Honkai in Honkai Gakuen?!

She already had one foot in the grave and only wanted to spend her remaining years in peace.

Besides, what if it was fake?

What if even the Narukami Shrine Maiden had been mistaken?

Granny Zhuohua hesitated for a long while before refusing. If the disaster never came, her reputation as the person who proposed it would plummet.

Mei saw through her concerns and spoke up first. "You can tell the others that this is a message from Narukami Shrine. The one who will bring disaster is Takemikazuchi, who has taken the form of Narukami."

"Mei!"

Kiana's eyes widened. Mei was the shrine maiden of the shrine. Wasn't this just smearing her own name?

Granny Zhuohua was also surprised by Raiden Mei's boldness. Narukami Shrine had existed for hundreds of years and was famous throughout Changkong City.

"...Then this old woman will give it a try."

If even the shrine maiden had such courage and the shrine was willing to shoulder the responsibility, then she could certainly get up and say a few words.

"No, it can't be like this!" Kiana stopped her. "Takemikazuchi clearly has nothing to do with Narukami Shrine. Narukami is even the sword meant to slay Takemikazuchi!"

This only appeared to come without any sacrifice!

"The truth isn't that important, Kiana. What matters is making people believe the disaster is coming. Only when they believe it will come will they actively prepare."

A message without proof couldn't make people believe. No matter how well they explained it, others would only treat it as a story.

Unless people saw the Kishin with their own eyes, they might cling to that last shred of hope.

If they wanted more people to believe...

The message unfavorable to the shrine had come from within the shrine itself.

People would think about it.

If the message wasn't true, then why would the shrine court death by spreading false rumors that harmed itself?

Narukami Shrine had existed for several hundred years.

Especially in the eyes of the citizens in this region, Narukami Shrine held extraordinary significance.

"That still doesn't mean you should bear the stigma!" Kiana couldn't accept the proposal. "I don't agree with this!"

"I won't accept it. I won't build the act of saving others on your suffering!"

She didn't want to destroy the shrine Mei had built up over the years over a mere guess, nor let others misunderstand Mei as an impure shrine maiden.

She wanted to save more people, but she wasn't obligated to save everyone!

Even less would she build what she wanted to do on Mei's sacrifice, even if that sacrifice was only her reputation.

She absolutely wouldn't allow it!

"Kiana..."

Raiden Mei hadn't expected Kiana's reaction to be so intense. She stood there in a daze for quite some time.

Kiana wanted to save more people.

Mei had thought Kiana would agree to her method. After all, it was the best choice.

"I refuse!" Kiana took a deep breath. "If people's trust has to be bought with your sacrifice, then I'd rather they not believe anything I say!"

"Sorry for the trouble, Granny. I didn't consider the difficulties you mentioned. I'll think of another way." Kiana looked at Raiden Mei. "But we absolutely can't use the method Mei suggested."

Just as she had said.

She would never sacrifice anything belonging to Mei.

By warning others of the danger in advance, she had done right by everyone and by herself.

She hadn't caused this Honkai, nor had she brought this disaster. She had no obligation to save everyone.

Kiana turned and left.

"Kiana? Kiana!"

Raiden Mei chased after her.

"I don't agree with you doing this!" After walking a few steps, Kiana said helplessly and angrily, "You absolutely can't do this. If you're going to sacrifice your reputation just to prove my guess, then I'll go blow myself up with Takemikazuchi!"

"Alright, alright, don't get worked up, Kiana. I won't do it. I won't use that method."

Kiana fell silent again and lowered her head as she walked down the stairs. Raiden Mei followed closely behind with the Cursed Sword, entering her home with her.

After closing the door and turning on the lights, Kiana was still in a foul mood.

"I'm not as noble as you think."

Chapter 17: Honkai's Honkai?!

Whether it was teaching gangsters a lesson,

saving people,

slaying the Kishin,

or suspecting that Takemikazuchi might bring disaster to Changkong City and wanting to spread the news so more people could survive,

none of these actions had been done to save other people's lives. They had only been done so that she herself could feel at ease.

"I'm just an ordinary person."

Kiana's voice trembled slightly as she analyzed herself in front of Mei.

"I only arrived in this world three months ago."

"I don't even have an identity. I can barely take a single step in this world. How could I possibly want to save it at the cost of my life, casually sacrificing anything?"

"Kiana..."

"Please don't misunderstand me, Mei." Kiana lowered her eyes. "I don't want to be a savior."

"I help other people simply because helping them makes me feel happy and fulfilled."

"So I'm willing to do what I can to satisfy and fill my heart." She paused as she spoke.

Because she truly had nothing else to pursue. She wasn't a native of this world, and she hadn't figured out what she wanted to do with her future.

"I won't sacrifice or hurt the people I care about just because I want to do something like this."

"I want to tell the others about the danger and let them prepare. Aside from the selfish desire to save the people I know, I also want to give those who want to live a chance."

"No matter how many people ultimately survive, I won't regret or feel guilty for having tried, because I've done everything I should."

Everything she did had only one reason: to keep herself at peace and leave no regrets.

"Will Mei think I'm despicable for being like this?"

She didn't do good deeds or save others because she wanted to help them. She did it because she didn't want to leave herself with regrets or feel guilty in the future. It was all to satisfy her own selfish desires.

Mei let out a long sigh.

When Kiana heard it, she lowered her head in disappointment, thinking that Raiden Mei had lost some fondness for her.

But Raiden Mei placed a hand on her shoulder and said seriously, "To be honest, I'm relieved that you think this way, Kiana."

"Huh?"

"We're both ordinary people. We don't have the ability or the responsibility to save everyone. Being able to protect ourselves and the people we care about is already remarkable."

To ease the atmosphere, Raiden Mei affectionately rubbed her head. "Before Kiana said all that, I thought Kiana wanted to become a hero who saved everyone."

"I want to protect you, so I also want to protect everything you want to protect."

Kiana stared blankly at Raiden Mei.

Had Mei just said she wanted to protect her?

The previous sentence had been about protecting the people she cared about. So was she the person Mei cared about?

"...That's something I should have said to Mei."

Raiden Mei had turned the tables and raised her favorability with Kiana.

But Kiana was pretty happy about it!

"It's not too late to say it now."

"Mei is the person I care about most. No matter what happens, I'll always protect Mei, and I'll do my best to protect everything Mei cares about."

Kiana made up her mind.

This would be her new goal from now on.

She absolutely couldn't let the Mei standing before her become tainted by nothingness in the future, lose everything, and turn into a self-annihilator.

"Mei, can you give me the Cursed Sword?"

"The Cursed Sword?"

Raiden Mei handed the Cursed Sword in her hand to Kiana. "Do you want to keep it?"

"I want to run an experiment."

"With your help, I was able to slay this Kishin. Besides, this sword was originally meant to be given to you. You can do whatever you want with it, but remember not to hurt yourself."

"Don't worry. There's no way a mere Cursed Sword could hurt me." Kiana took the sword with complete confidence.

The corrosion of a mere Kishin.

Could it really overpower the Power of the End?

Kiana drew the Cursed Sword and saw the information panel again, including the recycling information below it.

She had asked Mei for the Cursed Sword for no other reason than to recycle this not particularly useful sword and see what was different about the system's recycling function.

Looking at the resentment coiling around the blade, Kiana silently recited the word recycle.

The sword in her hand seemed to have a life of its own. Its blade trembled several times with a buzzing sound, let out a mournful cry, and then shattered into countless points of starlight.

"This..."

Raiden Mei stared at the scene in astonishment. Lacking sufficient knowledge, she didn't know whether it was because of Kiana or because of the sword itself.

[Cursed Sword (C) recycled. You obtained one hundred Honkai Crystals. Honkai Crystals can be exchanged for items in the shop]

[You completed your first recycling. You obtained the Gift of Honkai. Please choose one of the following gifts]

[--End Cannon (Five-Star): A weapon tainted with a faint trace of the Power of the End. After defeating an enemy, it generates a cursed space and continuously applies a curse effect to enemies within it]

[--Thunder Soul Imprint (Stigma): A top-tier Stigma that enhances melee weapons and lightning power. Its attributes can be continuously increased through battle or Honkai Crystals]

Kiana's eyes widened, and she cursed inwardly.

Damn!

She finally understood why she had always felt that the skill called Phase Shift was strange.

This was Honkai's Honkai Gakuen!

Kiana's mental state suddenly exploded.

She had always assumed that her Honkai system was the Honkai of Honkai Impact 3rd. She had never expected it to be the Honkai of Honkai Gakuen!

No!

Kiana... had no surname.

She didn't lack a surname because this world had no Kaslana family. It was because she had come from Honkai Gakuen? Was this Kiana the naturally End-born Kiana from Honkai Gakuen?!

She suddenly felt an urge to vomit blood. Leaving aside the destruction and rebooting of the world, Honkai Gakuen was filled with all kinds of demons and monsters, with damage starting in the trillions.

The Honkai of Honkai Gakuen layered with the invasion of the Eight Million Gods of Takama-ga-hara, layered with the shadow of Black General...

Her scalp prickled.

"Kiana? Are you alright?"

Mei's voice pulled her dazed mind back into the real world. Kiana looked at Mei in front of her and murmured, "This world is doomed. How about we run away together?"

"What are you talking about, Kiana?" Mei panicked and shook Kiana by the shoulders. "Don't scare me, Kiana!"

"Did that sword corrode you?"

"...It didn't corrode me, but this world is about to be invaded by Honkai and destroyed..."