Missionary and the Honkai Consciousness's Plan

Elinoya is ten years old today.

She just celebrated her tenth birthday a few days ago. At the party, even her usually annoying friends became quite pleasing to the eye, and several beautiful older sisters came and gave her lots of delicious food and gifts.

The little girl was brushing her teeth carefully. She couldn't help but look at the silver hair accessory on her beautiful blonde hair in the mirror, and a bright and lovely smile appeared on her face.

That was a gift from the red-haired older sister.

She stared at the ornaments on her head for a while before starting to brush her teeth seriously again, feeling a little guilty.

The nun and the Priest had both told her that she should brush her teeth carefully, not to drink the mouthwash, and to remember to wash off the foam from her face when washing it. There were many other details and requirements that she could no longer remember.

In short, Elinoya felt she had to behave.

She didn't care whether she got a box of fruit candies after dinner. Even though the nun's pat on the head and the bedtime story were incredibly tempting, well... they certainly couldn't be a big deal!

The little girl didn't care about any of that, but her Sister Flora whispered to her that if she kept being a good girl, she would see her parents soon.

The other nuns would only say that their parents were in a very, very far place, remaining tight-lipped about the matter.

But since they went abroad on a business trip, Elinoya hasn't seen her parents for six months. She heard that the Honkai Energy interfere with signals and there are many other reasons she doesn't understand. Anyway, even communication is impossible, which makes her feel really lonely.

Only Flora offered a hope that was both illusory and warm, a beauty like the caramel glaze on pudding, whose fragrance and sweetness, just before it solidified, were irresistible.

Therefore, Elinoya felt she couldn't be willful and had to be a good child.

Of course, while she was thinking this, she completely forgot about her mischievous act of smearing cream on the faces of those older girls yesterday.

But... it's my birthday after all. Mom said it's okay for me to be a little more willful than usual on my birthday.

So Elinoya didn't feel guilty at all. Even though he had to count three hundred lambs before he could fall asleep, it had nothing to do with feeling guilty.

After washing her face, she looked at her clean face in the mirror and nodded seriously to indicate that everything was fine.

But after the little girl stepped out of the bathroom, she realized that she had forgotten to tie the bow on her collar. She hurriedly tied it and then cautiously looked around.

Elinoya was delighted to find that the nun who had been lazily leaning against the windowsill sunbathing was gone, but she was immediately unhappy because her friend, who was supposed to be waiting for her to have breakfast together, had also run off.

Damn it, it must be because Sister Flora made breakfast today.

In the little girl's memory, Sister Flora's cooking was always delicious, so her best friend must have left first because of that.

The false memories of "Flora" were implanted in her mind, making her believe it to this day.

Although the nun was clearly a stranger he had known for less than a week, in Elinoya's eyes she was the kind nun who had always been in the back of the church taking care of the children.

If this subtle change were revealed to the public, it would be a terrifying and incomprehensible grotesque event. However, the shroud of mist had already spread and permeated the air, yet the person within the mist remained immersed in the dream, unable to extricate themselves.

Elinoya stepped into the restaurant with cheerful and hurried steps. Looking at the empty tables and chairs, she felt a little strange.

But soon, the little girl's attention was drawn to a familiar figure from behind.

Sister Flora.

Her silhouette, bathed in sunlight, came into view along with the dust motes rising and falling like a light rain.

Elinoya ran over, gently tugging at the other person's clothes as usual, tilting her head up to ask why no one was in the restaurant. She would also ask why she hadn't seen breakfast, and finally, earnestly and quietly, she would say that she had been very good lately and if she would be able to see her parents soon.

The missionary glanced at the little girl's dazzling blonde hair, her innocent eyes, and her naive smile, and gave a similar smile.

It was his usual gentle and kind smile, but against the backdrop of the silently cracking black robe, the slowly dripping filth and grease, and the snow-white skin repeatedly wrinkling into strange shapes while squeezing out the stark white eyeballs, it appeared exceptionally terrifying.

Her face, now barely recognizable as human, drooped slightly, her dozens of open eyes curving into beautiful arcs as she gazed at the little girl whose smile had not yet faded, and she said softly:

"Don't you really want to see your mom and dad?"

"You'll see her soon, Elinoya."

At 8:30 a. m., the miniature vortex of Honkai Energy once again rolled back into the Chibbinorton Lake District.

Himeko learned of this news immediately through Prometheus's detection data. At that time, she was dealing with the specific omissions and details of the Holy Gate Project route. As the captain of the Moth to Fire, her so-called vacation role meant not being on the battlefield or the front line for an extended period of time.

Compared to the life-or-death struggle of war, it wouldn't be unreasonable to call the constant handling of housekeeping and routine tasks a vacation.

Theoretically speaking, this is just a Honkai Energy vortex that is not worth paying attention to in the whole of Australia. The only thing worth paying attention to is that it is the orphanage that I visited a few days ago.

However, according to the data on the transmission of Honkai Energy vortex, the Honkai Energy is almost like a gentle breeze. Even for humans with extremely low Honkai Energy literacy, it does not pose much of a threat. Only by living in such an area for a long time would there be a possibility of contracting Honkai Sickness.

The phenomenon of Honkai Energy vortex recirculation generally does not last long. One to three hours is considered a long recirculation phenomenon, and in most cases, the recirculation phenomenon will only last for less than ten minutes.

Therefore, the truly threatening backflow phenomena only refer to those large Honkai Energy tides. Basically, even if small Honkai Energy vortices appear, they will only be reported routinely as they are now, and no one will arrange for nearby personnel to go and investigate.

But almost exactly a few minutes later, the phone rang again from the orphanage. Himeko, who hadn't been worried initially, watched the communicator hang up in two seconds and decisively chose to leave immediately, issuing instructions at the same time:

"Prometheus, grant permission to forcibly connect to the other party's communication device."

However, the reply she received gave her a truly ominous feeling:

"The other party's communicator is damaged."

Himeko silently stepped into the edge of the Chibbinorton Lake District. The miniature Honkai Energy vortex had already dissipated, and according to the information from the detector, there were no Honkai Beast reactions in the vicinity.

This is to be expected. The vortex generated by the micro- Honkai Energy vortex returns to the atmosphere within half a minute. According to data analysis, the total amount of Honkai Energy vortex is not enough to support the birth of an Assault-type Honkai Beast, so it is not a cause for concern.

But the woman's warrior instincts and habitual caution prevented her from underestimating the situation. She believed that facing it all with a serious attitude would not cause her any harm, and even if it turned out to be just a misunderstanding or a prank, she would only feel fortunate.

Himeko's new anti- Honkai combat armor is located in a groove at the back of her neck. At this moment, jet-black scales flow out from this groove like a spring, instantly covering her original clothing. The armor fully unfolds as it hugs her body, and the power reactor absorbs the Honkai Energy particles from the surrounding area, transforming them into terrifying physical attributes.

The woman's running figure became an elusive illusion, and in just a few breaths, the facility's doors were already within reach.

In ordinary hunting missions, a cautious, step-by-step approach, coupled with decisive action at crucial moments, is the main theme of gradual progress.

Saving lives is like putting out a fire; if an accident were to occur, every second counts and inevitably involves taking on some unknown risks.

Even after Himeko pushed open the tightly closed door, neither her instincts nor her instruments detected anything unusual.

Sunlight poured into the room as the doors opened wide, and the stained glass of the dome created a mosaic of light, making the central statue appear even more sacred.

Sister Flora, a name familiar to children, stood before the statue, broom in hand, sweeping away the accumulated dust in the house as always. Her face, bathed in backlight, was serene and elegant, and the slight upturn of her lips naturally exuded a friendly charm.

This scene was enough to make anyone lower their guard. Even Himeko, who had stepped anxiously into the room, couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief under the nun's eerie charm, and had the same delusion that everything would be as it always was.

Even though my attention was immediately and completely captured by the other party's powerful presence.

The woman noticed again in the next moment...

The rest are unusual.

Crimson blood meandered like a stream across the white marble floor. Countless severed limbs lay scattered like bouquets of flowers, their fragments falling into view. Sunlight shone on the pale skin and the pools of blood that connected the composition, making the scene shimmer like algae floating in a lake.

The missionary didn't care about Himeko's restraint in controlling all her emotions, yet instantly drawing her greatsword and entering battle stance, even though the image was exactly like a ferocious beast that was extremely calm yet extremely angry, waiting for an opportunity to strike and constantly trying to find a weakness that could deliver a fatal blow to the enemy.

The Honkai Energy inside the armor intertwined with the outside air to create a void of illusion, and the scorching temperature seemed to boil even the medium through which light travels, distorting this small area.

The limbs scattered haphazardly in the open space, whether young, mature, or slender, were now gradually wrinkling and curling up in parts, slowly withering away along with the evaporating blood.

It's a fight to the death.

This action undoubtedly demonstrates the will that a woman expresses in silence.

The missionary continued sweeping quietly, patiently sweeping the mess of severed limbs, like a mother tidying up her child's toys, tolerant and gentle.

Himeko barely managed to suppress the impact of the scene. Even though the nun's behavior was far too abnormal, given that the Sixth Herrscher had only recently died, her human demeanor and the lack of Honkai Energy in her data suggested that there must be more to the story.

The missionary's persuasive teachings and the harmonious atmosphere the missionary had previously fostered in the orphanage forced Himeko, after calming down a bit, to consider the ins and outs of the situation.

Assuming that an unknown new type of Honkai Beast caused this tragedy, it wouldn't be surprising if Flora, as a lucky survivor, went insane in this scene.

If that's the case, Flora instantly transforms from the perpetrator to the victim.

Himeko's iron will is only directed at the Honkai incident; she is unwilling to succumb to momentary anger and wrongly accuse innocent civilians, which is not her original intention.

Therefore, the woman controlled the intertwined Honkai Energy field without affecting the other party. She suppressed her emotions and said seriously:

"Flora, you have a chance to explain."

Upon hearing this, the missionary placed the blood-stained broom beside the idol. Smiling, she bent down and picked up a severed limb, dried out by the high temperature and emitting a foul, burnt smell, and said softly:

"It's cooked."

Before the person opposite could understand the meaning of her words, the nun's slender arm swelled into a disgusting tumor, from which flesh split open and grew into a deformed, enormous mouth like intertwined tree branches. She casually tossed the severed limb into that dark, fleshy cavity.

The eerie chewing and tearing sounds were like a clock ticking against her nerves, gradually fading Himeko's consciousness into a blank.

The missionary's delicate face was like ink spreading on rice paper, with features and shapes twisted into inhuman shapes. In terms of the uncanny valley effect, perhaps this appearance was still easy for people to accept.

But her upper body remained as slender and alluring as ever, with glimpses of fair skin and a hint of sensuality visible through the gaps in her torn robes, which only served to accentuate her current grotesque and bizarre appearance, defying description.

The nun's blissful expression lasted only a few seconds before turning to boredom. The enormous, grotesque organ slowly retracted into her original right arm. She casually tossed the silver hair ornament and a few strands of golden hair that were now exposed in her palm into the blood-soaked stream, then looked at the woman before her, who was being controlled by power, and said softly:

"You really like children, right? And you value life, don't you?"

The missionary smiled:

"That's a weakness, Miss Himeko."

Himeko remained silent, her mind truly blank and still. Trying to hear the other person's words was like a drowning person in the deep sea trying to hear the sound of waves on the shore—utterly hopeless.

However, as the silver hair ornament rolled to his feet, the missionary could sense an intense struggle and a gradual breaking through the power blockade.

A woman's unwavering will is on a completely different level from that of ordinary people. Even a missionary who has evolved to the limit of power after devouring one's own kind cannot easily control her.

When dealing with normal humans, she can almost instantly weave false memories into them without any sense of incongruity, modifying common sense and cognition, and even subverting basic concepts of right and wrong.

Therefore, missionaries can turn normal humans into incurable Honkai Cultist with just a few gestures, but this ability has repeatedly failed against Himeko.

Her arrival at the orphanage, her infiltration of everyone's memories, and her remarkable ability to get along with them were not without reason.

The missionary had previously used his powers to try and sabotage Himeko, but the result was undoubtedly a crushing defeat.

In the past, she had been invincible in using her powers, but this time, she could not maintain that ease and sense of superiority in front of her opponent.

Given their unique souls and unwavering will, it's understandable that missionaries, whose powers are far less powerful than true Herrscher, cannot significantly interfere through normal means.

This also proves that the gods' initial judgment was not wrong; the humans who are now compatible with the powers of the apostles are not as easy to deal with as they have been in the past.

With such willpower, even if the soul is crushed, a similar personality will remain to completely sever the Honkai link.

Directly and crudely transforming them into Herrscher without shaking their very soul would make them ineligible for inclusion in the registration process.

Therefore, the only option is to actively create a huge gap in their mind, seize the weakness at the crucial moment, and make them go berserk in one fell swoop.

But...

The missionary said quietly:

"Isn't that enough?"

She originally thought that such a meticulously designed scene was enough to create a gap, allowing the Honkai Consciousness to descend.

However, the fact that Himeko can still react to Elinoya's hair ornament shows that the plan is far from successful.

She whispered:

"But it's alright, this isn't the time for the gods to descend anyway, and besides, this has laid the foundation to some extent."

This apostle is special, completely different from the previous defective one, so a proper wait is necessary.

Even if the other party creates a huge flaw, the missionary will choose to use the power of persuasion to make them forget the truth and entangle it in their mind in the form of a nightmare, ensuring that when the time is right, this flaw will still exist and can play a key role.

The nun stepped into Himeko's sword's range, staring intently into his Amber eyes without hesitation. She bent down, picked up the silver hair ornament, and tucked it into her bright red hair, saying softly:

"It just takes a little more effort."

Immediately, the missionary created a Charge-class Honkai Beast from nothing in the blink of an eye.

Without even glancing at her own familiar, she chuckled and embraced Himeko, guiding the greatsword in Himeko's hand to slowly slice the Assault-type Honkai Beast in two.

The missionary released her grip, sensing the other's increasingly struggling consciousness. She channeled her [bewitching] power into a pre-designed, distorted direction, and said:

"That's enough, isn't it? In a world like this, the deaths of dozens of people can be explained by such a simple reason."

She walked slowly to the open door, glanced at the red-haired woman, and uttered her final farewell words:

"Then, please struggle slowly between truth and falsehood, between manipulation and deception, Miss Himeko."