Arknights' Lock of Heaven

"A lover?" Xia Yu asked, puzzled.

“Talulah,” W replied matter-of-factly, “there were so many people watching in the square that day, and that terrifying Drak was so easily tied up and carried away in your arms. Do you still want to deny it?”

"No way, putting me and her together is disgusting," Xia Yu hesitated for a moment.

After all, the person inside that skin now is Koschke.

Because of his intrusion, he had already taken over the body. Due to the time elapsed, Talulah's consciousness should not have disappeared yet, but it was not much better.

He might still be locked up in a dark room.

"Now you know what disgusting is," W smiled gently. "Why didn't you feel disgusted hugging me in the square in front of so many people that day?"

“After all, she was a genuine beautiful girl back then,” Xia Yu sighed. “Now, we can’t be sure what’s underneath that skin.”

“Oh ho, what an unexpected bonus,” W said, narrowing his eyes. “It seems you know some of our leader’s little-known secrets.”

"The physical body? Back then?"

W remembered what Ines had told her about Talulah's shadow.

She was assassinated shortly after she began to spy on Talulah.

Hedley also embarked on his journey to Lentinium due to certain circumstances.

“So, sir, whose name I don’t know,” W said, shaking the remote control with a bright smile, “could you share this with your new friend?”

"After all, I'm really curious."

"This really hurts me," Xia Yu sighed dramatically. "He went to great lengths to seduce me by covering himself in my favorite scents, but he doesn't even know my name..."

"Should I say you're a professional mercenary or not?"

“I’m telling you, at least have some self-awareness that you’re living under someone else’s roof,” W sighed. “Your life is in my hands now. I don’t expect you to be overly respectful, but at least be serious, okay?”

"Did I tell you so much about Rhodes Island that you misunderstood something? I'm not some spy or inside agent, and the bomb on you isn't fake."

“I’m a demon, a notorious mercenary who burns, kills, and robs!” W reached out and lifted Xia Yu’s chin. “Pretty boy, if you don’t tell me something that interests me, I really will kill someone.”

"You may be very strong, but in the face of Originium bombs, flesh and blood are nothing!"

"Look at the current situation clearly!"

"Sigh," Xia Yu sighed, reached out and snatched the remote control from W's hand, and pressed the button directly.

Nothing happened.

“Are you sure,” he said, putting an arm around W’s shoulder and pulling her close, “that I’m the one who needs to see the situation clearly?”

76. No longer hiding it.

"Why are you taking this so seriously?" W said with a friendly smile as he reached out and removed the bomb from Xia Yu's body. "I was just kidding with you."

"Actually, I'm considered a member of Rhodes Island too, otherwise how would I be so familiar with the members of Rhodes Island?"

"I just wanted to play a joke on you," W struggled slightly, but it was no use.

The hand on my shoulder was so firm.

“Go on,” Xia Yu said with a smile in her eyes, “I’m listening, keep making things up.”

"Do you think I still have a chance?" W paused for a moment after hearing this before speaking, "I didn't have a chance before, is it too late for me to surrender now?"

"you guess?"

“I guess that’s impossible. Well then,” W shook his head, a sad smile on his face. “At least I can satisfy my curiosity before I die.”

"What do you mean by 'skin'?"

The speed at which he changed his expression was truly remarkable.

"The physical body..." Xia Yu shook her head, "Why do you have to ask me?"

He released W from his grasp. "Why don't you go and see for yourself?"

“It’s always good to be well-prepared,” W rubbed his shoulder. “After all, I completely underestimated that dragon girl not long ago and suffered a crushing defeat.”

"I almost died here."

"Since you know how powerful he is, why did you dare to provoke me like that?" Xia Yu sighed. "Pretty boy... do I look that easy to mess with?"

“Because you’re from Rhodes Island,” W said with a bright smile, “just like now, you’re not going to do anything to me anyway.”

"Is this what you're relying on?" Xia Yu asked doubtfully, "Aren't you afraid that what if I..."

“There’s no chance of anything going wrong…” W’s playful face calmed down. “Even if there’s only a 30% chance of success, I’ll still take the gamble.”

"I'm just a worthless life anyway, it doesn't matter if I die."

"The guerrillas and Rhodes Island forces have already headed towards the command tower, and some have even gotten ahead of them and broken in."

“If you want to know, just follow them,” Xia Yu pointed towards the command tower. “Kal’tsit and Patriots would be more than happy to let you regain command of the Sarkaz mercenaries.”

"They wouldn't mind reducing the number of enemies."

"And what about you?" W stretched, casually showing off her shapely figure. "Are you just going to stay here like this?"

“It’s not my turn to make an appearance yet,” Xia Yu waved his hand. “A skilled hunter will not show himself when the prey in the trap is still struggling to survive.”

"So all those people heading towards the command tower were your scouts?" W jumped off the stone slab and walked towards the command tower. "Just waiting for them to corner their prey and exhaust them before reaping the rewards?"

“If everything goes smoothly, I might not even need to show my face,” Xia Yu shook her head. “They have enough power.”

If all goes well.

Watching W disappear into the distance, Xia Yu shook her head and pulled out several bombs from behind the stone slab beneath her.

This W never tells the truth.

He didn't believe it. He didn't think W was really as she claimed, adhering to the belief that she had no future and would rather die than live another life.

Otherwise, how did she survive the daily barrage of bullets and gunfire that mercenaries endured after Theresa's assassination?

-

“Ah, you’ve finally arrived,” Kosichek stood in the central hall of the command tower, with Chen, who was leaning against Chixiao and breathing heavily, in front of him. He turned to look at Patriot and the others who were slowly walking up the stairs.

"Patriot, Bozokasti, the embodiment of the Ursus soldier, the only one in this city who can end me."

"But it seems you've brought an unexpected guest."

They are the operators from Rhodes Island.

Amiya as the trump card, Rosemary for offense, and ACE for defense.

Only elite operators came up; even Scout was left down there due to space limitations.

Together with the Shield Guards, we will defend the command tower and prevent anyone from interfering with the battle.

Kal'tsit led the Doctor to the sarcophagus.

Only one Patriot came from the guerrilla side, and he was enough on his own.

Facing a red dragon wielding flames, numbers are not an advantage.

However, this scene is still better than the original storyline where only Chen and Amiya were present.

“I remember your uniform,” Kosiché slowly sheathed his longsword. “It’s called Rhodes Island, isn’t it?”

"But what about that 'weapon'? Why didn't it come?"

"Is he afraid of losing himself to me? What a pity, I prepared a lot of surprises for him."

Even now, he still hasn't recognized his opponent.

What a disgraceful god.

“Commander Chen,” Amiya stepped forward and helped Chen, who was kneeling on the ground, to his feet.

"Not here, hiding it, huh?" Patriot brandished his halberd. "Undying, Black Serpent!"

"A cover-up?" Kosiché smiled faintly. "Why bother with a cover-up? Decades of preparation have vanished in an instant, all the hard work has gone down the drain..."

"I'm sorry, even I, a god, am finding it hard to remain calm in the face of such a blow," he said, as his longsword swept towards Amiya amidst a sky full of flames.

But this casual strike was also easily blocked by the Patriot.

“My hard work, too, has endured endless wind and snow,” the Patriot said slowly. “I led them, struggling to survive on the snowy plains.”

"Similarly, decades of accumulation, right here in your hands, will all vanish in a single day."

"How does it taste?"

“It’s very bad,” Kosic said, his fake smile fading. “It’s really bad.”

"Even a god as high and mighty as myself, who has existed for thousands of years, must bow down when a pebble is thrown into the ground."

"The taste was really bad."

“If you were the ones who defeated me here, destroyed my plans, and stopped this war, it wouldn’t be so painful.”

"Human struggles are always so moving, and everyone loves the hero story."

"But... this deus ex machina-like scene... that casually tossed pebble..."

"Seriously! It's infuriating!" Talulah's face twisted into a grimace. "It's really unpleasant!"