Just moments after Kiana finished her meal under Bella's watchful eye, Theresa and Himeko were jolted awake by their adjutant's frantic pounding on the door. The near-battering of the door thoroughly roused everyone lodging in Teacher Himeko's dormitory.
"What's going on?"
Mei's still-groggy voice drifted from the other end of the corridor. The black-haired girl, clad in pajamas, peeked halfway out her doorway, looking puzzled at the Hyperion's adjutant standing in the hallway.
Of course, Theresa and Miss Himeko weren't the only ones being knocked on. Simon Lailey, the Divine Authority Squad's intelligence officer and current adjutant of the Nibelungen, stood before Houraiji Kyuusyou's door, contemplating whether barging in on her commanding officer first thing in the morning would get her killed...
"The door's unlocked, Simon. Just come in," Kyuusyou's voice called from inside, making Simon, the brunette Valkyrie, sigh in relief. She twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open, stepping into Houraiji Kyuusyou's room.
The purple-haired Valkyrie was already fully dressed in her uniform, helping Ninti comb her hair. Without looking up, she asked flatly, "Emergency mission, right?" Kyuusyou's tone held no trace of doubt, her expression calm and composed.
"Yes, Acting Captain Kyuusyou. Orders from Headquarters and intelligence from the Intelligence Department—"
"A major Honkai eruption has struck the New Zealand Branch. The local Branch has sustained severe damage and is currently operating at half capacity. The full extent of the damage caused by the Great Honkai Eruption remains unknown. No Herrscher or high-level Honkai Beast reactions have been detected yet."
"I understand. Go mobilize the Nibelungen. Have all standby warships enter combat readiness."
Kyuusyou finished braiding Ninti's hair, placing a small, black crown-like hair ornament on her head, and issued her orders to Simon without turning around.
"Understood. Ah, Vice Captain, there's one more thing... It concerns you and Miss Ninti."
Kyuusyou lifted her head to glance at the auburn-haired Valkyrie before her, a hint of confusion in her eyes.
"Me and Ninti?"
"Yes. The Nibelungen's long-range teleportation device just transmitted two sets of non-standard Valkyrie Battlesuits. According to the synchronized data transfer, these are custom-made suits from Headquarters for you and Miss Ninti."
"...Battlesuits?"
Kyuusyou paused, then nodded as if remembering something.
"I see. Those must be the fourth-generation Valkyrie Battlesuits Snow commissioned from her dad."
"Wait... fourth-generation???"
Simon Lailey's eyes widened, staring at her superior in disbelief.
"Is that so strange?"
"No... it seems Lord Otto is quite the doting father after all..."
Note that down, note that down...
The adjutant pulled out a notebook from who knows where and began scribbling down gossip and anecdotes about Schicksal's current Supreme Commander right in front of Kyuusyou.
"You really dare to write this down... Hurry up and prepare the warship... You'll have plenty of time for gossip later..."
Kyuusyou's lips twitched as she waved Simon out of the room.
"As expected, plans never go smoothly. Ninti, get ready to depart... Once we arrive, if we encounter any 'special' situations... remember to grab something heavy to hold onto..."
"Something heavy?" The golden-haired girl's purple eyes widened in confusion.
"Yes... something heavy. No, the heavier the better... I suddenly have a very bad feeling that we're being set up. We're probably going to get blown away..."
Kyuusyou shuddered at the thought of that cheerful wind woman.
"Understood, Ninti understands, Kyuusyou Mama."
Seeing her guardian's pained expression, the little girl nodded obediently, memorizing the instructions.
"I told you to call me Dad... Never mind... Let's go!"
Kyuusyou swallowed her words, waving her hand dismissively. With Ninti fully equipped, they strode out of the room and headed downstairs.
"This mission coincides remarkably with our original plans. We were already scheduled to head to the New Zealand Branch in a few days to retrieve the Gem of Desire. Now, according to the mission directives from Schicksal Headquarters and confirmation from the Far East Branch's Intelligence Department—"
"A Great Honkai Eruption has struck New Zealand. The situation is currently unknown. The New Zealand Branch's defenses are nearly paralyzed, and communication is intermittent. We must act swiftly to reinforce the local Branch."
"Beyond its role in combating the Honkai, the New Zealand Branch serves as Schicksal's bridgehead for suppressing Anti-Entropy's infiltration efforts. This branch must not be allowed to fall."
Kiana and her team stood in the Hyperion's Valkyrie Prep Cabin, listening as Theresa and Murata Himeko briefed them on the mission's objectives.
"Our mission is divided into two parts. Kyuusyou's Divine Authority Squad, along with several subordinate teams, will conduct comprehensive sweeps and rescue operations in the disaster-stricken areas, as well as counter any potential Anti-Entropy incursions. They'll be deploying aboard the Nibelungen, the assault carrier ahead of us."
"As a high-speed assault carrier, the Nibelungen will reach New Zealand before the Hyperion and immediately begin disaster relief efforts. Our primary task is to locate and secure an A-rank Retired Valkyrie named Wendy."
A photo of a young girl in a wheelchair was projected before the trio.
"Retired at such a young age... Teacher Himeko, what happened to her legs?" Mei asked, her voice tinged with sympathy as she gazed at the girl in the wheelchair.
"Yeah, yeah, Auntie Himeko, why is she in a wheelchair?" Kiana chimed in, feigning ignorance.
"I told you not to call me 'Auntie'..." Himeko snapped. "Kiana, you'll pay for this!"
"In short," Himeko continued, "Wendy lost the use of her legs due to a failed Schicksal experiment."
"That experiment was about the Gem of Desire. Schicksal researchers wanted to harness the gem's power—if it succeeded, Wendy would have gained power comparable to an S-rank Valkyrie. But tragically, the experiment failed, and the Gem of Desire rendered her legs immobile, forcing her into early retirement."
Himeko shook her head, a hint of regret in her eyes. "She was one of the most promising candidates to become an S-rank Valkyrie among the students Theresa and I mentored back then... sigh..."
"How could this happen...?" Mei bit her lower lip, her face twisting with indignation for the senior she had never met.
"Himeko, can't they just remove the gem?"
The white-haired Knight Princess asked again, feigning ignorance.
"Unfortunately, according to our researchers, Schicksal currently lacks the technology to stably remove and preserve the Gem of Desire. During implantation, the researchers injected massive amounts of Honkai energy to activate it, awakening its full potential."
"If we were to extract it directly... it would undoubtedly trigger a Great Honkai Eruption."