According to the schedule, the afternoon was for practical combat training. This class was within Ming Yu's expectations, but it still felt unfamiliar, as he had only been an ordinary person before. Calculating the time, Ming Yu called Mei and the others to head to the training grounds.
"Huh? Is break time over already?" Kiana said, rubbing her eyes.
"Idiot Kiana!" Bronya shot back with a huge taunt.
"Alright, Kiana, hurry up, or we'll be late," Mei urged.
With a still somewhat drowsy Kiana in tow, the four of them hurried to the training grounds.
At the training grounds, there were already neat formations of students. Although there was still some time before class, the girls were all very disciplined.
At Fu Hua's signal, the four of them did not join the existing formations but stood to the side, waiting for the instructor to arrive.
Soon, arriving almost exactly as the bell rang, a tall woman in an orange uniform walked into the training grounds. She scanned the field, her gaze finally landing on Ming Yu and the other three standing to the side. A slight smile appeared on her lips as she spoke, "Let me introduce myself. My name is Murata Himeko. From today on, I will be your instructor. Although the Principal personally arranged for your enrollment, don't expect any mercy from me. Now, state your names!"
Seeing that the instructor was Himeko, Ming Yu was taken aback. Although he had considered that with Fu Hua's strength, the instructor wouldn't be too bad, Himeko's appearance still surprised him. Not considering S-rank Valkyries, A-rank Valkyries were already a formidable combat force, let alone Himeko, who was practically at the pinnacle of A-rank.
In Ming Yu's view, a peak B-rank should have been the appropriate strength for an instructor. An A-rank was already a bit excessive, and using Himeko was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. *Perhaps it's the effects of the Nexus experiment,* he mused, frowning, *or maybe the side effects of other Valkyrie experiments.*
As far as Ming Yu knew, Himeko was already considered overage when she underwent the Valkyrie modification. This resulted in her resistance to Honkai Energy being far lower than others. Reaching the level of an A-rank Valkyrie was already a miracle, but it also meant her body was often on the brink of collapse. Having her step down from frontline combat might be a form of protection. *She's a tough one,* Ming Yu sighed.
While Ming Yu was lost in thought, Kiana looked at Himeko before her and said proudly, "You've probably already heard of this lady's great name. I am Kiana, Kiana Kaslana."
Hearing Kiana's proud declaration, Ming Yu couldn't help but facepalm. *This is just about showing an attitude. Do you really think Himeko doesn't know your name?*
"Raiden Mei. Teacher Himeko, please take care of us," Mei said softly, her attitude excellent.
"Bronya Zaychik," the stoic girl replied coldly.
Ming Yu took a breath and said calmly, "Ming Yu, please take care of us."
"Very good," Himeko said, looking at the four of them. "From today on, you will undergo Valkyrie training and examinations at St. Freya High School."
"Eh, ex-exams?" The moment she heard the word "exams," Kiana was instantly flustered. "Auntie Himeko, a battle-hardened student like me should be exempted and directly assigned to a Valkyrie squad, right?"
"Oh? Who are you calling auntie?" Himeko said with a strange smile. As it turned out, calling Himeko "auntie" was an extremely self-destructive act. Kiana had unwittingly stepped on a massive landmine.
"When I rescued you from the ruins of Nagazora, you were still lying on stretchers. Is that what you call 'battle-hardened'?" Himeko said mockingly.
"I..." Kiana's face flushed red as she retorted, "That was just a momentary slip-up! You should know, my Kaslana family has long shouldered the mission of fighting the Honkai and protecting humanity. I started fighting Honkai Beasts with my old man a long time ago."
"Oh, then you should really thank your father. Because he protected you very well," Himeko continued to mock.
"Damn it, I don't need anyone's protection!" Kiana stomped her foot and said fiercely. Then she sighed as if with emotion, "Ah, but an ordinary person like Teacher Himeko wouldn't be able to understand a combat genius like us Kaslanas. I guess it can't be helped."
"Kiana!" Ming Yu facepalmed and sighed. When Kiana's IQ went offline, you really wanted to keep a safe distance.
"Kiana, it's very rude to speak to Teacher Himeko like that!" Mei also urged anxiously.
"It can't be helped. An idiot is an idiot!" Bronya said with a sidelong glance.
"Combat genius?" Himeko chuckled lightly. "Then let this 'ordinary person' experience the prowess of a combat genius like you."
Himeko drew the greatsword she carried on her back and gestured for Kiana to go to the side and choose her own weapon.
With a light spring in her step, Kiana chose a similar greatsword. Although the Kaslana family was famous for Gun Kata, they had dabbled in other weapons as well, just not with the same proficiency as handguns. Since this was a training session, Kiana didn't choose a firearm, instead opting for a cold weapon to face her opponent. And for a Kaslana's monstrous strength, a greatsword was not heavy at all; in fact, it allowed Kiana to better utilize her power.
Kiana gripped the sword with both hands behind her back. After a short burst of acceleration, the greatsword swung out from over her right shoulder, cleaving down viciously at Himeko.
Seeing the incoming greatsword, Himeko calmly took half a step to the right and raised her own sword to swing.
Himeko's greatsword accurately struck the flat of Kiana's blade. Following the direction of Kiana's strike, she pressed the greatsword down, then twisted her own blade and slashed towards Kiana's head.
As the greatsword came slashing, Kiana was startled. She spun around, moving to the right to evade the attack. At the same time, her hands didn't stop, using her body's momentum to bring her sword around and chop at Himeko.
Pleased with her own agile response, Kiana mentally gave herself a thumbs-up. *Once I defeat Auntie Himeko, I can probably get an exam exemption, right?*
Himeko showed no disappointment at her missed strike. A slight smile played on her lips as she pulled back the hilt of her sword, precisely striking the flat of Kiana's blade and parrying it away. Her use of force was perfect. Simultaneously, the returning edge of her sword slashed towards Kiana's position, forcing her to move.
With her attack missing again, Kiana had no time for surprise and hastily dodged the swift greatsword, finding no opening to swing her own.
Following that, Himeko's greatsword stuck close to Kiana's body, a flurry of afterimages never leaving her figure. Under Himeko's torrential assault, Kiana had no chance to counterattack, led by the nose by the greatsword in Himeko's hands.
At some point, when the two of them stopped, Himeko's greatsword was already resting on Kiana's shoulder, the gleaming edge just centimeters from Kiana's slender neck.
Himeko squinted her eyes, looked at the dazed girl before her, and said slowly, "How about that, my combat genius?"