At 10:00 a.m. today, Changkong City was completely cut off from the outside world.
A global statement claimed an infectious disease—BH—had broken out in Changkong. In reality, it was Honkai erupting.
"These people are all dead!"
With a casual shot, Kiana dropped several zombie-like monsters.
"They are Deadwalkers—humans infected and mutated by Honkai," came a cute girl's voice, flat as ever.
The speaker was a petite girl with ash-gray spiral twin-drills and matching eyes—adorable face, unreadable expression. Detachable exoskeletal leg armor hugged her legs. She wore a military-tinged outfit with twin ribbons to match, and hugged a yellow Homu plush to her chest.
Per her own introduction, her name was Bronya.
Another girl advanced beside Kiana:
Mei Raiden—long violet hair tied into a ponytail with a ribbon; light-violet eyes. Back at St. Freya Academy she wore the school uniform: a purple-speckled bow, black sailor top, and thigh-highs.
These two were friends Kiana had made not long ago.
Just as Bronya said, the concrete face of this Honkai disaster was Deadwalkers.
People around them lost their minds for no reason. The low-grade ones gnawed like zombies. The higher-grade ones… moved like espers with uncanny abilities.
Whatever form they took— they existed only to destroy.
"Damn it, how are we supposed to finish them off?"
No matter how many they felled, more Deadwalkers kept swarming; white-pink Honkai Beasts were charging in as well.
"Let's find a place to regroup. That rooftop."
Irritated, Kiana simply triggered the power of the Herrscher of the Void and blinked from the ground to the highest rooftop of St. Freya Academy.
"Eh?! Kiana, how did you do that?" Mei stared around in disbelief. They were on the roof in an instant.
"Analyzing: an unknown-condition spatial transfer ability," Bronya said. Her eyes gleamed; the stoic mask allowed a rare flicker of curiosity. This girl she'd flagged as a dummy seemed to possess a peculiar power.
Stigmata? Honkai energy? Or… a Herrscher?
…
"Oh? How does that little girl have spatial movement?"
The scene of Kiana teleporting, seen through Bronya's eyes, streamed into Anti-Entropy headquarters.
Cocolia, golden curls cascading, narrowed her eyes.
Her primary target was the Third Herrscher—but this girl with Honkai adaptability and an unknown teleportation capability also looked like fine material. Perhaps worth retrieving in passing.
…
"Mei, what happened to the world?"
From the rooftop, Kiana surveyed the surroundings. Chaos reigned both in and beyond the campus—Deadwalkers everywhere.
"..."
A dull ache pressed at Kiana's chest.
Classmates. Teachers. All who lacked sufficient Honkai resistance had turned into Deadwalkers.
"I… don't know either…"
Sorrow shadowed Mei's eyes.
"This is Honkai," Bronya stated, cool and plain. Honkai was a terror like this.
Kiana scrubbed her messy hair, frustrated. "What kind of Honkai is this supposed to be?!"
"A Honkai triggered by Honkai energy."
Tatsuki appeared beside Kiana—she didn't startle; if anything, her eyes lit up like she'd found her anchor. "Tatsuki!"
"Who?!"
Mei gripped her katana, turning wary toward the three newcomers who had appeared—three!
"Unknown contacts detected," Bronya intoned. "Heavy Armor Bunny 19C, enter alert mode."
Air warped behind her; the phantom frame coalesced from the void into her partner—Heavy Armor Bunny 19C. The cool-looking armored unit leveled both cannons at Tatsuki's trio.
In Tatsuki's palm, a wisp of mist-like energy curled lazily.
"Honkai energy?" Bronya focused on the power he toyed with. Honkai energy: more efficient than any known energy in this world, but corrosive to life—twisting organisms into Honkai creatures and Deadwalkers. The most basic understanding.
"Kiana, your friends don't seem very friendly," Tatsuki remarked mildly.
Kiana smacked her forehead and jumped in front of him. "Mei, Bronya— they're my friends! Everyone chill!"
"Friends?"
Mei and Bronya traded a glance, then sized up the three arrivals in turn:
A strikingly handsome man. A white-haired girl in elegant dress, eyes bright with innocent curiosity. And… another Bronya?!
"Eh! Another Bronya!" Mei covered her mouth, staring at Silver Wolf.
"Huh?"
Only then did Kiana notice: Silver Wolf's face was almost identical to Bronya's!
"Bronya is confused. Who are you? Searching memory… no record of a twin sister."
Bronya, confronted by a mirror of herself, was coolly baffled and curious.
Silver Wolf glanced her up and down—yes, the resemblance was real. She blew a bubble and shrugged, utterly unfazed. "Big world. Look-alike probabilities exist."
"I'm Silver Wolf. But I also know someone named Bronya who looks like you—more like your grown-up version."
She meant Bronya of Jarilo-VI.
Bronya nodded. "Analyzing… probability affirmed. Bronya would also like to meet the Bronya you mentioned."
"We'll see," Silver Wolf said. No promises that Bronya Rand would drop by.
"This place is… a mess. What sort of calamity unfolded?" asked the blue-white-hatted girl with scepter—Furina. Excited at first to arrive in another world, a quick look around had sobered her; tension and caution crept into her tone.
Silver Wolf ignored the chaos and eyeballed Tatsuki and Furina instead. "Are you two wearing couple outfits?"
A black butler suit. A blue-white ceremonial dress.
Furina's eyes sparkled—standing next to Tatsuki like this did match. The actress in her surged; she extended a graceful hand.
"This handsome gentleman—would you be willing to serve as my attendant, to the Water God, Furina?"
Tatsuki's lips tugged into a smile. He gently lifted her delicate hand and brushed a light kiss across the back. "But of course, my lovely Lady Furina."
Like touching soft water—fresh, clean, soothing.
"!!!"
Furina stiffened. In her mind: Eh?! I was just acting—what's my next line?
Outwardly composed, inwardly in chaos.
Before she chose whether to play along, Tatsuki released her hand and chuckled, "Haha, just teasing. It's a simple cosplay."
Silver Wolf gave him a side-eye. After learning he had designs on Stelle and Kafka, she'd long filed him under S-tier perv. She popped her bubble to break the awkwardness. "So, what's our plan?"
She leaned on the railing, lazily chewing gum.
"You intend to do something? Or—what's your goal?" Bronya didn't drop her guard just because Kiana vouched for them.
"Goals, huh?"
Tatsuki didn't bother to hide anything. Gesturing to each in turn, he said, "I'm Tatsuki. These two are Silver Wolf and Furina."
"Greetings. I am the Water God Focalors—you may also call me Furina."
Recovering from the earlier beat, Furina upheld an actress's poise—scepter in hand, hat tipped in a refined nod.
Fufu really never misses a chance to stress she's the Water God, Tatsuki mused.
....
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