The acrid smell of disinfectant permeated the sterile white corridor. The doors to the intensive care unit remained tightly sealed, the red "Under Emergency Treatment" light flashing ominously.
"The patient's Honkai energy levels remain critically high!"
"Attempt to inject HD423 to suppress the Honkai energy! Hurry!" the lead physician shouted.
Beep—! The life support monitor emitted a piercing alarm.
"Attempt failed. The patient's Honkai energy levels are spiking rapidly!"
"They're approaching critical levels! The patient is about to turn into a Zombie—"
"Major Himeko... hang in there!" Trapped in helplessness, the doctors in the emergency room could only watch Murata Himeko lying motionless on the bed and silently pray for a miracle.
The grayish-white Zombie transformation had already crept across half of the Red-haired Valkyrie's body, spreading relentlessly.
-
Get back—now! On the rooftop of the Medical Department, a golden spear formed from tree branches and a massive sword surging with molten lava slammed heavily onto the platform.
Two young women stood on the rooftop—one with golden hair, the other with purple—their voices ethereal and commanding as they addressed some unseen entity.
-
The life-monitoring device's piercing alarm ceased its shrill wail.
"Major Himeko's Honkai energy levels have stopped rising! They're slowly returning to normal!"
"All vital signs are stabilizing! The signs of zombification are receding!"
The hospital ward fell silent for a moment, then erupted in jubilant cheers.
"Himeko is truly beloved by everyone at this academy," Kyuusyou remarked, nodding as she listened to the cheers from below.
"Almost every student here has been taught by her, regardless of their final department assignment. As Trainee Valkyries, they all received her protection and care."
Snow dispelled the spear she had conjured and glanced down. The white-haired Valkyrie with twin pigtails burst out of the hospital's main entrance and sprinted toward the dormitories.
"Is that Kiana?"
"Mm, it's her... If I'm not mistaken, she must have just had a nightmare... a nightmare from her past," the golden-haired Valkyrie said, watching Kiana disappear into the distance.
"The Second Herrscher's persona is gradually awakening... As her second personality becomes more active, Little Sirin's consciousness will slowly recover as well," Kyuusyou said, her voice tinged with excitement.
"But we can't rely on Little Sirin's will to protect that girl. Her soul fragments are too fragile—though there's no rush anyway."
"What's wrong?" Kyuusyou asked, looking curiously at her companion.
"Our earlier movements seem to have startled the Second Herrscher's persona. Kiana was jolted awake halfway through her nightmare."
Snow shrugged indifferently. It wasn't a major setback; in fact, it might even make the Herrscher persona more cautious.
"By noon or evening, Kiana will likely approach Theresa with a desire to grow stronger."
"In the Nine Realms, she witnessed Himeko protecting her, and ultimately learned to grow up—and Theresa would agree to her request, conducting hellish training for her," Kyuusyou said, recounting the distant white-haired clump's subsequent experiences.
"And in this phase, our focus isn't Kiana, but Anti-Entropy."
"Should I approach Welt Yang and Dr. Einstein, or will you?" Snow asked, turning to Kyuusyou.
"I'll go! I want to steal his lines, pfft!" Kyuusyou laughed excitedly, having thought of something.
The two exchanged a glance and said in unison:
"In ten thousand times the gravity—even light will vanish!"
"Mr. Yang is probably going to choke on the spot..." Snow shook her head with a smile.
"Then I'll leave the Anti-Entropy negotiations to you. I'll deal with Joyce's clones and pay Lady Cocolia another visit, hehe!"
"You were just slaughtering people on her ship a few days ago. Lady Cocolia's psychological trauma probably hasn't even begun to heal yet."
"...Kyuusyou, have you ever heard of shock therapy?"
"? Looks like you're planning to give her Golden-haired Valkyrie PTSD, you little devil—" Kyuusyou quipped sharply at her companion.
"Me, a devil? Then what are you, the devil's girlfriend?"
"What nonsense are you spouting? Who's your girlfriend?!" The purple-haired girl was instantly hit where it hurt most—her core.
"Then how about wife? After all, Ninti already calls you 'Mommy Kyuusyou.'"
The room fell silent.
"Waaaaaah! Tonight, I'm pinning you down and kissing you! I'm going to kiss you hard!"
"When have you ever been on top before—?" The Golden-haired Valkyrie shot her a disdainful look.
"Every time, it seems like you're the one on the bottom..."
The Houraiji Kyuusyou Unit—unable to rise again.
-
As night fell, the campus's daytime bustle receded like the tide with the rising moon. Everyone returned to their dormitories, and in the dining hall, Mei had already prepared dinner.
However, the absence of a certain red-haired woman at the table dampened the group's spirits. Only Ninti, who didn't fully grasp what had happened, and her two guardians ate with focused attention.
"Kiana, who usually eats like a starving ghost... only managed two bowls tonight, not her usual six," Bronya whispered to Mei, who sat beside her.
"Her mindset is evolving and changing, Snow," Kyuusyou whispered.
"That's a good thing. When people remain in comfortable environments for too long, they become complacent and stop thinking critically."
"But when thrust into harsh circumstances, facing challenges and suffering, they often mature."
Watching Kiana's gloomy expression from across the table, Snow and the others murmured quietly among themselves.
"Kiana... don't worry too much about Teacher Himeko. The academy has such advanced medical technology; they're bound to find a cure."
Seeing Kiana radiating a heavy, oppressive aura, Mei spoke up to comfort her.
Creak— The dormitory door swung open, and Headmaster Theresa strode in with a grim expression.
"I have some bad news," she announced. "Thirty minutes ago, I received a notification from the Medical Department Emergency Center—"
"Major Himeko..."
Silence fell over the room. Ninti, however, glanced curiously at the Headmaster.
"Hmm... Why is Lady Theresa's shoulder trembling? Is she holding back a laugh?"
Caught red-handed, Theresa clicked her tongue and banished her somber facade, replacing it with a radiant smile.
"The Major is completely out of danger!" she declared.
"Though she's bedridden for now, a month of rest should restore her full mobility."
"What a shame! I was hoping to give that Bomb Woman a good lesson for her fiery temper... But it seems I've missed my chance this time."
Snow, Mei, and the others exchanged uneasy glances, their faces hinting at unspoken thoughts.
I really want to retort... but what can I even say?
Theresa's gaze finally settled on Kiana, who remained seated with a dark expression.
Theresa reached out and poked the white-haired clump with her finger.
"Kiana, my niece, are you alright?"
"I was just trying to lighten the mood with a joke. Don't be angry... okay?"
Kiana jerked her head violently to the side, crystalline tears welling up in her eyes.
"In the Nine Realms... even though I was right beside Himeko... I couldn't save her at all..." Her voice trembled with emotion.
"It wasn't your fault... Everyone has their limits..." Theresa reassured her.
"What about Kyuusyou and Snow? I heard from the Valkyries on the Hyperion that they hijacked Anti-Entropy's entire air fleet to save Canghai City and us in the Chiyou Area!"
"I swore to my dad that I would protect the people I care about... I can't stay lost like this anymore...!"
"Auntie, I want to become stronger, faster!"
"Then wipe away your tears, Kiana Kaslana."
Before Theresa could respond to the white-haired girl's request, Snow's voice rang out beside her. Her sapphire-blue eyes, the same shade as the girl's, were fixed on Theresa.
"At least the strong never trust tears—"
"Alright—!"
She's finally starting to grow up...