The night sky was dotted with stars, like a thin veil stretched to the horizon, vast and boundless.
It was late, and Senba Academy was incredibly quiet. The students, now turned into Shicksal, wandered aimlessly around the campus like headless flies.
If this continued for a long time, a battle of supremacy would inevitably break out among the Shicksal.
The losers would become energy for the victors, aiding their evolution and growth.
On the rooftop of the high school building, Ling Feng leaned against the entrance, holding Fen Ji in his arms, his eyes closed in meditation. His breathing was faint and rhythmic.
If any Shicksal dared to venture onto the rooftop at night, they would be met with a brilliant sword light.
Sariel, Hiyori, Yui, and Kiana, four girls, lay on the floor covered by curtains, fast asleep.
Sariel hugged Hiyori's slender waist, her face buried deep in Hiyori's chest. From the side, one could see a lecherous smile on the little pervert's face.
On the other side, Kiana held Yui's arm, a happy smile on her face, letting out soft chuckles.
"Yui's fried chicken nuggets are so delicious..."
It was easy to guess that Kiana was having a sweet dream, feasting to her heart's content.
Meanwhile, Yui's brows were furrowed, her face etched with worry as she was trapped in a terrifying dream.
A classroom filled with blood, mountains of corpses, the Honkai...
Yui's body trembled slightly, as if she had seen something horrific, like a frightened little girl hiding in a dark corner, shivering.
As the first rays of the sun peeked out, casting a rosy glow across the sky of Changkong City.
Yui, in her sleep, felt a powerful jolt and suddenly opened her eyes, sitting up from the ground.
Yui's forehead was beaded with sweat, and she gasped for breath like a drowning person who had just reached the shore.
Yui's trembling right hand lifted, and according to a method from her dream, purple Honkai energy gathered in her palm.
Looking at the Honkai energy in her palm, Yui's pupils quivered, her expression filled with terror.
No... it can't be...
Could everything in that dream be true...?
Those who approach me... will be infected by the Honkai energy emanating from me and turn into Shicksal...
Honkai... Apostle... Destruction...
Just as Yui was lost in thought, Kiana's voice suddenly drifted over, startling Yui.
"Yui... another bowl..."
A bit of drool at the corner of Kiana's mouth, she chuckled, speaking in her sleep without any regard for her image.
"Phew..."
Seeing this, Yui breathed a sigh of relief.
It was just sleep-talking.
Looking at Kiana, who was as innocent and naive as a child, Yui's lips curved slightly into a faint smile.
This was the Kiana she knew.
Yui reached out to touch Kiana, but recalling everything from her dream, her hand froze in mid-air before slowly retracting.
She would hurt Kiana.
Yui scanned the rooftop. Kiana, Sariel, and Hiyori were still immersed in their sweet dreams.
Finally, Yui's gaze fell upon Ling Feng, a hint of tenderness in her eyes.
If there was one person on the rooftop she cared about the most, it was Ling Feng.
When she was falling into the abyss, it was Ling Feng who reached out to her.
In the beginning, when she was enveloped in darkness, he was the only ray of light that pierced through the layers of gloom, shining upon her and bringing her warmth.
Ling Feng might not be the best guy in the world, but he was the one who extended a hand when she needed help the most.
Because of this, Ling Feng's image had entered her heart, followed closely by Kiana.
Precisely because of this...
Yui slowly stood up from the ground and walked step by step to the safety railing at the edge of the rooftop.
In the dim morning light, Yui's cheeks seemed to glow with a soft, beautiful radiance.
The gentle morning breeze stirred her hair, revealing her youthful beauty.
Yui glanced at the Honkai energy in her hand again, closed her eyes, turned around, and slowly leaned backward, her back to the railing.
Precisely because of this... she didn't want to hurt them.
Pitter-patter...
The sound of hurried footsteps echoed on the rooftop. Just as Yui fell from the rooftop, a figure leaped over the railing.
"Yui!"
The figure grabbed Yui's hand with one hand and gripped the railing with the other.
Yui's eyes snapped open, and she looked up at the person holding her.
"Kiana?!"
"Yui, don't be afraid, I'll pull you up right away."
Kiana grinned, exerting a slight force on Yui's arm, slowly lifting her.
"Kiana, let go, I'll hurt you if I stay with you. This disaster is all my fault."
"No!"
Kiana shouted with determination.
Kiana's left hand exerted force, intending to pull herself and Yui up.
*Crack!*
Unexpectedly, the rooftop railing snapped.
Kiana's face contorted in shock.
What quality!
Who the hell bought this shoddy product!
Just as Kiana and Yui were about to fall, two strong hands grabbed them.
"Ling Feng!"
Kiana exclaimed in surprise.
"Get up here!"
Ling Feng had initially thought Kiana could pull Yui up. Little did he know the railing would break. He quickly flashed to the edge of the rooftop and grabbed them.
Ling Feng, with one hand on each of them, pulled with all his might.
Feeling a sense of weightlessness, Kiana and Yui cried out in surprise, their eyes squeezed shut in fear.
As they panicked, they felt themselves land on something soft.
Yui's cheek pressed against Ling Feng's firm chest, the solid chest providing her with a sense of security.
She felt a sense of peace, like being in her father's embrace.
"Ouch, my back. I pulled a little too hard."
Suddenly, a surprised cry interrupted Yui's reverie.
Kiana, who was beside her, had already gotten up from Ling Feng, scratching her head with an apologetic smile.
"Heh heh, Ling Feng, thank you for saving me and Yui."
"Huh? Yui, why is your face so red?"
Yui, still resting on Ling Feng's chest, had a flushed face, her eyes shimmering with shy tears.
Thinking about it, it was the first time she had been so close to a boy other than her father.
She could even hear Ling Feng's thumping heartbeat, which made her feel incredibly shy.
Upon hearing Kiana's voice, Yui snapped back to reality and shyly got up from Ling Feng, moving away.
But her heart still lingered, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time.
Ling Feng executed a perfect flip and jumped up from the ground, tidying his messy Senba Academy uniform and dusting it off.
"Onii-chan, what happened?"
Sariel, rubbing her sleepy eyes, walked over with Hiyori.
The commotion earlier had inevitably woken them up.
Hearing this, Ling Feng looked at Yui.
At first, he thought Yui had woken up to watch the sunrise. He hadn't expected her to want to commit suicide.
Kiana had also woken up at Yui's actions. Just as she was about to greet Yui, she saw Yui about to fall and rushed forward.
The rest was self-explanatory.
Feeling everyone's gaze, Yui took a deep breath and recounted the events of her dream in detail.
To prove it, she even voluntarily extended her right hand, revealing the purple Honkai energy.
Ling Feng was silent for a moment.
Yui's dream was likely not a fabrication but a reality, and these memories were shared with her by the Herrscher personality of Yui.
Yui lowered her head, her heart filled with fear and a mix of emotions.
She was afraid that everyone would reject her, or even...
With a series of crisp footsteps, Yui was caught off guard as a pair of strong hands clasped her slender little hand.
Yui was startled. In her understanding, her Herrscher Honkai energy could infect people and turn them into Shicksal.
She didn't want to become a grotesque Shicksal.
Terrified, Yui anxiously tried to pull her hand away.
"Ling Feng, let go quickly, you'll..."
Yui's anxious gaze met Ling Feng's eyes. There was no fear in his eyes, but rather a gentle light, as if to say, "Don't worry."
Gradually, Yui noticed that the Honkai energy was being suppressed back into her body.
"This!"
Yui was astonished.
"Let's leave together, Yui."
Ling Feng said solemnly.
Ling Feng's meaning was clear: don't worry about hurting them...
"Yui, we're all friends, and we won't abandon our friends. With me around, I'll definitely protect you."
"A mere Honkai energy won't affect us much."
Kiana suddenly put an arm around Yui and said with a grin.
"Everyone..."
Yui looked at everyone and nodded heavily. She now understood what true friends were: unwavering loyalty.
...
That evening, outside Senba Academy in Changkong City, a petite girl was searching for something.
She had light gray, curly twin tails and eyes. Her legs were equipped with detachable exoskeleton armor, and she wore two purple earrings and a slightly military-style outfit.
Behind her, a Heavy-Duty Rabbit 19C floated silently.
"Third Herrscher..."
The girl muttered to herself. Shicksal that approached her were easily dealt with by the Heavy-Duty Rabbit.
After a while, the petite girl arrived at the entrance of Senba Academy.
"Senba Academy reached."
The petite girl entered Senba Academy and roamed the high school building, finally stopping at Class 2-A.
"Herrscher reaction detected. Herrscher awakening confirmed."
The girl mumbled a few words to herself, then seemed to be following a trail.
...
The next day, in the streets of Changkong City, numerous Shicksal roamed, and in some areas, "civil wars" had already broken out among them.
The battles between the Shicksal were like fights between wild beasts, using all their might to slaughter each other – it was a fight to the death!
In one battlefield, a Shicksal was covered in wounds and blood, with more than a dozen corpses lying around on the ground.
Undoubtedly, it was the final victor of this battlefield.
Just as it was about to evolve and level up, several gunshots shattered the silence.
The "victorious" Shicksal suddenly collapsed, kicking up a cloud of dust, with several bullet holes in its head.
Not far away, Kiana, Hiyori, and Sariel stood with handguns, their muzzles still slightly warm.
The Shicksal that had struggled to achieve victory and was about to evolve was expertly taken down by a group of "underhanded" individuals.
On the other side, Ling Feng stood with Fen Ji on his back and Yui holding a shotgun.
Kiana suddenly pounced, landing on Yui's back, nearly causing Yui to lose her balance and fall.
"Yui, how was it? Wasn't my marksmanship accurate?"
Yui nodded helplessly.
Having received Yui's approval, Kiana happily looked at Sariel and Hiyori and said.
"Sariel, Hiyori, your aim is so good too. How about we have a competition next time we encounter Shicksal to see who's better?"
*Bang!*
"Ah! Ling Feng! Why did you hit me?!"
Kiana covered her head, which had received a whack from Ling Feng, and complained in a sweet voice.
"Hit what? Conserve your bullets. We don't have many left. Do you want to charge into the Shicksal alone and fight them hand-to-hand?"
"I am a warrior of the Kaslana family, and some Shicksal are nothing to me."
Kiana said defiantly, hands on her hips.
Sariel, Hiyori, and Yui couldn't help but smile at their bickering.
After a while, Ling Feng stopped arguing with Kiana and glanced at the Shicksal surging from the other side of the street.
"Those guys were attracted by the gunshots. There's a store over there, let's go inside to take cover and replenish our strength."
Ling Feng pointed to a small store not far from them.
Without much further discussion, they hurried into the store. Once they confirmed the store was safe, Sariel and Kiana began their "free shopping spree."
They frantically collected snacks in the store and piled them up.
Kiana and Sariel clinked their bottles of cola together.
"Cheers!"
They both took a large gulp, as if drinking alcohol.
"Burp~~"
They exchanged a smile and then began to devour the snacks.
They were kindred spirits; they had often "communicated" like this when playing at Yui's house.
Yui turned on the safety of the shotgun and placed it on the counter. She took a bottle of mineral water from the cooler and drank it in small sips.
Running away with a shotgun had taken a toll on her, but she had no choice, as her aim was not good, and a shotgun was her only option.
Hiyori stood at the counter, her hands moving at lightning speed, disassembling her handgun into parts and then quickly reassembling it.
Yui was amazed.
"Hiyori, you know how to disassemble guns?"
Hiyori smiled and nodded.
"I've studied it a bit."
Yui was surprised that a girl like Hiyori would be interested in firearms, which was typically a male hobby.
At the store entrance, Ling Feng looked down at the map of Changkong City displayed on his phone.
Although the city had fallen, the signal was still available, so internet access was not a problem.