"You are risking your life, Himeko."
Tian Shi couldn't help but sigh as he looked at Himeko lying back in the hospital bed.
"Several times I felt you were about to pull the trigger on the safety mechanism."
"How can you be a Valkyrie if you don't risk your life?"
Himeko smiled faintly.
"But the fact that I was directly asked to undergo this kind of surgery means Schicksal has a lot to say about me... or rather, about my father. What exactly did he do back then?"
How could it not have been something big?
Ryusuke Murata nearly ridiculed Otto, almost triggered a new war between Anti-Entropy and Schicksal, and even allowed Anti-Entropy to penetrate the defense module of the Fourth Divine Key.
The question of which side the Fourth Divine Key belongs to is still unresolved.
"I knew it! Why become a Valkyrie if you have nothing better to do...?"
"You are one of those who critique after the fact... By the way, couldn't you have peeled an apple for me? It's rare for Miss Amber to even bring me a small token of gratitude."
It was hard to discern whether Himeko's smile was celebrating her success or mocking Schicksal's "kindness."
"Didn't you refuse to eat it?"
Tian Shi countered while picking up an apple.
"Didn't I eat it before? Don't try to alter my memory."
Himeko said with a smile; now, she inexplicably has a bit of the future's carefree and reckless temperament.
It's like going from being a good student to a little rascal.
"Come on, come on, feed it to me while you're at it."
"Don't tempt fate."
"Right now my body aches and my limbs are weak, you know. Don't be so shy."
"I think you're being a bit of a tease."
After peeling the apple, Tian Shi cut off a piece and fed it to Himeko.
"Ah... during the surgery, even though I was under anesthesia, for some reason, my mind was inexplicably clear. I was thinking, if I were unlucky enough to die on the operating table, what would my last wishes be?"
"You should refrain from saying things that bring bad luck."
Tian Shi cut another piece and put it into her mouth.
"To be honest, I'm starting to regret supporting your decision to become a Valkyrie."
"Mmm... are you afraid I would die on the operating table?"
After swallowing the food in her mouth with difficulty, Himeko looked at Tian Shi with a smile.
"Are you scared now?"
"I was terrified, even though I had faith in you, when I saw you being operated on... well, I have to admit I regretted it a little. I thought it was too reckless."
Tian Shi said with complete candor.
Himeko was the only person Tian Shi felt indebted to during the simulation, so he always tolerated her behavior to some extent; but the problem was that Tian Shi truly couldn't find a solution to the problem at that time.
"I've started to reconsider whether I should increase my control over you."
"Mmm... it's not very nice to say it like that, but I'm actually a little happy."
"What makes you so happy?"
"I'm happy that someone is worried about my safety; after all, right now I don't have anyone I can rely on," Himeko said, scratching her head.
"That's a bit selfish, isn't it?"
"You're not the only one. Reanna and Welt are also very worried about you."
"That's different," said Himeko Murata, looking at the ceiling.
"They are probably only caring for me because of you, right? Of course, I'm not complaining about the kindness of others, but... well, to be honest, I'm very grateful to Professor Welt and Sister Reanna, especially Sister Reanna, who is like a mother to me."
"Reanna... she really is an elder."
Tian Shi's mood improved slightly.
Do you even know who the mother of Anti-Entropy is?
"Speaking of which, when we were still at school, was there something you wanted to tell me?"
"What do you mean? What are you trying to say?"
Tian Shi put the last piece of fruit into Himeko's mouth and asked naturally.
"It's just... I always felt like you wanted... was it like an invitation? I always felt like you wanted to invite me out."
"Why would you think that?"
Tian Shi paused while taking the new apple, then continued peeling it as if nothing had happened.
"I'm pretty much the prettiest girl on campus, you know?" Himeko said with a proud look.
"A lot of people wanted to ask me out when classes started, but I turned them all down, so I guess I'm pretty sociable too."
"You? Far from it, you're looking more and more like a rascal," Tian Shi said scornfully.
"You have gone astray."
"What exactly was it you wanted to do with me, or where did you want to go? Were you planning to travel the world with me?"
Himeko looked at Tian Shi with curiosity.
"You are not allowed to change the subject."
"Then why didn't you ask that question at the time?"
Tian Shi asked without changing his expression.
"If you had asked me then, maybe I would have told you."
"So you mean we both lacked a bit of courage back then?"
Himeko's expression suddenly turned to helplessness.
"Wait, what kind of soap opera dialogue is this...? But, to be honest, I was actually quite confused at that time. Even though I said I wanted to become a Valkyrie, I was actually forcing myself a bit. I probably hoped you would tell me, 'Being a Schicksal Valkyrie is not for you.'"
Himeko suddenly laughed again.
"That retrospective comment you just made, 'I knew it! Why become a Valkyrie if there's nothing wrong with it?', if you had kept insisting like that, maybe I wouldn't have done it. Even though I was given anesthesia, I felt a lot of pain. Do you think I would have died of pain on the operating table if I hadn't been anesthetized?"
"Obviously," Tian Shi said, turning his head to the side.
It's truly audacious of her to dream of performing this level of surgery without anesthesia.
"Now it's your turn. I've already explained what I think, so you can't keep making excuses."
"Did you know that the only organization in the world fighting Honkai is Schicksal? Besides Schicksal, there is another emerging organization that can rival it: Anti-Entropy."
"You have a way of leading me to Anti-Entropy," said Himeko Murata, seeming to understand something.
"I am the leader of the Anti-Entropy Alliance."
"Huh?"
"Or rather, the United States is the backyard of Anti-Entropy. Einstein, Tesla, Welt, Reanna... all those people you remember are exponents of Anti-Entropy."
"Then why did I bother becoming a Valkyrie?" Himeko's eye twitched.
"Now I understand why Professor Welt looked at us so strangely back then. So, I was stingy in the small things and wasteful in the big things?"
"At least you pursued your dream."
Tian Shi told a joke that wasn't funny at all.
"Ah... to be honest, I regret it now. I feel like I should have joined Anti-Entropy. If I had gotten closer to the leader, I would have been an executive, right? So what is your hesitation about?"
"Hesitation about your dreams."
"That joke is not funny," Himeko said with a smile.
"I just don't understand your reasoning."
"It's better if you don't understand it."
"In short, since you are here, make the most of it. Otto is not so despicable as to send someone to kill you; you are not qualified."
"That reason is truly exasperating."
Although annoyed, Himeko couldn't refute it at all.
"Believe me, you don't want to be on Otto's target list."
Tian Shi kept putting apples into Himeko Murata's mouth.
"Ugh! Ugh! Ugh!"
"The next step should be to assign you to a unit. Strictly speaking, I would prefer you to be assigned to a local post. Although the treatment is not as good, it is usually safe."
"But that's impossible, right?"
After swallowing the apple with difficulty, Himeko more or less understood.
"So, I'll be assigned to the most dangerous unit? A suicide squad?"
"Almost."
...
Knock Knock
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.
"Who is it?"
"Are you Miss Murata Himeko? I am Ragna Lothbrok, Captain of the Assault Valkyries and your future captain."
A gentle voice came from outside the door.
"May I come in?"
"Please, come in."
After seeing Tian Shi put away the fruit knife, Himeko finally replied.
"I apologize for disturbing you."
A beautiful woman with black hair and red eyes, dressed in a white silk maid uniform, walked in.
Ragna Lothbrok, who shares the same name as the legendary pirate Ragnar Lothbrok in normal history, is the mentor of Rita, Bianka, and Himeko.
"A maid?"
Himeko Murata was stunned to see Ragna enter.
Why would the Captain of the Assault Valkyrie Squad, a team clearly meant to overcome difficulties, be a maid wearing white stockings?
"Oh, I'm sorry, I was practicing social skills and Miss Amber called me."
Ragna scratched her face, somewhat embarrassed.
"I honestly haven't had time to change my clothes. I am very sorry."
"A maid café?"
The first maid café was established in Akihabara in 2001, which Himeko, being from the Far East, had naturally heard of.
"No, proper domestic work, like sweeping, weeding, and feeding the cats."
It was the first time Ragna had suffered such a strange misunderstanding.
"My official position is still Captain of the Assault Valkyrie Squad and a Combat Instructor directly subordinate to Schicksal Headquarters; I am a Schicksal A-Rank Valkyrie, you know."
In a way, Ragna was also the instructor of the 800,000 Imperial Guards.
"But no matter what, it's very strange to go out to work as a domestic helper, isn't it?"
"It's just one of my social work experiences," Ragna said, trying to save her image in front of the newcomer.
"Besides, I am also a volunteer and assistant counselor at a French orphanage."
"Isn't this also a great waste of time? Although it sounds much better than being a maid."
"Yes, right? Look, this is a gift; the old lady from the family where I did my social practice gave it to me."
Ragna handed over another fruit basket.
"From now on, you are one of the members of my team, Miss Himeko... or rather, Corporal Himeko?"
"Starting as a Corporal... Please take care of me, Captain Ragna."
Although the "Captain" in front of me is a bit strange, she certainly seems to be a good person.
"She is an excellent person," Tian Shi added from the side.
"And she is exactly the kind of combat instructor you need right now."
"Please take care of me... But I didn't expect the Bishop to send a recruit like you to our unit... Did you offend the Bishop?" Ragna sighed as she looked at Himeko lying in bed.
"This..."
Himeko Murata herself couldn't find the answer to this question.
"Fortunately, you survived the artificial Stigmata transplant."
Ragna didn't care if Himeko had actually offended Otto, but instead reached out and stroked her head.
"As long as you recover properly during this period and then receive intensive training, you should be able to reach B-Rank in two or three months."
"Could you please refrain from saying such cruel things when performing a kind gesture like stroking someone's head?"
Ragna's expression turned serious.
"Himeko! You must understand that our Assault Valkyrie Squad is responsible for the most arduous missions with the highest casualty rates, but I don't want you to die in vain. Two weeks. The after-effects of the artificial Stigmata transplants will heal completely in approximately two weeks, and after recovery, you will immediately begin intensive training!"
"Yes, I understand!"
Himeko was startled by Ragna's sudden change of attitude.
"No, there's no need to take it so seriously."
Instantly, Ragna transformed back into a kind maid.
"The most important thing is that you recover from your injuries... I have other things to do, so I won't bother you any further."
Ragna gave Himeko a slight bow and then slowly withdrew.
"Isn't this like a maid?"
"What do you think is more important to her, social practice or her missions?" Himeko Murata asked Tian Shi curiously.
"I think the social practice aspect is probably more important."
In a way, she truly deserves to be Rita's idol; in terms of being a servant, she is by no means inferior to Rita.
"I think the same. It seems my team leader has turned social practices into a hobby."
Himeko was also a little unsure of what to say at that moment.
"I don't think the Valkyrie life is as rigid and boring as I thought?"
"Obviously," Tian Shi nodded.
"Or maybe it's because it's a high-risk and high-pressure profession that everyone is quite relaxed when they are not working? So most Valkyries probably have some strange quirks to relieve stress?"
"That is a surprisingly reasonable explanation... By the way, Tian Shi, you were stunned when Captain Ragna came in, right? Do you like those maid outfits?"
Himeko said in a teasing tone.
"No, I just wanted to take a look at Captain Ragna," Tian Shi said with irritation.
"Among the people I know... there are quite a few who have some connection with this Captain."
"That Captain is really very helpful."
Himeko didn't seem surprised.
"If all Schicksal Valkyries are like the Captain, I think I might even feel like living in Schicksal."
"Himeko, you changed your attitude very quickly," Tian Shi couldn't help but complain.
"But of course, if all Schicksal Valkyries were Ragna... that would be quite tempting."
"There is something that doesn't quite add up in what you are saying."
Himeko's expression was strange.
She said, "It's all the Captain's fault, for this kind of Valkyrie," but Tian Shi said, "It's all Ragna's fault."
This guy definitely has a maid fetish, right?
"Why do I feel like you are thinking something bad about me?"
"You guessed right, maid fetishist."
"..."