"Elias, Elias~! Save me! I failed the exam again, sob sob sob! Auntie said if I don't pass the makeup test next time, she'll demote me to a C-rank Valkyrie!"
"Kiana, what do you expect me to do about that? And also, you're blocking my view—let go of your hands."
Elias was sitting on the couch playing video games with Bronya. The adorable duck was nestled in his lap, the two of them intensely focused on a heated in-game battle.
Suddenly, a certain paramecium popped up from behind, covering Elias' eyes with her failed test paper.
Thankfully, Bronya was a good sport when it came to gaming.
She didn't take the opportunity to go for a sneak attack.
Over time, they had all gotten used to life at St. Freya Academy, spending their days in relative peace and comfort.
In the mornings, Elias attended training to become a Hyperion captain. In the afternoons, he trained in combat techniques with Fu Hua. His nightlife, meanwhile, was occasionally "enriched" with Mei's help.
Every now and then he'd play games with Bronya, go shopping with Seele, or cuddle with Kiana. Life was good—busy and satisfying.
"What am I supposed to do, take the makeup exam for you?"
"Hehe, I already thought of a plan. Ta-da!"
Kiana suddenly whipped out a white wig, a girls' school uniform, and two large… white buns, grinning as she handed them to Elias.
"If you just wear this and go take the makeup exam in my place, Auntie will never notice!"
"Kiana, you're a real genius, huh? But Theresa may be dumb, not blind. Also—crossdressing? I refuse!"
"Huh? You can't just leave me to die! If I fail again, Auntie will kill me!"
"Oh? A worthy death. Everyone, time to prepare for a feast."
"You jerk!!"
Seeing Elias completely unmoved, Kiana angrily wrapped her arms around his neck from behind—not really applying pressure, just pretending like she was going to strangle him.
After a while, when Elias still showed no reaction, Kiana finally gave up, puffed out her cheeks, and let him go back to his game.
"Stupid Elias, hmph~ Fine! I'll go ask Mei to tutor me instead. Mei is the best~"
"Stop! Come back. I'll tutor you."
"Huh? Why the sudden change of heart?"
"...Nothing. It's just that Mei needs rest these days. I can't have a noisy little paramecium disturbing my dear girlfriend."
Elias reached out and pinched Kiana's nose.
"..." x2
As soon as he said that, both Seele and Bronya, who were in the living room, froze.
Seele dropped the book in her hands, and Bronya crushed a button on the game controller.
The Bronseele twin sisters stared enviously at the second floor, where Mei's room was. Their cheeks turned red with longing.
Since joining St. Freya Academy two months ago, Elias hadn't gone around flirting with the other Valkyries. Even so, he had become the most beloved figure in the whole academy.
He even earned the slightly embarrassing (but kind of cool) title of "The White Prince of St. Freya Academy." Yet, he had stayed loyal and hadn't cheated on Mei.
You could say his self-control was admirable.
But the price for that...
Was that every week, Mei spent three days walking with great difficulty.
It had gotten so bad that during the last school assessment, Mei, a Herrscher, almost lost to Bronya, a mere B-rank Valkyrie—shocking Theresa, who thought Bronya had been secretly hiding S-rank potential, capable of soloing a Herrscher.
"Hmph~ Elias, you're bullying Mei again."
Kiana clearly understood the implication and blushed, red blooming on her cheeks.
"What? You want to take her place or something?"
"Dream on! I'll bite you! Awooo!"
"Don't bite! You just bit me yesterday—it's still sore!"
Seeing Kiana opening her mouth to bite again, Elias grabbed an apple from the table and shoved it into her mouth.
Lately, he didn't know what was going on, but this Kiana cat kept coming up to bite him every other day. Even Mei didn't bite him that much, not even at night. It was absurd.
"Bronya believes that for the sake of Mei-senpai's campus life, someone should share the burden with her."
"T-then Seele is also willing to help share it..."
"Ahem, let's end this conversation here. We can just, uh, exercise a little more self-control in the future."
Elias coughed awkwardly. As tempting as their offers were, considering Bronya and Seele's petite frames, he figured it was best not to get too excited.
They weren't Herrscher-class bodies, nor did they have Kaslana-level superhuman physiques. Those two were soft and delicate enough to actually break.
"Also, since Mei's... out of commission today, I'll be in charge of dinner."
"Bronya has no objections."
"Seele will come help!"
"Yay! I want that spicy beef dish from last time!"
The three girls cheered excitedly.
Among the group, Elias and Mei were the only two in charge of cooking—earning them an exalted status in the dorm.
Honestly, not just Bronya, Seele, and Kiana, even Himeko was super obedient toward those two...
Because that hopelessly single older woman couldn't take care of herself at all. If Mei went two days without cleaning the dorm, beer bottles, stockings, and high heels would end up scattered everywhere.
Occasionally, Fu Hua and Theresa would also drop by.
The former came just to visit. The latter? Purely to freeload.
Nowadays, bitter melon juice had become a staple in the dorm fridge.
"By the way, where's Himeko? I haven't seen her all day. She didn't even show up for class."
"Stupid Kiana, did you forget? Teacher Himeko isn't just our teacher—she's still an active A-rank Valkyrie. She said yesterday she had a mission today."
"Oh, right… Well, I hope she makes it back safely before dinner."
Though she was a bit of a mess in daily life—couldn't find a boyfriend, a total boozehound—Murata Himeko was undoubtedly an excellent teacher. Elias, Kiana, and all the others deeply respected her.
Elias often wondered why such a beautiful, strong, and responsible woman hadn't found a partner yet. Were all the men in this world blind?
Someone should hurry up and marry her already. If no one else would… maybe he'd just quietly steal her away.
"Whether she makes it back or not, I'll leave a hot meal in the pot for her—but I am hiding her booze."
Elias chuckled. He'd had drinks with Himeko a few times before. When she was slightly tipsy, she was breathtakingly beautiful… though once fully drunk, she turned into a complete wild beast.
But just as Elias was about to head into the kitchen to cook up a warm meal—
Riiiiiiing~!
A sharp, sudden phone ring cut through the air.
Bronya, sitting closest, picked up the receiver with one hand while still grinding mobs in-game with the other.
"Hello? Principal? What is it at this hour? What? You said Teacher Himeko is in the hospital?!"
"!!!" x3
A wave of worry swept the group. All three girls turned their eyes toward Bronya with concerned expressions.
After she hung up the phone with a tense little frown, none of them said another word—they immediately rushed toward the campus hospital.
...
St. Freya Campus Hospital—
"Himeko-auntie, don't dieee!!"
"Stupid Kiana! Who are you calling auntie?! I told you not to call me that!"
Himeko, wearing a hospital gown and lying on the bed, frowned and grumbled. Even in her weakened state, the battle-hardened A-rank Valkyrie still had the strength to hold Kiana's face back with one hand.
"Teacher Himeko, are you okay?"
"Himeko-sis, how are you feeling?"
"Himeko..."
"What exactly happened?!"
Bronya, Seele, Elias—even Mei, who had been resting in her room—had all rushed over. They stood around the bed, worriedly looking at Himeko, whose face looked slightly pale and worn.
Seeing their concern, Himeko's expression softened.
They were always causing trouble in class, but seeing them all rush over the moment something happened to her... it made the corners of her eyes mist up.
"Theresa, this is why I told you not to inform them. I'd be fully healed after just one night of sleep."
"I-I just wanted to put their minds at ease. How was I supposed to know they'd all come running? And what do you mean 'fully healed after one night'? You explosive woman, you're staying put for a whole week to rest, got it?!"
Theresa's voice was full of worry and concern.
"So what happened? Did you run into some dangerous Honkai Beast on the mission?"
"Damn it! Let's go get revenge for Himeko!"
"Calm down, Kiana. Let's hear what actually happened first."
Elias quickly held back the charging Kiana, though his eyes, too, had gone cold and sharp—like a blade drawn and ready to cut down whatever had harmed the woman before them.
"A mere Honkai Beast could never beat me. Don't worry, I'm really fine."
"Then what exactly is going on?"
"...It's Honkai energy corrosion. Himeko's been implanted with an artificial stigma for a long time. She's been active as a Valkyrie for many years. This isn't the first time something like this has happened."
Theresa spoke bitterly, full of frustration.
Valkyries, who fought for all that is beautiful in this world, rarely had beautiful endings themselves.
Artificial stigmata from Schicksal were not like natural ones. Though they gave Valkyries the power to manipulate Honkai energy and fight, they drastically shortened their lifespans—and the more they used them, the more likely they were to be corrupted by the Honkai.
If death was the end, it might still be bearable. But turning into a zombie was the worst possible fate.
That's why when Valkyries suspected a teammate was on the verge of turning, they would grit their teeth and end their life before that transformation happened.
And even if they didn't fall in battle, most Valkyries rarely lived past the age of thirty. For Himeko, her thirtieth birthday was only a month away.
She always said she was already lucky—being implanted with a stigma so late in life and still surviving this long.
"Himeko, sniff Auntie, you're amazing. You must have a way to cure her, right?"
"I—I wish I did..."
"Alright, stop crying, Kiana. This isn't enough to kill me. Besides, haven't I said this before? I won't die until I find a good man."
"Really? Then, Himeko, you must never find a good man. Stay single forever."
"The hell with you!"
Himeko whacked Kiana on the head, scowling.
She knew the girl meant well, but what kind of blessing was that?!
Kiana, are you trying to curse me into dying alone? I'd rather die now than hear that again!
"Elias, I'll have to count on you to take care of everyone for the next few days. Not that it's any different from usual. And what a shame—I won't get to eat your dinner tonight."
"I'll bring it to you later."
"Haha, will you? Thanks. Looks like I'll be the envy of the whole squad again. But... sorry, I don't think I can eat anything tonight. Maybe tomorrow."
"...Alright."
Elias clenched his fists slightly. His mood darkened further as he glanced at the nearby trash bin.
"Bronya, go to bed early tonight. Staying up too late gaming is bad for your eyes and your development. Seele's such a good girl—I don't have to worry about her. Mei... thank you for coming all the way here. Make sure you get some rest too."
"Elias, you should treat us girls a little more gently too, you know. Just because Mei listens to you doesn't mean you have to be so rough every time. Still~ if I could find a boyfriend even half as good as you, I'd be set."
"Kiana, you failed your exam again, right? If you flunk the retake too, I'll deal with you personally once I'm better. Ahem... alright, maybe I've said too much."
Himeko scratched her head, a little embarrassed.
She thought to herself—maybe she really was getting old. Seeing these kids made her want to nag without even realizing it.
Soon after, the group was ushered out by Theresa under the pretense of not disturbing Himeko's rest. She insisted there was no need for all this drama—they weren't facing life and death here. After all, St. Freya did have technology to suppress Honkai energy erosion.
Back at the Valkyrie dorm—
With Theresa's assurance, the girls still worried, but at least felt a little more at ease.
"I'm going to cook."
In the kitchen, Elias distractedly chopped vegetables. It wasn't so much cooking as it was venting.
(I'm still not strong enough...)
He thought with frustration.
Of course Elias knew about the erosion effects of artificial stigmata on Valkyries. He had long been trying to use the fractured powers of the Herrscher of Death to treat Himeko and other Valkyries.
If it was just a mild case, he could help.
Using the Schariac holy blood and the Herrscher of Death's abilities, he could dissolve some of the Honkai energy inside a Valkyrie's body and heal the damage, effectively slowing the erosion.
But the Herrscher of Death's power was still incomplete.
And for someone like Himeko—who was already at death's door with one foot over the threshold—it was simply too late.
The cells already corrupted by Honkai energy couldn't be restored, not even with the Herrscher of Death's power. After all, that power was still Honkai energy in essence. Even if Elias pushed himself to the limit to suppress the erosion—
As long as Himeko continued using her artificial stigma and fighting as a Valkyrie, the corrosion would only worsen. And in the end...
Clang!
Elias' knife split the chopping board clean in two.
"What do you mean you can't eat?! Is my cooking worse than those damn meds, you stupid woman."
Himeko really couldn't eat his dinner.
Because she was already full—stuffed with pills to suppress Honkai erosion.
Elias had seen all the empty bottles in the trash can.
"I have to do something. Not just for Himeko—for all Valkyries. I need to find a way to completely eliminate Honkai erosion. There has to be a way. There has to be a perfect solution."
These women who fought for all the beauty in the world deserved beautiful endings of their own. That was justice. That was right. That was his ideal.
Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz!
Just then, Elias' phone began to ring.
He frowned impatiently, but when he saw the caller ID—Welt—he quickly picked it up.
"It's me. If it's about Chiyou, we can talk later. I've got something else to deal with right now."
"Hmm? What? You said Dr. Magi from Schicksal defected—and he's bringing the Gem of Serenity, the Herrscher of Death core, and is currently seeking protection from Anti-Entropy?!"
Elias' eyes flew open in surprise. The gloom in his expression vanished instantly. His lips curled into a bright, delighted smile.
"Now that's what I call divine timing!"
Was it coincidence, or fate?
Just moments ago, he'd been agonizing over how to fix this problem—and now, the perfect solution had fallen right into his lap.
"Kiana! You all take care of dinner yourselves tonight—I've got something urgent to take care of!"
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