Archive of Our Own

“Where is it? This place is kinda like a labyrinth at this rate. Ugh.”

A young man clad in a simple formal outfit, assigned to recruit officers, walked through the halls, looking left and right for any tell-tale signs of his destination. He ruffled his red hair in frustration, clearly confused as to where he should be going.

Another left turn and he finds himself in another unfamiliar hallway. He sighs after a moment. 

“This is not working out. Where the heck are the guiding pointers anyway? Wouldn’t people get lost here as well?” He complains after a while, still murmuring to himself about how a base this large should have guiding lights or bots for that matter.

It’s not like Schicksal is a low-budget organization after all.

As he is looking around for guidance, he hears some rushed footsteps in the hallway adjacent to his, turning the corner towards him.

“Ah! Excuse me? Can I ask for directions? I’m a bit lost.” A female voice resonated.

He looked up towards the source of the noise. “Hmm? I suppose, where-”

He paused when he had a good look at her. 

She was such a sight, he didn’t even know how to describe it. Between her long red hair, her sharp orange eyes, fair and smooth skin or the way she carries herself towards him, he found himself temporarily mesmerized by the sight of her. 

That, and her outfit certainly was making the right parts of her stand out. It appears she’s a new Valkyrie, judging by the insignia on her shoulder.

He shook his head out of his trance before she could really notice it as she walked up to him. She’s actually quite tall, only just barely under his own height.

“Uh, you okay?” She asked, tilting her head a bit.

“Y-yeah. I’m fine.” He replies, looking back at her again. “You said you were looking for directions?”

“Yes. Do you know where the Valkyrie training briefing room is? I’ve been looking around non-stop and this place is making me feel lost.” She says, clearly unable to find her way around as well.

He chuckles in response. “Well, I’m also looking for the Officer’s briefing and I don’t really know where I am as well.”

The woman groans, clearly displeased at the situation as well. “Ugh, you too huh? This place better start putting up some pointers so people don’t get lost.” She says, looking around. There were other staff around, but they all looked busy and the pair weren’t too keen on asking just anyone.

“Uhm, then shall we go along together? I looked all over that wing and didn’t find anything.” She suggests. He fidgets for a moment at the offer, but nods along. “Same here, I checked the back section as well; most of the stuff there is not important.”

“Alright then. It should be somewhere over there, since it's the last place we haven’t checked.” She suggests, pointing to a direction. He looks at it, nods, and the pair set off.

It was a little awkwardly silent for a moment before the woman opened up first. “So, an Officer huh?”

“A-ah, yeah. You can say that.” He admits a little sheepishly. “I’m not a full one yet, I just finished my classes for qualification and I’m going into the briefing for it.” He responds.

“Oh, interesting.” She responds, thinking for a moment.

“How about you? A Valkyrie, I assume?” He asked her in return. Looking at her age, he had expected her to already be a Valkyrie since most of Schicksal’s Valkyries are on the younger side.

Her answer semi-surprised him. 

“Nope. Not just yet; I just finished my main classes as well and I’m on my way for evaluation and my first squad assignment.” She answered.

She looked at him for a moment, reading his expression before giggling a bit. “Hehe, expected me to be a senior or something eh?”

He shook himself out of his trance. “N-no, I mean, I was just a little taken aback.”

“No, no. It’s quite alright. I understand why; most gals my age are already well within the ranks after all. I guess you could say, I’m unique amongst them all.” She responds with a wide smile to him.

He swears that smile is dangerous.

“And you’re quite young to already be in the officer acceptance range. Hmm, that’s quite interesting as well.” She says, turning the conversation towards him.

“Ahaha, yeah. I sped through the program a fair bit and here I am. Normally it’d take me another year or so but I kinda got through quickly enough that I’m already here.” He responds, his voice a tad bit shy.

“Oh, my congratulations to you. Not often do I see someone in such a rank this fresh.” She compliments him, leaning down slightly towards him with a smirk. He finds his cheeks a bit red from her slightly teasing nature.

“Well, in any case. I look forward to seeing you around.” She says, standing back up straight.

“To you as well. I do hope you’ll stay safe though in this fight,” He blurts out.

A laugh is heard from the woman. “Oh, you flatter me for worrying. Don’t worry, I’ll make it through any fight okay.” She says confidently.

The pair then stop when they read a sign up ahead. “Oh, here’s the Valkyrie briefing room.” she says.

“And the officer’s section is just down the hall. Perfect, I suppose.” He says. She nods, walking over to the entrance of the room.

“Well, I suppose this is it for now. It’s been a pleasure talking to you- oh wait, I haven’t caught your name yet.” She says, turning around on a dime.

“Ah. Sebastian. Sebastian Redgrave. A pleasure to be your acquaintance.” He says, giving a slightly polite bow.

“Sebastian……a nice name if I ever heard one. Suits you well.” She says with a light chuckle.

“Ahaha, thanks I guess.” He says, finding his cheeks growing red again. Talk about a man not used to prolonged interaction with girls.

She pauses as she looks at him. ‘I have to admit, he’s kinda cute.’ she thinks in her mind.

“And uh, may I know yours?” He asks. She snaps out of her thought, smiling at him.

“I’m sure you’ll know of it soon since I’m pretty sure I’m going to be a Valkyrie. Hehe.” She winks at him.

“Himeko Murata. An equal pleasure to meet you.”

“The Assault Squad, led by Ragna. I’ve heard of them, an amazingly talented squad if there ever was one.” Sebastian says to himself, walking along the corridors of the HQ. Now clad in a full Schicksal uniform, he’s an enlisted officer responsible for assisting his superiors in the deployment of Schicksal’s forces. 

He’s still a junior officer, so he has to report to quite a lot of superiors, but he doesn’t mind. He’ll steadily climb the ranks, his devotion to the cause clear as crystal.

And now, he is tasked with assisting the squad during their active duties with regards to anything related to their needs in the HQ, and on field duties as well. He isn’t their CO by any means; that would be his superior, but Sebastian doesn’t mind. He’ll do his duty first and foremost.

He walks through the hallways before stopping at one of the barracks and training grounds, used by the Assault Squad. He could make out the sounds of training from the Simulator; a sign that the squad is still hard at work.

“Now, I just need to find Ms. Ragna so I can pass her the updates from HQ.” He says, stepping into the barracks.

He hears someone in the adjacent aisle of lockers. He heads that way to hopefully find Ragna, or at least have someone point him to her.

He peeks around the corner.

“Excuse me, do you know where-” 

Her red hair flows around her back as she turns around to face him. Their eyes lock onto each other, and Seb realizes it has been a while since he looked right at them.

She remembers it too.

“Sebastian? Is that you?” She asks, fully turning around towards him.

“Himeko?” He asked in return. 

“Ah, so it is!” Himeko says with a slight cheer, walking over to him. “It’s been a while! Fancy seeing you here, of all places.” 

“Haha, it has been. Same here I suppose. Didn’t expect to run into you.” Seb replies, chuckling as he stands in front of her.

“Hmm, I have to say. That outfit looks good on you. Much less of a spunky adult, you look like a formidable person.” Himeko says, looking at him top to bottom. Seb goes a bit red at her compliment, clearly not used to being bombarded by such praise; especially from a woman like Himeko.

“Haha, thanks I guess. You look….uh…..good too, in that uniform.” He says in return. Himeko took it much better than him, opting to flick her hair back slightly with a grin.

“Oh, you’re so sweet for saying that. Thank you, as you can see, I’m a Valkyrie now, and I’m part of Ragna’s Assault Squad. Thus why I’m here, really.” She replies with a proud smile.

“Wait, so you’re part of the Assault Squad?” Seb asks. Himeko, noting his tone, raised an eyebrow.

“Why, yes I am. I mean, I’m already wearing their standard uniform. Why do you ask?” she answers back, a hand on her hips.

“Oh. That’s…huh, that’s actually nice. I’m part of the Officer Branch that’s assigned to be the Assault Squad’s handler, the Valkyries led by Ms. Ragna.”

Himeko’s eyes seem to light up a tad bit after that. “You are? That’s wonderful! I was honestly a little concerned if the officers we’ll be contacting with are of the unhelpful kind.” She says, folding her arms. “But now, at least there’s you among them and you don’t seem to be the type to be one of those old-fashioned overly leader-istic kind of officers as well.” 

“Uhm, Himeko. I’m not that high of a rank yet, so I don’t think my presence matters much.” Seb replies, scratching his head slightly. 

“Well, with your vibes, you’ll be there in no time. I can just tell.” Himeko says, before closing her locker and locking it. “Anyway, I’m on my way to the Simulator. I heard you were looking for the Squad Leader just now?”

“Ah, yes.” Seb replies, holding a handheld pad up. “I’ve got some briefing details for her with regards to the squad’s actions and deployment, since a new branch is going to be structured specifically for this.” 

“Wonderful. I think she’s over in the Simulators with the others.” Himeko says, walking past Seb towards the exit. She turns around after a few steps. “Come along now.”

Seb nods, walking up beside her as the pair make their way towards the simulation’s viewing area. Seb looks around, finding several other Valkyries chatting casually with each other, two other officials off to the side talking to a few Valkyries as well, and some others checking their weapons and gear for action.

The pair made their way towards the viewing chamber, stopping by the railings and looking down into the simulated chamber below. There, a familiar Valkyrie with brown hair and dark fuchsia eyes swings her weapon as she decimates the last Honkai Beast in the simulation, sheathing her weapon away.

Seb nods in amazement while Himeko chuckles. “That’s her for you.” Himeko says.

The pair approach Ragna as she exits the simulation room, another set of Valkyries heading in for their training. Seb and Ragna exchange words regarding the details of the pad while Himeko watches from a small distance away.

“Hmm, it seems the squad will be in good hands. Alright, I guess I can take a breather after this.”

It was past lunchtime when Sebastian was sitting in the canteen of the Schicksal HQ.  

The canteen was quiet save for a few personnel who had to eat late, and Seb was one of them. He had just finished filing another mission report and decided to only eat after he’s done so as to not break the momentum of working.

The sound of heels clicking towards him takes his attention away as he turns around, curious.

Their eyes land onto each other again.

“Greetings, Warrant Officer Sebastian.” Himeko greets him with a smirk.

Seb chuckles slightly. “Good day to you too, Ms. Himeko.”

“May I?” Himeko asks, motioning to the seat across from him with her food tray.

“Please, be my guest.” He says. Himeko smiles, placing her tray down and settling into the seat across from him, taking a sip of her drink.

“Late lunch?” Seb asks.

“Heh, as if you’re not late yourself.” She replies with a snicker, taking a spoonful of her meal as he eats as well. “Oh, and before we continue, let’s not greet each other like that again, honestly I’m not one to bother too much about that stuff, if that’s alright with you.”

“No, no. I can completely relate to that, and to be honest when you called me like that, it felt odd, to say the least.” He replies, causing the pair to laugh lightly.

“Say, Seb.” Himeko says. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Yeah, go ahead.” He replies.

“I’ve never got to know your reason for fighting the Honkai in the first place ever since we knew each other.” She says casually, twirling her fork slightly as she ponders over her thoughts. “So, I’m curious. Why would you come to work at Schicksal in the first place? It’s not exactly the safest job, nor is it the best paying one out there.”

“Oh? Hmm, well, if you’re expecting a complicated answer or something, those assumptions would admittedly be quite misplaced.” Seb responds, chuckling. This piques Himeko’s interest even further.

“It’s simple really. I don’t really have any specific reason, it’s just a danger to our world that needs to be stopped.”

Himeko stops twirling her fork around, raising herself up in her seat slightly. 

“Honkai is dangerous, I’ve heard what it can do. In fact, I’ve probably seen it for myself during some beast eruptions left and right. Not a good thing to happen at all, and it’s devastating for those who are hit in its wake. A tragedy, I have to say.” He says, sighing a bit. It was clear he has some less than pleasant memories of Honkai.

“So, all I want is to fight against it. Fight for humanity.” He says, taking a sip of his drink in the process. “We all deserve a free world, and Honkai, to me at least, is an oppressive force that endangers everything and everyone around it. Rather than sitting still and letting someone else take the reins in fighting them, I decided that I want to help this fight myself; even if it’s a very dangerous job.”

“I was told I had no real natural Stigmata, despite my innate Honkai resistance being significantly higher than most. I couldn’t really be a Knight with it, but they offered if I wanted to enroll in a military school to enter Schicksal as an Officer.” Seb looks at the rank badge on his sleeve. “As you can see, I took the Navy class, and here I am.”

Himeko blinked a few times. This man joined an organization that could possibly spell his own doom in the future, without much in the way of direct fighting, only because he saw that he needed to contribute towards the greater goal of humanity.

She didn’t know if she was talking to an idiot, or the most selfless man on earth. It was honestly likely the latter. 

“Ah, you. Sometimes people say things that amaze me, but you’re taking the cake with this one here.” Himeko says under her breath, looking down for a moment. 

“So, what about you?”

“Eh?” Himeko looks back up to find his eyes looking at her.

“I told you mine, what about yours?” He asks. “E-eh, actually, if it’s personal then it’s alright. I’m not one to push so-”

“No, it’s okay. Sorry, I was just thinking about what you said.” Himeko replies, clearing her throat. “To be fair, mine is much more personalized than it is for a larger goal initially.”

“Hey, everyone has their reasons.” He replies reassuringly.

“Well, mine is because of my late father.” Himeko says, taking a moment. Seb leans forward, putting all of his attention onto her. “He’s been missing since after visiting me one time during my tenure in America for my studies, and the reason for it was always a blur to me.” 

She takes a deep breath, twirling her drink a bit. “There were many things that happened back then, from Welt’s disappearance alongside my father’s, or the apparent slight change in his behavior towards the end. Because he worked with Schicksal, I knew Honkai had something to do with it all. Call it a gut feeling if you will, but that’s what I thought was likely based on my personal experience on the matter.”

“So, I did just that.” She turned to him. “I dropped out and I wanted to learn the truth of the Honkai, joining Schicksal in the process. I was accepted into the Valkyrie training program through the development of my Stigmata, and now here I am, fighting for the future of humanity as a whole through fighting Honkai.”

“And have you, perhaps, learned about it?” he asks her, a bit unsure.

“Honestly, not yet all the way. I do know he passed away due to some form of Honkai interaction, but whether it’s through radiation or a weapon, I don’t know.” She says, closing her eyes. “But, growing up here, I realized there’s more to just finding out about what happened to my dad. There’s more unknowns and dangers out there that I had no idea of, and now that I'm in deep, I want to see it all the way through.”

She opened her eyes, looking at him with a smile. “And that’s my story. This girl is quite simple as well, eh?” She raises her eyebrows a bit playfully.

“Ahaha, you say that, but I feel yours has more of an impact than mine does. In fact, I sound like any generic idiot who thinks they can change the world.” Seb replies.

Himeko stares at him for a second. “Well, in any case, I believe you’ll be able to change the world for the better anyway, regardless of what you joined this fight for.” She eventually says with a smile.

“Heh, you really think so?” Seb asks, finishing his meal.

“I know so.” Himeko says, taking a few quick bites and finishing her meal as well. The pair ate as they talked, not aware they had run their lunch dry. Himeko stretched her arms out as she finished up.

Seb got up from his chair, taking both his and Himeko’s tray with him. Himeko notices. “E-eh, Seb, it’s alright, I can-”

“No, no. Really, it's fine.” He says with a soft smile. Himeko hesitates, but seeing as how the tray is already out of her reach, she relents.

Yeah, he’ll definitely change the world for the better.

“Ugh, why can’t the weather lighten up.”

Himeko sticks her feet into the snow, trying to stay warm. Despite her efforts, she found her hands shivering in the cold. In desperation, she pulled her coat up, but it didn’t really do her any good. The surrounding area was dark, cold, and covered in thick snow. She had little in the way of warming herself up, and she didn’t really have much of a choice.

Himeko nearly stumbled as her right leg almost gave way, but she just managed to hold onto a tree. She groaned, looking down at the tear on her leggings that cut deep into her skin. The cold temperature did wonders to help the blood flow stop and numbed the pain, but it was still there and she found herself getting weaker.

Her other leg wasn’t as beaten up, but it certainly wasn’t in good shape. If a Chariot happened upon her right, Himeko doubted if she would make it out with her life, despite normally being able to take on several of those Beasts at the same time. Her face had bruises and scratches on it, her arms ached and her torso didn’t feel any better; maybe a broken rib?

She didn't know, the cold really dulled out any sense of proper pain so she couldn’t judge just how badly hit she was.

She couldn’t bear it much more, so she opted to rest for a moment. She used the tree as a backrest, slowly dropping her body down into a sitting position at the base of the tree. 

She wrapped her arms around her legs, desperately trying to cling onto whatever warmth she could find. Himeko shiver still as she reached into her small bag that was initially heavy with supplies.

Now, a half full water bottle and a single can of pork luncheon meat was all that remained of her supplies. In a desolate winter wasteland like this, that was bound to not even last. How cruel was the world, putting her in a place like this.

Himeko desperately looked around for signs of life; anyone, a squadmate maybe. 

But alas, none were there. She made it out of the avalanche barely able to even walk properly, and she couldn’t find any other person. If the avalanche did not take their lives, then the beast attack that came before them certainly did. 

She vividly remembered being there when the Imperator landed the hit onto her squad leader. She held her head low, remembering how they were unable to help her, though Ragna still held a positive note, even in her dying breath. So much for a mission to capture a single person.

She shook her head. Ragna wouldn’t want to see her in a disgruntled state; not when her life is on the line. If anything, she had taught Himeko that one should always fight, no matter how bleak the odds look. Chances are, if there are odds, then there is a chance.

Admittedly, her chances are growing slimmer. She wouldn’t survive long, and her portable fire is running out of steam. Most of the wood nearby is drenched in snow and is too cold to be used as quick firewood, and if Himeko did settle down one more time, she wouldn’t know if she would have been able to get back up. Her locator was also broken in the fight, leaving her as blind as a bat. 

She recalled eating another can of meat some time ago, but the sheer cold and the arduous struggle had sapped her strength away, and she really wanted nothing more than to fall asleep on a comfortable bed right now, eating all the food in the world that she initially took for granted.

Now, spam with rice did not seem like a bad idea.

She closed her eyes. Is this really it? Himeko Murata, stuck in a snowstorm, the last member of the Assault Squad to be wiped out entirely by a swarm of beasts.

‘No. That will not stand.’

Himeko opened her eyes, storing her supplies back into her small sack before using her remaining strength to get back onto her feet. With determination, she stepped forth, trembling as she searched for a way out.

‘Himeko will not fall here. Going back, I can eat anything I want, if I survive I can continue to eat, live, and play. I have so much to live for.’ She says, her will overcoming her tiredness and pain to soldier on.

She had to lean forward now to walk, her stamina depleted and her strength slowly fading away with each step.

A few minutes go by with no change in scenery and no path to lead her out; the forests this far north were indeed too big. Himeko panted; breathing air this cold for so long eventually tired her lungs out as they struggled for both oxygen and warmth, shriveling in size as her breathing slowly became more labored. 

Her head also started to hurt. The cold and the lack of energy was slowly taking its toll on her. After several more steps, she found herself unable to continue for the time being as she leaned her body forwards the tree in front of her for support. There, Himeko closed her eyes, her breaths sounding much harsher now. 

“Hah….is this really as far…..as I go?” She asks herself, the reality of having her whole squad wiped out, including her, now dawning on her. 

Fate said otherwise.

Her ears were starting to go dull, but she could just make out a new noise. An engine of some sort. 

She was unable to process this when suddenly, a bright light illuminated the ground in front of her, and then herself. Himeko looked up, her eyes reaching in front as she tried to adjust to the new source of light in front of her.

“H-Himeko? Is that you?”

Her eyes widened slightly. She looked up.

Their eyes met; his golden ones perfectly finding her orange ones.

For the first time in a long while, a smile cracked on her face.

“H-hey, Seb.”

“Oh damn! Are you alright?!” Sebastian, clad in a camouflage winter expeditionary outfit, rushed through the snow with his light in tow. 

Himeko looked down for a moment, her face now portraying a sense of relief. ‘Perhaps….perhaps not today.’ She thinks to herself. Seb got to her side, Himeko turning a bit to allow her to look at him as he assessed her status.

He wasn’t pleased, judging from his facial expression.

She didn’t bother. Before Seb could react, she quickly threw herself around him. 

Seb was taken aback, not by the touch, but how her body lacked any form of warmth. Himeko, on the other hand, found him to be so irresistibly warm.

“We need to get you back, Himeko. You’re really beaten up.” He reasons to her, putting his arm up and taping several things on the holographic heads-up display from the watch he wore. Himeko didn’t really have the strength to care.

She nods with the smallest of hums. Seb slings himself under her, Himeko’s arm around his shoulder as he carries her almost limp form up and out of the snow. Her feet suddenly felt so warm now that they’re out of the deep snow.

“Come on.” Seb carries her to his snowmobile, putting her on the back gently and wrapping a new winter jacket over her frame. He gets to the driver’s position in front of her, tugging her arms such that she wraps them around himself for safety. “Hold on, I'll bring you back to base.”

Himeko nods silently as Seb reverses out of the small area, driving back the way he came with his GPS guiding him. As the trees fly by and the snowflakes fall from above, Himeko couldn’t find the strength within her to lift her head from laying on that spot on his back. 

It’s over. It’s all over. She made it out. She wasn’t a goner, and Himeko’s life does not end here, in the cold tundra of the north. 

There, as she settles in the warmth of his back as Seb drives the vehicle ever so carefully towards base, a thought crosses Himeko’s mind.

‘Has his back always been this warm and comfortable?’

“She’s okay, she’s quite the lucky one you found her as soon as she did. It only took her a week to recover to where she is now.” The nurse said. Seb sighed in relief; it was nice to know she had made it out unscathed, even through it all.

However, he held a briefcase containing some important files, and Himeko was not going to really like how it panned out.

He clenched his fist slightly. Neither did Sebastian like the outcome.

“Thank you. May I enter?” He asked.

“Absolutely. She didn’t have much company throughout, so it would be nice to have a visitor that knows her well.” The nurse responds, smiling at him.

Seb nods in appreciation, before walking to the door. He knocks gently.

“Yes? Come in.”

He opens the door, immediately landing his eyes onto the only other person in the room. Himeko turns around from where she sat on the hospital bed, looking at her newest visitor.

Her orange eyes and his gold ones lock onto each other almost immediately. With it, a small smile is formed on their faces as Seb shuts the door behind him.

“Hi. Sorry for not visiting much sooner, I was really busy with the aftermath of your mission.” Seb says, his tone showing an ounce of guilt for now visiting Himeko and keeping her company much sooner.

“Hmm, I should really punish you for making a woman like me wait that long all alone for company, don’t you think so?” Himeko asks, raising an eyebrow. 

“W-well, uh….. I don’t have that much of a choice?” He responds, unsure of how to continue.

Seeing his rather adorable reply to her question, Himeko couldn’t really keep up the facade anymore as she ended up laughing. Seb, realizing she was teasing him, chuckled to himself in light embarrassment at the situation.

“Ah, no worries. I completely understand, it was quite the fiasco I imagine, after a seemingly done deal ended up a mess like this.” She says, breaking eye contact as she looks down in sorrow at her rather troublesome predicament. 

“Well, on the bright side, I still can see you right in front of me.” Seb replies back, trying to lift Himeko out of her sour mood.

“You flatter me Seb, but there’s no need for that. I guess…I already know how terribly it went.” Himeko says, taking a look at the briefcase he carried. “The report, I assume?”

“Sometimes, you really see people right through, no matter how flat their emotions are or how they carried themselves plainly.” Seb replies, placing the briefcase on the table and opening it up.

“Call it a woman’s instinct, would you Seb?” Himeko says, prompting the pair to chuckle a bit.

After that, a short silence followed as Seb took one file out, sighing with clear displeasure in his tone; or was that a note of sadness as well?

“So…how bad is it?” She asked.

He could only turn to her with the driest smile she has ever seen coming from him. Unlike his usual smiles that leaked happy emotions and genuine joy, this one had nothing but sorrow and pity in them, so much so Himeko wanted him to stop smiling altogether. 

“It’s not pretty, isn’t it?” She asked.

Seb could only nod, walking over to her as Himeko moved her legs back on her hospital bed, leaning on the backrest.

“I have the squad report right here. I haven’t read it to anyone at all yet.” He says.

Himeko raises an eyebrow. “Why not? You should tell it to Ragna before me, even if you’re closer to me.” She says.

“That’s the thing, Himeko.” His dry smile was out in force again, this time full of sorrow. “There’s no one else to report to but you.”

Himeko took a few moments to process what he said, before her eyes widened. “W-wait…..you mean…..”

“You’re the last, and currently the only member of the Assault Squad, effectively making you Squad Leader.” Seb replies, looking down as well.

Himeko did not respond, opting to fold her knees and look down for a moment. 

It is as she feared. The ambush left no one alive but her; everyone got caught, then the storm simply erased everyone else. But surely, that couldn’t have been it, right? The Assault Squad was made of tougher Valkyries than herself, especially the Squad Leader. They wouldn’t have gone down so easily.

“We looked for them. Far and wide, if you want to see the search patterns we had, you’re more than welcome to, but I made sure every single search party covered as much ground as they could. We had to bring several separate Valkyrie squadrons as well, with how many stray beasts roamed the area.” Seb added, reading Himeko’s mind perfectly like a book.

“We couldn’t even find their bodies, not even any indication of where they were.” He added, before finally closing the file and placing it on top of the table beside her bed. Himeko took a long look at it, Seb watching as her eyes swirled with emotion.

He slowly sat himself down beside her, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. “It’s…a lot to take in, I know. You can read the rest of the report yourself, I’ll leave you for the time being.” He says, leaving her side to allow Himeko some privacy; it's a lot to bear, so he wants her to just let it out, he’ll be there if she needs him.

Himeko paused to look at him. Her arm reached out as he got up, opening the palm of her hand.

She stopped. She could have reached for his hand, but she stopped.

He had other things to do, and he had already done enough for her. Himeko honestly found him comforting enough, but she didn’t like the idea of her taking up most of his time; with the news he told her, he must have his hands full.

“Okay Seb. Take care.” She says.

Seb hums in acknowledgement. 

As he exits however, he leans into the wall instead of walking away right beside the door. He slowly drops himself down, to the point he’s almost squatting beside the door with his back to the wall. 

Sebastian sighs, allowing his cap to droop over the front of his head. What was it about the recent week that had got to him to be like this? Valkyrie squads perishing and being defeated wasn’t out of the books; several other squads had suffered mass casualties before, so it wasn’t really something new. 

Was it because it was her? 

Himeko was one of the few, if not the only person, he can truly call a friend in this work line. His old friends and previous pals are all working elsewhere, and he wasn’t in much contact with them due to how much he had to be doing right now. 

Sebastian wasn’t a man of much formality to begin with, if he were to be honest. His subordinates knew him as being easy going, but serious and smart in his actions when called for. He wasn’t any hilly-billy officer; he just held a less serious and more relaxed relationship with his peers and subordinates; and they enjoyed it.

Himeko, being a Valkyrie under his superior’s command wing, happens to be one of those peers. He was really grateful for that; she helped him socialize with several of the squad Valkyries, and Ragna herself as well. He also got to build a better connection to some of his other officers in arms.

Then now, realizing that all those Valkyries he had with him as friends, realizing the very person he himself looked up to at times was lost, he couldn’t help but feel…

What did he feel?

Sorry? He is, definitely, but that’s not it. Sad? He is, but that’s not it.

He felt like he wanted to help her; to take better care of her, as the only real friend he had in the entire place.

But right now, he doesn't know what to do. Honestly, he didn’t really know what else to do. He’s still waiting for her to take on the role of being the Assault Squad’s leader, and having a fresh wing of Valkyries under her command; Himeko is old and experienced enough to be a Squad Leader by now.

But would she want that?

He’d give her some time, and let her choose. Though his superiors preferred that the squad stayed and that Himeko became the new leader, unless a better candidate can be called in, he himself chose to let Himeko decide. It’s for her own good after all.

As he opened his heads-up holographic display, something caught his eye. A request for a new division in the far eastern region; a new Schicksal branch it seems.

“Interesting. Maybe she’d be interested.”

“No?”

“Yeah. I’m sorry if I disappoint you, but I don’t want to renew it as the leader of the squad.”

“Hmm. Alright.”

“Eh? You aren’t surprised?”

“To be honest, not really. I can tell what you’ve been through, and I foresaw this answer.”

“Ah, did I make myself too easy to read? I do hope not, that won’t do for a woman.”

“Hehe, well in any case…..what do you plan to do? There are several squads looking for members if you’re interested.”

“You remember that request you showed me?”

“Huh? The transfer to the far eastern branch?”

“Yeah. That. I think…..I think I’ll take that.”

“You will? So you’re going to enroll both as an active Valkyrie there and a Teacher?”

“Yes. I got inspired after I recalled what my sensei taught me back then. I want to honor her words and her training.”

“I see.”

“....”

“....”

“So….this is it then?”

“Eh? But aren’t you still going to be here?”

“I’m going to be relocated as well; I’m due for a promotion such that I can handle my own squad, but after yours is all gone, the upper echelons are moving me. I’ll be in the Navy’s personnel now.”

“O-oh….I see. I had no idea.”

“No, Himeko. It’s alright, I understand where you’re coming from, and I respect you for honoring Ragna’s request within you, even after she’s no longer here. It’s a shame we won’t be seeing each other as much as we used to…..”

“Yeah. Hehe, how things can change.”

Seb bit his lip. There were many things he wanted to talk to her about, but he chose not to. Himeko had made her choice, and he respected it; he wasn’t going to let something insignificant change it.

Even if it’s not so insignificant to him.

The years flew by very quickly, and Himeko noted that.

It had indeed been quite the journey since she transferred over to St. Freya high. Still, despite the sometimes tight budget restrictions, full workloads of papers to check and grade, and classes to teach, it wasn’t really all that bad. Even the Principal herself, though annoying at times, is a pretty fun little hag to be around.

It would have been perfect had Himeko actually managed to land herself a partner as well. 

“Ugh, another bad one. Sometimes I swear this is taking its toll on me much more than it’ll be worth it down the line.” She says to herself as she walks along the hallways of the Schicksal base located behind the main building of St. Freya. Theresa had called her earlier for some news, and she said it’s going to be interesting.

As Himeko made her way through the glass-lined hallways, she looked left towards the main aerial dockyard of the place.

A smirk made its way to her face.

There, in the large dock space that was meant for capital ships, sits the vessel under her command. 

The Hyperion.

A series in Schicksal’s latest line of capital battleships, meant to augment ground forces and landing parties while providing ample control over the battlefield, providing a deadly carpet of fire should it need it.

The Hyperion in particular, the first of her class, was assigned to her for deploying the Far Eastern Branch forces in full power. 

Himeko flicked some of her hair away from her face as she walked on, several staff members greeting her as she walked by. 

Theresa waited for the redhead at the main control station of the dockyard area. As Himeko entered, she found the rather short principal looking over a holographic screen, displaying what appears to be some files.

Himeko smiled as she walked over, bringing one hand up to softly pat Theresa’s head.

“Heh?” Theresa, a bit surprised, turned around in slight alarm.

Upon spotting who had patted her head though, her face morphed into one of an annoyed pout. “Oi, Himeko! I’m going to grow shorter if you keep patting my head like that!”

“Hehe, as if that's even something you need to worry about, Principal Theresa.” Himeko says with a slight tease to her voice. Theresa simply grumbles in response, before turning to the screen with a huff.

“Well, I didn’t call you here just so you can tease me, Himeko. I have something I need to talk to you about.” Theresa says, her tone switching to a more serious, but somewhat still less tense than an emergency. Himeko deduced that whatever it is, it’s important but not an urgent matter that needs immediate solving.

“How can I be of service then?” Himeko asks, leaning on the control panel beside Theresa.

“To be more accurate, Himeko, I’m putting someone in to service you.” Theresa says, giving Himeko a side smile.

This time, Himeko raised her eyebrows at Theresa. “Whatever do you mean by that?”

A small sigh escapes Theresa. “Himeko, St. Freya is picking up. While we’re in relatively calm waters now, the next academic year may not have the same atmosphere as it is now. The applications are coming in, and they’re several fold more than last year’s. We’re both going to be really busy.”

Himeko hums in acknowledgement.

“So, I figured that, under the situation that you have to teach as well, I’d assign you a Vice-Captain for the Hyperion.” Theresa finishes, crossing her arms as she turns to Himeko. “I have a few candidates sent to me from the old man himself, so why don’t you take a look, see which one you think is good and we can go from there.”

Himeko ponders a bit and rolls her eyes. “Theresa. You know I don’t really work that well with others, right? There's no guarantee whoever I’d pick will stay in the first place.”

“I know, but this is for your own good. At least, if you don’t like the person, think of their presence as a way to lighten your burdens so you don’t have to worry too much about the ship’s maintenance. Most of the personnel are adequately qualified anyway, based on my initial recap.” Theresa urges.

Himeko stays still for a moment, before relenting. She walks up to the console, taps the screen to take control and begins to scroll through all the names and files to find the best potential.

“Hmm. Nope. Not this one. Doesn’t look promising.”

And for 5 minutes, Himeko looked through 90% of the list and didn’t pick one out. Theresa rolled her eyes, but she couldn’t push it; not if Himeko disagreed.

However, at the very last page of candidates, she paused. Theresa initially thought she was done and picked no one, but upon looking up the Principal noticed that Himeko was not pulling her gaze away; in fact, she seemed to be looking at one in particular. 

“This one……. He’ll do.” Himeko says, turning to Theresa. 

Himeko’s face shifted; she had a smile. A certain smile that you’d give out when you saw a glimpse of a long lost friend in front of you.

A friendly smile.

Theresa looked between Himeko and the profile she pulled up. Curious, she pulled the profile up.

“You sure? He’s had no experience in the line of Navies before; not even a small ship.” She says, a hint of confusion in her tone.

“Read it thoroughly, Theresa.” Himeko says, smirking as she folds her arms.

Theresa turned to Himeko for a moment before reading the report again. She looked down to the complete profile, including all of his previous experiences in the chain of command in Schicksal.

Her eyes widened when she saw one entry. She turned to Himeko, her mouth a little agape.

“He- He was?”

“Yes. He was, and in my opinion, that’d make him the best for me.” She says with a smile.

Theresa looked back at the profile, then back at Himeko, before she sent the profile into the mail as she started typing an email.

“Do you want to hear my opinion of him first?” Himeko asks, noticing what Theresa is doing.

“He’s the only one you picked, and he looks good; doesn't give the usual delinquent feel to me. Since you didn’t pick anyone else and you two have history, that sounds like the best plan of action to me.” Theresa says without turning around. After a few seconds, she presses the send button as the email dissipates into the background.

She turns around to face Himeko. “He’ll be here next Monday. I expect you to be the one who does the greetings?” 

“Hahaha, fast as always I see.” Himeko says, stretching her limbs out a bit and standing up straight; dwarfing Theresa’s height. “I will. Don’t worry, we go way back, way longer than you think.”

She smiled as she looked up. “I’m sure we’d get along just fine.”

The young man’s footsteps echoed through the hallways as he rushed for the ship’s bridge. Of all the days that the transport had to break down, it chose to break on the day he was supposed to meet his new Commanding Officer for the first time.

Sebastian had no idea who he or she was; this was done to prevent bias in picking superiors while also making sure everyone still had their jobs to go to. Seb joined it as he was looking for a new position, and one thing led to another. Now, he’s appointed the Vice-Captain - Junior Commanding Officer of the Hyperion battleship, where he would be manning his own division of Valkyrie squadrons to deploy into battle.

This reminder made memories flash through his mind of his earlier days in Shcicksal, where he was a squadron handler underneath a division leader. He recalled the various squads he led, though his mind always wandered to his first ever assignment.

The squad that perished.

Ever since that day, he worked through the ranks tirelessly, making sure that everyone under his chain of command worked well and safely as well; such as to prevent the calamity that is an entire squad getting killed on the battlefield.

And now, here he is. Though he applied for lesser ships, when his name was called out for the Vice-Captain of a Battleship, he couldn’t refuse. The pay was higher, you held more responsibilities, and you played a key role in fighting the Honkai.

It was all he ever dreamed of; getting to the eventual Captain rank would really seal the deal, but he’d leave that for later. He has a new assignment to get to, and he’s running slightly late.

As he finally manages to run the flight of stairs up; not bothering with the lift as it is crowded, he holds his knees as he pants, wiping the sweat off his forehead as he gathers himself after that spring. If he was a knight, that sprint would’ve been a literal breeze.

“Hah- ah, this ship is so big.” He mutters to himself, still looking down.

“Sebastian Redgrave, reporting for duty.” He says, before standing up straight.

Her orange eyes and his gold ones meet.

He froze.

She smiled.

“My, running a bit late, are we? Well. I suppose I can forget about it for now.” 

“Himeko Murata. Captain of the Hyperion. A pleasure to meet you.”

Another few months go by. Hyperion now enters the low atmosphere under the stormy winds over Nagazora.

“It’s an eruption, and it likely involves a Herrscher. We have no idea of the strength nor the danger level of this, so please proceed with caution.”

“Understood Theresa. I’ll get to you with the report later when it’s done.”

Himeko shuts the communication channel down, getting up from her seat and standing on the Captain’s station on the Hyperion’s bridge. Up there, her Vice-Captain stands on the main console as well, keeping track of the ship’s status as well as the condition outside.

“This isn’t a natural storm, Captain. It’s likely the Honkai spike caused it. I’m detecting radiating waves of Honkai energy spread throughout the city, with signs of activity everywhere as well.” Sebastian says, turning to Himeko.

“Noted. This doesn’t look like a Honkai storm; too oddly natural. It seems like this Herrscher, if there indeed is one, has the capabilities to control the storm and lightning. Huh, interesting.” Himeko comments, crossing her arms.

“Cross winds are reaching 80 kilometers an hour; deployment inside of this condition is too dangerous.” He says, turning to his captain. “What do we do?”

“We don’t have a choice. We need to wait for the wind to die down or find a blindspot. Have the Valkyrie squads prepare for action.” Himeko says.

“Right.” Seb turns around, typing some commands into the console.

After a while, Himeko releases a disappointed sigh.

“Ugh, this has to happen when I was on a date, of all things.” She utters in annoyance, earning a small chuckle from Seb.

“Still going at it, eh? You were in Hong Kong for that one, above all places.” He says.

“Hey, don’t judge me! The place is great for doing all sorts of things…in hindsight that’s probably because it has everything you can do on a date in it.” She defends herself.

“Sure, but that’s quite a distance.” He says, turning to her.

“You are one lucky guy for being a close friend of your superior.” She says, raising an eyebrow at him.

“Haha, yeah…I guess...” He trails off, before turning around to face the console. ‘Close friends……hmm, yeah, perhaps it's better that way.’

He shook his head. Sebastian wasn’t a romantic man, not in the slightest at all here, but after he separated from Himeko all those years ago, he couldn’t help but feel quite off; as if some part of him was missing something; something that he used to have with her around.

And that was it; her being around.

Seb realized it quite a bit late, but somewhere down the line he felt like working with and being with Himeko around him was something nice. Something pleasurable. Something to take his mind off stressful thoughts and situations.

But, although Schicksal does not really dissuade relationships within their ranks, it really isn’t something that everyone can do. It demands extreme professionalism and control in order to be able to perform tasks without breaking the working ethic emplaced, especially in a military standpoint.

It has happened before though; in fact the most legendary relationship was one that the Overseer himself allowed to happen on purpose.

But Seb pushed those thoughts down. He’d like to pursue it if he could, but not right now. They have a mission to do, and with lots of things going on between Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, it would only get worse.

That, and Himeko doesn’t see him in the same light. The way he sees it, Himeko sees him almost like a super close friend, one that she has shared a childhood with. Nothing less,  but nothing more as well. 

The amount of dates she has gone through was a good enough indication as well. That said, she couldn’t ever seem to land one after all. For some reason, she'd return to the ship and seem completely wasted on whatever booze they had in stock.

Well, after this, she shouldn’t be doing that, not when they have a mission to accomplish. 

Sebastian switches his focus back to the duty. As rain and lightning begin to hit the ship, the duo and their crew are suddenly hit by a lot of turbulence.

“Captain, the ship is being rocked about. This Herrscher’s domain seem to be making it very difficult!” He calls out, turning to the Captain of the ship.

“I can feel that. Divert extra power to the stabilizers and focus on keeping us level so we can think about deployment. Any less and we’d end up smashing our Valkyrie’s landing craft even further.” She says.

“Got it.” He says, turning and relaying instructions to the main helm of the ship.

“This isn’t going to get any better.” Himeko says, getting up from her seat and facing the storm. 

“Agreed. This is going to spell trouble, even if our entire contingent drops down. We’ll have to keep the squads on stand-by on the outskirts to keep out the beasts and what not.” Seb replies, checking the map for routes.

“How many exits are there that we have to cover up to prevent the beasts from being released into the world?” Himeko asked, checking the squadron deployment screen.

“3 major lanes. We can fire upon the rest to quell it. Also, the sea level has been quite haywire in the area as well; either that or the ground is sinking into the earth. The port area and lower levels are flooded.” He replies.

Himeko nods, clicking on the list and checking their members. “Well, the flood will prevent beasts from leaking into the land through the ground, though we’d have to worry about those that can fly, as is with any case of an eruption.”

“Indeed. How are we to deploy the Squads?” He asked, turning to her.

“1 and 2, cover the northern crossroads. 3 and 6 cover the central highway. 4 and 5 would mop up the park.” She says, crossing her arms.

“E-eh? But that’s all our Squads? Don’t we need to subdue the source as well?” Seb asks, looking back at Himeko with a worried look.

“Yes. We do, and we will. Don’t worry about it.” Himeko says, confident with a smirk on her face. 

This left Seb even more confused on what Himeko is trying to imply; in fact, he didn’t know where Himeko was going with the explanation.

That was, until Himeko pointed at herself.

“Wait, you?!” he asked.

“Yeah, I mean, who else? I am the Far East Branch’s Ace after all, so if anyone has a chance, that’d surely be me. Besides, I wouldn’t want to risk the lives of those Valkyries. The 2nd eruption has claimed enough.” Himeko says.

Seb looked at her with a mix of worry and concern. Himeko spotted the look and flicked her hair back, taking a joking stance. 

“Hey, don’t worry. I still haven’t found one to go with yet, so I’ll definitely get back alive.” She says.

Her face loses its joking smile when his face doesn't change.

“Ah, sorry. I mean, I’ll be fine, Seb. The eruption isn’t to the scale of the 2nd one yet, and the general premise of the eruption is not as dangerous as well. Though more civilians are involved, a lot have been shipped out. We’ll rescue more as we go, and I’ll deal with the threat.” She says, more reassuringly this time.

“You sure? Make sure you come back in one piece please, this is admittedly quite a scenario we have here. One that we haven’t been through yet.” He says.

Himeko senses the worry in his tone, placing a hand on his shoulder. “I never knew you were such a worry-wart. Don’t worry, I’ll deal with whatever is responsible for this eruption and be back here before anything goes bad, alright?” 

Seb visibly hesitated at first; Himeko saw it clearly, but then he eventually sighed, loosening up.

“Alright, you’re the Captain. I’ll work on deploying the Squads now then. Do you have a preferred drop point?” he asked. Himeko let go of his shoulder, turning towards the city.

“There.” She says after a moment of scanning the horizon. “That building will do.”

“Alright. Route us towards the western highway exit and prepare to deploy Squads 1 and 2!” Seb says, turning to the rest of the brew. They all nod and get to work immediately.

Yet, as Himeko walked over to the window to look outside, she found herself looking back towards Sebastian as he coordinated the dropships while she prepared her weapon and suit.

That face he made when he was genuinely concerned for her safety. It felt nostalgic. It felt like Himeko had seen him make that face before. 

He had. It was on that fateful day when he found her; lost and alone, on a failed mission.

She looked on as he continued with his tasks. A sudden realization hit Himeko; Seb really cared for her, he genuinely showed it several times towards her. In a brief moment of calm before the storm, Himeko noted that he had indeed made sure of her well-being first and foremost while not seemingly making a big fuss about it.

He’s caring for her without taking the spotlight. Not many people are that selfless.

Truly, he is a special one, and Himeko also suddenly thought of something. Had she made sure that Sebastian knows she appreciates his care towards her? Did she let him know that she thanks him for those endeavors?

Himeko shook her head, smiling a bit. 

Well, her memory blurs a little there, but she doesn’t bother. Perhaps after this mission of maybe a bit later, she can treat him to something back at their base; maybe a meal? 

She’ll think about it later.

Months later

Sebastian sighed as he stood atop the Hyperion's bridge, as usual. His Captain said that she has urgent business to attend to, so he's on the bridge duty right now as he checks the ship's condition. 

It's been a good few months since Nagazora; maybe even over a year or so. He didn't really keep count. 

Himeko's gone on more dates than he could even remember. He tried to use it as a calendar for reference, but ditched the idea quite quickly.

Seb had to admit, his little crush he had on Himeko all those years ago had dimmed down. Not because he didn't like her anymore or that he saw her as an unfitting target of his love life.

No, it was simply because he didn't know how to get to her, and that he found himself doubting he'd be a good match. Sebastian Redgrave is not one to be called a confident man, so he mostly relied on whatever wits he had or his luck to give him results in any endeavor he had in regards to his social life.

Love is included here.

Still, maintaining a healthy relationship with her; one that many men would be jealous of despite the non-romantic nature of it, is already good enough. Whether it grew from there or not, he'll leave it up to fate.

Speak of the Devil.

The lift doors abruptly opened behind him. As her heels clacked on the floor, he could tell who it was. He turned around with a smile.

His gold eyes meet her orange ones, both of them nodding at each other.

"Morning Himeko."

"Morning Sebastian."

He scanned her top to bottom. She’s in her usual teaching attire which, though more than good enough as a uniform, shows off herself quite well, especially her toned physique that somehow maintained its more feminine assets.

Talk about showing off without needing to show off.

He averted his gaze before Himeko could notice his stare.

“You’re going to have a class today? You’d be in something else if you’re not going to teach.” He comments, looking at the panel again. Himeko chuckles as she stands beside him.

“Yes, I will be later. Though my class is a little later in the day, I have something urgent I need to do, so here I am.” She replies, a hand on her hips as she watches the bridge crew go about their work.

“Huh. I thought Theresa forced you up like she always does to come here as Captain of the ship.” Sebastian asks back, prompting the redhead to laugh at his comment.

“Oh, you’re perceptive. I like that.” She comments.

It made him somewhat embarrassed.

“But no, it’s not Theresa. I came of my own accord. It involves you too.” She says.

Sebastian raises an eyebrow, turning to her. “Uh, alright. What would that be then?” He asks, confused.

“Hehe, I have some people I want to introduce to you.” Himeko says. 

On cue, the elevators opened again behind them. 2 pairs of footsteps and a robotic hum can be heard approaching them. As the humming stopped, another pair of feet touched the ground behind them.

“Woah…this thing is huge. Can I parkour here?”

“Hush. Kiana.”

“Subject Kiana appears to have achieved a new level of dumbness.”

Himeko giggled a bit as she overheard the interaction going on behind her. She flicked her hair slightly as she turned around, looking at the 3 figures behind her. Sebastian turned around as well, noting the appearance of 3 young girls behind them.

“Alright, you three, quit babbling about, you’re on Schicksal’s frontline here.” Himeko says to them, crossing her arms. All 3 seem to stand at attention after that, though one of them is still looking around curiously,

“Alright, here’s the man I was talking to you three about that I wanted to introduce you to.” She says, turning to Seb and passing him a friendly smile. Seb simply raised a curious eyebrow, before he turned back towards the 3 girls who were now gazing curiously at him.

“So, they’re the latest addition to the Hyperion’s current active line up, Squad V.” Himeko says, glancing over to the 3 young Valkyries.

The one with long white hair, tied into 2 twin braids, went first. “Good morning! Kiana Kaslana of Squadron V, at the ready!” She says with sharp enthusiasm, adopting a saluting pose that is not at all accurate. Seb can tell she’s a lively albeit slightly trouble making type.

Himeko’s eye roll approves. “Kiana here’s the noisy one, and also the one who would personally sink the average grades of St. Freya.” 

Kiana pouted at Himeko’s comment. 

“Bronya Zaychik, a pleasure to be acquainted with you.” The gray haired shorter Valkyrie said. Now that he looked at her, Seb realized that a mechanical machine was floating behind her, holding her up in the air. “This is Project Bunny, my personal robot.” 

“The avid gamer, the level headed and smart one, though sometimes she can be a bit stiff.” Himeko comments, huffing a bit as she blows some of her hair from her face.

“Good morning, Captain. An honor for me to meet you. Mei Raiden of Squad V, reporting.” The last one, the tallest of them with long thick dark purple hair said. Seb notes her rather shy and semi timid nature, but she kept some strength in her voice.

“Wait.” He noticed something.

“Yes?” Himeko asked.

“No, I'm not your Captain, guys.” He says with a smile. “Hime-”

“Ah, right. I haven’t told you that.” Himeko cuts him off, scratching the back of her head. Seb turns to her, confused.

“Bronya does not see the ‘Captain’ rank insignia on Ms. Himeko’s outfit, therefore Ms. Himeko is not the Captain.” Bronya says. Seb looks between the small Russian and his Captain in confusion.

“Well, I suppose I’ll have to say this right now.” Himeko says, before bringing out a white navy cap with the Captain insignia on it, as well as the Hyperion Captain badge that she usually wore.

“Congratulations, Captain.” 

She places the cap on his head; fitting it perfectly while she placed the badge onto his officer’s shirt, clipping it on. 

“E-eh?”

Seb blinked. He was puzzled.

“Hehe, isn’t it clear?” Himeko giggled a bit at his confused reaction. “I’m resigning as the Hyperion’s active Captain and I’m taking a full time job in St. Freya. I’ve considered this option for a while now, and I realized how I wanted to fully devote myself to this.” 

She had a melancholic tone to her voice. Seb noticed this and concluded this must be from what Ragna had talked to Himeko about all those years ago.

“Honestly, I was a bit hesitant. Handing over my control over the Far East Branch’s capital ship off to someone; you know I like to handle things a bit more personally. But then again, my Vice-Captain is not just a nobody.” She says, smirking at him. “He’s a hardworking young man, who is both an absolute pleasure to work with, and is wonderful to be around. I have no doubts as to his abilities to lead this ship in the fight against Honkai, so I decided to resign while promoting him. And guess what, it got approved.”

Sebastian can’t help but blush slightly at her comment. Was all that praise really necessary?

“And well, the rest is history.” Himeko says, flicking some of her hair back. “The helm is yours, Captain.” 

He looks between the bridge staff who were peeking at them and then back at Himeko. “Are you sure? I don’t know, I haven’t been Vice for that long. Most Vice-Captains only get promoted after at least a few years. I was your Vice for barely over a year!” He says, sounding unsure of his position.

“Oh, you. Always so underconfident with your abilities.” Himeko says with a light chuckle. “Don’t worry, Seb. You’ll do fine. I’m really sure of it. The Crew all seemed to be fine with it too, and honestly if they didn’t then I’d personally see them off for their moronic decision.” She adds, sounding quite serious. “You’re a good man, one that’s true and pure, and you have strong will and determination to help humanity. I still remember what you told me all those years ago, about why you fight the Honkai in the first place.”

“You have the most noble reason to date, and that speaks volumes Seb. You’re the right man for this job, both from me, and from everyone as well.”

Seb looked between the new badge and Himeko. He sighed after a while.

“Alright, I suppose. It can’t be helped.” He says, before smiling at Himeko. “I’ll be sure to make you proud, Himeko.” 

Himeko smiles back. “That’s my Captain, Sebastian.” She peeks at the 3 girls, who appear to be a little more excited now. “Say, I didn’t introduce you as your proper rank yet to them. Would you do the honors?”

With that, Sebastian turns to his newly assigned squadron, giving a polite bow. “Then let me introduce myself now I guess.”

“Sebastian Redgrave of Schicksal, Captain of the Hyperion. A pleasure to meet you.”

He sighed as he walked towards the bar.

Of course it was going to be here. He didn’t want to admit it in the hopes she’d eventually land a perfect one for herself, but somehow he finds her here with a 100% reliability rate.

Is it really that bad on her? Surely he must be mistaken. She’s really pretty, really talented, and amazing beyond belief.

So why can’t Himeko Murata land a proper date yet?

Sebastian didn’t know. All he cared about was that she’s okay. He steps into the bar, closing the door behind him as he walks into the dark atmosphere. Several other people were there, but it was an oddly quiet night in the bar. He honestly liked that.

And, in the dark corners of the bar, at the far end where nobody usually goes, sat a lone redhead wearing a rather beautiful looking black and red dress, her heels discarded on the ground under the table as she leaned into her arm on top, several glasses of drinks already in front of her.

Seb sighed. He didn’t want to see it, but he admittedly expected this. Luckily, there were only 3 glasses empty, so she hadn’t been here long, in fact she’s probably still sober enough to talk rationally at this stage, He walked over towards her.

Himeko wasn’t fully drunk yet to not be able to sense him approaching, so with a groan, she looked up and her expression sharpened slightly at the person approaching her, wary if it was someone looking to fling with her.

Luckily, it softened as soon as she landed her eyes on him. In fact, as her orange irises met his gold ones, a small smile formed on her face.

“Oh..it's just you….I was about ready to start a fight.” Himeko says, resting her head on her arms again. Seb dry chuckled, taking the seat across from her in the small cubicle she took for herself.

“So…a tough night, huh?” He asked, placing his hands on the table and taking a good look at her.

Himeko sighs, propping herself up on one arm. “Yeah, another one down in the dumps I say.”

His face morphs into one of slight pity. “That bad, huh? What’s wrong with this one?” 

“Ugh, don’t get me started.” Himeko’s free arm waved around, reaching for one of the filled glasses, downing it instantly, before resuming her rant. “A lot, really. For one, he was okay on first impression. His looks were respectable, his attire was tasteful, he wasn’t bad off in many ways and he seemed knowledgeable.”

“But noooo, instead of focusing on me, he decided to focus more on his social media, especially on those stupid video platforms whatever they’re called. Tch, just the thought of it makes me want to kill someone.” She hisses at the end, and Seb notes that Himeko doesn’t typically use such a deadly tone.

Not unless she’s drinking after a bad date.

“In fact, I’m sure he’s till bragging about landing a date with someone like me to his friends. OY! Bartender! Another 2 double shots!” Himeko said, shouting at the bartender. The server simply nodded, mixing the drinks before looking at Seb for a drink.

“Uh…just carbonated squash please. Lemon.” He says, not willing to drink too much as well and get lost. The least he can do is drink with her; albeit non-alcoholic.

“Turns out, all he wanted was to pick someone up so he can show it to his dumbass friends!” Himeko continues, grabbing his attention back to her. “He bragged on his various platforms, made me wave and say the darndest cringiest things, and was acting all smooth and nice on the camera.”

“As soon as it’s off though? Heh.” Himeko scoffed to the side, their drinks arriving as she did so. Himeko took one of the glasses, downed it in one instant swoop, placing the glass down and continuing. “He acts like a bunch of dense rocks. Not really bothering with my questions and chats, and just focused on some of his invisible followers and shit. Tsk, such a douche.”

The Captain sighed a bit. He never felt what it’s like to have someone treat you that way; not because nobody uses social media around him but because he has not really been up high in the sociable department for most of his life. He was a man working to make a footing in a ravaged world, and though his progress is excellent in that aspect, he hadn’t made much in the ways of dating.

So, to nobody’s surprise, he doesn’t really get the gist of how frustrating it can be. “Hmm, sounds harsh, but at least you get some time out.”

Despite starting to get a tad tipsy, she looked at him with a deadpan face. “Sebastian, tell me. You really haven’t dated much, haven’t you?”

“M-me? Hehe, not really. In fact I uh….never dated anyone.” Seb replied, a little embarrassed.

Himeko sat up with a small wobble, evident that the booze is getting to her by now. “You haven’t? I thought you’d have at least one or two at most, but none? No wonder! I guess whoever you get will be a fresh one for you! Hahaha~~” 

Seb can’t help but notice how her eyes were having difficulties adjusting to him directly or how her cheeks were growing more red. The alcohol is getting to her.

“Well, Mr. Naive-in-love, I suppose you have a lot to learn then.” Himeko says, taking another shot. She placed the glass down and asked for another; the bartender was quick to respond to her this time, already having the shot ready.

“Ahhh, this is the stuff. You should join me sometime for drinking sessions, it makes you forget about the world and all its stupidity for once! Hahaha~” Himeko’s boisterous but messy laughter is showing that her blood alcohol levels are getting there.

“Well…maybe someday I will.” He responds, not wanting to get double drunk with her. Someone has to make sure they get back safely after all.

“Ugh….why is it so hard for me?! It’s not even that complicated! Are men these days just so indecent or something?” Himeko rants, her words slurring as she swings her arms about before settling on the table again.

“Hmm, maybe you just aren’t lucky.” He says, a bit sorrowful in his voice.

“Then why the fuck am I never lucky? Like really, it’s not that hard at all.” Himeko groans, leaning to the side and looking at Seb. “But seriously, I do hope you don’t fuck up growing up like all those geezers I tried my time with.”

“Well…I suppose I can try.” He says, a little unsure in his voice.

“It’s easy Seb! Just…like……I dunno, don’t try to fake yourself.” She adds, taking another shot. “Just be genuine, be nice, and be gentle. That’s honestly really it in general. Add your own little quirks and who knows, you may end up with a knocker of a woman!” She adds with a drunken giggle.

“Right…...I’m not sure how long that’ll take.” He comments with a chuckle, rolling his eyes.

“Oh, for you? Heh, try just a little and you’d land anyone you want.” Himeko says, taking her last shot on the table down. “Oh, that hit the spot. - Hic! -”

“”Ahaha, I don’t think it’s that easy for someone like me.” He responds, rubbing the back of his head.

“Oh, shut up, Seb. You’re fine, you’re neat, polite, and really gentle too. - Hic - All you really need is to actually find someone. Hell, you look as good as if not better than most of the guys I’ve tried with before.” She says, her mind blurring up. 

Himeko did not notice how his cheeks went as red as his hair. 

“It’ll be easy for you, as long as you don’t make it difficult and try for someone who isn’t even interested or making it difficult. - Hic - So long as you know your own worth. Hehe.” She says, the mumbled giggle at the end showing how drunk she was getting. Her cheeks were starting to grow more red as she drank.

“I suppose….I’ll give that a try when the time comes I guess.” he says.

“Oof, okay, perhaps something different. One bottle here!” Himeko says. The bartender doesn’t even lift that much of an eyebrow at her, passing Himeko a glass bottle of carbonated beer. She clacks it open with her bare hands, taking glugs of it down in one go.

“Aaahhh….that felt good.” She says, wiping her mouth. She then turns to look at Seb, giving him a long look. “Say, Seb. Tell me, what are you looking for in a girl, hmm?”

The way Himeko leans forward grants him a really nice view of the valley beneath her face; a view many men would die for, but he kept his best to not stare at it. His face reddens a bit, but Himeko is a little too intoxicated to notice by now.

“To be honest…not much…hehe.” He says, a bit flustered to answer properly.

“Are you looking for younger ones? Hmm~ I know a few that would be quite fitting for you~ Maybe a Valkyrie?” Himeko starts teasing him in her drunken state.

“Uhm……” He isn’t sure how to respond.

“I don’t know….maybe those ones under your wing are to your liking? Hehehe, someone like Mei, or-” She was going to continue, but her hand slips on the table and she flops her head to the arm on the desk.

“Oof. Ugh, I need another one.” 

Seb is bewildered; instead of taking the hint, Himeko asks for another bottle. In fact, she gets 2 for good measure this time. She drinks one of them halfway, before releasing a long sigh and slumping to the table.

It seems her attention span to a conversation topic has diminished greatly from being drunk. In hindsight, he’s grateful; that embarrassing topic was one he’d want to avoid.

“Gah, that hit the spot. Come on, world, make it easier for me to get someone decent enough!” Himeko says to nobody in particular, earning a semi-amused chuckle from the man in front of her.

“Well, now that you said that, do you have anything in particular you're looking for?” Seb asks, leaning forward a bit. Himeko finishes her bottle of beer, cracking the next one open before she responds.

“Wuh…nothing much really. - Hic - At my age, asking for a lot would be akin to being stupidly selfish. Personally - hic - I’d go with anyone who’s decent enough in all categories.” She responds, waving her hand around haphazardly. "Just as long as he's being true to himself and not trying to goof me off by pretending about himself or something.”

“Hmm, there’s more?” He asks, raising an eyebrow.

“- Hic - Of course! A woman can’t be too free with what she wants after all. I’d like one who’s smart and up to modern standards of being educated - Hic - and maybe a bit of a funny personality would help too.” Himeko finishes her beer. She winces a bit, tapping her chest several times and throwing her head to the side, releasing a rather intoxicated burp out.

“That felt  - hic - better.” She says, before getting another shot of whiskey this time. Seb watches with cautious eyes, making sure she doesn’t go overboard.

“And then…uh…- hic -....what else…Oh, right. He also has to have commitments and goals in his life. That, and he also has to have an interest in me that’s more than just a fleeting feeling of love; a commitment to me for the long run.” She adds, her speech slurring a bit with pauses of incoherent mumbling every now and then. 

“Hmm…commitment…yeah, you wouldn’t want someone who isn’t into you as much as you are into him.” Seb comments, earning him a lazy nod from the drunken Himeko.

“Vvvery true… - hic -” Her speech is taking a turn for the worse. “Ugh…why is it so damn hard to find someone! I’m not asking for much at all, if only to make Theresa stop nagging at me for this.” Himeko adds, swinging her empty shot glass around.

“Theresa?” Seb asks, curious.

“Ugh, don’t get me started on that small old hag.” Himeko says, too drunk to realize she just called her principal in such a way. “All she does isss - hic - tease me about how I’m single despite looking like I can hook anyone I wantttt - hic -.”

“Haha, I can see that happening.” Sebastian says, dry chuckling a bit. 

“I mean, don’t blame me when I'm too stunning for everyone else around here to take! It’s not my fault they see me and they get other ideas.” HImeko says, clearing her throat. “Look any harder and you’d find the fossil of our ancestor~” Himeko mimics Theresa’s high pitch squeaky voice, making Seb laugh a fair little bit.

“I can see her doing that.” Sebastian says, half chuckling in amusement.

Himeko throws her face to the side to burp again, the carbonated liquor starting to take its toll on her digestive tract. “Ugh, I mean, I knowwww not everyone feels okay - hic - with someone like me, but come on!”

She turns to Seb. “I mean, don’t I look pretty, Seb?” She asks him, blinking a few times at him.

“I mean, you are……” He says, averting his gaze away.

Suddenly, he finds his face looking right at Himeko as she grips his chin and brings his face to look straight at her. Her cheeks are beet red with how drunk she is now. “You know, Seb~ When you want to answer - hic - a woman, you need to look her in the eyes~”

Her alluring yet drunken tone only made her sound like she could totally run Seb down at any moment right now. He had no choice but to take a good look at Himeko, taking a deep breath so as to not sound too embarrassed answering.

“You’re absolutely beautiful, Himeko.” He finally says after a while.

The smile on her face widens; though with how drunk she is, it looks a lot goofier than it actually is. And then her hand abruptly diverts to the top of his head, ruffling his hair while giggling nonsensically. 

“Hehehe, I’m so glad to hear that - hic - from you. Ugh, if only others saw me the same way.”

Himeko tried to get up from her chair to order another glass, but seeing as how she has had more alcohol in her blood than anyone else in the city alone, her footing misses.

Luckily, Sebastian saw it coming. Owing to her slower speed, he managed to get up from his seat and hold her arm as she nearly fell. Her eyes widened a bit, but his arm clung to her as the other wrapped around her shoulder, holding her in place as he gently leans her body to his for support.

“Woah, you okay there?” He asks, concerned.

Himeko however, was drunk.

“Aw, you caught me! Hehehe - Hic - I guess I had a bit too much after all.” She says, her words slurring.

Then, her face shifts to one of discomfort. She wobbly leans back up and holds the pillar nearby, handing over her mouth as she muffles a sick sounding burp. “Ooh…yeah, that’s as far as I go - hic -. Time to head baaack to reality…and my sssad love life.” She says, her cheeks now also a little green from the alcohol intoxication.

As Himeko tries to wobble out of the bar, Seb quickly settles the bill for them. It seems Himeko is already so drunk, she completely forgot to settle her tab. 

As they exit the bar however, Himeko’s fumbling steps soon made her almost trip several times. Only after just 10 meters, Seb stopped her. She was in no condition to walk.

“Himeko, you’ve had quite a lot tonight.” he says as Himeko leans to a wall, still sounding groggy and messy. 

“Hehe-ha, of course~ You don’t know how much - hic - I can really drink.”

And then, without warning, Himeko throws her arms around Seb’s neck from behind him, bringing her face ever so suddenly so close towards him. Sebastian freezes up instantly, feeling how Himeko’s body is suddenly all over his back, including how her rather generous chest assets were pressing against his back.

“Ooh…a comfortable wall…heheh~” Himeko mumbles, unaware of how flustered she is making the poor man.

However, with how she is leaning towards him, Seb gets an idea to save himself from further embarrassment. Without any resistance from Himeko, owing to her level of intoxication, he kneels down a bit and suddenly lifts her up, holding her legs with his hands as her body rests on his back.

“Ahh…warm…” She says, muttering nonsense as she places her head unknowingly on his back, her consciousness now slipping in and out.

Seb is flustered still, but he steels himself as he walks back towards the base area. He is careful so as to not jostle her too much, it might cause her more discomfort and make her throw up. He didn’t want her to spew all over his back.

And so, with careful steps through the night, Seb carried Himeko through the streets. Yet, despite how quiet he is, his thoughts rang on.

‘Honestly, it saddens me to see her like this. Not only is she risking her life for the world, but she’s not getting much in return as well. She’s had so much thrown her way, in many stages of her life. From her mother not being there, the disappearance of her father that made her abandon her original dreams to pursue answers, to now with how she’s forced into adapting into a Stigmata for her own abilities to fight as a Valkyrie.’ 

Not many knew of that, but Sebastian did; she had told him of this long ago when he was still her Vice-Captain during their early days on the Hyperion. It filled him with so much more respect and admiration towards her; the fact she’s risking her life and possibly throwing it all away for a chance to turn the world for the better; even at the risk of not being able to enjoy the fruits of her labor.

But that’s what makes Himeko, Himeko. She doesn’t bother about whether or not she could enjoy what comes after. She cares for others to the point it looks like she’s more concerned about them over herself, and that’s what makes her so admirable in his eyes. Behind the seemingly strong woman was a good-willed personality that wanted nothing less than the best for others, minus herself.

Especially so the 3 young ladies she introduced to him. The ones she deeply cared for after she pulled them out of a ruined Nagazora all those months ago. The loud and brash Kiana, the quiet and smart Bronya, the level-headed but slightly timid Mei. They were among the many Himeko cared for, and she would gladly help them attain a bright future.

Even if it means a future without her in it. 

Sebastian however realized that, though her intentions were as pure and as good as you can make them out to be, there was one thing that she was missing. One that she’s trying to look for her damn hardest throughout her life; or whatever is left of it.

Someone to take care of her.

Don’t assume the worst, the others care for her a lot too. Theresa may be annoying at times, but the Principal does care for Himeko. Her own students too; especially the aforementioned three. But, he still felt like there needed to be someone else. Someone in her life to help her; support her, to pull her up through all her downs.

He was going to be there for her, whatever his relation was with her. To be fair, he was kind of brought down as she went on dates left and right, but now he kind of held pity towards her as opposed to being bummed about. She kept trying so hard, in fact he’d probably be glad when she eventually landed one herself.

It’d be better if said person was him. 

As he carried her through the gates greeting the Valkyrie on guard at the HQ, he sighed. If it wasn’t him, it didn’t mean he would stop. He’d make sure she gets treated well, either through himself, or through other means as necessary.

He opened the door to her room, using her hand to unlock the electric lock on the door. Though it could be unlocked mechanically with a key, using it was an easier option as the otherwise drunk and gigglish Himeko was struggling to even register the fact that she’s already back in her room.

“Hehehe~ I got a free - hic - rideee~” She drunkenly sings, Seb giving a small chuckle as he walks up to her bedroom, still careful with his steps as he carries the drunken lady into her room.

However as he reaches her room, closing the door behind him, he notes something.

She’s already snoring lightly on his back. 

It seems the combined warmth of his back and her little house made her all the sleepier. And now, it culminated into her falling asleep on his back, completely oblivious to anything in the world. 

He chuckled to nobody in particular.

He carefully walked over to her bed, careful so as to not wake her up or the other girls living here; he’s aware of Kiana, Mei, Bronya, and Fu Hua living in the same complex. 

He sat on the bed, before slowly untangling her legs from his hold. He moved such that her back was facing the pillows on the backrest of her bed. He laid her there gently, Himeko only releasing some incoherent sleepy mumbles and light groans as he slowly unbuckled her legs from behind him.

With careful precision, Seb positioned Himeko into her bed, placing her head on the pillow and taking some of her more cumbersome accessories off. He wouldn’t want to change her outfit because it would be impossible and rude of him to do so.

He took her heels off last, placing them neatly at the side of the room. He sighed as he gently tucked her in, placing the blankets over her while turning the AC in her room on to a gentle cooling wind; not wanting to make her too hot or too cold.

When it's all settled, he closes the curtains before walking over to the side of the bed.

To Seb, seeing her sleeping so calmly, it fills him with peace that she’s getting a break from everything going on around her. She needs the break from whatever life has been throwing at her, and to see her snuggle in a blanket like this; it felt pleasant.

And he’d make damn sure her sleep would be peaceful for as long as he could. 

He took his phone out to set an early alarm for tomorrow. He has an agenda to do later. With that done, he pats her arm a bit, making sure for one more time that she’s settled in.

“Well, if no ones going to do it for you, there’s always me. Good night Himeko.”

He didn’t hear her mumble as he closed the door behind her. 

“Mmh…g’night….Captain…”

Himeko stepped out of her room, the hangover giving her a spinning headache and feeling her body ache. 

And in all honesty, she had trouble remembering what exactly happened. She woke up in the morning to the expected throbbing headache, but somehow she had managed to end up back in her room, sleeping nice and snug under the covers of her blanket. She was still clad in her dress, and it was surprisingly still intact and neat, so whoever had dropped her off back into her room was certainly a decent person who wasn’t trying to get underneath her clothes.

That was a nice change of pace for once, but she still had no idea. She had changed into a casual one piece super long house dress since she wasn’t in the mood to wear much else.

Then, as she figured out who she met after that date that went wrong, some of her memories returned to her; including who had happened to come by and accompany her at the bar after that horrible date.

“Oh, Seb. Ugh, my head….I need to apologize to him……he probably carried me all the way back too.” Himeko said, walking through the hallways and down the stairs. Her head was spinning, but at least she was able to walk now. She’d need to thank him properly too; maybe treat him a meal or something after dropping her back.

Himeko paused. Her nose picked up a really nice scent of something being cooked in the kitchen. She hummed at the smell before looking at the clock.

“Eh? That’s odd.” She says,  before walking to the kitchen area of their little dorm house.

“Mei? Shouldn’t you be in class, it’s-”

She paused when she saw who it was behind the counter.

“Oh? Himeko, you’re up. Are you feeling alright?” 

“S-Seb?” She asked, rubbing her eyes to make sure it was him.

He turned from his position in front of the stove to look at Himeko, sighing a bit. “Yeah, it’s me. Don’t tell me your hangover made you forget what I looked like.”

Himeko found it in herself to chuckle lightly as she approached him. “I didn’t expect to see you here. I thought Mei was cooking or Hua, not you. How’d you get in?”

“Oh, I came in early when they’re going to leave for class. I didn’t really need to say much, just explaining to Hua about what happened and she was more than happy to let me in.” He replies, turning back to the stove. “Why don’t you take a seat?”

“Hmm, I’m afraid I can’t stay. Ugh, my headache.” She shakes her head a bit. “I have a meeting soon; in fact, I probably should be getting ready for it right now, or something.” 

“About that meeting. I think you’d be in no condition to attend it. In fact Himeko; you kind of passed it already.” 

“EH?!” Himeko abruptly got up, but stopped when her head spun a bit from the sudden movement. “OH shi- you’re right, it’s one hour ago. Ugh, Theresa is going to nag me again for this….”

“I have the meeting notes written down here, and all the checks are filled out based on your preference from the previous meeting.” Seb abruptly says, passing her a notebook. Himeko took a few seconds to process what he had said, before taking the notebook without a response.

“You can check the log inside, it should have everything. Sorry if I missed anything.” He says, going back to whatever he is cooking on the stove.

“.....Wow…” Was all Himeko could say as she read the log from the meeting. Not only did Seb write everything in an organized manner, he did so with all the details she needed to follow up; every single thing she’d like to have noted down is there. The class organizations, lesson plans, and the squad updates and divisions.

Needless to say, Seb had taken the meeting in her place.

“Y-you……you didn't need to.” She says after a while, closing the book and looking at him.

“I have not much that can be done this morning, Himeko. I’d rather you not have missed something important than this. It’s really alright.” He says reassuringly, the sounds of sizzling and pans clattering filling the kitchen.

“Still, it should be me-”

“In your state, Himeko, going to the meeting would make it worse on yourself overall, and I’d not have that. This is the best, and it’s done already. So please.” Seb replies, stopping Himeko mid sentence. He turns around briefly, passing her a smile before turning back as he starts plating whatever it is he’s cooking.

“.....Thank you then.” She says, finally relenting. “I owe you one, you know? What did you tell Theresa though?” Himeko adds.

“That you weren't well, so I was taking it instead. She didn’t seem to mind so long as I made it clear to you what was going on in the meeting.” He adds.

Himeko nods. “That means I owe you two then. Theresa would be all over me if you didn’t cover for me there.”

“It’s honestly no problem.” He says.

Silence follows for a while.

“Uhh, about last night. I’m sorry, I was probably a handful back then.” She says, sounding quite sorry for dragging Seb into her messy love life; or lack thereof.

“To be fair Himeko, you had it rougher than me, so it's only normal for you to let go…Honestly I can get frustrated at times about it.” Seb replies, saying the last part a bit lower, but still audible to Himeko.

“Huh? You? Why?” She asks, raising an eyebrow.

“I mean, don’t get me wrong here, but sometimes I think to myself that it's kind of unfair to you that, after everything you’ve been through, the world just seems to throw everything bad at you without even blinking. So, really, if you need to release it once in a while, please.” He explains.

She couldn’t take her eyes off the back of him as he said that.

“So, I suppose, you could say I’m just making amends to help.” He says, finally turning around and bringing a plate in front of her. “You haven’t eaten since you just woke up, so I latched this up in a flash."

Himeko looks down at the food. A stack of scrambled eggs, glowing yellow and bright. Some sausages, cooked and cut, some potatoes and mushrooms, alongside pieces of bread, he had also given her some butter to go with the meal.

“That’s all I could make. I’m no Mei, so I don’t really know how it will taste.” He says, a bit sheepishly.

The smell is so intoxicating, Himeko can already guess that it will taste really good. She takes the fork, taking a bite out of the egg while Seb, though turned around, peeks from the corner of his eyes to spot her reaction.

Himeko knew Mei cooked really well, and though he admitted he wasn’t as good as Mei’s, the food he had just made for her was nothing short of excellent.

Sebastian was relieved when he saw the look of contentment stream across her face. “Mmm….this is really good. I should have you cook for the school staff some day.” She comments, earning an amused but shy chuckle from Seb.

“Aw, come on. You should ask Mei to do that. She’d do a better job of it too.” He responds, scratching the back of his head.

Himeko chuckles, feeling her light-headedness disappear as she eats along. The pair chatted casually, Seb having poured them both a glass of orange juice each to go along. He had his breakfast already, and was completely content watching Himeko eat hers.

She finishes after a while. 

“Ah, that was great. Thank you so much, I wouldn’t even have eaten anything short of some pieces of random bread lying around if you hadn't cooked for me there.” Himeko says, taking a sip of the freshly squeezed orange juice.

“Don’t mention it. I just hope you do find your man soon, Himeko. It kind of annoys me to see you like this.” He says, bringing the dish to the washing sink.

Himeko pauses her drink, putting the glass down. “Really? Here I thought you’d be more annoyed by taking care of me after that.”

“Heh, that? Come on, I’d gladly be there to make sure you get back safe and well any time of the day.” He says as he begins washing the dishes. “I just don’t want you to have to go through the emotional drinking. It’s bad for you, both in health and mentality.”

If it was anyone else, Himeko would have countered that they were probably joking.

This is Sebastian; a man she knew from almost 10 years ago. And knowing him for that long, she knew that he meant every ounce of word he said.

“To be fair, you deserve better than this after everything you’ve been through. Take me doing this as something you deserve, yeah?” Seb says reassuringly, passing Himeko a small smile in the process. “You’re a wonderful person, Himeko. It’s a shame the world hasn’t returned it yet in full, but I will do what I can to make it do so.”

“Seb……ah, you confuse me at times.” She says under her breath. 

“Besides, your preferences for finding a partner is not even that difficult, so I’m kinda bummed you never really found one yet.” He says, continuing the washing.

“Hehe, yeah….I wish I can find one soon. Someone who’s proper and…responsible…”

Himeko trailed off, watching him wash. Something clicked in her mind as she looked at him.

He’s clean and tidy. You can tell just by how he carried himself around at work. He is educated; she knows that better than most after all. He has a good mind and strives to make the world a better place; not just by his words but also by his actions. He didn’t have any obligation or other motives to become the Captain of a Schicksal warship, but he took the position with a smile and performed his duties admirably.

And best of all, she knows that he is a soft spoken and generally really nice guy. Really nice. And he looks good too. Now that Himeko looks at him with a different vision, she never truly realized that Sebastian is quite well-off for a man. Perhaps this is because she knew him for so long, but he does look really good. That, and he supports her. He openly helps her many times, and now that she thinks about it, Himeko only just realized how many times he had helped her through long all-nighters when he can, or talks to her when she’s tired and generally keeping her in check.

She mentally curses herself. Was she so fixated on the outside world that she had failed to see this? People always said that sometimes, what you’re looking for would be way closer than you can imagine. She never thought that it would be any more true than how it is now, she was simply blinded.

Subconsciously she got up, rounding the corner of the kitchen counter to where Seb is standing.

And without a world, she threw her arms around his torso, hugging him from the back.

He froze as he turned the tap off. 

“E-eh? Himeko?”

“Hmm…warm……you were the one that carried me back, didn’t you?” She asked, closing her eyes and settling her head on his back.

“E-ehm…well…y-yeah, that was me.” The feeling of her pressing on his back again flustered him and made his mind error, though this time Himeko was hugging him consciously opposed to being drunk. 

“You look the part, and most definitely act the part as well…Hmm, a respectable man in many ways indeed…” She says, her words going through his mind and causing it to race into places unknown.

“Ah…I must have been really blind…” She mutters.

It was then that Seb caught on as his ears went red from one to the other, his entire face now a tomato.

Yet he didn’t push her away.

Himeko peeked up, spotting how red he’s gotten from the back of his ears. But, in fact, he didn’t move to push her away or resist. In fact, she swears she can feel one of his hands gently close around both of hers in front.

“Ha..hahaha. Wow, I must really look dumb now to everyone…to think that it was so close yet I never saw it…ah, I always wanted a smart man because I thought myself as one as well. You seemed to have proved me wrong.” Himeko says, laughing as she stayed there in that position.

They said nothing for a few seconds, though it felt much longer than that for Seb.

After that, it was only then that Himeko lifted her head up as Seb turned his head halfway around. And with that, Himeko perked up and whispered into his ear.

“I never really needed to look far. Say, Seb. Schicksal doesn't have any rules regarding relationships, right?”

That day, the crew of the Hyperion noted that the Captain seemed to be daydreaming and in his own world a lot more than usual. Meanwhile, Himeko’s class also noted that their usually more attentive teacher is seen daydreaming and giggling to herself a lot more. Theresa in particular, raised an eyebrow at Himeko's seemingly different behavior.

“Has she actually landed one, after all these dates?” Theresa asked nobody in particular.

Himeko just smiled as her class worked on their assignment, looking up at the birds flying high up in the sky through the window. In particular, she watched the Hyperion as it floated up high above St. Freya. 

Ah, sometimes love is so magical, happening in ways you never expect it to.

“Single handedly?”

“Yep.”

“Isn’t Mei or Hua helping her?”

“They tried already, but Kiana always ends up sinking in the end. Ugh, it’s giving me a headache.”

Seb chuckled, Himeko holding her forehead in slight annoyance in front of him. It was a nice Saturday noon, and the pair were seated in a relaxing beach-side restaurant, clad in casual wear as they are out on a lunch date.

That being said, Himeko simply had a translucent white long shirt over her black bikini, which really wasn’t subtle to her figure in any way. Seb had to make sure he didn’t stare too long, despite how inviting they were; it would be rude and he’s sure he’d be flustered beyond belief if Himeko caught on and teased him for it.

“I’m sure she's trying her best, whatever her best is given the circumstances.” Seb chuckles as he replies.

“Even if she is, I just wish she has more results that speak for her efforts. I mean, how does someone barely make it past simple calculus at her age? Mei could do it without even opening her eyes.” Himeko responds, taking a swig of her orange juice.

“Just give Kiana time. I’m sure she’ll learn. Just keep reminding her that if she wants to be the best Valkyrie Schicksal can offer, then she’d have to pass the theoretical classes as much as she can pass the direct combat classes.” Seb replies, taking a bite out of the french fry on his plate.

“Easier said than done. Even so, it’d be bad for her if she passes only for the sake of getting to the Valkyrie ranks without even caring for what’s inside those lessons.” Himeko says.

“I know, but I’m sure she’ll grow to learn. Besides, she’s still young; she may not understand the true lessons behind those classes just yet, don’t you think?” Seb replies.

“Heh, you’re one to talk about her being young. You know that, for someone of your rank, that you’re among the youngest as well, right?” Himeko asks him with a smirk. 

“Ehehe, you can say that I suppose.” Seb replies, sometimes forgetting the fact that before he even hit 25, he’s already leading a Schicksal capital ship into frontline Honkai fights.

“Hmm~ Not to mention you’re probably the youngest I’ve ever laid my eyes onto.” Himeko says, leaning forward with a teasing smile on her face.

Seb had to look down, his cheeks going a bit red. “Please Himeko, you know I can’t take those well.” He replies after a while.

All he could hear was Himko’s soft laughter, announcing his defeat again. “My, my, Seb. You’re just too fun to tease sometimes.” She responds.

They stayed silent for a while after that, eating their food while looking at the beach ahead.

“You know, speaking of things.” Himeko starts, Seb turning to her as she talks. “I’d never imagined that I’d be here with you, of all things.”

“Hmm? In what way?” Seb asks, taking a drink from his lemon squash.

“Well, in almost every way, I’d like to think.” She responds, earning her a curious glance from the man sitting across from her.

“When I was young, I wanted to work in Space Science and Engineering, heck become an Astronaut if I could. That’s why I chose to go to a university in America for it. In fact, I was in a class with Mr. Welt; I’m sure you’ve read some files about him from the archives.” Himeko says, reminiscing about her younger days.

“Then, many things happened from there. I got into Schicksal as a Valkyrie, and that’s when I met you all those years ago, remember?” She asked, looking at Seb.

“Hehe, yeah. I still remember how we were back then; just 2 young adults trying to make their mark in the world.” He responds, earning him a laugh from Himeko.

“Speak for yourself; you were probably still classed as a teenager back then.” Himeko cuts back, making the pair laugh lightly in response.

“Haha, and well, I can safely say that while I had no intentions to start dating or was even thinking about who I’d end up with, I can say for sure that it isn’t you I had in mind on my first go.” Himeko says, taking another sip of her drink. “Not just that, but even where I am now; teaching all the way in St. Freya at the Far East Branch. Heh, like I could even begin to expect that I’d end up here of all places.”

“Life throws many things at us, Himeko. Both things we expect and things we don’t expect. That’s part of the reason why you’re amazing. Just moving on, caring about others more than yourself; putting yourself in the forefront so others can make it past.” He says calmly.

Himeko wanted to tease him for the smooth lines, but between how genuine Seb sounded, she couldn’t; he meant everything he said, and she’s honestly grateful he felt that way.

“In all my years here I always wondered if anyone like you existed. I guess sometimes what we’re looking for is right in front of our faces, yet we never realize.” She says, making Seb chuckle shyly.

“To be fair, it’s just you that probably got way too unlucky too many times. Perhaps it’s just a way for the world to remind you to look closer before looking far.” Seb says, now having his own playful smirk.

“Pssh, oh you. Being bold, are we?” She says, bringing her face closer to his across the table.

“Hmm, well, I suppo-”

A loud beep came from his Schicksal communicator; the Hyperion was hailing him.

“Ah drats. It seems like we have a mission or something…” He says, regret in his voice. 

Another beep came through.

Seb looked at Himeko. Her own Schicksal communicator was also hailing her.

The pair looked at another.

“Well, we got work to do, so it looks like this will have to be cut short.” She says, getting up and fixing her shirt.

“Yeah. I guess we can have another one some other time.” Seb adds, pushing his chair in as he stands up across from her.

“That’s a promise~” Himeko says, before abruptly going in close to him. Seb had no time to register that until he felt her lips pecking the side of his cheek, causing the man to tip his hat down in embarrassment at the sudden affectionate gesture.

Himeko laughed. He was too adorable when flustered, she had to admit that.

“Alright, Ai-Chan. What’s the situation?” Seb asked as the pair walked out of the restaurant. 

Himeko hummed along as they waited for a response. “Hopefully it’s something fun this time. I wish we could have something that can change our pace of life to be more fun.”

Himeko and Sebastian did not know just how ironic that statement is.

Because, whether they like it or not, things will be getting interesting.

“An Anti-Entropy battleship is spotted approaching our territory.”

“Object coming at high velocity! From the rear!”

“Stabilize the rear deflectors! Watch the shield overheat meters!”

“CIWS can’t get a lock! The object’s signature is messing with our sensors!”

“We can’t sustain much more of this! Flank speed towards airspace with cover, and call in any available vessels we have! Now!”

“Where’s the squads?! We need them!”

“They’re not responding!”

Himeko said nothing as she rushed through the hallways of the battleship. Explosions rocked the ship left and right. All around her, staff and personnel were rushing. 

She passed by a hallway filled with closed body bags; several of them. Her sharp eyes closed as she passed them, not willing to imagine what they had gone through as she walked towards the central elevator shaft of the ship.

“Kiana…” Himeko muttered, watching as a ship staff whose leg was impaled by a Honkai projectile, was carried by other staff towards the back of the ship where the medic bay sat.

Himeko knew he had little chance. Not with how full the medic bay is now.

She pressed on. 

She glanced down again at the blue vial she held in her arm. It’s the answer she needed.

The problem? It was a one time solution that could answer 2 questions right now. 2 questions that, no matter how it was done, would leave someone grieving.

She resorted to her choice with the shake of her head, her grip tightening on the vial. She had promised, and she is going to hold onto it.

Even if she won’t see how it ends.

“Ugh, I’d kill for another can of beer.”

“Move them towards the side. Get the damage control team down to floor 2.”

Her eyes perked up. A voice she had found comfort in the recent months rang loud and clear to her ears. She picked up the pace out of instinct, and as she rounded the corner, she found a familiar figure.

A man, dressed in his captain outfit with some parts of it burnt and a large scar on the side of his arm, was coordinating the crew's efforts. 

“Sebastian!”

He snapped around in an instant.

Her orange eyes locked onto his gold ones again.

Her face morphed into one of worry; especially with how some blood was going down from his forehead past the hidden side of his face.

“Himeko!”

He gave one last nod to the medical team before they left, the chaos around them still blaring left and right as the pair approached each other and embraced one another in a deep hug.

“Y-you’re safe…when you went silent, I didn’t know what happened……” He said, trying to keep his voice composed.

Himeko saw right through it though; he was worried beyond belief, but had to hold his urges back due to his duties. Only now can he spill them out to her.

“I’m here, it’s alright.” She reassures him, tightening the grip for a moment before the two separate.

“What’s the situation?” She asks, the pair steadying themselves as another explosion rocked the ship.

“Honestly, not great at all. The shields are dying, our guns are unable to even slow that thing down, and we can’t lock onto the Herrscher’s signal at this rate.” he says, watching the crew around them work frantically. “How about you?”

“Haha, me? As great as ever.” She says, trying to reassure him. 

Seb wasn’t fooled. He narrowed her eyebrows at her. 

“Himeko, you know the risk, especially with that battlesuit. It worked to get us up, but there’s no saying you’ll stand against them both combined.” He says, the pair walking over to the elevator’s entrance. He had an inkling of what Himeko wanted to do, but he knew of the risks; he wasn’t sure if she did.

“I can take them both just fine. Don’t doubt my skills.” She says confidently, waving her greatsword around behind her. 

“I know, but the radiation. It’ll damage you irreversibly!” He says.

Seb and Himeko both knew of the zombification process when someone is exposed to too much Honkai. It would deteriorate their very being from the core, leaving their bodies to rot as a shell of their former selves while their own souls would be disconnected, leaving nothing but a mangling undead behind. 

Himeko, being late as a Valkyrie and with artificial Stigmata, was at the end of the active duty lifeline; any more and it’d be risky for her. Seb knew that well, and he has already talked to her many times about her decision to keep going; while he finds it admirable; Seb hated to see her go through it.

Himeko knew of the risks. She wasn’t born yesterday. Being one with an artificial Stigmata and a lower-than-average resistance meant she wasn’t meant to be a Valkyrie for long. 

But right now? None of that matters to her.

“Tch, don’t bother me with such things, Seb. I’ll be fine, okay? Besides, if no one steps in now, we won’t have anywhere to go!” She responds, her tone showing her authority.

“It may not even work! We won’t know if it will neutralize the Herrscher within Kiana! You’re just risking yourself on a whim chance!” He returns, irking her a bit.

“It’s a chance! At least there’s a chance in this! If we abandon this and retreat, we may not get another opening to neutralize her! It may not be a guarantee, but what choice do we have?!” Himeko replied. She knew he cared for her deeply, and seeing him like this tore her, but Himeko had to; this was the only way left to get them all through.

“We can wait for more reinforcements from other branches; we can hold her defensively until they come! You’re going to throw yourself into certain death here!” Seb replies. He knew she cared for him deeply, and it tore him to see her having to settle for such an uncertain solution, but he swears there are more ways to do this.

“Sebastian! Do you not care for Kiana?! Do you not care for your own Valkyrie?! She’s out there, being used as a vessel by a being far more dangerous than you can imagine and you're just going to let her be consumed like that? Are you out of your fucking mind?!” She returned the argument. 

“I DO! It’s not like I don’t! But- but there has to be another way!” He returns, now shouting back at her. He cares for Kiana deeply; Himeko and he himself knows it, and he couldn’t bear to see her in such a state for long as well.

“There’s no other way! This has to be done, even if it’s a chance, it’s one we have to take! If we leave her be, it’s also a chance! ARE YOU WILLING TO TAKE IT THAT FAR?!” She asked, her sword glowing with her tone.

Seb gritted his teeth for a moment.

“I-I...”

“.....”

“I JUST DON’T WANT TO LOSE YOU!” 

She pauses at his sudden proclamation. She could just make it out; she had never heard him cry, but now she has.

“I know…I know this is better……but…I can’t…” He responds, his tone going low.

Himeko’s face softens at that. 

“Seb.”

She pulled his face up to look at hers.

His eyes went wide.

Himeko brought her face to his, tilting it sideways, She leaned hers in the opposite direction, and at that very moment, the voices of explosions, alarms, and panicked crew were all drowned out. 

They hadn’t practiced it before, but Himeko was no newbie, and she landed her lips on his lips perfectly. He closed his eyes out of instinct, allowing the soft and tender respite from the chaos around them to unite their minds and hearts. It lasted for a brief moment, but to Sebastian Redgrave and Himeko Murata, it lasted for minutes on end.

She disconnected after a while, both their eyes locking onto one another again.

“I have to do this. For her, for everyone, for the ending of a story that she wants, not the one forced upon us.”

“I owe you a lot, honestly. From the day we met all those years ago, where I was just a new Valkyrie and you, a junior officer, all finding our way to grow up while following our own hearts and our own goals. You befriended me, cherished my presence, and only recently do I realize how you truly make me feel treasured; even if everything else around me goes wrong. You’re always there through it all, even till now, and for that I would be forever indebted to you with no hope of ever returning it.”

“Remember what I said back then. I fight not for myself, but for everyone. For a future, for a chance to live on, even if it meant that I’d have to take drastic measures. If I take this…I won’t have anything to offer to the world anymore. I will become what I once wished I wasn’t; someone on the sidelines.”

Her hand on his tightened. Himeko took a second to look away, not wishing to display a sign of weakness at this very delicate moment.

Another explosion. Time is running out. She looked at him again.

“So, thank you. I can’t say anything more, but thank you. You’ve made my life, even if only for a short moment, much brighter than anyone has ever managed before, and now, it’s my turn to make sure that yours will be as bright as it can ever be.”

“....”

“Promise me one thing, Seb. After this, please take care of my girls for me.”

“And from the bottom of my heart.”

“I love you.”

He wasn’t able to respond as he was suddenly shoved away, Himeko using force to properly throw his body. Seb smacked into the back wall, stunning him briefly as his vision spun with the sudden impact.

Hiding her face from him, she turned around. She wanted nothing more right now to run to him. To embrace him one more time; kiss him one more time; be with him for a moment longer. Anything fleeting with him; a memory she can treasure.

But time waits for none. If looking at him would make her hesitate, she chose to look away.

As the elevator doors open before her, she closes the hallway behind her, triggering the airlock mechanism that is designed to prevent air and water leakage should it need to. The doors hissed as the Captain of the Hyperion slowly got his bearings, struggling to his feed amidst the shaking ship.

A tear escaped her eyes.

Himeko wiped it off wordlesslly, closing her eyes for a moment.

‘You’ve done me a great many favors Seb. You loved me when none did so, you cherished me when everyone didn’t, and you made me feel special in a way only you could.'

Wordlessly, she brought her greatsword out to bear, and with a quick thrust, completely impaled the control wires and cables of the door; rendering it sealed shut from both sides.

“HIMEKO! WAIT!”

Seb got up, but it was too late. The doors were locked, and no matter how hard he tried, the controls weren’t responding.

“Control! Open the airlocks at level B5! Now!”

“CONTROL! OPEN THE AIR LOCKS!”

“I’m nothing special, if I’m honest. Just another Valkyrie among the ranks of Schicksal, and not even among the top ones too, but you came and made me feel special. You treasured me as if I was something that could never be replaced in the world. You showed me that I could be loved as a person more than I have ever imagined.”

Himeko stepped into the elevator. She looked down at the blue vial in her hands. Biting her lip, she placed it into a protected compartment of her battlesuit, ready to be used when the time comes during the confrontation. The doors closed in front of her, the elevator preparing to go up to the bridge.

'And it saddens me that I can never repay it to you directly. So here, please forgive me for leaving you so quickly. Please forgive me for abandoning the happily ever after we both wanted. And, please forgive me for letting you walk the world without me. If I had the choice though, I’d gladly trade myself so you can travel the world again; to make friends, meet new people, and end it all the way you wanted.'

With a heavy heart, she looked up. Through the small window, she could see Seb’s face in panic as he tried to pry the door open to no avail.

Her bright orange eyes locked onto his golden eyes.

'Continue my legacy for me, Sebastian. It’s selfish of me to ask this, but this is all I can ask for, when this is said and done.'

For the very last time.

She smiled.

“I’m sorry, Sebastian. And……thank you.”

His footsteps felt heavy, as they should be.

The skies were cloudy, but it wasn’t raining. A nice cool air, with a light breeze. 

“A perfect day for a date, wouldn’t you say?”

Seb smiles, the red rose bouquet in his arms as he stands in front of the stone tablet, surrounded by flowers of various kinds.

“It’s been a while. A lot has happened, if I’m honest, both good and bad.” 

“Ah, thinking back then, I guess it was quite foolish of me to have gone against you when you wanted to do what was right for the world. Heh, I guess even I am still not selfless enough compared to you.”

He sighed, looking down slightly as he paused for a moment, gathering his thoughts.

“Sometimes I forget what you strived for. Not for yourself, not ever, but for others. For everyone as a whole, to have a home to return to, to have a family to come back to. To have a story they can end their own way.”

“And I guess that’s why you’re amazing. You stick to your principles, no matter how hard. You stand by your ideals, even if the situation is bleak.”

“You follow your path, even if it ends quickly.”

“Here, I wrapped these fresh from the ones I grew on the Hyperion. I hope you like them as much as I do. I’m sorry, I wanted to do more, but a lot has been going on, and I can’t really do much more than this.” 

He places the bouquet down on the top of the stone grave, rubbing some dust off with his hand as he sighs.

“I have to hurry back before Theresa starts headhunting me again for work. I’ll see you again soon, and when I do, hopefully.”

“Hopefully, we all can have ended our story the way we wanted to.”

“Thank you, Himeko.”

He turns around, but pauses after a step.

“Also.”

“I love you more.”

His eyes may have not locked onto anyone else’s at the moment, but to the Captain of the Hyperion, it mattered little.

Because he knew.

She’s looking right back at him with that sweet smile on her face.

“Thank you again, Sebastian. For doing what I asked and staying true to the very end. Don’t worry, it will end the way you want to; I know it will.”