The Elysian Realm.
Griseo sat on the grass, gazing at the sky above, lost in thought.
“Hey, little Griseo, I hope I’m not interrupting.”
Griseo turned her head to see Enoxia, who had appeared beside her without a sound.
“Ah, it’s Enoxia…”
“Can you tell me what you’re thinking about?”
Griseo tilted her head. “Everyone says the real me flew far, far into the sky in a spaceship. I was thinking… is the real me hiding among the clouds right now, playing hide-and-seek with the stars?”
Enoxia smiled. “Once things on Earth are finished, I’ll go find her. Then you can hear it straight from her own mouth.”
“Okay…”
Enoxia knew full well that at this point in time, the Ark was docked at the edge of the solar system near Pholus, and the real Griseo was sound asleep in her cryo-pod, while Vita came and went from her room as she pleased.
But compared to the Cocoon of Finality, Sa was really nothing at all. If only they could overcome Finality…
Enoxia sensed something wasn’t right.
“When I went into the Sea of Quanta with Sirin before, we entered a bubble universe controlled by Sa. That means, if the omniscient and omnipotent Sa wanted to, she could read my memories and know that her other self in a different timeline was blasted by the Great Sage Ki… Hmm… Looks like it’ll be more troublesome when the time comes…”
“If we could lock onto the Ark’s position, Sirin could just open a portal directly from Earth… Well, forget the Herrscher of the Void. Even the Herrscher of Finality can’t just bypass all conditions and teleport across an entire galaxy. That’s way beyond maximum output power…”
Just then, Vill-V arrived as well.
“The question you asked me earlier has an answer now. Let’s go back to my workshop and talk.”
Judging by Vill-V’s relatively serious and earnest tone, Enoxia guessed it was her Expert persona in charge now.
Once they reached the workshop, Vill-V got straight to the point. “I can confirm that the ruins you mentioned were already considered ruins even back in our era.”
She needed to start this story from the beginning.
In March 2017, Schicksal discovered a set of ruins hidden beneath the sea near 152 degrees East longitude and 1 degree North latitude.
Initially, Enoxia didn’t find this unusual. After all, the Previous Era had left behind countless ruins, so discovering another one wasn’t exactly surprising.
However, after Schicksal salvaged a stone tablet from the ruins, technical analysis revealed that it was even older than 50,000 years. Grey Serpent also indicated that although most of the text was illegible, they could confirm it wasn’t the script of the Previous Era.
So Enoxia, full of questions, went to Vill-V to see what the expert thought.
“Based on the data recorded by the Fourth Divine Key and World Serpent, I can calculate the shifting positions of the continents and oceans over these 50,000 years,” Vill-V explained. “The final results show it’s indeed the same as the unexplored Ruin Number 10 from our Previous Era. It’s just that back then, the vast majority of our manpower, resources, and finances were focused on fighting the Honkai. Excavating ruins like that was put on hold until our entire era met its end.”
“Now, as sims, we don’t need to worry quite as much about fighting the Honkai. I am rather curious, though—what exactly happened in the civilization that came before our Previous Era? If you’re willing to make another trip, you could go take a look.”
“Don’t worry, it was already part of my plan,” Enoxia replied.
“Sigh… Still though… Coral Island is so unlucky…”
——-
On March 14, 2017, Kiana headed to Coral Island to deal with a Honkai incident.
Because the Oceania Branch had suffered heavy losses during the Fourth Eruption a few months ago, even a Honkai event without an Emperor-class beast required personnel to be drawn from other branches.
As soon as she heard the mission to Coral Island meant she could fight and skip class, Kiana naturally and excitedly volunteered.
Of course, what mattered most was that Mei would be going with her on this mission. When Kiana heard that, she practically buzzed with adrenaline-like excitement.
“Idiot Kiana, you’re scaring Mei.”
On the plane, Bronya noticed Kiana was acting a bit too over-the-top and immediately pulled her aside.
“Ah, I’m not really scared,” Mei said, “but Kiana, something does seem different about you today. Is it really okay to go into a mission in this state?”
Kiana gave an exaggerated, dismissive wave. “Don’t worry, I’m just hyped because it’s been so long since Mei and I went on a mission together. Having Mei around is like having the strength of a hundred people!”
“A hundred people? Honestly, I’m not some kind of superhero…”
Watching the two of them, Bronya decided it was best not to disturb them, and started reading through the mission-related materials on her own.
[Coral Island Joint Autonomous Zone:
[Basic Information]: Coordinates 155.6′ East longitude, 0° latitude; Area 790 square kilometers; Permanent population 1.8 million.
In response to accelerating global economic development and regional cooperation, Southeast Asian nations and Australia spearheaded a massive project called “Coral Island” at the boundary of the two continents, making it the largest artificial land reclamation and construction project in human history. Coral Island was completed in 2006. The entire island consists of a main island and three massive artificial island foundation platforms. The buildings erected on these platforms are layered, and this coral-like, three-dimensional structure is the origin of the city’s name.
Coral Island’s three foundation platforms are laid out in a triangular formation, dividing the island into distinct functional community modules. Thanks to a vast and intricate network of vertical transportation hubs, like capillaries, residents can rapidly reach different platforms, greatly increasing travel and commuting efficiency. The lower foundation platform serves as the residential area, providing rich cultural and recreational facilities. The left and right platforms house the financial and science & education centers. Coral Island’s governing body attracted countless multinational corporations with its favorable investment policies, making it another vital economic core in the Asia-Pacific region.
Yet Coral Island’s most eye-catching area remains the central platform. Leveraging the unique geographical location on the equator, a magnificent aerospace project is under full-scale construction here. An orbital elevator rises straight into the clouds, becoming the island’s most spectacular sight and its one-of-a-kind icon.
Today, Coral Island’s rapid development has turned this young, vibrant city into the focus of the entire Asia-Pacific region, a place where countless opportunities and miracles burst forth. Like its ever-rising orbital elevator, it will become a shining lighthouse on the ocean, attracting more dreamers to arrive…]
“Hey, Mei, the Coral Island we’re heading to is geographically in Southeast Asia, right? So why is the Oceania Branch in charge? Is Schicksal too broke to set up a Southeast Asia Branch?”
Mei glanced at Kiana with a look of understanding. “Ah, I guess that makes sense. This kind of knowledge isn’t on exams, so not many people bother to remember it. Originally, Schicksal did have a Southeast Asia Branch. In 2015, a Honkai outbreak occurred in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. Even though no Herrscher was born, Schicksal still suffered heavy losses. The elite Snow Lotus Squad was completely wiped out except for its captain, Ana Schariac. The Southeast Asia Branch also lost many other Valkyries.”
“Because the Southeast Asia Branch’s losses were so severe during that eruption, and there were already voices calling for consolidating branches to improve quality, Schicksal eventually split the region in two. Personnel and resources from the Indochina Peninsula were absorbed into the South Asia Branch, while those from the Malay Archipelago were put under the management of the Oceania Branch.”
——-
Local time, 15:00, March 14th. The special aircraft arrived at a temporary base in Indonesia’s North Maluku province. Waiting for them was their mission commander, A-rank Valkyrie, Josephine Meriad.
“Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya. It’s been a while, you three.”
The three were certainly familiar with Meriad from seeing her multiple times at St. Freya Academy. Even though they weren’t as close to her as Himeko, they knew each other. It was always good for a squad and their commander to be relatively acquainted.
Kiana’s most vivid memory of Meriad was from one night. As usual, she had woken up halfway through her sleep for a snack. Half-asleep, she’d wandered in the wrong direction, and by the time she fully woke up, she found herself outside the dormitory.
Just as she was about to head back, she saw a figure sneaking past. Alert, Kiana followed, only to discover Meriad hiding in a deserted corner, eating snacks.
Kiana was quite surprised by this. She remembered Meriad was one of the few Valkyries in all of St. Freya with an appetite that matched, if not exceeded, her own. Yet she never gained any weight and maintained a perfect figure that many other Valkyries envied.
Since Meriad hadn’t noticed her, Kiana simply slipped away without exposing her. She figured Meriad never even knew it happened.
“Senior Meriad, hello.”
Mei, as the squad leader of the trio, stepped forward and shook hands with Meriad.
“The situation is urgent, so let’s skip the pleasantries. You should have already read the info on Coral Island. I’ll now go over the battle plan. Feel free to ask any questions at any time.”
Meriad gestured, and a nearby Valkyrie tapped a few commands, instantly projecting a map of Coral Island for everyone to see.
Meriad pointed at the map. “The red dots represent Honkai beasts, and the blue dots represent Valkyries still fighting on the front lines. We’ve confirmed there are no Emperor-class or higher beasts in this outbreak. The strongest is a Honkai Emperor. Based on its dark blue carapace and ice-based abilities, it’s the Frost Emperor we’ve encountered before.”
“This mission involves four squads, each led by an A-rank Valkyrie. As per HQ orders, the first squad has already entered the battlefield to tie up the beasts and secure the evacuation route.”
“Our squad’s mission is to protect a stone tablet recently salvaged from an underwater ruin. On that foundation, we’ll coordinate with units from other directions to eliminate Honkai beasts and protect the civilian evacuation. The Frost Emperor itself will mainly be handled by the squads led by the other two A-rank Valkyries.”
Kiana interjected, “What’s so important about that rock that it’s worth more than human lives?”
Meriad shook her head slightly. “Unfortunately, although I was also in charge of exploring that ruin, I don’t recognize the text on it. But according to instrument readings, the tablet is at least 50,000 years old. It’s highly likely to contain crucial information about the Previous Era’s fight against the Honkai, which needs time to decipher. Many comrades sacrificed their lives to obtain it.”
The three girls nodded, signaling they understood the objectives.
——-
At 16:30 on March 14th, Meriad led twelve B-rank Valkyries to the island’s northern foundation platform.
“Follow this tunnel straight ahead to reach Coral Island’s core. I’ll now split you twelve into four groups. Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya are Group 1, responsible for assault… Groups 2 and 3 provide cover, Group 4 is in the rear. If you understand, follow me!”
Around 17:00, Meriad’s squad entered the center of Coral Island. Thanks to their allies’ cover, their team reached the base entrance smoothly, encountering almost no enemies along the way besides a few reckless zombies.
Just as everyone breathed a quiet sigh of relief, the base doors opened, releasing a terrifying blast of frigid wind. The air temperature plummeted.
“Watch out!”
The moment Meriad’s words left her mouth, dozens of ice spikes flew out from within.
“Project Bunny, defensive mode.”
Bronya reacted swiftly, and the shield generated by Project Bunny protected the three of them immediately. However, the Valkyries behind weren’t so lucky. As Kiana turned around, she saw ice spikes punch clean through the heads of two members from Group 3.
“Why is there another Frost Emperor inside the base?!”
This situation perfectly illustrated that when it came to sabotaging his own people, Otto was an absolute professional.
During the 2015 Honkai outbreak in Manila, the Frost Emperor made its first appearance. It wasn’t eliminated, however, but captured alive instead. The entire Philippines had suffered devastating damage, so for safety concerns, it was transferred to the base here on Coral Island. And this piece of intel was something Otto clearly hadn’t bothered to share with these Valkyries.
Now, with the Honkai erupting on Coral Island, the base had sustained some damage, temporarily disabling the containment system for the Frost Emperor. The Valkyries inside had fought with everything they had and managed to trap it within the base before they fell, never expecting that reinforcements would walk right into the trap.
Perhaps it was because of the Frost Emperor, but after its first wave of attacks, surrounding Honkai beasts—including the other Frost Emperor—began converging on this location.
“Charge inside! Being surrounded by beasts is far more dangerous!”
Meriad led the charge and engaged the Frost Emperor directly. Raiden Mei tapped into a portion of the Herrscher of Thunder’s authority, temporarily paralyzing it, allowing the remaining Valkyries to dash deeper into the base.
Once Meriad managed to break away from the Frost Emperor and seal the main doors behind them, the squad could finally breathe a sigh of relief. A quick headcount revealed that ten of them remained.
