That night, Headmaster Theresa, who had been missing all afternoon, cautiously peeked through the crack in the dormitory door. Her gaze met a pair of sharp, pale purple eyes—blue and purple locked in a silent stare across the threshold.
"You... hello," Theresa greeted awkwardly, looking at the purple-eyed girl inside. Then she suddenly realized—there had never been anyone like this in the dorms.
"Wait, who are you?!"
After scrutinizing Theresa for a moment, the girl's face lit up with sudden comprehension. In the next instant, the wooden door splintered as a black dagger sliced through it.
"Intruder detected! Elimination protocol initiated!" Wielding twin daggers, Ninti Apocalypse tore through the dormitory door and lunged at Theresa, who had been acting suspiciously from the start.
"Whoa—you little rascal! Hmph! Don't blame me for getting serious!" Theresa dodged the incoming daggers and swiftly positioned the Oath of Judah before her.
"Oath of Judah—Deploy!!" The golden cross revealed its lethal edge, launching spear-tipped chains at the white-robed, hooded purple-eyed girl.
The girl nimbly dodged the chains that surged toward her, seeking to bind her. Amidst the suffocating web of golden chains, she darted and leaped, running across the chains as she charged toward Theresa behind the golden cross.
"What?!" Theresa's pupils contracted as she watched the girl nimbly slip past the Oath of Judah's chains, even running atop them to close in. Instinctively, she raised the Oath of Judah.
Clang! The black dagger clashed against the golden cross, then separated. Having failed her initial strike, the assassin girl swiftly disengaged, darting to the side to seek a weakness.
"What are you doing—?!"
"Stop! Ninti! That's Headmaster Theresa!"
Two sharp voices rang out from the doorway and beyond the garden. Snow stood atop the shattered gate, her face contorted in a grimace as she surveyed the garden, now ravaged by the battle. The Oath of Judah bore full responsibility for this destruction; two daggers could never have plowed the ground so thoroughly.
Meanwhile, Murata Himeko, who had just returned empty-handed from a fruitless afternoon ransacking the Headmaster's office, stared at the dinosaur-footprint-like devastation of the garden before her dormitory. A primal fury surged within her.
"Theresa—!"
-
"So, Headmaster, you embezzled academy funds to buy Homu manga and merchandise, got exposed, and fled in disgrace for an entire afternoon?"
"And then suddenly remembered your grandpa was the Schicksal Overseer and came back?" Mei asked, turning to Theresa, who was sitting beside her.
Theresa nodded frantically.
"And then, Little Ninti noticed Headmaster's suspicious behavior at the gate, mistook her for an intruder, and immediately attacked?" Mei glanced at the blonde girl sitting obediently on the other side, cradling a large ginger cat.
Ninti nodded in agreement.
"So, because Headmaster ran away that afternoon, she never met Ninti when she arrived... then she sneaked back home that night, was spotted by the already highly vigilant Ninti, and ended up in a brawl in the garden."
"And even as an S-rank Valkyrie, she almost lost!" Kyuusyou interjected.
"What do you mean 'almost lost'?! This Headmaster is practically invincible when it comes to crushing those pathetic Honkai Beasts! Want to get flattened by the Oath of Judah?!" Theresa snapped back, glaring at the purple-haired girl who had butted in.
"Besides, this girl's resume lists her as an expert in infiltration operations, intelligence reconnaissance, special warfare, and assassination! She's practically a Valkyrie for Schicksal Headquarters' Internal Affairs Unit! Specialization is key—so what if I can't beat her in a fight?!" Theresa continued, her voice wavering as she recalled the documents she'd seen that afternoon.
"...Eh, isn't Ninti a Valkyrie specializing in Honkai combat?" Mei asked, turning curiously toward Ninti.
"Ninti's combat training primarily focuses on humanoid and near-humanoid targets..." Ninti tilted her head, explaining to the two women watching her.
"Schicksal Valkyries typically have distinct roles: guarding and escorting, logistics support, intelligence gathering, and even stealth assassinations. Not every Valkyrie needs to directly confront Honkai creations on the battlefield."
"Take the Schicksal Internal Affairs Unit I mentioned earlier. They specialize in assassination, serving as a cleanup squad tasked with eliminating Schicksal's enemies and traitors. They rarely appear on the front lines against the Honkai. Though both are Valkyries, their combat styles and value systems are completely different," Theresa explained, noticing Mei's confusion.
"Wait a minute, Ninti, are you really a Valkyrie specializing in assassination? You charged straight at me earlier! Head-on?" Theresa glanced skeptically at the petite, golden-haired girl beside her.
"Assassin...? I'm Lady Snow's bodyguard," Ninti replied, giving Theresa, who was roughly her height, a puzzled look.
All eyes immediately shifted to Snow, who was standing aside, ready to enjoy the spectacle.
The young woman squirmed under the intense gazes. Seeing the group's curiosity and thirst for knowledge, she cleared her throat and explained:
"Ahem... Ninti's background is somewhat similar to Bronya's. They were both child mercenaries in Eastern Europe..." As soon as these words left her lips, a wave of sympathy and pity washed over the onlookers' gazes toward Ninti.
"After a certain incident, I adopted her and entrusted her care to a maid in our household."
"Now that I think about it, that maid was probably a Schicksal Valkyrie. Besides taking care of Ninti, she would also train and teach her combat techniques at Ninti's request."
"I invited her here myself... though it seems that maid has some connections. I originally intended for Ninti to enroll as a probationary Valkyrie..."
Knowing exactly who the "maid" she was referring to was, Snow maintained an unruffled expression as she spun a tall tale for the assembled group, making it sound so convincing that she almost believed it herself.
She's definitely got connections. If Schicksal's S-rank Valkyries didn't have connections, I'd laugh my head off.
"Senior high-ranking Valkyries do have the authority to recommend new recruits," Himeko nodded, acknowledging Snow's explanation. "But a direct promotion to A-rank... that Valkyrie must have gathered endorsements from many well-connected colleagues."
"Wait a minute," Theresa interjected, her gaze fixed on Snow. "You invited Ninti here yourself? Hmm... so you're planning to form your own Valkyrie Squad, right?"
"Hmph~ That's the prerogative of an A-rank Valkyrie, isn't it?" Snow replied with a nod.
"Then... have you decided on a name for your squad yet, Snow? Remember, A-rank Valkyries have the right to name their own squads, you know?" Theresa grinned mischievously, posing a question that would send naming-challenged individuals into a tailspin. During her time at Schicksal Headquarters, she had often witnessed A-rank Valkyries tearing their hair out for days—even weeks—over this very issue, some even resorting to banging their heads against the wall in frustration.
"Squad name, huh? Divine Authority," the blonde girl said, lounging comfortably on the sofa as she picked up her coffee and casually tossed out the name she had meticulously prepared.
"...Divine Authority? That actually suits you, you know. I'll register it in the Schicksal database. Divine Authority Squad, Commander and Captain—Miss Snow."
Theresa and Himeko recalled the high-level combat records from Nagazora City, showing the girl before them and the Herrscher's battle. They nodded in grudging approval.
"The squad members are Houraiji Kyuusyou and Ninti, right?" Himeko asked, casting a final glance at the girl sprawled on the sofa for confirmation.
"Of course—"
"Huh?! Auntie, I want one too..." Kiana, who had been passing by and hadn't quite grasped the situation, suddenly seemed intrigued.
"You want what? To form your own named squad?"
"Absolutely! This lady will come up with an overwhelmingly powerful name! It'll be—"
"Idiot Kiana... Didn't you hear what the Headmaster said? Only official squads formed by A-rank Valkyries get to have named squads."
"Huh? Why's that? Class Monitor, could you...?" Kiana looked expectantly at Fu Hua beside her.
"I'm sorry, Kiana, but I'm not interested in forming a squad right now."
"Rather than rely on others, rely on yourself. Once you become an A-rank Valkyrie, you can name your own squad," Snow said, shaking her head helplessly at the slightly disappointed White-haired Clump.
"Hmph! Don't worry, this lady's goal is to become an S-rank Valkyrie!"
"Then have you prepared for your make-up exams this week, Kiana...?" Himeko placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"...Uh... not exactly..." Cold sweat beaded on the White-haired Clump's forehead.
"Then hurry up and get to it!" A thunderous roar echoed through the reception hall once more.
"Ehehe!"