Two hours later, Far East Branch.
The thunderous roar of an engine shattered the stillness.
A massive floating battleship, emerging from stealth mode, broke through the cold silence of the skies.
The Hyperion descended upon a hangar built on the eastern edge of St. Freya.
Its thrusters dimmed and finally went silent—like a steel behemoth slipping into slumber.
With a hiss, the hatch opened.
Stairs extended downward, and one figure after another began to disembark.
At the head of the group walked a petite, doll-like girl with porcelain skin and hair so white it shimmered like liquid silver beneath the sun.
She wore a small nun's outfit, with Schicksal's emblem resting on her modest chest.
Her clear blue eyes narrowed slightly, shimmering with pride.
"This is the St. Freya Academy I established! What do you think? Not bad, right?
The philosophy here is that Valkyries should be able to enjoy their youth while treasuring both their own lives and the lives of others."
'Praise me!'
Those words were practically written across Theresa's face.
"Yes, this place truly is wonderful."
Cecilia smiled warmly as she took in the surroundings.
The wide streets bustled with youthful Valkyries.
The sunset bathed their serene faces in crimson, its fading glow reflected in their bright eyes.
A gentle breeze rustled through, lifting the hems of white skirts.
Delicate hands intertwined as groups of girls walked together, laughing brightly.
They radiated an air of carefree joy—an atmosphere unmistakably tinged with the soft hues of yuri.
At Schicksal headquarters, such bonds weren't unusual.
Valkyries supporting one another had long become routine.
But here, there was something different—something Cecilia could feel in the very air.
The carefree energy these girls carried was a far cry from the grim atmosphere of Schicksal.
For women whose average lifespan rarely exceeded thirty, this lightheartedness was something rarely seen.
At St. Freya, they didn't have to worry about the erosion from overusing Honkai energy.
They didn't have to exhaust themselves in endless battles across cities, hunting down Honkai beasts.
At least for now, until they became full-fledged Valkyries, they could live as ordinary girls.
And even if only temporary, for ordinary Valkyries who laid down their lives against the Honkai, this was the greatest blessing they could hope for.
"As expected of you, Theresa."
Cecilia bent slightly and, with a soft chuckle, ruffled Theresa's silky white hair.
Hearing the genuine praise she longed for, Theresa's lips curled into a smug grin she couldn't contain.
Like a spoiled kitten, she nuzzled against Cecilia's palm, looking utterly adorable.
"Unbelievable… has Theresa completely turned into a child now?!"
Himeko couldn't resist blurting out.
Sure, she'd often caught Theresa sneaking off during work hours to read Homu manga, and she knew full well how much the Saint, Cecilia, meant to her.
But she had never imagined Theresa would actually behave like this in front of her—like a little sister among the group of younger girls trailing behind Cecilia.
Meanwhile, Bronya was busy introducing her mom to a world she had never experienced before.
Fu Hua and Cheng Lixue walked side by side at the rear, quietly discussing the many changes in the world over the past decade.
Only Mei seemed distracted, her eyes wandering restlessly as if searching for a familiar figure.
Beside her, C.C. held Yuzuriha Inori's soft little hand.
Watching Mei's anxious movements, C.C. instinctively reached out as if to hold Mei's hand too—but then stopped midway.
Mei still didn't know about the two-body secret.
With a faint sigh, her hand dropped back to her side.
"Nagami isn't here."
Noticing Mei's gaze flicker toward her, C.C. met the girl's delicate features with a soft smile.
"He said he had some matters to take care of. He'll be back by dinner, so don't worry."
The Hyperion did have a simple rec room for Valkyries stationed long-term, but it couldn't compare to the fully equipped entertainment centers in the city.
Our Immortal Red Kite, of course, was a frequent visitor of such game arcades, and the Herrscher of Sentience who shared her memories—was just as eager.
And since Nagami was with her, her eyes practically sparkled with barely contained excitement.
As for Nagami himself—after fully analyzing the space-manipulating powers of the "pufferfish," such limitations had lost meaning.
At least in the Far East, there was no place he couldn't instantly reach with a single space-jump.
Compared to the pufferfish's mastery over space, Nagami's control was far closer to that of the Herrscher of the Void.
After all, with the Core of Reason, his output had no limits, and the Honkai energy within far surpassed that of any ordinary core.
"I see…"
Mei's smile returned, but as her gaze shifted to the white-haired bundles of warmth and the mother-daughter pair of Alexandra and Bronya, a faint shadow of loneliness clouded her expression.
C.C. caught that fleeting look, her golden eyes flickering with sudden realization.
She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled gently.
————————————————————————
Meanwhile, in a well-known arcade somewhere in the Far East…
"Senti, I need to step out for a while. Do you want to come with me?"
"No! Today I'm definitely going to break Dad's record!"
The reply came sharp and decisive.
Little Herrscher of Sentience's eyes never once left the glowing screen before her.
Her slender, pale fingers danced furiously across the controls, leaving afterimages in the air.
The numbers on the scoreboard climbed higher and higher, already tens of times greater than the second place record.
But compared to the overwhelming score that dominated first place, there was still a tiny gap.
Since this was a "parent-child activity," they had agreed—no Honkai energy, no powers, no cheating.
Yet even with those restrictions, the physical abilities of a Herrscher were already far beyond human.
Speed, reflexes, strength—they were on another level.
And with Fu Hua's martial arts memories backing her, the little Herrscher should have had the advantage.
But even so, she still couldn't surpass Nagami.
At this moment, she was like a stubborn child burning with the will to win.
After all, Herrschers might share similar physiques… but Nagami had the unfair advantage of a twin-body.
And if no one noticed the cheating, could it really be called cheating?
"Alright then. Do your best. I'll come pick you up before dinner."
Nagami's smile was calm, almost teasing.
Little Herrscher snuck a glance at him, cheeks puffing up in silence.
Inside, though, she swore: 'If I don't beat Dad's score today, I'm not leaving!'
Stretching lazily, Nagami snapped his fingers.
A gate of Imaginary Space opened right beside him.
And yet, the people around acted as if they hadn't seen this reality-shattering phenomenon at all, focused entirely on their own business.
Among C.C.'s negotiations with Welt was a certain… condition-that-wasn't-a-condition.
Namely, to rescue Raiden Ryoma, who had been falsely imprisoned by Cocolia's schemes.
For Welt, it was child's play.
Cocolia wanted to keep Ryoma under her control, hoping he might be useful when dealing with Raiden Mei in the future.
But if she still wanted to survive within Anti-Entropy, she couldn't afford to openly defy Welt's word.
And Ryoma himself wasn't just anyone—he was an Anti-Entropy executor, with his own forces and influence.
In the end, all Welt had to do was create the opportunity, and Ryoma walked free.
Public opinion quickly cleared his name.
And of course, he hadn't gone straight to St. Freya to see Mei.
His position as an Anti-Entropy executor wouldn't allow it.
"It seems your Herrscher core wasn't wasted on the wrong person," came Einstein's languid voice, as if she were still half-asleep, airy and weightless.
"I suspect this Herrscher of Domination was the strongest born beneath Finality. The fact they actually managed to resolve it is… surprising."
"The peak Honkai energy output hit nearly fifty thousand…" Tesla muttered from the couch, slouched with no care for appearances.
She shoved up her crooked red-framed glasses, her twin ponytails twitching upright.
"For a second, I thought this world was finished."
"This time, we really did make the right call. Without Nagami and C.C., the world might not have survived."
On the screen, Welt smiled faintly and nodded.
Then his gaze shifted, landing on someone behind Tesla—a figure with a sour expression, staring at a tablet in his hands. Welt frowned.
"Ryoma. What's wrong? According to the battlefield intel, Mei has already achieved perfect control over the Herrscher of Thunder's power. She hasn't been corroded by the Honkai consciousness, and she's maintained her will. So why…"
'Why do you look like that?'
Ryoma's face stiffened. "It's true. From that perspective, I should be grateful to that boy Nagami. But…"
"Do we even need to ask?" Dr. Tesla smirked with open schadenfreude. "Obviously, it's because Nagami snatched away the most precious treasure of this daughter-obsessed old man."
"From my point of view as a history teacher," Welt added gently, "it might even be more accurate to say Mei was the one who took the initiative…"
Ryoma's expression darkened further. "Leader, you could've not said that."
"To be honest," Welt continued, ignoring the storm brewing on Ryoma's face, "Nagami may be mysterious, but in every respect, he's outstanding. Having him with your daughter shouldn't be a problem."
With a little pause he continues.
"His only real flaw is that he's… well, a little too broad in his affections."
"Hmph. And you don't think that's enough reason for me to object?" Ryoma muttered bitterly.
Tesla crunched down on a lollipop and shrugged, lips curling into a sly grin.
"What can you do? If one day Mei comes home one day holding a baby girl, are you gonna beat Nagami to a pulp? You'd have to actually win first, you know."
Einstein's lazy chuckle followed.
"Honestly, you might as well accept him as your son-in-law. With Nagami's support, your influence in Anti-Entropy—and beyond would grow exponentially."
Ryoma's eyes narrowed, blazing with determination.
"What nonsense. Me, sell my daughter? Hah. Even if I had to jump from here and end it all, I would never stoop to that!"
Welt gave a thumbs-up, his face full of admiration. "Then what if I told you Nagami just brought Siegfried's wife back to life?"
"…What?!"
"Revived?!"
Two voices rose in shock—those of two women long past the age of being called maidens.
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