Reinforcements for Manila

The summer at St. Freya Academy, sunlight dappled through the dense leaves, casting colorful rays. The academy grounds were lush and verdant, with grass like a carpet and flowers in the flowerbeds blooming in a riot of colors, exuding waves of fragrance. A gentle breeze rustled through, causing petals to drift down like dancing butterflies, painting a scene of vibrant life.

On the training grounds, Sheng Jiu, drenched in sweat, leaned lazily against the wall, sticking an ice pack to his face with his tongue hanging out. "I'm gonna—die—of—heat! How much longer until class is over!"

"You brat, get up! Training isn't over yet!" The red-haired major indignantly hauled Sheng Jiu to his feet. "I told you to defeat fifteen projections before resting, that's not a lot! Look, look, you're already done after only eight!"

"Nooooo—" A pig-like wail echoed across the training grounds.

"Hang in there, you lazy bum! Our spirits are with you!" Kiana and the other two sat by the awning, watching Sheng Jiu on the field with schadenfreude.

"Hey, do you think Sheng Jiu might actually get heatstroke out there?" Yae Sakura asked, poking Kiana with concern. "He's been fighting in this heat for two hours already."

"It's okay, Yae Sakura~" Kiana cooed, slinging an arm around Yae Sakura's shoulders. "That guy's stamina is way better than ours, he'll be fine!"

"Bronya agrees with Idiot Kiana's assessment."

Just then, Theresa strode into the training grounds, a hint of gravity on her face. "Fall in!"

The four of them and Himeko immediately lined up in front of Theresa, awaiting further instructions.

Theresa, her face grim, shook the tablet in her hand. "We just received a message from Headquarters in Europe. A large-scale Honkai incident has occurred in the Manila region, and the situation is currently grim. We need to dispatch a small team into the Manila region for personnel search and rescue."

"Huh? Why can't we just send the entire Far East Branch's forces?" Sheng Jiu questioned.

Such an outlandish question made Theresa cover her face in exasperation. "If there were such a simple solution, do you think this Headmaster wouldn't know about it? The Far East Branch is near Changkong City. If we all leave, who will guard the large number of Honkai Beasts in Changkong City? Furthermore, according to image recognition from the current scene, an Emperor-class Honkai Beast has likely appeared in the Manila region. After deliberation by Headquarters, it's been decided to launch a Honkai Energy fission warhead at the region in 36 hours. Until then, we need to rescue as many civilians as possible."

"So, the Headmaster means...?" The observant Yae Sakura had already guessed Theresa's intention.

"That's right. I want the four of you to form a small team and enter Manila to carry out search and rescue. The conditions for this mission are very special. Headquarters is only allowing each branch to send one team. Your team's performance will be the best in the entire school, and I hope you can go to Manila for the rescue."

Theresa hesitated, wanting to say more. Sheng Jiu, sensing her worry, reassured her, "Don't worry, Headmaster. We'll take care of ourselves. This is just a routine mission, isn't it?"

"Yeah, yeah! Protecting innocent people is our duty as Valkyries! I'm going to be an S-class Valkyrie someday, so this mission is a piece of cake!" Kiana shouted, raising her hand.

Theresa looked at Sheng Jiu, then at the others, and finally made up her mind. "Alright then. However, for safety's sake, Himeko will accompany you on this mission. I will be with the Hyperion near Manila, providing you with firepower support. Without further ado, let's depart immediately!"