Her name was Elizabeth McSmith, and it was nothing special. Her Father wasn't the type of man to give it much thought.
Born with a bright mind, she became the 17th director of St. 1504 Lab of Nagamitsu through hard work, manipulation, and egoism.
The lab's origins stemmed from 1504, when a bladesmith named Nagamitsu from the Far East set up a workshop at Schicksal. Later, it became a design institute and finally a lab.
Nagamitsu, the name that stuck throughout the times of the last 16th Directors of the Lab, and, unfortunately, it was now forever stuck with her as a name.
It was meant to be some sort of legacy, but thanks to the youngest A-Rank Valrkyie Durandal, that was what everyone usually called her now...Of course, she could have corrected her, but she didn't even bother, and now it stuck.
Well, it was better on the tongue than Elizabeth, and the fact that there were five more Elizabeths and three more McSmiths at HQ, it could be considered an upgrade.
It started being synonymous with her to the point that the Schicksal Overseer called her that title.
While in her office, she received an order from the Overseer himself to come to the P.T. Fitness Center.
Her legs walked swiftly, and as she opened the door with one hand, a familiar frivolous voice called out to her.
"Miss Nagamitsu, it's a pleasure to see you again since our last meeting on your projects. It was impolite for me to call you at such short notice."
"It's not a problem since you're the Big Boss in all of this, but be sure to warn me next time you ask me to come, I am a busy lady after all."
Nagamitsu moved her way to where three figures stood in the gym. Before she glanced at the other two in the room, one she knew and the other she didn't, she faced the man who called her here.
Otto Apocalypse
He stared at the magenta-haired woman with a grin, and his eyes lingered on Nagamitsu's outfit was a modified lab coat covering a dark, corset-like top with a diamond quilt pattern and cross-shaped designs...His gaze wasn't focused on her fashionable outfit but on the well-fitted monocle on her right eye.
"Is there something on my monocle?" She noticed and asked.
"No, there's nothing wrong. That's quite a beautiful monocle, it just reminded me to put mine on." He slyly said as he reached into his breast pocket and pulled out a crystal monocle to put on his right eye.
A subtle sensation flickered in Nagamitsu's mind as if the man in front of her would steal everything from her.
An unknown shiver went down Nagamitsu's spine as she stared at the monocled man, but with her nails digging into her gloved hands, she regained her senses.
"If we're done with the show and tell, Mr. Apocalypse, then we can get right into the task you need me to do."
"You're familiar with Miss Ataegina and her condition."
"Hmm...The stable Bubble World within her and the absurd amounts of neutrino radiation she has. I do."
"Great. I want you to do your usual check-up for her and one other child...I'll provide extra funding for your lab if you do so."
Hearing the word 'extra funding,' her eyes sharpened and the grip on her tablet tightened, "I'll do as you say, esteemed Overseer, but you don't skimp on my resources."
Moving past her, Overseer Nagamitsu's gaze landed on the two girls staring at each other. Their mouths occupied by a popsicle, but their eyes staring daggers towards one another like sworn enemies.
"Bianka, stand still for a moment, keep up your staring contest for a moment while I do a little quick scan." The tablet in her hand shone a scanning light from its camera lens.
The Valkryie ceased her staring as she heard the familiar voice, "Nagamitsu? When did you get here? If you're here then...Is my Bubble World stable?" She quickly asked.
The ice cream in her mouth quickly disappeared into her stomach like a blackhole while the wooden stick was snipped into a nearby trash can by the corner.
As Nagamitsu looked at the result on her screen, she gave her an answer.
"Judging from how you're body is still acting like a blackhole and the amount of neutrino radiation you're emitting is still the same, I'd one hundred percent say that space of yours is still stable."
"Great! That means I can still feel them beating and living in my body."
"Speaking of your body...You've gotten fifty percent stronger since the last time I saw you, three months ago. Very impressive."
"Yeah, I've gotten a lot on my mind because of a certain someone."
As Bianka and Nagamitsu talked about her findings and conditions, Luna started to give her 'Gramps' a questioning look.
"So...Do you think you'll get along with her?" Otto asked.
Before answering, she devoured her cherry-flavored popsicle like a beaver, slammed the wooden stick between her hands, and crushed it into dust that flew into nothing.
'Is she trying to show off to me?' Otto inwardly laughed.
"Maybe? She seems like those prodigy-type characters in the stories where the main protagonist is pitted against them until the two decide to work together and surpass their limits, you know."
"You'll be seeing her quite often if you choose the line of work she has. She's sometimes aloof, brash, a little childish, and serious, but underneath all of that is a girl who wants to protect all that she cherishes and the burden of wanting to protect the World and her 'World'.
All in all, she's a sweet, caring child just like you are. So remember to grow up big and strong, so Fate isn't the one to start tying you up and beating you senseless."
"Should you really be saying this sort of stuff while she's a couple of meters next to us?"
"Don't worry, I am sure she wouldn't be bothered by it."
...
"Bianka, why did your heart rate rise so suddenly, and your body temperature is picking up?" Nagamitsu asked and adjusted her glasses.
"Sorry, it's just very hot in here."
'But the AC is blasting on full right now.' Nagamitsu wanted to point out, but...Too bothersome
...
"When you were talking about Bianka, what's this condition she has?" Luna questioned with curious eyes.
Otto hummed and answered softly, "On February 29th, 2012, Bianka and a Valkryie named Rita went to one of the three fundamental planes of existence that make up the universe, the Sea of Quanta."
"Wait, what, you start the story with that! Is this for real, for real?"
"Indeed it is, for real, for real...Imagine a bathtub the size of the Universe where an infinite number of spaced worlds called Bubble Worlds are created or fall into from Reality.
Most of the Bubble Worlds can be a reflection of our world, a possibility of our world, or a mismatch of concepts from our world to create an entirely different world. A "Sea" filled with chaos, data, and infinite information.
There could be a Bubble World where I was born a woman, one where I was turned into a fish, or one where I traveled the universe as a wandering merchant with a coffin, the possibilities are endless."
"There's gotta be something dangerous about this 'Sea', right?"
"You're spot on, all things in the Sea of Quanta will decay until they become nothing, but that's why those in the "Sea" enter Bubble Worlds as safe spaces where they're spared from the decay.
Each Bubble World has a formation called an Ether Anchor, which stabilizes its existence in the Sea of Quanta, and they can create other Bubble Worlds with different sets of laws or properties.
Bianka and Rita's mission was to explore a Bubble World and its Ether Anchor. They went on a journey through a modified version of Earth's history.
When they first landed in the unknown World, they met an old man named Miguel de Cervantes. His body was frail, but his mind was filled with heroism. With their newly founded ally, they set to slay a beast the size of an ocean."
"What an esteemed and glorious author?" Luna praised.
"Once they faced the beast, a sudden massive blast of cannons burned the entire creature to a crisp. The ones who did were a mysterious submarine called the Caledonia consisting of William Shakespeare, Lalla Sayyida al Hurra, Jimmy Watt, and an Iron Masked fellow."
Luna's eyes glimmered as Otto told the tale with a majestic and soothing voice. Bianka felt her ears turn flushed red as she heard him retell her mission as a Heroic Epic. An intrusive thought of wanting to shove her entire hand and shut this man up was apparent.
'Please stop talking, you're embarrassing me!'
"And at the end, with the Honkai slowly decaying the Ether Anchor of the Bubble World, Bianka made a choice, using the Holy Sword Durandal, she sealed the Anchor within herself and became a 'God' of that World, but bearing its burden like a Worldbearing Titan..."
After a moment of the tale finishing, Luna started to clap and her gaze landed onto the Valkyrie with admiration and...Pity.
When Nagamitsu's examination was finished, Bianka quickly tried to shoulder-tackle him in revenge, her body flinging at him with full force.
Otto put out his hand and caught Bianka by her shoulder.
Bianka let out a tsk and grumbled in his arms.
"What type of Overseer are you? To suddenly show up and start speaking like I'm you're kid? Shouldn't you compensate me for all the stress I went through because of you?" Her voice rang with dejection.
A course of guilt sifted through Otto's head, and driven by it, he responded with a hand on her shoulder, "Bianka, the fault doesn't lie with you. It was my choice to jump and do what I did. You shouldn't be the one to blame yourself."
Bianka got out of his hold and shouted, "I know it wasn't my fault, but wouldn't you feel the same in that moment! Whatever I did, it was all for naught!"
The room fell silent for a moment before Bianka broke it, "I am sorry for screaming. It's just you suddenly showing up, acting like nothing happened, just rubs me the wrong way, but if you can do one favor for me, I'll forgive you just a bit."
"....If that's how you feel, then I'll gladly accept, I hope that isn't too physically exhausting, I haven't had my cup of morning wine." Otto joked to lighten the mood.
"That's a terrible way to wake up! Drink some coffee. I'll even give you a bag of coffee beans from Colombia so I don't have to hear that again. I can deal with drama, but not that morning routine." Nagamitsu chimed in.
"Coffee? Isn't that bean juice?" Luna commented.
"Ahem, what I want from you is a match with you. No holding back your punches, I want you to feel the consequences of you're actions and see how much I've improved. Are you up for it, Otto Apocalypse? Or is the Schicksal Overseer afraid of having his Lance?"
"Ha. If that's what the lady wants, then I have no choice but to accept the challenge. Let's move to a private room so the gym doesn't become a crater." Otto said with a grin.
"Am I even needed here?" Nagamitsu asked.
"Of course! You need to continue recording, Bianka's vitals, and the sorts, plus having one person in the audience just doesn't feel right."
"Okay, I'll comply, but give me a bonus and I'll cheer like a cheerleader for you."
"I'll agree on the bonus, but as for the cheerleading, there's no need. I'd rather have a Bladesmith from the 16th Century. Thanks for the offer anyway, Miss Beth." Otto chimed as he quietly left.
A tick formed on Nagamitsu's head, and within her mind, she violently thought, 'I am going to stab him with a Blade one day.' Her hand clinched as she repeated 'Bonus' as a mantra to calm her already fuming mind.
...
Within the circular gym where Otto and Bianka previously trained together.
The Schicksal Overseer was in one corner of the arena with the outer layer of his suit thrown onto a nearby metal bench, and he only wore a white tied button-up shirt along with the crystal monocle. After readying himself, his posture switched to a fighting style.
The Youngest A-Rank Valkryie, Bianka, wearing her gym clothes, readied her hands and clinched them, confident from her training.
"Bianka! Beat him for me! He insulted my age!" Nagamitsu cheered from the bench.
"I don't know how to cheer, but deck her in the face, Gramps!" Luna cheered as well.
"That'll likely happen since a certain someone wanted me to stop holding back, you can still back off of this, Miss Ataegina...I wouldn't want to hit you into a wall after all." Otto slyly said as he adjusted the crystal monocle on his head.
"Worried about me? There's no need, I am ready for all sorts of tricks you have in your brain." Bianka jested while posing in a boxing position.
"If you say so, Valkryie. Can one of you start the match? It doesn't have to be flashy, but I recommend it to be."
Nagamitsu stood up and, with her arm in the air, she slammed it down, "Begin!"
A blur launched into Otto's sight, and a fist shot straight toward his face. He tilted his head and narrowly dodged the blow. His arms crossed, blocking the timely kick that knocked him back in the corner of the arena.
Bianka's mouth parted for a snarky remark, but a fist that slipped through time made it clear...Time sided with the Fool even if it was only for half a second.
*BANG*
Spit flew out of her mouth as she was launched into a wall from the other side. Her body was engraved into the cracked surface, and pain engulfed her stomach. Her eyes lingered on Otto's figure, drawing back his launched fist.
Otto pressed his finger onto the crystal monocle as he mouthed the words, "I told you so, Little Goose."
A/N: Explaining the Sea of Quanta is like trying to explain the Honkai Cosmoslogy to a wall...Very confusing sometimes.
Also Online Class has a lot of work, which has been getting on my writing. At the bare minimum, it's 10 Days for a Chapter, and if I am cracked enough, 3 days.