March 1995, Far East.
Outside a room decorated in an extremely fashionable style, the banner reading "Trainee Idol Recruitment" was especially eye-catching.
"Shigure Kira, weren't you planning to become an idol? This is your starting point. How can you not even have the courage to take this first step?" Outside the room, Shigure Kira adjusted her breathing and walked inside as confidently as she could.
To her surprise, there were hardly any people in the room. A woman with a perfect figure standing before the counter quickly caught her attention. She wore a blue beret and a blue coat, and every word and movement she made exuded elegance.
As if noticing Shigure Kira's arrival, she turned around. The moment Shigure Kira saw her face, it felt as though her entire body had been struck by lightning.
"Y-You're Salome Jokanaan... Senior?" Shigure Kira couldn't understand why this genius dancer, who looked nothing like someone there to serve as a judge, had come to the trainee idol auditions.
"You know me? What's your name?" Salome asked calmly.
"Shigure... Kira..." Looking at Salome's face, she felt as though her heart was about to leap out of her chest.
"Shigure... Kira..." Salome smiled faintly.
"There's a test coming up that requires two people. I wonder if I might have the honor of inviting Miss Kira to complete it with me?"
"Ah... I... You want me to complete the test with you? Really?" Shigure Kira pointed at herself with her right index finger, her eyes filled with shock.
"Is there some difficulty, Miss Kira?"
"N-No... Please guide me, Senior." Shigure Kira raised her head confidently, ready to face the challenge.
For a fifteen-year-old newcomer like Shigure Kira, who had no experience at all, it was undoubtedly extremely difficult. But as she watched Salome's elegant dance steps, her pride refused to let her back down. She followed Salome's movements and gritted her teeth, persevering until the end.
"Hmm, your coordination is good, and your lower body is quite strong. You also have the resolve to face difficulties and the perseverance to keep going. You're definitely a promising talent. It's just that your singing... is rather distinctive. I really couldn't tell what genre it was."
The tall woman watching from the side had the two of them stop.
"That's enough. Shigure Kira, you've passed Schicksal's test. Congratulations on becoming a member of Schicksal's Valkyries. I'm Yamamoto Yuka, an instructor at the Far East Branch's Schicksal training camp."
Yamamoto Yuka smiled and patted Shigure Kira on the shoulder, but Shigure Kira only felt as though her brain was about to crash.
"Didn't I come here for the trainee idol auditions? How did I suddenly become a... what was it, a Valkyrie of Schicksal?"
Salome had received professional training. No matter how funny something was, she would never laugh—unless she couldn't help it.
Looking at Shigure Kira's utterly bewildered expression, she couldn't help covering her mouth lightly.
"The trainee idol event ended yesterday. Starting today, this place is Schicksal's recruitment office. They just haven't taken down the banner at the entrance yet."
And so, Shigure Kira became a Valkyrie of Schicksal in a daze.
By December 1995, Shigure Kira, now a B-rank Valkyrie, had successfully completed several missions and was gradually becoming a dazzling new star.
That day, as usual, she secretly slipped back into the training room to practice dancing after finishing Schicksal's training. To her surprise, Salome was waiting for her there.
"Don't look so surprised. If you want to practice dancing, then starting today, I'll be your instructor." Salome playfully winked at her.
"Huh!"
"What? Am I not qualified? Aside from combat, I'm a professional dancer too."
"No, no, I..."
"All right, I won't tease you anymore. But if you want to learn, I'll teach you seriously. Becoming an idol and being a good Valkyrie are actually connected in many ways."
"What do you mean?"
Salome stroked her chin. "Kira, as an idol, what do you think you need to hold a successful concert?"
"Hmm... Not getting nervous in front of the audience and having a confident attitude? Elegant, fluid dancing? A suitable stage? An audience cheering and supporting us? The efforts of all the other staff working behind the scenes?"
Salome nodded. "Everything you mentioned is correct. A perfect performance is inevitably the result of cooperation between many different aspects."
"As a Valkyrie, if you want to defeat a powerful Honkai Beast, aren't a confident, fearless attitude, professional combat ability, adapting your methods to the circumstances, and cooperating with your teammates all important? Destroying Honkai Beasts means protecting the lives of more people. Seeing more people live wonderful lives free from the effects of Honkai because of us—isn't that the best support we could receive?"
Upon hearing this, Shigure Kira wore an enlightened expression.
Seeing that Shigure Kira was willing to learn, Salome continued.
"Besides, the inspirational effect a powerful Valkyrie has on other Valkyries is essentially the same as the inspirational effect an idol has on her fans."
At that, Shigure Kira was no longer sleepy at all. "Ah, you mean Lady Cecilia, the only S-rank Valkyrie in all of Schicksal? She became an A-rank Valkyrie at thirteen and an S-rank Valkyrie at sixteen. I'm afraid that even decades from now, there may not be anyone who can break that record."
"So, Kira, there's no need to treat being an idol and being a good Valkyrie as two completely separate things in your mind. There's even less need to practice dancing in secret. I hope that as a Valkyrie, you can also become an idol, rather than merely being a fan."
"But... I..." Shigure Kira looked dejected at those final words.
"I'm not asking you to reach the heavens in a single step and become someone like Lady Cecilia. Someone like her can only be admired from afar by you and me alike. Kira, do you remember when you joined Schicksal? As an idol, you planned to start as a trainee idol and improve your abilities and number of fans step by step. As a Valkyrie, you likewise started as a B-rank Valkyrie and will gradually become a role model for more and more Valkyries. If you can't become an S-rank Valkyrie, you can first try to become an A-rank Valkyrie like me."
"Thank you, Senior Salome. I hope you'll guide me in today's practice as well." Shigure Kira bowed to Salome.
In March 1996, after joining Schicksal for a year, Shigure Kira became Schicksal's sixth A-rank Valkyrie.
She was neither a member of one of the three great families nor a Stigmata Awakener, yet she had become an A-rank Valkyrie at the age of sixteen. As a result, she became the object of admiration and emulation for countless Valkyries. Within Schicksal, she had also become a famous idol.
"Since you're an idol, you need to respond to your fans' expectations, just as you need to destroy enemies and protect ordinary civilians as a Valkyrie."