Chapter Text
Stan didn't like this at all.
****
The training area of Schicksal HQ has always taken a special place in the hearts and minds of both young and seasoned Valkyries who pledged themselves to the noble cause of fighting Honkai, the greatest enemy of humanity.
Brutal training as well as strict regimen served the sole purpose of raising powerful and fearless warriors who would be the world's most reliable swords and shields.
The most zealous of them would train extra hard, pushing their body to the humanly possible limits in order to rise through the ranks and be on the front lines of the Honkai war.
They would train day and night, read and learn thousands of pages on theory, pass every last one of the Valkyrie exams with flying colours, all in the hopes of achieving greatness and being the driving force in the most important battles humanity had ever faced.
Yeah.
But Kiana was a Herrscher. Surely she didn't need to do all of that, right?
...Right?
"I have dieded..."
"Kiana, are you okay? You look a bit winded-"
After running 50 km on a treadmill at maximum speed, the white-haired girl face-planted onto the floor of the training room. She was lying there, trying to fill her lungs with so much needed oxygen while her chest was heaving violently. Her body felt numb. Her limbs wouldn't move even if she tried to get up.
"I'm...fine..." Kiana mumbled, trying to catch her breath.
"You did a really good job!" commented a deep, yet lively voice.
"Now we can do a few laps around HQ, and then we've got another set of 250 push-ups, 220 pull-ups and 230 squats. After that, we can wrap up by a bit of boxing and rope skipping. 30 minutes will do," Bianka added nonchalantly, her tone betraying no sign of exhaustion.
A weak kyaaa was the only response she got.
The strongest Schicksal Valkyrie didn't seem to be tired at all. If anything, she only looked eager to prolong their joint training session for a couple of hours more.
"Come on, Kiana. Otherwise we won't have time to go to the shooting range and the simulation room."
"Simulation... room? I think we had one... in St.Freya... It was kinda cool..."
"Yes, it proved to be a very efficient technology for not only testing the skills of the Valkyries-in-training, but also making improvements to the existing styles of martial arts and finding weak spots of various kinds of Honkai beasts. Every branch of Schicksal now has one. It's always good to spar there, but for some reason now they only let in those who submitted applications 2 or 3 days in advance."
"I wonder why they'd need such a thing... Are there really so many people who have enough energy to train extra time?" Kiana huffed skeptically.
She finally managed to steady her breathing and started picking herself up off the floor in the quite literal sense. When she stood up, separate locks of her silver hair were out of place and little droplets of sweat could be seen on her forehead which was a miracle in and of itself because Herrschers don't sweat.
Well, unless Durandal has her say in it.
Kiana was wearing a high ponytail, under her trademark white-and-orange jacket was a white T-shirt with a Schicksal logo on it that matched with her white trainers. Her black leggings had no pockets and clung tightly to her skin.
She'd look like the perfect image of a model you could find in the finest Homu sports magazines if not for her red face and disheveled state of her hair.
"I mean, fighting virtual monsters is fun and all, but... Isn't it all a bit too much?" Kiana looked at Durandal quizzically.
The Captain of Immortal Blades didn't answer immediately.
She firmly stepped off the treadmill and threw a towel over her shoulder. She was in her beige two-piece gym outfit: a tank top with a short circular skirt.
"Too much?... But regular training is an important part of what it means to be a Valkyrie. People who need our protection rely on our power."
Then, after a short pause, she added, "Moreover, if it were easy to improve oneself, then why bother?"
"Erm, I see..." Kiana answered hesitantly with a sour expression on her face.
Aunt Teri was right. She will PT her to kingdom come and back.
A faint smile formed on Bianka's face.
"It's always hard to start, but there's nothing to worry about. A journey of a thousand miles starts with a single step. And, in the end, hard work always pays off."
"..."
"..."
"...Can this journey include a few miles to an ice cream stand?"
"No, Kiana."
"Kyaaaaaa..." The Herrscher of Flamescion drawled sadly with a slight hint of a pout on her face.
"I haven't gone out with Bronya for an ice cream for ages! It won't hurt to have a snack every now and then, ya know. I'm a Herscher after all! And I've heard that it's only healthy to have 4 or 5 meals during the day."
"Junk food isn't a meal, Kiana. Also, we still have to make up for those cookies we ate this morning."
"Ugh, alright..." Kiana said looking unamused.
She was certain, however, that they should ask Seele to make more cookies next time. They were so yummy! It seemed Durandal loved them too. Kiana could definitely see her smiling when she tasted it, even if she didn't want to show it. Maybe, just maybe, she was not as stoic as she wanted to appear after all? If so, she should try to distract her from her insane working schedule with some more delish food. Yeah, she just needed to ask Rita about it.
Kiana was mulling over her brilliant idea without realising how her face gave away her scheming.
"What is that smirk on your face? Did I say something wrong?" asked Bianka with a puzzled expression.
"Oh, no, no, I was just, ummm... thinking about that queue to the simulation room. I'm sure that the Strongest Schicksal Valkyrie doesn't need to fill in any application forms when she wants to train, right?"
Quite contrary to this belief, Bianka had already made all the necessary arrangements for their training session to go smoothly which included sending in all the applications a week prior, making sure that both of them would have the gym with its equipment available for the entire duration of their training, checking the arsenal at the shooting range and assessing its quality, finding suitable weapons for Kiana to practice with and preparing special gear that would allow for freer use of Kiana's Herrscher powers.
The blonde felt shy for a moment.
After a short pause, she tried to counter Kiana's suggestion.
"W-well, that's not how..."
But she was interrupted by a loud beeeep!
It was a signal from her communicator, notifying that there was a new message for her. It was a small, compact device that was lying on a nearby bench together with a copy of The Merchant of Venice by Shakespeare.
Bianka quickly walked over to the bench and picked it up. She pushed the red button on the display and the device immediately projected a bluish faint light in the form of a square screen which showed a video recording.
It was none other than the brilliant Schicksal scientist Elizabeth McSmith, or, as she was called by Bianka and subsequently everyone else, Dr. Nagamitsu.
As usual, she was in her never-changing white lab coat standing in some peculiar-looking laboratory which, with all the vials, flasks, strange devices of various forms and shapes and a few objects in the background eerily looking like cages, was similar to some black-ops site that was very likely off the official record of Schicksal's assets.
Kiana silently wondered if she should tell Aunt Theresa about this.
However, Durandal didn't seem to be fazed by the imagery.
"Durandal. We've found the supposed location of another World Serpent secret research base. It's in the Southeast Africa near Lake Malawi. We need the Immortal Blades to secure the area. Unfortunately, we don't know exactly what they've been doing there, but my guess is that it has something to do with Jackal."
A hint of recognition flashed in Durandal's eyes.
Bianka had heard that name before from the late Overseer. It was during her London holiday a few months ago that he mentioned a certain World Serpent scientist named Jackal who was after the 2nd Divine Key just like them. She didn't know much about her at the time, but it was clear that she would have to be cautious when dealing with her.
At the same time, Kiana clenched her fists.
She remembered that night in Arc City, when Jackal captured her in Heliopolis Labs to conduct her evil experiments. And then... Let's just say it definitely wasn't the best period in her life, and she wasn't looking forward to being reminded about the events of that time.
Meanwhile, the recording continued, "Well, that lady can be a tricky one, therefore we shouldn't rule out the possibility of a surprise attack. However, we need to make sure that, trap or not, the objects of their research contained in there are safely gathered and transported to the HQ. It can be a delicate job, so I need you to head this operation and stand guard while a specialist team from our lab are doing their job. I am counting on you, my favourite Valkyrie. Take care. Bye-bye!"
The blue screen abruptly disappeared, and the light in the communicator went off.
A few seconds after the end of the message, Bianka spoke, "Well, there's no time to waste."
She turned to face the white-haired girl.
"Seems like we have to cut this training short. Would you like to go with me?" she asked with carefully hidden excitement.
But then she saw the serious expression on Kiana's face.
"Kiana?" The blonde girl asked uncertaintly, slight worry evident in her voice. "What happened?"
"Just some memories came to my mind from a while ago. It's really nothing..." Kiana said under her breath with a tinge of sadness behind her words.
Bianka didn't seem convinced by that answer. She kept looking at the younger girl with expectant eyes. She didn't want to force it out of her, but she still wanted to help to the best of her ability even though she didn't have a lot of experience providing emotional comfort for anyone, especially family.
Not that Kiana knew, of course.
She gritted her teeth and then a moment later let out a low, almost inaudible sigh. Not so long ago she promised herself to be more open about her feelings around her close ones, and although Durandal was mostly still a mystery to her, seeing how both of them have been warming up to each other Kiana thought that she should keep building that mutual trust with her now comrade in arms.
"When I was wandering in Arc City, I had an encounter with that woman, Jackal. It wasn't nice, but... To tell the truth, that's not what really concerns me..."
Kiana lowered her gaze. There was a distant sorrowful look in her eyes, like she was remembering something unpleasant.
"Something else happened in Heliopolis Labs. I think I made a huge mistake. I pushed my friend away when she was just trying to help me."
Raiden Mei, Bianka thought. She wasn't aware of all the details of the situation, but she met the former Valkyrie in person, and she spent enough time with her during their mission in Coral City to know that the current Herrscher of Thunder had a gentle heart despite her collected and fierce exterior.
"On my part, I can say that Raiden Mei has an unshakable determination when it comes to protecting what she loves. I've seen it in her eyes. She must be a very good friend of yours," Bianka mused out loud.
"Yes... That's our Mei-senpai. And I made peace with that. I know that if there was a chance to replay it all, she would have done the same thing without any hesitation. She's very caring and thoughtful. That's just who she is..."
"Hah." Kiana let out a dry laugh.
"What is it?" Bianka gave the girl a worried look.
"I just realized that me and her are not that different after all... Probably I should tell her that when she comes back," Kiana mused in a low voice.
"Hmm... You said you had made peace with it because it was something you both couldn't avoid at the time, but you still feel that you've made a mistake, don't you?"
"Yeah..." Kiana admitted.
Bianka silently contemplated.
She had to confess that this feeling was quite familiar for her too.
"I also made some mistakes in the past..." Durandal trailed off for a moment, "...but mistakes too are a way to learn."
The last few days she couldn't help thinking about what happened back in Kolosten. It was true that had she realized the late Overseer was not a misunderstood hero making difficult decisions to save humanity but rather a man, pursuing his selfish goals, maybe she would've been able to prevent innocent people, the Hyperion crew among them, from getting hurt.
However, she was so occupied with her goal to stabilize the bubble universe hidden inside her body that she had given in to the Overseer's plans a little bit too easy and a little bit too much. How could she not when he was one of those few people who she got to know from the very moment she woke up in the orphanage in Sochi with amnesia?
Was she wrong to put her trust into the person she thought she knew? If she had made different decisions back then, would that have made any difference? Was he really the only one who could save her friends from another world?
Those questions weighed heavily on her mind and she was trying to find the answers to them as best as she could.
Nevertheless, there was one thing she was sure of.
Even though she didn't know the truth about everything Overseer Otto was up to at the time, she couldn't help but feel like she needed to atone for what he did in his stead, and the least she could do is make it up to the people who were most affected by his wrongdoings.
"And what have you learned?" Kiana asked quietly.
"That we need to stay true to ourselves." By the end of her speech, her gaze had acquired a certain determination to it.
She was never anybody's pawn and she always exercised her own judgement before taking action. Even if she was inadvertently playing along with somebody's intricate schemes, she was only trying to accomplish her mission because the world only acknowledges the results.
It was an undeniable truth.
But it was also true that Bianka had strayed from the right path when she allowed Otto's actions slide without proper questioning. She couldn't ignore the latest revelations about former Overseer's deeds and the part she played in them.
That's why she needed to re-think some of her past actions and the lessons she had learned throughout her life.
And while for some self-reflection and continual rumination were as natural as breathing, for Bianka it was one of the rare things she truly struggled with.
Besides cooking, of course.
****
Kiana was lost in her own thoughts. She was thinking over Durandal's words.
She made a mistake when she pushed Mei away.
Now Kiana knew that she shouldn't go through everything alone, and her friends were there to support her because she was important to them.
If she could have, she would've acted differently.
But would have it changed Mei's decision?
No. Mei would still have done whatever was needed to save me.
So I should keep following my own path...
...Until we meet again.
Her uneasy expression seamlessly changed into a confident look, and her entire demeanor transformed back into one truly befitting the new version of her, the Herrscher of Flamescion.
"You're right. We need to learn from our mistakes. Let's not let that mask lady catch us off guard again. I know from experience that Jackal is no ordinary foe. She may well have planned a trap for us, just like in Arc City. So we need to prepare for that."
"I suppose it's well within the realm of possibility," Bianka said pensively. She locked her gaze with Kiana's, "What do you suggest?"
"Although I'm the Herrscher of Flamescion now, I still have my Void powers. I will open up several portals right inside that base. We will block all the exits and seize control of all the terminals before they even say Nani?!. And if anything goes wrong, I'll just pull everyone out."
"We will be fast and discreet... Good plan, Kiana."
A soft and very subtle smile touched Bianka's lips.
Kiana detected not only praise in her words, though. Was there also a hint of pride? The girl couldn't tell.
On second thought, maybe she shouldn't really wonder about it. In the past few weeks Durandal had been overseeing all her training activities and it was only logical that she would have a sense of achievement when her mentee was making progress.
"Meow!"
A sudden non-human sound abruptly pulled her out of her thoughts.
Kiana looked quizzically at the source of the noise.
Durandal's cat was looking back at her expectantly.
"Don't worry, Stan, we'll be back soon. And please, behave yourself while we're away," Bianka told the cat.
Then she turned to Kiana.
"I'll go inform the Immortal Blades that they should start preparing for the operation. I'll be waiting for you at the dispatch port in 20 minutes."
With those words, Durandal took her leave.
Kiana was ready to follow suit when suddenly she noticed something sentient in the cat's red eyes.
The only two occupants of the room stared at each other in silence.
****
Stan was a much smarter cat than most people gave him credit for.
His human was summoned to go on another mission, he got that much. And, apparently, it was going to take most of the day - from what he had heard when the blonde girl was listening to the recorded video message on her communicator.
The problem was... It was no ordinary day.
It was Can-free Day.
He had been waiting for it for an entire month.
But when it finally came, the blonde decided to hang out with that restless, stupidly strong (just like his human), white-haired and blue-eyed menace. Stan still couldn't understand why his caretaker cared so much about the girl's training.
And now that female had robbed him of a substantial part of his day.
His human was supposed to be cooking for him and not getting all sweaty like there was no tomorrow.
And now he had to wait again for her return from whatever the-middle-of-nowhere she would surely find herself in.
Not that he particularly liked what the blonde girl made for him - his silly human possessed cooking skills that left much to be desired, to put it lightly.
But it was much better than eating that canned unsavory mash he got accustomed to.
Of course, the best case scenario would be if Rita prepared the meal, but he was glad he wasn't going to be left alone with that nagging, devilish ninja maid. To his greatest joy, she was also taking care of some business and wouldn't be coming back anytime soon.
Anyway, this situation left him extremely hungry and increasingly impatient.
Stan didn't like this at all.
