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

"Sister Kallen! Wake up! It's me, Kiana!" Kiana carefully checked Kallen's breathing and was overjoyed to find that she was still breathing faintly.

Perhaps Kiana's call had an effect, for Kallen opened her eyes with great difficulty, her dazed eyes seemingly unable to discern the other's appearance.

"Who are you...?" she murmured.

Kiana then realized that the Kallen she knew was an AI program in the Destiny Database, not the real Kallen... and the one in front of her probably wasn't either.

It can only be described as another... false illusion.

Kiana opened her mouth, but didn't know what to say.

However, Kallen didn't dwell on the issue of identity. She simply conveyed her last wish to Kiana in a weak voice: "Miss, whom I don't know... if... you encounter a shrine maiden with long, cherry-blossom hair nearby... please... give this to her..."

With trembling hands, Kallen took off the pendant from her neck and placed it in Kiana's hand, then let it fall limply to her side, and remained silent.

What followed was the dissipation of her body; it transformed into countless specks of light, melting into the air as if she were ascending to heaven.

Before Kiana could react, Bronya's voice interrupted her thoughts: "Wait... the space here... is collapsing!"

Kiana gripped the cross-shaped pendant tightly, looked up in alarm, and found that the space around her was indeed shattering like a mirror, just as Bronya had said, turning into fragments that revealed a dark void behind them.

"The situation has changed, emergency evacuation procedures are in effect..." A futuristic-looking screen suddenly appeared in front of Bronya, but the warnings and banned messages flashing on it indicated that something was amiss.

“…Unable to leave the consciousness space…” Bronya bit her finger, as if pondering a mathematical problem. “This place is not safe to stay in. Since we cannot escape the consciousness space, let’s temporarily search for a place to take shelter here…”

As the disintegrating spatial fragments drew ever closer, Kiana slowly moved back to Mei and Bronya's side: "What kind of bizarre place is this...?"

"This is the headmaster's... consciousness space... But it's strange, why is the headmaster's consciousness space like an ancient village in the Far East?" Mei was also puzzled. Her explosive body was tense, and she had already gripped the hilt of the knife tightly with one hand, pulling the blade open with a short gap, ready to strike in any direction at any time.

"The analysis results are in! There isn't just one will space here, but multiple... Perhaps we can transfer to another dream space!" Bronya suddenly said something incredibly unbelievable. "Transfer preparations, 3... 2..."

"1!"

The scene before the three of them seemed to close and open like a stage curtain, and this time what appeared before them was a crystal-clear river.

Kazumasa was kneeling by the river, holding a wet nun. The nun had long, cherry-blossom-colored hair.

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At that very moment, in one inconspicuous world among countless spaces of consciousness, Theresa slowly opened her eyes.

Warm sunshine, melodious birdsong...

And a strong smell of blood.

Theresa looked at herself in confusion at the red and white shrine maiden outfit she had somehow changed into, and hurriedly got up to observe her surroundings.

"A forest?" Theresa's head was filled with a big question mark. "Is it another dream? But this one... it feels a little different..."

Suddenly, a fierce roar interrupted her thoughts. Theresa turned around warily to face the black giant bear that had roared.

"Help...help..." A man dressed in coarse linen clothes was running frantically toward Theresa, holding a wooden spear upside down in his hand. But before he could reach her, a tentacle that smelled of blood suddenly burst out of his body, tearing open his chest. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and his eyes lost their luster.

Two thick tentacles extended from behind the upright giant bear, one of which pierced through the young man's body. A flickering red light shone from the point where the two tentacles connected, and as if alive, it traveled along the tentacle to the bear's body. As the red light left the bear, the man's corpse withered as if it had been drained dry.

"Honkai Beast?! But how could it be this ancient type..." Theresa's pupils contracted, and she instinctively flicked her toes to catch the spear that rolled down in front of her, holding it firmly in her hand. "But underestimating me will only lead to disaster..."

Before she could finish her lines, another tentacle shot out like lightning, shattering the wooden spear in Theresa's hand. Theresa didn't even have time to react before the tentacle bound her tightly.

Feeling the suffocating sensation coming from her neck, Theresa struggled desperately, only to find that her struggles were futile; she was powerless to resist the force that bound her tightly.

“How could this be… my power…” Theresa struggled to think, her oxygen-deprived mind a chaotic mess, “Why… can’t I muster any strength… and why is my reaction so…”

As the tentacles tightened, Theresa felt a wave of dizziness, and her consciousness seemed to drift away from her body.

But at that moment, she heard a sound that jolted her very soul.

"Zheng—"

That was... the sound of a sword being drawn!

It was almost an illusion that could not be captured by the naked eye. Only a few flashes of light could be seen. The suffocating feeling on her neck was relieved. Theresa, who was held high in the air, lost her support and fell down like a falling stone.

But the expected pain did not come; instead, she was surrounded by a warm embrace and a sweet, cherry blossom-like scent.

Theresa looked up in a daze, only to catch a glimpse of a pair of indifferent eyes before losing consciousness.

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While fleeing through the complex terrain of the medical center, Keng Huo dialed the school's emergency communication system and issued an order using the highest level of authority he could: "All Valkyries in the medical center, evacuate! Call in emergency response forces to surround the medical center... Take the [Oath of Judah] with you when you evacuate! This is an order... Level A emergency alert!"

Keng Huo, who had just been hiding in a hospital room and hadn't even had time to catch his breath, suddenly flung open the door and ran into the corridor. Immediately following behind was a loud bang, and Theresa, whose body was covered in red markings, broke through the wall and chased after him with a maniacal laugh.

"Don't run away... I'm going to offer your head... on my altar!" Theresa's sinister laughter was terrifying. She was completely unrecognizable from her former self. At this moment, she was like a demon hunting its prey.

Just now, those red patterns suddenly appeared on Theresa's body. At the same time, her strength and intelligence increased dramatically. She could not only see through Keng Huo's little tricks, but she could even speak and mock Keng Huo.

Although the change was bizarre and sudden, Keng Huo was still able to guess the general reason.

"Has the battle of consciousness gained the upper hand...? That pseudo-Herrscher..." Keng Huo hurriedly unleashed a barrage of words to try and stop Theresa's actions, but to no avail. Theresa charged straight at the barrage of projectiles without dodging or evading, and suddenly a raging inferno erupted from her body. The red chili powder mist was instantly burned away, turning into gray-black ashes that fell to the ground.

"You can't escape...you...are mine!" Theresa's hands had grown sharp nails like those of a wild beast. Like a war god bathed in flames, she rushed out of the mist. Her sharp claws made a whistling sound as they cut through the air, leaving a trail of fire as she attacked Keng Huo, who was constantly changing direction.

"You think I'm really afraid of you?!" Seeing that there was no way to avoid it, Keng Huo simply turned around to meet the attack. He suddenly exerted force with both feet, and his powerful internal energy left two deep footprints on the smooth marble floor. His body completed the turn in a short moment. Centered on his waist and hips, the explosive power passed through his muscles and bones layer by layer, and finally all gathered in his right fist. The muscles on his right arm bulged high, like an inflated balloon. The blue veins on his muscular right arm bulged, and for a moment, it seemed as if a tiger's roar came from his bones.

The pair of fiery claws and the powerful right fist clashed and separated instantly, and the entire corridor seemed to fall silent for a moment. However, after that moment of silence, a powerful storm erupted. The strong shockwave generated by the collision instantly swept through the not-so-wide corridor, blowing the duty roster on the wall off and making it flutter erratically in the air.

Keng Huo felt as if his right arm was being torn apart. The Tiger Cannon Fist's intent was always to go forward without hesitation and to live in the face of death. Once a punch was thrown, it could never be taken back. But at this moment, he was flying backward like a kite with a broken string, rolling backward on the ground.

“The medical center hasn’t been completely evacuated yet, so I can’t fight at full strength right now…” Keng Huo simply rolled away even further. “Although I evacuated everyone on this floor beforehand, I didn’t expect something like this to happen…”

"Himeko is currently leading the expedition, and the other A-rank Valkyrie, Fu Hua, is still on a secret mission and hasn't returned yet. Right now, the academy only has the students and D-rank Valkyries..." Keng Huo felt a burning pain in his right arm. He didn't even need to look to know that it must have been the wound left on his arm by Theresa's claws during the exchange of blows. As a master of internal martial arts, he knew his muscles and bones inside and out. He didn't even need to examine the wound to know that although it looked frightening, it didn't affect his power, or even significantly impact his combat ability.

However, Theresa, who had just exchanged blows with him, might not be so unscathed. The feeling of hitting a metal plate through his fist made Keng Huo very certain that his punch had definitely hit her flat chest. Although it was a hasty Tiger Cannon Fist, its power and the spiraling force it contained would definitely not make her feel good.

Theresa was in a similar state to Keng Huo. She was sent flying by Keng Huo's punch and slid on the ground until she crashed into the wall before stopping. Judging from her action of clutching her chest, although Keng Huo's punch may not have damaged her bones and muscles, it was very likely that it had injured her internal organs.

“We can’t delay any longer…” A fierce glint flashed in Keng Huo’s eyes. His previous trip to Changkong City had somewhat awakened the bloodlust he once possessed as a Honkai Hunter. Having experienced countless life-or-death battles, he had the decisiveness to act swiftly. “Right now, Kiana and the others are trapped inside Theresa’s consciousness. That pseudo-Herrscher has gained the upper hand in the consciousness space. She is probably consolidating her control over this body by occupying more consciousness space, which can be seen from the fact that she is constantly getting stronger…”

"Since that's the case... if we can't defeat you from the inside... then we'll defeat you from the outside first! As for the problems in the consciousness space... let's cripple you and tie you up first, then study you slowly!" A fierce fighting spirit suddenly ignited in Keng Huo's eyes. At this moment, he was a completely different person from before. If he could be called a warrior before, he was now a gladiator who had crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood!

In the bewildering space of consciousness, a perfectly round golden sphere began to tremble slightly. If you zoomed in, you would find that it was not actually a golden sphere, but three streams of mist, like golden light, frantically rotating around each other and performing a three-body motion!

This was a realm that Keng Huo had never reached before, a legend that all the alchemists of the land had dreamed of.

That is, after the alchemists have completely and thoroughly grasped the will passed down by an ancestor, they comprehend the Dao within themselves, condense their intention into form, and thoroughly master those fragments of will. They incorporate all the emotions, will, combat skills, and even the ideals of their ancestors before their deaths into themselves, and finally transform them from the will of others into their own...

The final product... a golden elixir!

The golden core in Keng Huo's consciousness space at this moment, composed of three intertwined streams of light, was the three crystal pendants that exploded when he fought against the pseudo-Herrscher whose will was completely manipulated by the Honkai. Due to the excessive stimulation of the power of the will within them, the emotions that Keng Huo unleashed during that battle resonated with the will within these three crystal pendants. After the crystal pendants exploded, the will contained within them did not disappear, but rather seemed to acknowledge Keng Huo and gathered in his consciousness space, spontaneously condensing into one.

Their original names were... [Knights Never Die Barehanded], [Nangong's Fist], and... [The Will of the Weak]!

To be precise, the "will of the weak" is not a legacy from our ancestors, but rather a will created by Keng Huo himself using the remnants of the weak he collected throughout his long hunt and life!

At this moment, the two streams of will light, like satellites, surrounded the weakest stream of will light and suddenly burst forth with a dazzling light like stars.

Chapter Ninety-Four: The Strange Yae Village

"Thank you all for your help. But may I ask what brings you to our Yae Village?" Inside the shrine, Yae Sakura sat upright and asked, seemingly unintentionally. She felt a sense of rejection towards the three girls who had suddenly appeared before her, as if they did not belong here at all.

"I am Kitashita Mei, a wandering samurai, currently traveling around challenging masters to hone my skills," Mei, who had read many biographical novels, quickly made up a backstory for herself. She glanced furtively at Kiana and Bronya beside her, unsure how to introduce them.

"Edogawa Furouya, an Onmyoji, and a follower of Lord Hokushin." Bronya's clean clothes were acceptable, and his serious expression seemed to show on his expressionless face.

Yae Sakura's eyebrows twitched.

"I am Kiana! Mei's husband!"

"Kiana!" Mei called out to Kiana in a panic, "What nonsense are you talking about!"

But at that moment, Yae Sakura, sitting opposite her, seemed to smile silently, but immediately straightened her expression, making herself look dignified and serious.

"I understand. I imagine you must be quite tired after traveling in Japan for so long. In addition, you just helped me stabilize the injured man's condition. If you don't mind, please stay at my humble abode for a few days, as a gesture of hospitality."

"That's very good, very good..."

After a brief exchange, Yae Sakura left the main hall under the pretext of tidying up their accommodations.

As soon as she reached the door, Yae Sakura couldn't help but burst out laughing. She quickly covered her mouth and nervously peeked through the crack in the main hall door to see if the guests had heard her rude laughter.

Completely unaware that its long, pink animal ears stood out starkly against the blue sky.

Seeing that they didn't seem to have noticed her laughter, she left reassured, muttering to herself as she went:

"They're clearly just a few noble ladies out for fun, but they insist on pretending to be samurai and onmyoji... Pretending to be samurai and onmyoji is one thing, but they even got the order of their followers reversed... Only one of them seemed normal, but then he blurted out that he was another child's husband... Really..."

Thinking of this, Yae Sakura couldn't help but smile: "She's so cute..."

"Well, let's arrange accommodation for them first. How long are they going to stay here anyway..."

"It's probably very, very long... very long..."

……

Meanwhile, in the main hall, Bronya was quietly drinking tea, seemingly deep in thought.

“It’s still very strange, that witch.” Bronya put down her teacup and stared at the bubbles on the water’s surface.

"Strange? What do you mean by strange? Her head... what kind of ear?" Mei chimed in, puzzled. "Speaking of which, wasn't that shrine maiden the original owner of the stigmata on the headmistress's back?"

"Mei, why are you so sure?" Kiana had already finished her tea and was now holding the teacup in her hand, turning it over and over.

"...This bizarre character design is obviously not that of an ordinary person! And didn't we already know that this is the headmaster's consciousness space, and the only other consciousness besides us is the original owner of that Stigmata..."

“Bronya needs time to think… In the meantime, let’s accept their invitation… At least on the surface, they don’t seem hostile.”

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Keng Huo felt that he had dug up so many graves in his life, and it was very likely that one time he hadn't noticed that he had dug up the grave of Lady Luck. Otherwise, why was his luck always so bad?

He inexplicably picked up a little sister, inexplicably lost her, then inexplicably became a target of fate for years, was imprisoned and nailed to a wall, and finally, inexplicably was kidnapped by a young nun and forced to become a teacher at St. Freya Academy, and finally...

Finally, the young nun grew a pair of animal ears and began chasing herself all over the hospital...

"Can you stop cheating, you son of a bitch! Put out the fire! Let's have a real fight!" Keng Huo shouted as he ran, his verbal sparring not hindering his nimble leap over the information desk and into the staff break room. "Let's put aside our differences! Let's have a good time and make a date..."