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

“If it’s just a water shortage, it can be solved through reasonable planning! We can divert water from other rivers, dig new wells, or at the very least, trade with other villages in the surrounding area, or trade the local products from the mountains and forests with people in the city to exchange for food…” Theresa stood in the main hall, talking eloquently to the air, completely disregarding the awkward occasion.

A ruthless glint flashed in the eyes of the deity.

"You...you dare to blaspheme against the gods!" A startling commotion erupted among the villagers, all pointing their fingers at Theresa. "What did she just say? Did anyone understand her?"

“I just explained everything very clearly…” Theresa was furious. She was about to explain what she had just said when she suddenly realized that she could not remember any of the relevant information, and she could not even remember what she had just said clearly.

"She was just talking nonsense!"

"She might be casting a curse on the village!"

"Her hair is white...she's definitely a witch!"

"My husband... was killed by you!"

"Kill her! Offer her to the gods! Only then can we appease their anger!"

"Kill her!!"

The villagers, enraged and seemingly possessed, had even stood up, ready to take action.

Suddenly, a small, hard object flew towards Theresa. Caught off guard, Theresa had no time to dodge. In her haste, she felt a gentle yet swift force pushing her backward.

"cherry!"

Blood slowly trickled down Yae Sakura's forehead, staining half of her face red. She stood in front of Theresa, clutching her injured forehead, and staggered back two steps before bumping into Theresa and coming to a stop.

The atmosphere in the main hall froze instantly. No one would have thought that the village's priestess would sacrifice herself to shield the mysterious sorceress from an attack. The person who had thrown the hard object earlier was hiding quietly behind the crowd, not daring to show their face, while the people around them also shrank back in fear.

"Lord God..." Yae Sakura lowered her head, her expression unreadable, "Please give me some more time to consider..."

"..." The God's expression was as hard as iron, without the slightest fluctuation. His eyes were fixed on Yae Sakura, like a statue.

After a while, the deity raised his hand and waved, signaling everyone to leave.

Yae Sakura breathed a sigh of relief. After the god and the villagers left, she turned around and smiled at Theresa with a smile still stained with blood: "Theresa, don't worry... I will protect you."

Almost simultaneously, the god who had just brushed past Theresa turned around and smiled at Yae Sakura with a strange expression. Although he did not speak, a voice seemed to have a magical power and resounded directly in Yae Sakura's heart.

"Do you think you can protect her? Just like you think you can protect Rin..."

"But please don't forget..."

"Protecting this village... is your duty..."

"This is the meaning of your existence."

……

The shrine master left the shrine and walked down the mountain with the villagers.

"You still can't get rid of Karen's scent on this girl...?"

"You clung to her tightly, like you were grasping at a straw..."

"But it's okay...it'll be quick...it'll be quick..."

"You will be mine..."

A chilling smile crept across the god's lips; his ordinary face now radiated unparalleled malice.

"Those three petty thieves who ran into the dream where I stored Yae Sakura's evil thoughts... They can even slay Yae Sakura's evil thoughts... But it doesn't matter, they can't truly slay 'will'... As long as I restart that dream, I can make them reincarnate in that dream forever..."

"It seems that Yae Sakura's 'selfishness' and 'hatred' alone are not enough... Although I don't know where her other half of her soul has gone, I will accept the 'kindness' and 'gentleness' she left behind..."

"It seems... we need to accelerate the pace of erosion... until the day when 'kindness' turns into 'malice,' and 'gentleness' turns into 'indifference'..."

Chapter Ninety-Six: The Reasons I Love You So Much

Yae Sakura put the water ladle aside, smoothed her wet hair, and gazed absently at the village at the foot of the mountain.

How many days have passed since the famine and the monsters appeared?

"Three more people starved to death yesterday..." A voice, seemingly emanating from the depths of Yae Sakura's heart, slowly filled her thoughts. "Do you remember their names? Hiyoshimaru, Taro, Saburo... Do you remember them? I can remind you..."

"Hiyoshimaru is only seven years old. He loves to come to the shrine to play with you. What a lovely and kind child he is. He gives you the wild fruits he picks, secretly pins the flowers he thinks are pretty in your hair, and even helps you clean the garden... Do you still have the bamboo dragonfly he made for you?"

“Dalang is a good young man. He usually helps the villagers repair any broken tools or utensils. His eyes light up when he looks at you. No matter what you ask him for help with, he will put down what he is doing to help you immediately... He fixed your broken door, he poured water for the shrine, and almost half of the shrine you live in is his work…”

"Sanlang is a good boy, though a bit timid and always likes to follow his older brother Dalang around. But he also has a brave side... Do you remember when you were seriously ill? Who secretly risked their life to go up the cliff to gather herbs for you, breaking their leg in the process? That was a twelve-year-old boy! When he grows up, he won't be able to do farm work, and it will probably be very difficult for him to find a wife. After all, no girl wants to marry a cripple... All the risks and pain he endured were for that beautiful, kind, and gentle shrine maiden who always protected them from monster attacks..."

"Stop talking..." Yae Sakura clutched her ears in anguish, as if that would block out the voice, but the voice echoed endlessly in her mind like a shout reverberating through the mountains, almost driving her mad. "Don't push me..."

"I didn't force anyone. I was just reminding someone who might have forgotten some things—some very objective facts, without any misleading information..."

"Do you remember how many people have died in the past few months... Five the day before yesterday, eighteen last week..."

"And then there's Katsuchiyo and Torachiyo, who were just killed by the bear monster... Katsuchiyo had only been married for a few months... His wife was at home mending his clothes, thinking about what kind of meal she would cook for him with the food he found when he came home that night... His family was starving, and Katsuchiyo had to risk going up the mountain to gather food for his wife and the child in her womb... Now, all that's left in that house is an elderly mother and daughter-in-law... Oh, and an unborn child... They can't support themselves, and it's only a matter of time before they starve to death..."

"Hmm... But that doesn't matter. After all, they're not related to you. Protecting that little girl who smells like Kallen is the best option for you, right? That's right, forget about them, forget that the food and clothes in your shrine are from their offerings, forget what they did for you, and forget their expectations and trust in you..."

"after all……"

"Ahhh..." A sob, as if being choked, was squeezed out of Yae Sakura's throat with difficulty. Her fingernails dug deep into her long pink hair, scratching frantically as if she were scratching an itch. It seemed that only the pain of her sharp nails scratching her scalp could give her a moment of peace.

Almost without any pause or transition, Yae Sakura recalled the scene a few days ago when she went to the village to find out what was going on, and how the villagers encouraged and comforted her when she was anxious.

"It's alright, just like before, the priestess will definitely have a way! We just need to trust her!"

I……

"The priestess has already killed the bear monster. Once she eliminates the tiger demon and the deer spirit, we can go up the mountain to gather food, which should allow us to survive this famine..."

sorry……

"Don't overwork yourself, please take a rest. We'll be waiting for your good news, Shrine Maiden!"

I've been searching...very hard...but those monsters...have vanished as if by magic...I've only killed one in all this time...the remaining two...seem to be protected by heaven...

"It's alright, we have enough food stored at home, so please don't worry, Shrine Maiden."

No matter how hard he searched day and night, even when he was protecting the villagers as they went up the mountain to gather food, they always appeared in corners he couldn't see, killed the villagers, and then disappeared without a trace, leaving not even a footprint...

If the monster cannot be killed, the villagers will be unable to safely go up the mountain to gather food, and the number of people starving to death in the village will continue to rise...

"Sister, you must become an excellent shrine maiden who can protect everyone!"

"Shut up!!!!" Yae Sakura's face was already soaked with tears. Pain and struggle filled her mind. She pressed her hands against her ears and screamed like a madwoman. Her voice echoed through the mountains and fields, filled with unmistakable regret, panic, pain, and despair. "Don't say it anymore... don't say it anymore..."

"This village is truly unfortunate...isn't it?"

"You really want to protect them, don't you? You really want to protect these kind and simple people..."

“The way to protect this village is very simple, and you know it very well…”

"if only……"

"Just offer the sacrifice as usual!!"

Yae Sakura knelt on the ground, motionless, like a lifeless statue, rooted in the dark night.

"My lady, there is no time. Please make a decision as soon as possible." The god appeared behind Yae Sakura without her noticing. His head was slightly lowered, and his fine hair obscured his gaze.

"Take the people... and bring Theresa to the altar." Yae Sakura's voice was devoid of any emotion, as if it were a machine.

————————————————————————————————————

Theresa was awakened by the strange sensation. She opened her eyes groggily and saw a fox mask that filled her entire field of vision. She instinctively screamed and tried to push the other person away, but found that her hands and feet were pressed down on the tatami and she could not move.

“I have no strength…” Theresa struggled with all her might, but she was so weak that her strength was no different from that of an ordinary little girl, and she was unable to break free at all.

“Give up the resistance,” the fox mask’s nose was almost touching her face, and behind its narrow slits was endless darkness, a darkness that stared back at Theresa’s blue eyes, as if trying to draw all of Theresa’s attention into its abyssal depths. “In this space, you are just a little girl… Accept your fate…”

"Sakura... Yae Sakura!" Theresa shouted at the top of her lungs, hoping her shouts would alert Yae Sakura.

"Oh?" The woman wearing the fox mask looked up, her words tinged with an ambiguous amusement. "Go ahead and scream, keep screaming, and guess if the priestess will come to your rescue?"

“You…” The panicked Theresa seemed to vaguely guess the deeper meaning behind the woman’s words, but subconsciously she couldn’t believe it.

"The priestess sent us to take you away... She has decided to offer you as a sacrifice to the gods." Theresa didn't notice the person wearing a fox mask beside her, who held a short sword and was slowly drawing it. The snow-white blade reflected a chilling light in the dim moonlight. "Well then, as is customary, to prevent you from escaping, let's sever your tendons first..."

"No! Stop!!" Theresa struggled desperately. Fear and panic had somehow taken over her battle-hardened heart. She was like an innocent little girl, completely lacking any composure. But her struggles were so weak and powerless. She could only watch helplessly as the cold light slowly approached her wrist.

The excruciating pain and the warm blood splattered on her face nearly drove Theresa to the brink of collapse. She could feel the not-so-sharp knife rubbing back and forth against her tendons, the tingling sensation of the slow knife cutting into her flesh making her lose her mind. She struggled frantically, but the woman on top of her held her down tightly, unable to move. Exhausted, she could only passively feel the blade cutting into her skin, severing her Achilles tendons, like a fish on a chopping board.

Strength and courage often go hand in hand; courage without strength is merely recklessness, while strength without courage is no different from powerlessness.

Perhaps influenced by a sense of powerlessness, Theresa's courage seemed to vanish at this moment. She struggled to look left and right, hoping to find a lifeline.

But what she saw was a fleeting glimpse of long pink hair behind the open door.

The last glimmer of hope in Theresa's eyes was extinguished.

……

"The human heart is truly a very easy thing to control. Just plant a seed beforehand, and then add a little fear and resentment as nourishment when that seed is ready to sprout..."

"Those negative emotions will grow wildly like moss, spreading without giving you a moment to breathe. In an instant, they will occupy all your thoughts. At that time, even if you are a veteran of countless battles and have slain a thousand wounds, you will be so terrified that you can only cower in a corner, close your eyes, and wait for the butcher's knife to come down..."

"No matter how strong you are, as long as you give up resisting..."

"You will never have any hope of winning."

The deity, wearing a ritual mask, floated backward like a ghost, disappearing into the boundless shadows.

Chapter Ninety-Seven

With her tendons severed and her limbs completely powerless, Theresa was dragged all the way to the village altar. The bumpy mountain road made her wounds extremely painful, and if it weren't for her incredibly strong willpower, she probably would have already collapsed.

Theresa was in a daze, and in a moment of clarity, she felt herself being placed in a kneeling position, her hands tied tightly with ropes and placed in front of her chest in a prayer-like posture.

The blood loss made her almost unable to stay conscious, and when she finally saw what was in front of her, she was so shocked that she couldn't speak.

The entire sky was covered in blood, and even the full moon was soaked in a thick layer of blood, seemingly exuding an unparalleled bloody smell. It was almost illogically huge, occupying half the size of the night sky, like a giant eye looking down at Theresa on the altar.

The altar was surrounded by rings of bonfires. Behind those bonfires, the villagers of Yae Village, wearing fox masks that exuded an eerie aura, knelt around the altar, bowing in unison and chanting unknown songs. The voices of hundreds of people rolled in like a chorus, making Theresa's eardrums buzz.

The head priest of Yae Shrine was standing in front of Theresa, and his excitement was so palpable that it was easy to sense even through his mask.