Cecilia stood frozen in place.
She watched Otto fade—bit by bit—until nothing remained.
Her trembling hand reached out, trying to grasp him.
But in the end—
There was nothing in her palm.
Her mind went blank.
Brother… is dead?
No.
No…
A tidal wave of grief surged up from the depths of her heart, nearly crushing her.
Brother… Otto… Overseer…
She remembered the first glance—the dependence, the quiet longing.
She remembered standing beside him, cautious yet restless.
She remembered the warmth of holding his hand, her flushed cheeks, the joy that filled her chest.
She remembered their shared gaze atop the roller coaster.
The birthday cake they ate together at midnight.
The dance in the square—his warm embrace—how she had wished it would last forever.
He liked to show a subtle distance from the crowd, saying he was merely planning the next act of the play.
He liked to think in silence, his eyes wise and lonely beneath the night sky.
He once held her hand and promised her a life of peace.
Every gesture of indulgent affection had filled her with happiness.
Vaguely—
She remembered, long ago, when her first stirrings of love awakened, he had stepped into her world.
The feeling had been the same as now.
A lingering tenderness.
Had she loved him for many years already?
How ironic.
Just as her memories resurfaced—
The beauty vanished like smoke before her eyes.
Her eyes reddened.
But she did not cry.
She could not cry.
Not now.
Cecilia slowly tightened her grip on the lance.
Her other hand clenched into a fist.
Her gaze burned with fury as it locked onto Jackal, who was still frowning over Otto's final words.
She inhaled deeply.
Lowered her stance.
Set her footing.
Jackal finally noticed.
She looked at Cecilia, lance in hand, and shook her head impatiently.
Even so, she instinctively resumed her earlier mask of false civility.
"I'm very sorry, Miss Cecilia, but in your current state you are merely—"
"Black Abyss White Flower."
Cecilia ignored her.
She whispered to the lance in her hands.
"Follow me… into battle."
The spear reversed.
Her figure blurred like a phantom.
She thrust straight toward Jackal.
Jackal retreated.
Cecilia closed in instantly, wrist flickering—three points of light striking toward different vital areas.
Jackal raised her arm to block—
Crack.
She staggered back several steps.
Her arm snapped at the joint.
Blood poured freely.
Cecilia did not allow even a breath of reprieve.
Her right foot slammed into a stone slab. The rebound launched her skyward—
The lance left her hand, breaking the sound barrier as it shot toward Jackal's chest.
But—
Just before impact—
Cecilia saw it.
Mockery.
Amusement.
On Jackal's face.
The lance pierced through—
Straight through.
No blood.
No resistance.
The image dissolved.
Gone.
Cecilia recalled the lance at once, knees bending, senses sharpened.
The ground trembled again.
No—
Not just the ground.
The Thames.
The surrounding buildings.
Everything shook.
"Well then," a hoarse voice echoed, "it seems I must fight you seriously after all, Miss Cecilia."
From the spot where the lance had struck—
A massive serpent's head emerged.
Its heavy skull lifted, tongue flicking in and out.
Metallic scales clashed with a ringing sound as its body coiled forward.
Two fangs like spearheads dripped green venom that sizzled against the ground, leaving black scorch marks.
Silver light shimmered across its body—
But there was nothing holy about it.
Only killing intent.
"My favorite experimental specimen," Jackal declared proudly.
"Technically it has only a month to live—but a month is enough to bloom brilliantly. Like now. Facing an S-rank Valkyrie."
"I named it Jörmungandr."
"It rivals Emperor-class Honkai Beasts."
Her voice grew louder.
The earlier pretense of humility cracked, revealing unrestrained arrogance.
"The earlier beasts proved nothing. Mere distractions. I could have cleared them myself. They were only there to draw your attention—to make Otto careless."
"But now—the real battle begins—"
"Why are you attacking already?!"
"Too much talking."
Cecilia replied coldly.
She lunged.
The lance drove toward the serpent's pupil.
Jörmungandr twisted aside.
Its tail lashed down like a collapsing tower.
"Very well, Cecilia!" Jackal roared. "If Schicksal loses a Overseer today, it may as well lose an S-rank Valkyrie too!"
The riverbank echoed with her fury.
But neither warrior nor beast paid her any heed.
They clashed.
Within mere minutes, hundreds of exchanges had passed.
Cecilia's innate combat instincts guided her body flawlessly. She evaded, countered, and drove the silver lance into the serpent's flesh.
Some strikes glanced off hardened scales.
Others pierced the gaps between them.
The serpent howled.
Dark red blood splattered across the ruins.
Its tail smashed through broken structures, turning wreckage into dust. Buildings collapsed nearby. Debris filled the air.
Suddenly—
Jörmungandr seized a moment of imbalance and lunged.
Venom struck the ground, corroding a massive crater instantly.
Cecilia twisted away.
Her eyes sharpened.
She spun—
The lance arced upward and plunged into the serpent's eye.
Blood and vitreous fluid burst outward.
But at the same time—
A fang caught her foot.
It pierced through her combat boot.
Had she been a fraction slower, the white fang would have torn clean through her sole.
They separated.
Cecilia stumbled back until her spine struck a fractured wall.
She forced herself upright.
Controlled her breathing.
Dark red blood stained the ground beneath her.
The silver glow of the lance dimmed—like a candle flickering in the wind.
Jörmungandr did not rush.
It circled.
Neck swelling.
Hissing.
An unnatural stillness spread across the ruins.
It wasn't silence in sound—
Both combatants still breathed, still moved—
Yet the air itself felt heavy.
Oppressive.
Forcing stillness.
"For someone like you," Jackal's voice rang out again, strained calm barely concealing jealousy, "Otto was remarkably indulgent."
"But you're gravely wounded now, Miss Cecilia Schariac."
"If I were you, I'd retreat. Return to Schicksal. Assist Miss Amber in stabilizing the situation."
"Your attempt to shake my resolve is painfully obvious," Cecilia replied at last.
"But—"
She flexed her injured foot lightly.
Then—
She leapt high.
"An Emperor-class beast?"
"I have slain countless."
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