Xing's First

Begins ### (Volume One: First Steps into Honkai, Awkward Abilities, had ended. Volume Two: Coins, Popsicles, and the Hand to Hold, officially began.)

Otto propped his chin on one hand, imitating Commander Ikari as he leaned over his desk. "I see. So you happened to run into her while she was shopping for clothes with her friend?"

"Precisely, Lord Bishop," the maid on the other end replied respectfully. "Shall I apprehend her on the spot?"

Otto opened a drawer and picked up a game poster. "Oh, no, no, no. How could we disturb young ladies while they're out shopping? Rita, follow them and find out exactly which organization that girl belongs to. While you're at it, locate her other companions and catch them all in one sweep. I'll notify Durandal and the Immortal Blades to assist later. Until then, keep a close eye on them."

"As you wish." Rita ended the call.

Golden particles formed a gun in the man's hand—the Seventh Divine Key form of Void Archives: Heavenly Fire Judgment, gun form. Otto casually tossed the poster into the air, then pulled the trigger. In an instant, the bullet pierced Yae Sakura's head on the poster.

"This time, don't even think about escaping."

Amber pushed open the door. "Lord Bishop, regarding this operation... huh?"

Otto pinned her against the wall and leaned close to whisper in her ear, "Amber, prepare a combat body for me. Later, I'll be going to New Zealand with Durandal and the others."

Amber, an emotionless android: "Understood."

A faint trace of sorrow drifted through Otto's heart.

Xing: "Hey, Author, get out here! Didn't you say I was getting a vacation? It's only been a few chapters, and you're already throwing me into another dungeon?"

Nangong Youhui (Author): "Quit whining. Overtime. Your actual job is calling—finish this shift, and your vacation can continue afterward."

Rita disguised herself as an ordinary customer, selecting clothes while observing the two girls whose yuri vibes were running strong. "Hmm? She bought so many clothes, but she doesn't seem like the type to collect an entire wardrobe full of outfits. Are they for friends? Some of the sizes fit her figure, while others look like they're for children. Heh, interesting."

Raven looked at Xing teasingly. "Which do you prefer—the dress in my left hand, or the one in my right?"

Steam practically rose from Xing's head. "Neither! Why are they both short skirts?"

Raven shot back, "Aren't you wearing a short skirt too?"

This outfit was given to me by the Stigmata...

Xing was on the verge of breaking down. Why was she always the bottom whenever she was in Kallen form? Shouldn't Kallen be the top?

Just as Xing considered whether she should try to fight her way out of the encirclement, an elegant, alluring voice sounded beside her ear. "This beautiful young lady, might I ask whether you like this one?"

Xing turned around and found herself facing a beautiful gray-haired girl with wine-red eyes. (The encyclopedia says Rita has gray hair.) The girl wore an exceedingly respectful expression, and the smile on her lips made Xing feel as though a spring breeze had washed over her. Yet for some reason, Xing caught a trace of danger from her, like a rose.

Raven stepped in front of Xing and said bluntly, "Excuse me, who are you?"

Rita smiled faintly, lifted the hem of her skirt, and gave an elegant curtsy. "My name is Therese Apocalypse. I am a maid, and I am currently choosing clothes for my master."

Behind them, Xing vaguely saw sparks fly where the two women's gazes collided in the air.

Raven launched a fierce counterattack. "She's my little sister. What business is it of an outsider like you? If you're a maid, then mind your own business!"

Though Rita's tone remained gentle, she refused to yield an inch. "So you're her elder sister. Then I truly was meddling. However, you two aren't biological sisters, are you? An elder sister who forces her younger sister to wear clothes she doesn't like... hehe, could she be your stepsister?"

Some instinctive feeling made the two women unconsciously regard each other as enemies.

Xing weakly interjected from behind them, "I think Miss Therese is right."

Raven turned around and glared at her. "Whose side are you on?"

Xing did not dare say another word and obediently shut her mouth.

And so, a verbal battle filled with open attacks and hidden jabs began—all because of one woman.

"Neko Charm!" Kiana swung her enormous cat paw, sending the enemies around her flying. "Hmph, enemies at this level are a piece of cake!"

Mei held the Prototype Pulse Katana, now evolved to three stars, and covered her flank. "Don't let your guard down, Kiana! Enemies like these have never appeared in any of our previous records." (Everyone had evolved to two stars when they returned from Yae Village, and then evolved again after returning from Changkong City.)

A rare look of confusion appeared on Bronya's face. "Bronya has not detected any Honkai Energy on them at all. Bronya even doubts whether they are some kind of zombie."

It would be nice if Xing were here, the three of them thought in unison.

All around them, large numbers of humanoid creatures wrapped in bandages charged toward them, looking like mummies.

These monsters had been sighted in the forests of New Zealand not long ago. Thus, the Fire Moth preliminary team, having just passed the B-rank Valkyrie test, accepted the commission to investigate.

They did not know that the enemies facing them came from beyond the Honkai World.

Inside the clothing store, two ladies with S-rank combat power faced each other without yielding in the slightest. Raven pressed aggressively forward, while Rita hid blades behind her smile. The onlookers watching the drama were utterly stunned. So this was possible too!

"Hey, little one, you judge this for us. Tell us which one of us is right, little one?" Raven turned her head, only to discover that Xing had vanished without a trace.

A nearby clerk explained, "She left halfway through your argument. Oh, right—she paid for all your purchases too. What a generous girl."

Raven: "...Forget it. Since she paid, I won't hold it against her." Just as she turned to leave, Rita grabbed her arm. "Don't be in such a hurry to leave, miss. How about you stay and chat with me a little longer?" Murderous intent gleamed in Rita's beautiful eyes. She had actually lost the mission target because of a moment's carelessness. It was all this woman's fault!

The instant Rita's hand touched her arm, Raven reflexively flung it away. "Don't touch me!"

She nearly grabbed my arm without me noticing at all.

She escaped my hold instantly even while I was fully focused.

This woman isn't simple!

The atmosphere between the two of them gradually grew tense.

Rita smiled. "How about we talk somewhere else?"

Raven sneered. "Just what I was thinking."

Wendy took the bag in delighted surprise. "Eh? You actually went out of your way to buy me clothes? I remember this brand being really expensive. This... can I really accept it?"

Xing waved it off indifferently. After all, he had used money siphoned off through Jizo-Mitama. Those big shots would never notice a single dollar missing from their accounts. "As long as you like them. I was worried you wouldn't like the clothes I picked out."

Yae Sakura and Hiyokomaru were both very happy. Hiyokomaru was so excited that she hugged him and kissed him once—on the cheek. Yae Sakura, wearing an expression of benevolent kindness, dragged her away for a lesson. Before leaving, she glanced at Wendy. For some reason, Wendy felt chilled to the bone beneath that gentle gaze.

Xing asked Wendy, who was wearing a yukata, "Want to try them on?"

Girls all liked wearing pretty clothes, and Wendy was no exception. "Then wait until Sakura comes back and have her help you."

Wendy refused. "No, there's no need to trouble Sister Sakura over something this small. I can do it myself. Um, Brother Xing, could you carry me inside?"

Xing picked up the girl, whose body had gone limp from soaking in the bath, carried her into the changing room, then came out and shut the door, waiting quietly for a moment.

"Bang!" The girl's cry of pain rang out at the same time as the sound of something heavy hitting the floor. Xing hurriedly pushed the door open. "What happened?"

Wendy was wearing a light blue dress, lying flat on her back on the floor. One of her legs still had a white thigh-high stocking only halfway pulled on. Fortunately, after transforming so many times, Xing was basically immune to such sights. Otherwise, he might have committed a crime.

Wendy wailed, "My head hurts... sob... I used too much force while sitting on the chair and fell off. Brother Xing, can you help me up?"

Xing was very helpful. "I'll help you put it on."

"Okay... huh!?" Wendy only realized what she had agreed to after speaking, but the boy had already picked her up and seated her on his lap. Xing raised one of her legs and gently pulled the stocking upward with both hands.

The friction of the fine fabric against her skin, coupled with the psychological effect of being so close to someone of the opposite sex, made blush spread across the girl's face. With her sensitivity heightened after the bath, by the time Xing had helped her put it on, Wendy was already lying weakly in his arms, her eyes spinning in circles as she panted nonstop.

Girl, you're forcing me to commit a crime. Ten-year-old Xing, who had yet to awaken any urges in that department, thought so.

He carried the limp Wendy out of the changing room and happened to run into the Miko, who had returned while dragging Crimson Prison Beast by the tail. Yae Sakura looked at Wendy in his arms, her mouth open and tongue hanging out, and her expression suddenly became calm. "It was over so quickly? I'll have to properly nourish you from now on..."

Xing loudly defended himself, "What are you thinking? I only helped her get dressed!"

The Miko's expression suddenly turned sorrowful. "Has it already progressed to this point so quickly? Your charm is even greater than I imagined. It seems I need to work harder..."

Xing covered his face. Why did the misunderstanding only grow worse the more he explained?

Just then, Xing heard a familiar voice. "Fighting mummies for half the day exhausted me! Mei, I'll scrub your back when we soak in the hot spring later!"

Kiana, who had been happily thinking about how to take advantage of Mei later, arrived in front of the women's changing room and found herself staring wide-eyed at a familiar white-haired boy.

"Xing?"

"You've mistaken me for someone else. I'm not Xing Kaslana. My name is Yae Xing."

"Oh, I see. I'm really sorry... Do you take me for a stupid tuna?!"

Kiana grabbed his face. "Explain yourself properly! Weren't you supposed to be confined at the Oceania Branch? Why are you here?"

Faced with the three members of Fire Moth staring at him, Xing silently covered his face. Was this fate?

The blonde girl watching the livestream said, "No. Before #### fully happens, the World Will is gathering all your power around you. Prepare yourself for your first mission, Xing."

Xing gave the three of them a simple explanation. "And that's what happened."

Kiana instantly sympathized with Wendy. "They're awful! How could they treat a young girl in the prime of her life like that? Xing, well done! But—" The white-haired girl abruptly changed her tune. "Now let's settle another score. You actually left without even saying goodbye. Just you wait and see how I deal with you!"

Xing effortlessly pinned both her hands in place. "What did you say? The wind's too loud, I couldn't hear you."

Kiana struggled with all her might, only to find that his hands were as solid and immovable as iron clamps.

Xing looked immensely pleased with himself. "Now even using both hands, you can't beat one of mine at arm wrestling... Eh?"

Honkai Vision activated on its own for the first time. Within the black-and-white view, countless lines intertwined and twisted, as if the world itself had fallen into chaos. "What's going on?" Before Xing could react, a vortex bearing a golden Watch swallowed him whole.

Rider ####—

On an endless wilderness, the Time King sat upon his throne and looked at the blonde girl with a relaxed expression. "#### has begun. Aren't you going to deal with it, Youhui?"

The blonde girl remained completely at ease. "There's one of my colleagues in that world, so I'll leave it to him. Think of it as training from this senior." Nangong Youhui definitely wasn't avoiding trouble unrelated to the missions assigned by the Guidance Module.

Ohma Zi-O seemed about to say something else, but Youhui took out a black card case marked with a dragon head. "All right, all right. If he can't handle it, I'll go help him. Don't worry. You're my benefactor, after all. If you had arrived even a little later back then, I probably would've died during my very first mission."

The girl took out the Zi-O Second Stage Watch the king had once given her, her eyes filled with complicated emotions. "It really brings back memories. Back then, I would get excited for ages just looking at this thing. Now, I can only pass the time by watching my colleagues' adventures."

Watching the girl gradually disappear, Ohma Zi-O sighed and summoned a golden vortex. "You should at least tell him what's going on. You really are an irresponsible senior."

Xing stood before him with only three questions in his mind: Who am I, where am I, and what am I doing? The golden figure before him made him think he was dreaming.

Xing cautiously asked, "You wouldn't happen to be the Time King who knows the past and future—Ohma Zi-O, would you?"

The king nodded. "That's right. It seems you fully understand the situation already. As expected of... never mind, it would just get censored anyway."

Xing shook his head. "No, I don't understand at all. One second ago, I was still in the Honkai World. How did I end up here the next?"

The king replied, "Because while the two worlds were partially merging, I used my power to bring you here. I'm here to explain what you need to do in place of your irresponsible senior: eliminate the Greeed and OOO in your world. And by OOO, I do not mean Hino Eiji. Once that is done, the conflict between these two worlds will be resolved."

Xing tried to interrupt him. This development had left him utterly bewildered. "Wait, could you explain that more clearly?"

Ohma Zi-O continued as if nothing had happened. "Unfortunately, unlike Youhui, you can only directly use the power of the world you are stationed in. Otherwise, I could simply give you the power of OOO TaJaDol Eternity Combo, and there would be nothing to worry about. Oh, and don't worry about the damage caused in that world. Once the problem is resolved, everything will return to normal."

Xing looked utterly confused. "Why do I feel like I just suddenly missed out on a billion?"

Ohma Zi-O raised a hand. "All right, I've explained everything that needed explaining. Go back now. Stopping time across an entire world to bring you here without being noticed is exhausting, especially since that world is beyond..." A golden vortex swallowed Xing once more.

Before Xing vanished, he shouted at him, "What the hell is going on?!"

After seeing Xing off, You Hui quietly poked her head out from behind his throne. "Isn't this way too irresponsible of you?"

"Ehe~" The king imitated a line he had seen in the recordings You Hui had brought back.

You Hui angrily punched him on the head. "Ehe my ass! Don't ruin the wise and mighty image I have of you!"

Honkai####--

Xing released his hold on Kiana, his expression complicated. If that experience just now hadn't felt so real, he would have completely thought he was dreaming—especially after returning to the Honkai World and discovering that he had been forcibly restored to the state he was in before leaving.

"What exactly... is going on?"

Author's Note--

Time to stir things up! Time to stir things up! Time to stir things up! Important things must be said three times!

Come to think of it, wasn't Seele's full name Seele? When did it become Seele? I shouldn't be remembering wrong. I checked the wiki, and that was what it said too. Weird.

To explain, people like Xing have maxed-out high-dimensional resistance, but their low-dimensional resistance isn't very high. For example, if Xing were in the Knight World, Ohma Zi-O couldn't directly erase him from the timeline. But if he were in the Honkai World, then even if the entire world line Xing was in completely collapsed, he would be fine.