The Golden Valkyrie
Chapter 1 – Outbreak
Evergreen City
Hong Kong, Central
10:00 AM
'All communications from the outside world have been severed. The United Nations have confirmed that Evergreen City is currently plagued with a transmittable disease.'
The woman announced on the massive static screen, amidst the dilapidated city. The warning could have been heeded if it was carried out sooner. Now, it proved to be futile as the streets were roaming with mindless zombies who were subjected to the virus. Dire consequences were met to those who were unfortunate enough to come into contact with the deadly disease. To combat such an affliction, one must have strong willpower and only a few are able to resist it.
"Move aside, freaks!"
Multiple gunshots sounded off in the air as two figures sped through the streets, obliterating anything that stood in their way; one was a white-haired girl sporting twin braids holding two pistols and the other was a black-haired girl with a violet ribbon neatly tied in her hair holding a shotgun. Both were wearing school uniforms with blood smeared onto the fabric.
"Don't block our way!" The white-haired girl exclaimed, firing off another bullet.
The two girls continued to bolt through the crowd of the undead until a large creature fell from the top of a building and landed behind them. Both turned around to see what decided to crash the party and within the crater, a beast towered over them. With two colossal arms, the single eye in the center of its head flared a menacing red. Zombies weren't the only things they needed to worry about, because what stood before them was something far more dreadful.
The cataclysmic plague was unlike anything mankind had faced; an unbridled phenomenon that existed for years. The virus took on many forms and the infection was only a small part of it; beasts of unimaginable proportions emerged, whose sole purpose was to only extinguish humanity. Nothing more, nothing less.
Both girls pointed their guns at the target as the beast roared and advanced towards them. Multiple shots were fired, the sound of ammunition piercing through the air. They unloaded everything their guns could, but to their shock, it didn't even put a single scratch on the skin. It bounced off of its exterior, only angering it in the process.
The hulking creature raised its arm and slammed it on the street, causing the concrete to fly everywhere. Fortunately, the girls jumped out of the way in time.
"Kiana, our weapons aren't effective against them," the black-haired girl said, a bead of sweat trailing down on the side of her forehead.
"Tch. When will these pervs stop tailing girls around? This is getting really annoying!" An exasperated groan came out of Kiana's breath. She then took on a defensive stance, putting herself in front of her friend. "Don't worry, Mei. I'll protect you," she reassured.
As the creature steadily approached them like a predator cornering their prey, a figure moved from the corner of Mei's eyes. Something... or someone jumped from atop a building above them and as soon as the twin gray pigtails came into view, there was only one person she knew.
"Bronya!" she shouted, causing Kiana to look up as well. The white-haired girl also took notice of the girl, her mouth agape to see such a stunt.
"Target locked. Remodeled Bunny 19C." As soon as the young girl muttered these words, something materialized behind her; a bright light encompassed the figure as streaks of electrical charge radiated off of it. Once the light works settled, a cyborg-like machine puppet came in to form. The engine roared within the robot, setting its eyes on the beast beneath.
The mechanical puppet reared its right arm back, the metal drill beginning to spin rapidly. Once the target was within striking range, it drove its drill right into the beast's head, splitting it in half along with the rest of its body. The ground ruptured from the sheer impact as the colossal creature fell to ground with a resounding thud.
"Mission accomplished," the young girl muttered to herself, her voice devoid of emotion as she gingerly landed on the concrete. The puppet machine behind her dematerialized, disappearing into thin air. In her hands, she held some kind of yellow rabbit-like doll with two large eyes and a sharp smile plastered across its face.
"Bronya!" A voice called out to her and it was none other than Mei, who came up to her side and gave her a light pat on the head. "You came in just the right time! Thank you!"
"The Bronya is relieved to arrive just in time to save Mei," she replied, a small smile contorting on her lips.
"If you came in a second late, we would have been—"
"Why thank her?!" Kiana blurted out. To her, all that talk of saving her precious friend was taken away by this little girl and the idea only infuriated her more. "She came in abruptly and made a mess! I was nearly dragged into it, you useless midget!"
Bronya wasn't at all fazed by any means as she received dim-witted comments in the past. Empty and meaningless, they did not matter to her in the slightest. Though, that doesn't mean she can give her own remarks.
"System has ruled that subject Kiana's safety is the lowest priority."
"Are you starting a war with me!?" Kiana challenged, practically fuming.
"The Bronya has a 99.99% chance of winning against Kiana Idiotka."
"Mine will be 100% compared to you!"
While the two continued to exchange words that would insult each other, Mei was deep in thought about what had happened minutes ago. The fallen beast that laid before her was troublesome at best.
'Why are these creatures still appearing? Perhaps the concentration of Honkai energy is still rising? How long will it take for these creatures to appear in groups again? If they do, will our current arsenal be enough?'
One question after another and it worried Mei deeply. With the ever-growing virus, they won't know when one of these things will decide to attack again. If they do, she wouldn't think any of them would survive, given their current weapons. As of now, the best plan of action is to find a way out of the city and find some sort of safe haven.
If there is one.
As the two bickering girls exchanged insults to one another, Bronya swivelled her head and glanced at the black-haired girl. She observed her friend, who seemed to be pondering about something—but what really caught her attention was the red liquid dripping on the left arm.
"Mei is injured?" Bronya asked, moving towards her and ignoring the sour expression on the white-haired girl's face directed at her.
For a moment, Mei was confused. She didn't know what warranted the concern, but once she noticed where the eyes were focused, she followed the line of sight as well. Sure enough, she saw the small cut on her arm with a red line across it.
"Ah, it's nothing major. Don't worry about it," she replied, laughing it off.
On the other hand, Kiana was about to give another insult of her own before she noticed the injury as well. Not giving Bronya a chance to help this time, she ran past the small girl and observed the small injury.
"I can help you with that. Here..." Lifting the arm gently, Kiana held it close to her mouth where the line of blood was. Without any sort of hesitation, she interlaced her fingers with Mei's - and boldly used her tongue to lick the red liquid off the arm.
With cheeks as red as a tomato, Mei yelped from the sensation of her friend's assertive methods, a slew of shy moans fluttering past her lips.
"C-Cut it out... Please, K-Kiana... S-Stop it..."
No matter how much Mei told her to stop, the braided-haired girl pressed on with her unconventional methods of treating the small cut. It was not until some sort of engine sound roared behind the two. Craning their necks, Mei and Kiana saw a displeased Bronya and a robot puppet behind her, seemingly ready to engage at any time.
"Mei has shown discomfort in your crude actions, Idiotka," she deadpanned. "If you do not cease, I will execute my command to attack you."
Kiana was unfazed by the threat but was more or less confused. "What are you talking about? Mei is enjoying this kind of thing!"
"E-Eh?" Mei sputtered, her face becoming a darker shade of red.
"Is that true, Mei?" Bronya inquired.
"You enjoyed it didn't you, Mei?" A bright smile made its way on Kiana's face, her eyes glinting with expectation.
"Erm..." With quivering lips, Mei had difficulty trying to voice out her answer. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she closed her eyes and lowered her head slightly. "Th-There's... Uh..."
"Yeah, yeah?" The large smile never left Kiana's lips as she waited for the answer.
"T-There is no way it was comfortable in the slightest!" Mei stammered out, cheeks still tinted red.
Bronya turned to observe Kiana, who was practically speechless. The white-haired girl stood in place, motionless and silent. Needless to say, she was stunned by the reply. Not long after, a chorus of groans and grumbles broke her from her stupor.
"The Bronya suggests we leave now," she said, noticing the approaching horde of zombies behind them.
"Ah, you're right." Composing herself, Mei fixed the strap to which her shotgun was attached. "We have to get to high ground."
"Understood." The gray-haired girl complied, moving ahead of the group.
Mei shifted her head to Kiana, who was still standing quietly.
"Kiana..."
In a soft tone, Mei called out to her. For a moment, the girl never showed any signs of movement. Before she could say her name again, the white-haired girl moved past her without a word, her head hung low. Shifting her attention to the zombies behind her once again, Mei followed her friends down the street and left the scene.
Hours fleeted throughout the afternoon as the night finally befell on another day. Bodies laid numb on the street, the blood splattering on the concrete. Darkness shrouded the streets, not a single light under the moonlight. Along the streets, an apartment stood and on the third floor, a glass door was slid open. Inside, three people took refuge as the cold of the night gave them comfort.
"Finally," Mei sighed. On her lap, an unconscious Bronya laid her head. The yellow puppet the girl held earlier rested next to her, acting as a pillow. Gently and softly, she rubbed the young girl's head. Craning her neck to the side, she saw the stars twinkling in the vast night sky. She thought it was the only beautiful thing that existed in this world of sickness and chaos.
What would she give to see such scenery every night?
"Hmph! Liar."
The grumpy voice broke her from her own fleeting thoughts, turning her attention to the source of the sound. No more did it lead to a disgruntled Kiana, who sat on the floor on the side of the bed, tucking her legs and putting up a sour face.
"You looked as if you were enjoying it," she pouted, narrowing her eyes.
'She's still conscious about that?' Mei mused inwardly, feeling a bit flushed. She saw how Kiana was looking at her from the edge of her eyes, pouting. The white-haired girl then advanced towards her, crawling in all fours until she was close enough to put an index finger on the cheek of the sleeping Bronya.
"How dare the midget sleeps on Mei's thighs!" Kiana spat indignantly. "I regret letting her join us."
Mei deeply frowned. The remark was clearly uncalled for. "Don't say that! If Bronya hadn't come earlier, we wouldn't be here now."
"Yeah, yeah..." Kiana waved her hand aimlessly in the air, rolling her eyes. "Bronya is the best, Mei loves her the most... Blah, blah, blah..."
"Indeed!" Mei confirmed with a smile. "I do like her the most." Her comment almost made Kiana whimper, with tears already forming in the girl's eyes.
"Of course..." Mei added, pausing a moment before solemnly looking into Kiana's eyes. "I like Kiana the most too."
Surprisingly, the white-haired girl's expression lit up in an instant, as if she had forgotten the comment earlier. Her eyes glinted at the praise as she held Mei's hand. "Really?! You mean that?"
"Indeed. Kiana is my savior," Mei responded in kind, returning a soft smile.
"Hehe!" Kiana gave out a light-hearted chuckle.
"Incredible, isn't it?" Mei brought up, tugging a small smile. "We just got acquainted, and yet, this bond we have feels like we've known each other for a long time." She closed her eyes, letting out a few steady breaths. There were many things going through her mind that she wished and hoped would come true, but in this cruel world they live in now, those were just fantasies within the cruel reality.
Opening her eyes, Mei muttered in a gentle voice. "If we are able to leave this place safely, how great would that be?"
"Definitely!" Kiana chirped, gripping Mei's hand tighter. "We will definitely get out of this place and whatever happens, Kiana will always protect Mei."
A light blush appeared on Mei's face, being flustered at the remark. After everything they've been through up until now, she would never fail to see Kiana by her side. She was always a tad clingy, but that was one of the traits Mei admired about her. It signified how their deep bond for one another had gone long ways in surviving the apocalypse. No matter how grim things may look, they will always be there for each other.
Her light-hearted expression suddenly morphed into a serious one when she heard the ground crack. Instinctively, she and Kiana turned their attention to the sound on the wall opposite them. They didn't have time to react as the next thing they knew, the building was sliced from the middle, sending them flying out into the air.
With three girls in mid-air, Kiana screamed in frustration, shielding her eyes from the dust and debris. "Now what!?" Her question did not go unanswered, for she saw the state of the building they were sheltered right in front of her.
From top to bottom, the structure was sliced off in a chaotic clutter, the rubble polluting the street. What was truly unnerving about it was the thing that caused the wreckage: a gigantic blade in the center and it was held by another beast belonging to another beast, one that towered above the buildings. In its right limb was another weapon, which was some sort of lance with a sharp point on its end. The beast hovered past the gap and once it had taken sights of the three girls, its eye flared a hellish red.
"These stupid freaks don't know when to stop," Kiana grimaced, clenching her fists. Luckily, she and Mei were able to maintain their footing once they landed on the concrete below. As much as she wanted to give these monsters a piece of her mind, it was not until now she noticed how their guns weren't in their possession. Gritting her teeth, Kiana assumed that their guns were under the pile of rubble and concrete in the building, or worse, destroyed. Needless to say, they were without a weapon to defend and the only one capable in their team now was the emotionless midget.
Who was currently facing the beast head-on.
Without a second to waste, Bronya swiped her hand through the air and summoned Project Bunny, shooting out her lance towards the beast. Unfortunately, her opponent wasn't backing down either as its own lance dove right for her too. The contact between the two weapons caused a resounding shockwave, nearly toppling the buildings around them. Bronya staggered back a bit from the sheer force until she saw something massive and sharp at the edge of her vision. Before the large blade could deal a devastating blow, she conjured a shield on her side at the last second. Fortunately, it blocked the impact, but the intensity of the strike sent her flying through the buildings.
"Bronya!" Mei hollered, her eyes seeing the hollowed-out structures in the distance. She was so worried about her friend that she never noticed the massive creature behind her, in which its blade was already being brought down on her. A horrified expression dawned on Mei's face, her heart ready to fail her. Her instincts betrayed her as she stood unmoving, unflinching, and unshaken of what was about to happen.
"Jeez..." Something pushed on her side, bringing Mei back to her senses. The familiar voice only belonged to Kiana, who was now up and close at her. "If you're going to worry so much about Bronya, I'll get really jealous, you know."
Those were the last words Mei heard before she witnessed a gut-wrenching scene before her. Just above her line of sight, she saw the colossal blade strike Kiana at the last second, the sound of muscle and flesh tearing through the air. Blood ruptured from Kiana's backside, staining the shredded uniform and splattering Mei along with it. The body went limp instantly, as Mei landed with a haunting thud against the concrete. It took her a while to realize what had transpired because she refused to believe it.
"Ki-Kiana..." Mei mumbled, her lips quivering, already faltering. There could be no horror greater than the kind she witnessed mere moments ago. Shaking her head in disbelief, Mei muttered Kiana's name once again, but her ears did not hear a single breath. Her jaw fell in horror as her mind was unable to process what transpired, unable to believe it. It was as if she was trapped in some wicked nightmare, unable to escape, to wake up, to live again. Sadly, reality settled in around her and it was real. The blood in her hands, the sick feeling in her stomach, the stabbing pain in her heart and soul; it was all too real.
A deafening silence filled the dreadful atmosphere, nothing but the sound of ringing in Mei's ears. Her head suddenly felt hazy, as if something had fogged her thoughts. Her breathing began to quicken, each one being heavier than the last. Tears pricked at the edge of her eye vision, a single drop falling soundlessly on the cheek of her dear friend. The stinging sensation in her eyes was just as painful as her broken and tattered soul.
The Honkai beast hovered before her, not giving a shred of mercy as it prepared its blade once again. Once the weapon began its deadly descent, everything around Mei slowed to a degree where she solely focused on the body in her arms. She lowered her head and clenched her teeth, an exhale escaping her mouth. Her expression then turned into a glare of otherworldly proportions and then...
Something snapped inside.
The beast was sure its blade impacted the target, but for some reason, its movements were completely stopped. The beast tried to drive its weapon down with more force. At least, it attempted to.
Had not a force field around the target stopped the onslaught.
Letting out a ferocious and harrowing yell, Mei unleashed a greater force of her own, overwhelming the towering Honkai creature. Her irises changed and sharpened, an ominous and threatening look that could shatter the very soul of those who dared to look. A wild burst of energy shot out from the force field as it grew larger and larger, atomizing the blade in the process. The sorrow, pain, and torment within Mei fuelled her rage evermore as her screams were the only sound that reverberated through the city.
In the wake of her wrath, black spheres of energy appeared around Mei, creating circular pockets within the air. One by one, they grew numerous as she began to hover over the ground - along with the body of the white-haired girl in her hands.
"Might not having blond hair isn't gonna fool them forever. Maybe Bulma can help me out."
Sitting comfortably on Flying Nimbus, Gohan stroked his chin, pondering what had transpired throughout the day. School had ended and the first day was more or less eventful, to say the least. Putting the crooks aside, high school life was something Gohan needed to get used to. After his father's unfortunate passing, he decided to focus on his studies just like his mother wanted from the start. Gohan thought this was the best choice because in every fight he was involved in, his mother would constantly worry over him.
Especially of what happened in the Cell Games.
Gohan didn't want to trouble his mother anymore, so he finally let his education take over. To be honest, he also wanted to experience what a normal life feels like, away from the battlefield and the life-threatening situations. Needless to say, Gohan was coping well with the change of pace and there was nothing to be worried about the planet being destroyed.
Except for his superhero alter-ego.
After a few mishaps in gym class earlier, Gohan didn't fare well in wanting to hide his powers. If his classmates saw what he was capable of, he wouldn't want to imagine what the entire school body would think. If word got out, the media would be flocking over him for the rest of his life. Being normal was harder than Gohan initially thought and on the first day, someone was already stalking him.
"I better be careful," Gohan remembered, thinking back on what happened. "Don't want to attract any trouble. Mom wouldn't want anything to get in the way of my studies; at least, that's what I heard she said."
Six years. Six years have passed since the battle was held in the wasteland known as the Cell Games. As clear as day, Gohan remembered the fights and the sufferings he and his friends experienced. Without a doubt, Gohan also reminisced the time when he ascended beyond his Super Saiyan form. The raw and unbridled rage was unlike anything he went through. He held nothing back and unleashed every last of his Saiyan cells could muster and destroy the bio-android for what he did.
Unfortunately, the power blinded Gohan from finishing the job and he suffered the consequences thereafter. Up until this point, he still feels responsible for what happened to him. Even though his father said it wasn't his fault, Gohan couldn't help but feel the weight of guilt in his heart.
If he finished Cell himself, would things have ended differently at that time?
To make up for his mistake, Gohan promised to take care of his mother and his little brother—and in his father's absence, he will continue to protect Earth along with the rest of his friends.
Before Gohan could ponder on his youth once more, he felt something odd in the atmosphere. The light breeze seemed to have picked up some speed for some reason and the clouds slowly darkened. Considering how everything was normal a second ago, the sudden change was unnerving and strange at best. Gohan swiveled his head in all directions, his onyx orbs trying to pinpoint whatever was causing it.
"Slow down a bit, Nimbus. Something's not right," Gohan muttered, patting a hand on the side of the yellow cloud. Said cloud slowed down, moving cautiously as told. Gohan reached out with his ki, trying to sense any kind of energy signature similar to his, but to no avail did he find any.
Was someone masking their Ki on purpose? Is someone trying to ambush him?
Questions stirred within Gohan's mind. It had been a while since he got into a real fight and it slightly troubled him that he wasn't able to locate the energy source. If someone was deliberately hiding their Ki to attack his blind spot, Gohan had to be attentive to his surroundings. Before he knew it, something coalesced in front of them, almost catching him off guard. He only saw a glimpse of black and purple before Flying Nimbus suddenly steered away from the unknown object.
"Wha-?!" Gohan gasped, his breath taken away from almost coming in contact with whatever appeared out of thin air. "What the hell was that?" he hollered out, adjusting himself on top of Nimbus.
Turning his head around, Gohan caught sight of a swirling alien mist floating in the air. His eyes saw the same black and purple hue from the distance. The expression on Gohan's face hardened, trying to comprehend what he just nearly ran into.
"I can't sense it", Gohan said, a bead of cold sweat trailing down his forehead. "Looks like energy, but it's not Ki. What was that all abo-" He never got to finish the thought in his mouth once he faced forward. Not a single word was uttered after seeing what laid before him.
The sight of multiple wormholes forming from every direction.
Gohan's jaw fell agape, his eyes darting off everywhere his eyes could perceive; countless swirls of black and purple energy materializing each second. There was no time to think about what is happening as the only thing that mattered in the here and now was getting out of the predicament and getting back home.
"We gotta get out of here. Careful, Nimbus!" Gohan offered, jumping off the cloud and flaring his ki. Both Gohan and Flying Nimbus maneuvered and weaved through the growing number of portals, as each passing second was getting harder and harder for them. What's worse was the fact that the pockets were trying to suck them in like a vacuum, which made it more troublesome.
"Just where did these things come from?" Gohan scowled, speeding through the spatial rifts appearing. "If we get caught by these, I don't even want to know what's on the other side."
As Gohan continued to slip through, his line of sight began to narrow. The wormholes were gradually increasing in size, making it difficult to manoeuvre around them. "I hope Flying Nimbus is alright." The demi-Saiyan darted his eyes in every direction just to see a glimpse of a yellow trail anywhere.
Sadly, there was none.
"Nimbus? Nimbus!" Gohan called out to the cloud, but it was nowhere to be seen. His speed began to falter as the realization kicked in. He glanced around his surroundings, but he could only see pocket rifts here and there.
"No... Don't tell me..." The lowly voice came into a whisper and his ignorance of what lied in front of him caused his own demise. Coming in contact with the swirling black portal, Gohan felt himself get sucked in bit by bit, out of his own will. There was no time to transform at all as his torso was already halfway inside.
Fear, dread, terror; every one of these emotions plagued Gohan's mind, as the portal swallowed him whole, enveloping him in the unfathomable abyss of the unknown.
Author's Notes: After much deliberation, I'm finally bringing this one back after collecting dust in my folder for an indeterminate amount of time. For those who are unaware, this was published on FanFiction about 2 years ago, but I had to remove it because I was insecure if I can deliver this story properly, considering Honkai Impact's lengthy and intricate storyline.
Though, keep in mind that I will be focusing more on my Genshin Impact x Demon Slayer crossover fanfic since I am far behind schedule on that one. You can expect sporadic updates from time to time here – or it depends on my mood.
Anyway, that's enough rambling from someone who has procrastination issues. Hope everyone is faring well during these tumultuous times.
x_X_x
See you all next in:
Chapter 2 – Wrathful Lightning