Honkai, I Alone Save Everything

Although a vision of Higokumaru appeared on the lake of his heart.

The pitch-black fox was several times his size, its fur burning with unceasing flames, glaring at him with blood-red eyes.

While she couldn't interfere with Yae Sakura's decisions, she believed she could still do something.

—She couldn't influence Yae Sakura, but surely she could still influence this ordinary human?

While Yae Sakura was focused on the possession process, she stealthily transmitted some negative emotions and memories into Ming Yu's mind.

In her view, by transmitting these negative things, she could at least affect his state of mind.

Whether it was to wear down his will to fight or to make him retreat, she hoped for such a result.

—She truly, truly wanted to live.

However, Ming Yu's expression remained calm, as if these extraneous memories had no effect on him at all.

After all, as an old captain, he didn't know all the plot points by heart, but he already knew most of the stories inside and out from the game.

"Human... who exactly are you..."

Higokumaru said hesitantly.

"You should worry about yourself. Why don't you just give up resisting and let the Black Box turn you into a God Key?"

Ming Yu said casually.

"...!"

Higokumaru was startled, and the flames burning on her massive fox body faltered.

How did this human know about this?

Even now, the Black Box from the previous era, which was used to seal her, still clung to her, restraining her and waiting for the day it would completely subdue her.

If she hadn't relied on her hatred and loathing within her heart to stubbornly resist for fifty thousand years, she would have been turned into a God Key weapon by the automated program installed in the Black Box, just like her other eleven "compatriots."

The Honkai apostle that destroyed civilization would then become humanity's blade against the Honkai… she absolutely did not want to see such a thing happen.

But how did this human know about such a matter?

These events had all happened fifty thousand years ago; how could he possibly know?

Was he a human from the previous civilization left behind in this era?

Higokumaru immediately dismissed this thought that naturally arose.

—She had infiltrated the internal network system of the Flame-Chasing Moths in the past, and there was no one like him among the Thirteen Flame-Chasers and other personnel.

If he wasn't from the previous civilization, then knowing about her would be even more bizarre.

After all, even Yae Sakura, who shared life and death with her now, didn't know about the events that transpired fifty thousand years ago, so it was definitely not something this guy had learned from Yae Sakura's memories.

The more Higokumaru thought about it, the more something felt wrong, and she gradually began to feel a hint of fear. She had only intended to bluff and use memories to scare this human named Ming Yu into retreating, but his calm reaction and a few words made her unable to see through his origins.

Seeing that the situation was unfavorable, she immediately decided to flee.

The giant fox let out a fierce roar and then vanished, making a hasty escape.

"He really ran fast..."

After sending Higokumaru away, Ming Yu's consciousness returned to reality.

He reached out and touched the left side of his neck, where he could clearly feel that something had been added.

This was the symbol left on him after Yae Sakura's possession: a three-comma pattern.

This could be considered a Stigmata. Although in terms of gameplay, Stigmata seemed to be implanted on the backs of Valkyries, in reality, they could appear anywhere on the body.

For example, Seele's Stigmata was on her collarbone, and Mei's Stigmata… well, if he remembered correctly, it should be on her waist.

Of course, there were also Stigmata without visible patterns. At least Ming Yu believed that the Stigmata of Kaslana and Schariac definitely didn't have visible patterns.

Otherwise, that super airhead, who had lost her childhood memories and grown up in Schicksal, wouldn't have remained unaware of her bloodline and origins for so many years.

About a minute later, Yae Sakura had completely possessed him.

"Let's start moving, Ming Yu."

Yae Sakura's voice echoed in his mind.

"Okay, let's work together to resolve this Herrscher incident."

Ming Yu nodded and began to stride towards Chiba Academy.

At this critical moment when every second counted, there was no time to temporarily improve and accumulate his experience in this area, but…

In a sense, what he lacked the least right now was opportunities and time to try.

Since his physical preparations were complete, he could quickly accumulate combat experience by constantly engaging in actual battles.

This was one of the uses of time rewind.

—Although time rewind couldn't bring back a physically trained body, skills and experience could still be accumulated rapidly through this method.

He could master the control of his enhanced body through repeated practice.

After all, he didn't need to fear wounds or death.

If once isn't enough, then ten times. If ten isn't enough, then a hundred. If a hundred isn't enough, then a thousand.

While it would greatly consume his mental energy, it could indeed allow him to grow in a very "short" amount of time.

As Ming Yu arrived at the entrance of Chiba Academy, the Honkai Beasts and Dead Soldiers that were wandering nearby were all drawn to him.

—The Honkai energy at the level of a Pseudo-Herrscher was quite attractive and conspicuous. To these Honkai Beasts, who acted purely on instinct like animals, he was exceptionally "dazzling."

Facing the Honkai Beasts and Dead Soldiers gathered at the entrance of Chiba Academy, Ming Yu conjured a katana in his hand.

[Spirit Blade: Sakura Snow].

The true Sakura Snow had long since vanished into the river of history. Although it was an ancestral Spirit Blade of the Yae family, it was merely an ordinary item, not a Divine Key or Sacred Relic from the previous civilization, and could not withstand the erosion of five hundred years.

The one in Ming Yu's hand now was created through Honkai energy.

As long as he held the long blade, memories of how to use it seemed to flood his mind.

This was also an effect of being possessed by Yae Sakura.

"Well then... I'll try out my blade on you guys first."

These monsters were his sparring partners.

Ming Yu took a deep breath, drew Sakura Snow, and charged into Chiba Academy.

Chapter 11: The Longing of a Girl Born in Solitude

Chiba Academy, the rooftop of a certain teaching building.

A black-haired girl stood there, her expression calm as she gazed at something.

Perhaps to those who knew her situation, this girl, already identified as a Herrscher, would seem like a terrifying existence. But in reality, at this very moment, she was deeply lost.

—She was not the original owner of this body, Raiden Mei.

From the moment she gained self-awareness to the sudden takeover of this body, only a few hours had passed.

Like a certain shrine maiden who was rushing here, she had no clear understanding of this world.

Even if she wanted to find someone to communicate with, she couldn't do it at all.

After all, at the moment of her birth, in that classroom filled with corpses, the only ones left beside her were humans who could no longer speak.

Who is she?

She didn't know.

What should she do?

On this point, a voice in her mind had told her.

—Her name is "Third Herrscher."

The purpose of a Herrscher's birth was to eliminate the humans and their civilization that were polluting this planet.

That voice was very real and sincere, but the girl still deeply doubted the meaning of her own existence.

Therefore, since her birth, she had done nothing.

She had remained here, at Chiba Academy.

Of course, the Honkai energy fluctuations caused by her birth alone had already nearly annihilated this city.

During her time on the rooftop, she had been browsing the memories of the original owner of this body, the girl named "Raiden Mei."

The combat skills honed through years of practicing swordsmanship with the "Houm Swordsman";

Her noble upbringing and cultivated arrogance, living a life surrounded by flowers and flattery;

After her father, Raiden Ryoma, was imprisoned for an economic scandal, her classmates' attitudes turned cold, causing her to gradually become reclusive and taciturn;

"..."

In Raiden Mei's memories, the girl saw all her past joys and sorrows; all her perceptions felt so real.

However, those memories did not truly belong to her.

After all, she was not "Raiden Mei."

Having just been born, she had nothing.

All she had was the immense power that came with the "mission" that had descended upon her.

The girl raised her hand, looking at the electric sparks flowing between her fingers.

—This power to control electromagnetic fields.

Anything she touched was reduced to its atomic state by the overwhelming Honkai energy, so she couldn't touch anything.

And when humans got close to her, they would only be infected by Honkai energy and turn into Dead Soldiers who couldn't communicate, so she couldn't talk to anyone either.

She had nothing, only a vague mission to destroy humanity.

If the girl had any hope now, it was perhaps that a human would appear who could communicate with her.

However, having seen the pained and fearful expressions on the faces of other humans before their deaths, she had become somewhat afraid of this hope.

Even if a human who could communicate with her appeared... they would likely become her enemy.

She probably looked like a monster in people's eyes, in her current state.

So-called monsters were only ever ostracized.

Perhaps it would be easier to live if she just listened to the voice in her head and fulfilled her mission to destroy humanity…

As the young girl hesitated, she sensed someone arriving on the rooftop.

With a sliver of hope, a dash of anticipation, and a touch of fear, she turned around to face the newcomer.

It was a male human who appeared to be around her age. Raiden Mei had no recollection of him from her past.

The girl felt no hostility from him, so she had no immediate intention of attacking.

—While she was confused right now, that didn't mean she wouldn't act. If the other party displayed clear hostility, she wouldn't hesitate to strike him down.

The voice echoing in her mind gave her a considerable urge to destroy.

"...Who are you?"

"I'm Ming Yu."

As he spoke, he sheathed the long red sword in his hand.

He had fought his way up from the main entrance of Chiba Academy, and through time manipulation, he had repeatedly trained and mastered his swordsmanship. Although it only took him less than twenty minutes to reach this rooftop, he had already experienced countless battles and was completely familiar with his current body, now possessed by Yae Sakura.

However, what he intended to do was certainly not to defeat her through brute force.

—Having witnessed Bronya's encounter with her, from their initial meeting and conversation to their battle, and recalling Kiana's multiple clashes with her in the original timeline, Ming Yu had some guesses about the internal state of this Third Herrscher.

Yes, just like his two predecessors, the First Herrscher, Welt Joyce, and the Second Herrscher, Sirin, she, as the Third Herrscher, was not actually dominated by the will of Honkai.