While Snow was playing Gray Serpent like a puppet elsewhere in the exhibition hall, Catherine's explanation continued.
"After King Arthur ascended the throne, he established the powerful Knights of the Round Table, who swore an oath to jointly defend Britannia."
"Under the valiant efforts of the king and his knights, Britannia drove out countless invaders, ushering in an era of strength and unity. King Arthur's deeds have been sung to this day, becoming a household tale across England."
After explaining the story depicted in the mural to Rita, Curator Catherine asked the pondering Valkyrie with a hint of curiosity, "So, Miss Rita, is there any special information hidden within this mural?"
"It's a secret," Rita replied with a polite smile.
"Ah... my apologies. It was merely academic curiosity, you understand how scholars always have these sorts of inquisitiveness," Catherine explained, raising her hands in a gesture of apology.
"Then I won't disturb your investigation any further. Please feel free to contact me if you need anything," Catherine waved goodbye to Rita, looking like she had other matters to attend to.
The clue to the divine key must be hidden within this mural. The only relevant items are the Sword in the Stone and the Round Table...
"Based on Lady Snow's deduction last night, the Sword in the Stone is far more likely to be a divine key than the Round Table..."
Rita stared intently at the stone tablet before her, lost in thought, until a cat's meow broke her concentration.
"Meow—" A harmless-looking white-gray Siamese cat with purple eyes approached Rita, its tail swaying gently.
"A cat... why is there a cat here?" Rita, her Schicksal Valkyrie instincts on high alert, took a step back. Suddenly, a monstrous Cat-type Honkai Beast materialized before her and lunged.
It had once weathered the crucible of war, experienced the warmth of family and friendship, and known the agony of loss.
Its tumultuous life had taught it one irrefutable truth: in this world, power is the only law.
To attain that power, it had fearlessly ventured into forbidden realms, sacrificing more than any ordinary cat could endure. It had ruthlessly eliminated countless rivals in fierce competition.
Finally, after enduring brutal experiments, it had ascended to unparalleled strength—becoming the ultimate lifeform on this planet!
As Stan pondered this, the Valkyrie before him had already dismissed the puzzle of how a cat could suddenly transform into a Honkai Beast. She summoned her Valkyrie Battlesuit.
"Meow~" They say Schicksal Valkyries all possess their own unique Battlesuits. Little girl, show me your full power!
"I'll investigate thoroughly after I defeat you!"
Rita charged forward, swinging her scythe at the cat-type Honkai Beast, while light began to gather at the tip of Stan's tail, as if preparing to unleash an energy beam.
"So noisy... Rita, what are you two doing?" A young girl's voice cut through the tense standoff.
The white-haired girl, dressed in the ceremonial robes of a Schicksal Cardinal, stood at the entrance of the exhibition hall where the stone tablet was housed.
Boom! The cat instinctively flinched at the sound, causing the energy beam charging in its tail to graze past Rita's side and pierce through the British Museum's wall.
A cold draft rushed in through the breach, causing the Valkyrie's long robes to billow at the hall entrance.
"Wow... nice shot, little kitty," an unfamiliar woman clapped, strolling toward the still-confrontational pair.
"Hmm... so you think the room is too dark, little kitty?" The white-haired girl began to twist her wrist, watching the "small" cat before her with keen interest.
"Meow!—" Jackal, you son of a bitch! Why is this little terror here too?!
Though her appearance had changed dramatically since their encounter in Singapore, Stan's feline instincts immediately recognized the person before him.
Every muscle in the cat's body tensed. The power granted by his Transformation offered little comfort; his primal instincts screamed at him—Run, now!
Beep beep beep— At the worst possible moment, the Transformation Collar around the adorable "little" cat's neck began to chime, signaling that his Transformation was about to expire...
"Meow—!!!" Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
Stan glanced back at Rita, poised to strike, then swiftly snapped his head forward to face Snow, who was stretching her right arm as if preparing to deliver a serious punch. He felt his cat life might truly be about to end.
Ultimate Lifeform Stan—gave up on thinking.
"Looks like you want to go home, little one... Let me give you a hand, and the museum is a bit dark in here..."
"A cute little kitty like you should be rolling around on the sun-drenched green lawns of London, happily chasing butterflies—right?!"
"Meow—!" (Oh mighty one, I was wrong!!!)
The piercing meow abruptly cut off as Snow materialized before the Cat-type Honkai Beast and unleashed a punch.
The white-purple Cat-type Honkai Beast broke free from Earth's gravity, rocketing through the air at supersonic speed. It tore through a gaping hole in the British Museum's wall, leaving a sonic boom in its wake as it streaked toward a distant plaza.
The cat's form steadily shrank in mid-air, eventually reverting to the size of an ordinary house cat. Its limbs and tail flailed wildly, and its desperate meows never ceased from the moment it took flight.
"Meow—!!!" (Cats can't fly!!!)
A piercing, incomprehensible meow cut through the London sky, becoming a new urban legend whispered among the city's youth.
Yet, even cats must obey Newton's laws. They can't truly ascend to become "Heavenly Cats," and even kittens soaring across the city sky must eventually descend.
Hmm, this landing spot looks perfect: soft grass, warm sunlight, tiny insects flitting about, and several of my kind nearby.
As a landing zone for Stan, this place was indeed perfect.
Of course, it would be perfect if that golden-haired, blue-eyed little devil hadn't blasted me out of the museum, sending me flying halfway across the city. Wait, that little devil's hair seems white now... Stan thought mid-air, suddenly realizing his predicament.
"Meow!" (Save me—!!!)
Stan crashed heavily onto the grass, landing right in front of Durandal, the Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie who was playfully teasing the kittens playing in the grass.
"?... Meow~" Staring at the equally terrifying woman before him, Stan abandoned all thought, flopped onto his back, exposing his belly, and immediately resorted to selling his charm.
"Eh? How wonderful!" Durandal, who had been repeatedly rejected by several kittens, immediately began petting the adorable creature that had fallen from the sky and willingly exposed its belly. The Valkyrie then picked up Stan, who was trembling with fear inside her.
"Hmm? A collar? Little cutie, do you have an owner?" Bianca gazed at the strange collar around the cat's neck with a hint of reluctance.
"If you have an owner, I can't take you home..." Bianca tightened her grip on the cat's paw.
Feeling the increasing pressure, Stan shook his head violently, like a rattle drum, wearing a tearful "crying cat" expression. As he did so, the battered Transformation Collar shattered and fell to the ground.
"Eh... Were you abandoned by your owner? Then from now on, you'll be with me!" The Valkyrie's spirits brightened once more.