Interlude I

Chapter 8: Setting the Board

-Ω-

When one of the staff members of St. Freya had asked for someone to tell them what happened in the city, Mei had stepped forward. She hadn't wanted to of course, it was just that there was no better option. Adam would have been the obvious choice, seeing as he was the de facto leader of the small group. Unfortunately he was currently unconscious in the medical bay and had shown no signs of waking up. Sakura would have the next obvious choice, being the eldest. However her amnesia was a glaring issue and she barely had a hold of who she was much less what had occurred.

The remainder of their group weren't any better. Sora was taking Adam's collapse hard, and refused to leave his side. Not that anyone would force a girl as young as her to go through an interrogation/ questioning session. Bronya was also not a great option. From what little Mei knew of the girl, she wasn't very talkative. If Mei was honest she was more worried that Bronya would summon her mechanical companion if she grew annoyed. That would be a disaster waiting to happen. That only left Kiana who, to Mei's disappointment, was the exact opposite. She didn't know when to stop talking. As much as she loved speaking with Kiana, the girl had a tendency to 'enhance the truth.' For everyone's sake it would be better if Mei took the role.

"Thank you for taking the time to speak with me." The red haired woman identified as Himeko said as she took a seat across the table from Mei. "I want to ask you a few questions so we can get a clearer picture of what happened in Nagazora. I would have rather not forced you if you weren't ready, but headquarters is being rather insistent. Are you well enough to speak?"

"I am." Her stomach was in knots and she felt like could sleep for a week, but she knew that wasn't the answer they wanted. Besides if she said no then they would only grab another one of her companions. They would get their answers one way or another and she was the best bet.

"Very well then let us begin. When did the incident occur?" Himeko fired off the first question and Mei responded in kind.

"It was yesterday, the eleventh. I was in school and…and…" The sharp memory of her transformation caused her to wince. She had felt the power, the lightning coursing through her body. The raw malignant power of Honkai washed over her, tearing away control of her body. She had felt the beings' hatred for humans, the delight in watching them squirmed, the rage as Adam fought for his life-

A strong hand grasped her shoulder and Mei sucked in a breath as she whirled around only to find Himeko beside her with a concerned expression. Mei gulped in air as the vivid memories faded leaving her in the present once more. Himeko shook her head, running a hand through her crimson tresses.

"I knew this was a bad idea, it hasn't even been two hours since you've left and you've had no rest. We can pick this up another time." Himeko caused Mei to snap to attention. She needed to answer now, or Kiana would be next on the chopping block.

"No, I'm sorry. I can continue." Mei quickly spoke up, stopping Himeko from leaving. The woman looked doubtful at her statement. She was clearly torn between giving Mei a chance to rest and getting the answers her supervisor had urgently demanded of her. Finally one side won out and Himeko remorsefully took her seat again.

"Can you tell me a little about your group?" Himeko's next question was clearly an attempt to distance Mei from her traumatic experience and she accepted it with a thankful nod.

"Well first is Kiana, who is a classmate of mine. She-" She described each member as best she could. Kiana was the easiest, having spent the most time with her by far. Adam was next, and she told Himeko what she felt was appropriate. His status as an ex-Valkyrja as well as his kind nature. Sora followed and she gave what small details she could without mentioning her parents. Finally came Bronya and Sakura, which she readily admitted to not knowing much about having only met them the day before.

The questions kept coming. She was asked about her experiences within the city as well as how they had survived. Where they had stayed for the night as well as the Raven individual that had saved Sora. She answered as truthfully as she could. It wouldn't help if she muddled the details and caused any confusion. They would probably ask Adam questions later on when he awoke as well, and if their stories didn't match it would breed distrust between them.

"And what of your plan?" Himeko asked as she continued to jot down Mei's answers. "It was ingenious, to say the least. Did Adam come up with the plan as well?"

"He did, though it only worked as well as it did because your ship was on a test flight." Mei had assumed that Himeko would only nod, surely these were the people Adam had been speaking with. However Himeko froze at Mei's words and her pen stopped mid word, clattering out of her hand. Mei's mouth clicked shut, suddenly worried she had spoken too much. Himeko's eyes snapped to hers and Mei flinched at the intensity. Moment's later Hikemo pull herself back taking in deep breaths.

"I'm sorry, what you just said surprised me." The apology didn't seem genuine and Mei's grip on her skirt tightened as Himeko continued. "The weapons that Kiana and you have. Where did your group acquire them from?" The question was worded innocently enough. But Mei still was nervous to answer. What should she say? Did Adam not contact the people at St. Freya? Did he want to keep his mystery contact a secret? Should she lie or would that incriminate her? There were too many questions swirling in her mind, but she needed to answer.

"They came in a care package." Mei admitted. "When we visited the shrine, it came from the skies filled with weapons and other equipment to defend ourselves." Once more Himeko paused, this time in contemplation, and Mei's anxiety reached new heights. "Weren't you the ones Adam was contacting?" She asked nervously. "Did I say something secret that I shouldn't have?"

"No, no, perhaps he contacted my superior. I must have not been informed." Himeko gave her a smile, but even Mei could tell it was fake. She swallowed, nerves causing her to shake. What had she done? Had she inadvertently revealed classified information and incriminated Adam in the process. Her breath hitched once more and she felt a chill run through her body. Himeko noticed her change and quickly spoke again.

"I'm sorry that these questions have been distressing you. I only need to ask one more and then you can leave." Mei gave a shaky nod and Himeko continued. "Did you come across any… extremely strong humanoid monsters?" It wasn't hard for Mei to realize the real question. She wasn't asking about the zombies that had wandered the streets, Himeko was asking if they had encountered the Herrscher. The monster that had caused the eruption, the same monster that now slept inside of her.

"I-" Mei struggled to answer. "Something like the plant girl on the roof?"

"Yes," Himeko nodded encouragingly. "Something very similar to that girl. We believe that there was something in the city that was even more dangerous and we wanted to know if you had any clues to help us find it." Her hand felt clammy and her words jammed in her throat. What would they do if she told them that she was the Herrscher? Would they imprison her? Kill her? Or would they dissect her piece by piece trying to find out how she ticked? Her hands grew clammy and shook. She should tell them the truth, that there was a monster inside her. It would be for everyone safety and the greater good, but…

"No, we didn't meet anything like that,'' she stated. "I'm not sure any of us could have survived if we did." She was scared, terrified on how they would react. How they would treat her if they knew the truth. Ignorant of her inner thoughts, Himeko nodded and jotted down her last note.

"Thank you for your time." Himeko said. "I can tell you're exhausted. Follow me and we can find you a place to rest with you companions. Please believe me that your answers will benefit us greatly in finding the monster that turned Nagazora into what it is."

"Yes," It was Mei's turn to give a fake smile. "I am happy that I could help." It couldn't hurt, this one white lie. Yes, no one needed to know. It would be her little secret.

-Ω-

Theresa watched from the viewing room as Adam's chest rose and fell. To think that she had been searching for him for months, only for him to drop into her hands without warning. The great irony of course was that despite having a multitude of questions to ask of him, he slept on, completely unaware of the world around him. It was frustrating but she would wait. There was no need to rush now that he was here. The door beside her opened and Iris, the head nurse, slipped in.

"How are they?" Theresa asked, shifting her gaze to the emerald-eyed woman. The nurse sighed tucking a raven lock behind her ear.

"The majority of the group is physically all right, aside from minor injuries and fatigue." Iris responded. "The boy is the problem. Several fractures as well as minor internal bleeding from a dislocated shoulder. He also took in a staggering amount of Honkai energy. The levels recorded from him are far beyond anything I have dealt with." Iris gave a shaky breath before continuing.

"Still his body is healing at a rapid pace, we think, due to his stigma. It is quite fortuitous and he hasn't shown any signs of zombification, so he must have a high tolerance to Honkai energy. I can't say for certain when he will awake but he is recovering at his own pace." With her report finished, the nurse excused herself to look after the other patients. Theresa gave a quick farewell before returning her gaze to Adam.

Himeko had given her a full report of what Mei had said and the result did not paint the best picture. There was a possibility, a large one if she was honest, that Adam was working with Anti-Entropy. She had, conveniently, deleted that from the report sent to her grandfather. No need for him to stick his nose into her school's affairs. Still he was a potential threat and she needed to speak with him to see where his allegiances lay.

"You have to wake up Adam, I have so many questions for you."

-Ω-

Otto starred dispassionately at the monitors, their dim light bathing his face in an almost otherworldly glow. A sea of green triangles surrounded a large red dot, his army of Valkyrja were in position to sweep through Nagazora. Except there was probably no longer a hours before, the Hyperion had invaded Nagazora's airspace and after a handful of minutes flew off. Around the same time the signal that had been giving off high amounts of Honkai, thought to be a Herrscher, had completely disappeared.

It was completely unprecedented. He had taken every precaution, meticulously planned each move, executed his actions perfectly and still come up with nothing to show for it. It was as if the gods were laughing at him, but Otto knew better. There were no gods. Years ago, he would have raged and lost his composure over such an upset. Now Otto gave a brief sigh over the inconvenience. He had lived for too long and lost too much for this to elicit much of a reaction.

"Amber," At his call, the white haired maiden appeared at his side.

"How can I assist Lord Overseer?"

"Give the order to retreat to all the soldiers stationed outside of Nagazora. There is no longer a need to scour the city." Otto saw her hesitate, but in the end she complied without questioning his orders. He leaned back into his chair, closing his eyes wearily. He could already see the complaints flowing in. He had sent a huge portion of Schicksal's active Valkyrja to Nagazora and spent millions to outfit them with the latest weapons and supplies. Only to call off everything at the last minute.

Perhaps he could still send in the scouts to save face. The report from the Far East Branch apparently indicated they had never come across the Herrscher, but he could see behind the smoke and mirrors. There had been multiple players active in Nagazora long before his army had arrived. They would have had the first chance to capture the Herrscher before anyone. Now that the signal had all but disappeared, it would be a fruitless effort to chase shadows. The risk of losing a Valkyrja to the warzone of Nagazora was too high. Besides, now that the Herrscher was gone, there were more important things to consider.

With practiced movements, Otto typed in a series of commands. His computer screen flickered presenting an image that had been taken from a street camera from a little more than a week ago. Tesla and Einstein were centerframe, walking down the streets of Nagazora. Their purpose for visiting the city was still unknown, but their mere presence was worrying enough. What had caused the pair to travel across the world to the bustling city of Nagazora? The obvious answer was the break in at ME, but that was too obvious. Otto frowned, a gloved hand tapping the desk in thought. Could it have been them who had set off the eruption? Unlikely knowing their distaste for mindless killing, but perhaps Anti-entropy wasn't as stable as it seemed. A splitter organization perhaps?

Then there was the interview with the survivor to consider. She had reported a meeting with a cloaked woman going by the name of Raven. To think that the eruption had even attracted the ever elusive World Serpent to come out of hiding. Perhaps it was them that had stolen the Herrscher away before Otto could react. It was certainly a possibility, but could a single agent hope to match a Herrscher?

Of course there was always the final possibility. That one of six survivors picked up from Nagazora contained the Herrscher he sought. There was Kiana of course who was a prime candidate, having a core already inside her, but this was a new eruption, not a reawakening.

It was also not the woman Sakura. Otto knew exactly who she was and it was shocking to find her here in the current era, but also very unlikely for her to be the next Herrscher.

That only left Raiden Mei the heiress of the ME corporation, Sora the young orphan, Bronya the mechanical maiden and Adam the enigma. It was tempting to take a guess, but it would be a pointless endeavor. None of the individuals showed any telling signs and trying to steal them away from Theresa's protection would cause more problems then not.

No, Otto would wait for a little longer. His opponents had already tipped their hands and he now knew the cards they held. He would have to plan and strategize but he would come out ahead in the end. After all, he had a mission to complete and he would not rest until he saw Kallen's smiling face again.

-Ω-

Theresa had learned many things from Otto's tutelage and it would be fair to say that she owed much if not everything she had to her grandfather. However if there was one thing that differed between the two it was their style of leadership.

Otto led from on high. His orders were absolute and he always had the last word. He had advisors of course but they could be ignored. He was a king in all but name. Theresa took a different approach. She had surrounded herself with those she could trust and rely on. She knew she was inexperienced and she often reached out to others to give their guidance on matters beyond her understanding. There were flaws to both systems of course, but Theresa often viewed her way as the correct one. One where she worked WITH her staff instead of them working for her. Of course there were times she could see the benefit of Otto's system. When a decision was unlikely to go her way, she wished for Otto's absolute authority.

At times like those all she could do was power on.

"Thank you all for coming today." Theresa allowed her voice to echo around the room she was in. Before her sat six others, seated at the table with a myriad of emotions across their faces. These six were Theresa's trusted group, which she had slowly gathered over the years. It was with them that she built St. Freya's to what it was today. All major decisions regarding the school were passed by them. From the budget and to the new courses to teach, to training weapons and new hires. These six plus Theresa made the core of St. Freya.

To her right sat Himeko, head of Combat Training and all related activities. Beside her was Iris, head nurse and head of the medical department. She also taught classes on health on the side. The last on the right was Joachim Nokianvirtanen, head of the history department. Brown haired with a pair of glasses, the young man had quickly risen from his position as a new hire and gotten to his position in record time.

On Theresa's left was Sarah Delong, head of the literature department. A bookish woman with a sharp tongue and a sharper mind, she was often a stickler for the rules. Beside her was Tung Lou, a bear of a man with a brown bearded face to match. The area of mathematics was his responsibility as well as the treasurer. Lastly was Sherry Deluna, the blond head of the sciences. As one, the group looked to Theresa who began after a moment to collect herself.

"As you all know this is a meeting to discuss what happened during the rescue attempt as well as the survivors that were evacuated from Nagazora." Thesea gestured to Himeko, who nodded and began.

"On the eleventh of February, we received a distress signal originating from Nagazora. As the Hyperion was already on a test flight, we responded to the signal and were able to rescue six individuals." The screens around the conference room flickered and the set of familiar faces appeared. "Once there all were abroad the Hyperion exited Nagazora's airspace and returned here to St. Freya's."

"I was under the assumption that the main force of Schicksal would be taking care of Nagazora," Sherry said. "Were we not given explicit orders not to interfere?"

"The wording of the order left some wiggle room in regards to responding to distress signals," Sarah responded by straightening her glasses. "So we technically didn't break any rules, however we certainly breached them in spirit." She leveled a glare at Himeko who simply shrugged.

"We worked with Schicksal in the aftermath and gave a full report of what we learned from Raiden Mei." Theresa quickly stepped in to defuse the tension. "There shouldn't be any push back from headquarters." The answer seemed to work as the table once again grew silent. Taking the opportunity Joachim spoke up.

"What is the plan for the survivors?" He asked, causing Theresa to inwardly flinch. It had been brought to the table too quickly, but there was nothing she could do.

"I was planning on having them attend St. Freya. Except for Adam, all of them have already agreed to the idea." Her words immediately sparked a wave of chatter from those assembled and she clapped her hands gathering their attention. "I can understand that there are some issues, that is why I called this meeting. Please, let us discuss and not argue like children."

"I'll start," Tung Lou's gravelly voice bellowed. "Who is paying the way for these new students? There are fees to be paid and I have the feeling none of them have the finances to meet them. And before you say scholarships we don't have room in the budget to hand out more. They will have to prove their worth if they want them." A slam rocked the table causing Tung Lou to jump. Theresa thought it was Himeko, but it was the nurse who was staring down the treasurer.

"Are you saying that you expect a group of children who lost their families, city and probably everything they've even known to a Honkai eruption to pay for tuition?" Iris asked with a scowl painted across her normally pretty face. "These children are grieving and all you can think about is money!?"

"No one envies their situation." Sherry broke in. "However, he does pose a legitimate point. Theresa, see about contacting Schicksal about some relief funds. I believe they have policies in place for these types of situations. I am sure they have enough for the school's tuition and more." Theresa nodded her thanks and took notes.

"While I believe that taking in the survivors is justified considering the circumstances, I don't believe all of them should be allowed to stay." Sarah stated, bringing the table to a standstill.

"Oh, and who would those individuals be?" Himeko asked with narrowed eyes. The literature teacher met the Valkyrja's gaze with little trouble.

"The three girls, Raiden Mei , Bronya Zaychik and Kiana Kaslana are all fine," Sarah intoned. "However I want to bring attention to the remaining three. For example the young girl Sora, are we expected to teach her as well?"

"I agree she is too young to teach," Iris broke in. "But are you suggesting that we send her to an orphanage? She had just lost her family and separating her from those she trusts will have a devastating effect on her psyche. Surely we can have her stay with the girls at the very least."

"Then we will put it to a vote." Theresa said. "Those for allowing Sora to stay with the girls?" Five hands were raised in favor, including Theresa's own. "Those Against?" Two were raised in opposition. "Then she stays. Who else should we discuss?"

"The woman with rabbit ears." Tung Lou called. "I believe her name was Sakura. Amnesia aside, she is too old for the academy. Are we making a special allowance for her or should we send her on to Schicksal?"

"Actually I was thinking of taking her on as an assistant teacher." Himeko announced. "Her skills with her blade are second to none and she moves like a trained Valkyrja." Tung Loa made to interrupt but Himeko beat him to the punch. "We were already looking for more staff in my department, your precious budget will be fine." Tung Loa fell back with a scowl.

"All for… all against? 4-3, Sakura stays." Theresa sighed. She had pushed it off long enough. It was time to discuss the last survivor. The one she desperately wanted to stay, but she doubted her staff would agree. "What of Adam?"

"This is an all girls school isn't it?" Sherry asked. "He can't attend school here."

"That's not true." Theresa quickly corrected. "We have simply never had a male with a high enough resistance sign up. I wouldn't discount him a chance because of his gender."

"I say send him to Schicksal." Sarah declared. "He is an ex-Valkyrja, no? He has no reason to study to become one if he already has the credentials. Besides I think we can all agree having a male student won't be doing us any favor. Our students are off that age after all and adding a male to the mix will only give us more headaches." Tung Loa nodded his head satisfied and even Iris seemed convinced. Himeko shot Theresa a worried look, but said nothing of her own.

"Very well, let us begin the vot-"

"Actually may I add something?" Joachim interrupted with a small smile. "I think by sending Adam away we will be missing a great opportunity. We have the chance to welcome an ex-Valkyrja into our school so why not embrace it?" His declaration was met with not outright rejection, but contemplative silence. At this, Joachim continued.

"I agree that it would be a waste to teach a student who already knows the material. I propose we make him a tokubetsu student, a student that can be given additional duties as we assign them."

"Are you suggesting we hire an ex-Valkyrja to be a glorified teacher's aid?" Tung Loa asked with a scoff.

"You're thinking too small." Joachim countered. "In several months I will be taking my classes to some historical ruins. Now we could pay a team Valkyrja to go and clear the ruins of any Honkai beasts or…"

"We can get a skilled ex-Valkyrja who works for us to do it for free," Himeko gasped. "We could do the same for my classes survival exercises, we could send Adam ahead to research and survey the area before our students arrive."

"Would he have the skills?" Sarah countered. "This seems like a lot for a child to be doing."

"If he is truly an ex-Valkyrja like he claimed then his skills will be more than enough." Theresa argued. "We teach the same things here at the school after all. He would need to be tested of course but I believe he is more than skilled enough." She looked over the teachers who seemed to be exchanging nods.

"The let us vote! All for!" All seven hands raised and Theresa could have cried tears of joy.

-Ω-

Adam awoke with a groan, head pounding painfully in his skull. He squeezed his eyes shut as his hand instinctively came up to clutch his head. What was happening? Instead of panic, Adam replayed his most recent memories. The Hyperion had arrived and everyone had tried to board the ship. He had been held back and the ship had left without him. He had returned to the roof to eliminate the pseudo-Herrscher only for the Hyperion to return for him. Yes he had fainted right after.

Eyes peeking open, he recognized where he was. The nurse's office at St. Freya's academy. He hadn't been a frequent visitor but he had been here enough time to identify it on sight. The light beside him gave a dim glow allowing his eyes to see somewhat through the darkness. The other beds were empty to his relief. Hopefully that meant the other hadn't needed much medical care. Still he needed to get a better grasp on his situation.

Aside from his sole light, the rest were turned off and no light leaked through the windows. It was probably night then, which meant that the staff had probably retired for the evening. He moved to get out of bed, but his strength left him and he collapsed back into the covers. Great…now what.

"I wouldn't try that if I were you." A voice from the darkness jolted Adam to attention. His eyes searched the murky blackness until a form emerged. He took in a breath as he recognized the figure.

"Welt Yang." Adam said to himself more than anything. Still the man heard him and smiled.

"Yes, and I have several questions to ask you, Adam Fontaine." He took a seat next to his bedside. "Like how you know who I am, what Anti-Entropy is and why you lied to Tesla and Einstein to join us." His smile darkened as sparks of red energy dance between his finger tips. "And you better have a really good explanation or you are going to have a very bad time."

-Ω-

Has it really been a month? Time flies I suppose when someone is busy. Had been planning to attend a wedding for the better part of a year and was lucky enough to have family that lived nearby the venue. The week of the wedding, I got a call saying that the family had caught covid and would be unable to host my stay.

Que full on panic as I researched the nearest hotels and airbnb. Unfortunately it was a small town and everything was already booked months in advance. Several calls and a quick internet search later finally found me the last hotel room in a small town about an hour's drive from the venue. At least I made it to the wedding in one piece, so hooray I guess

Still I am pleased with how the chapter panned out. The original trio return as students, Sakura gets a teaching position and Sora survives the ordeal with her memory intact. I will be going into detail about Adam's special student position in the next chapter. It is to give him a degree of freedom from what I have planned.

Also no bomb in Mei chest this time around, which mean no failsafe if the Herrscher of Thunder awakens… But what sick individual would do such a thing? Deliberately leaving a gaping hole to be exploited for future content. Not me surely, I would never dream of such a thing.

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