The Gray Valkyrie's Plan
The Ashen Valkyrie. That was the name of the game that served as the original story for this world I had possessed. It was a collectible mobile game—what people commonly called a degenerate gacha title. The setting carried a somewhat familiar, almost cliché atmosphere. Humanity stood on the brink of annihilation, threatened by the monstrous Erosion Species. In response, humans created the Valkyries, living weapons designed to fight them. The player took on the role of a rookie commander assigned to a remote frontier city unit and battled the Erosion Species alongside these Valkyries. That was the premise.
If I tried to find similar games, I could probably name half a dozen.
In truth, I didn’t know the story in much detail. I had only dabbled in the early access version before growing bored and dropping it. My knowledge barely reached the beginning of Chapter Two. So why on earth had I possessed this particular world? It was a genuine mystery.
Still, I remembered the popular characters well enough. The game had an unexpectedly active fan-creation scene. I had fallen victim to a few NTR doujins myself. The story of a commander having his Valkyrie stolen by some lowlife thug had been strangely compelling.
…Hm? Ah, wait a second…
As memories surfaced, I flinched at the sensation rising between my legs. I was only wearing pajamas and a single pair of panties; the change was far too obvious. When dressed like this, it seemed wise to avoid lewd thoughts entirely.
Anyway, back to the main topic.
The character I had possessed—Leira—was a minor figure in Ashen Valkyrie. Not only that, she was a disposable death flag who met a meaningless end quite early. Knowing this, how should I behave?
After pondering for a while, I reached a simple conclusion.
Best to follow the original story as closely as possible, right?
In my view, there was no realistic way to avoid Leira’s death. The moment she was dispatched to the city under the player’s command, her fate was already half-sealed. Refuse the order? Valkyries were tools created for humanity’s sake. Once a directive was issued, refusal was not an option.
Not going would create its own set of problems anyway.
It felt like a perfect checkmate. Leira was a B-rank Valkyrie regarded as highly capable. Her death would prompt headquarters to send an investigation team, which in turn would discover an Erosion Species destined to become an unprecedented monster. If I refused to die… wouldn’t humanity simply be doomed?
If I’m fated to die regardless, I might as well die in the most satisfying way possible!
What mattered most to me now was the knowledge that my death could plunge the commander into despair. In the original story, the event traumatized him so deeply that he suffered nightmares about it. That tormented expression would be my final, perfect gift.
Yet the plan contained one fatal flaw.
Hmm. But if events follow the original route, I won’t get to see the protagonist’s suffering face at all.
The issue was perspective. In the story, Leira sent the commander to the rear to protect him, remaining alone on the front line. The commander later returned with reinforcements only to discover her mangled remains. Yes, the sequence was excellent. Witnessing someone you trusted reduced to a bloody lump of meat—how exquisite his agony would be. Just imagining it made my pulse quicken.
But that also meant I would never witness his face. What was the point of his suffering if I was already a corpse? It would be like cooking a feast only to feed it to stray dogs.
In that case… a small rearrangement should be acceptable.
The brilliant solution I devised was this: I would train until I could endure until the commander arrived. After fighting the Erosion Species in a desperate, blood-soaked struggle until I was barely clinging to life, I would die in front of him—calling his name in agony…!
This is it. This is perfect…! As expected, I really am a genius.
Excellent. Once the plan was decided, there was no time to waste. Nothing would change if I simply sat still. To obtain what I desired, I needed to take action.
I stripped off the pajamas, changed into fresh panties, and opened the closet. There, hanging prominently, was exactly what I was looking for—a uniform. It was a special ceremonial outfit designed to draw out a Valkyrie’s power. Its overall form resembled an elegant, high-end school uniform.
Perfect. This face looks like it would have zero interest in anything lewd. I’m a complete beautiful girl…
Once I had put on the uniform, I stood before the mirror and let out a sigh of admiration. The impression was so pure she might blush from merely holding a man’s hand. For fun, I lifted the hem of the skirt; the rush of immorality was incredible. Of course, wearing something like this in my original body would have made me want to vomit. But as expected, a beautiful girl truly is supreme. I could change outfits as many times as I liked.
After confirming my appearance, I folded my arms for a moment. From now on I would have to portray the original Leira. I tried to recall her personality from the source material.
Leira was the diligent, calm class-representative type. She used polite speech with everyone and had a somewhat strict side… Right. I must be careful not to slip into casual language.
Recalling Leira’s image, I brainwashed myself. I am a diligent and calm class president. A diligent and calm class president…
Once I had immersed myself sufficiently in the role, I finally stepped out of the room.
The outside world was, as expected, completely unfamiliar. The futuristic design stood out everywhere. Rather than a military facility, it felt more like a university campus. I moved cautiously down the corridor, observing my surroundings.
“Ah, Senior Leira!”
“Yes. Hello.”
“Leira, good morning!”
“Good morning to you as well.”
“Leira. I have a small favor to ask…”
“What sort of favor might that be?”
Everyone I encountered greeted me—Valkyries, facility staff, and ordinary citizens alike. Leira really was well-regarded. It was surprising. Since I had to act as her, I returned each greeting with a gentle smile. Of course I had no idea who any of them were. Who the hell are you people?
“Whew… I’m exhausted…”
After wandering for roughly an hour, I sank into a chair in a quiet lounge area and allowed myself a brief rest. In my previous life I had avoided unnecessary social interaction whenever possible. It felt as though I had just burned through two weeks’ worth of greetings in one morning.
Fortunately, no one seemed to suspect I was an impostor. As long as I smiled and pretended to listen attentively, everything went smoothly. So easy. Being a beautiful girl really does lower life’s difficulty level. It was rather enjoyable.
Still, I’ve learned one thing. This isn’t the city where the commander is stationed.
The city under the player’s command was practically a ruined slum. Its location was a remote frontier, far from the heart of human territory. The atmosphere there was lifeless and oppressive. In contrast, the place I had just explored brimmed with vitality. Everyone wore smiles, and living standards appeared high.
In other words, this was still before Leira’s dispatch. This city was most likely the one containing Valkyrie Central Headquarters.
Then I still have some time.
That was fortunate in many ways. I had not yet grown accustomed to this body. For a perfect death, familiarity was essential.
I took out the terminal I had found on the desk alongside my ID card. Its interface resembled a smartphone, and it conveniently displayed my schedule. Today happened to be a holiday with no obligations. I decided to visit the training facility while I had the chance.
“So this is the training facility…”
It was larger than I had imagined. The ceiling rose several meters high, and the walls were so distant they seemed remote. Even on a holiday, many Valkyries were diligently training. From somewhere came the faint sound of gunfire; a shooting range must be attached.
Guns… I’d like to try shooting one.
But first, I needed to test my physical abilities. After changing into workout clothes in the locker room, I warmed up and began assessing my body.
The results surpassed common sense.
A hundred-kilogram dumbbell feels perfectly manageable… Just how strong is this body?
Valkyries were artificial humans engineered to combat Erosion Species—humans modified through countless procedures. Their strength far exceeded ordinary human limits. It wasn’t merely physical power. Their running speed approached that of quadrupedal beasts. Their durability could probably withstand being struck by a truck. Each individual also possessed unique abilities bordering on superpowers. Calling them entirely different creatures in human shape would not be an exaggeration.
Well, even these Valkyries struggle against the Erosion Species.
What astonished me most was that even these monstrous beings were swept aside like ants before the Erosion Species. Just what kind of horrors was humanity fighting? No wonder we had been driven to the brink of extinction.
“Whew… It moves better than expected. Perhaps the body itself still remembers.”
After working up a decent sweat, I looked down at my hands. I had just finished a light spar with a newly deployed combat training doll. My body had moved exactly as I wished, without hesitation. It felt as though my muscles remembered combat techniques my mind did not. At this rate, I need not worry about dying pathetically.
That aside, I was a little tired. Time to catch my breath.
I sat down heavily, wiping sweat with the towel I had brought. At that exact moment, a sharp, irritated voice rang out from behind me.
“Hey, useless princess. This doesn’t look like somewhere you belong.”
“…Alicia?”
When I turned around, I saw a familiar face. To be precise, one of the characters from Ashen Valkyrie. A petite beauty with flame-red hair tied in a ponytail. Her name was Alicia—an A-rank Valkyrie who wielded a massive axe. Despite her youth, she was a genius recognized for her exceptional talent. For some reason, she was openly hostile toward me right now.
Were they on bad terms? No… I didn’t even know Leira and Alicia were acquainted.
Not knowing the context made it difficult to respond. I offered an awkward smile while sweating internally. Alicia strode forward and glared down at me with clear displeasure.
“What is someone as precious as you doing in a place like this? Shouldn’t you be back at the office brewing coffee for your superiors? You barely train anyway.”
Ah. So that was the reason.
I finally understood her hostility. Alicia was a rebel who pursued nothing but strength. She despised the weak and anyone who might hold her back. Her personality could be summed up as if you’re going to drag us down, then disappear.
By comparison, although Leira’s personal combat ability was not exceptional, she earned trust through her personality and leadership. From Alicia’s perspective, Leira was probably an irritating person who acted important despite lacking real skill.
Well, Leira really did lack talent.
Even so, this seemed slightly unfair to Leira. She was an exceptionally hardworking Valkyrie who trained more than almost anyone. She simply had no innate gift for combat. Reaching B-rank had required her to squeeze out every drop of her potential.
Leira had sought other ways to be useful and earned the confidence of the upper ranks through pure effort. Alicia’s current attitude was nothing more than a childish tantrum—pointless and unhelpful.
So this is what Alicia was like before she matured.
A whining child is so annoying…
While maintaining a forced smile, irritation welled up inside me. I had always possessed a rather twisted personality. When faced with malice, I wanted to return it in kind.
Then a delightful idea occurred to me.
Despite appearances, Alicia had a tender heart. The classic “strong exterior, soft interior.” A textbook tsundere. If I gently prodded the trauma she carried, there might be room to manipulate her.
Alicia who would one day call Leira “Sister.” If I were to die horribly in front of a girl like that… Ah, haa… The thought alone was intoxicating.
This is all Alicia’s fault.
She’s the bad child who arbitrarily belittles other people’s hard work. So it’s only natural she would be targeted and punished by a wicked adult like me.
Laughing darkly in my heart, I rose from my seat.
“Alicia, does my presence in the training facility displease you?”
“Obviously! If someone who only pretends to train hangs around here, it’ll negatively influence everyone else!”
“I see… In that case, would you care to have a match with me?”
“Huh?”
“A one-on-one spar. The loser must grant the winner any wish they desire. How does that sound?”
Given her competitive nature, she would surely be unable to refuse.