Chapter 70: The Miko and Mei

The appearance of Valkyrie (Mirage Butterfly) Seele was undoubtedly beautiful, yet compared to other Valkyries, she initially seemed unremarkable.

Both wielders of scythes, Rita remained more captivating—especially with her maid persona as an added advantage.

But... Seele's designers had considered a crucial element: dual personalities.

Her inner personality and primary self... particularly the yandere trait, instantly distinguished the otherwise ordinary Seele.

It was like the finishing brushstroke on a painting; this yandere attribute served as the masterstroke.

Who could have guessed the originally gentle Seele would become yandere? Yet this very trait... deserves applause when applied to the Miko. A brilliant touch.

Putting aside other merits... at least this ensures the Valkyries avoid homogenization, each possessing unique charm and characteristics.

However, Mirage Butterfly was merely an A-rank Valkyrie, which was somewhat disappointing. This made all the Seele postcards in my inventory suddenly much less valuable.

It's a bit of a letdown...

And then there's this Quantum attribute—it's... I don't know how to put it... But on second thought, it doesn't affect me at all.

In these worlds, there's no such thing as attribute suppression—no matter what attribute they have, it's all the same to me.

Besides... with Seele's quantization allowing traversal through different dimensions, she's a completely OP character.

"Ai-chan, accept the task..."

After glancing at the quest, the Miko immediately accepted it...

Seeing the people around her, the Gyakushinn Miko stood up directly and beckoned to Higokumaru, who was engrossed in eating grilled fish.

"I need to go out for a bit. You all can eat first; no need to wait for me."

"What's wrong? Did something happen? It's almost nighttime already."

"Exactly! If it's not too urgent, you could go tomorrow!"

Hearing the Miko's words, the Yae Sakura sisters and Kallen stared at her in confusion. It's already almost dark. What could be so urgent now?

"It's somewhat urgent. Don't worry—it's nothing dangerous. You know my capabilities, right?" The Miko avoided further explanation and turned to Higokumaru.

"Higokumaru... come with me."

"Understood, Big Sister!"

Higokumaru devoured the remaining grilled fish in her hands in two or three bites, not even spitting out the bones...

Then, after wiping her small hands, she scooped up Higokumaru (F), who had been staring intently at the fish Yae Sakura was grilling.

"Big Sister, let's go!"

Ignoring Higokumaru's protests, Higokumaru instantly transformed into a three-meter tall fox and crouched before the miko.

"Thank you for your hard work, Higokumaru!"

The miko straightened her short shrine maiden skirt, ensuring she wouldn't expose herself, then sidestepped onto Higokumaru's back.

"Hold tight."

Once the miko was settled, Higokumaru rose to its feet. With a powerful leap, she launched into the air, soaring through the sky.

In addition, Higokumaru had wrapped her tail around a small fox – Higokumaru.

"Big Sister, where are we headed?" Higokumaru asked the shrine maiden mid-flight.

"We're searching for a samurai tainted by Honkai corruption. Should be quite easy to find."

Both Valkyries and Herrschers... possess keen sensitivity to Honkai energy, making it effortlessly detectable.

"I see."

Higokumaru nodded in understanding.

Just as Yae Sakura had anticipated, it wasn't long before Higokumaru and the Gyakushinn Miko detected Honkai energy below them. A maiden warrior was rushing towards Yae Village.

"Found her! Higokumaru, let's descend."

Eyeing the rōnin below, the miko promptly patted Higokumaru on the back.

"Understood."

Higokumaru immediately began her descent, violently landing right in front of the traveling maiden warrior.

Hokushin Mei, who had been heading towards Yae Village, suddenly felt something land in front of her. The impact caused the ground to shake slightly.

Mei subconsciously gripped her katana tighter.

As the dust settled, an extraordinarily unique... miko riding a massive fox appeared before her.

It wasn't the miko's revealing attire that caught her off guard; this world wasn't like the traditionally conservative Japan of Inuyasha's era. Instead, it was the warring states period in the Far East of the Honkai World.

Short skirts and long stockings were already commonplace here. For instance, the Yae Sakura sisters wore white stockings under their miko uniforms, similar to the Gyakushinn Miko.

Hokushin Mei herself was dressed sensually, with black stockings and a revealing warrior outfit. Thus, she found nothing unusual about the Gyakushinn Miko's attire.

What puzzled Mei was... the pair of long, fluffy ears growing directly from the miko's head as she sat astride her fox.

This world had no demi-humans or yokai, which left Hokushin Mei quite curious...

"Who are you? A miko from the area?"

Hokushin Mei didn't rush to attack but instead asked, intrigued.

"Murderous Demon... Hokushin Mei?"

Upon hearing Hokushin Mei's words, the Gyakushinn Miko countered with a question instead of answering.

The Hokushin Mei before her looked very similar to Valkyrie Raiden Mei, practically identical. However... compared to Raiden Mei's gentle demeanor, this Hokushin Mei seemed more spirited and fierce.

Her entire body emanated a murderous aura!

One glance was enough to tell that countless lives had perished at her hands.

In truth... the Hokushin Mei before her could also be considered as Raiden Mei. According to the records, after becoming invincible in the Far East, she would seek out a utopia beyond the mortal realm... where she would live out her life incognito, changing her name to Raiden, becoming... Raiden Mei.

Thus, Hokushin Mei could be seen as the ancestor of the Valkyrie Raiden Mei.

"Murderous Demon? I seem to recall... some people did call me that. But I don't mind such empty monikers... I am Hokushin Mei, a wandering rōnin who travels the world seeking defeat." Hearing what the Gyakushinn Miko called her, Hokushin Mei furrowed her brow in thought... Murderous Demon... Indeed, many had called her by that name.

But Hokushin Mei had never paid such things any mind. Her lifelong pursuit... was simply to find someone who could best her.

Hokushin Mei had a strong feeling—this strange miko before her might be the very person she had been searching for all along.

"You bear blades and command such a peculiar creature. Your skills must be considerable... Shall we duel?"