The heiress Angel witnessed the so-called “true foundation” of the Tachibana family, then sent off the old man with a face full of feigned awe and reverence.
Afterward, the heiress Angel’s expression instantly went blank, carrying a hint of life-weary disappointment.
At the same time, the Angels in the theater sat facing each other, all equally speechless.
“That’s it?
After all that buildup from the old man, that’s it?”
“He’s just a component supplier for Anti-Entropy.
I thought he was some kind of Executor or something!”
“Wow.
What a scare, and it turns out to be nothing?”
From an ordinary person’s perspective, anything related to Honkai was mysterious and dangerous, and organizations like Schicksal and Anti-Entropy were behemoths capable of changing the world’s balance at any moment.
So having a connection to Anti-Entropy did seem like a pretty big deal from a normal person’s viewpoint.
But to the Angels, this trivial revelation was nowhere near enough to make up for the heart attack they’d had when that Titan showed up at the door.
“I really can’t tell if this is good luck or bad luck.
I thought she was just an ordinary heiress with nothing to do with Honkai!”
“Now look.
As the heir to a family business, she’s directly entered Anti-Entropy’s field of view.
Even if they don’t pay us too much attention, that world tour idea is definitely dead in the water.”
“Not necessarily.
We can still find excuses, like ‘inspecting branch offices’ or something.”
“Besides, we don’t necessarily need the heiress to personally travel around the world to plant clones.
With the wealth and resources we have now, we can easily send clones out without her.
As long as we’re careful enough, it should be fine…
right?”
The Angels weren’t so sure anymore.
After all, they had stumbled upon the heiress’s cold corpse on the side of the road and somehow ended up tangled with Anti-Entropy.
They really weren’t confident about their luck anymore.
After a lot of chattering and discussion, the Angels decided to continue sending clones out into the world and push forward with the backup save-point plan.
After that, they would keep grinding away at theory classes and combat training.
…
At St.
Freya Academy, Angel woke up after a night of deep sleep.
She found her right arm suspended in midair, bound with a splint and thick bandages.
“You’re awake?
Does it still hurt?
Drink some water first.
Bronya will go get the doctor.”
Bronya left the room, her twintails bouncing, her metal exoskeleton clanking against the floor with each heavy step.
Angel scratched her hair, synced up with the information from the clones in the theater and the heiress during her sleep, then propped herself up with her free left hand, drank some water, and quietly waited for the doctor.
“Bad news: the muscles in your arm have sustained extensive tearing, and the bones have hairline fractures from the Honkai energy burst.
Good news: you have excellent physical condition and very high Honkai adaptability, so the surgery and medication took well, and your recovery should be relatively fast.”
“Come back for a check-up once a week after you’re discharged.
If nothing unexpected happens, the bandages can come off in about a month, and you should be fully recovered in two months.”
The doctor smiled and announced the results, patting Angel’s head as she did.
Angel said nothing.
But Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Himeko, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, crowded around the doctor, showering her with thanks, their excitement and gratitude barely contained.
After seeing the doctor out with courteous farewells, Himeko closed the door, strode over to Angel, rolled up her sleeves, and brought a karate chop down without mercy.
“Ow…”
“You still know what pain feels like?
I heard everything from Fu Hua!
You’re quite the talent, aren’t you, you little brat?
You barely learned the basics of hand-to-hand combat, and you’re already developing your own Honkai energy techniques, and you even had the nerve to try them in a sparring match?
You can’t even walk properly, and you want to fly?
Who gave you the courage, you little punk!?”
The more Himeko spoke, the angrier she got, and she delivered a few more chops to Angel’s head, continuing furiously:
“Do you have any idea that developing your own combat style is something only A-rank Valkyries with years of combat experience should even consider?
You’ve been enrolled for a week, you little brat!
This is absolute recklessness!”
“Ow…”
“You deserve that!”
Himeko gave Angel’s head one more firm smack.
Then, in the next second, she pulled Angel into a tight embrace, stroking the top of her head.
Her fiery voice instantly softened, laced with deep concern.
“You nearly scared me to death, little Angel.”
Himeko let out a weary sigh.
There were faint dark circles under her eyes from a sleepless night.
Angel was someone she had personally brought into the academy, someone who relied on her deeply.
In Himeko’s eyes, she was already a junior she had a duty and responsibility to care for.
(T/N: Correction: She is your child~)
When she heard that Angel had been hurt in the sparring match, that blood had splattered across a wide area of the ground, Himeko had nearly had a heart attack.
Now that Angel was awake, and the outcome was much better than expected, Himeko felt both joy and anger, like a parent whose kid had come home covered in mud with a big grin on their face.
Except this was ten times worse.
It was that feeling of wanting to hit them yet not having the heart to and wanting to scold them yet feeling too worried to.
“How are you feeling now?
Hungry, right?
We brought breakfast.
Eat something first.”
Himeko gestured for Raiden Mei to spread out the food containers on the nearby table.
The aroma of food quickly filled the room, driving away the lingering smell of disinfectant.
Himeko glanced at Angel, who was cowering obediently like a good little girl, then at her right arm still hanging in midair.
She sighed again, helpless, and picked up the knife and fork.
Himeko: “Open up.
Aah~”
Angel: “Aah~”
Himeko: “Really now?
We’re back to where we started.
After the hunger strike and fainting, I never thought I’d be feeding you again so soon, and for quite a while too.
You know, you should be grateful.
Even my father never got this kind of treatment!
Open up.
Aah~”
Angel: “Aah~”
Himeko: “This is the only time you’re cute.
Skip combat classes while you’re recovering.
Forget about that reckless technique of yours.
If you really want to learn something advanced, once you’ve proven yourself, I’ll help you find the right path.
Understood?
If you understand, open up.
Aah~”
Angel: “Aah~”
The morning sunlight streamed in through the window at that moment.
Dust motes drifted slowly in the light, bringing a sense of peace and calm.
Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya watched the scene of Himeko feeding Angel.
The beautiful, mature red-haired woman and the small, adorable girl made for a striking image that filled them with genuine envy.
On one hand, Himeko had never cared for them with such gentle closeness.
On the other hand, the contrast of the two figures made it hard not to think of a mother and child.
Yet none of the three had particularly happy memories of their own mothers.
“How nice.”
Kiana murmured to herself, then took a deep breath, suppressing the inexplicable urge to cry.
“Let’s go handle Angel’s discharge papers.
Quietly, so we don’t disturb them.”
Raiden Mei pressed a finger to her lips and whispered to the other two.
They nodded in unison and quietly left the room, leaving the space to Angel and to Himeko, who in their eyes was the person Angel trusted and depended on the most.