"Plan? The plan is to have no plan at all, Headmaster Theresa," Kyuusyou replied first, turning back after assigning tasks to the battleship crew. She cracked her knuckles, looking ready for a fight at any moment.
"There are too many unpredictable factors: Bronya herself, Cocolia's motives, and that Wendy who could charge in at any time."
"If we really need a plan, I suggest we fly the battleship right over ME Corp's headquarters, dump our trash on Cocolia's face, and be done with it. Ninti's already mapping the entire building; we'll have detailed schematics soon."
"Then we just jump down and smash everything we see to smithereens."
"Don't bother sneaking in—just go all out. Life's too short for stealth and secrets. If you hate her, just kill her. Wipe out all the witnesses for a perfect assassination. What's the point of stealth anyway? You'll just get caught eventually. If you're caught, kill her then. If you can't manage it, call for backup. So what if you get yelled at for asking for help? You can't even beat one Anti-Entropy Executor—how dare you call yourselves Valkyries?"
Kyuusyou, seizing the moment while Theresa and the others were still stunned, dropped her explosive statement.
After Kyuusyou's explosive outburst, Theresa and her companions fell into a long, contemplative silence.
After the prolonged silence, the white-haired dwarf nun turned to Kyuusyou and asked, "Kyuusyou... does your Ninti know you're saying this?"
"Huh? Headmaster, have you already forgotten our first fight with Ninti?" Kyuusyou shot Theresa a curious look.
"Uh..."
"You want Ninti to slaughter everyone in the ME Corp building? Hmm, Ninti wouldn't mind, and I probably wouldn't either. If you want to save time, I'll go tell her now."
"Headmaster, if you hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. Actually, this makes things even easier."
Kyuusyou opened her communication panel, preparing to contact a certain blonde girl currently infiltrating the building.
"Wait, Kyuusyou, wait!"
Theresa panicked as she saw the purple-haired girl open her communication panel. She grabbed Kyuusyou and pulled her back.
"Ahem, ahem... Massacring everyone is a bit excessive. Let's stick to your original plan, Kyuusyou... Have Ninti map the building's interior, then we'll smash our way through. Cocolia's only real threat besides the Titans is Bronya."
"She'll definitely send Bronya to stop us. When that happens, I'll use the Oath of Judah to bind Bronya and drag her back. As for the Gem of Desire, if we can't find it, we'll abandon it. Bronya is far more important than some broken stone."
Theresa swiftly finalized the plan.
"Alright, it's settled then... After coming all this way, I'd feel bad if we didn't smash something..."
Kyuusyou nodded solemnly, causing Himeko and Theresa's lips to twitch violently.
"I can't shake the feeling that St. Freya Academy's education system is a complete failure..." Theresa muttered under her breath, glancing at Kyuusyou.
"Schicksal personnel always favor compromise. For instance, if you suggest sneaking in is too troublesome and we should just go in guns blazing, they'll never agree. But if you propose blowing up the entire building and killing everyone inside, they'll compromise and agree to a frontal assault."
Kyuusyou nodded solemnly.
"Is that how you're using our teachings?!"
"Vice-Captain Kyuusyou! Headmaster Theresa!"
Simon Lailey's voice cut through the group's playful banter.
"Breaking news! Schicksal's maritime platform monitoring stations in the Indian Ocean have detected Wendy flying at extreme speeds. Based on calculations, she'll reach New Nagazora City in a matter of minutes. If nothing changes, this damn Herrscher is heading straight for ME Corp's Gem of Desire."
"Fuck—!"
The group's response was unanimous.
"How much longer until we reach New Nagazora City?" Kyuusyou asked, turning to the head of the flight control department.
"We still need at least ten minutes. We definitely can't match Miss Wendy's speed."
"Forget engine lifespan... Disable stealth and jamming, divert all power to the propulsion engines, and overload them. We need to shave our arrival time down to five minutes!"
"One more thing—Simon, contact Ninti and tell her to seize the opportunity before we arrive. Bronya's safety is the absolute top priority."
With that, Kyuusyou turned and led Theresa and the others off the bridge.
-
Inside the Me Corporation building in New Nagazora City, the blonde Valkyrie activated the cloaking device on her newly upgraded Valkyrie Battlesuit. Stepping onto the ventilation duct above the empty corridor, the sound of her heels striking the metal was completely absorbed by the suit's universal stealth system, leaving no trace of her presence.
The young woman was currently following a small squad of Titans, with Bronya among them. They seem to be escorting something, Ninti thought, cautiously trailing them from above.
The Titan squad entered an even larger workshop. A colossal mech stood there, appearing incomplete. Exposed wires and screws covered its lower half, suggesting the workshop staff hadn't yet installed the outer armor plates.
"Is that... the Gem of Desire?" Ninti tilted her head, noticing a robotic arm in the workshop. It was extracting a vibrant emerald-green gem from a Titan and installing it into the mech's energy core.
The more intricate the plan and the more sophisticated the equipment, the more likely it is that even the slightest oversight will prove fatal.
This is why machinery undergoes rigorous testing and validation, and why plans, beyond their ultimate objective, never commit to a fixed target, always incorporating elements of adaptability and improvisation.
Snow's past teachings echoed in Ninti's mind:
"They couldn't have had time to complete factory testing... Even the Titan Mecha's outer armor hasn't been fully installed..."
Ninti tilted her head, a mischievous idea forming:
After the Titan Squad and Bronya departed, she activated the mecha's anti-gravity system and pilfered several wrenches, screwdrivers, and scissors from a nearby toolbox.
The girl began wreaking havoc on the exposed screws and circuits, loosening tightened bolts, reversing connections, and randomly swapping the numbered marker sleeves on the wires.
Having briefly moonlighted as an unlicensed mechanic and electrician, Ninti completed her "good deed" and leaped off the Mecha, leaving behind only a swaying, unstable machine.