Alright everyone, first and foremost I would just like to apologize for the delay in posting this chapter, but I am in the middle of writing my A'level examinations and my studies took priority over this. My update speed will probably slow down until I finish all my exams which is on the 27th November, I will try to ensure the next chapter comes by mid November though.
If not, expect it around the time that I finish my exams.
That being said please do enjoy the chapter, but be warned that the end was a bit rushed
Schicksal HQ/January 4th 2015 / 15.35:
Within the upper levels of Schicksals HQ was the office of none other than the Overseer himself, Otto Apocalypse. The man in question himself was seated in his luxurious seat as he observed the numerous statistics that were coming in regarding the several project that he had been undertaking in the hope of advancing Schicksal.
Having lived over five hundred years, the overseer had set many plans into motion. Having the knowledge within the first divine key only made it that much easier for him. To those that knew him and his organization, the overseer was the head of Schicksal, an organization committed to fighting and defending humanity from the honkai. But very few were aware that this was not the Overseer's true motive. The elimination of honkai only came second to his objective, but he could not allow that to happen until he had achieved his five hundred year quest…..
….. The revival of Kallen Kaslana.
For a long time everything went according to planned. Schicksal had become a global organization that more or less watched the world from the shadows, they had a number of powerful divine keys under their belt, their technological advancements were strides ahead that of modern times and many other factors that contributed to Schicksals success, but very few of these things could help the Overseer in his quest to revive his beloved.
In 1952 the first herrscher came about, and Otto believed that it would hold the answers to his quest. He exchanged ideals with the herrscher, but unfortunately they did not see eye to eye on the matter. His greatest regret today was not keeping a closer eye on the herrscher, for only a few years later would he go on to form an organization that would oppose his own, Anti-Entropy. A thorn in his side is what they were, and a legitimate threat to his quest if left unchecked.
In the year 2000, the second herrscher awoke, and Otto hoped she would hold the answers he needed to revive Kallen. He was especially hopeful after she returned from the moon in possession of six herrscher cores, one of them being the powers of the Herrscher of Death. Unfortunately, even she had no means to permanently revive his beloved, at best she was only able to create a clone using the genetic makeup of the person. Something that Otto was already capable of doing himself.
Still he did not give up, after the defeat of the second herrscher, the Overseer implanted the void core into a clone of Kiana Kaslana that held both the originals DNA as well as Sirin's. However he once more got careless, and in so doing the clone, K423, managed to escape his grasp after being taken away by Siegfried. The male Kaslana had attempted to escape with both the original and clone, but Otto had managed to retrieve the original.
That was the second time his plans had been meddled with that greatly. However, after careful thought, the Overseer realized that this was nothing but a minor setback. K43 would get out and experience the world first hand, but as she got older Otto knew that it would be impossible for Siegfried to continue hiding her. Especially if she was anything like her father, ten her desire to help people would eventually force her out of the shadows. Yes, nothing but a minor setback indeed.
"Lord Otto." The gentle voice of Amber suddenly spoke up from behind the Overseer. The secretary held in her hands a tablet device.
"Amber, is there something to report?" Otto asked, she usually did not disturb him unless something important, or an emergency, was occurring. The secretary merely nodded before tapping the screen of her tab a few times.
"I thought you would be interested in some information that came in from the Far East just yesterday. Someone in particular." Amber said as she swiped the screen upwards. A HUD screen appeared above the Overseers table with detailed information on one Kiana Kaslana.
Otto's eyebrows rose in fascination as he read through the file, he couldn't suppress the smirk that appeared. It appeared that the pieces on the board were finally beginning to move into place. Subject K423 was already in Schicksals hands, even if it was the Far East Branch.
"I have to admit this is a present surprise. I did not expect to retrieve K423 for at least another two years or so, however this works perfectly fine. We will be able to monitor her more carefully this was way." Otto said with a smile as he took a sip of wine from the golden. Yes, this would fit in perfectly with his plans. If she showed signs of the herrscher awakening then he would subdue her and have her master said power, if not then he could always give the slumbering queen the necessary push to awaken. Regardless of how it was done, he was positive he would be able to control the void queen.
"Yes, there is more." Amber said as she swiped the screen of her tab, and the HUD in front of Otto shifted to a medical report on the left side and a mission report on the right side. The Overseer decided to start with the mission report written by none other than his granddaughter Theresa.
To say he was intrigued was a slight understatement. K423 was found within the city of Chita, after a horde that originated from Ulan-Ude travelled to said city. She assisted the valkyrie there in the mission to eliminate the honkai when they attacked, that much was expected as Otto knew it was in their blood to help people who were in need. The more the Overseer read the report, the more interested he became in his little project. Siegfried had apparently abandoned the girl when she was eleven, she spent four years in the honkai infested city of Ulan-Ude. Where she trained herself as made apparent by her combat abilities in Chita. What really caught Otto's attention was the sensory ability K423 was described to have.
The ability to sense honkai energy within a large radius. And with such vivid detail that she was even able to identify people and beasts alike if she recognized their honkai signature. That went above and beyond what most valkyrie were able to do. The applications of such a skill alone would be enough to make the Overseer consider bringing her to HQ immediately, however he was a patient man, and he could always exploit that skill even if she was a student of St.Freya. It seemed as though the surprises never ran out as Otto couldn't help but be surprised at the fact that K423 had managed to single handedly defeat multiple beasts but also an emperor class honkai beast. Surely, the girl was a lot more talented than she let on, anything below A-rank would be an insult to her prowess. Then again, Theresa was the head of the Far East Branch, so the decision mainly lied with her.
Moving from the report of the events in Chita, Otto looked over the medical report from after the even had transpired. Needless to say he almost choked on his drink as soon as he read the first sentence. Two Natural Stigmas??!! The Overseer read through the medical report over and over again, an even went through some pictures of the stigma that had been taken in the girls' unconscious state. There was no doubt that those were the stigma of House Kaslana and House Schariac!! Truly K423 was a master piece in every sense of word!! I it wasn't for the fact that he already had plans for her that he couldn't afford to change, Otto would have had her examined to see if it was possible to have other Valkyrie possess two stigmas. Alas he had to prioritize the end game.
"Amber, what do you make of all this?" Otto asked Amber was someone he could always trust to offer a second opinion.
"K423 has already proven to be a powerful individual based on the reports. She'd easily make a candidate for S-rank given a few months of proper training. Her unique sensory abilities are also something that could also prove beneficial in the long run. Her having two stigmas only show that she has a lot more potential for growth." Amber gave her input, as Otto nodded his head while rubbing his chin thoughtfully.
"What of her attendance at St.Freya, it would be easy to remove her and have her under my personal watch." Otto replied, he was seriously tempted to do so. K423 showed such potential, even without the awakening of the herrscher, that it felt like such a waste to leave her growth at the hands of an academy.
"I believe it would be best to leave her there, for now anyway. She's already been there for a month now, and relocating her now would only make her more wary. Besides, given her history she already has a drive to get stronger, and given the events that occurred in Chita she will only want to be even stronger." Amber stated as Otto once more nodded in agreement. There was a reason why Amber was his secretary, aside from the fact that she was an android, she was a logical person.
"Agreed. Theresa played this quite well. Everything here happened a month ago, but she deliberately waited until the registration to have her fully enrolled into St.Freya before sending the mission report." Otto said, it was a well played move on Theresa's part, regardless of how futile it was. If he wanted he could have K423 transferred elsewhere whenever he wished, but he would let his granddaughter have this victory just this once. The battle was hers, but he would win the war.
Fortunately he already had a pair of eyes in the school that would be more than capable of keeping track of his projects developments. And when the time was right, he would pluck the fruit of his labor and reap the benefits. It was only a matter of time, and the Overseer was a very patient man, after all he had waited five hundred years.
Stigma Realm/Time Unknown
Kiana was once more within sigma realm taking part in another lesson with Kallen. The older Kaslana had officially taken Kiana as an apprentice about a week after their first meeting. She had wanted to give Kiana the proper time to grieve and enter the right state of mind before they actually started their training, and thus had not brought the younger Kaslana into the stigma realm until a week later.
When they began their training, Kiana found it hard to adapt. The only time Kiana could enter the stigma realm was when she went to sleep at night. However, due to her sleeping habits adopted from her time in Ulan-Ude, the young Kaslana was only capable of sleeping for a maximum of four hours a day before losing all sense of sleep. Fortunately for her, time flowed differently within the stigma realm as she learnt over time. It flowed at a one as to three ratios to be precise, meaning that one hour in the real world was equivalent to three hours in the real world. That meant the Kaslana got a total of twelve hour worth of training within the stigma realm.
That being said, she couldn't physically train her body when she was within her realm, as that was just her consciousness given shape and form. So any training that had to do with her physic Kiana had to carry out on her own. As of late, the Kaslana had taken to using training weights around her wrists and ankles in order to further increase her strength and speed. And the results were usually reflected within the stigma realm as the weights had no effect while she was there.
That being said the young Kaslana was currently in a sparring session with her mentor. Needless to say Kiana was getting her ass handed to her, but that was all part of the training. From Kallens perspective the younger Kaslana had grown rather well in terms of physical ability, and on her own no less, but she was sorely lacking in terms of skill and technique. However she slightly made up for it with extraordinary reflexes and good analytical skills whenever she was in battle.
But those alone wouldn't be enough to help the young Kaslana through her valkyrie carrier as a valkyrie. While her current skill set was fine, it was mainly because she had grown used to fighting certain type of beasts in a particular environment, and because she had the speed and strength necessary to handle said beasts on her own. But if she were to come across an enemy that was capable of tactical thinking, and was more skilled than her, then Kiana would find herself in some very serious trouble.
This was what Kallen hoped to fix by properly training the Kaslana I their family arts. And so far it seemed to be working. Kiana had improved steadily in the little that she had been taught over the past month, and was very willing to learn more. A perfect student for lack of better word.
As Kiana once more charged towards the older Kaslana, she threw her right fist at Kallen, who easily dodged the strike by dodging to her left side. Kiana followed up the attack by carrying forward the momentum of her previous attack and rotating to the right on the toes of her right foot, her left hand extended in order to backhand the older Kaslana. However the attack was seen coming as Kallen simply arched her back backwards allowing the arm swing right above her chest. The older Kaslana completed her move by balancing herself on her hands, before pushing herself away from her student to create some distance between the two of them.
"Your form has definitely gotten better Kiana, but you attacks are still a bit predictable. That's something you're going to have o work on." Kallen said, before deciding it was her turn to go on the offensive.
No sooner than she finished her statement, the mentor was before her student, who barely managed to cross her arms in front of her to bock the kick that would have struck her in the face. The force of the attack however was enough to push her back a bit. The older Kaslana did not let up her offensive and once more attacked, putting the Kaslana on the defensive.
The two went on like this for the last hour of their training session, Kiana trying to land a hit on her mentor, while the senior would push Kiana on the defensive. Kiana was proud to admit that she had managed to land two surprise attacks on her mentor this time around, which was a major improvement to the ground beating she got on her first day. However, she was also aware of the fact that Kallen was holding back for the sake of her training.
"You've made great improvements Kiana, and in such a short time too." Kallen Complimented as she handed Kiana a towel and a bottle of water. The disciple gladly accepted them and wiped her sweat filled face.
"I know, but we're still on the second stage of our training." Kiana explained. She had learned from Kallen that the Kaslana combat arts consisted of three orders. The Knight, the Sword and the Shield.
The Knight was an order that mainly focused around one's self, and inner strength. It was divided into a total of four stages. Strength of Mind, Strength of Body, Strength of Will and Strength of Heart.
1. Strength of Mind: According to Kallen this stage determines ones strategic and tactical ability. One's ability to plan in any situation and anticipate an enemy's attacks. This stage depended heavily on ones knowledge, and thus Kallen had encouraged Kiana to learn as much about Honkai as she could in the outer world and learn from all combat she experienced in the past and that she will experience in the future, as that knowledge would be useful in shaping her as a warrior. As much as Kiana already had a tactical and strategic mind, due to how she had to get by in Ulan-Ude with subpar weaponry and skills, Kallen was more than determined to nurture that gift further.
2. Strength of Body: This stage trains the body to be physically fit, so it can withstand the amount of honkai energy that comes from use of natural stigma, as well as increase combat efficiency. Strength, speed, stamina and durability are the core foundations of this stage. It is the ability to take a blow and keep on going. If one has the strength to defeat a honkai beast with a single blow, then they will be able to save more lives. If you are fast enough, you can avoid combat entirely. If one has enough stamina they can outlast their opponent. And if one is durable, then they can hold out until backup arrives. It was the physical preparation of any scenario one could come across as a warrior and the training to defeat even the strongest of opponents.
3. Strength of Will: Is what Kallen considered to be the formless aspect of combat. Where there is no weakness, only strength. There is no failure, only setbacks. There is no defeat, only tactical retreats. It is not only a mindset but the complete refusal to accept anything other than a positive outcome. Because defeatism, even for a single moment is a step away from death in their field.
4. Strength of Heart: In Kallens opinion, is one of the hardest stages to master in the Kaslana arts. It is self cleansing of one's emotions. It is the removal of all negative emotions, and the release of all burdens carried within. It is the strength to move toward your goal, without fear of retribution and the burdens of your past, knowing that you are doing what is right by you. In other words, it is the attainment of Inner Peace. This stage alone is something that could take years for one to achieve.
The Second order that followed was The Sword. Obviously this was the offensive aspect of the Kaslana arts. It mainly taught the three arts of the Kaslana family. The Martial Arts, the Gun-Kata and the Sword Techniques.
1. Martial Arts: The close combat techniques of house Kaslana
2. Gun-Kata: The gun martial arts of house Kaslana
3. Sword-Techniques: The sword techniques of House Kaslana
4. Advanced Martial arts: Incorporating Honkai energy into martial arts
5. Advanced Gun-Kata: Honkai based techniques with pistols.
6. Advanced Sword Techniques: Honkai Based Techniques with swords(Mainly recommended for Judgment of Shamash, or similar fire natured swords)
The last of the three orders was The Shield, It mainly revolved around the control of honkai energy and drawing of condensed honkai energy from the wielders natural stigma. Kallen wasn't sure how that last one was going to affect Kiana seeing as the young Kaslana had two natural stigma, but she supposed it would only serve to make her stronger than the average Kaslana.
1. Honkai manipulation: The warrior learns to channel honkai energy through their body to enhance their physical abilities, and channel said energy in to their weapons and battlesuit. This enhances their overall combat capabilities.
2. Stigma manipulation: Wielder uses stigma to condense the honkai energy within them, making it a lot more potent and powerful. This further enhances combat capabilities beyond channeling normal honkai energy. Stigma also come with a unique ability, such as the Kaslana stigma known for reducing one's body temperature, greatly increasing physical abilities and significantly hardening users skin.
And thus that was the knowledge that Kallen aimed to pass onto the younger Kaslana. Kiana was already very talented in her own right, and her desire to learn and grow stronger would only help her master these stages faster. If Kallen had to guess, given the time that they had when they were in the stigma realm, and how much Kiana pushed to her limits in the real world, then the older Kaslana would probably have nothing more to teach within the next three years. She decided to sort the stages of the Kaslana arts in an order that she felt would benefit Kiana greatly.
1. Strength of Body
2. Strength of Mind
3. Martial Arts
4. Gun-Kata
5. Sword Techniques
6. Strength of Will
7. Honkai control
8. Advanced Martial Arts
9. Advanced Gun-Kata
10. Advanced Sword Techniques
11. Stigma Manipulation
12. Strength of Heart
However, there was one thing that troubled Kallen, and that was the fact that Kiana may not be able to master The Strength of Heart due to her past. The guilt she felt over what happened with her father all those years ago was still very present within her heart, and the recent event of Chita were still very fresh in her mind and heart. If she failed to move past these, chances are she would never truly master the Kaslana art. Just as the heart was a vital part of the human body, so too was the Strength of Heart in the Kaslana arts. It was what defined you, and gave your life direction in the end.
"Hey Aunt Kallen, I better get going." Kiana said as she stood up, "Today is my first day officially attending classes." The young Kaslana said with a hint of excitement.
"That's right, you never attended any schooling when you were a child." Kallen said as she laughed lightly.
"Yeah, Mrs.Ryuuki used to teach me a little, and would make sure I did some reading on my own while in Ulan-Ude, but I never truly experienced what a school environment was like. Kasumi said it was fun, since you would be able to make so many friends, but often complained about how boring the classes were." Kiana responded with a nervous laugh.
"Well I wish you luck then. Make sure to try your best, but make sure you also enjoy yourself. Too much work is not good for anybody. Besides you're still young, you should try and make the most of your life." Kallen advised as she turned to the already fading Kiana, a sign that she was starting to wake in the real world.
"I'll be sure to keep that in mind." Kiana said before her body dissolved from the stigma realm.
Kallen remained seated o n the grass for a few minutes looking towards the sky of her realm. Kiana held potential that far surpassed her own or any she had seen in her time, and it wasn't just because of her stigma but because she had the drive to grow stronger as well. However, Kallen was also aware of the fact that Kiana held something within her that could bring great destruction upon the world.
It fueled her to train the young girl even herder, in order to prepare her or what was to undoubtedly be her hardest trial. But she had faith that Kiana would overcome this.
St.Freya /January 9th 2015/ 7.30am:
Kiana, having finished her preparations for school, was excited for her first day….well about as excited as one should be for school anyway. AS the Kaslana left her residence she thought about everything that had occurred over the month since her arrival.
For starters, the Kaslana had covered a lot of ground in regards to her studies due to her own efforts and Himeko's remedial lessons. Though if she had to be honest, she found them a tad bit boring. But she still forced herself to learn as she knew some of the subjects were important for her carrier as a valkyrie. However, she hadn't covered enough ground to catch-up with everyone else that was in her class.
Mei and Bronya had also been very helpful in this regard, offering to help with her studies whenever she struggled with certain topics. Kiana would often claim that she didn't want to be a bother, but Mei would always count by saying this was just similar to revision for them, so in the end everyone got something out of it.
She also got to know Mei and Bronya on a more personal level during that month. Mei, in Kiana's opinion, was the type of person that everyone would want as a big sister. She was kind patient, soft and a really, really, REALLY great cook. The first night the Kaslana ate her cooking, she had been seriously tempted to ask Himeko if the offer to move in was still open. It would have been worth it, having grown up eating rations and tinned foods for nine months a year, eating Mei's food would have been heaven. Food aside, Mei had what Kiana liked to describe as a house wife personality whenever she was at home, though she would never say it to the Raiden' face.
Bronya on the other hand was a bigger puzzle to Kiana. The girl showed little to no emotion and always referred to herself in third person. She refused to tell Kiana where the hell she got a freaking robot, only being as vague as saying it was during her time in Anti-Entropy. Her addiction to video games was something that Kiana found to be amusing, Kiana had even challenged her couple of times which of course always ended in her defeat. All-in-All, Bronya was a realist and functioned heavily on logic, and was not afraid to say what was on her mind. She also seemed to hold Mei in high regard for some reason, always referring to her as 'Mei-neesama'.
Aside from the two of them, Kiana had also gotten to know Himeko and Fu Hua during the month. The latter of the two was, for lack of better words, a drunkard outside of anything work related. Himeko reminded Kiana so much of her father that half the time it wasn't even funny, the only good thing was that the redhead wasn't as perverted as her old man. During her remedial classes, the redhead was strict, and often gave Kiana a lot of work that the Kaslana had to stay up late doing, but outside of it she was a lot more fun to hang around.
Fu Hua on the other hand was a disciplined character through and through. She was someone who Kiana saw as a person who would set an example for everyone else to follow, so she wasn't that surprised when Bronya told her that Fu Hua was the class monitor of their class. Fu Hua was also a great sparring partner for the Kaslana, the two of them had come to an agreement of sparring once every week on Saturdays, and thus far they had done so three times in the weeks that followed her arrival at St.Freya. Thus far she had yet to win any of her their fights. Fu Hua had told the Kaslana that whilst she had greater strength and speed, her movements were too readable. It was the same thing that Aunt Kallen had told her before they started training in the Kaslana martial arts. While she had definitely improved, hand to hand combat was Fu Hua's area of expertise and thus Kiana knew it would be a while before she could match the class monitor.
Lastly, Kiana had gotten to spend some time with Theresa, after not seeing her for twelve years. The two of them caught up as much as they could in that time. Kiana told her about her memory loss from the age of ten, and how her father abandoned her a year later. She couldn't help but laugh at Theresa's reaction to that piece of news, she knew that her father was going to get an earful the next time she saw him. She went on to explain how she travelled a bit of Russia for a year before ending up in Chita and the entire event that followed that.
Theresa had been really supportive of Kiana's loss, much like Himeko had been as well. They both listened whenever she had something to say, but Kiana would often confide more in Theresa than Himeko, probably because she was family. However, the two couldn't spend as much time together as they both would have liked due to the fact that Theresa was the principal of the school. A tall order for someone that small, but Kiana was not going to question it.
All in all, she had settled quite well into St.Freya, now she was about to start her schooling life. Where she would be meeting a lot of new faces, and hopefully even a few more friends. However, she was also aware of the fact that growing strong was meant to be her top priority. She had a lot of room to improve upon, if her sparring sessions with Fu Hua and Kallen (in the stigma realm) were anything to go by. She was eager to complete her family arts and live true to her Kaslana Oath, just without the dying part.
"Morning Kiana." The voice of Fu Hua suddenly spoke out to the Kaslana as she was making her way to class, Kiana turned to face the class monitor who was coming from the corridor to her right.
"Ah morning Fu Hua, or do you prefer 'class monitor'?" Kiana asked slightly teasingly. Kiana had begun a habit of trying to find a way to get Fu Hua out of her strict personality, a habit that had been passed on by Himeko. She felt Fu Hua could lighten up a little from her rather strict nature.
"As I've told you numerous times now, Fu Hua is just fine." Fu Hua responded as she shook her head sideways, but the small twitch in her lips did not escape the Kaslana's eyes, causing her to smile at the personal victory. Making Fu Hua smile was no easy task, so even the smallest of twitches were a major milestone. It meant she was tempted, but through sheer willpower had managed to restrain herself.
"Yeah, well now we'll be in school. I wanted to know if you were more formal in school grounds than you were outside." Kiana responded, she had heard tales from Mei and Bronya of how most students in the class she would be joining held Fu Hua in high regard as the only A-rank valkyrie of their class, as well as her intelligence and discipline.
"You're fine the way you are. Anyways, it's a good thing I caught you before you got to class. The major asked me to bring you to her office before you presented yourself to everyone." Fu Hua said as she beckoned Kiana to follow her.
"Yeah, sure." Kiana nodded as she followed Fu Hua down the corridor the class monitor had just come from.
"Kiana..." Fu Hua called out after a minute of walking in silence, the Kaslana turned to her, "…I don't mean to sound nosy, but the major told me that this was your first time attending any schooling of sorts, is that true?" Fu asked.
"Yeah, it is. In my early years, my father never made me attend any school, heck I don't think I had any friends around my age. During the time I travelled between Ulan-Ude and Chita, Mrs. Ryuuki would home school me whenever I was in Chita, and she would have me read through various topics whilst I was in Ulan-Ude, but I was always more focused on my training than I was on my studies so I'm probably a bit behind those my age." Kiana admitted as she rubbed the back of her head nervously. Fu Hua nodded in understanding before asking her next question.
"How about your remedial classes with the Major?" Fu Hua asked.
"I've made progress, though it's a lot to grasp. The major gave me some study tips that have been really helpful. I've also come to learn that I am an auditory learner." Kiana added causing Fu Hua to turn to the Kaslana with an eyebrow rose.
"Really? I guess that's beneficial if you want to cover ground. All you'd have to do is repeatedly listen to audios regarding lessons you've already covered. And it also makes it easier to grasp things whilst in class." Fu Hua said as she nodded her head.
"Yeah, but I try not to do the audios myself. I don't want to misinterpret something and then have the wrong things memorized. I've been asking Bronya to help me in that regard, but the way she referrers to herself in third person, and other people as 'subjects' can be a bit off putting." Kiana said as she chuckled lightly, Fu Hua couldn't help but also scoff at that.
Bronya was one of the smartest students in class, but she couldn't imagine herself having Bronya's voice in her ears for that long unless it was a conversation.
"I can see why." Fu Hua responded as a small laugh escaped from her lips, "I'll see if I can make a recording or two." She then offered, making Kiana's eyes widen slightly.
"N-no no no, you don't have to do that!!" Kiana nearly shouted, she feared that Fu Hua had misinterpreted her words as a plea for help when that wasn't the case.
"It's nothing really. Besides, it's my duty as class monitor to help other students where I can."Fu Hua said with a smile small. Kiana simply nodded her head in agreement. It would be pointless to try and argue with that kind of logic, plus she really needed the help anyways.
It didn't take long for the two of them to make it towards the major's office and just in time too. Just as Fu Hua was about to knock on the door, it opened and Himeko came from the other side with a few text books in hand. She noticed the two of them and smiled.
"Oh you found her! I was just about to head on to class since you were taking forever!"Himeko exclaimed with at Fu Hua with a smile.
"I was barely gone for more than fifteen minutes, and homeroom doesn't start for another ten. You're simply impatient Major." Fu Hua said as she crossed her arms.
"Yeah yeah whatever. Run along now, I got some something quick to handle with Kiana before classes started."Himeko stated carelessly as she chased Fu Hua away with the lazy shake of her hands. The class monitor shook her head sideways, before saying her goodbyes and walking back to class. Once she was gone, the redhead then motioned for Kiana to follow her back into the office.
"Alright brat just wanted to give you your class schedule. As well as wish you luck." Himeko said as she handed Kiana a sheet of paper that had the schedule of the subjects that he had chosen. She would have to properly look at it later though.
"Thanks I guess. Was there something else?" Kiana asked, she had a feeling that there was another reason why Himeko had called her hear.
"Yes, another matter that I forgot to bring up the day we sorted your classes was the matter of which clubs you were going to be attending." Himeko said as she pulled out another sheet of paper from her desk, "These basically afternoon activities that you do after school has ended. Go through the list, and give me feedback by the end of the day." Himeko explained, to which Kiana nodded as she took the sheet of paper and placed it on top of her class schedule.
"Okay, I'll be sure to do that. If that's all I should probably get to class before I'm late." Kiana stated.
"Hold on, I'm the one who's going to be introducing you to the class anyway, so we might as well leave together." Himeko said as she took her books and walked out of the office with Kiana next to her, "Are you looking forward to school?" Himeko asked as they walked down the corridor.
"To be honest yes, but I also don't know what to expect. This wasn't what I had in mind when I aimed to join Schicksal though." Kiana stated as Himeko turned to the Kaslana with a raised eyebrow.
"Oh, and what were you expecting?" The redhead asked.
"I don't really know. Something similar to a military camp I guess. I just didn't expect that one of the branches would be a high school." Kiana said with a smile as she shook her head sideways.
"And does that upset you? That you aren't at a proper training facility." Himeko asked carefully as she eyed Kiana.
"Not really. I made a promise to Kasumi that I would try and find a work-life balance in my life." Kiana said as her tone became soft, "Back then, I spent nine months training in Ulan-Ude and three months in Chita because I felt as though growing stronger was more important than anything else. Now…..I just regret not spending enough time with them." Kiana stated, her face having gone neutral.
"There'll always be regrets when the people we love die. You'll always wish you have done something differently, even if there was nothing to change. Don't ponder too much on those regrets and instead focus on what you want to achieve, as well as what they would have wanted for you." Himeko advised as she put a hand on Kiana's shoulder.
"Kasumi and Mrs.Ryuuki would've wanted me to chase my own dreams, but they wouldn't want me to do it alone like I did in Ulan-Ude. It's why Kasumi made me promise to open more while I grew stronger, so I could better connect with other people. " Kiana stated.
"Well I'd say you're living up to that promise. Just remember that it's not about how many friends you have, but rather how well you can trust them to stand by you and vice versa." Himeko advised, Kiana nodded her head in agreement.
The two eventually made it to class and Himeko told Kiana to wait outside for a moment while she addressed the class. Himeko got in and found most of the student already seated, most probably thanks to Fu Hua bringing order to the class as usual.
"Alright listen up!!" Himeko called out, as the whispers and mutters became full silence as very student turned their attention to the major, "We've got a new student joining us this year, so I expect you to treat them as you would everyone else. Why don't you come in and introduce yourself." Himeko said the last part facing the door where Kiana was still standing and gesturing for the Kaslana to come in.
Kiana walked into the room, and could almost immediately feel the weight of slightly over twenty pair of eyes looking straight at her. She did her best to keep a neutral face, as to not look fazed by some of the looks. She was not used to this kind of attention outside of Mrs.Ryuuki's Orphanage, but those were mostly little kids, they adored the ground she walked on and loved the stories she used to tell them of her adventure. This however was different from that, it felt as if all of these kids, most probably around the same age as her, were sizing her up from top to bottom. Trying to see what she was made off and if she was worth knowing. Kiana was able to spot Mei, Bronya and Fu Hua seated close to the front row of the class, With Mei and Bronya occupying the two seats on the third row of the left side of the class, and Fu Hua seated in the row in front of them with an empty space next to her.
"Um, hello. My name is Kiana Kaslana, and I look forward to getting to know everyone!!" Kiana introduced herself with a slight bow. The effect was almost instant as most of the class began to whisper amongst themselves, Kiana could definitely hear her last name being thrown around in some of those conversations. Some of the students seemed happy or neutral, while others seemed to frown and Kiana could have sworn one of them actually had a scowl on her face, but let it go.
"Alright alright, quiet down!!" Himeko shouted as the class once more settled down. She turned to Kiana, "Take the seat next to Fu Hua, she'll help you get accommodated, then you can sit elsewhere starting next week." Himeko suggested, to which Kiana responded with a nod before doing as she was told.
And thus her first day of school, the first class was nothing exciting much, just history of Schicksal and all that. The Kaslana would be lying if she said she hadn't been half tempted to fall asleep during that lesson, but with it being her first day she couldn't afford to make any bad impressions. Not unless she wanted it to stick for a very long time.
Though she was surprised to hear that her family was one of the founders of Schicksal. She remembered Himeko touching on the same subject during her remedial classes, but she had never really put much thought into it considering the fact that she had so much to do, she still did. Perhaps that was what caused the commotion earlier when she introduced herself. Even now, she still felt as if someone was glaring daggers into the back of her head, but whenever she looked back all of the students were paying attention to the major. It was disturbing but she let it slide in the end.
The first class came to an end soon, and Kiana couldn't have been happier. She wondered how Kasumi had suffered through years of lectures and the like. The Kaslana would have preferred being tossed around by honkai beasts instead. The next class was something that she was actually looking forward to.
Combat Simulation.
The class packed their belongings and began to make their way to the location of their next class simulation chambers where their next class would be taking place. She's come to learn one thing during her past month here. Schicksal, and probably any other honkai related organization, were highly advanced in technology compared to the rest of the world. But that was to be expected when they were fighting out of this world aliens.
"Hey you, Kiana." Kiana heard someone call from behind her, she turned out of curiosity and found the person looking directly at her. She was a slim girl, around the same age as Kiana, but slightly taller than the Kaslana. Her hair was a slightly darker shade of white, and her eyes were captivatingly neon pink. Her custom uniform was similar in design to that of Mei's, except she went with the colors white, purple and blue.
"Oh hello, how can I help you…?"
"Layla Schariac, my name is Layla Schariac."Layla introduced herself as she stretched her right hand out for Kiana to shake. The Kaslana responded well by shaking said hand with her own, "I I was just so excited to meet someone another member of Schicksals noble houses." Layla added. Kiana couldn't help but raise an eyebrow when she felt the Layla add more pressure into the hand shake.
"I wouldn't really know anything about that, I only became involved with Schicksal as a whole about a month ago." Kiana responded with the shrug of her shoulders, she really didn't care if her family was noble or not.
"Oh, so you were just a civilian up until a month ago?" Layla asked, and Kiana could have sworn the girl was deliberately taunting her when she said it, but decided not to think too much on the matter.
"Yea something like that. I just travelled for the most part." Okay, not exactly a lie since she did travel……she just omitted the fact that it was mostly between two cities. She noticed the smirk that came on Layla's face at her words.
"Well I hope you don't struggle too hard to keep up Kiana. After all, you have a reputation to uphold." Layla said with a smile, but Kiana was beginning to see past the smile the more she interacted with the girl. She already had an idea of what kind of person Layla was, but she would hold off on any judgment until she got to know the girl better.
"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind Layla." Kiana said as she responded with a smile of her own. She may be a new student, but she wasn't going to be down played by anyone. If she had to prove herself and climb to the top then that's what she would do, but she refused to be a steppingstone for anyone.
"Don't be afraid to ask me for help if you need any help okay. Being a valkyrie can be a bit overwhelming when first starting out. But I'm sure you'll catch up easily since it runs through your blood." Layla offered, but Kiana knew the girl was mocking her instead. Trying to emphasize the point that she was better than the Kaslana. Kiana honestly did not know what this girl's problem was, but she clearly had issues with her or her family, given the jabs she kept throwing at her lineage.
"I'm not as incompetent as you think, I've fought my fair share of honkai in my travels. I'm sure I will manage." Kiana said as she folded her arms in front of her chest with slight irritation, the girl was finally starting to get on her nerves, a jab or two at her family and she would have punched a noble on her first day of school, not that she cared about her status anyway.
"Well then, I look forward to seeing what you can do….." Layla said as she began to walk past Kiana, only stopping for a brief second when she was beside her, "…..Kaslana." She added before continuing on her way to the next class.
Kiana simply turned and watched the Schariac back as she continued to walk towards her next class. The girl had been riling her up the whole time, trying to get Kiana to spill as much information on herself as possible so she could gauge the Kaslana. Kiana had managed to downplay her merits to the extent where Layla didn't view her as any sort of competition, but the Kaslana was tempted to show her just how wrong she was. However she knew better than to show her hand too soon.
Her training with Aunt Kallen was meant to be kept secret for as long as necessary at least that was what the older Kaslana had told Kiana. She hadn't told anyone about the fact that she had been training in her family art, but the struggle now came in the fact that she would have to resist the temptation to use those skills instinctively. That meant she would have to rely on the other gun-kata and sword arts she had picked up from the library as well as her own experiences. She didn't mind the challenge though, the results would be worth it in the end.
"It seems you've caught Layla's attention, I'd be careful around her if I were you." Fu Hua said as she approached Kiana, snapping the Kaslana out of her thoughts. She turned towards the approaching class monitor to see that Mei and Bronya were also with her.
"She seems like a real piece of work. What's her deal anyway?" Kiana asked with slight irritation. It was her first day and she was already being involved in some political crap than was Schicksal related.
"Don't mind her too much, up until your arrival she was the only member of a noble house that was a student in this school. The only other person being the principal who's part of the Apocalypse family. I suppose she just feels threatened by your presence." Fu Hua said with a shrug. Whatever the case was, it was her responsibility to maintain order within their class, and she was well aware of Layla's rebellious nature, but she had a feeling that would become a bit more competitive with Kiana here.
"I personally think she's just really competitive, even when it's unnecessarily called for. She's already one of the most talented students in the class, with Fu Hua being the only one capable of beating her." Mei responded, she knew Layla's nature could be a bit vexing and annoying to most of the class.
"The Bronya is more interested in why subject Kiana lie to Layla." Bronya stated as she tilted her head sideways slightly, this also caused Fu Hua and Mei to turn towards the Kaslana, the latter expressing more curiosity.
"I'm not here to flex my muscle so to speak, telling her and pretty much everyone who'd been listening in would have just drawn attention on me that I don't want. Being part of one of the founding houses has already garnered more eyes on me than I would have wanted, Layla's attention on me seems to have done so even more. The last thing I want is for people to set standards of what they think I should achieve, I know why I'm here and what I want." Kiana explained.
She wasn't here for the fame or recognition that came with her family name or skills and strength that she had, but rather she was here because she wanted to get stronger. Having people constantly telling her that she was strong would not do anything to help her, but rather it would make her complacent with where she was, and that was something she couldn't let happen no matter what. She had made that mistake once, she wasn't going to do it again.
"That's something I can respect." Fu Hua said with a nod, before noting the time, "However we better make our way t the next class unless we want to be late." The class monitor added, and with that said the three of them began to move.
The next class was something that Kiana found to be a lot more interesting. Everyone told to enter their usual squads, they would be going through a series of simulations in their individual squads to practice team work as well as improve their combat skills. Kiana counted a total of thirty one students the class, herself included. That meant there would be a total of ten teams, leaving one student without.
Fortunately the situation had already been explained to Kiana prior today. She had been permanently assigned to be on the same team as Mei and Bronya, reason being that Fu Hua wasn't part of any squad in class seeing as she was of higher rank and often did solo missions for Schicksal HQ. The Kaslana found it odd but didn't question it, if everyone was okay with the arrangement then who was she to question it.
She had managed to train together with Mei and Bronya only five times over the past month. The main reason for this being that Kiana was still doing her best to catch up on her academics and adapt to the various training and study facilities offered by St.Freya. They were a compatible team, that much the Kaslana could say. Mei and Kiana usually took the frontline battle with Bronya covering for them with ranged fire, sometimes that routine by having Bronya also join in close combat. It turned out that Project Bunny was also a good tanker, which didn't really surprise Kiana considering that it was a giant robot with a shield.
The rest of the day was really uneventful for Kiana, other than the attending of classes. Everyone had been very welcoming to her, and had been kind enough to give her a hand whenever she needed the help. Layla and two of her friends, which Kiana assumed were also her teammates, however had been less than welcoming and had taken almost every opportunity to step on Kiana due to her lack of knowledge, Kiana could count a few times that she had been close to punching Layla, but Fu Hua would constantly remind her that the girl wasn't worth the effort and retaliating would just be giving her what she wants. Still they had effectively managed to put a dent in what was supposed to be a good first day.
It was currently night time and Kiana had decided to take things easy for the night, having dinner at Himeko's place. At the current moment she was gaming with Bronya as she usually did while Mei was in the kitchen cooking food, wit Fu Hua there helping having also decided to join them for dinner. Bronya was a terribly good gamer, Kiana failed to beat her in every turn no matter how many tricks she pulled out. To be honest the Kaslana was willing to pay half of what she had saved up in her account just to see someone beat her three times in a row.
"That's it I give!!" Kiana shouted in frustration as she threw her control on the couch, another defeat at the hands of the silver haired girl. Bronya simply turned to the Kaslana with her normal neutral expression, but Kiana could have sworn she saw her left eye sparkle with what resembled cockiness...
"Has subject Kiana finally seen how futile it is to challenge the Bronya's gaming skills?" Bronya asked, even her tone seemed to reflect that cockiness despite being level.
"I'll catch up someday Bronya. But for now how about we do a Co-Op mission, I've had enough losses for one day." Kiana admitted with a sigh of resignation, a small smile appeared on Bronya's lips at that.
"The Bronya finds those terms acceptable." Bronya said as she began setting up the necessary changes for the game.
As the Kaslana gamed with Bronya, Mei and Fu Hua were just about wrapping up dinner as they began to set the table. Mei took a moment to look at the two of them. Kiana had honestly come a long way since the events of Chita, the scars were still apparent to those who knew her but she was recovering. Mei was the only one out of everyone who'd been involved who was there when Kiana was forced to make that impossible choice, she often wondered if she would have been able to pull that trigger on someone she loved.
If she were to be honest, Mei could probably relate more with Kasumi in that particular situation. After the third eruption last year, the swordswoman felt as though she didn't have the right to live, knowing how many people had died as a result of the herrscher within her. At the time she wouldn't have held against anyone to kill her during the events in Nagazora, she would have thought it better than putting many more lives in danger, and potentially ending them. Even now they were times when she still had doubts, the only thing that calmed was the fact that a bomb had been placed in chest to react to the awakening of the herrscher, and thus far the herrscher had yet to make another appearance.
Anyways, the only thing she wasn't sure she could do was ask someone she loved to be the one to kill her. Knowing that such a deed would probably haunt them for the rest of their lives. But Kiana seemed to be slowly healing, she was far from okay but she was better than she was a month ago.
"Food for your thoughts." Fu Hua suddenly spoke out as she returned from the living room. Mei turned towards the class monitor with a smile.
"I'm just thinking about how Kiana is slowly settling down. She's better than she was a month ago." Mei expressed her thoughts and watched as Fu Hua turned to the Kaslana who was still gaming with Bronya.
"I suppose. I heard that she's been talking with the principle and major regarding those issues, a form of grief counseling if you will. Perhaps they have been of help." Fu Hua said, unlike Mei she didn't truly know the depths of what Kiana went through, but she could see the minor improvements in her behavior and character. "Say, you were with her when she….killed her sister right?" The class monitor questioned as she turned towards Mei who now had a small frown of her face.
"Yes, I don't know if I would have been able to go through with what she did. But she made a promise to Kasumi and has been trying to live up to that promise since she came here." Mei said with a minor frown.
"And what promise was that?"Fu Hua asked out of curiosity.
"I'd rather not say, that was a private moment between the two of them, one that I shouldn't have heard myself. I hope you understand." Mei responded. It wasn't her promise to share, those were Kasumi's last words to the Kaslana and Mei had no right to tell them to anyone unless the Kaslana herself allowed it.
"No I understand, you don't want to divulge something that Kiana could view as personal, and I can respect that." Fu Hua said in understanding, she wouldn't ask further and Mei was happy to hear that.
It was at that moment that the front door to the house opened and Theresa and Himeko finally came in. The two of them had been finishing some late paperwork and had come a little late, fortunately for them Mei had taken this into account while they were cooking and thus they would still be able to eat it fresh and steamy.
"We're back!!" Theresa shouted dramatically as the door closed behind her and Himeko.
"Welcome back, you made it just in time for dinner. Fu Hua and I were just about to set things on the table." Mei greeted as Fu Hua moved behind her with a bowl of salads in her hand. The class monitor offered a no in greeting towards the major and principle before continuing with her task of putting the food on the table.
"Sweet!! Nothing better than coming home to Mei's cooking after a day of hard work." Himeko said with a content sigh as she plopped herself down on the couch. The first weeks of schools were always a pain. Dealing with transfer students, coming up with a teaching schedule and the likes was tiring.
"Are Kiana and Bronya gaming again?" Theresa questioned sounding unimpressed as she heard the sounds of video games in the background. Honestly, for all the talents that she displayed Kiana still had moments that reminded Theresa of her father. But she suppose that most, if not all Kaslana's had a streak of idiocy and perverseness in them.
"Yes, they've been at it for a while now. Once more Kiana failed to best Bronya and so they ended up settling for Co-Op instead. I should let them know that dinner is ready." Mei said as she excused herself so she could go and call them.
Minutes later everyone was by the table already eating their food, conversations were just being thrown around casually as they ate. Kiana took a moment to stop eating as she looked at everyone. Her first day had gone as smoothly as possible, given her few encounters with Layla throughout the day. But looking around now, she couldn't help but feel like she was belonging all over again. It truly made the Kaslana question what was home to her. With her father it had just been the two of them isolated from the rest of the world. With Kasumi, Mrs.Ryuuki and everyone from the orphanage it seemed like she had a place to come back. But now, it was still too soon to say what this atmosphere felt like to her, however a part of her dreaded that it would end the same way as the last two, and she would wind up all alone.
That was why she wanted to grow stronger. Why she had to make use of every opportunity while here at St.Freya to reach her full potential. She had so much to fight for, and this time she wouldn't fail, not again.
Author's Note
I feel like we covered a bit in this chapter, but the main concept that I wanted to bring out was the true depth of the Kaslana arts for this fanfic, as this will go a long way into explaining some of Kiana's OP moments in the near future.
To be honest, most of the stages involved in mastering this art were inspired by the Taixuan Sword. However, you must take note that the honkai manipulating techniques of the Taixuan Sword were based of knowledge of the previous era. Fu Hua just created a martial art style that allowed one to use those techniques to their full potential.
The Kaslana arts are based on the same Honkai Manipulation techniques of the previous era, but rather this knowledge was passed down through stigma, along with hundreds of year's worth of techniques and skills used by the Kaslana family. Kallen being stuck within the Kaslana stigma realm for 500 years had the opportunity to learn all these secrets…..
…..and now she is passing them onto Kiana.
I also felt like it would be important for Kiana to have a rival of sorts to clash against in St.Freya. You know the Vegeta to your Goku, Sasuke to your Naruto, Paul to your Ash. That kind of thing. Though to be honest it's going to be one sided, Kiana's true rival will be revealed much later in the story
If you have any as usual feel free to ask in the comments section and I will answer them in my author's notes in the next chapter.
PS: I know the ending wasn't good but I was in a rush to get this out so it wasn't forgotten. I may edit it……or not.
