Honkai Impact 3rd: My Days as a Captain in Schicksal

The woman's seemingly casual remark was like an invincible blade, and the sharp, slender corners of her eyes revealed a pure, almost tangible, murderous intent.

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Keng Huo's mind had been restless ever since he left that house; this was a side effect of absorbing fragments of the deceased's will.

Fragments of will are the most intense emotions of a life before its demise. Each absorbed fragment of will carries part of the original owner's memories and those most intense emotions. If you choose to digest that fragment of will, it means that you will be carrying the other person's memories, life, and wishes before death.

Under the influence of those intense emotions, even seasoned sorcerers needed time to adjust their mood and prevent these illusory memories from affecting their will.

But at this moment, Keng Huo didn't have much time to carefully adjust his mindset. He moved through the ruins like a ghost.

"So what exactly was that thing..." Keng Huo's mind kept replaying the huge, knife-like marks he had seen on the road. The marks left by those huge, sharp blades weighed on his heart like a heavy stone.

“These marks are clearly from a cut, they couldn’t have been made by the scythe assassins…” Keng Huo’s mood was somewhat heavy. “Moreover, the blade is smooth and neat, it’s obviously made by a sharp blade slicing through in an instant, as easy as cutting tofu… This place is very close to Theresa’s communicator, could it be a trace of Theresa’s battle?”

"If that's the case..." Keng Huo suddenly seemed to sense something, and his rapidly moving body became as if glued to the ceiling, turning from extreme motion to extreme stillness. He pressed himself against the ceiling like a gecko, remaining motionless, and even his breathing was deliberately suppressed.

The surroundings were eerily quiet, almost unsettlingly so.

There wasn't even the sound of the wind blowing through the leaves.

Keng Huo felt as if he were being locked on by the gaze of a hungry carnivore. The deep sense of threat made him shudder, and his body automatically entered battle mode.

"I am Yae Sakura... Please leave, sir." A gentle female voice suddenly rang out from behind Keng Huo, startling him so much that he almost instinctively did a forward roll, rolling away from where he had been in an extremely ungraceful manner.

"So powerful!" That was Keng Huo's first reaction.

Once Keng Huo finally created what he considered a safe distance, he had time to carefully examine the other person. The woman who called herself Yae Sakura didn't make any move; she simply watched Keng Huo quietly.

Even if she did nothing, Keng Huo could feel the intense sense of threat emanating from her entire body.

This Yae Sakura... is very strong... stronger than anything Keng Huo has ever encountered!

She wore an outfit that seemed similar to a shrine maiden's attire, but it was a strapless design. Instead of the traditional shrine maiden's hem, she wore a short skirt and stockings for easier movement. A long sword and a wakizashi hung at her waist. She had long hair that reminded people of blooming cherry blossom trees, and two long, narrow animal ears stood out from her soft hair, currently facing Keng Huo without moving.

These characteristics clearly point to one answer: humanoid yet not human, neither a Honkai Beast nor a zombie, then...

There is no other option but to become a pseudo-Herrscher!

"So you're the Herrscher who was reborn during this Honkai?" Keng Huo's eyes remained fixed on Yae Sakura without the slightest relaxation. The threat emanating from her made him dare not make any rash moves. At this moment, Keng Huo finally understood why Theresa's operation had failed...

If this person in front of me were to actually fight, he would definitely not be weaker than Theresa! This was Keng Huo's almost innate and accurate intuition about judging strength.

“A new life… It is indeed a new life…” Upon hearing Keng Huo’s words, Yae Sakura seemed to be momentarily lost in thought, her eyes revealing a look of nostalgia and sadness. Perhaps because of their different circumstances, Keng Huo’s words sounded completely different to her.

Perhaps she wasn't answering Keng Huo's question, but rather talking to herself.

But when her answer reached Keng Huo's ears, it was an admission that she was a new Herrscher born from this Honkai tide.

"Where is Theresa..." Keng Huo's tone gradually became serious. If it was this pseudo-Herrscher who called herself Yae Sakura in front of him, then Theresa was probably in grave danger. "Is she with you?"

Strength is one aspect, but more importantly, the combat power of this pseudo-Herrscher in front of us doesn't seem to have been affected by our previous battle with Theresa. Given this, Theresa, having lost both Judah and her communicator, is likely in a very precarious situation, perhaps even...

However, Keng Huo's words took on a different meaning when they reached Yae Sakura's ears.

The murderous aura emanating from Keng Huo made him look exactly like someone chasing after that girl who smelled like Karen. Coupled with his menacing question about someone's whereabouts, he was most likely one of the pursuers…

A hint of doubt flashed through Yae Sakura's mind. She knew that the person fighting the white-haired little girl was a new pseudo-Herrscher who had just emerged in this area in the past two days, but the person in front of her was purely human...

However, this does not mean that the other party is not a threat. Yae Sakura is unwilling to entrust the safety of that white-haired little girl to someone whose friend or foe is uncertain. The word "possibly" is too unreliable.

Almost without much thought, Yae Sakura made up her mind.

The little girl cannot be handed over to him, but there is no need to kill this person. Just drive him away and wait until the little girl wakes up and confirms his identity before making a decision.

“Theresa? I’m sorry, I haven’t seen her.” Yae Sakura gently shook her head. “Please don’t come any closer. Please leave. This is not a place for humans.”

Yae Sakura's words, which gave her some time to consider, seemed to Keng Huo almost like an admission that she had met Theresa.

"What if I insist on going?" Keng Huo stared intently into the other person's eyes, like a ferocious beast facing off.

Yae Sakura raised her left hand, gently smoothing a strand of hair that had been blown by the wind behind her ear, and said calmly:

"Then I'll kill you."

Chapter 82 Take this! The righteous nemesis of chatterboxes

If you were facing a tiger in the jungle, what would be your right choice?

In short, running away is definitely not the right thing to do, as that would truly render you powerless to resist. The correct choice is to fight!

Fight! Show your strength to make the other party take you seriously, and then escape when the other party is careless or makes a mistake!

Turning your back to the other person is tantamount to sentencing yourself to death!

With a sudden flick of his left hand, a dark shadow spun and flew towards the opponent from the side. At the same time, he exerted force with both legs, drew his sword with his right hand, and unexpectedly attacked the opponent first.

Yae Sakura took a seemingly slow but actually swift step forward, barely grazing the cross-shaped dart that came flying from the side, gripped the scabbard with her left hand, and held it horizontally in front of her.

"Clang—" The seemingly wooden scabbard and the composite willow leaf blade clashed, producing a metallic clang. At the same time, Yae Sakura raised her left leg, preparing to kick Keng Huo's shinbone.

Keng Huo withdrew his strength and pulled back, drawing the blade back. The point where the blade rubbed against Yae Sakura's scabbard sparked a dazzling display of light, like metal rubbing together, and struck Yae Sakura's raised knee!

Yae Sakura seemed to have anticipated Keng Huo's change of tactics. Her scabbard clung tightly to the blade of the willow-leaf knife like a venomous snake, not only forcibly pushing the willow-leaf knife away from its trajectory but also presenting her own hilt to Keng Huo's face.

Keng Huo reacted swiftly and, with a close call, raised his head and pulled back, his waist bending backward and downward as if broken, his right leg like a hooked scorpion tail, striking directly upward at Yae Sakura's elbow holding the sword.

Yae Sakura's pupils suddenly contracted, as if she had finally become serious. With a burst of strength from her legs, she took a step to the right in the blink of an eye. At the same time, her wrists slightly bent, and the scabbard precisely clamped onto Keng Huo's ankle, pulling him back sharply.

Intending to use this move to temporarily force the opponent back and create distance, Keng Huo's sense of balance was disrupted by this pull, and his left foot, which was on the tile, slipped, causing his entire body to fall uncontrollably.

But Keng Huo's rich experience helped him at this moment. In desperation, he suddenly used his restrained right leg to forcefully curl up and pull himself toward Yae Sakura. At the same time, his left leg no longer supported his body, but instead, like a hammer, it struck Yae Sakura's lower abdomen.

Yae Sakura let out a soft "Eh," and her right hand, which had been motionless until now, finally struck, landing on Keng Huo's left leg in a flash.

Just before Yae Sakura was about to exert force to deflect her left leg, Keng Huo's left calf hooked back and retracted. This sudden reduction in distance prevented Yae Sakura from successfully deflecting Keng Huo's attack, and instead exposed her chest and abdomen to the menacing left knee.

But Yae Sakura reacted very quickly. She flipped her right hand and her right palm steadily caught Keng Huo's left knee, which was caught due to the sudden change of move and the fact that it was not fully charged.

Keng Huo followed up with the staff, using his waist and abdomen to pull his upper body up, and his forehead slammed into Yae Sakura's face like a battering ram.

Yae Sakura bent her right knee and struck Keng Huo's groin, attacking where the enemy would inevitably defend.

In desperation, Keng Huo could only use his left hand to place on the arm that Yae Sakura was using to support his left knee, and with a push, slightly changed his position, narrowly avoiding Yae Sakura's knee strike.

But because of this slight adjustment in position, Yae Sakura seized the opportunity, twisting her head to dodge Keng Huo's headbutt.

Keng Huo wanted to continue close combat, but Yae Sakura suddenly exerted all her strength and bounced him away.

In just a few brief moments of exchange, Yae Sakura gained a new understanding of the strength of the enemy before her.

Yae Sakura originally only wanted to intimidate her opponent and make him leave without harming him, so she didn't use her true strength at first. However, she didn't expect that her opponent would engage in close combat with her and even have to suppress her.

Almost at the same time, Keng Huo also completed his initial assessment of Yae Sakura's strength.

Within the close-quarters combat range of the sword-fighting technique... he would surely die. The opponent didn't even display any high physical abilities, but simply used very simple yet effective small movements to neutralize his attacks, and even dragged him into a disadvantageous position at one point.

The application and understanding of weapons is not simply about simplicity, but rather a return to simplicity and authenticity after gaining a profound understanding.

However, the opponent also made a mistake, which was to give himself the opportunity to engage in close combat and discover that the opponent was not very good at close-quarters combat.

To be precise, in close-quarters combat, Keng Huo not only has no advantage, but also allows Yae Sakura, whose understanding and use of weapons far surpasses his own, to fully exert her abilities; however, once they enter the close-quarters melee range, he can subtly suppress his opponent.

However, this was all under the condition that the other party did not use their special abilities or superhuman physical qualities.

Keng Huo made a judgment almost instantly: Yae Sakura was definitely not an opponent he could defeat in his current state... there was absolutely no chance!

But Yae Sakura seemed to have developed some interest in Keng Huo at this moment: "Your swordsmanship is not bad... Your straight slash just now had four directions of change and three follow-up moves, and I didn't expect you to abandon your weapon and engage in close combat..."

As if she had just thought of something, Yae Sakura's eyes lit up slightly: "It's been a long time since I've sparred with anyone. You... how about playing with me?"

Keng Huo felt a chill run down his spine.

What did Yae Sakura say?

Should I play along with her?

Just now, I attacked with a do-or-die mentality, okay?

And what did this pervert just say?

Play with her for a bit?

A chill ran through Keng Huo's heart. The pseudo-Herrschers were beings corrupted and affected by Honkai energy. Their minds were also affected by Honkai energy, and the darkness and negative emotions in their hearts were stimulated almost endlessly. Therefore, the Herrscher personalities of pseudo-Herrschers often had extremely strong obsessions and fanaticism. Thus, Keng Huo had unconsciously equated the other party with a psychopathic killer.

How would you react if a psychopathic killer stared at you with hopeful eyes and invited you to play with her?

Of course, a chilling sensation shot up from my tailbone all the way to the top of my head!

Before Keng Huo could come up with a countermeasure, Yae Sakura launched a preemptive attack. This time, she still did not draw her sword, but instead chose the scabbard.

Even the shorter scabbard left Keng Huo clumsy and awkward.

Yae Sakura's swordsmanship was as fast as lightning, yet cunning and unpredictable. When she slashed, she could change the trajectory of the blade at any moment, or turn a slash into a thrust, a hook, a flick, or a slice. Keng Huo was exhausted from dealing with her attacks, and in just a few dozen moves, he had taken a lot of hits. Although the force was always just enough to touch the target, it only strengthened Keng Huo's conclusion that his opponent was a psychopath.

They were just saying they'd kill me if I went any further, but now they're not. Looking at their amused and happy expression, it's obvious they want to play me to death!

If this isn't considered a psychopath, then there are no psychopaths in the world!

Under Yae Sakura's heavy suppression, Keng Huo was unable to engage in close combat. Every counterattack he launched was anticipated and neutralized by her. Either the scabbard of her sword would reach his elbow and dissipate his force just as he was about to draw his sword, or she would simply use her offensive to force him to retreat.

As if making a decision in his heart, Keng Huo simply abandoned defense and devoted himself entirely to the attack. Since his opponent was only hitting him with the scabbard and wouldn't be able to kill him in a short time, he might as well fight to the death. If he could force his opponent back temporarily, he would have a chance to use his trump card...

But it had no effect at all; all her efforts to seduce him only made the other person happier.

"A style I've never seen before! Where are you from?" Yae Sakura's eyes sparkled, as if she had encountered something she really liked.

"Nonsense! I'm from Hebei Province! My stir-fried radish is super delicious!" Keng Huo spouted nonsense in an attempt to distract the other person, but unexpectedly aroused even greater interest.

"I've never heard of this school of martial arts! Hebei... Hebei Province, where is that? Is it a new place name?" Yae Sakura deflected Keng Huo's blade again, the hilt transforming into a streak of light that aimed directly at Keng Huo's shoulder. "Which direction is it in? Is it far? What is stir-fried radish? Is it a specialty of your area?"

"Can't you concentrate on fighting?! Why are you talking like a chatterbox?!" Keng Huo shouted in frustration. During the half-hour-long, evenly matched exchange, the woman who called herself Yae Sakura, dressed in a shrine maiden-like outfit, never stopped talking, and even seemed increasingly pleased, relentlessly bombarding Keng Huo with questions—from celestial phenomena to geography, from ancient times to the present. Keng Huo was almost driven to the brink of collapse by this woman who seemed to have absolutely no modern common sense. He had to explain every single word to her, and then explain another word in the process so she could understand. Perhaps during this process, he would need to explain yet another word so she could understand the meaning behind his initial explanation…

Even tutoring Kiana wasn't this tiring!!

"No! I haven't spoken for five hundred years! I must say as much as I can today!" Yae Sakura even had time to raise her free left hand to smooth her disheveled hair. "Why don't you stay here instead of leaving?"

"No way! I'm a respectable person!" Keng Huo shuddered.

Did you hear that?! This madman has really started threatening me! He's going to leave my corpse behind!

Do you want to hang yourself from the rafters and chat with your own corpse for twenty yuan every day?