Chapter 175: Persuading Himeko, Agreeing to the Assessment
"You lost to Rovel in a direct confrontation?" Otto's voice filtered through the secure comms, laced with a rare edge of disbelief.
While Rita's raw combat power might hover around the average mark when compared to the historical roster of S-Rank Valkyries, the chasm between an S-Rank and an A-Rank was an impossible abyss. Whether measuring sheer martial prowess or baseline physical conditioning, it was a realm far beyond anything an A-Rank could ever hope to touch. A single S-Rank Valkyrie could effortlessly dismantle at least three elite A-Rank squads simultaneously, and that was merely while equipped with a standard third-generation Valkyrie Battlesuit. If they donned the fourth-generation Godsbane Battlesuit, it would devolve into nothing short of a one-sided slaughter.
"Yes. Although it was strictly a martial arts sparring match, I indeed lost to him." Rita admitted her defeat with perfect, unruffled calm. She showed no shame. After all, feeding this data back to Schicksal meant Rovel's combat profile would become more transparent, allowing their analysts to pinpoint his blind spots.
"Hmm, I see... continue your mission." The line clicked dead. Otto clearly hadn't anticipated this variable.
Lowering her earpiece, Rita replayed the final moments of the spar in her mind. She still couldn't piece together exactly how she had lost. The decisive second felt entirely absent from her memory, as if that specific slice of time had been abruptly erased by King Crimson.
'Could it be that Rovel actually possesses the power of King Crimson?' A mischievous smile touched her lips. The JoJo manga existed in this world, and Rita happened to be an exceptionally loyal fan of the series.
She quickly dismissed the playful thought. Stands didn't exist in reality. Yet, using the manga's logic as a theoretical framework, what if Rovel truly harbored an ability akin to stopping or erasing time? The Time Fracture system integrated into modern Valkyrie Battlesuits could simulate a similar effect, slowing the world to a crawl. But Rita knew the mechanics of Time Fracture intimately. If he had triggered one, her heightened senses would have caught the spatial distortion, allowing her to react. During their spar, she had sensed absolutely nothing. A chilling realization settled over her. If that had been a life-or-death struggle, her corpse would already be cooling on the floor.
Later that evening, the neon lights of the local bar district flickered to life. Rovel had dragged Himeko out for a round of drinks, settling into a quiet corner booth.
"Not bad at all, Rovel. I honestly didn't expect that you could beat Rita, especially with your body in its current state." Himeko slammed her mug onto the wooden table and clapped him hard on the shoulder.
She stared at him, a mix of pride and sheer disbelief swirling in her amber eyes. His growth rate was terrifying. When he first transferred to St. Freya Academy, she could chase him around the training grounds without breaking a sweat. A mere two months had passed, and now he was outmaneuvering an S-Rank Valkyrie in direct, hand-to-hand combat.
"My physical conditioning might have taken a hit, but muscle memory doesn't fade that easily. Besides, it was a ridiculously narrow victory." Rovel rested his chin on his hand, swirling the amber liquid in his glass.
He knew he had exposed a fraction of Infinite Phantasmagoria during the bout, but panic was far from his mind. For starters, Infinite Phantasmagoria was a constantly evolving skill; whatever data Rita and Schicksal gathered today would be obsolete tomorrow, serving only as a convenient smokescreen to mislead them later., his physical debuffs were temporary. Once his body fully recovered, his baseline strength would be devastating even without relying on his illusions. Add in his elemental mastery over Water and Wood, alongside his ace-in-the-hole Quantumization, and his hidden deck of trump cards remained stacked high out of sight.
"By the way, Himeko..." Rovel shifted his posture, adopting a slightly more serious tone. "About the upcoming assessment."
Himeko let out a long, heavy sigh, the playful energy draining from her expression. "St. Freya Academy doesn't encourage rushing these things. You already know exactly why." She shook her head, staring down at the condensation forming on her glass.
"Himeko, we can't hover over them and act as their shields forever," Rovel pressed gently. "What happens when they inevitably stumble into a life-threatening crisis and neither of us is there to pull them out of the fire? The only permanent solution is to let them grow their own wings. An average Valkyrie needs roughly three months to perfectly synchronize with a third-generation Valkyrie Battlesuit. Once they adapt, their combat effectiveness spikes exponentially. Isn't that the smartest path forward? With proper Battlesuits, they can actually defend themselves. They can fight to guard all that is beautiful in the world."
He leaned closer, holding her gaze. "If Theresa is so dead-set against Kiana reaching A-Rank too quickly, she can easily pull strings to stall her promotion at the final threshold. But regardless of academy politics, I need Kiana, Mei, and Bronya to hit B-Rank as soon as possible. They need clearance to take on field missions so they can secure those third-generation suits."
Himeko remained silent. She traced the rim of her glass with her index finger, clearly weighing the heavy truth behind his words.
The core philosophy of St. Freya Academy was built on a gentle foundation: allow the students to experience the warmth and beauty of the world first, so they could face its eventual cruelty with a resilient, hopeful outlook. Pushing rookies into early assessments directly violated that principle. But Kiana's squad wasn't a group of sheltered recruits. They had survived ground zero of the Third Honkai Eruption. They had already tasted the absolute, unforgiving cruelty of this reality. Shielding them now was pointless. What they desperately needed was the power to stand tall, so they wouldn't have to live in fear of the next disaster.
Himeko tilted her head back and drained the rest of her drink in one smooth, burning gulp.
"So, regarding the Oceania Branch's assessment at the end of February," Rovel continued, sensing her defenses lowering. "I want Kiana and the girls to take a shot at it. If they wash out, I'll personally talk them down and make them wait until the standard September exams. Deal?"
Himeko blinked, momentarily thrown off balance. "Wait a second. How do you even know cross-branch assessments are an option?"
"Uh..." Rovel cleared his throat, his eyes darting toward the ceiling. "Let's just say my sources are highly classified and extremely inconvenient to explain." He certainly wasn't going to throw Theresa under the bus to save his own skin.
Himeko narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, but let the evasion slide. "...Isn't the end of February cutting it a bit too close? Can Kiana even pass a written exam?" The fact that she was asking about logistics meant she was already caving.
"You don't need to worry about that part," Rovel grinned. "Bronya is currently putting Kiana through an absolutely hellish tutoring boot camp. We should see passing scores well before the deadline."
Himeko raised a single, sharp eyebrow. So that was the game. They had already prepared everything behind her back and were just waiting to butter her up for the final stamp of approval.
"Fine, fine. I won't stand in your way." Himeko pointed a stern finger at him. "But you keep your word. If they fail this early run, those three had better sit down and obediently wait until September."
"Not a problem. I'll deliver the good news." Rovel flashed an OK gesture.
He raised his glass. Himeko mirrored the motion, their glasses clinking together with a crisp ring. With the heavy business settled, they let the topic of the assessment fade into the background, allowing the warm, easy atmosphere of the bar to wash over them for the rest of the night.
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