With the Valkyrie Tier Examinations concluded, life at St. Freya gradually returned to its usual rhythm. However, the calm did not last long. Based on the mysterious message left within the Selene's central hub, new missions were quickly assigned. The Valkyries were ordered to begin the search for the four Gems.
Their first objective lay far to the south.
New Zealand, under the jurisdiction of the Schicksal Oceania Branch.
According to the records, the Gem of Desire was located there.
Kouga, already transformed into Kamen Rider W – CycloneJoker, descended alongside Kiana, Mei, and Bronya onto New Zealand soil. The air was heavy with Honkai energy, the landscape scarred and unnaturally silent.
A familiar hologram flickered to life.
Himeko appeared before them and said,"Second Lieutenant Kiana, I see you've arrived at New Zealand. Prepare for mission briefing."
Kiana, however, raised her hand impatiently."Wait, Himeko. Can you tell me about the analysis of that unmanned battleship..."
Himeko cut her off without hesitation."Mission briefing takes priority, Kiana."
Her expression grew serious as she continued,"Bad news first. A powerful Honkai spike was detected in New Zealand 1 day ago. The place is now crawling with zombies and Honkai beasts. The Oceania Branch is out of action. The Gem of Desire went missing during the incident. The good news. The Hyperion is furnished with a sensor capable of locating the Gem. Find it and bring it back."
Kiana frowned, still clearly bothered by unanswered questions."Himeko, what exactly is the Gem of Desire?"
Himeko paused briefly before explaining,"Schicksal got hold of 3 powerful Honkai Cubes 14 years ago, one of which was the Gem of Desire."
She continued, her tone steady and professional,"A covert research program was started 3 years ago to use this Gem and develop weapons capable of fighting a Herrscher. The research program failed. The Gem was kept in the Oceania Branch ever since. That's all I know."
That was enough for Kiana.
She clenched her fist with renewed energy and declared,"Alrighty. Let's go get that Gem!"
With that, Himeko ended the transmission.
The team moved out immediately, following the sensor's faint signal through ruined streets and broken terrain. It didn't take long before they encountered resistance.
A pack of zombies emerged from the shadows, staggering toward them in droves.
Kiana raised her dual pistols and fired with practiced precision, dropping zombies one after another. Bronya deployed Project Bunny, rockets and missiles tearing through the horde. Mei dashed forward, katana flashing as she cut down enemies in swift arcs, while Kouga charged straight in, obliterating zombies with raw, overwhelming punches.
Within moments, the area fell silent once more.
As the dust settled, Kiana's communicator chimed again. A new hologram appeared—this time, Theresa.
She greeted them cheerfully,"Kiana-chan, Himeko told me that you're curious about the battleship. I'll tell you the analysis results."
Kiana's eyes lit up instantly."Aunt TeRiRi! You're the World's #1 Cutie!"
Theresa's expression darkened."What did you just say?"
Kouga couldn't help but chuckle quietly at the exchange.
Theresa cleared her throat and continued,"Never mind... analysis showed that the battleship was not fully activated. Only 1 of the 24 anti-grav drives were operational. Weapon systems were frozen as well. The fully activated battleship would have leveled North America within 24 hours. For the sake of comparison, the Hyperion's Honkai Reactor has a max output of 1380 HW. The Selene has a output of 12000 HW. Wow! The most powerful reactor of Schicksal has a output of 1500 HW. There's only one way to build a reactor with an output that exceeds 1500 HW."
Kiana frowned, struggling to process the implications."You're talking about... Herrschers?"
Theresa nodded gravely."Correct. In the Nagazora incident, the 3rd Herrscher delivered a hit amounting to 3200 HW against the Hyperion. To fully activate that battleship, you would need the powers of 4 Herrschers."
Kiana whispered under her breath, almost to herself,"The voice mentioned 4 keys..."
The others didn't catch it.
But Kouga did.
He turned his head slightly toward her."Voice ? 4 keys ?"
Before Kiana could respond, the hologram flickered out as Theresa ended the communication. With no further distractions, the group refocused. Guided by the Hyperion's sensor, they advanced deeper into Honkai-infested territory, closing in on the signal that marked the location of the Gem of Desire.
After pushing forward for some time, the team finally reached the location marked by the sensor. Along the way, they eliminated waves of zombies and Honkai beasts, clearing the area piece by piece. Yet despite thoroughly searching the surroundings, there was no sign of the Gem.
Mei frowned as she surveyed the ruined landscape and said,"This is the place indicated by the sensor. But I don't see anything. Perhaps the sensors malfunctioned."
Before anyone could respond, Bronya suddenly raised a hand to stop her."Mei nee-sama! Wait."
Mei turned to her, slightly surprised, and asked,"What's the matter, Bronya-chan?"
Bronya closed her eyes briefly, focusing on the readings, then replied,"Bio-sensors detect vital readings 50 meters to the east."
Mei followed Bronya's gaze and nodded."East... I see it."
The group looked in that direction—and froze.
What they saw was completely unexpected.
A young woman sat quietly in a wheelchair. Her black hair was messy, streaked with turquoise that matched her similarly colored eyes. She wore an oversized white shirt, a gray jacket draped loosely over her shoulders, and her legs were wrapped heavily in bandages. Amid a battlefield crawling with Honkai beasts, she looked painfully out of place.
Mei's expression softened immediately as she said,"There's a girl on wheelchair. This place is dangerous. We should save her."
Kouga felt a subtle sense of unease. Something didn't sit right with him.A girl in a wheelchair—alone—and still alive in a zone overrun by zombies and Honkai beasts?
Still, he followed as Mei, Bronya, and Kiana approached her.
At that exact moment, Himeko's voice came through their communicators."Target located."
Everyone stopped in confusion.
Mei looked around, baffled, and asked,"Target? But I thought we're looking for the Gem of Desire. We only found this girl."
Himeko responded calmly,"Intel from Oceania Branch confirmed the girl as the Gem of Desire."
Shock rippled through the group.
The girl in the wheelchair spoke weakly, her voice trembling."I'm... I'm Wendy."
The confusion only deepened. How could a person be the Gem of Desire?
Himeko continued,"Allow me to explain."
Her hologram stabilized as she spoke in a measured tone,"3 years ago, the Oceania Branch implanted the Gem of Desire into Wendy's calf."
Kouga stared at the hologram, disbelief written across his face, and said,"What ?"
Himeko went on, unfazed,"The aim was to meld the Gem with her tibia to achieve Herrscher-grade powers."
Kouga glanced at Wendy's frail figure and said quietly,"I guess it was a failure. "
Mei clenched her fists and added,"I guess this Wendy should be pretty powerful. But she's a girl on wheelchair."
Himeko's expression darkened slightly as she explained further,"Wendy was Oceania's best Valkyrie. She might have become the 4th S-rank Valkyrie of this generation. But she still couldn't handle the gem's power. "
Wendy lowered her head, bitterness lacing her words as she spoke,"I wasn't strong enough to contain the power of the Gem. I lost control of my legs."
Mei, Kiana, and Bronya all looked visibly upset. Mei spoke with restrained anger,"They should have taken out the Gem! Wendy shouldn't be stuck in this wheelchair."
Himeko replied calmly,"The Gem of Desire is extremely unstable in every medium, but it stabilized in Wendy's body."
Kouga's suspicion deepened.Stabilized… inside a human body?That didn't feel right.
Mei's anger flared as she said,"So Schicksal decided to use Wendy's body as a vessel for holding the Gem? That's... evil!"
Himeko let out a tired sigh and said,"No point arguing this here. Bring Wendy back to the Hyperion."
Wendy hesitated, worry clear in her eyes."We're heading back? But I'm in a wheelchair. I might slow you down..."
Bronya stepped forward immediately and said firmly,"I can't believe it. Bronya does not believe Wendy will slow us down. Project Bunny: activate!"
With a flash of light, Project Bunny materialized beside her.
Wendy gasped in shock."A robot? It just materialized from thin air!"
Bronya gave her instructions without hesitation,"Project Bunny, pick up subject Wendy. Zaychik will carry you, subject Wendy."
Project Bunny carefully lifted Wendy—wheelchair and all—into the air.
Wendy's eyes widened in disbelief as she exclaimed,"What? It can fly!"
Kiana watched the scene with sparkling eyes and said excitedly,"Awesome! Bronya, can I ride on your robot next time?"
Bronya answered flatly,"For subject Kiana? Nyet."
The group made their way back toward the battleship, maintaining formation as they stayed alert for any remaining threats in the area.
Bronya checked her internal timer and stated matter-of-factly,"We will be back on the battleship in 4 minutes. Statement proven. Wendy did not slow down the squad."
Mei smiled softly at that and said,"Bronya is so kind today."
Kiana crossed her arms with a grin and teased,"I guess the mighty Bronya's data center is corrupted by the "Kindness" virus."
Kouga, meanwhile, stayed silent, scanning their surroundings carefully in case more zombies or Honkai beasts appeared.
Wendy looked at Bronya with gratitude and said quietly,"Thank you, Bronya."
Bronya responded in her usual calm tone,"Bronya is glad to help. Bronya is equipped with armored leg prosthetics. Bronya was wounded and confined to a wheel chair after an experiment. The exoskeleton system restored Bronya's ability to walk."
Wendy's eyes lit up with hope as she asked,"Awesome! Does that mean Wendy can recover one day? I'll be able to walk and fly like Bronya, right?"
Bronya nodded slightly and replied,"Da. Bronya believes it is possible. Once we return to St. Freya High, the Gem can be removed. Subject Wendy shall regain the ability to walk."
Wendy smiled faintly and said,"You're so nice, Bronya."
As they continued moving, Bronya had already submitted a personal request through her communicator.
Himeko's hologram appeared, surprise evident in her expression as she asked,"Bronya, what is it? I'm surprised to see you submit a personal request."
Bronya answered directly,"Major Himeko, Bronya requests St. Freya High to remove the Gem from Wendy. The removal will restore her walking abilities."
Himeko hesitated, sadness creeping into her voice as she replied,"That's... not possible. We need Wendy to keep the Gem stable. We can't keep the Gem if it's taken out."
The tension rose instantly. Kiana clenched her fists and snapped,"Just throw that stupid gem away! The rock means nothing compared to a girl's happiness."
Himeko's tone hardened as she responded,"The Gem of Desire is no ordinary rock. It contains enough Honkai to vaporize several cities, and that's what will happen if it goes off."
Kiana tried to protest,"But..."
Before she could finish, Wendy interrupted her gently,"It's alright, Kiana. I've accepted my fate. Valkyries must sacrifice themselves for the greater good. It's... my duty..."
Silence fell over the group as they reached their destination and waited for the Hyperion to arrive.
After a moment, Kiana called Himeko again and asked,"Hey, Aunt Himeko, is Hyperion ready?"
Himeko replied sharply,"Stop calling me that! Kids these days... Stay where you are and get ready to board."
Bronya turned to Wendy and said softly,"Wendy... sorry..."
Wendy answered calmly,"It's fine, Bronya. You did nothing wrong."
Suddenly, Himeko's voice cut through the channel with urgency,"Honkai energy reactions detected."
Kouga immediately looked around, muscles tensing as he prepared for combat, searching for the source of the threat.
What Himeko said next made his blood run cold."Is it from the Gem of Desire inside Wendy? Wait, the readings of Honkai energy are off the charts! 1500 HW... 2000 HW... Holy...!! What the hell is going on?!"
At once, Kiana, Mei, and Bronya instinctively moved away from Wendy, while Kouga stepped forward, ready to fight.
Wendy's body began to glow an eerie green as she spoke coldly,"2000 HW, huh... With this power, I won't need two shots to crush Hyperion..."
White flowers suddenly burst from the ground, spreading outward and surrounding Wendy.
Mei stared in shock and asked,"Miss Wendy, wh-what are you talking about?"
Wendy's voice twisted with hatred as she screamed,"You hypocrites! I hate you... ALL of you! I can't wait to kill ALL of you!"
She laughed as green light engulfed her body. Violent winds spiraled around her, and when they finally subsided, Wendy stood transformed.
Her hair and eyes glowed a brilliant green. Her outfit had become wild and unfamiliar—gloves, a scarf, and a skirt-and-top ensemble replacing her former clothes. White dominated the design, streaked heavily with black and green, most notably a pinwheel ornament fixed to her skirt. Jagged, glowing green Herrscher wings spread from her back, sharp and unnatural in both shape and pattern.
Kiana, Mei, Bronya, and Kouga immediately took defensive stances, fully prepared to face Wendy—now a Herrscher.