Chapter 85 - Beyond Reach

The next day, the sky was clear and the breeze gentle.

As the only school in the Far East dedicated to training Valkyries and with the dean being the beloved granddaughter of the Schicksal Archbishop.

Saint Freya Academy naturally received an annual budget that other branches could only dream of.

People called it an Academy City, though it couldn't quite compare to that one Academy City where a certain spiky-haired boy lived.

Still, the scale of the campus was far beyond what one might think of as a mere academy.

The architecture and layout were both grand and magnificent.

From above, one could see Baroque-style buildings sprawling across the land, and streets that spread out like hanging willow branches.

Of course, the most eye-catching sight was the playful flocks of girls running around the sports field.

Nagami easily spotted the familiar scene from his memories: the lush green lawn, the neat mosaic pathways, the white chapel-like academic buildings, and the elegant, expansive central garden square.

But seeing it in real life, he realized it was several times larger than how it appeared in the game.

As they descended to a safe altitude, the massive floating battleship shed its stealth field, revealing its sleek, streamlined steel form.

Even before landing, the ship's doors slowly opened, and several figures leapt out.

The Hyperion closed its doors once more and lifted back into the air.

"So this is Saint Freya, huh? It really does look impressive," Nagami remarked, gently setting down Mei, who was still a bit stiff in his arms.

He then turned his attention to the small white-haired girl who had just landed ahead of them—Theresa, with the massive golden cross strapped to her back, which was nearly bigger than she was.

Intricate patterns were carved into the cross, as if golden light flowed within.

Behind them, C.C. used her Alpha Stigma Eye to scrutinize Judah's Oath, the key of constraint that Theresa wielded.

She had gotten into the habit of using the Alpha Stigma Eye to inspect everything new—who knew what skills she might snag for free?

"Of course," Theresa said with a soft smile, nodding to the curious students who had gathered to watch.

"I founded this academy to help Valkyries understand the beauty of the world. If they never experience beauty, then the phrase 'fighting for all that is beautiful' is nothing but an empty slogan."

"Fighting for all that is beautiful, huh…" Nagami murmured to himself.

If it was just Saint Freya, he could believe that it truly embodied this ideal.

But if Schicksal tried to claim that same slogan…he couldn't help but laugh.

"How does this place compare to the Saint Freya Academy in your world?" C.C. asked quietly, her golden eyes glimmering as she leaned closer to "Sirin" beside her.

The sudden closeness, the warm breath brushing her delicate ear—it was enough to send the young lady's heart racing wildly.

"It… it feels like it might be even better. The Valkyries here seem to have a much easier time than the ones in my world," she admitted.

Her cheeks involuntarily flushing a lovely pink as she twirled a lock of her long white hair around her finger.

"I see."

C.C. hadn't told her the full story of Honkai Gakuen 2 for one reason.

She herself only had a basic understanding of that world. She'd never played it in depth, and the details eluded her.

But from the young lady's answer, it was obvious—Honkai Gakuen 2's world was far worse off than Honkai Impact 3's.

And if Honkai Gakuen 2's world wasn't just another leaf on the Imaginary Tree, then perhaps the Honkai there wasn't a test at all, but pure disaster.

That might also explain why the Herrschers there were so terrifying compared to the ones here.

One was like a college professor who just wanted you to pass the class; the other was a terrorist who wanted you dead.

Mei, ever vigilant, looped her slender, jade-like arms around Nagami's arm, wary of the hungry looks some Valkyries were already casting his way.

The silky-smooth warmth of her touch didn't elicit much of a reaction from Nagami himself.

He took in the scene around them—truly worthy of the name Saint Freya. Everywhere he looked, he saw beautiful girls, each seemingly more stunning than the last.

And since there were almost no men in the academy, the girls' outfits were daring, their slender, flawless legs peeking out from under sheer dresses that shimmered like porcelain in the sun.

It was enough to make anyone's heart skip a beat.

Any single one of these girls would have been a goddess of beauty back in Nagami's original world—yet here, they were everywhere, almost overwhelming in their numbers.

Honkai energy was good for something, it seemed.

Sensing her master's thoughts, the vast reserves of Honkai energy within Nagami's body hummed with excitement, like a loyal dog being praised by its beloved goddess.

Inside C.C., the Honkai energy flared to life too, a pure, crystalline glow that made her already snow-pale skin shine like the finest jade.

Subtle, almost imperceptible changes were happening to certain parts of the girl's body—adjustments that pushed her already graceful and exquisite figure to the very limits of biology and physics.

'Tch! Pink Elf lady this is a discrimination to all men out there!'

For a moment, he was at a loss for words.

Theresa slid her delicate fingers over the terminal screen, then turned her small figure towards them, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Because of how special and important you all are, I've picked out a new villa for you to stay in."

She gestured to Himeko, who was dressed in her usual uniform, and her tone carried a rare note of responsibility.

"Himeko will take you there in a moment. I need to handle some paperwork for your identities first."

"Such blatant favoritism, huh? This kind of special treatment is just so… cough cough shameless!"

It was obviously a favor for her niece, but given how unusual Nagami's group was, it wasn't exactly undeserved.

Led by Himeko, they began walking toward the place that would be their home for quite some time.

Along the way, girls passing by would occasionally greet Himeko, their teacher, and unsurprisingly, every single one of them turned to stare at the group.

There was no one ordinary in their team—each of them could easily hear the hushed whispers of the beautiful girls around them.

"Wow! There's actually a boy here! A boy our age! And he's so handsome!"

"Wait, don't you think that green-haired girl is insanely cool? Like a real witch! Ahhh, she looked at me! She looked at me! Step on me, big sis, step on me all you want…!"

The last girl was quickly dragged away by her friend, a hand over her mouth.

"Huh? Now that you mention it, I haven't seen her before. Which class is she in?"

"Who cares which class—she's mine from now on!"

…

Besides these relatively tame comments, a few of the more… uninhibited Valkyries were saying things that left even Nagami stunned.

Every girl who locked eyes with him would give him a sweet, dazzling smile.

He couldn't deny that it was starting to scare him a little.

Those smiles were as bright as the sun, but Nagami could sense the unsettling intensity lurking just beneath them.

St. Freya was a deep, deep pool—he wasn't sure he could handle it, even with two lifetimes of experience.

Feeling the soft, warm weight of beautiful girls clinging to both of his arms, Nagami was grateful for the protective presence of the girls closest to him.

Mei had wrapped herself around his left arm, the "tunaKiana had latched onto his right arm and C.C.'s left arm, while the proud "Sirin" (Heiress Kiana) was holding onto C.C.'s right arm, her eyes fixed firmly on Nagami.

Bronya hovered quietly behind them, her expression one of quiet amazement at the sight.

Thanks to this protective barrier of affectionate girls, the Valkyries of St. Freya weren't exactly eager to rush up and strike up a conversation.

After all, even though the academy was full of beautiful girls, none of them could truly compare to the radiant, otherworldly beauty of the girls standing at Nagami's side.