Chapter 0: (Prologue) Character Profiles

Character Dossier: ■■■ (Codename: “Mad Soldier”)

Date of Birth: July 29, 1985
Affiliation: Celestial Fate Organization, Command Council — Fourth son of Commander Yao Feilong
Date of Enlistment: October 1, 2003

Family Relations

• Grandfather: Yao Haoshan
  Former Deputy Supreme Commander of the Far‑East Branch of the Celestial Fate Organization, one of the most steadfast founding core members. (Deceased—died at age 67 from complications of an old injury.)

• Father: Yao Feilong
  Former Commander among the Twelve in the Far‑East Branch’s Combat Council

• Elder Sister: Yao Bingxin
  Former “quasi‑A‑rank” Valkyrie in the Far‑East Branch (killed in combat)

• Second Brother: Yao Tianming
  Former lead in equipment development and Honkai research in the Far‑East Branch (kidnapped by anti-Entropy; status unknown)

• Third Brother: Yao Bing’ao
  Former frontline special forces captain in the Far‑East Branch (killed in a Honkai attack before enlistment)

Service Record & Commendations

April 7, 2004
After six months of training—specializing in frontline combat—the soldier was assigned to logistics due to his sister Yao Bingxin being considered too young and needing combat experience. During this time, he was described as earnest, practical, and taciturn. He performed supply inventory, consolidation, and repair duties meticulously, sometimes recounting items twice to satisfy his own compulsive standards. This level of diligence was considered exemplary for a soldier.

May 29, 2005 (13:12)
During Operation Skylock, supply lines were severed by Honkai beasts. Despite heavy bombardment, he drove a truck laden with weapons and rations across the war zone to deliver crucial supplies to frontline troops. In recognition, he was awarded the Purple Heart Medal and an Honor Medal by the Celestial Fate Organization. (It is noted that when he reached the front, he fought alongside combat units; his comrades praised his battle capability and some claimed he was a soldier held back by logistics.)

October 22, 2005
He voluntarily requested transfer to a frontline combat unit. Given that fellow soldiers and officers had already been urging his transfer, there was no resistance. Three days later, he was deployed to the frontline against Honkai.

(Note: His desire to fight may have been deeply influenced by his sister Yao Bingxin’s death.)

October 25, 2005 — Operation Beheading
His squad lost direction and entered a Honkai nest, and most of the fifteen-man squad (including him) were killed. Only three survived. In recognition of his conduct, he was promoted to Sergeant and permitted to lead a seven-man squad. The survivors were mentally traumatized; two underwent psychological rehabilitation. When asked if he needed therapy, he replied, “I don’t need treatment. I need the next mission … and teammates who trust my command.”

November 1, 2005 — Operation Joker
As newly appointed team leader for the Orlovoff Unit, he led his squad without any support. They eliminated 24 small Honkai beasts, 3 vehicle-level beasts, and captured a live specimen of a teleportation-capable Honkai — the first ever found. He was awarded the Purple Heart Medal; his entire squad also received it. He was also promoted to Staff Sergeant. His leadership was noted for its precision, comparable to electronic instruments; despite the scale of the mission, only two were seriously wounded.

November 13, 2005 — Operation Tail‑Split
His team was sent to sabotage what was believed to be an anti-Entropy supply facility. However, it was actually a fortified base. During reconnaissance, they were discovered and encircled. To allow his squad to escape, he acted as a decoy and vanished under enemy fire. The squad retreated safely. A week later, he reappeared at the base, arriving in a half‑destroyed new anti‑Entropy Titan mech. He was awarded the Bronze Star Medal and promoted to Lieutenant. This mission highlighted his extreme single‑soldier combat capability.

December 25, 2005 — Operation Heavenly Gift
He and his squad spearheaded a major offensive against anti-Entropy branches in Asia. After the field commander fell, he assumed temporary command. Under Valkyrie and allied cover, he infiltrated the enemy’s Honkai reactor, detonated it, disabling their entire armament system. The eight-man squad (including him) all received Bronze Star Medals. He himself was personally awarded the Honor Medal by Bishop Orto, promoted two ranks to Major, becoming the youngest senior officer (excluding Valkyries) in the organization’s history. His command abilities fully displayed, he was forcibly transferred to the Combat Department as a combat commander.

February 7, 2006 — Operation Snowman
While on leave, he was summoned back and dispatched to supervise a European branch operation. En route, due to poor command by a superior, three squads (20 people, including four Valkyries) were trapped. In extreme circumstances, he seized command, led them to safety, then personally led a reserve squad into battle, and even entered the Honkai nest to plant explosives, completing the mission. Two days later, he was summoned by a military tribunal for assaulting the flagship captain and usurping command. The court martial was cut short—within 30 minutes he was acquitted. On the day of the trial, the Far‑East Branch, the Celestial Fate headquarters, and the Valkyrie Combat Department all issued subpoenas and threats. Bishop Orto intervened, calling the trial unnecessary.

March 23, 2006 — Operation: Frozen Heart
In this mission, lacking manpower, he defied orders and personally assumed battlefield command. Although the mission succeeded, he disobeyed higher orders and faced impending court martial. However, due to his father Yao Feilong’s interference, the charges were dropped—though his merits were suppressed as a warning.

August 10, 2006 — Operation Faultline
Again disobeying orders, he entered the battlefield to rescue two Valkyries under his command. Summoned to court, he was again acquitted, but demoted to Captain as a warning. Within a week he was reinstated, and his previously suppressed merits were reinstated. He was awarded two Bronze Stars and one Silver Star, and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel. (During his captaincy, he lost supreme command and then volunteered for a suicide mission.)

October 9, 2006 — Operation Submerged Dragon
For the third time, he defied orders and entered the battlefield. During the retreat, he was ambushed by Honkai beasts, surviving but falling into a four‑month coma and requiring a liver transplant. He was no longer fit for direct combat. Upon awakening, the Celestial Fate Organization gave him a choice: 15 years of imprisonment for repeated insubordination, or accept a new assignment—training Valkyries at St. Freya Academy. He accepted the latter.

(Note: After his second defiance, he had become more reserved, but his brother’s abduction in September 2006 triggered emotional turbulence.)

Hidden Record:
During this period, Bishop Orto personally asked him whether he would volunteer for an experiment to transplant Honkai energy into his body in exchange for power. He agreed, but the experiment failed.

October 15, 2006
Major Yao Bingling was appointed combat skills instructor at St. Freya Academy, responsible for Valkyrie combat skill training, Honkai simulation training, battlefield command, and extreme solo-combat training. (Possibly due to his youth and good looks, he gained tremendous popularity among Valkyries.) Under his training, the Valkyries in that cohort developed far superior reconnaissance awareness, environment-tracking ability, and solo combat capabilities, compared to Valkyries from other branches. Among them were more than twenty A‑rank Valkyries, including the current Hyperion captain, Uryutata Tsubasa.

Note:
The following records are not part of his official service file but are related events.

January 5, 2007 — Major Incident
Yao Feilong, one of the Far‑East Branch Commanders, was the target of an assassination. The attempt failed, but it exposed the most intense infighting in the history of the Celestial Fate Organization. Many old conspiracies surfaced, including intentional deployment of Valkyrie Yao Bingxin into the half‑ascender (Halved) zone, severing all of her retreat routes and communications. Also exposed: leaked intelligence about Valkyrie equipment lead Yao Tianming… even the details of this colonel’s melee retreat being attacked by Honkai beasts—all victims of internal strife.

March 16, 2007
Reliable reports say that the colonel disappeared for over two months after receiving a cryptic letter at St. Freya Academy. Around that time, a Honkai beast attack occurred in an under‑construction subway tunnel in southern China. Eyewitness Valkyries described a scene devoid of life except death—blood, severed limbs, and a humanoid Honkai creature seemingly weeping then roaring. The beast fled; no leads were found.

May 24, 2007 — Major Incident
One of the Far‑East Branch’s Twelve Commanders was killed in his mansion during a Honkai beast assault. All 57 residents perished. Fortunately, it was his temporary residence, so only the commander, his guards, and secretaries were present. Surveillance showed that the beast responsible was the same type as in the southern China incident—possibly the same one. Five days later, the missing Colonel ■■■ reappeared at the Celestial Fate headquarters and tendered his resignation, which was accepted. However, due to his knowledge of secrets, the organization restricted his travel and placed him under quasi‑supervised retirement. The resignation was accepted. (Note: More than 100 Valkyries at St. Freya petitioned to reject his retirement, but the request was denied.)

June 29, 2007
Colonel Yao Bingling officially retired.
End of Dossier

Personal Summary (Not in Official Records)

In reflecting on Major Yao Bingling’s four years of service, his life can only be described as legendary. I once asked those who served under him about their evaluation—respect and reverence. This was the unified answer from 3,700 individuals who served under him—no commander in history has attained such consensus.

His combat and command skills rivaled, even surpassed, many historical greats. He is the first commander to consecutively dismantle three anti-Entropy branches and strike them into impotence. He is also the first to repeatedly break orders to save his troops on the battlefield, personally leading those rescues.

He earned his team’s devotion. In his eyes, his subordinates were not simply men under command—they were comrades or brothers. Undoubtedly, he is a hero, a modern great. Our failure to retain such a man was not only a loss to Celestial Fate, but a loss for all humanity.

As of 2016, the only known fact about this legendary colonel is that he lives alone in the old forests at his ancestral home in China, in a quiet retirement.

With the Third Honkai now striking again and the world once more in crisis, though many brilliant young warriors join us, if possible… I hope this colonel might return to lead these ambitious hopefuls to victory once more.

Finally… serving under your command was the greatest honor, Captain.
— Bakarev Ashtori (Current Deputy Director of the Celestial Fate Combat Command)