"Ah... You two are finally here. Please put her here, Hajime." The man nodded and complied.
"I assume that you have question how the trial works?" He nodded while his 'examiner' scoffed.
"All right." Ms. Guide typed, showing him a giant holoscreen display.
"Now...As you have noticed, you are in a dream-like state. And we are here to assess you if you are worthy to carry our 'legacy'."
"Oh yeah, why call it 'legacy'?" Hajime asked while crossing his arms
"You of all people should know why it is called a legacy. Also we want to see if our will can be passed on to the next." Hajime 'ahh'ed.
"You also wanted to see if the strength of my will matches up to yours." Both nodded, causing him to sigh deeply.
"All right then." He scratched his head to process what he just heard, causing Ms. Guide to chuckle.
"Surprised that you made it this far?" He raised his eyebrow.
"Well... Yeah..." Ms. Guide covered her mouth just to smile.
"Regardless, Despite her initial thoughts, she has deemed you worthy." He raised his eyebrow.
"She has a funny way of showing it." Ms. Guide maintained her joyous demeanor.
"That she always does. So treat what she did earlier to you as a 'prank'." He made a flat look but sighed as he decided to let it go.
"Fine. I am letting it go but that's because she lost." The 'examiner' scoffed.
"How can these legacies help me fight for my girls? All i know is that these are related to categories i heard earlier."
"Originally your body can absorb Honkai energies as weapon by converting it into something else. But those categories only work if your honkai corruption level has gone critical."
"In other words, i can't use them willy-nilly. I have to get blasted by a catapult class honkai beast at least for it to activate or in a similar sense." They nodded.
"That sucks..." He heard them giggled as he kept a flat face.
"My body can absorb honkai energy but i can't use it on my command. I am guessing that is the trial for?"
"Of course. We wanted to see how would you react if you have received that amount of power."
"By stripping my reasoning away?"
"Honkai can affect the purest of minds so we couldn't take any chances."
"That's fair, I guess... What exactly happened earlier? I can remember a few things but not much for me to create a statement about it."
"Oh? You really don't remember that much?" He was shocked to hear Ms. Guide said that as she was genuinely surprised by that question.
Seeing his reaction, She smiled and helped him.
"When someone goes through metamorphosis, It usually emphasizes that person's best and worst 'self'.
Like what happened to you earlier, your best character or 'self' is having the will to protect the people you care about.
And it is awfully cute that you see those honkai beasts as your girls that needed to be protected." Seeing how Ms. Guide smirked at him, he averted his eyes away from her with a small blush on his cheeks.
"Well... I grew fond of them." He wished that he has his cup of coffee to hide his blush. She giggled while his examiner smirked.
"In any case, That's good.
Because the metamorphosis draws your purest and basic instinct.
So if you were a kind of a person that has the basic instinct to destroy everything he sees..."
"Then you would have ended me immediately?"
"No... We would have 'kicked' you out and have to wait for another."
"Ah... Glad that i didn't disappoint." He began to think about what she said.
"Wait... I thought you said i was the first?"
"You are. It took you a while to get here but we are still glad with the results." Seeing how Hajime was still staring blankly, She asked him with concern.
"Is something wrong?"
"No... No... Just thinking about stuff in the past. That's all." He gave her a smile which she nodded.
"So How many trials do i have to go through?"
"It honestly depends on who would like to participate on assessing you.
After all, we have different opinions and different perspective.
So it's obvious that they have to do it by themselves."
"How many participated?"
"'All of them. Two examiners on each trial and you will have two trials to go through."
"Ah, So i have to fight two of them per trial now? That's... something to look forward to." Ms. Guide chuckled at his nervousness but still-eager-to-proceed attitude.
"No. One of them wants to fight you. The rest wants to test you on something else."
"Oh... That's good. At least i wouldn't have to resort to violence to all of them." Finally realized what was missed out, He asked Ms. Guide.
"Wait... Is it possible that the silhouettes i saw earlier are the ones will be overlooking my trial?" Ms. Guide nodded.
"So I could have 6 people assessing me, including you two?" Both of them nodded at him.
"Then why aren't you participating, Ms. Guide?" The 'examiner' chuckled as Ms. Guide flinched from his sharp perception.
"No need to worry. You will be receiving my legacy later whether you pass or fail. But if you wish to have it now, i will gladly gift it to you." Hajime shook his head with a smile.
"I rather have it later when i am done with the two trials." Ms. Guide frowned but nodded in understanding.
"Are you sure, Legacy bearer? Having her legacy would make it easier for you to progress in the trial." He nodded with a smile.
"You said that they have their own opinion and perspective to see that if i am worthy to carry their legacy right?" They both nodded.
"Then i have to respect their decision of assessing me themselves. If i take Ms. Guide's legacy now, then it feels like I did them dirty." Ms. Guide looked at him in concern.
"It will get more difficult for you." He sighed sadly as he knew how difficuly his trial will get.
"I know but respecting someone's decision to do something has been an occupational hazard as a captain.
If i start go back on my word, I feel like Himeko will never look at me as family ever again.
And losing her was hard enough as is."
"You really admired your cousin, don't you?" He looked up to remember his good times with his cousin.
"Yeah... She saved me more than i can count. I owe her that much or maybe more." Seeing Hajime's resolved, she smiled.
"Okay. I will gift it to you right after when you are done with the two."
"Thank you, Ms. Guide." She shook her head.
"No... Thank you for reminding me what it feels like to respect someone's decision." The 'examiner' scoffed.
"Are you two done?" Hajime rolled his eyes at her.
"Okay... A few more questions before i head to the next. Is it possible that there are 6 legacies that i have to bear in this trial?" Both nodded.
"And I can assume that those 6 are in charge of each categories?" He saw them confirmed his thoughts.
"Then is it possible that i can't acquire the 4th and 5th due to having said categories not being activated?" They shook their heads.
"If you activated more than 1 category, you have initiated the Legacy Bearer project, causing you to activate them all since it is apparent that you are 'willing to fight for your girls'. So why gatekeep your potential if you are going this far for them?" He averted his eyes at that slight jab at him.
"I am guessing that you are not going to tell me what those two categories do?"
"Absolutely not. If i give you a slightest hint, It wouldn't be an interesting trial.
And you would just be more focused on getting them but not as intended to fight.
We wouldn't want you to be that greedy, would we now?" He pursed his lips and nodded with a slight look of embarassment.
"I am not that greedy." He muttered with a small blush on his cheeks.
"Yeah...Sure Mr. 'I-want-to-keep-all-of-my-girls-safe-and-sound.'" His 'examiner' was having fun mocking him.
"... Okay." He slouched in defeat.
"These legacies? What are they exactly? I know that it will help me fight back. But i don't have a single clue what they really are."
"In a sense? They are basically stigmata you can download to your brain." He widened his eyes but returned to his normal composure to clarify a few things.
"But the difference is that this doesn't generate honkai energies.
I have to find a nearest source of Honkai energy for me to fully utilize it."
"That's correct but since you are commanding an army of valkyries that is generating a large of amount of honkai energies, I can at least assume that you won't be having a hard time to fully utilize them." He nodded as he crossed his arms.
He looked around to see the beautiful autumn trees and ambience in the area and nodded that he was ready for the next trial.
Seeing this, Ms. Guide pressed in a few keys on the holotab, causing a door to appear.
Remembering how difficult his trial was earlier, he took a deep breath.
Hope that all of this is worth it for my girls.
I wonder what's going on with them.
Wait...
"Hold on, If i am dreaming, what will happen to my real body?"
"As long as you are in a less dense honkai area, your body will be fine. But if it senses danger, it only attacks if it have to."
"Oh? Why is that?"
"Because your body cannot tell who is an enemy and who is not due to you 'being asleep'.
It only acts on your subconscious' most 'basic instinct', much like what we discuss earlier."
"Ah... I won't kill anyone in my sleep, will i?" Ms. Guide shook her head.
"No unless someone or something has an intent to kill you or to someone nearby based on what we saw.
Essentially It's very much like what happened earlier.
So no need to worry because you are not going to kill anyone unless you have to." He nodded.
"That's good at least. I am guessing that my body will convert into healing the damages in my body due to honkai corruption i experienced earlier?" Ms. Guide and the 'examiner' both nodded at his assumption.
"What will happen if there are no more damages to fix in my body and i am still in an area that is filled with dense honkai energies?"
"No clue. There were no data on what will happen.
You have only provided us data that we can analyze upon observing you in your trial or in your memories.
After all, We can't analyze on what we can't observe.
But since that you have cleared the area of Honkai wave, it would be safe to assume that the Honkai energies in the area have also been depleted. So your body would be just fine to say the least."
"Well... If you say so... All right, I am ready." Ms. Guide nodded as he went through the door.
"Keep holding him like that. Hopefully his fever won't at least get higher." The doctors, both medical and Dr. Nagamitsu, were analyzing the Hajime as patient as Kevin tried to keep holding him down.
"Theresa? Are you sure it is safe for Kevin Kaslana to be here?" The overseer firmly nodded.
"Then how about her?" As one of the doctors pointed at the Pink Haired woman.
"Fu Hua assured me that she is safe. She told me that she is Kevin's second in command." Dr. Nagamitsu widened her eyes at the short silver haired.
"WHAT?!" She looked at both Kevin and Fu Hua who nodded.
"Damn. Guys back in Schicksal are going to have a field day hearing this news."
"I will focus on the news. You focus on saving the captain." Dr. Nagamitsu nodded.
As one the doctors tried to examine what was causing his fever by checking any infections occurred to his body by blood analysis or any wounds throughout his body, one of them was left baffled.
"What the hell? He looks safe and healthy to me.
There aren't even signs of external damages occurred in the body.
Hell, there isn't a single wound for a simple surgeon to stitch on him. What does his CBC say?"
"No sign of infection, Doctor. His blood is clean. No signs of what causing him to have a severe fever."
"WELL, SOMETHING IS CAUSING HIM TO HEAT UP LIKE CRAZY. KEEP CHECKING. I AM NOT GOING TO TREAT HIM ANTI-PYRETICS UNLESS I KNOW WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH HIM."
"Maybe he's having a hypovolemic shock, sir?"
"Not possible. His blood count is in the normal range." As Dr. Nagamitsu checked.
"Fine. Administer him to an IV drip." As one of the doctors complied.
As soon as Hajime received the treatment, his temperature dropped for a few degrees. It was not dropping but it did drop to their relief.
A miniscule difference or change can save a life.
"Dehydration? Really?"
"Yes, really. If he keeps having a fever like this, chances are he will get dehydrated along the way. Now, Keep administering him to an IV drip.
Anyone else, Keep checking what's wrong with him. I am going to look something up myself." The doctors went to work after drawing a few amounts of blood from Hajime, leaving him alone with Kevin Kaslana, Elysia and Theresa.
And seeing how Kevin is the only one that is saving Hajime from death after what just happen, calling the situation awkward is an understatement.
"So... who is this cutie, Kevin? Hua?" As Elysia tried to break the ice.
Expecting an answer from Fu Hua, She looked her with a cute smile.
The former tried to say something but there was nothing coming out of her mouth.
Only whimpers.
"I need a moment with myself, Theresa." The short leader raised her eyebrow but nodded.
Seeing that the pink haired woman's question hasn't been answered, she kept her serious look at her.
"Name's Theresa Apocalyspe. Hajime's boss." The short silver haired crossed her arms.
"Oh cool! I get to meet his boss. That means you are the admiral then. Name's Elysia. " As she chirped with a smile.
Theresa raised an eyebrow to that as she was confused what was she going on about.
But She kept maintaining her cold gaze towards to the members of World Serpent in the room.
Seriously, the atmosphere is so thick, you could cut it with a Cleaver of Shamash.
"..." Kevin tried to say something but decided to crossed his arms in response to his descendant(ish).
Seeing how Kevin is still being Kevin, Elysia sighed and leaned to his face with a smile.
"Now... Now... We are all friends here right, Kevin?" The taller silver haired male looked at Elysia who was smiling at him to his fear.
He sighed and nodded.
"Good. Now, what do you say to Theresa, Kevin?"
"... I am sorry for what World Serpent did to your captain, Theresa. They will be dealt with accordingly. For now, I will help any way i can to help your captain recover."
Theresa was shocked to see how easy for Elysia to talk to Kevin like that but she kept her serious but mad gaze at them.
"Now... Wasn't that so hard?" Theresa was very impressed at how Elysia handled him like that.
Not wanting to make her effort go to waste, Theresa smiled at the pink haired.
"Thank you for saving Hajime, Elysia." Elysia giggled.
"We are friends here. So please call me Ellie." No matter how much Theresa tried, she couldn't just hate her.
So she relented and shook her hand as soon as Elysia offered.
"So how do you know Hajime, Elysia?" Kevin was also interested why Elysia grew fond of the captain.
"Hmm... Let's just say that he helped me a bit when we first met. And after that, we became close." Kevin rolled his eyes to Elysia's antics again while Theresa raised an eyebrow.
She tried to ask again but remembering how Hajime can get with his friends, it is within the realm of possibility that Hajime and Elysia became close in the span of few hours.
She was just surprised at the results.
"I see... Regardless, thank you for your help. But when all of this is done, I am afraid i have to ask you two to leave St. Freya and never come back." Elysia was horrified.
"Oh..."
"I am sorry, Elysia. But considering what just happened, I am not welcoming him or any other members of the World Serpent. And considering you are Kevin's second in command, i am not taking any chances. The girls almost lost another captain." Elysia pouted and slumped her shoulders.
Watching Elysia so heartbroken caused Kevin to sigh deeply.
"I admit that it is my ignorance that caused all of this and I would like to keep rectifying that mistake whenever i can. I will take accountability for the World Serpent's actions but please don't drag Elysia or Mei into this. They are both innocent to this." Hearing this cause Elysia to look at him with wide eyes.
"Blame me all you want. But please don't drag them into this." Theresa glared intensely at him.
"He's right, Overseer. Both Mei and Elysia were innocent to this." Fu Hua came back with a soft look.
Seeing how certain Fu Hua looked, Theresa sighed.
"Okay. That's because i trust you, Fu Hua. But if they do this again, I will ask every valkyrie in Schicksal to gun all of them down without mercy including Mei and Elysia." Fu Hua nodded in understanding.
"I love Mei with all of my heart, Fu Hua. But the organization she is working with has gone too far.
And I rather not have myself hold another wake of the captain. The first one was hard enough as is." Fu hua placed her hand on her shoulder with a smile.
Elysia wanted to ask but decided to leave these two to have their moment.
"Anyways, i will try to update the girls. I will leave Hajime into your care, Fu Hua." Fu Hua nodded and watched the Overseer leave the room.
Leaving her with the former Flamechasers.
"Elysia?" Ellie looked at her with a smile.
"Can i talk to you outside?"
"Why not here with Kevin? We are all friends here."
"I know but i wanted us to catch up alone." Elysia gasped in realization but nodded with a smile.
"Now... Kevin. Hua and I will leave for a bit. Try not to kill Hajime please. For me?" Kevin nodded as both female flamechasers left the room.
'Hua' was nervous.
She was the best soldier that Dr. Mei could ever ask for and yet she was nervous.
She has live for more than 50000 years and she was nervous about what to say to Elysia.
What did she want to say to Elysia?
That she left Kevin alone with Su in which led to latter's mysterious disappearance after talking to Durandal while at the same time got the former imprisoned in the Sea of Quanta?
That Eden entrusted everything about Project Ember to her and yet she still 'failed' as most of her students who betrayed her died?
Or the fact that she became a herscherr of sentience?
She would correctly assume that Kevin hasn't told anything about Hua to Elysia or else She might have said something about it.
When she tried to remember something in the Previous Era, some of her memories were blank.
She knows who Elysia is.
She knows that she was the probably the strongest flamechaser in her time.
She knows that she binds everyone together back then as everyone was each other's throats.
She knows Elysia lost her life in the Previous Era.
So why can't she remember the most important detail about her?
Why can't she remember anything else other than those facts?
Why can't she remember her fond memories with Elysia?
Why?
Just why can't she remember anything?
Every detail about Elysia was fuzzy to say the least.
Why can't she remember their happy times together?
Whatever you are doing to yourself, old timer. Stop.
Why can't I remember anything about her?
Don't look at me. I managed to acquire every plume of FengHuang Down I could get my hands on.
If one of the plumes doesn't contain something about Elysia, then something must have happened to it.
But we managed to get the ones that contains memories of The Previous Era. I can still remember my conversation with Kevin in full detail like it is back of my mind.
Like i said, Something must have happened to it. Only thing i can think of is it was destroyed by something or someone.
What can destroy a plume of FengHuang Down?
No clue. Only people who are capable of doing so is you since you are the only user who is strong enough to destroy it. And i doubt the old hag has the strength to break one of those plumes. The only thing i can think of is that you destroyed one of the plumes that contained your memories with Elysia.
No. I wouldn't do that to Ellie! No!
Don't get mad at me, Old timer. I am not the one who did it. You are the only one i could think of who is capable of doing so. Not even Otto can destroy one of our plumes.
... Why would i destroy my own memories about Elysia?
What was the secret that i rather didn't want to know?
"Hua? Is something wrong?" Hua felt her hand being caressed by Elysia who looked worried. "You wanted to talk to me right?"
"Yeah... I did. I just don't know what to say." Elysia giggled.
"Still silly as ever Hua. Well if you don't know what to say. Then you start from the beginning right? The moment you started Project Ember for the Current Era." Fu Hua smiled.
"It's Fu Hua now. Elysia. Hua is name belonged to the past." Elysia softly smiled and watched her old friend with expectant eyes as if she wanted to hear a story from her.
And Fu Hua delivered.
Every bits of details she has experienced.
Every people she has saved, mercy-killed and lost.
She lost Fuxi and Nuwa, her only friends that tried to stop her from being a heartless soldier.
She lost the Book of Fuxi, their only gift and friend to her.
She has saved, raised and mentored future guardians that will protect people from Honkai.
But she only experienced the feeling of betrayal from her own disciples.
She has fought the holy maiden of Schicksal and won but she also became one of Schicksal's dogs after a few decades.
Otto's specifically.
She can argue that they had a deal but dealing a deal with Otto was always a grave mistake.
She has lost Himeko, who somehow share the same resemblance with HIMEKO.
Only this time, she wasn't the one whom Himeko last saw before death.
She fought Sirin for Otto and ended up getting shot at the head later on.
Despite that it helped her recover faster, contradicting as it sounds, she still somehow felt that ounce of betrayal in her heart.
After that, Elysia processed everything with wide eye look.
"Oh... Fu Hua had experienced so much in the future. Sorry for leaving you alone. If i apologize directly, you would say that it is okay, it is your mission right?" Fu Hua frowned.
"I should be the one apologizing, Elysia. I failed you and I failed Eden." She looked down as if she was ashamed to look at her in the eye.
"Fu Hua? I want you to look at me in the eye." As Fu Hua complied while feeling Elysia's soft hands holding on both of her cheeks.
"If I know dear Eden well, Then it's this."
"Eden didn't give you project Ember just because she wanted to entrust everything to you.
She 'gifted' it to you so you could have another life to live.
Eden and I knew that you were always serious back then. And You are still serious now.
She wanted you to find your own happiness in this Era. Something you never had back then." Fu Hua could still feel her eyes tearing up as Elysia kept talking with a warm smile.
"Now, I want you to look me in the eye and answer me correctly."
"Did you have a good life here in the Current Era?"
Fu Hua remembered every painful memories in that point of time.
Every Betrayal.
Every Loss.
Every failure.
Every moment where she couldn't grieved due to her duty to Project Ember.
And yet somehow...
A certain group of memories keep popping up.
Memories of her friends celebrating holidays together as family.
Memories of chasing Kiana for her shenanigans.
Memories of teaching the Hyperion trio on how to improve their fighting capabilities.
Memories of her talking with Himeko and Hajime as if they were all planning for the girls.
A Memory where she was still accepted in the Hyperion with open arms.
"Hey. Fu Hua. Good to see you again."
"You are not bothered by the fact that i am now a herscherr, Captain?"
"Why would i be bothered by that fact? Kiana, Bronya and Mei are now herscherrs. You being one wouldn't honestly be a surprise."
"But still..."
"But nothing Fu Hua, Herscherr or not, You are still a valkyrie. And I am still your captain. Now, you don't mind being my bridge duty valkryie for 3 weeks? It is to make up the time you have lost."
"That's not exactly fair, captain."
"Haha... You are right. How about we talk about what happen back there and how did it feel like being a herscherr?"
"You...want me to talk about it?"
"Of course, Fu Hua. I figured that you need someone to talk about it considering that well... you are you. But you are still a valkyrie under my command. And I want all of you to have a good life being here, Herscherr or not."
"You... do?"
"Of course. You belong in the Hyperion along with Kiana and Bronya. It would make sense that you also deserve better, no?"
"..."
"Look at me, Fu Hua...You deserve a better life and i will grant you that however i can. Why? Because you are still a valkyrie and you deserve to be happy. Don't ever let anyone say otherwise."
"Fu Hua? Did you have good life here?"
"You deserve a better life."
"Are you happy here?"
"You deserve to be happy."
"Fu Hua? Are you lonely here?"
"Fu Hua? Always remember that you are not alone in this anymore."
After that, Fu Hua broke down to tears after saying these words to Elysia.
"No. I am not alone anymore, Elysia. I have friends here." Fu Hua couldn't stop crying for a long time.
And Elysia hugged her friend very tightly with a smile.
"Well... At least you now have reliable partners and a new place to return." Elysia kept caressing her back as she let Fu hua kept crying in her shoulders.
"I am glad to see your growth. That young and inexperienced girl had grown up." Elysia giggled.
"Oh what am i talking about~ I am still a young girl myself." Fu hua chuckled as she sniffled.
Fu Hua finally let go of the burden that she was carrying on her heart.
She felt so relieved that it tired her out.
She could only muster few words before going to sleep.
"Thank you Elysia..." Elysia smiled and giggled to realize that Fu hua has gone to sleep on her shoulders.
"You must have holding on that for a long time. I see~" She carried Fu Hua to the nearest chair and let her have a moment's rest.
"But Thank you Fu Hua. Nice to see you again. I am so happy~" She caressed the sleeping soldier with a smile.