Arc I : Nagazora

Chapter 2: Unexpected Encounters

-Ω-

Adam had fully expected to not see Mei or Kiana again. While he had helped Mei when she was in danger and fed them both dinner, it was hardly a reason for them to return. This idea was only reinforced by the overly awkward offer he gave to Mei at the end of their meeting. Thus he had resigned himself to failing half of his mission. Which is why he had been very surprised when they had not only shown up on his doorstep the next day, but continued to visit.

The first few meetings had been rather...awkward. Adam wasn't a very talkative host and Mei had been rather uncomfortable in the new environment. Kiana had been the one to bring it all together. She had gently eased Mei out of her shy tendencies and needled Adam in to opening up. Soon they got into a rhythm. Mei and Kiana would arrive at Adam's place after school to work on homework. Once the work was done, the trio would talk or, if time permitted, eat dinner as a group. It had only been a month since their first meeting but it had already felt like the trio had known each other for years.

"We're home!" Kiana cheered with a bright smile on her face as Adam opened the door. "Got any snacks?" Adam gave an amused huff but answered regardless.

"Like you don't know, check the third cabinet." Kiana's eyes immediately lit up as she dashed past him. "Only one!" He called after her. If he didn't limit her, she would eat him out of house and home.

"Sorry to intrude." Mei gave her own greeting, closing the door after she entered. "Sorry for stopping by so often."

"It's fine," Adam waved off her concern. "I'm happy to have you over." After all it was more beneficial to him than they knew. These meetings, no matter how brief, were safeguarding against the third Honkai impact. He would do whatever he could to keep them. Eventually the three settled down in his living room, both girls working away at their assigned work, while Adam worked on a laptop. Well in Kiana's case, it was more bugging Mei and Adam for answers.

"Homework is so boring," Kiana whined, snapping her textbook closed. "Why do they even assign it? We learn all of this stuff in class anyways."

"You're supposed to learn it in class." Adam corrected peering over the top of his screen. "Clearly some people are troubled in that area." At his jab, Kiana stuck her tongue out at him.

"That's enough," Mei chided the duo, ever the mediator. "Why don't we take a break? We can tackle history once we're refreshed."

"You won't hear me complaining." Kiana huffed before sending a look to Adam as he tapped away on his keyboard. "So why do you get to play games on your computer while we have homework?"

"I don't go to school." Adam responded evenly. He had all but graduated from St. Freya's in the future. There was no need to re enroll in a basic school when he knew it all anyway.

"What?!" Kiana's reaction was as loud as it was humorous. "Did you already graduate? Don't tell me you're some super genius or something."

"Kiana, you know that's not true," Mei laughed. "He used to be a Valkyrja, remember? He probably never went to a formal school." Adam almost objected, but quickly clicked his mouth shut. If he spoke of attending St. Freya's academy, there was a chance they would check to see if it was true.

"While most of my time was spent training, I was taught other subjects as well." Adam said instead. "While they didn't cover all the topics a normal school would cover, I learned the basics."

"Oh? What were training sections like for Valkyrja?" Mei asked. Adam hands stilled, hovering over the keys with trepidation.

"It was... unique," Adam finally answered. "As the vast majority of Valkyrja are girls, I was the only male in my group." He had been the first male ever to attend St. Freya's academy after all.

"Oh that sounds interesting!" Kiana immediately leapt in. "Did you get a girlfriend? How many did you have?" She asked, eyes sparkling. Mei's own expression was one of poorly concealed curiosity. Better to clean up any misunderstandings now.

"Sorry I don't really have any amazing stories," Adam explained patiently. "I didn't really speak to anyone in school and was pretty much a loner. I suppose I found my studies to be a Valkyrja more important than getting to know the others."

"What? That's all?" Kiana's earlier excitement deflated, puffing out her cheeks. "That's no fun…" Mei gave a small giggle at Kiana's childish pout. The two slowly returned to their work allowing Adam to stew in his own thoughts.

He hadn't wanted to be a loner, but he didn't really have a choice. His admission into St. Freya's had been controversial. Not only had he been a male, but his checkered past had certainly not given him any benefits. It had taken a direct order from Overseer Theresa to allow him entrance into the academy. She had demanded that Adam be given a chance, and only if he stepped out of line would he be removed.

Thus his time at the academy has been heavily monitored. Who he talked to and how often. How long he spent training and studying as opposed to socializing. He was simply expected to study and pass his classes. Anything outside of it would have been grounds for punishment. It hadn't been a mentally scarring experience, but certainly an unpleasant one.

However perhaps it had been for the best. Because of such treatment, he had eventually been placed on Mei's team and fought alongside her. That had led to his mission in St. Fountain and eventually his current situation.

But there was still so much to do. He still had to steal the black box from ME to stop the third eruption and somehow stop the reawakening of the Herrscher of the Void. A scowl slowly twisted itself on his lips. There was also Otto to deal with as well as Cocolia. His tasks kept piling up and he had done so little to complete them. He was running out of time and all that he had accomplished was-

"Adam!" The teenager snapped from his thoughts with a jolt as Kiana called him. "Are you even listening?"

He blinked looking between an amused Mei and a pouting Kiana. He shook his head to clear his thoughts. He could think about those things later. "Sorry, what did I miss?"

"I said," Kiana repeated, rolling her eyes. "That I am starving. What's for dinner?" Adam sighed, and raised his hand to massage his temples. Saving the world could wait till tomorrow. First he needed to figure out what to do about Kiana's gluttonous appetite.

-Ω-

Adam took a deep breath as he stepped into his kata. His arms stretched before him as if he intended to mold the air before slowly switching to another form. The fresh air tasted sweet as he drew in another breath, dipping low to perform a sweep with his legs. He moved robotically, the motions so ingrained in him that it was second nature by now. Fu Hua had once told him that he had potential in martial arts and had taught him kata's as a way to develop his growth.

It was a shame he couldn't have been taught more. Having an understanding of martial arts would have enhanced his arsenal by leaps and bounds. Still he was thankful for what he did know and continued to practice. It kept his body from falling into bad habits. For what he planned to do, he would need to stay on top of his game.

Adam was situated atop a large hill overlooking the city. The main feature of the unblemished spot of land was a small rickety shire. The decrepit state didn't surprise Adam in the slightest. Who wanted to climb a giant mound of dirt to donate money? Despite this the shrine's surroundings were surprisingly clean, a well-meaning caretaker keeping the place tidy. The area was almost always devoid of people making it the perfect place to practice his forms.

However there was another reason he trekked up a small mountain for his practice, a much more important reason. His eyes drifted past the overlook until his vision locked on to one building in particular. The Massive Electric (ME) corporate headquarters stood tall and imposing, sleek glass windows covering the exterior. From the shrine he had a clear view of the building, as well as the typical daily working of the business.

Adam had done his research. Over three thousand employees moved in and out of those doors daily. The building was at minimum capacity around 10pm. However this was also when security was at its highest, patrolmen and other security detail covered the area in droves. Adam could only imagine the hidden labs below were even more guarded. The biggest problem was his point of entry. Each door only opened for employees, who needed to scan a badge to get in. While he could just break down the door, both security and the local police would be on him within minutes.

Adam eased out of his form, taking a moment to catch his breath. Further observation would be pointless. He needed a lead or perhaps a point to breach the building's defenses. His exercise complete, Adam slowly made his way to the shire. The clatter of his thrown yen echoed from the empty offertory box. He clapped, as was custom, and sent a prayer to heaven's. Honestly he wasn't that religious, but if there was some mysterious deity looking out for humanity it wouldn't hurt to donate some yen. He would need every edge he could get.

"Oh you're here again." A familiar voice called out to Adam breaking into his thoughts. "It's good to see the younger generation still have some faith in them." A woman with leathery skin and hunched back hobbled over to him. Mrs. Norami, the shrine's caretaker, smiled at him as she stopped before him. She had been suspicious of him the first few visits but had long grown more friendly as time passed. She simply assumed he was a devout teenager, with him coming at several times a week to "pray."

"Good morning," Adam raised his hand in greeting. "How is everything at the shrine?"

"Nothing out of the ordinary," the old woman assured with a gruff laugh. "Though this cold weather is hard on the bones. I'm not as young as I used to be." Her smile dropped as she looked past Adam. "She's here again." Adam looked back to where the woman was gazing. Aside from the shire the hill held few other accommodations. A sparse few trees dotted the property along with old benches here and there.

The only other structure was the small playground, which had seen better days. It had little to its name, a set of monkey bars along with a slide and a metal jungle gym. A pair of swings complete the ensemble. This is where the caretaker was looking. A young girl, no older than ten, sat upon one of the swings. Her light pink hair swayed gently as she rocked back and forth.

"Is she here often?" Adam asked. He had only seen her a handful of times on his forays to the temple. She often occupied one of the swings or could be found crossing the monkey bars. For all the world she looked like a child enjoying the playground. But she was always alone. Adam had never seen any friends or her parents with her. And she never made any noise. No matter how high she swung or how quickly she crossed the bars, she never laughed or shouted. She was always silent.

The old shrine keeper's face scrunched as she continued to watch the girl. "She is here more often than not the poor thing." the elderly woman sighed. "She hasn't told me the reason, but I think the lack of parents is rather telling." The caretaker looked back to Adam. "Do an old woman a favor and try to speak with her ever once in a while. It's heartbreaking to see her by herself." With that she wandered off leaving Adam with a choice to make.

In all honesty he wasn't inclined to. Adam was never good with children. Not compared to those he knew. Mei was the kind one, who could soothe others with honeyed words and tender gestures. Kiana was the outgoing one, with smiles that could light up a room and had a certain aura that drew people together. He had neither… not now, nor in the future.

Still they weren't here, only Adam was. With resignation, he decided to give it a shot. At worst, the girl would run away or refuse to talk. He made his way to the swings, the young girl watching every step. He stopped a few paces away, noting that the girl had grown taut. She looked ready to bolt, which didn't bold well for the coming conversation. Adam put on what he hoped to be a welcoming smile.

"My name is Adam Fountaine," He began, adding a soothing tone to his voice in an attempt to calm the girl. "The shrine's caretaker asked me to speak with you. How are you?" The only response he got was silence. Adam winced. It seemed that his lack of social skills were on full display. "What's your name?" He tried again, keeping his voice friendly. Several seconds ticked by before he got an answer.

"Sora," the girl finally responded, voice soft and uncertain. Adam gave an internal sigh of relief. At least he was getting somewhere.

"Nice to meet you Sora. Do you come to this park often?" She nodded. "Do your parents ever come with you?" At that she visibly stilled, and he knew had struck a nerve.

It was a while before she spoke again, a tinge of sadness in her voice. "They never spend time with me… I'm always alone. They're too busy being-" She froze, eyes widening as if she had just realized what she had been saying. "I'm fine… everything's fine," she finished lamely. With that she once again withdrew, refusing to speak further. Clearly everything wasn't fine, even he could tell that much. But he wasn't going to force the subject. He decided to change the topic, approach from a different angle.

"Well I just wanted to be sure. I am a Valkyrja. I want to help anyone I can." The young girl's reaction was nearly instantaneous. Sora was off the swing, inches from his face, with glittering eyes.

"You're a Valkyrja?!" She asked excitedly. "Like the ones that are always saving and helping people?" Adam blinked, caught off guard by the rapid shift in her demeanor. It was a drastic change but not a wholly unwelcome one.

"Well yes… I am," he finally replied. "Are you interested in becoming one?" At this she nodded enthusiastically. Adam allowed a wry smile to grace his features. "It's a tough job though," he warned. "A lot will be expected of you."

"I'm one of the smartest students in my class." Sora argued. "And uhm…" She desperately looked around searching for another 'qualifying' factor to prove her ability. "I can cross the monkey bars real fast..." The last part came out as a mumble, but it still caused Adam to crack a smile.

"Well let's see how fast you are then." Adam replied. "I'll race you on the monkey bars." The way Sora's eyes lit up, caused him to give a small chuckle. She dashed over to the playground, frantically waving for Adam to follow. Perhaps spending a little time to make this girl smile wouldn't be such a waste after all.

-Ω-

"Mei-semmpai, aren't you curious?" Kiana asked as the duo sat on the school's rooftop for lunch.

"Not in the slightest," Mei replied with a huff. "What Adam does in his free time is his business. We have no right to interfere with that."

"But Sempaiiiiii," Kaina whined. "What else are we supposed to do?"

"You could do your homework." The heiress' reply was promptly ignored by the white haired girl.

"You think he is meeting some sort of secret employer for some classified data?." Kiana fantasised. "Or maybe there will be a helicopter that is going to transport him to some top secret mission." Mei shut out the rest of Kiana's rambling to focus on her lunch.

It had started the day before when Adam had mentioned that they girls couldn't stop by tomorrow. He would be out of the house and there would be no one here. He had been tight-lipped about what he would be doing at least until Kiana's pestering had finally gotten an answer.

I am meeting someone at the shrine overlooking the city.

Mei didn't want to admit that it bothered her. Bothered her in a way she couldn't describe. Adam rarely spoke about himself, and even less about his past. In the last month, Mei had slowly gathered what puzzle pieces she could to try and solve the mystery that was Adam Fountaine. However it felt as though for every piece she got, Mei needed three more. For every piece that clicked into place, another two refused to conform. It was like solving a puzzle without the box cover, and Mei didn't know what to think about it. What she did know however what that spying on Adam's private meeting wouldn't earn her any favors.

"For the last time Kiana-chan," Mei sighed. "His meeting is private, if he wanted us to know about it he would have told us more."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Kiana huffed. "I mean, he is probably meeting up with some cute girl." Suddenly Adam's mysterious meeting had become a lot more interesting. Mei's grip on her chopsticks tightened. Kiana's eyes gleamed mischievously as she continued. "I wonder what they would get up to. All alone at the shrine. Plenty of hand holding I bet or maybe Adam is more into kissing." With each item on the list Mei's hand tightened.

"Hell, if it really is completely deserted they may just fu-" Kiana was cut off at the sound of snapping chopsticks. A knowing smile curled on to Kiana's lips, but she pretended to ignore the broken utensils. Mei knew she was being egged on, but she was curious damn it.

"Kiana-chan, let's go to the shrine." Mei began slowly. "I would like to confirm Adam's safety in his private meeting. I am sure he will understand."

Kiana's smile grew wide. "Now we're talking."

This is how the pair found themselves climbing the hill where the aforementioned shrine sat. They could already hear shouting, a young girl by the sound of it.

"Adam-nii! The joyful voice echoed. "I was so much faster this time. Do you think I can be a Valkyrja now?" They exchanged a glance before quickening their pace. As they crested the hill, they found their wayward companion guiding a young pink haired girl across the playground.

"You're getting better," Adam chuckled. "But there is more to learn. For example, let's test your powers of observation. Do you notice anything different? Something that doesn't belong?" The pink haired girl quickly looked around before her fuchsia orbs locked onto the eavesdropping duo.

"There!" the girl shouted with a smile "The two pretty Onee-chans' weren't here before." Mei could feel her stomach sink as Adam whirled around. His golden eyes widened momentarily before narrowing in accusation. Mei and Kiana stared back, as if Adam had caught them sneaking cookies from the cookie jar. Finally Adam shook his head and sighed.

"Very good Sora, those two definitely shouldn't be here." Adam stressed. With ease he fished out a bottle from the backpack lying nearby. "Why don't you drink this and recharge from your training? I have some people to talk to." The young girl eagerly accepted the drink and went to rest leaving Adam to approach them.

"Funny meeting you here," Kiana gave an awkward laugh, scratching the back of her head. "Small world huh?" Adam didn't look amused in the slightest, staring down the white haired girl. "It was Mei-senpai's idea!" Kiana blurted. Adam's gaze shifted to her, and she flushed from embarrassment.

"I suppose I should have known better." Finally Adam relented, his gaze softening. "I guess the secret is out. Sora is the person I was meeting with." He gestured to the young girl. "I met her a couple weeks ago at this playground. Been visiting her when I could to keep her company." There were several questions that came to mind. Like why did he feel responsible for the child and how had he met her. But one stood out like a sore thumb.

"What about her parents?" Mei asked. Did they know their daughter was climbing up to a practically deserted shrine to meet with a stranger? Even if Adam had the best intentions, the police would certainly look at it differently.

Adam frowned at the question. "Sora's parents couldn't be asked to give a damn." At the pair's concerned expression Adam continued. "From what I gathered, Sora's home life isn't that great. Her father is head of security for ME corp. Spends a majority of his time and money in the..." he paused to see if Sora was nearby before he continued. "entertainment district."

"And the mother?" Kiana inquired quietly. "Wouldn't she be wondering where her child is?"

"Not until the bottom of her next wine bottle." Adam responded contemptuously. "And that's only if there isn't another bottle ready." Mei's expression was equal parts disgusted and horrified. Kiana's fists were clenched so tight that her knuckles were white.

"WHAT THE FUC-!" Kiana's curse was harshly smothered by Adam's hand.

"Quiet you idiot!" he hissed. Sora had looked up but Adam motioned for her to ignore them. "I was just as angry as you, but there is nothing we can do. It's not like they starve or beat her. There have been cases for neglect brought up in the past, but they were all dropped. It seems that the father has enough money for a crack legal team."

"So…" Mei's voice sounded empty, emotion drained. "So what can we do?"

Adam sighed, running his hand through his hair. "I don't have some magical solution. I'm just spending time with her when I can. It's not a lot, but at least she had someone to talk to, someone who cares." He gave a frustrated huff. "Hopefully it's enough for now." Mei stomach churned. This wasn't right, none of it was.

"I want to help," the words had left her lips before she realized what she was saying. Kiana and Adam looked at her before Kiana nodded along.

"Count me in as well." She smirked. "A Kaslana always protects the weak and innocent."

"Well..." the surprise on Adam's face slowly drifted into a smile. "Thanks, for what it's worth. I'll introduce you to Sora."

Hours later as the trio bid farewell to the overjoyed girl did Mei realize one of the answers to her earlier puzzle. Perhaps Adam was not as complicated as she thought. Perhaps he was simply a Valkyrja and was always reaching out to people in need.

-Ω-

The scanner to the ME corp building beeped once before the automatic door hissed open. Adam slithered inside pocketing the stolen badge from Sora's father. He would have felt bad about stealing it if the man wasn't already drunk with some whore in the red light district. At this point the man deserved whatever fallout happened.

Despite being hidden under the cover of night, Adam had a face mask drawn over his mouth and nose. He didn't plan on being seen, but he would rather err on the side of caution. He slowly made his way to the security center, repeatedly checking the corners as he moved. As he suspected, there weren't any patrols this close by and he quickly was allowed access to his destination and stepped inside.

"Is it that time already?" The man at the desk asked as the door behind Adam hissed shut. The worker had clearly been asleep from the way his voice slurred and he began to stretch. "I tell you Greg, these night shifts are getting worse and -" He cut off as he took in the masked man in a white jacket that had entered the room. A few moments passed before the man finally spoke. "You're not Greg…"

Adam crossed the room in an instant driving the air from the guard's lungs. He followed up with a quick blow to the temple knocking the man unconscious. With the security guard neutralized Adam quickly made his way to the controls. His first action was to power down all the security cameras and delete all footage from the past fifteen minutes. He was uncertain if he had appeared on film but he wasn't taking the risk.

Next he powered down the lights on the lower floors. He didn't want to deal with the additional security that Cocolia had hired. A lack of light would go a long way to assist that. Finally as he left the control room, dragging the guard behind him, he smashed the card reader. That should buy him some more time if things went south. Objectives fulfilled, he made his way to the secret staircase sequestered in the back of the building.

The labs were dyed in a dim red when he reached the bottom floor. It seemed like the emergency lights had kicked in from the back up generator. A shame that Adam could have done little about those from the security booth. Still, the pale light wouldn't stop him from sneaking his way through the laboratory. He took refuge behind a railing peering around it for any guards. Instead of humans however, Adam saw Honkai beasts. About a dozen were submerged in glowing tanks.

Adam had suspected they would be here. Cocolia was more than happy to throw millions of lives away for the chance of capturing a Herrscher. She wouldn't blink an eye about keeping dangerous Honkai beasts in a suspended state in the center of a major city, regardless of the risk to the inhabitants. He crept past, keeping his ears open in case a wandering guard passed by. It was almost a minute later that Adam spotted something.

Some sort of dark mass was on the floor, barely visible in the dim light. The red hue gave Adam no clues to what it could be and he cautiously approached keeping to the balls of feet. Turning the shape over revealed it to be a security guard. Panic rose for a moment until he realized the man hadn't reacted. A quick check revealed that he still had a pulse, but had clearly been knocked unconscious. But how? Adam gave a cursory glance at his surroundings once more only to realize the floor up ahead was littered with bodies. His blood ran cold as realization came to him. He wasn't alone, someone else had broken in.

Discarding all traces of stealth, Adam tore down the hallways, sprinting to his objective. He couldn't let the black box fall into someone else's hands. A door stood at the end of the hallways, large and imposing. With one motion, the Labor of Olympus was drawn and flames erupted around its blade. With one swing the gigantic barrier was cleaved in half, clattering to the ground in an eruption of sound and half melted steel. Panicked eyes surveyed the room before they landed on his prize. The black box was suspended in an innocent looking glass tube.

He rushed forward, blade held high to shatter the container when another sound reached his ears. The clacking of heels echoed through the lab and Adam froze as old memories came rushing back. He whirled around as the noise grew closer until a familiar figure stepped into the room.

"My my, I thought I heard a rat scampering around." The female said with a sly smile, her eyes gleaming in the dim light. "I suppose I should clean up the mess it has made." She gestured to the shattered remains of the door, her maid outfit swishing with the motion. "Though it would be prudent of me to eliminate the case don't you agree?"

"Rita Rossweisse," Adam hissed, reading his stance. "The invincible maid of Schicksal."

"Oh my, you've heard of me?" The Valkyrja gave a graceful curtsey. "It appears my reputation precedes me. Would you like to perhaps share your name?" The smile on her lips twitched upward as her eyes gleamed with mischief.

"Because if you don't feel like sharing, I have other ways of making you talk."

-Ω-

From the files of Schicksal: Stigmata

Stigmata's are of critical importance to the Valkyrja force. They are what gives a Valkyrja their ability to harness Honkai energy without turning into zombies as a side effect.

Across history there have been three different types of stigmata recorded. Legendary Stigmata, Natural Stigmata, and Artificial Stigmata.

Legendary Stigmata have only been recorded a handful of times. These are usually the brand for a host to become a Herrscher. They're very powerful and only visible on a person who has been chosen to become a Herrscher. See the file on the second eruption for more detail.

Not much is known about Natural Stigmata aside that is can be passed on through bloodlines. Some experts have proposed that those with naturally high resistance develop a natural stigma while others argue it is due to other element entirely. A well known natural stigma is from the Kaslana family. See records for more details.

Artificial Stigmata were created to mimic natural stigmata. They were made for the express purpose for allowing weaker Valkyrja with lower Honkai computability to be able to use Honkai energy and fight. A notable problem of these is that exerting one for too long or too far can cause the host to cascade and turn into a zombie.

The benefits outweigh the risk however. Some stigmata give additional benefits to the user. When utilized, the Kaslana stigmata gives the user a lower body temperature. This can be used effectively with the Judgement of Shamash as to not be fatal for the user. Other known benefits are resistances to different temperatures and faster reaction times. Scientists are still researching the depths of stigmata and discovering more as time goes on.

-Ω-

You can prepare for a lot of things, but a Victorian maid may just surprise you. Good luck Adam, you're gonna need it.

I'm sorry for the cliff hanger, but the chapter was getting long as is. Trying to squeeze in more would have had the chapter dragging on for quite a bit. Far better to cut it off now.

A huge thank you to everyone who favorited, followed and reviewed.

As always If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave a review or send me a private message. I will answer them as soon as I can.