The Truth is...

"Bronya...!"

My cry for Bronya's name was filled with a mix of fear and desperation as I watched Kiana rush to Mei's side, helping her to her feet. 

"Mei-senpai! What happened!?" Kiana's voice trembled with concern.

"Kiana-chan..."

"Mei-senpai! Kiana! Get back! She's about to shoot!" I quickly sheathed my katana. "Bronya, wake up!"

Valkyrie System: Bio-chip anomaly detected. Force activate emergency rebooting...

Switching to troubleshooting mode... Purge all surrounding hostiles.

Bronya's cold voice sent shivers down my spine, and she started shooting rockets at Mei and Kiana. I sprinted towards them, desperately cutting the rockets in half to mitigate the damage. The explosion still knocked all of us back.

"Tch! Are you alright!? Kiana!" I stood up as my focus is still at Bronya.

"Y-Yeah!"

"Good... I want you to guard Mei-senpai this time..."

"No, I'll be with you! I..." Kiana hesitated for a moment, torn between her loyalty to Mei and her concern for me. She finally made a decision, her gaze firm. "I'll be with you for a minute! I'll keep Mei-senpai safe somewhere."

"Heh... Sounds like a good plan!"

"Yeah! Be careful!" Kiana lifted Mei and rushed out of the control room.

This will only take a minute.

Now it's just me and Bronya. I locked eyes with her and her Bunny19C, a machine of war under her control. "I don't know what happened, but I'll have to wake you up, Bronya!"

"Shin, wait." Himeko suddenly appeared in front of my face via hologram communication.

"Himeko-sensei! Don't scare the crap out of me!"

"Sorry! More importantly, do not hurt Bronya! If possible, knock her out!"

"I know that..."

After all, Bronya was one of my first friends.

Our bond ran deep. I dashed forward as Bronya continued to attack, her movements graceful yet deadly.

Suddenly, a memory surfaced in my mind, a memory of when I first arrived at St. Freya Academy, a school for Valkyries founded by Theresa Apocalypse around the year 2000. Theresa had intended the school to serve as a sanctuary for victims of Honkai testing, helping students learn to control and wield their powers and become Valkyries after graduation.

"This will be your new home from now on." She grinned as she looked up at me, the young loli hag girl who had saved me from the rubble.

"Headmaster Apocalypse."

"Just call me Theresa! I expect more things from you, Shin!"

"Y-Yeah... But why was I suddenly enrolled here?"

"Hmmm... I wonder! Because you're special?"

"Special?"

"Headmaster, is this the boy I'll be teaching from now on?" The red-haired woman entered the office and looked at me, her voice cheerful. "Hi~ I'm Himeko Murata I'll be your teacher from now on."

She slightly smells like booze.

I bowed at her. "My name is Shin... Shin Watanabe."

"Watanabe Shin-kun, you're polite, and I like that... Likewise."

"Himeko, how about giving Shin a small tour around our campus? You can tell him where his dorm is." Theresa suggested.

"Alright then... Follow me, Shin~"

With a nod, I bowed to Theresa before following Himeko out of the office, setting in motion the series of events that had led me to this critical moment.

The first day at St. Freya Academy, surrounded by a sea of girls, brought its own set of surprises and awkward moments. Himeko was the one leading me through the school's bustling halls.

As we moved through the corridors, I couldn't help but notice the distinct lack of boys. It was an all-girls school, and I was the sole exception.

Armed with guns and blades, the students wore protective armor that emphasized the school's unique nature.

"By the way, Shin-kun~ knowing that you are the only boy on this campus doesn't mean you will start flipping skirts," Himeko teased with a wink and a smirk.

"Himeko-sensei, I would never do that."

"Fufu~ I know that, silly. I'm just lightening up the mood."

But sometimes, her humor seemed more bewildering than light-hearted.

We arrived at the classroom, and Himeko turned to me. "This is your classroom. How about introducing yourself to the others?"

I nodded and took a deep breath.

Himeko smiles and enters the classroom, "Alright, everyone! Enough talking! I have an announcement to make!"

"Ehh! Is it another surprise quiz!?" someone exclaimed.

"No, Kiana-chan. Fortunately, it's not a surprise quiz but a transfer student. Come in!"

I entered the classroom, standing beside Himeko. "My name is Watanabe Shin. Call me Shin."

"Ehh!? A boy!?" The girls in the classroom whispered among themselves.

Himeko shushed them. "Be quiet, everyone! No talking! Anyway... your seat is right there." She pointed to the seat beside the window, next to an empty chair.

"Uh... Himeko-sensei, why is my seat empty?"

"Hm? Ahh, because Bronya-chan didn't attend school today." Himeko sighed. "Anyway, go now."

I nodded and made my way to the empty seat. The whispering continued as I settled in, but it was all part of the experience.

"Alright! Let's start the class now!" Himeko announced.

As the class proceeded, the girl with white hair in front of me had dozed off. I contemplated whether to wake her up, but in a setting like this, it felt like a peculiar choice to make.

The class passed uneventfully as if everything were perfectly normal.

I do not understand anything at all. Honkai Beasts? Honkai Types? What the hell?!

Himeko walked up to me, her cheerful demeanor lighting up the room. She handed me the key with "101" written on the tag.

"Eh?" I couldn't help but express my surprise.

"Shin-kun, it looks like I won't be able to guide you to your dorm room, so do you mind asking around?" Himeko's tone was apologetic, but her busy schedule was evident.

"Anyway, bye!" With that, she hurriedly left the classroom, leaving me with the key in my hand.

"Himeko-sensei!?" I tried to call after her, but she disappeared too quickly. I sighed and resigned myself to the task at hand. With the key in hand, I left the classroom.

As I walked down the hall, I realized I had to ask for directions in a sea of girls. I contemplated the best approach.

I decided to approach a group of girls chatting near the window. As I got closer, I politely held up the key with "101" on the tag.

"Uhm... Do you know where this room is?" I asked, trying to be gentle in my approach. However, when I turned to the girls for help, they had vanished, leaving me standing alone in the hallway.

...

Never mind, I'll just find it on my own.

So, I walked around the campus for an hour, trying to find my dorm. Eventually, I found it, and upon inserting the key and opening the door, I was greeted by an unexpected sight.

"Not bad... huh?" I remarked as I took in the dorm's appearance. Homu merchandise was scattered everywhere, from the table to the bed.

"Uwah, who is this Homu fangirl..." I mumbled to myself.

Just then, a girl with a deadpan expression appeared behind me. "So, it was you who was going to be my roommate."

"My name is Bronya Zaychik," she said as she floated past me. Wait, she's floating!?

I blinked in surprise but decided to play it cool. "I'm Shin Watanabe."

"By the way, wanna play?" Bronya asked, looking less monotone than before.

"I... Sure." I agreed and sat down on the floor. She handed me a controller, and we started playing a game.

Just who is this girl? She is different from the others... Is she somewhat dead? Is she a ghost? Why is she floating? Why is she so good at the game!? She killed the boss within a minute!

As we played for a few hours, Bronya received a call on her hologram communication. "I'll be right back. Enjoy yourself," she said before leaving the dorm.

With Bronya gone, I felt exhausted from all the gaming. I decided to quit the game and rest, but I accidentally deleted a save file with over 1000 hours of gameplay.

...I- It's just a game, right?

My face turned pale as I hurriedly closed the television and flopped onto the bed.

I hope she doesn't find out.

Back on the Selene, Bronya and I were in the middle of our confrontation.

"Hear me out, Bronya... The truth is...! I deleted the save file in the game where you had 1000 hours of gameplay!"

Bronya halted her attacks, her expression frozen. "You... what...!?"

Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine, and a sense of impending doom washed over me.