Firefly kept her eyes on the spot where Kiana had disappeared. After a while, she finally looked away.
She took out World Serpent's communicator, her thoughts drifting back to what had happened at Heliopolis Life Sciences yesterday.
--+--
"Your physical condition's much better than I expected."
Firefly had only just stepped out of the tank filled with a nutrient solution rich in Honkai energy when a mature, teasing voice sounded behind her. She turned around and saw an enormous screen nearly as tall as a person.
On the other side stood a dark-skinned woman wearing a mask, her lips curled into a smile while the eyes behind the mask gleamed with amusement.
"...What do you want?"
Firefly stayed silent for a moment before finally speaking. They hadn't known each other for long, but there was already a deep divide between them, and Jackal knew that perfectly well.
"You don't like me, and I can't stand you either. But don't forget that the Sire personally invited you into World Serpent." A note of warning entered Jackal's voice. "As your colleagues, we can turn a blind eye to some of the things you do, but you'd better not cross the line."
"I can ease your condition, which means I can just as easily make things harder for you."
"Are you threatening me?" Firefly frowned. "I trust Kevin's character, but until I fully understand whether World Serpent is truly carrying out what Kevin wants, I can't place complete trust in you."
"Heh."
Jackal gave a cold laugh. "If you think defeating the Honkai can be some beautiful fairy tale where everyone gets a happy ending, you'd better give up that childish fantasy now."
"I don't think that at all. I'm no stranger to the horror and cruelty of war." Firefly turned toward the screen. Her normally soft and gentle features now carried a surprising firmness. "But some things can't simply be brushed aside by calling them 'necessary sacrifices.' And more importantly, were those sacrifices really necessary?"
"What do you even know about our plan?"
Jackal only gave a scornful smile. What was the point of judging something when Firefly didn't even know the whole picture?
"I don't know the details of your plan. But in Kevin's eyes, it isn't the only path to defeating the Honkai. That's why he told me to see this world for myself before making my decision." Firefly's gaze didn't waver.
"If I find something in your plan that I can't accept, then I've got the right to act as I see fit."
"Heh..."
The smile vanished from Jackal's face. "You're free to make whatever choice you think is right. But before you choose, I hope you'll think carefully about the consequences of betraying the Sire."
"..."
There wasn't anything left to say. Neither of them had the ability or desire to convince the other, so Firefly stopped responding. Jackal ended the call just as quickly.
--+--
The laboratory was shrouded in darkness, with the glow of the screen providing the room's only light. Jackal tapped her fingers against her elbow for a few moments before connecting to Raven's channel.
"The plan's changed."
"Hm?"
Raven, who'd been reading a cookbook, raised an eyebrow. She hadn't expected those to be the first words she'd hear after answering.
"Something happened?"
"Two things," Jackal said. "The Sire returned not long ago. And SAM's instability has gone far beyond my original estimates. She's no longer suitable for use as a pawn."
"..."
Raven's hand paused halfway through turning the page. "Is that the Sire's decision?"
"There's no need to trouble the Sire with something this minor."
"If you're planning to make a move against SAM, I think you'd better tell Gray Serpent first." Raven closed the book slightly. "Other than the Seven Thunders of Retribution, I can't think of anything that could hurt her. And even with the Seven Thunders, I don't like my odds."
"Scared?"
"If the job's likely to cost me my life, then the money you're paying isn't enough."
She was scared, of course, but Raven wasn't about to admit that outright. She figured Gray Serpent would stop Jackal the moment he learned what she was planning.
That way, Raven wouldn't even have to argue with this woman herself. Besides, she couldn't imagine the Sire approving an attack on SAM in the first place.
"Heh. Relax. I'm not going to do anything to one of our own before the Sire gives his approval."
As if she'd seen straight through Raven's thoughts, Jackal gave another cold laugh. "I'm planning to revise our operation instead. We've already gathered everything we need, so there's no point in continuing this little game of make-believe."
"I see. So what're you planning?"
"It's simple. Take out that self-important S-rank Valkyrie, then capture the Herrscher of the Void alive and bring her to me."
"...?"
Raven stared at her communicator, put the book aside, and made sure she was giving Jackal her full attention before speaking again.
"What did you just say?"
"Is something wrong with your ears? I told you to take out the S-rank Valkyrie and capture the Herrscher of the Void alive."
"..."
"You seriously think I can beat an S-rank Valkyrie who's leading a squad and a Herrscher of the Void who can wipe out a city with a wave of her hand?" Raven asked, speechless.
"What're you worried about? You know how powerful the HSN-B46 Serum is." Jackal didn't seem concerned in the slightest. "It rapidly neutralizes and disperses Honkai energy inside living organisms."
"With it, an S-rank Valkyrie won't be a problem, and neither will the Herrscher of the Void. Besides, this Herrscher isn't nearly as terrifying as the records make her sound. From the data we've collected recently, she's clearly within your ability to handle."
Raven almost laughed at how easily this researcher reduced real combat to numbers on a page. "Data's data. An actual fight's an actual fight."
"This is our only chance to catch them off guard," Jackal said. "That Valkyrie's already begun suspecting us over the past two days. If she meets up with the Herrscher who's been circling around us this whole time, a temporary alliance between them isn't out of the question."
"We need to take them both down the first time they work together, while they still lack trust and coordination."
'So you really do expect me to fight both of them at once.'
"You're sure you don't want SAM helping?" Raven's mouth twitched.
"She'd only get in the way." Jackal continued as if everything were perfectly reasonable. "Don't worry. The Death Web units I mentioned before are ready for deployment. With them supporting you, there won't be any problems."
Raven had plenty of complaints about the whole thing, but there was one point she couldn't deny. The idea of defeating the Herrscher of the Void was tempting.
As for capturing her alive, Raven wasn't counting on it. Jackal might sound confident, but Raven knew she wouldn't have the luxury of holding back once the fighting started.
"I'll prepare a trap for them. Don't worry. With everything I've planned, they're already caught in the net."
Jackal's confident declaration settled the matter, and the operation was officially set.
--+--
Night fell, and the hours passed until well after midnight.
Just as Jackal had predicted, Rita and Kiana arrived right on schedule.
--+--
T/N: If you want advance chapters, you can find it at [email protected]/AspenTL