At the place where Rita had fallen unconscious—
Beneath the bent light pole—
Silence lingered.
Then—
She stirred.
Pain coursed through her body, a lingering reminder of the overwhelming force she had just endured—the punch she had barely managed to block from Kamen Rider OOO Putotyra Combo.
Slowly, Rita pushed herself up.
Her movements were controlled, but the strain was evident.
She turned her head slightly—
To her left.
Her scythe lay there, bent from the impact.
Then she looked forward—
Stalker Carbon had been crushed into the concrete floor, its mechanical body partially embedded in the ground.
Rita rose to her feet, enduring the pain without complaint.
Step by step, she walked over to her weapon.
With steady hands, she gripped the shaft—
And forced it back into shape.
Once composed, she activated her communication device, returning to her usual professional demeanor.
A hologram flickered to life.
Otto appeared.
Rita reported immediately : "Overseer, I've engaged the traitors. Only Raiden Mei showed herself. Theresa-sama and Bronya remain unseen."
Otto responded dismissively : "Don't bother me with such trifles. I trust you can handle these on your own."
He paused—
Noticing something.
A subtle instability in Rita's posture.
Otto then ask : "Did something unexpected happened on your end ?"
Rita gave a slight nod : "I encountered something far more dangerous than I imagined."
She continued her report without hesitation : "I searched the computer for their query records. Gray Serpent had been datamining intel using a cyborg girl with quantum computer implants. He then sells such intel for a price. Trails of our Herrscher may very well be in the head of that cyborg."
Otto's attention sharpened.
He shifted focus to the new information.
Otto : "Man-machine integration? Didn't know they could plant a quantum computer in a human brain now. Bring that cyborg to me."
Rita acknowledged the order with a slight bow : "Understood."
Otto continued : "The cyborg is useless without the highest level of access privileges. Get that as well."
Rita raised a question : "And what if the cyborg falls into the hands of Theresa-sama?"
Otto answered without hesitation : "Then destroy it no matter the cost."Grant what the enemy fears. Leave nothing that the enemy desires.""
Rita nodded calmly : "...Understood."
Otto added one final note : "I received reports of mechs rampaging along the streets of Arc City. Try to keep it a down a little."
Rita responded with confidence befitting a maid : "Don't worry. I have everything under control."
Otto seemed satisfied : "Then do whatever you must. I will offer support when required."
The connection cut off.
Silence returned.
Rita glanced at her holographic map.
A red dot blinked steadily.
Rita : "Hmm... Mei's coordinates are moving strangely. Perhaps they figured out about my tracker ploy."
A thought crossed her mind : "Wait... the mecha rampage? Could this be a coincidence? That leaves me with only one option."
Back with Theresa, Bronya, and Ningyo—
Theresa activated her communicator.
A hologram flickered to life as Einstein appeared before them.
Einstein reply : "Madam Theresa, how fares the intel deal?"
Theresa let out a small sigh before answering : "Long story... Fortunately we brought someone with the intel."
She gestured to the cyborg beside them and said : "You are the only people I can think of who can make this girl talk. Treat it as a scientific challenge."
Einstein studied Ningyo for a moment—
Then slowly turned her deadpan gaze toward Theresa and ask : "Did you just kidnap a kid?"
Theresa immediately panicked and deny : "That's definitely NOT what we did! Geez... I can't tell you everything right now."
She held her head in frustration.
Trying to move past the topic, she spoke quickly : "Just get us a ship or something!"
Einstein gave a small nod : "Understood. A shuttle has been dispatched to your location."
Before anything else could be said—
Ningyo spoke : "This one has heard the conversation. Sorry, Principal, but this one will not leave with you."
Theresa turned back to her, trying to reason : "We won't hurt you! We only need you to tell us something!"
Ningyo remained unmoved : "You cannot hurt a tool. A tool does not feel pain. A tool will only do the master's bidding."
Theresa responded immediately : "But the Gray Serpent is dead!"
Ningyo's tone did not change : "Master may be dead, but Arc City remains the safest place for this one."
Theresa pressed on, urgency rising in her voice : "No city is safe from the Honkai! We must locate Kiana to put an end to this Honkai Eruption!"
Ningyo paused—
Then spoke again : "End the Honkai Eruption?"
Her eyes dimmed slightly as she began processing vast amounts of data.
Ningyo : "Every footprint of human activity on the web...has swept past this one's processing core. When will the Honkai end? This one is curious as well. This one has calculated, simulated, and evaluated... yet fails to see any viable future for humanity. A desolate future has no value. The struggles of humanity will be in vain. The Honkai will destroy everything."
Theresa looked at her, expression soft yet resolute : "Really?It may seem meaningless now. The Honkai might not end even if we find Kiana...but I'd rather face the ending of the world with Kiana and the girls. My goal is to bring my student home."
For a moment—
Silence.
Then—
Ningyo spoke again : "Sorry, Principal...You may not understand... but this one cannot leave Arc City."
She fell silent.
Her body became still.
The Ningyo no longer spoke or moved. She seemed to be contemplating something.
A deep, reverberating rumble echoed from the darkness.
Something was coming.
Ningyo spoke once more.
Ningyo : "They have responded to this one's summons. If you need this one, then prove your worth by protecting this one from these mechs."
Bronya's sensors reacted immediately.
Bronya quickly report: " Principal! The Ningyo hacked the city's mech control hub and ordered them to destroy herself."
Theresa stepped forward, alarmed and try to stop Ningyo: "Stop this, girl! This is madness!"
Bronya quickly formulated a countermeasure.
Bronya then tell her : "Principal Theresa, we're running out of time. Rita will be drawn to this battle. Bronya will attempt to hijack the Ningyo's master access privileges to sever the signal...The Gray Serpent's chip should be able to do that."
Theresa clenched her fist.
There was no time left.
Theresa seeing no other choice said : "Good, I'll have Mei return to the squad. Do whatever you must!"
Bronya immediately began hacking into the system.
Streams of data flooded her interface.
At the same time, Theresa activated her battlesuit as she shout : "Blood Knight: Moonlight! Activate!"
Energy surged around her as the suit materialized the Blood Knight: Moonlight
From the darkness, Mechs began rushing toward them.
Without hesitation, Theresa summoned the Oath of Judas.
Golden spears manifested instantly.
Theresa weaved through the battlefield, her small frame darting between towering mechs with incredible agility.
Massive mechanical fists slammed into the ground where she had been just moments before—
Missing.
Again and again.
She leapt into the air, summoning golden spears from the Oath of Judas.
They rained down relentlessly—
Piercing through armor, pinning machines to the ground, tearing them apart in bursts of sparks and metal.
Theresa battle the mechas using her small size to douge any upcoming punch and rain spear down on the mechas.
Several units locked onto her position—
Missile pods deployed.
A barrage launched.
The missiles screamed through the air, converging on Theresa from multiple angles.
Then—
A flash of steel.
The missiles were cut apart mid-flight, explosions blooming harmlessly in the air.
Mei landed beside Theresa, her blade still humming from the strike.
"Princible Theresa ! I'm sorry i'm late"
Theresa glanced at her, relief flashing across her face before quickly turning serious again.
Theresa: "You're just in time, Mei! Watch your surroundings!"
More machines advanced, surrounding them.
Mei stepped forward, gripping her katana tightly.
Mei: "Understood!"
She dashed forward—
Her blade slicing cleanly through incoming units, sparks trailing behind every strike.
Theresa moved alongside her, coordinating effortlessly.
However, there were too many.
Theresa turned toward Bronya, who was still focused on hacking : "Bronya, still not done? I can't hold them back any longer!"
Bronya remained locked onto her interface.
Bronya: "Almost done... wait blo-verification is required to obtain master access privileges!"
Then, a familiar voice echoed across the battlefield.
Rita: "Sorry to interrupt, kidnappers. Children are better left to the care of professional maids... such as me."
The group looked up.
High above them—
Rita sat atop a building, clad in her Argent Knight: Artemis battlesuit.
She declared herself without hesitation.
Rita: "Rita Rossweisse, ready to sweep the battlefield."
In the next moment, She leapt down, landing gracefully in front of Bronya and Ningyo.
Bronya immediately moved to shield Ningyo.
Rita raised her hand, revealing a mechanical eyeball glowing red.
Rita : "Are you girls looking for this?"
Bronya's eyes narrowed : "Gray Serpent's eye!"
A mechanical voice echoed from Ningyo.
Machine voice : "Verification complete. Master access privilege unlocked."
Rita gave her command without delay : "Grant master access to Rita Rossweisse. Upload all data... and then initiate self-destruct sequence!"
Theresa's expression changed instantly and try to stop Rita: "Stop!"
Theresa and Mei rushed forward together, their movements perfectly synchronized despite the chaos around them.
Rita raised her scythe with effortless grace, her expression calm, almost amused, as the wings on her back slowly unfolded, scattering faint shimmering particles into the air—Crescent Particles
The temperature dropped instantly
Frost spread across the ground
The air itself grew heavy
Theresa was the first to react, gripping the Oath of Judas tightly as golden spears manifested around her
Theresa: "Mei! Stay close! Something's wrong—this cold isn't natural!"
Mei nodded, tightening her grip on her katana as her breath became visible
Mei: "Understood!"
Rita took a step forward—slow, elegant
The particles intensified
Machines nearby began to freeze mid-motion, their joints locking, systems failing
The battlefield itself was becoming a frozen prison
Rita moved within it freely
She swung her scythe—
A crescent arc of freezing energy tore through the air
Theresa leapt, narrowly dodging, while summoning spears to intercept the attack
The impact shattered them instantly
Mei dashed in from the side, her katana cutting toward Rita's flank—but Rita turned effortlessly, her scythe intercepting the strike with overwhelming force, sending Mei skidding backward across the frozen ground
Theresa closed the distance, launching a barrage of spears point-blank
Rita didn't dodge as she activated Crescent Mode fully
The wings on her back flared wide, releasing a massive surge of Crescent Particles
The temperature plummeted further
Theresa's movement slowed
Her breath hitched
Even Mei felt her limbs grow heavier
The environment itself was turning against them
Behind Rita—
Something began to form
A towering phantom
Humanoid
Wreathed in frost
Crescent Harvest
Its presence alone made the battlefield feel like a graveyard
Rita moved again—this time faster
Her scythe danced through the frozen air, each strike precise, merciless
Theresa blocked one—barely
The impact sent her crashing back
Mei rushed in to intercept, clashing blades with Rita again, sparks and frost erupting with every collision
But the difference in power was clear, With one swing of her scythe, Rita sent Mei back next to Theresa.
They were being overwhelmed
Theresa struggled to stand, her movements slowing
Theresa: "Damn it... we can't keep this up...!"
Mei clenched her teeth, her body trembling out of anger.
The violet crystal began to glow again, responding to her anger
The glow intensified
Then erupted
A surge of violet energy exploded outward, forcing back the frost, disrupting the Crescent Particles causing Rita to paused slightly.
And from the light, a Transparent Violet figure emerged. It's Kamen Rider Blades Tategami Hyoujuusenki
The temperature dropped even further—
But this time
It wasn't Rita's domain
It was his
Blades moved
In an instant
He closed the distance
The Suiseiken Nagare clashed against Rita's scythe
A shockwave erupted
Frost shattered outward
Crescent Harvest moved to strike—
But Blades responded instantly, push Rita back and clash against it's scythe
Rita stepped back for the first time
Blades pressed forward relentlessly
Each strike faster
Sharper
Colder
The freezing battlefield that once empowered Rita now worked against her as Blades was causing Rita and Crescent Harvest back on the defensive despite it's being two against one as Blades overwhelmed both Rita and the Ice reaper
Rita exhaled softly, her expression returning to calm despite the situation
She Jumped back, lowering her scythe slightly
Rita : "Sorry girls. It was fun. I have to leave to take care of… other business."
With a flick of her weapon—
A sudden storm of snow erupted, obscuring the battlefield in a blinding white haze
But Blades with a single motion and the storm was cut apart, dispersed instantly
But Rita was gone.
Mei and Theresa looked around cautiously, scanning the battlefield for any sign of Rita, but she was nowhere to be found.
With the snow had settled and the cold began to fade, the violet figure of Kamen Rider Blades slowly began to dissolve breaking apart into glowing violet particles that drifted into the air before disappearing completely.
With that done, Theresa and Mei wasted no time.
They quickly rushed back to Bronya's position to check on Ningyo.
Ningyo stirred as she slowly regained consciousness as she look at Mei, Theresa and Bronya : "Where... am I? Who are you?"
Theresa immediately turned to Bronya, concern evident on her face : "Is she alright?"
Bronya checked her readings calmly.
Bronya : "Physiological readings are normal. Could be retrograde amnesia. The self-destruct sequence... turned out to be a formatting reboot."
Mei and Theresa both let out a sigh of relief.
Theresa clenched her fist slightly, irritation returning.
Mei and Theresa Sigh in relief with Theresa growl : "Grr... I hate that crazy woman! And her utterly tasteless prank!"