In Siberia, on the melting ice and snow training grounds, two figures dressed in black were swiftly crossing paths.

The wind and waves surged in succession, and the intense air roared ceaselessly.

On the sidelines, Sigurd expressionlessly adjusted his ear.

Bronya stood beside him, meticulously observing and adjusting a series of virtual screens displaying data.

“Unbelievable. The enhancement of their strength, speed, and reflexes from this armor is so significant? Bronya had no doubt that even a 12-unit Titan special ops team would be torn apart by them in an instant. This far exceeds the abilities of conventional Valkyries… Is the true purpose of the new recruits’ training camp to make them adapt faster to this kind of armor?”

Sigurd didn’t answer this obvious question but explained, “Black Armor 8.0, nanometal material, capable of withstanding Honkai Energy armor, dual-energy power amplification device that absorbs the diffuse Honkai Energy from their bodies, increasing power while reducing damage to their bodies. Equipped with specialized weapons suitable for their abilities… If coordinated with the swarm, each of them becomes a one-person army. This is currently the optimal solution. Unless I can obtain the research results of Soulium or the Herrscher Core, there won’t be much upgrading in the short term.”

“Is Bronya’s setup the same?”

Bronya put away the projection screen, lifted her skirt slightly, and pointed to the black band on her fair thigh, asking.

She seemed entirely unaware of the seductive scenery beneath her skirt, maintaining a serious expression.

Sigurd glanced at the bright white thigh and a certain piece of white fabric, saying, “…Put your skirt down. It’s the same.”

“Understood. Later, Bronya will try it too.”

Following his instructions, Bronya let her skirt down. Seeing that Sigurd didn’t seem affected, she turned her head away and subtly pursed her lips.

‘The subtle seduction failed. Conventional tactics really don’t work, huh? As expected of  Sigurd.’

Bronya muttered in her heart.

It’s not that she fell for Sigurd, but rather, due to her military demeanor, she didn’t feel entirely at ease without knowing Sigurd’s weaknesses.

However, even the powerful Lift Skirt maneuver didn’t work. What else could she try to test him?

Bronya pondered, then she heard Sigurd let out a soft sigh.

“I should have finished tuning the armor before going to Huangshan.”

“In that case, will the foolish Kiana not get hurt when falling off a cliff?”

“Yes.”

“Bronya thinks you’re spoiling her too much. It’s recommended to provide appropriate isolation treatment, so Kiana doesn’t become useless in the future… even though she’s a fool now.”

Useless? Isn’t that going a bit far? My education is clearly strict.

Sigurd didn’t deny the “fool” label, just looked at Bronya with a puzzled expression.

In his view, his educational approach was fine—give a slap when necessary, offer a kick when needed. Rigorous training was never compromised, and character education was always a focus. Although the “fool” part hadn’t shown any improvement, wasn’t Kiana’s growth in other areas acceptable?

Bronya rolled her eyes without saying anything.

This morning, Kiana casually mentioned wanting to try the high-grade caviar promoted in a culinary magazine, which was imported from Japan, and now, according to Bronya’s knowledge, the airmail from Japan was already en route. It was estimated that they could enjoy the expensive caviar dish during dinner.

“Forget it, let’s not talk about this. I understand what’s going on. Is there any issue with the armor’s status?”

Sigurd, who actually had no understanding at all, nonchalantly said he understood and then asked.

Once again, Bronya brought up the monitoring screen, scanning as she replied, “Everything is normal. The test data is within the standard range. It’s ready for direct combat and quite perfect.”

After the reply, Bronya couldn’t help but sneak a glance at Sigurd.

This is truly impressive. Bronya, too, understood technology.

Any complex, advanced weaponry required multiple tests and corrections before approaching perfection.

The more advanced the technology, the less likely it was to reach combat-ready perfection in one go.

Yet, all the technology in Sigurd’s hands was perfected directly to combat standards.

Maybe it could be upgraded to become even more powerful, but there had never been a bug.

This level of capability was unbelievably remarkable.

“What’s wrong?”

Noticing Bronya’s gaze, Sigurd looked at the ongoing battle on the field, not turning his head.

Bronya shook her head. “Bronya just thinks that you’re very impressive, to an extraordinary degree.”

“Yeah. By the way, is the strategy for the Oceania branch complete?”

Sigurd casually shifted the topic.

“With Matushka assistance, it’s done.”

“How many troops are there?”

“Five thousand Titans as the main force for the frontal feint; Kiana, Sin Mal, and I are the assault strike team to directly capture the target; five thousand drones for battlefield segmentation and rear guard… This lineup should be sufficient.”

“Alright, I’ll be prepared.”

Then, Bronya’s expression turned hesitant. After a moment, she furrowed her brows slightly and asked, “Are we really going to attack the Oceania branch? Just for that Wendy? That’s a Schicksal Branch.”

“The Gem of Desire is within her body.”

Sigurd said so without any significant fluctuations, as if he were mentioning that Kiana had an extra sunny-side-up egg for breakfast.

But Bronya immediately straightened up, her feet coming together as she executed a standard military salute.

“I understand. Bronya will complete the mission.”

Unlike the other naive and carefree children at the orphanage, Bronya had already survived in the real world.

She knew what Cocolia Matushka was doing, understood what Sigurd meant to the entire orphanage, and more importantly, she grasped the significance of the Herrscher Core.

She had struggled to survive in the darkness and now she fought for her own place of belonging, for the smiles of other children and Cocolia Matushka… Well, there might be a tiny bit of it for Sigurd, just a tiny bit, not more.

Therefore, Bronya had a reason not to fail, a reason more important than mere survival.

Sigurd glanced at her and replied, “Stay safe. It doesn’t matter if there are casualties among the Titans and drones. The most important thing is that you three don’t force yourselves. If necessary, you can abandon the mission. You’re more important.”

“…Yes!”

Bronya responded with a stern face.

After Sigurd looked away, a faint smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

Sigurd might be clever, but he had a slight issue with his thinking.

How could they possibly be equated with the value of the Herrscher Core?

However, Bronya didn’t dislike this feeling.

…

Boom!

The resounding collision of fists and feet echoed through the sky.

The earth surged like waves, as layers of soil were lifted by the powerful impact.

Two small figures were catching their breath, their eyes fixed on each other through the only light blue visors on their sealed black armors.

Excitement radiated from their expressions.

These two black armors were simply too strong!

The moment they put them on, they both gained a sense of invincibility, as if nothing in heaven or earth could stop them.

Clapping sounds came from the side as Sigurd slowly walked over from the dust.

“That’s enough. Let’s stop the basic test here. The rest, you can experience on the battlefield.”

“Finally, a mission! I couldn’t wait any longer. In the Kaslana dictionary, there’s no word for ‘failure’!”

“Sigurd, leave it to me. You can entrust everything to me!”

One was brimming with confidence, the other filled with anticipation—both of them were in high spirits.

“This mission is a trial run, to assess your abilities and test the performance of the black armors. I won’t deny the mission’s importance. If you succeed, it holds great significance for me. However, the two most important points: follow Bronya’s orders, and don’t push yourselves too hard. Come back safely.”

Sigurd raised two fingers, solemnly emphasizing.

Kiana and Sin Mal both nodded.

“Rest assured! This young lady won’t let you down!”

“Yes, I’ll do my best, Sigurd!”

The two girls responded with great vigor.

This is what happened just before the big battle.