A few days later, Rita Rossweisse, an S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, appeared inside the British Museum. Just as she had with Enoxia, Catherine introduced Rita to the history related to King Arthur.
“Miss Rita, I won’t disturb your investigation then. Please call for me if you need anything.”
“Of course, thank you, Director.”
Rita focused intently on the mural, her mind racing.
“The clue to the Second Divine Key should be on this mural, but the only objects I can think of are the 【Round Table】 and 【Sword in the Stone】…”
“Meow.”
The sudden sound of a cat behind her made Rita instinctively turn around.
“Why is there a cat in the museum…”
Stan didn’t give Rita much time to think. It immediately grew larger and taller, pouncing straight at her.
“So, it’s a Cat-type Honkai beast. Things just got interesting. In that case, I’ll defeat you, capture you, and then investigate properly later.”
“Fourth-generation Valkyrie Battlesuit, Azure Knight: Moon Halo, begin transmission!”
Rita’s casual clothes instantly transformed into the ice-blue and black-toned Valkyrie Battlesuit, and a blue scythe appeared in her hand.
“Oh ho, you actually dodged my attack. According to the Honkai energy readings, you’re an opponent on par with me. So this is a Valkyrie’s battlesuit? Little girl, show me your full strength.”
Stan’s tail swayed a few times, its tip glowing like a ruby as vast amounts of Honkai energy gathered there.
Knowing it was too late to interrupt Stan’s charging attack, Rita didn’t attempt to block it directly. Instead, she utilized her strengths, predicted Stan’s attack trajectory, and successfully dodged the beam it fired.
“Boom!”
The tremendous noise attracted the attention of many. Among London’s citizens were plenty who enjoyed spectacles. Following the sound, they saw a gaping hole several meters in radius blown into the British Museum’s wall, with chaos inside.
Seeing the commotion growing larger, Stan remembered what Hu Lang had told it: either its Honkai beast form would be discovered by others, or it had to kill everyone who had seen it.
Clearly, even as a Emperor-class Honkai beast, Stan wasn’t confident it could kill all the curious London citizens in front of Rita. So, it chose to revert to its cat form and leap out through the hole it had blasted.
Rita’s scythe sliced through empty air before she realized the Honkai beast had vanished. She immediately looked out through the hole.
But by then, Stan had already taken advantage of the chaos to disappear into the crowd, leaving not even a trace.
“I didn’t expect the destruction to be this severe. That was careless of me.”
Catherine finally arrived at the scene. Looking at the sight before her, she turned to Rita with visible irritation:
“Miss Rita, could you please tell me what exactly happened here?”
Rita offered an apologetic smile:
“Director, there’s no need to worry. Schicksal will compensate the British Museum for all damages at full price.”
A few hours later, news of the British Museum explosion topped trending lists on various platforms.
“According to official UK disclosures, an explosion occurred at the British Museum around 14:00 local time, with no casualties. The cause of the explosion remains unclear. Experts suggest it may have been a gas leak…”
The next day, the British Museum, Director’s Office.
“Regarding the legends of King Arthur, Miss Rita, you must have reviewed quite a bit of material. This young monarch, with his undefeated prowess, became the most renowned king in British history. Yet, in the end, his life concluded in tragedy. The legends he left behind also lack any concrete verification.”
“So, Miss Rita, have you ever considered that the so-called legends of King Arthur might never have actually occurred in real history?”
Rita took a sip of the served black tea and spoke slowly:
“Legends are ultimately stories fabricated by later generations, but they often contain some basis in reality.”
“The real King Arthur surely couldn’t have been a woman with a vertical ahoge and a voracious appetite.”
“You’re right, Miss Rita. You must also know of the legend of Avalon, but that is a later misinterpretation. In fact, precisely because Avalon doesn’t exist in the real world but resides on the other side of time and space, King Arthur never reached it in his lifetime.”
Rita showed a surprised expression:
“The other side of time and space?”
“Please wait a moment, Miss Rita.”
Seeing Rita’s interest piqued, Catherine immediately hurried out. A few minutes later, she returned carrying at least a hundred files.
“Miss Rita, these are the results of my years of research. Please take a look.”
“Ah… Alright, yes.”
“Also, the stone tablet you wanted to examine yesterday was damaged in the explosion. However, the police found something strange within the mural.”
“Something strange?”
Following Catherine, Rita arrived before the damaged mural. Seeing something reflective on it, she immediately moved closer.
“This is… Soul Steel!”
