"I understand. Given her experiences, it was normal for her to be wary of people.
"Only a super righteous, super cool girl like Kiana could earn her trust so easily.
"Unlike me. I'm too weak."
Bai Yan sighed theatrically, but she watched Kiana's reaction from the corner of her eye.
"It's fine, I'll explain things to her properly. Mei isn't a bad person either. She'll understand eventually."
"Kiana really is the best."
"Of course!"
After chatting for a while, Bai Yan hurried back to the stands before the match began.
"What did Sister Xiao Yan go do?" Bronya asked curiously when she returned.
"I wound Kiana up a little. Let's see how she performs later."
Bronya blinked, a strange sense of anticipation rising in her heart.
Of course, it wasn't positive anticipation.
For once, she wasn't holding her Houchu Flag Tumor Chui Yin San (8) 6mu doll today. Instead, she was hugging Bai Yan's arm.
Raiden Mei somewhat regretted not going to find Kiana like Bai Yan had. Now, she could only secretly listen to the information Bai Yan had brought back.
A moment later, as host Rita restored order, the competition finally officially began.
Anna was the first to take the stage. Her opponent was a Valkyrie from the Far East branch whom Bai Yan barely remembered, with an overall strength rating somewhere around the median.
The outcome was completely unsurprising. Even if Anna was rather unremarkable among the examiners, she was still overwhelmingly stronger than the ordinary standards of the Far East branch.
After all, she was one of the younger generation of the Saniate family.
The matches that followed could be called Theresa's most agonizing period.
The two sat on the dais. One was fidgeting anxiously, while the other remained perfectly composed, as if they weren't watching the same show.
The Valkyries from the Far East branch suffered defeat after defeat, only barely winning one match when Fu Hua took the stage.
And Fu Hua's opponent was Anna, whose qualifications were equally ordinary.
"The Valkyries of St. Freya Academy are quite impressive."
Otto offered his praise without the slightest hint of oddness, but even Theresa couldn't convince herself that he meant it.
Theresa simply slumped in her seat, staring at the sky and shutting out everything happening in the arena.
"Let's see who's up next... Oh, it's finally Kiana Kaslana." Otto muttered to himself.
Hearing that, she suddenly stood up.
Kiana had a chance. For some reason, her niece had suddenly become motivated lately.
Bai Yan taught her academics, while Fu Hua taught her practical combat. Though her improvement was limited, she was still stronger than the vast majority of the academy's students.
She was going to win this one!
"Her opponent is... Oh, what a shame. It's Durandal."
Otto looked at the screen and sighed with great regret.
"..."
Theresa slumped back down again.
On the arena stage.
One golden-haired girl and one white-haired girl walked up from opposite sides.
However, the instant their eyes met, Durandal froze.
Kiana walked onto the stage carrying a lance, wearing an inexplicable smile that seemed to say, "Surprised?"
Durandal turned to look in Bai Yan's direction and found her holding a tub of popcorn, sharing it with Bronya while watching the stage with keen interest.
"So you're Schicksal's strongest?"
Hearing Kiana speak, Durandal replied somewhat unhappily, "Call me whatever you like."
"Do you know Xiao Yan?"
"Not very well."
"Hmph..."
Kiana tightened her grip, an inexplicable pressure rising in her heart.
As the referee announced the start of the match, that pressure peaked.
She was clearly full of openings, so why did Kiana not dare to attack?
Forget it. Fight!
Kiana grabbed her lance and charged forward with a Salted Fish Lunge.
Durandal tilted her head as though she had seen something strange, then casually flicked her weapon upward.
The white-haired girl was instantly knocked aside, but the momentum of her charge was difficult to dispel. She kept rushing forward past her target.
Yet just as Durandal turned around in confusion, a practice lance came whistling toward her.
She instinctively shifted aside, naturally dodging the attack.
But in the next moment, she realized what it was.
"Did Bai Yan teach her that Turning Spear?"
Durandal's expression darkened slightly. Bai Yan had taught it to her before too.
It was essentially just that dog-headed strategist throwing out random ideas, but childhood habits had carried over into the present. Combined with the fact that the move's logic was sound enough, it had become one of her signature techniques.
Kiana used dual pistols, yet she insisted on using a lance against Durandal...
Durandal got serious.
She swung her lance, effortlessly blocking the unceasing barrage of attacks.
Ultimate speed and flawless coordination. There was no need for flashy techniques, only the pure aesthetics of violence.
Her attacks, with body and lance as one, shot forth like meteors—
Tap tap tap...
The meteors abruptly halted. Two unidentified flying objects appeared on either side, spinning as they sprayed ammunition.
Though the audience was protected by an energy barrier, they still instinctively ducked.
Durandal was dumbfounded.
Yet what dumbfounded her even more was that a third unidentified flying object followed close behind.
The white-haired girl crouched low and slid to Durandal's side without anyone noticing, then suddenly threw a punch.
"I won!"
Kiana smiled.
On the dais, Theresa suddenly grew excited when Kiana threw out her dual pistols.
She clenched her tiny fists, desperately cheering Kiana on in her heart.
At this moment, Kiana was only one punch away from victory!
One punch!
Even Otto slightly opened his mouth, extremely surprised by the scene.
Every Valkyrie watching the match held her breath.
Could Lady Durandal actually lose?!
Raiden Mei stood up directly, the anticipation in her heart impossible to conceal.
Bronya opened her little mouth wide, and the popcorn in her hand slipped from her fingertips.
Only Bai Yan continued eating snacks as if nothing had happened, shaking her head as she ate.
"That was acrobatics."
The golden afterimage blurred for only an instant, its movements impossible to see clearly.
The two pistols spun through the air without touching any enemy. Gradually losing momentum, they fell silently to the ground.
Kiana's fist stopped in midair, and her victory came to an abrupt end.
A fist smashed hard into her face, instantly sending her flying.
"Puh-oh—"
Kiana flew backward all the way, tracing a beautiful arc through the sky.
The crowd hurriedly cleared a circle. The girl passed through the energy barrier and finally crashed below the stage, face-first onto the floor.
Durandal looked at her own fist, then at Kiana as she climbed up while baring her teeth and rubbing her face. She shook her head.
That was it? She got taken out in one hit?
Then she turned her gaze toward the stands.
Bai Yan was no longer in her seat. She had run over to Kiana, carrying spray, ointment, and bandages.
Durandal frowned.
"Kiana, you weren't hurt, were you?"
"I-I'm fine!"
Her face was swollen, and there were marks on her forehead from its intimate contact with the floor, faintly bleeding.
"Mm, it hurts!"
"It's just a scrape. Disinfect it first, then apply medicine."
Kiana reflexively shrank back, but she soon quietly accepted the treatment.
Durandal looked away, strode off the stage, threw aside her lance, opened a large bottle of sports drink, and gulped it down.
Then she gulped down another bottle.
One bottle after another.
The Valkyries nearby whispered among themselves. "Does Lady Durandal really like Super Sour Lemon Soda?"
"It replenishes excessive amounts of vitamin C, and it tastes slightly bitter too..."
"Perhaps this is the strongest scientific nutrition! Quick, take notes!"
Durandal heard them. Her face grew darker and darker until she finally stormed back to the lounge alone.
After Rita explained the battle, she announced the victor.
Theresa completely slumped down, staring lifelessly at the sky.
She could only pray that the other branches wouldn't perform too brilliantly.
Just as the competition was about to enter its latter half, the sky dimmed slightly, as though something had blocked out the sunlight.
Everyone looked up and discovered that it was only a dark cloud.
Yet in the next moment.
Around the arena, beyond everyone's line of sight, space twisted around all those from Schicksal.
Then the distorted regions of space began to shift.
Heavy mechs emerged one after another from their quantumized states, their dark gun barrels coldly aimed at the arena.
Looking around, the mechs resembled an ocean made of metal, ready to drown everyone in the next moment.
As everyone noticed the sudden change, their breathing stopped.
Everyone stared wide-eyed at the mechs surrounding them, unable to believe it.
Before you continue