"Hah... How is it?"
Leaping down from the diagnostic instrument, Himeko barely had time to catch her breath before she hurriedly asked the white-haired nun beside her for the results of her physical examination.
"It's about the same as before. Still... terrible."
Seeing her good friend's expectant gaze, Theresa wished she could say something positive, but she knew it would only be self-deception.
"Is that so." Himeko wasn't surprised by this, but the light in her eyes still dimmed a little. She murmured, "Which means, if nothing unexpected happens, I have about a year left..."
Hearing Himeko's words, Theresa couldn't help but feel a pang of frustration.
She clearly had a Natural Stigmata in her possession, but Schicksal lacked the technology for stigmata transplantation, leaving her helpless.
And the one who needed the stigmata most was Himeko, yet it was she who had obtained the precious Natural Stigmata through a twist of fate.
Furthermore, with the Divine Key taken away, Yae Sakura's stigmata had almost lost its power. Even if she obtained the transplantation technology now, it would be of no use.
"I won't let that happen!" Theresa suddenly shouted, startling Himeko, who was absorbed in the fact that her days were numbered. "I will find a Natural Stigmata for you, no matter the cost!"
Looking at the emotional Principal, a smile touched Himeko's lips. She comforted her, "You really don't have to be like this, Theresa. For my age, this isn't too soon. Besides, we both know it's an impossible task."
Although she was grateful for Theresa's efforts, Himeko understood the gap between ideals and reality and didn't hold much hope.
Listening to Himeko's words of comfort, Theresa's heart sank. But suddenly, thinking of a recent discovery by the archeology department, her eyes lit up.
"No, it can be done!" Theresa clenched her small fists and said with determination. "According to reliable historical records, Shenzhou's ancestor, Ji Xuanyuan, possessed a power that resembled stigmata. And recently, we've nearly deciphered the location of her burial ground. Most importantly, a Natural Stigmata might exist there!"
"Oh?"
Himeko, who had been ready to give up, suddenly heard news of a stigmata, and her interest was piqued. After all, if one could live, who would want to die? Besides, she hadn't even found the one person she could spend her life with yet.
"Ahem~" Seeing Himeko's spirits lift, Theresa cleared her throat and slowly recounted what she knew. "Legend has it that Ji Xuanyuan had a tattoo with special powers on her body, which could resonate with the divine weapon, the Xuanyuan Sword, granting her the strength to fight Honkai Beasts. It was because of this power that she was able to repel the invading monsters time and again, and was revered by the world as the Yellow Emperor."
"In the end, she went to Jiu You to face a Honkai Beast named Chiyou in a final battle. But after that great war, both she and Chiyou vanished, and even the Xuanyuan Sword was lost. All we know for certain is that Jiu You is located near present-day Guangzhou in Shenzhou."
"So, we need to go to Guangzhou to find Jiu You this time," Himeko said in a low voice, biting her thumb.
"Correct!" With a light snap of her fingers, a smile appeared on the Principal's face. "Given the risks of this mission, I've specially called that kid back."
Looking at Theresa's smug expression, Himeko paused for a moment, then pondered before realizing who the 'kid' she was talking about was.
"Speaking of that brat, how has he been lately?"
No matter what, Ming Yu was someone she had brought into St. Freya, and Himeko couldn't possibly have forgotten him completely. While she wouldn't fuss over him, she had to show some basic concern.
"In terms of personality, there are indeed some worrying aspects, but he's much better than he was half a year ago. As for his strength, even by the strictest standards, he's already on par with an A-rank Valkyrie."
Tilting her head in thought, Theresa said as much. Compared to Himeko, she paid a bit more attention to Ming Yu. After all, he was a person with the potential to become a sharp blade—her sharp blade.
"Is that so? In that case, he really could be considered a genius..."
Comparing it to the time it took for her to become an A-rank Valkyrie, Himeko had to admit Ming Yu had a talent for combat.
The strictest standard referred to the assessment criteria before the Second Honkai Eruption. By that standard, every A-rank Valkyrie had the ability to fight an Emperor-class Honkai Beast. They might not be able to win, but they could at least hold their own for a period of time.
Although becoming an A-rank Valkyrie at seventeen or eighteen was not surprising within Schicksal, considering that Ming Yu was only at the level of an ordinary B-rank Valkyrie just six months ago, he deserved the title of genius.
Even compared to a certain prodigy who became an A-rank Valkyrie at twelve or thirteen, his achievement wasn't particularly dazzling. But compared to the vast majority of ordinary people, it was something worthy of praise.
In normal missions, it was obvious that Ming Yu couldn't fully unleash the power of his Divine Key. The fact that he could still receive such an evaluation under these circumstances spoke volumes about his current strength.
"With someone like him, this mission will be much safer."
Himeko didn't object to Theresa's arrangement. Her current physical condition was not suitable for frontline combat. Having Ming Yu's combat power as a supplement was, in any case, a reasonable and beneficial matter.
"Counting the time, if that brat didn't dawdle, he should be arriving soon."
Checking the time, Theresa prepared to leave. Although Ming Yu was still technically a B-rank Valkyrie, she couldn't possibly treat him as an ordinary one.
At the very least, Ming Yu was clearly not a person who subscribed to the concept of loyalty. Even if he wasn't overly arrogant in his dealings with others, if he felt he was being slighted or treated harshly, he wouldn't just take it lying down.
And if Ming Yu threw a fit because of it, even someone like the Principal would find it a major headache.
"Well then, good luck to you~"
Having been friends for so many years, how could Himeko not see what Theresa was thinking? But she didn't have a good way to handle that guy, Ming Yu, either.
After all, the things he cared about were quite different from what most Valkyries valued.
She had seen Ming Yu several times over the past six months, so she knew very well that honor and responsibility, two precious qualities common in most Valkyries, were extremely faint in him.
Although Ming Yu could conscientiously complete every mission assigned by the Far East Branch, he didn't necessarily attach much importance to the meaning of these missions himself.
As Theresa's retreating figure gradually disappeared, a question suddenly popped into Himeko's mind:
*Will this Ming Yu really obey the arrangements and carry out this mission?*