High above the Pacific Ocean, 512 kilometers from Sky City, the rumble of a Honkai engine gently dispersed the surrounding clouds.
A silver-white battleship cruised slowly through the skies like a massive ghost drifting among the heavens.
Its advanced optical camouflage and Honkai-based cloaking systems kept the colossal vessel perfectly hidden within the thick cloud cover.
Even the roar of its propulsion system was muffled to a whisper, contained within a precise energy field.
The Hyperion.
A legendary name in the world of Honkai—recognized instantly by anyone even remotely familiar with the battles being waged in this chaotic era.
Compared to the "Hyperion" that Kagura had personally built, this official Hyperion was actually much smaller.
After all, this version was designed primarily as an atmospheric command center and weapons platform.
Kagura's Hyperion, by contrast, was more like a Macross-class interstellar warship meant to cross galaxies.
And now, Kagura, along with Himeko and the others, had finally boarded this iconic flying fortress.
I'm on the ship!
Ehehe!
(๑>◡<๑)!
————————————————————————
—Bridge of the Hyperion
"Captain on bridge."
Himeko led Kagura and the others onto the bridge, reuniting with the Valkyries stationed there.
"I'm back, Theresa. How's the repair progress coming along?"
The girl referred to as Theresa turned to face her. "Oh wow, Himeko! You finally came back."
White hair, blue eyes, petite figure—super adorable!
This was Theresa Apocalypse, acting captain of the Hyperion and principal of the St. Freya Academy under Schicksal's Far East branch.
She was Otto Apocalypse's "granddaughter" in name only, actually a clone created from the genes of Valkyrie legend Kallen Kaslana.
An S-rank Valkyrie herself, the wielder of the Divine Key Judah's Oath, and… self-proclaimed "cutest idol in the world" (okay, maybe scratch that last one).
Despite her loli appearance, Theresa was actually [BLEEP] years old—making her older than everyone present and something of a respected elder aboard the Hyperion and at St. Freya Academy… supposedly.
Hands on hips, Theresa didn't hold back her words. "You dumped this captain's position on me for so long!
You know I'm just the acting principal of St. Freya, right? The expenses I racked up covering for you—I'm docking that from your salary!"
Though her words were sharp, her eyes betrayed the worry and exhaustion she'd been carrying.
Clearly, during Himeko's absence, Theresa had been managing the Hyperion's affairs, keeping the crew safe, and dodging Schicksal's pursuit. It had taken a toll on her.
Now, with Himeko safely back, Theresa finally let herself smile in relief.
"Well… before anything else—Major Himeko, welcome back aboard the Hyperion. And don't get the wrong idea—I totally wasn't worried about you or anything!"
"All right, all right. Sorry to have made you worry." Himeko grinned and reached out, gently ruffling Theresa's hair like a mother doting on her child.
"I promise, no more leave requests for the next month. Sound fair?"
"Eh? What kind of promise is that supposed to be? What a mess! (≧Д≦)!" Theresa puffed out her cheeks in frustration, making her look even more adorable.
"Oh right… Kiana!"
Theresa's gaze shifted from Himeko to Kiana. "I'm so glad you made it back safely. You've been through a lot… I'm sorry I couldn't get to you sooner. That was my failure."
"Haha, it's okay! All that's behind us now." Kiana looked back on her time in Sky City with a bittersweet smile.
"These past few months taught me to face myself… and my power. I realized I can't keep running away anymore. It's time to stand tall."
"Oh my! Looks like our silly little Kiana really has grown up!" Theresa beamed with pride. "That's wonderful. Truly! You've become stronger, and I'm so proud of you."
"Hehe! Getting praised by Auntie Theresa isn't easy—ow!"
Before Kiana could finish her sentence, she took a direct hit from Theresa's Judah. Clutching her head, she squatted down with tears brimming in her eyes.
Yup.
In this world, speaking without thinking really does get you smacked.
"By the way, you must be Miss Kagura Hitomi, right?"
After giving Kiana her well-earned bonk, Theresa turned her attention to Kagura.
"I've heard it was you who saved Himeko—and also helped Kiana and the others resolve the Honkai crisis in Sky City. Thank you, Miss Kagura."
"Mmm. Don't mention it," Kagura replied. "It was simply the right thing to do. Besides… I got a pretty decent reward out of it."
"Of course! That's only fair. As agreed, the Hyperion will provide you with all the intel and data we have, in return for your efforts and assistance to Himeko."
Theresa smiled and said, "I'm not stingy. Whether it's Honkai-related data or the Valkyrie battlesuit blueprints stored on the ship, you're welcome to access and download them as much as you like!"
"Mmm, really? That's a very generous gesture, but…"
Despite Theresa's openness, Kagura still had a few doubts. "Are you sure it's okay to just hand over such valuable data? Especially something like Valkyrie armor designs—those must be considered classified, right?"
"If it were anyone else, of course I'd hesitate. But with you, I don't mind at all."
Theresa replied confidently, her expression unwavering. "Because you're someone from another world, Miss Kagura.
Even if this information is considered confidential in our world, it doesn't really matter if it's going to a completely different dimension. There's no threat to us."
She playfully wagged her finger. "More importantly, I believe you're a kind person.
I trust that you'll use this data for the right reasons—so I have no reservations about sharing it with you."
"Well, if that's the case… I graciously accept this 'treasure trove' then!"
At this point, Kagura had no reason to refuse.
After all, her main reason for traveling to other worlds was to gather advanced technologies that didn't exist in the Marvel universe—or obtain samples and materials worth deeper research.
Now that Theresa had generously granted her access to the entire Hyperion database, there was no need to be modest.
She could just pack it all up and take it back.
Jackpot!
The girl was grinning inside—this was a huge score.
But just as she was basking in her good fortune—
"There's one last thing," Theresa said.
At the same time, she and Himeko turned their eyes toward the group standing just behind Kagura.
It was a few Valkyries who had come aboard the Hyperion along with Himeko.
"Miss Rita. It's been a while."
Theresa's tone turned more formal as she addressed the woman.
Rita gave a polite nod, her expression as calm and composed as ever, wearing that gentle smile she never seemed to take off.
"Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Theresa. It looks like we'll be working together for a while."
"Hmph. Honestly, I didn't want to let you onboard in the first place."
Hands on her hips, Theresa stared straight at Rita and the Immortal Blades behind her.
"But after Miss Kagura and Himeko explained what you've been through, I figured a temporary alliance might be worthwhile.
Besides, leaving you down there would've been pretty heartless. However—"
Her gaze sharpened, laced with warning. "Rita, the Hyperion is offering you sanctuary. Don't get any funny ideas while you're here.
If I catch you doing anything suspicious, you'll be kicked off the ship immediately. And whatever punishment Schicksal has planned for you… we won't interfere."
It was clear Theresa still held some reservations about Rita's presence on board.
After all, this woman had long been one of Otto's most trusted "agents." It was perfectly reasonable to suspect she might stir up trouble aboard the Hyperion.
"I understand."
Rita nodded calmly and replied with poised grace, "Since I've accepted Miss Kagura's arrangement and received the Hyperion's assistance, I have no intention of repaying kindness with betrayal. You may rest assured, Headmistress."
"Yaaawn—!"
Once all the new arrivals had been settled, Theresa stretched and let out a loud yawn.
"Well… it's getting late. Let's all get some rest for now."
"As for the current situation, our future plans, and everything else—we can talk about that tomorrow."