Chapter 139: The Same, But Different
The 2nd honkai war at February of 2000 has devastated the world. Multiple cities have been destroyed and it was a grim reminder that the honkai is a threat to the world.
But as seasons pass, humans still continue with their mundane lives as one Theresa Apocalypse created a school.
It was called St. Freya high and she looked at the construction fondly. Thinking that gifted children would have a more normal life. Even though they will still be trained as valkyries.
"Ahh, this would be a nice haven for kids like Sirin. I can't wait to see them enrol in the school." She had high hopes and already had prospective students for the school.
Adelheid was with her and nodded. She was able to enter the premises because Tilie did not even dare to play games with Hua. She joined Anti-entropy and is now their paladin equivalent of Schicksal. Able to take multiple vantage points all over the world for AE as she promised.
"It not only looks promising Theresa, it is. This would be the hope and light of many girls out there. Things would be quite different now that this will be an entirely new organization for valkyries." Addy was excited as St. Freya would be the place it all began.
"Kiana would love it here, isn't that right dear?" Cecilia was carrying Kiana and he agreed, he would put Kiana at Theresa's care of course. Or she will suffer the fate of her mother and aunt in Schicksal. Caged like a bird that has no free will.
"Aye, you'll study here Kiana! Isn't it exciting? It's grandma Theresa's school you know?" He hyped Kiana and the little bundle of energy cheered even though she didn't understand.
Meanwhile, in Schicksal. They weren't putting up much of a fight against Anti-entropy as Tilie knew that Adelheid would wipe the floor with any of her valkyries. So she decided to make one.
She stood in front of a capsule where a girl took shape. Looking exactly like Kiana as she frowned at the results she had.
"Another failure. What is this now? a hundred times already? I might run out of clean DNA from the Schariac and Kaslana house at this rate." Tilie used the DNA banks of Schicksal to create a supersoldier that would surpass Adelheid. And also a vessel for her plans in the near future.
But she was stumped, not knowing what was wrong as all the resulting clones were fine and dandy. But their brain activities always failed, she even tried jumpstarting it with Fenghuang down. But something about the genes she used were wrong.
She theorized it was because of the Kaslana's apparent honkai genes that she discovered when Siegfried used his partial honkai cascade form. But her knowledge about the ICHOR is basically nonexistent. And she cannot get it from void archives as the divine key told her that messing up with ICHOR even once would be a disaster that will lead to catastrophic damages.
So the clone was recycled and it was back to the drawing board.
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Ein visited Yellowstone and has Erwin on his lap while playing some games with her. He then heard Tesla and Joachim argue like a married couple.
"What do you mean you'll go to the California Institute of Technology? Do you have any idea how busy we are!?" Tesla fumed as Joachim wanted to go to California as a teacher to inspect some suspicious activity by Schicksal personally.
"I already told you Nikky, Schicksal is having some activity near there. It's highly suspicious. Besides, Adelheid does not fare well in reconnaissance missions like this. She would be better in protecting strongholds." He sighed and explained again for the nth time that Schicksal having a certain project isn't to be ignored. Because it usually would result in disaster like the 2nd honkai eruption.
"Well, we have other operatives for that. Why don't you tell them to gather information? And don't call me with your cute nickname in public, it's embarrassing." She whispered quietly and huffed with a blush on her face.
"Hah, get a room you two. Damn, old people nowadays are too energetic and lovey dovey. We're trying to play over here." Erwin got annoyed as she was enjoying some leisure time with Ein.
"Yeah! We'll get cooties over here. Go quarrel and kiss somewhere else." Ein rode on Erwin's comments and Tesla almost steamed from embarrassment. Joachim smiled wryly and thought it was inappropriate to argue in front of them.
"Now, now. They're new to this relationship stuff you know? They obviously would have hiccups along the way." Emma chuckled as she smiled at Tesla and Joachim's antics.
"We didn't have any arguments like that, probably because Ein makes too much sense and he'll break you down to pieces if you argue with him." Einstein was sipping some tea while watching things unfold.
"That is true. So? What's the secret Ein? How do you even keep every single one of us so happy? I don't get it either, I should be jealous and spiteful right now." Nancy asked as she was really curious and she needed answers.
"Easy, my big brain analyzes every part of you down to the rudimentary particles. And with that, using some math. I know your every want and arrive at the perfect time with perfect micromanagement down to the Planck time and give you what you want and need at the same time." He gave a convoluted answer and even Erwin that was playing a game that couldn't be paused looked at him to know if he was joking or not.
Everybody then looked at him like he was crazy and he stared at them seriously. "Nah, I'm just messing with you." He laughed and everyone sighed in relief, because if so. He probably has limited omniscience already.
"Or am I?" Ein stopped laughing and everybody gave up. Deciding collectively that some things can't be known.
"Anyways, how about I accompany Joachim here there? I really liked teaching back in Princeton. Maybe I would be a good teacher? Probably retire as one or something." Ein thought it was a really good mundane job that he liked. And he entertained the possibility of just being one to entertain his self in his immortal life from time to time.
"For real? You heard that Tesla, I'll be having the greatest back up you know? And our new officer Cocolia is also great at her job. She'll help immensely while I undergo this mission." He reasoned with Tesla and Ein clicked his tongue at his simple mind.
Cocolia got into AE's radar as she fought tooth and nail to protect children in Siberia even though she is just a normal human. Aesir then helped with the famine and Cocolia got scouted into the organization as she was not only highly skilled as a soldier, she is also competent strategically.
"You lack awareness Joachim. It being dangerous isn't why Tesla is forbidding you to go you know? It's because she wants to spend time with you. Look at this guy, what a complete newb." All the girls nodded at her and Joachim thought it was such a simple reason.
But his mind was made up and his wanting to do everything himself complex act up. "But still, I have to do this. It's my duty as AE's sovereign." He said with conviction as Ein clicked his tongue again.
"You don't learn do you Joachim? I already gave you a hint, hah. You should've said, I'll bring you with me and we'll get freaky on my desk when we're alone. Tesla would've accepted right away and you'll have a happy woman and you can do your mission at the same time." He shook his head at Joachim's incompetence.
Joachim looked at Tesla with a raised brow and she nodded slightly. "He's right you dumbass! Except the thing where we get it on at your table part!" Joachim then thought Ein really was a god among men and he probably had all the answers in some pocket or something.
"Do it still. You're forgetting that Tesla is a tsundere. You need to be assertive, you can't let her make the shot calls all the time. Ever notice that whenever you do something she tells you, she gets angry? It's a case by case basis, but most of the time. Just go for the opposite, unless it's extremely stupid to do so. Hah, what am I? A goddamned relationship counselor?" Ein then focused on his playtime with Erwin and Joachim's jaw almost fell to the ground.
'Sasuga Ein-sama.' Joachim wrote it down and he would chant it as his mantra.
"You should honestly write a book on how to deal with women. I think it will be a best seller, I'm not even kidding." Nancy commented and the others agreed.
"Greatness is achieved by hard work Nancy, you've got to learn to walk before you can run. Except Mobius, she asked her parents if her name was Mobius when she was born."
Ein thought that his voluptuous snake was a freak of nature. And she would probably succeed in winning against the honkai if she had the necessary resources and manpower to do anything she wanted if he didn't powerscale the honkai. An unparalleled genius that had the highest performing lab in MOTH with barely any funding and only had Klein as a semblance of help along with Griseo's mother.
They then sent their papers to the university and immediately got hired.
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At a certain orphanage, a child was being taught letters by her mother. The gray haired duo were taken in by one of Aesir's orphanages and Ekaterina Zaychik was hired as one of the care takers because Cocolia gave a word for them. Feeling bad that the two would certainly be left to fend off for themselves at hard times.
And the woman was determined to raise her child even with Aesir's insanely strict standards. In which even the most basic jobs, they would have to be world class in intelligence, physique, and fighting. At minimum, must be able to kill emperor class honkai beasts with your bare hands.
Thankfully, she had high enough honkai resistance and underwent gruelling training to be an upstanding member of the mythical Aesir corp. And it was all worth it, as they were living in luxury and had a happy life overall. She was also confident that she could protect her child. Skeptical at 1st upon knowing that she would need to basically be a god amongst normal humans.
"Good job Bronya! Mom is proud of you! You can already pronounce every letter in the alphabet." She praised her daughter and she knew that she was something special.
"Mom, you know that da Bronya could already do complex calculations right? Why are we even doing this?" The 3 year old asked as she knew calculus already and she could speak fluently when she was just 7 months old.
"Shh, I'm doing it for the memories Bronya. You'll understand when you grow up." Kat smiled at her daughter as she filmed Bronya being cute and doing her milestones. Even though her daughter was a bit emotionally lacking from being too smart and calculative.
"Okay. Mom, Da Bronya wants to see Ein-nii again. He always brings Da Bronya the best sweets in the world. I've researched about it on the internet, his cooking is basically magic." Ein graces the orphanages occasionally and gives the kids sweets. And he knows Bronya was a very smart kid like Lieserl so he gives her books and introduced her to games that had tons of complex inputs and needed good reflexes.
"Ein-sama is a very busy man dear. He can't play games with you all the time and give you food that he made okay?" Kat was already indebted to him and she thought that making her child happy was too much already.
She even had contracted a rare type of cancer that was basically honkai leukemia. And she was done for after she gives birth. The strain, likely would kill her and Ein had to cure her himself when she was taken in by Aesir at Cocolia's request.
He was also fond of Bronya as she resembled Lieserl and Erwin. Like a mix of both, being both too smart and a natural gamer.
"Bronya-chan~ guess who?" Ein sneaked up on them and put his hands on her eyes.
Bronya perked up. "Ein-nii!" She stood up immediately and looked at him with glee. Kat sighed and bowed at him, thinking that he was spoiling her too much.
"Here you go, have one of these okay? Today, it's my special brownies." He patted Bronya's head and she had stars in her eyes as she received the bag.
"Un! Thanks Ein-nii! You're the best!" She ran at him and crashed onto his torso. "Oof, you're growing up so fast. And how about I give you a special gift?" He gave her a disc and she eyed it curiously.
"This is a fighting game that we just released. And because you'll get insanely bored just fighting with the AI's. There's a multiplayer mode through the internet and you can pwn the noobs there. Though our AI is top notch and I think you won't be able to beat them." He chuckled as Bronya hugged it to her chest with her Homu doll, a rare bright smile on her face. (pic here)
They then talked for a few minutes and Ein left the premises. Time for his 1st classes in California.
"My goodness, Ein-sama's spoiling you rotten. Don't play too much okay? Or you won't grow up and be small forever." Kat smiled at her daughter tenderly as whenever Ein comes, it was like christmas for Bronya.
"Un, da Bronya will sleep early. Da Bronya needs to grow up quick so Ein-nii would marry me later." She thought of playing games with him and having his meals everyday.
"Hah, I know you just want to play his games everyday and eat Bronya. That's the wrong motivation to get married you know? Besides, you don't even understand marriage yet." Kat smiled wryly at her daughter as she saw her daydream about playing and eating his sweets.
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Ein was with Joachim and of course he gave him a cool suit. As he was always wearing bland colors. So he suited him up with a nice looking navy blue suit and did a makeover for him. Making him nice and crisp as 1st impressions are always important.
While Ein just wore a plain black button up. As he could show up in a tee with shorts and flip flops. But he'll still be a showstopper.
"There, you look nice. Coming along with that ice cold drip, sheesh." Ein patted him on the back as Tesla, Lieserl, Emma, and EINSTEIN nodded. The trio went with them as Lieserl got bored in Yellowstone and Emma was a professor. So she thought it would be fun to teach again. While EINSTEIN wanted to have a nice break from the chaotic ELFs.
"So, what do you think Tesla? Liking how Joachim looks? I do believe clothes make the man no?" He nodded in satisfaction how Joachim looked and Tesla enthusiastically nodded.
"Umu, he looks great. Not like his usual old man clothes, only thing missing with his previous get up was a cane and some newspaper." Tesla shot Joachim down and he thought if he really looked like an old man.
"Well, you do kind of emit old man vibes with your clothes back then kid. Times change you know?" EINSTEIN commented and Joachim got depressed.
"Keep that up and you'll have old man smell too Joachim~" Emma teased him and they had fun at his expense.
They then split up for their classes to teach and Ein of course kicked the door down as usual.
"What up homies. I'm Dr. Einheri, you could do whatever you want as long as you pass. And attendance ain't shit in this class aight? Now, you guys are a class about space engineering and astro dynamics. I'll be teaching the physics stuff, any questions?" The class was quiet and they thought he was really easygoing.
"Ahh, it says here I'm also teaching about engineering too. Damn, I should've read this before I went here. Anyways, I forgot the books that you'll be using for engineering. I'll give you guys the physics one though." He gave them a book titled 'Astro Physics That Even My Pet Can Understand.'
"Pretty neat no? I even wrote it myself last night." The students started sweating and thought of how he even got accepted into Caltech.
And when he was about to start some simple introductions, a late student arrived.
"Hah, hah. Sorry professor I'm late. I'm quite new in America so..." A red haired girl appeared and time slowed down to a crawl. (pic here)
Ein's mind went into overdrive as he saw the student that entered his class. "Hime?" He then analyzed her thoroughly. From every single hair on her head. Down to the last particle that made her. And they were exactly the same, even the mole on her body.
"Professor?" She got nervous and thought he was angry that she was late for the 1st day of classes. As he looked imposing, being 2 meters tall and all with a strong looking physique.
"Take your seat. Go anywhere you like." He was still surprised and thought this must be just like in SAKURA's and Yae's case with them and their sisters.
The class introduced themselves one by one and the redhead's turn was finally there as he zeroed in on her.
"Hello! I'm Murata, Himeko. I'm from Japan and I just came here to America to study here in Caltech. I heard that the university was the best in aerospace and space engineering courses. Nice to meet you!" She gave a small bow and Ein thought he was right.
"The same, but different still." He whispered as he started to calm down.
'Woah, the professor looks really young. He looks to be in his early twenties. And he is already teaching courses for this class? He must be amazing, I think I made the right choice.' Himeko thought Ein must be some amazing genius as only post graduate experts with PhD's could teach in her course.
"For our newcomer I'll introduce myself again. I am Dr. Einheri, call me Ein or professor, it doesn't matter. Nice to meet you everyone, don't worry. You'll be passing with flying colors as long as I'm around." He gave a glance to Himeko and shook his head as he turned around.
'Damn, this will be hard.'
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Thanks for reading everyone, anyways. Ciao.