But the Honkai Beast in front of them really was resting.
"Not just it. The people around us also seem to be acting like they can't see that Honkai Beast."
Red Seele frowned.
Indeed.
Running away, screaming, calling for help, calling the police... those should have been humanity's first reactions upon seeing a Honkai Beast.
Yet the people around them showed none of those reactions.
First reaction?
Kaino blinked, a guess flashing through his mind.
"Seele, do you think there's a possibility—just a guess, it might not be right—that Honkai Beasts in this world are something like pets?"
Though Kaino himself found the guess absurd, it did fit the situation.
"Th-that should be impossible, right?"
Red Seele hesitated, her tone uncertain.
"No matter what, that's still a Honkai Beast, an existence irreconcilably opposed to humanity. Compared to that, I'd rather believe people simply can't see it."
Kaino nodded.
Indeed, compared to his own guess, Seele's was more—
Just then, a passerby walked over and, under their gazes, placed a banana before the Knight-class Honkai Beast. He then patted the head of the horse part beneath it.
The horse woke from its slumber, nudged the person's hand, swallowed the banana whole with the peel still on, and then went back to sleep.
Ah, well, the answer was already obvious.
Kaino pinched his cheek. After confirming that it hurt, he opened his mouth but said nothing.
"So this really is a world where humans and Honkai Beasts can coexist?"
Red Seele's eyes widened in disbelief.
Blue Seele, on the other hand, seemed eager to try.
"Then can Seele bring a Honkai Beast back with her? Bronya would definitely be very surprised!"
"Before that, we should figure out what exactly is going on."
Kaino rubbed his temples as he spoke.
"Even if humans can coexist peacefully with Honkai Beasts, there's no reason to just leave one by the roadside—just like we wouldn't leave horses or elephants standing around on the street."
After all, a Knight-class Honkai Beast was roughly the size and shape of a knight riding a horse.
Even if it bore no ill will toward humans, an unintentional movement could still kill someone.
And there was another issue Kaino could not overlook—they were not in a complete world, but in a World Bubble.
A world severed from the Imaginary Tree—why would humans and Honkai Beasts be able to coexist peacefully after it became a World Bubble?
Could it be that this world's rules had mutated somehow when its anchor formed, causing Honkai Beasts to no longer be humanity's enemies?
"Come to think of it, Seele remembered something."
Blue Seele suddenly spoke up, interrupting Kaino's thoughts.
With her eyes closed as though recalling something, she spoke uncertainly.
"At the shop where we bought our swimsuits, wasn't there a flyer for something called the Beast Tamer Grand Prix?"
Kaino and Red Seele exchanged glances.
Kaino made a suggestion. "Should we go back and take a look?"
Red Seele nodded.
"Oh? Are you dissatisfied with the swimsuits, guests?"
Seeing the three return, the owner leaned slightly over the counter and asked them.
Seele hurriedly shook her head.
"No, no. Miss Owner, we came back to look for something."
The owner nodded.
"If you lost something, you can tell me. Although the competition doesn't begin until tomorrow, the organizers have already started handling matters in this area."
"The competition?"
Kaino, who had been searching for the flyer, caught the keyword and asked the owner.
Both Seeles looked over as well.
The owner looked somewhat surprised.
"What, aren't you participants in the Beast Tamer Grand Prix?"
The three exchanged glances, then Kaino spoke to the owner.
"Ma'am, could you tell us more about this Beast Tamer Grand Prix?"
"The Beast Tamer Grand Prix... hmm. It's a beast-taming competition organized by an unknown sponsor, beginning tomorrow. By then, beast tamers from nearly the entire country will gather in this city."
The owner tapped her chin with one finger, seeming to sink into recollection.
"Come to think of it, the organizers seem to have already started releasing Honkai Beasts into the city... Honestly, aren't they worried about accidents?"
"The adults are one thing, but those children have no awareness of safety. What if they get hurt by a Honkai Beast?"
"Beast tamers from all over the country... Is this competition really that popular?"
Kaino was somewhat surprised.
"Of course. Leaving aside the honor, the champion will receive a mysterious grand prize provided by the organizers."
The owner explained.
At the words "mysterious grand prize," Red Seele's gaze sharpened behind him.
"How about we enter?"
Red Seele drifted back and forth between Kaino and Blue Seele, talking nonstop.
"We'll be staying in this world for a week, right? Since that's the case, why don't we just enter this beast-taming competition?"
"Seele, think about it. If we win that mysterious grand prize, couldn't you take it back and show it off to your Bronya?"
"Eh? But..."
Seele hesitated. After glancing at Kaino, she quietly said to Red Seele,
"But shouldn't we not make decisions on our own? Kaino invited us here."
"And, and we don't know how to tame beasts either, so..."
"Tch, forget it. I'll just ask him directly."
Red Seele turned around and looked at Kaino.
"Hey, Kai—"
"By the way, ma'am, does a beast tamer need any certification?"
Kaino waved one hand behind his back, signaling Red Seele to be quiet, and asked the swimsuit shop owner.
"Nope. As long as you register, you can compete."
As she spoke, the owner took three manuals from beneath the counter and handed them to Kaino.
"You're entering, right? Then these are for you. After all, it's also my duty to distribute guidebooks—ah, don't worry, there are still three copies."
"Oh, thank you!"
Kaino accepted the manuals and smiled somewhat sheepishly.
"May I trouble you with one more question? How do you tame a Honkai Beast?"
The owner smiled.
"So you're beast tamers who started halfway through... Don't worry, it's all written in these guidebooks. Though if you ask me, the process is simple."
"Beat the Honkai Beast until it submits, then make it acknowledge you."
Kaino's mouth twitched.
"Then thank you. Goodbye, ma'am."
After handing the manuals to the Seeles, Kaino waved to the owner and turned to leave.
"Ah, right."
Seeing them about to go, the owner spoke again.
"A word of advice: the competition officially begins tomorrow. So if you don't want to break the rules and be eliminated early, don't tame any Honkai Beasts today, okay?"
Mutation of the Stigmata
"Hey, why are you still reading that guidebook? Are you done yet?"
At the Houmu Drink Shop not far from the swimsuit store, Kaino was flipping through the guidebook while the two Seeles ate ice cream.
"I finished reading it, but I still feel like something's strange."
As Kaino spoke, he spread the guidebook open and pointed to one line.
"Look. It says that when you make eye contact with a Honkai Beast, you'll be forcibly placed into a one-on-one battle state. No matter how you look at it, doesn't that seem like a huge problem?"
"What? What's the problem? Games are always like that."
Red Seele held an ice cream spoon in her mouth, unable to understand where the problem lay.
"Since those organizers are holding this competition, maybe they set up something like a battle state beforehand."
"Ah, that's not what I mean. Forget the other Honkai Beasts for now. Let's talk about that Knight-class Honkai Beast we ran into earlier."
Kaino picked up a watermelon juice, biting the straw with a baffled expression.
Maybe the battle state was simply a rule unique to this World Bubble. Honkai Beasts could already coexist peacefully with humans, so what else would be impossible?
What concerned him was something else...
"One person and one horse make four eyes. How exactly does making eye contact work?"
"If we only look into the horse's eyes, what happens to the person? What if the person's eyes meet ours? And other Honkai Beasts—"
"Stop!"
Red Seele stopped Kaino from continuing and heavily slapped an empty ice cream cup down in front of him.
"Get me another one. This time, sea salt flavor!"
His mouth twitching, Kaino waved the Feather of the Underworld and got Seele another ice cream.
"So, Kaino, you're actually worried that beast taming isn't that simple, and that we won't be able to trigger a battle with a Honkai Beast?"
Blue Seele flipped through the guidebook Kaino had placed on the table, guessing at his intentions.
"No, I'm thinking about something else—how exactly do the organizers define a Honkai Beast? Huh, the watermelon juice here is pretty good."
Kaino swirled the watermelon juice in his hand.
"To put it simply, could I participate as our group's Honkai Beast?"
Both Seeles were instantly shocked. The spoon in Red Seele's mouth nearly fell out.
"N-no, Kaino, there's no way that could work, right?"
Blue Seele clasped her hands together, looking at Kaino with a complicated expression.
Before you continue