Emergency Deployment

At dawn, St. Freya Academy was immersed in an atmosphere of mystery and tranquility. Moonlight spilled over the ancient buildings and silent gardens like a veil of silver.

Then a burst of urgent alarms shattered the peace. The exhausted young man opened his eyes and turned to look at the alarm clock on his bedside table: 2:32 a.m.

"...The principal, honestly... Are we ever going to get any sleep..." he muttered, rolling over to drift back into dreamland. The communicator beside him began ringing urgently, too. Reluctantly, he answered. "...Who is it..."

"Get up, you lazybones! Emergency assembly! We're going on a mission!"

Kiana's anxious voice came from the other end.

Sheng Jiu jolted upright. "What? This suddenly?" He jumped out of bed, quickly washed up, and rushed out of the dorm.

Rows of Valkyries stood in formation on the athletic field. Sheng Jiu quickly spotted his class. "Over here, lazybones!" Kiana called, waving to him from the front row.

"What's going on?" Sheng Jiu took his place beside Kiana and asked quietly.

A rare trace of panic appeared on Kiana's face. "I heard something happened and the Honkai Beast horde in Changkong City has gone especially berserk. They're attacking Schicksal's blockade around the city. The Far East Branch is closest to Changkong City, so we're being sent as reinforcements to help the garrison suppress them..."

Sheng Jiu comfortingly ruffled Kiana's hair. "Don't worry. Everyone will be fine."

"Ugh, stop messing up my hair!"

In the back row, Yae Sakura and Bronya exchanged glances, the corners of their mouths curling into mysterious smiles.

Ever since Yae Sakura had asked Sheng Jiu to help talk some sense into Kiana a month ago, the two had seemed to share a rather ambiguous relationship. Kiana would wait for Sheng Jiu after class so they could go to the cafeteria for lunch, and after combat training, Sheng Jiu would hand Kiana an extra popsicle... Although they seemed just as usual, bickering every day, Yae Sakura couldn't help feeling that the two of them were hiding some secret...

Theresa hurried onto the platform, her expression grave. "I'm sorry to wake you all at this hour, but the situation is urgent. I'm sure some of you have already heard the rumors: the Honkai Beast horde in Changkong City is attacking our defensive line."

"If we lose this last line of defense, the enormous horde inside Changkong City will have a clear path to anywhere in the Far East. Headquarters has decided to send us as a reserve force to reinforce the garrison and hold the line until their reinforcements arrive. The situation is critical! We must leave at once!"

As soon as Theresa finished speaking, an enormous silhouette rose behind her, its bulk blocking out the sky. Sheng Jiu stared, dumbfounded, at the giant object overhead, which looked like a glowing blue rice cake stick. "...Could that be...?"

Fu Hua answered for Kiana. "That's right. This is the Far East Branch's greatest weapon: Schicksal's fifth-generation floating battleship, the Hyperion."

The Hyperion quickly launched several gunships, which flew toward the people on the athletic field and landed.

"Everyone in Class 8, follow me aboard!" Fu Hua called, leading everyone in an orderly fashion onto one of the gunships.

Sheng Jiu sat beside Kiana. "I've been here almost two months. How did I not know we had such a huge ship?"

Kiana rolled her eyes at him. "You're hopeless! Who would reveal their biggest trump card so easily?"

"..."

Seeing Sheng Jiu's slightly pale face, Kiana poked him gently. "Hey, don't be scared. I'll protect you in a bit."

"Thanks, Hoom."

"You! I'm not talking to you anymore! If a Honkai Beast eats you later, I won't even look your way!" Watching Kiana sulk, Sheng Jiu smiled faintly, then closed his eyes to rest.

A few minutes later, Himeko's voice came over the cabin speakers. "We'll be landing in a few minutes. Stay alert. As soon as the gunships land, assemble immediately and prepare for battle!" Everyone looked out the windows. The sky was still pitch-black, but blinking purple lights dotted the streets of Changkong City. They came from the bodily fluids flowing through the Honkai Beasts.

"Oh my... There are so many of them!" the pink-haired girl sitting across from Sheng Jiu said, trembling as she watched the lights flicker below.

"Don't be nervous, Rin. I'll protect you!" Kiana told Miyamoto Rin, raising her small fist with complete confidence.

By then, the gunship had landed. The hatch slowly opened, and the sounds of gunfire and artillery were already audible.

Everyone immediately stood, jumped out of the gunship, and formed up. Sheng Jiu took in his surroundings: they had landed in a city block. Schicksal's temporary command post was not far away, and beyond it lay the last barrier against the horde.

One armored vehicle after another drove off into the distance, where fierce gunfire soon erupted. The blasts of beam cannons mingled with the crack of conventional rounds. The gunships that had taken off immediately joined the battle, their mounted Vulcan cannons spewing fire at the enemies below...

Just as everyone stood there in a daze, a young woman came running toward them. "You're the reinforcements? You couldn't have come at a better time!"

Fu Hua stepped forward and saluted her. "Sorry we're late. I'm Fu Hua, an A-rank Valkyrie from the Far East Branch."

"Pleased to meet you, Fu Hua. I'm Vena, acting commander of Schicksal's garrison stationed in Changkong City. Thank you for coming to help us at a time like this. On behalf of Schicksal's Changkong City garrison, I sincerely thank you all for coming. As you can see, the battle has reached its most difficult point. If we can't stop the horde here, it will spread across the entire Far East!"

"You're too kind, Ms. Vena. Fighting the Honkai is every Valkyrie's duty. Leave this place to us."