News of the open rebellion spread rapidly throughout the fleet and to St. Freya Academy's headquarters. Just as predicted, no one objected. The only confusion among the Valkyries who hadn't grasped the situation was whether the Headmaster was acting too hastily by rebelling now...
"Why did the Headmaster suddenly rebel? Even with Miss Wendy backing the Branch now, we're still lacking... like legitimacy for claiming the Schicksal inheritance, right?"
At the Academy, Valkyries were busy transferring massive amounts of supplies and equipment onto the refitting Hyperion, as if they planned to empty the entire Branch and roam the world.
"What do you know? Anti-Entropy's Alliance Leader is rumored to be a Herrscher. Now that we have our own Herrscher, what's so strange about jumping ship and starting anew?"
"You wouldn't understand, up there. What do you mean by 'start anew'? Lord Otto, the current Schicksal Overseer, is said to be over two hundred years old. If the Headmaster keeps clinging to her position as Branch Head, she'll be stuck there forever."
"Exactly! Who ever heard of a crown prince ruling for eighty years? Let's rise up and overthrow that old hag today!"
From the above conversation, it's clear that the Valkyries of the Far East Branch are all born rebels...
"Wait a minute! Eighty years?! Is the Headmaster really that old? Our adorable Headmaster will always be twelve, okay?!"
"Wake up, dreamer! Didn't she trick you into buying her candy again the other day by pretending to be young? The old lady's nearly fifty!"
"Hey, speaking of that, isn't the Hyperion's refit being overseen by those two Anti-Entropy Doctors?"
"Yeah, yeah! That red-haired one is always so irritable. Shouldn't scientists be calm and composed?"
"Clearly you have the wrong idea about scientists. Just yesterday, the research departments of the Far East Branch got into a brawl in the training grounds over which power supply circuit to use in the new equipment. Even I, a full-fledged Valkyrie, was scared watching them."
"Good grief, talking about physics—literally?"
"Never mind that. Did none of you notice the handsome guy next to the blue-haired Doctor?"
"Handsome guy?! Where?! Where?!"
The moment news of a handsome guy spread, the chat channel erupted into chaos. Valkyries near the airport temporarily abandoned their duties, frantically looking around.
"Hold on, hold on! You bunch of ravenous wolves! Don't scare the poor guy! Besides, he's already taken—by the blue-haired Doctor. I think her name was Einstein? What are you crazy lunatics planning?!"
"Tch, he's taken already? ...Guess I'll move on."
"So what if he's taken?! Can't I still fantasize? Where's the handsome guy? Let me get a glimpse so I have something to dream about tonight!"
"Seriously? You'd be better off finding someone of the same gender... At least the Academy has plenty of those."
"Enough nonsense! Where's the handsome guy?!"
"You're hopeless...lower deck of the Hyperion."
-
Sensing the familiar prying gaze from around the deck corner in the distance, the indigo-haired youth sighed helplessly and rubbed his temples.
"How many is that today?"
Dr. Einstein, engrossed in debugging the newly installed modules on the Hyperion with her data tablet, asked without looking up from beside Joyce.
"That's the 22nd... and that's just the ones who are merely peeking... Are young people in this era really this bold?"
Joyce carried a small bag filled with love letters, small gifts, and even a pair of panties—sent by the more daring Valkyries. Oh, that one's just a female pervert; ignore her.
"I've only been away from Earth for less than fifty years... and kids are already this... forward?"
The young man's face flushed crimson as he pulled the "freshly worn" panties from the bag. His arm trembled slightly before he decisively used his ability to incinerate them with merciful finality.
"Ah, at least this means you're still the type that little girls adore, Joyce..."
"I wish I weren't so popular..."
The Alliance Leader, whose head had swollen several times its original size, was already regretting having come along.
"Hmph, buck up, Joyce! At least there's still that old bastard at Schicksal Headquarters waiting for you to punch him in the face!"
Tesla, having finished her work in the distance, strode over, her voice sharp with irritation.
"By the way, that little runt is charging Schicksal Headquarters with just a handful of people? Isn't that a ridiculously small force?"
"We don't need to worry about that... the Vice-Captain of the Divine Authority Squad, dispatched by the Lord Overseer, is no clueless nobody."
"The entire Divine Authority Squad?" Tesla exclaimed, incredulous.
"The whole thing. The Overseer seems to be in a desperate hurry—he didn't even split the squad for different missions. Sometimes, being too hasty backfires—just look now. An entire Valkyrie Force capable of confronting the Immortal Blades is also converging on Headquarters."
Einstein nodded in agreement.
"Ha! He deserved it! Joyce, remember to give that blond bastard a good uppercut—preferably one that knocks out his teeth!"
It seems... the Lobster Doctor is still as fiery as ever.
-
Meanwhile, high above, aboard the cloaked and silent Nibelungen, Kyuusyou concluded a communication and turned to address the members of the Divine Authority Squad gathered below the bridge.
"Just now, Theresa Apocalypse, Branch Head of the Far East Branch, declared her rebellion and launched an uprising."
Silence fell over the bridge as all eyes turned to Kyuusyou, awaiting further instructions from the acting captain.
"According to orders from Schicksal Headquarters, we need to intercept the Hermes, where Branch Head Theresa is currently located, and persuade her to stand down."
The Valkyries below remained silent, still awaiting Kyuusyou's next command.
"Tch, how boring..."
Gazing at the eerily quiet bridge, Kyuusyou curled her lip in annoyance before issuing her true directive:
"Divine Authority Force, all units, target the Schicksal Branch! I mean—isn't it perfectly normal for our peace-keeping efforts to escalate into a full-blown battle at headquarters?"
"Wooo-hoo!"
A roar of cheers erupted from the crowd below.
"Ahem, settle down!" Kyuusyou temporarily interrupted the cheering.
"I know some of you newcomers may harbor grievances against headquarters, but you're still hesitant to openly defy the Overseer. After all, we lack a legitimate claim—"
"So, let me tell you something about your true Captain, the S-rank Valkyrie Snow. Though most of you have never met her—"
"The Divine Authority Squad's Captain's full name is Snow Apocalypse. She's the Overseer's own daughter—yes, his biological daughter! We have a completely legitimate and compelling claim now!"
"Since when has there ever been an Overseer who rules for five centuries?! Schicksal warriors, assemble your forces! Let's charge!!!"