Honkai Impact Chapter 4

Mei is the pinnacle of beauty in the squad, the gentlest person, the one with the highest combat power, and also the best cook. She's beautiful, has a gentle personality, and is incredibly talented. The gods really favor her. If only Kiana had half of Mei's good qualities.

In the afternoon, Himeko had already finalized Ling Feng's enrollment procedures and received his salary card. It contained a month's salary advanced by the Academy Director, which also served as his identification card at the academy.

Chapter 7: Class President, Celebration, Patrol!

The next day, Monday, marked the beginning of another week of suffering...

Although Ling Feng was an assistant, he was also a student at St. Freya Academy, so he had to attend classes. Of course, Ling Feng could choose not to go, as he wasn't participating in the Valkyrie rank assessments anyway...

But Ling Feng still went. He needed more knowledge, a better understanding of this era, and, incidentally, to observe the other Valkyries in his class...

Before the formal class began, a girl with gray hair and blue eyes, exuding a heroic aura, walked onto the stage. Judging by her appearance, she was definitely not just a background NPC!

Noticing Ling Feng's curious gaze, Mei leaned over and whispered, "This is our class president, Fu Hua. She's also the only student who has reached A-rank Valkyrie!"

So this is Fu Hua? As expected of an A-rank Valkyrie, her presence alone was different from other Valkyries. Moreover... as an S-rank Valkyrie, Ling Feng had a gut feeling that Fu Hua was stronger than Himeko...

Of course, this was just a hunch and shouldn't be taken too seriously. Otherwise, his intuition would tell him that all the Valkyries in Honkai Impact were actually his wives...

"Now, before we begin class, I have an announcement!"

Fu Hua directly projected an electronic screen behind her and said in a calm voice, "Tonight, there will be a celebratory event in Shanghai. The estimated attendance will exceed one million. To ensure no incidents occur, St. Freya Academy will dispatch Valkyries to assist in maintaining public order. All Valkyries, except those on duty at the academy and D-rank Valkyries, are required to participate!"

"However, the mission is divided into two shifts, so while maintaining order, you can also enjoy the celebration. But please do not violate academy rules, or you will face a double penalty of point deduction and funding withdrawal. That's all I have to say..."

"Maintaining public order?"

Ling Feng felt a bit puzzled and asked Mei, who was sitting next to him, "Aren't we students? Maintaining public order should be the responsibility of the Shanghai police. Why do we have to go?"

"Celebrations like this aren't very common, and Shanghai has experienced Honkai Beasts multiple times. So, it's best to have Valkyries present during such events. Also..."

Mei quietly flipped open her textbook and smiled, "You know, our academy is severely underfunded. And by accepting the mission to maintain public order in Shanghai, we can receive some financial supplement. Of course, this is for the academy!"

Ling Feng: "..." In short, it all boils down to one word: "poor"...

"Oh, and one more thing..."

As she stepped down from the stage, Fu Hua seemed to remember something and shifted her gaze to Ling Feng, "This is our new classmate, Ling Feng. He is currently the assistant for Team 233. That's all!"

Ling Feng: "..." That introduction was too perfunctory. Oh well, you're the class president, so you call the shots...

Then came the class time. As Mei had said, the morning was mostly theoretical and basic courses, while the afternoon was for practical training. After all, they were Valkyries, and combat ability was the most important thing!

However, due to the mission that evening, the afternoon practical session was canceled directly. Everyone was free to do as they pleased, as long as they gathered at the designated location before the specified time!

At 6 PM, more than half of the Valkyries from St. Freya Academy gathered in the plaza and boarded the academy's only super battleship, the Hyperion, to head to Shanghai...

Speaking of which, the Hyperion was indeed quite large. While not as grand as the "Supernova" battleships of his era, its size was sufficient. Moreover, the deck was vast, capable of landing various carrier-based aircraft and mechs. Of course, cleaning it was a bit troublesome, but thankfully, he was an assistant, not a cleaner!

Since St. Freya Academy was located near the coast of Shanghai, the Hyperion took less than ten minutes from takeoff to landing, even at low speed. If it reached its maximum speed, this distance would take less than ten seconds...

"This city is quite lively..."

Following the trio of Kiana, Ling Feng finally felt a familiar atmosphere in the city. A bustling metropolis, streets filled with traffic. He really did prefer being in the city!

"Hmph, nonsense. Shanghai is the largest city in Shenzhou!"

Kiana seemed a little proud, huffing, "Although the entire world was affected to varying degrees after the Honkai outbreak, Shanghai remains prosperous. The only thing I dislike is the exorbitant prices. The squad's funds are simply not enough to spend!"

"Hey, want to go sightseeing? It's rare to come to Shanghai!"

Ling Feng really wanted to go sightseeing. After all, St. Freya Academy was on the sea, making travel quite inconvenient, and the travel expenses were a bit steep. So, he had to seize this opportunity to explore Shanghai!

"I'm afraid we can't right now. According to the instructions, this is the area our squad is responsible for!"

Mei looked at the mission instructions on her phone and continued, "The celebration officially starts at 7 PM, and the academy requires us to arrive at the designated area by 6:30 PM to maintain public order. It's already 6:24 PM, so there's no time for shopping. However, a squad will come to relieve us at 8:15 PM, and the celebration will last until 10 PM. We can go shopping then!"

Speaking of shopping, Mei was certainly tempted, but she had to complete the mission first. Otherwise, it wouldn't be fun if they were caught and their funds were deducted...

"So long..."

Kiana sounded a bit dejected...

"Kiana, it's okay. We can still explore while on duty!"

Mei smiled at Kiana and comforted her, "We're responsible for this area, and our task isn't exactly maintaining public order; that's the police's job. We just need to stay within this area. Which means..."

Mei winked at the two of them...

"Which means we can play in this area. If anyone asks, we can just say we're on patrol!"

Ling Feng seemed to understand Mei's intention. He didn't expect this. Mei looked like such a serious and responsible good girl, yet she would do something like this. He wondered if this was a kind of "contrast moe."

"Mm!"

Mei nodded slightly and then said with a hint of seriousness, "But, you can only shop, and you can't participate in any activities. And don't go rushing towards anything fun you see. I won't name names here!"

Ling Feng and Bronya looked at Kiana with perfect understanding. The meaning was self-evident...

Kiana: "..."

Ling Feng had initially planned to go sightseeing alone, but now he felt a bit embarrassed to leave alone. Besides, shopping alone wasn't much fun!

So, Ling Feng decided to patrol with the three of them. It wouldn't take too long anyway. Once their shift was over, he could go shopping with Mei. Shopping with a beautiful girl was the true essence of shopping. He hoped nothing would go wrong tonight and ruin the celebration!

Soon, the celebration began. Mei was right; the Valkyries' job was very easy. Because the Shanghai police were already present, the Valkyries basically just made an appearance, played a minor role, and walked around, calling it a patrol!

Chapter 8: Mech Attack, Inch-Perfect Strike: Heaven Splitter!

"Mmm, delicious, I haven't had takoyaki in so long, sniffle..."

During their patrol, Kiana was savoring a box of takoyaki, her eating posture as steady as ever, making it obvious at a glance that she was a foodie!

"Mmm, it's indeed good!"

Mei also nodded slightly, "It's a pleasure to eat food from home here, thank you, Ling Feng!"

"Agreed, thank you!"

Bronya also nodded, expressing her satisfaction...

"Heh heh, you're welcome, after all, we're all partners who will be fighting side-by-side from now on, so it's only right for me to treat you!" Ling Feng smiled, unfazed by the expense. Although these snacks were a bit pricey, it was worth it to boost their favorability!

Besides, these three were Valkyries in the same squad as him. Although he planned to slack off, he still needed to get along with these three. That way, his opinions would be more easily accepted when important matters arose in the future!

Also... Ling Feng could tell that Mei was definitely the powerhouse of the team and held absolute authority. Even though Kiana was the captain, Mei practically made all the decisions. So, as long as he stuck close to Mei's powerful support, he could definitely continue to slack off...

"Ding ding ding..."

At this moment, a convoy drove down the street, with lion dancers and acrobats performing around it. The convoy was transporting dragon and lion models and props, likely heading to the central plaza for a gathering!

Kiana quietly stuffed more takoyaki into her mouth. Looking across the land, only delicious food could make her forget her troubles in an instant...

The celebration continued, and the convoy slowly passed through the street. People went about their own business, a scene of peace and harmony...

"Boom..."

However, amidst this tranquility, the lead vehicle in the convoy suddenly exploded, instantly causing panic...

"Aaaah..."

"What happened?"

The street immediately descended into chaos, with people scattering and fleeing in all directions, no matter the direction, as long as they could escape!

"Kiana, Bronya!"

Mei had already drawn her katana at the first opportunity. While Kiana appeared somewhat unreliable, her reaction speed was also incredibly fast. She drew her weapons, dual pistols, almost simultaneously with Mei!

As for Bronya, Project Bunny was her weapon and had never left her side...

"Ling Feng, find a place to hide. It might be dangerous here..."

Before heading towards the explosion site, Mei didn't forget to remind Ling Feng. In her opinion, Ling Feng was a person without combat power, so keeping him away was undoubtedly the best choice!

"Damn... did something really happen?"

Looking at the flames of the explosion ahead, Ling Feng felt a bit frustrated, wondering if this would affect the celebration...

As an S-rank Valkyrie, even a former S-rank Valkyrie, Ling Feng had no reason to back down. Moreover, letting the girls take the lead while he hid would be too embarrassing. Charge!

Thus, Ling Feng decisively followed behind the three...

"Whoosh whoosh..."

But before Ling Feng could get close, smoke bombs suddenly fell from the tall buildings on both sides, engulfing the explosion area and the three of them. Moreover...

"Mechs?"

Ling Feng, standing not far away, could clearly see a row of blue mechs descending from the tall buildings to the ground. If he wasn't mistaken, these should be the Anti-Entropy mechs Mei had mentioned...

"This is bad, the three of them are in danger!"

Ling Feng immediately felt that something was wrong. For high-ranking Valkyries, mechs weren't much of a threat, but for a casual squad like Team 233, mechs were not easy to deal with. And machines inherently countered biological entities... Wait, was he mixing up series...

In any case, no matter what, he had to find a way quickly...

"Team 233, Team 233, this is Fu Hua, what's happening over there?" At this moment, Fu Hua's voice came through the wireless headset...

"Squad Leader Fu Hua, this is Ling Feng, assistant for Team 233!"

Ling Feng, having experienced such situations many times, immediately replied, "The convoy exploded, and Anti-Entropy mechs have appeared here. Please provide immediate support!"

"Squad leader, Ling Feng is right, mechs have appeared here. The number is estimated to be over ten, but we cannot determine Anti-Entropy's target at the moment!" Mei's voice also came through the headset!

"Understood, I'm coming to support immediately!"

Fu Hua's voice disappeared...

"Damn Anti-Entropy bastards, take this from me!"

Seeing the Anti-Entropy mechs approaching, Kiana didn't hesitate and opened fire. However, shooting mechs with a handgun was completely ineffective...

Mei directly charged forward, drawing her katana and slashing at the mech's body. But compared to the handgun, the katana dealt even less damage. Forget damage, it couldn't even penetrate the armor!

"Project Bunny, attack!"

Finally, Bronya's Project Bunny also launched an attack, firing three shells at the same mech, instantly turning it into scrap. As expected, you have to fight fire with fire, uh... no, you have to fight science with science!

But the mechs' counterattack was swift. Close-combat mechs charged towards the three, while Thunder God Mechs fired dozens of shells, their firepower several tiers higher than Bronya's...

"Project Bunny, defense!"

Mei immediately dodged, while Kiana and Bronya were protected by the ion shield raised by Project Bunny. This girl was full of high-tech gadgets...

However, Anti-Entropy's interest was clearly not in the three rookie Valkyries. Apart from a few mechs facing Team 233, the other mechs all targeted the convoy, violently dismantling the items on the vehicles as if searching for something...

Mei and the other two were pinned down by the suppressing fire from the two turret-mounted mechs, unable to even lift their heads. Even if you're a Valkyrie, even if you can slay Honkai Beasts, you're still just a rookie in the face of absolute firepower. You think suppressing fire means you can do whatever you want? That's right, suppressing fire means you can do whatever you want!

Suppressing fire is fun for a moment, and endlessly fun if you keep doing it. When even someone like Project Bunny, who once championed tactics and measurement, has gone down the path of massive explosions, you know just how satisfying suppressing fire is!

"Inch-Perfect Strike: Heaven Splitter!"

A thunderous roar suddenly echoed from the sky. The Immortal made a dazzling entrance, smashing down with a single punch that instantly sent the two Thunder God Mechs flying, scattering parts everywhere...

"Inch-Perfect Strike: Thunderclap!"

Then, Fu Hua unleashed a circular shockwave, sending the two closest Titans flying once more...

Ling Feng was speechless... The gap between Valkyries is just that big...

Mei and the other two couldn't even defeat the mechs with their weapons, while Fu Hua dismantled four mechs with just her fists. Seriously, the difference between an A-rank Valkyrie and a B-rank Valkyrie is just too immense...

Chapter 9: Crimson Storm, Baldr Mech!

"As expected of an A-rank Valkyrie, truly powerful!"

At this moment, a girl's voice rang out, and then a crimson mech appeared in the sky, blue exhaust flames trailing behind it as its power source...

Moreover, this mech's design was completely different from the others. Other mechs were large and very metallic, but this one was more slender and not very large, almost the same size as a Valkyrie's body. And... its waist was very thin. This suggests...

It doesn't seem to be a mech piloted by a human...

"Who's there?"