Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

Schariacs were like that – simple, stubborn, and prone to unexpected bursts of defiance.

Like Cecilia during the 2nd Eruption, defying even Otto, her mentor, to save Siegfried.

Like Anna now, her sudden outburst surprising everyone.

She held the katana to her throat, her lips pressed tightly together, her gaze fixed on Lin Wei, unwavering.

Lin Wei's expression darkened. He hadn't expected this from the usually docile Anna. He hated being threatened. He felt both anger and disappointment. He almost used the Divine Key to subdue her.

Deal with the consequences later.

But before he could act, a small voice interrupted him.

"Anna, don't!" The little girl ran to Anna, tugging on her clothes, her face filled with worry. "Aren't you and Lin Wei… best friends? Why are you fighting?" In her small world, her brother, Anna, and Lin Wei were her only remaining pillars of support. She couldn't bear to see them fighting.

"Anna, please… let's be friends again…" she pleaded, tears welling in her eyes.

Anna's anger dissipated, replaced by a wave of sadness. She pulled the little girl into a hug, seeking comfort. "…Wenwen, I'm sorry…" Her voice cracked. "It's my fault… I'm too weak… useless… If only I were as strong as Cecilia… as Durandal…"

"Lin Wei, wait," Yae Sakura's voice echoed in his mind. "Perhaps she has her reasons."

"Sakura, why are you defending her?" He was bewildered.

But he heeded her words, suppressing his anger. "Anna, what are you doing? This isn't the time for a tantrum!"

"I'm not doing anything! You're the one forcing me to do this!" Anna retorted, her voice filled with pain. "I hate you, Lin Wei!"

Seeing her anguish, understanding dawned on him. His anger vanished, replaced by a weary sigh. "Why, Anna?"

"You… you always treat me like a fool! And now you're trying to trick me again!" Anna's tears flowed freely, her voice choked with anger and grief. "Captain Jell might not know Rita, but I grew up at Schicksal HQ! I know her!"

She saw through his lie.

"If you stop the tsunami, Rita will know what to do! She won't need any further instructions! This whole 'splitting up,' this 'relaying information'… it's all a lie!" Her voice rose, filled with accusation and despair. "You just want to get rid of me! You think you can fool me with your lies?! You can't!"

"You… you arrogant… liar! Bastard!"

"You're going to play the hero, and you want me, a Valkyrie, to run away like a coward?! How can I face myself, face Rita, face my duty as a Valkyrie, after this?!" She'd never felt such rage towards anyone. "You're cruel, Lin Wei! So cruel!"

Lin Wei was speechless. She was right.

Rita was too sharp. She would instantly understand what he'd done if she saw the tsunami receding. She wouldn't need any further explanation. A single glance, a silent understanding between two highly skilled individuals.

He'd tried to get rid of Anna with a flimsy excuse, and she'd seen right through it.

How embarrassing.

"You messed up, Lin Wei," Yae Sakura said, her usual calm tone laced with a hint of amusement.

What a mess.

"Anna, you've become… perceptive," he said with a wry smile.

"You think everyone else is stupid!" she retorted.

"But I didn't lie to you, Anna," he said, his voice serious. "There are only three of us who can act independently. I need a guide, and your captain is the only one qualified for that task."

"And even if Rita doesn't need to be informed, what about them?" He gestured at the siblings. "Someone has to take them to safety. Who else can do that besides you, a Valkyrie?"

"I know… I know… it's my duty as a Valkyrie… to protect them…" Anna's anger dissolved, her tears flowing freely. "I know I'm being selfish, unreasonable, childish… I know I'm being a terrible Valkyrie, a disgrace to the Schariac name… I know all that… but I can't… I can't just…" She looked at him, her eyes pleading.

"You… you have a conflict with Schicksal, with the Overseer… you could have just… disappeared, lived a peaceful life… but you risked your life for me, for us, for Valkyries who are supposed to be your enemies, for strangers like Wenwen, again and again…"

"And because I'm a Valkyrie, you've always been so considerate, never asking me to do anything that would… compromise my position… I know that, and I'm grateful…"

"But you've done so much for me, and I've done nothing for you. I've only caused you trouble, made things difficult for you… even now…"

"Anna, you don't…"

"Let me finish!" she interrupted, her voice rising. He fell silent.

"You're an enemy of Schicksal. As a Valkyrie, as a Schariac, I can't betray my duty. I can't go with you. I'm sorry." Tears streamed down her face.

Lin Wei remained silent. He'd expected this. He wouldn't blame her.

"But you're going to do something dangerous, something only you can do… you're going to be a hero… and I… as Anna, as a… selfish woman, I can't stop you… but can't I even… stay by your side, until the end?"

"Using the Divine Key like that… you'll die!"

"Even if you survive… even if you stop the tsunami, there will still be so many Honkai beasts… what will you do then, weakened and exhausted? It terrifies me…" She trembled, like a child about to be abandoned, her eyes filled with fear and a heartbreaking plea.

"Lin Wei, please… take me with you…"

"Two people have a better chance than one, don't they? And if there's danger, I can help you escape, like I did with Wenwen. Even if we're trapped, I can…" She trailed off, biting her lip, her voice pleading.

"Please… don't leave me…"

She felt a sudden release of tension, then a memory surfaced. She turned to Jell, who had been watching them silently, her expression unreadable, and burst into tears. "Captain… what you said at the hospital… I think I understand now…"

She pulled out the translucent, heart-shaped pendant she'd been treasuring, her voice filled with confusion and grief.

"But… love, duty… no matter what I choose, it's wrong…"

She finally understood what Jell had meant by "giving away half her heart." It was a choice that would tear her apart, no matter what she chose.

Obeying Lin Wei, taking the Chen siblings to safety, returning to Rita's side – that was her duty as a Valkyrie, his wish for her. But she would be haunted by regret.

Choosing to stay with him, facing the danger together – was she still a Valkyrie then?

She didn't know. She only knew that if she didn't speak her mind now, she would regret it forever.

She'd never realized that being "Anna" and being a "Schariac" could be mutually exclusive, two burning coals, each scorching her no matter which she chose.

She didn't know what to do. She only knew she couldn't abandon him, not when he was about to make such a sacrifice, not in the name of "duty."

She would rather die.

She held the blade to her throat, like a condemned prisoner awaiting judgment, looking at Lin Wei, the "judge" who had placed her in this impossible situation.

Lin Wei's heart ached for her. What a mess…

He wasn't confident about this mission. He was simply trying to fix the mess he'd created.

He wasn't even sure he'd survive. He just couldn't abandon them.

Perhaps Anna had sensed his uncertainty, his fear. Or perhaps it was the culmination of everything, her feelings finally boiling over, a desperate plea for acknowledgment.

How had things gotten this far?

"Captain Jell, aren't you going to… intervene?" he asked, turning to her for help.

"Intervene? Defend my subordinate and my partner?" Jell crossed her arms, a smirk playing on her lips. "Do you think Valkyries need… charity?"

"This is dangerous!" he exclaimed, exasperated. "I thought you cared about Anna! You didn't want her to get hurt!"

"Captain…" Anna looked at Jell apologetically.

"We Valkyries are like stones, gathered from the mountains and rivers, forming the foundation of human civilization," Jell said, ignoring Lin Wei's outburst. "Most of us are just… ordinary stones, foundation stones, paving stones, pulled from the darkness, buried in the darkness, adding an inch to the road, a step to the staircase."

"But Anna is different. She's a gem, still unpolished, but with the potential to become a pillar, supporting a great structure." Her voice was firm. "Pillars have their place, and paving stones have theirs. I have no complaints. I only wish for her to reach her full potential, so others won't have to be… consumed… like us."

"Captain…" Anna felt a pang of guilt.

"But you're still…" Lin Wei sighed.

"But pillars and paving stones… we're still human, aren't we?" Jell smiled. "As her captain, I regret her impulsiveness, her immaturity. But as her friend, her partner, I respect her decision."

Lin Wei was speechless. This woman is definitely not from Ragna's lineage!

"She could die!" he argued, frustrated by her logic.

"So could we all. Isn't that our fate, as paving stones? As for Anna…" Jell shook her head. "Besides, even a civilian like Mr. Lin Wei is willing to risk his life. Shouldn't we Valkyries be even more courageous? In fact, I should thank you, Mr. Lin Wei. You've shown me that my vice-captain… has the potential to become a pillar."

What if she was young and impulsive? Wasn't "growth" about facing challenges, being shaped by experience?

No one was born an adult. They learned and grew, one step at a time.

As long as her courage and determination remained, she would eventually reach her full potential, becoming a pillar supporting humanity's future.

"You two are… a perfect match. Equally unreasonable!" Lin Wei was exasperated. He didn't have time for this. He pointed at the siblings. "What about them? Are we just going to leave them here to die?"