Inside the Fire Moth base.
Unlike the captains, vice-captains, and fusion warriors who had private quarters, ordinary soldiers stayed in shared dorms of four.
...Mmm... hn.
In the sparsely populated female soldiers' dorm, a pink-haired girl slowly opened her sleepy eyes.
Her fingers twitched, checking to make sure her tachi was still in her grasp. Only then did she relax.
Sakura rubbed her eyes and sat up.
She was an undercover assassin placed in the base by Fire Moth's higher‑ups. After the Fourth Herrscher's defeat, when the base where Elias was stationed began openly recruiting new soldiers, she seized the chance.
They erased all her past records and fabricated a new identity, allowing her to join as an ordinary Honkai disaster survivor.
This way, when Sakura later underwent the Meta‑Morph surgery, no one could impose restrictions targeting her, limiting her to low‑grade Honkai Beast genes.
For the record, she had skipped the recent welcome banquet—she didn't want to encounter her mission target, Elias, too soon. Otherwise, she'd likely already have been pulled into his squad like Kosma.
"Sakura, you're up~ Come on, let's grab something from the cafeteria, then hit training."
"Alright, I'll be right there, Dystopia."
Her roommate, Dystopia, was a lively blonde with a rare, exceptionally high Honkai adaptability—a promising talent for the future.
Sakura swiftly changed into her uniform and gear, fastening the tachi at her hip. The blade never left her side—it gave her a sense of security.
It had been half a month since she joined the base, and she'd already distinguished herself with outstanding performance.
As the ace assassin of Kokonoe, basic training was child's play.
Only when hunting Honkai Beasts did she initially falter—she had never killed anything but humans before. But the discomfort didn't trouble her.
(Sakura: My swordsmanship is for killing people, so of course it's poorly matched to fighting Honkai Beasts. Still… it's far easier on my heart to cut down a beast than a person.)
What she thought would be a grim task had become oddly enjoyable.
Though it was only a role for Operation 17, living under this cover gave her the illusion of stepping out of darkness into warm sunlight.
If she abandoned her mission now, perhaps that illusion could become real.
But the thought lasted only a moment. In the darkness, someone still needed her protection—her only family.
Her younger sister, Rin.
It was for Rin's sake that she obeyed the higher‑ups, joined Kokonoe, and took human lives—no matter how many crimes stained her hands.
She never regretted it.
Because she was a sister.
And sisters protect their little sisters—no matter what.
"Oh, right, Sakura, my Meta‑Morph application got approved! How about yours?"
"Mm. Mine was approved too."
"Haha, really? Lucky us! You know how low the approval rate is for rookies. Once we're fusion warriors, not only will we be way stronger, but we'll get private rooms and triple the pay!"
Dystopia's eyes sparkled at the thought, but Sakura looked puzzled.
"Dystopia… you applied for the Meta‑Morph surgery just for that?"
"Uh… is there a problem? Even if it fails, you won't die. No harm in trying, right?"
"Eh? Won't… die?"
Sakura's eyes widened in shock.
She had always assumed that failure meant certain death.
As a member of Kokonoe, she knew well many of Fire Moth's darker secrets—like how some higher‑ups were secretly researching Meta‑Morph surgery. In the past, she'd been sent to deal with rampaging failed test subjects.
That mission had nearly killed her.
The failed subjects had turned into horrifying monsters, and she'd barely escaped with her life. She'd also seen countless corpses of those who'd died from failed surgeries.
Even the so‑called "lucky ones" who survived were heavily corroded by Honkai energy, with most of their bodies transformed into Honkai Beasts. Sakura thought death might have been kinder.
Because of that, she instinctively assumed the situation here was the same—maybe with a higher success rate, but still leading to death or corruption if it failed.
"Sakura~ where did you hear such strange rumors? How could a failed Meta‑Morph surgery kill you?"
"Really… it won't?"
"I've never heard of anyone dying from it. See that woman over there? She had her surgery just a few days ago, and it failed—yet she's perfectly fine. In fact, she said some of her old ailments even disappeared."
Dystopia's voice carried a hint of envy.
In truth, that was because Elias, when treating failed surgery patients, would also cure any minor illnesses while he was at it. As the Herrscher of Rebirth, he was arguably the world's greatest healer.
"That's… different from what I know," Sakura said, dumbfounded.
"Well~ I don't know where you heard those rumors, but don't forget—our base has Lord Elias. We don't have to worry about a thing. All we need to do is follow him and fight Honkai."
"…"
Sakura felt both shocked and a little relieved. She had assumed there was a 99% chance she would die on the operating table before she ever got the chance to assassinate Elias.
But now… it looked like she'd live a little longer.
She let out a quiet sigh. Compared to dying in surgery or turning into a monster, dying at the hands of a great hero would at least be more dignified.
Even if killing someone like her might dirty his hands, she silently apologized to Elias more than once in her heart.
…
The day of the Meta‑Morph surgeries arrived.
In Mobius' lab, Sakura, Kosma, Dystopia, and several other soldiers gathered, eyeing the infamous "devil's den" with nervous curiosity.
"Oh~ two cute girls this time," Elysia said cheerfully.
"Elysia, why are you here making trouble?" Mobius eyed her with clear annoyance.
"Because Elias said a few people today caught his attention, so I came to see."
"Tch, get lost!"
Watching the daily bickering between Elysia and Mobius, the group didn't know how to react.
Elias raised his hand and gave each of them a light knock on the head before clapping once and organizing the group for surgery. He had even invited Mei today.
Currently, only three people in the world could perform Meta‑Morph surgery—Elias, Mobius, and Mei.
"We've already matched you to compatible Honkai Beast genes. For lower‑tier genes, Mei will handle your surgery. Mobius and I will handle the upper‑tier ones."
Gulp! xN
Seeing the group swallow nervously, Elias smiled reassuringly.
"Relax. Whether it succeeds or fails, I guarantee none of you will die or suffer side effects. For you, it's nothing more than a nap."
"Yes, Captain Elias!" xN
The moment he spoke, everyone visibly relaxed.
This was the effect of Elias' immense prestige—because of the trust, respect, and admiration they held for him, many would believe his words without needing proof.
In this batch, only three people had matched with upper‑tier Honkai Beast genes: Sakura, Kosma, and Dystopia.
"Sakura, your match is the Emperor‑class Honkai Beast—Yaksha. Kosma, you've matched with the Vipralopa‑class Honkai Beast—Vishnu. And Dystopia, you've matched with the Emperor‑class Akira."
Elias projected the Honkai Beast illustrations for them to see. But instead of focusing on their own matches, both Sakura and Dystopia's gazes fixed on Vishnu.
"Vipralopa‑class Honkai Beast… what's that?"
"Not sure. I've never mentioned that class before."
"Captain, what exactly is my Honkai Beast?"
As warriors fighting against the Honkai, they were of course familiar with the basic Honkai Beast classes. But this "Vipralopa" term was a first for them, sparking curiosity.
"A Vipralopa‑class Honkai Beast falls under the category of 'indefinable.' In terms of potential, it can even surpass a Judgment‑class Honkai Beast."
"There's… such a thing?!"
"Heh, when it comes to the Honkai, nothing's impossible. For the record, the only confirmed Vipralopa‑class Honkai Beasts so far are Benares—fused with Elias—Maheśvara, which belongs to Elysia, and this Vishnu."
Mobius added her own comment, her serpentine eyes flickering with a trace of fanaticism.
When she had first heard from Elias about Vishnu's traits, she had almost been unable to stop herself from performing another Meta‑Morph surgery on herself.
"Vishnu starts as a lower‑tier Honkai Beast, but can continually evolve by devouring other Honkai Beasts. When Elias captured it, it was only Emperor‑class—but its potential is enough to surpass Judgment‑class."
Mobius' tone carried clear envy. A Honkai Beast that could evolve endlessly… it matched perfectly with her pursuit of 'infinity.'
But now, she no longer cared.
Back when she had nearly given in, Elias had stopped her, telling her that from one perspective, Vishnu was the complete opposite of what she sought.
Though it could grow stronger by devouring others, it came with severe drawbacks—Vishnu was in a constant state of hunger.
A fusion warrior created from its genes would be prone to berserk rages and losing rationality, needing to regularly devour other Honkai Beast factors to stay sane. Over‑consumption, however, could also trigger a mental breakdown.
Hearing that, Mobius had lost all interest.
Mobius: (Really? That's all? Power that swells endlessly but at the cost of losing one's mind… Such a flawed thing—how could it truly be called evolution?)
To her, evolution meant eliminating flaws and moving toward a higher, more perfect lifeform. Vishnu might evolve infinitely through devouring, but it would always remain a beast.
Still, even so, it was undeniably strong.
As long as the limits were kept in check, a fusion warrior born from its genes would have immense power and potential.
"So? I've told you all the pros and cons. Are you still willing to undergo the Meta‑Morph surgery?"
"I am!"
Kosma agreed without hesitation.
It wasn't that he didn't understand the side effects Elias had mentioned—but at this moment, the only thought in this chunni‑hearted boy's mind was:
(…Cool!)
Looking at Vishnu's image in the Honkai Beast records, Kosma's heart pounded. That jet‑black, evil‑dragon‑like Honkai Beast looked exactly like a final‑boss villain!
It was perfect for his chuunibyou tastes.
And besides…
(Vipralopa‑class Honkai Beast… the same class as Captain Elias' fusion beast. I'm way too lucky! Could I become as strong as him after the fusion? No, no, no—that's way too arrogant. And the higher the class, the lower the success rate… Please succeed, please succeed, please succeed!)
Kosma clasped his hands in prayer, silently begging for the surgery to succeed. He even thought back to the incense he burned before leaving home, hoping that bit of folk superstition might help.
On the other side, Sakura looked at her own match—a pink fox with donkey‑like ears. She had never imagined she'd match with an upper‑tier Honkai Beast.
While success would greatly increase her chances of completing her mission, it didn't make her happy in the slightest.
(Sakura: …If it were a lower‑tier Honkai Beast, that would be better. At least then I'd be sure to fail my mission… This feeling of being given just a sliver of hope—it's somehow even worse.)
Resigned, she even found herself secretly hoping for failure.
But all three surgeries went off without a hitch.
When they awoke from the operating tables, they each felt their power had increased tremendously—many times stronger than before.
"Sakura, what were you thinking during the surgery?"
As Sakura was still immersed in the sensation of her new strength, Elias suddenly spoke to her. Even Mobius was giving her an odd look.
Her heart skipped a beat. Could she have talked in her sleep during the procedure, revealing she was an undercover assassin? Surely not…
"P‑please, did something happen?"
"You almost didn't make it."
"Eh?"
"Even though Yaksha matched you extremely well and the fusion went smoothly… it felt like you were rejecting it. I've never seen that before."
Elias folded his arms, his expression unreadable.
Normally, it was the Honkai Beast gene rejecting the human. But in Sakura's case, the Yaksha gene wanted to fuse, and the 'Forget‑Me‑Not' girl was rejecting it. That resistance almost caused the surgery to fail.
If not for Dr. Elias' overwhelming authority forcing it through to the end, she'd now be either a vegetable—or reporting to the afterlife.
"I'm sorry… I don't know why." Sakura lowered her head, masking the truth.
"Well, strange things happen sometimes. But now, you owe me your life."
"I… owe you my life?"
Her expression turned strange. The girl let out a bitter smile.
The person she was supposed to assassinate—the man she'd come to 'deliver her head' to—had just saved her life.
This was probably the hardest mission of her life.
Her target was humanity's strongest hero, capable of defeating Herrschers in succession. And now, he had saved her…
Sakura could only laugh bitterly. Now, both in terms of strength and conscience, she could no longer cross that line.
"That said… while the surgery succeeded, I was so focused on keeping you alive that I didn't have time to deal with the side effects." Elias averted his gaze—lying through his teeth.
"Uh… what side effects?" Sakura blinked.
The next second, Elias produced a mirror from who‑knows‑where and held it up. Sakura's eyes went wide as she shot her hands up to her head, feeling something soft.
"Th‑this is—?!"
"Yaksha Honkai Beast ears. Don't mind them—they suit you. And can I touch them?"
Two soft, pink, donkey‑like ears now sprouted from her head. Because both her hair and the beast ears were the same shade of pink, they looked completely natural—almost too fitting.
Elias' hands itched just looking at them.
"…"
Sakura swallowed hard, tentatively squeezing one of her new ears. An indescribable sensation shot through her, making her tense up and press her legs together.
"N‑no… You can't touch those…"
Her weakness +1.