The battleground now free from immediate threats, I couldn't help but release a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "Finally cleaned up," I muttered, sheathing my blade.
Kiana, stretching her limbs, agreed, "Mhm... That should warm me up for a bit."
As we contemplated the next move, Mei, her katana back in its sheathe, expressed her uncertainty.
"This is the place indicated by the sensor. But I don't see anything. Perhaps the sensors malfunctioned."
"Mei! Wait," Bronya's voice interjected.
Startled, we turned our attention to Bronya, who was focused on the east. "Bio-sensors detect vital readings 50 meters to the east."
I squinted my eyes in the indicated direction and spotted a girl in a wheelchair. "East? That should be..."
Mei followed my gaze, adding, "There's a girl in a wheelchair. This place is dangerous. We should save her right now," Mei suggested but then a single Jun-ninja emerged in front of us.
"What is a Jun-ninja doing here?" I muttered, slowly reaching for my blade but then Mei-senpai stopped me, "Mei-senpai?"
"Let me handle this," she said, drawing her katana.
She's gonna fight it alone? I mean I'm not doubting her strength.
I just nodded in agreement, turning to Kiana and Bronya. "Let's go!"
As we rushed towards the wheelchair-bound girl, Mei confronted the Jun-ninja. The zombie blocked her attack, and Mei, with an air of unparalleled coolness, said, "You're my opponent."
In awe, Kiana and I exchanged glances, sharing a mutual appreciation for Mei's prowess.
Woah, What a cool line! Saying "You're my opponent" in a serious tone makes me want to become a samurai now!
Himeko-sensei's voice echoed through our comms, "Target located."
Perplexed, I questioned, "Target? But I thought we were looking for the Gem of Desire. We only found this girl?"
Himeko clarified, "Intel from the Oceania Branch confirmed the girl as the Gem of Desire."
Our focus shifted entirely to the girl in the wheelchair, the enigmatic Gem we had come to retrieve.
Certainly, here's a revised and more expressive version:
---
"E-erm... A girl huh...." I stammered, caught off guard by the unexpected revelation.
"Uhm... I'm... I'm Wendy," the girl in the wheelchair introduced herself, her voice gentle and somewhat shy.
Himeko interjected once more, "Allow me to explain. Three years ago, the Oceania Branch implanted the Gem of Desire into Wendy's calf. The aim was to meld the Gem with her tibia to achieve Herrscher-grade powers."
"I guess this Wendy should be pretty powerful. But she's a girl on a wheelchair," Mei remarked, taking a few steps towards us.
"Eh? Mei-senpai?" Kiana turned to her, curious.
"What is it, Kiana-chan?"
"What happened to the zombie just now?"
"Hm? I killed it," Mei responded casually.
Kiana and I exchanged a worried glance, silently agreeing that provoking Mei was a terrible idea.
"Wendy was Oceania's best Valkyrie. She might have become the 4th S-rank Valkyrie of this generation. But she still couldn't handle the gem's power."
"S-Rank Valkyrie, huh... That's great."
"Hehehe... Not really that great, I wasn't strong enough to contain the power of the Gem. I lost control of my legs," Wendy laughed awkwardly after that.
"They should have taken out the Gem! Wendy shouldn't be stuck in this wheelchair," Mei voiced her frustration.
"The Gem of Desire is extremely unstable in every medium, but it stabilized in Wendy's body."
"So Schicksal decided to use Wendy's body as a vessel for holding the Gem?! That's... evil!" Mei clenched her fist, visibly upset.
"No point arguing this here. Bring Wendy back to the Hyperion," Himeko abruptly ended the conversation, leaving us stunned.
"Well? That's our objective. Let's get back," Kiana suggested, trying to lighten the mood with a relaxed expression.
"We're heading back? But I'm in a wheelchair. I might slow you down..." Wendy expressed her concern.
"I don't believe it. Bronya does not believe Wendy will slow us down. Project Bunny: activate!" Bronya commanded.
"A robot? It just materialized from thin air!" Wendy exclaimed, surprised by the sudden appearance.
"Project Bunny, pick up subject Wendy. Bronya will carry you, subject Wendy."
"What? It can fly!"
"Awesome! Bronya, can I ride on your robot next time?" Kiana's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"For subject Kiana? Nah," Bronya replied flatly, causing Kiana to pout in disappointment.
"Tch," Kiana muttered under her breath.
As we made our way back, a surprising quietness filled the air, a stark contrast to the earlier chaos.
"We'll be back on the battleship in 4 minutes. Statement proven. Wendy did not slow down the squad."
Bronya informed us, her voice calm as ever.
"Bronya is so kind today," Mei mumbled, a faint smile on her lips.
"How come she's kind to her and not to me?" I joked, feigning hurt, trying to lighten the mood.
"Shin... Shut up," Bronya replied, her tone as cold as ever, though I could sense a hint of amusement.
"Uwah! How is that kind!"
I exaggerated, trying to provoke her more, and we all burst into laughter.
"I guess the mighty Bronya's data center is corrupted by the 'Kindness' virus," Kiana teased, grinning playfully.
Urgk... Kiana-chan, please don't look at the past and look at the present! Otherwise, Bronya won't be able to forget about the time I confessed to her about the game data reset...!
"Hehehe, Thank you, Bronya," Wendy expressed her gratitude.
"Bronya is glad to help. Bronya is equipped with armored leg prosthetics. Bronya was wounded and confined to a wheelchair after an experiment. The exoskeleton system restored Bronya's ability to walk."
"Awesome! Does that mean Wendy can recover one day? I'll be able to walk and fly like Bronya, right?" Wendy's voice bubbled with excitement.
"Da. Bronya believes it is possible. Once we return to St. Freya High, the Gem can be removed. Subject Wendy shall regain the ability to walk," Bronya reassured her.
"You're so nice, Bronya," Wendy beamed with gratitude.
"Major Himeko, are you there?" Bronya initiated a conversation.
"I am here, Bronya. What's wrong?" Himeko's voice came through the comms.
"Bronya wants to make a personal request."
"Bronya, what is it? I'm surprised to see you submit a personal request."
"Major Himeko, Bronya requests St. Freya High to remove the Gem from Wendy. The removal will restore her walking abilities."
"That's... not possible. We need Wendy to keep the Gem stable. We can't keep the Gem if it's taken out."
"Just throw that stupid gem away! The rock means nothing compared to a girl's happiness."
"Agree! Agree! Take it out!" Kiana chimed in, echoing my sentiments.
Himeko sighed, "The Gem of Desire is no ordinary rock. It contains enough Honkai to vaporize several cities, and that's what will happen if it goes off."
"But..." Kiana's voice trailed off, a sense of helplessness evident.
"It's alright, Kiana. I've accepted my fate. Valkyries must sacrifice themselves for the greater good. It's... my duty..." Wendy's voice wavered, her words heavy with acceptance.
"Very admirable!" Kiana and I echoed in unison.
"Why are you two always so in sync?"
As we stopped at our initial landing spot and guarded the surroundings, Kiana suddenly asked, "Hey, Aunt Himeko, Is Hyperion Ready?"
"Who are you calling 'Aunt'? Could you stop calling me that? Geez, kids these days... Stay where you are and get ready to board."
"Sorry, Wendy," Bronya apologized to her.
"It's fine, Bronya. You didn't do anything wrong," Wendy assured her.
"Hm? Honkai Energy Reactions Detected...!" Himeko exclaimed, panic creeping into her voice. "Is it from Gem of Desire inside Wendy!?"
"Huh? What's wrong, Himeko-sensei?" I asked, feeling a sudden sense of urgency.
"Wait! The readings of Honkai energy are off the charts! 1500 HW... 2000 HW! What the hell is going on!!" Himeko's voice rose with alarm.
Just then, Wendy's body began to glow brightly. "2000 HW... huh... With this power... I won't need two shots to destroy Hyperion."
Our surroundings shifted, the scenery changing, the desolation giving way to lush fields, stones transforming into vibrant grass and budding flowers.
"Miss Wendy! What are you talking about!?"
Mei questioned, bewildered by the sudden turn of events.
Wendy's expression turned malevolent, a grin twisted on her face. "You hypocrites... I hate you all! ALL OF YOU! I can't wait to kill all of you!!"
"Wendy..." I murmured to myself.
"This honkai energy level... Wendy... You've harnessed the Gem of Desire's power? Or... Are you corrupted by the will of Houkai within it?!"