Chapter 10: Brand New Day

Consciousness had finally felt like returning to Kiana. The girl's eyes slowly peeled open as she let out a soft groan. The pressure from bandages wrapped around her was the first thing that registered to Kiana. The next was the fact she was inside an infirmary room. She looked around a bit as she sat up, confusion on the girl's face.

"Where am I?" As she pondered that, the memory finally came back to Kiana. Of the fighting in Nagazora, defending Mei and Soleil from a Honkai Beast and Mei going Herrscher again. But, her attempts to recall more of that were fuzzy. She did remember Soleil helping her, but the image in her mind was vague. She could've sworn something about him had been different at that moment. "Wait, where are they?! I have to…"

Kiana stopped as her panicked scanning and shouting made someone near her stir. A woman with the same silver-white hair as her, stirring awake from resting at the side of the bed. The woman's drowsy gaze slowly opened, revealing her eyes to be the same brilliant blue as Kiana's. The girl's eyes went wide as the woman rubbed the drowsiness out of her face, which then too brought about an expression of surprise.

"Mama?!" Kiana felt like she was about to jump. Her mother, Cecilia Schariac, who she hadn't seen for three years since she and her father had left St. Freya. Somehow now, right in front of her in this place she hadn't registered as St. Freya yet. "What the… what's going on, why are you…"

"Kiana!" But her mother was clearly far too eager as Kiana spoke her confusion. The girl was pulled into a tight, warm embrace by the woman, who was almost in tears as she tenderly held the girl. "My little girl… I was so worried about you."

"What the… just…" Kiana's confusion didn't last, though. She stopped caring at that moment. Wherever she was didn't really matter. Right now, she was back with her mother, and it was all she cared for… it was safe, warm. She could at least put aside some worries at the moment she returned Cecilia's embrace. After some quiet moments of just enjoying the reunion, Kiana pulled away. "Mama, what's going on? Where are we? What happened to my friends?"

"It's okay. You're at St. Freya. You're safe now." Cecilia kept a hand on Kiana's face, tears in the woman's eyes. "And don't worry, your friends are fine too. Though they've been awake a bit longer. You got injured pretty badly, and you've been asleep for three days."

"Right, that Honkai Beast that surprised us." Kiana moved a hand to her back, feeling the bandages underneath the hospital gown. "It's good they're okay. But… when did we get to St. Freya? How? That would mean we're in Soukai City!"

"It was thanks to Hyperion. Major Murata and Captain Kobayashi arrived on the scene and were able to get you. What do you remember from after you were injured?" Cecilia adjusted her seating, Kiana putting a finger to her head.

"I remember how much it hurt after I got hit… I was out for a bit, and when I woke back up… Soleil-senpai helped me snap Mei-senpai out of the state she was in. That's all I remember."

"Hey! Can we not forget I'm in here too?" Kiana and Cecilia turned when a rather annoyed Theresa, sitting atop a large golden cross, made herself clear. "Sup, kid! Been a while, hasn't it?"

"… Mama, who's this weird girl on the Judah?" Kiana's remark prompted a laugh from her mother. Theresa snapped her fingers as an annoyed glare came to her face. The cross opened, and multiple lines tipped in spear points flew from it, binding Kiana by the wrists and legs right quick. "Hey, what the heck is this about?!"

"Come on now, Theresa, don't get mad like that. It's been three years since Kiana last saw you, and… well, you've grown quite a bit since then." Cecilia's calm voice eased the mood. Kiana gasped as Theresa clicked her tongue.

"Eh?! That's Auntie Theresa?! When did you get big? Last I remember, you were the size of a little brat!" Kiana just found the bindings getting tighter as Theresa looked annoyed again.

"Need I remind you, Kiana, my dear, sweet niece, that I've been bigger than you your entire life?! I haven't been that small for ten years!" As if to demonstrate the point, Theresa puffed out her chest to emphasize it. And this time, Cecilia gave the "young" woman a smack to the head rather than calm words. "Cecilia!"

"I said, calm down. You were just as worried about Kiana as I was, so why not show it a bit?" Again the woman's calm voice eased the mood. Theresa snapped again, and the binds on Kiana retreated. "There we go."

"Though I think we should definitely give her a stern talking to. Honestly Kiana. Not even using an alias, entering a dangerous Honkai zone, were you hoping Siegfried would come running?" Theresa tilted her head, and Kiana then shot right up as soon as her father's name came out.

"What do you think I've been trying to do!? Papa is so stupid! He took me out to go training but then just ran out on me a year ago! All he left was a stupid note saying he had some things to do, and that was it!" Kiana obstinately folded her arms as she pouted. Cecilia went and hugged the girl again, rubbing Kiana's head.

"I'm sure Ziggy has his reasons. Your father is a bit of a wild sort, but you know he loves you very much. And besides, he has his obligations as one of our instructors, so if he's not back soon, I'm going to have to have some words with him myself."

"Right… ahh, I can't forget! What about my friends?! You said they're okay, but where are they?"

"They're here, don't worry." Theresa said, hopping back onto her cross. "Raiden and Zaychik agreed to join us as Valkyries… as for Sunny, well, I'll have to figure that one out. Captain offered him, and last I saw was planning to give him some personal teaching to see if he couldn't… convince him."

"Soleil-senpai definitely will!" Kiana said. "He wouldn't just leave all of a sudden. I know he wouldn't!"

"Now now, calm down a bit Kiana." Cecilia again managed to calm the mood. "If he's your friend, then I'm sure there's nothing to worry about… rather, I think we should be worried about how rough the Captain will be with him."

"True. He's not exactly good at holding back." Theresa shrugged, then chuckled. "Anyway, Kiana, you good to move? Cause if you are, we'll go and pay your friends a visit."

"Who do you think you're talkin' to, Auntie? I'm tough enough, and I feel fine! Ugh… there isn't some nasty scar on my back, is there?" Kiana pat the bandages still wrapped around her torso, and Cecilia shook her head. Kiana sighed in relief. "Okay, then let's go… eh, uh, Mama, do you have some clothes for me? My uniform got kinda wrecked."

"Thankfully, Mama thought of that one, so I have something ready for you."

"Ah, please stop. The scene is just too sweet." Theresa feigned a sort of pain, earning a laugh from mother and daughter as the young(?) woman leaned back on her perch. Kiana couldn't feel better to be back around these people.

Soleil felt sore as he began to stir awake. He at least knew why this time and groaned as he sat up and pried his eyes open. Working out some stiffness in his shoulders, he took inventory. He'd woken up on the large and lengthy couch of a rather ritzy-looking living room. A coffee table with leftover papers strewn on it, a few of them stained with rings from a mug, no doubt, and a suitably large TV with all kinds of stuff hooked up to it from the shelf below.

The rest of the place was equally nice as Soleil got up and looked around. A sizable dining room kitchen combo on one end and the other with doors likely leading to different rooms complete with a stairway leading up to more.

"Either I got dragged off to the city after I passed out, or St. Freya just has one hell of a budget." He said, tempted to check the fridge because he felt way too hungry at the moment.

"Well, we do risk our lives out there, so it makes sense St. Freya would try to make our lives comfortable." Soleil whipped around to see Hisashi leaning on the pillar at the kitchen entrance. "Relax, kid. This is just my place at the boy's dorm. There's not a lot of guys here, so we have a building to ourselves. Once your enrollment is finished up, you'll get a room of your own. And don't worry, they're not crappy tiny college dorms with way too thin walls. We know what kind of antics some of the students get up."

"TMI." Soleil groaned as Hisashi laughed. "So what's the deal now, hm?"

"Well, now that you're awake and clearly prioritizing food, once you're done and say, cleaned up a bit…"

"You're the one who beat the shit out of me."

"… ahem, I was gonna stop by Himeko's place at the girl's dorm. Your other two friends are staying with her. Kaslana, of course, will be staying with her mom. So, I was thinking of getting your little band back together."

"Is Kiana even awake?" Soleil leaned against the fridge, Hisashi giving him a look.

"How about this. If she isn't, after we check in on the other two, I'll take you to her room to check in on her. Sound fair? I'd really like it if you stopped giving me the stink-eye every time I asked you to do something simple."

"Excuse me for being a bit crabby 'cause I'm sore." Soleil sighed again as Hisashi chuckled. "But whatever. So mind also filling me on some things when we're on the way?"

"Sounds fair."

A summary of what Hisashi explained to Soleil after he'd gotten himself cleaned up would go as such.

St. Freya Academy was a school that had been founded fourteen years prior at the end of the Second Impact event by Cecilia Schariac and Theresa Apocalypse, who both participated in the conflict. Together they decided, in lieu of the Valkyrie forces' causalities, to create a place to train new Valkyries that would also keep them safer than most Schicksal facilities. In effect, they had taken the Far East Branch of the organization and turned it into an almost totally autonomous faction of its own.

Of course, Soleil noted that was sounding a lot like Anti-Entropy, which in the past had itself been the North American branch of the formerly world-spanning organization. Which had just gotten a laugh from the captain more than anything. Soleil had the sense there was more than he was being let on to.

As for the school itself, in a theoretical sense, the distribution of Honkai compatibility was about 8:2 from female to male. But in practice, the number was far more skewed. In simple terms, this meant the average classroom of around thirty students, rather than an even distribution of 24 girls and 6 boys, was more in the range of 28 girls and 2 boys or sometimes not even a single boy present.

Hence why the male dorms had rooms where very few of the students had roommates. Since so few males were actually present with the proper ability, enhancable or otherwise, they had space for it.

True to that, as Soleil and Hisashi crossed the dorm grounds, the former kept his eyes scanning around. He observed that the ratio of boys to girls was definitely off kilter towards the latter. It was likely a day off, so the students were gathered in the yard. While Soleil wasn't making an exact count, the mentioned ratio definitely applied in some way.

"Oh, hey, it's the Captain!"

"Hey there, Mr. Kobayashi!"

"Yo Teach, who's the new guy?"

"Well, you're popular, aren't you?" Soleil shut an eye as he watched Hisashi greet the various students that wound up chatting them up as they passed, not saying a word himself.

"Well, Hyperion is St. Freya's pride and joy of a ship. Plus, Himeko and I have a bit of a rep, thanks to our service records. And as teachers go, I'd say I do a pretty fine job at it."

Soleil's resulting look again made the man laugh. He didn't need to say a word for Hisashi to know Soleil was thinking of the "sparring" incursion only a few hours ago now. They continued on until they got to another section of the dorms, though as they got closer to one of the doors, Hisashi perked up a bit.

"Her doors open? Either Himeko forgot to lock it, or someone else got here first." Hisashi said, sighing again. "She better not have left it a mess again."

A commotion coming out of the door made the two hurry to it. The first thing was, of course, the apparent mess that made Hisashi growl. The apartment's entryway was strewn with all kinds of things, basically like a dumpsite of its own. Soleil's focus, however, was elsewhere. His eyes locked to Kiana and Mei as the girls turned to him. Not even a few seconds after, and the three were in a tight embrace. Bronya stared off from the side with a displeased aura aimed at Kiana. At the same time, Himeko leaned on a hand on the floor, flinching once she caught Hisashi giving her a dark smile from the door.

"See? Told you he'd be here!" Kiana chuckled as she looked to Mei, who nodded back to her.

"Don't either of you ever goddamn worry me like that again." Soleil made his grip a bit tighter to make it clear, both girls chuckling as he pulled back a bit. "You're both fine, right?"

"Of course we're fine, Soleil-senpai! I'm a tough one." Kiana gave a thumbs up.

"Same with me. I'm worried about you too, though… after what happened back there, well… what you did." Mei said, Soleil shaking his head as he lowered his arms.

"I'm just as fine. All it did was exhaust me, but…" Soleil stole a glance a bit downwards, towards Mei's heart. He shook his head, brushing it aside. She'd chosen that option herself.

"Well, this is a touching reunion." Theresa spoke up, drawing eyes to her. "You've made some nice friends since you were gone, Kiana. Good job! Well… this one's been around for a while, actually."

"Heh?" Soleil tilted his head at Theresa, moving his hand almost instinctively as Bronya shifted over and stuck to his side.

"Theresa, don't go and confuse him now." Cecilia said, Soleil giving her a just as questioning look. "Soleil would hardly remember us. He was only three when Sigurd took him away."

"Wat." And the flat response from the fiery-haired boy prompted a sigh from Theresa and a chuckle from Cecilia. Kiana went from glaring at Bronya to just as confused-looking herself.

"Mama, Auntie, what do you mean by that?" Kiana's question was matched by just as curious looks coming from Mei and the two officers.

"It's not some big deal." Theresa said. "Sunny here was just with his dad at the time around 14 years ago. Cecilia was playing baby sitter since she was still on leave from having you, and the delinquent was helping Siegfried out."

"Wait, so that means I met Soleil-senpai when we were little? Hah!" Kiana directing that scoff at Bronya earned her having Bronya just cling tighter to Soleil than she already was. "Ngh… then again, I don't really remember a lot from back then."

"It's fine, it's fine." Cecilia cooed. "Either way, I'm happy to see you've done well, Soleil. Your father didn't exactly leave Schicksal under good circumstances. None of us from that time have heard anything from him since he left. How is he?"

"Hell if I know. Old man screwed off a year ago, and I haven't heard a damn thing." Cecilia hummed at the boy's crass manner of speech.

"See, what'd I tell you? Total delinquent just like his dad." The smug glint in Theresa's eyes brought Soleil to give her a glare.

"You're awfully smug for someone who looks barely older than me." Soleil countered, Theresa huffing.

"I may look forever seventeen, but I'll have you know, I knew you when you were just a little half-pint. Feel free to call me anything from aunt to big sister if you want." As Theresa proudly huffed, Kiana waved Soleil over, leaning up to his ear.

"Don't let her fool you. Auntie Theresa looks young, but she's actually an old hag." And for that, Kiana got promptly conked on the head by Theresa's fist. Soleil chuckling behind a hand earned him a hit as well. Bronya's stare then turned on Theresa, but she wound down when Soleil firmly placed a hand on her head as a warning.

"Don't get smart with me, you brats!" Theresa turned to Hisashi as the teens grumbled. "Captain, what's his choice, hmm?"

There was a quiet moment as Hisashi straightened himself out. Kiana and Mei looked expectant as the man did so, and it was dead obvious Hisashi was purposefully building up the tension.

"Well, after some sparring…"

"Correction, he kicked my ass for three hours."

"Sparring!" The man glared at Soleil for his interruption. Lest Soleil forget the match wasn't that one-sided, but everyone got the boy was clearly being snide. The smirk was a giveaway. "He decided he'll stick around and enroll like the other too. So that empty dorm the boys've been using for storage is gonna need to get cleared out in a few days."

"Ooh?" Theresa gave Soleil a smug look again, and he returned it with a subtle glare.

"Shoulda saw the state he was in when they were done." Himeko said, giving Hisashi a wide grin. "Kid looked worse than when we brought them in."

"I held back." Hisashi said, both Himeko and Soleil giving him gazes of doubt.

"I think that's wonderful news." Cecilia said, and once more, she somehow made the air more relaxed with ease. "So welcome to St. Freya Academy, all of you. I promise, though this is a school to train Valkyries to fight, I hope you three will come to think of this place as a home of your own. Don't you think, Kiana?"

"Totally. There's a ton of places in the city I can show you all too!" Kiana gave a pace sigh, jumping to hug Soleil and Mei again. Soleil felt a wider smile creep up as the girl laughed. 'I should've figured… this girl's as bright as a full moon among stars.' he thought. "It's gonna be great!"

And nobody felt like they could disagree with Kiana's enthusiasm. Soleil felt another of those pangs in his head, but the feeling wasn't dreadful. His smile widened a bit more. He instead felt like there was plenty to look forward to from here on. And he was ready for it.

Sigurd rolled his arms over as he slumped down in the seat of the transport. The extra days he'd taken in the ruins to find what else he could from the Fire Moth facility and other locations strewn about it. Which, of course, had been its own kind of exhausting, and he was glad he had a chance to sleep somewhere a bit more proper than against a wall.

"About time you called us in to get you." Or at least he would've had a loud voice not roused him back up. Sigurd's eyes trailed over to the door of the transport. A young woman strode out from it, her bouncing red twin tails matched by her narrowed eyes behind slanted glasses. "So Sigurd, how'd your search go? I hope taking longer than you said you were coming with better results."

"Can't ya' let me at least sleep a bit before drilling my ear open, Frederika?" Sigurd sighed while leaning back. Frederika, or as some mostly called her, Tesla, just narrowing her eyes at him. "But yes, it did. I went to some other places to get what I could. 50,000 years doesn't exactly do well for data preservation, y'know?"

"The fact you even found anything in those old systems is a miracle. You really are lucky." Tesla took the data drive Sigurd produced from his coat, turning it over in her hands. "Soulium records are way more reliable."

"Just do with it what you can. I sure as hell can't decipher those records, so hopefully, you find something useful in there." Tesla then handed the man a datapad. Sigurd raised a brow as he opened it, flicking across the opened file. "The hell? An Impact happened?"

"A small one anyway." Tesla sat down herself, patting her coat down. "The thing is, unlike the Second Impact fourteen years ago, this one wasn't by random chance." Sigurd gave a concerned expression. "Cocolia caused it. She set off a small-scale Honkai reaction, enough to start an outbreak. The epicenter was in Nagazora, a city I'm sure you know."

"… that's where I left Soleil a year ago." Sigurd clicked his tongue. "Just what the hell was Cocolia trying to do?"

"Awaken a Herrscher." Tesla tapped the datapad, opening a file about Mei. "This is Ryoma's daughter, Mei. Her Stigmata was unleashed when she was eight, and Ryoma sealed her powers before they could run wild. That 'therapy' it says she was subjected to was just a cover. The kid actually had the Core of Domination we had put into her."

"So Cocolia triggered an outbreak to reactivate her Stigmata and awaken the Herrscher." Sigurd concluded, Tesla nodding. "Damn that woman and her obsession with them… she's taking it too far in her attempts to find a way to breach the Sea."

"And you don't? Didn't you say you were working with us to find a way to get there yourself?" Tesla took the pad, Sigurd giving a huff. "You know Cocolia has the same reasons you do. I agree she takes it too far at times, though. Anyway, I'm surprised you're not snapping about your kid."

"Soleil'll be fine." He then chuckled. "And if I had to guess, Cocolia sent her little Silver Wolf out there. Bronya's a good kid at heart. If she met Soleil, then things'll be alright. And besides, I got friends in the Far East who've probably gotten on that. If Cecilia found him and whoever he's with, then I don't have a thing to worry about."

"If you say so." Tesla tapped the pad again. "Anyway, we'll have another task for you ready in time. Einstein probably has some other ruin needing investigating as soon as you're back."

"Hah, sounds like Lizelle." A ping from his own pocket made Sigurd draw out his personal phone. It had to be important since only a few people actually had his number. A smile split the man's face as soon as he saw the message. "Actually, Frederika, I've just had a recent change of plans. An old friend wants to meet up with me. He found something interesting."

"You do what you want anyway. Just give the coordinates, and we'll be on our way." Tesla left for the front again with that, Sigurd looking back to his phone.

"What did you find out now, Siegfried?" The man couldn't help but think back to a time long ago—the Second Impact that had scarred the world. Even almost a decade and a half later, the event still stood firm in people's memories, but the truth of it, however, was not. He knew that, though the events that had really happened and what had been hidden from others. That was the reason he was even here, after all. "Kaslana and Empyrean… just how deeply are we connected to the previous civilization?"

"Lord Otto?"

The man turned in his chair as the door opened. In strode his ever dutiful assistant Amber, her braided white hair bouncing as she entered the room. Otto passed a hand through his own blonde stretch as he leaned on the other hand.

"What is it, Amber? I've been rather busy going over the results of the last incident." He said so calmly and orderly. It wouldn't do to seem impatient.

"Theresa just sent in the report from Hyperion about the Nagazora incursion." Amber handed him a data chip. Otto plugged it into the terminal before him as he turned back to it, giving a hum. "The file contains both the data from the scans they ran on the city, as well as the results. It seems St. Freya will also be receiving several new transfer students."

"Is that so?" Otto let out a hum as a smile split his face when he saw Kiana's file as he opened the report. "Well, now isn't this fortunate! I haven't seen Kiana since her father took her away three years ago. My my, the spitting image of her mother, isn't she? And this other one… oh."

Mei's file. When Otto moved to it next, his smile grew wider, but also a hint of wickedness fell upon it. With these files, he also knew all about it now. They had their hands on a Herrscher.

"Hahaha! What is this? Has fate decided to take my side for once? The only shame is that her Herrscher side can't be controlled! Ah well… so long as I get the chance to observe her in time… perhaps I should send Rita."

"It would be a wise decision, I'd say." Amber replied. "Rita is loyal and skilled at observation, plus, as an S-Rank herself, for now, Cecilia and Theresa are likely to trust her. However, Lord, there is another. Like Raiden, he's also going to be attending St. Freya."

"He? You don't hear of boys who can adapt to Honkai Energy that often." Otto hummed and moved the file over again. And this time, it wasn't merely delight that split his face. An old spark, one fit with just the smallest tinges of sweet, cathartic spite. "Oh. Hehehe… hahaha! Of all the individuals to find themselves to our fold once more! Hahahaha! The prodigal child has found his way into our arms it seems! Fate must truly be aiding me now! It seems not even those who can fight against it can always escape Destiny's pull, now can they?"

"Soleil Empyrean." Amber stayed stoic even with Otto's evident, sardonic delight. "Our records lost trace of him and his father after they left Schicksal fourteen years ago. According to the report, he was among the group of survivors taken from Nagazora, which included Kiana Kaslana and Mei Raiden, plus one other we do not have a file on currently. What do you think, Lord Otto?"

"I think we should keep a close eye on the young Empyrean in the future. I doubt he holds any trust in Schicksal, but I'd be a fool not to try and find uses for his abilities." Otto leaned back in his chair as his eyes remained on the mug shot of Soleil. "He looks so akin to him as well. As if they could have been brothers were they born in the same era."

"Lord Otto?" Amber tilted her head. Otto waved a hand.

"Nothing, Amber. Just reminiscing on older times is all." Otto placed his hands before his mouth as he chuckled. The future would surely be a fortuitous one if he was to play his cards right. He certainly looked forward to what would come of this development. "The pieces are falling into place."

Soleil had decided to enjoy the night air a bit after the hecticness the day had become after the reunion of the group. No doubt, thanks to the efficient technology of Soukai City, the night sky was in full visibility, painted end to end in nebulae and stars. The now waning moon was high in the time, brightly shining against all of it.

"So, the decisive point has passed for now." Soleil sighed as he saw the world slow down while passing the fountain. Appearing on the bench was Sozo, yet again in the visage of that girl whose face so closely resembled his own.

"What's the idea this time, hm? Also, I've got questions about a memory I saw the other day." Sozo raised a hand as Soleil gave them a glare. "Come on, don't get cryptic on me again."

"I'm not trying to be. What you saw was a memory your Stigmata bore, that is all. I'm here tonight to give you… well, I'm sure warning is the word I'm looking for." Sozo stood and pat down their blue dress's skirt. Soleil leaned on a leg, the being then holding up two fingers. "Two years. In a little over two years from now, an event will take place, one that can't be avoided in what it causes."

"And what do you mean by that?"

"Simply, that there are some instances in time that can't be changed. Call it a Quantum Lockdown, if you will. Sometimes not even a shift in the world line is enough to avoid certain events, especially when two worlds stand very close to each other." Sozo lowered their hand, their expression becoming a bit somber. "In the world line that this one branched from, this event led to a deal of tragedy and turmoil. Where it continued was one thing, and I would dare say it even went well, but… well, you found your way to this world for a reason."

"… that dream I had the day of the Impact." Soleil recalled it. A battle against someone with a burning sword… a foe he didn't have a hope of defeating. That was the feeling the dream had carried. He knew he couldn't have won, so the thought had become, 'If I could have a chance to try again.' That was the feeling that had nagged him since he'd had that dream. "Just what the hell is even going on? What's so big in two years it's an event that can't be changed?"

"Right now, it wouldn't do any good to tell you what it is. Only that the event is inevitable." Sozo sighed, looking up to the sky. "So use that time to prepare. Grow stronger and gather allies, aim to create a possibility that even when faced with an inevitable tragedy, you can find a path that avoids the harshest version of the following future. Aim to save ones who couldn't be, and, simply, rewrite the story."

"Well, now I think I know where my family got our motto from." Soleil gave a chuckle. "And another thing. Who's the girl you look like right now? How am I connected to her?"

"Believe me or not, but she's someone you've already met." Sozo's remark just confused Soleil. But, considering the resemblance, it didn't leave a wide variety of possibilities for him to think of. "She can't show herself that well, however. She is waiting for you and Bronya. You two will find her eventually… you already have one time before."

"Seele." The name went through Soleil's mind again. As the world began moving once more with Sozo fading from view, Soleil looked up to the sky again. "So, an event in two years, and a young girl who I share a resemblance to… it's just mystery after mystery with that one, isn't it?"

Soleil drew out his pendant and rolled the key across his palm. But, he figured, if he had this warning, then he could surely do it. Time to prepare and grow stronger… to avoid the future where he ended up in a hopeless battle, with results beyond it he didn't know. So he looked up to the shining moon again, like it was a guide in the sky.

"If I'm going to change our futures… heh, then I'll sure need a ton of help to do it, won't I?" He closed his fingers around the key and held it up, the moonlight glinting off the blue item. "Well then, guess I'm gonna be busy."

His path forward had been decided now—a student of St. Freya Academy, a Valkyrie in training. At least for now, the future was certainly looking bright.

A/N

Agh work has been giving me such a bad case of burnout for writing. Glad I got this done cause it draws the beginning arc to a close, and now I can get into a whole HEAP of stuff concerning the other side materials… and some ideas of my own. We've got a ways to go before getting to the main story, that's for damn sure. I have also been playing a bunch of the Post Honkai Odyssey mode, which was certainly helpful. Alrighty then, see ya next chapter… whenever that may be.