It had been a week since the chaos caused by the Herrscher of Corruption. The world was in a state of recovery; words like relief and reconstruction were constantly broadcast on television.
Hiyokumaru hadn't killed many people, she really hadn't. But what she destroyed was more vicious than killing them.
Many cities were turned to ruins, rivers were flooded and rerouted, livestock were completely corroded by the Honkai... Most people lost the foundation and hope for their survival.
When people emerged from underground, all they saw was an endless expanse of ruins. At that moment, whether rich or poor, everyone was classified as one type of person—those with nothing.
A Valkyrie could defeat an incredibly powerful Honkai Beast, but she could not give hope to those who had lost everything.
The asymmetry of information gave Otto an opportunity to exploit.
Schicksal, in collaboration with various nations, announced to the world that the incident was due to an invasion by extraterrestrials.
Schicksal then proceeded to reveal the truth about the Roswell Incident from decades ago, namely the alien wreckage discovered in New Mexico in 1947, which was presented as the advance party of these extraterrestrials.
From then on, the medieval European organization of Schicksal re-emerged in the public eye, having supposedly been preparing all along to protect the Earth and resist the alien invasion.
After that, Schicksal produced a NASA report from 2005 titled "Scout Star-439, an 'Extraterrestrial' Discovered Over New Mexico," which further convinced the world of the alien invasion narrative.
When Otto then displayed several airships and tactical mecha destroyed by the Herrscher of Corruption's attack, the public immediately accepted that the disaster was an attack by extraterrestrials, and that the extraterrestrial Herrscher of Corruption was the mastermind.
"Extraterrestrials have attacked our world, assaulted our civilization, and destroyed our lives.
But we did not give up. After days of hard-fought battle, and at an immeasurable cost, the organization of Schicksal has successfully repelled the invaders.
This is a victory for humanity. This is a victory for our defense of our home!
We have lost cities, mountains, and rivers... but we are still alive. We still have one thing left, and that is the right to take back everything!"
Schicksal Overseer Otto Apocalypse gave speeches continuously after the war, comforting the world. Many of Otto's speeches moved the desperate masses, and overnight, countless Otto fanatics sprang up around the globe.
With Otto reassuring the public, and with all the AIs back in place, the Global Connection Anchor once again proved its worth. Supercomputers, including Cortana and Ada, under the Global Connection, continuously calculated and mobilized resources and manpower from around the world, helping people rebuild their homes at the fastest possible speed.
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"Sigh... Now the whole world will really remember Higokumaru forever. But this whole extraterrestrial thing is just too ridiculous..." Ryn said, exasperated, as he turned off the TV and slumped onto the sofa.
Himeko shook her wine bottle and said to Ryn, "That's not true! Extraterrestrials really do exist. My father dedicated his research to them."
But Ryn didn't pay much mind. If extraterrestrials existed, so be it. It wasn't like they would actually attack Earth in his lifetime!
Right now, everyone was still reeling from the grief of Hiyokumaru's death. The moment she disappeared, the pain hadn't fully registered.
But after things quieted down, in a fleeting moment of wandering thoughts, a fragmented memory of Hiyokumaru would surface, bringing a pain akin to death by a thousand cuts.
Ryn: "Sigh..."
Kiana: "Sigh..."
Kika, Mei: "Sigh..."
......
During the time Hiyokumaru was at St. Freya High School, Himeko had been confined to a hospital bed. She was supposed to rest for a month, but Theresa forcibly kept her in the hospital for another month.
In the end, not long after being discharged, she was buried under a mountain of work.
Teaching during the day and handling work at night, Himeko had only seen Hiyokumaru occasionally at the dinner table or when dealing with trouble Kiana had caused.
Himeko felt regret over Hiyokumaru's passing, but not overwhelming sorrow. She had experienced such things far too many times.
Listening to everyone sighing all day long was starting to depress Himeko.
Finally, unable to watch any longer, Himeko picked up her wine bottle and bonked Ryn and Kiana on the head, one by one. The bottle hitting their heads made a crisp sound.
"Listen to that sound. What a fine head, huh?!"
"Himeko?!" "Ms. Himeko!!"
Still moping around, the group looked at Himeko angrily after being bonked.
But Himeko just laughed heartily, slinging her arms around Ryn and Kiana. She took a big swig of wine herself and tossed the empty bottle away.
"*Hic*~ Ryn, Kiana, and you too, Kika and Mei... living in sorrow all day won't make you good Valkyries, you know!"
Kiana looked at Himeko with teary eyes and sobbed, "But Hiyokumaru was our family... I still can't accept it..."
"I keep thinking... if I were stronger, if my abilities were more comprehensive..."
Before Ryn could finish, Himeko pressed a finger to his lips, interrupting him.
With her other hand, Himeko gently wiped away Kiana's tears. She shook her head slightly at Ryn and said:
"Don't think like that, Ryn... There are many things in this world we can't avoid. We can't take all the blame upon ourselves. That would be a desecration to Hiyokumaru, and to everyone else."
Himeko pulled Kiana and Ryn's heads into her embrace and drew Mei and Kika in as well.
"I am also deeply saddened by Hiyokumaru's departure... but people must ultimately move forward. Wallowing in past sorrows changes nothing. If you can't get over this hurdle that is Hiyokumaru, if you continue to sink like this, then I suggest you retire immediately and stop being Valkyries..."
"The fight against the Honkai is cruel. No one can be certain they will survive until the very end.
Even I, your teacher Himeko... have lost many, many comrades. They were all my inseparable family, and I too was once so grief-stricken I couldn't pull myself together... but in the end, you have to wipe away your tears and continue to fight, because this is the fate we knew we were accepting the moment we became Valkyries. Even I could suddenly die in some battle..."
"Looking back at the past is a motivation to move forward, but if it's just endless repetition of sorrow, it's meaningless. If you all truly hold Hiyokumaru in your hearts, then carry her strength with you and keep moving forward!"
"'If you shed tears when you miss the sun, you also miss the stars.' It's a poem by Tagore. I like it very much, so I'm giving it to you!"
Himeko smiled gently and ruffled their hair.
Kiana wiped her tears, looked at Himeko with determination, and said, "Himeko... we will become the strongest Valkyries!"
Ryn continued Kiana's thought. "We... will defeat the Honkai!"
Mei: "For the sake of those we love..."
Kika: "We will stop at nothing."
"It seems you all understand now. In that case... let's have a party, drink all our sorrows away, and welcome a new beginning!!"
Himeko grinned, pulling out several large crates of alcohol from behind her back, vowing to drink with everyone until they dropped!