Ultrawoman Elea / The Light In The Collapsing World

Episode 11-1: Will of The Herrscher

The two knew their apologies didn't cut him enough to appeal their mistake, but it was better than not saying anything. Otto pondered momentarily while nodding, praising their brave movement to talk.

It wasn't enough for him to appeal to them as he approached closer to the two and walked around them slowly in circles, with his hands placed behind his back. "Hmmm. I demand you to be honest and explain what happened there. But don't think I have forgiven you."

Durandal inhaled her nose again deeply before she was ready to explain the chronology, and she was brave enough to crane her head up. "The Captain of Hyperion, Dominic Muller, ambushed us and brutally slashed Rita's eyes."

"Dom, huh?"

Rita craned her head up in a snap, exposing her barely recovered eye and her uneven sliced bangs, keeping her best to remain emotionless in front of him. "I have no choice but to escape and leave the knight alone... We would be in trouble if they alerted his crew."

A big mistake for the British Valkyrie, and it was already too late for her to retract those cowardly words. It only made Otto even more disappointed and disrespected.

"So that makes you a coward, then? Then you deserve to lose an eye." Otto tilted his head, still in his authoritative smile. Rita's mouth closed shut, regretting what she had just spilt.

Otto heard enough. With how deeply disappointed he was toward his S-rank Valkyries, who he thought were disrespectful and incompetent, he decided to make a condition to appeal their mistakes and regain his trust toward them.

"Rita, I will not let you use my Soulium for your eyes until you get him alive. Think of this as a consequence of being disrespectful and ignoring my orders. Durandal, provide overwatch of this HQ; I expect they would come after us at any moment."

"Understand, Overseer." The two Valkyries replied in their simultaneous chore, with Rita nodding wholeheartedly in a weak motion.

Otto placed his hands into his pocket as he was about to leave the place, walking past the two Valkyries who remained standing still. "Now, leave. I have an important business with my fragile test subject. Amber, you're on break for now."

"Yes, Overseer," Amber replied in her formal flat tone and left the throne.

It felt all the tension and pressure lifted from Valkyrie's shoulders when Otto left them alone. They sighed heavily in relief but knew there was no time for them to rest as they must comply with Otto's desire.

To her surprise, Durandal gazed at Rita and spotted her downfall face. She could sense a rather unusual expression of hers.

There wasn't any cold-blooded expression found in her expression like she always had, but rather something deprived and depressed.

She knew they were in serious trouble, and there was no reason for her to ask, especially when she lost her left eye, not wanting to be unintentionally rude. "Come on, Rita. We've got things to do..."

Rita raised her right hand abruptly in a halt gesture. She was always ready and standing by in time per Otto's order, but for the first time in her life as an S-rank Valkyrie, she wanted to be alone for a while until she gathered enough strength to do her job.

"I'll catch up with you..." Her face remained lowered, not wanting to show her emotion in front of her.

Durandal understood what she felt. She nodded, respecting her choice and remaining serious. "I see. Don't let Otto see you like that."

She then left the place, leaving Rita alone.

Her hand unconsciously reached for her left eye, thinking deeply about what she had just done. The way the Captain slashed her would always be haunted inside her mind as a reminder of the consequences of mindlessly killing the young knight.