Volume 2, Chapter 7: Raiden Mei's Confusion

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At present, inside Saint Freya Academy's school building.

As usual, Kiana slept through class, her exhaustion from last night making her even more blatant about dozing off.

Bronya pretended to be attentive, but her eyes frequently glanced towards Raiden Mei.

Raiden sat upright with proper posture, yet a sense of distraction was evident in her gaze.

"Big Sister Mei."

Bronya tapped her hand with a pen tip and passed over a freshly written note.

"If you have any troubles, feel free to talk to Bronya."

Mei turned around, managing only a forced smile.

Today, she felt genuinely disheartened.

During Xia Chen's previous visit to Saint Freya, although he always outperformed Kiana slightly, the gap between them wasn't significant.

But now...

Xia Chen's rapid progress left Raiden Mei feeling almost overwhelmed.

She believed herself capable, consistently putting effort into her studies. Within Saint Freya, aside from Fu Hua, Kiana, and Bronya, she could defeat anyone else.

Mei had never been particularly resilient mentally; otherwise, she wouldn't have retreated into herself due to Raiden Ryoma's incident.

Moreover, Bronya mentioned there was someone even more talented and powerful than Xia Chen - Durandal.

Mei noticed Bronya's concerned gaze upon her.

Despite the girl's expressionless face, Mei could still read the worry in her eyes.

Sighing, Mei said, "Bronya, I want to become stronger."

"I bear the lives of Nagazora City's three million people on my shoulders, but at my current pace of progress, when will I ever be able to defeat Honkai? Even facing Chariot-level Honkai Beasts would prove challenging."

Unlike the carefree Kiana, Raiden Mei constantly carried heavy burdens.

She felt personally responsible for the Nagazora City Honkai Disaster, and this immense pressure made it impossible for her to fully enjoy her academy life.

Without witnessing Xia Chen's advancements, she might have been content with her current state.

But now, she could no longer remain indifferent.

Even if Xia Chen left, she couldn't simply revert to her previous mindset.

"Big Sister Mei." Bronya handed her a note, saying, "Bronya can accompany you to find Instructor Xia Chen."

Although Bronya didn't believe repetitive physical training had much utility, it didn't hinder her from comforting Mei in her own unique way:

"Based on Bronya's understanding of the human body, to gain greater strength, one should focus on acquiring more advanced Valkyrie Armor and weaponry. Additionally, improving resistance to Honkai Energy and enhancing control over it is crucial. Simple exercise alone is not effective."

"Thus, Bronya calculates that Instructor Xia Chen's training regimen is simply a continuous effort to maintain his peak condition."

Mei remained silent.

"Bronya, if you're not good at comforting people, it's okay not to force yourself."

Wasn't she implying that Xia Chen's daily routine was unattainable for most individuals?

Raiden Mei paused before saying, "After school, Bronya, please accompany me instead of calling Kiana along."

It wasn't as if she hadn't sought advice from Himeko, Fu Hua, and Theresa on how to become stronger.

Himeko had reassured her not to worry, stating that with her talent, reaching A-rank Valkyrie was just a matter of time. Fu Hua suggested relentless dedication to martial arts day after day. As for Theresa...

Well, even Theresa couldn't explain the source of her own strength.

On one hand, Raiden Mei felt restless, while on the other, she tried to comfort herself, almost hearing a voice telling her that she was already doing well enough, and there was nothing wrong with staying where she was.

However, Xia Chen's arrival shattered this self-assurance. Witnessing his progress made it impossible for her to remain content standing still.

"Sure, Big Sister Mei," replied Bronya, equally curious about how Xia Chen achieved such strength.

On the training field, Xia Chen connected with Ana's communication.

"So, my Memory Battlefield battles were live-streamed?" After hearing her concerned inquiry about his situation, he felt somewhat speechless.

What a coincidence!

Although grappling is common in combat, engaging in over thirty consecutive takedowns with the Glorious Knight bordered on street brawler tactics.

However, to his relief, Ana didn't show any jealousy. Clearly, despite being prone to jealousy at times, she understood this was a battle and there was no need for irrational fuss over such matters.

"Yes, you're quite the hero now, defeating the captain twice."

"It's just data," Xia Chen responded, unimpressed. The real Durandal far surpasses the Memory Battlefield statistics. Moreover, she continuously grows stronger every moment. Even after using the system multiple times, Xia Chen lacked confidence in overtaking her anytime soon.

"Sounds so easy when you say it. When will I ever defeat Durandal?" Ana sounded slightly disheartened.

She hadn't stopped improving her abilities during this period, but despite her good talent, she consistently fell short of reaching S-rank Valkyrie status. Although capable of defeating Imperial Honkai Beasts in the Memory Battlefield, it remained just that—a simulated environment.

On the Memory Battlefield, Valkyries don't fear injuries, significantly altering their mindset.

However, she quickly regained her spirits, "I've already been gathering information about the S-Class Valkyrie assessment for you. Since Schicksal has too few S-Class Valkyries, typically defeating an Imperial Rank Honkai Beast is sufficient. But now there are no such beasts available, so Sister Amber told me they're developing alternative criteria."

"Durandal might even become one of the assessors, so you need to stay focused."

"Mm-hmm," Xia Chen couldn't help but smile.

At present, he had no intention of becoming an S-Class Valkyrie. For him, the difference between S and A rank primarily lay in the armor used.

While Schicksal's armors were exceptional, none truly suited him well.

Currently, he wielded the incomplete Authority of the Herrscher of Wind along with the power from two other Stigmata sets.

No existing armor could perfectly harness these abilities.

Nevertheless, if an assessment was conducted, he would give it his all.

A warrior hones their fighting spirit through each battle, never allowing retreat or surrender.

"Don't worry, I won't bring any shame upon you."

"Hmph, who needs you to save face? I'll strive to become an S-Class Valkyrie on my own merits too."

After a brief pause, Ana got straight to her main concern, "Alright, now tell me honestly, have you been flirting around? Give me a full account of your actions at Saint Freya Academy without any lies."

The girl was like a cat, both proud and affectionate.

Smiling, Xia Chen meticulously recounted his activities over the past two days, including details about the training methods he employed at Saint Freya.

Ana was speechless, "You've perfectly adopted Durandal's approach; soon enough, you'll become just like her."

"Not quite. I doubt I'm as... highly respected as she is," he nearly said 'bewilderingly revered.'

"Hmph, well then, I'm very satisfied with your behavior. Gotta go." Ana paused before adding, "I also need to train; otherwise, Wendy might surpass me, and how could I lead as captain then?"

Just like him, Ana too was striving for improvement.