Time turns back to not long ago, inside the World Serpent headquarters.
Van's arrival not only didn't receive the welcome she had expected, but instead was met with an attack from the other side.
This sudden scene completely baffled Van. Because in her impression, wasn't Kevin her comrade-in-arms?
Why was he doing this abstract operation of "ferociously attacking my teammate"?
Although Van considered herself to have a good temper, she couldn't stand being treated like this.
So, she immediately made up her mind, to let World Serpent feel the same pain as Schicksal.
However, as she delved deeper, Van discovered the person who gave the order to attack her was not her old friend Kevin, but a woman wearing a dog-head mask.
After realizing that these things weren't done by Kevin, Van subconsciously let out a breath of relief.
Thinking of this, she helplessly shook her head and sighed, "No matter where it is, there exists this kind of situation, 'Hell is easy to see through, but little devils are hard to deal with'~"
"So, as Kevin's old friend, it's time to help him clean out the pests in his organization!"
After saying that, Van swiftly and effortlessly took care of the subordinates sent by the dog-head woman.
Just as Van was preparing to ride this momentum and charge into World Serpent's control room, a cold voice came through the broadcast system.
"I've arrived."
———
[Here he comes, here he comes! So excited to see Kevin's reaction when he sees the genderbent Van]
[Don't ask. If you ask, we're just bros. You smell good, bro]
[Do you think the MiHoyo writers will get possessed by a troll spirit and give us a romantic subplot between them?]
[???]
[You're not right in the head!]
[Could it be that you are the legendary Aha believer?]
———
[Back to the Video.]
When Kevin's voice rang out, Van casually threw aside the so-called "Ace" called "Death Weaver" by the dog-head woman.
The broken body kicked up dust from the ground, and at the same time, also kicked up Jackal's blood pressure. But very quickly, the resentment in Jackal's heart was replaced by fear.
Because judging from her superior's attitude towards the woman calling herself "Van", the two of them likely shared a deep relationship.
However, she always had a doubt. Because as far as she knew, wasn't her superior's comrade Van a man?
On the other side, in the dim corridor, looking at the white-haired man standing before her like an ice sculpture, Van showed what she considered a friendly smile.
"Yo~ Kevin, long time no see~"
However, the other party did not respond to Van's enthusiasm, only turned around and walked deeper into the corridor.
"Follow me."
Van pouted, kicked aside the mechanical wreckage blocking her path, and followed.
The two walked one in front and one behind, exiting the base and arriving outside.
Perhaps unable to bear the awkward atmosphere, Van suddenly stopped in her tracks and spoke to Kevin's back, "Kevin, where did you find that dog-head woman under your command? She's quite interesting."
Kevin, walking in front, didn't stop his steps, but his voice came through the wind and sand.
"She's very useful... and I don't mean in combat."
"Pfft~"
Kevin's dead-serious tone made Van find it very amusing. So, she moved in front of Kevin, laughing while pretending to fall, "Kevin, after all these years, when will you finally learn to get my jokes?"
After speaking, Van turned to look into the distance, where only endless yellow sand stretched.
"By the way, why did you choose to build your base in a place like this? There are no mountains, no water, nothing but sand, it's no fun at all."
While Van continued talking and walking to herself, she didn't notice Kevin had already stopped, staring thoughtfully at her back.
On the other side, the long silence behind made Van turn her head, just in time to meet Kevin's scrutinizing gaze.
"This appearance of yours... just what exactly is...?"
"Sigh~ It's a long story, but I've decided to make it short."
Van quickly waved her hand to interrupt, "Due to some reasons, I was resurrected by Otto, but there was a tiny little mishap during the process..."
Saying this, Van made a pinching gesture with her thumb and forefinger, and said, "And this tiny little mishap is the appearance you now see."
———
[Goddamn "tiny little"...]
[Is it just my imagination, or does three-year-old Van seem especially afraid that Kevin will say something like 'you're not Van', which is why she's so flustered explaining?]
———
Looking at the slightly lively girl before him, Kevin said coldly, "But the feeling you give me... is different from Van."
"I think so too," Van said with open hands. "Looking through my old memories, I always feel a kind of 'anger at their lack of progress'..."
At this point, Van deliberately put on a stern face, mimicking her former self from memory.
"This won't do, that won't work, there must be a better way... So annoying!"
"So let's put it this way, Kevin, just treat me as a Van who's better than the past one."
Kevin was silent for a moment. The next second, the tip of the Skyfire Sacred Judgment sword was already pointed at Van.
"Friend or foe, choose."
"Whoa, whoa, so sudden?"
Van jumped back half a step and assumed a stance, but there was an excited smile on her face. "But... this suits me perfectly!"
As the words fell, Van's figure had already vanished from her original spot.
Kevin didn't even look back as he swung his sword in reverse, the great sword of Skyfire clashed violently with the incoming fist.
Bang!
The sound of metal crashing echoed across the desert, kicking up a wild sandstorm around the two of them.
Soon, their two figures appeared and disappeared in the shifting desert. Each clash between the two sent out shockwaves as if it were the wailing of a planet.
But as the battle went on, the scales of victory gradually tilted in Kevin's favor.
And this sudden disadvantage made Van somewhat unable to accept it.
Clearly, according to the memories before her resurrection, every battle between her and Kevin had been evenly matched. So why was she now falling into a disadvantage?
Could it be, that the current her really is inferior to that previous loser?
'No! Impossible! Compared to that loser, I am clearly the better one! So, I won't lose! I can't lose!!!'
With that in mind, Van blocked the incoming blade with her punch and used the force to flip into the air.
While airborne, she began activating the Feather Dust in her mind, trying to deal with Kevin the same way she had dealt with Durandal before.
However, what surprised Van was, the surefire killer move didn't have the intended effect on Kevin at all.
Instead, the moment it touched Kevin, it vanished into thin air.
"What?!"
While Van was shocked, the tip of Kevin's sword was already against her chest.
"You've lost." Kevin's words completely ignited Van's fury.
"I did not lose!"
Right after she shouted, the energy in Van's body suddenly surged, and purple light shot up into the sky.
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