latelenovela Chapter 398 Uncle Yang, I'm a little scared...
Chapter 398 Uncle Yang, I'm a little scared...
Fully armed, the crew assembled on the bridge, standing in a row in front of Himeko, awaiting her orders.
"Is everything ready?"
Himeko, with her fiery red hair tied up, was no longer wearing an ordinary teacher's uniform, but rather the crimson Valkyrie armor called the Fusion Armor. On the Hyperion, there was no teacher Himeko, only the proper captain, Major Himeko Murata.
Himeko scanned the crowd, her gaze no longer gentle as usual, but rather tinged with seriousness.
"For the next period of time, I will be the instructor for your two teams' intensive training and combat practice! However, considering that some of you are experiencing combat for the first time..."
Himeko raised one finger, her expression solemn.
"Since this is your first time, as your instructor, I must remind you: after the mission, the first thing you must do upon returning is..."
"You need to eat to replenish your energy, right?"
Kiana, confident that she knew the correct answer, put her hands on her hips, certain that Himeko would next say something like "rest well and eat to replenish your energy."
"Yes, it's about eating... What are you eating!"
Himeko, who was interrupted, quickly reacted and grabbed Kiana's ear.
"Ouch! Ouch! Aunt Himeko, it hurts so much!"
The other five people watched Kiana's constant groans and remained silent for a moment—none of them wanted to provoke Himeko... so Kiana had no one to help her and could only suffer on her own.
"Although I didn't emphasize it in class, I think I did explain it clearly, right? It's for a physical exam! Kiana, all you can think about is food! Were you even paying attention in class?"
"Auntie Himeko, I know I was wrong, please stop pulling my ears!"
"Call me Major here!"
In a roar, Himeko tugged at Kiana's ear again, causing Kiana to howl in pain until Himeko let go.
"In actual combat, you will inevitably come into contact with Honkai energy. Afterwards, you must immediately check all your physical indicators to prevent Honkai energy from corroding you. When carrying out missions, you must also pay close attention to the condition of your comrades, because they are not only your comrades who provide support, but also have the potential to become monsters..."
Kiana shrank her neck and stuck out her tongue in response to Himeko's comment.
Actually, she really has the right to speak on this point. Back then, Bronya's sudden loss of control and Mei's transformation into a Herrscher really messed things up for her and Sora.
But so what? They still managed to escape from Changkong City together.
When Himeko mentioned the "possibility of unfortunately becoming a monster," Mei's fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.
Mei stood straight, her purple eyes calmly watching Himeko, but upon closer inspection, one would notice that her hands, hanging at her sides, were quietly clenching into fists.
Comrades turned into monsters—perhaps no one understood the consequences of this warning better than Mei—the Herrscher's power had awakened after they traveled together, nearly shocking her three friends to death…
When Kiana tried to make eye contact with her, Mei subconsciously tilted her head towards Sora and glanced at her boyfriend, who seemed to have slept quite well last night.
Mei took a deep breath, suppressing the surging memories back into her heart—it's alright, everything will be alright! She had a safety pin in her heart, and even if things went wrong, there was Sora. Sora had subdued that Herrscher more than once! One day, she would definitely be able to completely overpower her and fully master the power of the Third Herrscher, just as Himeko-sensei had said!
“Every Valkyrie faces this risk in battle. We use Honkai energy to gain powerful combat abilities, but we may also suffer a backlash at any time, lose our minds, and become monsters that want to destroy everything…”
Himeko's expression was solemn as iron, her gaze slowly sweeping across every face—everyone became serious, except for that kid, Sora.
"This is not an exaggeration. As long as you are fighting as Valkyries, you must be prepared to face the worst possible outcome."
Himeko's voice lowered. She had witnessed firsthand how exceptional Valkyries could suddenly collapse to their knees during a mission, purple lines appearing beneath their skin—comrades who had fought side-by-side just moments before could be beyond saving from the Honkai energy's corruption, to the point that…
At that time, she was just a girl in her early twenties.
"If one day your comrade goes out of control due to Honkai energy, you must end her life without hesitation..."
The air on the bridge seemed to freeze. Bronya unconsciously touched the muzzle of the Heavy Bunny's cannon, and Anna subconsciously gripped the weapon at her waist.
"Wait, I have a problem!"
Kiana broke the silence, and everyone's eyes turned to her.
"If it's Himeko-sensei who's out of control... should we take action too?"
"of course."
Himeko did not hesitate at all.
“That’s right. If that day ever comes, even if it’s me, you must not hesitate. This is the Valkyrie’s mission, and it’s for the safety of many more people.”
Kiana, somewhat unable to accept it, shifted uncomfortably, but ultimately agreed with Himeko's statement.
"I see."
As if to express her determination, Kiana added another sentence.
"If one day... I mean, if I lose control, Aunt Himeko, you must..."
“I will not let that happen.”
Himeko changed the subject, her voice becoming firm and powerful again.
Himeko's gaze lingered briefly on everyone, her eyes both stern and meaningful.
"Don't worry, I won't let you get into danger."
Himeko straightened her back and shouldered the greatsword.
"I will make sure that each of you returns safely; it is my responsibility as commander."
Himeko smiled confidently.
"If this practical exercise goes well, and your return checkup results are all normal..."
Himeko chose to avoid looking at Kiana.
"It's my treat, eat whatever you want in the cafeteria."
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Changkong City was once an important port city in the Far East, but the outbreak of the Third Collapse turned it into ruins.
Now, besides the rampaging Honkai Beasts, the only other thing left in the city is the constantly wandering Zombies. The zombies that emerged at the beginning of the Honkai outbreak either became Zombies or turned to dust... Given this, it is quite reasonable to use the outskirts of Changkong City as a training ground for Valkyries in actual combat.
As per Himeko's request, the five and six teams will split up to clear out the Honkai Beasts and maintain contact via communicators. If any team needs assistance, she and the other team, who are monitoring the Hyperion with drones, will rush to provide support.
"Report: Area C4 cleared! Only a few scattered assassins, no Honkai Beasts found!"
Bronya's calm voice reached Himeko's ears through the communicator, and accompanied by the buzzing of the Heavy Bunny 19C, several more suicide soldiers were blown to pieces.
"Report: Only a small number of wandering assassins and a few mosquito-like rush-class Honkai Beasts remained in area B2; they have all been dealt with!"
Qiong's voice rang out immediately afterward, and she even gave a "V" sign to the drone in mid-air.
Himeko stood at the observation window of the Hyperion, overlooking the lifeless (though not entirely devoid of life) city, and nodded slightly. The two teams' initial performance was acceptable; Kiana and Bronya, and Sora and Anna all possessed considerable combat experience, and the four of them were quite efficient at clearing low-level threats.
There's Seele, a transfer student who's not old enough to attend school, and Raiden Mei, who's basically never participated in any real combat...
Himeko's gaze swept across the monitor screen, using the drone to focus on Mei and Seele, two children with little practical combat experience—to be honest, if it weren't for the Stigmata, Seele Voller would never have been awarded the C-rank Valkyrie in such a short time, let alone joined this year's team...
But who told Theresa to be in such a hurry, still muttering about "competing with anti-entropy for students"?
I really don't know what that small-chested, brainless headmistress was thinking. Could Anti-Entropy possibly poach people from St. Freya Academy?
Through the camera, Himeko noticed that Mei's movements were still as precise as in class; her katana left a purple afterimage as she cleaved a scythe-wielding assassin in two. But Himeko could tell that Mei was a little too tense, each swing of her sword seemingly imbued with her entire being.
Himeko frowned slightly, then relaxed. It was understandable; after all, it was her first time going into battle prepared, so it was normal for her to be fully focused and tense. If necessary, she could receive some psychological counseling later.
"Huh? What's Qiong doing?"
Himeko, who was about to turn her attention to Seele, was captivated by Sora. The kid was still the same as always, his fighting style was unpredictable, and he didn't seem nervous at all. It was as if he was doing a normal cleanup. He even told his two teammates not to move around in the public chat, and that he would go charge and come back later.
"Kid Qiong! Stay alert and don't let your guard down! The Honkai Beasts that could appear at any moment love to attack Valkyries like you who don't stick with the main force!"
Himeko tried to remind a certain idiot who was about to abandon his teammates and charge ahead on his own, but her eyes remained fixed on the screen.
"But Himeko-neechan, Anna and Mei are already exhausted!"
……
Time flies, and before we knew it, the sun was high overhead.
Within the fifth squad, Anna and Mei simultaneously began to question the meaning of life.
Anna, clutching her knees and panting heavily, never imagined that she, a qualified Valkyrie, would be so physically weak that she couldn't even get past noon after a high-intensity cleanup...
If clearing out enemies within a mere radius of a few kilometers can make you feel exhausted, then the afternoon's operations will surely be affected as well, right?
It seems she needs to strengthen her physical training; otherwise, how can she aim for A-level?
Mei, who was relatively less strained, stood frozen in place after slaying another survivor that Sora had deliberately left behind. She deeply felt the difference in combat power.
She knew that Qiong had already reached the level of an A-rank Valkyrie or even an S-rank Rita, and that boys' physical abilities were generally stronger than girls'. But she really couldn't figure out how Qiong could have such abnormal endurance. Yet, she, who was determined to keep up with Qiong's pace, refused to offer even a suggestion to "rest"...
She didn't want to be the one who held everyone back.
Mei lowered the tip of her knife slightly, sweat trickling down her forehead and soaking the hair beneath her combat suit. Looking at the still upright figure ahead, whose breathing was barely noticeable, a complex and indescribable emotion welled up within her.
Admiration? Resentment? Perhaps all of those, along with a barely perceptible sense of loss. She planned to strive to become a warrior worthy of standing beside him, but reality cruelly told her that the gap was far greater than she had imagined.
"Mei, are you alright? Do you need to rest?"
Anna, panting, spoke with concern. She herself had also expended a lot of energy, but perhaps due to her experience, her recovery seemed to be better than Mei's.
"No need, I can still manage!"
Mei took a deep breath, forced herself to stand up straight, and gripped her katana tightly. She couldn't show weakness here—especially not in front of Sora.
However, Qiong had already noticed their weakness and even proposed that she rush ahead first and wait for them to recover...
Then, just as Sora was about to launch her attack, Himeko stopped her.
"Fifth Squad, rest for twenty minutes! Qiong, you better tone it down! This squad isn't your personal show; teamwork is key! If you try to wait for your teammates to tire themselves out before charging forward, next mission you'll be staying on the Hyperion writing reports!"