Return Trip

"Damn Fusion Warrior! You think killing me means you can resist the Honkai? Ha ha ha ha ha..."

The man clad in white-and-blue armor sneered as a greatsword cleaved him to ash...

"Ah!" Sheng Jiu jolted awake from his nightmare, drenched in cold sweat.

"Are you awake?" a familiar voice came from beside him.

Hearing Kiana's voice, Sheng Jiu's senses slowly began to return. First, he realized he was leaning against something soft, with a feel much like a body pillow. Then the faint fragrance coming from his "pillow" made him understand that Kiana was carrying him on her back.

"...How long was I asleep?"

"About an hour. You've been on my back for an hour, so you should feel honored!" Kiana grumbled as she carried Sheng Jiu, but she didn't actually make him get off.

Sheng Jiu tried to brace himself and sit up, but the weakness in his body finally made him settle obediently against Kiana's back.

"...Sorry. I keep causing trouble for you..."

"...You've worked hard. Get some rest. I... I'm here!"

Leaning against Kiana's back, Sheng Jiu felt an inexplicable sense of security. Soon, he drifted back into a deep sleep...

"Kiana, can you keep carrying him? Want me to take over?" Theresa asked with concern as she looked at the sleeping Sheng Jiu.

"It's fine, Auntie. He looks heavy, but he's actually really light~" Kiana gave a faint smile.

With Theresa leading the way, the two made it back to Schicksal's outer defense line without incident.

When Vena and the other officers learned that Sheng Jiu and Kiana had slipped out of the defense line without being recognized by any of the guards, they marveled at the feat and couldn't help admiring the two young people's courage. The three soon returned to St. Freya Academy under the escort of the Hyperion.

As soon as they got back to St. Freya Academy, Sheng Jiu was sent straight to the emergency room again.

"...Seriously, do you have to do this? Do experiments on me while I'm weak, why don't you..."

"Ahem. Sheng Jiu, we need to inject you with anti-Honkai serum and run a full examination of your bodily functions. Please cooperate, and thank you for understanding. You're doing this for the sake of all humanity."

A young doctor with short brown hair approached Sheng Jiu, holding a syringe thicker than his forearm...

Meanwhile, in the principal's office.

"So, this mark appeared on my back. I think it must be the legendary natural Stigmata."

Theresa lifted her shirt to show Himeko the mark on her back. Himeko studied it with amazement. "Looks like your trip turned out to be a blessing in disguise. With this Stigmata, your strength should reach a whole new level."

Theresa glanced back at Himeko, who was grinning. "I really wish you were the one who'd gotten this Stigmata, Himeko. You know your body has already..."

"Okay, okay, enough. If it's a blessing, it's a blessing; if it's a disaster, there's no avoiding it. I believe fate will give me the outcome that's right for me." Himeko leaned lazily against the wall and looked out the window.

Sunlight streamed through the bright windows, casting patches of golden light across the floor. Outside, the sky was as blue as a jewel, with clouds drifting through it like flecks of white. A group of students played volleyball on the sports field, completing a breathtaking picture with the surrounding scenery...

At Schicksal Headquarters, a woman in a maid outfit hurried to a room and knocked on the door.

"Come in," a gentle male voice called from inside.

The woman entered the room. A blond man lounged on a sofa, sipping red wine as he fiddled with something on a tablet.

"You summoned me, Bishop?"

"Yes, Rita. I heard that my dear granddaughter seems to have run into trouble while on a mission in Changkong City?"

"Yes, Bishop. The mishap occurred because the sentries failed to keep watch, which left Lady Theresa in..."

"Enough. I don't want to hear pointless excuses. I'll consider this a minor mistake. If it happens again, you understand what that would mean, don't you?"

"Rita understands, Bishop."

"Good." The man shut off the tablet. In the instant before the screen went dark, the words "Godslayer" and "Mu" could just barely be seen.

"So, how are our plans coming along?"

End of Volume Two.