spear blade sliced through thick armor like a knife through tofu, effortlessly cleaving the Titans in two.
Abyss possessed the power of decomposition; no matter how thick the armor, it could not withstand it.
"How is the firepower of these tin cans so intense..."
Kiana hid behind cover to reload, panting heavily.
She peeked out, catching a glimpse of Cecilia's silhouette as she took down one Titan after another as if she were cutting vegetables. For the first time, Kiana felt the true gap between herself and an S-rank Valkyrie.
Kiana had pulled her triggers so fast she'd nearly left afterimages, yet she had only managed to take down four Titans.
For Cecilia, it was as simple as slicing a block of tofu.
The contrast is too much.
"There are so many of these tin cans, and each one is ridiculously tough. The guns in my hands don't have enough power against them at all—this is just bullying!" Kiana complained slightly in her heart.
Having finished reloading, Kiana charged out from cover, only for her vision to be filled with a flash of lightning.
Thunder boomed as Raiden Mei, her body dancing with electricity, moved freely across the battlefield at lightning speed. Purple threads woven from blade-lights sliced the Titans into pieces.
"...I can't fall behind either!"
Kiana rallied her spirits. Refusing to be outdone, she raised her dual pistols and rushed toward the nearest Titan, firing frantically at its weak points.
Midway through, she glanced toward Bronya's position. She saw Bronya controlling Project Bunny 19C, looming over the battlefield with its cannon raised; fierce explosions were strong enough to send the Titans flying.
"Strange, we're all B-rank Valkyries, so why do I feel like a total deadweight in the end?"
Kiana had the feeling that everyone else was carrying the team while she was just scratching the enemy's paint.
Elsewhere.
As the Titans fell like rows of harvested wheat, Cocolia, sitting in the command room, slumped powerlessly into her seat.
"One wrong move after another... Cecilia was the biggest variable."
The hundred-plus Titans she had sent this time had all gone down the drain. To say she didn't feel the sting would be a lie; that was all cold, hard cash!
She had truly suffered a massive loss in this operation.
The reason Cocolia had waited until now to act was that she hadn't known Wendy's specific location within the Oceania Branch.
Furthermore, the garrison strength of each branch was not weak. Combined with their home-field advantage, a direct assault would have been impossible to win in a short time.
Schicksal's reinforcement speed was very fast, so Cocolia could only strike at this specific moment.
The good news was that the surprise attack plan was feasible; the bad news was that they were just a few moments short of success.
Just as the last holographic image from the Titans cut out, a flash of gold in the distance caught Cocolia's attention.
"Enlarge the image from just now, immediately!"
"Yes, Lady Cocolia!"
Soon, a four-person team led by Lierre came into view.
"Lierre was at Schicksal headquarters. What is she doing at the Oceania Branch? Is Otto really so carefree that he'd let a treasure like her wander around everywhere?"
Cocolia narrowed her eyes. Several guesses flashed through her mind, all eventually dismissed due to a lack of intelligence.
Thinking of her Deal with Gray Serpent, she thought to herself:
The trade with Gray Serpent is doomed to fail. It's time to find another way.
On the battlefield of the Oceania Branch.
The grass was pockmarked with craters, thick Black Smoke rose into the air, and parts from the Titans were scattered everywhere.
Injured Valkyries supported one another as they climbed up from the ground, the pain from their wounds causing them to frown deeply.
Seeing this, Cecilia reassembled the Abyss lance and the White Flower that was stuck in the ground. Gripping the shaft with her right hand, she drove the tip into the earth.
"I am the black from the abyss; I am the white from the heavens. Born before creation, existing after annihilation; I shall give the water of life freely to the thirsty. Divine Key: Abyss Flower, Zeroth Rated Power—Holy Spear's Welwitschia!"
Pure white radiance instantly coated the spear. Waves of powerful vitality centered on Cecilia, flowing into the bodies of every injured Valkyrie to repair their physical damage.
The injured Valkyries felt their pain vanishing rapidly. A warm sensation filled their bodies as their wounds healed at an incredible speed.
"Abyss Flower! It's the real Abyss Flower!"
"The rumors were true! Lady Cecilia didn't die! This is wonderful!"
"Lady... Lady Cecilia, is it really you?"
In an instant, Cecilia was surrounded by a crowd of enthusiastic Valkyries, their eyes sparkling like fans meeting their idol.
Cecilia had once been incredibly popular among Schicksal's Valkyries, with countless admirers.
Although over a decade had passed and the majority of the Valkyries who had idolized her then had retired, these juniors had all heard of Cecilia's heroic deeds from their seniors. Naturally, she still had many admirers.
After unleashing the Zeroth Rated Power of the Abyss Flower, Cecilia felt a slight fatigue.
After dealing with the intensely curious Valkyries with a gentle attitude, Cecilia beckoned Kiana and the others over.
"I didn't expect such a massive upheaval during this handover mission, but fortunately, there were no casualties. Kiana, go and give the panacea to Miss Wendy first. We need to return to the Far East Branch as soon as possible to avoid further incidents."
Cecilia gave her orders with a serious expression.
"I'm on it!"
Kiana nodded. She took a red pill from the storage compartment of her armor, ran over to Wendy, and knelt down to hand the medicine over.
"Here, this is the panacea Theresa prepared for you. It'll definitely fix your legs! My companion took it too; it didn't just heal her legs, it even fixed her lack of emotions!"
Wendy looked at the legendary Cecilia who supposedly hadn't died, then back at Kiana and the red pill in her hand.
"Please thank Principal Theresa for her kindness on my behalf..."
Her hands trembled as she took the unassuming red pill.
Can this pill really heal my legs?
Bronya looked back at Kiana. "The companion she mentioned is Bronya. Bronya can testify that everything she said is true."
Wendy looked at Bronya in surprise, not expecting such a young child to have suffered similar misfortunes.
She mustered her courage, tilted her head back, and swallowed the panacea in one gulp.
As the pill entered her stomach, Wendy felt a surge of warmth flowing toward her legs with delight. For the first time in three years, she felt the long-lost sensation of her legs.
A breath later, an anomaly suddenly occurred!
A pale green light flickered on Wendy's legs. Then, an irregular stone emerged from her right leg and floated into the air.
This was Cocolia's target—the Gem of Desire!
The panacea had identified the Gem of Desire as a pathogen that offered no benefit to the Host, and promptly expelled it.
Everyone stared at the Gem of Desire floating in the air.
"What is this stone? Why did it suddenly pop out of Miss Wendy?" Kiana looked puzzled. She was about to reach out and touch it when Cecilia stopped her.
"Do not touch it with your hands. This is the Gem of Desire; it carries intense Honkai energy. If someone with low Honkai adaptability touches it, they will die on the spot."
"Whoa, that's dangerous?!"
Kiana jumped in fright and quickly pushed Wendy away from the danger zone.
Time to get out of here.
"Um, that... Miss Kiana, could you please push a little slower? The road is a bit bumpy..."
"Huh? Didn't you hear how dangerous that gem thing is just now? I only brought one dose of the panacea this time. If something happens to you, how am I supposed to explain it to Auntie Theresa? Trust me, it's best to stay away from it!"
"That... makes sense... Thank you so much."
Wendy endured the pain in her rear and thanked Kiana behind her gratefully.
What a kind person.
It looks like she really is the Principal's niece.
Cecilia looked at her daughter's back and shook her head with a smile.
"Then, how should we handle this Gem of Desire?"
Raiden Mei walked over and asked, "Should we leave it to the people from the Oceania Branch?"
Cecilia shook her head. "The Gem of Desire has been targeted by Anti-Entropy. To be safe, we should take it back with us and let Theresa negotiate with Overseer Otto."
This was the most secure method.
Cecilia reached out her right hand, preparing to take the Gem of Desire from the air and return to the Hyperion.
For her, direct contact with the Gem of Desire would not harm her body.
Just then, a small, fair hand grabbed the Gem of Desire first.
"Terribly sorry, but the Boss wants this. I'll just be taking it. Bye-bye!"
Once Pardofelis got her hands on it, she hurriedly used Cosmic Juggernaut to open a portal and tried to dive in without looking back.
"Stop right there!"
Cecilia's gaze was sharp. The Abyss Flower instantly left her hand, flying past Pardofelis to pin itself in front of the portal.
However, Pardofelis suddenly tilted to the left. Another portal opened in her path, and after she fell through, both portals snapped shut instantly.
Cecilia was left empty-handed.
Not far away.
"Boss, the task you gave me was successfully completed! Here is the Gem of Desire you wanted. Please take it."
Pardofelis handed over the Gem of Desire as if she were seeking credit, then stared expectantly at Lierre.
Lierre had promised to reward her with a little gold flower after finishing this job.
"Good job. Here is your reward."
Lierre took the Gem of Desire, then produced a gold flower made of real gold as if by magic. It was the size of a palm and quite heavy.
She had hoarded a vast amount of gold back then; now, gold was worth no more than dirt to her.
"Thank you, Boss!"
Pardofelis held the gold flower in both hands, happily rubbing her face against it. "If you need anything else next time, just ask! As long as I can do it, I won't refuse!"
Ehehe, I can use this to buy so many delicious things.
Should I use the extra money to buy Sister Snake some pretty dresses?
Pardofelis stole a cautious glance at Mobius.
Mobius looked at her thoughtfully. "Pardo?"
"Present!"
"You aren't thinking about anything strange, are you?"
"Absolutely not!"
Pardofelis, her survival instinct in full gear, wouldn't be stupid enough to admit to her death-seeking thoughts.
Mobius didn't continue testing Pardofelis. She walked to Lierre's side, glanced at the Gem of Desire, and asked, "So, what exactly do you plan to do with this Gem of Desire you had Pardo snatch for you?"
"Naturally, I'm going to manipulate things manually to ensure the Fourth Herrscher is born smoothly."
Lierre stated matter-of-factly, uttering words that stunned the others. Before they could react, she turned to Mobius and asked, "My dear Dr. Mobius, are you interested in the Authority of the Fourth Herrscher?"
Ana was shocked by the sheer audacity of the statement. Beside her, Pardofelis's eyes widened as she turned to look at Mobius.
"...Have you already reached this level? I truly feel pity for Kevin, having provoked a monster like you."
Mobius stared intensely into Lierre's eyes. After a few seconds, she unexpectedly shook her head and refused. "I have no interest in handouts. Give the Divine Power of the Fourth Herrscher to someone else—assuming you can actually do it."