The girl stood like a Valkyrie descended from the heavens. Her crimson spear burned fiercely as she stood at the center of the battlefield, surrounded by the massive, rock-like fragments of shattered Honkai Beast corpses. Smaller snow-white debris fell like hail around her.
The scattered Honkai energy transformed into a brilliant curtain of light encircling her. Gold, red, blue, and violet hues intertwined like the aurora of a northern snow kingdom, mesmerizing to behold.
The aurora rotated and pulsed, as if it possessed a will of its own—like an unseen mother extending gentle hands to caress the girl's face.
A victorious smile rested upon her lips.
Though she was only a ten-year-old child, those who witnessed the scene felt as though they were standing before someone truly great. It inspired awe—and an unexpected calm. That smile was like a harbor, sheltering their fear and worry.
Kevin, still gripping his bloodstained baseball bat, was the first to speak. Whether he was trying to ease the tension with a dry joke or simply lacked the knack for solemn words, he said, "Uh... you're leaking air... cool..."
"Who are you calling gassy?!" Ido snapped angrily, violet-red mist beginning to seep from her body. "This is overlo—"
Before she could finish, she collapsed.
Pardo rushed forward to catch her, but Ido flicked her away with the shaft of her spear.
She knew the concentration of Honkai energy around her body was dangerously high. If Pardo touched her, she would definitely contract Honkai Sickness.
"Ban... bandage..."
Understanding immediately, Pardo tossed the Honkai-suppressing bandage to her. Using one arm and her teeth, Ido managed to rewrap it around herself. Yet she frowned silently at the spreading patterns of Honkai erosion across her body.
Just as Teacher Vill-V had warned, Honkai erosion was not something one could overcome through willpower alone, nor escape through luck. Even though she had only used that power for a brief dozen seconds, the corrosion had already spread throughout her entire body.
"You all should go."
"Huh? W-What do you mean, Ido-sis? Are you... resting here?" Pardo asked anxiously. Without Ido's overwhelming strength, if another powerful Honkai Beast attacked, they would have no way to resist.
"Resting... yes. I'm just tired." Ido lay on the ground and closed her eyes. "Pardo, let me sleep for a bit."
Mei saw through her intention and spoke gently. "The Honkai erosion on your body has spread."
"Heh..." Ido forced a smile. "That's right... I'm probably... done here."
"What do you mean done here?! At a time like this, how can you sleep—"
Ido ignored Pardo's words and instead looked toward the sky.
"Kevin... didn't you want to know where my power comes from?"
"I'll tell you now."
"My power comes from my mother."
"After the Second Honkai Eruption, my parents took me and fled Siberia."
"The first to die was my father. He turned into an undead and attacked my mother. To protect me, she became infected with Honkai Sickness."
"At that time, I wasn't infected yet. Mother kept her distance from me. She said: 'Only by living can we welcome a turning point.'"
"At the very end... I failed to keep my promise to her. I took her hand."
"Do you know the warmth of a palm? It was like light. Everything beautiful I could ever feel... none of it compared to that warmth."
"Mother didn't blame me. And I never once regretted it."
"Afterward, just as expected, I became infected with Honkai Sickness as well."
"But my condition progressed extremely slowly. A few days later, I was found by MOTH and taken to the Babylon Laboratory."
"There... I saw my mother again."
Kevin was startled. Hadn't her mother already died? Could Honkai energy revive the dead? Or had she always been part of the Babylon Laboratory, everything before merely an illusion?
Though questions crowded his mind, he did not interrupt her.
"I won't go into the details. Just understand that from her, I obtained the techniques and experience of combat."
"After that, Mr. Mad Hatter—my mentor... well, Vill-V—taught me how to use this power. She created suppressors and release devices for me, and based on that, formulated the [Project Valkyrie] for me."
Kevin and Me were both inwardly astonished. To hear the name Vill-V from the lips of the very 'Valkyrie' before them—was she the same woman Su had recently befriended?
"A Valkyrie doesn't exist solely to fight. The reason I'm telling you all this... is because I saw your will to protect me."
That was also one of the reasons Ido had chosen to protect them, even at the cost of her own life.
"I've said everything I needed to. Hurry and go. The thunderstorm... is coming again."
"Ido-sis..."
Pardo tried to step forward again, but Mei pulled her back.
"Miss Ido is right. We can't let her sacrifice be in vain. We must carry her will... and keep moving forward."
What I really want to say is: Ido-sis, you just exposed the boss' identity. If Sister Zofia finds out, there'll definitely be another lecture waiting...
But seeing Ido eager to rest, Pardo decided not to disturb her final peace.
"Little Pardo... in my place, protect Kevin and Mei..."
"Ah... o-okay... since it's your request, Ido-sis... You rest well, but hurry and catch up later, alright? I'm not good at fighting..."
...
As Pardo's voice faded into the distance, silence gradually settled around Ido...
She gave a self-mocking laugh.
"So that's it, huh? In the end I only killed two 'Chariot-class'... Didn't even get to see a 'Judgment-class.' If I'd known, I would've gone to see that so-called 'Herrscher' instead..."
She felt the stabbing pain in her limbs, the slowing of her heartbeat. Ido knew the Honkai erosion was penetrating deeper into her marrow. In this state, not even Vill-V could save her.
She raised her arm to cover her dimming eyes.
"I'm not reconciled... I'm not reconciled—!"
Her voice choked.
"Mom... I still want to go to the amusement park one more time... I still want to see more... to see the aurora pointing toward a fairyland... the butterflies dancing in the winter snow..."
"Sorry, Teacher Vill-V... I mentioned your name. Please don't forgive me... because this is the last time I'll ever act willfully..."
"Please remember my name... Ido Vya..."