บท 57: A Plan Without B
As we made our way out of the room, I noticed Major Himeko emerging from the elevator.
"Major Himeko, hello."
She smiled upon seeing me. "Oh? Shin... How was your rest?"
"All good."
"I see. That's good to hear. Now... we don't want to be late for the meeting, so let's go."
"Meeting? With Anti-Entropy?"
"Correct."
"This is the first time meeting them." And I'm somewhat curious too... With that, we headed towards the meeting room.
As we walked down the hallway, we were greeted by a woman with fiery red hair tied into twin tails with red bows. Her red eyes peered over red-framed glasses as she stood by the door.
"You're late, Major Himeko," she said, her tone clipped.
"Sorry, Dr. Tesla," Himeko replied.
"Hmph." Dr. Tesla's gaze shifted to me, giving me a thorough once-over. "You must be that male Valkyrie who escaped from Schicksal's HQ."
"Watanabe Shin," I introduced myself with a bow.
"Oh? Quite polite," Dr. Tesla remarked before stepping into the room, followed by us.
Inside, the room was sleek and modern, with monitors displaying various data and screens flickering with information. Several figures were already seated around a large table, Among them, I noticed Mei, Principal Theresa, and Dr. Einstein.
"Please, have a seat," Dr. Tesla gestured towards the empty chairs.
As we took our seats, Dr. Tesla began the meeting, "Now then... Let's talk about the first threat, the Schicksal. Now that we have the Hyperion Ship in our hands, the first problem is going to be their air terminal defense."
Dr. Einstein then stood up, swiping the air to reveal a few holograms and passing us the mission briefing. "Dr. Tesla, Himeko, and Shin will enter the control tower and disable them, while Mei, Bronya, and I will defend the Hyperion."
"Sounds like a good plan, but what about me?!" Theresa asked.
"Miss Theresa, you will guide both of us and keep watch on the Schicksal forces, making sure they are still focused on Benares."
"Why does it sound very simple enough." Theresa pouted.
"Wait," I interrupted.
"Yes? Shin?" Einstein asked.
"This is just a question, but after I was kidnapped by Kika, what happened to Kiana back then?"
Everyone turned to Einstein.
"That... I don't know. The only thing we knew is she went berserk inside and escaped, only to awaken the Herrscher inside her."
As the meeting progressed, a figure suddenly barged into the room.
"Uhm! Can you tell me more about the Herrscher inside Kiana!" the figure demanded.
My eyes widened. "Houraiji...?"
"You... What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be here! Wait... Did you just eavesdrop on us!?" Tesla said, clearly surprised.
"Uhm... Uhhh!"
"Now now, everyone, sorry about our valkyrie," Himeko said, standing up. "Introduce yourself, Houraiji."
"Yes, Ma'am!"
Houraiji straightened herself and then said, "My name is Houraiji Kyuusyou! Rank S Valkyrie of St. Freya!"
"Houraiji.... Kyuusyou?" Einstein muttered to herself. "That name sounds very familiar."
"Before we go any further, I must know more about the Herrscher of the Void," Houraiji asked.
"Of course," Dr. Tesla nodded, "Kiana Kaslana, also known as Subject K-423, is the host of the Herrscher of the Void. It's one of the most powerful Herrschers known to us, capable of inducing a catastrophic Honkai eruption."
Houraiji's expression grew serious. "What is her current condition?"
"She's not in a stable condition," Dr. Einstein chimed in. "After she awakened the Herrscher powers, she managed to escape Schicksal's HQ. But her whereabouts and condition are currently unknown."
"So, our priority should be finding Kiana and containing the Herrscher of the Void."
Theresa interjected, "Indeed. But remember, Shin, we need to disable the control tower first."
"Understood."
"Now, Houraiji," Dr. Tesla said, redirecting the conversation, "as you know, we have a mission to discuss... Why are you still here?"
"I believe I can be of assistance," Houraiji announced, stepping forward.
Dr. Tesla raised an eyebrow. "And how do you plan to do that?"
"I'll join Raiden Mei and Bronya Zaychik in defending the Hyperion," Houraiji replied confidently.
Dr. Einstein exchanged a glance with Dr. Tesla, who eventually nodded. "Very well, the more the merrier," Dr. Einstein said.
Tesla eventually sighed, reluctantly accepting Houraiji's offer. "Fine, but don't get in the way."
Houraiji simply nodded, her determination clear on her face.
"Everyone, we have 1 hour and 10 minutes left until the mission starts. Use this time to take a break. Dismissed!" Dr. Einstein declared.
As we exited the room, I made my way over to Mei and Bronya, "Mei... Bronya," I greeted them with a nod.
"Shin, good luck out there," Mei offered her support with a warm smile.
"The Bronya will also try to support you using my hyperlaser beam," Bronya chimed in, giving me a thumbs up.
"That would be great, Bronya, but I don't think it'll reach," I chuckled, appreciating her determination nonetheless.
The three of us shared a moment of laughter, the tension momentarily eased by our shared resolve. Hoping this would last long.
"We'll save Kiana, That's a promise."
"Yeah, we will," Mei nodded agreeing with me.
"We will make sure Idiotka gets back home," Bronya added with a determined nod.
"Yeah!" Mei and I responded in unison, our determination shining through.
Just then, Himeko and Theresa joined us.
"Don't count us out," Theresa stated confidently, her hand resting on her waist.
"I heard that after this mission, we can go straight to Kiana," Himeko informed us. "But again... We need to wake her up from her dream." She looked at us intently. "Shin, Mei, and Bronya... You three won't let me down, right?"
"We won't! No one is going down on my watch!"
"Fufu~ That's the spirit."
Himeko, Are you gonna tell them or should I?" Theresa interjected. "Because I'm ready to spill the beans!"
"Hm? Oh, that?" Himeko glanced at Theresa.
Mei and I exchanged confused glances.
"Is it about our new battlesuits, Major Himeko?" Bronya inquired.
"Yes, that's right. The three of you have new battlesuits to use."
"Oh, I'm excited!"
I... I'm excited too, although I'd never admit it," Mei added with a smile.
"I'm looking forward to it as well," Bronya said, her expression subtle but reflective of her anticipation.
"Great! Follow me then," Himeko said, leading the way.
As we entered the room, the lights flickered on, revealing several battlesuits displayed on stands. Dr. Tesla was already there, examining them.
"Finally, you're here," Dr. Tesla said, glancing at us.
"We're ready, Dr. Tesla," Himeko replied.
"Good. Let's get started. First, Mei, then Bronya, and lastly, Shin," Dr. Tesla instructed.
We nodded and stepped forward, each of us donning our battlesuits.
Mei's battlesuit consisted of a white and blue hoodie, paired with black gloves, thigh-high boots, and matching black stockings. It was simple but stylish, fitting her perfectly.
Next, Bronya put on her battlesuit. It was adorned with red, black, and white accessories in her hair, and she wore a white dress with intricate black and red designs. Her black and red gloves matched her stockings, which had a striking black pattern, covering her prosthesis legs.
I couldn't help but clap as Mei and Bronya finished donning their battlesuits. "You both look amazing!"
"Thank you, Shin," Mei replied with a smile.
"Hey, it's your turn. Get in here," Dr. Tesla called out to me.
"Yes!" I exclaimed, feeling a surge of excitement as I stepped forward. The battlesuit before me looked impressive. "This is cool."
"Right? Now, put it on," Dr. Tesla urged.
I hurried into the dressing room and quickly donned the battlesuit. It consisted of a long black coat over a gray turtleneck, paired with black pants and boots.
Emerging from the dressing room, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride in my new attire.
"Oh, SSR," Bronya remarked, giving me a nod of approval.
"I'm not a gacha rarity, you know."
Theresa smirked. "You look more mature for once, Shin."
"Thanks for the sarcastic comment, Principal Theresa."
"Now that everyone is looking fresh and good," Himeko cleared our throat as our attention went to her.
"I'll say our mission briefing again," she continued. "We infiltrate the Schicksal's air terminal defense system and disable it. This will create an opening for Mei, Bronya, and Houraiji to defend the Hyperion while we deal with the control tower, got it?"
"Understood, Major Himeko."
With just thirty minutes left before the mission begins, I couldn't help but feel a surge of anticipation. All I could do was hope that luck would be on our side this time.
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