NOVEL WEB Chapter 397: The "Retired" Valkyrie
Minutes earlier, inside the airport.
"Welcome to Shenzhou C26 Airport. This is..."
The airport announcements played, but Bernice, fresh off the plane, wasn't paying attention.
"So much has changed in just a few years."
She gazed at the sleek, technologically advanced machinery, a stark contrast to the simple airport she remembered.
When she left this city, the airport was a converted administrative building, barebones and basic.
It couldn't be helped. This was a small, remote city in Shenzhou, lacking the resources of ARC City or the economic power of Cang Hai. Building a proper airport was a testament to the city's forward-thinking leadership.
Despite its simplicity, the old airport held special meaning for Bernice.
It was here she first saw the Valkyrie recruitment notice. At thirteen, she'd left her village, traveling alone to the designated location.
That first journey, with her meager belongings, had been daunting. The airport, a confusing maze, and she, a small, lost child.
Schicksal covered Valkyrie travel expenses, but the trip from her village had cost her mother dearly. Missing her flight would have been devastating.
Luckily, someone had helped her, a kind stranger who ensured she made it on time.
Years later, the stranger's face was blurred, but the memory fueled her determination to become a Valkyrie.
She'd been fortunate, possessing a C-rank Honkai adaptability. After two years of training, she reached B-rank, joining Ana's Snow Lotus squad.
Remembering this, Bernice smiled, looking at her suitcase, the same one from years ago. Now, she was a Valkyrie.
"I wonder if Mom will be happy."
She was filled with anticipation. A Valkyrie's income could provide a comfortable life for her and her mother.
More importantly, Bernice craved the honor. She was a Valkyrie, a savior of the world. Let the villagers judge her now.
A sudden surge of dread interrupted her thoughts.
Before she could pinpoint the source, her Valkyrie instincts took over.
Boom!
Steel beams shrieked, and concrete walls crumbled. Bernice threw down her suitcase, pulling nearby bystanders to safety.
The airport's glass windows shattered, spraying shards like shrapnel. A pale lance pierced the building, obliterating where she'd been standing.
"Ugh." A rescued bystander groaned, clutching his head. He looked up at the massive hole in the wall.
If I hadn't moved...
He shuddered, then looked for Bernice to thank her, but she was gone, leaving only a battered suitcase.
"Why is there a Honkai eruption here?"
As a Valkyrie, Bernice immediately began assisting with the evacuation. This ordinary city shouldn't have a Honkai eruption.
Worse, judging by the lance, the Honkai beast was at least Emperor-class, while she was only B-rank.
"I need to call for backup."
She reached for her communicator, then remembered she was "retired."
The Coral Island incident months ago had shocked the world. Schicksal, lauded for minimizing casualties, had publicized the Snow Lotus squad's heroism.
No one knew that a month later, the squad was quietly decommissioned. Bernice, having interacted with Kiana, was placed under strict surveillance.
If not for her accidental contact with the Obsidian Concord, and the fact that a Schicksal intelligence officer was also a member, she'd still be under observation, like her former teammates.
Even now, she was forced into retirement, back in her hometown, sworn to secrecy.
"Darkness lurks where the light doesn't reach... no, now's not the time. People need help."
Bernice focused. Schicksal had confiscated her weapons, but her training remained.
A massive Chariot-class Honkai beast crashed through the walls, heading towards the crowd. Bernice gritted her teeth and charged.
Bang!
The beast's massive paw slammed down, nearly bringing her to her knees.
"Get to the evacuation point!" Bernice, her insides aching, yelled at the terrified civilians.
They scrambled to obey.
"Big sister, what about you?" A little girl, trembling, looked back.
"Don't worry about her, Yaya. Let's go!" The girl's mother pulled her away.
No one else looked back.
"If only evacuations were always this smooth," Bernice thought wryly, focusing on the beast.
For Schicksal's regular forces, a Chariot was easy prey. But she was alone, without proper equipment.
Boom!
She dodged another attack, jumping onto the beast's paw, trying to reach a vital point. Its thick armor was impenetrable. She attacked its joints, hindering its mobility.
"Bernice, stay calm. Remember Ana's teachings." She took deep breaths, analyzing the situation. After dodging several more attacks, she noticed the Chariot's weaknesses.
Its massive size made it slow and less intelligent than other Honkai beasts.
"Honkai beasts are drawn to high concentrations of Honkai energy. If I could absorb the Honkai energy..."
Absorbing Honkai energy directly was dangerous, but she had no other choice. Schicksal was too far, and Shenzhou wasn't their jurisdiction.
"This could kill me."
"But… Ana-neesan..."
Bernice remembered Ana absorbing Honkai energy before becoming a Herrscher. She gritted her teeth, activating her artificial stigmata.
Honkai energy surged towards her, enhancing her strength.
Overusing stigmata provided a temporary power boost, enough for a single, devastating attack. But Bernice wanted more.
Instead of killing the Chariot, she used it as bait, luring it towards an open area where an Emperor-class Honkai beast was attacking buildings.
"Fight each other!" She channeled the stigmata's power into the Emperor, crippling it just as the Chariot arrived.
Boom!
The beasts collided, their armor shattering. Bernice seized the opportunity, piercing both cores through the cracks.
"I did it?" She stared at the fallen beasts in disbelief. A B-rank Valkyrie, defeating an Emperor-class beast.
Pride surged through her, followed by a wave of pain and weakness.
Schicksal's artificial stigmata were imperfect, drawing on a Valkyrie's life force. Overuse shortened their lifespan, even for someone as strong as Himeko.
Bernice knew this, yet she'd done it anyway.
"This is a Valkyrie's duty."
She collapsed, surrounded by rubble, the fallen beasts looming like hills.
"Just a few years less. I'm retired anyway. I can spend time with Mom, gardening." She looked at the ruins, trying to sound optimistic.
The sunlight cast long, sharp shadows, revealing the distinctive shape of a lance in one of them.
Another Emperor-class…
No… the first one.
More shadows appeared. Bernice's breath caught in her throat.
Her stigmata's residual energy was drawing them in.
"How… unlucky." She closed her eyes, waiting for the inevitable.
But the pain didn't come. She opened her eyes, seeing a familiar back.
Amidst the ruins and Honkai beasts, a white-haired girl moved like a butterfly, gracefully ending their lives. With each flicker of flame, another charred corpse fell.
Bernice was transported back to that snow-covered island, standing behind that girl once more.