The Hand to Hold, the Power of Bonds

Endless desires flowed from Hino Eiji's heart. Every second he had spent with the Greed named Ankh had long since been etched into his soul. It had been a wondrous experience. To protect himself and recover his Core Medals, Ankh had given him the power of OOO. At first, Ankh had merely been using him, but sincerity had been repaid with sincerity. In the end, the cold monster gained human emotions and became Eiji's dearest friend, a bond that transcended life and death.

Memories flooded into the shattered Core Medal, which began to glow faintly red. The two fragments joined together, and the crack gradually repaired itself.

What was Ankh's desire? It—no, he—wanted only life: a life like that of an ordinary human. Greeds were merely objects, not living beings at all. They could not eat, see, or touch. They had no sense of taste, and the world in their eyes had no color. They were worse off than animals.

Ankh had accidentally possessed a human on the verge of death, gaining everything he had always dreamed of. The first time he tasted a popsicle, he had truly loved that icy sensation.

Eiji was a complete idiot. To threaten Ankh into not harming a human girl, he had nearly lost the OOO Driver. He would even disregard his own safety to save others. Yet it was precisely that kind of fool who made Ankh feel at ease—the reassurance that he would never be betrayed again.

During the days he spent with Eiji and the other humans, Ankh had found their occasional concern and enthusiasm irritating, but he had not disliked it. Those genuine emotional exchanges made him feel fulfilled. That was why, when his Core Medals shattered and he bade Eiji farewell, he had said, "Choosing you was my gain."

So come back, Ankh. The hand I wanted to hold had always been yours. That had never changed.

That voice, which had echoed in his ears countless times, entered his mind once more. "You're so damn noisy, Eiji!"

Hino Eiji froze. He looked at his right hand, where an intact red Medal shone with an intense radiance. A large number of ordinary Medals were drawn to his hand, gradually forming a monstrous arm covered in a scarlet shell.

The moment Eiji was about to hit the ground, two gorgeous wings burst from his back and helped him land safely. In a trembling voice, Eiji said, "Is that you, Ankh?"

"Idiot, can't you even recognize my voice?" The other party was as irritable as ever. "What's going on? I remember—wasn't I dead? Did you bring me back to life, Eiji?"

Eiji wiped away the tears he could not hold back and choked out, "Yeah. That's right. This was my wish."

"Hey, don't wipe your snot on me, you bastard! Wait, what's going on? Why can I sense my Core Medals nearby? And there are eight of them? That's impossible. Weren't three of them already shattered?" Ankh sensed that something was wrong.

Eiji stuffed the remaining two Medals into his hand. "It's a long story. The king from eight hundred years ago has been resurrected. He has the rest of your Medals. Please lend me your power, Ankh!"

The tsundere Ankh agreed. "Hmph, fine. To get my Core Medals back, I'll help you one more time."

Eiji suddenly remembered something. "Oh no, we have to save Xing! There might still be time!"

"Who?"

Why had she wanted to become a Valkyrie? When Schicksal came to New Zealand to recruit people, Wendy had never thought about that question. She felt that she had simply admired them.

She was a genius. At such a young age, she had already reached A-rank Valkyrie status and had even had a chance of becoming S-rank. But the Gem of Desire had ruined her entire life.

She felt that perhaps it was not all bad. At the very least, she had stabilized a Herrscher Core and contributed to the fight against Honkai. That was how she consoled herself.

While imprisoned at the Oceania Branch, she had endured plenty of strange looks. Many Valkyries were afraid of her, treating her with neither warmth nor coldness, and her life had been miserable. She was watched wherever she went, and she could not even bathe freely. At night, lying in bed, she suddenly wondered why she had wanted to become a Valkyrie. She had clearly given so much, yet this was all she had received. Was it worth it?

If I could possess the power of a Herrscher, I would definitely take revenge on them. Such a dark thought emerged in her heart.

It startled her. How could she think that? As a Valkyrie, she absolutely could not do something like that.

And so, she endured the pain in her heart and continued living numbly, until his arrival—

A male bearer of dual natural stigmata, he had voluntarily fused with the Gem of Stillness to save the residents of a city. He was gentle and treated her well, and he had used some unknown method to take her out. When she soaked in the hot spring, she had been truly happy—not because of the hot spring itself, but because she had finally experienced the joy of freedom again after so long.

And he was even three years younger than her. After learning that from Kiana, Wendy felt deeply embarrassed about calling him "Brother Xing." By age, I'm the older sister, okay?

When she saw Xing get beaten out of his transformation by King OOO and then have his chest pierced by a punch, her mind went blank. By the time she came back to herself, Xing was already about to fly off the platform. On instinct, she lunged toward him. The exoskeleton armor on her legs, which Bronya had repaired, suddenly malfunctioned. Her feet slipped, and she fell together with Xing.

The howling wind rang in her ears, as though she had returned to when Xing used Judah to fly her out of the Oceania Branch. Back then, to help her relieve stress, Xing had taken her on a free fall. But this time, Xing probably could not bring her safely to the ground.

Wendy desperately stretched out her hand, trying to grab Xing's. She did not know what purpose there was in doing so. Falling objects descended at the same speed; theoretically, she could not get close to Xing. And even if she caught him, what then? They would still fall to their deaths together. Could Wendy possibly master the power of the Gem of Desire in this instant and get them both out of danger? Don't be stupid. This was reality.

Why can't you control it like I can? Xing's words echoed in her ears.

A trace of determination flashed through her azure eyes. She could feel it—the pulse of the wind!

She said to herself, Control the gale, Wendy!

Wendy imitated Xing and began to chant, "I activate my effect to Special Summon a Level 4 Gale Token to the field, treating it as a Tuner monster. Then, I tune the Level 4 Gale Token with my Level 4 self!"

Azure energy surged from her legs, and the immense Honkai Energy burned away her clothes.

4★ + 4★ = 8★

"O Gale Wind that yearns for freedom, use your gentle yet strong wings to break the shackles of this world! Synchro Summon! Awaken, Level 8, Wendy Gale Wind!"

A pair of azure wings unfolded at the girl's waist. The flowing Honkai Energy formed her Herrscher outfit. Apart from several loops of straps wrapped around her pale thighs, there was nothing else. Her upper body was clad in a sleeveless crop top decorated with windmills, while her lower body wore a short skirt adorned with wings. Her hands were covered by a pair of sleeves fitted with golden rings. A long scarf was tied around her neck, its two ribbons fluttering behind her, giving her an unconstrained air.

Wendy's entire outfit was based in white and trimmed with gold, carrying a fresh sense of freedom without losing its elegance.

Wendy looked at her hands in delight. "Great, it worked! Brother Xing, I'm coming to save you!" All she needed to do next was fly Xing back up. She just needed to fly... could someone tell her how to fly?

Having not undergone a proper Honkai awakening and only accidentally triggered the Gem of Desire's power, Wendy had not been granted the relevant knowledge by the Will of Honkai. Her face was utterly blank.

Am I going to die? As King OOO punched through his chest and threw him from the top of the tower, that thought flashed through Xing's mind.

The final words of the simulated Emiya from the Memory Battlefield echoed in his ears. "If that's the case, then don't regret it."

I think I regret it a little now. In my arrogance, I thought that with the Dinosaur Medals, I no longer needed to fear King OOO. Yet I never considered the possibility that he might possess Dinosaur Medals as well. Heh, how stupid.

I'm sorry, little sister. We won't be able to reunite.

I'm sorry, Kiana, Mei, Bronya. It's all my fault. Your wonderful—uh, bright—no, that's not right, your exciting futures will probably end here.

I'm sorry, Sakura. I'm really useless.

I'm sorry, Kallen. I'm just a self-righteous shut-in. I'm not qualified to inherit your legacy.

I'm sorry, Theresa. I betrayed your trust.

I'm sorry, Wendy. I promised to take you out to have fun, but I won't be able to keep that promise.

Wendy?!

His blurry vision gradually cleared, and Xing saw the girl desperately reaching her hand toward him.

With a huge hole in his chest and unable to speak, he roared inwardly, Are you an idiot?! Why did you jump down with me? Are you trying to get yourself killed?

When he heard Wendy reciting the summoning chant after him, he felt unbearably embarrassed. A hint of color appeared on his originally pale face. So this is how Kiana and the others see me? As some cringey edgelord?

When he saw Wendy successfully wield the power of a Herrscher, he was stunned at first, then genuinely happy for her. You did it. Congratulations.

Wendy cried out, "Can someone tell me how to fly?!"

His good mood instantly vanished. You embarrassing fool, isn't flying a basic skill? Wait, when she awakened, I seemed to feel a resonance. It was like something inside my body had been awakened too. Don't tell me...?!

In that case, come on. Wendy was trying this hard—how embarrassing would it be if he just gave up now?! Xing struggled to suppress the agitation of the Gem of Stillness within him.

"I activate the Gem of Stillness's effect, halving its level! Then, I use the Gem of Stillness, now Level 4, to tune with my Level 4 self!" The power of the Herrscher of Death repaired the wound in Xing's chest.

4★ + 4★ = 8★

"O twin flowers born upon the other shore, cross the boundary between life and death at this moment and open the gates of the underworld! Synchro Summon! Descend, Level 8, Knight of Stillness!"

A black-and-white spiral gown replaced his original clothes. Xing reached out and held the terrified Wendy, his gentle voice sounding beside the girl's ear. "Don't be afraid. I'm here."

This scene was just like when they had first met.

Thick plant vines burst from the ground, weaving themselves into a massive net that steadily caught the two of them.

Xing flicked her ahoge. "You embarrassing fool. You can't even fly."

Wendy buried her head in his chest, her face flushed red. In the end, Brother Xing had still saved her. So embarrassing... What was the point of me jumping down? She wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into, but unfortunately, they were in the air.

Eiji flapped his wings and flew over. Seeing that the two were safe, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Are you alright, Xing?"

Xing noticed that Eiji's right hand had taken on Ankh's form, and he immediately felt as though he had been fed candy. His mood brightened considerably. These two are finally both alive. He waved at Eiji. "I'm fine, Mr. Eiji. Could you take us back up? I can't fly right now."

Wendy muttered softly in his arms, "Aren't you unable to fly either?"

Xing flicked her forehead. "You still dare talk back?"

Mei changed back from her katana form. An overwhelming sense of powerlessness and grief filled her heart. "You bastard!" The girl's pupils turned cross-shaped as the Herrscher personality within her awakened.

Within Mei's consciousness, Mei grabbed Herrscher Mei by the collar and shouted, "Give me your power! Now! This instant! Right away!"

Herrscher Mei: "..." Which one of us is supposed to be the Herrscher personality here?

Still, she obediently handed over her power. After all, she had been born to protect Mei, and seeing Mei become strong and powerful was exactly what she wanted.

Violent purple currents surged from Mei's body as she directly switched into Thunder Queen's Oni-Kiana mode. At her command, lightning swallowed King OOO's figure.

(PS: The resonance order here is: Gem of Conquest → Gem of Desire → Gem of Stillness)

Yet to her despair, when the lightning faded, the other party appeared again completely unharmed. "Not bad power, little sister. If you're willing to become my subordinate, I won't kill your other two companions."

Kiana struggled to climb to her feet. A faint golden hue spread through one of her blue eyes. "Mei, don't listen to him! Even if it costs me my life, I'll avenge Xing!"

Bronya's expression was icy as she barely stood up. The exoskeletal armor on her legs had been badly damaged, but Heavy Cannon Rabbit's muzzle remained aimed at King OOO.

"What a pity. You have rejected my mercy once again." King OOO raised his hand, about to fire a destructive beam, when a fireball struck him and interrupted the attack.

"Who?!"

A young man bearing magnificent wings slowly descended onto the platform while pulling along two children. Xing casually greeted him, "Yo. I'm back from hell."

"Impossible! You were clearly already... Wait, that presence... Ankh!"

Using Eiji's body, Ankh made a disgusted expression. "I never thought I'd actually see you again. Hey, Eiji, use this and beat him senseless for me!" Just like when the two had fought Dr. Maki ten years ago, Ankh handed all three Core Medals, including his own body, to Eiji.

The monstrous hand shattered. Looking at the three bright crimson medals, Eiji said with deep feeling, "I understand. If that's your wish, then let's go all out!"

The three red Core Medals were dyed with rainbow colors. Eternity Tajadol Combo had arrived!

Eiji swiftly placed the three Eternity Core Medals into his belt, removed the scanner disk from the belt's right side, and spoke the spell that called forth a rider. "Transform! (HenShen)"

The transformation announcement, shouted jointly by Eiji and Ankh, rang out: "Taka! Kujaku! Condor! Ta~Ja~Dol~! Eternity!"

An energy surge even stronger than King OOO's erupted. Several dazzling wings, accompanied by roaring flames, enveloped Eiji. When the flames dispersed, a brand-new bird-type Combo appeared before everyone.

Its appearance was largely identical to Tajadol Combo's, except its head had become rainbow-colored and incorporated Ankh's elements, while peacock tail feathers had appeared behind it.

"This is impossible! You made Ankh's medals evolve!" For the first time, King OOO panicked, failing to notice that he was gradually becoming more talkative.

"I activate my effect, halving my level! Then, I use my Level 4 self to tune with Level 8 Wendy! Accel Synchro!" Xing held Wendy as he performed an Accel Synchro.

4★ + 8★ = 12★

"The Wings of Freedom dwell within this body; with an unyielding will, I stride toward the future. Accel Synchro can surpass all things! Synchro Summon! Manifest in this world, Knight of Stillness Freedom Assault!"

Azure wings appeared behind him. After feeling out his newfound power, Xing called to his companions scattered across the platform, "Everyone, it's time for that~"

"That? ×3"

"That means that! Combination!" Xing raised his right hand and summoned the Link Markers once more.

"Arrows, confirmed. The summoning condition is two or more Valkyrie Effect Monsters! I set Kiana Kaslana, Raiden Mei, Bronya Zaychik, and Knight of Stillness: Wind of Desire into the Link Markers!"

Streams of light in four different colors poured respectively into the upper, lower, middle-left, and middle-right arrows, lighting them up.

"Courage, friendship, reason, freedom, bonds! Five different souls connected to one another, blazing a brand-new path! Link Summon! Soar, Link 4, Fire Moth Wing of Desire!"

Countless particles of four-colored light streamed out, reconstructing into the knight's body. Wind and lightning became his cape, and his azure compound eyes lit up. Xing hefted the Knight's Judgment mutated greatsword, practically exhilarated by the power brought by the four Herrscher Cores.

Inside the Stigmata Space, the Queen deliberated again and again, but ultimately chose not to open the door. Kallen, who had waited outside for a long time, sighed in disappointment.

"Don't get ahead of yourself!" King OOO roared, unleashing the power of the Core Medals he had absorbed earlier and transforming into the "Greed Absorption State." His armguards and leg armor gathered the power of every Core Medal—this was OOO's strongest form!

"The one getting ahead of himself is you!" The two riders charged forward in a blaze of fury. King OOO drew upon the Dinosaur Medals' power, releasing a freezing current several times stronger than before. Eiji raised the shield-type armament on his left arm, the "TaJaNity Spiner," and unleashed searing flames to resist it, but it was obvious that the ice was suppressing the fire.

Xing pressed the button on the hilt. "Final Attack Ride, We-We-We-Wendy!" Verdant wind gathered around the blade as Xing slashed out a hurricane. Wind + fire = diffusion. The wind fanned the flames, directly shattering King OOO's freezing current head-on.

King OOO could not accept this. "How is this possible? You shouldn't have the power to contend with me!"

"Nothing is impossible! You haven't seen the most surprising part yet!" Xing pressed the button again. "Final Attack Ride, Me-Me-Me-Mei!" The greatsword split into two katanas, and the rider turned into a streak of purple lightning as he rushed toward King OOO. The latter tried to counter with the extreme speed granted by the Core Medals, but how could a living creature ever outrun lightning?

"Thunder Breathing, First Form, Thunderclap and Flash! (Still just shouting it, though.)" The katanas in his hands frantically slashed at King OOO before he could react, as if venting the rage from the beating he had taken earlier.

After delivering the final slash and passing King OOO, Xing stood behind him with his blades sheathed. In an instant, countless tiny purple cracks appeared across King OOO's body, and violent lightning devoured him whole.

Eiji took the opportunity to rush before him, driving a punch containing all his strength heavily into his chest before following up with burning flames. Fire + lightning = overload. After suffering repeated heavy blows, King OOO let out a scream as six red Medals burst from his chest. Eiji seized them and placed them into the "TaJaNity Spiner." The disc swept across them, erupting with six red halos.

"Taka, Kujaku, Condor, Taka, Kujaku, Condor!"

Fireballs several times stronger than before struck King OOO in the face from nearly point-blank range, blasting him off the top of the tower.

"Xing!"

"Got it!" Xing pressed the finisher button again. "Final Attack Ride, Ki-Ki-Ki-Kiana!"

Flames, lightning, and hurricanes formed the blade of a gigantic sword, which crashed into King OOO as he fell freely through the air. A graceful figure broke free from within. Xing used the Gem of Stillness's power to make massive vegetation grow from the ground and catch Durandal, then looked toward Eiji.

Eiji replaced the three ordinary Core Medals in the "TaJaNity Spiner" with the Eternity Tajadol Combo and scanned them again. Endless flames gathered in his left hand.

Xing pressed the finisher button once more. "Final Attack Ride, Br-Br-Br-Bronya!" The giant sword's blade split apart from both sides, extending cannon barrels. Heavy Cannon Rabbit's hands merged together, forming a muzzle.

Three beams struck the falling King OOO in perfect unison, sending him soaring into the sky.

"The final blow, Xing." Eiji placed the Eternity Tajadol Combo back into his belt and scanned it to activate the finisher.

"Yeah, let's do it together, Mr. Eiji!" Xing pressed the finisher button one final time. "Final Attack Ride, Lu-Lu-Lu-Lucky!"

Brilliant wings unfolded behind Eiji's back as he shot into the heavens. Xing's cape reconstructed into wings behind him, and he soared upward as well.

High in the sky, King OOO nearly went mad as he continuously fired destructive beams at the two of them, but they dodged every one. "Impossible, impossible! I absorbed so many Core Medals! Even the Dinosaur Medals served me! How could I lose to you two?!"

He—no, it—naturally had no idea just how great a boost the power known as bonds could grant humanity, because it had lost everything human and become a complete servant to desire.

"What big talk are you spouting? Your desire isn't even one-thousandth of Mr. Eiji's!"

OOO passed through three rings of light and spread his sharp claws as he struck at King OOO. Xing poured every last bit of his energy into this Rider Kick.

"Die! ×2"

The two riders' kicks struck King OOO from the front and back respectively. He let out several unwilling roars, then after a brief silence, exploded with a thunderous boom.

Amid the flames filling the sky, a broken belt flew out and turned to dust along with the three red, yellow, and green Medals stored within it.

The world froze.

Author's Note—

Talkative villains all have to die, unless they're Lord E.