There were ten combat zones in the arena.
Just as Laguna had said, stone pillars and irregular stone walls were scattered throughout the combat zones, creating a unique battle environment. Naturally, Valkyries could not simply charge straight ahead in a place like this.
Such an environment made it far too easy to set all sorts of traps, turning the place into a hunting ground for prey and hunters.
In every zone, numerous Valkyries used the cover formed by the stone walls and pillars to attack one another.
Watching the Valkyries run along walls and leap across roofs, she could not help showing an envious expression.
Most of the Valkyries in Training Ground No. 20 were B-rank, though a small number of C-rank Valkyries received instruction here as well.
The bodies of B-rank Valkyries and above, strengthened by Honkai Energy, could easily split rocks apart.
However, the stone pillars and walls used in this obstacle training ground merely had a layer of stone coating on the surface. Inside was incomparably sturdy steel.
One newly promoted C-rank Valkyrie had tried to forcibly demolish a stone pillar and wall, only to injure her own hand instead.
Naturally, one needed to use their brain to show their true strength in this arena.
Oh, that did not mean using your head to ram into things.
No matter how hardheaded you were, could your head be harder than the solid steel hidden inside those stone pillars and walls?
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Two unarmed Valkyries traded blows, fist against flesh.
Powerful attacks landed on one another again and again, as if they wanted to convince each other with their fists.
Then, one side suddenly shifted to defense while the other increased the intensity of her attacks.
Punch after punch nearly tore up the stone floor, sending lime dust into the air. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the defending Valkyrie landed atop a stone pillar for two or three seconds, practically defying Newton's laws.
The Valkyrie on the pillar leapt with all her strength, stomping a washbasin-sized crater into the stone coating on its surface before rapidly charging toward the Valkyrie below.
Their positions reversed. The Valkyrie who had just unleashed a fierce assault became the defender, while the Valkyrie who had been sent flying onto the stone pillar while defending became the attacker.
Watching the Rider-like flying kick descend from above, the Valkyrie below assumed a defensive stance and took the heavy blow head-on. The powerful kick sent the defending Valkyrie sliding back five or six meters.
"Got you!"
The Valkyrie who had shifted into defense revealed a smug smile. Her hands, crossed before her chest to block the flying kick, suddenly seized the kicking leg. She spun twice in place, then smashed the other Valkyrie down onto the rocky ground.
The Valkyrie slammed toward the stone floor did not give up resisting either. The instant she landed, she forcefully braced herself with both hands, taking the chance to pull her leg free from the other woman's grip before scissoring it toward her opponent's neck.
The offense and defense between the two Valkyries in that area were dazzling to watch.
Meanwhile, Valkyries in other areas used training firearms, training swords, and weapons such as spears. They wore nothing more than ordinary training uniforms.
Even so, the combat power they displayed exceeded her imagination.
K422 finally understood why B-rank Valkyries were said to rival tanks.
Perhaps tanks possessed far greater destructive power than Valkyries, but once Valkyries donned Valkyrie Armor, their agility and mobility made them something sluggish tanks simply could not handle.
It was said that many weapons manufacturers were now focusing on developing humanoid mechs. However, conventional energy sources could not power them at all, and even if they wanted to use Honkai Energy, they could not improve its utilization rate.
Schicksal itself also had a department developing mechs. Yet because Schicksal already had Valkyrie forces and the department was not valued by Bishop Otto, its research funding could be said to be quite limited.
That was why, even now, Schicksal's Valkyrie forces remained on the front lines against the Honkai.
"This is incredible."
Her eyes had gone wide from watching.
Not a single Valkyrie fighting on the field was unattractive, and every one of them had a great figure.
Even those lacking a little up front possessed a slender sort of beauty.
Ahem.
She really had been stunned by the Valkyries' combat strength.
"So this is only B-rank?"
"Yes. They become even stronger after putting on Valkyrie Armor. I recall that the third-generation Valkyrie Armor currently under development, Domain Armor: White Comet, supposedly possesses a Time-Space Rupture System. Unfortunately, an accident occurred during testing some time ago. The test subject fell into Imaginary Space, and the success rate is still only thirty percent."
"Time-Space Rupture System?"
"Simply put, it can produce the relativistic clock-slowing effect without traveling at light speed. In other words, time around you seems to pass more slowly—the so-called bullet time."
"???"
What kind of black technology was Schicksal using?
Where Was I Being Humble?
K422 had not expected Schicksal to possess such black technology either.
She had started to doubt whether she could even smash Bishop Otto's head in.
The fights between unarmored B-rank Valkyries already looked like battles between immortals. Who knew how absurdly overpowered things became once they put on Valkyrie Armor?
Before personally witnessing a practice battle between B-rank Valkyries, K422 had always thought B-rank Valkyries were merely cannon fodder.
Yet now, she felt like a little brother.
Oh, no. Given her current gender, that made her a little sister.
If B-rank Valkyries could fight like this, then A-rank...
Noticing her gaze, Laguna gave a soft cough. "Since Kiana is looking forward to it so much, I shall show off a little."
"Please, Instructor!"
Naturally, K422 was incredibly excited at the chance to personally witness an A-rank Valkyrie's strength.
"Of course, there are huge differences among A-ranks. Some A-rank Valkyries were promoted based on their accomplishments. As for me... I am somewhat impressive even among A-ranks."
After saying that, Laguna walked toward the combat zone, intending to speak with the B-rank Valkyries training inside.
What followed was a scene of Laguna declaring that she would take on ten opponents.
Laguna swung the training greatsword in her hand. The storm kicked up by the blade alone sent Valkyries flying, and when several Valkyries finally managed to approach her, she sent them flying with a single smack of the greatsword.
Her terrifying combat power made even the onlookers beside them tremble in fear.
Even when a stone pillar stood in her way, she brought down her greatsword without hesitation. The training greatsword was immediately ruined, its broken blade wedged into the steel, while Laguna's hand was injured by the recoil.
Yet even after losing her weapon, Laguna continued to send the other Valkyries flying as though she were punching little children one at a time.
Before long, the Valkyries fighting Laguna had all collapsed to the ground, unable to get back up.
The entire fight lasted only five minutes.
"Thank you for your guidance!"
"Thank you, Captain Laguna."
"Thank you very much!"
After the battle ended, the Valkyries in Training Ground No. 20 offered their thanks.
K422 watched Laguna return to her side and inexplicably felt a little intimidated.
She could split solid steel with an unsharpened thing like a training greatsword. Laguna was an absolute monster.
K422 thought about how she often failed to follow the training standards Laguna had set. Maybe Laguna had written everything down in her little notebook, waiting for the day they had combat training so she could experience an instructor's oppressive presence.
"Instructor, this is what you meant by being 'somewhat impressive among A-ranks'?"
The B-rank Valkyries had been one-sidedly beaten up like baby chicks.
"Of course... If not for the Second Great Honkai, Schicksal would have had many extraordinarily powerful A-rank Valkyries. Take your mother Cecilia's Snow Wolf Squad, for example. Does Kiana know how Honkai Beasts are classified?"
Laguna spoke calmly as she had the Valkyries in the training ground resume their training.
"The classification of Honkai Beasts? I remember that, from lowest to highest, they are roughly divided into seven categories: Assault-type, Knight-type, Ballista-type, Tank-class, Temple-class, Emperor-class, and Judgment-class. Among them, Assault-type, Tank-class, Knight-type, Ballista-type, and Temple-class are lower-tier Honkai Beasts, while Emperor-class and Judgment-class are higher-tier Honkai Beasts."
Naturally, Bishop Otto's arranged lessons had covered the concept of Honkai Beasts.
The reason B-rank Valkyries were said to rival tanks was because they were comparable to Tank-class Honkai Beasts. Temple-class Honkai Beasts and Emperor-class Honkai Beasts both required A-rank Valkyries to handle.
Judgment-class Honkai Beasts required multiple A-rank Valkyries to fight against them.
"As expected, that is the standard textbook material. In truth, besides those seven types, Honkai Beasts also include Warlord-type, Floating-class, Tidal-class... It is even said that Super Assault-types and Super Ballista-types exist."
Laguna led K422 to the resting area beside the training ground while telling her about knowledge not found in her textbooks.
"Of course, most Honkai Beasts are formed when wild animals are infected by the Honkai. Their strength increases with their size. The larger a Honkai Beast is, the stronger it becomes. Smaller ones are not necessarily weak, but enormous Honkai Beasts are definitely powerful."
"Conventional weapons can barely harm Honkai Beasts anymore. Even Honkai Beasts under ten meters require anti-air missiles and medium-caliber autocannons. Honkai Beasts over ten meters require 270mm railguns to eliminate. As for Honkai Beasts over a hundred meters, an A-rank Valkyrie unit must be deployed. Snow Wolf Squad consisted of your mother, the S-rank Valkyrie Cecilia, and five A-rank Valkyries."
K422 loved hearing about Cecilia's accomplishments.
When Laguna mentioned her mother and the Valkyrie squad her mother had formed, K422 naturally looked at her with immense curiosity.
True Kiana and K423 also both loved hearing about Mom's accomplishments.
"Yes. Snow Wolf Squad was founded in 1996, ten years ago. It was a Valkyrie assault squad personally ordered into existence by the Grand Bishop. It had six core members, and its purpose was to prevent and suppress Honkai Beast disasters involving Emperor-class threats and above..."
"Under the Valkyrie assessment standards that were stricter than today's, Schicksal had only six A-rank Valkyries in total. Five of them joined Snow Wolf Squad. At the time, this special operations group could be called Schicksal's most elite armed force."
As Laguna slowly explained, K422's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
"Its core members were your mother, S-rank Valkyrie Cecilia Schariac; A-rank Valkyrie Cheng Lixue; Shigure Kira; Salome Joeanan; Shub Niggurath; and Patrick Highsmith."
"Cheng Lixue could utterly crush me. Shigure Kira and Shub Niggurath even worked together to defeat a Judgment-class Honkai Beast that I could never defeat myself... And the Valkyrie Armor they used back then did not even qualify as armor-grade equipment."
"Really? Instructor, are you sure you are not being humble?"
Cheng Lixue, an A-rank Valkyrie capable of utterly crushing Laguna, and Shigure Kira and Shub Niggurath, who had killed a Judgment-class Honkai Beast with only the two of them—what kind of monsters were the members of Snow Wolf Squad?
And as an S-rank Valkyrie, what kind of celestial being was her mom?
"Where was I being humble? I once received guidance from Cheng Lixue. Back then, she was known as Schicksal's strongest A-rank Valkyrie and possessed Ruoshui, the Divine Key capable of controlling water."
"Does Kiana know about Divine Keys?"
K422 shook her head.
Although she knew that Black Abyss White Flower was also a Divine Key and that Divine Keys were probably special weapons, Bishop Otto clearly had not intended for her to learn the specifics yet.
When Bishop Otto had introduced Black Abyss White Flower, he had only emphasized that it was Cecilia's relic.
As an A-rank Valkyrie, Laguna clearly knew some inside information.
"Instructor, you know?"
"Not much. Do not ask me whether I know how Divine Keys are made. Even the researchers at Schicksal Headquarters still cannot analyze Divine Keys."
Laguna shrugged. "Divine Keys are said to be the collective term for weapons made by the civilization of the previous era to resist the Honkai, using Herrscher Cores and Soul Steel. Only the strongest A-rank Valkyries and S-rank Valkyries can obtain the right to use them."
"Right now, the only one holding a Divine Key is S-rank Valkyrie Theresa Apocalypse. However, I heard that you have activated the Schariac family's innate power to use the Divine Key Black Abyss White Flower."
At this point, Laguna's face was full of envy. She had only heard of Divine Keys and had never seen one with her own eyes.
Several times, she had wanted to borrow Theresa's Divine Key, Judas' Oath, for a photo, but she had missed the chance every time.
"Kiana has activated the Schariac family's Bloodline Power. Once you rise to A-rank Valkyrie, you can apply for the right to use the Divine Key Black Abyss White Flower."
Laguna did not know that she and Maria Schariac of the Schariac family were engaged in a struggle over Black Abyss White Flower.
Divine Keys were weapons created by the civilization of the previous era to resist the Honkai using Herrscher Cores and Soul Steel. Their value naturally far exceeded her imagination.
No wonder Bishop Otto wanted her to compete with the Schariac family.
Even without an impostor like her who had awakened the Schariac family's Bloodline Power, Bishop Otto would certainly have supported a strongest Valkyrie for Schicksal.
"Does Schicksal only have those few Divine Keys?"
"I heard there are only Black Abyss White Flower, Judas' Oath, and Ruoshui. However, Ruoshui was supposedly damaged during the Second Great Honkai."
"..."
Naturally, K422 knew about the Second Eruption, and she was instantly left particularly speechless.
After all, her mother was gone because of the Second Eruption.
True Kiana had been secretly locked away by Bishop Otto, also because of the Second Eruption.
The Snow Wolf Squad formed by her mother had been destroyed, again because of the Second Eruption.
Now even one of the few Divine Keys Schicksal had was destroyed in the Second Eruption. It made her desperately want to beat up the culprit behind the Second Eruption. (K423 shivered.)
"Schicksal's A-rank Valkyrie assessments have become much less strict now. Otherwise, I would not have been promoted to A-rank Valkyrie so easily. It is like taking a driver's license test: A-rank Valkyries used to need a perfect score of one hundred, while now the standard for A-rank Valkyries is seventy."
Before you continue