It was just about noon when Otto Apocalypse found himself sitting at his desk sipping a cup of tea as the recorded footage played out before him on a holographic screen. Shido Itsuka and Ana Schariac—another name the Overseer had been paying close attention to—and their battle against Rita. The blonde had to admit, recent developments had left even him somewhat surprised. The appearance of an Emperor-Class at Babylon, alongside Itsuka's Spirit Power returning…

Quite the eventful month, it seems. He thought. Still, these events were net beneficial. Itsuka's power would mean he would prove a superb asset to Schicksal, and the captured Asterios could always be used for weapons development. All in all, Otto had to admit, he was quite happy with how things had turned out. He turned to his monitor, on which recorded footage of Shido and Durandal's training together could be seen playing.

"She should be here any second now…" Otto muttered as he eyed the time at the bottom right of the screen, before turning his attention to the office doors. He stood to his feet, adjusted his collar, and turned to the front door as a calm silence fell upon his office. A moment later…

"Grandfather!" Exclaimed the voice of the very girl that Otto was expecting, stepping in through the doors with a loud bang. Theresa Apocalypse, S-Rak Valkyrie, and his very own granddaughter. Otto's smile widened ever so subtly at her arrival. "I've arrived on time as requested."

"Good afternoon, Theresa," Otto replied as the doors closed behind her. "Right on time. How rare for you."

"H-Hey! I'm not late that often!"

"Are you aware of why I called you in today?"

"We're just brushing by that, huh…" Theresa gave a dejected sigh as she took a seat at Otto's desk, her head only just reaching over its edge. "No. You just kinda said you wanna meet right now, so I set some time aside."

"There are two things to address, then. First… those survivors from the Nagazora incident, a few months back." Theresa grimaced but slowly nodded her head. "How are they adjusting to life at Saint Freya?"

"... They're doing well." She replied, her voice almost hesitant. "I've placed them under Himeko's supervision. Seeing the three of them together, you'd hardly guess what they've been through…"

"Wonderful. And what of Raiden Mei?"

"..." Her eyes darkened as she glared at him. Otto was unphased; it wouldn't be the first time she had looked at him this way. "...The procedure went well. She's made almost a full recovery. With a bit more rest, it'll be like she never even had surgery."

"Excellent. I can only pray that their lives continue to go so smoothly." Theresa gave a hesitant nod.

"...What was the other topic?" She asked a moment later.

"Ah, yes." He turned and clapped his hands as a holographic feed appeared on the back wall, displaying a giant flying carrier. Theresa's eyes widened at the sight as Otto continued. "The Hyperion is finally complete, and ready to be deployed at any moment. Your former AI assistant has also been successfully reinstalled and is fully operational. Additionally, all facilities, personnel, and other specifications have been included, as per your request."

"Finally!" Theresa exclaimed, shooting to her feet with a sudden burst of energy. Otto held back a laugh at the girl's reaction. "Do you know how much it sucked being trapped inside a school office all day long doing paperwork!?"

"Indeed, it must have been truly miserable," Otto replied with a dry smile.

"It was!" Theresa crossed her arm with a loud harrumph, much to Otto's amusement.

"Of course, of course," He replied with a chuckle. "Now, you may begin making any personal additions whenever you wish. I am certain everything will be to your tastes, my dear Theresa." Her eyes lit up like a child who had just been given their best Christmas gift yet. Without a word, she rushed over and tackled him with a hug, earning a wide-eyed look from the Overseer. But before he could say a word, Theresa pulled away as fast as she had arrived as her face turned a crimson red. She quickly turned away as Otto gave her an amused smile. At that same moment, her eyes wandered onto Otto's monitor. Fluster was replaced with a sudden curiosity.

"What are you watching, Grandpa?"

"Hmm? Ah…" Otto raised a thoughtful hand to his chin. "Footage recorded by Durandal of a promising new recruit. She's been in charge of evaluating him and an A-rank Valkyrie involved in the Manila Honkai incident."

"...A boy?"

"Indeed. His name is Shido Itsuka. One could say I have a… vested interest in his development. Even more so now that he has supposedly awoken a Stigmata."

"A boy with a Stigmata?" Theresa's eyes widened as she looked at the monitor with renewed interest. "That's pretty rare…"

"Indeed." Otto stepped over to his desk and unpaused the recording. Theresa watched with a mix of shock and curiosity as she witnessed the battle between Rita, Ana, and Shido. "Quite skilled for a recruit, no? Durandal has even been working on handling his training personally."

"...Mm." Theresa hummed a response, as if deep in thought. "And the girl?"

"Ana Schariac. She was the sole survivor of squad Snow Lotus." Otto replied. Theresa's eyes widened faintly in recognition.

"A Schariac?

Otto nodded. "Both Durandal and Rita have recommended her for a promotion. I would even go so far as to say that Durandal has a certain fondness for both her and Itsuka."

"I see…" Theresa's voice was still quiet as the footage came to an end, the holographic screen fading away.

"Durandal has also requested that Itsuka-san join the Immortal Blades, though I am not certain it is the best use of his talents. She'll be arriving here shortly to personally state her case." Otto returned to his seat.

"Hoh?" Theresa tilted her head as she stared at the screen a moment longer, before turning to Otto. "He seems promising. I'm surprised he's caught your interest, though, Grandpa."

"Is it so wrong to hold an interest in a male Stigmata wielder?

"I guess not…"

"Now… that is everything I had to discuss, unless you had anything yourself?"

"No, nothing on my end." She eagerly looked out towards the Hyperion, her excitement returning for just a moment. "I'm going to go inspect my ship now, grandfather~" She held an eager smile on her face as she turned for the door.

"Haha. Then, I wish you a wonderful day yourself, my dearest granddaughter." Otto bowed his head to Theresa as the white-haired Valkyrie turned and departed the office, leaving him to his own devices. Smiling faintly to himself, he turned his eyes back to his monitor and returned to his work. There was always more to be done…

Durandal had to admit, it was nice to be back to warmer weather… even if Schicksal's Floating Fortress was not exactly a place one could call warm. Nonetheless, it was certainly an upgrade compared to the freezing winds of Siberia.

"You look rather pleased, Durandal-sama," Rita spoke, walking side by side with her blonde compatriot. Durandal turned to her with a smile.

"I've been looking forward to a change in pace," Durandal replied. "Siberia was much too calm for my liking. I've been eager to get back to work… and to get away from the cold."

"Fufu. Ever the hard worker, Durandal-sama."

"I'm only doing what I feel is right, Rita," Durandal replied with a smile. But her smile was quickly replaced by a slight frown. "Though I can't say I'm looking forward to a meeting of all things."

"Fufu, I can imagine. Still, if Shido is to join the Immortal Blades…"

"I know." Durandal sighed. "But still, I hoped the reports and my good word would have been enough."

"Is that so?" Rita placed a curious finger upon her lip. "I must ask, Durandal-sama… while Itsuka-sama did prove to be quite capable, I am curious as to why you wish for him to join the Immortal Blades specifically?" Durandal paused. She turned her gaze outwards, away from the Schicksal HQ out into the open blue sky.

"I suppose it's because I see some of myself in him."

"Oh?"

"Do you not?"

"I do," Rita replied with a smile. "Obstinacy, for example." Durandal blushed, shooting a flustered glare at her adjutant and only receiving a playful giggle for her trouble. "But with it, a strong sense of determination, a hard-working attitude… yes, I suppose I do indeed."

"To explain further, it's… a sense of pride, I guess you could say," Durandal continued. "While I've trained with other Valkyries plenty, I've never had one to call my… protege, I guess you could say. I'd like to see him continue to grow and prosper, and even more so, I'd like to be there to see it myself."

"Fufu, I see. I must admit, Durandal-sama, this is a new side to you. It is rather adorable."

"R-Rita…" She gave out a sigh, shaking her head clear of her fluster. "In any case, it is a pleasant feeling. I only hope the Overseer will grant my… admittedly selfish request."

"It isn't often you ask for anything, Durandal-sama. I am almost certain the Overseer will grant your request."

"You think?" Rita nodded as Durandal contemplated her words. "...Well, I suppose there's no reason to get too worked up beforehand."

"Of course, Duranda-sama." Together, they made their way to the Overseer's office, where Otto Apocalypse awaited Durandal's report…

On the other side of the world in Tengu City, a particular chill could be felt all across the town on this particularly slow day. Shido found himself idly cleaning the kitchen counters to pass the time as Tohka, Kaguya, and Yuzuru claimed the TV, the latter two continuing their endless grudge matches against the now infamous Alloy_Bronya, whilst Kotori watched from the kitchen table. The others were busy away from home for various reasons, be it school, personal life, or their careers stealing them away.

Nonetheless, this relaxed pace was certainly a welcome change, Shido had to admit.

"Aaaaagh! How are they so good!? I practiced that combo for so long…!"

…Relative peace, anyways. Shido grinned as he glanced into the living room to see Kaguya just barely stopping herself from throwing her controller.

"Kaguya. We already lost one TV, we don't need to lose another," Kotori scolded as she shot a peeved glare at the girl in question. "And that doesn't mean you can break the controller, either."

"Grrr…! S-Sorry…" Kaguya lowered her head in shame as Yuzuru empathetically comforted her dear sister.

"They're really strong!" Tohka commented, her eyes wide in surprise as she witnessed Kaguya's subdued rage.

"Ridiculously! It's… it's inhuman! They're a machine! A monster!"

"Concerned. Kaguya, perhaps that's a bit much."

"You fought her too, Yuzuru! You know exactly what I mean!"

"..." The stoic twin averted her gaze.

"See!?"

Shido chuckled at their antics as he returned his attention to the task at hand. Or so he had planned when a loud chime from the front door rang through the house at that very moment. He glanced at Kotori, who could only shrug in return. Setting down the rag he was using to wipe the counter down, Shido stepped away and made his way to the front door. And upon opening it…

"...D-Durandal!?" He shouted out in surprise.

"Good afternoon, Shido," Greeted the S-Rank Valkyrie in question. Lo and behold, Durandal herself stood in his very doorway, accompanied by Rita standing just behind her. Hearing Shido's exclamation, Tohka, the Yamai twins, and Kotori peeked out into the hallway with varying degrees of surprise. "It's been some time. How have you been?"

"U-Uh… good…" Shido straightened up his posture, taking note of Durandal's vaguely strained tone. "What are you doing here? Is it about… y'know…"

"Mm. …Would it be alright if we come in? Or is this a bad time… I apologize for the lack of warning."

"N-No no, it's fine, come in!" Shido quickly stood aside and gestured for them to enter. "I'll make some tea." Durandal nodded thankfully and made her way inside, but Rita paused just at the door.

"Itsuka-sama—"

"It's my home, Rita-san," Shido countered before the maid could finish. "And you two are my guests. Last time was a special occasion."

"...Hmm. Very well." Rita pursed her lips at Shido's denial but made no further effort to continue. He nodded, resisting the urge to celebrate that small victory as she stepped inside after Durandal. Back inside, an awkward silence now filled the room as Durandal and Rita stood in a staring match with the four girls present. Shido stopped just behind her, gulping nervously at the strange tension that now filled the air.

Durandal was the first to break the silence as she cleared her throat. "I believe this is our first time meeting, for the most part?" She glanced at Kotori, who gave a familiar nod in turn. "My name is Durandal, S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal. It is a pleasure to meet you all." The other three spirits shared a look.

"My name's Tohka!" The night-haired girl spoke first with an energetic smile, taking the initiative. "Shido talked about you! It's nice to meet you."

"Kukuku… so you are the divine warrior who stands at the top of Valhalla? A worthy opponent… before you stands the—"

"Interruption. This noisy one is Kaguya, and I am Yuzuru. Politely. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Y-Yuzuru!? Don't just interrupt me in front of her…!"

Durandal raised an eyebrow, the faint tension in her body fading as she gave an amused smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you all. I must say, you make quite the colorful crowd."

"That's putting it lightly…" Shido muttered from behind her. "Feel free to take a seat. I'll go get that tea ready."

"Oh, can I have some too, Shido?"

"Request. For us as well, Shido."

"Well, since we're all asking, I'll take a cup too," Kotori added. "Don't forget the creamer, Onii-chan." Shido gave a casual nod in response as he returned to the kitchen. Meanwhile, the others returned to their seats, with Durandal taking a seat on the couch alone. Rita remained standing, taking position behind the couch.

"So… why exactly did you come to visit?" Kotori spoke first, eyeing Durandal up and down. "Some kind of warning would have been nice."

"I apologize for that, Kotori-san," Durandal sighed, rubbing her temple. "But… after recent events, such a thing had simply not crossed my mind." The air grew a bit tense as the spirits' expressions turned worried. Shido glanced over from the kitchen, having just set the kettle on the stove as Durandal continued.

"I'll explain," Durandal said as she looked at Shido. "It is about your new position at Schicksal, Shido-san."

"...and that is why I believe Shido Itsuka would be best assigned to the Immortal Blades," Durandal spoke, as Otto thoughtfully stroked his chin.

"You make quite the passionate argument, Durandal."

"I have had ample time to think about it, Overseer." Otto rested his hands upon his desk, his gaze matching Durandal's determined one. But right as he opened his mouth to speak, the doors to his office swung wide open with a loud bang. From the outside entered none other than Theresa Apocalypse, much to Durandal's surprise, as the bite-sized Valkyrie walked right up beside Durandal herself.

"I've come to a decision, grandfather! That boy with the Stigmata… I'd like for him to attend Saint Freya and join my team!"

"Shido Itsuka?"

"Yes, that one!"

"As you wish, my dear Theresa. I'll have the arrangements handled as soon as possible."

"...W-What?" Durandal had to make a visible effort to not shout her question. "O-Overseer? C-Could I hear that again?"

"Hmm? Ah, I've decided to assign Shido to the Far East division per my granddaughter's request."

"But—"

"Would you send that footage to me as well, Grandfather? I'd like to make sure my assessments are correct, after all."

"Already done, Theresa."

"Thank you, Grandfather, ~"

"I—"

"Now, I believe that is all, Durandal, Theresa?"

"..." Durandal was speechless. Truly, utterly speechless. She couldn't even hear Theresa's response to the Overseer as the short Valkyrie left the room. She didn't even recognize that she had left the room, her fist still trembling as she took one deep breath after another. All that effort and thought… All that time…

The sound of glass shattering pulled Durandal back to reality as she looked at the broken teacup in her hand, a tense silence filling the room. "...O-Oh. My apologies. I… um…"

"Ahem." Rita stepped around the couch and quickly cleaned up the shards and spilled tea with all the expertise of an expert maid. "I will replace the cup; I apologize."

"N-No, it's alright…" Shido replied… though he did look far more nervous than he did just a moment earlier.

"I don't blame you. I'd have probably blown a fuse in your place," Kotori replied.

"Umu! It's alright, Dudu-san!"

"D-Dudu…?"

"Kuku~ Worry not, she who stands at the apex of Valhalla! We hear your struggles. Perhaps we Yamai twins ought to—"

"Rejection. No, Kaguya, we will not."

"Aw come on! We even have our powers back! It'd be easy!"

Durandal stared at the group before her for a moment, before a faint smile grew on her lips. "Thank you. But there is no need. Sometimes, the Overseer makes plans that none of the rest of us can understand. As… extremely frustrating as it is, I will live. Besides, despite her… pettiness, Theresa is a fully capable Valkyrie. I'm sure you will thrive under her, Shido."

"I-Is that so…?" The young man in question wistfully scratched his cheek as she chuckled.

"Indeed. She is my senior, after all." Durandal stood to her feet. "Now, I won't overstay my welcome. I merely wished to inform you personally… I apologize, but I do not know the specific time frame they'll ask you to attend Saint Freya. I hope you'll enjoy your time off in the meantime."

"That's the plan," Shido replied with a nod. "Maybe… we'll get the chance to work together again in the future?"

"Same goes for you, Durandal-san," Kotori added as she stood to her feet. "...But next time, make sure to take better care of this idiot, would you?"

"K-Kotori…?" Shido questioned, earning a smile from Durandal.

"If we do end up working together again, I'll make sure to keep a close eye on him," Durandal replied. "I won't have a repeat of the incident in Siberia." Kotori grinned, giving Durandal a satisfied thumbs up.

"Good enough for me."

"Hehe. Now then, Rita… let's be off, shall we?"

"Of course, Durandal-sama," Rita placed a new, high-quality porcelain tea cup on the table beside Kotori from seemingly nowhere, before returning to Durandal's side. "I wish you all a lovely day."

With that, Durandal and Rita departed, leaving the peaceful home behind.

"Well… that was… unexpected," Shido spoke, once the two were gone.

"Mhm. Seems you're getting popular again, Shido," Kotori replied, earning a dry glare from Shido.

"Don't jinx it."

"Kuku, it is only natural, Shido! It is good that they're recognizing your worth. Soon you'll be the greatest warrior Schicksal has ever known!"

"Umu! Shido, you'll do great!"

"Accord. I agree, Shido. Expectantly. Make us proud."

"I… will try my best?" Shido turned to the front door, staring at it for a few moments, and then, to the faces of those around him. After a moment, he let out a sigh, accompanied by a faint smile. Enjoy the peace, huh… I think I'll do just that.

Author's Note:

...I am. So terribly sorry for the wait. I have a number of excuses. School was being school. Work was being work. I wanted to wait for Honkai part 1 to finish at last...

And it all turned out to just procrastinating. But I am not dead! The story is not dead, though I don't blame you for losing interest after a year long wait! But the story will continue now that I finally am back to working on it, with no more holds in the way! ...For the time being. Thus, has a nice, simple chapter as we begin transitioning from this arc to the next!

...I won't make a promise this time, but hopefully it won't take a year for chapter 12.