Ana has been quite busy recently.
After leaving the construction site, her friends would often invite her to farewell dinners, either in groups or one-on-one. She found herself attending three meals a day in different areas of the base. It was exhausting, and she was always full.
"Hiccup~~ Sister Lisa, I'll miss you."
"Don't be silly! Just work hard in the combat department and don't waste your talents here on the construction site. I'm limited in my abilities. When I had my physical examination, my fitness and Honkai resistance were extremely poor. Otherwise, I'll have joined the military too."
"Really? But you're already a construction site supervisor. Why would you want to join the army? Fighting isn't fun. When I was in Manila, I was terrified. Now, when I think back, I feel like I embarrassed the A-rank Valkyries. I just hope I can become a qualified pilot. Otherwise, I might not be so lucky next time, and Captain Kella won't swoop down from the sky to save the day."
Ana muttered, feeling both guilty and worried.
The Eruption in Manila was her first time facing such a large-scale disaster.
As the vice-captain of the Snow Lotus Squad, Ana was ashamed of her performance. She often thought that if it weren't for the Iron Pilot Column's divine intervention, she might have panicked and fled, abandoning the civilians in need and becoming a disgraceful deserter.
Perhaps this is why she preferred staying at the construction site. Here, she didn't have to think about her worth as a Valkyrie.
Here, she could simply work hard and see the East Shenzou Sea Base she had helped build grow bigger and more beautiful. It was simple but proved her value directly.
Lisa, the foreman who had always taken care of Ana and gotten along well with her, patted her on the shoulder with a hearty smile.
"Hahaha! You'll be fine, I'm sure of it!"
"Hehe, I'll do my best."
Ana placed one hand on her bloated stomach, scratched her head with the other, and smiled awkwardly.
Lisa's smile remained, but her eyes dimmed as she tilted her head and poured the last sip of beer from her can.
"Do you know why I went for the physical examination to join the army?"
"Huh?"
"I used to be an ordinary office worker. Every day, I endured the boss's nonsense and made empty promises to my subordinates. I faced a pile of tiring, meaningless work and received a salary that seemed okay but felt unearned... Honestly, I was content. After all, I was safe, had my family, and had friends. Then the Honkai happened, and I lost everything. All I had left was my life. How could I not want to be a soldier after that?"
"Sister Lisa..."
Ana's good mood vanished, but she didn't know how to comfort her.
"It's all in the past. I'm fine. If I hadn't moved on, would you still see me on the construction site?"
"Sorry, it's my fault."
"There's nothing to apologize for. If you stick around, you'll notice that Uncle Hu from the canteen often sits by the beach late at night, thinking of his deceased daughter. Brother Yili, who guards the construction site, occasionally buys a bouquet of roses and throws them into the sea for his lover who's gone to another world. People like us usually have two things in common: we're talented in some way, but we've lost something to the Honkai."
Lisa shook the empty can and smiled, but Ana didn't feel any happiness in that smile af all.
"Anti-Entropy took in the unlucky survivors like us, letting those who can fight do so, and those who can't, help in other ways. I don't know about others, but for me, as long as I can fight against Honkai, I'll do anything!"
"Sister Lisa, don't be like this."
"Ana, I know what an A-rank Valkyrie is. I don't know how you came to Anti-Entropy, but whether it's Schicksal or Anti-Entropy, we're all here to fight Honkai. So keep fighting and come back anytime you miss the cafeteria food. Everyone will welcome you!"
Lisa seemed to be drunk, staggering away as soon as she finished speaking.
Ana sat for a while before getting up to pay, feeling a mix of emotions.
The money wasn't an issue. Though she had gone from being a wealthy heiress to a professional wage-earner she still treated money as a trivial matter.
What really occupied her thoughts was what Lisa had said.
Most of the Anti-Entropy staff had some connection to Honkai, which was a sad misfortune. This revealed just how many people had been hurt by the Honkai and how terrifying and hateful it was.
The responsibilities and missions she had been taught since childhood suddenly became clear and three-dimensional to her eyes.
"Ana, there's not enough money on your card."
"Huh?"
Ana's realization was abruptly interrupted by a harsher reality.
She had spent too much last month. Although her salary had skyrocketed after becoming a pilot, it wasn't payday yet!
Fortunately, the boss smiled and waived her bill.
Blushing, Ana lowered her head and left the restaurant, feeling embarrassed and ashamed.
"Bang!"
Even though she didn't see anyone around, Ana clearly felt she had bumped into someone.
Looking down, she saw a little girl lying in front of her, limbs spread out, trembling abnormally.
The girl's eyes, with heavy dark circles, were rolled back, and her green curly hair was as messy as seaweed. Her petite body, resembling that of a junior high or elementary school student, was dressed in a sailor school uniform with a large white coat on top. It was a strange sight, but also oddly cute.
But that wasn't the point.
The point was that Ana was horrified to see the little girl at her feet start foaming at the mouth.
"Oh my god! She's dying!!!"
...
Half an hour later, in the living room of Cocolia's house, Ana held a warm cup of milk in her hands, staring blankly at the little girl in a white coat who was nodding off repeatedly.
"So, you stayed up for several days doing experiments, flew all the way from inland Siberia to the East Shenzou Sea, and then fainted? It really wasn't because I knocked you out?"
"From a universal rational standpoint, we weren't running at the time, so the collision's kinetic energy was negligible. How could I be knocked out?"
"That's a relief. I was scared to death... No, how old are you? It's not good for your health to stay up like this!"
"Biologically, I'm 16 years old. Besides, I'm used to staying up late, so don't worry."
The girl in the white coat, who introduced herself as Yssring Leavtruth, said this as she drank the milk in her hand, leaving a funny white foam on her upper lip.
Ana: "Pffft!"
Yssring: "Huh? What are you laughing at?"
Ana: "Nothing."
Yssring looked at Ana with her pale blue eyes full of fatigue and frustration. She stared for a long while, then started nodding off again.
Ana was curious but also concerned, so she spoke worriedly. "Why don't you lie down and sleep for a while? You seem like you're on the verge of collapse."
"Don't... don't worry. I've taken medicine; I won't die suddenly."
"...Are you really taking medicine just to prevent sudden death?!"
"You'll get used to it. By the way, are you a Schariac?"
"Uh, yes, I am."
"When my lab is set up, could you come by? I haven't studied a Schariac yet, hehe."
Yssring's smile was a little goofy, and while there was no malice in it, Ana couldn't shake the feeling that she was being sized up like a lab rat.