The scene of the enormous base reappearing left even the well-traveled Valkyries in shock.
"I can't believe this. How was this even done?"
"I've heard of a phoenix rising from the ashes, but I've never seen a base rise from the ashes."
"Time can't possibly reverse. The North American base was clearly destroyed. That's a fact. What we're seeing has to be some kind of magical illusion!"
At that moment, one Valkyrie tossed a small stone toward the base. The stone struck the wall at high speed. It did not bounce back. Instead, as if swallowed by an invisible force, it vanished into the wall.
The solid impact confirmed for them that this was no mirage-like illusion.
Such a method of raising towering buildings from flat ground made even the logistics Valkyries, who had been working construction on-site, nearly weep with envy.
As one Valkyrie moved closer to the base, she suddenly felt something soft underfoot. "Hm? The ground's wet?"
Another Valkyrie immediately responded, "That's impossible. The survey report clearly stated that the underground here is extremely high-temperature. Even the groundwater has already evaporated."
They lowered their heads—only to see golden goblets half-sunken into the sand.
And the sand itself was no ordinary sand. The foundation sand the Valkyries had just laid down had turned into golden grains.
One Valkyrie scooped up a handful of the golden sand. It slipped through her fingers like flowing silk. She gasped. "This gold is real!"
Vill-V's first step in spending money—scatter the cash!
Vill-V's current objective was simple: stall Otto and his group, buying time for Planck's diversion.
Of course, if she could take Otto down and make Void Archives drop as loot, that would be even better.
"Surely no Valkyrie would actually be bribed by gold, right?"
Obviously, although most Valkyries had strong personalities, they had long since cast aside fear of death. How could they possibly...
There really were...
"With this, I can finally buy Australian lobster and a baking machine! Ahh—"
"Wow, Yves Saint Laurent, here I come!"
"Turis' limited-edition record..."
It had to be said, Valkyrie life was truly colorful. Even Vill-V, from the Previous Era, felt a twinge of envy. She almost wanted to become a Valkyrie herself.
Just how had Otto managed to cultivate such personalities among Valkyries who fought Honkai Beasts day and night?
But thinking about it carefully, Schicksal was not merely a military organization. It was also a religious institution. It was understandable that it would foster such individuality. If instead it had produced soldiers as numb and mechanical as those of the Previous Era, that would have been stranger.
Naturally, their attempt to stuff gold sand into their pockets was quickly stopped by their teammates.
And Magician's act of pouring out golden sand with a Divine Key was likewise stopped by Conductor.
Conductor was not distressed over the gold pouring out at ten thousand meters per second. After all, none of it could be brought back. It was just like using cheat codes for fun. What she truly meant to say was...
"Magician, Scholar's condition isn't looking right. Cut it out for a moment."
"Huh? Fine then." Magician waved her hand, retracting the magic top hat that had been spewing golden sand. She muttered under her breath, "I haven't even set off my coin fireworks yet."
But within their shared consciousness, Magician had already sensed Occultist's abnormal state. At first she thought Occultist was performing some trick inside Vill-V's sea of consciousness, planning to give everyone a surprise. With Occultist's ability, anything she did would be theatrical.
Unfortunately, Magician could never master that craft. She had tried before, but that kind of thing was not something ordinary people could handle.
Within the sea of consciousness, Conductor could feel Scholar's spirit growing increasingly faint. No—rather than faint, it was gradually disappearing. Her presence now flickered like a slideshow.
Originally, based on Expert and Occultist's explanations, Conductor had assumed that using the Second Divine Key merely consumed mental energy. But the mind was clearly not so simple. Occultist had concealed certain truths.
No wonder Cosmic Juggernaut required a psychic-type MANTIS to wield it. Only a psychic MANTIS could treat their mind like firewood to be burned.
"If this keeps up, Occultist, you're going to disappear. Stop."
Upon hearing Conductor's words, Occultist did not stubbornly continue. She ceased her manipulation of Cosmic Juggernaut and explained, "What exists today was nothing yesterday. What exists today will be nothing tomorrow. Dissolution is but a return to darkness, yet life continues endlessly."
"Mm, I understand. But we have to proceed only if your safety is guaranteed. If you disappear, Id will cry. Just look at Id's aggrieved expression right now."
With Conductor backing her up, Id hurriedly asked in concern, "Can you return to normal?"
"Once we leave this world."
"Then until we leave this world, we can't use Cosmic Juggernaut again."
"Eh?!!!!" The shriek came from Magician. After all, she had just prepared an entire series of spectacular magic performances for Otto's group centered around Cosmic Juggernaut.
...
"Oh? And what's this now?"
A Valkyrie from Schicksal picked up one of the goblets from the golden sand. Then the sand on the ground churned, and golden-red wine surged forth. As she lowered the cup, the liquid rose from the sand and flowed back into it.
Though the goblet had been buried in sand, the wine inside remained crystal clear, untouched by dust or contamination.
The Valkyrie was astonished. "I once saw a famous magician perform time magic in France. But that was just using invisible threads to hoist a fallen apple back up—an obvious trick at a glance."
"But something like liquid wine... how is this even possible? It's unbelievable. I can't figure it out at all."
Seeing the surprise Vill-V had prepared for Schicksal, Reanna Brigantia was unimpressed. She turned to Otto. "Bishop, speed is paramount in warfare. We should eliminate this base as quickly as possible. Who knows what dangers they're preparing inside..."
Otto raised a hand, signaling Reanna to remain at ease. Everything was under control. "No need to rush. Observing quietly is an excellent way to find an enemy's weakness. And Reanna, you're worried about Katerina and the others as well, aren't you? They're stalling for time. Are we not doing the same?"
The people of Anti-Entropy might possess a bit of cleverness, but they lacked resolve. They were too young, too idealistic. They would not strike a lethal blow immediately, especially not with Reanna present.
With great interest, Otto picked up a goblet just like the other Valkyries and admired the spectacle of spilled wine flowing back into it.
He raised the cup and examined it carefully. Unlike the others, Otto drank without hesitation.
"Mm. Madeira wine, 1776."
As a Valkyrie who had lived for over a century, Reanna retained some impression of historical events not far removed from her own birth era. "1776... wasn't that—"
"Correct. The American War of Independence." Otto spoke leisurely. "It seems Schicksal's North American branch intends to launch another war of independence."
He gently swirled the wine in his cup. "And this is their Declaration of Independence."
Heh. Independence elsewhere was acceptable. But independence from Schicksal... was not.
Crack. Like a tyrant, Otto crushed the golden goblet in his hand into a crumpled ball. With a dull thud, the golden sphere fell into the sand.
The Yellowstone ruins, the Ninth Divine Key, and the missing Schicksal Valkyries and Divine Keys—either all of them would be returned, or they would remain buried underground until he dug them out himself.