This chapter has a minor change from the original.
Enjoy!
All Bianka Atageina could feel was that her body was in a deep sleep, though that in itself did not concern her. She and Rita had been briefed before they had taken the Gnius devices for the 'Lonely Panthalassa' mission that this was perfectly normal. Their bodies could fall into a deep slumber due to the toll that was placed on their bodies when traveling through the Sea of Quanta.
Even a top-class Valkyrie could not resist the limits of their body.
Though the fact that she was left defenseless in a potentially hostile realm would be very worrying, in reality Bianka wasn't at all worried.
Why would she? She was Bianka Atageina, a strong Valkyrie partnered up with an equally strong partner. If anything or anyone wanted to mess with her they should be the ones scared,for they had no idea the world of pain she would inflict on them.
Even if she was asleep, she could faintly hear the sounds of someone approaching and she was very confident that it was her partner.
Rita was so reliable, the blond Valkyrie could always trust her partner to be punctual about everything. She'd probably get teased by the light gray haired Valkyrie but that didn't matter as when she woke her up they could officially begin their mission.
However Bianka would soon quickly learn that this mission would be anything but simple.
"You know there are better places to sleep you know." A voice that was most definitely not Rita teased. Bianka's senses might not be working at full functionality but she could tell the difference between a feminie voice and that of a masculine one.
Realizing that it was not indeed Rita that had walked towards her, Bianka sprang into action. Without so much as an indication that she was somewhat conscious to whoever was speaking, her blue eyes shot wide open before she immediately launched her body at her opponent.
Hearing the scream of surprise told her that she had indeed caught him by surprise and she was going to capitalize on that advantage. One of her hands naturally found itself on the collar of the shirt of the speaker and using the force she had launched herself with she forced him to fall to the ground, with her on top of him.
Raising her other hand above her head, Bianka was ready to give this person a very bloody nose for thinking that he could sneak up on her.
However her mind finally caught up with her as her eyes finally got a good look of who she was about to pummel. Her assumption had been that she was about to beat down some sleazy geezer that preyed on defenseless girls.
What she had not been expecting was for a boy around his age with black hair and hazel eyes anxiously looking up at her.
"U-Uh, g-good morning?" They anxiously croaked out, their hazel eyes wide open as they stared at her fist in barely concealed fear.
"S-Sorry," Without skipping a beat the young Valkyrie got off of the person she perceived a threat, allowing him to pick himself off the ground.
Bianka expected outrage from her actions, like they usually did, but to her surprise the boy simply had a reassuring smile on his face while he patted his body to remove any dirt that had gotten on his clothes. "It's no problem, I too would be defensive if a stranger woke you up."
It was definitely suspicious behavior, to be this forgiving, but the Valkyrie was not going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Have you seen someone my age?" She immediately pressed him, eager to find her bearings in this unknown place she had woken up in. "A bit taller than me with light brown hair?"
The boy in question brought a hand up to their chin as they tried to think of someone that matched the given description but unfortunately he shook his head. "No, you're the only person that I've seen here."
"So we're separated it seems." That wasn't necessarily a horrible thing. It was still a bad situation but Bianka was confident that Rita would be able to hold out on her own until they were able to rendezvous with each other.
So she asked another question that would help her make progress towards that goal. "Where is the nearest town?"
However to her surprise instead of taking time to think of an answer the black haired boy simply shook his head without hesitation. "It won't help you."
"And why is that?" The blonde girl placed her hands on her hips and gave him a stern glare. Was he underestimating her or something? That was going to be a big mistake. "I can assure you that I am able to walk there, no matter how far the distance may be."
"Because there are no towns or cities here." They revealed, much to her shock. "I'm the only person that exists in this bubble universe, well that's no longer the case now that you are here."
"You're lying." Was her immediate response as she refused to relent in her stance. "Rita is somewhere here, I know of it!"
"I've been here for as long as I can remember," The black haired boy showed no change in his emotion in response to her outburst, not at all feeling annoyed by her tone of voice and instead only trying to be as comforting as possible. "I've been here for so long that I knew immediately of your arrival here. I only felt one person recently come through."
He had to be lying, because if that was the case then Rita's fate was unknown and with it the fact that she was here all alone. "N-No that can't be," Rummaging through her cloak's pockets she pulled out her Gnius device, the thing responsible for bringing her here in the first place…
Or rather the remains of it.
"It's destroyed." Was all she said as she held the destroyed device in her hands, her only known way of getting out of this place.
"Perhaps your friend is trying to find you as well, maybe you could wait around here in the meantime?" The boy offered reassuringly as they motioned to the peaceful plains that they were in. Taking a chance to finally observe the realm she was marooned in, Bianka had to admit that this place was very surreal. Like if it was ripped right out of the pages of a fairytale.
But she wasn't here on vacation, she was here on a mission.
"And wait for you to do something?" She gave him a stink eye as she regarded the boy that appeared to be the same in age as her. Sure he was being super helpful to her right now but that could all have been an act for him to lower her guard. "I don't even know you."
While that statement was true, she found herself doubting that assumption of him being someone with evil intentions with every kind action he did. Surely someone who had evil intentions would have revealed themselves by now and the only two things that Bianka could think of why he was not doing anything was that he was either a true master of disguise or he did not have any ill intentions towards her in the first place.
And against her judgment as a Valkyrie she was leaning towards the latter.
As if he knew what she was thinking about the black haired boy extended his hand out in front of her, his hazel eyes twinkling in joy.
"Name's Haruto!" He introduced with a bright smile on his face. "A pleasure to meet you!"
Theresa Apocalypse, Principal of St. Freya Academy, sat in her chair as she waited for the one known as Haruto Nakamura to wake up. She had entered the room that he was resting in after she had finished everything she needed to complete for today so she could wait for the teenager to awaken from his slumber without interruption.
Though with how the doctors reported that he had yet to show any signs of waking up for the entire day, she had a feeling that she was going to be waiting here for quite a while.
"Theresa-sama," A nurse had a glass of water in her hands to which she offered it to the principal. Giving her a curt 'thank you' the petite white haired woman gulped the refreshment down before handing back the now empty glass.
"Major Himeko has just delivered her daily report of Mei's condition," The nurse told her as she handed Theresa a tablet that contained a dossier of the information that they had gathered on the Herrscher of Thunder. Giving the information that was on the tablet a quick read, it was an utter relief to know that there was no fear of the Herrscher awakening any time soon.
"I'm sure that the two girls weren't happy being told that they had to leave," Theresa smiled wryly as she turned her attention to a table near the slumbering Haruto, where a vase filled with various colors of flora. The two main colors that stuck out were that of purple and blue and she had a feeling that color palette was deliberate.
The nurse merely giggled at the recent memory. "The only way Himeko-sama was able to convince the two to help clean the dorm was with the promise that they could come back to visit him after they finished."
Ah yes, the problem that was Himeko's apartment.
The way that St. Freya Academy's dorming system was set up so that each squad had essentially their own massive apartment room to themselves, big enough that each member of the squad had their own room whilst having enough space to have a living room and kitchen.
Essentially it was a mini house.
Every A-Rank Valkyria stationed here in St. Freya Academy were responsible for being the captains of their own respective squads. This was a way to not only ensure that the Valkyries in training had a skilled guardian, the A-Ranks also served as a fountain of knowledge that would help the trainees grow to be fine warriors.
In the case of Himeko Murata, the reason why she didn't have a squad to call her own was the simple reason that the academy didn't have enough Valkyries to create a squad for her to look after. Not to mention that since she was a Major she had other duties than being a teacher so she was typically the last Valkyrie to get her own squad.
But with her long lost niece finally being discovered, Himeko would finally have to be a squad leader. While Kiana hadn't actually agreed to be a student of her academy yet the principal was sure that with the information she possessed about her father, she would have the Kaslana be enrolled in her school very soon.
Theresa was also sure that Mei Raiden, who was also the Herrscher of Thunder, would join the squad as her powers wouldn't allow her to live a life of peace. And with the small but insightful conversation she had with the dark purple haired girl, she could see a faint but strong determination to use her newfound powers for good.
Not to forget the petite girl, Bronya, also didn't seem to mind being a Valkyrie. She might not have said a lot of words but her actions clearly spoke of how she wanted to be a part of this squad.
So thus was the 5th Valkyrja Squad born.
And all that needed to be resolved was the redheaded teenager sleeping in front of her. Even with the arrival of the long lost Kaslana and a Herrscher, the slumbering boy held more mysteries than the two of them combined.
However it seems that luck was on her side today as she noticed the teenager's eyes slowly beginning to open, revealing a familiar shade of hazel eyes that tried to make sense of where he had woken up.
"Finally awake are we?" She teased with a sly grin from where she was sitting, making Haruto turn to face her.
It wasn't a secret that her petite size threw people out of the loop. The first impression people had of her was that she was a lost child who had gotten separated by her parents.
Did it wound her pride whenever it happened? Why, why yes it did. It was a constant source of teasing, specifically Himeko, that reminded her that she would never grow taller and be stuck at the size of a child.
But it had also served as a way for her to get a good laugh out of people. Not to mention that people were more prone to taking her more seriously after having learned that they had accidentally made fun of the principal of St. Freya Academy and also the Head of Schicksal's Far East Branch.
However when Haruto's hazel eyes locked gazes with her blue eyes, she could've sworn that they lit up in recognition. But that was impossible, this would've been their first meeting and he had no prior knowledge of the existence of Honkai and by extension her academy.
She couldn't dwell on that though as the words that next came out of his mouth would throw her out of the loop.
"I suppose I am." Was his nonchalant reply as he looked around the room that he was in, showing no fear in waking up in an unknown place. "Where am I?"
Thankfully she had the speed of a Valkyrie to thank for her fast recovery as she placed a hand on her chest. "St. Freya Academy!" She beamed, her tone full of pride in the academy that she built. "Where the Valkyries of tomorrow are trained!"
Surprise showed in his hazel eyes at the revelation of that information. "...Is that so?" A soundless gasp escaped his lips as he realized something important. "Ah forgive me but I didn't catch your name."
"Theresa Apocalypse, principal of this academy." The petite white haired girl introduced with a smug grin on her face. Now here came her favorite part, the denial. Oh how sweet it was going to be to see the look of surprise on his-!
"A pleasure to meet you Theresa-san," He nodded his head in greeting, as if what he had just learned was completely normal. "Or would you rather prefer kōchō sensei? "
This time Theresa could not hide the shock in her voice as she could not rid the flabbergasted look on her face. "E-Either is fine with me."
He simply nodded, ignoring her facial expression, before he looked around the room to see if there was anyone else present. His eyes eventually stopped to the vase of flowers near him, getting drawn by the blue and purple flowers. "Can I ask where Mei and Kiana are?"
"They're fine, I can assure you of that." The principal supplied, relaying the information she had just learned about. "And soon you'll be able to see them yourself once the doctors clear you. However…" Her voice grew serious as she slightly leaned forward, getting to why exactly she was here in the first place.
"I have a few questions to ask."
If he was scared of this sudden change in personality, he did not show it. "Ask away then." Was all he said, his hazel eyes focused and alert.
"First off did you know that you are related to Himeko Murata?"
His expression swiftly turned to that of shock and surprise, not at all expecting that as the first question. "I-I am?" Judging by his tone of voice and facial expression it was safe to say that he was as much in the dark as she had been. "My mother doesn't really talk a lot about her side of the family so I never got to know more about them."
"Understandable," Theresa had gotten a similar response when she had first asked Himeko back when she was trying to get to know more about the Major, though with the introduction of her nephew she had a feeling that mystery would soon be solved. "Next question, how did you learn about the Honkai?"
"In Nagazora I befriended a Valkyrie when I was trying to save Kiana. After the event we talked and one thing led to another." He answered and Theresa knew that to be truthful as she had read about that incident since it had involved one of their graduated Valkyries.
Midori Aki.
So she knew that he had been being honest with her, which should've been a relief if not for the final question that she was about to ask him.
"Finally," Her voice grew dangerous as her blue eyes narrowed, the atmosphere becoming tense. "How did you gain the stigma on your shoulder?"
At the mention of the stigma Haruto looked to the shoulder that the stigma was at, a tense expression grew on his face. "A…A friend gave it to me."
"Haruto, please understand that the implementation of a stigma is something kept under secret." She pressed. This information could potentially be what humanity needed to strike back at the Honkai. "I need you to tell me who your friend was, for his and the world's sake."
The redheaded teenager took in a deep breath, his eyes closing as it looked like he was trying to figure out what his next words were. "...This stigma was…let's say a friend gifted it to me." Was all he said.
"May I ask who this friend is?" Theresa immediately asked. This was crucial information that could tip the scales . "Did he have any family that-,"
"She spoke under an alias," Haruto immediately replied. "She never gave me her full name and I doubt that I'll be seeing her anytime soon."
Theresa gave the young teenager a scrutinizing look, trying to spot anything that could give her more to talk about, anything to keep the conversation going. "...If you remember anything of importance, please tell me." She finally relented, unable to find anything else and having no oppurtunity to inquire further. "Humanity needs every advantage they can get." The white haired valkyrie added, not throwing in the towel so easily.
"...Thank you," He gave her a smile of gratitude to which she reciprocated with one of her own.
"I'll leave you to rest up," Standing up from her seat, Theresa was preparing to leave and let the teenager rest up, unaware of a nurse opening the door to enter. "From what I've heard it's nothing serious but you'll be confined to this-"
"Theresa-sama, Haruto-san is cleared to go." The nurse interrupted, making the both of them turn simultaneously to look at her. The nurse did not show any nervousness that came with being the center of attention as both of their focuses' quickly moved to the wheelchair that she had wheeled in. "Unfortunately he is still quite lethargic so he won't be able to be on his feet for the rest of the day."
Haruto's mouth opened to probably say something about taking the day off to rest up but was beaten to the punch when Theresa suddenly had a great idea. "I know! Since you probably want to know how your friends are doing, why don't I give you a personal tour of the academy!" She offered with a bright smile.
Not to be mean but when the white haired principal saw that Haruto tried to say something to counter her offer, a large smile broke out on her face when she saw him hesitatingly nod in agreement when it became apparent that he had no other option left.
She still had it.
There were many things that I was expecting when I woke up. To wake up in St. Freya was unsurprisingly an expected outcome, as strange as that initially sounded. After all, in canon Kiana had woken up in St. Freya after the events of Nagazora.
Waking up to officially meet Theresa also followed that same principle. When Kiana had woken up the principal was the first person she met so that wasn't really all that surprising considering that I met her.
What was surprising was the fact that I was in a wheelchair being pushed around St. Freya Academy by none other than its principal, who was currently giving me a personal tour of the Valkyrie training academy.
My surprise was also shared whenever we passed by a passing group of students, who gave me strange looks and considering the situation I couldn't blame them. The principal of the school pushing someone that looked alot like one of their teachers?
I'm sure the school's rumor mill was going to have a field day with this information.
But I ignored the strange looks that I was receiving as I looked back to Theresa, who looked quite comedical considering her size relative to the size of the wheelchair as she pushed me through St. Freya.
Not that I would ever say that outloud, I much prefer being alive and well thank you very much.
"W-Wait you're telling me that I'm Himeko's nephew?!" I asked incredulously, not at all believing what I was hearing.
"Yup," Theresa nodded as she continued to push me through the open trail we were currently on. "We traced your family history and found that your grandmother and Himeko's mother were actually siblings."
"Really?" I said in honest shock.
"You didn't know?" The white haired principal asked, shocked by my answer if the face she gave me was any indication.
"I'm not really well tuned with other parts of my family." I explained with an embarrassed smile. "Which I should probably get to doing seeing how much of the dark I'm in."
At my words Theresa snickered. "You're just like Himeko, she barely talks about her family at all."
Really? That was strangely surprising. I may have never met her before but I was under the impression that she was someone that valued family. If that was the case why did she not want to talk about them?
A falling out perhaps?
…
I could speculate about this all I wanted to but in the end I would get nowhere if I didn't ask around and found the answer out for myself.
"Theresa-san," I started, drawing the attention of the principal to me. "What kind of person is my…auntie like?"
God calling Himeko my auntie was going to get some getting used to.
For a split moment the Apocalypse looked surprised by my question but she was very happy to answer my question. "She's a very carefree teacher, always complaining about something to do with grades. Always asking me for better pay…" A fond smile appeared on her face, no doubt reminiscing all the shenanigans she had with my aunt.
"However she's one of the most caring people that I've had the honor of knowing. If someone was in danger, regardless of who they were, she'd be the first one to put their life on the line for them."
"A true Valkyrie by the sound of it." I said, knowing full well Theresa's words to be true.
A little too well…
"Kiana…"
"That's…my final lesson…for you…"
"She's a real inspiration for us all," Theresa praised, unaware of the haunting scene of Himeko's final moments that played out in my mind.
It was in that small moment that I made a choice. Was it a bad idea to make a promise in a time I was just getting my bearings, finding my place in all of this?
Yes, yes it was a bad decision.
But then and there, stuck in the confines of a wheelchair…
I made a vow.
That I would somehow find a way to ensure that my aunt Himeko survived the events of the Final Lesson. How would I be able to do that when the future was so uncertain, when I had no idea what curveballs could be thrown my way?
I had no idea how I was going to accomplish this.
But I'd be damned if I didn't try.
However before I could think about it anymore I was taken out of my thoughts when we suddenly stopped in front of a door. There was no label on the door to indicate what it might lead to but that didn't matter to me at all when I could hear familiar voices on the other side.
I turned to look at Theresa in surprise, who had a smug expression on her face. Was this her end goal for bringing me on the tour in the first place?
My suspicions were proven right when the white haired principal moved from behind me to walk up to the door and knocked loudly on it with an eager feel to it.
"We're here!"
"Mei-senpai!" Kiana's energetic voice brought the dark purple haired heiress out of whatever daydream she was in. Turning to face the white haired girl, Mei gave her an apologetic look.
"I'm sorry Kiana-chan, what were you saying again?"
At her words Kiana pouted at the fact that what she had just said had gone unheard. Fortunately she was more than happy to repeat what she had said. "Mei-senpai, I was asking whether or not you're done cleaning your area."
Focusing her attention at what laid in front of her, Mei knew that she hadn't even touched a single piece of trash let alone even made an attempt to clean it.
They were in the dorm that Himeko Murata lived in, cleaning it up so that it could be liveable. The major had never taken guardianship of her own squad so the dorm that she lived in wasn't in the best of states. So when it became clear that she was going to be the leader of the newly instated 5th Valkyrja Squad the cleaning of the dorm was the first order of business.
Which was easier said than done when the heiress's mind was so focused on something else.
"...It's alright Mei-senpai," Kiana softly spoke as she placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, knowing what the heiress was going through. "I'm worried about Haru-senpai too."
"I know he'll be alright, the doctors assured us of that but…" Mei thought back to all that had happened when she had awoken in the medical bay of the Hyperion, confused and dazed. Before she could panic in that unknown setting Kiana and Bronya were there to quickly reassure her that everything was alright and that they were safe.
It was there that she learned about the Honkai, about the century old enemy humanity was locked in a war with. She learned about how the organization Schicksal was humanity's dedicated defenders against that threat.
It was there that she also learned of the Herrschers, the 'archangels of the Honkai' and the catastrophes that they brought with them. It was then revealed that she was one of them, that she had turned Nagazora into a land brimming with Honkai energy and made it impossible to live in.
And while that revelation was certainly frightening it was nothing compared to the dread that came with the knowledge that she had been responsible for Haruto's current state, who at the time was resting in a bed next to her in a deep sleep.
Even now she couldn't live with the guilt that came with that knowledge. Haruto Nakamura, someone that meant so much to her, someone that had been there for her when no-one else was…
And she had repaid his kindness by almost killing him.
"He'll hate me," She muttered as she placed a hand on her chest, right above where a bomb was implanted on her heart. Should her Honkai levels go into the levels of a Herrscher then a timer would be set off and activate the bomb.
It had been done as a safety precaution when she was asleep just in case the Herrscher within ever awoke. But when she had realized that she was the one responsible of Haruto's fate she was thankful for whoever had suggested the idea.
At least now she could be stopped if she ever lost control.
"That's not true Mei-senpai!" Kiana hotly denied as she hugged Mei from behind with a fierce grip. "Haru-senpai would never hate you! He risked his life to bring you back so don't say that!"
"B-But if I lose control then-!"
"Then me and Haru-senpai will bring you back." Turning her head around to see Kiana's face, Mei saw that ever familiar look of resolve in her blue eyes. "We've done it once already, how hard can it be to do it again?"
Her dark blue eyes widened in surprise at the passionate words but quickly faded when she realized who she was speaking to. A smile of gratitude bloomed on Mei's face as she brought her hands up to hold Kiana's while she leaned into the girl's hug.
She didn't deserve such caring people in her life.
After the two basked in the intimate moment, Kiana withdrew from the hug and placed her hands on her hips. "Now let's get this all cleaned up so we can see Haru-senpai!"
The heiress simply nodded as the two quickly got to work in cleaning up the trash that they were assigned to. In what felt like record speed the two had finished the tasks and were walking back to the main living room, full trash bags in hand.
When they arrived they found Bronya and Himeko already there, sitting on the couch. Kuro was on Bronya's lap, sound asleep as the petite girl softly stroked the feline's fur. Off to the side was a pile of trash bags that had not been there originally. It seems that the two were just waiting for them to finish.
"Took you long enough," Joked Himeko as she saw the approaching pair. "I was beginning to think that the two of you were taking your sweet time so that you could get to know each other in a more…intimate manner."
Mei's cheeks turned red at the implication while Kiana huffed at the presumption. "Himeko-sensei! I wouldn't do that to Mei-senpai…"
"The Bronya finds that statement to be highly unlikely," The petite Russian girl gave the Kaslana the 'I don't believe you' look.
"If Haru-senpai isn't there!" She proudly finished, much to the embarrassment of Mei whose cheeks exploded in color at the mention of the redheaded teenager being involved with her in such…activities.
It was…improper of her to think of him like that…
…
That didn't stop her imagination however.
It was a full moon, casting ethereal rays of moonlight all over. She found herself sitting on a hill, a blanket underneath her, as she found herself mesmerized by the glow of the moon.
"You're spacing out again Mei." Haruto teased as he moved closer to the dark purple haired girl. Was it the moonlight that was accentuating his features or was he always this…attractive?
"Sorry Haruto." She apologized as she leaned her head on his shoulder, reveling in the warmth of his body. "It's just so beautiful to look at." Was she talking about the moon or her companion?
The world might never know.
"...Why don't I take your mind off things then?" He suggested before he started leaning in closer to Mei, which she reciprocated by leaning in as well. It felt like an eternity as the distance between their lips grew shorter and shorter.
And just as their lips were just inches away, so close that she could feel Haruto's hot breath on her lips…
…
"Mei-senpai?!"
…
"MEI-SENPAI!"
"H-Huh?" Mei's daydream was interrupted as she turned her attention to Kiana, who was looking at her with a strange expression on her face. "D-Did you need something Kiana-chan?"
"I was calling your name and you weren't answering me." Kiana looked at her with a confused expression. "Also your cheeks are really red, are you sick Mei-senpai?" Without warning Kiana placed her hand on Mei's forehead to gauge her temperature.
"N-N-No!" Mei hotly denied as she jerked her entire body back away from Kiana's reach. "I-It's just r-really hot in here!" The dark purple haired girl placed a hand over her chest, feeling her heart beating so fast it could explode at any moment.
There was no way she had just imagined that right now! There was no way that she thought about Haruto in that kind of way…
And there was no way a single part of her had enjoyed every bit of that scene, not one bit!
Kiana simply looked at her in confusion but innocently shrugged her shoulders, not at all knowing what had happened inside Mei's mind.
However Mei had forgotten about two other people, and a cat, present in the living room and they were not at all buying the heiress's story. Not like Mei would ever know for when she turned to face them they hid their knowledge behind nonchalant facial expressions.
"Himeko-sensei may Kiana and I visit the medical bay?" She implored to their redheaded guardian.
"You two really care about him don't you?" Smiled Himeko, her eyes glinting with something that the heiress didn't like the look of. Fortunately the woman wasn't willing to go any further as she gave her answer. "Alright since we finished early I suppose I can let you two-,"
"We're here!" A familiar voice announced from the other side of the apartment's door.
"Theresa?" The redhead major questioned in confusion, not at all expecting her superior to show up. "What are you doing here when you were supposed to be…Oh I see..." The Murata grinned in realization before she stood up from her position and began walking towards the door.
"Sorry girls but I'll have to cancel your request."
"Huh?! Why!?" She and Kiana both cried out in disbelief, not understanding this sudden change.
"It's really simple." Himeko smirked as she opened the door, revealing a familiar person in a wheelchair. "Because he's right here."
A smile broke out on Haruto's face when he saw all of them. "Everyone! You're all-!"
Before he could even finish his sentence, Mei moved. Without warning she had immediately enveloped him in a hug, surprising everyone by how fast she had moved from her spot.
Though she did not care about any of that as she tightened the hold she had over Haruto.
In response to her sudden action he slowly hugged her back. "Mei…" He muttered and hearing his voice had Mei beginning to feel tears form in her eyes.
"You're alright…thank god." Words could not describe the utter relief that she was feeling at the moment. Her psyche had been wracked with worry and fear that the Nakamura would never awaken from his slumber and seeing that she was embracing him, it lifted a big weight off her chest. "I-I-I thought I killed you…"
When the Herrscher had taken over her body, it wasn't total and absolute control. If Mei had to describe the experience it was like suddenly having strings all over your body and someone moving you like a puppet. She wasn't completely conscious but she remembered seeing a bit of what had happened when she had lost control after meeting that soldier.
She remembered striking the Hyperion.
Being challenged by Himeko-sensei.
Ultimately winning against the Valkyrie and having her completely under her mercy.
Only to be confronted by a very fatigued Haruto, who had pushed the limits of his body just to save her.
"If you hate me I…"
Before she could go any further down that road, Haruto interrupted her by bringing her closer to his body, tightening his hug. "I could never hate you Mei." He assured her. "Never."
Hearing those words were all that it was going to take for the floodgates that Mei had been desperately held back to open. However, just as she was about to lose control she suddenly felt the impact of someone else joining the hug, adding their own fearsome strength to the situation.
"HARU-SENPAI!" Kiana cried out in relief.
"G-Good to see you Kiana too." The redheaded boy croaked out, no doubt his still fatigued body was straining under the combined strength of the two girls.
Despite not following Kiana's lead, Bronya walked over to the door. Kuro was now perched on her shoulder and while she looked indifferent to his arrival one could see the relief in the feline's blue eyes. "Haruto-san is well?" The Russian girl asked.
"I won't be on my feet for the rest of the day but other than that I'm fine, thank you for asking Bronya-san." Haruto appreciated the petite girl's concern and in turn Bronya had a small smile on her face.
Himeko merely watched this all go down, a smile on her face as she witnessed first hand the strong bond that everyone possessed. It was one thing to hear about her nephew's bonds with everyone, it was another thing to witness it in action.
But all good things had to end eventually as Theresa loudly clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention to her. "While all of this is good and all…" The petite principal looked to Kiana with an expectant look in her eyes. "I still need your answer Kiana."
Kiana had mentioned to her that Theresa possessed knowledge of the whereabouts of her father. What she didn't mention was that the principal had offered her a deal for that information, which now seemed to be a valkyrie in exchange. "So if I sign up I'll know where my dad is?"
"Not so fast," Theresa stopped her in her tracks with a stern expression. "If you want to know where your daddy is, you need to become an A-Rank Valkyrie first."
"That's it?" Kiana laughed, expecting something far more difficult. "Then you better get ready cause I'm gonna be the best A-Rank Valkyrie in the world!" She declared boldly.
In the face of such high self confidence, Theresa merely raised her eyebrow. "Is that so?" Though that questioning look didn't last long when the principal shifted her attention to Haruto. "And what about you Haruto?"
The redheaded teenager had not been expecting the sudden spotlight to be over him as he pointed to himself in disbelief. "Me?"
"You possess a rare gift for a male in this world. Very rarely do stigmas function on males, especially natural ones. You would be St. Freya's first male student if you were to join." She explained as everyone now looked expectantly to the sole male in the room for his answer.
She did not know if she was the only one but Mei wanted Haruto to say yes to the offer. Being a Valkyrie meant protecting those who could not protect themselves, to be their heroes when catastrophe struck.
And if she was being honest…there was no better person suited for that role.
His hazel eyes made eye contact with her dark blue eyes and for a split second Mei could've swore she saw a small smile form on his lips before he turned to give Theresa an answer. "Is there really a choice to be made?"
"I'd be honored to be one of your students."
Here I was, now officially a student of St. Freya Academy. To think that a little over a year before this I was shell shocked at the revelation that I was Mei Raiden's classmate. To think of how far I've gotten in this world, from normal student to a knight in training.
What a crazy journey I've been on.
But the time of reminiscing would have to wait, I had the present to focus on.
As a student of the prestigious academy that trained the Valkyries of tomorrow, my expectations of how my life would be changed by this were pretty high. I mean this was where Kiana, Bronya, and Mei became the Valkyries that I, and the countless players of Honkai Impact 3rd, fell in love with.
But if I was being honest I was expecting my regular Chiba Academy school life, this time with an extra class on how to save the world.
But I found out pretty quickly that would not be the case. Chiba Academy was ranked the highest in the world, being funded by the rich, but St. Freya was funded by rich in resources Schicksal.
And let me say they knew how to flaunt it.
You could tell by simply looking at the architecture of the academy, from the outside pathways to even how nice the dorms looked.
Not to mention that St. Freya was much bigger than Chiba Academy, almost taking the entirety of the island that the academy was built on. The sheer size of the academy made sense as it also served as the main headquarters of Schicksal's Far East Branch.
So when I wore my St. Freya uniform for the first time, which was a slightly fancier Chiba Academy uniform that was primarily colored white, I had no idea what to expect. Walking through the halls of St. Freya with Kiana, Bronya, and Mei gave me the nostalgic sense of being back in Chiba Academy.
Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.
Little did I know that I would be eating my words very soon.
For you see…
"Greetings, I am Haruto Nakamura," I introduced as I bowed in front of the class, the first one of the day. "I look forward to being your classmate."
There was one tiny, but crucial fact that I had to remember about St. Freya Academy.
Ending the bow I brought my body back up and scanned the room to see the looks of the people that I would be calling my classmates. With just one quick look at the class a pit quickly began to form in me.
For the one crucial fact I had forgotten about was the demographic of St. Freya's student body.
Where every student was female…
And I was the only male student here…
Hiding the terror I felt from having everyone's gaze on me, I calmly made my way back to my deck where thankfully the gods were kind enough to have Mei, Kiana, and Bronya near me. From what I learned there was actually no assigned seating so I was very thankful to the three of them for not abandoning me into this unknown environment.
It felt as if I had been thrusted into the lion's den with no feasible way to defend myself.
"Is this what you felt every time you introduced yourself?" I whispered to Mei as I sat down on my chair.
"A little," Mei giggled as she could see through my mask that hid my terrified self. "It's not so bad, you did great up there."
"It felt as if everyone was dissecting my very existence when I was up there," Even now I could feel some of the lingering stares of my new classmates, no doubt trying to figure out how a male classmate got here in the first place.
"I'm sure it'll be over soon enough," Mei assured me just as the teacher began to get the class started on today's lesson. "Before you know it everyone will be accustomed to your presence."
"I hope you're right about that Mei," I began to take out my supplies and got myself ready for yet another school day. "I hope you're right about that."
She was not right about that, not in the slightest.
The moment we had a break, what had felt like the entire class had now suddenly surrounded my table. I couldn't even voice my surprise at this sudden group of people when one of them asked me a question.
"Where did you go before this?"
I opened my mouth to answer her question only to be interrupted when another girl asked me a completely different question, eager to have her answer. And it seems that every girl in the group had that same idea at the same exact time.
"How did you gain your stigma?"
"Is it true that you were at Nagazora when the Eruption went down?"
"What's your favorite form of combat?"
"Are there any more like you out there?"
"Do you have a squad assigned to you already?"
"Are you really related to Himeko-sensei?"
"Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Do you want a tour of the academy? I know all the best places here to hang out, both in public and in private~."
I was left at the utter mercy of being swarmed by my entire class, unable to answer any of their questions as they kept peppering me with their questions. While this was going on, off to the side Kiana and the others were watching all of this unfold with varying reactions.
"Grr who do they think they are?" Growled Kiana with a dark look, a pissed look in her blue eyes as she watched the crowd surrounding Haruto grow. "Getting close to Haru-senpai like that?!"
Bronya gave Kiana an exasperated stare, already used to this jealous side of the Kiana. "Mei nee-sama," She turned to face the heiress, the only one present who could talk some sense into the white haired girl. "Please tell Kiana to-"
However, the gray haired girl turned just in time to see Mei apply enough force on her pencil to break its tip, an even darker look on her face as she listened to the girls swarming Haruto's desk as they began to ask more personal questions. A miniature cloud was floating above the heiress's head, little flashes of lightning could be seen within it.
It was there that Bronya made the wise decision to sit back at her desk and simply let this all pass over, lest she accidentally escalate this into something far worse.
Luckily after that initial flood of curious classmates it quickly settled back into a sense of normalcy, much to my utter relief. Classes passed like they usually did back in Chiba Academy, with the sole exception that instead of waiting for our teachers in our respective classrooms we instead had to go to them.
I was most definitely subjected to being stared at by everyone as we made our way through the academy but after that initial introduction I had in my first class, it was definitely not as bad. It was still nerve wracking as hell going up to the first class and introducing myself as the sole male student of St. Freya.
Lunch was a slightly similar situation with a lot of our classmates sitting near us, asking us questions as we ate our food. I was comforted by the fact that Kiana, Mei, and Bronya sat next to me which had prompted some of our classmates to ask them their own questions.
But this definitely wasn't a normal school day, a fact made clear as the final period of the day approached.
Valkyrie Training Class.
This class was easily the most important class out of everything, being twice as long as one of a normal class. It was in this class that the Valkyries of tomorrow were trained in. It was here that the 5th Valkyrja Squad would hone their skills that would have them be the heroes of tomorrow…
Kiana Kaslana.
Mei Raiden.
Bronya Zaychik
And a part of me hoped that I would be in this squad too…
Unfortunately I would soon learn otherwise.
"Hah?! Haru-senpai is not in our squad?!" Kiana cried out as she looked at Himeko in shock. The entire class was assembled on one of the many training fields that littered St. Freya Academy. Everyone present was already donned in their combat uniforms, or in our case temporary uniforms.
Thank god St. Freya had the foresight to add in male segregated locker rooms just in case they ever had a male student attending. I did not want to have to experience the embarrassment of changing in a classroom or back at the dorm.
Still it was awkward as hell changing alone in a cold and empty locker room.
"Unfortunately he drew the short end of the stick." Himeko gave me an apologetic look. Even with my existence throwing everything about this universe into disarray, I could not change the rule that every squad could only have three members.
Meaning that I was going to be placed into a squad with two other people I had no connections with, nor was I sure if they would have any importance to the story.
I wasn't off to a great start, that was for sure.
"But the three of us have better chemistry together!" Kiana argued, clearly not letting up for me to be on the team. "Isn't that what's important for a squad!"
Even if what she had said was a sound argument, I could not help but catch what Kiana was implicating. And judging by the indignant glare that Bronya gave the white haired girl, I was not the only one to catch her meaning. "What is Kiana implying?" Bronya demanded.
Kiana was not afraid to defend what she had said as she crossed her arms and looked on challengingly at Bronya. "I've known Haru-senpai far longer than you Bratnya so naturally he should've been on the team."
"Actually Kiana, I've technically known Bronya longer than you." I interrupted her, looking towards Bronya who nodded in turn.
Who would've thought that Bronya was the Haxor_Bunny that I played Homu Fantasy Online with Keji this entire time. I could feel some cosmic entity somewhere in the universe laughing at my misfortune.
Kiana looked shell shocked by this new information but still firmly held her ground. "S-Still that doesn't mean-,"
"Bronya will make a great addition to your squad." I interrupted her with a smile. "She has a great analytical mind, invaluable in a fight. I know that combined with your strength and Mei's ability with the sword you'll be one hell of a squad."
"Thank you Haruto-san," Bronya thanked as Kiana and Mei both looked delighted by the praise I had given them. They didn't know it yet but the people standing in front me would be a great squad one day…
They would be the squad that would go on and save the world.
However I had much more pressing matters to focus on. Turning to face my aunt I asked a very serious question. "So what happens to me now?"
"Well originally you would've actually been placed in Kiana's squad." Himeko explained. "However if it wasn't for the fact that we had two potential students whose applications we had to put on hold for special reasons. When it became apparent that we needed to create another new team for you we decided to accept those two applications."
"Oh?" That was…quite a revelation. Not due to the fact that I would've been on Kiana's squad but rather at the fact that there were two students that had been omitted due to special reasons. I knew that aside from a handful of characters in the manga, there wasn't really anyone else that I knew of that stuck out in St. Freya so the introduction of these two 'mystery students' was quite a shocker.
So then that begged the question…
"Who might they be?" I asked as my curiosity was at an all time high.
"Good question, one of them was supposed to meet us here while the other had to finish finalizing her application." My aunt began to scan the class, her hazel eyes trying to spot whoever it was that she was looking for. "Now where could she… oh there she is!"
Himeko's voice was loud enough to attract the mysterious student's attention, making her turn to face us. Her expression shifted from that of boredom to an eager expression when she saw the Major beckoning her to come over.
However, that was the least of my concerns when I got a good look at the student. She was around Kiana's height, a few inches shorter now that I had a better look at her.
But what was puzzling me the most was her appearance. Dark green eyes that twinkled with delight as she came closer and closer. Black hair that reached up to her shoulders where the tips of it were colored a vibrant green.
This puzzlement led to me playing my most favorite game in the entire world.
Why did she look so familiar!?
Fortunately for me, playing this game for so long I was able to come to a conclusion by the time this mystery student stopped in front of us. The answer my mind came to however was not so fortunate.
"Wendy?" I couldn't help but blurt out. That was the only reasonable explanation my mind could come up to when I saw her. She looked nearly identical to the Valkyrie turned Herrscher from my memories of the early story of Honkai Impact.
I would soon learn that I was both right…and horribly wrong at the same time.
"You know my big sis!?" Rather than be annoyed at being mistaken for another person, she actually seemed to be overjoyed for being mistaken for Wendy. "Isn't she the coolest Valkyrie ever!"
Before I could dwell any more on her peculiar behavior I took a double take at a particular word she had said. "Big Sis?" I incredulously asked.
My mystery classmate, now squadmate, was more than happy to elaborate as she extended her hand out and gave a thumbs up with a huge grin on her face. "On my honor as her younger sister, Layla Gunnhildr, I vow to be the strongest Valkyrie ever! Much stronger and more renowned than even the legendary Durandal herself!"
"H-Huh?!" Was the only thing I could say in the face of such a sudden groundbreaking revelation.
"Energetic little storm we have over here. If I didn't know any better she acts just like Kiana." Laughed Himeko as she patted my shoulder, unknowing of who exactly was standing before us.
I had the sibling, who I'm pretty sure never existed in the canon universe, of the future Herrscher of Wind as one of my squadmates.
However it seems fate was not done with the surprises just yet. "And there should be one more person and she should be here by now…" My blood chilled at the words of my aunt. I had completely forgotten that I had another teammate unaccounted for. Surely it couldn't be worse than this!
And as if the universe had decided to take my thoughts as a challenge the sound of hurried footsteps soon filled my mind as a new voice came into the mix.
"I-I'm here!" The new voice panted, prompting me to turn so I could face them.
Turning around I saw someone who had their hands on their knees, trying to catch their breath. My hazel eyes immediately noticed her hair that seemed to be a mix of an ash blond and a light magenta color.
This time the familiarization immediately hit me. This hair color, the way it was styled in…it was definitely familiar.
I would not be given time to figure out an answer of why that was as the unknown student lifted her head up, revealing magenta eyes.
But unlike Layla my mind needed no time to think as a name immediately came to me as I finally got a good glimpse on what they really looked like. And this time I knew there could be no debate on the name of this mystery student.
Because I was staring at the nearly identical face of a character from a game that I once played with the same religious zeal as I did with Honkai Impact 3rd.
"M-Mashu Schariac!" She straightened herself up and did her best to give a salute, doing her best to ignore her labored breaths. "R-Reporting for duty!"
"A bit timid but I can vouch for the girl's strength and commitment, always putting others before herself." Himeko told me, completely oblivious to my growing dread at seeing someone that looked nearly identical to an instrumental character from another story. "She may look like a fragile snowflake but she knows how to wield a shield in a terrifying manner."
"You have to be shitting me!" I screamed internally as I came to terms with what I just experienced. I had not one but two siblings of two future Herrschers.
One of Wind, the other of Ice.
How could it get any worse than this?!
It seems that Himeko was more than happy to prove how worse it could get for me today. "As you know all Valkyrie Squadrons have a guardian A-Rank Valkyrie. Seeing how this squad was just formed today we had to forgo the usual way we usually assigned A-Rank Valkyries."
"Luckily for you our request for an A-Rank Valkyrie was instantly answered by one our reserves, and by one our finest too. I think you should be familiar with her already…" Himeko trailed off as one final voice entered the conversation.
And this time I knew who the person was just by voice alone.
"The introduction of St. Freya's first male student begs a closer, much more cautious look. One cannot expect the future to not be changed significantly by this."
For it was no other than Fu Hua who had walked into the training grounds, her blue eyes farmed by her iconic red glasses. "It's good to see you awake Mashu-san," She greeted as she looked at the Schariac.
"F-Fu Hua-senpai!?" Mashu cried out in shock while Layla merely looked on in barely concealed awe, no doubt having heard the stories of the school's infamously number one ranked Valkyrie.
And what was I doing with this new information?
I was doing my best not to scream out to the heavens for this.
"W-Will you actually be our…" The ash blonde and lavender haired valkyrie trailed off with hope in her voice, to which the bluish purple haired Valkyrie confirmed by nodding.
"Indeed, from this day forth I shall be serving as the 6th Valkyrja Squad's A-Rank Valkyrie." The immortal MANTIS then directed her attention towards me, merely nodding as she looked at me with a knowing look.
Oh yeah I had completely forgotten…she was at the Nagazora Docks when Kiana was kidnapped, fighting alongside Anti-Entropy against the World Serpent.
.
.
.
Why was it that the first days of school are always the days where groundbreaking revelations take place?!
…Weren't expecting that were you? XD
I know a good majority of you were expecting me to put Haruto with Kiana's squad, I mean it's naturally the most obvious choice. And don't get me wrong I too originally wanted to place him in there.
But then I thought, Haruto's bond with Kiana and Mei is already so strong, Sure Bronya's might not be but a few chapters and that would be fixed. Then what? I felt that such a strong bond whilst developing the story in St. Freya would almost be detrimental, with me repeating a bunch of scenes with Kiana and Mei that could get stale real fast.
So I began to think what if I made my own squad for Haruto, which presented its own fair share of problems.
Also I just love complicating canon as well :)
I had no desire to create two new characters from scratch, not only will that heavily prolong the story but that meant having to try and tie them into an already complicated story. So my next train of thought was who in the cast of Honkai did I feel was under represented, not given enough of the spotlight that I could somehow connect with my two characters.
And immediately two people came to mind.
I did warn you guys that I wasn't done with the Fate references so I wonder how you all reacted to Mashu's introduction. And no it's not like I had once done with Neo, more along the lines of a certain pudding scientist we know of. The looks and behavior of said character, blended with elements of the Honkai universe.
I think everyone knows what my endgame is for our two newest characters, definitely something to look forward to.
And do I really need to explain Fu Hua, more of our immortal Phoenix is never a bad idea.
Who knows…maybe I might buckle down and get a fanart cover for this fanfiction with our newest squad.
Playing Elden Ring for a grand total of around 80 hours, let's just say that its more than inspired me for certain scenes. Though getting back to writing is gonna be a challenge, especially now that I have a bunch of characters/arcs that I now have to keep up with.
So don't be surprised if instead of a weekly update it might be a two week update schedule now.
Welp that's all for this chapter. If you enjoyed it, drop a fav/follow/kudos as they really help me out with creating great chapters. Reviews are deeply appreciated and if you have a question or a really interesting theory I am more than happy to reply. Please be patient if I don't respond to you super fast. Even if I don't respond to your comment for whatever reason, know that I read each and every one of them!
Peace!