Arknights' Lock of Heaven

"These are just a bunch of oddballs," Xia Yu said, looking uninterested. "With the two from Black Steel and the support from Penguin Logistics, Amiya, you can manage on your own, right?"

He patted the little rabbit's head. "Officer Chen seems to have something he wants to tell me. Can you grant me leave?"

“I see, I noticed that too,” Amiya nodded. “I still have the Doctor here, Mr. Xia Yu, you can go ahead.”

-

"So, what exactly do you need from her?" Sitting in the passenger seat, Xia Yu stretched. "Aren't we allies? Can't you even reveal this much information?"

“No…” Chen paused for a moment before continuing, “It concerns the safety of Longmen.”

"Safety?" Xia Yu smiled indifferently. "Whatever you say goes."

"Now that we have her, after you get what you want from her, hand her over to me. I promised her I would take her back to Rhodes Island."

That's why he came here.

In the original storyline, the Reunion Movement was the Guard Bureau that attacked them halfway and kidnapped Misha.

But under Xia Yu's intimidation, no one dared to lay a hand on him in the slums. Now that he has gotten into Chen's police car in public, will the Reunion Movement continue its operations?

The key to Chernobog, Sergei, is that what it's called? He really trusts her. Since he gave this to Misha, it must be her lifeline. Why doesn't he let her go directly to the Guard Bureau?

Without knowing the identity of Shattered Bones, Misha would be in trouble if she fell into the hands of the Reunion Movement.

Now, in order to obtain this key, the vast majority of the Reunion Movement has withdrawn from the slums and plans to ambush the Guard Bureau's convoy through the channels of their 'allies'.

The Reunion Movement is full of lunatics.

Incited by Talulah, they don't care how strong their opponents are. They aren't even afraid of natural disasters in Chernobog, so why would they be afraid of Xia Yu?

In their eyes, is Xia Yu really more terrifying than a natural disaster? Faced with a crucial step in the plan, why don't they even dare to take action in the slums?

Not necessarily?

Or did you really believe that Xia Yu was Talulah's lover?

Even if the lower-level members believe it, at least the leaders won't.

Talulah, or Kosiché, must have told them something.

Perhaps in the eyes of the Reunion Movement, Xia Yu is not as terrible as natural disasters, but for Kosichite, that's not necessarily the case.

This time, following Chen's convoy was both for protection and a test.

To test how much Kosicé values ​​his own existence.

The activity of the Reunion Movement shows that he has not abandoned Talulah's body.

What remains is a life-or-death struggle.

How much do you really value me?

If it's a crucial part of achieving the plan, would you step in if I were there?

Kosiché needs the key in Misha's possession to carry out his "extortion" scheme.

He wouldn't manipulate Talulah's body to attack him personally, because he knew how vulnerable that body was to him.

Would he then order his subordinates to attack?

This shows how important he is to Kosic.

If the convoy is attacked, it means he believes that the Reunion Movement's cadres are still capable of fighting Xia Yu.

After all, the Reunion Movement has many ragtag soldiers, but only a few cadres. It's impossible to ask them to risk their lives, otherwise even if he gets the key, he'll have no one left to use.

If the convoy isn't attacked...

That means that Kosiché's emphasis on the Xia language was beyond imagination.

It must be said that the cadres of the Reunion Movement are quite capable to stand out among so many members. The fact that they dare not attack shows that they are afraid that these pawns will be swallowed up by Xia Yu.

He felt that Xia Yu had that ability.

These two scenarios will determine which Noble Phantasm Xia Yu will use at the start when facing Him.

Should we go all out with a single Venus strike, or start by creating a pseudo-spirit origin for Berserker and take it slow?

The former indicates that Kosichek did not underestimate his opponent; he would definitely make the best preparations to meet Xia Yu, so Xia Yu would also exert his full strength from the start.

The latter suggests that Xia Yu is still just a mortal in His eyes, so perhaps it's best to show weakness first, to better understand the methods of the Terra gods, and to gather information.

So, which would you choose?

"..."

"Have you forgotten the leader's orders?" Shattered Bones looked coldly at W, "You absolutely must not confront that person!"

"Even if it's your sister, our mission objective is there?"

W still had a playful expression on his face.

“Even if she’s there!” Broken Bones gritted his teeth and answered, “No matter who we are, even the Patriots would have a slim chance of survival if he faced him, so we absolutely cannot confront him!”

"These are the leader's exact words."

“Hey,” W raised her voice, “you really are willing to go to such lengths, listening to Talulah so much. Aren’t you afraid that the Guard Bureau will kill you after they get that thing?”

“This is the fate of the infected,” Broken Bones lowered his head. “No one can stand aside, including Misha. I can’t trade so many brothers’ lives for a goal that is impossible to achieve.”

"Also, demons, don't let me hear you disrespect the leader again. We are not like you mercenaries."

"Different?" W scoffed. "We're all dogs. We mercenaries are 'Theresis's' dogs, and you're Talulah's dogs. What's the difference?"

“You don’t seem to be that loyal to your lord,” Broken Bones said, unable to bear her incessant chatter, changing the subject. “You’ve been calling him by his first name.”

"Loyalty?" W chuckled. "You expect mercenaries to have that kind of thing?"

"And do you really think that person is strong? Strong enough that we can't match him?"

The Broken Bones remained silent.

W smiled; although she was crazy, she wasn't stupid.

Does Talulah really have people like that under her command, like the one from the day of the riot?

Could the most skilled pardoners do the same thing he did to kill Garsen?

Without any aggressive stance, they simply and gently removed Garsen's head from his neck.

It's as simple as taking a watermelon out of the refrigerator.

Is Garson weak? Of course not. To be sent by Theresis to lead this group of mercenaries, how could he possibly suppress these arrogant and fierce soldiers if he didn't have some strength?

Could the Pardoner have done it? So easily took Garsen's head? And the mercenaries right behind him didn't notice anything amiss.

And then there's his talk of uniting all forces that can be united...

Would someone like Talulah really say something like that? Just look at what Reunion did in Chernobog.

Aside from Patriot, that old guy who still has some sense, and the Sarkaz mercenaries who were intimidated, who showed mercy to the people of Chernobog?

Talulah couldn't bring herself to say such a thing.

but……

As it happens, W knows who can tell.

Coincidentally, they also appeared in Chernobog.

Coincidentally, the man who claimed to be one of Talulah's men threatened the mercenaries before leaving, telling them not to make things difficult for them.

Seeing his old colleagues in the square, and the thoughts that followed the momentary shock of being intimidated by force, W felt he already knew the truth.

Spreading gossip was just a small act of revenge on her part.

But it turns out that the Tower of Babel once had such powerful beings.

It can withstand natural disasters and even capture monsters like Talulah, which frightened her so much that she ordered the Reunion Movement to retreat wherever they encounter it.

Rhodes Island has such powerful people...

Add to that the evil spirit that strikes fear into the hearts of countless people, and Kal'tsit, who skillfully maneuvers alliances and betrayals between nations...

Why did His Highness die? The situation was clearly very favorable, wasn't it?

W looked at the Guard Bureau's convoy and stroked the remote control in his hand.

"why?"

-

"Um..." After holding back for half an hour, Chen finally couldn't help but say, "I have something I want to ask you."

"Oh, what's the matter?"

Xia Yu turned her gaze from the window to Chen, "Is it because I'm so powerful? That's a secret, you can't tell anyone."

Actually, he probably knew what Chen wanted to ask.

“Talulah…I heard you’ve fought her,” Chen tried to conceal his expression, “What kind of person is she in your opinion?”

“Talulah,” Xia Yu stretched upon hearing this, “is beyond redemption.”

laugh……

Chen instinctively gripped the steering wheel tightly, nearly causing the vehicle to lose control.