Sky Striker Princess, but the swan song of Valkyrie.

“Lingyi, cough cough, aren’t you being a bit too harsh on them? No matter what, this amount of training is too outrageous for these kids.”

Just then, Xiaoqiege noticed that next to Lingyi, a woman in a wheelchair was talking to Lingyi. Judging from the conversation, it seemed that the woman thought Lingyi's training was too heavy for them.

"Your worries are unnecessary. I have very advanced monitoring technology, and I can guarantee that the training will not leave anyone with any physical aftereffects."

"Furthermore, Naztasha, what if they don't work hard enough in training, and one day they encounter difficulties on their own? This is something they must do since they have no one to rely on."

However, Lingyi's opinion did not waver in the slightest because of the woman's speech. She still insisted on her own ideas, causing some people in the crowd who thought things might be easier in the future to involuntarily let out a wail.

"Even by that standard... never mind, this is no longer my job."

Seeing that Lingyi was so insistent, Naztasha had no choice but to give up trying to persuade her, and instead sat in her automatic wheelchair to go to her workstation to start working.

"Waaah, I thought Zero-chan would be a little more lenient and less strict, but instead, I'm heartbroken."

Seeing what was happening ahead and realizing that it was impossible to escape the training, Xiaoqiege resentfully addressed Yuedu beside her.

"Qiejiang, shh——"

However, while Akatsuki was speaking, Tsukuyomi glanced intently at the person beside her and gave a reminder.

"What's wrong, tune, behind... Ugh, Zero-chan, when did you get here, Death!"

Reminded by Tsukuyomi's tone, Xiaoqie looked to her side and found that Zero, who had just been talking to Naztash, had appeared next to her at some point.

"While you were speaking, Kiri walked over casually, but you didn't notice, Kiri-chan."

Tsukuyomi explained this simply to one of her more carefree friends.

"Is...is that so? Um, Zero-nee, please forget what I just said. I have no objection to Zero-nee's training."

Realizing what had happened, Xiaoqiege quickly turned around, wanting to apologize for her slip of the tongue.

"Cut the song, tune it. Your task for today is not to be done here. There are other tasks for you to do."

However, Lingyi did not show any emotion in response to Xiaoqiege's speech. She simply stated the situation to the two of them indifferently, like a cold, impersonal task machine.

"Hey... Zero-chan, didn't you hear me? Oh no, Death?"

Seeing Lingyi's expression, Xiaoqiege subconsciously thought that her words had not been heard, but quickly realized that this seemed like she was trying to hide something, and she became a little nervous.

"...I know what you just said, but I only do what I believe is right and I don't care what you think, so feel free to think whatever you want."

Seeing Xiaoqiege's appearance, Lingyi could only remain silent for a moment before comforting her by explaining what she hadn't wanted to say.

"No...no, it won't happen, will it?"

Xiaoqiege was still a little nervous. After all, Lingyi had been very strict and serious with them during the training these past few days, and she was a little afraid to face her.

That's all I have to say. Come with me.

Lingyi didn't want to say anything more about this, but simply gestured for the two of them to follow her.

"I understand, Death!"

"Yes, I understand."

Seeing Lingyi like this, Xiaoqiege said no more, and Yuedu Diao nodded and followed.

After that, they arrived at a secluded training ground, where Lingyi gave each of them a red pendant and a syringe without needles.

"These are the linker and Symphogear. Why are you giving us this? Wasn't the experiment already over? Death?"

Xiaoqiege asked subconsciously.

They had previously tested this weapon, demonstrating how injecting drugs could allow her to equip herself with this powerful weapon while enduring significant pain.

Not long ago, they and Maria had already completed the experiment, each wearing one of the three Symphogear outfits.

"Unlike before, this Linker has been improved and the side effects have been greatly reduced. As long as it is not injected in excess, it will not cause harm to the body."

"Therefore, under such circumstances, it becomes possible to make Symphogear your standard weapon, and for this reason, corresponding combat training is necessary."

Lingyi shook her head and explained the specific reasons to the two of them.

"Combat training... Zero-chan, does that mean we have to learn to fight using Symphogear? Will Kiri-chan and I fight each other?"

After pondering for a moment, Tsukuyomi asked Zero-i what to do.

"No, there's no need for that. Two people who don't know how to fight won't make enough progress fighting each other. In the beginning, someone still needs to teach you the most basic combat skills of using Symphogear... Hmm, Maria, you're punctual today too."

While Lingyi was explaining to the two, another person walked in. It was Maria, whom the two knew before and who was much older than them.

"Is it going to be Maria helping us with combat training, Death?"

Upon seeing Maria, Xiaoqiege subconsciously assumed that Maria was also a suitable candidate, just like them.

However, just as she was thinking this, she noticed that Maria, who had walked over, looked at her with a complex sense of pity after hearing what she said.

"No, she is not yet mature enough to teach you. The task of teaching you... will be done by me personally."

Lingyi shook her head, reached behind her with one hand, drew out a black and red blade, and slowly said.

"...Huh! Zero-chan is fighting Death with us?!"

Upon hearing this situation that she least wanted to foresee, Xiaoqiege felt a faint sense of fear and doubt welling up inside her.

"The most suitable person to guide Symphogear in battle is naturally me, who is the most familiar with fighting using heretical techniques within the organization."

"Alright, let's begin. Inject the linker and don the armor."

After saying that, Lingyi raised the flashing sword in her hand and aimed it at Xiaoqiege, Tsukuyomi, and Maria, who had been standing behind them at some point.

Xiaoqiege and Tsukuyomi could no longer recall the details of the battle, because such events had occurred so many times over the years that the repetition was too strong for their memories to remain hazy.

All I remember is that the three of them tried their best, but they were never able to gain any particular advantage, even though.

"Maria, Gungnir is a mid-to-close range weapon. It's good to keep the enemy at a distance, but getting too close can also put you in danger."

Zero, who knocked the spear out of Maria's hand with the hilt of his sword at close range, then flipped over and slammed her to the ground with an armbar.

"Chege, the high center of gravity of the scythe is a characteristic of this weapon, but you should try to keep swinging it as long as possible, otherwise it will become a limitation."

Lingyi stepped on the handle of Xiaoqiege's emerald sickle, which was attacking from behind, and struck her hand with the back of the blade, then reminded her.

"Cut the sauce!"

"Don't stop moving. The wheel chock has an advantage in ground mobility, but stopping will create vulnerabilities due to instability."

Immediately afterward, when Tsukuyomi stopped because she was worried about Akatsuki, she threw out the black and red sword in her hand, attracting her attention while her real body appeared in front of her.

While gripping the Flash Blade that had been knocked away by Tsukuyomi's defense, he delivered a sweeping leg kick that caused Tsukuyomi to lose her balance and flip over.

"These are some of the key points about the weapons for the three of you. Remember these points, and then find ways to avoid weaknesses and maximize strengths as quickly as possible in battle."

"Then, stand up. The linker's effect doesn't last long. Before it damages your bodies, use your bodies to remember what it feels like to fight using Symphogear!"

After knocking down three people in a short time, Lingyi stopped her attack and sternly urged the three who had been knocked down to stand up.

"clear! "

"It's c another slip away Z flag two death~"

"Understood."

With no other option, the three had to get up again and, using their still-unskilled Symphogears, launched another attack on Zero, who was only wielding a flash sword.

Then, a few minutes later, as the linker's expiration notification sounded, the three of them finally breathlessly and relievedly deactivated their transformations and sat down on the ground.

"I'm so tired. I felt like I became really strong after equipping Symphogear, but why can't I beat Zero-chan?! Death!"

"She clearly has knowledge that surpasses those adults, and she's also so skilled in combat. Sister Lingyi is really strong."

After resting for a while, Xiaoqiege and Yuedu Diao, having recovered their strength, couldn't help but express such sentiments.

They had initially thought that since Lingyi was so skilled in cultural knowledge, she might not be very effective in combat. However, they were surprised to find that even though they had a numerical advantage, they were still easily defeated several times during training.

"...Haha, I've been training with her alone for a while now, and now you understand...haha...why I looked at you like that, right?"

Maria, panting heavily and sweating profusely, spoke to the two people beside her.

Having trained here for some time, Lingyi was putting more pressure on her than on the two beginners, and she hadn't recovered yet.

"I can't understand Death any better." "Is there anything Zero-chan isn't good at?"

Xiaoqiege and Yuedu Diao understood Maria's words very clearly.

"You can summarize the battle later. Once you've recovered, here's some nutrient water to relieve the discomfort after strenuous exercise, but remember to drink it slowly."

Lingyi, who was still able to move normally, handed them the three bottles of nutrient solution that she had prepared beforehand. After replenishing their energy, the three of them were able to move again.

"The next training session is at the same time two days from now. This will ensure that the linkers in your bodies are completely metabolized. Do you have any other questions?"

While the three recovered, Lingyi explained the upcoming training arrangements to the newcomers, Tsukuyomi Choka and Akatsuki Kirika.

"Um, I have a question. What are we training so hard for? To die?"

Although she was a little scared, Xiaoqiege couldn't help but ask the question that had always puzzled her.

After all, today's training was really painful for her. Although Lingyi wouldn't hurt them too much, she would make them remember the taste of failure in the most painful way after each failure.

"...Do you have any questions? The organization's goal is to explore the methods of using heretical technologies from prehistoric civilizations, so we need you to investigate the secrets of these relics."

Lingyi then answered Xiaoqiege's question in a very official way.

"Is that so, Death?"

"But, Sister Lingyi, if that's the case, there's absolutely no need for us to train so hard."

Xiaoqiege was somewhat convinced, but after listening, Yuedu Diao immediately raised a new question.

Chapter Fifty: Concerns about Growth

According to what Tsukuyomi had learned from the adults, they were brought into this facility as Phineas subjects, so she could understand why they weren't treated well.

According to Lingyi, she understands the need for some learning and training so that children who cannot become Phineas recipients can have life skills in the future.

What she couldn't understand was that, from a cost-saving perspective, the current expenses on them were obviously too much, and from a training perspective, the current training was too strenuous.

It was as if they wanted to train them to be superhumans who could do everything. She couldn't understand why they, who only had the "use" of being Phineas receptors, were given such high expectations.

"...Is there?"

At this moment, after Tsukuyomi asked the question, a faint look of confusion appeared on Zero's face.

"It seems so, indeed, but that's only because... ha."

Immediately afterward, before the three could say anything, Lingyi seemed to have figured something out. Her breathing became unsteady, and she covered her face with her hands, as if she was suppressing something.

"It's just... because, just because Finney asked me to do this, yes, just because of this."

Immediately afterwards, Lingyi uttered these words to Tsukuyomi, which seemed to be merely an attempt to convince herself and lacked any credibility.

"Sister Lingyi?"

Confusion filled Tsukuyomi's heart; she couldn't understand why Rei had reacted this way after she asked the question.

"Your task for today is complete. You are free to move around within the designated area for the rest of the time. As for your transfer... I will further refine and adjust the way I treat you."

Without offering a reply, Lingyi gave the three of them this instruction, then turned and left, no longer discussing the topic with them.

"Eh... Hmm, something feels off about Zero-chan."

Even Xiaoqiege sensed something was wrong with Lingyi's actions.

"Indeed, I've never seen her with that expression before. But since she hasn't said anything, she must be able to handle it herself."

Maria noticed it, but trusting in Zero's abilities, she didn't think it was a big problem.

"Tune, switch songs, what are you guys planning to do next? I'm thinking of going to visit Serena." 59

Putting this trivial matter aside, Maria turned to ask Tsukuyomi and Akatsuki about their next plans.

"My partner and I are planning to go shopping for some things; we just received our allowance a few days ago."

When Maria asked Xiaoqiege, he immediately responded with a cheerful laugh.

She couldn't understand the specific reason, but it was probably that after Lingyi took control of the organization, these recipient children would also receive pocket money that they could freely spend at fixed times.

This money can be used to buy books, daily necessities, and the like at the organization's supply exchange center. However, due to the organization's secretive nature, the supply center doesn't offer a wide variety of items.

"Is that so? Then let's part ways here for now."

Maria nodded, then turned and left.

"Tiao, let's hurry up and go, it'll be bad if the exchange point closes if we're late...Tiao, what are you thinking about? Death." 99

After Maria left, Xiaoqiege also planned to hurry up and buy what she wanted, but just then, she noticed that Tsukuyomi was deep in thought, seemingly lost in thought.