I Was Here First

Hoshino knew her actions had been incredibly eye-catching, but the shrine's sign was already up, and its reputation had probably spread. People would definitely come to pray and leave money in the future. Once business opened, wealth would come pouring in.

Life was about to get better.

She had no idea what an uproar her actions had caused within the Guard Department. After getting settled, she began secretly observing the new character by herself.

In the empty Tenshukaku, Hoshino closed her eyes.

A brand-new character card shimmered brilliantly. Sixth Serenade smiled, while pale golden letters spelling "New" floated at the card's upper right corner.

Everything was unbearably tantalizing.

Following the usual logic of mobile games, Hoshino gently tapped the character card.

One second.

Two seconds.

Nine seconds.

Nine seconds passed, and nothing happened.

She silently waited another two minutes, confirming that it was not the system reacting too slowly—she genuinely had not selected the character.

Apparently, she could not handle everything according to mobile game conventions.

Hoshino scratched her head, wondering whether she needed a transformation phrase. She did not ponder for long before an idea came to her. After a thoughtful hum, she softly spoke the words aloud.

The signature transformation line from the Honkai Impact 3rd series.

"I can't do anything!"

Hoshino said it in a remorseful tone.

Nothing happened. Hoshino opened her eyes and looked around. Gyakushinn Miko's wide sleeves were still fluttering in the wind, and Yae Sakura was still Yae Sakura.

It seemed Sixth Serenade's power alone was not suited to this level of cheat code.

She would try something simpler.

Hoshino lowered her head and muttered, "Happy Kallen, henshin!"

A flash of pale blue light vanished in an instant. Hoshino felt her body suddenly become lighter. Her loose shrine maiden robes disappeared, replaced by a slightly form-fitting combat suit made of polymer materials, while her long hair became a neat braid.

Hoshino had now become Happy Kallen.

She reached for her waist with both hands, but found no weapons. Opening her eyes, Hoshino immediately frowned.

No dual pistols.

Sakura Fubuki's mission was not over yet, and guns were not as common in Terra as they were in the Honkai world. Only the Sankta—the angelic race with halos over their heads—possessed firearms excavated from ruins.

Still, it was not a problem.

Happy Kallen was agile and possessed the strength of a Honkai beast. She could use that for close-quarters combat.

She touched her head. There were no racial markers. At that moment, she looked like an ordinary human who had wandered into a zoo full of beast girls. That was somewhat troublesome.

She would go outside for a walk first.

Hoshino flicked her braid and headed out, only to collide with Rope, who was walking toward her.

"Who are you?"

Rope reacted with natural wariness. Looking at the unfamiliar white-haired older sister before her, she smiled as she subtly took several steps back.

"Being nervous is pointless."

Hoshino hurriedly explained, "I'm a member of Yae Shrine. My name is Kallen. Please don't look at me like that. The reason you can't tell what race I am is entirely because I used Originium Arts."

Hoshino had figured it out. In this world, no matter how outrageous something was, it could be explained with Originium Arts.

Just like Honkai energy in the Honkai world.

It held the ultimate right of explanation.

Rope was a little dumbfounded. She did not know where Yae Sakura had gone, nor did she feel comfortable letting a stranger wander around the shrine, so she could only force herself to take on security work—something she was terrible at.

Without realizing it, Rope seemed to have started treating this place as home.

Hoshino said with a helpless laugh, "I really am a shrine member. You don't need to watch me so closely."

Rope turned a deaf ear.

Hoshino could only lead her around the shrine, pretending to tour the grounds. She passed through the Tenshukaku and beneath the torii gates, circled around the foot of the mountain several times, and finally stopped before the newly built statue, studying the adorable deity closely.

A chibi body.

Five tails.

A little red-haired fox-eared girl.

It was none other than the legendary mascot of Yae Village, Hiyumaru.

Looking at that arrogant expression, it was as though Yae Village's Hiyumaru had floated right before her eyes again.

Hoshino stepped forward. Her slender palm pressed against the gilded Hiyumaru's face, slightly propping open a gap. Her other hand slowly moved downward to form a fulcrum, and she lifted the three-person-tall statue with effortless ease.

Was this the Kaslana family's inherited monstrous strength?

That was what Hoshino thought.

In Terra, aside from orcas and mythical races, there probably was no one whose pure physical strength exceeded Kallen's.

After testing it out, she gently set the Hiyumaru mascot statue back down, dusted herself off, and planned to take Kallen's body out for a stroll.

A sound came from beyond the mountain gate.

Because of the renovations, the shrine gates were open. Since she had already made the news, that should have been enough to deter the petty scoundrels lurking in the shadows. Yet it had not stopped them at all. Before even a day of peace had passed, a challenger had come knocking.

Was a famous sword really that alluring?

The newcomer looked like an extremely traditional warrior.

He wore a haori and carried a katana, holding it in a classic reverse grip clearly prepared for an exceptionally fast iai slash.

Hoshino stared at him, frowning deeply.

Yae Sakura's natural sense for breaking through techniques had vanished, replaced by a set of complex bodily movements—nimble, elegant, and quite powerful. Their only flaw was that they all required weapons called dual pistols.

Perhaps that was the difference between Sixth Serenade and Gyakushinn Miko.

"I am Shingen."

Though he used humble language, he carried himself with utter arrogance. Shingen could not even be bothered to acknowledge anyone in the shrine who was not a shrine maiden.

Hoshino frowned.

Long ago, all kinds of dojo challenges had been popular. An obscure young swordsman only needed to defeat a famous master to instantly rise to fame and fortune, with glory and honor flooding in. It was like a savage pride of lions: a young male lion killed the old one, then inherited his wives, cubs, and territory along with him.

There were still plenty of people like that today.

Shingen said calmly and arrogantly, "The purpose of my visit is to challenge the shrine maiden of Yae Shrine. Ask her to come out and meet me."

"Get lost!"

Neither Rope nor Hoshino had said that.

The three turned their eyes toward the entrance. A figure climbed the steps one at a time, each stride heavy and resolute.

After receiving Hoshiguma's guidance, Ch'en had suddenly seen the light. All her confusion had vanished. Her gaze was firm and focused, as though it could pierce into a person's heart. Her pale blue hair moved in the wind, carrying an indomitable aura that could not be ignored.

"Lungmen Senior Superintendent Ch'en Huijie. I've come to challenge you."

Ch'en stepped beneath the newly built vermilion torii gate, her boots kicking up dust. Shingen, the first challenger, revealed a troubled expression, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

"Officer, I was here first..."

"Beat him to death."