Anna: Anna, Oh Anna, You Can't Keep Going on Like This! / Anna: I'll Put You Through Your Paces!

"Mm, we can talk later..."

Anna gave the two of them an "OK" gesture and jogged toward her home. As her long legs wrapped in white stockings moved, their usual slender elegance gained a touch of strength with each exertion. The faintly tensed muscles and slightly bony knees together outlined the vibrant youthful energy unique to a girl.

"Gwen, how are you feeling after resting?"

After Anna left, You Lan Dai Er asked about Gwen's condition—

Although You Lan Dai Er estimated that Gwen had probably recovered his basic ability to move, she still asked to avoid making another rash assumption.

"Mm, I can move now."

As he spoke, Gwen slowly rose to his feet and stretched his limbs, which were sending waves of soreness through his body. He could not help but sigh.

"It really is a long road ahead..."

"Rome wasn't built in a day, and neither is a body trained in one. Keep working at it..."

Seeing that Gwen showed no sign of slacking off and was instead filled with anticipation for the future, You Lan Dai Er once again reflected on her previous arrogant thoughts. A faint smile appeared on her small face as she chuckled.

"Let's head back too. We can buy some breakfast on the way...

You worked so hard during morning training, so don't cook today either."

"If you don't mind having noodles again, I wouldn't object."

Gwen, who had been about to agree, suddenly thought of something and said with a smile.

Hearing that, You Lan Dai Er instantly recalled the noodles they had eaten the night before. Her little face scrunched up, and she said seriously,

"Although noodles are indeed a common staple food, people still need to maintain a balanced diet. Especially since you're still growing and have started training, you need to pay even more attention to it. Eating noodles for all three meals isn't advisable."

"Then I'll have to ask Miss You Lan Dai Er to buy me a delicious, nutritionally balanced breakfast."

Gwen had only brought it up because of a meme, so he did not insist and readily agreed.

"Mm, leave it to me!"

Hearing that Gwen would not insist on noodles, You Lan Dai Er quietly sighed in relief and confidently patted her small chest.

With that, You Lan Dai Er led Gwen off in search of breakfast.

Meanwhile, Anna, who had jogged home, was not nearly as relaxed as the two of them—

Unlike You Lan Dai Er, who only had routine training today, and Gwen, who was waiting for an instructor to come guide him, Anna had a mission to carry out. She needed to prepare in advance and arrive at the mission location early.

Although she still had plenty of time overall, Anna quickened her pace to avoid any unexpected delay that might make her late in front of a junior.

After returning home, she had a simple breakfast, showered, changed into her uniform, and put on light makeup. Then Anna began digging through her memories of when she had first enlisted, considering how she should teach a newcomer.

Time passed bit by bit as "Senior Anna" prepared, and before long, it was the departure time she had set for herself.

"Phew..."

Letting out a soft breath, Anna looked at herself in the mirror—pure and beautiful without losing her seriousness—and nodded slightly as she encouraged herself inwardly—

"Come on, Anna. You can do this!"

Although Anna, a rising star among the new generation, was not lacking in confidence, she had been a student for so many years. Being an instructor was a first for her, so she could not help feeling nervous.

Fortunately, whether as a Valkyrie or as the eldest daughter of the Schariac family, Anna had received psychological education from a young age and could regulate herself to some extent.

Before long, Anna, having worked hard to calm herself, followed the mission guidance to the target location.

However, when she saw the familiar buildings beside her, Anna blinked her pink eyes and could not help feeling puzzled—

"Isn't this You Lan Dai Er's house and Rita's house?

This newcomer was actually assigned here..."

Looking at You Lan Dai Er's and Rita's homes, which she had visited several times, Anna became even more curious about the newcomer she was about to teach.

However, Anna had not yet connected that mysterious newcomer with Gwen at all—

Given the physical condition Gwen had displayed, it was difficult for Anna to think of him as a reserve combatant about to receive training.

Besides... there had not been a male figure in the Destiny combat ranks for several years.

At least, among the several classes Anna had encountered, there had been no men.

"Anna?"

Just as Anna waited by the roadside for the newcomer who was the target of her mission to appear, a somewhat familiar voice suddenly interrupted her thoughts as she mentally reviewed her teaching plan.

Following the voice, Anna's beautiful eyes widened slightly, and she called out the other person's name in surprise—

"Gwen?"

Anna: Anna, You Can't Go on Like This!

Looking at the figure who had completely exceeded her expectations, Anna threw all notions of a senior's dignity and an instructor's rigor straight out of her mind. All kinds of questions instantly flooded her little head—

Why was Gwen coming out of the home of the person I was meant to instruct?

Could he be the person I was meant to instruct?

But judging from this morning, his body didn't seem suited to becoming a combatant.

Could it be... one of his family members?

That was possible. After all, Honkai Energy resistance came from one's genes.

Perhaps Gwen had a sister who had survived as well and was going to become a Valkyrie...

At that thought, Anna quickly calmed down. She walked briskly over to Gwen and said with a smile,

"I didn't expect us to meet again so soon, Gwen."

"Mm, neither did I..."

Looking at Anna, who had changed into a Valkyrie's casual uniform and shed some of her girlish gentleness for a more heroic, spirited air, Gwen said with some emotion,

"To think the friend of the friend I met this morning would be my instructor..."

As he spoke, Gwen took out his terminal from the pocket of his training uniform and showed Anna the mission information displayed on it.

The meeting time was almost here, and Anna was the only person outside his home, which was designated as the meeting place. Gwen did not need to guess to know that Anna was his instructor.

"Huh?"

The conclusion she had just reached was instantly overturned. Anna blinked, and an expression of astonishment appeared on her pretty face beneath her gentle smile.

"The trainee I'm supposed to teach is you, Gwen?"

"I'm the only one here. Who else could it be?"

Gwen spread his hands and asked with a smile.

"Ugh...

It's over. My instructor's dignity..."

Anna had already realized something was wrong the moment she asked. She let out a mournful cry inwardly, feeling that her instructor's dignity had probably shattered all over the floor—

Making such a fuss. I'm not even steadier than a child.

Fortunately, the upbringing she had received since childhood had not been for nothing. Though her toes had begun unconsciously gripping the soles of her shoes, Anna still maintained an outward appearance of composure as she completed the mission handover and confirmed that Gwen was the newcomer she was meant to teach.

However, even after confirming that Gwen was the newcomer she would be guiding, Anna still made one final confirmation—

"Gwen, are you sure you want to become a frontline combatant?

Given your physical condition, this does not seem like the best choice.

As the saying goes, all roads lead to Rome. There is more than one path to fighting the Honkai. With Honkai Energy resistance sufficient to survive a Honkai disaster, there are many things you can do. You don't necessarily have to become a frontline fighter."

Although she still found it somewhat unbelievable, Anna fulfilled her duty as an instructor and confirmed Gwen's resolve—

If he only regretted it after stepping onto the battlefield, he might end up harming both himself and others.

At the same time, Anna spoke with complete sincerity—

Anna's mother, Angelica Schariac, was the best example of this. Unlike her eldest aunt Cecilia, the former Saintess, and her equally outstanding second aunt Maria, Anna's mother did not possess the talent to become a warrior. Though she had been raised and trained by the Schariac family from childhood, she had ultimately only barely met the standard required to become a Valkyrie.

However, Angelica had not given up because of that. Instead, she chose another path and still contributed her own light and heat to the fight against the Honkai.

Facing Anna's serious yet caring gaze and seeing her tense little face, Gwen nodded slightly.

"I'm sure."

In a world plagued by so many disasters, if he did not want to spend his entire life treading on thin ice, helplessly praying that he would never encounter a Honkai disaster or any other accident, Gwen could only choose this path.

Besides... that bastard Otto never gave me the chance to refuse...

With an inward sigh, Gwen met Anna's eyes without retreating and conveyed his resolve to the girl before him.

"Alright, then let's begin..."

After meeting Gwen's gaze for a moment and detecting not the slightest wavering, Anna slowly nodded. The sternness on her pretty face eased slightly as she led Gwen away.

Since Gwen had made his decision, Anna felt that all she could do was help him walk this path more smoothly.

Although Gwen had learned much more about Destiny from Amber's introduction yesterday, it had ultimately only been a glimpse through a narrow tube.

Only today, under Anna's guidance, did Gwen gain a more direct and detailed understanding of the general structure of Destiny's Valkyrie forces.

Although it was her first time serving as an instructor, Anna possessed a wealth of knowledge and had prepared well. Her explanations were orderly and clear, allowing Gwen to absorb and understand the information with ease.

The teaching building, conference room, combat hall, and training grounds—places combat personnel frequently visited—all bore the traces of the two of them.

Under the bright sunlight, the handsome young man studied the key points recorded in his notebook, reviewing and summarizing them.

The soft sunlight fell across his handsome face with its gentle lines, adding a few more touches of charm.

When Anna turned back and saw the focused expression on Gwen's face, she felt that this boy, so much shorter than herself, possessed a different kind of charm. She could not help spacing out for a moment.

"..."

Realizing that she had been staring for a little too long, Anna hurriedly turned away to hide her embarrassment, silently scolding herself—

Anna, Anna, your instructor's dignity is already shattered all over the floor. Don't let the image of a knowledgeable, reliable senior shatter too, leaving little brother Gwen with nothing but the impression of a lovestruck fool...

Unaware that Gwen was actually older than she was and had only developed slowly because of congenital weakness, Anna's heart stirred restlessly.

After a while, Anna finally calmed herself and turned back, only to find Gwen quietly looking at her.

"..."

Blinking, Anna felt embarrassed once again. An awkward yet polite smile appeared on her pretty face.

"Sorry, Gwen. I was thinking about something just now and got a little distracted."

Although the smile on her face remained fairly natural, the small hands behind her back had already begun twisting together unconsciously, silently revealing Anna's inner conflict and embarrassment.

"It's nothing. I only just finished reviewing as well."

Gwen smiled and shook his head.

While summarizing just now, Gwen had unconsciously used some mental techniques, so naturally, he had noticed Anna's emotional unrest.

However, they had only just become friends. Gwen had no intention of digging into the girl's thoughts, so he simply pretended not to notice.

"Mm... Now that you've reviewed the key points, is there anything you still don't understand?"

Seeing Gwen act this way, Anna did not care whether he truly had not noticed her odd behavior or was simply giving her an out. She quickly changed the subject, though her gaze toward Gwen grew even gentler.

Anna: Watch Me Train You Hard!

"Nothing. You're an excellent instructor, Anna."

After briefly reviewing and confirming that he had not missed anything, Gwen smiled, shook his head, and closed the notebook in his hands.

"Looks like you're quite the little genius, Gwen."