Who Isn't a Herrscher

Beasts, if wild beasts are infected with a large amount of Honkai Energy, they will turn into giant "Honkai Beasts."

Furthermore, the stronger a Honkai Beast is, the larger its size will become.

"System, do you think this world will experience a 'Honkai'?"

"Unless a 'Herrscher' is born, this world will not experience a large-scale 'Honkai' outbreak at this stage."

"But given this world's level of civilization, a Honkai outbreak is bound to happen sooner or later, right?"

"Correct."

Luo Mio ended his conversation with the System.

"Touka-nee, tell Aunt Kuro and the others what Alice said. Have them investigate secretly," Luo Mio then said to Touka.

Touka nodded and then walked out of the medical room.

"Why do we have to investigate secretly?" Stella looked at him.

"Because we don't want to alert them."

"Alert them?"

"Yes, because it's hard to guarantee that people from the 'Alliance' and 'Confederation' haven't done such things."

"How could that be..."

"Don't worry, because Alice defected, the Rebellion is afraid of their experiments being leaked, so they'll probably be more cautious."

"The current situation is this selection battle."

Luo Mio looked at the video playing on repeat on the screen.

Shizuku thought of something and asked, "Alice, you must have seen them, right?"

Arisugawa shook her head and said, "No, I only heard their names when I left the Rebellion. I haven't seen them."

Luo Mio pondered after hearing Arisugawa's words.

A divergence point different from the original world...

"For now, we just have to wait for the new rules of the selection battle to be announced."

The next day.

On the first day Luo Mio left the medical room, in the classroom of Class 1-1.

Oregi Yori stood on the podium and said with her usual energy, "I'm sure everyone has heard about this year's brand new selection battle. Now, I will tell you the new rules and the battle location for this year's selection battle~!"

"This year's selection battle is different from previous years. In the past, the selection battle was held within a single academy to choose representatives for the Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival. This year, it's a mixed selection battle between seven academies plus the new academy, 'Akatsuki Academy.' Your opponents will not only be students from your own school but also formidable opponents from the other six academies, and you might even encounter participants from last year's 'Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival' who made it to the top eight or top four."

The other seven academies... top eight and top four, huh...

Luo Mio and Ikki listened with solemn expressions, while Stella's eyes sparkled with fighting spirit.

"The rules of the battle are the same as previous selection battles."

"Similarly, the battle location for the selection battle will be held in all the dome stadiums throughout Tokyo. Furthermore, the selection battle committee will assign hotels to the participating students of each academy and provide accommodation for the students."

Luo Mio raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

"Little Yori." Luo Mio raised his hand and asked, "So, does that mean students from all eight academies will gather in Tokyo?"

"That's right."

"And the timing is the same as in previous years, three days per match."

"However." Oregi Yori playfully posed a riddle, then said, "This year's win conditions are different from previous years. Participating students will have twelve matches, and to become a representative for the Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival, you must win eleven matches."

"Each student has one chance to fail. If you lose two matches, you will be disqualified. The committee will notify the participating contestants of the match times one day in advance."

Essentially a free pass once...

So that means...

Luo Mio thought of something and his eyebrows shot up. "This year's Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival will likely be very lively."

"Yeah," Ikki agreed with a nod.

"How about it, Ikki, do you have confidence?" Luo Mio asked Ikki with a smile.

Ikki glanced at Luo Mio, then his face showed full confidence. "Of course."

Back in the dormitory, Luo Mio plopped onto the sofa with a thud.

"Damn, why haven't they fixed this hole yet?"

Luo Mio looked at the large hole in the wall, which he had blown out on his first day of enrollment.

"Ababa ababa ababa..." Luo Mio then lay on the sofa, babbling blankly.

"Ding."

Huh?!...

This voice...

Then, Luo Mio said to the System within his consciousness, "What's going on? Two missions in two days."

Facing Luo Mio's question, the System coldly chose to remain silent.

Seeing that the System wasn't responding, Luo Mio turned his gaze to the mission log.

"Become the representative for the Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival."

"Mission Reward: Initial S-Rank Valkyrie carrier for the current Fu Hua character host."

"Mission Reward Two: Initial A-Rank Valkyrie carrier for a new Fu Hua character host."

Huh?!!!

An initial S-Rank Valkyrie?!!!

And an additional new initial A-Rank?!!

Upon seeing the mission rewards, Luo Mio let out a string of exclamations.

Woohoo~!

Holy crap, System, you're finally not being stingy.

After all these years, you finally decided to give me new characters as rewards?

The System continued to maintain its silence.

Luo Mio: Emmmmm, System, you're dead.

A refined and gentle voice suddenly appeared right in your face.

System: You're dead.

The System was instantly triggered, and the refined and gentle voice retorted to Luo Mio.

Luo Mio: Is there still a place for me in this world?

System: ...

Luo Mio chuckled, "Don't be so cold, okay?"

"Let me ask you, can I only choose the teacher for this initial S-Rank Valkyrie character carrier?"

"Yes." The System remained as stingy with its words as ever.

The System's reply caused Luo Mio to fall into thought, recalling Fu Hua's initial S-Ranks.

Luna, Phoenix, Azure, Onyx.

Does Onyx count? Even though she uses the teacher's body.

"Initial S, huh... System, can I choose an initial S from a Soul Awakened character?"

"No. According to this System's settings, the strength of a Soul Awakened character will be higher than that of an initial S-Rank character."

"Is that so..."

Luo Mio thought of something and asked the System.

"Then will my current White Night carrier be overwritten by the initial S-Rank?"

"No, the initial S-Rank will be layered on top of the existing character carrier."

"NPPPPPPPPPP, Brother System! You're my Superman!!!" Luo Mio shouted loudly in his mental space.

"So, that means I can activate White Night's skills while also activating the skills of an initial S-Rank character?"

"Theoretically, yes."

Woohoo~!!!

Luo Mio instantly imagined a combination, himself activating "Thousand Stars" while simultaneously unleashing Luna's ultimate.

He pointed at the enemy and said, "I've got 160 SP ready, watch what you say!"

Lying on the sofa, Luo Mio grinned foolishly like an idiot, drooling slightly.

This year's "Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival" representative spot, I'm claiming it!!!

Chapter 23: The Banquet

A week passed, neither fast nor slow.

On the streets of central Tokyo, crowds bustled through the prosperous avenues. Due to the new selection tournament this year, people from all over the country and even from abroad had come to Tokyo.

"Ah~." Luo Mio walked through the crowd with his backpack, fanning himself with his right hand.

"Alright, alright, we're almost at the accommodation assigned by the committee," Ikki said to Luo Mio from the side.

Luo Mio continued fanning himself, grumbling, "Then why do the two of us have to walk there?"

He recalled this morning, as they were leaving the school gate, Touka enjoyed the privilege of the top four contestants of the Seven Stars Sword Dance Festival, being driven in a luxurious car. Stella and Shizuku also had dedicated cars because they were the first and second ranked freshmen. Arisugawa also had a car due to his status. Only he and Ikki were trudging miserably to the hotel.

Luo Mio, who had already been screaming like a groundhog in his mind hundreds of times, sighed internally.

Damn it, why is the gap between people so huge?

It wasn't long before Luo Mio and Ikki, walking toward the hotel entrance, received their room key at the front desk.

Their room was number 44.

Luo Mio stared blankly at the room number.

"44... four and four... death and death..."

Damn it, they're targeting me! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Ikki glanced at the room number, sighed, took the key, opened the door, and walked in with their luggage.

"Ah..." After unpacking, Luo Mio sprawled out on the bed, limbs splayed.

"Ding dong!"

The doorbell rang.

Ikki got up to open the door.

"Yo!" Arisugawa greeted Ikki from the doorway.

"Alice, what's up?" Ikki asked, confused.

"Seeing you two like this, I figured you wouldn't know."

"Huh?"

"The pre-tournament banquet. It's a party for the contestants of the selection matches, hosted by the committee," Arisugawa explained, pulling out a pile of clothes from behind him.

"Hurry up, hurry up."

Ikki looked at himself in the mirror.