Clarifications:
In Chapter 2, I wrote as if John didn't know what a Honkai or a Herrscher is, but in reality, John is aware of what they are. I just didn't use the right words in that chapter. I won't make any changes, but I wanted to clarify this to avoid confusion in the future.
Answering questions:
Yes, I know that Kiana is the Herrscher of Flamescion, but I liked the name. I always thought it suited Himeko better. However, if you prefer to interpret it as the Herrscher of Flame, that works too.
And to clarify, in John's dimension, Mei is a man, but Mei's appearance in John's dimension is quite feminine, which can confuse people. If they were to compare Mei from the 3rd Impact dimension and Mei from John's dimension, the only significant difference in appearance would be that Mei in John's dimension doesn't have breasts.
—
With the unexpected attack on Hong Kong, the world witnessed what the Honkais were capable of. For a while, people in other parts of the planet questioned if these Honkais were real, and many history books had to be reevaluated to determine if the information in them was accurate or fabricated to conceal the truth. However, with what happened in Hong Kong, there was no room for doubt, and as the most advanced city in defending against the Honkais fell, many countries wondered if they had the tools to protect themselves from these creatures.
The entire world became interested in the Valkyrie program, with countless financial investments pouring in, giving the initiative almost limitless resources.
But the question that lingered in the minds of some people was: What happened to Anti-Entropy's defense?
The robots built for Honkai defense were not activated, as if they were malfunctioning or deactivated.
The cause of the malfunction of these units was at the very least curious, but what led to this event or who was behind it?
...
A well-dressed man with blonde hair tied in a ponytail sat in a chair, staring at a massive computer screen. He had his finger on his chin, deep in thought as he watched the recording.
The man continued to touch his chin thoughtfully, observing the footage of particular individuals in Hong Kong trying to escape the chaos of the city.
A smile crept across the man's face as the video focused on a specific person within the group.
"My, you're quite resilient, aren't you?" The man paused the video as the person in the footage was struck by the Honkai and sent crashing through several buildings to protect a gray-haired girl known as Bronya Zaychik.
"I thought you'd be torn in half, and the fact that you weren't turned into a zombie by the Honkai energy impresses me. Perhaps it was worth deactivating Anti-Entropy just to witness this." The man rose from his seat, a smile on his face that grew with curiosity.
"Mr. Otto, your tea. Oh, is this our new guest?" The woman dressed as a maid was Rita Rossweisse, offering a cup of tea to the man known as Otto Apocalypse.
"What did I say about sneaking up behind me, Rita..." Otto took the teacup and brought it to his lips.
"Oh, I apologize. I sometimes forget. It won't happen again." Rita covered her lips with her hand, demonstrating a small smile.
"I see that our guest is quite peculiar, don't you think?" Otto glanced at Rita from the corner of his left eye. She was a strong Valkyrie and a deadly assassin, with unwavering loyalty, but it was always good to be cautious; after all, one can never be certain what the future holds.
Otto returned his gaze to the screen and watched as the Valkyrie Himeko awakened as the Herrscher of Flamescion, something he hadn't expected.
But the Herrscher's awakening was merely a bonus. Otto zoomed in on the video and focused on Kiana, who was carrying the incapacitated man and saw the wound on his chest slowly healing.
A smile grew on Otto's face.
"I have high expectations for you, young one."
The Tale of the Red Oni and Blue Oni
-10-
As she opened her eyes, all she saw was the ceiling of the room. Blinking and turning her head, breathing calmed as she realized that this is a safe place.
Attempting to get up from the bed, a strange sensation coursed through her body, making him aware that something wasn't right. It was...
Pain
"Ouch... it seems like my body is still sore," Mei said as she sat on the bed, stretching her back and producing a cracking sound.
"Silly girl, if you had let me take control, your situation would be better," Mei's eyes widened as she heard the voice in her head.
For a moment, Mei had forgotten about the Herrscher...
"Oh, you're still here. I almost forgot…" Mei got up from the bed cautiously, but it seemed the Herrscher didn't appreciate the comment.
"What?! I'm here, worrying about you, and this is what I get in return!" Mei winced at the volume of the Herrscher's voice in her head.
"You have a strange way of showing concern, and besides, we don't need your help. Professor Himeko handled the issue," Mei took a step but felt pain throughout her body, causing her to shudder.
"She handled the issue?! Look at the state of my body!" Mei stopped walking at the Herrscher's words, and the mention of 'my body' again caught her attention.
"Yours?" And, as expected, the Herrscher didn't respond.
"..."
"If you had let me take control, I would have resolved the situation faster. After all, those vermin stand no chance against the queen. And Senpai wouldn't be in this situation," Mei listened carefully to what the Herrscher said.
Senpai... John. It was a miracle that the man hadn't died from his injuries, but what was even more surprising was that his health was stable, not on the brink of death. It was as if the man was recovering rapidly in a supernatural way.
Mei heard a noise outside her room, catching the attention of the Raiden heiress.
"It must be one of the girls. I'd better check... and we'll continue this conversation another time, Herrscher," and as expected, the Herrscher didn't respond; Mei was left in silence.
So, the heiress walked to the door of her room, preparing for the day.
-10-
Mei spotted some pots with unsuccessful attempts at cooking... to be honest, the heiress had no idea what was in the pots.
"Kiana, what are you doing?" The girl with white hair turned around and found Mei looking at her with a concerned expression on her face.
"Oh, Mei-senpai, I was... trying to make a bento, but it doesn't seem to have turned out very well," Kiana pouted while looking at the disaster in front of her. Mei blinked and looked to the side, where she saw Bronya sitting in one of the kitchen chairs with her phone in hand, seemingly recording everything.
"Hey, Bronya, why didn't you help Kiana cook? You're competent in that regard, aren't you?" Bronya simply shook her head in denial.
"It's more fun this way," there was no expression on Bronya's face, but Mei could swear the little girl was having fun.
Kiana heard Bronya's comment but didn't respond. She just removed the burnt pot and put it in the sink, then she grabbed another pot and some ingredients.
"Kiana, wait!" Mei stopped Kiana, who looked at the heiress, but the Kaslana girl didn't say anything. She just stood there, gazing at Mei.
"Let me make the bento; you don't need to..." Kiana violently pulled her hand away from Mei's wrist, startling Mei and causing Bronya to slowly lower her phone.
"Kyaa?!" Mei exclaimed in surprise and looked at Kiana, who was looking at the ground with a shadow on her face.
"Kiana?" Mei found the girl's behavior strange, as it wasn't something Kiana would typically do.
Then, after a few seconds of silence, Kiana spoke, almost shouting.
"YOU CAN'T! I have to do it, not you. It has to be me..." Mei blinked as she saw Kiana grab her own arm and squeeze it tightly while trembling.
Upon realizing that something was amiss, Bronya got up and walked over to Mei.
"Subject Kiana believes that compensation must be made," Mei looked at Bronya with confusion.
"Compensation?" Mei repeated, puzzled.
"It has to be me... after what he did... what happened because of me... I have to make things right. I treated him poorly from the moment he stepped into the school, I thinking the worst, but in the end... he sacrificed himself to save me without hesitation. So it has to be me... please, Mei..." Mei's eyes widened; this was the reason Kiana was acting strangely. She wanted to apologize, believing it was her fault.
"Kiana..." Mei whispered.
"Bronya also made a bento and intends to deliver it to John in the infirmary," Mei's attention shifted to the Russian girl who held a neatly wrapped bento in her hand.
Bronya had referred to John by his name without using a subject?
"Is also daBronya 's fault for John's condition." The little girl looked down; there was no emotion on her face, but Mei, through her familiarity with Bronya, understood that the girl was feeling guilty.
Mei observed the two girls and smiled.
"Alright, Kiana. I won't cook this time, but I can help you prepare. What do you think?" The Kaslana girl lifted her head and saw Mei with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. Kiana nodded, accepting Mei's offer to help.
"I'm glad you'll let me assist," Mei noticed something and looked around, as if she were searching for something. Kiana and Bronya looked at her with uncertainty.
"Mei, what's wrong?" Mei looked at Kiana.
"Where's Professor Himeko?" So that's what the heiress was looking for.
"Aunt Himeko went straight to the infirmary to see John as soon as she woke up. She said she wanted to see how he was and that her presence would help him recover faster." Mei noticed that Kiana was pouting, but she didn't know why.
"Professor Himeko has been more eccentric since awakening her Stigma... it's annoying," Bronya was also pouting for some reason, and Mei felt like she was missing something in their words.
"Alright... why don't we start?" Kiana looked at Mei and nodded with a smile on her face.
"Hmm, weak girl, going through all this for a human... pathetic," Kiana's eyes widened. Since returning from Hong Kong, the Kaslana girl had been hearing a strange voice in her head.
"Kiana?" The girl with white hair looked at Mei and blinked in surprise. Quickly, Kiana shook her head and smiled again.
"It's nothing," the Kaslana girl said with a smile. Bronya noticed that something was off about Kiana's behavior but chose not to say anything.
-10-
Fu Hua opened her eyes, and the Valkyrie realized she was in a bed in the medical area, and all the muscles in her body were exhausted.
It seemed that the constant use of "Chi" had greatly damaged her body.
"I feel so rusty... ouch," Fu Hua got out of bed, and at that moment, pain spread throughout her body.
The Chinese woman noticed that she was practically naked, wearing only a hospital gown, and there were no undergarments underneath.
Fu Hua sighed. She understood medical procedures, but it was quite embarrassing.
"Hey, wouldn't it have been easier to use the power of the MANTIS?" Fu Hua heard the voice of the Herrscher, but the Valkyrie remained silent.
...
"Hey, hey, don't ignore me, or I'll shout so loud that you'll have a headache," Fu Hua flinched as the Herrscher had spoken loudly, making her cringe. The Valkyrie didn't want to imagine what the scream would be like.
Fu Hua just looked at her hands, which were trembling from pain and exhaustion.
"It's been a long time... my body isn't as accustomed as it used to be. If just using 'chi' left me in this state, I don't want to imagine what would happen if I were to use the power of the MANTIS," Fu Hua sat on the bed and tried to slowly close her hand into a fist, but she couldn't.
"Meh, you're just weak. You could have let the real Fu Hua take control of the situation, I would have done a better job than you," Fu Hua's eyes widened. The Herrscher had always referred to their relationship as 'sisters' but never as 'the real Fu Hua.'
The Herrscher of Sentience smiled in Fu Hua's mind.
"Or do you prefer sisters? Either way, I would have handled the situation better. After all... I am better than you, and a true product will always be superior to a copy." Fu Hua abruptly got up from the bed, shocked and disbelieving. Did the Herrscher truly believe that she was the real one? Fu Hua knew that Herrschers were shaped using the user's body and memories, but she had never imagined something like this would happen...
Was this how the Herrscher of Flamescion felt when it took over HIMEKO's body and killed her entire squad? Fu Hua still remembered the conflict that was taking place in the Honkai's head.
Fire Moth, Squad V led by HIMEKO.
In the blink of an eye, everyone turned to ashes with the Herrscher's awakening.
Murata Himeko had also awakened as a Herrscher, just as Fu Hua had imagined...
But this time, the power of the Herrscher of Flamescion seemed more controlled, as if Himeko was under control.
Fu Hua shook her head, trying to clear her mind of the disturbing thoughts. After all, it had been a long time, and the Valkyrie had overcome the event that occurred.
The Rank A Valkyrie noticed something peculiar in the room.
She wasn't alone...
Looking around, Fu Hua noticed that someone else was in the room with her, and it was...
John?
Approaching the foreign man's bed, Fu Hua observed him sleeping peacefully. John was wearing the same hospital gown that the Valkyrie was wearing, which meant...
He was completely naked beneath the thin hospital fabric.
The Valkyrie's cheeks turned red, but Fu Hua shook her head, trying to dispel the intrusive thoughts from her mind.
Fu Hua didn't remember much about how they returned to after Himeko's awakening, as she had passed out from exhaustion shortly after. So, the man's health status was a mystery to her.
One thing Fu Hua did recall was that the man was not having a good day. She was resisting the urge to pull back the sheets and see how he was doing.
Once again, the thought made her cheeks warm.
"Calm down, Fu Hua. You've been around for over 50,000 years... stop acting like a teenager..." The Valkyrie gave herself light taps on both cheeks to regain composure.
Fu Hua decided to return to her own bed. After all, a nurse would check on the man's condition, but as soon as she took the first step to move away from her bed, her body stopped responding.
?!
Fu Hua tried to move, but her body didn't respond. It took a step back, doing the opposite of what the Valkyrie intended.
Fu Hua's body slowly walked toward John's bed.
'Fu Hua' lowered her head until she was very close to the man's face, to the point where their noses were almost touching.
"What's happening?!" Fu Hua said in confusion as her body didn't respond to her commands.
"Sorry, but I won't miss an opportunity like this. I'll take advantage of the moment when you're weakened and have a little fun. I'm feeling confined in your mind. You don't mind, do you~~~" Fu Hua's eyes turned red, and the Valkyrie felt her hand go to her hair to mess up her hairstyle a bit.
"What are you doing?" Fu Hua shouted, but her mouth didn't move, and all the Chinese girl heard was an echo.
Was she trapped inside her own head?
"Relax, I'm just curious. I'll give you control back after satisfying my curiosity." Curiosity? Fu Hua thought, making the Herrscher smile.
The Herrscher used her hand to position the man's face to get a better view of his appearance.
?!
Hey, stop! Fu Hua shouted, but the Herrscher just ignored her protests.
"Handsome... and the feeling is amazing too..." the Herrscher curled her toes with the pleasurable sensation of touching the sleeping man.
Fu Hua felt it too, it was a very pleasant sensation...
The Herrscher moved her hand to the blanket and pulled it, making Fu Hua scream in despair.
Kya! What are you doing?!
"You didn't want to check our roommate's condition?" The Herrscher of Sentience smiled, but in the next moment, the smile disappeared.
"Ehh, I won't be able to see with these pieces of rags in the way, but I must admit I like the legs." Only the man's arms and legs were visible, and the Herrscher found the view of the man's muscular legs pleasing. Fu Hua was also seeing what was happening in her 'prison.'
"So, what do you think?... Hey, are you there?" The Herrscher gave a few light taps on the side of her head, trying to get Fu Hua's attention.
W-what?! I don't know what you're talking about?!
The Herrscher smiled; the 50,000-year-old girl was acting like a hormonal teenager, and it was hilarious.
The Herrscher of Sentience licked her lips, and Fu Hua felt her lips become wet from the action.
W-what are you going to do?!
"Check our friend's health. We don't want anything to happen to our friend here, do we? So, I volunteer to check~~~" the Herrscher was practically singing.
Hey, hey, don't do what I'm imagining...
Fu Hua's eyes widened with what she saw.
Kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
The Herrscher of Sentience winced at the thunderous scream in her head. With a strong and precise pull, the man's hospital gown was removed without waking him.
"Oh my, oh my, what a phenomenal sight. It seems our friend is in perfect health," the Herrscher of Sentience gently touched the man's hard stomach, as if examining the area where he had been hit by the Honkai.
Fu Hua had her hand in front of her face, leaving a small gap to observe, which was strange as the Valkyrie was trapped in her own body.
The Herrscher's hand slowly and delicately moved up, reaching the man's chest, neck, and jaw, analyzing every part of him. And a familiar sensation ran through Fu Hua's body.
Something familiar...
The Herrscher's face was very close to the man's neck, and the Honkai was practically crawling onto the bed alongside him.
Enough, everything is fine, you can... WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!
The Herrscher of Sentience lay beside the man with her head against his chest, her mouth almost touching John's jaw. The sensation the Honkai was experiencing was phenomenal, and familiar, very familiar...
The Herrscher noticed something and a small smile appeared on her face. Fu Hua felt the smile forming on her lips, and the 50,000-year-old Valkyrie touched her delicate fingers to her lips and noticed the smile.
Fu Hua didn't like this at all...
The Herrscher of Sentience turned over, lying face down on top of the man, and the hospital gown that 'Fu Hua' had been wearing began to disintegrate to the point that it left her body completely naked.
?!
H-have you lost your sanity?! Fu Hua practically lay on the floor of her mind and put her hand on her face out of sheer embarrassment. The Valkyrie's face was even redder than Himeko's hair.
'Fu Hua's' breasts pressed against the man's muscular body, which didn't go unnoticed by Fu Hua.
Slowly, the Herrscher of Sentience lowered her hand, running it across the man's chest until it reached his stomach, and finally...
The hand came incredibly close to the groin...
But something made the Herrscher stop.
An incredible pain surged in 'Fu Hua's' head, making her sit up on top of John while holding her head in agony.
"Grr"
Grr
Fu Hua and the Herrscher of Sentience shared the pain, but more importantly, they shared something else that invaded both of their minds.
Memories
?!
...
Fu Hua and the Herrscher of Sentience found themselves in a training room, similar to the one at Schicksal HQ.
John was in the room, standing with his arms crossed, and accompanied by a Valkyrie. The man's companion appeared to be...
Mei?!
But something was off; her appearance was identical to Mei's, yet something was missing...
Breasts
So it was a man? Something caught the attention of Herrscher and Fu Hua.
It was... Fu Hua?!
"Valkyrie Fu Hua, reporting for duty with the 5th Squad!" Fu Hua saluted in front of John and 'Mei.'
"Tsk... had to be a girl?" Mei clicked her tongue in displeasure but received a smack on the head in reprimand.
"Ouch, Senpai?!" Mei rubbed the spot where she was hit.
The man sighed. John was wearing some kind of light armor, similar to the Valkyries but less revealing or form-fitting. His attire had a strong samurai armor resemblance, with some elements of medieval armor.
"Behave, we don't want to scare our new team member," Mei clicked her tongue again, a sign that the Raiden family boy didn't agree.
"Speak for yourself... Ouch, why?!" And once again, Mei received another smack.
John looked at 'Fu Hua' with a tired smile due to Mei's antics.
"Don't let him intimidate you. Welcome to the 5th Anti-Entropy Unit. I'm looking forward to working with you, Fu Hua," John gave a reassuring smile that made 'Fu Hua' feel more at ease.
"Hey, listen up. Don't get too close to John, okay...?" Mei said aggressively, which earned her another smack.
"Ouch!" Mei knelt on the ground, rubbing her sore head.
Definitely, this person was Mei, but the gender was swapped, and the personality was very much like... Kiana, thought Fu Hua.
"As I said, welcome, Fu Hua. I'll be your captain in this dysfunctional family," John extended his hand to Fu Hua with a smile, making Fu Hua smile in return.
The new team member shook John's hand.
"I'll be in your care... Senpai."
…
The Herrscher of Sentience was holding her head in pain; the memories she had just seen were not of Fu Hua but of...
The Herrscher looked at John, who was awake and looking her in the eyes, which made the situation a bit... awkward.
Their red eyes met the dark brown ones.
But before the Herrscher could say anything, Honkai felt the room's temperature rise, and a shiver ran down her body.
"I am already satisfied; you can take control," said the Herrscher of Sentience inside Fu Hua's mind, leaving the Valkyrie frightened.
"WHAT?!" Finally, Fu Hua regained control of her own body, but the situation the Valkyrie found herself in was far from ideal...
As she turned around, Fu Hua noticed Himeko at the door, but something was amiss. The woman had a dark expression on her face, and small flames were growing on the body of the Crimson Valkyrie. This made Fu Hua shrink back, and the fact that Director Theresa was watching the scene with her hand over her face and cheeks flushed didn't help.
"Professor Himeko... it's not what it looks like," Fu Hua said fearfully, feeling the room's temperature getting hotter.
However, the sound of someone clearing their throat caught everyone's attention. It was John, who was looking up at Fu Hua on top of him.
"You can get off... your... behind is squeezing my..." Fu Hua, Himeko, and Theresa's eyes blinked in confusion.
A chill ran down the 50,000-year-old Valkyrie's spine as she noticed that something was "stuck" between Fu Hua's cheeks, and it seemed that Himeko had noticed it as well.
Theresa simply crouched down, completely blocking the view, while her face turned as red as a tomato.
The room grew hotter, and the flames on Himeko's body intensified.
Fu Hua closed her eyes, knowing that there was no way to escape this situation.
-10-
"So, how are you?" Theresa asked John in English.
John gave one last look at Fu Hua and Himeko. The Chinese Valkyrie was completely bandaged. John and Theresa had to intervene to prevent the Crimson Valkyrie from burning Fu Hua completely. Himeko was standing in front of Fu Hua's bed, scolding the Valkyrie who couldn't speak, as her mouth was covered in bandages.
"My body is still sore, but I'll will survive," John moved his arm to the point where he heard a crack. Theresa handed him some clothes because she couldn't focus with a naked man in front of her.
"I'm glad to hear that. I expected you to spend the whole month in the hospital. Theresa sighed in relief, but the response from the director caught the man's attention.
"How long was I out?" Theresa looked at the man with the question.
"Hm... about two and a half days," Theresa looked at the clock on her little stage, which was covered by her nun's attire.
"Two days... I really got damaged in Mei's fight to be affected by so little..." John muttered to himself, almost inaudibly.
"John?" Theresa got his attention with her question.
"Oh, it's nothing, just lost in thought. You didn't need to check on me, director. You must be quite busy to waste your time like this," John said with a tired smile, which made Theresa frown.
"What are you talking about? Everyone in St. Freya is my responsibility, and no one is irrelevant enough not to deserve my attention, you idiot." Theresa lightly tapped the man on the head. It didn't hurt; it was just a touch to his head.
John blinked in surprise at the little girl's words, which made the man smile.
"Oh, I'm sorry. It was foolish of me to say that." The man's smile was warm, which made Theresa sigh.
"I didn't expect you to have low self-esteem, John. It doesn't suit you." Theresa scolded the man like a child.
John didn't respond; he just stayed silent, looking at the sheets on his bed.
John felt two arms around his neck, which caught his attention.
"Himeko?" The woman's cheek touched his.
"No need to be like that, sweetheart. I have something to cheer you up~" The Valkyrie's breasts squeezed against the man's back.
"HIMEKO!" Theresa scolded her friend for her behavior, but something unexpected happened.
John took the Valkyrie's hand and squeezed it tighter around his neck.
?
"It's okay, I don't mind... it's nice," Theresa and Himeko blinked, not understanding what was happening. Was this really the grumpy man they knew?
Himeko opened her mouth in surprise, and a (figurative) heart appeared in the woman's mouth.
Himeko hugged the man and shook him from side to side, squeezing him like a teddy bear.
"Kya~ so cute, so cute~ my Senpai is so cute~!" Himeko shouted with joy as she hugged John.
The man just smiled in the embrace of Himeko, judging by the sensation he was feeling, Himeko must have awakened the Herrscher within him.
It seems that what happened in his world is happening here.
John patted Himeko's head while the Valkyrie squeezed him in the hug.
Theresa smiled at the scene that was unfolding, so she decided to drop a "bomb" on the man.
"John, you're going to learn Japanese." Himeko stopped shaking the man from side to side and looked at her friend in curiosity.
John didn't like what the little director said, and his expression said it all.
"WHAT, WHY?!" John panicked; he didn't find the Japanese language the most appealing to learn. There were too many characters, and the fact that the Japanese population didn't use half of the characters puzzled him. The many rules made him question why he was there. The fact that Mei tried to teach him Japanese didn't help; the boy wasn't a good teacher.
Himeko was curious.
"What do you mean by others needing to learn English? Why do they have to learn?" John said, confused, and Himeko looked down with his words.
"Well, it's simple. John, you're going to become a Knight!" The director announced cheerfully with a proud smile on her face. "We're going to turn you into a warrior of humanity."
Fu Hua looked in the direction of the voice, even though she was completely bandaged, she could still hear... a bit.
No...
John blinked as he was being hugged by Himeko.
It's all repeating... again.
The sound of someone practically breaking into the room caught everyone's attention.
"I... I MADE A BENTO FOR YOU!" Kiana entered the room, breathing heavily as she held a bento box.
Himeko, John, and Theresa blinked.
A few seconds later, Mei and Bronya entered the room, exhausted.
"Kiana idiotyska, you didn't need to... run," Bronya said, out of breath, holding a bento box.
Himeko, John, and Theresa blinked.
"Don't run through the... corridors, Kiana-chan..." Mei used the wall for support while catching her breath. The heiress was also holding a bento.
Himeko, John, and Theresa blinked.