A Valkyrie's work schedule was similar to that of a student, with its own designated rest days. The difference was that even on a rest day, if an order or an emergency mission came through, they had to gear up and move out immediately.
Saturday mornings were always quiet. After Friday's training ended, a large portion of the Valkyries would stay up all night playing.
Saori Tsuruyo was not among them. Ever since she became an official Schicksal Valkyrie, she had maintained a good routine, training diligently and never slacking off. She always kept herself in peak mental condition when handling missions.
Li Mo's teachings had imperceptibly transformed the once timid and self-deprecating girl.
Even on a Friday night when everyone was celebrating the arrival of the weekend, Saori Tsuruyo turned off her lights and went to bed early.
"June 15th, 2014. Everything is normal at St. Freya High School. The Head Ghosts have not awakened and remain dormant. Captain Shigure, not yet returned."
Using Schicksal's internal real-time monitoring system, the early-rising Saori Tsuruyo jotted down the day's observations in her diary.
When Shigure Kira left, she had given her authority to Saori. Their relationship had grown stronger since they had emerged from the funeral. Their experience at St. Freya High School had become a secret known only to the two of them. Later, they had gone to Mount Taixuan together, facing life and death side by side.
Despair and terror, blood and death, hope and salvation... Li Mo had not only brought a new life to Shigure Kira, but to Saori as well.
If not for Shigure Kira's trust, Saori would have had to make the trip to St. Freya High School herself. She had done so for many years.
"The Captain has been gone for five days. Why isn't she back yet? Strange... she's usually only gone for three days at most. Could something have happened?" Saori muttered worriedly, gazing at the gloomy sky outside her window.
"But just worrying won't do any good. There's no way for me to find her. I'll just keep waiting and do what needs to be done. Fulfill my duties."
Saori sighed, wrote a few more things in her diary, then put it away in a locked box.
"I still have some time. I'll go out for a walk. I can't keep myself in a constant state of work-induced stress. Proper relaxation is important. And... maybe I'll find signs of a budding Bizarre."
"Though I haven't found anything in all this time."
Saori looked at herself in the mirror. Her shiny black hair was skillfully tied into a vibrant single ponytail, perched high on the back of her head. The ponytail swayed gently as she tilted her head, possessing an unadorned, natural beauty. There was no trace of makeup on her face; the artificial Stigma on her back was the best skincare a Valkyrie could have.
Of course, the price was a bit steep. Every time she used its power, she would suffer from Honkai erosion, shortening her lifespan. She had barely used it. Dangerous missions weren't assigned to rookies yet, and even when dealing with Honkai incidents, she had the advanced weapons Shigure Kira had given her.
Compared to her comrades, Saori could inflict greater damage at a minimal cost.
Besides, she would only be sent to the front lines when there was a severe shortage of manpower. Her strength was in her mind, not in combat.
With that thought, Saori immediately grabbed her bag and portable weapon, left the Valkyrie dorms, and, after a quick change of clothes into a smart, ordinary outfit, easily blended into the crowd.
For a girl, going out for a walk was always invigorating.
The old Saori, who used to stay cooped up at home, had never tried it and didn't think much of it. But once she made it a habit, she found that it was indeed very enjoyable. It was just... the space beside her was empty. If only someone were there...
Remembering the thrilling days at St. Freya High School, Saori nodded, a smile unconsciously gracing her lips. Her heart was truly twisted. To think that such a terrifying and desperate experience was worth savoring over and over again. She had been scared to death, so much so that she hadn't slept soundly for several nights after getting out.
But... fate had indeed allowed her to meet a very good person. Even though he was always saying selfish things, like "if you don't do as I say, I'll kill you without hesitation." Yet in the process, he was constantly looking out for them, a group of deadweights. He was capable and kind-hearted, just a bit stubborn with his words, and always repaid his debts.
He seemed ordinary, without any major shining qualities. But only upon truly meeting him did one realize how rare and dazzling such a person was, someone worth getting to know deeply.
Saori was lost in her own beautiful fantasy when she was suddenly knocked to the ground. Just before she hit the pavement, she adjusted her body, landing on her butt and using her hands to stabilize herself.
Strange? Why is it a bit cold?
Saori froze. Ever since she received the artificial Stigma, her physical condition had improved drastically. Logically, she shouldn't feel the cold so easily. But just now, the moment she was bumped, she felt a bone-chilling cold. It was very familiar.
"Ugh! I really shouldn't have been daydreaming on the street." Saori came to her senses, got up, and said to the person who had knocked her down, "Sorry, I was thinking about something and wasn't watching where I was going. Excuse me, are you..."
In an instant, Saori's eyes widened. She stared in disbelief at the "culprit" who had knocked her down and was now walking past.
A decadent aura, a stiff gait, a gloomy face, terrifying eyes, ugly death spots...
He was a person composed of unsightly, utterly filthy words, yet Saori's eyes lit up as if illuminated by the sun. She reached out her hand as if toward a bright sky.
Her outstretched hand trembled in mid-air as she whispered, "Brother..."
"No... that's not right." Saori quickly snapped back to reality, looking around, especially behind him.
A long trail of blood, like a small stream, stretched from far behind him to Li Mo's feet, like the tail of a shooting star. The trail exuded a thick, metallic stench.
Saori forced herself to calm down. She didn't immediately reveal her identity to Li Mo, but silently followed behind him without a word.
If it really was the brother from her memories, then he would never make such a rookie mistake: revealing himself in this state on the street.
Saori believed that Li Mo remembered her face and voice, but just now, when he had knocked her down, he had shown no reaction.
So there were three most likely possibilities.
One, he couldn't communicate with her right now. He might have triggered some Bizarre rule and was afraid of dragging her into it.
Two, he had forgotten her. But the Captain had just returned last time and said he still remembered her, so that should be ruled out.
Three, Brother had died too many times and was on the verge of losing himself.
Saori bit her lip, her expression grave.
Watching Li Mo's dazed steps, her heart tensed.
Li Mo's condition was clearly not right. He was like a wandering Ghost. He wasn't attacking the passersby in his line of sight, which probably meant his consciousness was still somewhat intact. He hadn't completely turned into a Ghost.
Saori knew that Li Mo had an ability similar to death and restarting. She also knew the price: his humanity. A person's humanity wasn't just an identity; it was a combination of consciousness, behavior, and emotions.
"No, I have to follow him. I don't know why Brother has become like this, or what he's been through, but I can't just leave him alone."
Saori's eyes were firm. She decisively closed the distance with Li Mo.
She was no longer the girl who could only hide in a corner, trembling. She was no longer the blind follower who could only listen to others' commands.
Now, she had her own opinions and, more importantly, her own judgment of the situation, even if her shallow experience sometimes made it inaccurate.
"I haven't found any traces of the Bizarre in my world, but for Brother to come here in this state, there must be something here that can help him."
Saori quickly analyzed the situation, and her analysis was spot on.
Europe, afternoon, a street.
In the bustling crowd, Li Mo, covered in blood, walked through the stream of people.
His eyes were unfocused, his dilated pupils fixed straight ahead, not wavering in the slightest. His clothes were stained with a mixture of blood and dirt. He was like a wooden puppet, completely dazed.
The people around him hurried on their way, but they couldn't help but cast glances at Li Mo. Some looked surprised, some sympathetic, some curious and confused.
Some more outgoing people wanted to approach him to see what was going on, but when they noticed the blood still dripping from the Akazome Sakura in his hand, the thought vanished instantly.
"..."
"..."
Thud!
A steel pipe on the side of the road tripped Li Mo. In his Fourth Death State, he fell to the ground without any reaction, his nose instantly embedded in the pavement.
Li Mo seemed to be frozen in place. He paid no mind to the stares of the crowd, nor did he have the consciousness to think about how to get out of this awkward situation. He lay motionless, letting the crowd flow past him like a lonely traveler forgotten by time.
"What's this guy doing? Is he going to die? Should we call an ambulance?"
"Should we go over and give him first aid?"
"Are you crazy? Aren't you afraid he'll suddenly attack you with that knife? Look at him, he's covered in blood! How many people did he have to kill to get his clothes that red?"
"I think it's better to call the police. An unknown person from the East, walking like a zombie, doesn't look human at all. What normal person falls with their eyes open and their hands motionless, just letting their head hit the ground like that?"
Clearly, Li Mo's Bizarre behavior had attracted a lot of negative attention. Their thoughts were not wrong. From any angle, Li Mo was definitely not a good person, even if he looked like he was about to die.
The entire process of his fall: his left hand holding the blade, his right hand not moving, his arms showing no reflexive protection, his body not even turning to the side, his head not even moving. To call such a person a zombie was no exaggeration. He had completely lost the basic human instinct for self-preservation.
What... am I doing?
What... am I supposed to do?
Where is this place?
Why... did I come here?
Li Mo's thoughts were faint, his human consciousness growing more distant, his behavior becoming more and more Bizarre.
"My name... is Li Mo."
Li Mo rasped out his real name, and his consciousness cleared slightly. He staggered to his feet.
Instantly, the people around him subconsciously took a few steps back, wanting to get away from him.
"I need to... find someone. Find... Otto Apocalypse."
Li Mo stated his purpose calmly. He had to do this. After passing through the Bizarre Cave, the Corruption had begun to spread to his consciousness. This type of Corruption wasn't a directly triggered Bizarre rule.
The Misfortune Ghost had no way to eliminate consciousness-based Corruption; it could only resist other rules that tried to directly annihilate Li Mo's consciousness. After all, the Misfortune Ghost itself was constantly corrupting his consciousness.
Any Bizarre, any power, had a price. It was just a matter of when it was paid.
At this moment, Li Mo had to speak his actions and purpose out loud to remind himself repeatedly. Just relying on his mind would leave him in a daze, completely unaware of what he was doing, just like a moment ago.
If his consciousness hadn't still been intact, he would probably have started triggering the post-transformation Imposter rule, going around asking people for favors.
"I need to... go to Otto Apocalyp—"
Before he could finish, his right hand was taken by a warm, living hand.
Li Mo turned around and saw Saori Tsuruyo, her eyes full of tears, her lips trembling. She called out in a shaky voice, "Brother, long time no see!"
"..." Li Mo was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Long time... no see."
Li Mo's indifference was a stark contrast to Saori's rich emotional expression.
On the street, ignoring the stares of the passersby, Saori took a small step forward, opened her arms, and hugged the filthy, foul-smelling Li Mo, a look of contentment on her face.
"Brother, you don't look so good..."
"It's okay. Saori will always follow you, believe in you, and support you. No matter what you become, I'm willing to follow you until one of us dies."
"I will always revere you, the brightest you."
As she spoke, Saori cautiously raised her head and glanced at Li Mo. Seeing no change in his expression, she was a little disappointed.
Brother's condition seemed even more serious than she had imagined. What she had just said was very mushy, but such sincere and direct words were the only way to test Li Mo's current state.
The result was not optimistic. Li Mo didn't even reply.
Saori blushed, a little embarrassed. What she had just said was already quite bold...
Logically, the two of them should have a lot to talk about. Li Mo had been gloomy before, but he could always say some unexpectedly cool and reserved things with a deadpan face. But the current Li Mo barely spoke, which meant the Bizarre's Corruption was already very severe.
Saori quickly deduced in her mind that Li Mo was probably only one step away from completely turning into a Ghost.
"Brother, is there anything I can do to help you? I'm a Schicksal Valkyrie now, so I should be able to do a lot. Don't worry about my job. Even if I lose it, I'll help you," Saori's voice was firm and powerful.
"..."
A silence of several dozen seconds had become the norm for Li Mo.
Although the people around them were whispering, Saori didn't feel annoyed. She continued to wait patiently for Li Mo to speak.