A Slap to the Face

"Back to business," Theresa said, clapping her hands to draw everyone's attention. "Since this mission may take place in the deep sea, I'm granting you all temporary permission to use Third Generation General-Purpose Armor."

"Wow, really? Really? Give it to me, give it to me!" Kiana cried excitedly, squeezing Theresa's cheeks.

"Stop that, don't squeeze my face! I'm trying to talk!" Theresa pried Kiana's hands away.

"Oh, oh, let me try." Kiana tapped the newly appeared "Valkyrie Armor: White Comet" option on her wristband and pressed it.

A flash of white light passed, and Kiana's school uniform was replaced by a pure-white bodysuit. The skintight outfit showed off her stunning figure to the fullest: her long, shapely legs, her impossibly slender waist, and the... Personal Armor covering her chest, a testament to the suit's incredible toughness.

"Ah!" Kiana bashfully shielded her chest and glared at Sheng Jiu as if she wanted to eat him alive. "Pervert! Don't look at me!"

"Why not? It's not like you're naked. It's just a bodysuit—what's the big deal?" Sheng Jiu shouted back indignantly. Only then did he notice that his nose had started bleeding. "...Don't mind the little details. Carry on!"

"Drop dead!" Kiana snapped, kicking at Sheng Jiu. But he'd been ready for it and leaned aside, thinking he could dodge the kick.

To everyone's surprise, as Kiana's foot neared Sheng Jiu, a huge phantom limb appeared and slammed him into the window. The tremendous force shattered the glass, and Sheng Jiu was kicked right out of the window. He rolled twice on the ground before coming to a stop.

"My new window!" Theresa dashed to the window, then realized what had happened. "Wait, no! Sheng Jiu! Are you okay?!"

The others turned around, staring in shock at Kiana, who looked bewildered and pale. Himeko spoke first. "Kiana, I know he can be a pain sometimes, but wasn't that kick a little too strong?"

Kiana was completely flustered and could barely get the words out. "I... I don't know... I really only gave him a gentle kick. I never thought it'd turn out like this..."

Kiana hurried out of the office and rushed over to Sheng Jiu. She helped him up; his eyes were tightly shut, and his left cheek was bruised purple. Her face was full of concern. "Wake up... I didn't mean to do that. I really didn't think it'd happen..."

Sheng Jiu slowly opened his right eye, and a stream of tears ran down his face. "My perfect face... Boohoo, you're bullying me! They say not to hit someone in the face, and you didn't just hit me—you even used your foot! Boohoo..."

Kiana was startled. It was the first time she'd ever seen him genuinely cry from pain. Unsure whether to laugh or cry, she tried to comfort him. "There, there, don't cry. It's my fault, it's my fault. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Let me blow on it. Hoo~"

Kiana gently blew on the corner of Sheng Jiu's left eye, which had turned completely purple. He quieted down, though he seemed to be... enjoying it?

"Enough, you two!" Theresa shouted through the shattered window. "If you're both fine, get back in here! I still have important things to discuss!"

Kiana, wearing armor as thin as a bodysuit, helped Sheng Jiu up and said quietly, "You'd better not touch me, or I'll kill you!"

Sheng Jiu grumbled indignantly, then opened his arms and let Kiana lead him back to the office.

"Sheng Jiu's really tough. If I'd taken that kick, I'd definitely have passed out," Himeko whispered to Fu Hua.

"Don't worry, Teacher Himeko. Kiana wouldn't attack someone without reason."

"..."

"All right, you all saw Kiana's kick just now. She's wearing Third Generation melee-specialized Valkyrie Armor, White Comet. This new armor was developed specifically to enhance a Valkyrie's close-combat abilities. Kiana, turn around." Theresa gently coaxed the reluctant Kiana into turning around.

A small reactor sat on Kiana's smooth, jade-like back. "The White Comet armor has a prototype Power Core built into the back. It absorbs Honkai Energy gained in battle and uses it as its power source, extending the armor's operating time. The Power Core can also release its stored Honkai Energy several times faster than its normal supply rate, greatly boosting the armor's combat performance for a short time."

"The armor's greatest feature is that it uses Schicksal's most advanced projection technology: 'Burst Mode,' also known as the Burst System. Once activated, it can project different objects based on the user's preferences to assist them in battle. The kick Kiana used on Sheng Jiu just now was thanks to Burst Mode."

"That's so cool!" Kiana looked down at the armor. "It's really flexible, but it looks just like a bodysuit."

Theresa patiently explained, "That's because the armor uses compression technology and is made of composite materials. The armor itself is integrated into the lining, so it looks just like a bodysuit."

"What about Yae Sakura and Bronya? Do they wear the same armor?"

"No, they each have their own armor." Theresa turned to the two of them.

Yae Sakura and Bronya understood and showed everyone their armor.

Yae Sakura had changed into a pink suit of armor. Unlike Kiana's, it had a distinct Far Eastern style. "The armor assigned to Yae Sakura is Crimson Lotus Impulse Armor, specialized for blade combat. It's highly mobile, and its skirt armor is shaped like an aircraft's tail fins, allowing the wearer to hover briefly and glide during battle."

"Thank you, Headmistress. I'll make good use of this armor," Yae Sakura said with a smile.

"Bronya likes this armor." Bronya's words drew everyone's attention to the yellow armor she wore.

"Wait, Bronya. Your Ranger Armor: Chariot is supposed to be defensive. Why does it look so flimsy?" Theresa asked, puzzled as she examined the armor, which was barely any thicker than Kiana's White Comet.

"Bronya doesn't like heavy armor, so Bronya removed the armor plates and forged them into a shield." Heavy Trooper Bunny appeared before everyone, holding a huge shield.

"...All right, do it your way. Bronya's Chariot armor has the strongest defenses of all your armors. It can create a four-meter-diameter shield around its wearer. Ordinary attacks will have a hard time breaking through it. However, the wearer has to deactivate the shield when using ranged weapons; otherwise, the missiles or bullets will hit the inside of the barrier. That's one of the armor's few shortcomings."

"What about me?" Sheng Jiu looked at Theresa expectantly.

Theresa rolled her eyes at him. "You already have Mustafa. Why do you want more? We'll just add some armor plates and a diving system to your old 'Polaris' Ranger Armor."

"Headmistress, that's discrimination! Don't make me reveal what you secretly—" Sheng Jiu's words were cut off by Judah. "You win..."

"All right, that's it for today's meeting. You have two days to rest. After that, we'll head to Shenzhou. Be ready."