Honkai Impact 3rd - Next Reality

by ANewFace

Set in a fictitious 3rd Era taking place 2553 years after the downfall of the 2nd Era, humanity has recovered from the Honkai and has become more technologically advanced than during the 2nd Era, but the Honkai has invaded. An amnesiac man wakes up in this world and is forced to learn how life truly is as the war between humanity and Honkai is not as simple as he hoped it was.

5. Chapter 5 - Beginning of a New Life

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Honkai Impact 3rd, any other miHoYo (or I guess Hoyoverse now) property, or any other fictional media referenced in this story.

I only own the OCs...with the exception of one

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Honkai Impact 3rd: Next Reality

Chapter 5: Beginning a New Life

Date: July 21, 2553

The phone alarm rang. The rectangular device vibrated to the tune of the alarm, moving around the table in small increments of space. A muscular hand slammed down on the table, moving around to find his phone. Once the phone reached his palms, his thumb desperately attempted to find the button to shut it off. Eventually, he forced himself up from the bed and turned off the phone alarm.

"Morning."

Tendou looked over by the window. Lessica stared outside, looking out to the city. The city was in its early morning. The streets were more empty than usual and the lights on the buildings were still a bit bright within the dawn of the morning.

"Morning." Tendou replied.

"Morning." Lessica answered back.

Tendou sleepily walked next to Lessica.

"It's a bit nostalgic to be back here." She said. "Not in a great way, but nostalgic nonetheless."

The silver-haired woman looked over to the brunette-haired man.

"Shouldn't you go take a shower?"

"You're only saying that so you can get into one." He groaned.

"Ok, that's part of the reason, but you just need one yourself." Lessica said. "Personal hygiene is something that you need to keep up."

"I don't smell anything though." Tendou sniffed himself.

"You can't smell yourself, Tendou." Lessica informed him. "Besides, you took one yesterday, but you should just take one daily."

"…That's just an excuse for you to take a shower as well."

"And I've already told you why you needed one earlier."

The tall man went into the bathroom and immediately towards the shower. As he turned the shower head on, Lessica appeared into reality, flying into the shower immediately. Tendou shook his head and sighed, though he expected as much. The woman loved her showers for reasons unknown to him. He wasn't all too bothered by any of it. If anything, he kind of understood where she was coming from.

After leaving the shower and doing everything else in the bathroom, Tendou went out and grabbed some clothes from the new ones bought during his trip to the mall a few days prior. Specifically, he grabbed the plain black shirt and black jeans first. Tendou walked to the mirror after putting both on, and he felt slightly odd. Something about the all-black aesthetic didn't sit right with him. He went back to the wardrobe and pulled out the white shirt with the red-cross implanted on it, and wore the shirt on top of the black shirt. Looking back in the mirror, it felt and looked mostly better. Tendou made one more adjustment and tucked both shirts into his pants.

"Hmm." Lessica lightly hummed.

"Is something wrong?" Tendou asked her.

Lessica floated over to the wardrobe and pulled out a black jacket. She flew over to Tendou and wrapped the jacket around his shoulders like a cape. The man raised an eyebrow at Lessica. He thought the jacket cape was bizarre, and after looking at the mirror again, he thought it looked ridiculous.

"I'm not going to wear the jacket like this!"

Tendou wore the jacket on normally, only to realize that it kind of made the whole thing look weirder. Not only that but the jacket, while the right size for his torso, squeezed tightly onto his bulky arms. It made it difficult to articulate his upper limbs and felt quite uncomfortable. The bulky man took the jacket off and tossed it onto the floor. He moved back to the wardrobe and grabbed the black wristbands. Thankfully, both were quite stretchy, so they fit onto his wrist with ease.

"I think that's everything." He exclaimed.

As Tendou adjusted the wristbands, Lessica came floating over again, putting the jacket on Tendou like a cape like last time much to his dismay. Furthermore, she grabbed the black fedora and pressed it down onto Tendou's head. He turned to look at the floating woman with an eyebrow raised. Lessica looked back at him with a blank stare. Tendou sighed. His hand reached up to grab the jacket off until someone knocked on the door. The tall man walked over to the door and opened it.

"Good morning Tendou." Reshia bowed her head slightly.

The maid brought her head up and examined Tendou. She blinked her eyes a few times as she gazed at his bizarre fashion. Reshia lightly shook her head and dismissed it immediately. The maid herself was wearing a variation of a maid dress. The one she wore had a more goth appearance to it. It also revealed more of her arms and legs as the goth maid outfit did not cover the arms and had a smaller skirt. Hanging on her left forearm was a bag containing some food.

"First day at the academy." Reshia stated.

"Yeah." He nodded his head. "Is it really that bad? School life that is."

"That depends." Reshia answered. "There are other obstacles to face other than academics. As to how someone handles them varies from one person to another."

The maid stepped inside his room and toward the kitchen. She set the bag down on the counter and pulled out some kitchen utensils.

"You haven't had breakfast yet, have you?" Reshia asked him. "Allow me to make you something."

The maid quickly went to work, conjuring up something in Tendou's kitchen. In about 10 minutes, she came to him with a breakfast sandwich.

"T-Thanks." Tendou said.

Tendou took a bite out of the breakfast sandwich. He already had pretty high expectations for it, and Reshia reached them.

"It's great!." Tendou stated. "Your sandwich is excellent!" He complimented her.

"T-Thanks." Reshia responded. "It's a replication of a sandwich made from a famous Korean restaurant. I haven't been to the restaurant myself, but I've seen videos of others who have."

Tendou took another bite of the sandwich before placing it back into its box.

"I'm impressed by your skills." Tendou complimented her again. "You made everything look so easy. I want to try it myself."

Upon hearing it, Reshia perked up immediately. She rapidly waved her hands while shaking her head.

"No please! That won't be necessary!" She panicked.

Tendou looked at her with blinking eyes. He was confused by her sudden unexpected reaction. The maid came to realize herself a few seconds later and cut herself off by slapping her hands against her face. She kept them on her face to hide her blush, only splitting her fingers in order for her eyes to see.

"I'm sorry for that display. Please excuse me for a moment."

Reshia moved away from him and over to the window walls showing a view of the city. Tendou looked at the flustered maid. He didn't know what he did wrong and didn't know what to do. The new Valkyrie sat still in his seat. Awkwardly, he reached down for his sandwich, only for another hand to grab it faster than him. He turned his head behind him.

"I'm hungry too." Lessica took a bite. "…Pretty good."

Reshia took a few deep breaths. As she turned around, Lessica quickly forced the sandwich into her mouth to hide any trace of her existence. A floating sandwich would look weird after all.

"I apologize for my behavior." Reshia said.

The maid noticed that the sandwich was completely devoured. Reshia was shocked, but also a bit happy. It had only been a few minutes since she made it, and Tendou had seemingly eaten it all. To her, she believed she performed her duty well. A light smile appeared on her face as well as a faint blush.

"Oh, I'm glad that you enjoyed the sandwich very much." Reshia was gleefully happy.

"Ah…yeah, it was very good." Tendou replied awkwardly. "I just wish I had more of it."

"I see. I apologize for not bringing enough ingredients for a second sandwich. I will account for your larger appetite next time." Reshia noted. "But we sadly don't have time. School is about to begin. We have to go."

Reshia grabbed the sandwich box and walked over to the door, waiting for Tendou to come along. The new student stood up from his chair and accompanied the maid. Tendou and Reshia stepped into the elevator. The box began to descend onto the first floor.

"How long do these days last?" The man asked the maid.

"About 5-7 hours." Reshia gave an estimate. "That's the average day. It may extend longer, or it may shorten depending on the situation." She began explaining. "Your schedule is different every day as you will only have certain classes on select days."

"How different is each day?" Tendou asked her.

"Again, it depends. Some days all you might do is switch from one learning class to another, but some days may involve more physical activities."

The two stayed silent for a little while, not really knowing what to converse about. Reshia seemed ready to face the day. Tendou on the other hand was not.

"This may sound awkward to ask, but why did you become a Valkyrie, and what made you stay?" Tendou broke the silence.

"Hmm?"

The maid was a bit perplexed by the question. It was a fairly common question that she had been asked before, but this came out unexpectedly for her. Thankfully, she already had an answer in mind.

"I came here to serve my purpose." She said, "Many people are in danger every day with the Honkai swarming around. Someone needs someone to save them, and I decided to fill that role. I have seen the sadness left in the wake of the Honkai, and I do not want to see that sadness anymore."

Tendou put a bent finger to his chin as he pondered about her response. Reshia has seen more than he has so she knew what was at risk, and Tendou didn't have that. He didn't have the visual experience that the maid did, so he couldn't relate.

"I…see."

The elevator made it down to the first floor. The maid stepped out of the elevator first, soon followed by her master. Next to them, another elevator opened with a different group of students coming out. In fact, the first-floor lobby of the dorms was currently occupied by many other valkyries getting ready for the day.

The two exited the hallways and onto the school grounds. There were even more people outside, either walking around the school grounds and passing by the remaining time or entering the academy building itself. The two arrived in front of the school building. Outside by the doors was Professor Sarah who was standing under a shade. The blue-haired instructor spotted the two and waved.

"Good morning you two." She greeted them.

"Good morning to you." Reshia bowed her head.

"There's no need for formalities like that." Sarah sighed at the maid. "Anyway, today is your first day of school." She turned to Tendou. "Of course, you're going to need something to help you. Here, take this."

Professor Sarah gave Tendou a small and round rectangular object. It had a smooth case around it that was quite thin with a few buttons by the side. On the bottom of the object was a long white chord.

"This is the phone that I forgot to get you." Sarah told him. The Professor would go on for a bit, teaching Tendou how to use his phone. "And that button will allow you to turn the ringer on or off. Have that all remembered?"

"Yes, I think." He replied.

"Good! I have your class schedule in there for you." Sarah informed him. "Thankfully, your first day is without any physical training today, but tomorrow will have you training." The Professor snickered. "I'll leave it to Reshia to lead you to your classes today. I have something to do before school begins, so I have to get going."

The blue-haired professor went to leave before she quickly halted.

"Oh, and Tendou." She turned around. "Once lunch begins, please come to my room. I need to get a quick measurement of you for your suit."

Professor Sarah left the two, rushing over to Schicksal's main building. Tendou and Reshia looked back down at his phone and at his schedule. He has a total of 5 classes and he had to attend 4 of them today with the first 3 being back-to-back. The following days seem lighter, but not by much.

"Let me show you where to go." Reshia decided to guide Tendou. "I will also show you the other classes you have to attend.

The maid led the way to each of Tendou's classes. Entering the building would give way to endless waves of noise bouncing against his ear drums. Students leaning against railings making conversation and teachers moving back and forth from room to room. With the number of people in the academy building, it was inevitable that they would encounter many different students. Sometimes, both Reshia and Tendou would have to move out of the way of some students who were either throwing balls or running in the hallways.

"We'll go in reverse so that we'll end up at your first class by the end." Reshia said.

The two stopped outside of a classroom on the first floor that carried one of many room numbers. Inside the classroom were a few students who were wasting time while waiting for class to begin.

"This is your Biology class." Reshia informed him. "Your teacher is actually Professor Sarah, so you will have a slightly easier time getting along with her than your other instructors. You also know where to go for lunch today. Convenient, right?" She looked at Tendou.

"You could say so." Tendou chuckled.

"Remember this room number, alright? It will help you find Professor Sarah's room quickly."

The two quickly left Sarah's biology room. Reshia led Tendou to an elevator where the two made it in time before a lift closed its doors. The two hurried inside the lift, standing beside some students. The group of students inside all began to gush in awe.

"Reshia!" They yelled. "Oh my god-I can't believe I'm here with you!"

With the exception of Tendou, all the Valkyries inside were gushing at the fact that they were standing next to an S-Rank Valkyrie, and it wasn't just a normal S-Rank Valkyrie. Reshia remained unfazed, having been used to her celebrity status. As the elevator arrived on the 4th floor, everyone stepped out, and all the other students on the elevator with the two begged for a picture with the maid. She agreed to every one of their requests and still seem unbothered by everything. Throughout everything, none of them really paid attention to Tendou. They didn't pay him any attention. After taking their pictures, they all left.

"I apologize about that." Reshia looked at Tendou. "S-Rank Valkyries are heavily idolized by many other people. We kind of serve as an inspiration for every Valkyrie as we are supposedly the best." She explained. "Admittedly, not every S-Rank Valkyrie is a good inspiration."

"When you are the best, it makes sense why you would be looked up to." Tendou agreed. "How often do people approach you though?"

"It depends." She answered. "On an average day like this, not much. After coming home from a mission, it varies. A light mission doesn't warrant much of a photograph, but a massive mission sees me getting many."

"Is it annoying?" Tendou asked.

"Not really. It's just a harmless picture. Just make sure you look your best. Frankly, I have it easy." The maid replied to her master. "Sometimes, a few S-Ranks are dragged off to do press conferences or public meetings. I can't imagine doing them myself. There are others who are willing, but I'm not quite happy with the ones who are willing."

"That's good though, right?" He tried to convince her. "Isn't it good to inform the public of the heroes that are protecting them?"

"Put like that, it is." Reshia smiled at Tendou. "Sadly, it's not always the case. I've mentioned before how not all S-Rank Valkyries are a good inspiration."

Tendou connected the dots with what Reshia said, and now he understood why she wasn't super happy. That being said, he still didn't know how bad the S-Rank Valkyries Reshia was alluding to were. Considering that they were supposed to be the best, they can't be the worst people on the planet.

The two walked around the hallways of the 4th floor until they reached a room with the words "Geography" etched outside. The classroom was empty, with no students or teacher in sight. Reshia and Tendou peeked their head inside the classroom temporarily before leaving. "No one is there." Reshia shrugged her shoulders. "You will have to meet her later I suppose."

Tendou and his maid went to his 3rd class, conveniently placed on the 3rd floor for him as well. It was Tactics, a class specializing in strategy, methods, and operations in regard to fighting the Honkai on the battlefield. It was a very straightforward class. That being said, it was a more physically demanding class. Taking notes and remembering battle strategies is one thing. Having to perform them in simulations was another.

"And this classroom should be-."

"Hi-!" A person rushed up to the door.

"What the hell?!" Lessica's voice surged with surprise.

Tendou and Reshia backed off from the door as a super energetic person charged to the classroom entrance in front of them. She was around the same height as Reshia, albeit slightly taller thanks to her choice of heels. Her long straight black hair was neatly done. No loose strands or any curly hair to be spotted. Even her bangs followed in the rest of her hair's tidiness with its perfect same-length cut. It paired well with her clothes, which were just as clean. A white button-up shirt tucked inside a black pencil skirt, a black corset, and either a set of stockings or pantyhose. With how calm most of her physical appearance was, she seemed to be a very calm and relaxed person.

But her actions and eyes have spoken otherwise.

"Always as hyper as ever." Reshia chuckled. "Good morning Ms. Nabia."

The Tactics teacher was vibrating in place at hyper speed. Her dark neon blue eyes gave off a sense of hunger. It yearned for madness and chaos. The way they were slightly squinted as well as her open-mouthed smile showed her nearly vampire-shark hybrid-like teeth. Her face and actions were enough to make Tendou, who stood taller than her, back away slightly with worry. The new student's eyes widened while his lips remained shut. His eyebrows rose high above his face. Tendou's pupils quickly moved to Reshia's.

The serene-looking, yet chaotic acting teacher was Ms. Nabia. Like Professor Almyria, she was another A-Rank Valkyrie. Her true strength and skill remain unknown. There are many rumors as to why Ms. Nabia isn't considered an S-Rank Valkyrie. Some say that the Overseer deems her too insane to be considered an S-Rank. Some say that Professor Nabia cares very little about her rank, only reaching A-Rank due to it being the minimum needed to teach at Saint Freya. Some even say that Professor Nabia's insanity was what led her to be an A-Rank as she unintentionally threatened the faction into giving her the job. The true reason remains unknown.

"Should I be worried?" He asked her.

"No. You will be fine." Reshia waved her hand. "Ms. Nabia may seem hectic, but she's a gentle soul. She will take good care of you."

"Y-Yeah! She'll take good care of me…." Tendou had a hard time believing that. "She won't hurt me too much…..right?"

"Hehehehe….." Professor Nabia breathed.

She backed him up against a wall. Even though she only reached his chest, Ms. Nabia made her dominance very clear, whether that was her intention or not. The maid stepped in to 'rescue' her master by pulling him away to go to his next class.

"We have to get going now Ms. Nabia." Reshia waved as she walked away. "Tendou and I will see you soon!"

"Bye!" The Professor energetically waved her hand at the two.

Tendou and Reshia got a good distance away from Professor Nabia before they spoke again. The taller of the two made the first noise.

"Are you sure she's ok?" He asked the maid. "Ms. Nabia feels like she has a few screws loose. What's with her vampire-like teeth?!"

"I'm unaware of the last one, but Ms. Nabia does not have any screws loose." Reshia replied. "Ms. Nabia is just…..very, very, optimistic. She's a joy to be around once you become more acquainted with her." She smiled at Tendou. "I believe her nature makes her well-fit to teach Tactics. Her overwhelming energy makes her lectures very clear in describing battlefield strategies, and when it comes to actually performing them, she is very proficient."

"When you put it like that, it makes sense why you would consider her a good teacher. With a class like that, you would most likely be required to have enough energy." Tendou said. "I'm still not sold that she's a wonderful person to be around. I feel like she will hurt me whenever she wants to or not."

Hastily, the two moved over to Tendou's 2nd class, which was on the first floor. Tendou and Reshia took the elevator down to the bottom, and thankfully, no one was in their way to stop them any bit. Almost everyone had gone to their classes already. When they got to Tendou's 2nd class, Physics, the teacher was still not there yet.

"Huh? She's not here." Reshia peeked into the classroom.

As the maid's head entered the classroom, it caught the attention of many people inside. Just like the situation on the elevator, nearly everyone inside would come flocking towards her for pictures and autographs.

"Oh dear!" Reshia slightly panicked. "I'm afraid I won't be able to escort you to your last class. You'll have to go on without me."

"Where do I go?!" Tendou shouted so she could hear among the noisy crowd.

"Go to your phone app! The room number for your History class should be on there. The first number of the room number should tell you which floor it's on. After that, you will just have to find where it is by going around the floor. I apologize for the inconvenience!"

Tendou backed away from Reshia, who was getting more and more flooded by the second. He could easily tell that Reshia herself did not mind, but he could also tell that this was something that she didn't want to do by choice. He could only wave her a nervous farewell before he sprinted off to his last visited class, his very first class. It was stationed on the second floor. He wasted no time and made it toward the stairs.

"You're fortunate enough to not face what the maid does on a daily basis."

"You think it's a bad thing?" Tendou asked Lessica.

"It depends." She replied to him. "Being famous isn't always a good thing."

"Is it because you hate the popularity? Or is it because you just hate people?"

"That's not what I meant when I say that being famous isn't always a good thing." Lessica groaned.

Tendou halted his sprint and resumed to a walking pace as he neared his classroom. By now, most people had entered their classrooms, leaving the hall quiet. It was a nice change of tone, but it didn't last long…

"Oh silly you!"

Tendou turned around. Two students, a male and a female were walking down. The male was an averagely tall male. Hair was a shade of light brown, similar to that of milk chocolate. It was kind of long, both in the front and back. While it was not covering his eyes, there was a clump of hair that reached down near the bridge of his nose. The rest of his bangs were just above his eyes. The back of his brown hair extended into his neck, covering part of it at the top. As for his clothes, the best way to describe it was expensive. The white shirt he had on carried a very unique design that Tendou didn't see in the mall. The light green jacket he wore over it was made with a very fine material. The man also had a scarf loosely wrapped around his neck, also seemingly made from a very rich and delicate fabric. His jeans were heavily decorated with gems near his ankle and pockets.

"Hey, calm down now." The man gently rubbed his head against the head of the girl who was hugging his arm. "Did you want me to put more effort? It seemed like you were already struggling."

The two would stop as they encountered Tendou in the hallways. The male would raise an eyebrow at him as he didn't recognize who he was.

"Are you…a new Valkyrie?" He asked Tendou.

"Y-Yes." Tendou replied. "I'm Tendou, new person here."

"I was right." He said. "My name is Kyle. I hope you remember that name very well."

Kyle's lips turned into a sinister grin. He gave a dangerous glare to Tendou, the latter being confused. Kyle's hand would grab onto Tendou's shirt in a hostile manner and pull him close. "I hail from the Rieagn family, a very special household a bit below the Kaslana and Schariacs. I'm an S-Rank Valkyrie, and you know how important that is."

Tendou raised an eyebrow. He understood what Kyle was saying to him, but he didn't understand what Kyle was trying to prove. He peddled back, but Kyle's grip on his shirt didn't allow for him to move. Not that it mattered as Kyle kept walking forward anyway.

"Tch." Kyle pushed him. "Doesn't seem like you know. Tragic, but we can fix that." He smirked. Kyle's expression turned sinister, but before he could continue with anything, a loud knock against a glass wall was heard nearby.

"Ahem!"

A professor with short purple hair looked at both of them. Her arms were crossed below her chest and one of her eyes was twitching. She stood in front of the door to her classroom, the one that Tendou and Kyle were supposed to enter. Quickly, Kyle stood as tall as he could and bowed down to the professor.

"Good morning Professor Espinoza!" He greeted her.

The professor was not pleased.

"Mind explaining what you were doing just now?" Professor Espinoza asked. "I pray that my eyes didn't just see you trying to push aggression onto a student."

"You must be mistaken then." Kyle lied. "Him and I were just play-fighting, nothing unsafe."

Professor Espinoza was rightfully skeptical as she knew who Kyle was and what he was like. He was a very rowdy student with nearly no filter, very notorious for picking on lower-rank Valkyries. Rumors about his nefarious actions spread throughout the entire academy, but it is hard to confirm whether they are true or not. Like all rumors, the truth becomes lost as it spreads from mouth to mouth and causes the truth to lose all validity. Even the one bearing the truth may have it rejected because the story has spiraled too much.

"Right…" Professor Espinoza lightly nodded. "Kyle, please enter the classroom-."

As soon as she said that, the Professor turned around, blocking the doorway to the classroom. In front of her were a mob of girls, all looking toward Kyle with starry eyes. Shouts of his name erupted from within.

"Kyle! Ahh!"

This wasn't Tendou's first time witnessing this, and he had become dull to the surprise already. The Professor continued pushing everyone back and ordered them to their seats. Once the inside settled down Kyle went inside the classroom along with the girl that was with him earlier. The Professor looked at Tendou.

"Tendou, am I correct?" She asked him.

"Yes, that's me." He was surprised that she knew his name.

"Just like I thought." The professor lightly grinned. "Class, meet Tendou. He's a new student that will be joining us."

Everyone calmly waved at Tendou. No one said much about him. No whispers or chatter among the students in the class. Some just said "Hello" or any other kind of general greeting, and that was it. Tendou walked inside the classroom and stood in the front.

"You….don't have much to say, do you?" The teacher asked Tendou. "Nothing about yourself you want to share? Anything from what you were doing before you came here or anything interesting?"

"Oh." Tendou let out. "I…I'm sorry. I don't really have anything to say." He apologized. "I don't remember anything at all."

Tendou's final line alone sparked debate. Some of his fellow students were confused, some were intrigued, some were thinking Tendou was being funny, and some just found it hilarious in a rude way. The professor knocked down on her desk very loudly, capturing the attention of everyone in the class.

"If you would excuse me." She was slightly agitated.

She turned her head to Tendou.

"I apologize for that." She said. "Memory loss I'm assuming. Whenever you are faking it or not doesn't matter." She comforted him. "I'm Professor Espinoza. You can call me Ms. Espinoza if you want." Professor Espinoza introduced herself.

Professor Espinoza was his History Teacher. Another one of many A-Rank Valkyries in the school, though Professor Espinoza doesn't seem to go on field much often. It has led to doubts on whether or not she deserves to keep the ranking, though these doubts only rest within those who only see the ranks as a measure of strength. Some do believe that her lack of appearances on the field has led to her physical skills going to rust. However, that is something that is difficult to judge. Even so, Professor Espinoza possesses many other skills that can help aid in battle.

"Your seat is over there."

The teacher pointed over to an empty seat. It was conveniently placed right in the center of the classroom. Tendou walked down the alley and toward his seat. All of the class's eyes were on him as he moved and sat down on the seat. The tragic part of his seating though was that it was next to him, Kyle. The S-Rank Valkyrie looked at Tendou with a malicious smirk.

"Great, next to him." Lessica growled. "He's gonna do something to us. That look says everything."

"I don't know," Tendou replied to her. "We're in class right now, and I don't think he would try to do anything bad while class is in session."

"What?"

"He can't be that malicious." He replied to her. "I doubt he will do anything extreme in class."

"Tendou, every other sign says otherwise." She argued with him. "You have some logic. There is a chance that the Professor being here may prevent him from doing something, but you have no idea." Lessica stated the truth. "We don't know that, and that's why I ere you to the side of caution."

"Hmm…"

"Before we begin class, are there any questions that need answers?" Professor Espinoza asked.

"I have a question." Kyle asked. "How is your relationship with your boyfriend going~" He raised an eyebrow."

The question made Espinoza give Kyle a death glare. The Valkyrie widened his eyes and backed off, though he retained his smug glare.

"If there aren't any further idiotic questions, then let us begin."

The class began late, but a few minutes shouldn't have taken away much content. For the other students, the class went on as usual. The lesson was fairly normal in difficulty as it was a continuation of what they were learning before. For the new student who has no former memory, it was quite perplexing. A good portion of what he was learning required a lot of context and knowledge that he clearly did not have. Tendou was struggling to understand what the lesson was, and this could be seen by his confusion. It didn't go unnoticed by Professor Espinoza.

"Tendou, if you have any questions, you can speak up." She looked over at her struggling new students.

Tendou looked up at her surprised. He had nothing to say and only nodded. Ms. Espinoza could only guess that Tendou was probably still a bit shy. His very short introduction to the class and his very silent interaction with Kyle. She honestly started to believe that maybe he wasn't lying about his memory loss, but she thought that him being a timid person was a better excuse. Memory loss felt like an over-exaggerated way to get away from interactions.

"Hah." She sighed. "If it is necessary as well, then I can provide private tutoring when I am available."

Many students in the classroom began snickering. Some made an inappropriate whistle, some whispered to others, and some tried to restrain a laugh.

"I didn't know you were that lonely Ms. Espinoza." A snarky remark escaped from Kyle. "If your boyfriend couldn't provide you with his time, then-."

Professor Espinoza slammed her foot on the floor to focus the class's attention again.

"Ahem!" She coughed. "If you are all done making unnecessary remarks, then let me continue-."

"Kyle." The Professor gave him a death glare.

"Yes ma'am!" Kyle looked away with his hands in the air. Tendou looked at the annoying man with a confused look. Why is he like this? Did he have something against Ms. Espinoza? Was he just really, really into her? No matter what, he just couldn't think of anything to justify Kyle's Professor grunted and was visibly angry.

"What a pompous asshole." Lessica clicked her tongue. "I'm surprised he hasn't gone farther, but seeing how he reacts to Espinoza I'm pretty sure there are limitations to what he can do."

"I was right," Tendou told Lessica. "Even then, this still feels overboard. Is it fine to insult the teacher like that?"

"Oh no." Lessica said in a low tone. "It isn't, but his tone is trying to pass it off as teasing. I suspect that's why she hasn't done anything."

"Do you really think he is that bad?" Tendou couldn't see where his internal voice was coming from.

"I still hold my natural thought that Kyle is going to be like the normal human being: A very calm and kind-looking exterior, but a nefarious and devilish interior." Lessica stood by her opinion. "Though I guess his exterior isn't so calm and kind."

"And that's something you stand by?"

"For now. Maybe he'll prove me wrong."

"I hope he does, and I hope I can help him do that."

Lessica let out a low grunt. She didn't speak any further.

After the small commotion, Professor Espinoza was able to continue the rest of her class without any interruptions. It was unfortunate that she wasn't able to fit all of her lessons in the session.

*DING* *DING*

The bell rang. Tendou's first class ended. Everyone got up and left for their next class. Tendou was one of the few still left inside. Professor Espinoza walked up to his desk.

"I hope Kyle didn't scare you too much." She said, "He's a bit of a show-off. Hails from a rich family, S-Rank Valkyrie, and for the jealousy of many men, a whole harem of girls flock to him."

"He's popular with the girls." Tendou said in an unamused tone. "I totally didn't know that."

"Totally didn't" Ms. Espinoza joined in the sarcasm. "I continue to hope that he won't bother anyone too much. Besides that, I'm glad you were able to adapt quickly. It's a tough task." She complimented him. "But I have to ask, were you being serious when you said that you didn't remember anything from before?"

"Yeah." Tendou looked at her. "I don't remember much. All I remember was waking up in a destroyed city. Arastan was what I think it was called? I woke up there and I don't recall anything from before then."

The Professor's eyes lit up and blinked. She didn't think he was actually being serious about his memory loss. Ms. Espinoza was proven wrong. It may make teaching Tendou a bit more difficult than expected.

"I….see." She adjusted her outfit. "I'm sorry for that. I hope you can regain them soon."

Tendou stood up and got ready to leave. Professor Espinoza stopped him by calling out to him.

"I hope the rest of your day goes wonderfully." She hoped for him. "And if you need help, then I can try to help you when I'm free."

"Thanks." He replied back.

Tendou left the classroom, the last one to leave. He thought he would have an easy time going to his next class afterward, but…

POMPF

A fist ferociously jammed itself onto Tendou's gut. The rookie Valkyrie had all of the oxygen in his systems forcefully aired out. He was soon to fall down to his knees, but a pair of hands prevented him from reaching the floor.

"You took that better than I thought." Kyle said to him. "Still quite pathetic, but better than most."

Behind him, a flock of girls were giggling. Kyle helped Tendou stand up.

"Was any of that really necessary?" Tendou grunted at Kyle.

"Hmm…" Kyle acted as if he really had to think about it. "Perhaps it did, perhaps it didn't. I don't know." He replied to him.

"That's a lie, and you fully know it."

Kyle chuckled lightly and patted Tendou on the shoulder. "I am being genuine when I say that you took the punch better than most." He said. "Most people would have just fainted there, but you're still awake." Kyle patted him on the back. "But let this be a lesson."

Kyle and his harem went their way, chatting and laughing about things that got lost within the cluster of sounds from the student-filled hallways.

"A lesson of what?"

He didn't get a response. The hallways were flooded with students moving from class to class, and none of them bothered to lend a glance at him. It was as if none of this had ever transpired in the first place. Tendou stood up and shook his head. None of this mattered now. He followed down the stairs to his second class. Outside the class, Reshia was talking to another girl. She was quite small. Her height made her look like either a very tall child, or a very small teenager. Her youthful appearance didn't help much to give that illusion. Very light pink hair that was neatly combed, adorable red-colored eyes, and a navy blue colored JK outfit. It was probably another student.

"Hello again, Tendou." Reshia noticed her master. "How did your first class go?"

"It was…..alright." Tendou had to think about it. "Difficult at first, but I caught on." He told his maid. "I did deal with someone who was not pleasant though."

"Who was it?" Reshia asked him.

"Someone named Kyle."

Upon the mention of his name, Reshia covered her face with a hand while letting out a very long sigh. The small pink-haired girl next to Reshia closed her eyes while letting out a more disappointed sounding groan.

"I forgot that you shared your first class with him." The maid's voice was stressed. "I hope he didn't provide you with much trouble."

"Did he do anything harmful to you?" A youthful voice asked Tendou.

Tendou immediately recognized that it came from the pink-haired girl that was with them. He looked down at her and shook his head.

Tendou pondered on his answer toward the youthful one. In the end, his response was…

"No, nothing. Just some threats and stuff."

"The usual then." She sighed.

"Tendou! What the fuck!"

"It doesn't matter, Lessica. Forget about it."

"You idiot! I-..." Lessica struggled to form words. She was too flabbergasted to think straight. Why would Tendou do a moronic move? It made no sense, and he gained nothing from keeping it a secret.

"I forgot to introduce her." Reshia interrupted. "This is Professor Kisaria. She is our Physics teacher."

Tendou blinked his eyes a few times at Reshia's statement before looking down at the pink-haired girl again. She cutely waved up at her new towering student. He shook his head a few times, not being able to take the truth in.

"That's your Physics professor?" Lessica commented, "She's quite young, or appears young at the very least."

Professor Kisaria did indeed look young, and to be fair to the Professor, she was younger for someone in her job. Most professors were around the ages of 30 to 40. Ms. Kisaria was only 26 years old. Not only was she younger than other professors, but she was an anomaly in terms of her ranking. Professor Kisaria was one of few S-Rank Valkyries to be an instructor at the academy. Her status alone made her one of the more popular instructors, much to her chagrin. Despite this, she remains humble to everyone, albeit also a bit shy sometimes. Her adoration and yearn for her privacy is the reason why she makes very few public appearances, as well as not much having been known about her outside of her teaching job and her Valkyrie status.

"Sorry." Tendou apologized. "I didn't think she was our professor for Physics. She looks so young that I thought she was a student like us."

Professor Kisaria's cheeks flushed a bit, not really expecting an unintentional compliment from her new student.

"Oh goodness me." The teacher placed her hands on her cheeks. "I wasn't expecting that."

She looked up at Tendou.

"You are my new student, correct?" She asked him. "I've been informed more by Reshia about you, and your memory loss. I'm sorry for that."

"I-…don't be." Tendou replied in a weak manner.

"I hope no one in my class bothers you like Kyle….but….."

Professor Kisaria's colorful red eyes quickly became dull and lifeless. Her adorable blush and cheery look became filled with doom and dread. Her bright smile flipped and became darkened.

"Oh no…." was the only thing she could really let out.

Tendou clearly read her emotions, and immediately felt akin to what she was feeling as well. It was a blessing that he wouldn't have to face Kyle again, but to hear Professor Kisaria lament over a similar person to Kyle was not a good sign. Reshia knew who the teacher was referring to, and she herself was not too excited about what might happen with Tendou.

"Another one?" Lessica was disappointed. "How many arrogant pricks do we have here?"

"He's not as bad as Kyle, but I can't ensure that he's not going to pick on you like him. They're close friends after all." The maid sighed. "Let's get inside the classroom for now."

The Professor moved away from the entrance in order for the two to enter. About half of the class had already filled the classroom. Reshia sat down at a desk near one of the glass walls. She pointed to the seat behind her, Tendou's seat. The two were at the front of the class. Not like it mattered much unless one of the two had vision problems. Soon, more and more people came into the class and took their spots.

Just like before, a massive crowd was outside the classroom, seemingly fawning over a person.

"Is that him?" Tendou asked Reshia.

"No." Reshia answered him. "That's someone different." She smiled

A man, seemingly standing around 5'10, tried squeezing through the crowd. He was wearing glasses of an expensive brand. His blonde hair was slicked back and partially spiked up. There was a group of hair strands that pointed out forward and fell down in front of the area next to his right eye. Oddly, it didn't seem to bother him more than it did the crowd surrounding him. The man had a turquoise long coat that was over a white button-up and a blue tie. His pants were a pair of blue jeans, an odd choice as they seemed pretty cheap in comparison to his expensive tops and his shiny loafers.

"P-Please! Please go to your classrooms. I don't want anyone being late to their class because of me." The man told everyone following him. "Your education is so much more important than being around someone famous!"

He turned around and stepped into the classroom. A sigh came out of his mouth. A few people in the classroom let out a chuckle over his situation, Reshia included.

"Always popular with everyone. Must be a paradise. You are living a very good life Desmond." Reshia said with a very sarcastic tone.

"Very funny." Desmond smiled and scoffed while adjusting his glasses. "I wonder what they care more about? My status as an S-Rank, or my status as the eldest Schariac heir?"

The man was Desmond Schariac, the eldest of the Schariac family. Hailing from such a prestigious and blessed family, Desmond was naturally a strong valkyrie. His Schariac blood gave him access to the Schariac family's stigma, as well as their extremely powerful resistance to the Honkai. It was only natural that he would be an S-Rank Valkyrie.

"I've never seen him before. A new student perhaps?" His eyes gravitated towards Tendou.

"Yes." Tendou answered for himself. "First day here. It's been….alright so far."

"Ah. I hope the rest of the day gets better for you." Desmond said to him. "My name is Desmond Schariac. S-Rank Valkyrie and first heir to the Schariac family. Nice to meet you." He extended a hand out to him.

Tendou and Desmond shook hands with each other as a greeting. The Schariac couldn't help but notice Tendou's very muscular arm when shaking hands. It was a bit weird how physique was a deception for a person's true strength.

"So why did you decide to become a Valkyrie?" Desmond asked Tendou. "It takes a lot of courage to decide to become one."

"I….didn't really decide for myself." The newbie remembered everything from before. "I pretty much got forced to do all of this."

"What? Why did someone force you? More specifically, who forced you?"

"Otto." Tendou replied. "I don't know why he wants me to become a Valkyrie. I can't even remember who I was."

"…Pardon?" Desmond was confused.

"I don't remember anything from my past. I just woke up in Arastan City, was 'rescued', and well, now I'm here."

"Arastan City?" Desmond's eyes flared with curiosity. "That entire city was leveled by a Herrscher, and you survived?! Maybe the Overseer is onto something."

"A Herrscher?"

This was the first time that he heard that a Herrscher was the one responsible for destroying Arastan City, or at least the first time he can recall. Tendou hadn't seen a Herrscher before. The only thing he knew was that they were extremely deadly and were some of the strongest threats to the planet. How did he survive against one?!

"Still, it's a bit cruel to force someone to become a Valkyrie, let alone someone who has no clue about themselves." Desmond readjusted his glasses again. "Being able to survive against a Herrscher attack as a regular human is no ordinary feat, and having someone like that could be helpful, but if that someone doesn't even remember how they survived, then it's kind of pointless." He stated. "Whatever the Overseer has in plans, I'm sorry that you didn't have much of a choice. Still, I hope that even though you don't want to be here, we can at least give you new fond memories to remember."

"Thanks." Tendou appreciated it.

It was a surprise for him. Another S-Rank who came from a prestigious family, but unlike Kyle, Desmond was very kind. He was very sincere with his words. But, if Desmond wasn't the person that Reshia and Professor Kisaria were worried about, then who was?

"AAHHHH~!"

"Oh goddamnit. Here he comes." Desmond let out a groan.

Another crowd of fans swarmed around someone. Unlike Desmond, this person seemed more fond of his attention, relishing the fact that he was being fawned on. It was actually more difficult to look at him as well, not due to the fact that he had more people. His crowd was about as equal as Desmond's own. It was because unlike the Schariac, the person was kind of small. In comparison, he only seemed to be around 5'2 at max. His hair color was a snow white color, very similar if not the very same as Kathlynn's and Maya's. While many things were different, his clothes spoke a very similar message to Kyle's. Very rich apparel meant to show off rather than for comfort. It fit well with his flaunting attitude.

"Please, please! Make way for Tobias Kaslana!" He slid into the class.

The majority of the class applauded his entrance. Tendou remained very confused and unaware as usual. Reshia had rested her arms on her desk while her hands were clasped together and covering her mouth. Desmond stood up with his arms crossed, a very annoyed expression spelled across his face. The rival Kaslana house member quickly noted the Schariac, deriving pleasure from seeing his aggravation. Tobias simply let out a smirk as he did a grandeur bow to most of the class.

"Perverted jackass." Desmond insulted Tobias.

"What's wrong?" Tobias raised an eyebrow. "Jealous that you don't have the balls to ask someone out?"

"Nah. I don't think I'm jealous of the severe amount of STDs you've gathered up." The Schariac insulted again.

Tobias was slightly aggravated. The Kaslana walked slightly toward the Schariac. In response, he backed away drastically, covering his mouth with his coat.

"Get away from me you damn plague!" Desmond shouted.

Tobias arrogantly chuckled over his believed superiority. He continued flaunting himself over Desmond.

"It's a bit embarrassing. The eldest of the Schariac is too afraid of love."

"You call fucking a bunch of girls love?" Desmond replied. "I don't think sleeping with many and disposing of them later is love, regardless if they still lick your boots afterward."

Professor Kisaria looked over at the two arguing. She quickly stepped over, begging for them to stop.

"Please settle down!." She yelped at them. "It's always like this every day. Can't you two just settle this elsewhere?"

"Professor Kisaria, please do not get involved. This is between our family and our family only. Stay out of it!"

Reshia stepped in to help Professor Kisaria to calm the situation down. Tendou only spectated the situation as he had no clue, nor the willpower and courage to intervene.

"I'm so sorry that you had to see this." Desmond apologized. "I wished our first meeting continued off on a better foot than this."

"Hmm?" Tobias paused. His eyes moved over to Tendou. "Who is he? He's got a face I've never seen before."

"Tendou." Professor Kisaria answered his question. "A new student at the academy who will be joining us from now on. Please treat him nicely."

"Nicely?" Tobias raised an eyebrow. The Kaslana let out a smug grin as he looked at Tendou. "I'll treat him as nicely as his fashion sense is."

Tendou blinked. What did he mean by that exactly?

"What the hell is your problem?!" Desmond pushed Tobias. "There isn't any need to insult a person you don't even know. That's pretentious!"

"Tobias, knock it off." Reshia stepped in. "You have no right to insult someone you just met."

"Who said I was insulting him?" Tobias sighed. "Stop being prejudice."

"Tobias." A very murderous tone echoed behind him.

A tiny hand grabbed onto Tobias's shoulder. Its grip was devastating. The fingers on the hand were shaking in place violently. Everyone in the room except Tendou was terrified. The new student was only confused as to what was happening. Tobias turned his head around and his eyes made contact with Professor Kisaria. Her eyes were once again, dull and lifeless.

"Please, do NOT pick on our new student." She threatened him. "He has done nothing wrong, and if you proceed to harm him in any way, then I won't be afraid-."

"Ok, ok, ok!"

Tobias roughly pushed Ms. Kisaria's hand off his shoulders, gritting his teeth in slight agony. He gave one last glance at Tendou before leaving for his desk.

"I'm so sorry." The Professor apologized. "Tobias is a friend of Kyle's, so naturally they would be very similar in how they act."

"Those two, as well as many others, tend to act this way towards lower-ranked Valkyries." Desmond said. "It's bullshit. Everyone starts off as a low-rank, even they did too. There's little excuse to mock someone who just joined the school."

"Do they continue to make fun of someone until they become an S-Rank?" Tendou asked him.

"No. At a minimum, A-Rank is when it usually stops." He sighed. "But if you're from a rich family, get a lot of girls, famous, or another piece of shit, then they'll treat you well…..maybe."

"Wow." Tendou was unamused.

"Wow." Lessica shared the same feeling.

"Any reason why they're like this?"

Sadly, Desmond, Professor Kisaria, and Reshia both shrugged and shook their heads. Tendou grimaced and scratched the back of his head. As of now, the class had calmed down. With everyone in their seats, Ms. Kisaria was able to begin her lecture. Just like last time, Tendou had no clue what was even being discussed or being done. The new recruit had to go with the flow of the class. That being said, this proved to be tougher than his previous class.

"Agh…." He bent his head against the desk.

Just like the previous Professor, Kisaria noticed his struggles. She was rightfully worried that Tendou wouldn't be able to catch up due to the amount of layers Physics had, most of which Tendou had not lifted up yet. That being said, she couldn't slow down the class for one person. Professor Kisaria sighed and continued on with her class.

**THWACK**

Tendou and Reshia turned around at the large noise. Desmond's glasses had fallen off the table, and on the floor next to him was a baseball. The Schariac turned around and looked at everyone, but he already knew who threw the ball at him. He calmed himself down. It was nothing to get angry over. His hands went to his glasses and he wore them back on. Professor Kisaria's glare burned straight at Tobias, the suspect. She threatened him by pointing two fingers at her eyes and at him. She turned around and resumed her lecture.

5 minutes pass by.

"AACHOO!" Tobias sneezed.

Of course, the loud sneeze caught the attention of everyone in the room.

"Sorry, please continue on." He apologized.

It sounded like a genuine sneeze, and the Professor just pushed it aside. Little did most of them know, Tobias chucked another object right at Desmond, this time, it was a small box instead. The Schariac's right hand was visibly clenched, ready to punch the Kaslana right in the nose. A very quiet chuckle came from Tobias. Desmond knew Tobias was going to do one more thing, so he prepared himself for it.

**BANG**

Just as Desmond predicted, Tobias would chuck another object. Desmond turned around to catch it, but the object flew directly past him. The object in question was a brick, which Desmond had no idea how Tobias snuck into class.

"Ow!"

The brick hit Tendou in the shoulders and cracked. Thankfully, it didn't seem like he was hurt that much. Reshia immediately got out of her desk, checking to see if her master was bleeding while Desmond quickly grabbed Tobias by the collar.

"What the hell do you think you are doing!" He shouted at the smaller man.

"Relax. He's fine. The man barely flinched." Tobias pointed out. "I meant to do no harm-."

"Bullshit!"

Desmond slapped the Kaslana's face, which caused Tobias to groan in agony. The slap alone was enough to aggravate him to start retaliating. The Kaslana and Schariac started to fight in the middle of class, but Professor Kisaria rushed up and split the two apart. Both could tell that the tiny teacher was not pleased with how she looked at them.

"This is all pointless." She told them. "If you want to deal with family drama, do it outside of the class. Desmond, to your seat now."

The Schariac let go of Tobias and returned back to his seat, audibly grunting. As for the Kaslana, he sat back down on the desk before Professor Kisaria slammed her hand on his desk.

"You! You are leaving this class and going to detention." The Professor pointed him out of the room.

Professor Kisaria's eyes glared with death yet again. Tobias let out a little grunt before he forcefully removed himself from the class. The Professor quickly moved over to Tendou.

"Are you ok?" She asked him

"Yeah, I'm fine." He responded. "How did he bring that into class? I don't see where he would store that brick."

"Tobias probably hid it under a loose pocket or his shirt. I wouldn't be surprised if there were other stuff hidden in there." Desmond said. "It's fortunate that the brick only hit your shoulder. A little higher and it might have caused more problems."

Professor Kisaria let out a sigh of relief and disappointment. She walked up to the class and bowed in front of everyone.

"I'm very sorry for the disturbance that has been caused." She apologized. "Please never act like that in any class."

With her arguably unneeded apology out of the way, the pinkette Professor continued the lecture. For the rest of the class, she went uninterrupted, and as the rest of the hour passed by, the bell would ring.

"Phew! I'm glad we finished this class peacefully." Desmond wiped his glasses clean. "How are you feeling Tendou? You alright?"

He looked at the new student who was grasping his head out of confusion. His eyes seemed like they were staring into eternity and his mouth was slightly opened like a void. His brain was filled with so much knowledge in very little time. He just could not compensate for the amount.

"Ahahahah…..Don't worry, you'll catch up eventually. You have us to help you out." Desmond referred to himself and Reshia.

"Of course. I will gladly help you learn." Reshia lightly bowed her head. "I will do my best to help you catch up with everyone else."

"Thanks you two." Tendou let out a sigh. "Say…do you understand any of this?"

"I do." Desmond replied.

"Indeed I do." Reshia replied.

"Hell no." Lessica responded. "I don't understand any of this."

"Good to know." The muscular man stood up. "I'm heading off to my next class. I hope it doesn't contain anyone like Kyle or Tobias-."

"Isn't that the class with the insane Professor?" Lessica brought up. "What was her name? Nabia?"

"…..I'll manage." Tendou exclaimed.

He took one step forward before stopping. He turned to look back at Desmond Schariac. Now that he was able to meet someone willing to talk to him, Tendou wanted to ask him something, the same exact question that he asked Reshia earlier.

"Desmond, why did you become a Valkyrie? And why do you still fight?"

Desmond looked up at Tendou in surprise. Similar to the maid, he was also perplexed as to why the rookie would ask him a question, but a quick glance into his eyes already gave Desmond the answer he was looking for. The experienced Valkyrie pondered on how to respond to Tendou.

"If I were to be honest, then my reasoning for becoming one may not satisfy you," Desmond admitted. "The Schariac lineage has always been known to be a family of Valkyries due to their unique stigma and abilities, a trait that is passed down dominantly throughout generations. However.." He started to pause. He didn't know how to really pursue the next part, or how to word it properly to its best. "Let's just say that these blessings were not inherited in my case for…reasons." He left it at that.

"If you don't have the power of the Schariacs, then why?" Tendou continued.

"I may have not received the lineage power, but I was still part of the family nonetheless," Desmond answered. "I am still a Schariac, a family line known to dedicate themselves to the cause of this war. We are viewed as heroes by many, and I guess I just felt pressured to continue that legacy." The Schariac was honest. "It was a very weak motivation admittedly, but if I hadn't then I would have felt like I let the legacy down. Furthermore, I want to help people. There are people who live in constant fear, and I just want to see them smile again."

"Mmm…" Tendou simply nodded his head.

Tendou waved goodbye to Desmond and Reshia, not saying a word, as he left for his 3rd class. He had already met Professor Nabia earlier and was terrified of her. Considering the class was Tactics if the class ever became physical, then he feared that he would be in a nightmare.

"I hope she isn't as crazy as she seems like Reshia says." He sighed to himself.

Walking on his own felt a bit nerve-wracking now. Not that he has met people like Kyle and Tobias, Tendou couldn't help but feel a bit insecure about his safety. So many students walked around him, none of which he could easily distinguish due to how fast everyone was going. What if there was someone like Kyle within the crowd? How would he know for his own safety? Hell, how could he know if Kyle himself wasn't stalking behind him and planning to attack at any moment? It was a bit nerve-wracking for Tendou. Thankfully, he was able to arrive at his tactics class unscathed. The class was semi-full. Professor Nabia was at her desk, currently reading something until she spotted Tendou.

"Tendou!" She bolted towards the door.

"Oh crap!" The man in question reeled back in fear.

The Professor sprinted towards the door and made a full stop right in front of her new student. She had a very wide and innocent smile on her face, which was paired with her piercing and terrifying eyes.

"I'm so excited that you were able to make it to class!" The Professor was exhilarated. "Say, how did your previous classes go? I hope they went amazingly well."

Tendou looked down at Professor Nabia, giving her a mixed expression in regard to her question. The Tactics Professor read his expression. Her smile lightly diminished as a reaction.

"Eh? Did something go wrong?"

"The classes themselves have gone alright so far….I can't understand physics." He said. "But I met two people, Kyle and Tobias, and they-."

"Oh, them!" Ms. Nabia beamed a smile. "They're fun students that I don't have. Kind of wish I did." The Professor regretted it.

"What?" Tendou was appalled. "Why would you want them?"

"Ah! You're talking about that aspect of them!" She said back. "No, I understand. I don't see why the two do what they do to the new students. They were once in your place as a new student as well. Kyle and Tobias should be able to empathize with you, or at the bare minimum, sympathize." The Professor shrugged. "Besides that, I find them entertaining. They're highly energetic, very talkative, and liven up the room." Nabia smiled. "You don't really see many people who liven up the room."

Instantly, the Professor's smile faded away. Her eyes frowned and she looked serious. Tendou was caught off guard by the change in expression from Nabia, especially to one that he didn't see yet.

"Professor-?"

Professor Nabia's arm hastily grabbed onto Tendou's forearm. She snatched him away from the entrance, just in time as a figure leapt into the classroom from above. Just behind that figure, a second figure quickly snuck inside the classroom. Tendou looked at both people with widened eyes full of confusion and let out a scream. Why did they need such flashy and unnecessary entrances?

"H-Huh?"

The first figure that entered the room stood up from her landing. Her long, flowing, and messy hair shared the same shade of white as Tobias's. She was tall, roughly the same height as Desmond Schariac. Her eye, at least the only one that Tendou could see, her left eye, was a dark shade of purple. Her other eye was covered by two things. The first was a layer of hair, but underneath was a purple mask that covered the area around her right eye. For some reason, the mask had a horn sticking out to the side. Tendou noticed that she also had a scar on her neck.

The second figure that entered the room was smaller, around the same height as Reshia. In complete contrast to the first figure, she had short hair with it barely reaching halfway to her neck. Her hair color was similar, but it was a bit closer to a silvery shade than a snow white like the first figure. Her eyes were indeed the baby blue that matched Tobias's.

"Good Morning Claudia! Good Morning Ino!" Professor Nabia greeted them.

Claudia looked at the Professor and simply gave a peace sign with her right hand. Ino on the other hand was more vocal.

"Good Morning Professor Nabia!"

The two were Claudia and Ino Kaslana, the eldest and second eldest of the Kaslana family children. Naturally, they were S-Rank Valkyries, which could probably explain why the two snuck into class. Most of the S-Ranks Tendou has met seem to feign their popularity crowd, so this could probably just be a way for the two to avoid having to meet them.

"So who is he?" Ino pointed at the student that Nabia was holding onto.

"He's Tendou. He's a new student that will be joining us today. I can't believe you two were about to crash into him while pulling a stunt entrance like that." Nabia chuckled.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Ino covered her lower face with her hands. "Are you ok? Did we hurt you in the slightest?"

Claudia slightly looked away, embarrassed that she nearly hit a newcomer with her stealth stunt.

"No, I'm fine." Tendou assured her. "The Professor moved me away before something could happen."

"Phew. I feel much better then." Ino breathed out. "Nice to meet you Tendou! I'm Ino Kaslana, and that is my sister, Claudia Kaslana!"

Again, Claudia only gave Tendou a simple wave, not saying a single word. She was a silent one it seemed.

"Nice to meet you too." Tendou returned.

"So how have your first few classes been?" Ino asked. "I hope you enjoyed every class you've had so far."

Tendou looked down at Ino, giving the second eldest of the renowned family a look that encapsulated all of his feelings. Ino only looked at him with her luscious and innocent baby blues, and a happy and closed smile.

"Don't worry. It will get better as time flies by." She reassured him. "The first week is hard for everyone."

Claudia only simply nodded to everything her younger sister said. There wasn't much more she could add to her words."

Tendou sat down at a random seat. Some people were already entering the class. Of course, with the Kaslanas in the room, many would flock toward them, but that didn't stop Ino from focusing all of her attention toward Tendou. Similarly, even Claudia was paying more attention to Tendou than the crowd that was surrounding her and Ino.

"Where are you from? Why did you come here? What's your backstory?" Ino bombarded Tendou with questions.

In a weird twist of events, Ino was looking at Tendou with starry eyes, something that would be more commonly received by Ino herself. She stood in front of his desk, placing her arms down on the desk as she leaned closer to him. The Kaslana was infatuated with Tendou, desiring to know more about him. For some reason, Tendou was like an S-Rank Valkyrie to Ino.

"I..uh…" He was becoming nervous. "I-I don't know what to say! I have nothing to tell you. I don't know anything." He panicked.

"Hmm?" Ino blinked a few times.

The two eldest Kaslanas were taken aback by his response. Did Ino just put too much pressure on the rookie? Was he just private about his life?

"I see." Ino chuckled. "I'm sorry that I pursued. Must be something you are uncomfortable talking about."

"In a way, I guess?" Tendou scratched the back of his head.

The class bell rang. Ino took her seat and Claudia took hers….both of which were conveniently next to Tendou's desk.

"Good morning everyone!" Professor Nabia wildly greeted everyone.

"Good morning." Many people replied.

"Let's get this class started!" The teacher put on a hysterical act yet again.

"Oh no." Tendou whispered under his breath.

Ino looked over at Tendou and chuckled.

"You'll be fine." She smiled. "Professor Nabia is gentle. She wouldn't go out of her way to put you in harm. She's a sweetheart!"

"I fail to see that." Tendou replied.

"Don't worry. I understand. Fortunately, today is just a lecture day. You won't have to do anything physical." Ino reassured him. "Hey, if you need help with anything, I can help you."

"That would be appreciative." He thanked her.

And so, Professor Nadia's class began. As expected, the newbie was lost in the topics being introduced at hand, arguably as much as Physics. The class of Tactics required a bit of imagination. It was almost a necessity to imagine a battleground scenario and immerse yourself into it so that you can imagine yourself performing whatever tactics were being taught. It's not something that is easy to think about, but the class thankfully teaches a person to do that…at the beginning of the class semester. Tendou didn't have that benefit due to joining right in the middle of a semester.

"Hey Ino? What am I supposed to do?" Tendou whispered over to her.

"Hmm." She went to her thoughts. "You haven't been on a battlefield before. This is tough to explain. I guess imagine yourself being in this classroom while there is Honkai around. It may not help much, but give a look at your current surroundings right now and imagine yourself doing the things that Professor Nabia is telling you to do."

"I see. Let me try."

Tendou heeded the words of the Kaslana. He imagined himself being attacked by the Honkai….or something. The room he was in was not very good in terms of things such as hiding and covering, but it at least helped him a bit.

"Yo." Lessica interrupted. "How about this? Harken back to Arastan City. Try using that desolate city as another example."

"Arastan?"

He fully remembered that destroyed city. It was his first sight after waking up, and it was not a pleasant sight. The destruction that was left was obviously going to be a lasting memory for him. His mind began to imagine what it was like to be in that city as it was being destroyed. Truth be told, that's probably what happened. Tendou literally could not know how he ended up there anyway other than that.

"Did it help?" Ino asked him.

"Yeah, it helped a good amount." He told Ino.

The second eldest Kaslana grew a very large smile, relishing that she was able to help someone. Next to Tendou on the other side, Claudia looked at the both of them with a smile. Admittedly, she was a bit jealous. Her sister was able to help out someone while she couldn't. With her condition, it made it difficult for her to communicate, but she still wanted to find a way to help the new blood.

"And that is all for today!" Professor Nabia ended the lecture. "Remember, we are going to be in the training room tomorrow. Be sure to be fully energized and have a good night's sleep."

The Professor's eyes squinted. Her shark-teeth grin grew on her face again and her hands were up like claws.

"Tomorrow, we will be practicing Tactics heheheheh!" She eerily chuckled.

Everyone began leaving class. Tendou was still at his desk, sitting and worrying about what Nabia had just said. One of his legs was jittering up and down while his hands were clasped together.

"I'm not ready for this." He was extremely nervous. "I never wanted to do this at all."

"You were bound to go onto the battlefield the minute you were forced down this path." said Lessica toward Tendou. "You're thinking about this too much. It's not as bad as you think it will be, the training at least."

"Huugh…" Tendou moaned.

"It's a fearful step I know. I had to do it as well, but this will be something you will have to do." Lessica told him. "You may not feel like it now, but neither of us are exactly safe here. We will need to learn how to fend for ourselves."

"Are you still afraid that people here will backstab us?" Tendou asked her. "Besides the two people, everyone here has been kind and caring. I don't see anyone wanting to hurt us."

"So far I don't feel any malice coming from anyone besides Kyle and Tobias, and I honestly hope it stays that way." Lessica admitted.

"That's a surprise hearing that from you."

"But I'm still very skeptical. You shouldn't take everything at face value Tendou." She warned him again.

Ino stood up from her desk, raising her arms high and stretching her body after sitting for a long time. The Kaslana let out little moans as her body reinvigorated itself.

"Lunch time!" She happily yelled. "Tendou, want to go grab lunch with us?" Ino offered.

"Lunch? I would, but Professor Sarah wants to see me." He said. "Maybe next time."

"I see. I'll make sure to treat you to something next time. Bye Tendou, have a great day-!"

"Wait!" He shouted.

Claudia and Ino stopped and looked at Tendou.

"I need to ask you something." Tendou said. "Why did you become a Valkyrie? Why do you still continue?"

Ino blinked a few times. Unlike the other two that Tendou had previously asked, it didn't take long for Ino to answer, and her response was very unexpected.

"I became a Valkyrie to live my lifelong dream: to be the greatest superhero!" A charismatic yell came from her. "Ever since I saw the Valkyries on the field, I always wanted to be like them. I always wanted to be an idol, a shining figure for those to look upon. That's why I am here today!" She held up a peace sign.

"But…doesn't it hurt to lose someone? What if you fail to do what you intend to do?" Tendou asked her.

"That's a good concern." Ino admitted. "Not everyone is perfect, and I have seen the bad side of things. It hurts, it truly does, but even if you fail in what you do…" Ino laid her hand on Tendou's shoulder, "As long as you try, that thought is noble enough."

Claudia stayed silent. Behind her younger sister she was making hand signs with her shaky and nervous hands, none of which Tendou actually understood. The eldest daughter of the Kaslana lineage saw this and quickly apologized by repeatedly bowing up and down. Finally, she ended by lightly grasping her head with both hands. It was quite exotic to see someone act like this, at least for Tendou.

"Oh! We should get going. We don't want to stop you from what you need to do." Ino said. "We'll leave now. Goodbye Tendou!"

Ino left the classroom. Claudia followed behind her, only looking at and waving at Tendou as she left. Throughout the entire lecture to now, she did not speak a single word.

"She didn't say a word." Tendou pondered. "Can she not talk? Does she refuse to?"

He shrugged his shoulders. He was the only one in the classroom currently as everyone, even the Professor herself. Tendou stood up from his desk and left the classroom. He headed toward Professor Sarah's classroom recalling that she wanted to see him for something during lunch. He arrived shortly at the classroom. It was empty save for Sarah herself sitting at her desk and messing with her phone.

"You've arrived." She stored the addictive device away.

"You needed to measure my body right? How long will this take?" Tendou asked her.

"Not too long. Just give me a few seconds."

Professor Sarah brought out a tape measure from her desk and began to measure Tendou's sizes. It was easy for the most part, but when it came to his height the Professor had to pull a desk over in order to even get his height.

"6 feet and 7.5 inches." Sarah whispered. "Very tall. That's all the measurements I needed. Now give me a few moments."

Professor Sarah retreated back to her desk, stuffing the tape measure away. She opened up a laptop that was sitting on her desk and began typing many things into it. The computer had multiple wires connecting it to a circular object resting on her table. The item was a bracelet, a very elongated one. With how it appeared, it kind of looked more like a thick watch than it did a bracelet.

"Here, catch this."

Sarah unplugged the bracelet from her laptop top and threw it at Tendou. Tendou caught the thing in his hands.

"What is this for?" Tendou looked at the Professor.

"Put it on." Sarah ordered.

"…Huh?"

"Put it on your wrist."

"Oh, ok."

Tendou placed the bracelet over his wristband. The top had a glowing hexagonal touchpad. Obviously, this wasn't any normal wristband. Without being instructed to, Tendou tapped on the button and soon a hexagonal pattern began to envelop his entire body. Each pattern would be filled up and Tendou's body would soon be covered in a new attire. He wore a lightly armored battle suit, one that was predominantly white in color. It had other bits that were colored black and blue, but white was its main color. Most of the armor rested in the top portion of his body. His pectorals, shoulders, forearms, and upper arms were covered in light armor plating. It would protect him, but would also allow him to move more freely. His legs also had the same armor plating, serving a very similar purpose. The only oddity of the battle suit was the overcoat. It didn't provide him with anything.

"Is this my armor?" Tendou moved around in his new outfit. "How did it even appear from the bracelet?"

"Nanomachines." Professor Sarah began her explanation. "The bracelet you are wearing contains nanomachines that have data in them. The data holds the codes and instructions of your battlesuit and once accessed it is created." She gave a short explanation. "I actually had to get your body measurements to make sure the battlesuit would fit you properly. Otherwise, you would have been squished or the suit would have been too loose."

Tendou pressed the button on the bracelet again, deactivating the armor on him.

"That's cool. I thought I would have to change into an armor suit myself. This is a lot more convenient."

"Just make sure you don't lose that bracelet." Sarah warned him. "We can make a replica in case it gets stolen, lost, or destroyed, but it's not something we'll have readily available. Nanomachines aren't easy to produce."

"Right." Tendou replied. "I'm off to get lunch now. See you later Professor Sarah!"

"Wait-!"

It was too late. Tendou had already run out of the room. The Professor was slightly irritated with his quick departure. She grumbled a bit.

"Was gonna ask if he wanted to get lunch together." Sarah groaned. "I guess it's loner lunch again."

---

Reshia stood up from her seat as the class was dismissed. Her phone rang with a notification loudly. The gothic maid opened her phone and read an email letter sent to her. Her eyes widened as the first thing that her eyes witnessed was the sender of the letter: Otto Apocalypse.

"The Overseer?" Reshia whispered.

She would begin thoroughly reading the Overseer's sent letter to her. The letter itself was simple as all he wanted was to request a meeting with her. There was nothing else that he wanted other than a meeting. As the busy man he was, the maid found it odd that the leader of Schicksal would personally request a meeting with her. Yes, she was his maid for a few years, but it seemed quite odd how he wanted to talk to her about something. It must have been important, and Reshia's mind fluttered to one thing.

Tendou.

That was most likely the reason why Otto wanted to talk to her. Ever since he arrived at the academy the Overseer has been infatuated with the new student and by a suspicious amount. Reshia herself has never seen Otto so focused on one person exactly, but after the events in the training room with some of the Kaslanas and Schariacs, Reshia only realized why the Overseer seemed to care very much about Tendou.

"Reshia!" The maid heard someone call her name.

Reshia recognized that voice from anywhere. Her eyes moved over to the side of the hallway that she heard the voices from, but obviously did not see who talked to her. Quickly, her eyes zoomed to a different spot in the hallway, locating them before they could move somewhere else.

"Got you." The maid smirked.

Her hand grabbed onto Ino's arm. The second eldest Kaslana stuck out her tongue and winked once. Claudia jumped next to Ino, freeing her from Reshia's grasp.

"Is this all really necessary?" A drop of sweat dripped from the maid. "Wouldn't it be easier to politely reject everything coming your way?"

"If it was easy, why don't you do that?" Ino shot back at Reshia.

"I…uh….." Now she was starting to sweat a bit more.

"Ah, I'm just kidding! Come here!"

Ino brought Reshia in for a gigantic hug, squeezing her very tightly. Reshia returned the hug, squeezing Ino just as hard. Claudia awkwardly stood by the side, watching as the two hugged it out.

"Hey, Claudia and I are about to go get lunch. We were gonna go with a new friend named Tendou, but he needed to do something."

"Tendou?" Reshia sparked up.

"Hmm? Do you know him?" Ino asked her.

"Yes actually. In fact, the Overseer assigned me maid duties for him." Reshia told Ino. "At first, I was confused why he would do that. Tendou seemed like a normal person, so I never understood why the Overseer had an eye on him." She said. "However, I now know why. Did Kathlynn or Maya ever tell you what happened 2 days ago?"

"Not that I can recall." Ino said. "Why?"

"I see. The most I can say was that Tendou showed strange behavior. I assume the Overseer wants to talk to me about it. Oh, that means I will have to skip out on your lunch offer if you plan on giving it to me. Sorry."

"Aww…" Ino was defeated. "Ok. I hope that meeting goes well!"

"Thank you." Reshia headed off.

Reshia exited the school building through one of its exits. Immediately, a woman was there to greet her. She had snow-white hair just like the Kaslanas. It was long, but it was also braided. She dawned on a long black one-piece dress which was oddly tight in the upper half, but it didn't seem to bother her. Half of her face was also covered as her eyes were hidden behind an orange visor.

"Greetings Reshia. I have been instructed to retrieve you." The woman said.

"Uh, isn't that a bit excessive Amber?" Reshia asked her.

"Perhaps. However, the Overseer's orders are his demands." Amber replied.

"Alright. I should not argue."

Amber led Reshia over to the main tower. The two rode the elevator up to his office. Throughout the ride, Reshia and Amber spoke not one word. The maid looked at the assistant of the Overseer. Reshia rarely ever met Amber, even during her time as Otto's maid. Otto would usually make Amber do a lot of miscellaneous tasks, and the assistant would carry out the tasks in private. It was a rare opportunity to see Amber not doing anything else other than a job given to her by the Overseer. Reshia doubted that Amber had time to actually rest and refill her energy supply. That being said, Reshia also doubted that Amber would need to do such a thing.

"Does your body ever need to recharge?" Reshia asked. "The Overseer gives you many strenuous missions and duties, and you never seem to be on break for them. Do you not have a limit?"

"A limit?" Amber questioned. "Perhaps I do, but if I do then I have not noticed." She lifted her arm up. "I am unlike you. I do not have my own flesh and organs. I am just a soulium android running off of an intricate and well-written code that commands the parts and mechanics within my body. Because of this, I am not weighed down by physical human weakness."

"Right." Reshia simply replied. "However, while you may have no limits, surely you wish to be granted a break once in a while."

"No, I do not actually." Amber quickly replied.

"Y-you don't?" Reshia was shocked.

Amber shook her head. The elevator reached the floor. Amber led Reshia over to the Overseer's office. The two would enter the room, where Mr. Apocalypse himself was already sitting at his desk. The table was very occupied. A briefcase stood tall, and a computer was set to the side. A lamp was turned on with the light shining across the table. The room was mostly darkened due to the windows of the room being dimmed out and covered. Upon their entrance, the Overseer took all of his attention off his work, mainly due to the fact that Amber immediately turned on the lights.

"Sir, you have a light source, both with the installed building lights and the window." Amber sighed.

"I know. I just got too lazy to turn either on." Otto replied.

"But the light switch is right next to the door. You must have passed-you went to sleep on that chair, didn't you?" Amber was very dissatisfied.

"The taxes aren't going to do themselves Amber, they never will."

"Then allow me to handle them. You have an important meeting with Reshia to attend to." Amber quickly left the room.

"Ah yes, I do. Ahem! Good…uh…" Otto looked at the time. "Good afternoon. Please, take a seat."

The maid walked over to his desk, sitting down on the chair in front of his own. Immediately, the Overseer got up, heading toward a door that led to a connected room. He entered and soon returned quickly, holding onto two plates of lemongrass chicken with a side of broccoli. Dangling off of his fingers were two mugs, both containing water that was nearly pouring out. The maid was surprised that the Overseer actually prepared them lunch.

"I see you've taken to cooking." Reshia smiled. "So this was why you had me off of maid duties, you just wanted to care for yourself. How cute!"

"Just for this occasion." Otto snickered back. "I don't intend to do this for long. I have too much on my hands to warrant the time to study culinary."

"I jest, I jest." The gothic-themed maid softly swatted her left hand. "But to the topic of our discussion. I have a feeling about what you want to talk about. It's about him, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes it is about him." Otto began eating. "You still recall the moments you were in the training facility a few days prior, I hope?"

"As clear as day." She answered. "When you see a display of power like that it can be hard to forget, especially with what happened." The maid lowered her tone. "Now I know why you are fascinated with him. Those powers of his…could he…?"

"Hmm." Otto lifted up a mug. "I guess there is no point in hiding the obvious. Yes, Tendou-."

"He bears a special stigma that you want to research into."

Otto stopped moving. The mug was mere centimeters away from his lips and his eyelids were half shut. He took a deep breath before his lips made contact with his mug, to which he took a big gulp, even leaning his head back. The Overseer would return his head back to face Reshia again with his eyes closed. His hand moved the mug away from his lips as he finally spoke amidst the awkward silence.

"…Yes…" He replied. "Tendou does bear a special stigma…technically speaking." Otto whispered by the end.

"I witnessed what he did. Teleporting through portals, summoning an energy blade around his hand, a healing factor, he just had a lot of utility." Reshia said. "I think he even flew with a blow of a wind. Just what is his stigma? It even allowed him to beat Kathlynn and Darwin." The maid recalled the devastation he left. "Two members of a powerful family beaten by a D-Rank Valkyrie."

"I've heard." Otto said. "That was slightly stunning to hear, though mayhap you know more than I do. As a first-hand witness, I must inquire more about the situation."

"Yes." Reshia agreed to his wishes. "Besides what I've mentioned so far there was something I took notice of. During that, I realized that Tendou acted a bit differently from usual. He was a bit more…aggressive? It may not be the right word to describe his change in personality, but he had more vicious and violent tendencies."

Otto's eyes widened at the information. The Lord couldn't help but grin at the new revelation that he figured out himself. A slightly unexpected turn of events, but one that he welcomed nonetheless. The two continued eating lunch as Reshia gave more details of the training session from her account.

"It was a pleasure to have you here, Reshia, and I thank you for offering time to tell me more about what happened." Otto thanked her. "I tried talking to Kathlynn and Darwin about this, but the two didn't really give me much. It was mainly complaints about their beatdown, which I can understand. Their pride may have shattered being defeated by a rookie." His hands reached for a tablecloth to wipe his lips. "Is there anything else you want to include, or anything you want to ask per se?"

Reshia nodded her head. In her mind, she kind of had one more question about Tendou. "We already know what Tendou is capable of. His stigma provides him with great power. However, we have accelerated courses here for some to take. Kyle, a few other of our notorious S-Ranks, and both Kaslanas and Schariac members have taken them and said courses allow for those to go to the ranks of S faster. Why is it that Tendou is not a part of this?" She asked the Overseer. "His powers alone make him very strong, and they make him seem like a prodigy like the others, so why have him in the normal courses?"

Otto shook his head at Reshia. "You may be right in that he holds great power, but power alone is not enough. You should know that well, Reshia." The long blond-haired man looked at the gothic maid. His eyes would move over to glance at the suitcase next to him on the desk. He pulled it close to him. "See this briefcase here?" He asked her.

"Yes? What about the suitcase?"

"Pretend this suitcase has controls to a nuclear bomb." Otto set the image in her head. "Everyone knows how destructive a nuclear bomb is. Imagine this case has a simple button, and if I press it then it will explode. When put like that you would agree that I had a lot of destructive power, correct?"

"Yes, I do." Reshia agreed. "What are you trying to prove."

The Overseer quickly replied to her with another question, "What if this suitcase was locked behind a password, and I did not have the password?" He said to her,

"Then it would be useless." Reshia answered back. "If you can not unlock it, then how would you be able to use it?"

"That is what I am trying to prove." Otto said. "This suitcase is like Tendou. He may have a lot of power, but he isn't able to utilize his power to its best. Someone can hold a lot of power, but if they can't utilize that power, then it may as well be worthless."

Otto pushed the briefcase aside to finish his lunch. "Now this isn't to say that Tendou isn't a prodigy. It is still too early to judge if he is." He reassured the maid. "Once we see more of Tendou, then we may be able to tell if he is a prodigy."

"I understand. Thank you for shining more light for me." Reshia expressed her gratitude. "I believe he will show great progress." She said enthusiastically.

The two finished their lunch session together. Reshia offered to clean their plates, but the Overseer rejected the offer.

"It was a pleasure to enjoy lunch with you." Reshia bowed her head. "I bid you farewell my lord."

Reshia left his office, leaving him alone. Otto sat at his desk, fiddling with his thumbs. He let out a few sighs as his mind was only filled with thoughts, mostly concerning Tendou, but also Lessica. He predicted that Lessica will teach the newly awakened man about their powers over time, but not this soon. The lord of Schicksal knew that Tendou was not yet capable of using his powers while Lessica did, and that led him to the only logical conclusion. What happened in the training chamber was not Tendou's doing, but Lessica's doing.

"So you do have the ability to take over his body still, but only temporarily." Otto whispered. "Had it not been for Yelena's interference, how much longer would you have controlled the body?" He wondered. "Perhaps I must put more security around you to ensure that nothing bad happens."

---

Tendou stepped out of the school grounds. He had to go find lunch for himself, but he had the faintest of clues as to where to go.

"Where do I go to eat?" He said. "Moreover, how am I going to get there? I don't have all the time for this." He pulled up his phone and fiddled with it, recalling back to Professor Sarah's instructions. He found a map app on his phone and pulled it up. Of course, he still had no idea how to navigate through the app itself. "Do I take a risk and just hop on a bus and hope for the best?"

"It seems like your only option." Lessica stated. "It's better than standing here and fiddling around."

Tendou walked toward the nearest bus stop, which was not too far from the campus, only needing to walk about 5 minutes to it. When he arrived there weren't many people by the bus stop. It was just him and a few other people. Soon, a few others would arrive. A middle-aged man in a white suit with black hair on the verge of becoming white would stand next to him, a lady a bit younger than Tendou who was wearing a black, lacey dress would stand next to Tendou on the other side, and an elderly man wrapped in a burgundy sweater would hunch his way in front of him. Tendou made no attempts to converse with anyone, allowing his ears to be filled with the incoherent collaboration of the denizens. The longer he waited, the more nervous he felt. He had this feeling that someone was watching him, and he didn't know where they were watching him from. His eyes moved up and down, left and right. He would turn his neck to face those around him as well, but he couldn't notice any pair of eyes looking at him.

"What are you looking for?" The voice inside him asked. "You're being awfully aware right now."

"Sorry," Tendou apologized. "I feel like someone is watching me, and I can't tell who."

A bus would pull up just a short distance away from where Tendou was. He stepped onto the mostly empty bus, sitting alone in the back. The others around him would also board the bus, sitting randomly inside the transit vehicle. The transport vehicle would move its wheels just a few minutes later, entering the city. As it reached another stop more people would enter the bus and fill it up. No restaurants were in sight, so Tendou remained seated on the bus. The bus would stop again at another stop, but it was a bit different. As soon as the door opened the passengers on board began to release their "oohs" and "aahs" as an older woman began boarding the bus. The fancy and regal pink dress she wore as well as the jewelry that sparkled around her body was a contrast to the casual clothing on Tendou and most others.

"Madam Schariac!" Tendou heard someone shout.

The lady was Yasmine Schariac, wife of Zachary Schariac and the head of the Schariac family alongside her husband. As she walked past the seats on the bus, many would take their phones and snap a picture of her glorious eminence. Her luscious and flowing hair seemed like it was shortly behind in time by how the long strands lightly lagged behind her. With the front of the bus filled Yasmine moved to the back, sitting next to Tendou as the seat next to him was one of few empty spots.

"May I sit here?" Yasmine asked Tendou.

"Sure." Tendou replied, not understanding why she needed to ask.

In terms of height, Yasmine was fairly average. She didn't seem any taller than 5'4, and her frame was pretty thin considering that Yasmine is a Valkyrie. Her brown hair, which bore a near identical shade to Tendou's, was very well-kept and conditioned. In comparison, she looked more like a model than a veteran of battle.

"You have a very big body." Yasmine randomly brought it up. "The width and thickness of your arm is very uncommon. Are you perhaps a bodybuilder?" She asked Tendou.

"Bodybuilder? Uh…" Tendou thought for an answer.

"Just say no." Lessica helped him.

"Not really…?" He didn't have much confidence in his answer. "I don't really go out of my way to make my body like this. It's just like this. I guess it does help with training."

"Oh? Are you a Valkyrie?" Yasmine brushed aside a group of brown hair strands.

"Yes, I am. I recently enlisted." Tendou told her. "Against my own will, but it doesn't change it regardless.

"Ehh?" Yasmine's eyes widened in shock. "Forced? That's awful! Who would do such a thing?"

"Otto." Tendou replied. "He did this."

Yasmine was perplexed. As someone who had known Otto for a long time, this seemed weird. It was far from the craziest or wildest thing that the Overseer had done, but this still seemed bizarre. "The Overseer forced you into this?" She asked Tendou. "Did you ever inquire about his reasons?"

"I didn't really push for the attempt, but I did ask once." The man said. "However, Otto never gave a conclusive response. He's trying to keep it hidden."

The mother of the current Schariac family looked away from Tendou. She couldn't fathom why Otto would force Tendou in this situation. She could understand if Otto would have forced her husband or children had they not voluntarily joined the Valkyrie squadron. They were bearers of the Schariac bloodline after all, but Tendou? She didn't want to offend him, but she didn't see anything noteworthy from him, at least at an initial glance.

"He knows something that neither of us knows then." Yasmine told Tendou. "Lord Otto was always a man of secrets. He's not a very open person unless he needs to be." Yasmine continued on. "Who knows how much he is hiding from us. It's a bit terrifying actually."

The bus came to another stop. Some people stepped out while others stepped in, and as that happened another wave of noise came. A couple boarded the bus and Yasmine's face became one of disgust. Tendou also looked at the couple. Immediately he realized one of them, Krystal Kaslana, had her arm locked with a person slightly taller than her by a few inches. His hair had a silver shade that was similar to Ino's. His black suit was a contrast to the white dress worn by his wife. In fact, the couple had a very monochromatic color palette as Krystal wore a dress that matched her bright white hair while Kazuto's suit matched his pitch-black hair.

"Hrrgh…" Tendou heard Yasmine groan. He looked back at the two Kaslanas who looked in their direction. Krystal's first reaction was to smile and wave at Tendou, the new acquaintance that she met not too long ago. Once she moved her eyes to Yasmine, her expression turned sour. Her smile faded and her eyes were partially closed as if she was unamused by the Schariac.

"Greetings…Yasmine."

Kazuto on the other hand, was more expressive of his hatred toward Yasmine. He was frowning at her directly and his lips were curled downward. Yasmine also gave the couple a similar expression.

"The last person I would have wanted to meet here." Kazuto let out an angry breath. "Had I known that you were taking the bus today, then we would have taken the air limo."

"Unfortunate for you." Yasmina scoffed. "You can leave if you don't enjoy my company."

"We are already here, but if you insist-."

"We don't enjoy your company, but we would enjoy Tendou's." Krystal cut her husband off. "Hi Tendou! First day at the academy today. How has it been?"

"...Could be better." Tendou simply stated. "I met your daughters and son."

"You have? Which ones?" Krystal's enthusiasm shot up sky-high. "Were they kind to you? Did they treat you well?"

"Claudia and Ino were very kind to me, even though Claudia didn't talk at all. Ino helped me a lot in class today. Tobias…"

"I apologize for his behavior." Kazuto stepped in. "He is very admittedly. I knew allowing him to be with Kyle was a bad influence on him. I hope he did little harm to you."

"If you count throwing a brick at my head as little harm, then yes."

Kazuto's eyes widened in shock and his jaw dropped as far as it could. Krystal's irises shrunk and her lips flatlined. It was very obvious that both parents were not amused with what had transpired.

"I will have a talk with Tobias when he gets home." Krystal's tone transitioned to a menacing one.

"Yeah, yeah talk to him all you want. It won't change anything." Yasmine intervened. "How many times have you talked to him now? Has he changed? Doesn't seem like it." She taunted them. "Either you never stood by your words when speaking with him, or he's just a stubborn idiot. Perhaps both."

"You bitch." Kazuto cursed at her. "And what of your children? Are you saying they are better?"

"Of course, I am because they are indeed better." Yasmine scoffed.

"She's not wrong, well, for one of them at least." Tendou vouched for her. "Desmond helped me in class today and even stood up for me when Tobias attacked me."

"Tendou! Don't reaffirm her!" Krystal cried to him.

"That's my Desmond!" Yasmine cheered at Tendou's report.

"Tsk." Kazuto grunted.

The three continued to argue, and with each passing second it got worse and worse. Tendou couldn't really do anything, and neither could anyone else now. The bus had long departed from the last stop, so everyone was stuck inside dealing with the two families arguing. Some citizens on the bus were cheering for their favorite family while others just wanted some peace.

"Shut up!"

Their argument was reaching its climax. The members, mainly Kazuto and Yasmine, seemed like they were ready to engage in a fight.

"This is bad." Tendou grew worried.

"If a fight ensues here, I don't see this being safe for either of us." Even Lessica was worried. "Do something!"

"What am I supposed to do?!" Tendou asked her.

"Anything! Just try to alleviate the situation! Do something by yourself for once!"

Tendou sighed in defeat and despair. He didn't want to get involved, nor did he have the confidence that he would be able to do anything, but Lessica was right. Holding his breath, he stood in front of the two and attempted to break the fight.

"Please stop fighting! There is no reason to unleash your anger here." Tendou tried pushing Kazuto and Yasmine away.

"Don't stop us! This is a family matter that you aren't a part of." Kazuto argued back to Tendou. "Don't force your involvement!"

"Trust me, I don't want to be a part of this, nor do I actually care, but can you save this for somewhere else?" Tendou begged. "You aren't making yourself look any better by doing this. You're just as rowdy and wild as Tobias!"

"You piece of-!"

Krystal pulled her husband away from Tendou and Yasmine, expressing some anger, but also some disappointment. Whenever it was directed at her husband or at Tendou was up for judgment.

"I apologize for everything." Krystal said in a somber tone. "Please do not think of us negatively Tendou."

"No wait! I just-." The rookie stumbled with words.

"No no, you are fine." Krystal stopped him. "You are a man with good intentions. I'm sorry we forced you into this." Krystal dragged her husband away from Tendou and Yasmine. "Let's just get off at the next bus stop." She told him.

Kazuto looked back at Tendou with an expression full of conflict. He didn't know if he should be angry, disappointed, frustrated, or anything at Tendou. Tendou looked at Kazuto with a slight look of sadness and regret. Did he really make the right choice?

"They really do have it out for each other." Lessica sighed. "I didn't think their break-up would actually cause such severe damage. It's quite sickening actually considering that no one is in the right."

"I always thought the same." Tendou agreed. "Didn't they all cheat?"

"Yes! And that's why I find it sickening!" Lessica vehemently grunted. "One decided to cheat behind the other's back and vice versa. Once they learned of the other's crimes, instead of assessing the situation and admitting to their wrongs, they became morons and accused each other of doing the same thing. It's hypocritical!"

"Is it that hard to admit that you were wrong?"

"It is for many. No one wants to own up to their wrongdoings, especially when they know it's wrong."

Tendou hung his head low and let out a breath.

"Fufufufu~."

"?"

Tendou looked at everyone on the bus. Who…just giggled?

"Is something wrong?" Yasmine asked him.

"Nothing really." Tendou said. "Just feels like someone is watching me."

"I'm very sorry for dragging you into all of this. This is a matter that shouldn't involve anyone outside of the families." Yasmine apologized. "Allow me to repay my misdeeds by taking you to lunch. I'm sure that is what you came into the city for."

"Lunch? Right, I did come here for that." Tendou said.

"My treat, alright?" Yasmine winked. "I promise to take you to the fanciest and most delicious place."

The two stayed on the bus for a little bit longer. They would arrive at a few more stops where some people would depart, but Tendou always felt like he was getting stalked. He looked at the remaining passengers. There was a young teen in a very short red hoodie just sulking on her phone, another young teen in gothic makeup who was flirting with the teen in the hoodie, though the attempt was fruitless; beyond that, there was a lady with striking, ruby eyes and a middle-aged man in a sweater napping away. None seemed to be paying attention to him, at least at a glance.

Yasmine stood up as she headed toward one of the few exits on the transport bus. "The next stop is ours." She told Tendou.

As the door opened the two stepped out. Yasmine led Tendou to their restaurant, "Amerliane". Tendou had no idea what Amerliance even meant and neither did Yasmine. Amerliane just sounded fancy. They didn't have to enter a queue, so the two entered the restaurant immediately. The restaurant inside featured vibrant royal colors with red being the primary color and a deep goldish yellow as a secondary. The tables were covered under a very exquisite cloth of black coloring and were paired with the most decadent of chairs. There were even lit candles placed at the center of every table.

"What a beautiful place. It never fails to please my eyes." Yasmine was delighted. "A marvelous sight don't you think, Tendou?"

Unlike the Schariac Maiden, Tendou was not as enthusiastic. Amerliane wasn't hideous, but he thought it was a bit overboard. Everything looked a bit too fine and its unorthodox presentation made it feel uncanny to him. It felt as if he had hopped into a different reality. Perhaps this was why Yasmine was fond of the restaurant, but this was not for him. He scratched the back of his head a bit, "Uh…it looks good…? I personally don't see the appeal for it." He answered Yasmine.

Everyone in the restaurant seemed to be wearing their finest clothing as the men in Amerliane wore their best suits or tuxedos of varying designs, and the women wore dresses or outfits of varying fancy designs. Some men even wore a dress while some women wore tuxedos. Yasmine would fit right in with everyone else, but Tendou stuck out like a sore thumb. The only part of his apparel that would arguably fit was his fedora, but everything else was basic and casual.

"Greetings." A well-dressed man greeted them. He looked at Tendou and Yasmine. He was a bit perplexed that Tendou was so casually dressed. Nevertheless, he did not judge nor did he tell Tendou. This wasn't his problem and neither should anyone care. "A table for two?"

"Yes." Yasmine replied.

"Splendid. Allow me to guide you to your table."

Tendou and Yasmine followed the waiter as he guided them to a table fit for two people. He placed down their menu and left. The mother of the Schariacs pulled the menu to her face while Tendou simply stared at the table. He was starting to get a bit weary again. He still felt a pair of eyes latching onto him even though they were in the restaurant. He spun around in his seat to look at the people around him again. It didn't really help though as no one there seemed to pay any attention to him. Not only that but nearly all of the tables were occupied by groups of people with the exception of one table that was solely taken by a gray-haired lady, who was turned away from him.

"Are you going to order something?" Yasmine looked across from her.

"Huh? Oh." Tendou quickly looked at the menu. "I'll just get the same thing you get."

"V-very well…" A confused Schariac raised an eyebrow.

The waiter came back and took their order before leaving again. Tendou and Yasmine sat in silence as they waited for their food to be served. The former stared at the table while the latter stared at the former in concern.

"Is there something that you want to say?" She asked him. "Why don't you tell me how the rest of your day has gone or something?"

"Yeah, I just…" Tendou began. "Yasmine, you are a Valkyrie right? What made you decide to become one, and why are you still a Valkyrie?"

Yasmine's purple eyes widened. With the question asked and how Tendou felt about his situation, she could guess where this conversation was headed. Regardless, she decided to answer his question. "I became a Valkyrie because I didn't know what I wanted to do." She said, "I was lost in my life. I didn't know what I wanted to become and so I tried many things. That was a dark time for me." Yasmine harkened to that time. "I remember how I wanted to simply end it if I never found any satisfaction in life, and that black aura surrounded me even after I became a Valkyrie."

Tendou looked at Yasmine. Out of everyone he had asked, she had the most outlandish and darkest reason. However, he felt as if she was a kindred spirit. "What made you stay?" He asked her.

"My child…my Desmond…my son." Yasmine replied to him. "I don't know why exactly, but after I gave birth to him, my world just changed. Maybe it was a mother's love and protection instinct, but when I held him something just clicked." Her eyes shined with hope. "I saw how adorable and fragile he was. All babies are like this, but I guess it was because he was my spawn that the feeling resonated with me more."

"So what you are saying is that you stayed a Valkyrie to protect your family?"

"Yes, exactly!" Yasmine smiled. "You could call me a family girl. I guess this does allow me to segway into my own question."

The waiter arrived with their food, placing it on their table. Yasmine gave a quick appreciation before she focused entirely back on Tendou. Her hopeful and prideful nature was replaced with a serious and stoic glare.

"Do you want to be a Valkyrie, Tendou?"

There it was. It was the question that Tendou had unknowingly been seeking. Ever since the day had started this was the question that had loomed over him, and the reason why he had been asking anyone why they became a Valkyrie.

"I…" he began, "I don't know. I never had a choice to begin with, but even if I did, then I wouldn't know the answer either." Tendou admitted.

"Why not?" Yasmine was confused.

"I'm a nobody. I don't have anywhere to go or return to. I have no memory of what I did before. Even if I didn't choose to become a Valkyrie, I wouldn't be able to do anything anyway. I'm just…lost."

Yasmine closed her eyes. The dilemma that Tendou faced was almost identical to hers. He didn't know what he wanted to do. Arguably his situation was worse since he never had a choice to become or not become a Valkyrie while she did, and Tendou didn't have any recollection of the past. What would he do if he never became a Valkyrie?

"You don't have anywhere to go, and you don't know anything about yourself?" She asked him. Tendou simply nodded his head. "That does put you in an awkward place." She sipped her drink. "But I understand how you feel. However, I don't know what to say," she regretted. "The best I can say is to stay around for a little longer. That's what I did, and I eventually found my reason to stay, but that's terrible advice."

"No, no, you're ok," Tendou reassured her. "I'm fine, really I am. I'll figure this out maybe. Desmond and Reshia found theirs, so I might find mine too!"

Yasmine knew he wasn't confident, and rightfully so, at least partially. It took her a long time to find a reason of her own. Who knows how long it will take Tendou?

"Your orders." The waiter came back with their food.

"Thank you." Yasmine replied back to him.

The two ate their lunch in silence. Neither exchanged any words throughout the entire meal. Yasmine delighted in her meal as she usually did in this place. Her face was flushed slightly red and her eyes would occasionally close as she savored the flavor. She would frequently check on her friend across from her, saddened that he didn't seem to be enjoying this as much as she did. Was the food simply too much or too outlandish for him, or was he still wallowing in his struggle to enjoy it?

The waiter would come back with the check later. Yasmine offered to pay for both of their meals, which Tendou didn't mind. The two would leave the restaurant soon after, and this would mark the end of their short adventure.

"We part ways here." The Schariac told Tendou. "You have to go back to class and I have my place to be." She said, "I'm very sorry for everything that is happening to you. It's a harsh place to be in."

"I don't see the need to apologize." Tendou answered back to her. "None of this was your doing."

"I know it is, but I still feel sorry for not being able to help you. I can only offer advice, and not good ones." Her hand would be placed on her heart. "I believe you will discover yourself soon. I believe you will find out what it is that you desire. Know that I am here rooting for you, alright?" Yasmine smiled. She took one step away, and then another step. She waved at Tendou before she would blend in with the crowd.

"...I'm surprised you never did anything during our lunch." Tendou said to Lessica.

"I didn't feel like intervening." The voice responded. "I thought it was better for you to speak your mind about your feelings. There's no point in bottling it up." Lessica said. "This was for the better."

Tendou inhaled and exhaled. Perhaps Lessica was right. He managed to get something off his chest, but he was still left unfulfilled. Maybe Yasmine's advice of staying for a little bit longer could help him decide.

"Let's get back to the campus."

Tendou headed for the closest bus stop. His attention had dwindled as he did not realize, or maybe forgot that someone still had their eyes on him. She could only smile before she went her own way.

---

Tendou made a dash for his last class. The bus arrived late and delayed his return by 20 minutes. He only had a few minutes before he would be late for his class. "Damn it!" He cursed. "How can a bus be so late?". Fortunately, he would arrive at his final class, barely on time. He was the last to arrive in the noisy classroom. Upon arrival, his eyes gravitated toward a specific person.

"Hello there." A smug Kyle waved at him.

Tendou didn't give a reaction or response. He just looked at Kyle before entering the classroom. He seemed to be the last of the students to arrive as there was only one seat left for him. Though the last of the students, he was not the last to arrive. That would be the teacher.

"My apologies everyone." She waved as entered the class. "I had to attend to…private business."

Upon her arrival, nearly every male had heart eyes or eyes of fervor. It was not hard to see why. The way the teacher dressed was provocative as her white button-up shirt was only buttoned on the bottom half which was mostly underneath a small and tight waist skirt. The top half was unbuttoned and was worn improperly as it barely hung onto her shoulders. The teacher was also very well-endowed, further adding to her appeal. Her legs were covered by a pantyhose and her feet were accompanied by heels. To top everything off, she had glasses.

"I hope you all pardon me." She flipped her blonde hair. "I tried holding the private business back for later into the day, but I couldn't."

The teacher placed everything on her desk before walking to the front of the class. "Before we begin our class, I want to introduce a new student." Her eyes instantly moved over to Tendou. "You must be Tendou."

"Yes. Hello."

The teacher smiled at him. "Veronica Tanitha. It is a pleasure to meet you~." She licked her lips. "I must say, you are a very handsome fellow, packing all of that muscle." Professor Tanitha grew a faint blush.

Tendou gave her a very judging stare, raised eyebrow included. Professor Tanitha quickly realized he wasn't picking it up, nor did he seem to appreciate it. She quickly cut her act. "Excuse me. I let myself go too quickly." She coughed. "Alright, let's begin class."

Tanitha began her class, which is called "Honkai Properties". It was a requisite class that explained the nature of the Honkai and its energy. It had a bit of physics and biology mixed into the class in order to explain certain natures of the Honkai, but most of this class was pretty self-explanatory…on a surface level.

"Hmm." Tendou lightly grunted. Professor Tanitha gave everyone a worksheet of sorts and they had to work on it either alone or with a group. Of course, being a loner in the classroom didn't help. There was no Reshia, no Ino, no Claudia, no Desmond, nobody. It was just him…and her.

"Stigmas increase a person's resistance to Honkai radiation, but nobody is impervious. Once a person begins to succumb to the radiation, they will show signs. What are some of those visible signs?" Tendou read the question.

Tendou still hasn't seen said signs yet, and they were briefly explained earlier. He had already listed purple vein lines as one of the signs, but what were the others? "Lessica, any clue?"

"Hmm…" She pondered. "Would zombification or cascading work? It's technically a sign."

Tendou jotted what Lessica said down and moved to the next question. "Those who have greater resistance have the ability to manipulate Honkai energy to a greater extent. Which of these choices is NOT a possibility for these people."

Professor Tanitha walked over to Tendou. "Are you faring well?" She asked him. Veronica took one glance at his paper and realized that he was a bit behind most of the others in the class. "Clearly not. You are struggling. Allow me to help you." Professor Tanitha proceeded to help Tendou with the worksheet, though her help was…a bit unorthodox. Her teaching and lecturing were ordinary, but she was very close to Tendou. Her body was pressing against Tendou as she guided her finger across the paper on his desk.

"Hey, Professor Tanitha?" Tendou asked her. "Aren't you a bit too close?"

Tanitha looked at the distance between the two and simply smirked. She could tell he was a bit uncomfortable with it, but she believed he secretly enjoyed it, so she decided to tease him further. "I don't see anything wrong with this~." She cooed. "Let us continue. We can't have you lagging behind everyone now, can we?" She brushed her blonde hair. The Professor was enjoying this teasing. She was not oblivious to how some students felt about her, and she enjoyed it. The lecturer was curious as to how long Tendou would hold on before he lost a bit of his cool.

Kyle had been spectating everything that was happening between the two. The S-Rank Valkyrie was amused by the display. The teacher was attempting to tantalize her new student, but from what Kyle saw, Tendou didn't really fall to the attempts. The poor lad just seemed more confused about how hands-on she was. Just like the Professor in a way, Tendou was also oblivious to what she was trying to do.

The class would go and finish. Thanks to his professor's aid, Tendou was able to finish the worksheet on time. Before the class departed, Professor Tanitha gave her students a few words of reminder, "Remember everyone, the Honkai is an ever-evolving entity. Always expect the unexpected. Class dismissed."

Everyone got up to leave. Before he could leave, Professor Tanitha pulled Tendou over to the side. "I hope you weren't too bothered by my advances." She apologized.

"Hmm?" Tendou was confused. "Advances? I have no idea what you are talking about."

Professor Tanitha blinked her eyes a few times. Was Tendou being honest, or was he trying to hide his embarrassment? She wanted to test it badly, but her theory would have to be placed on hold. "I just wanted to tease you a little bit. I have to admit, you are very good at hiding your emotions, but I can't wait to break through that barrier." Veronica admitted. "I have a thing for cute things, and I think it's cuter if I can fluster a tough-looking person."

"I didn't expect you to have a very uncouth teacher." Lessica snickered. "She at least seems to be able to keep it in her clothes, for the most part anyway."

"What are you insinuating?" Tendou questioned Lessica.

"Nothing important." She replied. "Just be careful around her. She probably won't do anything bad to you...maybe." Lessica thought about it. "We'll figure that out once we get there, though I hope we never do."

Veronica sat down on a desk in a very seductive manner and brushed her hair again. Tendou looked at her, mainly at her face, to which the teacher gave him a beautiful smile. He gave her an awkward smile back and shrugged his shoulders.

"You'll be on your way?" She asked him.

"Yeah." He said in a low tone.

"You must have had a rough day," Tanitha said. "First days are always hard, but I have also heard a few things about you. We professors do have group chats among a cluster of us, and we do meet up with each other. I've been told about your struggles with coming to terms with your life from Phebe. You may know her as Professor Kisaria."

"Professor Kisaria? I never told her anything."

"She overheard your conversation," Veronica answered. "She went off of assumptions from there. Seeing how you reacted just now, perhaps her assumption was right." Tanitha smiled once more. "Tendou, if you are ever feeling frustrated, stressed, or down, don't be afraid to contact me. I will help you with anything you need, and in more ways than one~." She winked at him.

"Thanks for the offer." Tendou scratched his head. "I'll keep it in mind."

Tendou left the classroom, and as he stepped out, he came face-to-face with Kyle, who was standing a few feet away from the classroom. "What do you want?" Tendou asked him.

"Nothing much. I'm just surprised that you didn't react much to Veronica's tease." He replied. "You know it's not normal for anyone to be that close to you physically outside of certain circumstances. Plus, did you not notice that she was trying to get physically intimate?"

Tendou shook his head. He had questions about what Professor Tanith was doing earlier, but he didn't really see it as something special or important. "I guess you could call her actions that, but I didn't mind what she did for the most part. They didn't seem to serve a purpose though."

Kyle raised an eyebrow before shrugging it off. "I can't tell if you're lying, or just oblivious." He scoffed. "Maybe you'll open up your eyes one day, but until then…"

SMASH

Tendou fell to his knees again. Kyle had sent another punch to his gut, and this one was stronger. "Know your place." He whispered menacingly. "I don't mind if you enjoy your life here in one way or another, but keep your hands away from my prizes." Kyle smirked and turned around to leave, but someone was already waiting behind him.

SMASH

Just like his victim before, Kyle also fell to his knees as he took a punch to the gut from a fuming professor. "And you need to learn to keep your arrogance in check." Sarah criticized him. The blue-haired professor stood over the S-Rank, a visible vein on her forehead as she held back her full anger.

"Y-Yes ma'am." Kyle coughed up. He got up and limped away, but not before he gave one more look at Tendou.

"Are you alright?" Professor Sarah kneeled down to Tendou's level.

"Yeah. It's not the first time this happened." He gagged. "I have to find a way to escape that."

Sarah pulled Tendou up to his feet. "What do you think about your first day?" She asked him. "Please be honest. I can already gather up how you truly feel about being a Valkyrie. The rumor mill spreads far."

"I guessed as much." Tendou replied. "If I'm honest, the first day wasn't that bad. Sure I struggled with all of my classes, but overall, it was fine. I met some people, both pleasant and unpleasant. That's all I have to say, the day was fine." He shrugged his shoulders. "But you already know how I feel."

Professor Sarah nodded her head. "I know you want to escape as much as you want, but you also know that you have nowhere to go either. If you want a place to stay and a place to belong, then this is at least a starting point." This was a terrible piece of advice from the Professor.

"You're persistent on keeping me here." Tendou told her.

"I'm not good at hiding that, am I?" she said back. "I won't stop you if you ever find anything else, but…no, I can't say anymore." Professor Sarah shook her head. " I have to get going. I'll see you tomorrow."

The Professor quickly left, leaving Tendou alone. He would make his way back to his dorm room as his day was finished.

"Why is everyone hiding things from me?" he asked Lessica. "They clearly want something from me, but what?"

"What if I told you that I have the answer?" Lessica told him. "I know what Otto wants with us, or that's what I would like to think. I know why he wants us, but I don't understand what he is doing."

"And are you going to tell me?"

"..."

"Not you too…"

"It hurts, but I have a feeling that if I told you, it would make our situation worse." Lessica stated. "You want to get out of this situation right? If you stay in the dark, then I can promise that your life will be better." She made sure to say savory words to his ears. "We can both have better lives if you promise to remain ignorant."

"Hmm."

Tendou entered his room and sat down on his bed. Lessica appeared and sat down next to him on the bed.

"Believe in me." Lessica said. "I know you already have a hard time trusting me with my views of humans, but I need you to believe me on this one," she begged.

Her host only sighed and nodded her head. She smiled at him, but the smile slowly turned into a sinister-like grin unknowingly.

"What did you think of today?" Tendou asked Lessica.

"Hmm?" She was caught off guard by his question. "Well, it wasn't that bad. We met some fine people today I guess."

A smile appeared on Tendou's face, and this smile would unknowingly turn into a confident one. "That's good to hear. Care to explain how you felt?"

Lessica sighed, "I guess it wouldn't hurt to explain."

---

A clear night sky dominated Crescent City. The stars glimmered above and the vibrant lights of the city removed the traces of darkness. The nightlife of the city was in full motion, and nothing could stop it.

Outside a cafe, a gray-haired lady in a black, lacey dress occupied a table by herself. A random customer passed by her table, eyeing the objects laying on its flat surface.

"You know we have phones and tablets, right?" he told her.

In front of the lady was a letter, and next to it was a pen. She was writing a physical letter, one that was fairly long in its message.

The lady kept staring at the letter. "You're right," she said in a soft and friendly tone, one that also had a tinge of playful superiority.

The customer tilted his head in confusion.

The lady then turned her gaze toward the customer, revealing her ruby eyes and charming grin. "Had I intended to fit within the confines of one's expectations, a mere text message sent from my phone would have sufficed." Without removing her gaze from the customer, she then got up, leaning forward as she did. "I also would've adopted idioms befitting this colloquial conversation and donned clothes of a less archaic style." Footsteps sounded as she approached the man, gently stroking the man's chest with the index finger of her left hand. "But had I done so, would I have gotten your attention?"

The man stepped back. "Um, n-no," he said in a tone of embarrassment and fear.

"Then I hope that you understand my intent," she replied, softening her smile. "Ahem, go on with your day, my dear — I'm sure that we're both too busy to continue this idle chatter."

Nodding in affirmation, the customer left in a hurry, unsure of what had just transpired.

The lady then returned to her ordeal, her smile vanishing as quickly as it had appeared. Signed with a rose by her supposed name, her gentle hands folded the letter before sliding it into a dark envelope.

---

Chapter 5 END