Crack—
High above the Mediterranean Sea, in the Schicksal Headquarters, the crisp sound of shattering glass echoed through the Overseer's office. A broken wine glass and its spilled contents lay scattered across the floor.
"Lord Overseer?" The maid standing nearby asked, a hint of concern in her voice.
"...I have a bad feeling, Rita," the blond, blue-eyed man replied, rising from his seat and pacing restlessly. Since she had begun serving him, the maid had never seen him so agitated.
"Do you mean Anti-Entropy is planning a major move soon?" the maid ventured, observing the man's unease.
"No, no... Rita, this premonition... it stems from my dear children..."
"Are you referring to Lady Theresa? Though she appears young, she's already a Branch Head capable of leading independently," Rita remarked, her expression puzzled.
"No, not Theresa. Little Theresa has long since outgrown my worries..."
"Then... Miss Snow?"
"Yes! Yes! Snow... my beloved daughter. How is she doing, Rita?"
"Reporting, Lord Overseer, Miss Snow was brought to St. Freya Academy at the Far East Branch a week ago by Lady Theresa, along with K423 and the Vessel of the Third Herrscher."
"Nagazora City? My precious child wasn't injured, was she? After all, she's so fragile..."
"Well..." Rita's expression turned peculiar as she recalled a previous report.
"Rita?!" The man's voice began to rise.
"Uh... Lord Overseer, Miss Snow has been well cared for at the academy and has recovered quickly. Headmaster Theresa even paid her a special visit. It's just that..."
"Just that?"
"She seems to have developed feelings for someone at the academy..."
"One of those... So, which lucky Prince Charming has captured our little princess's heart? Rita?"
"Uh... According to Lady Fu Hua, who's currently undercover at St. Freya Academy... Miss Snow's affections seem to lie with someone of the same gender..."
"..."
"Lord Otto?" The maid glanced worriedly at the golden-haired man.
"Leave... Rita. I need to be alone." The golden-haired man's right hand, gripping the table, trembled slightly.
"As you command—"
-
It was the day of St. Freya Academy's biannual Valkyrie rank assessment. Based on their performance in today's exams, the young Valkyrie reserves would be assigned to various departments across the Far East Branch.
Excluding the exceptionally rare S-rank Valkyries, only those ranked B and above—within the A, B, C, and D tiers—were qualified to engage in combat within Honkai Zones.
The A-rank represented the pinnacle of achievement for most Valkyries, signifying access to Schicksal's most advanced weapons and armor, and, most importantly, the authority to command their own operational team.
Snow idly tossed the ID card in her hand. It was a certification card, proof of her status as an A-rank Valkyrie.
Leaning against the exam hall entrance, she scanned the roster posted on the door and glanced inside, seemingly waiting for someone.
"Hey, isn't that Snow? Why is she..." Valkyrie cadets waiting inside the hall whispered among themselves, their eyes fixed on the blonde girl at the door.
"You don't know? As a teaching assistant at St. Freya Academy and an A-rank Valkyrie, Miss Snow is exempt from the academic exams. They just record her regular coursework grades."
"Wait, wait! Did you say Miss Snow is an A-rank Valkyrie?!" another cadet exclaimed in shock.
"Of course. If you don't believe me, look at what she's tossing in her hand," the first cadet said, jutting her chin toward the card flipping through the air in Snow's grasp.
"It's true... Does that mean Miss Snow already has her own squad...?"
"Get a grip. Stop daydreaming. If you don't even pass the standard exam threshold, forget about joining Miss Snow's squad—you won't even get a chance to see the battlefield. You'll be stuck managing a warehouse in logistics for the rest of your life."
"Sigh... Suddenly, I'm so jealous of Kyuusyou..."
"Jealous of Kyuusyou? You want to spar with Miss Snow in the training grounds every day?"
"Hehehe. That doesn't sound so bad, does it?"
"Bad my ass! You just want to get beaten to a pulp. You're a hopeless masochist!"
-
Ignoring the increasingly lively atmosphere in the exam hall, Snow checked the roster and exam time again.
[Comprehensive Academic Assessment 9:00-11:30]
She glanced at the clock on the classroom wall. The hands pointed to 8:55.
Mentally calculating the distance from the dorms to the exam hall, the girl pulled out her phone and dialed a number.
"Headmaster Theresa? It's me. If your adorable niece doesn't crawl out of bed right now, she's going to miss the exam... And you know the consequences of that better than I do, Headmaster..."
"There won't even be a chance for a make-up exam—"
Hanging up, Snow looked toward the villa. As expected, a moment later, a flock of birds burst into the sky.
[8:55 AM]
Snow stepped aside as a white figure shot into the exam hall. A white-haired fluffball materialized in the only empty seat, and in the next instant, the preparatory bell rang.
The blonde girl walked to the lectern, where a brown-haired male teacher—a rare sight at the academy—was unsealing the exam papers.
"Students, please verify that the name and examination number on your admission tickets match the pre-printed labels on your desks. Double-check that you have not brought any prohibited items, such as cell phones, into the examination hall," Snow announced from the podium, watching as the students began to check their documents and belongings.
"Is everything in order? Good. This subject is the Comprehensive Academic Assessment, and the examination time is from 9:00 AM to 11:30 AM, totaling two hours and thirty minutes. The proctors for this examination are Teacher Yang from the History Department and Academy Teaching Assistant Snow."
"This exam will be monitored via a networked system to ensure fairness and integrity. Any instance of cheating, once discovered, will result in the nullification of your exam score, and the cheater will face further consequences. Do not harbor any illusions of getting away with it!" Mr. Yang, having finished unsealing the papers, looked up and addressed the students with a stern expression.
"We will now distribute the exam papers. There are two versions, A and B. After receiving your paper, please verify against your admission ticket to ensure you have the correct version."
"The exam consists of two parts: the question booklet and the answer sheet. The question booklet has a total of three sheets, six pages. Fill in the answer sheet using a 2B pencil. The Academy will use computer grading for this exam, so please do not write your answers in the question booklet."
"During the exam, talking and borrowing stationery are prohibited. Unless there are special circumstances, you may not leave the exam hall before the exam ends. If you encounter any issues with your exam paper or other matters, please raise your hand to report it."
The two proctors at the lectern finished explaining the instructions. Then, the clock's hands moved to exactly 9:00.
[9:00 AM] The exam bell rang.
"The exam begins now!"
Instantly, the only sounds in the hall were the rustling of exam papers and the scratching of pencils on answer sheets. Watching the students focus intently on their work, Mr. Yang sighed in relief. He sat down, unscrewed the cap of the thermos on his desk, and took a sip of tea to soothe his dry throat.
"Miss Snow, won't you sit down for a bit?" Mr. Yang whispered to the golden-haired girl who remained standing ramrod straight beside him. "Most of the Academy's students are quite trustworthy."
Snow didn't respond to Mr. Yang's invitation, instead gazing at a corner of the exam hall. Curious, Mr. Yang followed her gaze and spotted a small group of the Academy's more troublesome students.
The pair glared murderously at a white-haired clump sprawled across her desk, drooling, as if trying to erase her from the classroom, a glaring misfit in the formal setting.
Meanwhile, some students with their own ulterior motives glanced up and saw the terrifying, murderous glares and oppressive atmosphere emanating from the two proctors on the dais. Their improper thoughts vanished like smoke in the wind.
"I'll report to Headmaster Theresa exactly what her dear niece has been doing during the exam," the blonde girl said, enunciating each word as she stared at Kiana, who was snoring soundly at her desk.
Mr. Yang's eye twitched. He grabbed a piece of chalk, and the white cylinder shot toward the equally white-haired creature with lethal force.
"Who dares throw chalk at me, the great—!" The white-haired clump bolted upright, roaring through the silent exam hall, where only the scratching of pens against paper could be heard.
She looked up and saw the two figures on the dais, radiating a terrifying aura.
"Look—a corpse is talking!"