A Thousand-Person Ruler's Personal Opinion

"Should I find a chance to meet her and place the gem in her hands personally, or... make other plans?"

Anqi rubbed her chin, hesitating in the darkness.

Chapter 23: Anqi Promoted to B-Rank

"Boom!"

After the bandages were removed, the month of continued recovery at St. Freya passed quickly for Anqi.

"Neko cha..."

"Collapsing Fist Percent!"

"Boom!"

The girl's lithe figure, her perfect curves outlined by a white form-fitting combat suit, shot across the training ground like a cannonball.

But that's not important, so let's skip it.

Anyway, this period was filled with trivial daily routines. Aside from establishing her dominance in science courses through two monthly exams, Anqi didn't gain much more—after all, many of her improvements in the theater space couldn't exactly be explained to others.

"I don't believe it! A newbie who hasn't taken a single practical class in two months—there's no way I, Kiana, can't beat her! Ah!!!"

"Foolish, mindless. You've lost your composure. Exit the stage, Kiana!"

"Boom!"

Ahem, please continue ignoring the above noise—all trivial matters.

However, after spending a long time cooped up indoors, Anqi finally truly integrated into that warm environment. Though her favorite was still Sister Himeko, she had also learned, without any teacher, to mock Kiana's intelligence, praise the meals Mei cooked, and watch Honkai animal cartoons with Bronya.

Incidentally, she'd also gotten on familiar terms with Theresa.

With this setup, if a cloud player unfamiliar with the story saw her, they'd believe Anqi was part of the protagonist group, no questions asked.

"Are you just going to keep dodging... ugh!"

"Bam! Bam! Bam!"

Before Kiana could finish her harsh words, Anqi, swift as a hunting leopard, closed in from the side, followed by a relentless flurry of blows Kiana couldn't defend against.

"Kiana..."

Raiden Mei covered her mouth with both hands, letting out a trembling, frightened cry.

As Kiana's best friend, how could Raiden Mei bear to watch her suffer like this?

Raiden Mei gritted her teeth, clenched her fists in determination.

Then closed her eyes.

At the same time, Himeko and several Valkyrie instructors held evaluation sheets, nodding in succession at Anqi's performance.

"Mhm, her movements are very precise. From the force and timing, she's truly internalized basic combat techniques, not just mastered the stances."

"Indeed, for a Reserve, this level is practically perfect. And this black armor—it's called [Hunter's Strike Suit], right? It perfectly leverages her speed and physique advantages. Looks like another genius Valkyrie."

"Teacher Himeko, congratulations. It seems this year's top student is settled, and she'll be claiming that armor too!"

"I heard this kid was personally trained by you. You must have some special teaching methods—when do you have time to share them with us? To be honest, this year's students in my class... sigh, each batch is worse than the last!"

"Hahaha! Stop it. It's purely her own effort. Anqi had already mastered basic combat techniques before her suspension, and during this recovery period, she often consulted me about practical combat issues. For her to perform like this, her self-discipline and talent matter more. No need for advice, but we can grab a few drinks tonight, hahaha!"

The teachers chatted and laughed, flattering each other, cheerfully watching Anqi's performance—and Kiana getting beaten.

At that moment, Kiana took a heavy punch, flying high into the air. Dizzy and furious, she didn't think about anything else—she just wanted to unleash a big move.

"Aaaah! Neko cha..."

"Opening!"

"Boom!"

High above Kiana's airborne form, Anqi's figure suddenly appeared.

Anqi's foot came down like a heavy axe, instantly smashing Kiana into the ground.

Then Anqi landed, immediately charging into the dust cloud kicked up by Kiana's impact.

"Collapsing Fist Percent!"

"Boom!!"

The residual force of the punch swept through like a gale, blowing away the dust that obscured the view.

What met the onlookers' eyes was a crystal-clear image: Anqi's small fist halted right before Kiana's stiff, expressionless face.

"Overall evaluation: Anqi, Excellent. Kiana... Unqualified." Himeko tallied the scores and announced slowly.

Anqi lowered her fist from in front of Kiana, turned to Himeko, and silently flashed a peace sign.

Kiana collapsed limply to her knees, performing a perfect face-plant, her entire being turning gray: "Failed theory class, failed practical class... I can't take any more remedial lessons!!!"

Himeko gave Anqi a thumbs-up, then glanced at the wailing Kiana, shook her head, and sighed—how to put it? Though she looked pitiful, remembering Kiana's habit of dozing off in theory class and zoning out in practicals made it impossible to sympathize.

"Anqi has performed excellently in all subjects. Though her enrollment time is short and her mission experience limited, her overall performance qualifies her for the rank of B-Rank Valkyrie. I hereby announce that Valkyrie Anqi is officially promoted to B-Rank, and granted the right to use [Hunter's Strike Suit]."

"As for Kiana... remember to return [Domain Expansion Comet] to the Equipment Department after class. You don't yet have the qualifications to possess it."

"Next group: Raiden Mei versus Fu Hua. Both students, please confirm your armor is properly equipped. If there are no issues, get ready to begin."

Himeko announced the results in a businesslike tone, then shot a glance at Anqi.

Anqi caught on instantly. She reached out, grabbed Kiana by the scruff of her collar, and dragged her off the field.

As they passed Raiden Mei heading into the arena, Anqi clearly saw the worry written across her face.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of Kiana. Go get 'em, Sister Mei—beat that guy!"

Anqi encouraged her with a serious expression.

Of course, she knew Raiden Mei stood no chance against Fu Hua. Even if she used [Impulse Gear - Crimson Impulse] or unleashed the Gem of Conquest to become the Herrscher of Thunder, she still couldn't win.

But hey, Fu Hua hadn't come to see Anqi at all these past few days, and their relationship hadn't progressed one bit. With the hostile setup still in place, and Raiden Mei having been so kind to Anqi lately, what else could Anqi do but cheer her on?

Raiden Mei forced a faint smile. It was obvious that, more than her semester test score, she wanted to hurry off the field and comfort Kiana.

"Mm, thanks for the encouragement. Anyway, congratulations first, Anqi. Let's talk about the rest when I get back. See you in a bit."

Raiden Mei patted Anqi's little head. Even though she was worried about Kiana, she wouldn't overlook Anqi's impressive performance.

The three of them passed each other.

Anqi dragged the dejected Kiana to the sidelines.

Kiana lay flat on her back, staring blankly at the sky with lifeless eyes.

Anqi crouched down, reached out a slender finger, and poked her soft cheek.

"Kiana, are you dying?"

"Get lost! I gave you the last chicken leg last night, and this is how you treat me today?"

"Can't be helped. I, Anqi, am just too strong!"

Anqi lifted her little face and raised both arms in a flexing pose. There weren't any obvious muscles bulging, but her smug attitude said it all.

Kiana glared at her angrily, then sighed and sat up, focusing her attention on the fight between Raiden Mei and Fu Hua.

Angry words aside, being beaten by Anqi—who'd been suspended from practical classes for two months—Kiana knew she had only herself to blame for not measuring up.

"Ugh... at this rate, when will I ever become an S-Rank Valkyrie..."

Kiana lamented. If she couldn't even reach B-Rank, she couldn't aim for S-Rank. And without S-Rank, she couldn't ask Auntie about her deadbeat dad's whereabouts. She'd been so confident when she boasted to Auntie, but now she'd lost count of how many times she'd been slapped in the face.

Life was just too hard!

Seeing Kiana so down, Anqi felt a bit bad too. But being a top student was a solid foundation for her next move, and she couldn't stomach losing to a slacker like Kiana. So, Anqi just lay on Kiana's back, gently stroking her head as a way to comfort her.

Chapter 24: Anqi, the Friendly Classmate

As expected, Raiden Mei lost to Fu Hua.

But unlike Kiana, who had been flustered from start to finish, the calm and well-grounded Raiden Mei performed at a fairly decent level, earning a relatively favorable evaluation.

In the end, she officially advanced from Reserve to C-Rank Valkyrie.

This assessment was the first formal test for the new students this term. Those who performed well would be promoted from Reserve to full Valkyrie status, receiving corresponding ranks based on their performance. Those who performed poorly would remain as Reserves, waiting for next semester's exam.

After a full day of testing, about half the students earned promotions. Though most were promoted to D-Rank, the sudden several-fold increase in benefits compared to Reserve status was enough to make them cheer with joy.

The standout performers were undoubtedly Fu Hua and Anqi.

Both had outstanding scores in every subject, achieving B-Rank in their first evaluation, and were recognized by the instructors as seeds likely to advance to A-Rank soon. Moreover, compared to Fu Hua, who had training experience before enrollment, Anqi—who had only been enrolled for two months and missed most of her practical classes—was considered to have greater potential.

It was also worth noting that Bronya, unlike most students, had talents leaning toward machinery, firearms, and professional hacking. So her assessment wasn't held on the training field but in the Virtual Training Room. It wasn't until they gathered in the evening that everyone learned she had earned a C-Rank Valkyrie evaluation.

Raiden Mei: C-Rank, Bronya: C-Rank, Anqi: B-Rank. The corresponding results would be submitted all the way to headquarters for filing. After that, they had officially set foot on the path of Schicksal Valkyries.

"Wahhh..."

On the way back, a certain white-haired slacker hung onto Raiden Mei, crying nonstop.

"It's one thing for Mei to pass, but even Bronya and Anqi made it! Why am I the only one who failed? And on top of that, I have to retake the failed theory exam! I don't wanna! Wahhh!"

Anqi licked the ice cream Himeko had just rewarded her with, listening to Kiana's tearful wailing.

Suddenly, as if remembering something, she fixed a determined gaze on Kiana.

"Don't worry, I'll help you!"

Anqi patted Kiana's shoulder and spoke solemnly, as if she had taken on some extremely important mission.

Kiana tilted her head, confused, then went back to clinging to Raiden Mei and crying.

That evening, as Kiana lay on the sofa like a corpse, patting her round, full belly, Anqi came padding down the stairs in her pink cotton slippers, holding up a tightly packed schedule.

"What's this?"

"Kiana's schedule for the next week."

"Huh?"

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you pass all your retakes by this weekend's first exam."

Anqi handed the schedule to Kiana, hands on her hips, puffing out her chest with pride.

Kiana sat up and looked at the schedule.

"Wake up at 5, morning reading at 6, first class at 8... and it goes until 7 PM!? Are you crazy?"

"It's just my usual daily routine. You'll get used to it after a little adjustment. Don't worry—whether it's theory or practical combat, I've already organized the key exam points. I'll accompany and guide Kiana the whole way, ensuring she passes the first retake smoothly, and then we can enjoy the holiday together!"

Anqi pulled out a stack of materials about 20 centimeters thick from behind her, fixing Kiana with a firm, confident gaze.

You're the protagonist, the hope of humanity—step it up!

Kiana stared at the schedule, her delicate white hand trembling slightly, then flopped back down, rolling her eyes.

"No way! I finally have a month off—I'm sleeping in every day!"

"Clang!"

Anqi grabbed one of Kiana's braids with one hand, while the other held a pair of scissors that gleamed with a sharp, icy silver under the light.

"Himeko said once you pass the retake, she'll take us out to play... If Kiana fails the first retake and delays me and Himeko going out, I'll shave Kiana bald."

Anqi's face was expressionless, her voice hollow as she spoke.

Admiring Sister Himeko's outfit when she goes out, eating with Sister Himeko, shopping with Sister Himeko—such important and wonderful things, how could they be delayed because Kiana failed a retake?

That's right, this was the main reason Anqi suddenly had so much motivation.

Kiana shuddered on the sofa, looking at her captured braid, breaking out in a cold sweat under Anqi's icy, smileless gaze.

"You... Mei, Mei, save me!"

Kiana called out for help to Raiden Mei, who was walking out of the kitchen after washing the dishes.

Raiden Mei untied her apron, thought for a moment, then helplessly closed her clear, beautiful light purple eyes and sighed.