Chapter 18: Ana Through Their Eyes

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"Theresa, our strength alone won't suffice to escape this place; we need your support." Inside Chiyou's belly, within one of its floating ruins, members of the Main trio along with Himeko were communicating with Theresa aboard the Hyperion. They had finally located a relatively weaker spot.

"Yes, I've already dispatched assistance—a top-tier Schicksal S-Class Valkyrie. You should see her soon," Theresa replied with a smile, displaying more composure than in the original storyline.

"Oh, a Schicksal S-Class Valkyrie?" Himeko squinted thoughtfully. As a retired Valkyrie herself, she was well aware of the formidable might of an S-Class. However, there were only a handful of such individuals—where did Theresa manage to find another?

"Yes, her name is Ana, and she's from Cecilia's clan. She was promoted to S rank not long ago, so Grandpa assigned her to the Far East Branch."

"Huh? Mom's clanswoman?" Kiana perked up as she overheard Theresa and Himeko's conversation.

"That's right, Kiana. By blood relation, you should call her your cousin." With that, Theresa paused, hands on her hips, before launching into a lecture aimed at Kiana.

"Kiana, you could learn a lot from her. Despite being only slightly older than you—less than a year, actually—she's already achieved S-rank Valkyrie status. Look at yourself; you still haven't passed the B-rank Valkyrie exam yet."

Hearing this, Kiana's face fell instantly. In combat, she had no issues, but subjects like history were really not her forte. Why include them in the Valkyrie exams anyway? They're practically useless in battle!

On the sidelines, Raiden Mei could only offer a somewhat helpless smile, while Bronya displayed her signature bewildered expression (???).

Himeko sighed and rubbed her forehead.

"Oh right, Principal, how did this... Teacher Ana get inside?" Raiden Mei suddenly asked, concerned that Ana might not have found them.

"Yes, excellent question." Theresa nodded approvingly, then astonishment flashed across her eyes. "It may be hard to believe, but she indeed forced her way through Chiyou's outer shell."

With that, Theresa shrugged. Why was she so certain? Naturally, because it could all be observed from the Hyperion. This was Ana's first battle deployment, after all; even though Theresa knew what level of power an S-rank Valkyrie entailed, she still wanted to keep a close eye on things.

And the results left her pleasantly surprised.

However, only Theresa would react this way. If any other commander had faced a powerful new Valkyrie suddenly joining their ranks from Headquarters, they would undoubtedly feel cautious or even guarded. Only Theresa trusted without reservation.

"Hey, Bronya, what do you think about the power needed to pierce Chiyou's hide?" Kiana whispered to Bronya after hearing Theresa's comment.

A rare hint of solemnity flashed across Bronya's eyes.

"Based on Bronya's analysis, using a reference point that even idiot Kiana can understand: it's roughly equivalent to the output of Hyperion's main cannon."

"Woah, is this what an S-rank Valkyrie looks like?"

Kiana couldn't help but gasp in amazement; she was well aware of the might wielded by Hyperion's main cannon.

Himeko, standing nearby, fell silent as well. While Kiana and her friends knew the ship's capabilities, having once been its captain, Himeko understood the technical details better than anyone else.

It could only be said that the strength of an S-rank Valkyrie was truly awe-inspiring.

"So, Theresa, does that mean you could achieve something similar?" Amidst her shock, Himeko suddenly had a thought and hastily asked.

However, Theresa shook her head.

"My apologies, I cannot reach such levels."

Theresa's S-rank status was somewhat inflated due to her reliance on Judah. If she could fully unleash her hidden power, she would indeed be a qualified S rank; however, at present, Theresa herself seemed unaware of this potential.

"So, does that mean she's even stronger than you? How does she compare to Durandal?" Himeko blinked and continued probing.

"I'm not sure about that. They've never fought each other, after all. But later, you can ask her yourself."

"Additionally, I gave Judah to her as well, so she should find you soon enough."

"Hm." Nodding, Himeko suddenly remembered something.

"I heard each Divine Key has unique usage methods. Did you teach them to her, Theresa?"

Himeko's question froze Theresa's expression—she had forgotten about this aspect.

When Theresa first inherited Judah, it took extensive training at Schicksal before she embarked on her initial combat mission. Later, to counter the Second Herrscher, she underwent rigorous seclusion at Headquarters to master the Zeroth Elevation Mode.

But now, it seemed...she just handed over...

"...Ah..."

Seeing Theresa's expression, Himeko understood everything at once. What could she say? All she could do was sigh.

"Never mind, Grandpa must have informed her already."

Theresa scratched her cheek with a slightly naive look on her face.

Himeko remained silent, desperately wanting to point out that even the Schicksal Bishop wouldn't anticipate Theresa entrusting such a valuable artifact to someone else. How could he possibly have told her?

However, considering the situation, Himeko chose not to burst her bubble and instead sought a way to help Theresa save face.

Before Himeko could speak, she spotted a flash of golden light.

A golden chain flew towards them from afar, and following its trajectory, they glimpsed a graceful figure.

Soon, a young girl appeared before the group.

She stood roughly as tall as Kiana, just slightly taller, clad in lightweight combat armor. Her long hair shimmered chestnut brown, and her eyes were a striking pink, giving her an overall appearance that blended vigor with gentleness.

The girl held a lance adorned with interwoven gold and white patterns, resembling a sacred knightess—radiant, elegant, yet undeniably powerful.

Himeko recognized the familiar golden chains emanating from the lance; combined with what Theresa had mentioned earlier, she was now certain this was Judah.

Recalling Theresa's words, Himeko smiled softly.

"S-Class Valkyrie Ana of Schicksal, here for support."

Surveying the four individuals before her, Ana composed herself briefly, then flashed a charming smile and bowed courteously to Himeko.

"Valkyrie Himeko, grateful for your assistance."

"Additionally, welcome to the Far East Branch."

Himeko nodded, her face displaying a warm smile as she reciprocated Ana's courteous gesture earnestly.

"Yes."

Ana smiled and nodded back. Then, Himeko and Ana exchanged glances once more, both breaking into laughter.