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

"You will not take him!" Anna, clutching her blade, struggled to stand, her defiance unwavering.

She knew she was no match for Durandal.

She knew Durandal had just saved her life.

But she had to try.

"Lin Wei is the Overseer's enemy…" He'd told her that himself, just moments ago. And now, here was Durandal, the strongest Valkyrie, admitting she was here to take him back to Otto.

How could she allow that?

She felt a mixture of rage and despair.

Can't you see his condition? Don't you know what he did, what it cost him?

Preying on the weak… selfish… despicable… shameless!

He could have abandoned them, escaped this disaster. No one would have found him.

But now…

"This is a betrayal, Durandal! The worst kind!" She gripped her blade, her weakened body trembling with fury.

She was the only one who could protect him now. She couldn't give up.

Durandal was surprised by Anna's hostility. It was the first time a Valkyrie had openly defied her like this.

Beside her, Yuno, who had just slipped out of Durandal's arms, was equally stunned. This wasn't the cheerful, playful Anna she knew from HQ.

This Anna was fragile, like a piece of broken porcelain exposed to the elements, vulnerable and alone.

"Anna…" Yuno didn't understand what had happened, what Anna had been through, but she knew her friend needed her.

"I'm sorry, Captain." She hesitated, glancing at Durandal apologetically, then stood beside Anna, facing her own captain.

An act of open rebellion.

"Yuno…" Anna's heart ached, seeing her friend's unwavering support. Tears threatened to spill.

"Yuno…" Durandal paused, then understanding dawned. She looked at Yuno, assessing her, then dismissed her, returning her attention to Anna.

"You're badly injured. You need to rest," she said calmly. "You're at your limit. This is pointless."

Anna didn't reply, only tightening her grip on her blade, raising it defensively.

Yuno also took a defensive stance, her expression serious, showing no hesitation, despite facing Durandal. In fact, it was because she was facing Durandal that she was so cautious.

"I see. Very well." Durandal nodded, not wanting to waste time on arguments. "Don't take this personally…"

She slammed her fists together, golden flames erupting around her as she shed her blue and white armor, revealing the unstable, golden battlesuit beneath.

"Boom!" She punched, sending Yuno sprawling. The shockwave knocked Anna off her feet as well. She landed beside Lin Wei, losing consciousness.

Durandal glanced at her, then flew off, a blur of motion, sweeping through the ruins, swiftly eliminating the remaining Honkai beasts. Since she was already using this much power, she might as well be thorough.

Two minutes later, she returned. Lin Wei and Anna were still unconscious. Yuno had gotten back on her feet, standing defiantly before her.

"Still want to fight?" Durandal asked.

"Anna is… hurting," Yuno replied, her meaning clear.

"I see." Durandal nodded, as if she'd expected this. She punched again, sending Yuno flying.

She shook her head, dismissing the now-unstable golden battlesuit, returning to her blue and white armor. She knelt beside Anna, examining her wounds.

Most were minor, but the deep gash on her wrist made her frown. She'd lost a lot of blood.

Anna's desperation, her defiance, surprised her.

This man… she glanced at the unconscious Lin Wei. He'd inspired such loyalty in a Schicksal Valkyrie.

But…

She looked at the calm sea, the clear sky above, the dark clouds on the horizon.

…it's not entirely surprising. She shook her head, dismissing the thought, then summoned her Divine Key, the Black Abyss White Flower, holding it above Anna, reciting the familiar words:

"I am the black from the abyss, the white from the heavens…"

A white flower bloomed in the air, the lance's petals transforming into a healing balm, soothing Anna's wounds, restoring her life force.

"Shuffle… shuffle… shuffle…" Yuno, bruised but undeterred, returned, watching them from a distance.

Durandal ignored her, focusing on her task. She sheathed her Divine Key, stood up, and walked over to Lin Wei.

"Wait…" Yuno started to protest, a strange sense of familiarity drawing her towards the unconscious man. But Durandal's sharp glance silenced her.

Her captain had just healed Anna. She couldn't be too demanding.

She looked at Lin Wei, then reluctantly dismissed the strange feeling, suppressing her curiosity.

Durandal, seeing Yuno's acquiescence, reached for Lin Wei.

"Hmm?" She noticed the object clutched tightly in his hand – an ornate katana.

It looked familiar. She tried to pull it free, but his grip was too tight.

She changed tactics, gently drawing the blade partway from its scabbard. She frowned, recognizing the crimson blade. The same one she'd encountered briefly, the one that had caused her rare mission failure.

She looked at Lin Wei's face, then silently sheathed the katana, gently lifting him into her arms.

"Yuno, with Anna here, I trust you can control your… impulses now, can't you?" she asked, her voice calm.

"Yes," Yuno replied, glancing at Anna, then meeting Durandal's gaze, her voice firm.

That was why she was here. The earlier confrontation had been a mere… distraction.

"Good." Durandal nodded. "Then stay here, assist Rita. With your abilities, you can help bring this… incident to a swift conclusion." She couldn't stay. She had a mission to complete. She would have to leave the rest to Yuno.

"Yes, Captain!" Yuno was surprised by her captain's continued trust, despite her earlier insubordination. She nodded, her voice firm.

"Return with the Immortal Blades fleet after the mission. Do not act independently," Durandal added.

"Understood."

Durandal nodded, then glanced at Lin Wei, her expression unreadable. Blue and white light erupted from her back, lifting them into the air, soaring towards the horizon.

She flew slower than usual, careful not to jostle the unconscious man in her arms.

Rita watched the familiar blue meteor streak across the sky, then shook her head silently.

...

"Ugh…" Anna woke up, feeling a gentle rocking motion. She opened her eyes, seeing the ground moving beneath them. She was being carried.

"Yuno?" She recognized the familiar scent, her mind slowly piecing together the events. She leaned against Yuno's shoulder, her voice weak. "They… they took him, didn't they?"

"Yes," Yuno replied, carrying her friend towards the base camp. "I'm sorry, Anna." She felt she'd failed her friend.

"It's not your fault, Yuno. Thank you," Anna said, shaking her head, tears rolling down her cheeks, a mixture of gratitude and despair in her voice. "Just you being here… trying to help… it means a lot… thank you…" She felt utterly alone, abandoned by the world, Yuno's presence her only comfort.

Yuno shook her head silently, continuing her journey, the rhythmic sound of her footsteps echoing in the quiet ruins.

"Yuno, you're going back to HQ, aren't you?" Anna asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes."

"Could you… do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Lin Wei… he's been taken to HQ. I'm worried about him. But I can't do anything…" She felt a surge of sadness, fighting back the tears. "Yuno, I have no one else to ask… could you… look after him for me?"

"The man you were protecting?" Yuno thought of the unconscious man, the strange sense of familiarity returning. "Yes, of course."

"Thank you…" Anna relaxed slightly, then continued, her voice soft, as if sharing a secret. "You know, Lin Wei… he's… amazing. He seems to know everything, and he can do anything. The more I learn about him, the more… curious I become…"

"Mm," Yuno replied, listening intently.

"He's also a survivor from Nagazora, like you. I can't imagine how he… became who he is today." Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Yuno's sudden pause. "He was the one who rescued you from Chiba Academy and brought you to Schicksal…"

"It's such a small world, isn't it?" Her memories became clearer, sharper, her grief and confusion intensifying. She started crying again. "I'm sorry, Yuno… you shouldn't have to see me like this…"

"No, Anna, thank you for telling me this." Yuno finally understood the source of that strange familiarity. She felt a sudden urge to return to HQ, to confront him, to demand answers.

But Anna needed her now.

"Sleep, Anna," she said, releasing a calming scent, gently lulling her friend to sleep. Her voice was filled with a quiet determination.

"I'll take care of him."