Honkai Impact: Merc's Involvement

Chapter 23: Reconciliation

Two days had passed since the AE invasion.

It was currently noon at St. Freya as the school day going along as usual for Kiana and the mostly recovered Mei as they had just finished eating their lunch.

Seeing as there still was time left for their noon break, the two quickly decided to go pay a visit to Theresa.

The girls left the cafeteria and began to make their way down the halls and towards the main office until they reached the principal's door.

Kiana knocked a couple of times before receiving a greeting.

"Come in Kiana. You too Mei. Me and Theresa were expecting you both to arrive eventually." Said Himeko.

The two girls walked into the office as Mei closed the door behind her.

"Let me guess. You two want some answers about them, correct?" Asked Theresa as the two nodded.

"How're the current conditions of Bronya and Alex, Principal Theresa?" Asked Mei.

Theresa then pointed at Himeko who held the medical report.

The red head then cleared her throat before speaking.

"I'll start with Bronya's since its currently short and to the point. Right now, it's simply to early for our medics to officially determine whether she's brain dead, in a coma, or simply unconscious. We're gonna need more time from our medical team before we get an official ruling on her condition. As for Alex, let's just say that we're lucky we got here on time. Our medics said that the punch the AE mech gave him resulted in a Grade 4 Concussion. We're lucky that the punch didn't cause any facial or structural damage. Regardless, the kid's still unconscious. Though his condition is stable, his timetable to awaken is still unknown. All we can do is wait until then." Explained Himeko as the two girls nodded.

"I-I'm sorry everyone." Said Mei as she bowed her head. "If it weren't for me being weak and easily kidnapped, Bronya wouldn't have had to fry her brain and Alex wouldn't have needed to take a sacrificial blow for Major Himeko."

"Mei..." Said a somber Kiana.

"Keep your head up Mei." Said Himeko. "Anti-Entropy, no, Cocolia simply played us like a fiddle and used Wendy as bait to capture you. There's nothing else we could've done to avoid the situation. Just keep your head up high. After all you were able to hang on just enough to not let your core get taken. Even through all the pain you must've suffered, you were resiliant to the very end just like a true Valkyrie." Said Himeko, patting Mei on the head as the young girl looked up and smiled.

"Anyways, I suggest that once the boy wakes up, that you two thank him for his contribution in the last two missions. He was the one who managed to convince Durandal to leave Wendy to you two and Bronya. He then came back to help us on his own accord knowing that invading the base would've put his status as a mercenary in jeopardy. He took a nearly fatal blow from an AE mech to protect Himeko who was defenseless at the time. Needless to say, even as a merc who should be well done with us by now, he's already put himself in bold situations and sacrificed himself for us, and more specifically you three girls." Said Theresa as Himeko nodded.

"The principal's right girls. Point of the matter is that when the Selene mission was over, he had no obligation to help us anymore afterwards even after being short on pay, yet he still lent a helping hand. We saw it with the Ganesha incident, and now with the Anti-Entropy Raid. He may seem a little aloof and blunt during most conversations, but it's clear that he's grown an attachment to you girls." Said Himeko.

The two girls kept quiet as they indeed did realize that it was true.

Alex didn't need to help them in both situations. It was none of his business, yet he choose to help.