After partially dragging—well, more like strongly escorting—Hajime out of the ITA building, Driver 5 finally brought him to the outer garage. They walked in silence, Hajime still reeling from the meeting with the manager, his mind a storm of questions.
Just as they crossed into the open space, Hajime finally gathered enough courage to speak.
"Who… are you? And where exactly are we going?"
The woman didn't so much as flinch. She didn't glance at him. She simply kept walking, as if the question hadn't even been uttered. Her silence shattered the remnants of Hajime's bravado, leaving behind a strange new discomfort—one he couldn't quite name. It wasn't fear, not exactly, but something close. Like a soldier standing before a battlefield general. Was it respect? Was it pressure? Or maybe… reverence?
Before he could dwell on it, she finally stopped in front of a large vehicle and spoke for the first time since they left.
"Isn't she a beauty?"
The truck she gestured toward had the number 5 etched boldly on the side, but that was only the start of what made Hajime stop in awe.
It was a hybrid of raw power and regal elegance—sleek matte-black armor plating with silver runes carved along the front bumper, shaped to mimic Nordic filigree. Its engine exhaled with the subtle hum of something alive. A smooth curve swept across the cab like the wing of a bird mid-flight, and the grill at the front was engraved with the emblem of a crowned Valkyrie's helmet. The headlights gleamed like sharp eyes in the dark. It didn't just look built for speed and strength—it looked destined for battle. Majestic. Untouchable.
Hajime stared, stunned. The chill in his bones from earlier was gone, replaced with quiet awe.
"What's… her name?" he asked, unable to stop himself.
Driver 5 raised an eyebrow, slightly caught off guard by his question. A man acknowledging her truck with such admiration? That didn't happen every day. A smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"She's called Freya. Queen of the Valkyries."
"...She's as beautiful as her owner," Hajime murmured without thinking.
The moment the words left his mouth, he stiffened in horror. Had he said that out loud?
Cold sweat rolled down his back.
But instead of the scowl he braced for, she… smiled. A small, satisfied, almost teasing smile that only made things worse—or better? He couldn't tell. All he knew was that smile was dangerous.
"The name's Haruka Tajima," she said, folding her arms. "I'll be the one handling your training."
There was a brief pause as Hajime's brain struggled to process what was just said.
Training…?
Before he could ask what sort of training they he was going to do, she added quite nonchalantly,
"Oh and im one of the instructors".
His thoughts raced. She wasn't just a driver. She was one of them. One of the instructors.
From the little Rin had mentioned, that wasn't someone you wanted to mess with. They weren't ordinary employees. They were elite. People who'd been granted access to knowledge and power most drivers couldn't even comprehend, and he knew that they were always watching.
He forced a nervous laugh. "Is that something you're supposed to say so easily?"
Haruka chuckled. "Don't sweat the small stuff."
She jerked her head toward the truck. "Now hop in. We're heading out."
Hajime hesitated, but this time managed a sliver of confidence. "Where to?"
As they both entered Freya's cab, Haruka started up the engine. The truck's interior was just as impressive—trimmed with steel-blue lights and control panels that looked more suited to a starship than a transport vehicle.
"To an environment suitable for your training," she said, pulling onto the road. "Somewhere calm, quiet, and out of the way."
Hajime perked up. "Maybe like … a vacation?" He thought to himself.
Haruka smirked again. "I know exactly what you're imagining."
Hajime's eyes widened. Was she a mind-reader too?
"No," she added. "It's not a vacation. The place we're headed has a rich history of death and supernatural energy. We're going to Kyoto."
Hajime blinked. "Huh?"
"Specifically, the outskirts. You'll see."
He turned to look at her, mind spinning again. Did she have Analyze? Was she using it on him?
Before he could ask, she answered anyway.
"Nope. I don't have Analyze."
Another chill ran down his spine.
"Your face is just easy to read," she chuckled, merging onto the main road as the city began to fade behind them.
Hajime leaned against the window, letting the cool breeze touch his face. His mind wandered.
What should I name my truck? What kind of customizations would make it look cool—no, cool enough to stand beside Freya?
Would… Haruka like it?
The last thought jolted him. He nearly smacked himself. What the hell was that?
Have I finally lost it?
Meanwhile, back in the office, Rin stood in silence before the manager, visibly uneasy.
"You're really putting him through a whole week with that… warmonger?" he asked.
His tone was somewhere between concern and disbelief.
The manager didn't reply immediately.
"You expect so much from him… but do you truly think he's ready?" Rin continued, then narrowed his eyes. "Is the situation that bad? Bad enough to summon all nine instructors and even assign one to personally train a substitute driver?"
The manager met his gaze, equally serious now.
"My old friend," he said. "You and I both know what happens when Divine Energy is tampered with. And right now, there's an entire organization trying to make contact with it."
Rin's expression darkened. He turned to the window and stared outside as if seeing something far beyond the horizon.
"I see," he whispered. A thought passed through his mind, a memory—of something, precious that might be lost again if this went wrong.
"I get it," he finally said.
The manager nodded solemnly. "As usual, you'll stay in the shadows. Watch from afar. Intervene only when absolutely necessary… Instructor of the Illusive Way."
Then his voice shifted—calmer, more resolute.
"As for Hajime… Let's trust his training to Haruka. She is, after all, the Instructor of Valhalla's Forces."
That night, somewhere far from the ITA headquarters, Hajime awoke from an unexpected nap.
He didn't remember falling asleep. But as he rubbed his eyes and sat up, the view before him took his breath away.
They had arrived.
The moonlight shimmered across quiet hills and forested roads. The countryside air was crisp and silent, the stars above sharp and clear.
Before them stood an old steel gate with massive stone pillars. Etched into the surface in bold golden kanji was one word:
ヴァルハラ
VALHALLA.
And behind that gate… his training would begin.