A few days have passed and the people of Nagazora have mostly calmed down. Especially when they covered up the honkai eruption as gas leaks.
"That oughta do it. People will gobble this shit up after all, and suspicious ones would be labeled as crazy. With tin foil hats on and all the jazz." Ein dusted off his hands like he just finished eating some doritos.
And what did the trick was blaming it on the government, obviously. Aesir then gave a handsome compensation to the people, making them obviously happy and thankful. Good little sheep that are easily herded by some coins.
"Ein-nii, can I take these kids to my island? It's pretty desolate you see? I want some inhabitants there, and these little ones would be perfect." Raven came to Aesir and asked him for a favor. As living alone in her villa, right at the center of the island was pretty lonely. Even for a battle hardened mercenary who fought ever since she was a kid.
"Sure, just raise them properly okay? Let Mobius take a look at them too, some of their stigmatas aren't complete. This might give us an answer on why stigmatas only awaken on some people, even though project Stigma has persisted for centuries." Ein thought that there are still things left to be discovered. And it would make MEI and Mobius really happy to research about.
"U-un. Okay, but will they be fine? Lady Mobius is quite... I don't know? Energetic when she finds something interesting." Raven said nervously and thought about the safety of the kids.
"Eh, don't worry about it. I'll beat her ass if she tries anything funny, maybe if it was in the past. But she has very specific powers for research now, so they won't have a scratch on them." He shrugged and Raven sighed in relief.
"Thanks, Ein-nii. Come and visit sometimes okay?" She said her goodbyes and took the children with her to her so called roost.
"Hmm, so she's pretty lonely huh? Well, living in a desolate island by yourself would do that to you anyways." He then looked at an application in front of him. It was to be the captain of St. Freya's battleship, Hyperion. But his thoughts were broken when Griseo came in his office and looked a bit teary eyed.
"Ein-nii... Vill-v is bullying me." She said her grievances to him and he raised a brow. "Well, what happened?" He patted her head and Vill-v entered the premises.
"I was just showing Griseo a magic trick!" Vill-v explained in a panic and he squinted his eyes at her.
"Honest!" She swore and started explaining what happened.
Earlier. "Griseo, wanna see a magic trick?" Vill-v was getting bored and decided to mess with Griseo who was peacefully painting, like always. Thinking that breaking her routine would be entertaining.
"Un, show me then. Vill nee-chan." Griseo looked at her and felt that nothing was amiss. Vill-v still having her usual colors of black and red. Chaos and passion.
Vill-v then started easy with doing the disappearing finger trick. But Griseo thought she lost it and started to cry. (pic)
"N-nee-chan! Your finger!" Griseo cried out and Vill-v panicked. "Don't worry Griseo, it's still here! Tadah!" She showed her complete fingers but Griseo was still upset.
"Uhhh, o-ooh! I know, this would certainly impress you Griseo." Vill-v detached her head, turning her body into cybernetics with her Adamantine skeleton and threw it at Griseo.
Obviously, it didn't work. And Griseo threw it in the air, running away immediately to Ein's office.
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"Hah... What the hell are you doing Vill-v, you know that Griseo is not privy to those kinds of tricks. What if she paints floating heads and headless bodies? It would scare the living shit out of the other kids nearby." Ein sighed and massaged his temples. He then soothed Griseo with a milkshake and some headpats.
"Te-he~ It was just an accident, I swear. Sorry, Griseo. How about another trick?" Vill-v offered and Griseo turned her back on her.
"That's about enough, Vill. Seriously, you guys are a handful." He smiled wryly and Vill-v went up to him. "That's why you like us so much, right? That's why we like you too. You let us do it if it's within reason hehe~" She used her feminine wiles to make him forget, but he gave her a noogie and she pouted at him.
"Don't think you can escape with flattery like that Vill-v. You're banned from the workshop for a week." He huffed and Vill-v did an orz.
Griseo then smirked at her as Vill-v's eyes widened. Griseo was dyed in her colors and she got played by her own personality. "Want to see a magic trick, Vill-v?" Ein then poked her on the head and returned her to normal.
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Kiana and Mei were now in front of the gates of St. Freya. They were quite nervous as Mei didn't really know anything about being a Valkyrie, while Kiana was anxious about seeing the progress of her friends that can now almost qualify as S-rankers.
"Ugh, I think I'm having a stomachache." Mei hunched over and Kiana patted her on the back. "Mei-chan, don't worry! I'll teach you everything there is to know about being a Valkyrie!" Kiana beamed at her and Mei thought that was going to be a disaster.
"Kiana idiotka, teaching others?" Bronya appeared with the Russians and scoffed at Kiana. She squinted her eyes at her. "Bronya... Just you wait, shrimp. I'll definitely be much better than you!" Kiana pointed her hands at her and Bronya was annoyed that she was called shrimp.
"Bronya, Kiana, stop fighting. This is a joyous occasion, we're finally be going to be together again after years. You too, Mei-san. Welcome to St. Freya." Seele chided them and Bronya deflated, as she thought that the introverted and cute Seele was gone, gaining confidence over the years with the brutal training by the spice girls.
"Nyahallo~ Why are you guys so energetic this morning?" Rozaliya and Lilia greeted, they were both still sleepy. Especially Lilia, as she loved her sleep.
"Hmph, you? Beating us in the rankings? My dog is smarter than you Kiana." Sin insulted her as always and Kiana was ready to square up. "Come here you damned cutting board! I'll beat your flat ass!" Kiana was restrained by Mei while Sin got held back by Seele.
"Okay you girls. That's enough chitchat, homeroom is in 5 and I don't see anyone of you in your rooms." Himeko appeared between them and looked at them with a raised brow.
"She started it!" Kiana and Sin pointed at each other. Everybody sighed, Bronya then bonked them on the head and dragged them to the classroom like a ninja, jumping on the poles of the school. Showcasing her training and superior strength, making Kiana vexed at her awesome skills. It made her feel even more jealous when Seele did it too.
"Mei-san, let us go. Don't worry, you won't be late for class on my watch." She carried Mei princess style and Kiana thought she was cool and smooth as hell now.
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"Hmm, let's see? Ohh? I look like I'm a suspicious captain that would rape the mc and she'll fall in love with me because I'm abusive shoujo manga cliche character. Honestly, women are fucking weird as hell." Ein tried out his captain garbs for the Hyperion and went to St. Freya, he also heard that there was someone that was qualified as well. But the person turned into his quartermaster. (something like this)
Ein arrived at Theresa's office and he saw two people that were talking. The woman then saluted at him and he thought she must be his quartermaster. "Captain Einheri! I am Kanchou, reporting for duty." (pic)
He raised a brow at her name and just gestured for her to relax. "What the hell, is your name really captain? You born for this type of job or something?" He asked in exasperation and she nodded.
"Umu! I believe that my sole existence is to be a captain, but I will also support you as your quartermaster in the Hyperion." Kanchou said with a satisfied nod and he looked at Theresa.
"As you now know. She will be your assistant, Ein. She is very enthusiastic as you can see." Theresa pointed at her and he can feel her excitement from a mile away.
"Well, she surely is. Come on, let's go to the ship. We're going to greet our Valkyries Kanchou." He sighed at her name and patted her head. She then followed like an excited puppy.
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"Ughhhh... I hate school. And I hate this school even more." Kiana groaned while Mei gave a wry smile. "Hehehe~ you've grown weak Kiana." Rozaliya teased her, classes just finished. And as expected, Kiana did not learn anything. Especially, because the subjects were harder.
Mei was assigned B-rank because of her martial arts training. Her herrscher core also gave her enhanced physical abilities far surpassing normal Valkyries. But she was inexperienced in fighting for real, so she was assigned a B for her rank.
"Da Bronya is 100% correct, Kiana idiotka will fail. Or did you forget? The Valkyrie promotions have tests on them as well." Bronya reminded her and Kiana propped up immediately.
"W-what!?" Her eyes widened and she looked at Bronya If she was lying. "She isn't lying Kiana, I've read that starting from A-rank and above, the Valkyries have to partake in tests and exams to prove that you are an elite." Mei added and Kiana did an orz.
'I-it's not that hard, right?" everybody who is now A-rank then winced at Kiana's question. Ein made it harder than Schicksal HQ's A-rank exams, even the S-rank exams. St. Freya is not a Schicksal establishment after all, so they would have to be better, stronger, smarter, faster, etc. Than Schicksal Valkyries.
Kiana's soul almost left her body and just looked bleakly to the future. "D-don't worry Kiana, I think you'll have good prospects in the battle simulations and PE trainings." Seele tried cheering her up. Kiana then remembered that she was better than all of them physically back then, not really taking into consideration that they are now trained supersoldiers that can fight with enemies that eat anti-tank shells for breakfast, bare handed.
They were broken out of their talk by Cheng, she was their homeroom teacher today, so Kiana was extra unlucky. Even though Cheng could teach now in a non-boring way with Salome, it was still normal. "Everybody, let us go to somewhere special. You are now A-ranks and B-ranks, that means. You will be able to go on missions with one of our battleships, Hyperion. Some of you may be wondering, why were you unable to board it even though your rank is compatible. Well, there's an age limit and a height limit see? Now, let's go."
Bronya and Sin cringed and thought it was unfair that they were smol. They then noticed each other's plight and nodded begrudgingly.
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Ein and Kanchou just entered the elevator and Ein thought it was a pretty good battleship in his standards, it was an aircraft carrier at first. In which 6 Valkyries could board their own patrol ships at the hangar. But it was turned into an amphibious assault dreadnought. Because Himeko, Theresa, and the spice girls thought big battleships with big guns were cooler.
It could support staffing of over a thousand people easily. While it was powered up by honkai reactors that uses Selene's tech. The ship has so much power, it could level the entire continent of North America in one shot if they overclock the reactors and fire the main guns. And even the smallest anti-air guns are 300mm railguns that use tungsten bullets that were tipped with Soulium. Not to mention the anti-matter loaded ones. The vessel literally craps out trillions of dollars a minute with just one of its guns. It was a warship like no other, overkill doesn't even begin to describe the thing.
"Captain on the bridge." The ship's AI announced and the two entered. The Valkyries saluted and Ein nodded with Kanchou. He then sat down at the helm and looked at the Russians along with Mei and Kiana.
"Woah, Ein-nii! You look cool." Seele commented and he laughed. "Do I now? Thank you Seele, now let me reintroduce my self to those who don't know me." He captured their attention and everybody listened, as they knew that the captain of Hyperion would surely be amazing. The battleship costs more than countries after all.
"I am Einheri Aesir you know? Let's get along with each other." He simply said and that was enough for the valks to get talking. Nodding in understanding on why St. Freya was the best of the best.
Ein then nudged his assistant and she confidently puffed her chest. "I am Kanchou Shuryo, Ein-san's quartermaster. Please take care of me." She introduced herself and Ein thought that even her surname was weird. Translated literally as captain commander.
"Ohhh! Ein-nii, Kanchou! Do we have a mission available, do we? Do we!?" Kiana got excited to sortie and Himeko sighed at her antics. "Kiana, we're just here for some introductions. Don't be too excited." Himeko explained and she deflated, Mei then patted her on the back, saying that she would prepare a meal once they return to the dorms.
"Hmmm, there's still no missions according to Theresa. But I think there will be one soon." He felt that the ambient honkai energy in the atmosphere was getting thicker. Honkai eruptions without herrschers might start soon.
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Thanks for reading everyone, as you know. Captain is here, that will surely result in some interesting things. And Adelheid will be privy to this information, so she will do everything to join in.
Things are rough rn, I'm living with an addict and I got robbed. But alas, sending people to the shadow realm is not easy here. As I do not have powers, Truck-kun just doesn't want to Isekai me. Anyways, ciao.