In a dark, secluded alley, a girl was roughly pushed down beside a filthy, slippery trash can by a delinquent. Her hair, once as lustrous as the night sky, was now dull and covered in dust, framing her wretched figure.
"Help! Help me!"
She desperately reached out a trembling hand to the occasional passerby, but not a single person stopped for her.
Those blurry figures either looked away indifferently or wore chillingly mocking expressions, some even adding insult to injury with harsh words.
Asakura Miyuki's fate seemed already sealed. She was merely the most insignificant footnote in the grand narrative called the Honkai.
After today, having suffered torment, she would become an unremarkable stumbling block on the protagonist's path forward.
On a dark and windy night, she would transform into a pitiful monster, baring fangs and claws to demonstrate the cruelty of the Honkai to the audience outside the screen.
Then, her skull would be pierced by the silver-white pistol raised by Kiana Kaslana, meeting her destined end.
However—
"You scum, let go of that girl!"
Dawn broke.
At the moment the curtain was about to fall, a clear and angry shout suddenly rang out, piercing the suffocating darkness deep in the alley like an unsheathed sword.
The newcomer held a rusty steel pipe picked up randomly, his black hair messy but his eyes sharp.
Speaking in somewhat unskilled Far East dialect, he charged fearlessly at the group of beasts whose numbers far exceeded his own.
Hand raised, pipe fell, blood splattered. Without a trace of hesitation, as if he were born to clean up the vermin of this world.
In less than half a minute, two-thirds of the arrogant scum were wailing on the ground.
The remaining ones, finally realizing after being beaten senseless that the boy's purpose was to save people, quickly gathered around the girl, trying to use her as a hostage to threaten this sudden calamity.
So, the boy said: "Can this beautiful senior still move? If you can, let's run first? I, Li, have indeed beaten all the children in the southern village since childhood, but having a hostage is always inconvenient."
Staring intently at the cheerful big boy, a trace of strength suddenly surged in the body of the girl who had suffered bullying on and off campus for a long time.
She bit her lip, supported herself on the trash can to stand up, her voice crying and worried: "If I run, what... what about you?!"
The boy smiled.
Shielding the girl behind him with his free hand, he spoke gently:
"Damn shady dealings! Absolute shady dealings! I demand the organizer of the Starward Wardance give me a detailed and reasonable explanation immediately!!!"
Early in the morning, in the encampment next to Schicksal's, the Lord of Hyperion's earth-shaking roar suddenly rang out.
The sound wave was so strong that it startled the birds resting outside the window, causing them to flap their wings and fly into the sky in panic.
"Ah!"
Asakura Miyuki, lying in bed, was directly awakened by this roar.
She sat up abruptly, her full chest heaving violently, her forehead covered with fine cold sweat.
Out of the corner of her eye, she glimpsed a strand of hair falling on her shoulder. It was no longer the dull night sky black from the dream, but a soft sakura pink after awakening her natural Stigmata.
Only then did she realize that she had dreamed of that day again, dreamed of that alley that completely changed her fate.
Sitting in a daze for a few seconds, Asakura Miyuki grabbed her phone from beside the pillow and lit up the screen. The time showed 7:10.
So she threw off the warm quilt and walked into the bathroom intending to wash up.
As soon as she pushed the door open, she smelled a strong scent of alcohol. Looking closely, she saw the fiery red figure curled up on the cold floor, sleeping soundly.
"Ma... Master?!"
Asakura Miyuki was shocked and hurriedly trotted over, trying to help up the dead-drunk Himeko.
Her hand paused before touching the other's skin, but eventually, she tried hard to lift her master's arm.
As the representative of St. Freya, even in Schicksal's Luofu encampment, Murata Himeko had her own independent suite.
So she nonchalantly added a single bed in the bedroom and settled her precious disciple here too, to take good care of her.
Though looking at the current situation, it might also be for the convenience of being taken care of by the disciple.
"It's... it's Little Miyuki."
After a night of rest, the older sister seemed to have recovered a lot.
"Damn it, that Ironmaiden guy, worthy of being an old-school Horseman of Apocalypse, her alcohol tolerance is unexpectedly good."
She rubbed her forehead which felt like it was splitting, not refusing her obedient disciple's kindness, letting her help her to the bed.
Rolling over, mumbling a few words, she continued to sleep deeply.
Asakura Miyuki carefully covered her master with the quilt, then stuffed the life-sized penguin pillow Himeko usually liked to hug into her arms, before turning to clean up the messy bathroom.
After finishing, she returned and placed a large pot full of water and a few special hangover pills on the low cabinet by the bed.
Alcohol that could make a Valkyrie drunk was naturally not ordinary, but fortunately, these medicines also came from Hyperion's black technology workshop and were professionally suitable.
Go buy breakfast for Master.
The girl thought thoughtfully. She checked Himeko's condition one last time, and only after ensuring there were no problems did she change into her plain pink sportswear, put on the black guitar case containing her weapon, close the door, and leave the room.
At this time, there were already many unfamiliar figures moving in the corridor. Schicksal HQ attached great importance to this festival, and all seven major branches under its command had sent delegations composed of outstanding trainee Valkyries to observe and train.
"Hey, see that pink-haired girl over there?"
"Which one? The one walking with her head down?"
"Yes, that's her! The disciple Instructor Himeko made an exception to accept! It is said that she awakened a very rare healing-type natural Stigmata, but unfortunately, she can only use it on herself."
"No way? What's the use of that? To be a high-level punching bag for the enemy?"
"What a selfish ability, haha."
Whispered discussions came from all directions. Asakura Miyuki buried her head lower, letting her long sideburns better cover half of her face, and quickened her pace through the crowd.
During this time, she had long become accustomed to this.
St. Freya's Valkyrie education philosophy was an oddity within the entire Schicksal system; this naturally goes without saying.
However, just as the word "oddity" (Qi Pa) originally meant a peculiar and beautiful flower, in today's internet context, it had taken on derogatory and mocking colors.
For the Valkyries of other branches who underwent traditional militarized training, this group from the Far East was simply unreasonable.
This was not strange at all. Even Little Bianka back then had considered enrolling in St. Freya.
The problem was that the academic system there was too lax, making the girl feel that she would waste a few years before becoming a full-fledged Valkyrie, so she eventually gave up.
If even she was like this, let alone others.
"But... I heard from a friend of a friend's bestie's lesbian friend that Asakura Miyuki's healing Stigmata called 'Deva Path' seems to be occasionally usable on others?"
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! That's a natural Stigmata! If she could really use it on others casually, how could she still look like a transparent punching bag now? She would have been enshrined as a treasure by the HQ long ago!"
"It's true! My friend participated in the Third Eruption Campaign in Nagazora City, she said she saw it with her own eyes!"
"Used on whom?"
"Seems to be someone from the Hyperion next door... Yes! That Fuli who has been very popular recently!"
"Eh? Can't do it for others, but can for him? Is there something going on between them?"
"Heh, even if there is, it's probably one-sided. Who is he and who is she? Does she deserve to climb that high?"
"True."
"You guys! Can you have some basic respect when discussing others? The person involved is still here!"
A clear scolding containing slight anger drowned out the noise in the corridor. A tall girl also wearing the Far East Branch badge strode towards them.
It was Yuno.
St. Freya did not make rigid requirements for the attire of this trip, so the girl was just wearing a simple and neat slim-fitting training suit.
Even so, adhering to the twisted logic that higher Honkai adaptability means higher looks, Yuno still exuded astonishing charm. Her upright bust scale far exceeded her peers, her legs were straight and long, and her star-dense eyelashes fluttered like a layer of fine snow, looking simply magnificent.
"Not good! Let's go!"
Compared to Asakura Miyuki with weak presence and soft personality, the tough-styled Yuno obviously made the trainee Valkyries of other branches more apprehensive.
Mainly because they couldn't beat her. After all, she had the ceiling potential to become a Pseudo-Herrscher of Poison and make Theresa, an S-rank Valkyrie, fail twice.
The few people discussing loudly immediately fell silent, exchanged glances, and scattered like birds and beasts.
"These guys, really can't avoid such gossip anywhere."
The girl rubbed her forehead and walked quickly to her friend: "Are you okay, Asakura?"
Asakura Miyuki shook her head gently: "No, they just mumbled a bit, didn't really do anything to me."
Even last time when the African Branch and the West Asian Branch had a firefight in the corridor due to a disagreement, when she passed by carrying lunch, both sides tacitly ceased fire temporarily, waiting for her to slip past against the wall before continuing. Quite polite.
"You may know a person's face but not their heart. They dare not do anything in public, but who knows in private?"
Yuno crossed her arms and snorted coldly.
Then she mumbled: "Speaking of which, Asakura, you should stand up for yourself occasionally! Clearly, your physical fitness after awakening Stigmata is B-rank, why do you let people bully you all day without retorting? I can't stay by your side all the time."
"I'm not that amazing!"
The girl hurriedly denied, then lowered her head, her mood visibly depressed: "And I can't do things well, always messing things up..."
Previously, she had mustered up the courage to try and rescue a cat accidentally stuck in the elevator gap.
As a result, she accidentally fell into the elevator shaft, falling from the forty-second floor all the way to the third basement level.
She was fine herself, at most her clothes were a bit messy.
The problem was she accidentally fell on the cat and crushed the rescue target to death.
"Pfft!"
Yuno obviously remembered her friend's glorious deed, quickly covered her mouth and turned her head away, her shoulders shaking suspiciously.
"Remember, judge... cough! Judge a doer of good by heart, not by deeds!"
Judging by deeds would freaking make people laugh to death.
"And the midterm combat test half a month ago..."
Asakura Miyuki muttered softly.
This time Yuno couldn't laugh.
That test used the latest virtual reality technology to simulate a powerful Honkai Beast attack, asking students to work in pairs to deal with it.
The two who had a good relationship were naturally in the same group. Considering her companion's personality, Yuno specifically asked her to hold a bow for long-range attacks.
When the time came, the Honkai Beast was released from the cage.
As for the result?
Afterward, the combat report evaluation generated by the system coldly and accurately pointed out:
Asakura Miyuki successfully escaped the pursuit of the Emperor-class Honkai Beast using only a bow and arrow.
And Yuno, who took an arrow to the knee, wasn't so lucky.
"Sigh." Knowing the other party didn't do it on purpose, the girl sighed deeply: "Others learn from mistakes, but you are really a bit gluttonous for punishment."
It was just that she was beautiful and kind-hearted, and couldn't let go of this little idiot.
If it were anyone else, they probably would have chosen to stay away from this plague god long ago.
"Going to bring breakfast for Teacher Himeko, right?"
Yuno shook her head, throwing away those painful memories: "Let's go, I happen to haven't eaten breakfast either, let's go together."
"Mm."
Asakura Miyuki nodded obediently, and the two beautiful girls walked side by side, forming an eye-catching beautiful scenery.
The breakfast supply in the encampment canteen was very rich. Considering that Valkyries came from all over the world, Chinese and Western breakfasts were all available.
Yuno was still frowning, and after a long time, she sighed: "Having gotten used to the delicacies of St. Freya, eating these gives me a subtle sense of disparity."
After all, those were ingredients Theresa looted from Fuli Well.
"Yuno, we can't waste food."
Asakura Miyuki reminded softly.
"I know, I know, aren't I eating?"
Yuno tapped the edge of the dinner plate with a spoon, supporting her chin with one hand, casually browsing the trending news on her phone.
A moment later, she said with disgust: "[Exclusive Investigation! The Identity of the Mysterious Man Intimate with Robin Suspected to be Exposed!] No way? Why is it this Fuli again? Did he buy a monthly hot search subscription?"
It wasn't that she had any opinion on Old Li himself, but mainly in recent days, the news about this guy was really too active.
Almost occupying the top of the hot search lists on all social platforms, he could be said to be the top traffic of this Starward Wardance. It was hard not to see him.
As the saying goes, things will develop in the opposite direction when they become extreme. Once something goes too far, it will soon attract resentment and even haters.
For example, Yuno, she had completely turned from a face fan to a hater.
Of course, the girl had another reason for doing this.
"No, it's not what he wanted! Definitely not!"
Oho, oho, oho!
Facing Asakura Miyuki who timidly but courageously retorted her, trying hard to raise her small face to defend Fuli, Yuno raised a wicked smile.
"Really not?"
"He's not that kind of person!"
"Strange, Asakura, how do you know so clearly?" The girl guessed with feigned puzzlement: "Could it be that there's something going on between you two?"
"Gah!"
Instantly jammed, woo woo woo steam rose from her head.
Asakura Miyuki's eyes turned into dizzy swirls, her arms stiffly straightened, and finally with a thud, she buried her face on the cold table to physically cool down.
Real-life Bocchi the Rock is so cute pinch~
Satisfied with completing the daily task, Yuno got up to take the packed food handed over by the cafeteria auntie.
The two who finished breakfast returned to the dormitory together. Pushing the door open, they met Himeko gulping down water from a kettle.
Combined with the loose short-sleeved top and ultra-short shorts revealing white thighs, if the water in her hand were replaced with beer, she would be a spitting image of Misato Katsuragi.
"Pwah! I'm alive!"
Putting down the kettle, the older sister wiped her mouth and noticed the beautiful girls standing at the door.
"Yo!"
"Teacher, can't you drink a little less?"
Yuno, who handed the breakfast to her companion before entering the room, complained. Asakura Miyuki placed the insulated lunch box full of food on the small table by the bed.
"Master, food."
"Oh! Thanks, you two!"
Himeko, sitting cross-legged on the bed, responded energetically.
She immediately picked up the lunch box with one hand and chopsticks with the other, shoveling food into her mouth unceremoniously, eating quite boldly.
While eating, she explained vaguely: "Yuno, you don't understand. This drinking table is also a battlefield. If I didn't outdrink those bastards this time, St. Freya would be inferior to others until the next victory!"
"Ah yes yes yes, everything you say is right."
The girl rolled her eyes beautifully, and a few small light green flowers bloomed at her fingertips.
Pleasant floral fragrance filled the air, refreshing the sticky atmosphere.
"Your application of ability is becoming more proficient."
Glimpsing this scene, Himeko's smile deepened.
Compared to Asakura Miyuki's turtle-speed progress, Yuno had advanced by leaps and bounds after stepping into the Honkai side.
The ability awakened was not just poison, but broader plant generation and manipulation with greater potential.
It was normal. The battle of the Herrscher of Poison was to generate various poisonous vines. Essentially, poison itself was one of the incidental characteristics of plants.
Yuno had no mental mysophobia and didn't reject using various toxins.
But when the road could be walked wider and wider, who would refuse more choices?
"Burp!"
After eating and drinking her fill, Himeko patted her bulging belly.
She leaned against the head of the bed, looking at Yuno who was looking down at her phone and Asakura Miyuki who was obediently cleaning up the tableware.
Rolling her eyes, she suddenly waved her hand: "You two, go sign up for this Wardance!"
"Huh? Me?"
The latter pointed at herself, blinking her big azure eyes, revealing a sense of absurdity and fear like "Me fighting Sukuna".
"We don't meet the registration conditions."
Yuno spoke matter-of-factly: "For this Wardance, the lowest threshold officially allowed for registration is B-rank. I don't think I'm weaker than them, but after all, I haven't undergone an official rating test and can't get permission."
Considering the potential danger of cleaning up the peripheral organizations of the World Serpent, under the strong recommendation of some high-level officials represented by Robin, the remaining conscience-less bunch finally reluctantly raised the entry threshold.
Himeko said cheerfully: "Where there is a policy, there is a countermeasure."
Flowers in a greenhouse can never truly grow up. Normal people understand this truth.
"Moreover, as soon as the news was announced, a large number of free mercenaries and folk masters with strength ratings below B-rank thought they also had the right to participate in this grand event. Under the boiling public opinion, the Luofu officials had to compromise and decided to hold a large-scale public preliminary arena match before the official Wardance begins."
She explained in detail: "This arena match will use the most advanced virtual reality projection technology to perfectly simulate and reproduce famous heroes in history based on the materials recorded in the Taixu Front Historical Museum."
"As long as the contestant can defeat any one of them in the virtual scene, they will automatically obtain the official qualification for this Starward Wardance, as well as extra generous rewards prepared by the organizing committee!"
"Sounds interesting." Yuno got interested and asked: "Teacher, how is the combat power of those simulated heroes?"
"Just as you guessed..."
Himeko winked at her: "The system will suppress the strength of the simulated heroes to the same level as the challenger, and the maximum will not exceed the B-rank range."
"And not only you, but top students from other Schicksal branches, young juniors from Anti-Entropy and other forces, the outstanding ones among them will probably all come to participate in this preliminary match."
The older sister smiled maliciously: "So be sure to perform well, don't embarrass your teacher!"
"That's the real reason you encouraged us to go!" Yuno instantly saw through the truth and complained speechlessly: "Did you teachers bet on our students' grades in private again?"
"Ehe~☆!"
"Ehe what!"
"T-That!" Asakura Miyuki suddenly interjected in a low voice, twisting the corner of her clothes nervously with both hands, cheeks slightly red: "Will... Will he also participate in this preliminary match?"
The remaining two looked at each other. Even if the person involved didn't say it explicitly, they immediately guessed who she was talking about.
"Brother Li won't participate." Himeko shrugged and stated the reality bluntly: "He sits at the same table with me and the branch captains of Schicksal now. He doesn't need this at all."
Schicksal branch captains were guaranteed to be at least Critical-rank.
"Oh..."
The girl lowered her head in disappointment, as if covered by a gray filter.
"Don't think about it." Yuno patted her shoulder: "He is the Monkey King who havocs in Heaven. The current us are probably far inferior to even a small soldier among the hundred thousand heavenly soldiers besieging him."
"If it's just the level of heavenly soldiers, the current Little Yuno should be qualified."
Himeko suddenly said.
Then Asakura Miyuki became even more disappointed, this time directly curling up into a lonely ball with a radius of thirty centimeters.
"But if you want to see him, as a contestant, you will definitely be able to see him." The unscrupulous older sister changed her attitude, and a very sinister smile appeared at the corner of her mouth: "After all, your dear Class Monitor Fu Hua also signed up for this arena match in the name of our St. Freya's outstanding student."
"No wonder Teacher, you dared to bet with others!"
Yuno immediately understood this guy's ulterior motives.
That was an A-rank Valkyrie. How could she lose with a flying dragon riding the face?
As for how the older sister shamelessly begged Hua to participate, family, look at that face identical to HIMEKO!
Shocking!
The pure and cold Jingliu is actually a rebellious master who wants to attack her disciple inside, and only like this towards Fuli alone!
Every time the boy fell asleep, she would barge into his room unreasonably.
First, use actions to show that his swordsmanship cultivation was not enough, then use her beautiful body for high-intensity night training until he was squeezed dry without a drop left!
The process was particularly painful, but the effect was indeed gratifying.
In just a few days, under Master Jingliu's transcendent flash, Fuli's swordsmanship level visibly improved.
For example, the Setsuna Blade - Intention Form: Ino-Shika-Cho, involving the technique of divine accumulation, kills the enemy's will, making them temporarily lose the will to fight.
This move worked excellently when the target's strength was not high. However, as the enemy's strength rose, its effect was greatly discounted and became less absolute.
Under the high-pressure sparring with Jingliu, Fuli was forced to inadvertently fuse this move with the Pureblood Dragon Aura.
He closely combined the majestic dragon aura condensed from spirit with the divine accumulation of killing intent, physically wrapping it around weapons and attacks.
Not only did it greatly enhance the destructive power of every move, but it could also attack enemies within a certain distance without direct contact.
At the same time, it came with super will shock, and the effect of killing the enemy's intention and making them lose the will to fight was also strengthened epically.
The most critical thing was that this fusion had become a passive state.
As long as Fuli wanted, every slash could naturally carry this domineering characteristic.
He named this permanent sword technique Setsuna Blade - Overlord's Bar, taken from the EX-rank greatsword forged by Yunli in the previous loop, which could be considered a memorial to that experience.
But these were all small matters, at least in the eyes of the current Fuli.
Bang!
Luofu Seat of Divine Foresight, General's Office.
The big boy who hurried over slapped the table, exhaled a breath of hot air, and glared fiercely at the pink-haired shorty sipping tea leisurely behind the desk:
"Give me an explanation for the points issue quickly, otherwise don't blame me for turning hostile and making a scene, not recognizing you as the Massager General!"
Miao Jie (Wonderful World) Massager, Miao Jian (Master Diviner) General. Jie and Jian sound similar, combined it becomes Massager General.
Pfft! Placing this kind of homophonic pun on the always serious girl General was truly amusing.