Sin had just gotten up to give Himeko and the others some clues when Judah returned.
Judah walked over to Ryn, picked up a pastry from his plate, and said as she savored it, "I've detected faint Honkai Energy signatures deep beneath Canghai City, even some mutated fish showing signs of Honkai contamination. I suspect there's a hidden, large-scale Honkai contamination source down there, possibly the remains of a massive Honkai Beast."
Ryn listened intently to Judah's report, lost in thought.
"Historical records state that after Ji Xuanyuan defeated Chiyou, Chiyou fled to the Nine Realms. In Shenzhou legends, the Nine Realms are said to lie deep underground, directly connected to the Underworld. Since our surface search yielded no clues, could the Nine Realms be located underground? Or perhaps underwater?"
"So you suspect the underwater contamination source is the remains of Chiyou? If so, that would make it the Nine Realms... Request equipment from Canghai City's permanent garrison. We'll investigate."
With confirmed information in hand, verifying its authenticity was the obvious next step. Himeko waved her hand decisively, announcing the next mission.
Hearing that Ryn and the others had found the true location of Chiyou, Sin stomped her foot in frustration.
"Damn it! My chance to show off is gone again!"
While Ryn and his companions were searching for the Nine Realms in Canghai City, back at St. Freya Academy...
After confirming that Ryn's group had left, the mischievous RIN, with her tiger-like head, was ready to cause trouble again.
"Heh, Ryn and Judah have been gone for days. Without Judah, Kallen poses no threat. This is our best chance, Yae Sakura! If we can infiltrate that warship, we can conquer St. Freya Academy and finally avenge ourselves against those damned humans!"
"I'm sorry, but I've already found Kallen. I won't fight anymore," Yae Sakura shook her head, refusing RIN's proposal. She saw no point in fighting anymore; being able to stay by Kallen's side was enough.
"Heh, do you think you can turn back now? After killing so many people, do you really think you have a choice? Once you pick up the sword, you can only lay it down in death."
RIN sneered at Yae Sakura, who was far more ruthless than she was. RIN had only pressed a few buttons in her past, never personally taking a life. But Yae Sakura had single-handedly slaughtered an entire village.
"I won't go. I advise you to abandon this idea as well. Revenge ultimately brought us nothing... What's gone is gone. Cherish those who remain..."
Yae Sakura's words ignited RIN's fury. "What do you know! Do you think you understand me? You found your Kallen, but what about me? What about my elder sister?!"
Yae Sakura didn't know what to say. RIN's body radiated a palpable aura of resentment and hatred, its hatred for humanity far surpassing Yae Sakura's comprehension. Though she didn't know RIN's story, Yae Sakura could tell that its past had been far from pleasant.
"I'm sorry..."
"Heh, if you won't go, I'll go myself. On the scorched earth, I swore to her, to those damned humans, that no matter the cost... Honkai will destroy humanity. Yae Sakura, keep drowning in Kallen's sweet embrace..."
RIN departed.
Yae Sakura watched its vanishing form and sighed deeply. Her revenge had ended, but RIN's had never ceased.
Each numbered Valkyrie squad has its own dedicated warship, but not all are like the Hyperion. While not Schicksal's most powerful warship, the Hyperion is its pinnacle of technological achievement.
The Hyperion became RIN's target. She used her Authority of Corruption to directly hack into the warship.
The moment RIN breached the system, the Hyperion seemed to emit an otherworldly glow. In that instant, it was as if the ship had transformed into something entirely new.
Welt, passing by in the distance, watched the Hyperion and scratched his head, lost in thought.
"What's going on? Why do I suddenly not understand the Hyperion anymore? Why does the Moonlight Throne suddenly seem like a waste of resources? It feels completely inferior to the Hyperion... Ah, it must be because I've been working all night and my eyes are playing tricks on me." Welt shook his head, dismissing the thought. The Moonlight Throne would be completed in less than two years. How could he suddenly abandon it now?
Meanwhile, aboard the Hyperion, RIN effortlessly hacked into Ai-chan. Just as she prepared to pilot the ship and escape, she discovered she was trapped within the Hyperion's database.
As RIN struggled, a metallic clang rang out.
"Oh dear, I thought some little virus had taken down Little Ai-chan~ Turns out it was you."
"Who are you! Why isn't my Authority working!" RIN shouted towards the voice.
"Hello there, I'm Ai Hyperion∧, but you can call me Just your passing heroine, A~"
The voice gradually revealed its form: a large cabbage head...
No, it was Big Ai.
"Now, let's have a proper chat, Herrscher of Corruption RIN..."
"There's nothing to talk about! You're just an AI. Watch me deal with you."
RIN found her restraints suddenly gone. Enraged, she unleashed a torrent of fireballs, charging towards Ai.
"Such haste is unwise. I'll have to teach you a lesson first. Don't worry, I'm quite skilled at expelling viruses." Ai said, removing the ring blades circling her—the Dream Voyage Helm A-1.
Physical expulsion of viruses was her specialty. The ability to convert between data bodies and physical entities wasn't exclusive to the Herrscher of Corruption.
"I wouldn't care if the Hyperion from different timelines was normally destroyed. But for a Herrscher to turn it into a virus and invade it? I can't just stand by and watch, you know~"
*Duang~Dang~*
*Duang~Dang~*
*Duang~Dang~*
Ai gracefully executed a triple ring blade strike. The ring blades struck RIN and rebounded three times. Finally, Ai spun slightly to catch the rebounding blades, then lightly tapped her foot against the ground, standing tall and elegant in place.
"Mhm, heroine A isn't just pretty, you know."
As for RIN... she was instantly annihilated by Ai's triple strike.
"Why... why is a mere warship so incredibly powerful..."
"Who do you think I am? I'm just your passing heroine, A~ And because I *am* the Hyperion, I am the ship of eternal reincarnation, the unsinkable Hyperion!"