Raiden Mei had been very happy lately.
Although her father had been thrown into prison for embezzling taxes, causing her to be ostracized by those around her, and even the HOMU Sword Saint had left her, when she had fallen into darkness, an angelic girl had brought her back into the light. Thinking of this, the girl smiled.
Suddenly, a pair of slender hands covered her eyes. "Guess who I am?" a playful voice came from behind her. Mei smiled helplessly. "Stop messing around, Kiana, or you'll be having tea-soaked rice for dinner tonight."
"Ah?! o(>﹏<)o No!" Kiana Kaslana immediately pulled back her wandering hands.
The two girls walked together beneath the setting sun, enjoying this brief moment of happiness, unaware of the tragedy that would unfold in Changkong City, or the vortex they, as the heroines, would be drawn into—
If not for that butterfly that had strayed into this world, all of this should have happened.
At that moment, the boy named Xing had no idea how much every flap of his wings would affect this timeline.
"Hey. Wake up." Raven lightly tapped Xing, who was asleep in the car. After confirming that he was sound asleep, she took out a syringe. The purple reagent inside glimmered with an eerie light. Under the glow of the setting sun, Raven injected the entire vial of Honkai Energy Inhibitor into Xing's body. She then gently withdrew the needle, leaving a tiny spot of blood on the boy's pale neck.
"It might be unnecessary, but better safe than sorry." Thinking back to that deep crater, Raven suspected that Xing had caused it by unintentionally using his Stigmata ability. A gun prone to misfiring was often even more dangerous.
"Jackal's goods. It's only an early prototype, but it'll do." Sure enough, after the injection, the three scarlet marks had dimmed considerably.
"Mmph..." Xing woke from his dream, feeling weak. "What a shame."
"What's a shame?"
"I just dreamed of a purple-haired girl. She was really pretty, spoke softly and gently, and cooked delicious food. It's a shame that some black bird flew out of nowhere and snatched her away."
"Are you thinking about things you shouldn't be thinking about at your age?"
"Uh, that was my sister."
"m(._.)m Wait, weren't you supposed to have amnesia?"
"That's why I was lying to you~"
Why did she suddenly want to beat him up?
"Hey, where are we?" Xing asked as he looked at the deepening night outside the car window.
"Well, something happened at the orphanage, so we won't be able to go back for a while. Before then, I have some personal matters to handle." Raven tapped Xing on the head. "If you behave, I'll take good care of you. Um, your name is Xing, right?"
Xing thought seriously for a while. "(My original name was... that isn't important. In this world, I'm Xing. Right, I think I set myself up as a Kaslana-Shenzhou mixed-blood. Then my full name should be—)" With that thought, Xing raised his head and said seriously, "Xing Kaslana. Nice to meet you, Sister Siola."
Kaslana?! Hearing that surname, Raven suddenly felt a little uneasy.
At the enormous dining table, several spotless empty plates stood out conspicuously. Kiana contentedly rubbed her slightly bulging stomach and said with a blissful expression, "I'm stuffed~"
"Did you have to eat everything so cleanly, Kiana?" Mei was a little troubled. What should she do when her best friend ate so much?
"Hehe, Mei's cooking is just too good." As the saying went, a full stomach bred certain thoughts. Looking at the delicate and lovely Mei, Kiana carried on the Kaslana Family's fine tradition—"Mei, let's take a bath together!"
"Hokushin Itto-ryu: Draw Slash!" A wooden sword precisely struck the white-haired ringleader on the head just as she was about to make a move on the girl.
Critical hit!
Meanwhile, somewhere not far from the girls' residence, a petite light-gray-haired girl skillfully adjusted her firearms. "Weapon performance is excellent. Bronya's physical functions are normal. Oni-chan 19c is in excellent condition."
Bronya picked up a box containing a Herrscher Core, her twin spiral pigtails swaying. "Mission target confirmed. Stimulate the Third Herrscher's awakening and retrieve her. Target—"
A gigantic robot emerged behind Bronya, projecting a screen into the air. The image of a black-haired girl appeared on it.
"Raiden Mei."
At a hotel somewhere in Changkong City, Raven bought a pile of food and stuffed it into Xing's arms before settling him in the room next door. Then she adjusted her weapons alone. As if.
I just finished a whole pile of messy assignments, then immediately brought back a natural Stigmata bearer without stopping, and now I have to retrieve a Herrscher Candidate too. A Herrscher! The kind of thing that devastated my hometown during the Second Honkai! What's wrong with making a few more preparations? To put it bluntly, she just didn't want to kidnap Mei overnight and had gone slacking off instead.
Miss Raven drank red wine, ate snacks, and watched the hottest program on television—Humo Adventure—in absolute comfort.
In fact, if she had been a little more dedicated, she might have had less of her pay docked afterward.
Xing found a pack of instant noodles, dug out a can of luncheon meat, and even asked a waitress for an egg. Happily, he began making luncheon meat and egg noodles, a dish he had learned from Valkyrie's Meal, completely ignoring the Crimson Kite Bird beside him.
"If killing chickens weren't such a hassle, I would've made kung pao chicken." Xing spoke regretfully.
The Crimson Kite Bird said, "I may not be human, but you really are a bastard!" The boy tossed a canned fruit cocktail to his Emergency Food. "There won't be many meals left. Eat more."
This canned food smelled amazing!
The boy looked at the Stigmata on the back of his hand. He had indeed lied to Raven. He had not dreamed of the Rice Cooker being watched by every faction, nor had he dreamed of the black dodo bird working herself to the bone to buy a villa and private island. The person he had dreamed of was a white-haired nun dancing amid cherry blossoms, and beside her stood a massive golden cross.
Raven was engrossed in HOMU when her communicator rang. "Tch." Raven answered irritably and muted the television at the same time. A punchable voice came through. "My dear Natasha, have you retrieved that Herrscher Candidate yet?"
"Oh, I'll kidnap that little girl and bring her back tomorrow. Don't rush me." Raven took a small sip, sounding thoroughly impatient.
"Oh? You have time to watch a blond mouse show, but you refuse to do your mission?" Jackal sneered as she watched Raven slacking off through the surveillance feed.
"You—(World Serpent profanity)! You mutt, were you spying on me?"
"Don't make it sound so ugly. I was merely checking whether someone was working properly~"
"You..."
"Forget about her for now. Keep a close eye on that child." Jackal's tone carried an uncontrollable excitement. "According to the data you sent back, his Stigmata is extremely complete—almost comparable to First Generation Stigmata. Do you know how rare someone like him is now that Stigmata genes have been shattered?!"
In the Honkai World, Dr. Mei of the Previous Era had developed Stigmata to fight the Honkai. They could improve humanity's adaptability to Honkai Energy and even grant supernatural powers. Unfortunately, she seemed to have completed only the female Stigmata portion, which had severely resulted in modern women generally possessing greater Honkai Energy adaptability than men.
Stigmata were products of modifying human genes. After humanity's long history of reproduction, Stigmata genes had long since become fragmented beyond repair. Thus, although natural Stigmata bearers existed, their Stigmata were incomplete. Of course, there were exceptions. (The protagonist didn't count. He had chosen a Stigmata and directly added it in when he transmigrated and changed bodies.)
Would I get more money if I sold him to Schicksal? Raven pondered deeply.
Outside the door, Xing happily slurped his noodles. But why was there a pile of instant noodle cups beside him?
"I think I successfully inherited the Kaslana Family's bottomless-pit appetite." Xing was a little worried about his future food expenses. "It's getting late. Time to wash up and sleep." Only then did he start examining his clothes. They seemed to have been chosen based on the weather: a black short-sleeved shirt and shorts, sharply contrasting with his white hair. He wore a pair of black sneakers, with no excessive decorations on his body—other than the Leg Ring on his left thigh.
A red Leg Ring was fastened around the young boy's pale thigh, looking especially... Sorry, I can't write this anymore.
These clothes were definitely designed by Mihoyo's artists! Xing thought.
After showering in the bathroom, Xing changed into the hotel-provided bathrobe. It was a little too large.
"Hm? You're already done showering? Mmph!" After arguing with that damned Dog-headed Strategist for half the day and successfully roasting her into doubting her life, Raven refreshedly opened the door, only to run into Xing, who had just finished bathing.
Fresh from the bath, the young boy's skin was rosy white, and the oversized bathrobe hung loosely over his body. Xing's pale shoulders were exposed... Sorry, I can't write this anymore either.
Young-boy bonus, wet-body temptation bonus, Charm 80 bonus, money tree bonus, maidenly instincts bonus—Raven took a total of 99,999 points of damage. If not for the Fusion Warrior enhancements, she probably would not have been able to stop her nosebleed.
Feeling the gray-haired older sister's gaze like a falcon watching a chick, Xing hugged the Crimson Kite Bird and silently entered the room before climbing into bed.
Wait, hadn't she booked a double room? (For easier surveillance.)
That night, Xing really did dream of a purple-haired older sister who could cook. He also dreamed of a black bird that stared at him without blinking. Raven, who had injected the boy with sleeping medication beforehand, implanted a tracker while he slept and took several photos along the way.
"I probably won't see him again after selling him to Jackal, so I'll take a few as souvenirs. If I do see him again, he'll probably have turned into a monster like Gray Serpent, right?" Raven's feelings suddenly became complicated. But as a mercenary, she still possessed the most basic professional ethics: look at the money, not the job.
The next day, the morning sunlight streamed through the window, generously spilling over the girl's violet hair. Yet her face was paler than paper. Raiden Mei had had a nightmare. She dreamed of a girl who looked very much like her, wielding lightning and killing everyone around her, including that angelic girl. And all Mei could do was watch, utterly powerless.
At the end of the dream, she seemed to hear that "her" say, "Why fear your own power, Raiden Mei?"
"Morning, Mei! Ah?! Why do you look so terrible? Are you sick?" At Senba Academy, Kiana saw her friend's awful complexion and became very worried.
"N-No, I'm fine. I just didn't sleep well." Perhaps affected by the dream, she unconsciously moved away from Kiana.
"Why care whether this insect lives or dies?" That voice seemed to whisper beside her ear. The girl abruptly raised her head, but there was no one around except herself and Kiana.
From afar, Bronya coldly watched everything through binoculars. "Honkai crystal placement complete. Target has reacted. Mission Phase One complete. No further operation orders received. Bronya entering standby mode."
From farther away, Raven observed with interest through binoculars. "So this is a human implanted with a Herrscher Core? She just looks like an ordinary girl. I'll find a chance to make my move when she goes home after school. First, I'll take the little one out for a stroll."
And so, Bronya went to buy HOMU dolls and comics, while Raven, for some subtle reason, took Xing shopping.
Then, the three unexpectedly met.
"Limited-Time Game Challenge! The player with the highest score can receive a limited-edition HOMU doll for free, along with a limited-edition Humo Adventure volume!"
Raven pulled Xing along. "Well? Do you want it?" Xing looked at the enormous HOMU doll, enormous relative to him, and nodded as if possessed. "But it looks like there aren't any empty arcade machines."
"Don't worry. Wait here for me." Raven gave Xing a reassuring smile, then turned around with murderous intent. "Hey, I'm taking this seat. Any objections?" A certain middle-aged man fled after one glance. Raven sat down before the arcade machine in satisfaction. "I think I used to play with my brother when I was little. How nostalgic..." A trace of softness appeared in Raven's eyes as her fingers rapidly struck the buttons, leaving afterimages. She lacked gaming experience, but her physical capabilities were excellent!
Xing, watching from the side: Could this older sister really be Raven? Natasha Siola seems to be Raven's real name. No, it must just be a coincidence. Why would a World Serpent executive be playing games in a place like this?
Perfect Clear!
Raven put down the controller and wiped nonexistent sweat from her forehead. Though it was not a perfect score, it was still very high. First place should not be a problem. Thinking that, she looked toward the display screen in the Game Hall.
First Place: Metal Gear Bronya;
Second Place: Black Dodo Bird;
Third Place: Mei Is My Favorite;
What!?
"Bronya will not lose." The emotionless girl spoke firmly.
"A-A perfect score?" Raven gaped in shock. If Raven had made up for lacking skill with equipment, then Bronya was a fully developed all-rounder. They were not on the same level at all.
"Sorry, little guy. It looks like I can't bring you that doll after all. (I'll just snatch it from that girl later.)" Raven was a little dejected. "No, you did great, Sister Natasha. Next, leave it to me." Xing smiled brightly, instantly dispelling the gloom in her heart.
"Huh, you know how to play?"
"Yeah. I watched you play earlier, so I more or less understand it. Let me clear it in one life!" Xing sat before the arcade machine and raised the chair. The moment he grasped the controller, his entire presence seemed to change. Memories of countless days and nights spent grinding games passed through his soul and into this new body. Calmly, the boy entered his game ID.
Genius Gamer X joined the battle—
This was a parkour game. To clear it, players had to constantly watch for obstacles along the way while collecting randomly appearing items whenever possible to maximize their score. If this were his first time playing, he might not have been able to clear it, but with Raven's performance as a reference, it became much easier.
The boy's pale, slender fingers continuously struck the buttons. Accelerate, roll, change direction, jump, dive... His nimble and skillful controls caused his score to rise rapidly. At the final second of the countdown, Xing finally cleared the game.
First Place: Metal Gear Bronya & Genius Gamer X;
Second Place: Black Dodo Bird;
Third Place: Mei Is My Favorite;
"Wow, wow, wow! What an unexpected development! Miss Bronya, who had practically secured victory, has encountered a formidable opponent! Genius Gamer X, a dark horse who emerged at the final moment, has tied Metal Gear Bronya for first place with the same perfect score! Since there happen to be two prizes, would the two of you like to discuss splitting them?" the host enthusiastically explained.
"Bronya wants both." Bronya declared that only those two items remained before her HOMU collection achievement would be complete.
Xing had no objections.
"OK! As expected, neither contestant wishes to end the battle here! Then I announce that an additional match will begin! One round to determine victory! Metal Gear Bronya versus Genius Gamer X!"
The game used for the additional match was a newly released fighting game. Since neither side had played it before, they both requested some time to study it.
"I didn't expect you to be this good, little guy~" Raven watched Xing studying the game with interest. "It's nothing. The last game wasn't that hard." Xing answered casually. For some reason, looking at the characters on the screen gave him a strange feeling, as though that was him.
Bronya silently tapped her controller without speaking, like a cold machine.
"Sorry to keep everyone waiting! Both contestants are ready, so the finals begin! One round to determine victory! Metal Gear Bronya versus Genius Gamer X!" The gazes of every arcade enthusiast in the game hall instantly converged.
"They're actually two children? Are you kidding me?"
"I'm actually worse than children. I really am trash..."
The crowd's words did not disturb either of them in the slightest. At that moment, they each had only one thing on their minds: victory!
Loading Kallen Fantasy...
Wasn't this a game developed by Otto? How had it entered the mass market?
In fact, Schicksal had recently been short on funds, while Otto had never stopped developing the new Kallen Fantasy series, causing the demand for funding to surge. Thus, in order to raise money, Otto reluctantly released the original version of Kallen Fantasy.
Xing's selected character: Schicksal Saintess, Kallen Kaslana, Kouyou's Holy Attire;
Bronya's selected character: Far East Fox Spirit, Yae Sakura, Divine Attire: Never-Forget.
(No one picked Otto...)
For some reason, Xing felt an indescribable sorrow.
The match began. Bronya controlled Yae Sakura, launching several sword energies infused with ice elemental power toward Kallen in an attempt to trigger a freeze reaction. But under Xing's control, Kallen seemed to have automatic dodging activated. While evading the sword energies, she fired several bullets and dealt damage first. Bronya attempted to use a charged attack to damage her from afar, but Kallen had already reached her. A full Gunslinger Arts combo landed solidly on Yae Sakura, taking away a huge chunk of her health.
"This little guy's good. Wait, why is he crying?" Raven stared at Xing in astonishment. Two streams of tears fell down the boy's face, as if those attacks had not struck Yae Sakura but his own heart. In truth, Xing was confused as well. He felt that it was not him controlling Kallen, but Kallen controlling him.
Bronya's expression changed for the first time. "Dodged all of them? How is that possible?"
At that moment, Kallen had no awareness whatsoever of being a ranged gunner. Instead, she crazily pressed in close for melee attacks. With the use of her ultimate skill, Yae Sakura's final sliver of health was depleted.
"Bronya cannot accept this." The girl's expression was stiff.
"I won, but... why?" Xing put down the controller, feeling lost. An immense sorrow enveloped his heart.
Raven silently pulled him into her embrace, letting him cry soundlessly.
No one noticed that the previously dim Stigmata was faintly glowing.
Author's Note—
To explain why the protagonist could beat Bronya here: in a sense, it was the real person playing on his behalf...
Before you continue