Fire Greatswords Reign Supreme

"By the way, what are the requirements for forming a squad?" After escaping the cafeteria, Xing asked Kiana.

"Oh, nothing much. It's all here, take a look." Kiana spoke carelessly.

"First, obtain the recognition of at least two A-Rank Valkyries (P.S.: you have to beat them first);

Second, defeat one Herrscher Emperor;

Third, during the provisional squad period, complete one S-rank mission or ten A-rank missions;

Fourth, the headmistress's personal signature;

Fifth, clear every stage below A-rank in the combat simulation room;

Sixth, every member must pass the B-rank Valkyrie assessment."

Was it too late to call off the bet?

You guys wouldn't be able to beat a Herrscher Emperor even after another three years of training, okay? As for A-Rank Valkyries, Himeko alone could crush all three of you, and there was no need to even mention Fu Hua. Clearing the combat simulation room? Forget it.

Come to think of it, the rules seemed to be that freshmen formed provisional squads, then were absorbed into the existing squads after one semester. Bronya had hacked into St. Freya Academy's database. Since the academy's founding, apart from squads originally established by the academy, not a single new squad had succeeded!

No, there seemed to have been one freshman who had almost done it. Sadly, she transferred to Schicksal Headquarters.

Let's see who it was. Bianca...

Clumsy Goose? Never mind.

There was no expression on Bronya's face, but Xing felt as though he had seen Bronie looking at him with disdain.

By the way, Mei, why were you looking at me so eagerly? Were you planning for the two of us to use Bonded Weaponry and clear the Abyss? I wouldn't mind, but Kiana would kill me.

"I still haven't decided what weapon to learn. Do you have any suggestions?"

"Are you serious?" Kiana could tell he was not joking, but she still found it hard to believe. After all, Sigfried had taught her Gunslinger Arts since she was little!

"Didn't your parents teach you Gunslinger Arts?" Kiana stared at him.

"What's that? I know nothing about my past." He should be able to come into contact with Gunslinger Arts through St. Freya Academy, right? Clumsy Goose had said in the main story that Gunslinger Arts were not difficult to obtain.

"Oh, right, both of you have amnesia... Then pick dual pistols. I'll personally teach you Gunslinger Arts!"

The tuna's enthusiasm instantly surged. But I remember Sigfried never taught you the complete Gunslinger Arts, right? And Gunslinger Arts seemed to have quite a few branches. Had you learned them all?

"Why not consider a katana? I remember Xing's swordsmanship is pretty good." Mei recommended. Girl, he was using your swordsmanship!

"Bronya thinks a Heavy Cannon would also suit Xing." Ya Ya, did you think everyone was a Stand user like you?

"How about a greatsword? Fire greatswords reign supreme. Wait, can I even lift one?" Xing suddenly remembered that he had only put 40 points into strength. He had played too much Genshin Impact and forgotten that there was no catalyst option in Honkai Impact 3rd.

"How about trying a bow and chakrams? I'm quite confident in my speed." As they spoke, the four arrived at the Human Resources Office. It was rare for somewhere not to be far away.

"Oh, you brought a friend over. Come, come, little sister, what specialty do you want to choose? Want to consider a Heavy Cannon?" The big sister in the Human Resources Office was extremely enthusiastic.

"I... Forget it. Hello, I'd like to learn about lances, bows, and chakrams."

"!???" "Hey, is something wrong with your brain? Have you forgotten the pride of being a Kaslana? You really did forget."

"Xing, as long as you like it."

"Bronya cannot understand."

Because the starting weapons for those three began at two stars, while the others were all one-star junk.

"The starting lances have already been taken. As for bows and chakrams, St. Freya has them in stock, but there are no dedicated courses for them. Won't you consider a Heavy Cannon?" the young woman asked, still unwilling to give up.

"Why are you so obsessed with Heavy Cannons?"

"Because all the young girls lately have been learning scythes and lances, so there's a shortage of Valkyries for long-range combat."

"Look at my build. Do I seem capable of carrying a Heavy Cannon?"

Right, not everyone was small but strong like Theresa. Wait, didn't this kid look a little like...

Xing wandered around the Human Resources Office and spotted something familiar. Gripping the hilt with both hands, he tried to lift the weapon that was bigger than he was.

It was unexpectedly easy—Strength: 40 + Kaslana monstrous strength bonus + Stigmata bonus.

A starting one-star weapon, the Prototype Pulse Greatsword. Although it started at one star, it could grow alongside its owner and could evolve to four stars at most in the game.

"Why did you choose this?" Kiana asked in confusion.

"Bronya can provide fire support at range, while you and Mei can handle small enemies in close combat. Leave large enemies to me."

"Besides, a greatsword can attack when advancing and defend when retreating. Isn't that great?" This was the pride of the Kaslana Family. Fire greatswords reign supreme, you know? Though they all ended badly...

"This weapon..." The young woman seemed about to say something, but held herself back. "Have you thought it through? Once you choose a starting weapon, it cannot be changed. You can't even switch specialties."

"Yeah, this one." Xing was extremely resolute. The other junk could only reach two or three stars at most. This one had greater potential.

"Fine, take this. It'll make carrying your sword easier." As she spoke, the young woman placed a disc on Xing's back. A strap automatically extended from one side of the disc, crossing over Xing's right shoulder, passing beneath his left arm, and returning to his back to connect with the other side.

"It can generate a special magnetic field that holds your weapon in place," the young woman explained.

So those Martian veterans were telling the truth. Valkyries really did strap a magnet to their backs!

Watching the four figures leave, the young woman had a headache. "That sword isn't among the available starting weapons... Forget it, I can't afford to offend the headmistress's relative. Besides, it's not like he wants a four-star weapon. It shouldn't be much of a problem."

The young woman suddenly remembered something. "Uh, haven't those three girls taken their starting weapons yet? Wait, where are the Prototype Pulse Pistol, Prototype Pulse Katana, and Prototype Pulse Cannon? Why are they gone?" The young woman was going crazy...

"Xing, are you sure these weapons are more valuable? They don't look any different from those ordinary weapons."

"Trust me, Kiana. These are definitely better than that mass-produced junk. Didn't you notice there was only one of each in stock? Bronya hacked into the database again."

Theresa's office—

"That little guy chose the same weapon as you." Theresa blissfully took a sip of Bitter Gourd Juice.

"Mm, I'll have to look after him properly." Himeko held a glass of red wine and took a small sip, looking nothing like a teacher should.

"Is that squad really going to be okay?"

"What could be wrong? I think the four of them make a very reasonable composition."

"There's a huge problem! What sort of freaks are in that squad? Never mind Kiana. There's an unknown natural Stigmata bearer, the ME Company heiress suspected to be the vessel of the Third Herrscher, the amnesiac Anti-Entropy spy and top assassin Ural's Silver Wolf. Are they playing Spy x Family?"

"Theresa, have you been slacking off again lately?"

"Uh... (⊙﹏⊙)"

"But there really are problems. Kiana has good talent but is overly confident. Mei is gentle and considerate but emotionally fragile. Bronya is serious and meticulous but lacks emotional sensitivity. But the one with the biggest problem is Xing—"

"During the brief time I spent with him, I noticed that his words and behavior were completely unlike those of a child. If I had to say, he's a lot like you, Theresa. Except he isn't as old as you... mature." Theresa watched as Himeko set down Judah.

"Then why didn't you immediately ask how he got to Changkong City?"

"Wouldn't it be better to give him some time to prepare and come up with an excuse? Besides, based on the information returned by the ** installed on his terminal, I can almost conclude that Xing Kaslana never lost his memory!"

"Should we increase our vigilance, then?" Theresa asked. "By the way, when did you install that? How come I didn't know?"

"There's no need. I can tell that little guy doesn't have any malicious intent. Relax, I'm very good at judging people."

"Raven, you know what to do, right?" Jackal stared fixedly at Raven, as though she wanted to devour her alive.

How could she not be angry? Such excellent experimental material!

"I know, but you can't expect me to snatch someone right under an S-Rank Valkyrie's nose, can you?" Raven sounded lazy. Her salary would be docked either way, so she might as well lie flat.

"Theresa Apocalypse? What's so scary about that little girl who only got her position because her grandfather supported her? This is the latest Honkai Energy Deactivator I developed. One injection is enough to make that white-haired midget—"

(P.S.: Don't actually think Theresa is stupid. Her nickname is Theresa, sure, but it's just a joke. Anyone who treats her like an idiot is the real idiot.)

"I refuse," Raven said bluntly.

"You!" Jackal was furious.

"Didn't I install a tracker on that little guy? We can just capture him when he goes on a mission. And I also installed something beside him that will never be discovered. That way, every move he makes will be under my control."

"Hmph, I'll let you off for now. The Honkai Energy fluctuations at the Yae Village ruins have been a little unusual lately. You go..."

"Get lost!"

Raven wisely refused, but she did not know that fate sometimes loved playing jokes on people.

Xing tested his weapon. Just as he was planning to accompany Kiana to the combat simulation room for some practice, a young woman came looking for him.

"My delivery?" Xing accepted the package handed to him by a D-Rank Valkyrie with a baffled expression, while the other three crowded around.

"Who sent it? Does Xing know someone?"

"The sender and address are both blank."

"Extremely suspicious. Bronya recommends handling it carefully."

Xing gently opened the box, which had been poked full of small holes. What was inside stunned him for a second.

"Comics, and a chicken?" Kiana stared greedily at the sleeping Crimson Kite Bird. "That chicken is so fat. It would definitely taste great as kung pao chicken."

Wasn't this the Crimson Kite Bird he had carried away from Taixu Mountain and the comics he had won? Hadn't he left them all in Changkong City? Who sent them to him?

A gray-haired, red-eyed older sister appeared in his mind. Was it her? Based on Kiana and Mei's descriptions, she really seemed to be Raven. Did this count as escaping disaster? But why had she let him go? Because I looked cute?

In any case, he first had to save the Crimson Kite Bird before Kiana sent it to the kitchen. If anyone was going to eat it, he would eat it first.

Theresa's office—

"What format should we use for this year's entrance test?" Theresa hated the beginning of the school year the most. As headmistress, she not only had to give speeches, but also preside over exams and other events. It was such a pain!

"How about testing them in actual combat?" Himeko suggested.

"Oh, you mean the one where we deploy them into an area with active Honkai Energy for a field test, while veteran Valkyries secretly protect them in case of accidents?"

"That's right~"

"Fine, we'll use that this year!" Theresa slapped the table and made her decision.

Another one ruined...