Bang!
After the bandages were removed, the St.
Freya Angel’s recovery month passed quickly.
“Nyaa Punch…”
“Crushing Fist – 10%!”
Crash!
A girl’s lithe figure, her curves perfectly outlined by a white bodysuit, shot across the training ground like a cannonball.
But that wasn’t important.
Let’s not dwell on it.
Anyway, this period was mostly uneventful.
Aside from establishing her dominance in science courses through two monthly exams, Angel didn’t gain much else.
After all, many of her improvements in the Theater of Domination couldn’t be explained to others.
“There’s no way I can lose to a newbie who hasn’t taken a combat class in two months!
Aaaaah!!!”
“Foolish.
Clueless.
You’ve lost your composure.
Bow out, Kiana!”
Crash!
Ahem.
Please continue to ignore those noises.
They were all trivial matters.
However, after spending so much time cooped up indoors, Angel had finally truly integrated into that warm environment.
Though she still loved Himeko the most, she had also naturally learned to tease Kiana about her intelligence, praise Mei’s cooking, and watch Homu anime with Bronya.
She had also become acquainted with Theresa.
With this setup, if a casual player unfamiliar with the story saw her, they’d probably think she was part of the main cast.
“You’re just going to keep dodging…
ugh!”
Thump!
Thump!
Thump!
Before Kiana could finish her trash talk, Angel closed in like a cheetah from the side, unleashing a flurry of blows that Kiana couldn’t parry.
“Kiana…”
Raiden Mei covered her mouth, letting out a trembling gasp of horror.
As Kiana’s best friend, how could Raiden Mei just stand by and watch her suffer like this?
Raiden Mei gritted her teeth and clenched her fists with determination.
And then she closed her eyes.
Meanwhile, Himeko and several other Valkyrie instructors were reviewing their evaluation sheets, nodding in approval at Angel’s performance.
“Her form is impeccable.
From the power and timing, she hasn’t just memorized the stances; she’s truly internalized the fundamentals.”
“Indeed.
For a reserve Valkyrie, her level is practically flawless.
And this black armor, if I’m not mistaken, is called Phantom Iron, and it’s a perfect match for her speed and mobility.
Looks like we have another prodigy on our hands.”
“Himeko-sensei, congratulations.
It looks like this year’s top student is already decided.
And that armor is as good as hers.”
“I heard this kid is practically your protégé.
You must have some special teaching methods.
When do you have time to share them with us?
To be honest, the kids in my class this year…
sigh, each batch seems worse than the last.”
“Hahaha!
Don’t tease me.
It’s all her own hard work.
Angel had already mastered the basics before her suspension, and during her recovery she kept asking me about practical combat techniques.
Her discipline and talent deserve the credit.
No special methods to share, but I’m always up for drinks in the evening.
Hahaha!”
The instructors chatted and laughed, exchanging pleasantries as they watched Angel’s performance and Kiana’s beating.
At that moment, Kiana took a heavy blow and was sent flying high into the air.
Dizzy and furious, she threw caution to the wind and decided to just unleash her ultimate move.
“Aaaaah!
Nyaa Pun…”
“Opening!”
Crash!
Angel’s figure suddenly appeared above the airborne Kiana.
She brought her leg down like a heavy axe, slamming Kiana into the ground in an instant.
Angel landed and immediately charged into the dust cloud Kiana had kicked up.
“Crushing Fist – 20%!”
CRASH!!
The shockwave from the punch swept through like a gale, clearing the dust that had obscured the view.
What the spectators saw was Angel’s small fist hovering inches from Kiana’s frozen, stiff face.
The result was unmistakably clear.
“Overall evaluation: Angel, excellent.
Kiana…
unqualified.”
Himeko tallied the scores and announced them slowly.
Angel lowered her fist from Kiana’s face, turned to Himeko, and without expression, held up a peace sign.
Kiana collapsed limply to her knees, hitting the ground in an orz pose, her entire figure desaturated.
“Failed theory, failed practical…
I don’t want to retake classes anymore!!!”
Himeko gave Angel a thumbs-up, then glanced at the wailing Kiana, shaking her head with a sigh.
She looked pitiful, but remembering how Kiana dozed off in theory classes and daydreamed in practical ones, it was hard to feel sympathy.
“Angel has performed exceptionally well in all subjects.
Though her enrollment was brief and her mission experience limited, her overall performance is sufficient for B-rank Valkyrie status.
I hereby announce that Valkyrie Angel is officially promoted to B-rank, and is granted access to the Phantom Iron battlesuit.”
“As for Kiana…
after class, please return the White Comet battlesuit to the Equipment Department.
You are not yet qualified to use it.”
“Next match: Raiden Mei versus Fu Hua.
Both students, please confirm your battlesuits are properly equipped.
Begin when ready.”
Himeko announced the results in a professional tone, giving Angel a glance as she did.
Angel immediately understood.
She reached out, grabbed Kiana by the collar, and dragged her off the field.
As she passed Raiden Mei, who was walking onto the field, Angel could clearly see her worried expression.
“Don’t worry.
I’ll take care of Kiana.
Sister Mei, do your best!
Beat that one!”
Angel encouraged her with a serious expression.
Of course, she knew Raiden Mei couldn’t beat Fu Hua.
Not even if she used Crimson Impulse, not even if she activated the Conquest Gem and became the Herrscher of Thunder.
But Fu Hua hadn’t come to visit Angel at all these past few days, and their relationship hadn’t progressed one bit.
The “hostile” setup was still in place, and Raiden Mei had been very kind to Angel, so of course Angel had to cheer for her.
Raiden Mei gave a strained smile.
It was clear she cared more about comforting Kiana after the match than about her own test scores.
“Thank you for the encouragement.
And congratulations, Angel.
We’ll talk more when I’m done.
See you in a bit.”
Raiden Mei patted Angel’s head.
Even though she was worried about Kiana, she didn’t overlook Angel’s impressive performance.
The three passed each other.
Angel dragged the dejected Kiana to the sidelines.
Kiana lay on her back on the ground, staring blankly at the sky with lifeless eyes.
Angel crouched down and poked her squishy cheek with a slender finger.
“Kiana, are you dead?”
“Piss off!
I gave you my last chicken leg last night, and this is how you repay me?”
“There’s no helping it.
Me, Angel, I’m just too strong.”
Angel puffed out her little face and raised her arms as if flexing her biceps.
There weren’t any obvious muscles, but her smug attitude said it all.
Kiana glared at her in frustration, then sat up with a resigned sigh, focusing on the match between Raiden Mei and Fu Hua.
Despite her complaints, Kiana knew that losing to Angel, who had been suspended from combat classes for two months, was her own fault.
“Sigh.
At this rate, when am I ever going to become an S-rank Valkyrie…”
Kiana lamented.
If she couldn’t even make B-rank, she’d never reach S-rank.
And if she couldn’t reach S-rank, she’d never get answers from Auntie about her deadbeat dad.
If only she hadn’t boasted about aiming for S-rank back when Auntie said she’d spill the info at A-rank!
Her confidence back then made her current humiliation all the more painful.
Life was just too hard!
Seeing Kiana so down, Angel felt a little bad too.
But being a top student was necessary for her next steps, and she simply couldn’t accept losing to a slacker like Kiana.
So Angel just draped herself over Kiana’s back and gently patted her head, offering what comfort she could.