"Wendy, Wendy! Come sit with me!"
"Wendy! Sit over here!"
"My spot is the best! It's by the window, facing the training grounds. It's obviously the protagonist's seat!"
"Me, me, me!"
The moment the three little ones arrived at the classroom with Wendy, their jaws dropped at the scene before them.
The Valkyries who were usually in class looked at Wendy as if she were a mouth-watering, juicy piece of meat, fighting over who could get her to sit beside them. This left Wendy, who had just returned to St. Freya Academy, at a complete loss. She had never seen a scene like this before...
"Wait, what... what's going on here!?"
Kiana slinked over to Fu Hua, who was reading a textbook, and whispered in her ear.
"Classmate Kiana, you'd better focus on protecting Classmate Wendy..."
Fu Hua silently closed her book, looking at the frenzied students with a helpless expression.
When did this start... Oh, right. It was when Honkai: Star Rail had just launched. Back then, these girls already had a very favorable impression of Wende...
Then, the day before yesterday, Version 1.2 was updated, and the five-star Wende made his debut...
Well, that did it. Her social media feed was flooded with posts about Wende. She put down her phone to go pull on the gacha, her heart stirred by his skill set, only to take a look.
Good lord, a Standard Banner War God, and not even available on the selector. Fu Hua, who had a clear understanding of her own abilities (and luck), knew at a glance that this was not a man she could pursue... Not unless she had Kiana pull for her. Otherwise... the five-star Wende was a distant dream...
She could roughly understand the students' mood. After all... a game character can't compare to a real-life one (to play with).
Besides, Wendy herself was petite and slender, but her long legs were very eye-catching, her beautiful face was endearing, and then there was that ahoge...
For these students...
Ugh... never mind, she didn't want to say any more.
Fu Hua just felt a wave of exhaustion. She had no idea if this was a good thing or a bad thing...
"Wendy, you should sit with Class President Fu Hua for now. That way, she can also help you catch up on the knowledge you've missed."
Seeing how crazy everyone was, Mei had no choice but to place Wendy next to Fu Hua.
"Mm, leave it to me," Fu Hua nodded. It was best if she personally took care of the new student.
"Hello, I'm Wendy."
"Mm. Classmate Wendy, I'll help you get your textbooks later."
"Really? Thank you so much!"
---o---
The first class was Mr. Yang's history lesson. As Valkyries who fight against the Honkai, it was imperative that they knew the history of that fight. Thus, history class was indispensable.
Welt Yang walked in carrying a book. Wendy's attention was immediately drawn to him, and she looked at Fu Hua with surprise.
As if sensing Wendy's shock, Fu Hua simply pushed up her glasses and began to introduce this Mr. Yang.
Alright, it seemed anyone who played Star Rail could recognize him. But for him to actually come back... even if he changed his hairstyle, did he think people wouldn't recognize him as Welt?
Okay, so not many people actually recognized him. Take off the glasses, slick back the hair with some gel, change the clothes...
"Today, we will be discussing..."
"Mmmph..."
Great, she was already getting sleepy.
Watching Kiana, who had already slumped onto her desk only to be woken up by a precision bombing from a piece of chalk thrown by Mr. Yang, Wendy couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia.
How long had it been since she'd felt something like this?
---o---
Schicksal HQ.
Otto looked at the battle report sent from the Oceania Branch, his expression unchanged, as if he had long expected this to happen.
"Anti-Entropy is still a bit too impatient. However, I believe this wasn't the work of my old friend..."
He carelessly tossed the report aside. Otto steepled his fingers and looked at the large screen before him.
On the screen, the footage of the dozen or so Titans being instantly detonated played on a loop. This was the footage captured by a Schicksal satellite.
Slowing the footage down a hundred times, zooming in, adjusting the perspective to the first Titan Mech, and rewinding ten seconds, a frame-by-frame analysis revealed a single, white-glowing lightning needle before Otto's eyes.
"Hehe, Wende..."
Otto chuckled softly. There were so many variables now. Honkai: Star Rail... the gazes of the Aeons... and this Wende...
It was as if he had appeared out of thin air. Before this, he had never heard of any "miracle doctor" who could cure the illness caused by a Herrscher Gem's corruption.
Nor had he ever seen an ordinary person use a single "bolt of lightning" to destroy an entire group of Titan Mechs—machines designed to fight Valkyries and Honkai Beasts—in less than two seconds...
"Things are getting more and more interesting. Next, all I need to do is wait, or perhaps, wait for an opportunity..."
"Let me see, under that meticulous [love], what choice will you make, Fourth Herrscher?"
Otto spread his arms, a smile playing on his lips.
---o---
"How did you feel after a full day of classes?"
Wende took Wendy's schoolbag and waved to Kiana and Mei downstairs before smiling at Wendy.
"It felt great! Just like the old days. But a lot of the material is different from what I learned before... With Class President Fu Hua's help, though, I'll be able to catch up soon."
"But..."
As if remembering something, Wendy lowered her head and fiddled with her fingers, looking preoccupied.
"What's wrong? What's troubling our little Wendy?"
Wende crouched down beside her, looking into her anxious eyes.
"Can... can I stop being a Valkyrie?" Wendy looked up at Wende and asked weakly.
"Of course. you can be whoever you want to be. I won't interfere with any of your choices. On the contrary, I will constantly encourage you, as long as you believe it's the right thing to do."
Wende smiled and gently ruffled Wendy's short hair, smoothing down her ahoge.
"What would you like to eat tonight?"
"A small cake!"
"Nope, you'll get fat."
"Just this once~"
"Hm? Did Kiana teach you to say that?"
"Ah!? H-how did you know..."
"Of course I know..."
---o---
Time quickly flew by to the fourteenth day. There were twenty-six days left until Wende had to leave the Honkai world.
It was a Saturday, so Wendy was resting at home. Wende began the next phase of her rehabilitation treatment.
Through this period of massage and conditioning, Wendy's legs could already support her body. Although walking was still very difficult, it was a completely different start.
"Come on, walk slowly. Don't rush."
Wende cheered on Wendy, who was on the parallel bars.
"I... I can definitely do it!"