"Whew—"
On Earth, two years passed in the blink of an eye.
Classes, training, fieldwork, exams, laughter and play...
For the students of St. Freya Academy, time flowed quickly through the rhythm of their ordinary days.
Since a certain day, Honkai had seemingly vanished from Earth—no more major eruptions, no more Herrschers.
For the Valkyries, aside from handling the occasional stray Honkai Beast or local disturbance, there were hardly any real battles left.
Though scientists still couldn't understand the cause, the overall risk and burden on Valkyries had dropped dramatically, allowing them to enjoy their school life freely.
At the academy plaza—
Theresa stood on stage, brimming with energy, addressing the gathered Valkyries below as she announced an important message.
"Today marks the day humanity prepares to step into space for the very first time!"
"As the finest students of St. Freya, you will form the advance team—representing Schicksal and all humankind in our first voyage beyond Earth."
"Woooah—!"
The Valkyries cheered excitedly.
With the advancements of Honkai Energy technology, Schicksal had, in only a few years, leapt from traditional propellant ships to fully anti-gravity starships.
Thanks to the fading and disappearance of Honkai, Earth's technological progress had skyrocketed.
Interstellar travel and space exploration had finally become reality.
"Now, the list of astronauts for the first expedition to space."
Theresa cleared her throat.
"Raiden Mei, Kiana, Bronya, Durandal, Ana Schariac—any Valkyrie ranked A or above may participate."
"Don't be afraid—Teacher Himeko, Teacher Shigure Kira, and I will accompany you."
For a ship powered by Honkai Energy, the best pilots were naturally the Valkyries—those with high Honkai adaptability and early space training.
"Whoa..."
Those not selected let out sighs of envy.
When Kiana had first transferred to the academy at age 12, her history, physics, and geography grades were abysmal—but thanks to Bronya and Mei's tireless tutoring, she barely managed to pass.
Combined with her uncanny talent for astronomy and her unmatched combat prowess at St. Freya, it was no surprise she was chosen among the first astronauts.
"Teacher Theresa, are you going too?" Ana Schariac asked.
"Yes, it's the Archbishop's decision."
Theresa nodded, her expression showing a maturity that belied her youthful appearance.
"The Archbishop is deeply interested in what lies beyond Earth. I'll be responsible for overseeing you and coordinating our exploration of outer space."
She brought up a holographic display, giving everyone a brief overview of their mission.
"Our goal is to survey the region around Earth and within the Solar System—searching for traces of the Starsea Empire or any other extraterrestrial civilizations."
"If possible, we'll attempt to leave the Solar System. Some scientists believe the Solar System is enveloped by an Imaginary Tidal Field that prevents deep-space travel, but either way—we have to try."
"Whoa..."
The Valkyries looked up together at the stars.
"Aliens, huh? Do you think we'll have to fight them? How many times did they visit Earth before again? ..."
Bzzzt—
A holographic window opened before them—Otto, at Schicksal HQ, was monitoring the scene in real-time.
"Do not worry. Schicksal's spacecraft are equipped with full weapon systems, including Honkai fission warheads capable of interplanetary combat."
"Also, you've all received combat training at St. Freya. Be prepared."
"Yes, sir—!"
The Valkyries answered in unison.
Once ready, the selected Valkyries gathered their gear, formed ranks, and boarded transports to the starship launch base.
A light-blue spacecraft stood on the platform—slightly smaller than a frigate.
"This is the Schicksal Type-I spacecraft. Starting today, humanity enters the interstellar age."
Theresa smiled, giving the students a final burst of encouragement.
"Wow..."
Even after countless simulations and training runs, Mei, Bronya, and the others couldn't help but marvel at the ship's advanced design.
Unlike the rocket-assisted spacecraft of a decade ago, this vessel's interior was remarkably spacious, and its hull was equipped with missile launchers—just like something out of a sci-fi novel.
The Valkyries fought to contain their excitement as they took their assigned positions.
"Hmm?"
Himeko and Theresa noticed that Kiana was unusually calm. She looked up at the sky, seemingly lost in thought.
"What are you thinking about? Not impressed by the ship?"
Mei patted the white-haired girl on the shoulder.
"Ah... uh..."
Kiana didn't find it particularly exciting—it wasn't even as advanced as the toy spacecraft her Commander once gave her.
She gazed at the starry sky, taking a deep breath.
"Papa and Mama... have always been watching me from up there."
"And now, I can finally go find them. I want to tell them—I've become an excellent Valkyrie."
Kiana straightened her uniform.
Two years—neither long nor short—but she had indeed spent an unforgettable time at St. Freya Academy. She had been happy.
And she had made many friends.
"Oh..."
Everyone froze for a moment.
"Kiana, you..."
Himeko trailed off, unsure what to say. She had never imagined Kiana's determination would run so deep.
To think that this little girl had become a Valkyrie and ventured into space—all for the dream of seeing her parents again, a dream that most would dismiss as a childish fantasy.
By her age, she should've stopped believing in such fairytales.
Beyond Earth, there was only the dark, endless void of space—nothing else.
Yet, none of them had the heart to break that innocent illusion.
"It's okay, Kiana. I'll be with you," Theresa said softly, moved by her words as she held Kiana's hand in reassurance.
"You and your friends have a bright future ahead. If your parents knew, they'd be proud of you."
"So live well—and become someone they can be proud of."
"Mhm... I'll be seeing them soon!"
"Eh?"
Bronya blinked. That... didn't sound too good—but she couldn't bring herself to say anything.
The group chatted for a while, unaware of the subtle weight behind Kiana's words.
Two days later—
The starship completed its final system checks. Everything was ready.
"Schicksal Type-I Starship, preparing for launch."
"Maintain communication at all times."
"Five... four... three, two, one..."
At Schicksal HQ and across various aerospace research facilities, scientists and scholars closely monitored the ship's trajectory, analyzing every system and module in real time.
Boom—
At the end of the countdown, a faint bluish glow erupted from the ship's underside. Under the thrust of its anti-gravity engines, it rose smoothly into the sky.
Then, its orientation shifted—the bow tilted upward, thrusters ignited, and like a meteor flying in reverse, it soared beyond the atmosphere.
"Gravity engine nominal! Honkai reactor stable! Life-support systems operational!"
Reports echoed throughout the control hall. Otto himself was present, observing the operation.
Outside the launch base, massive crowds had gathered—ordinary citizens eager to witness the historic moment.
Journalists reported live, their voices filled with excitement:
"This is humanity's first step into interstellar flight—and our first true exploration of space!"
"From this day forward, humankind can freely journey among the stars!"
"This is one small step for Schicksal, one small step for the Valkyries—but one giant leap for humanity!!!"
"Let us follow the Valkyries' footsteps—and see what lies beyond the heavens!!!"
Nearly everyone on Earth watched the broadcast live, their hearts pounding with pride and wonder.
Inside the Schicksal spacecraft, Theresa and Himeko managed the controls while the other Valkyries handled auxiliary operations.
Whoosh—
Theresa opened a star map, explaining the planned route to the crew.
"We'll start by orbiting Earth once before proceeding to gather nearby data. Our first targets are the Moon, then Mars, followed by its moons—Phobos and Deimos..."
"After that, we'll attempt long-distance interstellar navigation—searching for any traces of extraterrestrial civilizations..."
Theresa took out a stone tablet from her luggage and looked at it. It was a relic left by the ancient Shenzhou ancestors thousands of years ago, recording in archaic script the visit of alien spacecraft to Earth.
It had always been classified by Schicksal—only a handful of top-ranking members knew of its existence.
"Understood!!"
Mei, Bronya, and the others replied with firm determination.
"Don't worry—if we meet aliens, I'll protect all of you," Himeko said with a grin, ruffling Bronya's hair.
"Teacher Himeko, astronauts aren't supposed to drink alcohol..."
Boom—
The anti-gravity starship accelerated rapidly.
In no time, it broke through the atmosphere.
Outside the portholes, the thick layers of clouds blurred into streaks of light moving at hyperspeed—until, with a faint shudder of the hull, the ship finally emerged into open space.
"Whoa—"
Gazing through the windows at the endless sea of stars, even Theresa and Himeko were struck silent.
"So beautiful..."
They stared at the radiant starlight, momentarily entranced.
For anyone setting foot in space for the first time, it was impossible not to be moved by the vastness of the cosmos.
"Magnificent, isn't it? Someday, we'll visit every star out there!" Mei said, walking beside Kiana.
"The stars we could only look at from Earth... someday, we'll reach them ourselves."
She pointed toward the distance.
"See that? That's Alpha Centauri—4.2 light-years away. It's the closest stellar system. Once we build a lightspeed engine, we could—"
"Oh, I've been there. It's a trinary star system. I remember the three-body problem—it's still a classic math challenge, right?" Kiana said casually, reminiscing.
"W-what..."
Before anyone could respond, a sudden shout erupted from the ship's bridge.
"Wait!!! What is that?!"
Everyone turned their heads.
Not far from Earth stood a colossal, futuristic-looking space station.
It was larger than most nations, silver-gray and sharply angular, with several warships docked at its shipyards.
Its multi-layered structure made it look like a floating fortress suspended in the void.
Countless small shuttles buzzed around its perimeter.
"Ah?! What is that—a space station built by aliens?!"
Theresa nearly jumped in shock.
Humanity had just entered space, only to immediately run into a civilization so advanced it made their social sciences implode.
"You've got to be kidding..."
Himeko felt a creeping sense of dread.
"That... what's that over there...?" Shigure Kira stammered, pointing even farther ahead.
There—hovering beside the space station—was the Eternal Snowfall.
The Research Division was aboard, conducting studies.
Its massive armament wings stretched across the void, its sheer scale rivaling that of a planet.
From its bow extended a multi-kilometer-long primary cannon—terrifying in both size and presence. The St. Freya ship wasn't even as big as one of its turret assemblies.
The dark Juggernaut loomed like an eagle, gazing imperiously over the Solar System and the distant cosmos.
No one doubted that a single shot from it could obliterate an entire planet.
Theresa checked the radar—the Eternal Snowfall and the nearby space station were invisible to all electronic systems.
Only at this close range could they even be seen by the naked eye.
"Oh my god..."
The Valkyries aboard the ship stared in utter shock, unable to process what they were seeing.
None of them had imagined that, upon stepping into space, they would encounter something like this.
Clatter—
The glass in Himeko's hand slipped and shattered on the floor, but she didn't even notice.
Their minds flooded with questions—what was it? Why was it here? Who made it? What could it possibly want?...
When the live transmission reached Earth, the Schicksal Command Center and Otto himself were completely stunned.
Amid overwhelming shock, the entire control room fell silent.
"I..."
Himeko's throat went dry. She opened her mouth but no words came out.
"Oh, that's my dad's ship! I can see Sister Formidable's hull from here."
Kiana waved cheerfully toward the distant space station.
"Wait... what?"
Himeko froze.
"Your dad... isn't he..."
Bronya and Mei exchanged bewildered looks.
"I told you, didn't I? They're up there—Papa and Mama are both in the sky."
Kiana scratched her head.
"I've been having a great time at St. Freya! Come on, let's go meet the Commander—he said I could bring my friends to visit!"
"Huh?"
Everyone was stunned.
"AAAAAAHHHHHH—?!"
Raiden Mei let out a screech like a startled groundhog.
—
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