The streets were empty, with only the evening breeze carrying the smell of blood blowing by. No one noticed the murder, except for the slight flickering of a surveillance device hidden in a corner.
"..." On the other end of the surveillance network, the little girl who witnessed a murder opened her eyes wide, and unspeakable fear filled her heart, but before she could cry out, she covered her mouth tightly. She bit her teeth tightly, not daring to look at the gray snake's body again. She knew that once she was exposed, the snake would tear her into pieces.
Because of this, she also did not see the flash of gold in the eyes of the otaku who died first, and then the fingers of the gray snake corpse that was supposed to be lifeless trembled unnaturally.
Gray Snake's body had already been extensively transformed, and except for the necessary internal organs and other flesh and blood tissues, almost everything else had become a mechanical creation. This was also the reason why Rita chose to take action directly. Intelligence data could not be memorized by the brain, but must be stored in these chip structures. As long as she took away the prosthetic chip, she would be able to find the information she wanted sooner or later.
Moreover, according to the information provided by Bishop Otto, Theresa and her group who are truly preparing to trade with the Gray Snake will probably arrive here soon.
"Maybe there will be some unexpected gains..." Playing with the gray snake's red artificial eye, Rita showed an ambiguous smile.
More than 10 minutes later, when the dust had settled, a group of little girls who looked not very old were hurrying here. If you didn’t know, you would think they were high school girls who had made an appointment to go shopping.
"Dean, do we really want to make a deal with that information dealer of unknown origin?" Walking in the quiet city, Mei always had a feeling of uneasiness in her heart.
In this ridiculously prosperous city, even the already old Theresa was a little unsure, but she still shook her head and comforted her student: "Although the information dealers are all two-faced guys, there are considerable risks in trading with them, but after leaving the headquarters, our source of information has been completely lost. This is the only clue we can find Kiana..."
"No matter how big the risk is, we have to give it a try."
In fact, if they had not received the help of Anti-Entropy, everyone in Saint Freya would be no different from a stray dog. Apart from the Hyperion, they would basically be wanted by Destiny wherever they went. In order not to expose themselves, even the Hyperion could only dock in the high seas and take a helicopter to this city.
"No, it seems too quiet here. Everyone, be careful." Before arriving at the agreed transaction location, Theresa keenly noticed something unusual. When they arrived at the designated street, all they saw were corpses on the ground.
The bloody scene with great visual impact made several people feel extremely uncomfortable, but they were Valkyries fighting against Honkai beasts after all, and after they stabilized a little, they began to search for traces at the scene.
"They were all cut by sharp weapons. The wounds are clean and neat. They don't seem to be ordinary people." Theresa made a preliminary judgment. "On the contrary, these victims are basically equipped with guns. To use cold weapons to fight against so many guns, they must be at least qualified Valkyrie level."
"Dean, this man seems to be the Gray Snake who agreed to a deal with us." While everyone was observing the environment, Bronya had already identified the identity of the Gray Snake through her heavy-armored bunny.
"The murderer only used one knife, but he was not attacked directly like the others. It seems that the two had communicated before they died." After confirming the cause of Gray Snake's death, Theresa was confused. "There was almost no sign of resistance. Gray Snake seemed to know that he could not escape. The only possibility is that he knew the person who killed him, and that person was someone he could not fight against."
"No matter what, we no longer have a trading partner, and we have no way of knowing Kiana's whereabouts. We can only withdraw to Hyperion now..." The risk of coming to Sky City this time is too high. Sky Destiny has been eyeing them for a long time, and it is not wise to act rashly.
Of course, Su Jue would never let them leave like this. He moved the silk thread slightly, and the only remaining chip on the gray snake's body emitted a weak fluctuation. Bronya, who was standing next to it, was stunned, and quickly controlled the heavy rabbit to carefully check the source of the signal.
"Wait, Dean, there's something strange about the gray snake." After another careful scan, Bronya quickly discovered the large-scale transformation on the gray snake's body.
"This is a prosthetic surgery. Gray Snake should have had a lot of bionic devices implanted in his body before he died, but now the neural chips and bionic eyes that he should have had seem to have all disappeared. On the contrary, the valuables were not taken away... The murderer is likely after the information on him."
"Are you saying that the other party might also come for Kiana?" Mei was a little nervous. What she was most worried about now was that someone found Kiana before her.
"Not necessarily. It's possible that the murderer took Gray Snake's artificial eye for other intelligence. That should be the authentication key for the entire intelligence network...if we can get it back."
Theresa confirmed Bronya's thoughts, "Then we can get clues about Kiana again."
"Besides, I'm afraid even the murderer didn't realize that Gray Snake still has the last biochip for authorization identification." Bronya smiled and took the last clue from the inside of Gray Snake's wrist. "With this authentication chip, I can enter Gray Snake's territory and find his backup information."
"A wise man makes many plans, but one mistake never comes!"
……
Indeed! Bird food!
Gray Snake, Rita, and Su Jue nodded in approval.
Of course, except for Su Jue, the other two did not know the current situation. Sky City was now like a huge hunting ground. The three forces had already made preparations, set traps, and quietly waited for the prey to take the bait. Their purposes were different, but the victim was the same - everyone on the Hyperion.
After confirming that Theresa and the others had taken away the biochip that had been tampered with by the three parties, Su Jue immediately rushed to the next area. Both Destiny and World Serpent were organizations that had been established for many years. If he wanted to get a piece of the pie, he would have to take some risks. Moreover, there was an unstable factor that he had to deal with himself.
Chapter 47 Clues
The dominant space was still silent, with only the occasional sound of puppets colliding, bringing a different timbre.
"are you awake?"
The red-haired doll trembled slightly when the boy's voice came to her ears, and then slowly opened her eyes. However, when she met those golden eyes, even Jizi couldn't help but feel a sense of fear, but she hid this emotion very well.
"Although I don't know what exactly you planned to trigger the backlash of the thread of domination, I hope it won't happen again." Without too much interrogation or unnecessary anger, Su Jue just stated calmly.
Wuliangta Jizi did not speak, but was carefully feeling her new body. Her original body had been seriously injured by the backlash of the puppet and had basically lost its mobility. After changing into the puppet body, although it was a little stiff, she felt extremely relaxed. She did not have to worry about the backlash of the holy marks, nor did she have to care about the erosion of the plague gem. Except for the lack of the blessing of the God-killing Armor, she once thought that she had returned to the peak again. The only problem was that the control effect of the silk thread on herself was obviously much stronger, and even Su Jue could replace her will with just a thought.
Although the new body is great, Himeko also understands what it means.
"Do you need me to fight?"
"Yes, your two students and the principal have arrived in this city. Since the awakening of the Herrscher of the Sky, they have completely become traitors to Destiny. Now, Destiny's S-rank Valkyrie Rita has set her sights on them..."
His heart sank slightly. He didn't expect that the worst thing would happen after his death. As a top force, Tianming could easily capture a few little girls, but since Su Jue had told him so, it would definitely not be that simple.
"They will come into contact with a prop called the Transformed Body. It is a trap set by the World Serpent for them. Rita has also set her sights on it and plans to use it to capture all your lovely students. I don't care what their purpose is, but I need this prop."
"I will let you participate in the battle when necessary, maybe with Rita, or maybe with your students, but I don't want a dead person to appear in front of them... Do you understand me?"
The stinging feeling that penetrated her soul had not yet dissipated. Ji Zi knew what Su Jue meant. He was a Herrscher in the shadows, and any thought of exposing his whereabouts was a betrayal. She controlled her thoughts of helping Theresa and the others, and no longer naively thought of disobeying Su Jue.
After everything was explained, the gold in the Herrscher's eyes dissipated, and he turned back into the cold but still humane Su Jue. Noticing this, Wuliangta Jizi breathed a sigh of relief, feeling that she had discovered new information.
……
"Your Excellency the Bishop, I have contacted the Gray Snake according to the instructions, but the other party is unwilling to provide any valuable clues." In an unknown corner of the city, Rita, who had just killed someone, stayed here alone and connected with Otto.
"Then there's no need for him."
"Yes, I have already dealt with them 'aftermath', but before he died, he seemed to have mentioned some strange words - being stared at by a snake..."
"..." As if hearing unexpected information, Otto pondered for a moment and explained: "It seems that this guy is the agent of the World Serpent in Tiankong City."
"So this intelligence is actually a bait set by the world? Then..."
"Don't worry, I will deal with the World Serpent myself. You continue with your plan. I think you should have prepared the trap."
"Of course, Your Excellency."
After the call was disconnected, Rita looked up at the flashing neon lights on the tall buildings, then disappeared from the spot in a flash.
On the other side, Theresa and her group who got the chip would not give up easily after finally getting the clue. Although they were facing the risk of being discovered at all times, in order to find their companions, they decided to go to the Gray Snake's territory.
However, unlike the imagined intelligence dealer's base, the Gray Snake's base was not only well-defended, but also deployed a large number of Sky Patrol Guards, and the action of several people was soon delayed. Fortunately, there was a top hacker Bronya, who used the authentication authority of the biochip and hacking skills to finally reach the core area.
However, what stood in front of everyone was a heavy metal door, which almost isolated most of the space and was filled with dense circuits and complex electronic locks.
"This is very abnormal. As an intelligence dealer, Gray Snake can't afford so many mechas." Theresa, who has been in charge of Saint Freya's school fees for many years, keenly discovered the funding problem. "Also, the layout here doesn't look like a base. Instead, it looks like it is protecting some valuable equipment."
"No matter what, the biometric authentication chip is indeed effective. We must hurry to crack it." Driving the Heavy Bunny into the base's control system, Bronya began to use her authority to hack in. "I'll leave the vigilance to you."
"Yeah." Theresa nodded, but looking at this heavily guarded building, Raiden Mei frowned tightly, as if thinking about something.
For some reason, as soon as she arrived here, Mei always had an uneasy feeling, as if she was being stared at by something dangerous.
If you think about it carefully, Gray Snake's death is too strange. If it was according to the normal plan, the few people should have evacuated immediately after the contact person died. However, after the murderer took away all the authentication chips, he only left the remaining one - was it really just the murderer's negligence?
"Principal, do you still have the camera we found at the scene?" Mei asked. At the scene where Gray Snake died, in addition to Gray Snake's men and himself, a camera was unexpectedly found.
The camera fell into the pool of blood, but the place where the body should have been was empty, and the camera was a civilian model, as if an innocent person was involved in the murder. Because it might hide some information, several people carried it with them, but these photos were basically just daily photos.
"Well, do you remember anything?" Theresa handed the camera to Mei, and she quickly began to look through the photos one by one. Suddenly, a random selfie caught her attention.
"This is a photo of the murder scene. The shadow on the glass behind this man when he took a selfie... is that a maid costume and a sickle?"
"Very good, I have given you the clues. Let's go and let our S-rank Valkyrie feel the power of the protagonist's halo. I will take over here."
Chapter 48 I Can Do It
Rita Losweiser, this name is not unfamiliar to Raiden Mei. As a famous S-class Valkyrie of Destiny, she has always been the goal of Saint Freya. But after breaking up with Destiny, they really felt the trouble of the other party.
"If it was Rita, according to the Bishop's style of doing things, the Gray Snake was most likely killed by her, and this chip is most likely a trap she deliberately left behind." After receiving the reminder, Mei and the others reacted immediately, but now Bronya is in the critical stage of breaking the Gray Snake's blockade and cannot escape for the time being.
"Then the principal will be responsible for Bronya's vigilance, and I will go to investigate the opponent's whereabouts. If possible, I will try to delay it." Looking at Bronya who was fully operating the Heavy Armor Bunny in order to find clues about Kiana, Mei calmed down and secretly cheered herself up in her heart.
"I can do it, I can!"
"Then you must be careful. Don't fight with Rita after you find her. Retreat as soon as possible and we will retreat to Hyperion together." Although separation is not a wise choice, reconnaissance is necessary. They now know nothing about Rita's whereabouts. Once they fall into the opponent's trap, they are likely to be wiped out here.
After making a plan, Mei temporarily left the team, and Su Jue, who was controlling the [Father] puppet on a tall building in the distance, also silently withdrew his gaze.
Su Jue had long expected Theresa and the others to separate. The information in the camera could only be regarded as one of his backup plans. Even if Mei had not found those photos, he would have found a way to lure them away.
Now the humanoid machine is right in front of them, but after all, that thing is a trap prepared by the World Serpent for the Hyperion people. Various patrol mechas have been deployed in the stronghold as guards, so it is not easy to take it away by force.
Of course, for Su Jue who got the Ji Zi doll, it was only a little troublesome, but why should he work hard when he could get it for free?
With Bronya, a top hacker, it would be easier to crack the defense system. Moreover, the humanoid machine has top encryption. Even if it is given to Su Jue now, he can't use it. It is better to wait until the protagonists rescue the humanoid machine and then take advantage of the fire. Instructing Mei to intercept Rita can not only delay the progress of Tianming, but also weaken the strength of the protagonists.
The best scenario is that Mei is killed by Rita, and then he can take advantage of the opportunity to launch a sneak attack and kill Bronya directly. Then, Theresa will be alone, and Su Jue can send a puppet to follow her in a car and report her whereabouts to Destiny or the World Serpent. Even if Theresa's Vishnu bloodline awakens, both sides will suffer. For a Herrscher, it is always a win.
Unfortunately, even Su Jue himself felt that this was a bit far-fetched. Not to mention whether these forces were so easily fooled, even if Theresa was really forced into a corner, the Hyperion would fire its main gun directly at Sky City, and his ashes would be scattered.
"It seems that if you want to be a hunter, you still have to wait patiently." Looking at the dark area on the roof that was missed by the light and shadow, the puppet sighed and said helplessly: "Do you think I'm right, Mr. Gray Snake?"
……
On the other side, Mei had already reached the edge of the Gray Snake's stronghold according to the expected route.
"There are no signs of intrusion at the Gray Snake's base, so it seems we got there first. But if Rita took the biometric authentication in advance, why didn't she do anything?" He thought silently in his heart, and began to analyze the possible dangerous locations in his mind, "Unless she has no way to unlock the authentication chip, and prefers to sit back and wait for us to fall into the trap."
"After obtaining the intelligence, our most likely retreat location... is here."
The sky was full of moonlight, and the silver light fell on the figure in maid outfit.
The moment Mei saw Rita, she was ready to attack. She should have hidden herself and stopped attacking, but when she thought of the experiment she had done on Kiana, the flame of hatred continued to burn.
The sword was unsheathed, cutting off the moonlight. The pulse armor Scarlet on her body instantly increased her speed, and she slashed towards Rita.
clang--
The sound of metal collision and blocking was crisp and pleasant, and the sword passed through the maid's hair, barely cutting off a few strands of hair, but that was all. In the instant of being attacked, Rita had already reacted, and did not choose to swing the heavy long-handled sickle. The dagger that killed the gray snake before had already fallen into her hand, and she narrowly blocked Mei's attack.
"Oh, that's dangerous." Even in the face of such a thrilling sneak attack, Rita quickly regained her elegance, gently patted her plump chest with her left hand, and made a 'very scared' gesture.
"Tsk." The sneak attack failed, and Mei could only look at her unhappily, looking for the next opportunity to attack.
"A sneak attack is not a fair method, Miss Mei. Can you tell me how you found this place?" With a sarcastic smile on her lips, Rita put away her dagger.
"Fair and aboveboard? It's really ironic for you to say that. What you, Tianming, did to Kiana was not fair and aboveboard at all. If we hadn't accidentally discovered your clues from the camera, we would have fallen into your trap again this time."
"Camera? Clues?" Rita quickly filtered through her own experiences in her mind and searched for keywords. She quickly locked onto the target, but the man should have been killed by the Gray Snake's men...
Now is not the time to dwell on these things. Since the other party has come to my door, how can I let them go easily? "It seems that Lady Theresa and the others have found what they want, so they sent you to delay time. Are you ready to fight me?"
When that white hand grasped the long handle of the sickle, Rita's whole temperament became solemn and murderous. Mei's heart tightened, but she immediately cheered herself up.
Mei Raiden, you can do it. This time it's your turn to protect Kiana.
However, before she could finish her thought, the hard concrete ground was torn apart by the tip of the sickle like cutting paper, and in the blink of an eye, the sword had arrived in front of Mei.
Her pupils contracted instantly, and Mei only had time to hold down her sword with both hands to block it, and the heavy force came along the sickle. Her arms went numb, and she took several steps back before she was able to relieve the force.
Is this the strength of S-level?
Only after the actual fight did Mei truly feel the difference in power, but she quickly adjusted her posture and looked for an opportunity to attack when Rita's next attack came.
Chapter 49: Chi Lian
boom--
An abandoned car parked on the side of the road was split in two after Rita's sickle passed by. The high-energy storage battery immediately turned into blazing flames after being cut by the sharp weapon.
In the sudden fire, the knife flashed, reflected in Rita's surprised eyes, and fell heavily on the armor on her side.
A little blood seeped out, and the surprised expression turned into admiration. "I thought you only managed to hold on until now by relying on the Conquest Gem, but I didn't expect you to have the courage to attack me. It seems that I underestimated you."
Mei was already exhausted at this time. Only after fighting with real S-class warriors did she realize how terrifying their power was. Even though the residual energy of the Conquest Gem in her body was still supporting her movements, she was already helpless in the face of the double crushing of skill and strength.
"Stop talking nonsense, I won't fall down so easily." Mei's hair became dry due to the burning flames. She took a deep breath of the hot air. The muscles in her arms had become sore due to the continuous collision of weapons, but she still struggled to cut out the last blow.
"Die!... Ugh." Lightning seemed to flash in her light purple eyes, but after she slashed with the sword with all her strength, what she saw was not Rita falling down, but her own shadow flying backwards.
boom--
The flying body hit the hood of the car, and the iron plate was dented instantly. The body in the air still couldn't stop and fell to the ground.
The severe pain in her abdomen burned her nerves, and her eyes widened with disbelief. Under Rita's heavy spinning kick, her gastric juices were almost kicked out. The terrifying force instantly destroyed her ability to move. After rolling on the ground for several times, she could no longer hold back and spit out a mouthful of blood.
"It's meaningless to be strong. When your strength cannot match your promise, struggling will only lead to tragedy."
The weapon flew out of her hand in the air, and Mei could only watch the sharp sickle getting closer and closer to her. Rita walked towards her step by step like the god of death ready to reap.
"Goodbye, Raiden Mei."
The sharp tip of the knife reflected the moonlight, and then it chopped down in an instant, revealing the bright moon.
呲——
