Project Asgard: Viking Assault Unit

by Dasmara

Definitely an AU. The Vikings are the new card in Schicksal's hands to complement the Valkyries in the endless Honkai War, they will wear the best armor, receive the best training, and Schicksal expect only the best result in return. Follow one of the recruits, Ryan Taurus, as he train to be a worthy Viking and build his legend...and perhaps, stealing Valkyrie hearts along the way.

3. Operation Dawn Breaker

N7Master: Yeah, essentially why I rewrite the whole thing. Thanks for reading, though soon is only hopes and dreams at this point haha.

Guest: Thank you, yes I'll try to, but no promise on that front...

So, given that Hoyoverse has some characters from their other games as alternate, I think I'll be taking some liberty for this one. It's already AU anyway, why not just go ham at it. For the armory, I will only include original weapons here, as for the others you can visit Honkai Impact wiki to learn more about them. I also decided to add glossary for the vehicles, it'll be in Hangar Bay section and will provide additional info on vehicles within this fic. Thanks for reading, I'll see you next time...whenever that is...

- Dasmara

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"Kiana, what is Mitochondria?" Himeko asked Kiana.

"H-Huh? Uh, a part of a cell?" Kiana answered while she cringed.

"And which part it responsible for?" Himeko asked her further.

"Um...I don't know" Kiana admitted while she closed her eyes.

"Then pay attention properly, or are you feeling sick at the moment?" Himeko asked her while she frowned.

"N-Nope! Just a bit distracted! Sorry, I'll pay attention!" Kiana replied.

Himeko nodded her head and continued with her lesson, Kiana sighed a bit before she glanced to the side and saw Bronya and Ryan with impassive face. The three of them had their phones beneath the desk, it was displaying a MOBA game and the screen that displayed 'DEFEATED!' in bold red letters. The three of them were gaming, and subsequently defeated because Himeko kept calling them one by one to answer the question. Oh, she knew they were gaming, that's why she's making them lose by doing just that. Fortunately for Ryan and Bronya, they could answer most of the questions, Kiana? Not so much.

"Screw that hag..." Kiana grumbled as she stored her phone.

"Bronya win streak...lost" Bronya lamented with flat face.

"There's always next time..." Ryan commented while he frowned.

"Hah, you three...Please pay attention in class, you can game during recess, okay?" Mei sighed as she facepalmed.

Mei shook her head at the antics of her friends, she just hoped that Himeko won't put them in detention or anything. For Ryan though, it didn't matter, because he's already in a detention after causing the scene with Howard last week. The punishment that Victoria gave him was a simple activity, of gun maintenance in the armory. In a sense, it also served as extra lesson for Ryan who could learn the internal parts of many guns that St. Freya Academy has. He had to maintain all of them, from knifes to recoilless rifles and it was fortunate that he was assisted by autonomous droid. Today was the same like any other day, he had to go to the armory and started his routine.

He got a batch of M20 SAR to clean and maintain, they're quite tricky to clean since it has many parts that needs care. Ryan sighed as he put the rifles on a desk, he took out a cleaning tool kit before he started disassembling one of it. He meticulously cleaned the barrel, the spring, the bolt, the trigger and the chamber before he reassembled it again. He put the finished weapon and a hovering droid took it and stored the rifle to its original rack, the droid then hovered on standby beside him, waiting for another finished maintenance. It was tedious, boring and frankly tiring process for the young man...But he got to soldier on, it was a punishment for his loose lips.

Ryan worked on all of the batch, he stored the tools and then patted the droid gently before he left the armory. The sky had turned orange, the sun was almost set in the horizon and the students around the combat division building were on their way home or finishing up their extracurricular activities. Ryan paid them no mind, he exited the school, board a train, went to Yae Eatery and started his shift. The man felt tired, but he powered through, giving his best smile and did his best to serve the customers coming to the restaurant. Sakura noticed his tiredness however, the girl was noticing the signs like Ryan taking extra second to respond, the young woman waited until they closing the shop before she pulled him to the side.

"...Taurus-kun, you don't look so good" Sakura noted while she frowned.

"...I guess I couldn't hide my tiredness, huh?" Ryan replied while he smiled bitterly.

"No, you can't, not with how tired you are. You need to rest, Taurus-kun" Sakura told him.

"Tomorrow is Sunday, right? Don't worry, I'll rest then" Ryan said to her while he smiled.

"I'll visit you tomorrow, Taurus-kun. I'll help you out with your tiredness" Sakura said to the young man.

"Visit me?" Ryan cocked his eyebrows.

"I know how to relieve tiredness and fatigue; it should help you out in preparing for that upcoming mission" Sakura reasoned while she smiled.

"No need to go that far for me, Yae-san" Ryan tried to deny her help.

"You're my classmates and an employee in our family restaurant, I have enough reason to go this far, Taurus-kun. It's okay, I don't feel burdened in the slightest" Sakura argued while she smiled.

"...Okay, fine, I accept your offer" Ryan relented before he sighed slightly.

"Yosh. Now, you get changed and then go home. Let me and otou-san handle the cleanup" Sakura said to him.

"Wait what, I can't do tha-" Ryan cocked his eyebrows.

"Yes, you can, now come on" Sakura turned Ryan around before she pushed him gently.

Ryan shrugged a bit as he went back inside, changed his clothes and headed straight home. When he arrived, the man felt his body weakening and he leaned against the wall. He didn't feel it before, but now it's the only thing he could think about. Ryan didn't realize how tired he was, this was dangerous as one could die from exhaustion. The young man sighed as he took off his clothes, thrown it to the floor and just plopped himself to the bed. He's too tired to move or even care about cleaning himself before bed.

...The next day arrived in no time, Ryan slept throughout the night without dreaming anything. That's how tired he was in actuality, the young man woke up feeling lethargic, but at least his body rejuvenated to some extent. He stretched his arms and smelled himself before he recoiled, because it smelled like something died between his armpits. Ryan went to the bathroom, took a long and relaxing hot shower before he dressed casually. The young man checked his phone and sure enough, he saw several messages from his friends and acquaintances. But one thing he didn't expect was a message from unknown number. The profile picture shown him to be Siegfried Kaslana, the message was for him to meet him at the convenience store near his apartment.

"...Wonder what he wants" Ryan mumbled to himself.

Ryan put on a black hoodie above his white t-shirt, he put on a clean jeans and pair of sneakers before he went outside. Ryan walked to the convenience store and sure enough, he saw Siegfried leaning on the wall with a cigarette between his lips. He dressed casually too, and the man waved his right hand slightly as he saw Ryan approaching. Normally, when a boy got called by the father of a girl, either he fucked up royally because he impregnated his daughter out of wedlock or the father got something to talk about in private. In this case, Ryan had no idea on what awaits him, but Siegfried didn't have a shotgun with him so he felt safe at the moment.

"Looking sharp, Ryan" Siegfried greeted him.

"Hey Mr. Siegfried, I just saw your message" Ryan greeted back.

"Yeah, you made me wait here awhile. But that's fine! I need the smoke break anyway, haha" Siegfried told him while he grinned.

"Right, so what do you need?" Ryan asked him.

"I need you to accompany this old man for a bit, I was told to get out of the house" Siegfried shrugged.

"Huh? What happened?" Ryan cocked his eyebrows.

"It's my birthday, I think Kiana, Kallen and Cecilia are making cakes and cooking some food..." Siegfried revealed before he sucked his cigarette.

"O-Oh, happy birthday to you" Ryan told him while he smiled.

"Thanks kid..." Siegfried thanked him before he puffed a cloud of smoke.

"...Want me to give you a present?" Ryan offered.

"Ehh, I heard of your monetary situation from Kiana, no need to buy me anything. Instead, why don't I do it in reverse, hmm? I'll let you buy something or do something" Siegfried said to Ryan while he grinned.

"That's not exactly the norm with birthday" Ryan said to Siegfried while he smiled.

"Well, it's my birthday, I get to do whatever I want. Now come on, hop in the car, let's take a drive somewhere" Siegfried grinned as he threw the burnt cigarette to the trash can.

Ryan shrugged before he did what Siegfried said, the young man entered the shotgun side while Siegfried slid across the hood of his own car. The act caused Ryan to chuckled slightly, Siegfried maybe entering his middle age days but the man is certainly young spirited. Siegfried entered the driver seat, keyed the car and drove the car out of the apartment area. He set the radio to play his song collection, some rock music played through the car speakers as the driver put on a sunglass. Ryan took a look of the car, he noted the layout and the decorations it has.

"What's on your mind?" Siegfried asked Ryan.

"It just feels strange to take a drive with my friend's dad" Ryan answered.

"Lighten up, Ryan. You're my daughter's friend, that's more than enough reason to hang out with you. Hope I didn't sound too old though, your taste and mine might differ" Siegfried told him while he smiled a bit.

"Mine's not exactly like latest generation too" Ryan said to Siegfried.

"Heh, I see...So, anything you want to do? Or buy?" Siegfried asked Ryan.

"Well, I haven't had breakfast yet" Ryan noted as he rubbed his stomach.

"Breakfast it is then! I know a good place" Siegfried agreed while he grinned.

Siegfried drove the car to the beach area; he went through several blocks before he finally stopped in front of a building that looked like an old restaurant. It was made of wood and a jarring contrast compared to the other building that's made of bricks, however the place was quite crowded with people eating breakfast. Ryan and Siegfried entered the building, Siegfried told Ryan to sit in the corner before he raised his right hand up. That was all it took for someone on the kitchen to notice, someone walked out and greeted Siegfried. Ryan noted that it was a man with common black hair, haircut and even generic face he'll see around downtown. Both chatted a bit before he handed Siegfried something, Ryan could saw that it was a data storage or something closely shaped.

"Thanks bud" Siegfried thanked the man.

"Anytime. Anyway, who's the guy?" The man asked Siegfried as he glanced at Ryan.

"Acquaintance of mine. Get us two paella and some iced tea, would you?" Siegfried asked the man.

"Sure sure" The man left him.

"...Business?" Ryan asked Siegfried.

"Something like that" Siegfried said to him as he sat down.

"Anyway, what's this place about? Never been here before" Ryan asked Siegfried.

"This place was an old restaurant that was built since the founding of Soukai, I've been coming here ever since my family moved to this city. They got the best fried rice around, you need to taste it at least once!" Siegfried answered while he grinned.

"You're the veteran here, I'll take your recommendation" Ryan told him while he shrugged.

"Yeap, you won't regret it" Siegfried assured while he grinned.

While waiting for their breakfast to arrive, Ryan checked his phone and saw a selfie got sent by Kiana who grinned with a spot of frosting on her right cheek, she was bragging that she can bake a delicious cake and he should tell her about his birthday. Ryan smiled as he replied that his birthday is on 30th October, naturally Kiana already knew but she pretended otherwise by sending a thumbs up sticker...Ryan smiled wider before he put his phone in his pocket, that's when he noticed that Siegfried was observing his face. The man looked serious, but one gaze at his eyes and anyone could see the hints of paternal warmth swirling.

"...Mind if I ask something, Mr. Siegfried?" Ryan asked the man.

"Shoot" Siegfried told him as he leaned on his seat.

"Someone won't just ask his daughter's friend to go on a walk with him willy nilly, what's your real reason for bringing me out here?" Ryan immediately fired the question.

"Sharp, eh? Or, that's just your common-sense speaking...To be honest with you, aside from getting out of the house, I actually want to know more about you. Ryan Taurus, best shooter among the Vikings and not to mention an unmatched CQC skills that's only beaten by Fu Hua so far...Tell me, how did you do it? How did you become so skilled?" Siegfried asked Ryan with serious face.

"...Hah...If you know that much, then you must've known that I'm a survivor from Southern Japan Honkai Event. I didn't survive all of that by hiding in the shadows with every problem that came my way, I had to fight, and I had to fight hard...Scavenged whatever resources I can get, deal with devils, suffer abandonment, betrayals, insanity, guilt...and even other unsavory things...When you live in a lawless land, every person you meet could be your end, each food you eat could be your last...Honkai, dehydration, starvation, bullets, blades, disease, explosives, I've seen people die from all of those" Ryan somberly recalled.

"I can imagine, surviving all that proves that you're strong and lucky, Ryan" Siegfried nodded his head.

"Can you really imagine what I had to experience?" Ryan asked the man while he frowned.

"I'm a veteran of the Second Honkai Impact, Ryan. I've seen firsthand on what Honkai did to people who are stuck within the exclusion zone. I'm no stranger to all of that, so believe me when I say that I can imagine what you went through" Siegfried assured with serious face.

"...Right...Sorry if I came off as rude" Ryan told the older man.

"Ah don't sweat it, I want to know something that you don't consider a good memory, it's reasonable" Siegfried reasoned while he smiled.

"...May I ask why you want to know that?" Ryan asked him.

"...Well, I was just curious. You don't become skilled as you are without sheer experience, even talents can only carry you so far without field application...The time you spent in combat must've been higher than average Schicksal Troopers, you're more of a seasoned veteran, when it comes to pure experience" Siegfried said to the young man.

Siegfried knew all about Ryan's experience, because there's nothing Schicksal couldn't find out. Once Ryan's position was known by them, they immediately sent several Valkyries alongside two detachments of Schicksal Elite Troopers to capture him. They schemed it by having Ryan investigate a local Honkai Energy concentration, and they coincidentally also sent those units there to find out more. Nothing a subtle nudge and careful manipulation couldn't do; Ryan indeed was there when the unit arrived. What's strange about it was the fact that as soon as they arrived, the Honkai Energy concentration also weakened before vanishing completely, as if it knew that they're coming.

Through their agents working within the exclusion zone as undercover survivors, they knew the extent of what Ryan had done within the area. The exclusion zone settlements is divided into several factions, and Ryan decided to side with one of them. Loners tends to fell extremely easy within the exclusion zone, at least with the factions one could get a sense of normal civilization, even as primitive as might makes right society. Only the strongest in influence could dictate those groups, and Ryan was just a teenager wanting to survive as he searched for his missing mother. Eyewitness accounts said that Ryan was one of their top Divers, a term for those who routinely went out from safe shelters to search for loot or running missions for the factions.

It had been said that Ryan deployed solo most of the time, despite that most Divers preferred to go in duo or four men team. But if it was a faction war, Ryan often joined a free slot within a team. The young man was said to be quite skilled in fighting, he was adept at stealth and could remain deployed for weeks into the exclusion zone. He destroyed at least one tiny faction on his own, to be the one to stay within heavily infested Kyoto for two weeks straight, had a bounty on his head within the exclusion zones so he was often hunted, helped many factionless survivors along his way, visited brothels in neutral areas at least several times, and unknowingly helped one of the Schicksal informants from dying by providing first aid.

Most of the information were rumors, but some like helping Schicksal informant and bounty to his name was proven true. In the exclusion zone, he was known with the name 'Hikage'for his moniker and reputation. It helped in covering his real identity given that everyone he knew either missing or dead, and Ryan was smart enough to never tell others regarding his real name, even ending up burning his student ID or other identification cards on him. With those out of the way, he's an anonymous teenager who's good at doing his job. At least, until Schicksal found out about him.

"It's good to see you're okay now" Siegfried said to Ryan while he smiled.

"Yeah, I like what I have at the moment" Ryan agreed as he nodded.

The middle-aged man wasn't only glad to see Ryan being fine, he was relieved and happy to have finally found him...for Siegfried knew Ryan's father very well. Fredrick Taurus was someone he could trust with anything, among Schicksal members, the man was truly the ride or die best friend he ever had. Both of them were the duo knights that Schicksal rely on so much in the past, human or Honkai were no match whenever they worked together. He was one of the people that helped him in courting Cecilia, defending the man from Otto Apocalypse himself and recommended to 'supervise' him as a Schicksal Knight.

They trained together, went on mission together and Siegfried cannot thank him enough for everything Fredrick had done for him. They lived near one another, so naturally their families also became as close as they were. Fredrick even jokingly said that he'll let Ryan, his son, to marry Kiana in the future. The man knew that the child raised by both Siegfried and Cecilia will turned to be a good one, Fredrick would feel at ease with his son's future wife already determined. The sentiment only became stronger once Kiana declared that she'll marry Ryan when they're older, making Siegfried, Fredrick, Cecilia and Aurora jokingly call their friends with brother or sister term as they're going to be family in the future.

Those were the happier days, because when Second Honkai Impact occurred the parents were heavily involved in the heavy lifting for mankind's survival. They decided to put Ryan and Kiana on Schicksal shelter instead of leaving them in the headquarters, Aurora was the one who suggested that they'll be hidden on the edge of Siberia so they can quickly relocate them without having to go all the way to Schicksal HQ. Aurora didn't trust Schicksal members despite being one, and she's especially concerned with Otto himself.

They continued their fight for some time, scoring victories and minimizing loss as best as they could. That's until a Herrscher, the 2nd one to be precise, called Sirin, was rampaging around Siberia during the Second Honkai Impact. Neutralizing her was one of their main jobs at the time, he, Cecilia, Theresa and Fredrick were fighting to kill her in the ending hours of Second Honkai Impact. Aurora revealed that Cecilia's Shariac blood is able to be used to temporarily neutralize Honkai, thus allowing them to kill the Herrscher. However, using too much of it will definitely kill Cecilia instead. Cecilia planned to sacrifice herself, especially after Siegfried, Fredrick, and Theresa was too wounded and exhausted to continue the fight.

Otto decided to do scorch earth tactic by unleashing Fission Missiles at their location, the detonation will erase everyone within the blast zone. She however, was stopped by Fredrick, who pulled himself up and extracted some of Cecilia's blood after temporarily paralyzing her with a stun gun. Siegfried was half conscious as he watched everything went down, and the man was in too much shock at what his best friend pulled. Fredrick told them that if there's anyone dying today, it will be him and Sirin. Then, Fredrick pulled an artifact that summoned a portal before throwing all three of his comrades through it. His last words? 'Take care of my son, and raise him to be a fine man worthy of the name Taurus!'.

...The portal took them to the shelter where they kept Ryan and Kiana, all three found that the shelter was under attack by Honkai creatures. However, they're too weak to fight at their best, especially after fighting a powerful Herrscher. Still, they managed to repel the creatures with the assistance of joint UNAF and Schicksal forces. After spending half an hour scouring the shelter for signs of Kiana and Ryan, they found her unconscious in the medical wing, tended by doctors as she was found on the field of snow all alone. When she woke up, Cecilia and Siegfried hugged her tightly and asked whether she had seen Ryan.

At the mention of his name, Kiana wailed loudly. The girl said that Ryan protected her from Honkai creatures, an eight years old kid managed to kill one with a grenade he took from nearby fallen UNAF infantry. He was wounded when he saved Kiana from being impaled by a zombified Valkyrie, his right cheek was slashed from the zombie's blade. However, he managed to bring her down all by himself. Kiana was too exhausted to move and she was losing consciousness when she saw Ryan was being approached by a woman, she has long green hair and pale blueish eyes...Just like Ryan.

At the same day as that happened, Aurora went missing from Schicksal sensor and no one know where she was. With Schicksal being a supranational organization entity, it was an incredible feat for her to avoid being detected by them. Siegfried, Cecilia and Theresa knew it was Aurora who took him away and they had been missing ever since then. At least until Ryan Taurus was found in Southern Japan, ten years later. Otto tried to hide the info from the Cecilia, Theresa and Siegfried, however Theresa managed to find out due to her snooping around and asking her source of information. She still didn't know why Otto tried to involve Ryan in whatever plan he got, but she's going to do her best to protect him from the manipulative Schicksal Overseer.

During the ten years period, Siegfried and Cecilia did their best to raise Kiana while still searching for Aurora's whereabout. When Ryan was founded, both Cecilia and Siegfried scrambled to meet him immediately. However, Theresa brought grave news, that he didn't remember any of them. Both of them were forced to watch from behind one way mirror as Theresa and Himeko asked Ryan questions, they were subtle enough that Ryan didn't realize that he was being questioned about his past. Cecilia even cried when she saw his lost lower right arm, the young man had prosthetic in place but it looked damaged and basically patched with scraps. Still, surviving for three years within exclusion zone with only moderate amount of Honkai in his body was an amazing feat. Theresa had an antidote administered to him as soon as he arrived on St. Freya Academy.

It was confirmed that he didn't remember them and he didn't know where his mother was, but the next step was what made Siegfried saddened yet proud at the same time. Theresa tested him for his combat skills, Ryan was told to complete an obstacle course before having to fight waves of enemy training dolls. The young man fought with such ferocity and lethality with the weapons he got, firearms, melee weapons, CQCs and even improvised weapons like items and environments around him. Siegfried even momentarily muttered Fredrick's name when he saw Ryan's back as he just finished off a doll with a sword, the young man fought so much like his father when holding a sword and a handgun.

His physical checkup result came shortly and they could detect inert Honkai particles within his blood, not even the antidote could get rid of it. They didn't detect any source of Honkai corruption within his body, and Ryan didn't show any sign of sickness based on Honkai exposure. However, that might explain why his eyes became crimson red instead of the pale blue like Aurora's. After much contemplation, they cannot let him go and decided that the new Viking experimental program would suit him well instead of training him as a Schicksal Knight. Siegfried, Cecilia and Theresa made promises with one another that they're not only going to take care of him, but also raise him in accordance to Fredrick's last wish.

"...You okay?" Ryan noticed Siegfried was being quiet.

"Huh? Oh, sorry, spaced out a bit there, must've been my age hahaha!" Siegfried light heartedly replied.

The problem being they cannot be overt about their efforts; it's why they didn't let him stay in Kaslana's house and sending monetary help. But the next problem was Kiana herself, the poor girl was feeling five stages of grief within a day when she saw Ryan Taurus returning to her life. She almost punched Theresa out of shock and anger for hiding the information about him, denying that he lost his memories, bargaining to reveal everything to him, and then finally accepted that Ryan indeed forgotten her...Still, Siegfried noticed that his daughter tried her best to befriend Ryan from scratch, and she somehow did it. Nowadays, every time she went back from school, there's at least one story about the boy in front of him, no matter how mundane it was...Ten years had passed, and her love for him never recedes.

"Haha, yeah let's hope that's not dementia signs" Ryan joked while he smiled wryly.

"Oh, that'll be a bitch to handle, I'd rather not" Siegfried replied while he grinned.

Both chuckled before their paella arrived, they eat the food while chatting leisurely and then set out for another part of the city. Siegfried took him to play billiard, batting, arcade and even go kart. Ryan got to admit, he hadn't had that much fun in years. It was a chance for him to let loose, to explore the inner child he didn't know he still have. It was so much fun to just enjoy the world without having to survive within the exclusion zone, a very great reminder of himself before Southern Japan Honkai Invasion. Now he remembered that he used to enjoy thrill rides, to indulge in sweets, to game on his free time and often with Aurora watching him...Life was good, and it can be better once he got everything settled in Soukai.

To Siegfried, the man was having so much fun because of him essentially getting his lost son back. Sure, Kiana could be quite a daddy's girl and don't have any problems in keeping up with him or his shenanigans, but there's just something different in doing all of those activities with a girl and a boy. Siegfried decided to bring Ryan to his home which located in downtown housing complex, the man glanced at Ryan who's noting the new environment around him. Ryan memorized all the roads he took today, and now he could find Kiana's neighborhood when he has to visit in the future without having to look at map application.

"We're here, welcome to Kaslana Household" Siegfried announced while he smiled.

They stopped at a relatively normal house with a garage to the left side, it's a two-story house that's not small but not overtly big as well. The wall was painted white and supplemented with chocolate roof, there are small garden behind the gate that led to the house, they're full of flowers of varying colors which bloomed beautifully during late spring. Siegfried parked his car before he guided Ryan into the house. The man opened the front door and entered the house, Ryan followed closely behind him and was greeted with a sight of Cecilia greeting her husband back home with a kiss to the lips.

"...Welcome back dear, how was the outing?" Cecilia asked him while she smiled.

"Oh, very fun, should've done it with you and the others too. Next week?" Siegfried asked his wife.

"...I'm going to be ovulating on that day..." Cecilia almost whispered to Siegfried while she smiled...sensuously.

"Well well, can't ignore my wife on that day. How about we have fun during the day and then have 'fun' during the night, hmm?" Siegfried whispered while he wiggled his eyebrows.

"Ufufu, looking forward to it...Ah, welcome Ryan! Glad to have you finally visit!" Cecilia answered before she greeted Ryan.

"Hello Mrs. Cecilia, this is a nice and comfy house" Ryan said to Cecilia while he smiled.

"Courtesy of our hard work, ufufu. Come in, have a seat in the living room. Ziggy, I have something to discuss in private" Cecilia told Ryan before she notified Siegfried.

"Sure darling. Ryan, kick back and rest your feet a bit. We'll be back shortly" Siegfried told him before he and Cecilia went upstairs.

"Oh! I heard a familiar name, didn't expect you to show up here today though" Suddenly, Kallen snuck her head out from behind a corner.

"Kallen? You're here?" Ryan asked her as he approached.

"Well, I'm Kiana's cousin so this is basically my second house" Kallen told him while she smiled.

"Why do you live in an apartment then? You could just stay here?" Ryan asked her.

"I...have my reasons, and it's nothing bad or involving the family here...Anyway, come on, you must be tired from walking around the city" Kallen seemed to not want to discuss it.

Ryan chose to not pursue it at the moment, he followed Kallen into the living room before he sat on the sofa. Kiana was nowhere to be found but Kallen didn't mind in the slightest, Ryan just assumed that she went to the toilet. The young man leaned on the sofa and sighed, he just recovered from his exhaustion and now he's feeling that he drained whatever energy he managed to restore last night. Without realizing it, the man felt his eyes getting heavier so he shut them for a bit. That was the plan until he felt something soft pressing on his lips, he reacted without thinking, grabbed whatever was in front of him and slammed it to the couch.

"Kyaa!" Ryan could hear a feminine yelp.

"Huh? What the?" Ryan opened his eyes in confusion.

Below him was Kiana, dressed in white camisole and black hot pants. The girl was planning to prank the young man by pressing his lips with a jelly, she didn't expect to get grabbed, thrown to the sofa and pinned down by the man she loves. Honestly, Kiara liked it, to be manhandled by him, to know that he's quite strong despite her outclassing him in raw strength, the unexpected act made her gulped in anticipation on what he will do next...Will he pounce her? Will he back down?

"Wow!" Kallen exclaimed.

"Kiana, dear, are you okay? Oh dear..." Cecilia appeared and closed her mouth with her hands.

"I heard something, what...Boy oh boy!" Siegfried followed up and was surprised.

"...This is going to take a while to explain..." Ryan muttered with half closed eyes.

...After awkwardly explaining the incident to Kallen, Cecilia and Siegfried, they finally gathered within the living room as Cecilia, Kiana and Kallen brought all the food they cooked just for today. Plenty of dishes were made, like spaghetti, sausages, casserole and accompanied with wine. Everyone sat down as Cecilia brought out the birthday cake from the kitchen, they sang happy birthday to Siegfried who smiled widely before he blew the candle as he made his wish. After that, everyone started with their early dinner as they talked and spent time with one another. Siegfried turned the TV channel to comedy show so they could watch and have a laugh together, Ryan was watching until Kiana poked his left cheek and asked him to follow her...into her room.

Now, being a healthy young man with lots of repressed lust, Ryan COULDN'T helped himself from thinking something inappropriate. However, he managed to shook it off by using his brain instead his testicles to think. It's Kiana, a good friend of his, inviting him to her bedroom, while her cousin and parents were downstairs...He got to admit, it sounded like a doujinshi plot...Kiana opened her room and Ryan followed inside, it's a pretty neat one with white paint, wooden furniture, several trinkets here and there alongside a gun rack full of handguns. Despite being quite tomboyish, Kiana still has dolls around her bed, and there's quite the number of them.

"Welcome to my room~" Kiana welcomed while she grinned.

"Quite homely...Didn't expect you to play with dolls though" Ryan noted as he saw the dolls.

"Hey, who said I can't play with dolls? They're cute, you can blame Bronya for that though" Kiana pouted while she stared at him.

"Bronya get you into dolls? Well, I can kind of see that" Ryan commented as he picked one Homu doll.

"I won that in the arcade, took me ten tries" Kiana informed while she smiled.

"Are all these dolls from the arcade?" Ryan asked her.

"Pretty much. More will be added in the future~" Kiana grinned.

Ryan smiled at her statement before he sat on the bed, it felt springy and comfortable. While he did that, Kiana reached for a blue box she has on top of her study desk, the girl opened it and tossed a packaging at Ryan. The man caught it and noticed that Kiana just tossed him a milk chocolate bar, he stared at it then to Kiana who gave him a thumbs up while she grinned. The man snorted before he nodded in appreciation, he opened it and took a bite. It was rich in milky flavor while being a chocolate at the same time, he originally didn't like it but being stranded in exclusion zone will change someone's perspective.

"...Ryan, you ready for the mission?" Kiana asked him.

"The one on Yi Island with the pirates, ready as I can be" Ryan answered.

"You don't feel nervous?" Kiana asked him again.

"Just another day at work, get in, shoot them, secure the base and get out...That's it" Ryan responded.

"...Yeah, that's it, for you guys at least...Fufu, it's going to be our first mission together" Kiana remarked while she smiled softly.

"True, hope I won't hold you back out there" Ryan told her while he smiled.

"Hey now, with what I've seen and heard? You're going to do just fine. Leave the Honkai to us, just make sure we won't get shot down the moment we deploy" Kiana assured while she smiled.

"Hahaha...Right, especially with Sleipnir Armor...I used to rely on shit armors or no protection at all in the exclusion zone, good armor with energy shielding is like a godsend or something" Ryan commented while he smiled slightly.

"I'm glad you're okay despite that...Well, you did lose your right hand, but it's better than your head, right? Hehehe" Kiana assured before she giggled slightly.

"Heh, I'm glad that I still have my roguish good looks" Ryan smirked as he traced the scar on his right cheek.

"Speaking of good looks...What's with that scar, Ryan? How did you get it?" Kiana asked the young man.

"Right now, I have no idea. I have this ever since I lost my memory, so I must've got it before I was ten years old or something..." Ryan honestly answered.

Kiana went silent but she traced his scar lightly with her slender fingers, feeling the mark with a soft gaze and slight frown. She knew exactly how he got it, but she can't bring herself to reveal who she was to him. Not now, maybe in the future, if there's a sign of Ryan's memory returning. The young woman then did the unthinkable for Ryan, she leaned in and pecked the wound on his right cheek. That prompted the man to widened his eyes as he turned toward Kiana, he knew she's a forward girl but he did not expect her to kiss his cheek in the slightest. Kiana giggled openly when she saw his expression, it was a genuine confusion mixed with bafflement.

"Ufufufufu, what's with that look?" Kiana asked him after she's done giggling.

"Sorry, was just surprised that you kissed my cheek all of a sudden" Ryan responded while he pursed his lips.

"Oh that? I was just giving the girl a favor" Kiana told him.

"Ha?" Ryan was confused even more.

"Hmm, I got a feeling that you get it because you protected a girl from harm. That seems to be the kind of thing you'll do~" Kiana said to Ryan while she winked.

"That's mighty presumptuous even for you, Kiana" Ryan said to her while he smiled.

"Call it a girl's hunch~, I just thanked you in her stead too~" Kiana teased while she grinned.

Ryan smiled before he nodded his head in resignation, that while Kiana felt herself screamed within her own heart. That was a reckless maneuver, but at least she managed to thank the young man for saving her live back then, even without him knowing it. When he remembered once again, she'll be sure to do it again on the lips...After that, Kallen joined them within the room and they spent some time with one another. At least until Ryan got a message from Sakura, she was keeping her promise and told him to inform her on when she can visit his room. Ryan told her that Kallen was with him so he'll take a while, and Sakura did the unexpected as she told him that she's going to meet him and Kallen directly.

Exactly with her words, Sakura indeed came to the Kaslana's house. Cecilia welcomed her in like Sakura already been to their house before, the pink haired young woman soon joined Ryan and the others within Kiana's room. Sakura dressed casually, with turtleneck sweater and long skirt while carrying a purse bag. Kallen dressed in buttoned t-shirt and jeans while Kiana wore camisole and short pants...Now that Ryan thought about it, he mostly saw these girls with their uniform so seeing them in casual or outing getup was quite refreshing. Despite knowing them for two months, he realized that there's still so much he didn't know about his friends.

"Wait, for real?" Kiana asked Sakura.

"Yes, I heard from Himeko sensei that we might get exchange students from headquarters. Those Valkyrie trainees most likely aren't someone we can underestimate" Sakura told Kiana while she smiled.

"Hmm, I never heard that Schicksal Headquarters have an academy" Kallen commented while she rubbed her chin.

"Precisely, but she mentioned students nevertheless. Perhaps they do have one, just without the grand buildings or the publicity in other branches?" Sakura reasoned.

"Maybe, I'm excited to meet them if they indeed going to come here" Kallen expressed while she smiled.

"Are they even going to be first years? They can be a senior, you know?" Kiana asked out loud.

"And what difference does it make?" Kallen asked Kiana.

"With how we addressed them, this is Far East, Kallen, not Europe" Kiana told her.

"Ah right, those senpai-kouhai thingy huh?" Kallen noted while she nodded.

"Didn't you call Mei with senpai before? What makes you stop?" Sakura asked Kiana.

"She wasn't really fond of it even though she's older, she told me to just call her Mei" Kiana said to Sakura while she grinned.

"Since when?" Kallen asked Kiana.

"Hmm, around the end of middle school. I do admit it makes us closer compared to before" Kiana answered while she tapped her chin.

Throughout the conversation, Ryan was silently listening while he borrowed Kiana's PC to browse the web. He knew that Kiana and Mei go way back before the academy, but didn't expect to be as far as middle school. Then again, they're already somewhat a Valkyrie by that age. Ryan heard that the girl's middle school also train Schicksal Knights, though they're not as powerful as the Valkyrie, they're still an anti-Honkai unit with prowess of their own right. Like Siegfried, Ryan didn't doubt that between him and Cecilia, she's the stronger one.

Still, Schicksal Knights are more than soldiers to fight horde of Honkai creatures, they also serve as guards, special operation and even envoys for diplomatic businesses. Schicksal got their average troops in case of war with hostile humans, but they're less trained or as specially equipped as Schicksal Knights. So, in terms of priority units, its Valkyries, then knights, and the general infantries. Honestly speaking, Ryan once wanted to become a Schicksal Knight, but his mother shot the idea down and said that she would be prouder of him joining the United Nations Armed Force. Back then, he didn't understand why would his mother forbade him. Now with some info being known about her, It made perfect sense to him.

"Speaking of that. Taurus-kun, I came to fulfill my words last night" Sakura shifted the topic.

"You really mean it, huh?" Ryan commented as he looked at Sakura.

"Of course, I even brought lotions so it'll feel extra good. Kiana, do you mind if we use your bed?" Sakura asked Kiana.

"Eh, ehh?! W-What for?!" Kiana's cheeks reddened as she asked the pink haired girl.

"Hmm? I'm going to care for Taurus-kun here" Sakura told her.

"I-In my own room?! What the fuck!?" Kiana swore as she stood up.

"Why are you so pissed off? It's just a massage, Kiana" Ryan interjected while he smirked.

"Huh?! O-O-Oh...I-I see" Kiana muttered as her whole face blushed from embarrassment.

"...You are a pervert, just like your history tabs said about you" Ryan commented as he stood up.

Kiana screeched as she shoved Ryan away from her computer and looked at the opened history window...My childhood friend is a pervert, my next-door neighbor masturbation diary, how he dominates my virgin pussy, the art of mating press, my classmate advances, my classmate advances 2, burning love between me and my childhood friend...As Ryan noted, Kiana has SPECIFIC taste and all of those were read in the last two weeks...Ryan snickered before Kiana threw him a plushy as she blushed heavily, she couldn't believe that her secret past time get exposed because she forgot to delete her browser history.

After that, Sakura told Ryan to take off his clothes. The young man promptly asked whether he had to take off his underpants as well, that made Kiana, Kallen and Sakura blush from the image and the possibility of them seeing his...cannon. Sakura recovered sooner than the others and told him to keep his boxers, Ryan nodded and he took off his apparel without a hint of shame. The girls blushed a bit more before they squinted their eyes at the number of scars Ryan has around his body, gunshot wounds, stitch marks and some burned spots. Among them Kiana was the first to approach and traced another scar on his abdomen, it was quite long and has lots of stitch marks on it.

"Ah, that was after I narrowly avoided a Knight Class Honkai Beast" Ryan told her while he smiled wryly.

"And this one?" Kiana asked Ryan as she pointed at a gunshot wound to his right stomach.

"Failed armor, it was pretty used up and a shot went through. It was a handgun though and my muscle stopped it" Ryan revealed to her.

"What about this?" Kiana asked a gash on his right chest.

"A zone dweller fought with me for the food I got, he was carrying a katana" Ryan told her.

Kiana asked him about every single scar he has and Ryan answered every question, Kallen noted that Kiana's face became sadder with each revelation about the cause of Ryan's scars. Kallen could see that Kiana really treat Ryan differently compared to the other boys, but this is beyond having a crush. Something else was going on here, and Kallen was very interested. She contemplated whether she should ask Kiana or probs Cecilia for some information...Either way, she'll find out why Kiana seemed so interested with this young man.

Sakura cleared her throat and beckoned Ryan to lay down on top of the bed, he did and shown his back to Sakura who oiled her hands before rubbing them together. Then, Sakura started her massage, Ryan groaned in pleasure from his tiredness being massaged away. It felt very great for him who never got a massage before, he should make going to massages a habit or something. But the money required made him hesitates, and he's not sure asking Sakura to do it when he wants to is a good idea. Sakura reached a spot on his spine before she pressed it hard, cracking the bones with a loud crunch and causing Ryan to almost moaned from the pleasure alone.

"Ahhh..." Ryan groaned in pleasure.

"Ryan, y-you're moaning quite a bit..." Kallen noted with wry smile.

"Can't help it, it feels great..." Ryan grumbled while he closed his eyes.

"I never knew you're good at giving massages" Kallen said to Sakura.

"Mother taught me; she said it'll be a useful skill to have and she's absolutely right" Sakura responded while she smiled.

GRUK!

"Ah hell yes..." Ryan hissed.

"...I kind of want to try it too now" Kiana commented.

"Yeah, same" Kallen followed.

"Fufu, as long as you keep it secret between us, I'm not ready to open massage parlor anytime soon~" Sakura joked while she smiled.

When the massage was done, Ryan could immediately feel the difference before and after the treatment. The young man felt his body reenergized and full of vitality, he felt better than he did since forever and even his vision became clearer. He was putting on his clothes when he noticed that Kiana was starting to take hers off casually, it even caused Kallen to stop her and reprimanded her for her self-preservation. There's a man in her room, and she felt it's fine to just go nude. Kiana grinned wryly before muttering sorry, though deep inside she didn't mind at all if it is him who get to look...she hopes he'll be interested in her body too...

Still, to avoid the awkward situation, Ryan excused himself and went downstairs. He noticed that Siegfried was still watching the TV with Cecilia, both of them laughed together at what the man on TV said. Siegfried and Cecilia basically cuddled with one another, snacks on table, wine on their glass and a very cozy atmosphere surrounding them. Ryan felt a pang of sadness within him before he stepped out of the door and toward the porch, he sat down on the wooden bench outside as he looked toward the orange dusk sky.

...Were his mother and father got along like Siegfried and Cecilia too? Will he have a sibling if his father still around with his mother? Will he turned out as a better person if he's around to guide him? Those were the kind of questions he always had about his parents. After what happened today, he felt slightly envious of Kiana, who has both of her parents with her while he just a certain orphan who clawed his way through the world...But the man felt it's better that it was him who got this treatment, he'll feel his heart break if it was Kiana who have to suffer like him. It's better if its him, and The Kaslana's treatment to him was enough to nourish his battered heart.

"Oh, Ryan, you're outside. Something wrong?" Suddenly, the door was opened and Cecilia came out.

"Huh? Oh, the girls are getting massages upstairs so I step out for a bit of fresh air" Ryan answered.

"Ufufu, what a mannered young man~" Cecilia praised, and Ryan disagree because he wants to look at their naked, oiled up, hot bod-.

"...Why are you outside, Ms. Cecilia?" Ryan asked her while silently cursing his hormonal internal monologue.

"I'm going to shop for a bit, we emptied the food stocks we have for Ziggy's birthday" Cecilia answered while she smiled.

"Ah, let me come with you. I can carry some of the heavier groceries" Ryan offered as he stood up.

"My, you don't have to. But I'll accept the offer~" Cecilia responded while she smiled.

"Where do you usually shop, Ms. Cecilia?" Ryan asked her.

"Oh, there's a minimarket just around the corner. I got notification that today is fifteen percent discount day" Cecilia informed Ryan while she grinned.

"Looks like Mr. Siegfried's birthday provide blessing for the family" Ryan commented while he smiled.

"Oh, in more than one way...Without him, I won't be here. Without him, I won't know what is love. Without him, I won't have this family that I cherished so much...I'm really grateful for his existence" Cecilia responded while she smiled softly.

It was obvious how much Cecilia loved her husband, Ryan could only nod his head and smiled in return. They arrived at the minimarket, Cecilia picked stuffs and products like a fully trained and experienced housewife. She put only good quality products in her cart and she done her shopping in less than fifteen minutes, honestly Ryan was impressed because Aurora could spend more than half an hour in picking the stuff that she wants...Then again, he was a bit of a picky eater back then, so it's kind of Ryan's fault to some extent.

They completed their grocery run in around twenty minutes; Ryan carried most of the heavy stuff with him. He spent some more time in the living room, chatting with Siegfried and Cecilia until Sakura, Kallen and Kiana were done with their massage session. After that, Ryan, Kallen and Sakura bid their goodbye as they're going to return home. The three of them boarded the train and returned to their respective residence, Ryan laid on top of the bed after a long day and he smiled...it was good living like this, Himeko was right about mundanity of daily life. Still, that was the soothing cream for the hardcore pounding that's about to happen in two days. The mission timing was fast approaching, and Ryan better be ready for it.

---

The Vikings gathered in the armory as they're putting their armor for the mission. The designer has flexibility in mind, so they made it easy for the operator to use in an emergency. Ryan who wore the black undersuit with subtle exoskeleton frame, had the armor pieces in front of him. The young man then equipped the armor to himself, he started with the chest piece which is slightly bulky but won't hinder him in moving around. Next, Ryan put on the crotch protector, because people won't hesitate to go low and blast someone's crotch just for the advantage. Good news its bulletproof, bad news is he better be able to hold himself when he gets to toilet because it's going to take some time taking off the metal pants.

Next, Ryan put on the arm armor parts. They're consisted of sizeable pauldrons, bicep protectors, elbow guards, forearm protectors with the left one having an onboard terminal, then the fully armored gloves with finger protections. After he's done with the arms, Ryan put on the leg armors. He started with the thigh armor, also equipped with magnetic surface to attach sidearms or metallic objects. After that he put on the knee armor, followed by the shin protectors and lastly, the armored boots. Sleipnir gives full protection but not bulky enough to hinder movement, it's why the armor is considered state of the art when it comes to medium armor. Finally, the young man put on the helmet, completely covering his head and the blue visor gleamed as the light off the armory lamp shine on it.

"Oh baby, I always like having protection, if you know what I mean" Han commented out loud while he grinned.

"Yeah yeah, save that for the bedroom combat, horny boy~" James chimed in from the corner of the armory.

"Weak men wear protection; real men pull out before the disaster" Michael added while he grinned.

"Yeah? Which camp are you?" Han asked Michael.

"I'm the proud member of 'Not getting laid' brigade!" Michael answered while he smiled.

"...I actually pity you, dude" Han commented while he frowned.

"Hey, mark my words, I'm getting laid with a Valkyrie during my time in this academy!" Michael pointed at Han while he scowled.

"Well so will I buddy! Just be careful not to touch that guy's harem" Han said to Michael as he threw his thumb at Ryan.

"Yeah, hand's off" Ryan followed up while he smiled.

"You are actually serious" Gin commented with widened eyes.

Ryan only gave thumbs up noncommittedly, he didn't want to declare it to the world, especially when he's not sure about them himself. Still, it'll be a good idea to prevent his fellow Vikings to go on a wooing rampage and possibly hurt any of his Valkyrie friends. Han helped him setting the boundary for some reason, he didn't know why but Ryan decided that he'll just roll with it...They already know the layout of the mission area, so the Vikings prepared their gear despite them not going to the mission briefing just yet. After two months of training together, they already got the sense of everyone's specialty and positions among the group.

They decided to keep rolling with same weaponry so ammo sharing won't be a problem in the field, they do however have their own preference in customizing their weapons. For the mission, they're in general agreed to carry the F4000 Assault Rifle, a bullpup rifle with built in scope, and compact enough to be used in close quarter setting. The machine gunners carried the DMGM8 and the snipers decided to carry NSR Sniper Rifle, each of them carried supplemental weaponry like Brune Launchers or TSGM1 Shotguns. They decided to use VAP Pistols as sidearm, and carried various grenades. Since they're using phase shifter instead of rigs, they brought more ammo than the usual combat load.

After getting their loadout, they assembled within the briefing room one by one. The Valkyries already inside and everyone looked at the Vikings, all of them checked their armor that's still fresh off any kind of damage, indicating that they're not yet seen combat. However, each and every Vikings encased within were ready to fight their first battle against real opponent. They took their seats and thus the briefing started, Himeko and Victoria stood on the podium with the holographic projector showing them the whole island.

"Welcome to Operation Dawn Breaker everyone, the goal for this operation is simple. Total conquest of Yi Island, an eight kilometers diameter of an island with low elevations on its surface. The terrain is grass plain with sparse forest here and there, some small hills are also around so that could give us height advantage during the operation. The island has several highlights, the largest being the abandoned town to its southern coast, second being a military base to its northeastern side, and lastly being the forest to the center. Our objectives are to secure the military base and eradication of local Honkai area" Himeko begun the briefing.

"Our reconnaissance drone has identified that the core for Honkai infestation is located within the abandoned town, we currently have no idea why the infested area only extends all the way to the surrounding area instead of consuming the whole island. As the Valkyries, our goal is simple. We're going in there, carve a path to the core on the town center and destroy it to rid of the Honkai corruption in the area. We will land on the eastern side of the town, and then push through to the center. But entering the island's airspace won't be so simple, because those pirates within the military base will definitely shoot our transports down if given the chance. That's, where the Vikings come into play" Himeko continued.

"Vikings, this is your prime showtime so I need you to put your absolute best. Your task is to capture the military base, only with twenty of you. As you already studied the base's layout for a week, I trust you boys already has a game plan in mind. You will deploy straight from the Pegasus transports and wreak havoc within the base, do whatever you need to neutralize the base's defense emplacements, occupants and their vehicles. As Schicksal are still a lawful organization with ties to international laws regarding rules of combat, you are not to kill surrendering individuals, unarmed individuals and civilians within the base. I repeat, if you see unarmed civilians, you are to detain them" Victoria added, stressing on the last part.

"...Ma'am, I don't mean to be presumptuous, but what are the chances that there's unarmed civilians inside a pirate base?" Han raised his hand and asked Victoria.

"We received an intel that the pirates sourced their weapons from black markets, and we traced an information that hinted on weapon delivery occurring by the time we execute the operation. Even though they're arms dealer, they're considered civilians in international law and they are to be apprehended should you encounter them. I don't want intentional shooting or even an accident here, so check your targets before you fire" Victoria answered Han's question.

"Being fast but meticulous? She is asking a lot for a bunch of trainees" Gin commented in low tone.

"It's reasonable, black-market arms dealer can be a friend when we need it. There's nothing to be gained from antagonizing them needlessly" Ryan reasoned to Gin.

"...They are criminals" Gin muttered while he frowned.

"Yeah, but they're useful. I understand that you despise them, but the world isn't so black and white" Ryan told Gin.

"I know, it doesn't mean I can't voice my displeasure" Gin replied.

"Once you secure the base, your next task is to aid the Valkyries in neutralizing the Honkai core. Your armor does have solid protection against Honkai radiation, but still take care not to get too close to the core unless necessary. A slight breach can be problematic, and needless to say, Honkai cure is fucking expensive and can't be spared freely. Let the Valkyries handle the demolition job and the giant creatures, yours is to assist them in neutralizing weaker Honkai creatures and thinning the zombies. Any questions?" Victoria added before she asked out loud.

"Ma'am, any Plan B in case of FUBAR situation?" Ryan asked Victoria.

"We do. The Hyperion herself will be on standby on high orbit, away from the range of those base anti air emplacement. In case of a fuck so great it makes a porn star blush; Hyperion will descend and assist in evacuation as well as providing fire support. She has a squadron of F-33 Fighter Bombers, they're your panic button in case you really need close air support. In the event Hyperion herself can't do shit, Far Eastern Division has one fission missile ready to obliterate the entire island. That will leave nothing unscathed within the blast radius, it's a last resort so we do hope it won't have to come to that" Victoria explained further.

"For the simplicity of command in this mission, I will hold tactical command of the operation when we deploy. Principal Theresa will be in charge of us all with Victoria providing intel and command of non-essential units as well as field support...Alright, the Valkyries will be gearing up, you boys are free to discuss your tactics or recalibrate your loadout. Dismissed!" Himeko said out loud.

Murmurs could be heard as the Valkyries stood up and left for the armory, the Vikings walked to the front podium and gathered around the holographic projection of the pirate base. The Valkyries didn't really need meticulous planning due to the simplicity of their mission, The Vikings had to be precise as they're heavily outnumbered and needed to move fast. The plan required them to divide into four teams, Alpha, Beta, Delta and Gamma. Five-man teams will deploy on the four corners of the base, and proceed to secure the objectives.

Team Alpha that's led by Ryan himself will secure the command center and the adjacent buildings, they will focus on vital personnel capture and swift elimination of the combatants. Beta Team led by Han will secure the hangar bay and prevent them from deploying any combat vehicles, they will also prepare the vehicles in the effort to support the Valkyries advances. Delta Team led by Gin will focus on sweeping the base for resistance, their primary job is to make sure anyone trying to fight to die in the process. Gamma Team led by James will secure the dock area, they're to prevent ships of any size from leaving the dock by any means necessary.

The mission hinged on every team managing to do their utmost job as soon as possible, Team Alpha had to blitzed their way to command center and shut down the base's defense emplacements, Team Beta had to secure a very large hangar and prevent anyone from accessing the vehicles. Team Delta had to go support Team Beta or Gamma while eliminating hostiles along the way, they also still need to sweep the rest of the base for any hiding pirates. Team Gamma had to be ready in sinking a big ship should one decided to leave, they will have to do it without anti-ship armament as the largest weapon they got was Brune Launchers.

Despite their numbers, The Vikings will have fire support from Pegasus Transports that's taking them in. However, this can only be done after the defensive emplacements are neutralized, so naturally Team Alpha had to be the one that accomplished their mission ahead of others. The Vikings discussed their movement plot, which area to secure first and places to tend to their wounded or prisoners. They only have bird eye view of the compound; they had no idea of what's inside the buildings. Regardless, they're ready to execute the mission and Victoria addressed them while she smiled.

"Vikings, you trained really hard for the past two months! I've taught you many things and prepare you as best as I can, your next step is acquiring more experience and proving to those assholes above us that you are what Schicksal needs! Get in there and do your absolute best, make me proud boys!" Victoria said out loud.

""""""""""""""""""""Yes ma'am!"""""""""""""""""""" The Vikings collectively responded.

"Excellent! Now board your Pegasus and wait for the ladies to arrive! Good luck out there, Valhalla awaits!" Victoria ordered them with wide smile on her face.

The Vikings walked out of the briefing room with their primary weapon on their hands, their footsteps filled the hall of St. Freya Combat Division building at four in the morning. They passed by the armory and noticed that the door was shut and locked, probably because some of the Valkyries were changing to their modified school attire. Most Valkyrie trainees on St. Freya used a modified school uniform for their battle dress, usually customized enough to fit their respective styles. They're only given an advanced battle suit once they've proven themselves by getting B Rank certification which usually happened on the second year, Kiana thought this system is bullshit given how experienced she is with live combat against the Honkai so she earned that B rank already.

At least four Pegasus Transports were warming up their engines on the helipads near the combat division building, The Vikings boarded their assigned Pegasus and strapped themselves for a ride, many were excited at the prospect of riding a helicopter with open hatch so they can feel the air while they fly. Ryan sat on the center seat, he put on the seatbelt before he checked his fellow Vikings whether they strapped in or not. Once he made sure everyone was secure, the young man cocked his F4000 Assault Rifle before pulling the charging handle slightly, exposing a loaded 5.56mm cartridge within the chamber.

"Radio check, Viking Actual. Can you hear me?" Ryan heard Theresa's voice on the radio.

"Loud and clear, ma'am" Ryan responded on the radio.

"Good. I want you to know that your helmet is recording and displaying live broadcast of you and your fellow Viking's perspective, be on your best behavior as some people are monitoring your performance today" Theresa briefed.

"That includes my performance on the toilet?" Ryan asked Theresa while he smirked.

"Very funny, Actual. That will certainly affect your scoring with some people" Theresa noted in lighthearted tone.

"Man, some people are so stuck up about formalities" Ryan commented.

"You have to accept that fact, Actual. Still, let your skills do the talking, I'm sure that'll convince the others that you and the boys are worthy investments" Theresa assured to Ryan.

"Yeap. Time to show them what experience and further training can do" Ryan agreed while he smiled confidently.

"Exactly...You'll lift off once the Valkyries board the Albatross, sit back and relax for a bit" Theresa informed Ryan.

"Will do just that, HQ" Ryan replied to Theresa.

"Hey boss? Want some?" Ryan saw Agus offered him a small chocolate bar.

"A whole bar for me? You're too generous" Ryan commented then took the chocolate bar.

"I find that eating chocolate could ease some tension. I know you're experienced, but do it for us, eh?" Agus said to Ryan.

Ryan looked around the Pegasus and found his team members were eating the chocolate that Agus shared, he nodded his head slightly before he lifted his helmet slightly and ate the chocolate silently. He isn't dense, he could sense Agus' nervousness and one way he did to ease himself was by sharing chocolates with one another. Ryan realized that he's one of the few Vikings that didn't participate in direct combat before his recruitment, so going close and personal, especially with high stake mission, made him nervous and it's understandable to the young man. Ryan only hoped that after this, Agus and the others won't be as nervous for further missions.

"Ray Squadron Lead to all Vikings, heavy rain predicted to cover the whole Yi Island. What's the deployment plan here?" The Pegasus transport leader asked the boys on the radio.

"Just fly on top of the base without stopping, that's the only window we need" Han responded on the radio.

"What? How are you going to even deploy if we don't stop? Jet packs?" Ray Lead asked Han.

"Jet thrusters, but yeah. Don't worry about anti air too, our tech expert will make sure it's down long enough for you guys to pass" Han answered.

"Hope that's the case buddy, because there won't be a second chance if we fail" Ray Lead told Han.

"You can blame Viking number twelve in that case" Han casually shifted the potential blame.

"Way to put pressure on me, bitch" Michael grumbled on the radio.

"Alright, the ladies have boarded their Albatross. Let's get it on. Strap yourselves and enjoy the flight. Weather should be fine until we arrive on Yi Island, so take care not to catch a cold now" Ray Lead said out loud.

The Pegasus lifted off the ground alongside the Albatross in the distance, they climbed to high altitude while maintaining formation. Ryan felt the wind constantly blowing at him, due to the Pegasus flying with the hatch open at high altitude. However, Sleipnir armor really has sealed environment so Ryan couldn't feel the cold. It felt weird, having to rely on his other senses to notice the change in environment and Ryan felt he need to get used to it. The young man checked the watch on his HUD, it shown to be 5.32 AM and the sky had shown some hints of blue. They'll arrive during sunrise, literally perfect moment to strike with usual time for guard change.

Ryan looked at his modified F4000, he kept the scope but used a grenade launcher instead of a foregrip. He didn't put on suppressor; he needed the firearm roar in hallways and rooms as a scare tactic. The sound will be so loud for those who doesn't wear headset or ear protection, not to mention a suppressed weapon is still loud so Ryan chose not to use one unless for a long range stealth operation. This operation was an assault, he needed to go loud and proud. Ryan felt his phone buzzed and he took off his helmet, given that it recorded what he saw and he wanted to keep his privacy.

As usual, it was Kiana, she sent him a picture of the Pegasus flying on the right side of the Albatross. She commented that he sat on the rear Pegasus, Ryan was surprised that she managed to get it right the first time and asked how did she knew that. Kiana replied by sending a smug face sticker and said that it's easy to guess by how he sits. Ryan widened his eyes; is how he sit that unique or noticeable to her? Kiana is so attentive when it comes to anything about him, Ryan honestly started speculating that she liked him as more than a friend should.

"Boss! They want you to put on your helmet! It's five minutes into the deployment zone!" Michael told Ryan as he bumped Ryan's left shoulder.

"...Alright, I'm here" Ryan said out loud after he put on his helmet.

"Five minutes to deployment zone, I have infiltrated the base's system. They have five active SAMs, three of them are currently in maintenance. They also have cannons to fight ships, they are hidden on the cliffside" Michael informed on the radio.

"Surface to Air Missiles? Yeah, it's going to be rough. Can you disable them?" Ryan asked Michael on the radio.

"Piece of cake, but we'll have to worry about the pirates carrying portable AAs" Michael answered.

"Yeah, but they're easier to kill. Let's worry about the bigger threat, how long can you jam the fire control system?" Ryan asked Michael.

"Depends on their tech specialist, but I can do a solid minute, two if I can fight their counter hack" Michael told Ryan.

"Ray Lead, you got one minute to strafe the SAM emplacements and flying us in. Can you do that?" Ryan asked Ray Lead on the radio.

"Yup, we'll be in and out in less than that. We'll come and support once you secure those emplacements" Ray Lead answered on the radio.

"Perfect...Vikings, comms and weapon check!" Ryan said out loud.

The Viking wordlessly checked their communication radio by pinging their private channel for Vikings only, then they checked the weapon that they brought. Gin even took it a step further, he's literally carrying a katana from the armory. Ryan didn't say that he couldn't, so Gin would like to be prepared in case he has to use his specialty weapon. The Pegasus then dropped their altitude while the Albatross slowed down, they need to fly below the radar and they're nimble enough to do so without the risk of kissing the sea surface. The clouds had gathered, but there's no sign of rain falling.

"One minute to deployment zone, weather's cloudy so we'll be as visible as a flying whale. Get ready for potential interception" Ray Lead announced on the radio.

The Vikings now unfastened their seatbelts and prepared to drop into the military base, they looked calm from their body language but a slight glance at their health monitoring system and one could see their increasing heartbeats. Some felt the nervousness, some felt the gravity of the situation so they can't fuck up...and some in excitement, at returning to battle and not some pansy training with non-lethal bullets...The Pegasus flew only three meters above the sea level, they're going top speed and fast approaching the pirate base in the distance.

"Thirty seconds" Ray Lead announced on the radio.

"Hit it, Twelve" Ryan ordered on the radio.

"Kill switch activated, jamming in effect...We're good to go" Michael said to Ryan on the radio.

"Alright. Remember the plan and move quickly, we need to get this done under ten minutes" Ryan said out loud.

"Ain't that too quick, commander?" A Viking asked Ryan on the radio.

"Just consider that as a soft limit, as a way to compare our improvement later" Ryan responded while he smiled slightly.

The sun rose from the horizon, illuminating the area and especially the pirate base. The four helicopters kept steady in their approach despite causing loud noises and noticeable water trail, but they're approaching from the north and thus they're safe from the potential defense on the base's east side. However, that didn't mean they're undetected, as the guards saw them approaching and scramble to respond to the threat. While they radio for backup, they decided to fire their M16B-PARs at the approaching Pegasus. The bullets randomly flew at the helicopters and forced the pilots to adjust their movement, they're in luck that the pirates used tracer rounds so they're easily avoidable if they're quick enough.

"Hostile fire from the base's wall, looks like they saw us" Ray Lead said out loud on the radio.

"No surprise there. Vikings, deploy on my mark!" Ryan commented before he ordered on the radio.

More pirates decided to join their friends in firing at the helicopter, Ray Lead had enough of their shenanigans and unleashed a rocket barrage at the wall. The high explosive rockets blown the wall and killed numerous pirates from the explosion, that's followed by the other Ray Squadron members as their Pegasus gunner opened fire with their M3HMGs. With the pirate infantries completely suppressed and the SAM launchers unable to fire, the Pegasus rose up and flew above the base unchallenged. The Pegasus flew above their designated point without stopping, the gunners were suppressing the pirates while the Vikings cocked their weapons.

"Vikings, let's dive!" Ryan said out loud on the radio.

The Vikings jumped off the Pegasus, they immediately activated their jet thrusters and dropped into their designated spots. Alpha Team landed on top of the command center, the pirates tried to shoot at the Pegasus from the command center rooftop and they did not expect five armored dudes to just jump down instead of common Schicksal Troopers rappelling down. Igor slammed a pirate to the ground with his boots, Agus pulled out dual VAP pistols and rained the others with 9mm bullets, Michael flew into one pirate and sent him flying by kicking his face, Grey landed before blasting one pirate with a TSGM1, while Ryan had a knife plunged into a pirate's neck as he landed.

"Alpha on the roof" Ryan reported on the radio.

"Beta on site!" Han followed on the radio.

"Delta is commencing mission" Gin announced on the radio.

"Gamma is cleaning docks, make it quick boys!" James said out loud on the radio.

"Alright Alpha, clean and precise sweep. Seven, stay on rooftop and provide support. Six, Nine, Twelve, fall in" Ryan said out loud.

""""Roger!"""" Agus, Igor, Grey and Michael responded.

Ryan walked to the rooftop access with the rest of his team while Agus stayed on the roof with his Nyx Sniper Rifle, the young man kicked the door open and was greeted by a gunfire from a single panicked pirate carrying a USP. Blue energy shielding flared as it protected Ryan from the .45 rounds being fired at him, the Viking Leader fired his F4000 once and hit the pirate directly in the head. While the pirate's dead body fell, Ryan saw another one rushed at him while carrying a shotgun. The young man shot the pirate on the right leg, causing him to tumble to the floor before Ryan finished him off with a shot to the head.

That pirate came from a corridor with several rooms, one could immediately guess the location of their command center based on the fact that there's a double door entrance. But before they could breach into the command center, they need to clear the surrounding rooms first. Ryan signaled with his left hand by making signs for Six and pointed at a door, Igor nodded and he pulled out a Viper Auto Pistol and projected blue energy shield from his left gauntlet shield emitter. Ryan kicked the door open and was greeted by a sight of a woman. The woman has purple hair that's tied in ponytail, pink contact lenses, she has round glasses resting on top of her head, she wore fancy business uniform with small cape, hot pants, full stocking and complimented with asymmetric heels.

"The cavalry's here, I guess~" The woman commented as she sat on a chair while she smiled slightly.

"Six, Twelve, keep clearing...Who're you, lady?" Ryan told his team before he asked the woman.

"Name's K, a businesswoman caught in an unfortunate timing. Rest assured; I have no intention to fight you boys" K told Ryan while she smiled.

"She's right about black-market dealer being here" Grey commented.

"Yeah. Ma'am, stay here so you don't get caught in the crossfire. Nine, watch her" Ryan told Grey.

"Sir. We'll sort you out after we're done, stay where you are and no sudden moves" Grey responded before he instructed K.

"Yes sir~" K responded while she smiled.

BRATATATATA!

"Hostiles by the stairs, orders?" Igor asked Ryan.

"Keep them pinned, we'll get the command center" Ryan responded.

"Roger" Igor curtly acknowledged before he fired his DMGM8 at another approaching pirate.

"Boss, seven individuals within the room. Can't tell who's who though, usual heat sensors shenanigans" Michael informed Ryan.

"Alright, ready the holo decoys" Ryan said to Michael.

The two of them pulled out two holographic decoys, they put them directly on the door and turned on the devices. The projectors shown a display of two Schicksal Trooper pointing guns at the room, Michael then placed a detonation charge on the double door. Both of them stood back before Michael triggered the explosion, firearms roared before bullets flew from within the room at the holographic decoys. Ryan and Michael prepared a flashbang each, pulled the pin, released the spoon and then threw them into the room at the same time.

BHANK!

BHANK!

The flashbang exploded before Ryan and Michael stormed into the room, they're shooting at anyone that's armed either in the head or chest. Michael was right, there were seven pirates within the room with one dressing differently than the others. They took down everyone save for that one person, Michael immediately sprinted for the main console while Ryan approached the seemingly important man. He snatched his Colt Anaconda away before slamming the person to the floor, then Ryan took out a handcuff and wasted no time in restraining the man. Michael operated the console, quickly bypassing any security measures installed before taking control of the system. He shut down the SAM launchers and shut down any defensive installment within the base, the only defense it had left were the pirates themselves.

"Twelve to all units, base defenses are disabled" Michael reported on the radio.

"Excellent! We are moving to our deployment zone, keep securing the base, Vikings" Himeko responded on the radio.

"Yes ma'am. Ray Lead, you boys are free to go in" Michael told Ray Lead.

"Copy that, fire support ETA is one minute" Ray Lead responded on the radio.

"Hands off me! Don't you know who I am?!" The seemingly important man barked at Ryan.

"All I know is that you're a dead man walking unless you behave" Ryan replied while he frowned.

"I have powerful friends who'll make mincemeat out of single one of you fuckers! Don't mess with me!" The man kept barking.

"They're human nonetheless, and I eat people like those for lunch" Ryan told him while he pulled the man.

"...You're real cannibal, boss?" Michael asked Ryan while he smiled wryly.

"Not being cannibal, but I do eat women out~" Ryan replied before he threw the man at the wall.

BHUK!

"Touché, share some trick with me next time" Michael responded while he shrugged.

"If we make it back alive" Ryan told Michael as he walked forward.

DHUD!

"BLARGH!" The man threw up his stomach acid because Ryan kneed his gut.

"Keep your mouth shut or I'll make sure you can't croak for the rest of your life, understand?" Ryan asked the man.

"...Hah...Hah..." The man wordlessly nodded as he caught his breath.

"Good...Beta, what's your status?" Ryan asked Han on the radio.

"Action movie can't beat this!" Han answered on the radio.

"Have fun over there, Two, but make sure to secure that hangar" Ryan told Han.

"On it, boss! just give us some time!" Han replied.

WHOOSH!

BOOOM!

Han avoided a shot from an RPG10 by side flipping to the right, then he crouched before firing his F4000 at the shooter directly on his head. The pirates that were with him raised their Mertz 90 SMGs and fired at Han, the young man rolled to the side and took cover behind a pillar while two other Vikings provided backup. The two Vikings fired their TSGM1 shotgun and F4000 respectively, that suppressed and killed some of the pirates firing at Han. With them out of the way, Han and a Viking advanced while firing their F4000s at anyone who're detected on their vision and carrying a weapon. A pirate appeared and fired his CM21 DMR at a Viking, his shielding collapsed and forced the young man to dove for cover.

"Lost shield, hostile fire from the balcony!" The Viking reported.

"Fourteen, grenade!" Han ordered.

"Grenade up!" Rahn responded.

Rahn used his rifle attached grenade launcher and launched a 40mm grenade at the pirate, the grenade damaged the balcony and turned the pirate into red mist with body gibs thrown everywhere. An overkill to many people, a necessity for the Vikings. Han threw his left hand and signaled his squad to move left, they engaged their jet thruster and flew above to the balcony. They were faced with a group of pirates inside a hangar office, they're more geared up compared to their friends by wearing armor, helmet and carrying M16B-PAR. Han and the others didn't care, they fired their weapons as they advanced toward the group who immediately hunkered down within the room.

"Who the fuck are these people?!" One of the pirates said out loud.

"Can't do shit with this thing!" Another pirate complained before gunned down by one Viking.

"Oi! Throw down your weapons and put your hands up!" Han said out loud.

"Never, you shit heads!" One of the pirates responded.

"Surrender now and you'll be spared! Think about it, continue living or 5.56 to the head! Its easy choice, guys!" Han told them.

"...Ah fuck! Okay! Okay! I-I'm surrendering! Don't shoot, please!" One of them said out loud.

"That works?" A Viking muttered in surprise.

"Don't think so...If that bastard didn't stop despite me telling him to, gun him down" Han told his squadmates on the radio.

The room became silent for a minute before someone appeared with his hands raised up, the pirate looked genuinely terrified and he didn't dare to look at the Vikings who got their guns pointed to his head. Rahn glanced at Han who suddenly took out an M69 fragmentation grenade, armed it, threw it into the room, and some panicked sounds could be heard before an explosion occurred. The pirate looked back and he glanced at the Vikings before his body flashed as loud noises followed suit, the Vikings shielded their face before they instantly barraged the surrendering pirate with their guns. The pirate fell to the floor, dozens of bullet holes riddled his body, and several flashbangs could be seen from the burnt pocket on his rig.

"Flashbang grenade with remote detonation trigger? Smart, never thought they'll use something like that" Han commented.

"Guess about them being former pros are right" Rahn responded to Han.

"RPG!" A Viking warned out loud.

WHOOSH!

BOOOM!

Beta Team scattered by using their jet thrusters, the area they were on got blown by an RPG10 warhead. One of them saw the shooter who made his run the moment he realized he failed, the Viking flew and intercepted the pirate by kicking the man while flying. The kick snapped the pirate's neck with a loud discomforting crunch and sent the body to the nearest Norn hover tank, the Viking grabbed the fallen RPG10, took a warhead that was dropped by the pirate, loaded it and fired at an incoming hostile near the hangar entry. The explosion took out most of the pirates and the rest were gunned down by Han, the young man whistled as he reloaded his F4000 with a fresh magazine.

"Color me impressed, Eleven. That was a splendid move" Han praised while he smiled.

"Thanks, who says anime can't teach you shit?" Eleven responded in lighthearted tone.

"Too right. Heat sensors, scan for remaining hostile in the hangar" Han ordered out loud.

"...I think we killed this whole place, sir" Rahn responded.

"How many did we drop?" Han asked Fourteen.

"Dozens, I personally stopped counting at twenty" Rahn recounted.

"Me too, they're honestly not that tough" Eleven commented while he looked around the hangar.

"Maybe only some of them are the former mercenaries?" A Viking suggested while he checked his TSGM1.

"Beta, you got incoming, several pirates are running for the hangar!" Agus warned Beta Team on the radio.

"Can you do something about them?" Han asked Agus on the radio.

"With the suppressive fire on my face?! Hardly, maybe Delta could help on that end!" Agus suggested out loud.

"Delta has our hands full here, we can't help you" Gin answered on the radio.

"You guys good?" Han asked Gin.

BOOOM!

"They are particularly stubborn over here..." Gin commented.

"Attention assholes! You got guts barging in uninvited to our barracks! Surrender now and we'll kill you painlessly! I think those armor of yours will fetch a mighty price on the black market!" Someone used a loudspeaker to taunt Delta Team.

Delta Team was clearing the barracks, but the inhabitants managed to make a barricade on the main corridor. They're armed with various weapons, but the biggest problem was the M3HMG that was set in the middle of the barricade. Viking does have energy shielding, but a burst from a heavy machine gun could still collapse it in a blink of an eye if they're not careful. The other problem was the fact that there's at least a dozen pirates manning the barricade, head on assault would be suicidal even for them. Right now, the Vikings hid behind concrete pillars and walls, waiting for the right moment to strike.

"...Should we blast his smug face?" A Viking asked Gin as he prepared an M69 grenade.

"Yes but stay your grenade, let me handle them" Gin told the Viking.

"How? They practically got a complete barricade over there" The Viking asked Gin.

"Kill the lights and prepare the decoys, I will face them directly" Gin instructed the Viking.

"Oh boy, well, he said it" Another Viking responded.

TRATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATA!

The Vikings fired at the lightbulbs around the corridor, causing the hall to be covered in darkness. The pirates returned fire at the Vikings general location who were hiding behind concrete pillars and walls, the pirates used various weapons from M16B-PARs to USPs. After firing them nonstop and seeing no blue flare of energy shielding, they stopped wasting their ammo and some checked the area with their flashlight that's attached to their guns. They couldn't see any silhouette of Vikings nor any signs of hostile in the area, at least until they saw five Schicksal Trooper charging at them from directly ahead. The pirates opened fire, and the bullets phased through those troopers like they're a ghost.

"Holo decoys!" A pirate exclaimed.

The decoys disappeared as a black mass blitzed forward, that took the pirates by surprise and they can't respond as the mass slammed a pirate to the wall, crushing his head from the sheer impact force. The black mass turned out to be a Viking whose had a sheathed katana on his hip, and there's only one Viking among them who would carry such weapon. Gin unsheathed his katana at lightning speed, slicing open one of the pirates directly in the abdomen. Then with trained footwork and fluid movement, the young man weaved between the pirates while swinging and thrusting his sword while avoiding blind shots from them.

"What the fu-"

SLASH!

Gin decapitated a pirate with one swift swing of his katana, then he kicked another one before disemboweling the man with a right diagonal slash. Another pirate tried to aim his weapon at the Viking before he got his head blown open, while the pirates were distracted by Gin, the rest of the Vikings fired their guns at anything that emitted light source. Not to mention, they're using infrared at the moment and each Viking had blips on their armor parts. It was like shooting fish in a barrel, the only challenge was to hit moving targets that were pissing their pants as their barricade became useless in an instant.

"I-I'm sorry! Please-"

BANG!

"Well, that's that. You good, Three?" A Viking asked Gin after he shot the last pirate with his TSGM1.

"Not a scratch" Gin replied as he flicked his sword to get rid of the blood.

"Damn bro, I heard you're a swordsman, but I didn't know you're this good. You're practically a shinobi or something" Another Viking commented.

"Practice makes perfect, as they said...Now, let us keep going, most of the barracks is not secure yet" Gin replied as he sheathed his katana.

"Right. Lead the way sir, we got your back" A Viking said to Gin.

Gin nodded his head before he led his team into the barracks, they used heat sensors to detect heat source from behind the walls. When they found human shaped heat, the Vikings busted the door down and assaulted the room occupants. In accordance with their name, Delta Team proved to be quick, merciless and efficient. They trained for three months and the result was showing now, each one is precise when it comes to their shots. Even Gin, who wasn't familiar with guns before joining the program, shown that he's no pushover when it comes to shooting one.

They had to move quick to secure the barracks, because it's not the only place that they need to secure during the assault. Gin ducked as barrage of bullets flew at him from his front side, the young man hardened his gaze before he returned fire, letting several rounds hit him while he magdumped his F4000. The bullets failed to kill his attacker, but he got a good idea on where he was. After confirming that there're two armed men within the room in front of him, Gin wordlessly signaled his teammates and one of them grabbed a Brune Launcher. The Viking opened the breech, loaded the weapon with a specialized warhead, closed it, shouldered the weapon, aimed at the room in front of him and then squeezed the trigger.

WHOOOSH!

BBOOOOMMM!

The projectile was launched and went into the room, but it exploded spectacularly within and spread shrapnel and shockwave everywhere. The explosion killed the two pirates within, the explosion pulverized their organs from outside and embedded shrapnel all over their bodies. Two Viking went inside with their F4000 and TSGM1 respectively, they scanned the room before one gave a thumbs up. Gin nodded his head, it was risky to use airburst warhead inside enclosed space, it's quite fortunate that the round has minimum arming distance after it was fired.

"That's the last room, building clear" A Viking told Gin.

"Delta here, barracks and armory are clear. We are moving to the medical center" Gin reported on the radio.

"Took you a while! If you don't mind, send some of your Brune operator to the dock! We need backup!" James responded on the radio.

"What's the situation over there, Four?" Ryan asked James on the radio.

"Patrol boats and a hidden Corvette are trying to blast us a new arsehole! We need some distraction before we can shoot them!" James explained shortly.

"Corvette? Where do they even hide it? Alright, do what he says Three, I'll join you guys myself" Ryan announced.

"Nineteen, Sixteen, head to the dock and help Gamma Team with their objective" Gin ordered.

DRADADADADADADADADADADADADADADA!

"Fantastic, now get here quick!" James told them while he gritted his teeth.

Cannon shells flew beside James as he dashed to the right before flying away, the Corvette has its autocannon and anti-air guns locked on the Vikings with Gamma Team. The Vikings had to focus completely on avoiding high caliber shells, missiles, RPGs and machine gun fire coming from the ship around them. They've sunk three patrol boats and lightly damaged the corvette's hull, but that wasn't enough to deter the pirates. Within a minute or two since backup was called, Ryan and two other Vikings arrived by flying. They're armed with the Brune Launchers and opened fire as they flew above the flotilla, the high explosive warhead smashed the window or doorways and injured or maimed the pirates within the boats.

"Nice shooting boss, what do we do here?" James asked Ryan on the radio.

"Four, you're good at boarding a ship?" Ryan asked James on the radio.

"Only during the VR training, got any ideas?!" James asked Ryan in return as he avoided an RPG10 warhead.

"They won't want to kill themselves, land on their bridge window or hatch, let's see their resolve in pulling the trigger when their own life is on the line" Ryan suggested.

"Perfect idea! Seventeen, Eighteen, follow me!" James commanded his teammates.

"The rest of you, we're taking the patrol boats. Use HE shells and aim for their bridges!" Ryan said out loud.

Ryan led the other Vikings in neutralizing the patrol boats around the dock while James led two Vikings toward the Corvette, James deftly avoided the anti-air gun's fire from the ship as he flew straight at the ship while the other two Vikings decided to fly low and even with the sea. The young man grinned viciously as he saw a group of pirates within the bridge, he noted that the ship's autocannon was aiming at him, so he maneuvered that he hovered in front of the bridge. The pirates hesitated from firing the gun and potentially injure or kill their friends in the bridge, James turned around and fired his Brune Launcher at the auto cannon, wrecking and disabled the threat permanently.

"Not so tough without your autocannon, eh?" James scoffed as he turned around.

Just as he did so, the door to the bridge was blown open as two Vikings stormed inside while carrying DMGM8s. The 6.5mm rounds tore through the pirate crews, some tried to fight back with their sidearms but pistol caliber rounds did nothing against the Viking's energy shielding. After visually killing everyone within the bridge, Viking Eighteen stood guard near the entrance while Seventeen walked toward the fire control system. He typed quickly and override the identification friend or foe system to target the patrol boats around them, the AA guns of the corvette stopped firing before switching to target the boats around them, shocking the pirates aboard.

James landed on top of the corvette's mast, he loaded his Brune Launcher with a high explosive cartridge, aimed and fired at one of the patrol boats. The warhead hit the boat directly on the bridge, killing the pirates within and disabled the vehicle. He reloaded his weapon as he witnessed their Pegasus transports arrived and provided fire support, their M3HMGs and rocket pods lit up as they strafed any surviving patrol boats around the corvette. One of the Vikings joined him above the mast and tossed James a detonator, the young man nodded before both of them ignited their jet thrusters and flew upwards while James squeezed the trigger.

PIIIP!

BBBOOOOOOOMMMMM!

The corvette exploded as the C4s around her hull exploded simultaneously, creating several holes and filled the ship with water almost instantaneously. James and the Viking landed on the pier, they watched the boats around them sinking while counting the number of Vikings around. Everyone was alive, taking down so many ships could only be done by the aid of their jet thrusters. James honestly don't want to imagine what would happen if he stayed on the shore to shoot at those ships one by one, it'll take a long time and even will kill him outright if the corvette gets a bead on him.

"Four to Lead, I think we got them all, boss" James reported on the radio.

"Yeah, think so as well. Scan the area for survivors, round them up on the shore" Ryan instructed on the radio.

"Well, Schicksal better send backup, I saw dozens of them trying to swim away" James responded as his HUD identified the surviving pirates with red outline.

"Viking Lead to HQ, there's more survivor than expected. We're going to need some extra manpower to secure them" Ryan contacted Theresa on the radio.

"Yes Viking Lead, we will arrange for reinforcement. What's the status of the AA missiles within the base?" Theresa responded on the radio.

"Offline and secured ma'am, Hyperion could even hover above us and she'll be fine. Let's just hope we thoroughly clean the whole base of the armed bastards" Ryan told Theresa.

"Roger that~, so far so smooth boys, but your job isn't over yet. The Albatross is making its way to deployment zone, you boys better be ready to support the Valkyries with their mission~" Theresa replied in lighthearted tone.

"As soon as the problem here sorted, we'll make sure their beautiful faces are unscathed, Viking Lead out" Ryan assured as he landed next to James.

"...What do you think? Thirteen patrol boats and one corvette, quite the record for a first mission" James asked Ryan while he nodded.

"No doubt. Think we'll get paid for this?" Ryan asked James in return.

"Let's just say I'll be thrilled if they wire some cash to us, but I doubt it'll be the case" James commented as he shouldered his Brune Launcher.

"Heh, I can see them being that stingy. I appreciate if they do though" Ryan muttered before he did the same.

"Viking Lead, we have secured most of the compound. The pirates are surrendering, they are gathering on the courtyard" Gin reported on the radio.

"How many are there?" Ryan asked the young man on the radio.

"We can estimate around fifty individuals, men and women" Gin answered.

"Have to say boss, we don't bring that many handcuffs. What do we do?" Han asked Ryan on the radio.

"Round them up, circle them and make sure their heads remain on the crosshair. We keep them there until backup arrives" Ryan said out loud.

"Understood" Gin simply responded.

Ryan sighed slightly before he saw an Albatross dropship descending from the sky, it bypassed the military base and head further into the island. Ryan smiled at the sight, mentally hoping that his Valkyrie friends will be fine and complete their mission without problems. In terms of veterancy, Ryan wasn't sure who has more between him and them, but he thought that they're very experienced with Honkai creatures and Himeko being with them should ensure their coordination. The young man wielded his F4000 as he flew up and toward the command center, he got something he'd like to talk with the woman named K.

He landed smoothly on the rooftop, briefly waved his hand at Agus who just sent him a thumbs up without looking away from his NSR scope. Ryan made his way downstairs and toward the command center room, he walked into it and noted that Grey, Igor and Michael were inside with K and the pirate leader or sort. The woman sat cross legged above the table, while the pirate leader was huddled in the corner with hateful gaze at the Vikings. Ryan glanced at K who smiled at him in return, one glance and he could tell this woman in front of him is not someone to mess with.

"Looks like you're their leader" K commented while she smiled.

"We practically wore the same armor; how did you know?" Ryan asked her.

"Oh simple. Your weapon personal configuration, the way you walk, the way you hold your guns, the way the others looked at you, one could tell who's who with just the right amount of observation" K told Ryan while she smiled.

"Huh, so she's quite observant" Grey commented.

"Right. So, mind telling us who you are, lady?" Ryan asked K.

"I do actually, anonymity is a lifeline to people like me" K answered before she tilted her head slightly.

"I bet it is" Michael responded as he raised his tablet.

CLICK!

"That'll cost a fortune, boy~" K coyly responded while she smirked.

"I hope your bounty could pay the price...Aha, not even five seconds from searching the database. Her name is Kafka, clearly not her real name, she has no birth certificate, no social registry number, no ID, no passport, no online presence and no nationality. She's a ghost, a very good one at that" Michael said out loud.

"Fufufufufu, clearly that's not all. Do continue~" K, or Kafka, giggled before she told Michael to continue.

"...She's quite known in the underworld, and she's wanted in several states. Crimes? Stealing, hacking, bank heist, bounty hunting, arms dealing, and even instigating rebellion in minor cities. Lady, you have quite the rep sheet here" Michael continued.

"Bravo~, just like the records said about me. Yes, I've been around and done some stuff, this is just one of my job and you boys really struck my customer hard" Kafka responded while she folded her arms.

"Not our fault you're stuck here lady, your timing is quite shitty" Michael told her before he walked away.

"...So you've been selling these pirates some stuff" Ryan assumed as he stood in front of Kafka.

"That I do" Kafka admitted.

"What did you sell them?" Ryan asked her.

"Small arms, armors, helmets, ammo, equipment, you named it I've sold it" Kafka told Ryan.

"Someone with that much supply must have a connection with major companies, black market only has so much stock you can resell to someone else without putting a major crosshair of attention behind your back" Ryan commented.

"...Well well well, I see you know how the market works, didn't expect that from you" Kafka almost sounded genuinely impressed.

"I've been around and done some stuff" Ryan smirked as he replied.

"Fufu, clearly...Your armor already hinted that you boys aren't some ordinary grunts, but how do I say this...You boys feels like chimera" Kafka noted as she leaned on the table.

"Huh? What do you mean?" Grey asked her.

"Your armor means you're a special unit, but your voices have this hint of adolescence in it. You're well trained, but the lack of absolute cohesiveness is like you're a new team. The way you fight shown experience, but it mismatched with your casualness. Like I said, chimera...Who are you boys exactly? Ah, might you be the new trainee that made a buzz two months ago? The Vikings, I believe~" Kafka analyzed the Vikings while she smiled slyly.

Kafka almost smirked when she saw the Vikings stiffened from her words, she hit them right in the bullseye. Ryan smirked as Kafka wasn't bullshiting with her observation skills, she immediately knew that they're bunch of experienced civilians who're armed and armored like special forces. Ryan was impressed, maybe she could help him out if he could play nicely with her. He knew that Schicksal would fuck him over at the slightest chance, maybe an ally in the underworld could be very beneficial.

"You're well informed" Igor commented.

"Someone like me has to" Kafka responded.

"...Lead to HQ, what should we do with her?" Ryan asked Theresa on the radio.

"...A transport is coming to pick her up, Viking Lead. Your orders are to let her go, unharmed" Theresa responded on the radio.

"You serious ma'am?" Ryan cocked his eyebrows.

"I'm serious, direct order from Far East HQ. Looks like she knows someone over there, what a slippery minx...Anyway, while I don't like it, we better follow this one" Theresa affirmed.

"Roger that...Ms. Kafka, you seem to know someone in high place" Ryan responded before he commented.

"In this world, connections are essential, Mr. Viking. I suggest you make some, hmm?" Kafka wiggled her eyebrows slightly.

"I can agree with that sentiment" Ryan replied.

"...Holy shit, she wasn't bullshiting. Radar detects an inbound aerial contact heading this way" Michael reported.

"Looks like my ride is here, mind escorting me to the roof?" Kafka asked Ryan while she smiled.

"Since you asked so nicely..." Ryan responded while he smiled a bit.

Ryan escorted Kafka to the roof, the young man only nodded at Agus who just shrugged upon seeing the both of them. After waiting for a bit, they saw a Pegasus approaching from the north. The transport hovered above them and a stern man with long black hair stared from within, he looked at Kafka and signaled her to get in the vehicle. Kafka did so but she stopped by the edge and said something to Ryan, but unfortunately the rotor was too loud so Kafka's words couldn't be heard. Still, Ryan watched her mouth, and he picked up her message. 'See you soon', the young man wasn't sure that means a good or a bad thing.

Once Kafka seated aboard the Pegasus, the transport lifted off and started flying at maximum speed. The woman crossed her leg as the side hatches closed shut, she took out her phone and punch in a number combination into it. She waited for a bit while she glanced outside, noting that Hyperion, Schicksal's floating battleship was approaching the island from high altitude. The woman smirked slightly, Schicksal really wanted this small island for themselves.

"Wonderful job, Kafka. Just like we planned" A man's voice came out of the phone.

"Your insight was proven right once again, as he was there" Kafka told the man on the phone.

"Can you confirm his identity?" The man asked her.

"Unfortunately, no. But he really matched with your description of him, I'm sure of it" Kafka responded.

"No matter, this is supposed to be the first contact, I'm sure we'll find plenty of opportunities in the future. I doubt he will side with Schicksal when the chips are down" The man reasoned.

"Indeed. Leave it to me, I'll make sure we become best friends in no time" Kafka assured while she smiled.

---

"Ms. Himeko, we're on site!" Someone contacted Himeko on the radio.

"Got it, push them back! I want the main path clear of those any Honkai creatures!" Himeko responded on the radio.

"Understood! Yari Squad is moving out!" Yari Squad member confirmed.

Himeko ducked her head as a Honkai flyer just tried to strafe them, she was about to jump and sliced it into two were it not for barrage of bullets hit the creature before it got punctured by an energy beam. Kiana and Bronya worked in tandem securing the area, Kiana has been dual wielding USP EX while Bronya summoned her own mech that she named Project Bunny. The mech raised its shield, tanked several arrow shots from sentient Archer Zombies ahead and protected Kiana. The young woman then returned fire from behind the shield, she put headshot on some of them and caused the others to scatter.

"Bronya, Kiana, kill those zombies and push to your designated building. Secure the rooftop and prepare for long range fire support!" Himeko ordered the two of them.

"Aye ma'am! Come on Bronya, let's go!" Kiana said to Himeko then Bronya.

"Da, Bronya will follow" Bronya responded as both of them left.

"Mei, what's your status?" Himeko asked Mei on the radio.

"We found the entry to the subway station, but it's full of Honkai creatures! We will need some time to clear them!" Mei answered on the radio.

"Okay, Kallen, you heard her, provide immediate support to Mei and Sakura" Himeko instructed.

"Roger~! Hold on you two, I'll be there as fast as I can!" Kallen responded on the radio.

"Fu Hua, watch my back" Himeko told Fu Hua.

"Don't worry, I'll do it without you telling me to" Fu Hua told Himeko while she smiled.

Himeko nodded her head as she tinkered with the device on her hand, some kind of command tablet that displayed the position of all Schicksal units in the combat area. Himeko assessed the situation and noted that the Valkyries have deployed on their designated positions. For the mission, the Valkyries were divided into four groups in echelon formation. First group was the spearhead that paved the road directly in the frontmost position, they're consisted of veteran A rank Valkyries. Second and third group took the left and right flanks, they're consisted of B rank Valkyries that's less experienced but capable nonetheless. Lastly, the St. Freya Valkyries, still C rank, has their share of experience and talent yet wasn't ready for the heavy responsibility yet.

Himeko specifically remained with her students while directing the other Valkyries, they're practically autonomous enough on their own and didn't require much direction. The students weren't exactly greenhorns, but they still need close supervision within area of operation. Himeko weren't too worried about them though, this batch proven to be quite exemplary with their talents and especially with Fu Hua, Kallen, Sakura, Bronya, Mei and Kiana being high profile C ranks who has combated many Honkai creatures before they even enrolled on St. Freya.

Fu Hua noted then set her stance as three Honkai Knights appeared near them, the knights charged at Himeko and Fu Hua. The young woman however nodded once before she sprinted at the creatures, she jumped and successfully dropkicked a knight from her mount. Fu Hua used the momentum to side kicked the second one and sending her to a building, then she launched an uppercut that caused the third knight to flew up and landed head first to the ground. Her punches were powerful enough to cripple all three, but only two could recover to fight once more.

One of them appeared from building she got thrown in, Fu Hua exhaled once before she set her defensive stance. The knight charged at her with her big lance, Fu Hua grunted as she deflected the lance and roundhouse kicked the Honkai horse. The kick sent the creature to the side and the rider falling to the ground, Fu Hua raised her left leg high before she stomped the rider's head, killing her instantly. The other knight tried to sneak up from Fu Hua's right side, but the horse stopped as a greatsword punched through its torso. Himeko jumped toward it and slammed the rider to the ground, then she punched the rider's face and crushed it with a single blow.

"Your strength never fails to impress, Miss Himeko" Fu Hua commented as she stared at Himeko.

"We both know you're stronger than me, Fu Hua. No need to sugar coat it" Himeko replied as she grabbed the greatsword on the ground.

"Maybe, but-" Fu Hua was about to say something.

"Kanata Squad reporting in! We encountered Emperor Class near the shopping district, classification is Queen! Requesting immediate backup!" A member of Kanata Squad reported on the radio.

"Understood. Hang on, I'll send reinforcement to help you" Himeko responded on the radio.

"...Emperor class, it seems Honkai are reacting to our presence here" Fu Hua commented.

"Yeah, but we expected this...Kiana, Bronya, are you two set?" Himeko responded before she asked her two students on radio.

"Set and waiting, aunty. Still going to need some people to bait it to the kill zone though" Kiana responded on the radio.

"Himeko sensei! We got incoming from the rear, large zombie horde!" A student reported on the radio.

"We're tied here. Fu Hua, go to our rear and support your classmates. Kallen, as soon as you finish assisting Mei and Sakura, help Kanata Squad bait the Queen Beast to an open space near Kiana. Move now and quickly!" Himeko commanded on the radio.

""Roger!"" Fu Hua and Kallen answered.

Kallen backflipped twice and skid along the floor, the young woman just got tossed by a Templar Honkai Beast that has lance and a tower shield. Kallen grunted as she avoided a thrust attack by the creature, that left the creature's flank vulnerable and it was taken advantage by Mei and Sakura who swooped from the side with their katanas. Both slashed at the creature's sides at the same time, it produced some kind of low otherworldly groan as it spun toward Mei before trying to bash her with its shield. Mei backflipped and summersaulted backwards some distance away from the creature, and when it tried to pursue Mei, Sakura stabbed it on its backside.

"Tch, our katanas are too ineffective! We need to hit the core!" Sakura said out loud before she dashed backwards.

"The general location is on its torso, Kallen-san, do you carry anything that can punch through its armor?" Mei asked her.

"I have a Brune Launcher with Honkai Eliminator warhead, but we need that shield restrained first!" Kallen answered.

"Yosh, we can do this! Sakura-san, we need to severe its left hand!" Mei told Sakura.

"Alright, I'll distract and cut it off! Then you hold it in place, Mei-san! Ikuzo!" Sakura said out loud.

They're within the abandoned train station and the Templar beast prevented the three of them from going into the train platform, while the zombies have been cleared from the area, the Templar suddenly appeared and prevented Mei and Sakura from advancing...Sakura sprinted at the Templar which responded by raising its shield and braced for Sakura's blade strike, which didn't come as Sakura kept running around it. The Templar eventually took the bait as it lunged at Sakura with its lance, the young woman slid on the floor, avoiding the lance to her head before she jumped toward the creature. She yelled before she brought her katana down, slicing the arm that hold its tower shield. The creature let out an otherworldly groan before it attempted to body deck Sakura with itself, but it failed due to Mei holding the lance.

The Stigmatas on her back provided her with superhuman strength and she made full use of it as she did tug of war with the Templar which didn't want to let it go, Kallen immediately took the chance and summoned a Brune Launcher. She aimed at the Templar before she pulled the trigger, the launcher fired and struck the Honkai creature directly on the center mass. The Honkai core located within shattered from the eliminator warhead explosion, thus the creature let out a last groan before it disappeared without a trace.

"Taken care of!" Kallen grinned as she shouldered the launcher.

"Nice shot, Kallen-san" Mei praised while she smiled.

"Your accuracy and reflex never fail to impress, Kallen" Sakura commented while she smiled.

"I'm a Kaslana, guns are like an extension of me haha. Anyway, I think we got them all over here. I'm going top side to help, you two should continue your task" Kallen responded before she checked her USP EXs variant.

"Understood. Thanks for your help, we'll see you later" Sakura told Kallen.

"Aye~! Stay safe you two!" Kallen responded before she ran to the exit.

"You as well" Mei said out loud.

"...Let's keep moving, Mei-san. Sooner we get this done, the better" Sakura suggested to Mei.

"Hai, ikimashiyo" Mei agreed.

After Kallen exited the train station, both Mei and Sakura jogged further into the railways. They found several zombies but one stroke from their katanas were enough to slay them, they pose no threat to them but they still need to be conscious of ambushes or blind spots if they don't want a nasty surprise. Their task was to recon their underground railway from their spot to the town center, they could avoid alerting the entire Honkai horde on the surface if they can maneuver underground. Mei and Sakura are among the fastest Valkyrie cadets in their batch, thus they've been selected to do their task and quickly return to Himeko.

There was no electricity within the island, the tunnel was pitch black and both of them had to rely on their handheld flashlights to illuminate the area. After trekking through the dark tunnel for several minutes, they finally located the subway station near the town center. However, both Mei and Sakura stopped before trying to advance further. As Valkyries, they could sense just how powerful the Honkai was around the core. Any normal human would turn into zombies in a matter of minutes, if they die here then they would be reanimated as sentient zombies. It made sense that Emperor class beast appeared when they arrived, Honkai concentration in this island was quite strong.

"Himeko sensei, we arrived on the subway near the town center. Honkai concentration over here is very strong and the core is possibly heavily guarded, I don't recommend anyone approaching without substantial protection and escape plan" Mei contacted Himeko on the radio.

"Understood, pull back and rendezvous on my position. We need to change our plan" Himeko answered on the radio.

"Alright, we're heading back now" Mei reported.

"HQ, this is Himeko. Honkai concentration around the core is too strong, I can't risk the Valkyries to approach and destroy it without backup. We have to use the alternative method" Himeko reported on the radio.

"Fission missile to the core would've solve this entire problem, but Schicksal want that town to remain untouched and the collateral damage minimized. The most direct solution is use Hyperion's main gun to shoot a Honkai Eliminator shell to the core, however we still need to confirm the precise location of it. And that means, paving the way to the core itself" Theresa replied on the radio.

"So, in the end, someone still has to go there...I'll do it" Himeko volunteered.

"Okay, just make sure to get back safe and sound Himeko. I don't want any heroic nonsense, you're to retreat if it's not possible" Theresa's tone was steely, unlike her usual demeanor.

"Haha, don't worry, no plan on doing that. I'll arrange support from Hyperion" Himeko chuckled slightly in response.

"Kallen here, I have visual on Kanata Squad" Kallen reported on the radio.

"Just one cadet?! How are we supposed to beat this thing with just you!?" Kanata Squad member responded on the radio.

"We have a kill zone ready! Lure it to the park, I'll clear the way!" Kallen answered.

"Agh, fine! Come on ladies, lure this bitch to the park! Keep a steady supply of rounds to its body, make sure its attention remains on us!" A Kanata Squad member instructed the others.

"Kiana, you hear that? Get ready, this one's going to be close!" Kallen told Kiana.

"Yeah yeah, bring it to that park. I'm set" Kiana responded on the radio.

The young woman laid prone on top of a derelict office building, she cocked her weapon and aimed through the scope. It's Altair's Blade, a literal 25mm cannon that's designed to combat Honkai creatures. Kiana adjusted the scope's magnification before she saw an explosion on her front left side, she directed her view towards the area and she briefly saw a part of white carapace and pinkish glow. Alongside that, she could hear gunfire and energy ejection sounds coming from the front, Kanata Squad was really baiting the Queen toward the open area. Then, Kiana saw a figure with white hair summersaulting backwards several times, and she immediately recognized her as her cousin.

"Did you have eyes on the creature, Kiana?!" Kallen asked her before she fired her dual pistols several times.

"Not yet, bait it closer" Kiana responded.

"Bronya will help" Bronya sat on Project Bunny's shoulder before it jumped down the building.

Kiana watched as Bronya joined Kallen and Kanata Squad in combating the Queen, it finally entered the park and Kiana switched the scope to Honkai emission detector. It immediately shown the location of the core within the Queen, Kiana regulated her breathing as her finger moved to the trigger. She waited for the opportune moments before she squeezed the trigger of her cannon.

WHIINGG!

BOOOOMMM!

The cannon produced the sound of energy whirl before it fired, launching accelerated 25mm rounds imbued with Anti-Honkai property. The projectile struck the Queen, causing it to let out a loud otherworldly groan. However, the Queen remained as it turned toward Kiana who widened her eyes that the shot failed to hit the core. The young woman was sure that she shot it, she then noticed that the core still intact but damaged. Granted the core of an Emperor class beast are larger than the others, it seemed that multiple shot was required to kill it.

"Target hit! But it's still active!" Kanata Squad member said out loud on the radio.

"I'll shoot it again, distract it!" Kiana said out loud on the radio as she pulled the rifle's bolt then pushed it.

"Try to kill it this time! We don't have time for this!" Kanata Squad member told Kiana.

"Bronya will try to weaken it" Bronya said out loud.

Bronya had her Project Bunny's Alloy Devourer laser cannon charged before it fired a yellow beam toward the Queen, the creature groaned as it tanked the damage from the laser that can melt a tank armor plate with relative ease. Kallen clicked her tongue as she prepared her Brune Launcher to shoot another Honkai Eliminator shell, she opened the breech, took out the empty cartridge, slide a fresh one into the launcher, closed then locked the breech opening.

"Bronya! Can you carve a sizeable hole around the core or something?!" Kallen asked her classmate.

"Nyet, will take too long, the carapace is too strong" Bronya admitted.

"Dammit, uh Kanata Squad, I have a launcher ready but we need a hole around the core so it'll be a sure shot! Can you help with that!?" Kallen asked Kanata Squad as she hid behind Project Bunny.

"Good idea cadet! Alright ladies, let's give them a hand! Focus your attack on the spot I mark!" Kanata Squad leader said out loud.

The A ranked Valkyries of Kanata Squad, equipped with figure fitting Valkyrie battle suits, armed with various firearms, fired at the Queen. Their weapons consisted of Alloy Dominators Pistols, Alloy Lurker Cannons and Cross Machine Guns. The projectiles slammed the Queen relentlessly, slowly chipping the area that the Kanata leader has designated. Just as it was about to counter attack, a 25mm round hit its core once again, stunning the creature and heavily damaging its Honkai core. In last ditch effort, the creature planted itself on the ground before four pillars of lights erupted from the ground. The lights hit a member of Kanata Squad, hit Bronya's Project Bunny left arm that carried a shield, and sent Kallen backwards from the near miss.

"She's hit! Oh god her leg, it's almost torn off!" A Kanata Squad member said out loud.

"Get her behind cover and stabilize her! The rest of you, don't let up!" The leader said out loud.

"You guys okay down there?! What happened!?" Kiana asked out loud on the radio.

"Light beams! Kill that creature now, cadet!" Kanata Squad Leader told Kiana on the radio.

"On it! Hang on!" Kiana responded.

Kiana fired her cannon once again but this time it was a miss, the Queen had enough with Kiana's attack so it moved towards her while ignoring the other Valkyries on the park. Bronya realized on what it's going to do so she tried to stop it by drilling the creature with laser beam, even Kallen fired her launcher at the creature's damaged white carapace. But before the projectile could hit and destroy the Honkai core, the Queen launched a sharp carapace that revolved around it toward the office building. The thrown carapace hit the area where Kiana was located, and that's when the projectile hit the Queen's core and destroyed it. The Queen roared before it disappeared, leaving only fragments of pink Honkai core where it previously stood.

"Kiana?! Kiana, are you okay?!" Kallen asked her on the radio.

"...No response, Bronya will check her" Bronya exclaimed as she boarded her Project Bunny.

"Shit, the cadet's down as well!?" Kanata Leader remarked out loud.

"Kallen, Kiana, Kanata Squad, you got incoming horde of zombies! Pull back and regroup on my location!" Himeko ordered on the radio.

"Ma'am, we have downed Valkyries here! We're going to need cover fire while pulling out!" Kanata Leader said to Himeko.

"Got it, fighter bombers are in the air and Viking reinforcement are on their way. Hang tight, Kanata" Himeko responded.

Bronya arrived at Kiana's spot and found her sprawled on the floor, her left forehead leaked blood and the girl was unresponsive. Bronya's face subtly hardened as she kneeled beside Kiana and lifted her up, Bronya checked for her vital signs and it was there so Bronya sighed in relief that Kiana is alive albeit wounded. The ABS rifle she carried was split in half near her, Bronya guessed that Kiana tried to block the attack and managed to lessen the damage to her head. Kallen ran up the building's wall before she front-flipped and landed on the rooftop, she sprinted toward Kiana and gasped a bit when she saw the amount of red on Kiana's face.

"Dammit, Kiana, can you hear me?" Kallen asked her as she lightly tapped her left cheek.

"The head trauma must have caused concussion; it's no wonder Kiana fell unconscious..." Bronya told Kallen.

"Yeah. Can Project Bunny carry Kiana and fight at the same time?" Kallen asked Bronya.

"Nyet, the left arm was destroyed so it can only attack" Bronya denied while she shook her head.

"Alright, we got to carry her out. Can you clear the path, Bronya?" Kallen asked her.

"Roger. Leave the path clearing to Bronya" The girl nodded her head.

Kallen carried Kiana on her back before Bronya jumped down with Project Bunny, the mech lit up its laser cannon as it descended to the ground. The beam scorched the zombies shambling toward them, cutting large swaths of them with ease. However, the cannon could overheat with continuous fire so Bronya has to be mindful of how long she fired her weapon. Kallen followed Bronya down and started unloading her handgun at the zombies, they opened a path and jogged through it as they kept shooting at the zombies around them.

"Kallen, where are you and Bronya? Kanata Squad just arrived" Himeko asked for status report on the radio.

"We're on our way! Can you send someone to help clear the path!?" Kallen responded on the radio.

"Understood. Viking Lead, you're up" Himeko answered.

"Roger that, we have eyes on Kallen and the others. Stop moving, we'll deal with that horde" Ryan announced on the radio.

It was nonsense to Kallen, but she and Bronya stopped moving nonetheless. Then, a few seconds later, a Pegasus transport flew close to the ground and lit up its HMGs and rocket pods, quickly eliminating the horde of zombies in front of the Valkyries. At the same time as the Pegasus flew by, five Vikings descended from above and used their jet thrusters to soften their landing. The five of them circled the Valkyries before they lit up their respective weapons at the zombies that were still standing.

"Alright! Keep moving in steady pace! We'll cover you!" Ryan instructed Kallen before he fired another burst from his F4000.

"Yeah, good to have you here!" Kallen replied while she grinned.

Ryan didn't respond as he was too busy firing at the undead in front of him, the magazine on his rifle quickly ran empty and he took out then inserted the new one in under three seconds. Kallen watched as the Vikings around her kept moving in pentagon formation, their honed movement allowed them to keep moving despite the close calls with the hordes around them. They reached an intersection, then Bronya heard a cannon shot before the horde beside her got taken out. The girl looked to their destination and saw a Norn Hover Tank steadily approached them while firing its coaxial machine gun, the main gun then fired another shot which landed on the formation's left side.

The Vikings has cleared the pirate base and now helping the Valkyries with their mission, even commandeering the arsenal within the base for their own use. The group passed by the tank which held its position before slowly reversing while keep firing its machine gun and cannon, thanks to their actions, Kallen, Bronya and Kiana finally arrived at the command post for the Valkyries which was a small park with an abandoned convenience store. Kallen set Kiana down on the makeshift triage within the convenience store, she was about to call for a medic before a Viking approached her.

"What happened?" Grey asked Kallen.

"A Queen thrown a piece of carapace at her; I think she blocked it but it hit her head regardless" Kallen informed Grey.

"Okay, let me look...Hmm...I see...There must be a tiny crack to her skull near her right temple, I don't know about brain damage but for now I guess it's nothing too bad. I'd still recommend her to be checked more thoroughly in Hyperion later" Grey analyzed Kiana's injury.

"Thanks for the help, I'll leave her in your hands" Kallen thanked while she nodded.

"Bronya will stay and help" Bronya announced.

"Alright, bring me that first aid kit" Grey pointed at a stack of first aid case on the counter.

Kallen walked outside and saw Ryan looking at Kiana from the entrance, he got the helmet on but even the densest person will notice that Ryan was worried about her. The young man kept looking at Kiana while Grey and Bronya treated her wounds, he sterilized then bandaged Kiana's head before he looked outside and sent a thumbs up at Ryan. He nodded before he started walking, he glanced at Kallen before signaled her to follow him by tilting his head.

"...Ryan" Kallen called his name.

"Yeah?" Ryan responded.

"She'll be fine, it's not the first time she got wounded like this" Kallen assured the young man while she smiled slightly.

"I prefer her to not get injured, or you, or our friends..." Ryan openly admitted.

"Don't we all. But rest assured, she's stronger than she looks. Kiana will be fine, so don't get distracted, okay?" Kallen assured further.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'll worry about her once we're done with this operation" Ryan told Kallen.

Both looked up as they noticed that the dark grey sky finally let out a downpour on them, heavy rain washed all things within Yi Island and both of them weren't an exception. Ryan and Kallen jogged toward Himeko who got several Vikings and Valkyries in front of her, the woman's face looked serious as she stared at the tablet that she carried. They took shelter in abandoned store that was turned into a supply area, some of their classmates were stacking ammo and medicine they brought for the operation.

"...Hyperion is ready to fire Anti-Honkai shot, we just need to clear the path to the town center. It's a straight road from here, but the zombie horde and Honkai creature won't make this easy in any capacity" Himeko said out loud.

"Second problem persist, the Honkai radiation are too strong near the core. We can only be there for a few minutes at maximum so we have to be quick, or it may cause unforeseen consequences to us all" Fu Hua added while she frowned.

"Needless to say, I'm going to plant the targeting strobe for Hyperion. But I can't punch through that many Honkai creatures by myself. That's why, I need the Viking's help to do this" Himeko said to them while she closed her eyes.

"Say no more ma'am, we're on it. Am I right, boss?" Han said out loud before he asked Ryan.

"Yeah, ten Vikings should be enough to operate the tanks and jeeps. We'll punch through the zombie horde, but we'll have to leave the Honkai creatures to you ladies" Ryan affirmed as he nodded.

"Don't worry, we got that in the bag. As long as no more Emperor class shows up" Himeko assured while she smiled slightly.

"Alright, three minutes, check your ammo and equipment. Two, get nine Vikings to assist the girls in the CP defense. Three, get the rest and prepare to roll out. We'll take one tank and three jeeps, have them ready on the intersection" Ryan started barking orders.

"Affirmative" "Alright then, home guard duty it is" Gin and Han replied.

"Who's coming with us?" Ryan asked Himeko.

"Me, Fu Hua, Sakura, Mei and Kallen. We're going to need firepower and mobility for this one" Himeko answered.

"Hold up, you're letting these cadets go with you!? At least take us or some others A ranks, don't endanger them like this!" Kanata Leader protested while she folded her arms.

"It's fine, they're experienced enough to be a B rank with the number of combat operations they've been through. They're just cadets in name only, besides the other A ranks are engaged with Honkai on our flanks and yours are needed to hold the perimeter...You can trust me on this one, squad lead" Himeko assured the woman who kept staring at her.

"Hah...Still, take me with you, Major. I assure you I'll even the odds" Kanata Leader insisted while she frowned.

"...Alright, go get yourself ready" Himeko relented and nodded.

"I'll inform my squad" Kanata Leader responded before she jogged away.

Himeko could see it, that hint of worry in her eyes. The leader of Kanata Squad was worried about them, she wanted to be sure that they will have enough manpower to charge the Honkai directly. Himeko didn't know what was her motivation, but she welcomed her to join them for the mission. Exactly three minutes later, everyone that will participate on the mission have gathered. The Vikings and Valkyries boarded the jeeps, but Gin, Mei and Sakura were on standby above the tank's hull. They had their katanas drawn, ready to cut down any zombies or persistent Honkai creature in front of them.

"Apex, you're on station?" Himeko asked out loud on the radio.

"Apex Lead here, what are your orders, captain?" Apex Lead asked Himeko on the radio.

"I need close air support for the main road we're going to take, Ai-chan have highlighted the path you need to clear out" Himeko ordered them.

"Copy that, we've received the target location. Priority on Honkai creature elimination, stand by for our pass. ETA one minute" Apex Lead informed on the radio.

"We're going when the air strike has completed!" Himeko said out loud.

"Tally six Chariots, two Catapults, several Knights and a big horde of Archangels" A member of Apex Squadron reported on the radio.

"Prioritize the ground targets...Target acquired, Fox Three" Apex Lead said out loud.

Ryan revved the jeep's engine slightly as he listened intently to the radio conversation, then he heard missiles flying in and struck something in front of him. A few seconds later, five jets passed above them as they dropped oval shaped green objects at their respective targets. Huge explosions could be heard and the tremor it caused can be felt by the assault team, yet Himeko didn't give the order to move after that. The F-33 jets that were responsible for the airstrike then broke formation, five of them immediately maneuvered to take out targets along the assault team's path.

One of the F-33 fired its missile at a Chariot Honkai beast and damaged its carapace, it followed the attack with a gun run from a 20mm Vulcan Cannon that shredded some of the heavily damaged carapace. The F-33 pulled up and avoided a retaliation from the targeted Chariot beast which launched an energy beam at the aircraft, the other F-33 assisted it by dropping an unguided bomb that shattered the beast's front side. The Archangels noticed the jets and started attacking, that forced three of the F-33s to intercept the creatures. The other two proceeded to strafe a large crowd of zombies near the town center before dropping another bomb on the intersection, mass killing the creatures within the large explosion radius.

"We kicked a hornet nest, have to shake them off for now. Now's the time, captain" Apex Lead informed on the radio.

"Punch it!" Himeko said out loud.

"Here we go, hang on!" Ryan said out loud.

Ryan shifted the gear, stepped on the accelerator and the jeep almost pulled a wheelie while it accelerated forward. The other two jeeps followed and all of them drove in wedge formation behind the Hover tank that was driven by Igor, the tank was at the maximum speed of seventy kilometers per hour while he wordlessly scanned the area in front of him. It didn't take long before several zombies started appearing from all the commotion, that caused him to started burst firing his coaxial 7.62mm machine gun. The three jeeps behind him also started firing their vehicle mounted DMGM8, their precision fire cleared any stranglers on their paths.

"Heads up team, sentient zombies approaching from the rooftop" Apex Lead warned on the radio.

"Gunners! Rooftops!" Himeko shouted out loud.

"Fourteen, don't hold back!" Ryan told Rahn.

"Won't happen, boss!" Rahn replied while he grinned before he started firing.

Around a dozen of sentient zombies ran along the rooftop before they jumped down to kill the Valkyries and Vikings, the Viking gunners precisely targeted the incoming zombies by firing in fully automatic. Many of the zombies died before they even landed, however some did land on top of the Norn. Five zombies and they had claws and blades, with the claw users known as Clawed and the blade users as Ninja. However, they didn't expect for two Valkyries and a Viking to charge at them in close quarter.

Sakura expertly dodged two diagonal swipes from a Ninja by tilting her body, then she blocked the next downward attack before she slashed upwards and cleanly cut the creature into two. Then she backflipped as she avoided a claw swipe which got parried by Gin, the young man grunted slightly to free his blade and used the grip to smack the responsible Clawed directly in the face. He wasted no time in slashing downwards then horizontally, it heavily wounded the Clawed before Gin sent a roundhouse kick that knocked her off the tank.

Mei deflected three side swipes from another Ninja with her katana, the young woman was flanked by a Clawed but managed to dodge the claw thrust before launching roundhouse kick that sent the creature flying from the tank. The Ninja closed in while Mei was recovering and she anticipated that, so Mei put her katana on her back and avoided from getting slashed by the Ninja. Once the attack was blocked, Mei avoided the second slash before she horizontally slashed to the right and decapitated the Ninja in one clean strike. The last Clawed was about to jump at Mei before she got stabbed by Sakura and decapitated by Gin, the creature fell and got kicked off the tank by the young man.

"Knights formation ahead of us!" Fu Hua said out loud.

"Six, clear them!" Ryan said to Igor on the radio.

"Loading HE...Firing" Igor reported on the radio.

BOOM!

The tank's 90mm gun fired and landed a high explosive shell which struck one of the knight's horses, it toppled over and caused the others to trip or avoided it by changing lanes. Igor kept firing the tank's gun as they steadily close in on formation, Kanata Leader and Kallen then started firing their respective Alloy Dominator and USP EXs at the Knights. The bullets did stop or disoriented many of them, but not at an acceptable number for them to pass unharmed. The gunners on the jeeps were firing nonstop, trying to clear the way for their group to no avail. However they're before an intersection, and the unspoken consensus was to change path.

"Break right!" Himeko barked on the radio.

The formation turned right immediately upon the order was given, Ryan even took extra step in drifting with the jeep while Rahn kept firing his machine gun at the Knights. They cleared the barricade but next problem came, the Knights kept chasing them and near their destination, there were two Chariot beasts that noticed their arrival. Igor switched to armor piercing rounds and started firing at one of the Chariots, the rounds hit the creature and damaged the carapace. With the nonsense this situation could cause, Himeko handed the strobe to Ryan who grabbed it before glancing at Himeko.

"It's on you Taurus, take a few of your men and get in there! Mark the core and bail out, the rest of us will make sure we have an LZ to hold on to!" Himeko instructed to him.

"Yes ma'am! Change of plans, Vikings! Four, Fourteen, you two are with me and we're going inside the town center! The rest of you, assist the Valkyries in holding the area outside!" Ryan instructed on the radio.

"Make it fast, the entire town will swarm us the moment we stopped" Himeko reminded on the radio.

"Don't worry ma'am, we'll be in and out before you know it" Ryan assured while he smiled.

"Good! Ray Lead, have your birds ready for hot extract near the town center! Be ready to pick us up the moment we request extraction!" Himeko told Ray Lead on the radio.

"Copy that captain, we'll stand by in high altitude" Ray Lead responded on the radio.

One of the Chariot hunched before firing an energy beam at the group, the beam scorched the hover tank but the plating managed to hold firm. Igor hardened his gaze behind his visor, the young man aimed for the Chariot's face and struck it with an armor piercing round which caused it to roar. Himeko stood up, crouched slightly before she jumped forward at the distracted Chariot. The woman yelled as she summoned her greatsword and cleaved the Chariot's head open, it roared even harder and lose composure. That allowed the tank and jeeps to pass by them, Kanata Leader and Sakura disembarked to assist Himeko in killing the beasts in front of them. Both started unloading their weapons at the wounded beast, further riling it up and attracted the attention of another one.

Meanwhile, Ryan pulled the handbrake of the jeep and caused it to drifted before he jumped out. The young man fired his F4000 midair at the zombies in front of him before he landed, then he rolled and kept firing at the remaining zombies around him. His magazine dried up and he reloaded the weapon, but none of the zombies could take advantage of that because James and Rahn immediately appeared beside him while firing their own F4000s. The three of them then ran for the town center while hip firing their rifle, occasionally firing their grenade launcher to pave a way from zombies and Sentient Zombies.

"Front door's closed, maybe it's locked!" Rahn noted.

"Let's not wait around and find out!" James said out loud.

THUMP!

BOOOMM!

James launched a 40mm grenade which blown the double doors open, the three Vikings waltzed in and they huddled together. They're within the building for CQC, getting separated will only complicate their situation. Ryan received a data broadcast coming from Hyperion, it was a software program that allowed his sensors to pick up Honkai energy emission and pinpoint the source. The program self-installed on his armor and the interface showed up on his heads up display, Ryan wanted to comment but he remained silent, either someone from Hyperion actively monitored him directly or somebody within HQ took initiative despite none of them confirming anything, including Theresa and Victoria.

"...Fifty meters to the northeast, elevation is around negative ten meters...Is it underground?" Ryan muttered to himself.

"What about it?" James asked Ryan.

"Sensors shown the approximate location of the core, let's head there first" Ryan answered.

"Hold up, how did you know? What sensor?" Rahn asked out loud.

"...Ahh just roll with it, trust me on this" Ryan told Rahn.

Rahn shrugged and kept following Ryan, they went through corridors and several rooms before they arrived at an entrance to the basement level. So far, the building was empty and that unnerved the three Vikings to no end, with how heavily guarded the outside, they thought the inside will be jampacked with zombies like sardines in a can. They steadily closing on the Honkai core and the Vikings felt funny all around their body, it was a prove at how thick the Honkai was around the core and a reminder that they need to finish their task soon.

"Contact!" James sounded.

RATATATATATATATATATATATA!

A long burst from an unsuppressed F4000 broke the relative silence as James fired on something, it was a quick shadow and undetectable on their radar. That caused the Vikings to walk back-to-back, literally closing their back from potential backstab from hostiles within the building. Ryan, Rahn and James kept their pace while intensely scanning the area around them.

"Four, what did you see?" Ryan asked James.

"Don't know, the bollock was too quick for me to get a good look" James answered.

"...Alright, keep your eyes peeled" Ryan nodded his head.

Whatever it was, all three hoped that it's not a Herrscher or something similar. They found the underground entrance and it took them another minute traversing the basement before they find what they're looking for, an enormous pink crystal around five meters in height sprouted from the ground and emitting pinkish glow. It was the first time for Ryan, James and Rahn to see a Honkai infestation core directly. It was alien and unnerving, especially knowing that it was the source of this town's Honkai infestation. Honkai creatures doesn't rely on it, but when it appears, Honkai creatures are sure to appear as well.

"Found it. Ma'am, we found the core. Coming out now" Ryan informed on the radio as he threw the strobe.

"Excellent! Now get over here! We are leaving!" Himeko barked on the radio.

"You heard the lady, double time" Ryan told his men.

They sprinted out of the basement and then dashed out of the town center by ramming the windows, they softened their fall with their jet thrusters and looked at the main road in front of the town center. It was a real battle, an intense one as zombies and Honkai creatures swarmed the defenders. The Valkyries were squaring against them directly while the Vikings provided fire support from the back, the tank was not operational anymore as Igor could be seen on top of the turret, hip firing his DMGM8 at the approaching horde.

"We're here! Call the extract!" Ryan said out loud before he started firing his rifle.

"Ray Lead! Now's a good time to swoop in!" Himeko said out loud on the radio.

"Affirmative, we're diving and inbound. We can't be there longer than ten seconds given how hectic down there, make this count" Ray Lead replied on the radio.

"Understood, just be here!" Himeko said to Ray Lead.

"Approaching the town hall, ETA one minute" Ray Lead informed.

"One minute! Hold the line for one minute!" Himeko shouted out loud.

"Will be the longest minute in my life then!" James commented out loud.

"Cover me! I need to reload my launcher!" Kallen said out loud.

"On it!" Ryan responded.

Ryan sprinted and stood in front of Kallen while he brandished the energy shield field, Sentient Zombies archers in front of him then unleashed their arrows which the man blocked while grunting with each hit. It's a primitive weapon, but the sheer power each arrow contained is enough to punch through Kevlar and metal plating. Ryan glanced at the separate shield meter on the bottom left of his HUD, and he noticed that it's being drained at alarming rate with each hit. The young man scoffed before he raised his F4000 and fired one handed at the Archer group, some of them got shot but they're stubborn enough to hold their position.

"Duck!" Kallen yelled.

And that's what Ryan did, he ducked and Kallen fired her Brune Launcher toward the group. The high explosive shell shattered their formation and bodies, eliminating their threat with a well-placed shot. But something appeared from behind them, it was a Honkai creature known as Catapult and its primary attack is hurling a ball of flame at hostiles. Ryan fired his rifle but the 5.56mm rounds did nothing to it, Kanata Leader then shown up beside him and fired her Alloy Dominators and that's when it started to flinch from the damage. Kallen also stored her launcher and fired her USP EX, but it didn't really help like Ryan.

"Go after another target, I got this one!" The woman said out loud.

Kallen and Ryan nodded before they ran to the left side to join Fu Hua, Mei and Sakura who had to contend with a Templar. Fu Hua set her stance while Mei and Sakura went to the side, the bespectacled woman yelled before she launched a punch that heavily cracked the Templar's shield. Then, she launched a horse kick that shattered the Honkai carapace which was followed by Mei launching a downward slash. That caused the lance wielding arm to be cut off, and Sakura jumped at its chest and performed several high speed swings which weakened the carapace. The young woman dashed backwards before Ryan and Kallen fired at that specific spot, further weakening the carapace's integrity until they had to reload.

"Now, Fuuka-san!" Mei yelled.

"Haaaaaaa!" Fu Hua yelled before she jumped.

DDHUUUMMMMM!

Fu Hua's energy infused punch collapsed the carapace, hit the core, and sent the creature backwards at the same time. It groaned loudly before the Templar disappeared without trace, Fu Hua landed and exhaled, she panted slightly before she dashed back as Sentient Zombies Archers fired arrows at her. Ryan covered for her by retaliating with his 40mm grenade, blowing the Archers with ease and wounding the others. Ryan reloaded as he dashed backwards, but a Sentient Zombie with a scythe rushed him.

"Ryan-kun!"

TANG!

BANG!

Mei blocked the attack from the zombie with her katana and Ryan blasted the zombie directly on the face with his rifle, he was honestly surprised as the zombie was on his blind spot and his helmet did muffle sounds slightly. Not helping with the roar of guns and Honkai creatures around him, so he's extremely glad that Mei was there to save his ass.

"Thanks Mei! That was too close for comfort!" Ryan thanked her while he smiled.

"No problem!" Mei replied while she smiled.

"Chariot sonic wave! Watch out!" Himeko warned out loud on radio.

A Chariot hunched before sending a sonic shockwave at the group, the Valkyries jumped out of the way while the Vikings used their boosters to fly up. The creature raised its large arm and tried to swat the Vikings out of the air, fortunately they're quick enough to scatter the moment its arm about to hit. The Vikings pulled up their launchers and grenades before using them toward the creature. That distracted it enough for Himeko to sneak up from behind and jumped up, and then she brought her greatsword down while she yelled. The woman almost cleaved the creature in two, but the most important thing was that she split its core and killing it.

"Nice assist boys, looks like your training paid off~!" Himeko honestly complimented them.

"We're fifteen seconds out, get ready" Ray Lead informed on the radio.

"Alright! This is it! Get ready to jump!" Himeko said out loud on the radio.

"Vikings, we escort them outside until we're out of here!" Ryan ordered on the radio.

"""""""""Sir!""""""""" They responded in unison.

The four Pegasus Transports flew in straight line and at reduced speed, that allowed the Valkyries to just jump aboard and clung to the side of the landing gear. The pilots needed to stabilize their aircraft but once they got confirmation that the Valkyries were aboard, they immediately increased speed and got away from the area. The Vikings literally flew while facing backwards, magdumping their weapons at the Honkai creatures and zombies that were chasing them.

"This is getting too serious! How far are they planning to chase us?!" Rahn asked out loud on the radio.

"Guess that's only what a mindless creature could huh" Ryan commented before he fired his F4000.

"Archangels inbound!" A Viking alerted on the radio.

"Focus your fire on them!" Ryan ordered on the radio

"Ai-chan, this is Himeko. Target has been marked, launch the payload" Himeko ordered on the radio.

"Okay captain~! 430mm Honkai Eliminator Round, fireee~!" Everyone could hear a cheery girl's voice on the radio.

WHIINNNGGG!

BBOOOOMMM!

Something whizzed near them at quarter speed of light and hit the town center before obliterating the building in a huge explosion, the Vikings were stunned from the sudden explosion and shockwave from the projectile traveling beside them. Many looked back and saw Hyperion, battleship under direct command of Himeko Murata, silently hovered and one of her gun's barrels was smoking after use. They didn't have time to admire the ship as the Archangels got closer and started firing energy projectiles or tried to ram the Vikings with their sharp wings, fortunately they missed or their shots absorbed by Viking's energy shield.

"Arrrgh! This thing's tougher than they look!" James informed on the radio.

"Keep at it, they're among the weakest in Honkai class" Fu Hua responded on the radio.

"Easy for you to say, woman!" James grumbled before he fired his weapon.

"Fufu, terribly sorry, ranged combat is not my specialty" Fu Hua reacted.

"What are we doing next, sensei?" Mei asked Himeko on the radio.

"We're cleaning the town after a short rest, looks like we'll be staying until dusk today" Himeko responded on the radio.

"Shooting monsters dead from dawn till dusk? Boy, what a first mission" Ryan reloaded his rifle while he chimed on the radio.

"And plenty more to come, Taurus. Get comfortable, we're working overtime for this one" Himeko answered in lighthearted tone.

"Unpaid overtime?! I'm filing a labor's right violation case to the court!" A Viking commented on the radio.

Ryan chuckled slightly as they're not going to win that court battle, so a paycheck is a wet dream at best. After fighting off the Seraphs and shooting them down, the Vikings joined the Valkyries within the transports. Ryan sighed a bit as he sat beside Kallen who offered her left fist that he bumped with his right hand, then the young man looked outside and noted that Hyperion were traveling slowly while occasionally firing her weaponry to the ground. The pirate base was seized, the Honkai core was eliminated, all in all it was a successful mission. However, the cleanup part begun immediately, and safe to say, Ryan wasn't looking forward to that...It really took them an entire day to complete the sweep, but after that, they immediately went back home to Soukai, back to their daily lives.

---

Armory

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Model 20 Schicksal Assault Rifle

Role: Assault rifle

Manufacturer: Schicksal Armament Department

Length: 0.9 Meters

Mass: 3 Kilograms

Cartridge: 6.5x45mm Cartridge

Action: Gas operated, short stroke piston

Rate of fire: 780 Rounds per minute

Firing mode: Semi-automatic, 2 round burst, fully automatic

Effective range: 700 Meters

Maximum range: 1100 Meters

Feed system: 40 rounds detachable dual column box magazine

Schicksal manufactured brand of assault rifle has been a standard issue among Schicksal units from common troopers to Valkyries, it's a versatile bullpup rifle and its rugged construction allowed it to withstand all kinds of weather or terrain. Schicksal is the only user for this weapon, as any other personnel operating it is certainly looted or stole it from Schicksal. Aside from its slightly fantasy-ish design, the rifle is truly jack of all trades as there's nothing stands out about its field performance. However, it has earned the reputation of being a chore to maintain due to many complex mechanisms within the rifle. Regardless, its customizability allowed Schicksal Troopers to use many attachments and modify it according to their needs.

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F4000 Assault Rifle

Role: Assault rifle

Manufacturer: Fabrique Nationale

Length: 0.75 Meters

Mass: 3 Kilograms

Cartridge: 5.56x45mm Cartridge

Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt

Rate of fire: 800 Rounds per minute

Firing mode: Fully automatic, semi-automatic

Effective range: 600 Meters

Maximum range: 1000 Meters

Feed system: 30 rounds detachable box magazine

The weapon was conceived out of need for a carbine sized assault rifle that provide the same performance as other common rifles, thus F4000 was designed after the previous F2000 has stopped being produced. Like its predecessor, the weapon is compact, reliable, highly customizable and comes with a standard optic fresh from the assembly. The weapon is commonly seen among vehicle crews or special operation teams, taking full advantage of the rifle's compactness and versatility. While it's a very reliable weapon, several users are not a fan of how wide the rifle feels on their hands, given of its somewhat bulky design. The rest, particularly those who likes to play a certain FPS game, loved it and some went so far to exchange the scope with a custom digital ammo counter.

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Nyx Sniper Rifle

Role: Anti material sniper rifle

Manufacturer: Hades Forge

Length: 1.3 Meters

Mass: 6.7 Kilograms

Cartridge: 12.7x99mm Cartridge

Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt

Rate of fire: 20 Aimed shots per minute

Firing mode: Semi-automatic

Effective range: 1850 Meters

Maximum range: 3000 Meters

Feed system: 10 rounds detachable box magazine

'Goddess' black bow' was the nickname earned by this anti material sniper rifle after its debut performance during Second Honkai Impact, where several UNAF soldiers carrying the weapon managed to wipe out a large horde of Sentient Zombies without casualties. Named after a Greek Goddess of Night, the weapon is black, lean and make terrifying sound whenever it was fired due to the special barrel alongside compensator it used. The weapon is made of steel, making it weighty to ordinary person but the bullpup design trimmed the rifle's overall length. Due to high demand of the weapon around the world, Hades Forge grew from a local company into a highly profitable global company that started producing other military products. However, their main commodity, Nyx Sniper Rifle, remains their priority and will always be for foreseeable future.

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Tusk Shotgun Model 1

Role: Assault shotgun

Manufacturer: Grozny Industry

Length: 0.8 Meters

Mass: 3.4 Kilograms

Cartridge: 12x70mm 12 Gauge shotgun shell

Action: Gas operated, rotating bolt

Rate of fire: 200 Rounds per minute

Firing mode: Semi-automatic

Effective range: 50 Meters

Maximum range: 200 Meters

Feed system: 2x 10 shells tube magazine

Close combat within several Russian cities necessitated the local force to go close and personal with their targets, whether it's a human or a zombie. They need a compact shotgun that can hold a lot of shells, and Grozny Industry answered the demand by designing The Tusk shotgun series. Inspired by KSG, the tube magazine was overhauled to fit twice as much shells in it by making it taller. Furthermore, to guarantee rate of fire, they designed the weapon to fire in semi-automatic mode. Debut performance of the weapon during the Cleansing of Volgograd impressed UNAF military leaders and words quickly spread among soldiers, it didn't take long before the product took off and saw actions all across the globe. Main complaint among users is the reload time being long and tedious due to manual loading, many asked Grozny Industry to build another version that use magazine instead.

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Viper Auto Pistol

Role: Automatic sidearm

Manufacturer: Arizona Armory

Length: 0.2 Meters

Mass: 0.8 Kilograms

Cartridge: 9x19mm Cartridge

Action: Short recoil, locked breech

Rate of fire: 680 Rounds per minute

Firing mode: Fully automatic, semi-automatic

Effective range: 50 Meters

Maximum range: 100 Meters

Feed system: 20 rounds box detachable magazine

With the increasing concern of soldiers needing an automatic backup weapon, several companies try to make the solution into a reality and one of them being Arizona Armory. Having learned from their previous failure in designing automatic handguns, they designed a compact weapon that could fire with controllable fire rate and remain stable by using fewer moving parts. As a result, they managed to come up with a design that they named Viper Auto Pistol. The weapon was not like a pistol in general, as the magazine is located outside, above the weapon like a P90 SMG. The iron sight and rail were located on both sides, allowing them to be used by both left-handed and right-handed person. While it looked bizarre or even ugly to some people, everyone commented that the weapon is easy to dual wield and reload. Many Valkyries planned on using it as primary weapon, but their performance against large Honkai creatures is negligible that they got relegated to sidearm.

---

Model 69 Hand Grenade

Role: Anti-personnel explosive weapon

Manufacturer: Hunter Arsenal

Length: 0.09 Meters

Mass: 0.45 Kilograms

Explosive type: Composition C

Action: Electric-physical hybrid trigger

Fuse: 5 seconds timed fuse

Explosion radius: 5 Meters maximum lethal radius, 12 meters maximum injury radius, 27 meters minimum fragment dispersion

Tried and tested thrown weapon that seen use by all kinds of personnel on the frontline, it's abundant in supply and light enough for untrained person to throw. However, instead of traditional spoon and pin mechanism, M69 used a combination of electronic trigger and physical one in the form of a small button. Thus, concern with EMP strike rendering the weapon useless was alleviated. The design is hexagonal in nature, so to not glide too much when rolled on flat surface yet still comfortable to hold in hand. While it's light and easy on user's hand, some expressed their discomfort with the new trigger in the fear of accidentally priming the grenade despite the existence of safety cover on the trigger. Furthermore, there's a report of the grenade exploding on its own after receiving hard impact though this is debunked as a faulty product instead of design weakness.

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Rocket Propelled Grenade 10

Role: Omni purpose launcher

Manufacturer: Bazalt and Degtyarev

Length: 0.95 Meters

Mass: 6 Kilograms

Cartridge: 85mm RPG Cartridge

Action: Rocket propelled projectile

Rate of fire: 20 aimed rounds per minute

Firing mode: Single shot

Effective range: 400 Meters

Maximum range: 900 Meters

Feed system: Muzzle loaded tube

Among the launchers in the world, the RPG series is the most widely used one and only rivaled by Brune Launcher in recent times. RPG10 is a simple, easy to maintain, rugged and battle tested platform. It has been used for decades and never even once lose relevance even after Second Honkai Impact, it remains saw wide use despite the absence of Honkai Eliminator Warhead. While it lacks guiding munition and range, the weapon is easy and quick to reload thus allowing RPG10 to be used for rapid fire when needed. This weapon in particular saw wide use in Southern Japan quarantine zone, as the weapon schematics being so simple that some crafty survivors able to make them entirely from scrap materials. When they ran out of explosives, some turned the weapon into a spear launcher where the projectile shoots a metallic spear instead of explosive warhead.

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Mertz 90 Sub Machine Gun

Role: Close range assault weapon

Manufacturer: Mertz Company

Length: 0.7 Meters

Mass: 1.2 Kilograms

Cartridge: 9x19mm Cartridge

Action: Straight blowback, closed bolt

Rate of fire: 920 Rounds per minute

Firing mode: Fully automatic, two rounds burst, semi-automatic

Effective range: 50 Meters

Maximum range: 100 Meters

Feed system: 50 rounds rectangular magazine

Built to rival P90 itself, Mertz 90 prided itself in a similar construction of the P90 yet using more widely available ammo that is the 9mm. The weapon is also sold cheaper and more widely available, being used by criminals and all the way to professional military units. The astounding rate of fire and large magazine capacity has earned this weapon a good reputation in CQB situation, many prefer M90 over other sub machine guns especially after Mertz overhauled the design to be simpler and comfortable to hold. While this did make the weapon shaped like a simple rectangle with moving parts and components, its polymer based construction allowed it to remain light in weight and easy to carry. M90 however, prone to overheat quickly in sustained fire, thus its recommended to be fired in burst setting to preserve the weapon's components lifespan.

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Altair's Blade

Role: Anti-Honkai light cannon

Manufacturer: Buruj Smith and Forgery

Length: 1.5 Meters

Mass: 28 Kilograms

Cartridge: 25x137mm Shell

Action: Bolt action

Rate of fire: 25 Aimed shots per minute

Firing mode: Single shot

Effective range: 3000 Meters

Maximum range: 7000 Meters

Feed system: 5 rounds internal magazine

Altair's Blade is a weapon born from the local militia in a certain middle east region, the original was made with scraps within a cave. They need a weapon to combat a Honkai creature that laid waste a tiny village, but they don't have the help from Schicksal or UNAF. The militia reverse engineered a cannon from an IFV, then turned it into a bolt action cannon. They're able to defeat the Honkai creature and the words attracted Buruj Smith and Forgery, they patented the design and then started mass producing the cannon alongside the necessary Honkai Eliminator shell. The result was outstanding in sales, factions and military groups around the world like the weapon as an affordable anti Honkai weapon. It can also serve as an anti-material weapon by using a common 25x137mm rounds. The weapon requires two-man team to use effectively, but Valkyries are known to use them singlehandedly.

---

HANGAR BAY

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Pegasus Transport

Role: Utility helicopter

Manufacturer: Nikos and Palos

Crew: 1 Pilot, 2 Gunners

Capacity: 6 Passengers

Length: 16 Meters

Width: 8 Meters

Weight: 6000 Kilograms

Cruise speed: 300 Kilometers per hour

Maximum speed: 500 Kilometers per hour

Maximum range: 680 Kilometers

Armament: 2x M3 Heavy Machine Gun, (optional) 2x unguided rocket pods, (optional) 4x Air to Ground Missiles, (optional) 4x Air to Air Missiles

A medium sized helicopter with powerful rotor on each side, Pegasus transport was selling like hot cakes ever since its debut during Second Honkai Impact. The vehicle took pride in the fact that a helicopter of its size can fly with only just one pilot without hindrance, and with control so simple that a high school kid can fly one safely. It was built loaded with tons of safety mechanism, such as self-stabilization in case of stall, auto pilot that leveled the vehicle when it hovers, and even emergency remote control. Despite that, many of the pilots often turned off most of the safety features as it deemed as 'limiting' on what a real pilot can pull off. Despite the warning not to do so on manual, many stories of Pegasus pilots pulling off impressive feat and maneuver happened due to them disabling those safety features beforehand.

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Albatross Heavy Dropship

Role: Heavy dropship

Manufacturer: Nimbus Industries

Crew: 1 pilot, 1 copilot, 1 communication crew, 1 weapon crew

Capacity: 50 Passengers

Length: 30 Meters

Width: 12 Meters

Weight: 20000 Kilograms

Cruise speed: 500 Kilometers per hour

Maximum speed: 900 Kilometers per hour

Maximum range: 2039 Kilometers

Armament: 6x M3 Heavy Machine Gun

The workhorse of many military organization around the world, Albatross is made to be the alternative to the cargo planes that require runway to operate. By the time of Second Honkai Impact, it was clear that there needs to be a platform that can deploy infantries en mass and has room to evacuate people at the same time. Nimbus Industries offered the world their newly created Albatross and its proving ground was the Battle of New York, where a prototype Albatross deployed an elite UNAF platoon to evacuate trapped civilians in a stadium surrounded by Honkai creatures. The result immediately greenlit contracts and productions for more Albatross, allowing them to see actions all over Earth. Cumbersome yet armored, they could survive a drop mission in the middle of the battlefield to unload their cargo before lifting off in under a minute.

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Fighter Model 33 (F-33)

Role: All weather fighter bomber

Manufacturer: Nimbus Industries

Crew: 1 Pilot

Length: 12 Meters

Width: 5 Meters

Weight: 7000 Kg

Cruise speed: 1500 Kilometers per hour

Maximum speed: 2200 Kilometers per hour

Maximum range: 480 Kilometers, 1200 Kilometers (External fuel tank)

Armament: 20mm Vulcan Cannon, 6x Hardpoints (Missiles, bombs, pods)

Visually resembles the F-16 but with diamond shaped wings and quite small for a combat aircraft, F-33 is a widely used VTOL carrier based multirole aircraft in the Asian region. The aircraft is a versatile hardware, capable of dogfighting and performing ground strike with ease. Each unit is compatible with most weaponry that can be fitted into its hardpoints, ranging from gun pod to advanced missiles that ensure the F-33 could face any threats in air or ground. While it's an excellent aircraft, it has a reputation for having lower fuel capacity than other jets and small frame means its payload are limited. Many organizations didn't consider this as dealbreaker given that it supposed to operate from a carrier or ship, making resupplying easier than having to go back to a ground base. However, there's a rumor of a version that can transform into a bipedal mech and fitted with nuclear reactor, which Nimbus Industries dismissed as preposterous rumor from an overzealous engineer who watched too much anime.

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Norn Hover Tank

Role: All terrain light tank

Manufacturer: Ganymede Enterprise

Crew: 1 Pilot

Length: 10 Meters

Width: 7.5 Meters

Weight: 34000 Kilograms

Speed: 75 Kilometers per hour

Maximum speed: 85 Kilometers per hour

Maximum range: 840 Kilometers

Armament: 90mm Self Loading Cannon, 12.7x99mm Coaxial turret heavy machine gun

Begun its debut a decade after Second Honkai Impact, Norn is an abandoned project that was restarted in order to prepare for another Honkai Impact. It's a large tank with slanted, chitinous, frontal armor and four 'legs' that served as the hover device. The cannon is located on the back, thus allowing the maneuver 'hull down' to be performed with much ease than other conventional tanks. Although it was ridiculed for its 90mm gun, which considered 'underpowered' by modern standards, Norn tank outclassed them in other areas. It only requires one driver, it can glide at all terrain including water, produced no tracks when moving, the cannon projectiles could hit harder than conventional ones, and its autoloading with a gap of four seconds between shots. Japan managed to stem the exclusion zone from growing due to the abundant numbers of operational Norns they have, allowing their quick reaction force to move around to respond Honkai incursion.