Note: I had to make a slight correction to the last chapter in order for this chapter to flow well but I doubt any of you will notice.
Enjoy this chapter!
Sleep could be considered a way of escape from reality, to forget the tribulations of yesterday and focus on what the next day could bring.
However for Mashu Schariac, sometimes those dreams were not an escape from reality.
But rather a reminder of them.
"You were born for one reason Mashu."
"Ana, this is your younger sister."
"To bring honor to the Schariac Name."
"H-Hi Mashu, I'm Ana Schariac."
"You will live for nothing else."
"I'll be your onee-sama from now on."
"For there is no greater honor."
"I will do my best to protect you, no matter what."
With a gasp Mashu Schariac woke up from her dream. Magenta eyes were wide awake as the shielder began to heavily inhale air. Sweat began to accumulate on her forehead as she tried to control her laborious breathing, closing her eyes in an attempt to calm her body down.
It had been a while since she had a nightmare as intense as this one. Before they were just mere flashbacks that lasted seconds, not an assortment of them that seemed to stretch on for an eternity.
When her breathing was no longer laborious as it once was, the magenta and ash blonde girl tried to fall back asleep and forget that all this had happened. However very soon she would discover that trying to fall back asleep was practically impossible.
Bringing her hand to where her heart was, Mashu could feel it frantically beat and even taking the time to calm herself down had not slowed its beating.
Which meant that she was effectively 'awake' now for today.
After taking a minute for it to sink in that she could not go back to sleep, the shielder eventually got up from her bed and approached a table that had a mirror, some hair brushes, and other cosmetic items that she used to clean herself up with.
Grabbing one of the brushes Mashu began to absentmindedly brush her hair whilst she focused her attention on the calendar, trying to see if there was anything planned for this day.
It had been a couple of days since the 6th Valkyrja Squad had returned from its first mission. Things had died down as the squad went back to the normal school routine, juggling academics with Valkyrie training.
Aside from her fellow classmates trying to discover what their mission was, which they couldn't reveal because it was classified, nothing really different or notable had happened.
When Mashu was satisfied with brushing her magenta and ash blonde hair, she set the brush down and approached her closet and took out her school uniform and set it on her bed. After that she then grabbed her towel and headed towards the bathroom to freshen up.
If there was one thing that the Schariac was thankful for, it was that each student had their own personal bathroom. She had heard from Ana that shared bathrooms were a recipe for disaster and she was not eager to find out why that was.
After a quick but refreshing shower, Mashu quickly dried herself before she put on her St. Freya uniform. Making sure that she had done everything the shielder then left her room so that she could go to the kitchen to get herself some breakfast.
Closing her room's door behind her, Mashu took note of the other three doors in the hallway. With how the dorms were all constructed, everyone in the squad had their rooms in close proximity to each other, with all of them being in the same hallway.
Mashu's room was at the very end of the hallway, with Haruto-san's being right across from her's. Layla-san's and Fu Hua-san's rooms were at the other end of the hallway and the closest to the kitchen area.
Her magenta eyes moved to look at the red haired teenager's door that was across from her, noting that it was slightly open. Such a sight would've prompted Mashu to wonder if her male teammate was awake or if he had just forgotten to lock his door but she knew it was most likely that Kuro had left to do something.
The black feline in question was very smart, much smarter than Mashu would believe a cat could be. She wondered where Haruto picked her up from?
As she began to move towards the kitchen, she noted that her other teammates' doors were already both open. Fu Hua came as no surprise to the Schariac as she was already an A-Rank Valkyrie, who had her own responsibilities to fulfill so that meant waking up earlier as usual.
But Layla's door was open for a different reason. Walking past the sniper's open door, Mashu was able to see the condition of her teammate.
Sprawled out on her bed, the black and green haired sniper was snoring quite loud. A small line of drool could be seen trailing down as she had a big smile on her face, probably enjoying whatever dream she was having.
Mashu could not resist the urge to lightly laugh to herself, the sight of Layla's current position made it hard not to.
After taking some time to quietly giggle to herself at her friend's behest, the shielder finally stepped into the kitchen area, which already had someone there. "Ah Kuro-san," She greeted when she saw the black cat sitting on the table. "Good morning."
In response the black feline meowed back her own greeting before resting her head on the table. Walking up to the cat she fondly rubbed the cat's head, much to the feline's approval as she leaned into her touch.
She hadn't had a pet before, but she had always wanted one and now that she got to experience a taste of what that felt like, the shielder was very happy.
Stopping her affectionate petting, Mashu moved over to the cabinets where she retrieved a packet of her usual morning tea. Getting a kettle of hot water going, the shielder then started to prepare a cup for her tea. After that she moved over to and opened the fridge to look for something to eat. "Kuro-san, would you like something to eat?" She asked, turning her head back to see the feline nodding to her.
Seeing the nod the shielder turned her attention back to the fridge and proceeded to grab the appropriate items.
On the day that Kuro had been revealed that she would be staying with the 6th Valkyrja Squad, Haruto laid down a bunch of rules concerning the feline.
They weren't anything too different from what rules Mashu would think would apply to a cat, things such as don't pet her when she's angry or clean her litter box when it needed to be cleaned, but there was one rule that stuck out to her.
Under no circumstances do you feed the cat any packaged cat food.
It was a strange rule, that was definitely for sure, but judging by the serious look in Haruto's eyes the shideler decided to simply go along with it.
Luckily her red haired teammate was more than prepared as in a section of the fridge there was a container with the label "Kuro's Food" clearly written in sharpie. Opening the container Mashu grabbed what looked to be a slice of tuna before also getting a carton of yogurt for herself.
Placing the slice of tuna on a plate, she put both the plate down and her carton of yogurt on the table before she went back to finish making her cup of tea. A couple of seconds later the shielder returned to the table, quietly enjoying the piping hot cup of tea in her hand.
Across from her Kuro was finishing the last bits of her tuna breakfast. After savoring the last bite, the feline began to lick the plate clean, wanting to savor every last molecule of tuna still present.
"How was your morning so far Kuro-san?" Mashu asked, not at all weirded out by the fact that she was having a conversation with a cat. She had already seen Haruto talk to the cat as if she was a regular person.
Besides there was a glint in the feline's blue eyes that spoke of an intelligence not to be trifled with.
The cat merely gave a meow back as she finished cleaning the plate her breakfast had once been on. Now that her breakfast had been thoroughly enjoyed, Kuro began to groom her black fur.
Watching the black cat do her work, a small smile grew on Mashu's face as she took everything in. It was quite nice to settle back into this sense of normalcy, especially after they were very close to losing their lives. Just able to enjoy some breakfast on a quiet morning with a cat, this was bliss.
It had been a long time since she had a morning as nice as this one. But as nice as this morning was, the silence of it all gave her mind an opportunity to ponder on things that had been occupying her mind as of recently.
Ever since the 6th Valkyria Squad's first mission had ended the shielder had done a lot of self reflection. They had all come close with death and with it a starting realization that she was…weak.
If she had done better than the plan that Haruto had made wouldn't have fallen apart so fast.
If she had been stronger then Layla wouldn't have her ankle in a cast.
If only she wasn't so weak then…
And without even realizing it she suddenly fell into a trance.
"Get up," She suddenly found herself on the floor of the Schariac Manor, panting tiredly. A training sword was but a few meters away from her body.
"You must bring honor to the Schariac name." Standing above her was a blurry figure, an identical training sword in hand. Despite the fact that any features that could be used to identify who this figure was blurred.
Mashu would always know who this person was.
And despite her body's protest the young child began to crawl her way to the fallen training sword. What other choice did she have?
To give honor to the Schariac Family,
To give honor to the Schariac Family,
TogivehonorTogivehonorTogivehonorTogivehonorTogivehonorTogivehonor…
…
"Meow."
Kuro's meow jolted Mashu back to reality from whatever trance she had been in. "K-Kuro-san?" The shielder called out confusedly when she saw the cat had moved from her spot and was now at her side.
The black feline said nothing but merely placed her paw on her arm. The shielder was confused by the action only to realize her arm had been shaking the entire time she had been in that trance.
Blue eyes looked up to her concern and Mashu could not help but be thankful for Kuro's presence. "Thank you Kuro-san," She truthfully expressed her thanks to the feline as her arm stopped trembling. "I needed that."
The black cat merely nodded before retracting her paw and hopping off the table, leaving the Schariac alone at the table. Though thankfully she would not be alone at the table for much longer.
"Mashu!" Without much warning a drowsy Layla made her presence known. Walking up, or in the case of her ankle's cast limping, behind the seated shielder, the sniper draped her arms over the lavender and ash blonde girl's shoulders before giving her a hug. "Good morning!"
A smile grew on Mashu's face as she could see an equally drowsy Haruto step out from the bedroom. Mayhaps she would not be able to escape from her past so quickly…
"Good morning to you as well, Layla-san."
But she was quite happy with where she was currently.
"We will be doing something different today" Himeko-sensei announced to everyone present in the training field, surprising even Mashu with this sudden change of pace. "We will be separating you all into pairs of two."
Murmurs of intrigue began to spread through the class as the teacher continued. "All of the A-Rank Valkyries have been watching you, taking notes of all of your strengths and weaknesses." This prompted everyone, including the 6th Valkyrja Squad, to look at their own respective A-Ranks guardians. Fu Hua saw their gazes on her and simply nodded, confirming Himeko's words.
"As such your partners for today have been carefully chosen so that you will work on your individual weaknesses together."
After that the A-Rank Valkyries then began to pair off the students in their respective pairs. Haruto was paired off with a student who wielded a greatsword just like Himeko-sensei, Layla had been paired up surprisingly with Mei, and finally for Mashu…
She was paired up with Kiana.
"Is that my dependable kouhai I see?" Kiana grinned as she saw the shielder walk towards her.
Seeing that her partner was indeed the Kaslana, the Schariac gave a timid nod of greeting. "H-Hello senpai."
"I'm not surprised, after all I am the strongest student so it's only natural that I would help you reach your fullest potential." Some might think that Kiana was being too arrogant about her abilities but Mashu knew better than that. It was simply a part of what made the white haired girl so enjoyable to be around.
But Mashu knew exactly how to turn the tables on the Kaslana. "I'm sorry senpai that your partner couldn't be Haru-senpai." A smile grew on her face as she remembered a certain incident that had happened a few days ago ."I know you must've really wanted to be his partner today."
The shielder had been absent for the entirety of Haruto being sick, having had to help Layla in the infirmary. It had only been till close to the end of the day that the two of them had gotten back and learned the condition of their teammate.
They immediately expressed their want to help but a stern reminder from Fu Hua quickly denied them of that, having only to point out the cast that Layla had around her ankle to tell them that they had to rest.
After that nothing really extraordinary really happened for the duo…that is up until the end of the day. It had been Mei's turn to watch over the sick teenager and when she hadn't come back out when she was supposed to they thought something had gone wrong.
When on the contrary it was something far more…cute and embarrassing.
And it didn't take long for Mashu to connect the dots to see how similar Kiana was acting at the end of her shift with how Mei had acted when they opened the door.
The shielder resisted the urge to giggle when she saw Kiana's face explode in color at what she was insinuating.
"W-What are you talking about! I-I-I don't want to be his partner! Nope not one bit!" Kiana stammered out in denial. The white haired girl would've said more but as she was about to open her mouth she noticed the look on the shielder's face. Her face grew even more red at the realization that she had been led on.
"E-Enough! I-It's time to do this!" In an attempt to salvage the situation the Kaslana brought out her two pistols, signifying that the spar was about to begin, and in response Mashu readied her greatshield.
Seeing that her kouhai was serious, a big smile grew on Kiana's face, her earlier embarrassment all but gone. "Here I come!" She yelled in anticipation before she ran towards Mashu, pistols at the ready. In response the shielder ran forward to meet her sparring partner in the middle, her hefty shield at the ready.
Anyone who knew about the Kaslana Family knew about the family's renowned Gun Kata Arts. Combining various martial arts with the use of duo guns, the Kaslana Gun Kata Arts were a force to be reckoned with.
That fact became quickly apparent as Mashu fought Kiana. The white haired girl was exploiting any and all holes in the lavender and ash blonde haired girl's defenses. The various martial arts that were employed made it nearly impossible for the shielder to counter attack as all her focus was on maintaining her defense.
Even though she was almost always on the defensive, this spar was a very insightful experience for Mashu. It had shown when she had fought the angel and it was just reinforced fighting against Kiana that her close combat skills were lacking.
Whenever the shielder had tried to go on the offensive, before she could even lift up her shield to attack, the dual gun wielding Valkyrie in training would easily jump out the way before rushing in to try and capitalize on how open she was from swinging her shield.
If there was anyone aside from Fu Hua that could teach the Schariac girl the value of close combat, it would be Kiana Kaslana.
After a strenuous match of attrition that ended with Mashu prevailing, one good shield strike that was able to catch Kiana off-guard was the deciding factor. Though it could've gone in the other direction as the dual gun wielding girl was very close to victory.
Fortunately victory was not the main goal of today, learning was.
And as the two Valkyries in training sat next to each other trying to catch their breaths, both of them knew that they were walking away from this with having improved upon something or knowing what to improve upon.
"You sure can hit hard Mashu," Kiana massaged the shoulder where Mashu's shield had hit. "I can see how you can lug around such a giant shield all day." Looking at the shield that the Schariac had placed beside her, the Kaslana had an epiphany come to her.
"Speaking of which, why do you use a shield my kouhai?" She asked. "Why don't you use something far more offensive like a greatsword like Himeko-sensei uses?"
Hearing the Kaslana's question had Mashu turn her attention to her shield. It was certainly a strange weapon choice for a Valkyrie in training, whose main purpose was to defeat the Honkai. A shield was not particularly a destructive weapon, far from it.
But destructive power was not what Mashu was looking for in a weapon.
"Perhaps that would've been a better choice to go with." She admitted to Kiana. Even the Schariac family thought the same when she had revealed that the shield would be her weapon of choice.
"H-However I was inspired by the words and actions of the legendary Schariac Valkyrie Cecilia. No matter what the mission was, she would always save everyone in danger." Thinking about the Valkyrie that had once been considered one of the greatest to ever exist brought a smile to Mashu's face.
From a young age the legendary Cecilia Schariac had been an idol for Mashu. Not only was Cecilia the strongest Valkyrie of her time, she was also renowned for her kindness and wouldn't hesitate to put the lives of others before her own.
She was the hero of the fairytales that a young Ana had read to Mashu before they went to sleep.
The lavender and ash blonde haired girl clenched her hand in determination. "I-I want to be just like her, to not only be strong enough to defeat the Honkai but also so that I can save everyone like Cecilia-san did."
Mashu had expected Kiana to make a joke about her drive behind being a Valkyrie. One could call it childish and when the Kaslana had remained silent she had a feeling that was the case. Turning her head so that she could assure the white haired girl that she wouldn't be offended by whatever she said, the shielder was surprised to see a gobsmacked expression on her face instead.
"Y-Y-Y-Y," Kiana stammered out before she pointed a shaking finger at her. "You're my cousin!?" She exclaimed in shock.
Mashu just tilted her head in confusion, not at all surprised by the outburst. "I thought you knew."
"Why didn't you say anything then?!" Kiana demanded.
Now it was Mashu's turn to be embarrassed, her cheeks a light red. She knew that Kiana's mother was Cecilia but did not want to shed light on the connection between her and Kiana. "I-I didn't think you would want to go that far, considering my position in the Schariac family it would be better if-!"
She wouldn't be able to finish whatever explanation she had as without warning Kiana had closed the distance between them with astounding speed and threw her arms around her in a tight embrace. "As if I care about such bullshit! You're practically my imouto!"
Casually being called her 'younger sister' had the Schariac girl blush even more. "I-I don't think that's how it-!"
"Don't care, say it." Kiana all but demanded.
"H-Huh?" Mashu cried out in confusion.
"Call me your nee-sama."
"B-But that would be improper-!"
"I'm not budging here."
"I-!"
"Not budging here." She reminded, all but forcing the shielder to go down the only path available.
"..."
"K-Kiana nee-sama," She whispered loud enough for only the two to hear.
But the quiet admission was more than enough for Kiana who squealed out in joy. "Kawaii!" Now that the timid Schariac had admitted it there was nothing holding her back as she rubbed her cheek against Mashu's in an affectionate manner.
Now the shielder's face was now a vibrant red at this rapid escalation of things. She had known that she was the cousin of Kiana and when the white haired girl hadn't said anything about it she simply chalked it up to their status as cousins to be overlooked.
Still…
She would be lying if she said she didn't like this how this had turned out. Her big sister was someone that Mashu looked up to and meant the world to her. The prospect of having another big sister figure in her life had never crossed her mind.
But she found she didn't mind having Kiana as a 'big sister'.
Ending the hug between them, the Kaslana stood up and cupped her hands around her mouth.
It looks like that Kiana too also didn't mind having her as a 'younger sister'.
"I have an imouto now!" She announced loudly for all on the field to hear, much to Mashu's rapidly growing embarrassment as she covered her face in mortification at the very vocal proclamation.
Maybe this was a bad idea after all.
Layla Gunhilddr would like to think she was a pretty chill gal. She liked to take things easy and generally liked everything.
But there was one thing that she dreaded, absolutely hated with every fiber of her soul.
"I've forgotten how tedious this was." Haruto commented as he placed another massive textbook in the middle of the table that the 6th Valkyrja Squad were sitting at. Already there was a sizable pile of books present and the addition of another one was like a stab to the sniper's soul.
God she hated studying!
Resisting the urge to groan out loud Layla decided that she needed to take a break lest her brain explode from how much information she had been trying to pack into her brain. Midterms were coming close and it was decided that they would start studying early.
Though her squad's definition of studying was vastly different than her's.
"Layla-san you need to focus on studying." Fu Hua lightly reprimanded the sniper as she saw Layla bring out her phone.
"Just give me 5 minutes to help my brain relax." Groaned Layla. "If I go any further I'm gonna die."
She raised her head and looked at how empty the library was, with only a few people either studying or just reading the books the library had. Usually squads would study together a week before midterms but seeing how it was still a few weeks away the library was relatively empty.
The A-Rank Valkyrie looked like she wanted to protest but just lightly sighed instead. "I suppose you have been studying quite hard for the past hour…"
"Just 5 minutes, I swear on the Gunnhildr name!" The black and green haired sniper quickly promised, not giving Fu Hua the chance to take back her words. Quickly opening her phone she opened her message box with hopes of seeing a message from a specific person.
Wendy Gunnhildr, her big sister.
But when she opened her big sister's message box, she was disappointed when she saw that the most recent message was her own.
"Hey big sis, I got into St. Freya and placed in the 6th Valkyrja Squad! Not to brag or anything but I'm pretty sure we're the best squad ever! We have an all star team I'm sure that could go toe to toe with Durandal herself.
I've butted heads with Fu Hua, our A-Rank Valkyrie, a few times already but it's all water under the bridge now. Mashu and Haruto are both cool as well and I really want you to meet them! I think you'll like everyone on the squad.
…
When will you be done with your mission big sis? I know it's top secret and you can't divulge any information to me…
But I hope that you finish up whatever you're doing very soon. I want us to hang out like we used to, sisters going for walks in the park or going out or going to the shooting range to see who could get the highest score.
Please get back to me whenever you can.
Sincerely,
Your Younger Sister, Layla Gunnhildr.
Closing her phone with a slightly disappointed sigh, the sniper decided to refocus on studying to distract her mind from what had happened. Ever since Wendy had been assigned to her secret mission the bond between the sisters had become a bit strained. Communication was solely done through messages and even then the messages that she would receive felt…robotic.
So unlike the messages that they would regularly have with each other.
But that was not going to deter her! This simply ignited her drive to become a badass Valkyrie so that she would be able to join whatever mission her big sis was in and help her complete it, it was a foolproof plan!
But before she got there…
"How the hell does studying help me in becoming a Valkyrie?!" She exclaimed after a few minutes wasted trying to decipher this foreign language on the book in front of her. She was but a hair's length away from turning the book into her next shooting target.
"It helps you alot as a matter of fact." Ever the one to champion how school benefitted Valkyries, Fu Hua quickly explained how studying did indeed help. "It allows you to think up solutions that one might find unconventional on the battlefield."
"Not to mention studying helps train your brain to think in stressful situations, though it rarely feels like it." Haruto added from across the table, with his own textbook open in front of him. After Fu Hua the red haired teenager was the second best when it came to academics. She wasn't sure how anyone other than their A-Rank Valkyrie could be so good at studying.
Though if the pained look in his eyes was anything to go off of, he didn't enjoy it either.
"Layla-san?" Right next to her, Mashu's attention was focused on the book in front of the sniper. "I think you have the wrong book."
A quick look at the book's cover revealed that the shielder was right. "Ah dammit," She cursed as she closed her book and looked to the section in the library that contained what book she needed.
"I'll go get it." Pushing her chair back, the sniper began to get out to retrieve the proper book.
"No I'll go get it," Haruto interjected as he stood up from his chair. "You shouldn't be walking around a lot with that cast still around your ankle."
"Captain, it's not that far from here and I doubt my injured ankle would hinder me that much. Besides…" She gave the young man a pleading smile. "I really need to move or I'm gonna kill someone really soon."
She didn't actually mean that but Haruto quickly understood what she meant as he nodded and sat back then into his chair. Giving him a thankful smile, the sniper moved to go grab the needed book only for Mashu to stand up from her chair.
"Allow me to help you!" Layla turned to give the shielder a gentle denial but seeing the determined look in her magenta eyes she simply knew that Mashu would not take a 'no'.
The Schariac had given herself the title of being her helper while the sniper recuperated from her ankle injury. Tasks from carrying her books to helping her get up staircases, she would do it all.
And Layla would be forever thankful for Mashu's help.
Internally sighing, she motioned for the timid shielder to follow as the two went to grab the needed book. Thankfully the two did not need to go far as in no time they went to the section they needed to be at.
However a problem quickly became apparent…
In that the book was so far up that the only way to reach it was to get on the ladder to be able to reach it.
"Let me help you-," Mashu was about to offer that she would go grab it but Layla quickly held her back from doing so.
"Mashu it's fine," She assured as she stepped forward and grabbed onto one of the sides of the ladder. "It's just a ladder, what's the worst that could happen?"
The shielder opened her mouth to protest but Layla wouldn't give her the chance to as she began to climb the ladder. What was the big deal? It's just a ladder after all. It would be embarrassing if a Valkyrie of her skill would be afraid of a simple ladder.
Reaching the top of the ladder, Layla began to reach her arm out for the book. However, whether it was poor ladder placement or the length of her arms she could not reach far enough to grab it. Not so easily deterred as she was getting that book one way or another, she began to extend her body as well, giving her arms the leverage needed to grab the book.
Unfortunately by extending her body she unknowingly made the ladder unstable, making it lean precariously to the side. Mashu saw the impending signs of the disaster too late as when Layla went to slide the book out of the shelf the ladder tipped over to the side, throwing her off and sending her to the ground.
"Layla-san!" The shielder cried out as she moved from her position to try and catch her falling teammate.
It took a second for the sniper to realize that she was no longer on the ladder and indeed falling to the ground. She would've attempted to try and land but she knew if she did then she would possibly worsen the condition of her ankle.
So she simply closed her eyes and waited for the pain to come.
But it seems that Mashu was extremely determined in her role as her 'helper' as a few seconds after closing her eyes a body that she was sure was the shielder's caught her before the two of them were sent tumbling through the ground.
The landing was definitely rough, no denying that, but it was definitely less painful than either trying to land herself or falling. After a few rough tumbles on the ground the two finally came to a stop.
"Ow…" She groaned before opening her eyes, ready to thank her savior. "Hey Mashu thanks for…"
Her voice trailed off as her dark green eyes took in the kind of situation she's in. There she was, laying on the ground with the shielder above her. Both of Mashu's hands were placed on the ground right next to her ears to prevent her from falling down on top of her.
Somewhere along the tumble Layla's hands had somehow ended up embracing Mashu's body which they were now presently holding onto to her waist.
"I-," Seeing how compromising the position that the two of them were in, the black and green haired sniper tried to say something, anything!
But her mind simply simply shut down, no helpful words coming to mind as her cheeks flushed a bright red. The only thing that she could focus on were the hue of Mashu's lavender eyes.
Had they always been this…this…
Pretty?!
Layla didn't know how long the two of them were in that position for but it felt like an eternity had passed. Neither she or Mashu had said anything and it felt that the two of them could stay in that position for a very long time.
"Meow."
The meow of a cat broke the atmosphere that the two were in, prompting the both of them to look up to see Kuro watching the two of them from the end of the aisle. The black feline was looking at them with an expression that screamed 'really?'.
"Layla? Mashu?" Haruto's concerned voice soon followed after. "We heard a loud bang, you guys alright?"
"C-Coming!" It was Layla who answered briskly as whatever spell inflicting the duo had been broken, each of them scrambling to get up.
The two of them get back to the table in silence, unable to meet the other's eyes. Layla could feel the confused stares of her other teammates but she just decided to focus all her attention on the book in front of her in an attempt to distract her mind.
What had that been all about?!
If you had told Keji Furutu that he would be joining an organization dedicated to saving the world from utter annihilation, he would've laughed and asked what anime you had stolen that plot from.
Now sitting in front of a terminal filled with data and information crucial to saving the world, he wasn't sure if he wanted to laugh at the irony of how he got here or the fact that he was willingly doing this.
"Was it this way or the other way around?" He muttered to himself as he tried to figure out if he had done the procedure correctly. He was currently sitting at one of the many terminals that the Yggdrasil Advanced Engineering Corps had in their workshop. "You know what, let's just do it again just to be sure."
His role as the 6th Valkyria's combat operator was to not only relay directives and combat information to the squadron, but to also help them plan out strategies when they were out on the battlefield.
The strategy planning was something that he was strangely the most confident about. Maybe it was spending all that time in the Chess Club that making strategies on the fly was something he was now confident in.
Though having the fate of not only Haruto and his squad in his hands, but potentially other Valkyries was especially nerve wracking.
Add in the fact that he had to learn how Schicksal's communication systems worked, knowing the in's and out's of the system.
And it was not as easy as simply writing up an email and sending it to whoever the recipient was.
That was a fact that he quickly learned about as he restarted the message he was tasked to send. While some might find starting over to be infuriating Keji didn't mind the fact that he had to restart, as a fact he was glad for it.
He'd rather mess up now then when someone's life was in the balance.
Anything but that.
As he was busy remaking his message a certain white haired scientist, who was also his boss, decided to walk up to him. "And how is the Yggdrasil Advanced Engineering Corps' newest combat operator doing?" He asked as he leaned over Keji's terminal.
"Doing well enough Asplund-sama," The chess enthusiast replied, taking the time to divert his attention from the terminal's screen and on his boss. "It'll just take me a while to get used to… well everything."
"You'll get there without a doubt. You've already gotten the hang of using the systems Schicksal has in place than. A few more weeks and I'm sure you will have mastered this." The pudding scientist assured.
"Thank you." Keji deeply appreciated the scientist's words. It was always a relief to hear those kinds of words from your boss, especially when it came to a job responsible for the lives of other people.
After that small brief talk the scientist had nothing left to say, leaving Keji to continue working on his task and for Asplund to watch in silence. One might find someone simply staring at you without saying a single word to be distracting but the brown haired teenager had more than enough experience with having Ishigami-sensei silently stare him down during their chess matches.
The Pudding Scientist had nothing on the Demon of Chiba Academy.
Keji didn't know how long he was working on his terminal but eventually success prevailed as he got the message to send without fail.
Seeing the 'approved' message be shown on his terminal's screen had him internally cheering that he had gotten it right…
And that was the moment that Asplund decided to speak up again
"Tell me Keji…why did you choose to become a combat operator in the first place?
"What do you mean?" Keji was honestly confused by the scientist's question. "It just felt like the right thing to-".
"Not that." The eccentric scientist quickly interrupted, a rare serious glint in his normally carefree teal eyes. "I mean why did you choose this role when you initially wanted a much less dangerous job."
…Keji couldn't deny the truth that was in his boss's words. When his sister told him all about the Honkai and he had told her that he wanted to help in any way possible, it had been with the intention that he would be doing some low-risk job. He didn't know what exactly that job was but he knew being a combat operator was definitely not it.
Just being on the frontlines, it was something he never pictured a chess nerd like himself being at.
Asplund brought a finger up to his chin in contemplation as he continued speaking. "Now that I think about it, it was only after you met Haruto and the rest of the 6th Valkyrja Squad that you went against your initial choice and became a combat operator." Teal eyes looked at the brown haired teenager in curiosity.
"So why the change of heart?"
If Keji was to be honest it had initially been an impulsive action, one that he immediately regretted making and would most likely have taken back. If you were to look up the characteristics of a warrior you would see that none of them applied to Keji. He wasn't brave, courageous, strong, or anything like that.
Being the 'main hero' was never his forte.
Even in Homu Fantasy Online he was always a supportive class, granting buffs and heals to the main party's damage dealers and tanks.
But it had only been a few days ago that his resolve had changed.
He remembered sitting in the 6th Valkyrja's dorm with Haruto, Mei, and Kiana. It was empty, save for the four of them as the redhead had something he had wanted to share to them only and didn't want anyone to listen in to the conversation that they were going to have.
"I-Ishigami-sensei is d-dead?" Keji croaked out in shock, his eyes wide open in disbelief as Haruto finished telling them what he wanted to talk about. A part of him wished that this was some kind of sick joke and the teacher would pop out of nowhere that they would then share a good laugh.
However when he looked into the redheaded teenager's eyes for answers and saw him solemnly nod in response, he knew that there was no joke to be found here.
It would then be Mei's turn to voice her shock. "H-How did he…?" She couldn't even finish her question as she tried to hold back her tears and emotions at the revelation of their teacher's death. Beside her Kiana patted her back in a comforting manner, her face showing her own pain.
The two of them weren't as close to the lab coat wearing teacher as he and Haruto were but nevertheless the Demon of Chiba Academy was someone that they all had bonded with.
But it had a bigger impact for Keji as it was like hearing his dad had died. Akira Ishigami had originally been an idol to the chess enthusiast, a Grandmaster who seemingly never lost any chess match he participated in and did so without ever losing his cool.
However when he had gotten accepted alongside Haruto into his chess club, Ishigami had slowly turned from an idol-like figure to a mentor, almost father-like,figure. Sure he imparted the wisdom of chess that Keji eagerly absorbed but he also gave knowledge that applied to everyday life.
The brown haired teenager was sure that Haruto probably saw the teacher in the same light as well.
"I-I don't know the true reason for his death but Ishigami-sensei mentioned that he would be at the academy the day of the Nagazora Eruption. From what I've asked regarding the condition of the academy there's a massive crater that's essentially destroyed the entire place, no trace of anyone that could've been there before it had happened."
As Haruto explained to them how he knew of the teacher's death, Keji can't help but notice the look in his friend's hazel eyes. He masked it well but the chess enthusiast can see the pain in his eyes and knows that he's not telling the whole truth.
It was a neat little skill Keji had picked up that made him good at playing games that could be won just by watching his opponent's facial reactions. He wasn't sure when it had begun but as he played more and more chess games he had been able to make moves dependent on the look in his opponent's eyes.
If there was fear in them he would be a little more offensive, if there was a bit of confidence in them he would play more defensively in fear of falling into a trap. Add in the fact that he played a lot of chess matches Keji was quite confident in reading people's emotions through their eyes.
But while many people would feel anger or disappointment if they knew their friend was hiding something, Keji wasn't mad with Haruto's secrecy. Ever since the Nagazora Eruption the teenager had taken the time to both reflect about himself and also be more observant of everything.
And while Haruto was good at masking it, there were those little instances where the facade would break and reveal what his redhead friend was actually feeling.
Like if he was carrying the weight of the entire world on his back.
He doesn't know why Haruto carried such a burden like that, it's not his place to ask, but he knows that it must not be a pleasant feeling. Thinking back on all the times he's interacted with the redhead he realizes that his friend must have been wearing that mask, that burden, for a very, very long time.
So yes, Keji Furutu was not a very courageous person, he was not the type of person that screamed 'warrior' or someone that could lead others into battle without fear.
But there was one thing that he treasured above all else.
"If I can somehow alleviate the burdens my friends will have to carry then I'm willing to risk my life like they will," He affirmed to the white haired scientist, his green eyes burning with determination.
And that was he would always be there for his friends.
"Very admirable," Asplund praised as he clapped his hands, a pleased smile on his face. Had this been some kind of test or something for Keji, a way to find out whether or not his heart was in it?
He would never get the opportunity to ask as before he could even open his mouth as someone had walked up to Asplund and handed him a stack of papers.
"Ah at last," The white haired scientist turned towards Keji, handing him the stack of papers he had just received. "We need this delivered to Himeko, Haruto's aunt. I'm sure you're up to this task?"
Ah classic office dynamics. The new person on the job essentially becomes everyone's chore gopher, doing all the tedious jobs themselves.
Keji didn't mind having to go across the St. Freya campus to deliver some papers to Himeko-sensei. This opportunity gave him the chance to further familiarize himself with St. Freya and the people that worked here.
"I don't mind," He answered as he stood up from his chair and took the stack of papers from his boss's hands. Closing his terminal down the combat operator left The Yggdrasil Advanced Engineering Corps' workshop and to the main building of the St. Freya campus.
It was a great day of a walk he had to admit, the sun was out and the breeze was just right. He could see that other people had the same idea as he could see some of his fellow classmates having picnics in various recreation areas.
He was glad that the person he had to deliver these papers to was someone that he was familiar with and knew where their office was. If there was something he didn't want happening on his first week on the job was to accidentally get lost.
That would not make a great impression on anybody.
Entering the main building, the brown haired teenager was walking through the halls that led up to the red haired sensei's office. Just one more corner turn and he would arrive at the door of Himeko-sensei.
However, just as he turned the corner he accidentally bumped into someone coming from the opposite direction, scattering the papers he had in his hands to the ground.
"Ah forgive me," The person he had bumped into apologized before he crouched down and helped Keji pick up all the scattered papers.
"No it's my fault, I wasn't looking where I was going." Keji replied as he was handed the last piece of the scattered papers. "I should be thanking you for helping me pick them all up sir…" He trailed off as he realized he didn't know who exactly he was talking to.
"Ah forgive me." The person pushed up his glasses before he extended his hand forward for a handshake in greeting.
"Joachim Nokianvirtanen, one of St. Freya's history professors." He introduced.
Keji took the older man's handshake and introduced himself in turn. "Keji Furutu."
Recognition lit up in Joachim's brown eyes at the mention of his name. "The second male student of St. Freya and the Yggdrasil Advanced Engineering Corps' newest combat operator?"
"Yup that's me," The chess enthusiast felt a light blush appear on his cheeks at how fast he had been recognized. "Have I really made a reputation for myself so fast?" It was a far cry from his social status in Chiba Academy.
There he was just a nobody.
Here he felt as if he was some sort of 'main character' to an anime.
Joachim merely smiled. "Well you must understand that St. Freya had primarily been an all female academy. It wouldn't be too far-fetched to assume that the first male students would get a notorious reputation."
He was making sense with his words but that didn't mean Keji was still embarrassed by this new revelation. "A-Anyway if I can ask, what is that you do here?" He asked in an attempt to change the topic.
"I'm a history professor, though I teach the second years so you won't find yourself in one of my classes till next year." The teacher informed him before a small smile took place on his face.
"Regardless I hope that we meet again after this," Joachim's words prompted the end of their conversation but just as Keji finished saying his goodbyes an epiphany suddenly struck the teenager as he got a more observant look of the brown haired man.
"Have we met before?" He asked, his eyes trying to spot the familiarity of the man before him. "You seem…really familiar to me."
"...No we have not." Was all the teacher said before he began to walk forward. "Good day to you Keji-san," A few moments later the history professor was out of sight, leaving Keji alone in the hallway, confused by that whole encounter.
"That was strange." Was what perfectly summarized what had happened.
"I don't get it!" In a bar somewhere in Soukai City, the city where St. Freya was located nearby, two redheads were at a bar. The older female had a half-filled glass in her hands while the younger male had a drink, that was non alcoholic, near him as he looked at her in worry.
"Why haven't I found a man yet!" I internally cringed as Himeko slammed her glass onto the bartop, shaking it in the process. It was a miracle that it hadn't been broken all together under the force of the now drunken A-Rank Valkyrie.
Looking away from my drunk aunt I could tell the bartender of this place was also thinking the same thing as I saw worry briefly flash through his eyes. Giving him a nod of gratitude for the wise decision of cutting off Himeko's tab, I made a mental note to give him a big tip for his great work.
Now all that was left was the difficult task of calming down the tispy A-Rank Valkyrie. "U-Um, Himeko-san?" I hesitatingly spoke to her, unsure of how exactly I should be calming her down. While I had experience in dealing with drunken family members, they weren't actually what you expected from drunk people.
Whenever my grandmother was drunk, which is pretty much always, she never actually acts like it. Sure she may be loud and boisterous but for some strange reason that I had yet to make sense of, she's in perfect control of her actions. You wouldn't know that she's drunk lest you saw the beer can in her hands and the flush of her cheeks.
My mother on the other hand rarely drank, a complete opposite of my grandmother, but when she did her behavior could be described as clingy. Either me or my dad would be stuck in her grasp with no escape in sight while she got emotional over the tiniest of things…
In Himeko's case she acted like a blend of my drunken mother and grandmother, getting my mom's emotional state when drunk and my grandmother's frequency of getting in this state.
"My nephew, how can I stay calm?!" Familiar, but unfocused, hazel eyes whirled around to look at me as Himeko directed her focus on me. "I-I'm gonna die without having found my significant other!" She rested her head on the bar's countertop in faux sadness.
"I…don't know about that." I sweatdropped, unsure of how to answer that kind of question. Matters about the heart and anything romance related were so out of my league and I was pretty confident that fact wasn't going to change anytime soon.
Unbeknownst to me somewhere deep in my mind a certain spirit of Death sighed, not at all believing his host's recent thoughts.
How the hell had I gotten dragged to all of this in the first place?! I remembered the day ending like any other school day, training class had come to an end and I had just finished changing out of the Caliburn Battlesuit. I thought that would be all for the day, finishing it off by doing some assignments, studying, or hanging out with my friends.
Technically it was the latter of all those choices that I ended up doing as very surprisingly my aunt came by and asked if I wanted to hang out with her, to have some aunt and nephew bonding time. It would be an understatement to say that I was not expecting that but I wouldn't look this gift horse in the mouth.
Spending time with the one relative that I hadn't known existed whilst simultaneously getting a chance to learn more about one of the instrumental characters of the Honkai Universe, the one responsible for the growth that Kiana undergoes?
Sign me up!
But in my eagerness I had neglected to ask where exactly this 'bonding time' would exactly take place and when I learned that it would be a bar that the Major frequented I couldn't exactly decline by then.
So here I was, with a drink that was most definitely non-alcoholic near me as I attempted to calm down my drunk aunt.
"I-I'm sure it's not all bad," I tried to reassure her. "I-I know that there's someone out there for you. Maybe it's someone that you already know like Asplu-!"
"AS IF!" She roared, a fire in her hazel eyes at the slight mention of the pudding scientist. The words that had left her with such ferocity that I had to take a double take at what she had said.
I knew that the two had some sort of history but I was never privy to what that history exactly was. Judging by the way my aunt had said those words I had a feeling that it wasn't exactly the nicest kind of bond that the two had.
"How could I ever fall for a total doofus like him?! Who in their right mind would find that intellectually daft, pudding loving, socially inept, person like him attractive in any way!?" She ranted as she took a swig of her glass. "Why if he never worked at St. Freya my life would be ten times better! Did you know this one time he…" Himeko then proceeded to rant like a fed up employee and I mindfully just let her vent out loud.
Not like I wanted her to channel that energy into something else, say breaking the bar counter top with not only her Valkyrie strength but also her drunken rage.
Nope nothing like that.
"I think you should stop drinking Himeko-san." I said after she finished her rant, watching as the older redhead's chest heaved after such an intense rant. In her hands was a now empty glass of alcohol that she had occasionally taken sips out of during her rant.
"Pah, I have a great alcohol tolerance." Himeko drunkenly assured me as she set her empty glass down. A part of me worried that she would ask for another drink but to my utter relief, and that of the bartender's, she didn't ask for another one.
"Is that so?" I smiled at her, knowing that the end of this was somewhere in sight. Having learned from both my mother and grandmother's drunk behaviors, the moment you took alcohol away from them it was pretty much over.
I wasn't sure how long I waited in silence for Himeko to throw in the towel but when she did open her mouth what came out of it was something I didn't expect,
"You know I really really didn't know that you were my nephew till much recently." She drunkenly slurred out, her eyes closed as the effects of the alcohol were taking its toll. "Guess not talking with the family really bit me in the ass didn't it." She bitterly laughed.
"...I've been meaning to ask about that actually," Seeing how I now had the opportunity to ask the one question that had been at the forefront of my mind, I decided why not. "Why aren't you close with our side of the family? This might be presumptuous of me to ask but you've always struck me as someone who would treasure family."
While that last statement might've offended some people, Himeko merely took it in stride. "No it's alright, you of all people have every right to ask." Opening her eyes the older redhead rested her head on her hand as she used her other hand to lift up her empty glass, looking at her reflection in the glass.
"When I was young I was actually quite close to both sides of my family, though I loved our side of the family a bit more than my dad's," She let out a nostalgic laugh as I didn't hold back my giggles, knowing the feeling. When you were related to both my mom and grandmother it was kind of hard for other family dynamics to beat that.
Her nostalgic smile then dropped for a more somber expression. "Then my mother got sick and despite all the treatments she went through peacefully died in her sleep. She didn't even get to see me graduate highschool."
I should've said my condolences to her at that moment but I held my silence in favor of letting the A-Rank Valkyrie complete her story. "After she died I became sort of distant to our side of the family, still kept in touch with them but not as much as before."
"Life then continued on as normal, I got into Cal Tech's Aerospace and Space Engineering Program and it seemed as if nothing could stop me. I would graduate with high honors and get to explore the sea of stars that humanity had yet to travel through." Himeko chuckled humoressly as a hollow look took place in her hazel eyes.
"Then my dad died without any explanation, leaving behind only a letter that gave me more questions than answers. It was after that I began to wonder if I was just fated to live some kind of cursed existence." At this point I could now see a few tears beginning to drop from my aunt's eyes as she poured out what kind of burden she was carrying around.
"But you're not," I argued hotly, not allowing to beat herself down so easily. "I refuse to believe that."
"Then how can you explain the fact that both my mother and father, two outstanding people, tragically died and I was the last one left alive." She argued back. "Maybe in another life I led such a horrid existence that led me to cursing those that loved me no matter what…"
I wanted to tell her that simply wasn't true but before I could open my mouth Himeko continued on. "Regardless I decided to stay away from any of my relatives, to spare them the pain from my decision. After all, the lives of a Valkyrie rarely have a happy ending."
That point I could not argue against. To fight against the Honkai meant you had to receive an artificial stigma and that did not last forever as it severely shortened the user's life, including that of Himeko's. Very rarely were happy endings given in the Honkai Universe.
Before I could continue down that train of thought, she then gave me a smirk."Yet seeing where we are right now I'd say that I've failed in that regard." The two of us shared a quick, lighthearted laugh at that joke but it didn't last for long until a tense silence followed after.
Himeko was the one to speak first and break the silence. "...Maybe I did it to spare myself the pain of losing a loved one again. It would've been easier after all. Having no loved ones means no bonds to worry about which means I won't experience that pain all over again."
"That's a very lonely way to think about it." I pointed out.
"Perhaps it is, but I suppose we'll never know the real reason." She commented wryly. "I've all but forgotten what had me choose this path in the first place."
Hearing those words from her, I was unsure of how I was supposed to answer. These kinds of situations required a delicate approach, recklessly blurting out words was not going to cut it. However as I tried to think of what words to say, my aunt apparently had more to say.
"...But when you got sick and I had to watch over you, I was reminded of all the times that my mother and father watched over me when I had gotten sick. It reminded me of all the times I spent with our family and how happy it had made me feel." She suddenly confessed.
Then without warning I felt her arm swing around my shoulder and pulled me in closer. "So while I may be the runner-up for the worst Aunt of The Year Award, I-I would like to try and make things right."
"Of course," I leaned in and gave her a hug, happy that this situation had come to a happy ending. A part of me feared that this would've ended in a much more gloomier way but thankfully it had not come to pass. "When the time comes for us to visit the family I'll be with you every step of the way. Heaven knows we'll both need it."
"You got that right!" We both shared a hearty laugh at that, the bleak conversation we had pushed past us. After a few minutes of us laughing, Himeko had a teasing smile on her face. "Now that I have to catch up on being your aunt…got any crushes at the moment~?"
"H-HIMEKO?!"
"What? I can't be curious about my nephew's love life? I'm sure you have some already, hanging around all those girls is bound to have-!"
"T-T-THAT'S NOT HOW THIS WORKS!"
Seeing how the two redheads were interacting now, the bartender couldn't help but sigh tiredly. This was going to be a long day and he wasn't sure if he had the energy to see it through to the end.
He better be getting a huge tip for his troubles.
Somewhere in the snowy fringes of Canada, a white bunny could be seen innocently wandering around. It came across some exposed vegetation and began to nibble on it for some food, though it couldn't do so for long as its ears suddenly shot up in alarm.
A few moments passed before the bunny began to hop in the direction that it had come from, and just in the nick of time as a few seconds later two dark blue humanoid mechs came crashing down on where the bunny had just been standing. Through the snow cloud the crash had generated, two mono orange glowing eyes could be seen.
"C'mon Herring IV!" The voice of the Herring Squadron's captain, Teppei Shirogane, came through the speakers of his Shiden Mobile Suit as it clashed with his fellow squadmate's suit. "Put your back into it!"
"I know! I know!" The boisterous pilot yelled back as he maneuvered his suit's arms to bring up the blade it was holding upward, smacking his captain's head unit with the blunt end of it. The result sent the opposing mecha to the ground, creating another cloud of snow to cover the two mobile suits.
Watching the two mechs fight from a vantage point was Einstein, a tablet in hand as she looked at the data that the two pilots were creating. It was one of the test trials that the scientist had put her latest project through so she could find any places of possible improvement before the Shidens hit the mass production phase.
From her vantage point she can also see the area that the rest of the Herring Squadron and their mech's technicians were stationed at. Whilst the other mobile suit pilots watched their teammates duke it out, the technicians were hard at work in either fine tuning or repairing the inactive Shidens.
The sounds of approaching footsteps wading through the thick snow had the cyan haired scientist turn around to see Tesla walking up to her. "Your suits are performing better than expected!" She praised with a smile, though the smile did not last long when the red haired scientist saw Einstein's unhappy expression.
"Mophead?"
"Cocolia has discovered our Shiden project." She revealed, much to the surprise of her fellow scientist partner as she gasped in shock.
"But how did she find out?" Tesla asked, trying to wrap her head around this sudden revelation.
"We both knew that hiding their existence would not last forever but I had wished to hold onto them just a bit longer, to have this slight advantage over her." Einstein knew that their new mobile suit line would be discovered, it was an inevitability considering that they were all part of Anti-Entropy.
But they had barely begun to mass produce the Shidens and the cyan haired scientist had hoped that they would have a sizable army of the suits by the time the blonde Enforcer had discovered them. Granted it would take Cocolia a few months before she could begin to manufacture the suits but the discovery wasn't what bothered Einstein.
It was how fast they had been discovered.
"The speed at which Cocolia and her allies were able to break through some of our strongest firewalls is concerning." She spoke as she turned her attention back to where the two Shiden units were still sparring with each other. "We will need to upgrade our cyber network defenses then."
Tesla walked forward so that stood shoulder to shoulder with her partner. "Agreed. Some other worrying things I've heard recently is that Cocolia has begun to rally support from some Anti-Entropy factions that considered themselves neutral."
This new information troubled Einstein. The speed at which the blonde Enforcer was gaining power within their organization was alarming to say the least. The only feasible reason that the scientist could think of why this was the case was that Cocolia had managed to ally herself with someone powerful.
They would need to thread carefully from here on out.
A ping coming from Tesla's data pad tore the cyan haired scientist away from her thoughts as she turned her attention to the small frown that was growing on the red haired scientist's face.
"It's the Honkai energy levels of Nagazora," Tesla explained as she showed Einstein the data that she had been sent to her data pad. "Mophead if this is true then…"
"Does Cocolia know yet?"
"No yet but-,"
"Keep it that way for as long as you, for all we know this could be a false alarm. But covertly send some of our forces to be stationed near the safe zone of the city. It doesn't hurt to be prepared…"
In her personal office, Cocolia had a pleased smile on her face as she talked with someone through a video call.
"I look forward to our new partnership," She said as the person on the other end nodded in agreement before the call ended between them. With the conversation over the blonde enforcer leaned back into her chair, a content expression on her face.
Gaining so many allies, consolidating her strength within the ranks of Anti-Entropy, it was hard to not find something to be happy about.
"Hmm, hmm, hmm hmm~".
"Hmm hmm, hmm hmm hmm~".
Can you stop that humming?!" Cocolia grounded out as she glared at the other person in the room with her. "It's getting really annoying.
"I can't hum now?" Elysia teased from her position on the couch. A carefree smile was on her face as she lounged on the soft cushions of the couch. "After all that I've done for you? My, my, we truly live in such harsh times."
"Now listen here-,"
"Hacking those two scientist's files was hard work, you know." The Herrscher interrupted. "If I had been careless for even a little bit they would've discovered my attempts. If they did you wouldn't have all the allies and little toy soldiers you currently possess now."
"Tch," Against that logic all the blonde Enforcer could do was angrily click her tongue, unable to deny her faction's increase in strength. She didn't need to look to know that her pink haired 'ally' had a smug smile on her face. It seemed Elysia's favorite pastime was humming a tune that she said, 'was sung by this body's favorite person' whatever that meant…
Or infuriating her.
Pushing down the urge to walk up and put a bullet in between Elysia's eyes, Cocolia focused her attention on the incoming call that she was receiving. "Report," She said as she accepted the call and saw the scientist on the other end.
"Cocolia-sama, we have finalized our findings on Nagazora's current condition. To put it bluntly we are all…stumped on the results."
The Enforcer raised a brow at the scientist's admission, more so when she saw the conflicted expression on their face. "Explain."
The scientist nodded before they began to explain the situation to her. "We've looked into Nagazora's honkai energy reading levels as you requested and true to our initial predictions they are rising at a rate that will most likely result in another Herrscher being born…"
"I'm sensing a 'however' here."
The scientist nodded in confirmation. "You are correct Cocolia-sama as this trend was true but just a few days ago…" A graph of data was forwarded to the blond woman and showed what exactly the scientist was so stumped about.
"As the energy levels without warning just leveled and have continued to do so without stopping."
True to the scientist's words the graph showed that impossibility. The graph climbed at an impressive rate and without warning suddenly flattened, showing no signs of either climbing or dropping in energy levels.
A very worrying sign that Cocolia did not know what to make out of.
However unbeknownst to the Enforcer they had an unwanted listener in the form of Elysia, who had been silently listening in ever since the conversation had begun. As Cocolia and the scientist continued to talk, Herrscher tunes them out, not needing to listen to whatever boring scientific jargon that was exchanged.
Why would she need to listen any further when she had heard exactly what she wanted to hear?
A smile grew on Elysia's face as she let the two's conversation play out in the background as she hummed to herself a different song. She actually didn't know exactly what was going on in Nagazora, she was as lost as Cocolia was but she could not help be excited at what was probably coming.
"Hmm, hmm, hmm~."
And without knowing why or how, words began to be whispered out of her mouth that matched the song she was humming to herself.
"Two toned echoes tumbling through time~."
"One brings light~".
Her smile morphed into a smirk as her light blues twinkled in delight. Oh yes, what was coming would be beautiful.
Most beautiful indeed.
"The other brings shadow~".
So how was this multi-pov chapter? Something a bit different than the usual chapters but I felt this would be a good chapter to try it out.
Some of you probably expected the Durandal chapter but I realized that there were some characters I haven't done POVs for, some things I hadn't resolved, and generally catch up on what other non-St. Freya characters were doing.
I'm surprised no one saw the inspiration for the last chapter was from Kaguya-sama, specifically that one episode where Shinomiya got sick. When I saw that episode again I was like 'I need to do something like this' and the previous chapter was a result of that.
Speaking of anime references I was kinda surprised that no one made the connection that the Shiden Mobile Suits were from Gundam Iron Blooded Orphans. Where are my anime mech fans at :(
Not much else to say…I want to see your guys thoughts on the chapter. Honestly Himeko's part was the hardest part for me to write because while the manga/game give us some of her backstory, it's not enough to go off of considering Haruto is related to her.
So I want to know how I did in regards to that part, tried to make it emotional and touching but not too much of it.
The world's pretty screwed up right now, you just have to go to the news to find out what I'm talking about. I hope that this story provides just a little escape from all of that madness and just hope that you all are doing well.
Welp that's all for this chapter. If you enjoyed it, drop a fav/follow/kudos as they really help me out with creating great chapters. Reviews are deeply appreciated and if you have a question or a really interesting theory I am more than happy to reply. Please be patient if I don't respond to you super fast. Even if I don't respond to your comment for whatever reason, know that I read each and every one of them! PMing me is the best way for me to respond to your questions.
Peace!