After resting for a few hours, Shun and Sirin continued their journey. It seemed they were still lucky—for now, they had not discovered any Schicksal pursuers.
However, by the time they did discover them, being caught would not be far off.
But the Goddess of Luck would not shelter one person forever. The facts proved that it wasn't that they had shaken off Schicksal's pursuers, but simply that it took Schicksal longer to mobilize their Valkyries.
Along the way, the traps and setups Shun had made to confuse Schicksal's pursuers were completely useless. To professionals, such hastily arranged things couldn't even buy time.
Soon, five masked Valkyries tracked all the way to the spot where Shun and Sirin had lit a bonfire and rested the previous night.
The blonde Valkyrie holding a pulse rifle stirred the ashes of the bonfire, still able to see a few scattered sparks.
"Looks like them haven't gone far. Let's keep chasing." In fact, the Valkyries didn't care much about the task of capturing two children. Two kids—could they really turn the sky upside down?
"Captain, what did Babylon Tower say about why we need to capture these two kids?"
A young-looking Valkyrie carrying a greatsword, whose face beneath the mask still appeared childish, asked the Valkyrie captain who was holding the pulse rifle.
The Valkyrie captain shook her head and instructed the young Valkyrie, "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask, understand? Superior orders cannot be disobeyed."
"Since the higher-ups assigned us this task, there must be a reason. We at Schicksal are a righteous organization that protects the world from Honkai."
"But…" The young Valkyrie wanted to ask more, but was stopped by a look from the captain.
As a fledgling Valkyrie, she was still too young. Valkyries were also soldiers, and for soldiers, obeying orders was the most important thing.
"Then how should we deal with the two of them? They are still children." The young Valkyrie asked again.
"Capture the girl and bring her back to Babylon Tower. Kill the boy on the spot. They have caused great losses to Schicksal. This is the fate they deserve."
"But…"
"No buts… Vina, perhaps you are not suited for here. After this mission ends, I will recommend to headquarters that you be transferred to a branch in another continent."
The young Valkyrie still wanted to say something, but was immediately interrupted by the captain. Knowing that as a newcomer she had no way to defy the captain's words, the young Valkyrie could only silently pick up her greatsword and follow the team.
At this moment, a freight train passed by on the tracks beside them, but no one paid any attention.
Meanwhile, Sirin looked at Shun lying on the tracks and for a moment didn't understand what he was doing.
"Little Shun, what are you doing? Why are you lying on the tracks? Didn't you say that if we stop, the pursuers will catch up?"
"They're coming." Feeling the vibration coming from the tracks, Shun already had a "plan successful" expression on his face.
"What's coming?" Sirin indicated that within visual range nearby, there was nothing except the two of them, a stretch of tracks, and trees.
"The law of victory has been established. Sirin, grab my hand." Shun reached out toward Sirin. That's right—his plan was to jump onto a train and escape.
Although the freight trains on the Trans-Siberian Railway were not fast, they were still much faster than two legs. Not to mention that Shun was now only walking by forcing himself with sheer willpower.
Moreover, jumping directly onto the train could also erase their traces. At least Schicksal's Valkyries wouldn't react so easily.
Before long, Sirin understood what Shun had meant. In the distance, a massive object resembling a steel behemoth was slowly approaching them. The enormous thing was pitch black all over, continuously spewing thick black smoke from its body. It traveled along the straight-extending railway at a speed that seemed slow yet unwavering, heading straight toward them.
As the distance grew closer, one could clearly feel the oppressive pressure brought by its huge body. The "clanging" sounds of the wheels rubbing against the tracks and the piercing whistle intertwined, echoing throughout the space.
"Sirin, are you confident you can jump on?" Although he didn't know how much Sirin's physical condition had been enhanced by those Honkai energy solutions, at least her jumping ability should be stronger than his.
"I… I…" This was the first time in her life that Sirin had seen a train with her own eyes. After a hundred years, she suddenly shared the same feeling as a certain woman surnamed Yae.
However, Shun's instructions outweighed the fear of the unknown. Sirin calmed her uneasy heart, gathered her strength, and nodded firmly at Shun.
"I can do it. Believe me, little Shun."
"Good, I believe you." Rather than continuing to walk like this and then being caught by Schicksal, it was better to take a gamble. Even if they failed, at least they would have tried lying on the tracks. It was much better than being slaughtered without resistance.
"Sirin, do you see them? Grab those ropes tied to the carriages." The ropes originally used to secure the cargo had truly become a lifeline for Shun and Sirin.
Sirin nodded, constantly cheering herself on in her heart. The black-smoke-spewing locomotive was already right in front of them.
"Little Shun, I'm going!" She took a deep breath, as if her entire body was filled with power. Then, like an arrow leaving the string, she leaped forward with all her might. This jump actually reached a height like that of an Olympic champion.
In the moment of jumping, Sirin raised her hands high and reached desperately for the rope. However, because she used too much force, her head accidentally hit the carriage above. But this bit of pain meant nothing to Sirin, who was fully focused at this moment. She gritted her teeth and did not stop her movements because of the collision.
Fortunately, Sirin successfully grabbed the rope. Although her head was still faintly aching, relying on her tenacious will and excellent physical condition, she began to climb up the rope rapidly. Every step was difficult yet unwavering. She approached the key position on the roof of the car bit by bit.
When she finally climbed onto the pile of coal slag on the roof, Sirin was finally able to catch her breath. She suddenly turned her head back and, without thinking, shouted loudly.
"Look, little Shun, I did it!" Sirin turned back, but she did not see the familiar figure. There was only a backpack full of money lying quietly to the side.
She then looked further back. Because the train was not moving very fast, she could still clearly see Shun standing in place, waving at her.
"Little Shun, hurry up and get on! The train is leaving!" Sirin suddenly had a bad premonition. Did little Shun not want to go with her?
Shun did not speak. He only silently removed the prosthetic from his leg while standing there. One could see that the original interface was now covered in bloody tissue! The bright red color and ferocious appearance made one's blood run cold.
"I can't walk anymore. Do you remember what I said before? There is no banquet in the world that does not end. One day I will also leave you. That day, I think, is probably now. I will continue to create traces of two people walking to lure away the pursuers, while you will take this train to Moscow, the largest city in Russia."
"Hide well. In a big city with tens of millions of people, even Schicksal won't be able to find you. Or you can go to Switzerland as we talked about that night. The environment there is very good—it's a nice place."
"Sirin, may the stars shine on your path ahead, may a hundred flowers bloom on your path ahead."
"Carry my blessing and live well. My story has ended. From now on… it is your story."
Shun's voice was very soft, but it still clearly reached Sirin's ears along with the wind.
"Sirin, be obedient. Keep running. Don't let them catch you."
Sirin really wanted to jump down right then, but she had to listen to little Shun… She had always been very obedient.