The following week settled into a routine. No, that was the wrong way to phrase it. ‘Settled in’ implied that it happened naturally. The truth was that Ash and Kyouko had meticulously laid out and stuck to a schedule.

“Break!” his partner cried as Ash slammed his data pad onto the cafeteria table with enough force that it resounded throughout the noisy cafeteria. It was probably only due to having to live up to VEA standards that the device didn’t crack due to the sheer impact. Ignoring the looks that were being thrown his way, the Vintrkind began to devour the tasteless slop the cafeteria dared to call food in his presence.

Despite the fact that lunch lasted for about forty five minutes according to his student handbook, Ash only really had about fifteen minutes to eat and digest before he would have to throw himself back into his studies. Of course, this was all by his own choice.

“VEA is a merit based system, and that means that the main way of getting points is by proving you’ve got what it takes to be a Valkyrie,” Kyouko had explained on that fateful night. “Unfortunately for you Ash, your knowledge of any theory is so far behind that you aren’t just lagging behind everyone else, you haven’t even learned how to crawl.”

And it wasn’t like he could make up for his lacking theory with his practical results either. Ash was a D-Rank student after all, getting his hands on a Valkyrie Gear was a bureaucratic nightmare where he had to go up and ask Magnolia for permission to use one every single time.

The white haired boy quickly glanced up to see the Asgardian in question talking with some other girls about something he couldn’t—and wouldn’t care to—hear. As if she could feel his gaze, Magnolia cocked her head in order to meet his eyes from all the way on the other side of the cafeteria. She gave him a silent nod and a look before putting on that respectful and elegant smile that she wore whenever she was talking to anyone who wasn’t Ash or Kyouko, and turned back to the girls around her. It was almost like the two lived in separate worlds, but the message was clear. Even if it didn’t look like it, Magnolia was watching him.

Of course, she had also scoffed when she heard Ash’s goal for the first time.

“A Wing? You? Do you even realize what you would have to do to even become a Candidate? If you’re joking around, quit it right this instant.” But Ash wasn’t joking, he was dead serious. A message that seemed to have been conveyed, since Magnolia had ended up relenting in the end. “I said I would help you, and a Hale keeps their word, no matter what. Since you’re serious about this, then show me that you’re more than just some mangy dog.”

After that Magnolia had brought him to the various facilities to get him to start training with the various weapons he could use. Firing at targets at the shooting range, practicing his axework, even beginning to teach him her specific style of spearmanship. This was how the days had begun to pass for Ash Whitelund.

Studying as much as an Alfheim student, training as hard as a Muspelheim soldier, a wonderful demonstration of a Midgardian’s all-roundedness. Every single moment of his time had been regimented and scheduled, all to make it so that Ash could gain as many points as he possibly could in the near future. Right now, Kyouko had to do all of the hard lifting. Personally, Ash didn’t think that his partner needed to work as hard as he did, but that didn’t stop her from subjecting herself to the same grueling schedule as him.

“Let’s see…” Liesa’s glasses flashed and the Vintrkind could vaguely make out the glimpses of light reflected onto the screen. “Ah, you’ve made a mistake here.”

There was a ping as the mock examination that the Alfheim girl designed was sent back to him, already completely graded with comments and everything. Ash had no idea how Liesa had done it so fast, but truthfully he was more concerned about what was on the test. To him, it was an incomprehensible language that required deep reading into ancient texts to gain a glimpse of enlightenment.

For everyone else, it was Basic Algebra.

“By analyzing the data, a clear trend has emerged regarding just where your weak points are.” Liesa stated, as if that wasn’t ‘everything’. “Ah, but don’t be too anxious about it! I shall endeavour to adjust my course to focus on these topics!”

“Thanks,” Ash mumbled exhaustedly. Having to keep up with the course work actually assigned to him as well as these basic building block fundamentals was beginning to take a load on him. When was his next break again… Not soon enough.

“I swear you’re more of a teacher than some of our actual professors,” Kyouko commented, and though she tried to pass off as looking none the worse for wear, even she couldn’t hide the bags beginning to form under her eyes.

“Well, to be truthfully honest it’s not as though I am lacking in experience…” The green haired girl gave an awkward smile before continuing to speak. “Back in my home realm, I often helped to tutor the younger students on these matters.”

“Really?” Red eyes gave Ash a sideways glance before his friend smiled. “And how old were they?”

“Don’t ask that…” the white haired boy muttered under his breath but it was too late.

“Er.” The Alfheim girl coughed awkwardly before speaking up quietly. “…Ten years old.”

Yet again, Ash was the source of a loud impact that could be heard throughout the cafeteria. Except this time, rather than his tough as nails data pad, it was the Vintrkind’s head that slammed into the table. At the moment, he didn’t even care that such an action probably resulted in the loss of a few of his precious neurons. Ash, to put it bluntly, felt like a sack of bricks.

“Hold on a moment,” he heard Kyouko say as she got out of her chair. A few moments later he shivered as a chill went across his skin that for once, wasn’t caused by him. With bleary eyes, Ash looked up to find the black haired girl holding out an energy drink brand that he wasn’t familiar with. Probably a VEA exclusive, since he knew Kyouko wouldn’t dare suggest anything Midgard had to offer. “Here, take it. You look like you need a pick me up badly, Vargr.”

“…You didn’t have to use points for me,” Ash responded, but took the drink anyway and began to pour it down his throat. It was like tangy fruit in liquid form, and he could feel his body beginning to revitalize itself soon afterwards.

“Don’t worry about it, it wasn’t that expensive.” His partner gave her trademarked grin. “Besides, after today we’ll have a couple of points to spare. Isn’t that right Liesa?”

“I cannot say for certain whether this scheme of yours will come to fruition, but the preparations on my end have been completed,” Kyouko’s handler said. “It was a bit difficult, as all of the rooms had been booked by upperclassmen beforehand, but in the end I was able to arrange a time slot.”

“So we’re finally going through the first of your plans,” Ash sighed, mentally preparing himself for what was to come. “Hopefully nothing will explode this time.”

“Jackass.” Kyouko playfully punched him in the arm, though they both had nightmares- Er, found memories of times things didn’t go according to plan. Like say for instance, the incident that had led them to winding up at VEA in the first place.

Then again, even if something did go wrong, that was a risk Ash was willing to take. For someone in his situation, just going to classes and doing things like a normal student couldn’t even guarantee him to pass the mid-term exams. Whatever plan Kyouko had cooked up to gain points, he’d follow it as faithfully as he could, just like all the other times before it.

“Once classes are finished for today, we’ll make our move,” His partner tapped her head. “And if this doesn’t work out I’ve got more strategies to try until something sticks!”

“I appreciate the sudden motivation, but do be careful to not break any rules while doing so. No amount of points is worth making an enemy of the teachers,” Liesa warned. “Oh, and Mister Whitelund, the end of your break is approaching. Do make sure to finish your food beforehand. Stimulating beverages will only take you so far, proper nutrition is vital to your physiological wellbeing.”

“Got it.” The vintrkind nodded before practically cleaning the bowl in front of him. Though he wouldn’t call the meal ‘proper nutrition’ by any stretch of the term. He had a snack that Miss Ingen had made in his bag, so should he quickly eat it now or savor it later-

There was no time to make a decision. At the sound of the sudden beep, both Midgardians went ramrod, putting their now empty dishes away before taking out their datapads and hungrily going over the information written upon it as their break time came to an end. They shouted in unison. “Start!”

Despite how ferociously Ash was studying, the boy couldn’t help but wonder about just what was in store for him today.

---

For most of his classes, Ash spent the time furiously studying the very basics of the subjects and only paying attention when a topic he could actually understand began to be discussed. Thankfully however, there were a few classes that he could fully participate in.

“As you can see, the effects of a Jotun’s impact on the environment renders the area uninhabitable,” the professor narrated as she pulled up an old world photograph of a wasteland, plants withered away and soil gone barren. Judging by how fresh the traces of the mechanical giant that had torn through the area were, though, the desolation was quite fresh. “The Cloud Heart generates a mist which spreads through the atmosphere, and is hostile to most forms of biological life. Thus, most Jotun will dig into a location and form ‘nests’ where they can fully saturate the area with their mists before beginning to construct lower-class Jotun. Only the largest—of Giant-Class and higher—have ever been seen to reproduce while on the move.”

Jotun Physiology and Behavior was one of those rare classes where it didn’t feel like Ash was missing half the textbook. It was almost a source of leisure where he could actually study like a normal student and relax a bit. Lucky that, too, because Madam Xiao Bai was the kind of hardass that wouldn’t let anyone in her class not pay attention, no matter the reason. If Miss Rivers was strict, then Xiao Bai was someone who wouldn’t tolerate any sort of disrespect and retaliated with extremely disproportionate retribution. The Vintrkind had to constantly take a cold breath every class as his ears caught the half-muttered curses that left his classmates' mouths when they thought no one was listening. Half of which, unsurprisingly, came from Kyouko.

“Valkyrie Gears only serve as protection from the mist, they do not make you immune. When facing off against a Jotun, it is imperative that you destroy the Cloud Heart in a timely manner or you’ll end up dying faster than you can expose the core. Where it is and what form it takes depends on the Jotun you are fighting, but this is the most fundamental of tactics.” Ash nodded though he had to wonder if that was easier said than done when trying to face the mechanical beasts. He stiffened as the teacher turned to look directly at him, glaring directly in his eyes with mocking scorn. “A real Valkyrie would’ve already known this by now but I suppose some exceptions can be made. Not that I expect much from the rest of you anyways.”

Suddenly a chimed ring and a relieved sigh swept through the classroom only for the tension to spike back up as Xiao Bai stuck up her nose. “The bell doesn’t excuse you, I do. Now because we haven’t finished, I’ll be going over today’s assignment…”

It was the kind of stunt that could only be done by those who had the very last class of the day, spending ten minutes going over the assignment while the sounds of those who had actually gotten out of school floated in from the halls like mockery. A very special kind of torture, with the room noticiably growing a few degrees colder as time dragged on. By the time they did get out of class, his partner had begun to gnash her teeth to dust.

“Ugh, goddammit it’s not that complicated!” Kyouko shouted once they had gotten far enough away. “Take out the mist generator thingy, then destroy the core of the Jotun! Simple! You didn’t need to waste so much time talking about it, so don’t punish us for your own mistakes! Your class doesn’t even give that many points!”

“There were some fascinating details mixed in pertaining to the subject matter… But I do agree Madam Xiao Bai’s manner of education is quite insufficient.” Liesa tried to placate her partner but it wasn’t really effective with the mixed look on her face. “I’ve had professors like her back in my home realm. All sorts of people become teachers after all.”

“So how’d you deal with them?” Ash replied as he kept his cool.

“Just tolerating them is not enough. If they are quashing your drive for knowledge, then that means they have won,” the green haired girl declared with a serious look on her face. “You must educate yourself on your own and seek to surpass their own understanding of the subject! Although Valhalla doesn’t operate with the Mastery Challenge system, I believe that what’s next will more than make up for it.”

The white haired boy was about to ask just what this ‘Mastery Challenge’ was, only to get interrupted by Kyouko letting out a menacing chuckle. “Oh yeah, this is going to be far better then just having to endure the torture she calls teaching.”

“Yeah, do you mind telling me what ‘this’ is?” The more Ash knew about what Kyouko had planned, the more ways he could prepare himself when it all went wrong.

She turned around so that her red eyes were looking up at him before giving a wink. “Don’t want to ruin the surprise just yet. In fact, why don’t I show you?”

The trio made their way through the VEA campus, exiting the main building before going to the increasingly familiar but still absurdly large ‘training and exercise section. The sounds of combat, sports, and other physical exertion reached Ash’s ears as they entered a cylindrical building and stepped into the lobby. On display were various images from what Ash could recognize as Old War battles, a hologram of a Jotun towering above them all twice the size of the absurdly built young man. It’s body was built out of dirty white metal, forged into the shape of a walking… Well Ash didn’t know what specific animal but it had antlers on its head with a long snout while also lumbering on two feet. Other spikes and twisted jagged edges protruded from its body, as if the creature had been born from the earth despite it’s artificiality. And of course there was the blue glow in its eyes, energy that pulsed through and occasionally shone through the cracks in its metallic body. Goosebumps prickled Ash’s skin even if it was just a simulation.

His eyes quickly darted to the informational display. The Jotun in front of him was Troll Class, the weakest of them all.

“Hell of a thing to put in the lobby,” Kyouko noted with a shrug. “But I suppose this display of war was never supposed to be comforting.”

Ash raised an eyebrow before turning to his friend. “A museum?”

“There is in fact an exhibition on display here, but while fascinating, it is only secondary to our main objective.” Liesa declared before nodding her head. “Now if you two will please excuse me for a few moments…”

The Alfheim girl quickly scurried off deeper into the lobby, for some reason skipping past the receptionist’s desk before meeting up with a group of girls. Ash quietly watched as she quickly said something before the obvious leader of the clique glanced up towards him. Her hair was messy blonde, drooping all the way down to her waist, and despite how far she was away from him the vintrkind could still make out her heavy makeup and flashy accessories. The girl gave him a wink and Ash sniffed his nose. Cautiously watching as she took out a card and handed it over to Liesa.

Ash opened his mouth. “...Breaker.”

“Yeah, I know Vargr.” She nodded before placing a hand on her hips and sighing. “I don’t need a bloodhound like you to smell when something’s fishy.”

Years of living on the streets of Midgard had sharpened their instincts, causing the pair to remain in cautious silence as their handler beckoned them over to the elevator. Slowly, they walked down the lobby, whoever Liesa had been talking to staring openly at the duo as they met up with Kyouko’s handler. “Mind explaining what all that was about?”

“Ah, yes.” Liesa nodded as they stepped into the elevator and watched the lobby close behind them. She pressed a few buttons as the doors closed, and Ash waited for something to happen. It was only when he glanced at the increasing floor number did he realize it was actually moving. “As I said earlier today, most of the rooms here are booked by the upperclassmen weeks in advance, before the semester even began in fact. It was quite difficult to arrange it on such short notice, but luckily Miss Anemone offered to give one of her bookings to me.”

“Is that so…” the black haired girl mused. “Just out of the goodness of her heart, huh?”

“Please refrain from casting baseless aspersions upon your fellow Valkyrie Cadets, even through implication,” the Alfheim girl warned her charge as the door to the lift opened and they walked into a series of hallways. “We are all striving to educate ourselves here after all, and it reflects poorly on my character as well. I will have you know that I properly compensated her for her generous actions. Besides, Miss Anemone is an A-Rank Valkryie like myself.”

A wordless noise left Kyouko’s mouth, the kind Ash recognized from when she wanted to sound like she was listening but had never actually agreed to anything. The Midgardians signaled to each other silently behind Liesa’s back as she let out a bright cheer. “Ah! And here is our destination!”

She quickly placed the key card to the room and threw open the doors, revealing a row of white pods with various cables running from them to the back wall of the room. “Allow me to present to you one of Alfheim’s finest achievements in the name of progress, the hyper-realistic virtual reality simulation devices!”

“Virtual reality?” Ash raised an eyebrow, taking it all in while surveying the room for anything suspicious. Everything seemed in place… Not that he would know if there was anything suspicious about the room. “This was your plan?”

“To be more specific, they’re historical reenactment simulators.” Kyouko grined as she tapped on one of them, causing the glass window to fly wide open. “So I was thinking about ways to get points while compensating for how much of a pain getting permission to use our Valkryie Gears was. Turns out, if you do missions in the simulators you get a lot of points. Like a whole bunch of them!”

Ash shot her a questioning gaze before turning to Liesa.

“That is because they’re tailored for more advanced students.” Ah, there it was. “A new student is not expected to use a Valkryie Gear well enough to overcome the harder missions that you seek to accomplish. Especially ones without their own Einherjars.”

“Yeah, that’s why I had to rule out the hololight simulators,” Kyouko sighed, shaking her head in regret, “and let’s not even talk about getting access to one of the DWCs. Getting realistic live combat training while gathering points would be the best option but… The need for an Einherjar and our own inexperience just made the upfront cost you had to pay so not worth it. But but but!”

She held up a finger in the air. “Historical Reenactment Simulators are different! The playing field is equal at the start, you’re given all that you need to win the mission! After all, the point isn’t just to complete the objective you know!”

“...I get it.” Ash nodded as he thought it over. The fact that the simulators Kyouko had chosen were specifically historical were the key words here. This wasn’t just a test of skill, it was a test of what you would do if you were in a specific situation. Even if the battle historically ended in failure, the simulators would test a participant's resourcefulness to see how they could’ve changed things with the equipment provided. And since all the missions were geared towards fundamentally being something anyone clever enough could win- “It’s practically a perfect match for you, Breaker.”

“Heh, I know right!” Kyouko gave a grin before hopping herself into the cushions that made up the pod’s insides and settling in. “Oh wow these things are super comfy. Nothing like the shitty mattress back at the dorms.”

Ash rolled his eyes before moving towards one of the other open pods. “Your bed isn’t that bad to sleep in. The problem is you keep kicking me off of it.”

“E-E-Excuse me?!” Liesa’s eyes went wide, cheeks flushing a shade of red that Ash would’ve matched if he couldn’t feel the ice coursing through his veins and cooling his heart. “You two are sharing a bed?!”

“Mine broke. Conditions are terrible. We had to make do,” Ash quickly got out before Kyouko could make any more comments, quickly tossing himself inside of the advanced machines. Huh, Kyouko was right. These were really comfy, although they were a bit cramped due to not having been built for someone of his size. The young boy felt like he was going to fall asleep at any moment. Although that might have just been the energy drinks wearing off. “Are you going to join us?”

“In bed?!”

“No, in the pods you naughty girl,” his partener teased, twirling her hair.

“Oh! Yes of course! I-I mean no, I won’t!” Liesa got out, stumbling over herself as she coughed and adjusted her glasses. “Contaminating the control group with my own involvement wouldn’t do your training any good. It would be for the best if we established a baseline first to measure your growth over time… Though I shall still be able to interact with you through the terminals provided.”

“Got it.” At least somebody would be constantly keeping an eye out. Ash glanced up at the glass ceiling. “So how do these things work exactly?”

“Once activated, you’ll enter into a dreamlike state, but still retaining full neuroactivity and lucidity. The pod will read the signals that your brain fires to give you locomotion within the virtual environment.,” the tech savvy girl began to explain, hitting a button causing the lids to begin enclosing him until he was completely enveloped in the darkness. Liesa’s voice continued, though the fact that they were now coming out of the built-in speakers made it almost sound like she was whispering directly into Ash’s ears. “In order to activate it, you must first close your eyes and command it to start with your mind. You can do so now, if you like.”

“Will it to start…” Ash mumbled as he obediently closed his eyes. For a brief few moments he tried shouting a bunch of commands into his mind before a sigh escaped his lips and he opened his eyes. “You’re going to have to explain-”

He wasn’t in the pod any more. Or at least, it didn’t feel like he was. The soft sensation of the cushions had naturally faded away until he was standing on his feet within a whole new world. Or at least what could be counted as ‘a world’. Before his eyes was a plain white void, as far as the eye could see. There was nothing in front, to the sides, or behind him. Nothing… except the hunched over form of a black haired girl, clutching her sides while not even trying to contain her laughter. “Oh wow you weren’t kidding!”

“Huh?” Ash let out in a higher pitched voice than usual. Higher pitched for his male form, that was. There was a brief moment of shock and embarrassment as he felt a red hot sensation course though his body, causing him to turn away. The fact that the simulator would use his Valkyrie form was natural, obvious even to anyone with a basic grasp of logic. Unfortunately hindsight was 20/20 and he currently wished Kyouko was blind at the moment.

“So this is what you look like as a girl, huh?!” She laughed, running over to the now female Ash before examining every angle of her body. For a moment the Vintrkind was too embarrassed to actually say anything, until she realized she now had to look up to meet Kyouko’s eyes. A fact that her childhood friend noticed as well considering Ash usually stood head and shoulders above everyone. “I’m the taller one now?!”

“...I must admit,” Liesa’s voice boomed from above, “this is quite an amusing situation.”

“Hey! Hey Vargr! Why don’t you just stay like this?!” Kyouko jokingly suggested. “That way I won’t have to worry about neck pain any more!”

“Sorry to disappoint, but this is only temporary,” Ash spoke- Wait, she spoke?! Crap she needed to shut up before she said something- “But if you like it so much, feel free to check out my body all you like.”

...Like that.

Ash could feel Liesa and Kyouko’s gaze boring a hole into her as they stared in stunned silence. This was it, the day that she committed suicide. If not physically, socially. All because she couldn’t control her stupid mouth and just said the first thing that came to her mind. No, no she needed to get it together! Hormonal issues or not, she wouldn’t let her mouth be guided by her lower half! Even in this state Ash could still keep her cool. Just feel the winter and...

A chill ran down her back, but not the one she wanted. Slowly her eyes turned to gaze at her empty hands that shook but didn’t shiver, no frost coming out of them no matter how much she willed it. Ash could still feel the blizzard inside of her, but it was like it sat on the edge of her senses and the reality that her eyes witnessed didn’t line up with what she thought was happening.

“...I can’t use the winter,” she mumbled out bleakly. The sheer disconnect between reality and her senses made her sick to her stomach, nausea welling up in her gut the more she thought about it. Kyouko’s eyes widened as her words sank in, before awkwardly shuffling over to the Vintrkind and patting her on the back. “Thanks.”

“No problem. How about we just do one mission and call it a day, okay?” the black haired girl comforted her, before turning towards the sky. “Hey Liesa! Did you get the mission I asked for?”

“Your criteria was very specific Miss Kyouko, but after rigorous examinations I believe I have found one that suits your needs, she replied. “An Ogre-Class Mission that ended in victory taking place in a varied environment with harsh weather located not far from the base camp, and in the Old War time period at that… Pardon me but do you still want multiple opponents? This will already be challenging enough as it is.”

“Er,” Kyouko glanced at Ash before sighing. “...Just one please. I’ll take the point loss.”

“You don’t have to!” the white haired girl protested, but her friends ignored her anyway.

“Alright let me just load up the mission-” Liesa’s voice suddenly cut off leaving the two valkyries-in-training alone in the silent void.

Even with the lack of winter, Ash’s instincts hadn’t dulled a bit. A tingle crawled down her spine as she hummed. “Oh, that’s not good.”

“No kidding,” Kyouko groaned before shouting at the sky. “Hello!? Liesa?! Everything alright over there?!”

There was a few more minutes of silence before their operator’s voice came back. “Apologies for that. Some of Aneomone’s friends apparently forgot something in the room. I’ll be loading the mission up now, please brace yourselves.”

“Brace ourselves how?” Ash’s partner asked before turning to her and making a show of waggling her arms. “There’s nothing here!”

“Well if you want you could always hold on to me.” The vintrkind winked. “I’ll promise to keep you close, little kitten.”

“We agreed never to bring that nickname up again,” she hissed as Ash signed her own death warrant. “The moment we get out of here I’m kicking your ass so hard not even the pound will take you back.”

“Well if you want to play rough-” With about all the self-control remaining in her body, the white haired girl promptly shut her jaw as demonic red eyes flashed her way. “...Please kill me.”

“That can be arranged.”

“You two are um, quite close h-huh?” Liesa chimed in with an embarrassed chuckle. “Anyways! Commencing Mission Simulation Operation now!”

The white void began to slowly be replaced by an actual world, piece by piece like a jigsaw puzzle coming together. It was an amazing sight that took Ash’s breath away, only for her eyes to grow more confused as her nose began to itch, the creeping feeling that something was off only increasing as a chilly mist began to roll across her skin. She couldn’t see anything further than a few feet away. A ruined concrete road, wrecks of buildings that once stood tall now reduced to rubble.

“...You know a destroyed city isn’t what I had in mind when I told you I wanted a ‘varied environment’,” Kyouko commented before letting out a cough. “Crap, is this a Jotun Cloud?!”

Ash’s eyes quickly glanced at her wrist before spotting a familiar device now weighing on her. “Activate your Valkyrie Gear! Now!”

“On it!” Her partner nodded. 0.01 seconds later they were both beginning to fly off the ground, now completely transformed and fully armored with no skin visible whatsoever. It was Ash’s first time transforming without an Einherjar, something that was probably only possible because this was a simulation. There was a deep sense that something was missing, but since she couldn’t bring the card with her this would probably be the only time she could experience a Phase Zero transformation. “Hey! Liesa!”

“Huh?! This isn’t the mission I entered!” she replied in a flustered panic before a very worrying gasp escaped her mouth. “This, this must be wrong!”

A distorted mechanical howl echoed through the dense fog before cutting off sharply as the ground began to shake. In the mist, a massive shadow began to move, accompanied by the muted crashes of toppling buildings. Taller than even the high rising sky-scrapers of the ruins it waded through like tall grass, with a heavy weight that shook the earth every time it took a step. They couldn’t make out anything about the figure… Save for the glowing blue eye that penetrated through the misty city to glare right at them.

“Liesa,” Kyouko spoke, her voice devoid of all humor. “What mission is this?”

“...In 072 of the Yggdrasil Calendar there was an attempted reclamation of Sydney-”

“I don’t need a damn history lecture right now! Just tell us about the mission!”

“The context is important!” the usually mild girl barked back. “After encountering the Giant-Class Jotun designated [Dark-Rider] and engaging in battle, the mission ultimately concluded with… With...”

The howl echoed through the fog again, louder than before. Filled with intent. From the hunched back of the colossal figure, something began to unfold.

“No survivors.”