Honkai, I Alone Save Everything

It could be said that they each possessed unique abilities, ensuring their growth speed was significantly faster than that of ordinary cadets.

Descendants of the Kaslana lineage, the vessel for the Third Herrscher, and Ming Yu, whose origins were somewhat mysterious, along with Bronya, who was highly skilled in combat and accustomed to training.

"Headmaster, what are the specific details and location of the mission?"

Bronya asked directly.

"Heh heh, of course, it's a place you're quite familiar with – Changkong City."

That city, once the most prosperous and populous in the Far East, had now turned into ruins.

"After our last visit, we basically swept through all the Honkai Beasts in Changkong City. However, according to a recent report from the Science Department... the Honkai energy remaining in the city seems to show signs of re-gathering. To be safe, I'd like to ask you to go back and investigate. After all, you're all very familiar with the place."

Upon their arrival in Changkong City last time, Theresa, Fu Hua, and Himeko, as the elite forces, had cleared out the entire city's Honkai Beasts and Dead Soldiers while searching for survivors, bringing a temporary peace to the city.

Without Herrscher interference, clearing out ordinary Honkai Beasts in the entire city was a simple task for their combat power.

However, this could only achieve temporary peace.

Just like Siberia, which was affected by the Second Honkai outbreak fourteen years ago, the Honkai energy pervading the entire city could not be completely eradicated with Schicksal's current technology. As time passed, it would naturally give rise to new Honkai Beasts roaming the city.

Therefore, it was still necessary to regularly dispatch personnel to Changkong City for investigation and cleanup.

Theresa extended a finger, pointing to Ming Yu, Mei, and Bronya in turn:

"Originally, I planned to assign the 'Boomer Girl' to handle it, but then I reconsidered. You've all been training at the academy for some time now, so it's best to leave this kind of thing to the younger generation~"

As for the departure time, it was naturally tomorrow.

Of course, besides wanting Ming Yu and the others to get some practical combat experience, there were other factors.

—Himeko's current physical condition was really not suitable for high-intensity combat anymore.

Although the artificial Stigmata developed by Schicksal could roughly enhance the Valkyries' Honkai energy resistance, it also placed a considerable burden on their bodies, gradually causing them to be eroded by Honkai energy.

This was the price paid to turn girls without aptitude into warriors.

As an A-Rank Valkyrie who had been on the front lines for many years, Himeko was, in a sense, already terminally ill, with her remaining lifespan being very short.

In short, in Theresa's consideration, it was better to let Himeko, who had been constantly on the front lines, rest for now.

"Ming Yu, Mei, and Bronya, this investigation mission to Changkong City will be entrusted to the three of you. If you encounter any situations you can't handle, remember to notify me through your terminal, and I'll arrange for reinforcements depending on the circumstances."

Theresa instructed.

"Okay, I understand."

Ming Yu nodded.

This was also a part of the timeline's alteration.

In the original timeline, Himeko had been injured while using the Hyperion's Nexus System to counter the Herrscher of Thunder, which led Theresa to decide to go to Changkong City herself to clear out the high-intensity Honkai energy signals suspected to be from a Herrscher.

Then, she encountered Yuna, a newly born Pseudo-Herrscher, and was poisoned with an incurable toxin, nearly dying.

And now, although Himeko's condition was much better than before, Theresa decided to assign this mission to them, the reserves, to train them.

Of course, this was also exactly what he wanted.

"By the way, Headmaster, did the Science Department say anything about the situation in Changkong City?"

Ming Yu asked casually.

Theresa immediately replied:

"The specific information will be uploaded to your terminals after you depart, so don't worry.

"Considering we just cleaned it up not long ago, even if new Honkai Beasts have appeared, their numbers and levels shouldn't be too high, so it's just right for you to clear them out."

Speaking of which, was the soon-to-be-dispatched three-person team missing a certain idiot...

Everyone's gaze fell upon a certain white-haired girl who was continuously eating heartily.

"..."

Evidently, even Kiana, who wasn't the sharpest, realized that she was missing from the list of cadets assigned to the mission.

The white-haired girl immediately put down her chopsticks and protested, "Wait, Auntie, why aren't you letting me go? I'm very capable too!"

Even though the other three could be deployed, why was she the only one not assigned to go on a mission?

In her opinion, the strength of the three of them and Ming Yu were actually about the same!

Moreover, with one more person, wouldn't the mission be completed more easily and smoothly?

There couldn't possibly be some strange restriction that only allowed a maximum of three people to be dispatched at once, right?

"...My dear, sweet niece, you should know very well why I'm not letting you go."

The more Theresa spoke about it, the more annoyed she became.

On her forehead, a symbol representing anger could faintly be seen.

Theresa said word by word:

"You need to stay and make up for all the classes you've skipped recently, one by one. Until you've done that, you are not allowed to leave St. Freya."

During the time Kiana had been at St. Freya Academy, she had already received seven or eight reports of her skipping class.

She had endured it until now specifically to teach Kiana a lesson.

"Um, hey... Auntie..."

Her weak spot hit, Kiana immediately put on a fawning expression.

"There's no room for negotiation on this!"

The petite, white-haired girl suddenly stood up, glancing at the six empty bowls that Kiana had completely cleared beside her.

"Kiana, you're full now, aren't you? Then your remedial lessons start now."

Being full means having the energy to be beaten—

Following that, Theresa, without any explanation, extended her small hand and lifted Kiana from her seat.

If one were to speak of the Kaslana family's monstrous strength, she certainly possessed it, even surpassing it.

Theresa, who could lift the Judgement of Leviathan, weighing a hundred and fifty kilograms, with one hand, hoisting Kiana was as easy as lifting a chick.

The authority of an elder was not to be defied, and besides, Kiana currently lacked the ability to resist Theresa.

She was facing the legendary former S-Rank Valkyrie, her own aunt, who, despite her childlike appearance, was nearly fifty years old – that Theresa!

"Wait... Auntie, I know I was wrong! Mei, Bronya, Ming Yu, Himeko, save me..."

Amidst the girl's wails, everyone silently watched her being dragged out the door by Theresa.

After dinner concluded, Ming Yu bid farewell to Mei, Bronya, and the others, and walked on the path back to his dormitory.

He silently considered the matters that needed to be handled upon his return to Changkong City.

Besides the potential Pseudo-Herrscher incident, he indeed had other things to attend to.

—For example, regarding Cocolia and Mei, he would begin making the necessary preparations from now on.

Chapter 26: Return to Changkong

Night, in Ming Yu's dormitory.

"You're going back to Changkong City?"

Upon hearing this news, the cherry-blossom-haired girl put down the book in her hands and asked, "...Do you need my help?"

Like before, possessing him and providing some necessary assistance.

"Of course, it would be best if you're willing to help, but this time, you won't need to assist me in combat."

Ming Yu nodded.

Although Mei, a true Herrscher, would be accompanying him on this mission, one could never have too many allies.

Moreover, he genuinely needed manpower.

—Not to handle the task entrusted by Theresa, but for other arrangements.

After all, he was still somewhat concerned about the other girl in the trio.

...Bronya.

This girl's stance was currently quite difficult to discern.

Unlike Kiana and Mei, who were without a home, she had a clear origin and someone she was loyal to.

Cocolia—that insidious and vicious woman, in Bronya's eyes now, was likely still her important mother.

If they were to follow the original timeline, waiting until the Wendy incident for Bronya to recognize Cocolia's true face, and only breaking ties with her mother completely in the subsequent Abyss City incident, that would take far too long.

He didn't want to be constantly wary of this girl's potential betrayal in the coming years.

Therefore, returning to Changkong City together for this mission was a very good opportunity for Ming Yu.

In general, Ming Yu planned to use this chance to win over Bronya, to make her completely stand on his side.

—Since her stance was not yet clear, he would proactively help her solidify it.

Ultimately, Bronya's fundamental objective in all her actions now was to find Seele, who had disappeared from Cocolia's laboratory a year ago.

Starting from this point, it would be relatively easy to win over Bronya.

Ming Yu was well aware that the girl who had disappeared from the real world had drifted into the vast and boundless Sea of Quanta.

And as long as he had an opportunity to enter the Sea of Quanta, it might not be impossible to find that girl who was preserved in the sea.

Although the Sea of Quanta was almost infinitely vast, like streets with countless branching paths, he happened to possess the ability to tread through them one by one.

With this thought, Ming Yu said to Yae Sakura beside him, "Miss Sakura, I'll need you to do me a small favor then."

Sakura nodded, "Go ahead."

"Hocus pocus, alakazam..."

Afterward, Ming Yu explained his plan in detail to the girl beside him.

"I understand the general idea."

"Yeah, this kind of thing works best when done by someone she doesn't know. I'll be counting on you for that."

Having finished the important matters, Ming Yu glanced at the books Yae Sakura had.

These were books about Kallen he had borrowed from the library some time ago.

"How are you finding these books? If you need more, I can bring back another batch for you."

"Thank you... Through these books, I've indeed learned a lot about Kallen. And I can tell that the authors of these books really liked and admired her."

Speaking of which, Otto definitely knew about Yae Sakura, but the reverse wasn't necessarily true; Yae Sakura didn't necessarily know about Otto.

At most, she might have heard him mention her name once or twice in conversations before the massacre in Yae Village broke out.

Yae Sakura replied with a faint smile, "My dearest friend passed away five hundred years ago, yet she is still remembered by people in the world. I am happy for her."

The next day, in Changkong City.

The three of them once again set foot on this wasteland, making their way to the entrance of Chiba Academy.

The school gates, once luxuriously decorated, had long since turned into ruins. Only by the remaining debris could they barely identify this as the entrance.