Chapter 45: Serenade and Kallen

Serenade stood in her room, placing the black box that contained the sealed Twelfth Herrscher on the table before her, and studied it carefully.

Meanwhile, Kallen, wearing Serenade's clothes from before, sat dazed near the bed.

Serenade glanced back at Kallen; they were now essentially identical. Apart from the clothes, there was no way to distinguish between the two just by looking.

What remained to be seen was... whether Lord Otto could recognize the true Kallen? If not, things were about to get interesting.

Nevertheless, Serenade didn't dwell on it further and shifted her gaze back to the black box before her.

This thing... was far too dangerous to remain in Yae Village. It was akin to a ticking time bomb, liable to explode at any moment.

While Serenade herself was not afraid, she couldn't help but fret about Yae Sakura and Yae Rin...

Though both had grown immeasurably stronger, possessing the power of A-rank Valkyries, their abilities still paled in comparison to a Herrscher.

Even though this Herrscher's strength was not at its full potential—much like Higokumaru, they were not yet at their pinnacle of power.

Moreover, though it might have been an illusion, Serenade felt... as if the Honkai Energy of the Herrscher within the black container before her was beginning to leak.

The process was incredibly subtle, so subtle she couldn't even detect it herself.

Yet upon examining the box carefully, she found no cracks or signs of damage. It can't be too serious yet, then... she reasoned.

It seems this situation can't continue indefinitely, she thought. Remaining passive will put us at a disadvantage. Once Kallen had fully recovered, Serenade decided, she would take the initiative to release the Twelfth Herrscher.

And then she would defeat her...

It wouldn't take more than a few days' time.

"Kallen, although you're still a bit weak, getting up and walking around shouldn't be a problem now. You've been lying in bed for days—would you like to get some fresh air together?"

Serenade locked the black box once again, stood up, and turned to Kallen with a question.

"Are you ready?"

After being confined to bed for so long, Kallen was more than eager.

"Of course, I'll be with you every step of the way," Serenade nodded reassuringly.

"Thank... thank you!" Kallen felt inexplicably moved by Serenade's words, yet also a little uneasy. After all, this other self should have been part of her.

"Let's go!"

With that, Serenade gently took Kallen's hand and led her out of the room.

As soon as they stepped out, Kallen felt a sudden sense of freedom. The world seemed fresher and far more expansive than before.

The shrine's architectural style, distinctly different from Europe and Schicksal, gave Kallen a feeling of novelty and excitement.

The inner courtyard of the shrine was filled with numerous trees, creating a serene atmosphere. In the center stood an ancient well, while scattered nearby were simple toys crafted long ago by Yae Sakura and Yae Rin—cherished mementos of their childhood.

Serenade led Kallen through the shrine at a leisurely pace. For Kallen, this small shrine in a village far removed from Schicksal's advanced world was utterly fascinating.

The atmosphere here was completely different from that of the Kaslana family. Everything here gave one a sense of tranquility. To spend a carefree life here... wouldn't that be very happy?

At that moment, Kallen suddenly thought... it wouldn't be so bad to spend her remaining years here, content with her lot.

Schicksal... Valkyries... Honkai... Kallen didn't want to worry about any of it anymore...

"You think this place is pretty nice, don't you?" Serenade said quietly as she walked next to Kallen.

"Mm-hmm," Kallen nodded. "A truly happy place... it's practically Utopia."

"Is it, though?"

But this was only the surface of Yae Village. In truth... the villagers... weren't as pure-hearted as they seemed. If it wasn't for Serenade's presence, even more tragic things would have happened in Yae Village...

And the day of the Fox Spirit Festival was drawing near again.

Although... the villagers of Yae Village had revered Serenade as a divine being, they no longer dared to mistreat the Yae Sakura sisters... they had not abandoned their belief in the fundamentally nonexistent Fox Spirit.

Belief in the Far East was not exclusive.

Unlike the single God of Europe, the Far East was home to eight million gods.

While most villages primarily worshipped one god, it was not uncommon for a village to venerate several... or even dozens of deities.

Everywhere you looked there were gods of the land, gods of wealth in each household's outhouse, river gods in the water, mountain gods upon the peaks...

In short... gods were everywhere...

The legend of the fox spirit, passed down through generations in Yae Village, had not faded into obscurity.

As for... the rituals that had been carried out for countless years... once every few years...

-

What was this fox spirit ritual?

It involved finding a young girl, preferably a virgin, and then on the altar... sacrificing her.

A barbaric and bloody rite, steeped in backward superstition...

Over the years, how many girls from Yae Village had died in this manner? So this village... was merely a facade, appearing as a peaceful paradise untainted by the outside world...

Last time, though, when Serenade had disrupted the ceremony, the so-called Fox Spirit didn't seem to get angry.

Well, maybe it did. Perhaps that's why the Honkai Beasts shouldn't have appeared. But Serenade cut them down, and that was the end of it.

So this time, just like before, Serenade wouldn't let anything like that happen again, and neither would Kallen at her side.

-

"The power of Honkai..."

As Serenade and Kallen were touring the shrine, Kallen's expression suddenly changed. She looked towards the entrance, reaching for her weapon at her waist.

But... her hand didn't find it...

"Don't worry... it's not an enemy."

Serenade, looking towards the entrance, smiled to reassure Kallen.

"Not an enemy?"

Kallen was about to ask more questions when a pink-haired girl walked in through the door.

In her arms, the girl carried something peculiar.

"That's... I've never seen that kind of Honkai Beast before. Be careful." The girl in front of them was holding a strange Honkai Beast. Kallen immediately wanted to protect the girl. Although she didn't understand why Honkai Beasts would be here, protecting civilians was Kallen's mission.

However... as Kallen was about to rush forward, Serenade swiftly grabbed her hand.

"I've already told you, they're not our enemies. Besides... in your current state, going over there would be suicidal." Serenade held tight to Kallen's hand, preventing her from charging ahead.

"Serenade, what are you doing... That's a Honkai Beast!"

Kallen looked anxiously at Serenade...

Upon sight of a Honkai Beast, it was imperative to seal it immediately, or even destroy it.