Chapter 47: The Honkai Beast That Protects the Village

"The monster in the forest..."

Upon hearing this, Serenade froze. Her first thought was of the Knight-class Honkai Beast she'd left in the woods surrounding the village. But then she reconsidered—she'd instructed it to be cautious; there was no way the villagers could have stumbled upon it. Moreover... according to her orders, the Knight-class beast's purpose was to guard the village, not scare the villagers...

"Are any of them injured?" Serenade promptly asked Yae-Sakura.

"I'm not entirely sure. According to the villagers..." Yae-Sakura furrowed her brow, her response somewhat uncertain. "The monster was chasing villagers..."

Considering these villagers, since Serenade had essentially raised both Yae sisters, their previous promise with Yae-Rin—"become an exceptional miko and protect the village and its people"—had lost its weight. After all, Yae-Rin hadn't actually died.

Serenade's subsequent upbringing of the girls meant that Yae-Sakura no longer placed such paramount importance on the village and its inhabitants. To the current Yae-Sakura, she was indeed the miko and mistress of Yae Village. She would defend it, but not to the exclusion of her own life or interests.

It simply wasn't that crucial to her.

In the original story, Yae-Sakura suffered greatly—caught between the entire village's murderous grudge against her and her sister's dying wish to become an exceptional miko.

Yae Sakura found herself caught between a rock and a hard place. She wanted to kill all the villagers to avenge her sister, yet she also wished to fulfill her sister's last wish and become an exceptional Miko.

As an exceptional Miko, protecting the village and its people was inherent.

So in this situation, no matter which path she chose, Yae Sakura didn't want her life to be marred by such constant struggle.

However, fortunately... the Yae Sakura now didn't need to make such a choice anymore.

So even if a few villagers died, she didn't force herself too much...

She would save those she could, but if they couldn't... well, they could only blame their own misfortune.

"Hunting..."

Upon hearing this, Serenade immediately realized that her own Honkai Beasts wouldn't hunt villagers. This could only mean... it wasn't her creature but rather, another monster had appeared.

However, according to her orders, the knight-rank Honkai Beast should have prevented this from happening!

But just as the thought crossed her mind...

Your knight-rank Honkai Beast, "Paladin ," has been annihilated!

"What...?"

Dead... It's dead?

Although the Paladin couldn't be considered exceptionally strong, it was... certainly not weak either. At the very least, it had nearly B-rank Valkyrie level strength—perhaps even slightly stronger.

And yet, it had perished so easily...

"What is it, Serenade-nee?" Hearing Serenade's startled cry, Sakura and Kallen immediately turned to look at her curiously.

"It's nothing. Seems like a big one has arrived. I'll go with you too," Serenade responded, quickly composing herself.

This enemy was even more formidable than her own Paladin. Despite the fact that Yae Sakura had already achieved the strength of an A-rank Valkyrie, Serenade still felt apprehensive.

It was almost as if... no matter how old her daughter became, she would never truly feel at ease.

Serenade had watched over Yae Sakura... she had practically raised her alongside Yae Rin. The sisters were like her children, half-daughters.

Although Yae Sakura now bore a striking resemblance to her Valkyrie form, the mindset of a mother couldn't be altered so easily.

"I can handle it on my own! Besides, I'm the village's miko; protecting it is my responsibility..."

Hearing Sakura's words, she didn't immediately agree. Instead, she gazed hesitantly at her eldest.

Yae Sakura could, of course, perceive Serenade's concern for her well-being.

However, she was no longer the same person she had been before.

Now grown up, with certain areas even larger than Serenade's, Yae Sakura had also developed significant strength.

Yet Serenade still treated her like the little girl she used to be—a notion Yae Sakura could no longer accept...

For if she remained seen merely as a child, her dreams would forever be out of reach. Only by being recognized as Serenade's equal did she stand a chance.

"Nonsense! You're the village's Miko, and I'm your and Rin's guardian knight," Serenade rebuked gently, playfully smacking Yae Sakura's head at her words.

"Come on, we've got big trouble coming our way... I can't let you face this alone, you know!"

Yae Sakura fell silent.

Though not thrilled, Yae Sakura's heart warmed at these words. From the very beginning, Serenade's concern for her and her sister had never wavered...

She couldn't help but get lost in the soothing embrace of Serenade's gentleness.

And so...

"Alright, fine!" Yae Sakura relented.

Standing beside Serenade, Kallen listened to her conversation with Yae Sakura and suddenly felt that this village might not be as idyllic as she'd imagined.

Monsters? she pondered. What could she mean by that?

Kallen's expression froze as a chilling thought crossed her mind:

Could these monsters be... Honkai Beasts?

"Hey! Wait up, I'll come with you too!"

Seeing Yae Sakura and Serenade rushing off, Kallen quickly reached out and hurried after them...

Though uncertain if the same incidents from Europe would unfold here, she knew one thing for sure:

At least I can try to help.

However...

Unbeknownst to Serenade as she rushed towards the village outskirts, the black box she had placed in a cabinet—containing the sealed Herrscher and yet unattended to—had already developed a small crack.

Yae Sakura no longer craves power for vengeance, Serenade thought, and Yae Rin would never harbor such hate.

Yet somehow... the seal on the Herrscher, already on the verge of breaking, had loosened further. The reason remained a mystery.

In the forests surrounding Yae Village, the air was thick with the stench of blood.

The once orderly grass now lay mangled and strewn with corpses, leaving no trace of life.

Claws—horrific marks left by enormous claws—were everywhere, leaving mounds of soil at the once-tall vines.

Even... a strange white Honkai beast lay lifeless on the ground. Its energy, once vital to a knight-class Honkai Beast, was being absorbed by another monster.

This corpse on the ground was none other than... the leader of the Paladins that Serenade had summoned.

Following Serenade's command, the Paladin leader had been silently guarding the village. But then a monster appeared from nowhere and attacked numerous villagers.

Without hesitation, the Paladin leader charged forth to protect the people of Yae Village.