"Yo, finally awake? You really are something, facing off against a giant Honkai Beast and a Titan without even wearing a battlesuit. You seem to be recovering quite well."
When Hua Yi woke up, the first thing he saw was the ceiling. Then, directly in front of his white hospital bed, he saw a white haired shorty cough, rather, the world's cutest Theresa Apocalypse. She was dressed in a nun's habit, perched atop a massive cross.
Is that giant cross the Oath of Judah? It was one of the strongest weapons in the entire world.
Hua Yi's gaze lingered on the massive cross for a brief moment before quickly shifting to Theresa.
"Thanks for the compliment. So, where am I? Aboard the Hyperion, or at St. Freya Academy?"
"St. Freya Academy. It's the only institution in the world dedicated to training warriors to fight the Honkai Valkyries. Though, since you're a man, applying the term 'Valkyrie' to you feels a bit strange."
Theresa didn't consider Schicksal's approach to be true "nurturing." To her, their method of putting Valkyries through high-intensity training like an assembly line was cold and inhumane. Part of the reason she had left Schicksal to establish her own academy was her opposition to their frigid treatment of the girls.
Theresa hopped down from the cross and sized Hua Yi up as if she had discovered some rare animal.
"To be honest, as a man, you possess extraordinary talent, yet you've made the worst possible choice. Simply surviving in this Honkai-ravaged world as a male is a one-in-a-million feat. But with your extremely high Honkai adaptability,
you're a rarity comparable to an S-rank Valkyrie. You have so many paths available for your future. Why choose to fight the Honkai? It's dangerous. Besides, enough Valkyries have already taken up that burden; there's no need for you to step onto that path as well."
Faced with the girl's curiosity, Hua Yi smiled.
"Didn't Principal Theresa invite me to join St. Freya Academy before? Why have you started playing the role of the persuader now?"
"Joining St. Freya doesn't necessarily mean you have to become a Valkyrie on the front lines. You could be a researcher, or provide logistics, or medical support. Many roles require high Honkai adaptability, and they are much safer than being a warrior."
"Do you really think I'd choose to be a non-combatant just because the survival rate is higher?"
"No. That's exactly why I want to know why your resolve is so firm."
Hua Yi climbed out of bed and stretched his limbs as he answered.
"Honkai means destruction and extreme danger. Those who dare to take responsibility and fight against it are especially dazzling. Valkyries are all cute girls, and cuteness is justice. I want to be a partner of justice. Is that a reason you're willing to accept?"
Theresa tilted her head and gave a very "righteous" smile.
"I'll accept it. Since you've regained your mobility, come with me. Kiana Kaslana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya Zaychik are all waiting for you. I was originally going to arrange their dorms first, but it seems they didn't have the heart to do anything else until you woke up."
Leaving the ward and walking through the corridor, they arrived at a large hall filled with various exercise equipment for patient rehabilitation. Kiana, Raiden Mei, and Bronya were sitting there,
looking rather absentminded. When they heard footsteps and looked up to see Hua Yi, Kiana and Raiden Mei broke into unshielded smiles. Bronya's expression only shifted slightly, but considering her emotional suppression, it was already a clear sign of joy.
"You're finally awake!"
Kiana rushed toward Hua Yi, looking as if she wanted to give him a massive hug. In her excitement, the girl forgot the distinctions between men and women, but she didn't forget that Hua Yi was still recovering from heavy injuries. Her movements suddenly became very careful, a touch that lasted only a fleeting moment.
Although Raiden Mei cared deeply for Hua Yi, her gentle nature prevented her from using physical gestures to express her emotions. She simply watched from the side with a smile, a sight that made the Herrscher Persona witnessing everything from within her body grit her teeth in fury.
It was precisely because Raiden Mei refused to properly assert her sovereignty, allowing those other "bad women" to get all touchy-feely with Hua Yi, that the Herrscher Persona found the primary personality utterly insufferable, labeling her a spineless coward.
The Herrscher Persona wanted to take over the body immediately to protect Hua Yi from the harassment of other women. However, having been born only recently, she was still immature. Without a massive psychological fluctuation or a lapse in Raiden Mei's mental defenses, there was no way for her to forcibly seize control of the body.
Dammit!
After multiple failed attempts, the Herrscher Persona began to contemplate ways to change the situation. Though she would continue to grow over time and would eventually be able to force a takeover or at least find it less difficult than it was now the Herrscher Persona didn't want to wait.
As for her mission to destroy the world as a Herrscher?
Raiden Mei had obtained a Herrscher Core that didn't originally belong to her, and the high concentration of Honkai Energy had forcibly catalyzed her transformation. The resulting Herrscher Persona was an abnormal byproduct. She only knew she had a mission to destroy the world, but as for the why, she was completely in the dark.
The Herrscher Persona had been lost, but having inherited Raiden Mei's memories, that confusion quickly vanished.
Compared to some ethereal mission of world destruction, it was clearly more important to snatch Hua Yi back. From the moment she watched Hua Yi drag his broken body to negotiate with Murata Himeko and Theresa for her sake, the Herrscher Persona had become more determined than ever. Hua Yi was an existence far more important than some strange, rootless mission.
If she let the primary personality just sit there and do nothing, Hua Yi was going to be seduced away by those other women!
She had to find a way to negotiate with the primary personality, but communication was impossible under normal circumstances wait, perhaps at night, during a dream...
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