Recruiting Yae Sakura

"Oh?"

Hearing Yae Sakura's words, Dong Moxuan wore a somewhat subtle expression.

"So, Sakura, you don't believe what I said?"

"...That's not what I meant."

"Then there you have it."

Dong Moxuan left the room after saying that.

Yae Sakura did not try to persuade him any further.

After all, she had said everything she could.

If Dong Moxuan really was as powerful as he claimed, then there was nothing to worry about. But if he was merely blindly confident...

Then she couldn't blame him if he got himself killed.

Dong Moxuan washed the dishes quickly, returning to the room just a few minutes later.

"Hey, Sakura, let me tell you something."

Sitting on a stool beside the bed, Dong Moxuan seriously gazed at the pink-haired girl before him.

"What are you planning to do after your injuries heal?"

"What am I planning to do?"

Hearing Dong Moxuan's question, Yae Sakura's expression froze slightly.

That was right. After awakening from her seal, the world had changed beyond recognition. Even Kallen was no longer among the living. What meaning did her existence have?

Ultimately, she was merely a remnant of a bygone era, a ghost that should have passed away long ago. Her only lingering attachment was that gentle girl who had guarded her for centuries, whose smile was as warm as sunlight. But...

"Since Sakura has no particular goal, why not come work for me?"

Looking at the girl's somewhat lost eyes, Dong Moxuan finally bared his fangs.

"Work... for Jun Xuan?"

Tilting her head slightly, Yae Sakura looked at Dong Moxuan in confusion.

"That's right. I am Dong Moxuan, affiliated with 'The Void Archives,' codename 'Captain.' My specialty is aerial splits. With that, I hereby extend a sincere invitation to Miss Yae Sakura!"

"'The Void Archives'?"

It was yet another unfamiliar term, and Yae Sakura was completely bewildered.

"That's right."

Seeing the girl's confused expression, Dong Moxuan did not immediately explain the concept of The Void Archives. Instead, he began talking about something else.

"Miss Sakura, you haven't forgotten the woman who attacked you earlier, have you?"

"She belongs to Schicksal. She is the captain of 'Blade of Unending,' the Valkyrie squad directly under Bishop Otto, and Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie—'Holy Sword' Durandal."

"The duty of Valkyries is to fight the Honkai and eradicate the Honkai."

"The Honkai has brought humanity far too much suffering and sorrow. As a result, humans have maintained an intensely hostile attitude toward anything related to the Honkai."

"And as a Quasi-Herrscher, you have already been discovered by Durandal."

"What awaits you will be the pursuit of Schicksal's Valkyrie forces."

"Although you are powerful, you absolutely cannot stand against an ancient organization that has existed for over a thousand years and controls the course of humanity's fate."

"Your inevitable end will be death, or perhaps becoming a test subject of Schicksal. Unless..."

"Unless Sakura joins 'The Void Archives'?"

Yae Sakura was not a fool. With only a moment's thought, she understood what Dong Moxuan was trying to say.

"That's right. As expected of Sakura—you catch on immediately."

A smile appeared on Dong Moxuan's face again.

"Jun Xuan... didn't you say that humans are extremely hostile toward the Honkai? Why would 'The Void Archives' accept a Quasi-Herrscher like Sakura?"

Yae Sakura quickly noticed the flaw in Dong Moxuan's words and questioned him in return.

Yet after hearing her question, Dong Moxuan only revealed a somewhat strange smile.

"Who said... 'The Void Archives' was made up of humans?"

"Jun Xuan, you mean..."

Hearing Dong Moxuan's words, Yae Sakura seemed to realize something, and her pupils contracted.

"That's right. It's..."

"'The Void Archives' is made up entirely of Herrschers and Quasi-Herrscher?"

Dong Moxuan: "..."

Hearing Yae Sakura's words, Dong Moxuan's expression stiffened slightly. Then he looked at the girl before him with a bitter smile.

"Sakura, you're joking. How could there possibly be so many Herrschers and Quasi-Herrscher in the world..."

After all, even he was merely a zombie.

If the entire fighting force of The Void Archives were on the level of Herrschers and Quasi-Herrscher, what would Dong Moxuan have to fear?

Wouldn't it be better to just steamroll everything without a second thought?

"Herrschers and Quasi-Herrscher only make up a small portion of The Void Archives."

Small portion? At present, The Void Archives had only one Herrscher, who was currently serving as his bodyguard.

There was also only one Quasi-Herrscher, who was now a high-ranking member of The Void Archives.

That was why he had taken the initiative to travel to Changkong City for Yae Sakura and Mei.

"The main members of The Void Archives are currently... zombies."

"Zombies?"

Hearing Dong Moxuan's words, Yae Sakura was even more astonished than before.

Back when she was in Yae Village, she had also learned some basic knowledge about the Honkai from Kallen.

Zombies...

They were nothing more than beasts that had retained only their instinct to kill. How could they possibly become the main members of an organization?

"Miss Yae Sakura seems to have some misconceptions about zombies..."

How could Dong Moxuan fail to see what Yae Sakura was thinking? He smiled and explained.

"Brutish zombies that behave like beasts... That's a thing of the past."

"Nowadays... zombies are all gentlemen like me!"

"Jun Xuan... is a zombie?"

Yae Sakura was so shaken by this revelation that her head began to spin.

"What? Don't I look like one?"

Yae Sakura: "..."

Just what about you looks like a zombie?

Her eyes clearly conveyed that message.

Dong Moxuan did not correct her. Instead, he continued speaking on his own.

"The Honkai has been humanity's enemy since ancient times. Zombies, Honkai Beasts, and even Herrschers—all these products of the Honkai are the same."

"But the light of civilization has descended upon the zombies and Honkai Beasts. We refuse to obey the Honkai and completely destroy the civilization of this world."

"However, the Honkai once brought far too much suffering to the civilizations on this land."

"The chain of hatred has already been formed. We are destined to be unable to coexist peacefully with humanity."

"To protect our civilization from humanity, The Void Archives came into being."

"Yae Sakura, as a Quasi-Herrscher, you are a pivotal existence even among our kind."

"So, I, the zombie Dong Moxuan, hereby extend an invitation to Miss Yae Sakura."

As he spoke, Dong Moxuan smiled and extended his hand toward Yae Sakura.

Just as he had said, Yae Sakura was truly an extremely important combatant to The Void Archives.

That was not merely because Yae Sakura was a Quasi-Herrscher.

Although Quasi-Herrscher were not weak, The Void Archives also had quite a few S-rank Valkyries.

The key was Yae Sakura herself.