Humans are in chaos, despicable outsiders.

"Then...please guide me, Lord Jiuxiao?"

"Snow has already admitted it, Jiuxiao, are you trying to become a scumbag?!" Mei's voice came from outside the door again.

"Ugh! You idiot! Don't suddenly have a flash of insight at this weird time!"

--

Chapter Sixteen Oh yes yes yes

At the dinner table, Kiana and Bronya, unsurprisingly, were vying for the last piece of fried chicken. The clash of knives, forks, and chopsticks on the plates created a chaotic scene. Mei could only watch helplessly as the two fought, then stealthily glanced at Snow and Jiuxiao, whom she had just caught "caught in bed together" upstairs.

The blonde girl calmly dipped the bread slices in the creamy mushroom soup in her bowl, then put them in her mouth. She quietly enjoyed her food, occasionally glancing sideways to watch with interest the interaction between the white-fuzzy ball and Bronya.

Their eyes met, and Raiden Mei's gaze, which held a mixture of indifference and confusion, struck the blonde girl's. She recalled what she had witnessed upstairs, her ears turning bright red again, and she quickly shifted her gaze to the other person involved.

Jiuxiao, with a sullen, cat-like face, ate half-heartedly, glancing occasionally in Snow's direction, his gaze growing increasingly strange.

"Seems like it wasn't a bad deal?" Jiu Xiao muttered to himself, recalling the feeling of his close encounter with the blonde girl.

The blonde girl's skin was noticeably cooler than the average person's, a sensation even more pronounced in the heated room. Her silky pale golden hair was spread out on the bed.

Her azure eyes exuded composure and confidence, unlike Kiana's vibrant and passionate eyes, possessing a unique charm.

"Hiss... What am I thinking?" Jiu Xiao shook his head vigorously, refocusing his attention on the food in front of him.

Then, she felt a gaze from across the table—the blonde girl was looking at her with some curiosity, causing her to unconsciously stop what she was doing and subconsciously ask...

"Uh... what's wrong?"

"You've been staring blankly at that piece of bread since the very beginning... What are you thinking about?" Snow's gaze held a hint of curious inquiry.

"I'm thinking about you..." Without thinking, looking at Snow's curious face, the purple-haired girl blurted out the truth.

The restaurant fell silent....

"Why does this scene feel so familiar...? I'm finished eating! I'm going upstairs to rest now." Seeing that things were going badly, the blonde girl activated her unique skill again.

A complete rout! It's like—she seems to have forgotten to bring her teammates...

Before anyone could react, the golden figure darted up the stairs. The restaurant's attention shifted back to the purple-haired man, and the pressure returned to Jiu Xiao.

"Kyuu-kun, your relationship with Snow isn't really...you were just in bed..." Mei looked hesitantly at Horaiji Kyuu-kun, who was standing stunned at the dining table.

Mei's question reconnected the power source to the girl who had lost control of the circuit, causing her thoughts to stop and begin to function again, her memories starting to rewind to a few minutes earlier.

I'm thinking of you...

Thump! For the first time, Jiuxiao of Penglai Temple experienced the feeling of his heart and lungs stopping.

"I..." The purple-haired girl opened her mouth, unsure how to respond to Mei's question beside her.

At this point, everyone realized what was happening and things erupted in chaos, with all sorts of strange and unusual questions coming one after another.

"Hey, Jiuxiao, is it really comfortable to do 'that' with a girl? I've seen the upperclassmen talk about it a lot." This was Kiana, full of curiosity and a desire to try it out. Judging from her expression, she seemed to be planning to put it into practice that very night.

"Bronya believes that attraction exists between women too. Sister Jiuxiao doesn't need to be shy. Just like the relationship between silly Kiana and Sister Mei, Sister Jiuxiao has simply taken it a step further."

"Himeko, say something, Himeko. Don't just drink!"

"Waaaaah... Why do all these girls younger than me have found boyfriends? Even if they're the same sex, they're still boyfriends! I'm so angry!" The red-haired Valkyrie pulled out a bottle of beer from somewhere and chugged it down.

"Himeko, where did you get this beer again! The doctor said you can't drink lately!" Theresa jumped onto Himeko, trying to climb onto the Valkyrie's arm and snatch the beer bottle from her hand, but due to the size difference, she always missed by just a little bit.

"Ahem, ahem, ahem..." A serious cough interrupted the lively discussion at the table. It was Fu Hua's voice; as Himeko's assistant, Fu Hua also lived in this villa.

"Jiuxiao, listen to me, this kind of relationship is actually very common in the academy. There's nothing to be ashamed of, and you don't need to feel pressured to the point that it affects your daily life..."

"—This is a very common phenomenon in the academy, so don't let it affect your studies. To be honest, I also receive many love letters from classmates, although I've rejected them all."

"But Jiuxiao, if you truly like someone, then just accept it boldly. There's no need to hide it," Fu Hua said seriously, looking at Jiuxiao with a earnest expression.

"...I...she..." Looking at the chattering crowd, Penglai Temple Jiuxiao's brain worked at lightning speed, and then she chose the ultimate secret of life: No matter what you say, I will just start!

"Ah, right, right, right...!"

"The class monitor is right..." The purple-haired girl, surrounded by everyone at the table, gave up trying to think.

"It's good that you've figured it out, Jiuxiao. If you encounter any problems in your daily life, you can always come and ask me for advice..." Fu Hua nodded seriously, then showed an expression of interest.

"So, are Jiuxiao and Miss Snow really in that kind of relationship?"

"Ah, right, right, right...!"

"Jiuxiao and Miss Snow, please take good care of yourselves and avoid getting injured. If you have any problems, you can go to the medical department. The head of the department, Ms. Leona, is a very easy-going person. I have some things to take care of later, so please excuse me."

Fu Hua gave a fist-and-palm salute, then stepped out from the crowd and hurried towards the door, seemingly having some other urgent matter.

"Ah, right... no!" Jiu Xiao, who was making a huge fuss, seemed to realize what terrible thing he had just said. He was about to refute it when he looked up and saw the knowing looks from the people next to him. He swallowed back the explanation that was about to come out.

The baby is suffering inside, but the baby won't say it.

"Alright, alright, if you've finished eating, everyone should go back to your rooms and rest. You still have classes this afternoon," Mei finally stepped forward to help Jiuxiao.

The crowd dispersed in a huff, leaving only Penglai Temple's Jiuxiao alone. His right hand trembled slightly as he held the untouched bread slice, staring at the table, contemplating life. Then, suddenly remembering something, he stormed upstairs in a huff.

"Snow—! You ran away without me!" The roar echoed through the corridor, then faded into the distance. As Jiuxiao left, the previously scattered crowd reappeared from strange places such as corners, pillars, and screens.

"The two of them have such a good relationship... even though they haven't known each other for very long."

"Yeah, yeah, wait a minute! Kiana, you and Mei aren't much different from them, are you?"

"I...I haven't been able to climb into Mei's bed yet!"

"Kiana!—"

--

Rushing upstairs and opening the door, the deranged purple-haired girl shoved her companion, who was looking at the planning board, back onto the bed—

"...So you're finally awakening some weird fetishes, huh?" The blonde girl, pinned to the bed, didn't resist, but instead stared expressionlessly at her frantic companion.

The girl's skin was still cold. Jiu Xiao held her arm, and the slightly cold body temperature calmed her down a bit.

"Want to guess what I said when you ran away and I was down there making a scene?" Jiu Xiao recalled what had just happened, a twisted expression on his face.

“…?” A hint of confusion appeared on Snow’s indifferent face.

"Just when Squad Leader Fu Hua asked us whether we were in that kind of relationship..."

"My head was spinning and I blurted out, 'Oh, right, right...'"

"..." The blonde girl scrutinized Penglaiji Jiuxiao, who was pinning her down, with a critical gaze.

"What are you doing..." Jiu Xiao felt a chill run down his spine from that inspection-like look.

“…I agree.” Snow’s gaze returned to Jiuxiao’s face.

"??? What did you agree to?"

“I don’t care about the gender of my spouse… and you certainly meet my requirements for a partner—is there a problem?” The blonde girl tilted her head, looking at her companion who was pressing down on her, her body stiffening slightly.

"Or do you prefer someone more proactive...?" The blonde girl's hands climbed up Jiuxiao's waist, a hint of confusion in her eyes.

"Wait! Stop right there! It's daytime! Hey, hey, hey! Don't take my clothes off! Ugh!"

The room descended into chaos.

--

Chapter Seventeen: Look, the corpse is speaking!

"Snap—"

Over the Mediterranean Sea in Europe, at the headquarters of Destiny, in the office of the Archbishop of Destiny, a sharp sound of shattering glass rang out. A broken goblet and its contents spilled onto the floor.

"Your Excellency the Bishop?" The maid standing to the side asked with a hint of doubt in her voice.

“…I have a bad feeling, Rita.” The blond, blue-eyed man stood up from his chair and paced back and forth. The maid, who had been serving him ever since, had never seen the man so uneasy.

"You mean Anti-Entropy is planning something big soon?" the maid asked, sensing the man's unease.

“No, no… Rita, I have a feeling this unease comes from my dear children…”

"You mean Lady Theresa? Although Lady Theresa looks young, she is already a branch leader who can handle things on her own." Rita looked somewhat confused.

"No, not Theresa. Little Theresa is definitely past the age where I need to worry about her..."

"You mean...Miss Snow?"

"Yes! Yes! Snow... my dear daughter, how is she doing, Rita?"

"Your Excellency, Miss Snow, along with K423 and the physical form of the Third Herrscher, was brought from Changkong City to St. Freya Academy in the Far East Branch by Lady Theresa a week ago."

"Changkong City? I hope my lovely child isn't hurt. She's so fragile..."

"Hmm..." Rita recalled a previous report with a strange expression.

"Rita?!" The man's voice rose.

"Uh... Your Excellency, Miss Snow was taken very well at the academy and recovered quickly. Headmistress Theresa even visited her there, it's just..."

"that is?"

"Miss probably has someone she likes at the academy..."

"Whose little bunny is this...? And which lucky prince charming has caught the eye of our little princess, Rita?"

"Uh... according to what Lady Fu Hua, who is currently lurking in St. Freya Academy, said... it seems that Miss Snow is in love with someone of the same sex..."

"......"

"Lord Otto?" The maid looked at the blond man with some concern.

"Get out... Rita, I need some peace and quiet." The blond man's right hand, which was gripping the table, trembled slightly.

"Yes--"

--

This is the day of St. Freya Academy's twice-yearly Valkyrie Rank Examination. Based on their performance in today's exam, the young Valkyrie trainees will be assigned to various departments in the Far East.

Aside from the exceptional S-rank Valkyries, only Valkyries starting from B-rank are truly qualified to enter the Honkai Zone for combat, across the A, B, C, and D ranks.

Rank A represents the highest honor most Valkyries aspire to in their lifetime. It signifies the ability to use weapons and armor created with Schicksal's most cutting-edge technology, and most importantly—Rank A Valkyries have the right to form their own action squad.