Schicksal main Headquarters,
above the Mediterranean Sea
Theresa was surveying a mysterious phenomenon involving disappearing workers at the Babylon Labs, where all children, including Sirin, were incarcerated.
She couldn't help to explain why, as she became terrified by the phenomenon.
She was getting even more worried about the disappearance of so many workers at the Babylon Labs. Not to mention that she was more worried if there was some kind of a threat to the children.
"All staff members went missing for reasons unknown during the twilight hours of February 1, 2000."
"Twilight hours... missing people..."
Theresa looked concerned and a little scared when she saw this mysterious phenomenon. She was getting even more afraid and nervous now since she feared the children could be in danger.
'Teri-Teri is scared...'
Theresa's fear was now increasing with every minute that was passing.
It was as if she had entered a horror movie, with her mind now starting to be consumed by all kinds of dark thoughts, and she was being watched.
"Arghhh!!!! This isn't some kind of horror movie! No! I refuse to believe in ghosts!!"
Theresa slammed her fist into the table, denying its phenomenon.
She tried so hard to convince herself that the situation was not real.
But despite all her efforts...
Theresa must face the terrifying truth.
"No matter what, I have to go there!"
Theresa touched the portrait, depicting a picture of her carrying the toddler Kiana. The portrait was a self-reminder that she must protect her loved ones from danger, especially Kiana, her niece alone.
Kiana was with her parents, Cecilia and Siegfried, safe in their hands.
"For the sake of Cecilia and Kiana!"
Theresa spoke her words aloud, now feeling even more determined.
She was ready to face the unknown danger as she quickly left the headquarters, setting her destination to the Babylon Labs.
————
The chopper was flying in the sky, escorting Theresa to the Babylon Labs in Siberia.
Theresa was still feeling nervous as she was heading towards the unknown danger. She wasn't sure what to expect, and she now feared for the worst.
Still, she had to stay calm, and she had to be brave.
The chopper descended, touching the wheel to the ground.
"We have landed. Pleasure serving you, Master Theresa."
One of the pilots showed his gratitude after escorting their aristocrat Valkyrie.
Theresa stepped out of the chopper and stood outside before the Babylon Labs.
The wind of the spinning rotor blew her skin, covering her face with her arms to prevent any foreign objects from entering her body.
The large and tallest tower stood in dominance before Theresa as she admired the building with a determined look.
Theresa was trying to prepare herself for this dangerous mission.
Her determination was overwhelming, and she was fully dedicated to saving those kids and discovering the truth about the mysterious phenomenon.
"Welcome to Siberia, Theresa. I received orders from the Overseer to *ahem* make your stay comfy."
Theresa heard a girl with a charming voice, and she could easily recognize who that voice belonged to.
"Pat?! Is that you?"
Her fear and nervousness disappeared immediately after she was amazed to see another Valkyrie that would assist and accompany Theresa.
A-rank Valkyrie of a former member of the Squad Snowwolf, Patricia "Pat" Highsmith, who was working at the Intel department at that time, was now standing by to accompany Theresa.
Her presence here surprised Theresa, but she was happy to see her.
"Howdy!"
Pat greeted Theresa with her Texan accent, and she was trying to cheer up the midget Valkyrie.
But Theresa was too focused on the mission to care about the nice accent that was trying to make her feel better.
Minutes passed, Pat escorted Theresa into the Babylon Lab, and they were inside the elevator.
"Fuuhh... Thank goodness you're here, Pat. The briefing I read looked like it came out of horror movies... But since an expert like you is around, I think we can find out what really happened."
Theresa sighed in relief, feeling hopeful about the situation, grateful to have someone reliable like Pat to help her.
"Sorry, Theresa, there's nothing yet. The cameras were never broken, and they monitored things as usual. And yet, we couldn't find the culprit."
Pat was trying to explain the situation, and it seemed like she was also trying to discover the truth about the phenomenon.
She was also feeling very frustrated since the cameras were showing no signs of any kind of problem.
The elevator stopped at the base floor, and the security guard now met the two valkyries.
"I got a crew reviewing the footage frame by frame."
Patricia seemed to oversee the situation and was now watching the security team.
They were now taking a closer look at the video footage. The security team was trying to find the truth behind the mysterious situation.
"Each lab staff was gone instantly, even when no one was beside them. But, we did notice something strange."
Patricia walked to the security station full of monitoring equipment. She walked over to the desk where the video footage was displayed.
Theresa observed the video closely, and she seemed to be trying to find something unusual.
The video footage on the monitor screen revealed the ghostly form of a human, and the camera was glitching due to some supernatural phenomenon.
The video was causing Theresa to feel scared, and she wasn't expecting to see something like that.
"Is this... Is this the footage you just said?"
"And that's not all."
Pat replied flatly, showing no signs of fear as if she had already seen the worst.
"What else is there?"
Theresa was trying to keep herself calm but wanted to know what else there was.
"Take a look at the incubator hallway outside the lab."
Pat used the mouse, gestured towards the monitor screen and moved the cursor. She clicked on the other footage, and the camera angle changed, displaying footage taken in an incubator lane.
Theresa watched the incubator hallway video and felt suspicious and concerned about the new development.
The new security camera footage showed another supernatural entity and the backscatter orbs made it hard to see what was happening.
The footage spoke to itself. And it caused the midget Valkyrie to become frightened.
"O-Orbs?!"
Theresa exclaimed as soon as she saw the backscatter orbs on the monitor screen.
She believed that those orbs indicated the presence of some kind of a ghostly phenomenon.
"Don't be scared. There's no ghost there. The first one is just a ghost image, while this one is just a scattering of snow, probably the ceiling broke there."
Theresa was somewhat relieved to hear what Pat was saying.
Patricia's reasoning remained optimistic, doing her best to keep Theresa's sanity intact.
But... just then...
"HYAAAA!!!"
"TAKE THAT! I'M GOING TO DEFEAT YOU!"
They heard the sound of a loud scream coming from somewhere.
It sounded like someone was screaming brutally.
Theresa's true nature was now exposed.
She couldn't hold her fear anymore. Her whole body was shivering uncontrollably.
Seeing that mysterious entity made her feel scared, and she clasped her head in a terrified reflex.
"Kyaaaa!!! It must be that ghost image we saw in the video! It's coming for us!!!"
Theresa yelled in her cracked voice, and she was truly scared.
"No, Theresa. This is the voice of a human girl."
Pat remained optimistic and tried to calm down Theresa with those words.
She was trying to help her friend to face her fear, and she wanted her to make a rational decision.
Pat knew that there was no real danger, and she was hoping that Theresa could realize it and be able to control herself.
"Ignore them. There's more I need to show."
Pat was typing into the keyboard to find specific reports and suggesting Theresa keep focus on the work.
"Almost all supernatural sightings of this world can be traced back to the Honkai. I don't think this would be the exception."
The screen now showed data about the Honkai Energy activity.
It showed a graph that measured the level of Honkai Energy. Pat was trying to connect the mysterious supernatural phenomenon and the Honkai.
"Here's the log for the Babylon Reactor pile energy output levels. See this? The data at about 2200 last night went missing."
Pat pinned at the specific data readings about the Babylon Reactor. The data about the reactor energy output levels at that specific time was missing.
It was not something that they could ignore since they needed to know if there was a connection between this missing data and the mysterious supernatural phenomenon.
"My guts tell me that the reactor pile may give us some hints."
"Even I lack the clearance to access them. But now the other monitoring records of the reactor pile sector are placed behind a security lock."
Pat muttered while scratching her chin.
She was trying to figure out the relationship between the reactor pile and the mysterious supernatural phenomenon.
"Honkai Energy here is extremely high at the reactor pile."
Pat suddenly clasped Theresa's shoulders, and she was now trying to inspire her to continue this mission.
"Our crew wouldn't handle it and survived in that place. We have to go down and check it ourselves, Theresa. We are valkyries, after all."
Theresa seemed hesitant about going into the highly concentrated Honkai Energy zone, as her sweats of nervousness were breaking out.
"Us? You mean just two of us...?"
She didn't like facing the Honkai energy zone alone and was worried about the whole situation.
Pat formed an optimistic smile and closed her eyes in amusement. She knew Theresa was not very confident about the situation, but she was still trying to convince her.
"We'll be perfectly fine... I won't let anything happen to you. Trust me!"
————
Reactor Pile Sector
The two valkyries were now inside the sector of the Honkai Reactor.
The Honkai Energy in the area was now causing Theresa's body to shake, and she felt afraid. She struggled to calm herself down and prepare for this mission.
Minutes passed, and Patricia still searched for evidence of the mysterious phenomenon.
However, the midget Valkyrie became more nervous after standing inside the platform long enough.
"He—Um... Pat, did you find anything? Are we done yet?"
She was getting more nervous the longer they stayed in the Honkai Energy area.
Theresa wanted to get out of there as soon as possible.
Pat could see that Theresa was now nervous but still searching for evidence.
She didn't want to waste time thinking of her fears of Theresa, ignoring her impatience.
"No spooky image of a ghost coming after us, right?"
"Hey! Are you listening to me, Pat?"
Theresa was getting more frustrated when she was being ignored.
Patricia's eyes caught something odd on the floor.
There was a leftover spilled Honkai Residue as she curiously swiped the residue with her index finger.
"Hmm, what's this? A Honkai residue?"
"Odd. There's too little of it to indicate an actual leak..."
She realized that it was not enough to indicate that there had been an Honkai leak.
"This small amount of residue doesn't make any sense."
Patricia stood up from her crouching position, placing her hands on her hips while letting out her breath in an annoyed expression.
"Hmh. We'll need to run a full spectrum scan of this area."
"Teri-teri is still scared..."
Patricia could see Theresa shaking a bit and realized her friend was still unprepared to face this supernatural phenomenon.
"But, we still need to get to the bottom of this situation... We cannot give up."
But then, the braver Valkyrie had a gut temptation to spit her sarcastic words at Theresa's scary behavior.
She formed her wide, sarcastic smile while crossing her arms.
"To be honest, I expected a seasoned veteran who fought Emperor-Class Honkai Beasts before to be a lot braver than this."
Pat's sarcasm was getting to Theresa.
The latter tried to hold back her tears, but it wasn't easy. Her fear was increasing with each passing moment.
But Patricia thought it was still not enough to make her absolutely miserable.
She recalled the time Patricia let Theresa borrow her book, "Intangible Fairyland.", which caused the latter to be frightened.
"Hmm, she did get spooked out by a phantom horse at the "Intangible Fairyland.". That was cute actually."
Pat's sarcasm was becoming too much for Theresa.
Theresa remembered that embarrassing moment and didn't like being reminded of it.
"That's not funny."
"Haha. Anyway, let's the prison cell and see how those inmates behave."
Pat was now getting serious again. She wanted to find answers, and it seemed that the prison cell could help them do that.
Now, it was time for them to make a move.
"Oh dear..."
On the other hand, Theresa remained hesitant, just thinking about what lay ahead. She was getting more scared, and it was not easy for her to be brave anymore.
She didn't like entering the prison cell, although she was glad to have her sidekick.
"This will not be fun..."
———
Leon smiled upon seeing the female inmates, who were now amusing themselves by pretending to fight each other.
After he had successfully cheered those girls up, they became less suffering and began enjoying their time with each other.
"Flame Sphere Shoot!"
"Aqua Mirror Wall!"
The girls were now pretending to have used their imaginary powers in an Ultraman-like manner.
Leon's smile became warmer as he observed the girls having fun and pretending to fight.
Sirin's body was lying on the steel bedstead, falling asleep due to Leon's mint scent.
Sirin was still afraid, and she didn't like to be alone. She liked to be with those people who could bring peace to her.
The unknown presence and kindness, or whatever Sirin sensed, relaxed her slightly.
"I wish I could do more..."
Leon sighed with a dejected expression, knowing that he was only a mere phantom who could not touch anything that was a living being.
Amidst the joyful cheering voices of the girls, who were encouraging their friends to continue their entertaining fight, Leon remained focused on comforting Sirin, and he was doing his best to be a friendly Phantom.
His eyes peered to the front, paying attention to the girls playing with their imaginary powers.
"I'm Ultrawoman Grigio! You're an Ultra Dark Killer! I will defeat you and protect this world!"
The girls' cheerful voices filled the place, and they were playing with their friends, pretending to be Ultraman.
They all spoke their native languages, and Leon didn't quite comprehend what they were saying. But hearing at least an "Ultra" in its word made him more comforting and warm, as they started to become fond of Ultraman.
"Ultraman... Save me..."
Sirin's sleeptalking caught Leon's attention, and he could hear what Sirin was talking about in her dreams.
He found her dreams amusing and realized that Sirin was dreaming of being an Ultraman, defeating the monsters.
"You're cute..."
He mumbled to himself with a smile on his face.
"See Theresa? These are just ordinary human girls."
A feminine adult voice suddenly interrupted their fun time, making the inmates quickly look at where the voice had been coming from.
The inmates were now fighting in reflex despite having been afraid before. At this moment, they were willing to stand up for themselves and fight.
Leon glared his head to the panel, seeing the surprise announcement, and he suspected that someone was attempting to capture the girls for another torment test.
He was feeling worried since he didn't know what the real intentions of that person were.
"Oh no..."
Sirin had now awoken from the sudden announcement, and she was looking at the person who had made the announcement.
The door panel raised up, opening an exit passage for the inmates.
It was revealed to be Theresa and Patricia attempting to free the girls.
Leon's eyes widened in shock as he saw her long-time principal, Theresa, still physically unchanged, even after he'd returned to the past.
"Principal Theresa?!"
"It's alright, girls. You can come out now. No need to enact violence, hehe."
Theresa offered her sincere and genuine smile to the girls, trying her best to appear as friendly as she could, as she didn't want the others to perceive her as hostile.
"Good girls,"
Said the midget Valkyrie in a gentle tone of voice to reassure them. She wanted to make the other girls feel safe, and she wanted the whole situation to go as smoothly as possible.
Pat was confused and perplexed by the inmates' sudden behavior shift.
Normally, she had always seen the inmates yelling and screaming for help, and usually, they were afraid of their surroundings,
But it was no different.
Those girls were ready to defend themselves after they had enough to be used as a research tool. Thanks to Leon's entertaining work to cheer the girls up by making an animated object of Ultramen, those girls had overcome their fear.
"Weird... All the inmates I saw were always screaming for help. But these girls, since when do they start learning to defend themselves...?"
The girls kept their guards up, even after not perceiving Patricia and Theresa as hostile, as they developed trust issues towards adults due to their traumatic experience with them.
"Well, if you think you're friendly to us, prove it! Or I will Ultra-beam you!"
One of the girls said in a defensive tone, demanding the adults to show them that they were friendly and they were not just pretending to be kind.
The two valkyries were taken back by those words. They couldn't believe what she just saw and heard. They were still young, yet they already showed their defensive behavior and let out their strong words regardless.
"They're just kids... but... but... where did they come up with those words?"
Pat murmured in disbelief.
But Theresa didn't yield and tried to reason with them again. She completely understood the situation they were facing.
"Hey, hey. I'm different from everyone. Hehe. I will bring you to a better place to live and learn a normal life. You have my words."
Even Leon was surprised to see the girls behaving that way and thought he might have altered the timeline.
"I think I have affected the timeline..."
But deep inside his heart, Leon was happy to see a change in the girls' attitude.
Thanks to his work on Ultraman, they were now fearless and capable of self-defense, clearly indicating the impact of the animated object he created.
Sirin was surprised to see that her inmates were now willing to stand up for themselves in front of the adults, something that she had never seen before.
She was not used to their new behavior, which was a big change.
Thanks to those animations of Ultraman created by the phantom, the girls were now more confident and would not bend to the will of the adults anymore.
The girls rethought briefly as they lowered their guard but still remained wary.
"Alright, we will follow you."
The girls decided to trust the adults one last time, and they were ready to follow them. They were willing to take a risk despite being reluctant since they had developed trust issues.
The girls, despite their caution, eventually stepped forward towards the exit. They were now willing to follow the adults.
Sirin, who was still reluctant to trust the adults, decided to follow them closely.
Leon followed them as well, ready to see where this unexpected change of events would lead them.
Theresa finally smiled with relief as the girls now trusted her, and they believed in her.
She was so happy that she wanted to show them that she could provide a safe haven for them.
She was ready to guarantee them a good life.
"You're all safe in my hands."
Said Theresa in a reassuring and friendly way.
"Thank you for tearing down the door."
One of the girls thanked the adults for letting them free.
But the compliment caused Theresa to freak out, as she had no clue how the door panel worked.
"D-don't thank me! I just couldn't find the key! That's definitely not my usual way of opening doors!"
Theresa quickly tried to save herself from her blunder since she did not expect to be thanked for freeing the girls.
She didn't want to come across as a suspicious person who had powers. She wanted them to trust her, and she now had to make excuses for her odd behavior.
Pat's device provided her with information about the girls' mental state, which showed abnormal responses within their minds.
One of the main observations was evidence of bandages wrapped around parts of their bodies.
"Records show these girls are test subjects under the advanced system lab. Part of the Honkai Adaptability trials, it seems."
The girls might have been forced to endure horrible experiments, which was probably how they ended up in this dark and dangerous situation.
Pat knew the dark truth of how those girls had ended up in prison.
"No wonder those bandages are the solid proof of their traumatic experiences... Yet, the mission briefing mentioned none of this..."
Theresa felt a sense of pity for the girls as she looked at their bandages, which were evidence of the horrible things the girls had been through.
She was very disappointed in the ones who had kept these valuable details away from her and Pat.
Theresa wanted to make things right, and she really wanted to help those poor girls.
Leon stood beside the girls as he saw their bodies, full of tortured wounds that were evidence of the horrible things the poor girls had suffered.
This sight caused a sharp blow to Leon's heart, and he was so sad to discover the truth of what had happened to the girls.
"What did they do to all of you...? I cannot believe this is real..."
He really couldn't understand how someone could do something bad, and he wasn't expecting a cruel reality like this to be real.
Despite all the challenges they fought through, the virtual realm that Leon and Kiana had managed to breach into was no longer just a simulated memory.
It was now a hub for sensitive, confidential information about Schicksal.
Despite being exposed to countless horrors, even Leon could not forget the illusion of the Second Herrscher, who hijacked Leon's mind and let him see the traumatic experience of losing her friend, Bella.
Knowing that Sirin's only closest friend was nowhere to be seen, he guessed that the time took place after Sirin was being experimented.
"Please, Principal. Take them somewhere safe from this wretched place..."
Even though his voice was not audible, Leon still wanted to believe that Theresa's heart was pure and kind.
He hoped that she would hear his voice in her head and take the girls to a safe place away from this wretched place, where he knew the girls could be treated well and cared for properly.
"Perhaps someone doesn't want you to find out. The truth is that Schicksal recruits thousands of orphans like them every year. Nobody cares if these orphans die."
Pat's theory made Leon sad, and he couldn't believe that Schicksal was doing these things to innocent children.
He now fully understood the darkness of this reality and was horrified to witness this horrifying truth.
The late Dr. Magi's words that he had left for Leon were becoming more relevant, and there was no doubt about their ruthlessness.
Leon worked for that terrible organization and became more suspicious after that scientist left those truthful and hurtful messages.
It was a cruel reality that he was now discovering during his current mission.
"You're right, Dr. Magi..."
"No, Pat. Somebody does care about them."
It was Theresa's reply to Pat's negative comment, and she knew that there was someone who would truly care for the orphans.
Even if she didn't reveal who that someone was, Theresa already knew the answer since she didn't want to cause more harm to these innocent souls.
Theresa approached the group of surviving orphan girls and gave them a gentle smile. She tried her best to reassure them, and she spoke in a calming tone.
"Find shelter here for the time being. I'll send people to pick you up after this."
She said softly as she clapped their shoulders, as she was willing to ensure that the girls remained safe and cared for properly.
Leon, secretly observing the situation, couldn't help but smile warmly at Theresa's warm interaction with the orphan girls.
He was glad his principal still had a good heart, even if she did not have a good impression of him.
Despite it all, he was willing to give her another chance, but he was a bit bitter that she almost kicked him out of St. Freya High School without concrete evidence of his misbehavior.
But nonetheless, his wishes were fulfilled.
"Thank you, Principal..."
Patricia immediately yanked Theresa away from the girls, afraid she would be infected by them.
"Wait, Theresa! That will be a major violation! These test subjects are Schicksal properties! We should return them to the HQ."
"Those eggheads probably injected them with plenty of Honkai! It's madness to let them loose."
Patricia believed that the girls might be infected with Honkai from the experiments in the past, and she thought it was impossible to let them loose. And she feared there could be consequences if the girls were not contained properly.
Leon clicked his tongue, feeling offended after hearing Patricia calling the girls the "test subjects.".
"They are humans... not a guinea pig."
Leon felt offended by Patricia's choice of words, and he thought the girls should not be seen as test subjects since they were humans and not guinea pigs.
They deserved more respect than what they had been given as a group of orphans who had been forced into horrible experiments due to the actions of Schicksal.
Theresa had a deadpan expression when she was facing Patricia, and she gave a gentle smile.
"Pat, have you heard about St. Freya High?"
She asked, in a polite and calm tone of voice.
Patricia felt confused by Theresa's question, and she wasn't sure why she asked her this question.
"Grandpa finally agreed to give me a reclaimed island in the Far East. I'm planning to build a special sanctuary for victims of Honkai testing."
"It will serve as a school that teaches them how to wield and master their powers. When they graduate, they'll become Valkyries with happy lives like you and me, Pat."
That's what Theresa wanted.
She planned to build a special sanctuary for victims of Honkai testing, and she wanted to ensure that the victims could receive proper care and support.
It was also a great project since she was trying to help those who had been deeply hurt by the actions of Schicksal.
She wanted to help the victims of the Honkai testing to become powerful and skillful Valkyries. They would be able to defend themselves, and they would be able to get back their control over their lives.
They deserved great lives, and Theresa was ready to provide them a safe refuge.
Leon smiled and nodded with warmth after hearing Theresa's visionary spirit.
He admired her willingness to rescue the survivors of the dangerous experiments and offer them a safe refuge.
It was something that he felt would help those girls who deserved to recover from their traumatic experiences and start living their lives without worrying about Schicksal and its evil deeds.
Leon was glad that Theresa still pertained to that kind of vision, and he hoped the girls could benefit greatly from this special sanctuary.
Theresa's blue eyes caught something bizarre towards the purple-haired girl, and she noticed that Sirin was imitating a cross-position with her arms.
This was something that Ultramen would always do when they were about to execute the monster.
Theresa couldn't identify the cross-posture Sirin made. She was confused by Sirin's behavior.
'A... a cross posture??'
Then she heard a grumbling voice behind her, which Theresa got distracted by. She noticed that Patricia was making some groaning noises and turned her head back to look at her.
"Huh? Did you say something, Pat?"
"Well, Theresa. I have orders to make your stay comfy and avoid getting in your way. And since you're also the mission lead, I guess I have no choice but to obey."
Patricia spoke up, and she was now expressing her respect for Theresa, and she was acknowledging her as the mission leader.
No matter what, under any circumstances, she would obey all of Theresa's commands and do whatever was needed to make her stay comfortable.
A thrilling and satisfying sensation enveloped her heart.
"Thank you so much, Pat!"
Theresa thanked Patricia for her cooperation and felt more confident while managing the mission.
She was glad that Patricia would obey her commands and was ready to get back to work, as she was now determined to help those orphan girls who had survived the terrible incidents of Schicksal.
Both Theresa and Patricia were busy with their conversation. They didn't notice that the girls had escaped from their sight.
Theresa turned around, only to find that the girls were missing, causing her to break a sweat of panic.
"Heh?!!! Where are the girls?!!"
She couldn't believe herself when they were talking momentarily, and the girls just vanished. She became desperate to find the girls who might have gotten into danger.
"B-b-but they were just on our side! How could I miss this?!?"
Patricia was now displaying a deranged look and feeling anxious, as she had failed to notice the girls' disappearance.
She was facing the other way, and suddenly, she realized that they weren't there anymore.
Amidst their panicking eyes, Patricia noticed a glimpse of a purple residue on the prison door, and she saw that it left a footprint on the floor.
"Is that... is that the Honkai Residue??"
The discovery made her panic, as she realized the girls might have come into contact with Honkai's dangerous energy.
————
The girls ran for their lives, and Sirin was leading them towards the exit of the dark and sinister prison.
"Never trust those wretched humans!! We deserve freedom!"
Sirin yelled as she was deeply angered by the horrible treatment of Schicksal that they had received.
The girls were on a mission to escape and never look back, as they wanted to be free from the wicked deeds of Schicksal.
"Head to the reactor! You will guarantee immortality!"
Sirin's inspiring words encourage her only surviving friends.
The girls would have to follow the purple-haired girl and do as she said since they were desperate to find a way out of the prison and wanted to be freed from the cruel treatment of Schicksal.
Leon had been tailing the group, and he initially thought that the girls would not take their chances to escape from the prison, but as soon as he noticed that they had seized the opportunity, he decided not to bother them.
"Janganlah masukkan kami kedalam pencobaan... Bebaskanlah kami dari yang jahat..."
"Lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil..."
He rephrased one of the Lord's Prayers and felt those lines almost fit the current situation.
He believed that the girls had been led to temptation when they were being treated unfairly, and they were suffering from the evil actions of Schicksal.
He hoped that they would be delivered from the evil deeds of Schicksal, and he wanted them to find peace and comfort again.
They truly deserved to find happiness.
The girls ran all the way to the Reactor Pile. Unfortunately, that place had been contaminated by the highly concentrated Honkai Radiation, and this was the final destination that Sirin had in mind.
It was a gambling outcome that would determine their future, as they could either be empowered by Honkai or be turned into zombies.
The girls could not turn back now and had to take their chances as they didn't want to return to their prison cells.
"Freedom! Freedom for all of you! Freedom!"
Sirin's voice echoed throughout the Reactor Pile, and this was her call to action for the girls. She was determined to make sure that they found their freedom, too.
She knew how it felt to be trapped in a lab with their futures decided by the wicked deeds of Schicksal, and she wanted to fight with the girls so that they could claim their victory.
"Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!"
The girls echoed Sirin's words, and all stretched their hands to the Honkai Energy.
It was a risky action, but they didn't want to turn back, and they were determined to gain this freedom.
They believed that if they were to become more powerful, they would be able to fight against the unfair treatment of Schicksal.
They slowly empowered themselves with Honkai Energy, hoping to gain enough power to protect themselves from further harm.
Leon placed his hand on his heart and felt terrified watching the girls' oppressive goals.
Even if their goal of claiming their freedom was fair, he had seen many of the unfortunate victims of the experiments conducted by Schicksal.
He felt heartbroken after observing the girls trying to gain more power by absorbing Honkai Energy, knowing they deserved to live a more normal life.
Since the girls were still young and innocent, they had the right to live without further suffering from Schicksal's inhumane actions.
"Had enough fun yet, "Ghost" of Babylon?"
The unexpected voice suddenly disrupted Leon's deep thoughts, and he glared at Patricia at the right, who was standing alone, facing the girls.
He could still hear the sounds of the girls chanting their independence and the powerful sounds of Honkai Energy.
They were absorbing the Honkai Energy by stretching out their hands towards it.
Patricia had finally appeared, determined to stop the girls' actions.
"Don't do it... It's not worth it..."
Leon urged the A-Rank Valkyrie to play safe, as she was unaware she would be facing the girls absorbing the Honkai Energy, especially when they were becoming more powerful.
They were absorbing the powerful energy that would soon turn them into powerful Valkyries, and this was certainly not a good idea for someone like Patricia, who had no special powers.
The girls lowered their hands as they slowly turned their bodies in a deadly manner, feeling threatened after hearing the feminine voice of a human.
Sirin deadpanned her head to the A-rank Valkyrie, Patricia, standing alone without any accomplices.
She stood before the group, protecting those girls she cared for.
"A human. You better run."
Sirin was determined to protect the girls, and she stood in front of them, serving as their shield against Patricia, who was now the true threat.
She warned Patricia to flee from the girls, but Patricia had no intention of fleeing.
She laughed when she heard Sirin's taunt and chuckled as though she wasn't scared at all by Sirin's words.
"Oh, I don't mean to scare you, little ghost. But I actually brought these little two little friends with me."
She then revealed her heavy artillery, mounted in her arms.
A massive-sized Gatling gun that ordinary humans, even the bodybuilders themselves, wouldn't be able to lift those things up.
"Wanna say hello to them?"
Patricia taunted Sirin as she aimed her massive Gatling guns and planned to do something shocking and unexpected.
The girls did not feel intimidated at all.
All they heard was Sirin's loud, wicked laughter, thinking she had just watched a ridiculous dramatic soap opera show.
"HAHAHAHA! You think you can scare me, Valkyrie?! You're just an insect that allows me to take revenge!"
Sirin's laugh indicated that she was not afraid, and she felt her revenge against Schicksal would soon be achieved.
"R-revenge?"
Patricia was startled when she heard Sirin speaking about her revenge, and she felt confused, as she had no clue what they had done to Sirin and the other girls.
Sirin looked at Patricia with a chilling glare, as she wanted to make her feel the same terror that she felt for so long.
"For all those years of my imprisonment... And for not letting me find freedom..."
"Those people who injected us with the Honkai... The people who ran all those test subjects on us!"
"They told us that we're serving a divine purpose of perfecting the so-called Stigmata for Schicksal Valkyries like you!"
"They said orphans like us should feel grateful that we can die for your sake!"
Sirin fantasized about millions of visions where she was being tortured by unethical scientists.
Sirin had so many traumatic memories, as she had been tortured by unethical and merciless scientists for many years.
All those painful memories and her anger against Schicksal had been building up for those years.
She was determined to take her revenge against Schicksal, and she felt that the time had come to finally break the chains of her freedom and claim her long-desired revenge.
"I will kill everyone who gets in our way! To hell with humans, Schicksal, Valkyries!
"Leave. Vacate yourself, insect!"
Sirin laughed threateningly, and she was determined to take her revenge against everyone, even if she had to kill them in the process.
She wanted to claim her freedom. She wanted to destroy Schicksal or everything related to it since she was now filled with hate and wrath toward the organization.
Leon formed a sour face and wished he would pull Patricia away from those dangerous children, but he was just a phantom who could only observe their oppressiveness.
"You're not going to make it..."
Leon hopelessly shook his head, and his words of warning fell on deaf ears as Sirin kept on laughing menacingly, smiling at Patricia in a wicked manner.
"Well, I take those as hello to these little friends of mine."
Patricia replied chillingly, not hesitating to strike the group with her deadly Gatling gun in rapid-fire mode.
Sirin was still laughing, and it seemed as if Patricia's bullets couldn't hurt her, as she was still grinning. Her heart was full of hate and revenge. She felt invincible, as she was confident in her actions.
Two of the orphanage girls summoned their energy shields and successfully deflected Patricia's bullets.
Each of their shields formed differently. One had a rectangular shape, and one was a half-cylinder energy dome, representing the original Ultraman and Ultraseven's shield.
They both worked together to prevent the bullets from striking Sirin. It was an impressive and brave act for the girls to protect themselves.
One of the girls took advantage of the opening, and she discharged a vertical crescent-shaped energy slash that phased through the orphans' shields and headed toward Patricia, who was taken aback by this attack.
A chill ran down her spine, as she realized that the energy slash would have easily sliced her in half.
She had underestimated the girls and was now filled with fear and worry after seeing their true power.
Leon covered his eyes with his arms, not wanting to see what would happen to Patricia. His imagination told him that a gruesome scene was about to take place.
He heard the sound of blood being splattered, and he knew that Patricia was no longer alive.
That was a fatal blow that he was unable to prevent.
When he took his eyes off the Valkyrie, his eyes widened in fear and horror as he saw that she had disappeared, as if she just disintegrated into a pile of dust.
Her weapons and her splattered blood on the ground were all the only things that were left behind.
Leon's heart pounded wildly as his breath became more intense and shaken.
He couldn't believe what he saw, horrified to see what had just happened.
He felt like he had just watched a gore movie, now implemented in real life.
————
Siberia Tundra, 5 KM away from the Tower of Babylon.
The winter had been ongoing for a long period, and the whole forest of Siberia was covered in snow.
The temperature was very cold. The wind was strong, blowing the snow around in a chaotic manner.
It was a very silent place, and it even felt like time had stopped, as nothing seemed to be happening in this area.
Here, two Anti-Entropy crews were overlooking the landscape from the hill as they kept an eye on the Tower of Babylon that could be seen in the distance.
Tesla and Einstein were two of them.
They had been assigned to this area since the Tower of Babylon was under the control of Schicksal and received a report of an anomaly reading present inside the tower.
They were on high alert, and they would immediately report any suspicious activity that could threaten the Tower and the Schicksal organization.
"Achooo!!!"
Tesla was freezing in the cold weather, and her thick coat was not enough to keep her warm, as she continuously sneezed and tried to shield herself from the chilly wind.
"Damn it. It's so bloody cold. Are we gonna wait here forever, mophead? Let's just bust this tower and get it over with?"
She expressed her frustrations, as she wanted to do something about the Tower, not wanting to sit around all day.
"There's virtue in patience, Dr. Tesla."
Einstein built differently, replying in a calming tone as if the cold didn't bother her, even though Tesla was shivering and constantly sneezing.
Tesla seemed a bit annoyed by the situation, as the wait felt neverending to her, and she had no intention of just standing around.
"We have a good agent in the tower. We should wait for her news."
"Hnghhh..."
Tesla could only hear her talking and fidgeted as her patience started to wear off.
They were waiting to receive more information from the agent inside the Tower, but Tesla was still too eager to do something, as she couldn't stand the cold and felt bored with all this waiting.
"And if we're lucky, we might even get away with a little kidnapping. And use her as a hostage to avoid conflict against Schicksal forces.
"Try to remember that our sovereign country prefers solving problems peacefully."
The sovereign that Einstein referred to was named Welt Yang, whose real name was Joachim Nokianvirtanen.
Welt Yang was a wise and influential sovereign of Anti-Entropy who believed in peaceful solutions to problems.
It was a wise choice to use this approach, and it seemed like a safe option to try to avoid conflict against Schicksal, as it would have turned into a bloody war.
Welt Yang wanted to avoid that.
Welt was waiting at the rendezvous point with his arms crossed as he waited for his agent to return.
The wait was getting longer and longer, and Welt felt impatient as he wanted to receive information about the current situation inside the Tower.
Welt heard a sound from his front right, and he hoped it was his agent.
"Get ready. Someone is here."
The snowy fog obscured the moving being, but his face turned into a frown as soon as it went closer.
There was a surprised look on Welt's face when he saw Patricia walking towards him with a dismembered right arm.
Despite all that had happened, she managed to survive the attack from the orphans and could still return to her superior.
Welt felt relieved when he saw Patricia return, and he was waiting to hear what she had to say.
"Sorry, Sovereign... The mission was a failure. She has awakened and is growing stronger with every moment."
Patricia spoke in a tone that suggested she wasn't happy with this outcome, as she felt frustrated by the mission's failure.
Welt looked disappointed to hear about the news, and he felt frustrated at the loss of the mission.
But he was trying his best to stay calm and have a level head, leaving no choice but to handle the situation alone.
"It seems that we're still too late. Don't worry, Pat. I'll handle this myself. How do I find her?"
Patricia was a bit relieved to have Welt take care of the situation and was ready to provide as much help as possible.
Welt settled her down behind the wood as the latter let out her sigh of mental distress.
"I have a good idea where she might be. But I need to ask something from you first."
Patricia's voice was weary, as she had gone through too much of being owned by the evolved orphans.
She had a good idea about where Sirin might be, but in order to do that, she needed Welt's support and help.
"Go on. I'm listening, Pat."
"I have friends in Schicksal as well. And the pack of wolves has ascended from darkness..."
"Please save my friends."
Patricia had friends she cared about in Schicksal and didn't want them to get hurt by the powerful and evolved Sirin.
Her request was simple, yet it held a lot of weight.
Welt understood the underlying meaning of Patricia's words as he nodded in understanding expression.
He knew that she was concerned about her friends' safety, as she wanted them to be saved from Sirin.
Sirin had become a powerful opponent, determined to take her revenge against all those who were involved with her imprisonment, and she wouldn't hesitate to kill them.
It was a dangerous situation. Patricia wanted to save her friends before the situation went out of control.
————
The scientists in the Babylon Labs were running for their lives as everything turned into chaos inside the building.
The evolved orphans destroyed everything they could see and took no prisoners. They were completely ruthless, and they didn't have mercy on anyone.
"HELP!!! CALL FOR BACKUP!!!"
"THE BABYLON LAB IS UNDER ATTACK! ABANDON LAB! I SAID AGAIN ABANDON LAB!"
All scientists were screaming in a distress call as their last effort before they would be their next target.
The orphans were unsatisfied with what they had accomplished so far, and they wanted to free the remaining prisoners still imprisoned in the Babylon Labs.
They wanted to release and set everyone free, as they didn't want anyone to be imprisoned and abused again.
It was a noble goal, but their violent acts were going too far.
Sirin's strength was extraordinary as she ripped the massive door panels with sheer determination and brute force.
She was angry and had a lust for revenge inside her, as she couldn't stand her imprisonment and the mistreatment and abuse that she had experienced.
She wanted to free everyone in the Babylon Labs and destroy every trace of her abusers.
Theresa returned to the prison lab, only to discover in a shocking discovery that the whole place was filled with scattering orphans.
She felt that she had seen the whole place was already overwhelmed with packs of wolves and other wild animals.
Had she been standing on the same floor, she would be history in the first place. Thankfully, she was standing on the balcony above, overlooking the whole crowd of orphans.
All the orphans had broken out of their cells, and they were running all over the place.
The orphans were in the lab, opting for revenge, as they were destroying everything and hunting for the enemies they saw.
Theresa's eyes bulged in shock, as she couldn't understand how the situation had become so uncontrollable.
Theresa didn't want to get involved because she feared for her life and thought she could not take on the evolved orphans alone.
Theresa was wise enough to realize she couldn't stop the orphans from advancing. She needed to take precautions for herself.
She decided to make a quick escape, avoiding drawing the attention of the orphans.
Security guards arrived at the scene.
They were faced with a terrifying sight as the freed orphans stared at them with their deadly eyes.
The orphans were ready to lash out against anyone who opposed them and would not hesitate to slaughter anyone who tried to resist them.
"Get back to your cell, children!"
The security guards tried to order the orphans to return to their cells, but they were not following their commands.
The orphans were enraged, and they were not willing to cooperate with anyone, as they were not going to be imprisoned again.
"Weapons free!"
The security guards knew that the orphans were dangerous, and they were not willing to take any risks.
The guards took out their weapons and were ready to take care of the orphans, regardless of the consequences.
The valkyries opened fire on the orphans, and the whole room was filled with endless gunshots.
The valkyries did not hesitate to use their deadly weapons, as they wanted to eliminate the orphans before they could cause any more harm in the Babylon Labs.
More valkyries arrived in different positions, supporting and protecting their comrades.
The evolved orphans had anticipated this attack and quickly enacted their protective domes, trying to shield themselves from the incoming bullets.
The domes were extremely strong, but the valkyries kept firing many shots until the domes wouldn't last long.
Sirin was the only girl who harnessed the power of Honkai.
She charged herself with her willpower, ready to single-handedly kill the troops in the blink of an eye. She was determined to protect her fellow orphans.
Utilizing her acceleration technique, Sirin moved at incredible speeds for a short burst.
She moved toward the valkyries like a hurricane, charging the troops and slamming them into the floor with tremendous speed.
Sirin's strength would not be underestimated, as she had become extremely dangerous after her transformation.
The valkyries were confident they were safe, but Sirin had other plans.
She was already on the top balcony and took care of them by brutally killing the valkyries in a bloodbath taste before they could react.
She had made quick work of them, and now, she had eliminated all the guards at the location instantly, as they didn't stand a chance against her.
"Kyahahaha!! I won! I can't believe I won!"
Sirin laughed triumphantly as she had managed to defeat all the valkyries in the Babylon Labs.
Sirin celebrated her victory against the valkyries, and she couldn't believe she had won.
Unfortunately, the power drained her stamina, and she crouched to the ground.
The use of the Honkai powers had taken a lot of stamina from Sirin.
The orphans rushed to her, and they offered support and help.
Sirin was glad to see that she had the orphans by her side and expressed her gratitude.
"Sirin! Sirin! Are you still okay?"
"Thank you, leader!"
Sirin knew she had the orphans by her side, and they would help her.
"Hngh... I spent too much energy in that fight. We need to go back to the reactor pile. I will guide you to freedom."
Sirin's voice was tired and weak as she felt the exhaustion that had set in after the battle with the valkyries. But she knew they could get help from there and wanted to guide the orphans to freedom.
"Please, lead us! We trust you!"
The orphans gathered around Sirin, seeking her help to guide them through the chaotic Babylon Labs.
Sirin was determined to do what she could and felt proud that the orphans trusted her.
"Sirin!"
A voice called out for Sirin, as one of the orphans wanted to ensure she was still okay.
Leon stood in front of the orphans, and he didn't intend to interfere with them.
He understood the orphans' goals and desire to gain freedom and escape from the Babylon Labs.
Leon couldn't help but feel a sense of warmth, displayed a sympathetic smile to the orphans who wanted freedom, and felt heartwarming when he saw the girls aiding Sirin.
"Run free, girls."
Leon's words had a lot of meaning, as he had given his blessings for the orphans to go free.
A light caught a glimpse from the lower right corner of his vision. In his right hand, it emanated a glowing effect.
"Huh, what is this?"
Leon seemed a bit puzzled by the glowing effect in his fist.
When he unfolded it, a small Honkai Beast manifested in Leon's hand, as Honkai Beasts were usually found in large and dangerous forms.
"A Seraph Honkai Beast?"
Leon was intrigued by the unusual appearance of the small Honkai Beast, as it had a blue color instead of the Pink color that was characteristic of the Honkai Beasts.
The appearance and the behavior of the Honkai Beast were both quite unusual, as Leon could sense that it wasn't as hostile and aggressive as the other Honkai Beasts he had seen before.
The Honkai Beast suddenly fluttered toward Sirin from his palm, causing her to be caught off guard.
Sirin's injured hand was suddenly met with the tiny Honkai Beast, which landed on her palm. She looked at the small Honkai Beast and wondered what strange behavior it would display.
"Huh, what is this? I've never seen an insect quite like this before..."
Sirin was puzzled by the shape and behavior of the small Honkai Beast.
Sirin had never seen a creature like this before, and she wasn't sure why the type of insect was behaving so differently.
The small Honkai Beast seemed to want to help Sirin, as it had landed on her ribbon-wrapped left hand.
The Honkai Beast converted itself into an item that attached to Sirin's left wrist.
The item was strangely shaped, featuring an asymmetrical circle shape with blue and red stripes and two crystal shards on top of the ring.
Sirin couldn't quite understand what this item was, but for some reason, she felt a sense of comfort from the presence of this unusual item.
"Huh? A brace?"
She wasn't sure about this item or what purpose it would serve.
Leon was also quite shocked by the sudden appearance of this magical item.
They both were puzzled by the unusual phenomenon that was happening right in front of their eyes.
Although Leon had been a phantom thus far, he couldn't believe his power could manifest into a real being.
Leon was still processing the sudden changes he witnessed and couldn't quite grasp what was happening.
Sirin looked at her weird wrist brace, puzzled, as she didn't quite understand why the particular item had attached itself to her wrist.
"It's speaking to me..."
Sirin noticed that the item attached to her wrist had now started to speak to her mind.
The item was trying to convey a message, and it wanted Sirin to carry on.
"We're not alone."
"Raise up the hope held in your chest."
"Together, we can run forward..."
The message encouraged Sirin to support her in her journey for freedom.
Sirin stood up on her feet as she gave a reassuring look to the orphans, and she was trying to cheer them up.
Sirin encouraged the orphans to move forward, giving them the hope and strength they needed to continue fighting for freedom.
The orphans nodded as they were grateful for Sirin's support and ready to follow her to escape their prison.
"Let's go, my friends! Freedom!"
"Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!"
Sirin led the orphans back to the reactor pile, as she wanted them to gather Honkai Energy to evolve and get stronger.
The orphans were running towards the reactor pile, soaring the word "Freedom" again, as they wanted to escape from their prison and find freedom.
Leon remained silent and watched from a distance as he observed the girls' actions and progress.
Leon walked away towards the pile of dead valkyries that were covered in a pool of blood.
He had no interest or business in interfering in the affairs of the girls, and he allowed them to be free.
He was simply exploring the past and trying to learn more about Babylon Labs and its history.
Seeing the fallen valkyries didn't affect Leon, and he didn't care about their fates.
He simply focused on exploring the past that remained folded. He knew their deaths allowed him to explore the place more and learn more about its history.
The phantom of the knight stepped outside the Babylon Labs, as the outside world introduced him, with his confidence and determination growing into his heart.
He was determined to explore the past and knew that stepping outside and exploring everything beyond the walls would give him a whole new perspective.
"I don't regret it."
Leon spoke to himself, grinning as he took the first steps into the outside world, filled with adventure and excitement.
The folded part of the Second Eruption was about to be unfolded.
"Dimana bumi dipijak, di situ langit dijunjung."
Leon had a moment to gaze his eyes at the gray sky, and at the same time, he spotted a single light that flew around the atmosphere layers, like Halley's Comet.
"A single light comet... Has 76 years passed already?"
He seemed a bit confused, as the light resembled the famous Halley's Comet, and as far as he knew, it took at least 76 years to reappear on Earth.
The light was probably not the comet, but there was some significance to it, and Leon knew that he would have to investigate further to make sense of it.
"Huh..."
Leon sighed and decided to ignore the mysterious phenomena, as he continued to walk forward. He was used to seeing these kinds of odd situations in the world he stepped into.
Leon wasn't deterred by what he saw, knowing that he had to keep exploring the world and learning more about its secrets.
Leon continued to walk forward, ignoring the strange sight in the sky while he was eager to explore the region to its full capacity.