Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

The smoke cleared, the fierce battle was over, and the few survivors had been successfully rescued and settled in the hastily erected camp tents.

After all this, Anna silently walked to a corner away from the other squad members and began to organize her equipment, her mind in turmoil. She needed some quiet time.

Anna knew how much danger her impulsive actions had put the squad in. The thought that she almost caused the death of an innocent Valkyrie filled her with guilt.

If Durandal hadn't arrived in time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Anna would have carried that guilt for the rest of her life!

I really am unqualified, Anna thought, blaming herself for her reckless impulse.

In the past, she would have sought out a few close friends, brought some delicious desserts, and poured out all her fatigue and distress. Then, comforted and encouraged by her friends, she would confidently declare that it was all a small matter, something she could overcome.

Then, after a good night's sleep, it really would be over. She would be the cheerful and optimistic Anna Schariac again, with enough energy to encourage other equally frustrated and exhausted comrades.

But now…

Exhausted, Anna felt her distress had nowhere to go. She missed the naive and beautiful times of the past, even though they were difficult.

Is Yuno doing okay alone at HQ? With her introverted personality, can she make new friends?

Is she also like me, full of contradictions and doubts, but can only keep it all bottled up inside?

I'm such an idiot. She's such a good friend, and I never realized. I'm so unqualified…

Anna's hands gradually stopped moving, her thoughts drifting far away,

Until Captain Jell approached.

…

Her impulsive actions not only disrupted the Captain's battle plans but also forced her to put herself in danger to provide support. This filled Anna with guilt, but it also greatly changed her impression of the Captain—

So, she isn't a cold and heartless person after all?

Recalling the Captain's fierce fighting in the sea of fire, desperately protecting her comrades, Anna felt she had a duty to apologize.

But…

"Someone always has to die. From the moment we become Valkyries, she, I, we… we were all prepared for it."

Damn it, she really is a jerk!

Hearing that calm tone, Anna couldn't help but glare at Jell again—In your eyes, is a Valkyrie's destiny just death, whether on the battlefield or in a lab, all the same?

Devaluing your own worth like that, are you even a Valkyrie?!

"Anna, you're not a qualified Valkyrie! You're just a spoiled little missy from a prestigious family, living in a delicate ivory tower since childhood, a child who has never grown up! Do you really think being a Valkyrie, that the battlefield is some kind of child's play?!"

Captain Jell's sudden change of attitude was unexpected. A few strands of her short, light blue hair were plastered to her face by sweat. She looked down at Anna condescendingly,

"Schariac, such a grand name… heh, nothing more."

Those cold words made Anna's face pale. Her previously proud life was instantly reduced to nothing.

Dark clouds gathered overhead, the humid air was stifling, yet Anna felt thunder rumbling in her heart.

No, that's not it, it's not like that!

"Shut up! The Schariac family isn't some prestigious family, and I'm not some spoiled missy!"

Anna abruptly stood up, gritting her teeth as she fought back,

"I also went through arduous training and assessments to become an A-rank Valkyrie, the same rank as you! The same rank as that innocent senior who sacrificed herself!"

"Oh? Such a temper! Are you saying that since we're both A-rank, you don't have to obey my commands, and you can do whatever you want, is that right? Fine, when we get back to base, I'll report to HQ and let you have your way!"

Jell interrupted Anna, her words sharp and aggressive.

"I…"

Disobeying orders, acting alone, putting the squad in danger, and almost causing irreversible losses. This undeniable weakness was exposed by the Captain, instantly deflating Anna and stripping her of all her defiance.

After thinking for a moment, still feeling unwilling, she bit her lip and retorted,

"So what? Are you saying that I should be indifferent to the innocent sacrifice of my comrades, just like you? Are all 'qualified Valkyries' like you, cold and heartless? Captain?!"

"If that's the case, why bother saving me on the battlefield? Why not just stand by and watch, like you did before?"

Anna's question was filled with anger and grievance, anger at Jell's heartlessness, and grievance at the genuine concern she had shown earlier.

Why is this happening?

Anna didn't understand. She wanted to understand.

"...Because your life isn't your own, it belongs to Schicksal. You don't have the right to waste it."

Captain Jell was silent for a few seconds, her tone still stern,

"If you don't understand this, you'll never become a qualified Valkyrie!"

"I understand that, but I don't understand this!"

Anna stubbornly looked into Jell's eyes, her pretty lips pursed tightly.

As a Valkyrie, fighting, bleeding, and sacrificing for Schicksal, for humanity's future, was only natural! Anna always kept this in mind and considered it an honor, something she yearned for and strived for.

But she didn't understand why the meaning behind sacrifice was so complex and cold, so disheartening?

"...Because life has a price, and the future is priceless. So, to reach the future, any… any sacrifice is worth it."

Jell's expression was distant, her tone stern, her voice steady,

"It's precisely because the value of life is limited that we can't waste it… but we shouldn't cherish it too much either."

If I could, I really hope she never understands… she thought silently.

"I... don't understand…"

Anna's expression was pained, as if a small, sunny world in her heart had been shattered. Why could her senior speak of such a tragic fate in such a detached and casual tone?

Shouldn't Valkyries be… beautiful?

Why is it like this? Anna didn't understand.

But why, even so, is Durandal still so unfazed, shining like the sun?

Is being an A-rank Valkyrie not enough? Do I have to keep striving, only becoming an S-rank Valkyrie to truly find the answer?

Jell watched Anna's changing expressions, silently taking a few steps back, subtly dissipating the tense atmosphere between them.

"Seeing you like this, if you return to the squad, it will probably cause a lot of trouble for the team members. I've decided to give you a few days off to calm down. When you've figured things out, you can return to the squad."

Jell left her still-functional weapon and equipment, taking Anna's damaged weapon. As she turned to leave, she casually reminded her,

"Don't get lost, Deputy Captain Anna."

Then, without hesitation, she left, striding towards the transport plane waiting in the distance, signaling the pilot to take off.

"Captain, not everyone's here yet? Aren't we waiting for the Deputy Captain?"

A Valkyrie hesitantly asked. After spending so much time together, they all liked Anna. Although they were angry at her reckless actions, they never thought of leaving her behind.

"Valkyrie Anna Schariac acted on her own, causing a negative impact. Therefore, I've decided to suspend her duties as punishment."

Jell spoke seriously, then sternly scanned the group. The Valkyries shuddered, lowering their heads, not daring to speak.

"This is also a warning to all of you. Don't follow her example, or you might die somewhere, and you won't even have time to cry!"

After saying that, she turned and left the cabin, heading to the co-pilot's seat. She glanced down through the window, then stopped caring.

"...The Deputy Captain was wrong, but isn't the Captain being too harsh?"

As soon as the Captain left, the Valkyries whispered among themselves, like students in a classroom after the teacher leaves.

"Just leaving her there alone, it's about to rain! What if she gets sick?"

"A Valkyrie's constitution, it's not that easy to get sick, right?"

"Who said that? Are Valkyries not human? I'm warning you, eat less sweets, or you'll get fat and no one will marry you!"

"AAAAAH Shut up!"

"..."

After a moment of forced banter, an awkward silence fell over the cabin.

After a moment of silence, someone softly said,

"The Deputy Captain is really amazing. Taking down so many Honkai beasts and zombies alone, it's unimaginable…"

"Yeah, I saw it from afar. That huge Honkai beast, the Deputy Captain killed it with one slash! My god, how strong is she?"

A new round of discussion began in the cabin, this time much more enthusiastic.

......

The departure of her comrades left Anna in unprecedented loneliness. With no need to pretend to be strong, all her grievances and confusion, mixed with sadness and anger, surged into her heart, turning into tears that streamed down her face. She collapsed to the ground, sobbing like a child.

"Sob…"

The gloomy sky finally unleashed its pent-up oppression, letting the torrential rain pour down, washing away all the world's troubles into a misty white expanse.

Anna wearily stood up in the rain, feeling lost, not knowing where to go.

Anna the Schariac, Anna the Valkyrie, both lost their sense of belonging at this moment, leaving only a confused girl named "Anna Schariac" hesitating in the mud, not knowing where to go.

As if guided by fate, Anna stumbled towards the survivor camp that had just been handed over. At least she could find shelter from the rain there.

"Who's there?! Ah, it's Valkyrie Miss!"

The rain poured down. The camp guards saw a blurry figure approaching in the distance and shouted—they had been instructed to be extremely cautious in this desolate place, wary of anyone or anything approaching.

Soon, as Anna's disheveled figure became clearer, the guard who recognized her quickly retracted his warning, grabbed a raincoat, and rushed towards her, putting it over the girl.

"Thank you…"

Anna looked up at him and whispered her thanks.

"Ah, no need, no need…"

Her long auburn hair was plastered to her by the rain, her pink eyes were filled with tears, and she looked incredibly fragile, like an ordinary girl who had been wronged,

Of course, a very beautiful, ordinary girl.

The guard led her towards the camp, glancing at her from time to time, feeling a pang of sympathy. He impulsively asked,

"Valkyrie Miss, is there something you need?"

"Just call me Anna…"

Anna kindly reminded him, then fell silent. Yeah, what am I doing here? Am I really going to say I'm here to avoid the rain? Her pride wouldn't let her say such weak words. She thought for a moment and found an excuse,

"The rain came so suddenly. I wanted to check on the disaster survivors. They've been through so much, their bodies are weak, and the camp is hastily built and quite rudimentary. I'm worried they might get sick…"

Anna strictly adhered to protocol, never mentioning "Honkai" in front of outsiders.

"I see, as expected of the legendary Valkyrie Miss, beautiful and kind-hearted."

The guard's flattery made Anna feel ashamed.

"Anna Miss, you came at the wrong time. Those people have just been taken away. They should be on their way now. Don't worry, they'll be well taken care of. It's raining heavily outside. Come inside the tent and wait out the rain."

Taken away?

Anna's heart skipped a beat. She perked up, looking around in the rain.

"Anna Miss, what's wrong?"

"Who took them? Which way did they go?"

Usually, Schicksal was responsible for the resettlement of survivors. Anna thought that if she could find them, she could rejoin the organization.

"Let me see…"

The guard looked at the ground, then pointed in a direction,

"That way, they just left. You can still see the tire tracks on the ground."

"Thank you!"

Anna thanked him and quickly left. When she was far enough away that she wouldn't splash mud on him, she started running, following the tire tracks.

"Hey! Wait…"

Before the guard could react, the girl had disappeared into the rain. He sighed regretfully, not knowing what he was regretting.

"Why is she running so fast…"

......

Anna single-mindedly followed the "Schicksal" tracks, but the more she ran, the more something felt wrong. This direction wasn't towards any nearby cities. If they were going further, shouldn't they be using a transport plane?

Anna felt uneasy, but after thinking for a moment, she decided to continue following.

If they were really bad people, those survivors were still in their hands!

Just the thought of it made Anna feel she couldn't stand by and do nothing.

Besides, what if she was overthinking things?

With a bit of caution, but without slowing down, she continued running, following the tire tracks.

The end of the road was a small bay. An ambulance-like vehicle was parked by the shore, and a cargo ship was sailing away in the distance.

Anna carefully approached, confirming that no one was around. She peeked through the vehicle's windows. The interior was a mess, with used syringes scattered on the floor. There was no one inside.

Something's definitely wrong!

Anna was furious. She wanted to find the culprits and make them pay.

She checked her equipment. The Captain had only left her dual pistols and a single-edged blade, and her still-functional communicator. It was enough.

But where did they go?

She anxiously looked around. The muddy ground showed no other tracks.

Not on the ground, then in the sea?

Anna looked at the cargo ship sailing away in the distance, a ridiculous thought popping into her mind: Could it be there?

As she was thinking, a fishing boat sailed towards her from the direction of the cargo ship, confirming her absurd guess.

Anna wasn't stupid. This operation was too meticulous, clearly not a spur-of-the-moment kidnapping. It was at least a premeditated, organized criminal act.

Considering that the victims happened to be Honkai survivors, there might be a deeper conspiracy.

Could it be Anti-Entropy?

Anna couldn't help but think. That organization's reputation had been terrible these past few years. It wasn't impossible.

This is a big problem…

She felt that, as a Valkyrie of Schicksal, she had a duty to thwart Anti-Entropy's evil plot. She took out her communicator, wanting to call for backup, but hesitated and put it away.

Investigate first. What if it's a misunderstanding?

Anna didn't want to make a second mistake.

Most importantly, she didn't want to see Captain Jell Mist right now.

If there was a real emergency, she could call for backup then.

As for the potential danger? Anna, in her current somewhat self-destructive state, didn't care!

Having made up her mind, Anna secured her equipment, jumped into the sea, swam to the fishing boat, climbed aboard, and then carefully began her search.

She turned on her life detector. There were only three or four people on board, all moving freely. It seemed the missing survivors weren't here.

"Phew, finally done. The boss said the client was very satisfied with this delivery. There should be a big bonus. Stay sharp, everyone! If we screw this up, we won't even have a place to cry!"

A somewhat irritable voice spoke from the deck above, and then another impatient voice retorted,

"Can you say something less ominous? The goods have been delivered! Look, that big ship over there, what could go wrong? We're good!"

Goods?

Anna's heart skipped a beat. She looked at the cargo ship disappearing over the horizon, feeling a sense of urgency. Years of Valkyrie training told her that saving lives was paramount. She made her decision.

She immediately stopped hiding, jumped out from her hiding spot, and rushed towards the two men.

"Who's there?! Ugh…"

A burly man cried out in surprise, then collapsed unconscious. The other, thinner man quickly followed. Anna was afraid she would kill him with one punch, so she held back. Even so, he slammed against the railing with a thud. If the angle had been slightly higher, he would have fallen into the sea.

Swift and decisive! After taking down the two men, Anna rushed towards the bridge, taking down anyone in her way with a single punch. She even quickly shot and destroyed someone's hand as they were about to press an alarm.

Preventing all attempts to call for help was so smooth that Anna felt it was a little unreal. These guys looked like ordinary people, nothing like the dangerous den she had imagined!

"Tell me, who are you?!"

Leaving one "survivor," Anna began her interrogation.

A delicate-looking young woman hitting people so fiercely, the man had never seen anything like it! He immediately spilled everything—which turned out to be nothing.

Anna angrily punched him unconscious, tied everyone up, threw them into a locked cabin, entered the bridge, turned the boat around, and sped towards the cargo ship.

These guys were just small fry. They knew nothing. But the missing survivors were indeed on that cargo ship. If she followed them, she might be able to find the mastermind behind this!

After approaching the fishing boat, Anna used the same tactic, jumping into the sea, swimming to the cargo ship, and climbing aboard.

Standing on the deck, Anna looked at the cargo ship's platform, as large as a plaza, and the countless containers on it. She felt a chill. She turned on her life detector and followed its signal. As expected, she found the missing survivors in a container in a corner, all unconscious. No matter how hard Anna tried to wake them, they remained unresponsive.

"Damn it, what did those bastards do?"

She couldn't take them away in this condition! Anna gritted her teeth. Her sense of justice compelled her to find the culprits. So, she climbed into the container and blended in with the crowd—she was disheveled and covered in mud, so she didn't stand out among the survivors.

Anna stayed alert, mentally preparing for any situation, thinking about how she would respond. As she was thinking, exhaustion from her journey overwhelmed her, and she drifted off to sleep.

She didn't know how long she slept. A sudden jolt of the container woke her.

"What happened?"

Anna first checked the others, confirming they were still unconscious. She curled up, her hand reaching for her weapon, ready to strike.

She was prepared to cause chaos in this den of thieves.

After a long wait, the container door slowly opened, and two figures silently walked in.

Anna sprang into action, taking down both figures, then quickly rushed out, preparing for any potential danger—but there was nothing. This seemed to be just an ordinary warehouse, filled with construction materials.

What's going on?

Anna was stunned. Then, she recalled the strange feeling when she struck the two figures. She returned to examine them—they weren't human at all, but some kind of strange construct, red and black, a mixture of flesh and machinery, humanoid in shape, giving off an uncanny valley vibe.

"What… what is this?"

Anna shuddered. She had never seen anything like this.

She felt she had stumbled upon something extraordinary. Without hesitation, she took out her communicator and briefly reported what she had encountered.

Anna tried again to wake the survivors, but to no avail.

After hesitating for a moment, she decided she couldn't stay here. She carefully closed the container, trying her best to protect them, and continued her investigation, to provide intelligence for Schicksal's follow-up support.

Perhaps because it was nighttime, it was even quieter than she had imagined. Anna carefully avoided the cameras and the occasional patrolling constructs, silently making her way deeper inside.

Anna realized there was definitely a secret here!

"Hmm? Someone?"

After carefully entering a room, Anna's life detector showed someone approaching.

"Damn it, was I discovered?"

She felt a bit frustrated. She had been enjoying the thrill of infiltration.

Anna decided to strike first and subdue the person, then decide whether to interrogate them or fight her way out.

She held her breath, waiting…

The door to the corridor silently opened, and a casual footstep slowly approached.

Such calm footsteps, definitely someone from here!

Anna made up her mind. She waited for the right moment, then flung open the door and pounced—

Strike first!