Kenji
The afternoon sun cast long, lazy shadows across the small park square, a pocket of relative stillness amidst Nagazora's jagged ruins. Team 7 had claimed a patch of surprisingly intact grass near a crumbling fountain, the sound of trickling water from a cracked pipe providing a strange, almost soothing counterpoint to the distant echoes of reconstruction work.
The day's efforts had left them drained, the initial adrenaline of the mission giving way to a bone-deep exhaustion. Now they sat together in silence, eating food that Mei prepared for them the day before.
"Thankhs foo teh fud, Mei" Kiana said, while gobbling up her chicken katsu.
"Your welcome, Kiana," Mei, who still looked tired, smiled at Kiana's comment. It seemed like everyone had their fair share of trouble with their own tasks.
Then she flicked Kiana's head, which earned a surprised cry of pain from her. "But don't talk with your mouth full" Mei finished, and Kiana nodded somberly but didn't stop eating her food.
Kenji smiled at his team, he really needed this after a long day. He leaned back against the fountain's stone ledge, idly picking at a loose thread on his battlesuit glove.
His encounter with Maria's family still occasionally replayed in his head. Though not as bad as before, he still couldn't stop the thoughts that poured in.
The questions that he would never get answers to. Questions he didn't know if he wanted answers to.
After Kiana and Mei's interaction, the group went back to eating in silence. It wasn't long before they finished their meals, but no one said anything as they continued to sit silently.
Kiana, predictably, was the first to break under the strain of inactivity. "Ugh, I'm SO BORED!" she groaned, flopping dramatically onto her back and staring up at the sky. "Is this what missions are usually like? Sitting around waiting for something to happen? It's torture!" She rolled onto her side, propping her head up with one hand as her restless gaze landed on Kenji.
'Oh no.'
Scrambling to her feet with renewed energy, she cracked her knuckles and marched over to him. "Alright, Mr. Aoyama," she announced, planting her hands on her hips. "You've been looking way too broody over there. And I saw you showing off all morning. How about a real test of strength? Arm wrestle. Right now."
"No. Not in the mood."
"What? Scared you'll lose to a girl?" Kiana leaned down, her face inches from his, trying to egg him on. "Come on, don't be lame. Unless you're admitting defeat already?"
Kenji sighed, the corner of his mouth twitching. He knew that look. Ignoring her was futile. "Fine," he relented, pushing himself away from the fountain ledge. A flicker of his usual competitive spirit returned. "But don't come crying to Mei when you lose."
"As if!" Kiana shot back, already clearing a large, flat piece of fallen concrete to serve as their makeshift table.
/ — /
Bronya
Bronya, seated a little apart, watched the exchange with her usual impassive expression. Her datapad rested on her lap, but her fingers weren't moving. The small, cold metallic disc felt heavy in the hidden pocket of her uniform. She observed Kiana's goading, and Kenji's reluctant agreement.
'Idiots.'
She stared at the two, who are now arguing about who knows what. She needed an opportunity, a moment of distraction where her actions wouldn't be scrutinized. This foolish contest might just be it.
Kiana and Kenji knelt on opposite sides of the concrete slab, locking hands. "Ready to face the power of Kaslana?" Kiana declared, puffing out her chest.
"Just try not to break your wrist," Kenji retorted, his grip firm.
Mei watched with a soft, amused smile, shaking her head. "Try not to break anything, you two."
The match began. Kiana strained, putting all her weight into it, her face scrunched in fierce determination. Kenji met her force, holding steady while slowly raising his percentage.
He could end it quickly, by instantly hitting her with a high percentage, but where was the fun in that? He let her struggle for a moment, enjoying the indignant look on her face.
He smirked at her, "Having trouble?"
His goading worked, as she now had an annoyed scowl directed at him.
Just as he was about to apply a little more pressure and claim victory, Kiana let out a sudden, high-pitched shriek.
"Spider!" she yelled, pointing dramatically behind him.
Kenji instinctively flinched, his focus breaking for just a split second. But when he realised that his danger sense didn't activate, it was too late. With a triumphant yell, she slammed his hand down onto the concrete.
"Ha! I win!" she cheered, jumping up and pumping her fist.
"Hey, that's cheating!" Kenji protested, scrambling up as Kiana danced around him victoriously. They stumbled backward in a laughing, tangled heap onto the grass, Kiana trying to declare her win while Kenji accused her of foul play.
He seemed to have enough of her bragging as the two were now rolling around the ground, wrestling and pulling hairs, though that was mostly Kiana.
This was the moment.
She walked over to the pair, who were still playfully wrestling on the ground. She looked down at Kenji, her expression blank. "Kenji," she stated, her voice flat, catching his attention amidst the chaos. "Your rear pauldron has come loose."
Kenji paused, still trying to fend off Kiana who now had him in a headlock. "Huh? My wha— Oh! My shoulder pad?"
Bronya nodded and knelt beside him. Kiana seemed to have the courtesy to stop as she reached out, seemingly to inspect the armor plate on his back, her other hand quietly retrieving the tracker.
"Still can't beat me in wrestling." Kiana suddenly said, still having Kenji in a headlock.
"Just give me a few weeks and I will beat your ass—!" Bronya tuned them out. Though it was good that their attention was elsewhere.
Her fingers, quick and precise, moved beneath the edge of the pauldron. She pressed the small, adhesive disc to the underside seam of his battlesuit's backplate, hidden near a strap buckle. The cool metal made brief contact with the fabric. It clicked faintly as it adhered.
It was done.
"It is fixed now," Bronya announced. She stood smoothly and stepped back.
Kenji finally managed to shove Kiana off, scrambling to his feet while Kiana collapsed back onto the grass in a fit of giggles. "Thanks, Bronya," he said, adjusting his pauldron, completely unaware. He shot Kiana a glare. "Unlike some cheaters, you're actually helpful."
Kiana just stuck her tongue out at him.
Bronya returned to her spot, picking up her datapad. Her fingers began tapping automatically, resuming her usual facade. But her gaze lingered for a moment on Kenji's shoulder, where the tracker now rested.
She closed her eyes and took a tired breath. She doesn't know if she has the strength to keep doing this. But she has to.
/ — /
Kenji
After Kenji and Kiana's little competition, Team 7 sat scattered on the grass near the broken fountain, the weariness of the morning's work settling over them in a comfortable quiet. Mei had unpacked some extra snacks she'd prepared —simple onigiri and fruit slices— which they shared in a silence, punctuated only by the distant sounds of reconstruction and the gentle trickle of water from the fountain's fractured pipe.
He leaned back against the stone ledge, slowly chewing on a rice ball. The knot of guilt from his earlier encounter had loosened slightly, replaced by the simple fatigue of a hard day's work. It felt… surprisingly normal, sitting here with them. Almost like they were just friends hanging out after school, not Valkyries and a Knight taking a break in a disaster zone.
"Mei, these are seriously good," Kiana mumbled around a mouthful of rice, already reaching for her third one. "You gotta teach me how to make these sometimes. Mine always end up... crunchy."
Mei chuckled softly, handing her another. "Maybe when we have a proper kitchen again. And when you promise not to set it on fire."
"Hey! That only happened once!" Kiana protested, though her grin betrayed her. She then turned to Kenji. "So, Kenji, feel like your arms are gonna fall off yet? You moved like, half the convoy by yourself."
Kenji smirked, finishing his own onigiri. "Nah, I'm good. It was barely even a workout." He flexed his arm. "Also, it was way more than half. Could probably move the other rest before dinner if they needed me to."
"Bronya calculates that based on the remaining cargo mass and estimated metabolic energy expenditure, continuing at that pace would lead to significant muscle fatigue within approximately 1.7 hours," Bronya stated from her spot, her eyes fixed on the small drone she was remotely piloting, which hovered silently above them.
Kiana rolled her eyes. "You don't have to data check everything you know."
Bronya didn't respond, her focus still on her drone's feed.
Mei smiled, turning back to Kenji. "Don't listen to her teasing. You did amazing work this morning, Kenji. "
"Thanks, Mei,"
"Wait, how are you even hungry? Don't you have, like, super cracked regeneration? Why is muscle fatigue even a thing for you?" Kiana suddenly asked.
"That's not how regeneration works… I think." The question actually made him think for a bit. Why is he even experiencing muscle fatigue?
The conversation drifted easily after that, touching on everything from weirdest delivery Kenji ever had. Which was a single, live goldfish in a plastic bag (that sadly died) to Kiana's questionable taste in action movies.
Even Bronya chimed in occasionally with a dry observation or a surprisingly obscure piece of trivia. The sun felt warm, the company easy, and it was nice to finally relax with the people close to you after a long day.
Kiana, however, couldn't sit still for long. She stretched dramatically, letting out a loud groan as she flopped back onto the grass. "Okay, seriously though," she declared, staring up at the clear blue sky. "Is this it? Are we just gonna sit here and go home soon? It's way too quiet now."
She sat up abruptly, a familiar, restless energy returning to her eyes. "I was hoping for at least one Honkai beast to smash—"
As if the universe itself had decided to grant her wish with cruel irony, a low, guttural roar ripped through the quiet afternoon air. It came from a ruined office building just across the square, the sound accompanied by the violent crash of shattering concrete and twisted metal.
"You just had to say something huh?"
"Oh shut it, Kenji!"
The team instantly snapped to attention. Kiana was on her feet in a heartbeat, Mei and Kenji rising swiftly beside her, their relaxed postures replaced by combat readiness. Bronya readied Project Bunny, her expression turning sharp and analytical.
From the dust cloud billowing out of the building's collapsed facade, a hulking shape emerged. Its metallic armor was cracked and scorched, one of its massive legs dragged uselessly behind it, and sparks sputtered from exposed wiring near its core. But the glowing red eyes burned with undiluted malice. A Chariot-class Honkai Beast, heavily damaged but undeniably dangerous.
But what alarmed them was the fact that there were multiple. Kenji could count at least 6 from a distance
It let out another roar, its gaze sweeping across the square before locking onto the largest cluster of movement, which was the civilian distribution line. With a lurching, uneven gait, the horde began to charge.
/ — /
Kenji
Seeing the horde running towards the civilians, Kenji braced himself, ready to intercept, but before he could take a step, Rita's voice cut through their comms.
"Team 7, do not engage! I repeat, DO NOT ENGAGE! Your priority is civilian protection. We do not know if these beasts are just the beginning of a larger horde. Evacuate all personnel from the distribution line and surrounding area to Safe Zone Delta. I will handle the honkai beasts."
Even as the order registered, a blur of silver and white descended from a nearby rooftop with insane speed. Rita Rossweisse landed silently between the charging Chariot horde and the path leading to the civilians.
Her scythe materialized in a sweep of silver light, the blade humming faintly as she assumed a poised and ready stance. She didn't attack, didn't even seem to breathe heavily, but her presence alone was a tangible barrier, drawing the immediate attention of the beasts.
The team didn't need telling twice. Kiana holstered her pistols with a frustrated click, and the team quickly rushed towards the distribution line.
Mei was the first to reach the line, where nervous murmurs were already turning into cries of panic as civilians spotted the charging Chariots.
Her voice, though amplified slightly by her comms, remained remarkably calm. "Everyone, stay calm! Do not run! I need you all to follow me! We will get you to safety!" She said as she jumped to the front. She looked at the rest of the group, who nodded readily.
Kiana took up the rear. She moved along the flanks of the growing column of evacuees, her voice loud. "This way! Keep moving! Don't look back, we've got you! C'mon, stay close!" She kept her pistols out, not aiming at the distant fight, but scanning the ruined buildings for any other potential threats, keeping her eyes sharp.
Bronya became their navigator, her datapad projecting a faint holographic map onto her wrist display. Project Bunny hovered beside her, its form shifting slightly as it scanned the surroundings.
"Optimal path is 200 meters ahead," her voice came over their private comm channel, concise and clear. "Turn left at the overturned bus. Warning: structural integrity of the eastern alley is compromised. Rerouting west through the plaza."
Kenji fell into the role of facilitator. He activated a controlled 20% of OFA. An overturned delivery truck blocked part of the designated path. With a grunt, he shoved the wreckage aside, clearing the way.
Further down, an injured woman stumbled, unable to keep up. Kenji scooped her gently into his arms without and carried her swiftly towards the front of the group before depositing her safely near Mei and urging her forward. He moved back and forth along the line, a red-streaked guardian for the civilians.
In the background, the sounds of Rita's battle were sharp and brutal. Flashes of silver light, the screech of metal on metal, and the occasional explosive impact echoed across the square, a stark reminder of the threat kept at bay.
Kenji risked a glance back once, just in time to see Rita cleave a Chariot clean in two with an effortless grace that seemed almost insulting.
It was clear to him that she couldn't destroy them all in one go without risking surrounding equipment and infrastructure. She had guided the fight in such a way that would let her dispatch them one by one.
As they neared the designated Safe Zone—a reinforced bunker entrance marked with Schicksal insignia—Bronya's voice crackled again. "Warning: One Chariot has broken from the primary engagement. It is approaching your position. ETA: ten seconds."
Panic rippled through the last group of civilians still outside the shelter doors. Mei tried to urge them forward faster, but fear had frozen some in place. Kiana cursed, and readily raised her pistols.
Kenji took initiative. He dashed forward, planting himself between the approaching Chariot and the civilians.
He couldn't use enough power to kill the beast without risking injuring the civilians with a shockwave, so he decided to go light. With a controlled burst of OFA, he sent a targeted air flick outwards—not powerful enough to cause major damage, but enough to push it back and kick up an immense cloud of dust and loose debris directly into the Chariot's path. But even with his controlled burst, the shockwave still knocked over a few civilians.
The beast roared in confusion, momentarily blinded and disoriented by the sudden screen. Kiana seized the moment, firing a few precise shots near its feet, the impacts kicking up sparks and drawing its attention further away from the shelter entrance.
"Now! Everyone inside!" Mei shouted, her voice cutting through the chaos. The last of the civilians running through as Mei gave the signal and the heavy bunker doors hissed shut, the thick metal sealing with a resounding thud.
"Alright," Kiana panted, already turning back towards the fighting, her pistols still gripped tightly in her hands. "Time to go help Ri—"
"Wait," Mei interrupted, placing a hand gently on Kiana's arm. "Rita's orders were to ensure the civilians were secure. We need confirmation before re-engaging."
Kenji nodded in agreement, though his muscles still thrummed with residual energy, itching to get back into the fight. Bronya was already accessing the external sensors via her datapad.
"External Honkai signatures are rapidly decreasing," Bronya reported. "Analysis indicates primary hostile targets neutralized. No other Honkai signatures detected, threat level diminishing."
Just as she finished speaking, a calm, clear voice echoed through their comms. "Team 7, report status." It was Rita.
Mei activated her comm link. "Supervisor, this is Raiden Mei. All designated civilians have been secured within Safe Zone Delta. No casualties among the evacuation group."
"Acknowledged," Rita's voice replied. "Exit the safe zone and report to my position. The immediate area is clear."
Exchanging brief glances, the team nodded and moved back to the main area. As they got closer, they were able to see the jarring change that happened so quickly.
The square, moments ago filled with the roar of charging beasts and the desperate scramble of civilians, was now eerily silent. The dust was beginning to settle, revealing the smoldering wreckage of the six Chariot-class Honkai Beasts. Their metallic carcasses lay broken and scattered, slowly disintegrating into nothingness.
Standing calmly amidst the destruction, her silver scythe resting lightly on her shoulder, was Rita Rossweisse. Her battlesuit was clean, not a speck of dust nor a scorch mark marring its pristine surface. She turned as the team emerged, a polite smile firmly set in place.
She allowed her scythe to dematerialize in a shimmer of light as she walked toward them. Rita stopped before them, her gaze sweeping over each member. "Evacuation completed in three minutes, twenty-seven seconds," she stated, her voice echoing slightly in the quiet square.
"You all did well." Kiana beamed at the praise, only to be shut down. "But there is always room for improvement."
She addressed Kiana first, "Miss Kaslana, your crowd control was effective in maintaining morale and direction. However," she paused, her eyes narrowing slightly, "your positioning during the final moments near the shelter entrance left you momentarily exposed to potential flanking attacks from unseen enemies. Your situational awareness still needs work." Kiana flinched slightly at the critique but nodded, accepting the feedback without argument.
Rita then turned to Kenji. "Mr. Aoyama," she began, her gaze just as sharp. "Your use of amplified strength to clear obstacles was efficient in expediting the evacuation." Kenji felt a flicker of pride, but it was quickly extinguished by her next words. "However, the shockwave created upon striking the beast resulted in unnecessary environmental instability and secondary debris hazards. It was only because of luck that no civilians were injured by the debris."
Kenji felt a little frustration at that comment. Not because he disagreed but because he knew it was true. He could have used less strength in his flick so that only the beast would be affected.
'I'm too used to using flicks to destroy or send honkai beasts flying. Having to suddenly use it to push one back… I didn't have enough time to get the percentage right… Something else I will need to work on.'
Rita didn't linger on them. Her gaze swept over Mei and Bronya briefly, offering a curt nod that seemed to acknowledge their competent execution before putting her focus on the team as a whole.
"Overall, your performance was commendable. You should be proud of yourselves. Not many young Valkyries can say that they did well in their first mission you know~" She ended her sentence with a wink.
"Yes! Wohoo!" Kiana celebrated, and the team certainly looked happier after Rita's words. Rita didn't say anything and let the team celebrate with each other in peace.
After they had calmed down, Rita told them their next orders. "We will need to do a quick sweep over the area to make sure there are no more Honkai Beasts roaming around. But once that's done, we're all but ready to head back to St Freya."
Kenji along with everyone else nodded, as Rita dismissed them. Without wasting another moment, the team quickly got to work.