After some explanation, Theresa finally got the gist of the situation.
"A high-level Honkai Beast, Chiyou, possibly sealed in the seas near Shenzhou?"
The Far East Branch was located on a man-made island in the East China Sea of Shenzhou. It was remote and far from populated areas, which could ensure to the greatest extent that the existence of Schicksal and the Honkai would not be leaked.
Besides serving as a frontline base against Anti-Entropy, the branch also had the responsibility of assisting the Shenzhou region in suppressing the Honkai.
The seas near Shenzhou were, naturally, within the Far East Branch's sphere of influence.
Immediately.
"Kiana, Bronya, you did a great job this time!"
Theresa made a decision. "I will send people to survey the seas near Shenzhou. I'll notify you if there's any news."
The words of the Far East Branch's mascot were final; no one in the entire branch dared to disobey.
An exploration team set out from the Far East Branch to survey the entire sea near Shenzhou, searching for any suspicious Honkai energy reactions.
Such a large-scale operation almost immediately came to the attention of Anti-Entropy.
Anti-Entropy's conservative faction, far away in North America, was not interested in this matter, busy dealing with the ever-increasing pressure from Cocolia. Cocolia, who already effectively controlled the island nation of the Far East, had a different view on the matter.
The Far East Branch was like a sieve; none of Theresa's decisions could escape her spies.
"An ancient high-level Honkai Beast, Stigma information from an ancient warrior..."
Cocolia was not interested in the main objective of the Far East Branch's operation.
Anti-Entropy's path was that of mechanical technology; almost all Titan models came from the masterpiece of those two conservative doctors.
Stigma was a biotechnology route and was of little help to her.
Compared to that...
"This seems to be a good opportunity to test the true strength of the Far East Branch."
An air of conspiracy brewed around this woman.
Although she didn't know what possessed Schicksal Overseer Otto Apocalypse to store the Key of Corruption, Jizo Mitama, in the distant Far East Branch.
But for Cocolia, this was undoubtedly a golden opportunity to seize a Divine Key.
Once she possessed this Divine Key, many previously unimaginable plans could be put on the agenda.
The risk was small, but the reward was great.
Whether they could beat the Far East Branch was something that could only be known after a fight.
In an instant, this wolf-like woman made her decision. "Sin, this mission is yours. Don't disappoint Mama."
A short-haired girl with shark-like teeth stepped forward, a wild smile on her face.
"Don't worry, Mama. I will definitely make that traitor Bronya pay the price for her betrayal!"
...
After several days of recuperation, the seriously ill Murata Himeko's condition finally improved a lot, and she could move about as usual.
In the past, she was the combat instructor for Kiana and the others, but now she had to be with Brian, a weakling with little combat talent, watching the girls pour out their youthful vitality on the training grounds.
"Brian, from now on, I'll have to entrust Kiana and Mei to you."
"Teacher Himeko, you say that as if you're giving your last words."
The red-haired beauty was as carefree as ever, having long since come to terms with her own life and death. "Am I not? This old bag of bones no longer has the drive to keep going. The era to come belongs to you young people."
"Oh right, I forgot to tell you. I'll be leading the expedition to explore Jiuyou this time. Are you ready to accept my leadership as the captain?"
"The Principal would agree to that?"
"Why not? If she doesn't, I'll go ruin her bitter melon juice."
Murata Himeko's expression was relaxed and carefree, as if she wasn't talking about something that concerned her own life and death, but just a trivial matter.
As a Valkyrie, and as a warrior, the ending she wanted to accept was to die on the battlefield, not to die helplessly in a hospital room that smelled of disinfectant.
The battlefield is a warrior's final resting place, and to bite off a piece of flesh from the Honkai with all one's might is a choice shared by most Valkyries.
After she's gone...
"It will be your era."
"You few young people, you all look like ordinary kids, but the secrets you carry are more extraordinary than the last."
Bronya was born in Siberia; to be able to fight her way out of that barren land was in itself extraordinary. Raiden Mei possessed the power of both a Herrscher and a Stigma, with another her watching over her from within.
Kiana is an artificial lifeform created by the Schicksal Overseer, and who knows what secrets await her in the future. The young man beside her seems to have an unknown origin, but various signs indicate that he is no simple character either.
"Bronya likes to keep things to herself, Kiana is an out-and-out idiot, and Mei has placed all her trust in you."
Getting carried away, the unrestrained Murata Himeko pulled out two cans of beer from somewhere, wrapped her arm around the young man Brian's shoulder, and started drinking.
"Here, have a can first!"
Glug, glug, glug—!
"As for that Theresa..."
Murata Himeko gave a wry smile. "Her wisdom is just like her appearance; she's just a child with some adult airs."
"I've thought it over and over, and among everyone, the one I'm most at ease with is you."
Entrusting her wards to a kid who hadn't even grown up yet, Murata Himeko also found it a bit ridiculous.
"Didn't expect that, did you? To be honest, neither did I."
"When I just retired from the assault squad and met Theresa, I thought she would grow up before I was in my grave, and then she would instill her ideals into the children of this school, letting her grow up in a different way."
"I didn't expect her mind to be as frozen in time as her body; she hasn't grown at all after all these years."
"I can't rest easy entrusting them to anyone else. After all, there are too many schemers like Cocolia in this world."
Brian: "Can I interrupt?"
Murata Himeko blinked. "No, you're not my boyfriend."
Young man Brian: "..."
A tire track was left on his face.
Compared to these old drivers, he and Raiden Mei, who were new to the road, were indeed too inexperienced. He never would have thought that one could drive on such a rugged mountain road.
He originally had no intention of driving here.
But since Murata Himeko was so unrestrained and wanted to compete with him in driving skills, he, a probationary driver who had just gotten his license, had no choice but to risk his life and accompany her.
He continued, "Teacher Himeko, if you don't let me interrupt, how will you know what we're thinking?"
The F1 drag race has officially begun!
"Young man, you just don't get it."
Murata Himeko patted Brian's shoulder, her expression profound.
"To understand the true thoughts deep inside a Valkyrie's heart, besides interrupting when we're talking, you can also take it a step further and have a deep exchange together."
At least for her, a big truck that had never tasted what a man was like and whose service life was about to expire, she didn't mind a scene of a big truck running over a small child with this cute boy.
It didn't matter if it was the first brew; as long as there was something to eat, it was fine.
To be able to snatch a piece of meat from the Herrscher's tiger mouth... exciting!
"Teacher Himeko, while I admit I'm handsome, I don't think every beautiful girl would be willing to have a deep exchange with me."
Like Theresa, for example. Just looking at her gave one a sense of guilt, like 'X-ing a retard is illegal'.
This old white-haired woman's face, and that foolish look, were simply too deceptive.
One would rather pat her, hug her, and lift her up high than strip her clothes off.
"Looks like you've got high standards, kid."
Murata Himeko's arm tightened, bringing her ample curves within arm's reach.
Any taboo between teacher and student was completely nonexistent for the current Murata Himeko.
Besides, as a people's teacher and Valkyrie of Far East descent, having some improper thoughts about her student, wasn't that perfectly in character?
The alcohol went to her head, and with her life nearing its end, Murata Himeko's actions became bold and unrestrained.
"You have such high standards, kid, and you already have a girlfriend as perfect as Mei in every aspect. It seems you must look down on an unwanted old virgin like Teacher Himeko."
Her rosy lips drew near, exuding a mature womanly scent completely different from that of a young girl, stirring one's heart.
Murata Himeko had already let loose, so he, the legitimate Inner World Protagonist, had nothing more to be reserved about.
"Teacher Himeko, you can't be so self-deprecating."
"Although I'm very fond of Mei, your breadth of mind as an adult is much broader than Mei's."
Raising an eyebrow, the young man Brian, emboldened by the alcohol, took the ambiguous atmosphere between them to the next level.
Murata Himeko's gaze was soft and alluring, looking at the man beside her with an unreadable color in her eyes.
A mature woman was not as shy as Raiden Mei. The fiery-haired mature beauty glanced downwards, revealing a meaningful smile.
"Little one, if you casually make moves on your teacher, your Mei will get angry, you know."
A friendly reminder: the three girls' daily training was over, and they were standing silently to the side, intensely observing the intimate contact between this teacher and student.
If they didn't know that Murata Himeko was a drunk with poor alcohol tolerance, and that their clothes were not disheveled at all, who knows what things no one wanted to see might have happened.
Having once again successfully teased her only male student, Murata Himeko tossed the empty can in her hand and left with a look of complete satisfaction.
"Alright, I won't keep you little ones company any longer. Go back to your Mei and have a good, deep exchange."
Before she could finish her sentence, the very alluring Murata Himeko leaned in close to Brian's ear, glanced at the three approaching girls, and spoke in an exceptionally ambiguous tone.
"Remember to keep it down, don't let that child Kiana accidentally wander into the world of adults."
Patting the young man Brian's shoulder, Murata Himeko left with a flourish.
This kind of play, lighting a fire and not being responsible for it, was for her, truly... exciting!
This teacher of pure Far East descent was truly a temptress who made one think of her!
Damn!
The three girls walked over. Raiden Mei, under Kiana's almost numb gaze, expertly wrapped her arm around her boyfriend's.
Then she whispered, "Brian, what did you and Teacher Himeko talk about just now?"
"She told me to take good care of you all, and to have a few big, fat babies!"
Spouting utter nonsense, which made Raiden Mei's delicate face flush with a mix of shyness and joy. "You're being improper!"
The intimate atmosphere between the two was as if they had carved out a separate world within their small group of four, with no room for anyone else.
The intelligent Bronya understood everything, while only Kiana, the silly white-haired furball, was still drawing circles on the ground, cursing her rival.
But this silly white-haired furball didn't see that in a place she hadn't noticed, her arch-rival had already given an order to her companion, Bronya.
'Tonight, pull Kiana into an all-nighter of gaming.'
Bronya: "..."
That poor big white cat was being toyed with by her rival.
How tragic.
That night...
"Bronya, what do you want to drink?"
Her back aching from gaming but her spirits high, Kiana stretched, feeling a little thirsty.
Bronya, who hadn't put down her controller yet, turned to look at the sky outside the window, estimating that the task the lewd man had given her was complete.
So she replied, "Milk, please. The Bronya wants to grow taller."
"Okay, I'll get it for you right away."
The white-haired furball with her snowy hair unbound tossed her controller aside and headed towards the kitchen.
As she walked, she chuckled to herself.
It was unclear whether she was laughing at Bronya's height and flat chest, or if she was planning to add some calcium tablets to her milk to help her grow taller.
Just then, Raiden Mei, dressed in her pajamas, opened her door and came out holding a cup.
The white-haired girl took a closer look.
The bright moonlight shone through the thin fabric, making Raiden Mei's delicate skin glow with a crescent-like white. The girl's long hair was piled high, her exquisite collarbones tantalizing.
The allure of maturity and youth appeared in the same person at the same time, exceptionally captivating.
Even though she wasn't naked, this half-revealed temptation hit the bullseye for Kiana, the yuri horndog.
And the thing in her hand was dazzlingly white—wasn't that the milk Bronya needed?
Immediately: "Mei, Bronya wants to drink milk. Can you give me the cup in your hand?"
Raiden Mei: "..."
Bronya wants to steal my milk?
Raiden Mei immediately replied, "Kiana, Bronya can't drink this cup of milk."
"Why not? If she can't have it, then I'll drink it."
Mei's leftover milk, she liked it!
At this moment, Kiana had not yet realized the gravity of the situation.
But Raiden Mei had already started to get suspicious. "Kiana, are you sure it's Bronya who wants to drink my milk?"
"Yeah, yeah."
Kiana nodded repeatedly. "Maybe that little shorty Bronya thinks she's too short. She's been drinking a cup of milk every day recently for an extra meal."
Raiden Mei: "..."
A sharp glint instantly appeared in the gentle girl's eyes, but it relaxed just as quickly.
This milk was not that milk. What Bronya needed was processed and calcium-fortified milk, not the freshly squeezed original pulp in her hand.
Although the freshly squeezed original pulp had no additives, no artificial colors, and no preservatives, and was an essential medicine for home, travel, murder, and arson, it was still too early for a child.
And so...
"Kiana, go to the kitchen and pour another cup for Bronya. This one is my midnight snack."
Before Kiana could react, Raiden Mei tilted back her slender neck and drank the exceptionally thick milk in the cup in one gulp.
Then, Raiden Mei supported her weak and sore waist, feeling that she had eaten too much for her midnight snack tonight and was about to throw up.
She ate too much. She couldn't eat this much for her midnight snack in the future.
...
The days and nights turned, and more than ten days passed quickly.
Murata Himeko's condition did not worsen during this time.
The Far East Branch's exploration of the nearby Far East seas also finally yielded results.
In the Principal's office, Theresa projected a map of the seabed in front of everyone.
"Unfortunately, although the exploration team has completed the survey of the Far East seas, we have not found anything resembling the high-level Honkai Beast Chiyou."
The white-haired, blue-eyed nun lit up three red dots on the map.
"These three locations are where the Honkai energy reactions are strongest in the offshore area."
"But the locations of these three places have not yet been investigated clearly. The exploration team has only found an entrance to an underwater space."
An underwater space, and three abnormal Honkai energy reactions.
Even if Theresa didn't say it explicitly, it was clear that it was time for the Valkyries to make their entrance.
"Auntie, is our mission to complete the exploration of this underwater space and see if there's anything useful inside?"
Theresa nodded. "That's right. Based on the detected Honkai energy concentration, there may be an Emperor-class Honkai Beast in this underwater space. We need you all to handle this mission."
Although they were just new students who had been enrolled for less than a month, they had already been entrusted with a great responsibility by the Principal.
If they were ordinary reserve Valkyries, participating in this mission would just be serving as pitiful cannon fodder.
But for the people present, it was just a piece of cake.
"For this mission, I have already applied to Schicksal HQ for your armors in advance. With this equipment, this mission should not be a difficult task for you."
The mission content and instructions were given, but Theresa still had one thing she was worried about.
"Himeko, are you still determined to go?"
Given Murata Himeko's current physical condition, if she obediently stayed at the branch and waited, she could still live for a while longer.
If she insisted on having her own way, then with her life flickering like a candle in the wind, she could die at any moment during this mission.
But Murata Himeko's mind was made up. "Theresa, don't try to persuade me. One has to be willful at least once when facing death."
Her smile was full of freedom and ease, without a trace of fear in the face of death.
Compared to her colleagues who died on the battlefield, in the mouths of Honkai Beasts, she was already very lucky.
"Alright."
Since Murata Himeko's mind was made up, Theresa had no reason to stop her.
The Hyperion set off from the port once again, dropping a Valkyrie squad onto the boundless sea.
Several figures entered the underwater space one by one under the heavy pressure of the seawater, as if entering the stomach of a giant beast. A sense of unease and oppression filled the air from all directions.
Undoubtedly, this was no friendly place.
It had likely not been visited by anyone for the past few thousand years.
Brian and his group had originally planned to explore this mysterious underground space according to their plan.
But before they had gone very far, a heavy sound came from the depths of the darkness.
"Be careful!"
It was a Titan.
A girl with shark-like teeth, surrounded by a squad of Titans, raised her pistol and aimed it at Bronya's head, a cruel grin on her face.
"Bronya, your end has come, you traitor!"
However, the silver-gray-haired girl whose life was being threatened merely said calmly, "Sin, I bet your gun has no bullets!"
...