The Great Honkai

After one heroic rescue of a damsel in distress (?), Hua successfully gained her first friend at school. Himiko, meanwhile, was greatly shocked by Hua's performance, so you successfully received additional sponsorship from Himiko.

With a new friend, Hua's school life gradually became more interesting. Carole began teaching Hua how to dress herself, how to get along with people, and... how to play games at the arcade.

Well, although Hua was initially unfamiliar with games, with your help as a "cheat device," Hua's gaming skills improved dramatically. But as her skills improved, Hua also discovered your cheating.

As a result, Hua gave you a lecture. Fu Hua compatibility +10%.

Fu Hua truly deserved to be called a hexagonal warrior in every aspect except her chest. She learned everything damn fast.

Whether it was talent or diligence, Liu Bai could not help but marvel.

But why was the compatibility still increasing... Although it was a good thing, it was rather unsettling.

"Yay! Vacation! Finally, vacation!"

Carole dashed toward the school gates, where Hua was waiting for her.

"Honestly, we're already on vacation. Why did the homeroom teacher have to keep rambling on and drag out class..."

"Isn't it precisely because vacation is starting that teachers have more reminders for their students?" Hua retorted seriously.

"Ah, forget it. Let's not talk about that... Hua, you definitely came first in this final exam again, right?"

"Unless something unexpected happened, that should be the case... Did Carole not do well this time?"

"Damn it! Not everyone is as smart as you, Hua! That damned exam!"

At the mention of exams, Carole immediately looked miserable.

"I just make a habit of doing some extra assignments at home."

Hua thought about how, every night after exercising, she would calculate weapon parameters with Liu Bai...

At the thought, Hua felt a headache coming on. That volume of data was simply not something a human could calculate. If Liu Bai had been in a hurry, her schedule would probably have needed to change because of it. Even so, they had only rushed to finish it yesterday. Liu Bai had even told her to go to sleep and completed the final steps himself.

There was a reason she excelled in the sciences.

As for the humanities... Hua had never been bad at them to begin with. She only needed to proceed step by step.

"The bulk of the data came from that power-generation device... I learned that thing from someone else, too. Ninety percent of our parameters were for optimizing that power-generation device. Fortunately, after one semester, we successfully optimized it into the 'Fist Blade Type III.'"

Even without a physical head, Liu Bai felt a phantom headache at the mention of it.

He felt that if he kept calculating, some of his skill levels would probably rise.

The talents of great scientists like Mei, Mobius, Einstein, and Tesla really were inhuman...

"The biggest feature of the Fist Blade Type III is that it changed the continuous current of the first two models into an instantaneous current. By estimation, this current can directly pierce the skin of ordinary Death Soldiers and render them incapable of fighting. It also comes with an armguard for defense. Its downside is... it is too difficult to mass-produce. If we want to popularize it, it would be better to modify the Type II for Honkai resistance."

Even if they did not need to worry about prospects right now, Hua still needed to know this. It would be useful in the future.

After all, the most reliable way Liu Bai could train Hua was to develop her into a weapons expert.

But speaking of which, in terms of power, the current Type III was probably already no weaker than the equipment used by Moth Chasers to Fire soldiers. After being modified for Honkai resistance, it would only become stronger.

"You actually do extra assignments... We were clearly all playing games together, but who would have thought that you, with those thick eyebrows and big eyes, were secretly studying? How devious!"

"I think it's just because you're too lazy, Carole." Hua rubbed her nose. "I even deliberately made time to tutor you a few days before the exam, and I basically guessed the questions correctly..."

"Uh... well..." Carole scratched her cheek guiltily, then covered her head in surrender. "Fine, fine! I'm an idiot, okay? It's vacation already, so stop thinking about such mood-killing things as grades!"

"Carole, you..."

...Come to think of it, Carole had been the one to bring it up first.

But Hua had grown used to her friend's lack of seriousness.

"By the way, Hua, why do you always wear that ugly school uniform... Haven't you noticed that hardly anyone at school wears one except on certain occasions? I clearly picked out lots of nice clothes for you."

Carole looked at Hua helplessly.

"I think the reason you didn't fit in at first was because of that ugly school uniform."

"But school uniforms are sturdy and don't get dirty easily."

"Sure, they're quite suitable for use as rags." Carole half-jokingly retorted. "In any case, absolutely not! That outfit is way too old-fashioned!"

"...I think it's still better to wear a school uniform at school," Hua argued weakly.

"Come on! Back to the dorm!"

"Huh? The dorm?"

She did not live on campus...

"A few days ago, I saw an outfit that would suit you really well, so I bought it. Come try it on."

Carole ran behind Hua and pushed her forward. With no other choice, Hua obediently went along with Carole's wishes.

"Why does it feel like you're making fun of me..."

Dressed in casual clothes, Hua looked at herself suspiciously.

"No, no! I really am doing this for your own good. It's so refreshing." Carole's defense was utterly unconvincing.

"Well, it looks pretty good. Though I prefer short skirts and black stockings, of course. Jeans are a bit of a waste on Hua's legs, but this makes her look more energetic."

Liu Bai offered his assessment with great seriousness.

Why was even Teacher Liu saying that?!

Since even Teacher Liu, whom she respected most, said so, Hua could only silently accept it.

...Perhaps it really did look quite good.

"Thank you. I'll transfer the money to you later."

"What money? We're good friends... Forget it, let's not talk about that!" Carole waved her hand. "You still have some time before going home, right? Come have some fun in the city with me!"

"...I really hope this doesn't scare my dad."

This was her first time wearing such "floaty" clothes.

"I think your dad might be delighted and say something like, 'My daughter can finally get married.'"

Liu Bai quietly drove the knife in deeper.

"..."

Hua had no response to that.

"Bye! See you next semester!"

"See you next semester."

After making a round of the mall, Carole and Hua said their farewells.

"Not going to play a little longer?"

Liu Bai suddenly asked.

"Since she's your friend, it wouldn't hurt to spend more time with her... Besides, our destination is a Moth Chasers to Fire branch base. Someone will be picking us up, and they probably haven't arrived yet. There's no rush."

"...Huh?"

Hua let out a brief sound of surprise.

...Why had Teacher Liu suddenly said that?

A wave of unease suddenly rose in Hua's heart.

"Hua? What's wrong?"

Carole, who had been about to leave, was drawn over by Hua's cry.

"Hmm... I just noticed something interesting and want to take a look. Carole, can you come with me?"

"Of course! My home is in Canghai City, so I'll go wherever you want to have fun!"

At Hua's suggestion, Carole immediately beamed again.

"Right, should we go to the arcade again? I remember there are still a few games where you haven't taken first place, right? Today's goal is to conquer every game in the arcade!"

"Uh... all right."

Liu Bai's sudden prompt made Hua uneasy... Honestly, she had no desire to play games right now.

But in order to ease the unease in her heart, Hua could only agree.

"Whew... That was awesome! I really didn't expect that in the final game, Hua, you'd take first place with your last token left. By tomorrow, there'll probably be rumors all over the streets about some 'mysterious girl conquering the arcade.'"

"That's an exaggeration..."

The two left the arcade, and the sky had already turned golden.

"By the way, Hua, what is your home like?"

"It's just a small city not too far from Canghai City."

The two sat on a roadside bench, each holding a bottle of water as they chatted softly.

"Hey, if my parents agree, can I visit your home?"

Despite having played for nearly the entire day, Carole was still full of energy.

"Is your family's martial arts school still open? Can you teach me kung fu?"

"Then you're too late. My family's martial arts school closed down long ago."

"Aw... that's a real shame." Carole leaned against the back of the bench in disappointment. "Then will you take over the martial arts school in the future?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Because... um, there's no particular reason. It's just a feeling." Carole scratched her head. "I just feel like Hua... you're that kind of person, right?"

"Am I?" Hua was slightly taken aback.

"I just feel like you don't really desire anything... Hua, do you have any dreams for the future?"

"That... I do." Hua thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Huh? You actually do? What is it?" Carole leaned closer curiously.

"My dream... is probably to return to my hometown in the latter half of my life, and with Liu..." Hua's face inexplicably turned a little red. "Anyway, Carole, you were right. My dream really is to inherit the martial arts school, but in the latter half of my life."

Chapter 65: The Great Honkai Eruption

"Huh? Why the latter half of your life? Can't you do it after graduating from university?"

Hua's strange dream instantly turned Carole into a curious child.

"Well... because I need to vanquish demons and monsters?"

Hua made a joke, something she rarely did.

"Those zombies and things like them... If possible, I want to eradicate them from the world."

"Ah... That really is a dream worthy of a hero." Carole thought of the two Death Soldiers that had once surrounded her. If she faced those two monsters again, she would probably still flee in panic.

"But I don't have a great dream like yours, Hua. As for me... hmm, I probably just want to go somewhere else?"

"Somewhere else?" Carole's vague answer confused Hua.

"Ah, because I don't plan to stay in Canghai City in the future." Carole scratched her cheek awkwardly. "I've been here for too long, and I've gone numb to it. You understand that feeling, right? This city is full of memories, everywhere you look."

"Isn't that a good thing?"

Carole's words only confused Hua further. She felt that a hometown full of memories should be the ideal hometown.

"If your hometown becomes unfamiliar, Hua, then it isn't a hometown anymore, right?"

"Well, what you said does make sense..." Carole stretched. "Whenever I cross a bridge, I remember who I crossed it with. Whenever I pass a shop, I remember what I bought there—Canghai City is full of my memories. Every street is a fishhook waiting to catch me."

"I think it's good to have things you can remember."

"Anyway, I just don't like it... Though I haven't decided what to do in the future, it wouldn't be bad to travel around the world like my parents."

"What an adventurous little girl." Liu Bai floated above Hua's head and chuckled softly.