"I don't want to live in some stupid, cramped battleship," Kiana complained. "I want to stay at St. Freya with you!"

Kiana grabbed fistfuls of her silver hair and continued to grumble under her breath as she stared at the pile of her belongings. She was to bring them onto the aerial battleship she and her friends were soon to serve aboard.

Mei forced a small and half-hearted smile. "I'd also prefer to stay here with you and Bronya, but living on a battleship can't be that bad. We shouldn't be afraid to try new things."

"I'm not actually afraid of it, you know," Kiana said. "I just don't care about living in a tiny cabin and eating rations instead of the amazing meals you cook every day. Why does it have to be us? I'm sure there's plenty of other valkyries who can go instead."

Mei picked up her favourite book and added it to the suitcase of her belongings. "Whatever it'll be like, it'll be alright as long as I'm with you and you're with me. And we won't be alone. Bronya is coming, too, and Principal Theresa and Major Himeko. It'll be just like St. Freya."

At the mention of Bronya, Kiana complained even louder. The girl in question happened to enter the room at that moment. She floated a short distance above the ground and took a brief glance at Kiana's items.

"Kiana Idiotka, it is your duty as a valkyrie to obey your orders. Your current orders, in case you have already forgotten, are to gather your most important belongings in preparation for service aboard the Hyperion battleship. Personal effects are an effective way to maintain morale in an otherwise unfamiliar environment."

To emphasize her point, Bronya held a yellow HOMU doll in her arms. She guarded it fiercely. It was her most important possession aside from the robot that always accompanied her.

"I know that. I don't need you to tell me what to do," Kiana grumbled again as she stood up and looked over her pile of belongings. Deciding that it was enough, she packed it all away.

It was only a week ago when they received the news that they had been selected to serve as the Hyperion's complement of valkyries. The airship was the grandest of its kind with an illustrious history of combating the Honkai. Serving aboard such a ship was considered to be a great honour and a great responsibility. They would travel around the world and deal with outbreaks of Honkai beasts and zombies whenever one occurred. A valkyrie could not ask for a better vehicle to support her on a mission.

The three of them were in their shared dormitory at St. Freya Academy, the world's sole valkyrie training school. They, along with Murata Himeko and Theresa Apocalypse, composed Squad V under Himeko's command. Himeko was the former captain of the same battleship they would soon be boarding. She was clearly excited to return to it, although this time as a soldier rather than a commander. Her replacement, whoever they were, was on Kiana's mind. It bothered her to not know who she would soon be taking orders from.

"I'm happy that I can still stay with you and even Bronya," Kiana told Mei. "It's this captain I never even heard of before I'm worried about. What kind of person is he? Will he be good at his job? Is he a pervert who likes staring at cute girls?" Kiana shuddered at the thought.

"I'm sure anyone in that position wouldn't be there without proving their abilities to Schicksal first. I wouldn't worry about their competence," Mei assured her. "I would rather stay here, too, but our orders are orders."

Bronya retrieved her tablet from her suitcase and turned it on. "This is the Hyperion's captain's official dossier from Schicksal's archives. Read it if you require more knowledge about him."

Kiana and Mei quickly read through the dossier, which was barely over a page in length. Kiana scoffed. "This barely tells us anything. All it says is that he used to be some kind of inspector for Schicksal. What could that have to do with ordering valkyries into battle?"

Mei shook her head in agreement. She placed a hand on Kiana's shoulder. "We'll meet him soon enough. We'll find out then."

The three of them finished packing in silence. Then they received calls from Theresa and Himeko. An airship was waiting for them in the courtyard. It would fly them to Schicksal's headquarters high above where their battleship awaited them.

...

Johann Stern finished rereading the dossiers of the valkyries he would soon be commanding.

Kiana Kaslana. 15. B-rank. Skilled in the arts of gun kata and close-quarters combat owing to her heritage. A bold and impulsive personality.

He wondered exactly how impulsive.

Raiden Mei. 17. Skilled in the arts of swordplay, particularly the Hokushin-Itto-ryu school of kenjutsu. A quiet and reserved disposition.

He greatly admired the arts of swordsmanship and looked forward to seeing hers in battle.

Bronya Zaychik. 14. Skilled in marksmanship and close-quarters combat. A quiet and reserved disposition.

"Two of them seem like capable valkyries, but I might need to keep an eye on this Kiana Kaslana," he said to himself. "Still, I trust Himeko's judgement. I look forward to meeting all of them."

He, like the valkyries he was studying, was recently selected to serve aboard the Hyperion, Schicksal's most powerful battleship. The role as its captain was a position he had not sought when he first joined Schicksal, but he eventually decided he wanted a more active role in combating the Honkai. He was no valkyrie, nor a weapons designer or a member of a support unit, so he chose to become the wielder of one of the most powerful weapons of all.

The Hyperion, he had read, was constructed as part of Schicskal's initiative to create an ultimate anti-Honkai beast weapon, one that could strike from the safety of the skies and go wherever it was needed. Its complement of valkyries would only bolster its efficiency.

Johann clicked on the profiles of the last two he would soon be serving with. One of them he had already met.

Murata Himeko. 27. Skilled with a greatsword and has notable experience with command.

He fondly remembered the day they first met. She had given him a tour of his new ship then and had promised to assist him if he were ever in need of help with his new position.

Theresa Apocalypse. The current owner of the Oath of Judah. As the headmistress of St. Freya Academy, she has experience with leadership and the youth.

Strange, he thought. It doesn't list her age for some reason. The Oath of Judah, though…that's one of the Divine Keys. It's even stronger than the Hyperion. I'm glad she'll be joining.

Finished reading, he shut down his computer and sat up from his desk. He looked around his private quarters on Schicksal's floating island. Even after so long, he still sometimes found the idea of it unbelievable.

He stepped out of his room and into the corridor. He left the residential complex and boarded the high-speed rail system that took him across the island to the hangar where the Hyperion was docked. He boarded it and made his way to the bridge.

"Good afternoon, captain," a slightly electronic-sounding female voice said. "Are you here to begin your duties today?"

"Good afternoon, Ai-chan. I am."

Ai-chan was the artificial intelligence inside the Hyperion who automated most of its processes. She proved herself worthy of the role on the day they met by providing him with complete blueprints of the Hyperion along with an explanation of how everything inside it worked.

"I'll do my best to help you with anything you might need. If you have any questions or want me to take over the firing systems over manual control, just let me know!"

"Thank you, Ai-chan."

He gazed outside the reinforced glass of the bridge and into the skies beyond. The endless expanse of blue flecked with white clouds was interrupted only by a much smaller airship flying toward him.

It's the Helios. The Hyperion's corresponding auxiliary ship. There's only one reason it could be here.

"Helios inbound," Ai-chan said. "I've already made contact with them and confirmed IFF. The Fifth Squadron is headed our way. Would you like me to open a direct channel to them?"

"Thank you, but that won't be necessary. I'll greet them in person as a captain should."

The Helios passed through the protective barrier that encircled the entire island before finally coming to a halt beside the Hyperion. Johann exited the battleship and stood at attention a distance away from the Helios. Despite reassuring himself earlier, he was nervous.

I'm sure they have valid questions about me. I'm new to this job. Will I make a good leader? Will I know how to act in emergencies? I don't know myself…scoring well on tests is one thing, but the real thing is quite another.

He was still lost in his thoughts when a door on the side of the Helios opened up and five women walked out of the airship.

Kiana Kaslana, a girl with breathtaking blue eyes that seemed strangely familiar. She was complaining to her friend, a taller girl with long, violet hair whose name was Raiden Mei. Mei listened to Kiana's every word and only made half-hearted attempts to quiet her down.

Bronya Zaychik, a short girl with a hairstyle he had only rarely seen. She held a yellow doll in her arms, which he recognized as a HOMU, one of the most popular toy brands in the world.

Behind the trio were their superiors - Theresa Apocalypse and Murata Himeko. Theresa was unusually short, although she must have been an adult. Once again, he recalled the conspicuous lack of her age in her profile. Her hair and eyes were the same as Kiana's. They could have been sisters.

Putting his confusion about Theresa aside, he looked at the woman with hair as red as his own. She walked with confidence in each step and seemed delighted to be in the presence of the battleship she had once commanded again. She met his gaze and smiled.

As the five of them shortened the distance between them, Kiana gradually quieted down until she stopped speaking entirely. Johann stood silently, wondering if he should greet them first.

Himeko answered his question for him by walking forward and placing a hand on her hip. "So we meet again, captain. Having a good time getting familiar with your new boat? Has Ai-chan given you any trouble? I always had to tell her to stop talking about how beautiful she claims she used to be."

He smiled in return and extended a hand, which she shook. "It's good to see you again, Major Murata. The Hyperion is all I could ask for from a battleship, and Ai-chan has been nothing but helpful. The valkyries with you must be Theresa, Kiana, Mei, and Bronya."

Only Theresa walked forward while the other three seemed to avoid him. She wore a nun habit and did not even reach his shoulders. Anyone else would mistake her for a child if not for her voice that carried a maturity beyond her years despite sounding as young as she looked. "You've done your research, Captain Hyperion," she said. "And we've done ours on you. I hope this means we'll all be able to act as one effective unit under your command."

After they shook hands, Johann wondered if it would be rude of him to ask her about her stature. The photograph in her profile had seemed youthful, but only after seeing her in person did he realize how young she truly looked. Deciding against it, he made the expected response. "I hope so as well. I've heard a lot about each of you, and I'm sincerely impressed at what you're capable of. Not every valkyrie earns the honour of serving aboard a ship like the Hyperion, and it's an honour to serve beside both an S and an A-rank valkyrie of your talents."

"And not every captain does, either," Himeko said. "Of course, in my case, I was both." She laughed.

"That's true. I may be new, but I will live up to my duties. The Overseer selected me as the Hyperion's new captain because he trusts in me to do what's right."

Theresa smiled. "That's true. Grandpa told me a lot about you and why he chose you to be the Hyperion's next captain."

This gave him a start. "The Overseer is your grandfather? I apologize. I should have known from your surname…I hope he hasn't given you any unrealistic expectations of me."

She and Kiana are clearly related. Or is it only a coincidence?

Theresa laughed. "I'm afraid that my expectations of you aren't exactly low. Grandpa told me not to go easy on you. But I'm confident that you'll be a fine captain." She turned around to address the three younger valkyries. "Come on, the three of you. It's time to meet your new captain."

Theresa stood aside to let the trio slowly approach him. Not one of them met his gaze. None of them seemed like they wished to be there.

Especially Kiana. She was complaining about me when she exited the Helios.

They stood in silence for several uncomfortable seconds before Johann finally broke it. "Miss Kaslana," he said while trying to look directly into those sky-blue eyes as strangely captivating as Theresa's. She made that impossible by looking to the side. "I want to begin by saying that I'm honoured to serve at your side aboard the same battleship. I've always admired House Kaslana from the moment I learned about them, and with you here, all our jobs will be made easier."

Kiana made a humphing sound and still declined to look him in the eye. "Flattery won't get you anywhere with me, you know. But I'm glad you heard about my family. Kaslanas will always fight against the Honkai, and I'm no exception." She stepped back as her two teachers whispered to her to be less rude in the future.

Johann decided it was satisfactory enough for a first meeting. He tried making eye contact with Mei, but she avoided him. She hardly had any trace of an expression on her face. It was as if she did not even acknowledge his existence.

"Miss Raiden," he carefully began. "I'm also honoured to serve beside you. I've seen footage of your mastery of the blade. I greatly admire your skills and know you will be a valuable member of the Hyperion's crew."

She did not respond. Then, so quietly he almost did not hear her, she mouthed a "Thank you" and stepped closer to Kiana again, who told her not to be fooled by his charms.

The only person he had not greeted yet was Bronya. She stood still, never letting go of the doll in her arms. As he looked at her more closely, he realized that she did not stand - she hovered a few centimeters above the ground.

This is…unexpected. Could it have something to do with the armour covering her legs? With Schicksal's technology, almost anything is possible.

"Miss Zaychik. I see that you're floating above the ground. I'm sure this could be quite the advantage in combat."

The girl with hair styled into two spiral curls stared at him with a blank expression. Then, instantly and out of nowhere, a massive form appeared behind her. It appeared to be a legless, mechanical torso with a small head and two massive arms. One arm ended in a large cannon.

He felt a jolt of panic and nearly took a step backward.

"Yes, captain. Project Bunny 19-C will eliminate all Honkai beasts that enter its firing arc."

The robot vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Johann had not been prepared for such a sight today. He smiled and extended a hand. "I've no doubt about that. I'd rather not shake hands with it, though."

Bronya stared at his hand before slowly shaking it. Then Himeko and Theresa briefly spoke to them. Bronya, Kiana, and Mei turned to the Hyperion to board it for the first time. The two older valkyries spoke to him again.

"I didn't expect your first meetings to be so…tense," Himeko admitted. "But trust me when I say that the girls are a lot kinder than they seemed today. I'm sure they're just nervous about their new home."

Johann slowly nodded. "We only just met. I don't blame them if they're apprehensive about their new duties. Theresa, Major Murata, make sure to help them settle in as best as you can. I'll try my best to do the same."

Theresa smiled. "I know you will. Let's hurry up and join them. We have a lot of work ahead of us."

The three of them boarded the Hyperion together.

...

"Kiana, turn ninety degrees to your right and advance two hundred meters. Another cluster of five Knight-class Honkai beasts just emerged between two buildings. Dispatch them immediately. Bronya, Mei, go assist her."

Kiana did not turn ninety degrees to her right and run two hundred meters. Instead, she let Bronya and Mei, who were closer, assault the group of Knights and rushed forward at a particularly large Chariot a distance away.

"Mei and Bronya can deal with them instead! I'll get these big guys!"

"Kiana, don't disobey my - "

"NEKO CHARM!" she yelled, triggering the voice-activated command for the burst mode on her White Comet battlesuit. From above, she created a large object resembling a cat's paw that flattened the Honkai beasts into the ground. Some of them rose up again only to be crushed a second, third, or fourth time until they finally lay still. Kiana proudly inspected her handiwork as she was rejoined by Bronya and Mei, who had to defeat the group of Knights without her.

Johann, standing in the Hyperion's bridge high above them, glared at Kiana on the camera feed.

She ignored my orders again. This is the fifth time she disobeyed me in as many outbreaks.

"Well done, Bronya, Mei," he said through their earpieces. They all noticed the omission of Kiana's name.

As they rode a transport ship back up to the Hyperion, Theresa and Himeko walked up to him. His two co-commanders normally stayed out of the fighting, only intervening if their students truly required it. Their entire tour of duty with the Hyperion was a learning experience for the girls, they had said. So far, Kiana, Bronya, and Mei were able to eradicate every Honkai beast outbreak on their own.

"Was Kiana always this…rebellious?" he asked them.

Theresa closed her eyes. "Kiana was never the…most well behaved of girls. She does what she thinks is the best choice, and not much can stop her from it."

"A court-martial would," he said in a low voice.

Himeko placed her hand on his shoulder. "Captain…please, don't be too hard on Kiana. She isn't doing this to spite you. She just thinks she can defeat Honkai beasts faster her way."

"Sometimes she does. This time she didn't," Johann coolly replied. "She's a valkyrie of the Fifth Squadron but not the team leader. Bronya is because she has proven her tactical skill. Kiana's combat performance is acceptable, but her tactical acumen is lacking. No one should follow her as a leader. The outbreak just now? She let Bronya confront the Knights even though those are some of the fastest and most agile Honkai beasts on record. Bronya's Project Bunny's rate of fire is too slow to deal with them as effectively. I ordered Kiana to attack them because her Neko Charm is large and fast enough to strike them even with their speed while Project Bunny can more easily fight against the larger but slower Chariots. Kiana…when she gets back, I will have a word with her."

Theresa and Himeko fell silent, knowing he was right. Never once did they doubt an order of his. Soon after, the transport ship carrying the girls docked with the Hyperion. They walked back into the bridge. Mei and Bronya were given congratulations from their teachers, but Kiana stood alone as if she knew he had been waiting for her in particular. Johann walked forward until they stood nearly face to face.

Kiana defiantly met his eyes. She clearly refused to back down from the decision she had made.

"Kiana Kaslana," he addressed her using the hardest and most authoritative tone he could muster. "Do you know what you've done today?"

She continued to glare back at him. "That's obvious. I defeated five Chariot-classes all on my own, leaving Mei and Bronya free to deal with the Knights instead. We cleared the entire outbreak without any help at all! You should be congratulating us more!"

Johann angrily shook his head while maintaining his equally intense stare. "No, Miss Kaslana. Today, you made a grievous mistake that could have cost your squadron members their lives." Kiana rolled her eyes at the absurd notion. She was about to protest when he continued. "Your first mistake was disobeying a direct order from your superior. Any military organization would have you court-martialed for this. Your second mistake was failing to recognize the differences in the capabilities of different classes of Honkai beast."

He had her attention now. The first signs of unease appeared on Kiana's face.

"You should have learned this at St. Freya," he continued, feeling much like a schoolteacher. "Knight-class Honkai beasts are named so for a reason. They're faster than most other terrestrial-based Honkai beasts and certainly faster than any Chariot. I ordered you to dispatch them because your own speed and agility surpass Bronya's Project Bunny. Bronya could defeat them on her own, but not as quickly and as effectively as you. In that time, the slower Chariots wouldn't have been able to cover much ground, giving Bronya and Mei the opportunity to dispatch them instead."

As he lectured her, the four other valkyries listened uncomfortably. Mei looked at her with worry.

"Any valkyrie should know this. Instead, you chose to pointlessly prioritize the Chariots and leave Bronya and Mei to risk themselves against the Knights' speed. Do you know what one of their lance charges can do to a mech? What do you think they can do to a valkyrie? Kiana, do you have any idea of the danger you put your friends in today?"

Kiana was sweating by now. She slowly turned her head to her two closest friends. Then she lowered her gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry, captain…I understand my mistake now. I'll listen to your orders from now on…I promise…just don't report me to Schicksal…"

He stared at the top of her head before sighing. He closed his eyes and sighed. "Kiana, look up at me."

She slowly and reluctantly looked up. To her surprise, she saw something in his eyes that was not quite praise but not quite disapproval.

"Kiana, I know you mean well. You're a valkyrie fighting for what's beautiful in our world. One day, you will accomplish great things, but for now, you need to listen to those who are fighting with you. Theresa, Major Murata, come over."

Theresa and Himeko walked over to them. Theresa patted her niece on her shoulder. "Kiana…relax. We aren't going to court-martial you. But you do need a long review of everything you learned in St. Freya's combat courses as well as a lesson in how to follow orders better. I'm sure Mei and Bronya will be happy to help you with this. Right, you two?"

Mei and Bronya quickly nodded.

"Good. You'll be starting right now. In the bridge. Captain, remember to pitch in!"

...

From that day onward, Kiana never disobeyed an order again. She seemed to take her captain's advice to heart and became all the more protective of Bronya and especially Mei. News of Squad V's exemplary performance spread quickly throughout Schicksal as did their captain's skill at command. The three B-rank valkyries never once required assistance from the S and A-ranks who oversaw them.

While Kiana still treated Johann with an inconsistent attitude - sometimes she nearly begged for his attention and at other times wanted absolutely nothing to do with him - Mei did not change from the day they first met. She was a cold and distant girl who had difficulty trusting others. He had little doubt as to why. Her father's highly publicized trial and eventual imprisonment must have caused her no end of grief and most likely made her the target of bullies. He was glad, then, that Kiana and Bronya were there for her. Only with them, and Theresa and Himeko as well, could she truly open up as the person she wanted to be. To Johann, however, she spoke only if necessary and avoided him otherwise.

Bronya was a unique case. She accepted him as her captain from the start, but somehow he could tell that she was perpetually on guard around him. An invisible tension gripped her even as she floated around during their conversations. He could not tell why. He was sure he had done nothing to make her feel uncomfortable or unsafe around him.

But over the months, Bronya began to warm up to him even as Kiana had. He did not know what he had done to make her truly accept him, but whatever the reason, he was glad for it, especially when she invited him to her cabin to play a video game with her. Bronya beat him soundly, but he enjoyed it as much as she had.

The six of them made for the perfect team. Outbreak after Honkai beast outbreak were eliminated with minimal difficulty. The latest was a group targeting a small town. It seemed like another routine enough mission.

Kiana, Bronya, and Mei effortlessly went through several standard Honkai beasts with their guns, Project Bunny, katana, and Neko Charm. There were only a few stragglers remaining when the Hyperion's sensors detected a rapid increase in Honkai energy. The energy burst grew in power until it had taken the form of a massive Honkai beast wielding a lance and a shield.

"Warning! A Templar-class Honkai beast has just emerged a hundred meters to your south!" Ai-chan warned the girls through their earpieces.

A Templar-class. This is bad.

One of the strongest forms of standard Honkai beasts, Templars could only be challenged by A-ranks or a group of several B-ranks. For all of their talent, Kiana and the others would not be able to defeat it on their own. He quickly motioned to Theresa and Himeko who stood in preparation for a scenario just like this one.

"Get behind cover. Wait for Theresa and Himeko to arrive. Don't let it see you - " Johann was in the middle of saying before the Templar spotted the trio. With a loud roar, it charged at top speed, aiming the lethal end of its lance directly at them.

The three girls managed to dodge its charge, but it quickly turned around and made another. It would catch them eventually. Honkai beasts did not tire from exhaustion. Valkyries did.

As Theresa and Himeko leaped from the Hyperion and hurtled to the ground at high speed, Johann gave the best order he could for the given situation.

"Evade the Templar at all costs until backup arrives. I repeat: evade it at all costs and do not engage. Theresa and Himeko are on their way."

The trio gave no indication they had heard, preoccupied as they were with dodging the Templar's relentless onslaught. His worry grew with each passing second.

"Captain, do you want me to prime the Hyperion's weapons?" asked Ai-chan.

"Do it. Prime all ventral railguns to fire and also the main cannon."

"The main cannon? Are you sure? You know what it can do. It's way overkill - "

"Do it, Ai-chan."

The Hyperion itself was primarily used as a transport vehicle for its complement of valkyries. Its own weapons were rarely used out of concern for inflicting the unnecessary collateral damage a team of valkyries was usually able to avoid. As its numerous guns trailed the Templar, it managed to avoid a clear line of fire by moving behind a large building, the same building Mei was hiding in. With a triumphant roar, it smashed through the walls of the building and struck at her with its lance.

Time slowed to a crawl.

Mei…

"MEI! NEKO CHARM!"

Kiana's burst mode activated, smashing into the Templar from above only for the Templar to live up to its reputation as a killer of valkyries by blocking the strike with its shield. Kiana was still in front of it after leaping in front of Mei. Too fast for her to react, it batted her aside with its lance and sent her crashing through several buildings.

The only thing he heard then was her name. Someone was screaming it. Her name was being screamed like he had never heard a name screamed before. He realized that the person screaming was himself when his arm gained a will of its own and reached for the main cannon's firing mechanism, overriding Ai-chan's frantic warnings.

The Hyperion's ventral cannon was the ultimate weapon in its extensive arsenal. Before it even fired, it had been loaded with a shell containing enough nuclear material to unleash an explosion equivalent to that of a nuclear weapon. Such an explosion was uncontrollable and likely to destroy the Hyperion itself, so complex mechanisms in the weapon system redirected the burst of energy into a stream of superheated plasma that struck the Templar at nearly the speed of light. The beam of energy perforated the building and atomized the Honkai beast in nanoseconds before it went further beyond and gouged out a trench that extended for kilometers deep into the Earth's crust.

Mei gasped as she witnessed the destruction in front of her. One moment the Templar was advancing on her for the kill. The next, it was completely gone. Only a large crater remained where it once stood, so deep she could not see into it.

At that moment, Bronya rushed up to her. "Are you injured?"

"We have to find Kiana now!" Mei replied in a panic. "The Templar, it…"

"It was destroyed by the Hyperion," Theresa said, checking both of them for injuries.

"I have Kiana! Hyperion, send down a ship right now!" they heard Himeko say. She was close by, holding Kiana in her protective arms. She was unconscious and bleeding with a ragged hole in her battlesuit and in her side.

...

The five of them watched robotic limbs with dextrous fingers operate on Kiana's injuries. They all trusted Ai-chan with Kiana's life.

There was no time to transport Kiana to a hospital, nor was there a need to. The Hyperion's sick bay was itself one of the most advanced hospitals in the entire world. Ai-chan handled the operations on her own with a human medical crew on standby. Slowly, Kiana stabilized, but it would be hours before she woke.

Johann looked at his companions with worry and then again at Kiana. "Himeko…Theresa…"

Their eyes were equally worried. "What is it?"

"...I don't know what came over me when Kiana was hurt…I shouldn't have fired the Hyperion's main cannon. Now this town will have a permanent reminder of what happened here today."

They smiled.

"Protecting his valkyries is what a captain's supposed to do, you know," Theresa said.

"You did your duty. We all did. Never feel bad about fighting the Honkai and protecting what's important," Himeko reassured him. "And besides, holes can always be covered up or filled in. And if they want, this town could always advertise their new tourist attraction."

He turned to Bronya and Mei. "Are you two alright?"

"Thank you for asking, captain. Bronya is uninjured."

"That's good, Bronya. But you know what I meant…"

"Bronya is pleased to know Kiana will make a full recovery."

"And you, Mei?"

Mei had been incredibly quiet ever since she returned to the Hyperion. He knew that she and Kiana were incredibly close, if not why. He saw the tears in her eyes being blinked away before she answered.

"Yes, captain. Please alert me when Kiana wakes up." Without waiting for an answer, she walked out of the sick bay. The others nodded at him before following Mei out, leaving Johann alone with her.

Without thinking, he walked over to her hospital bed, found a seat, and sat down beside her. Her closed eyes seemed at peace despite the pain she recently endured. Her breathing, slow, calm, and steady, reassured him of her recovery. He reached over and ran a hand through her long, silvery hair. It was surprisingly soft to the touch.

"Kiana…you did well today. You lived up to your family's heritage. You made us all proud."

He sat back in his seat and closed his eyes.

Serving on the Hyperion isn't an easy job.

...

Kiana woke to the sight of her captain sitting down beside her. He looked asleep with his eyes closed and his soft breathing. She was unsure why he was there before she remembered the events that must have led them here.

Ow…that Templar really hurt…is Mei alright? I have to see her!

She tried sitting up but immediately fell back down into the bed with a groan of pain, waking him up.

He blinked several times before remembering Kiana. He smiled.

"Welcome back, Kiana. How are you feeling?"

"Uh…it hurts, but I've felt worse. What are you doing here? Watching me sleep? I hope that you weren't a pervert who likes watching cute girls…"

"It seems more like you were watching me…but no, I was just checking on you when I must have fallen asleep myself…"

Kiana gave a painful laugh. "Is Mei alright? What happened to the Templar?"

At the mention of Mei's name, he remembered what she had asked. He took out his Schicksal-issued phone. "She's on her way. I just called her along with everyone else."

"Thanks, captain."

"And as for the Templar…I made sure it'll never hurt anyone again."

"You did? How?"

"With the Hyperion, of course. That's my job."

Kiana was aware that their battleship's weapons were only to be used in the direst of circumstances. "Things got that bad, huh."

He was quiet. "Kiana…"

She could sense the worry in his voice.

"You nearly died…"

"...Really?"

He slowly nodded. "If you weren't wearing your White Comet, you almost certainly would have."

Kiana reached down to the wound in her side and lightly touched it. She winced.

"Ugh…it reminds me of Nagazora. There was another Templar there, too."

He had heard only brief mentions of Kiana's time in the now-ruined city of Nagazora. She never spoke about it to him.

"What happened in Nagazora?"

"Well…uh…there was an outbreak there. Mei and Bronya were with me. We fought off Honkai beasts until a Templar attacked us. It knocked Bronya out and cut me across the back…and then the Hyperion arrived to rescue us."

He smiled. "I'm very glad it was there. And I'm very glad it was here today. I…I overreacted when you were hurt. I fired the Hyperion's main cannon, not caring about the collateral damage. And now there's a new tunnel in the ground."

Kiana's eyes were wide. "A tunnel? Really?"

He showed her photographs and diagrams of the hole the Hyperion had carved into the Earth.

"Wow…I never knew this ship could do that…" She met his eyes. He felt how soft they were. "Captain, you did that just to protect us?"

He reached forward and gently placed a hand on her head. She blushed but did not protest the act. "I did. I couldn't let it hurt Mei or Bronya after it had hurt you. I made sure of it."

Kiana's smile was one of the happiest he had ever seen. "Thank you, captain…I know that I disobeyed one of your orders again…but thank you…"

Confused, he asked, "An order? Which one?"

"You told us to evade the Templar at all costs…but I got in its way and attacked it…"

She decided that she liked the feeling of his hand through her hair.

"No, Kiana. What you did was the right thing. You protected your squad member and bought us time to eliminate the threat. You were very brave today, and all of us saw it. Well, done, Kiana Kaslana. You've made your family proud. You made all of us proud of you."

Something very close to tears built up in her eyes before she blinked them away.

"Oh, that must be Mei," Johann said after they heard a knock on the door. "I'll see her in. Rest well, Kiana. You've earned it."

She wanted to complain when his hand left her hair and he stood up, but she kept quiet.

He turned around and stepped outside the sick bay. Waiting for him was Mei.

"How is she?" she asked quietly. Unlike every time they spoke before, her eyes, the most violet he had ever seen, were looking directly into his own, the first time they had ever done so.

"She's fine. Kiana has been waiting for you. Go right on in."

He expected her to walk inside without giving him further thought, but she gave him a smile filled with warmth. "I will." She placed her hand on the door, but before opening it, she turned back to him. "Captain…thank you for protecting us today…and for guiding us on all of our missions. You're the best captain we could ever ask for."

Before he could respond, Mei disappeared behind the door.

You're welcome, Mei. It's my duty as your captain.

He heard footsteps approaching him. He turned to see Theresa, Himeko, and Bronya. They were all there for Kiana Kaslana. They always would be.