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

Honkai eruptions generally follow a predictable pattern.

First, there's a sudden surge of energy, a release of pent-up potential, devastating a wide area.

Then, like a collapsing star forming a denser core, a high-level entity emerges at the center of the eruption. The nature of this entity depends on the scale of the eruption. The most severe eruptions create Herrschers, while lesser ones spawn Judgment-class Honkai beasts, or Honkai Emperors.

These entities act as both leaders of the local Honkai forces and anchors between the Imaginary and real spaces, serving as a continuous source of Honkai energy, expanding the affected area.

Lesser Honkai beasts, spawned from the void, and Deadmen, transformed from corrupted humans, act as secondary sources of infection. Some are relatively harmless, wandering aimlessly within a confined area, basking in the high concentration of Honkai energy, their very presence contributing to the local contamination.

Others, driven by instinct, migrate outwards, spreading the corruption, killing and infecting more lives. This process is known as "Honkai spread."

Having discovered this pattern, both Fire Moth of the Previous Era and Schicksal and Anti-Entropy of the current one employ similar tactics on the battlefield.

First, they prioritize eliminating the core source of the eruption. 

A small, elite force is sent into the heart of the disaster to execute a "decapitation strike." Kevin killing Herrscher or Theresa defeating Parvati – both follow this logic.

Even Durandal's recent solo missions around the world follow the same principle: eliminate the most dangerous target, then leave the remaining stragglers to the local Valkyrie units.

Second, a larger force is deployed to contain the spread and cleanse the surrounding area. This is usually handled by regular Valkyrie units, leading larger contingents of support troops.

Of course, in dire situations, these Valkyrie squads are often left to fend for themselves, as was the case in the chaotic Philippines.

This eruption in the Philippines, despite its scale and intensity, was fundamentally different from previous ones. It wasn't a natural eruption, but a secondary disaster, a side effect of another seemingly unrelated event.

Albeit a devastating side effect.

From a higher perspective, one could see the Honkai energy receding, the regional instability gradually stabilizing. It was a release of *existing* energy, not a continuous eruption.

There was also an energy vortex, hidden deep in the South China Sea, greedily devouring this "energy feast," accelerating the decay process.

As the energy levels stabilized, communication, previously disrupted, began to return to normal.

Let's shift our focus to a slightly earlier time, elsewhere.

Lin Wei's departure hadn't significantly impacted the morale of Rita and the remaining Valkyries. They continued to fight their assigned positions.

Although the Snow Lotus squad worried about their missing teammates, they couldn't afford to be distracted. They fought alongside Rita, maintaining their hard-won defensive line.

The battle was still fierce, but compared to the near-certain defeat they'd faced earlier, their current situation was a vast improvement.

"Look out!" A Valkyrie, retreating to replace her weapon's energy pack, heard a warning shout. She turned to see a swift Honkai beast slip through the ranks, closing in on her.

"Ah!" she cried, unable to react.

"Swish!" A silver figure materialized above her, cleaving the beast in two with a giant scythe, then vanishing like mist.

"It's alright. You're safe now. Focus," Rita said, walking over. She offered no criticism, only a comforting smile as she gently wiped the grime from the Valkyrie's face with a fragrant handkerchief. "If I remember correctly, you're a C-rank, aren't you? Don't blame yourself. You did well."

The Valkyrie's fear and tension dissolved, replaced by a wave of grief. Tears welled up. "I'm a Valkyrie! I can fight! If only… if only I were stronger… then my teammates wouldn't have…"

Rita sighed, wiping away her tears. Despite her timely arrival, Snow Lotus had suffered heavy casualties, losing over a third of their squad. It wasn't a complete wipeout like the other two squads, but it was still a devastating loss.

"Go back to your position." Rita straightened the Valkyrie's tattered uniform. "You're a good Valkyrie. Keep fighting."

"Yes, ma'am!" The Valkyrie saluted, her spirits renewed, and returned to the battlefield.

Rita watched her go, then resumed her patrol, occasionally summoning Artemis or intervening directly to assist the B-rank Valkyries struggling against stronger foes.

She was both commander and reserve force, plugging holes in the defense and watching for dangerous enemies.

Fortunately, after the initial onslaught, the Honkai beast density had decreased significantly. She no longer needed to be on the front lines. Snow Lotus could handle the regular enemies.

She could conserve her energy for the truly dangerous foes – Temple-class Honkai beasts, Honkai Emperors, or even higher-level beasts.

She expected such enemies in an eruption of this scale. It was a miracle there wasn't a new Herrscher.

But strangely, these powerful foes were few and far between.

She was surprised, but also relieved. It made their defense much easier, especially for the other squads, who were currently out of contact and vulnerable to such threats.

She wasn't complaining. Besides Durandal, who actively sought out powerful opponents?

"Swish! Slash!" Her scythe danced through the air, bisecting two Honkai beasts, rescuing a surrounded Valkyrie.

"Thank you, Rita!"

Rita nodded and moved on.

Half an hour later, another Valkyrie squad arrived, reinforcing Snow Lotus's flank, easing the pressure considerably.

With fresh troops, morale soared. Under Rita's command, the two squads coordinated smoothly. She intervened less and less, eventually taking a backseat, observing the battlefield, providing a reassuring presence.

*Things are looking up,* she thought.

"Beep, beep, beep…" Her communicator chirped.

*Is Lin Wei back already?* she wondered, slightly surprised.

If not for Jell's presence, she might have suspected he'd abandoned them. His personal aircraft was certainly convenient for a quick escape.

But with Jell there, she dismissed the thought immediately. He didn't seem like the type to abandon his companions. Otherwise, he wouldn't have practically forced her to come to Manila with him.

*Fighting the Honkai is my duty as a Valkyrie…* she thought wryly. Why had she let an outsider pressure her into doing her job?

Was it a lack of trust in the Valkyries, or in Schicksal itself?

She didn't understand, and she was curious.

But as long as he wasn't running away, his reasons didn't matter. Whether he was dealing with another emergency or had some other reason, it was irrelevant.

*Prying into other people's business is rude…* she thought, picking up the communicator. She glanced at the caller ID and paused.

*Miss Amber?* She'd expected it to be Jell, informing her that communication had been restored.

But this was essentially the same thing, wasn't it?

She answered the call. "Miss Amber, greetings. It's good to hear from you again."

"Rita! Thank goodness! We finally got through!" Amber sighed in relief, then quickly relayed the information. "A Honkai eruption occurred in the Philippines. Communication was completely lost. But don't worry, the Overseer has dispatched reinforcements. You've been appointed battlefield commander!" She paused, catching her breath. "Finally… I can finally tell you!"

"Thank you, Miss Amber," Rita replied. "In that case, please allow me to excuse myself. I'll return to report on the situation after I've finished deploying my troops."

"That won't be necessary, Rita. Alvitr from Immortal Blades has already contacted the incoming squads. You can coordinate with her directly." Amber wouldn't object. "I'll inform the Overseer that we've re-established contact. You can report to him directly later."

"Thank you," Rita replied, ending the call and contacting Alvitr.

Without Lin Wei's relay, she couldn't broadcast to the entire region with just a communicator. She needed Immortal Blades' intelligence network.

Was this Alvitr's initiative, or Amber's meticulous planning? She suspected it was the former.

Either way, it saved her a lot of trouble.

"Vice-Captain!" Alvitr's voice was filled with relief. "You're alright! Thank goodness!" She'd been worried sick when Rita's communication had been cut off.

"Thank you for your concern, Alvitr. I'm fine," Rita replied, getting straight to the point. "Amber said you've already contacted the incoming Valkyrie squads?"

"Yes, there are…" Alvitr began eagerly, but Rita interrupted.

"Good work. I'm sending you a deployment map. I've already positioned the initial squads at key locations. Assign the incoming squads to support them." She paused. "It's time to end this… unfortunate incident."

"Huh? Oh… yes, ma'am!" Alvitr was slightly disappointed that her preparations had been rendered unnecessary, but she quickly recovered. "Leave it to me!"

"Good." Rita nodded, sending the map. After Alvitr confirmed receipt, she ended the call, satisfied.

*That saved a lot of time…* she thought, pleased.

She gave a few brief instructions to Snow Lotus and the other squad, then moved to a quieter area and contacted Otto.

"Overseer, greetings. Rita Rossweisse reporting for duty."