On the rooftop of St. Freya High School's central teaching building, a place usually deserted, was now bustling with activity.
Because today was the day of the Far East Branch's semi-annual Valkyrie Rank-Up Exam.
Although this training ground on top of the church was also used for some important combat exams, the atmosphere at this moment was clearly more solemn.
In addition to the students taking the exam, many students aspiring to become B-rank Valkyries had also arrived early to wait in the spectator seats, accumulating experience for their future exams.
Even members of many active Valkyrie squads would choose to come and watch, to see if there were any promising new talents in this round of exams.
Furthermore, it was said that an S-rank Valkyrie from headquarters would be observing this time, which caused the already limited spectator seats to be filled to capacity long ago, forcing many latecomers to stand in the aisles.
It had to be said that, setting aside Theresa's reservations about Otto, the relationship between Schicksal headquarters and the Far East Branch was still quite close. At the very least, headquarters had never been short on resource allocation for the Far East Branch, and even the newest models of battleships were prioritized for equipping the Far East Branch.
And for all these reasons, it was not surprising that an S-rank Valkyrie from headquarters could have such high popularity here.
After all, S-rank Valkyries were extremely rare even at headquarters, let alone in a branch. Even Theresa, who often called herself an S-rank Valkyrie, was only recorded as an A-rank Valkyrie before her retirement.
Although there were many people present and they were curious about the S-rank Valkyrie, fortunately, everyone was very harmonious and friendly. No one thought that the woman in the maid outfit was unworthy of the title of S-rank Valkyrie and wanted to pick a fight with Rita to prove that they too had strength comparable to the organization's top-tier S-rank Valkyries.
Seeing how popular Rita was in the center of the crowd, a certain white-haired fluffball couldn't help but puff up her cheeks, her blue eyes darting around as she muttered, "So that's an S-rank Valkyrie? If I could fight her, I could prove my strength. As long as I defeat that Rita, how could Theresa still dare to not..."
As she fantasized, the white-haired girl couldn't help but giggle.
Noticing Kiana's silly smile, Mei resisted the urge to move away, poked her slightly puffed-out cheek, and said with a sigh, "Kiana~"
"Eh?" Kiana, who was fantasizing about stomping an S-rank Valkyrie under her foot, came back to her senses, wiped the transparent liquid from the corner of her mouth, and asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
"Why isn't Ming Yu here yet? The exam has already started," the long, straight-haired girl asked, her beautiful eyebrows furrowed slightly, showing her anxious mood.
"How should I know? Maybe he overslept," Kiana said rather casually. Although she knew Mei was just ordinarily concerned, she still felt a little annoyed in her heart.
Moreover, the mere fact that Ming Yu was making Mei worry was enough to anger the great Miss Kiana. (?`~′?)
"That's something only the great idiot Kiana would do." The little lolita with spiral twin tails on the other side said without emotion, casting a disdainful glance at the white-haired fluffball.
Although her figure was more petite than the white-haired girl's, with the help of the robot named Project Bunny, she effortlessly completed the disdainful look.
Watching the two who never missed a chance to bicker, Mei couldn't help but facepalm and let out a long sigh.
In reality, the three of them vaguely knew that something must have happened to Ming Yu yesterday, and it was related to the so-called Divine Key, Abyss Flower.
Since yesterday, they hadn't seen Ming Yu again, and even Hiyokumaru had disappeared.
But the three of them had no way of finding out any more information.
Himeko refused to disclose any details, only saying that Ming Yu was undergoing secret special training. And Theresa was simply nowhere to be found, even skipping her usual mooching for meals several times.
They had waited anxiously until the exam time, but Ming Yu didn't show up even after the theory test ended. It even seemed like he might miss the combat exam as well.
If he missed the combat exam too, Ming Yu would have to wait half a year for the next one. Even Theresa would find it difficult to just place someone directly into the Valkyrie squads.
After all, the Far East Branch wasn't Theresa's personal fiefdom. Even with her high prestige, there were times when she had to follow the rules.
Although Kiana and the other two didn't think a six-month delay was a big deal, Theresa and Ming Yu didn't seem to see it that way.
Both Theresa and Ming Yu seemed to attach great importance to this exam, even showing a sense of urgency.
And as time went by, Ming Yu's name appeared on the large central virtual screen.
Seeing the male photo on the screen, the Valkyries present began to discuss among themselves.
"There's actually a male participating in the Valkyrie squads. What on earth are those screening Valkyries doing?"
"A male, huh? Does he really have what it takes to go to the battlefield? Won't he turn into a Honkai Zombie right away?"
"What a hassle. I hope he doesn't get assigned to our squad, or we'll have another burden."
For most Valkyries, on the Honkai battlefield, males were basically synonymous with Honkai Zombies. Those creatures, who held a considerable advantage in the ordinary world, were merely fragile items in need of protection in the real world of Honkai.
Although they had heard that at headquarters there was a group of people called Kaslanas, where even the men possessed the ability to fight against the Honkai, that was ultimately too distant, and in their eyes, it was just a rumor.
Besides, the young man before them was clearly not some legendary Kaslana, so one couldn't expect these Valkyries, bound by traditional perceptions, to hold much hope for Ming Yu.
Every year, quite a few Valkyries turn into Honkai Zombies on the battlefield, let alone men who have always had poor Honkai Energy resistance.
Hearing the surrounding discussion, Rita, sitting in the front row, maintained her standard smile and asked Theresa beside her with a grin, "Lady Theresa, what are your thoughts on this young man named Ming Yu?"
"Hehe~" Looking at Rita's perfect smile, Theresa showed no courtesy at all, responding with a light laugh, "I, on the other hand, would like to know what Lord Overseer thinks of him."
Rita's smile faltered for a moment, and she knew she wouldn't get the answer she wanted from Theresa. But she didn't mind, and continued to look at the empty training ground, as if her question had never been asked.
And Ming Yu's absence was finally noticed by the many Valkyries, quickly sparking another round of heated discussion.
It had to be said that although Ming Yu's male identity easily attracted attention in the predominantly female Valkyrie squads, the current level of buzz was a bit too high, and almost all of it was negative commentary. Although he had not yet joined this group, he had quickly accumulated a large amount of popularity, even if he himself did not want it.
Himeko, who was presiding over the exam, looked at the still empty examination field, frowned, and cast her gaze towards Theresa, but received no response.
According to the rules, if a student did not show up on time, they would be directly disqualified. After all, someone without even this basic sense of time would naturally not be recognized by the Valkyrie squads, which pursued rigor and efficiency.
Sighing, Himeko was about to announce Ming Yu's disqualification. But when she opened her mouth, the words that came out were: "The exam will... continue!"
As soon as her voice fell, a short-haired figure in a silver uniform lightly leaped from the edge of the circular training ground and landed steadily in the center.