The Ganesha slowly raised its foot, and the shadow from Hua's nightmare fell over her once more.
The colossal Honkai Beast's foot sliced through the air, descending straight for her.
But the crushing impact she expected, the future where her body was torn to pieces, never arrived.
A familiar voice echoed in her ear, filled with reprimand and anger. But strangely... it didn't sound like something he would ever say.
"Why didn't you run?"
"Do you want to die that badly?"
"Hua, I'm so disappointed in you."
---||---
Meanwhile, at the Jingyue Inn, Shigure Kira and Saori Tsuruyo were running the business during the day, serving the flesh-and-blood ghosts of the town who hadn't yet realized they were dead.
Some were from the previous dynasty, some from the current one, and a few were even from thousands of years ago.
Despite the vast differences in their culture and speech, they remained oblivious to their own deaths. They simply believed the town was a border crossing between many nations, or perhaps they lacked the very capacity to comprehend their own demise.
Saori Tsuruyo, a white cloth tied around her head, had beads of sweat forming on her forehead like blooming flowers after a rain. They trickled down in a crystal-clear stream, tracing the contours of her face and giving her skin a healthy, rosy glow. She shook her head slightly, sending a spray of sweat flying. The kitchen was scorching, and the constant heat had flushed her cheeks red.
Shigure Kira, meanwhile, acted as a waitress, rushing back and forth between the kitchen and the inn's main hall with trays of food.
Fortunately, the Jingyue Inn wasn't too large. Though the two of them were struggling to keep up, they just barely managed. Whether the customers paid was entirely up to them. As long as no one caused trouble, neither of them could be bothered to chase them for payment.
But if anyone did try to cause a ruckus in the Jingyue Inn, Shigure Kira wouldn't hesitate to drop what she was doing and show them the power of an S-rank Valkyrie.
In the kitchen, Saori Tsuruyo glanced back but didn't see Shigure Kira. The serving counter was already piled high with dishes.
"Hasn't the captain come back yet?"
Shigure Kira usually came to the kitchen every ten minutes to pick up food, but three ten-minute intervals had passed, and she still hadn't returned.
A little worried, Saori stopped her work and trotted out of the kitchen toward the main hall.
The hall was filled with a cacophony of chatter, dominated by the booming voice of a storyteller. The man sat on a table, a quaint, ancient-looking fan in his hand, which he waved gently as he spoke with great fervor:
"They say the Immortal Azure Empyrea was of a cool and distant nature, aloof and detached. She kept the company of the mountain's flora and fauna, befriending the wind, snow, thunder, and lightning... She rarely interacted with the mortal world. Often, she would stand atop Mount Taixuan, gazing at the distant sky, lost in her thoughts."
"As we all know, exceptional people are never short of admirers, let alone a peerless beauty like the Immortal Azure Empyrea, who was so far above the mortal coil. Legend has it there was a man, ageless as the heavens, with the strength of a mountain, who slayed Chiyou and vanquished the Taotie. He harbored deep feelings for the Immortal Azure Empyrea, but she never once acknowledged him or looked his way. A hundred years, a thousand years, ten thousand years... his fervent heart never changed."
"As the old saying goes, 'My heart is not a stone that can be turned; my heart is not a mat that can be rolled away.' This man was also the teacher of the Yellow Emperor. His true name was Mingyue, and he also went by the name Fengrao, meaning 'bountiful,' for his desire to save all living things. Let us call him Fengrao Mingyue."
"In the distant past, on the land of Shenzhou, humanity lived in tribes, and civilization began to form. One of these clans, the Youxiong, possessed an ancient divine artifact—the Xuanyuan Sword. Legend says this divine weapon was bestowed upon humanity by the ancient gods to dispel evil and protect mankind. The Youxiong clan had always worshipped it as their greatest treasure."
"One by one, the tribes of Shenzhou were attacked by monsters from 'the Nine Serenities.' However, when the monsters invaded the Youxiong clan, the Xuanyuan Sword failed to protect them. The clan chief at the time, Shaodian, was unable to wield its power. He could only send his daughter, Ji Lin, to flee with the sword while he alone faced the doom of his people."
"The fleeing girl, utterly exhausted, finally collapsed. Just as she was about to despair, Fengrao Mingyue appeared and cut his own wrist to feed her his blood. After drinking it, strange patterns appeared on her skin, glowing with a golden light as if she had divine aid."
"The Xuanyuan Sword was awakened by the girl. Wielding its divine power, she drove all the monsters from the Nine Serenities back to where they came from. Hearing this, the common people flocked to her, forming a new tribe."
"In the near future, the girl would ascend to the throne of the Yellow Emperor. Her true name was Ji Lin, and her sword was none other than the ancient divine artifact, the Xuanyuan Sword. It is said the Xuanyuan Sword only recognizes the true ruler of the world. From the moment Ji Lin drew the sword, the fate of Shenzhou was changed forever."
"There is a stream on Mount Taixuan that winds its way from the peak down to the town at its foot. Long, long ago, the Yellow Emperor would often bring the Immortal Azure Empyrea and Fengrao Mingyue there to fish and discuss how to govern the land.
The Immortal Azure Empyrea was cold and reserved, not one for words, so she would always remain silent. Fengrao Mingyue would then answer the Yellow Emperor's questions in her stead."
"From the administration of the tribes to agriculture, medicine, and tools... Fengrao Mingyue taught the Yellow Emperor a vast ocean of knowledge and experience. Day by day, the pressure of survival lessened for the tribes. The people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and all was well."
The storyteller wore an ancient, worn-out robe—the most historically significant attire among everyone in the inn. Saori Tsuruyo had studied a little Shenzhou history. While she couldn't identify everyone's clothing precisely, she could guess the era from the material.
The storyteller's robe was made of a very poor-quality fabric, like the coarse linen of ancient times when technology and knowledge were limited. In fact, it might have been even cruder than that. Combined with his archaic way of speaking, it was very likely he was an ancient from a thousand years ago. In this bizarre town, what seemed impossible might not be.
Fengrao Mingyue? Saori mused. She knew Changle called her brother "Mingyue." Could her brother's real name be Mingyue? It's a nice name...
"Ahem!"
Saori shook her head, realizing her thoughts had strayed.
Coming back to her senses, Saori spotted Shigure Kira standing in the crowd, listening intently to the storyteller's tale along with everyone else. Her long, interwoven blue and white hair was unmistakable. Saori walked over and pulled her out of the crowd.
"Captain, what are you doing? Brother told us to serve the guests and record their habits and patterns. We can't slack off," Saori reminded her.
Shigure Kira leaned in and whispered into Saori's ear, "I'm not slacking... Yuu, there's something strange about this storyteller. It's very likely he doesn't belong to any dynasty within the last thousand years."
Saori nodded. "I know, but what does that have to do with us? Shouldn't we just do what Brother said? Going off-script might lead to things we can't control."
Shigure Kira fell silent for a few seconds, then looked up at Saori, her eyes sharp and serious. "This is part of the record. Besides, the gloomy guy became a corpse right after he went to the Taoist temple to see the Immortal Azure Empyrea. If we can figure out her patterns and tell him when he wakes up, we might be able to solve the mystery of this world entirely."
"If it were him, this is what he would do. Opportunities like this don't come often. I've judged that this information is very important to him. Since he can't act right now, it's up to us to gather intel."
"Let's just listen for a while. Closing the inn a little early won't be a big deal. If we miss this legend about Fengrao Mingyue and the Immortal Azure Empyrea, we might never hear it again."
Shigure Kira turned and walked back into the dense crowd, patiently listening to the storyteller on the table.
Afterward, the storyteller recounted more legends about the relationship between Mingyue and the Yellow Emperor, half-truths that were hard to decipher. As the Yellow Emperor's teacher, Fengrao Mingyue taught Ji Lin everything he knew, often instructing by example. They tilled the fields together, hunted together, chopped wood together, and sketched out blueprints for the future together.
Even someone as great as the Yellow Emperor, Ji Lin, couldn't escape the laws of human nature. She was, after all, just a young woman experiencing love for the first time. Moreover, Fengrao Mingyue had saved her life and taught her everything from scholarly knowledge to martial arts. When she was at her lowest, a man who could do anything and was unconditionally kind to her appeared, instantly making all other men seem insignificant.
In Yellow Emperor Ji Lin's eyes, her teacher was the greatest man in the world, far surpassing even the widely revered Immortal Azure Empyrea.
The focus of the story gradually shifted from the Immortal Azure Empyrea and Fengrao Mingyue to the relationship between Yellow Emperor Ji Lin and Fengrao Mingyue.
At this point, someone in the crowd couldn't help but ask, "Fengrao Mingyue was so good to the Yellow Emperor, their relationship sounds like it should have been a natural fit. So why have I never heard of Fengrao Mingyue in any of the stories about the Yellow Emperor?"
A small smile played on the storyteller's lips. He snapped his fan open, crossed his legs, and kept them in suspense. "Patience, patience."
"This story must begin with our protagonist, Fengrao Mingyue. But the tale is too ancient, and it's impossible to tell what's true and what's not. With the lack of written records, there's no way to speak of his origins."
"Where did he learn his martial arts, which were peerless throughout history? Where did he acquire his profound knowledge? It's all a mystery."
"The only thing we know is that he always followed behind the Immortal Azure Empyrea. Despite never being seen or acknowledged, his heart never wavered. It was truly as firm as a rock."
"Therefore, even when Yellow Emperor Ji Lin confessed her love for him, Fengrao Mingyue rejected her without a moment's hesitation."
"As they say, the flower may pine, but the stream flows on unfeelingly."
"In fact, to prevent any misunderstanding on the Immortal Azure Empyrea's part, Fengrao Mingyue even demanded that the Yellow Emperor delete all content related to them from the historical records of later generations. Because no matter how objective those accounts were, any discerning person could see the hidden affection between Yellow Emperor Ji Lin and her teacher, Fengrao Mingyue."
"Under pressure from her teacher, Yellow Emperor Ji Lin very reluctantly erased all records of Fengrao Mingyue from history. This is why no one in later generations has ever heard of him."
Huh?
Saori Tsuruyo was confused. Wasn't the storyteller contradicting himself? If no one in later generations knew of Fengrao Mingyue, how did he know so much?
After the storyteller finished, Saori couldn't resist raising her hand. "Sir, since you said Yellow Emperor Ji Lin erased all records of Fengrao Mingyue, how did you come to know these stories? Could it be that you made them up just to attract an audience?"
"Hahaha! Well said, well said!"
Hearing Saori's question, the storyteller wasn't angry at all. Instead, he was delighted, praising her repeatedly as if he had been waiting for this very question to continue his tale.
The storyteller snapped his fan shut, his words flowing like honey.
"In truth, when she was erasing history, Yellow Emperor Ji Lin was still a young woman in the throes of first love. How could she bear to let the man she loved be so completely forgotten?"
"What woman doesn't wish for the man she admires to be recognized and praised by future generations?"
"And so, the figure we all know as the Yan Emperor, Shennong, appeared."
"The Yan Emperor, the title for the leader of the ancient Jiang clan, also known as Shennong-shi or Lianshan-shi. He tasted a hundred herbs and taught his people to treat illnesses with them, earning him the title 'Ancestor of Medicine.' At the same time, he invented slash-and-burn agriculture, teaching his people how to reclaim land and plant crops, which earned him the title 'God of Agriculture.' Don't you all think his deeds sound remarkably similar to those of the Yellow Emperor's teacher, Fengrao Mingyue?"
A murmur went through the crowd. Everyone knew the legends of the Yellow Emperor and the Yan Emperor.
"Now that you mention it, they do sound alike."
"Yeah, I feel like no matter how poor the record-keeping was, two people couldn't have had such similar accomplishments, right?"
Everyone knew the story.
The Yan Emperor, Shennong, was a man, most famous for tasting a hundred herbs. The Yellow Emperor was the leader of the human race, a woman of extraordinary talent. Together, they sealed Chiyou, the Lord of the Nine Serenities. They were in love and eventually married.
But according to the storyteller, did that mean their marriage was a fabrication?
"It seems you all have an inkling of the answer. Indeed, just as you suspect, the Yan Emperor is Fengrao Mingyue. To avoid suspicion, Yellow Emperor Ji Lin personally wrote all the records concerning the Yan Emperor."
"Their supposed mutual affection and happy marriage were nothing more than the wishful fantasies of a young woman. Only the Yellow Emperor herself knew the truth. To everyone else, including Fengrao Mingyue and the Immortal Azure Empyrea, the Yellow Emperor's heart belonged to the Yan Emperor, a talented hero from some other tribe. The Immortal and Fengrao Mingyue were always aloof and would never stoop to pry into the lives of mortals, so naturally, they never learned the Yan Emperor's true identity."
A wave of realization washed over the crowd. No wonder the love story of the Yan Emperor and the Yellow Emperor was so idealized in the legends they'd heard.
Now, it seemed...
Their life together was nothing more than Yellow Emperor Ji Lin living out her days in solitude, growing old alone...
If what the storyteller said was true...
For Yellow Emperor Ji Lin, the great ancestor of the human race, to meet such a tragic end was truly pitiable.
Fengrao Mingyue pursued the Immortal Azure Empyrea, who ignored him. Yellow Emperor Ji Lin pursued Fengrao Mingyue, who spurned her.
Fate truly loved to play jokes on people, twisting the lives of three such extraordinary individuals into such a tangled mess.
The guests lamented Fengrao Mingyue's poor choice. He had a perfectly good Yellow Emperor Ji Lin, yet he chose to pursue a foregone conclusion. How could the Immortal Azure Empyrea, a detached and otherworldly being, ever compare to the Yellow Emperor, a woman who would rewrite the history of all Shenzhou for him and die alone with only him in her eyes?
What a cruel twist of fate.
While Saori Tsuruyo felt a pang of sympathy, her focus was still on how the storyteller knew all this. If he had made it all up on the spot, it was a real shame he wasn't a novelist, given his ability to weave such a logical and compelling story. This unofficial history was just... wild.
"Sir, how did you come to know all these stories?" Saori was about to ask, but Shigure Kira beat her to it.
The storyteller's gaze fell on the serious-looking Shigure Kira below. He seemed a little surprised.
"Young lady, do you remember the stream I mentioned earlier, the one that flows from the peak of Mount Taixuan?"
"Of course, I remember it clearly. You said that Yellow Emperor Ji Lin, the Immortal Azure Empyrea, and Fengrao Mingyue often went fishing in the lake there and discussed how to govern the land."
"Excellent, excellent. You have a good memory. That's right."
The storyteller stroked his white beard, looking at Shigure Kira with satisfaction.
"If you're curious, young lady, you might want to take a stroll near the lake not far from the Jingyue Inn after 9 PM. You might find a pleasant surprise."
Shigure Kira: "Sir, is that where you found the book that recorded these stories?"
Storyteller: "Indeed. It was so long ago that I've forgotten the details. I can't tell you more. If fate wills it, you will find the story you seek."
"Alright, now that the story is finished, it's time for me to go. The road ahead is long. Farewell, everyone. We'll meet again if fate allows."
The storyteller hopped down from the table and staggered out of the inn.
Shigure Kira was still lost in thought when Saori pulled her aside.
"Let's get the food from the kitchen to the guests first, then record their patterns. We'll close up early today and discuss what to do next." Saori, seeing what was on Kira's mind, quickly made a decision.
"Okay," Kira agreed.
After a flurry of activity, the Jingyue Inn officially closed at 8:05 PM, twenty-five minutes earlier than usual.
9 PM marked the xu hour. After this time, everyone in the town would become abnormal, turning into flesh-and-blood ghosts with unknown patterns.
As usual, Kira and Saori first walked through the inn, checking for any guests hiding in the corners. After a thorough search, they confirmed they were the only two people inside.
The two sat at a table, their expressions solemn.
"Captain, I know what you're thinking, and it's dangerous. Forget leaving the inn after nine; just going to that unknown lake is risky. Places with specific attributes like that are very likely to harbor supernatural phenomena we know nothing about."
"One of us needs to stay in the inn to prevent ghosts from getting in. If you go to the lake, you'll have to go alone, which is even more dangerous."
"We can't even tell if the story we just heard is true or false. There's no need to go to the lake to find the truth."
Saori presented an objective analysis from her perspective. As she saw it, as long as they obediently followed what Li Mo said, they would survive. Then, they could deal with the supernatural incident together once he woke up. As for the Ghost Festival on July 15th and preventing the flesh-and-blood ghosts from contacting the human-skin forest, she was sure Li Mo would have a solution once he was awake.
Shigure Kira was silent for a long time. Rationally, she knew that following Li Mo's plan was the right choice. Any extra actions might just make things worse and cause unnecessary trouble.
But emotionally, she was drawn to the lake. She had heard the entire story of Fengrao Mingyue and sensed a hidden truth within it. The Immortal Azure Empyrea, the source of the supernatural phenomena, seemed to have been mentally unstable from the very beginning, her memories a total mess.
"Yuu, following what the gloomy guy said is indeed the safest option. Do you know why?"
Kira asked, looking down and polishing the gleaming, cursed handgun in her hand.
Before Saori could answer, Kira continued, "Because he left the most dangerous things for himself."
"You and I both know he's incredibly powerful. He can turn any dangerous situation around, and like a ghost, he can't be killed."
"But if he really can't be killed, if he can just 'reboot,' then why is he always so cautious, so meticulous? There would be no need, right? So, he can die. He's just using the power of ghosts to cleverly nullify the rules that could kill him."
"That day, we asked him if there was a way to prevent the human-skin ghosts and flesh-and-blood ghosts from meeting."
"He said: 'Yes, and it's a permanent solution.' He didn't mention how to solve it, or what would happen afterward."
"You should know what that means better than I do, Yuu. It means he isn't confident he'll survive. That's why he didn't talk about what comes next. Otherwise, with his personality, he would have definitely told us his plans for after dealing with the phenomenon."
"We've been too well-protected."
Kira holstered the cursed handgun and glanced at her phone. The time was 8:10 PM. Five minutes had passed.
"Anyone can die, but not him," Kira said with utmost seriousness.
Saori didn't deny it. They had always been kept safe. As long as it was within Li Mo's power, they never had to directly confront the revived ghosts; they just did logistics work. Li Mo faced all the risks alone. All they had to do was follow his orders from behind, never taking any risks themselves.
"I understand. You heard more of the story than I did, Captain. There must be information in it that I don't know."
"Brother told us to record the patterns and habits of the flesh-and-blood ghosts, probably to find a better way to prevent them from meeting the human-skin ghosts during the festival. In that case, we might as well go to the lake. We might find information about the source of the phenomenon and solve the problem at its root."
"I won't stop you. But before you go, let's use the notebook to make a prediction. It can see the future, even if it's not always accurate."
Kira asked, puzzled, "But didn't the gloomy guy say we shouldn't use it unless it's an absolute emergency?"
Saori nodded, then her tone shifted. "You've already made up your mind, haven't you, Captain? You'll go no matter what the notebook says. So, using it is just a way to gather more information. Besides... it's not like the notebook always answers, nor is it willing to answer every question."
"Since I can't stop you, I can only do my best to help you come back alive."
Saori had a feeling that the notebook preferred to be used by her brother. It was only willing to be used by her as a way to set traps for him.
"There's no time to waste. Let's open it now. No matter what it says, I'm going to the lake to have a look."
"Okay."
Saori placed the notebook on the table and tried to flip to a page in the middle. But the notebook, as if alive, refused to be opened there. The first page stubbornly held the others down, exposing itself to their view.
Saori asked, "What dangers are there at the lake in this town?"
[...]
The notebook didn't answer.
Kira: "Maybe the question was phrased wrong? Or is it too difficult?"
Saori: "I don't know. Let me try another question."
"What does the captain need to watch out for at the lake? How can she come back alive?"
[...]
The notebook still didn't answer. It was completely still, as if it hadn't heard her at all.
Saori: "Strange. Has it become this well-behaved all of a sudden?"
Kira took a deep breath, staring intently at the notebook. She said to Saori, "Let me ask."
She spun the notebook around to face her.
"My name is Shigure Kira. I'm planning to go to the lake the storyteller mentioned. Notebook, tell me, what do I need to do to help the gloomy guy, so he can handle this supernatural event and survive?"
Kira asked from a different angle. She didn't ask how she could survive or how to avoid danger at the lake. She asked how to help Li Mo survive.
Saori: "Captain, your question is too complex for the notebook to answer..."
Before Saori could finish, crooked, blood-red words began to appear in the notebook—
[My name is Shigure Kira. By the time you read this, I am already dead. I am already dead. I might still be alive.]
The notebook repeated Kira's death twice, then added the confusing possibility of her survival.
"What is...?"
Kira looked at Saori, her curiosity piqued. She didn't know much about cursed objects; Saori's understanding of the notebook was far greater than hers.
"It's nothing. This is its usual style. The first sentence is probably just to scare you. Just read what comes after," Saori said reassuringly.
The notebook wouldn't lie. Saori had already confirmed this, at least for now. But the contradictory first sentence baffled her. How could a person who was confirmed dead be in a state of "possibly alive"? Was it related to how her brother had reversed time for them? There was no proof. She had no idea. She could only set the thought aside for now.
[My name is Shigure Kira. I am going to the lake the storyteller mentioned to find the truth about the source of this world's supernatural phenomenon.]
[At 8:20 PM, I arrived at my destination. It's a dead, silent lake, with no one around. There's only a bone-chilling wind and my reflection in the water. My reflection is strange. 'She' is staring at me. Although it's a mirror image, it seems to have a mind of its own. Maybe... I should stay away from the lake.]
[At 8:30 PM, I quickly circled the lake but found nothing. No people, and certainly no ghosts. It seems I'm the only one here.]
[At 8:40 PM, I circled the lake again, still with no results. Am I going to return empty-handed?]
[At 8:50 PM, I remembered what the storyteller said. He only found the book with the stories after the xu hour (9 PM). There are less than ten minutes until then. After 9 PM, all the dormant ghosts in this town will awaken, but that's also when the town's hidden things will be revealed. I decided to wait here for ten minutes.]
[At 8:59 PM, I drew my cursed handgun and watched my surroundings warily. The flesh-and-blood ghosts awaken starting from the dead bodies in the town. The lake is some distance from the residential area, so I won't be attacked by them for a short while.]
[At 9:00 PM, I feel very cold. The chill is especially strong when I get close to the lake.]
[There are still no flesh-and-blood ghosts around, nor is there the 'pleasant surprise' the storyteller mentioned.]
[At 9:01 PM, the lake begins to churn like boiling water. I crouch down and touch the water. It's still ice-cold.]
[At 9:02 PM, I jump into the lake. Inside, I find a diary from the Previous Era.]
[At 9:03 PM, I finish reading the entire diary. I have to tell him what's in it!]
[At 9:04 PM, I try to swim back to shore, but something grabs my arm. I immediately draw my cursed handgun and fire. I'm saved, but I only have three days to live. In three days, 'she' will come for me. But it's okay. I told Saori Tsuruyo what happened to me and what was in the diary, and asked her to pass it on. As long as he knows the contents of the diary, he can deal with the source of the phenomenon. This world will return to normal, untainted by the supernatural.]
[My name is Shigure Kira. Three days from now, at 9:04 PM, 'she' found me.]
[Three days from now, at 9:05 PM, I died.]
Shigure Kira: "..."
Saori Tsuruyo: "..."
After reading the notebook's account, both of them fell into a deep silence.
But silence wouldn't solve the problem.
Shigure Kira was the first to speak. She looked at Saori seriously and asked, "Yuu, is the notebook's prediction absolute?"
Saori froze for a moment, then reluctantly replied, "If you know the future and do nothing to change it, then the prediction is absolute."
"Captain, the notebook is very clear. If you go, you will definitely die in three days. There's a ghost in that lake."
"The 'you' in the prediction didn't do anything out of the ordinary, so it's very likely that triggering the kill condition of the ghost hiding in the lake is the prerequisite for learning the truth."
"This is a certain-death condition. Even Brother wouldn't dare to trigger it lightly. You..."
Kira interrupted her. "But we did find a solution, didn't we? A real, permanent solution."
"Being unable to do something is one thing. Being able to but not doing it is another."
"Yuu, you said it yourself, the notebook's prediction is absolute. That means if I jump into the lake after 9 PM, find the diary from the Previous Era, and tell you its contents, you can tell the gloomy guy when he wakes up. Then he can completely deal with the source of this world's phenomenon and return it to normal."
"That future is also absolute."
Saori: "But..."
Kira: "This is the first lesson I'm teaching you. It might also be the last."
"Life can be measured by value. But what determines the direction of a life is each person's individual destiny and responsibility."
"A brilliant tomorrow can only be bought with someone's life."
"During my time as a Valkyrie in Schicksal, I constantly heard the story of the Holy Maiden, Kallen, from five hundred years ago."
"Back then, I thought she was so foolish. She was so powerful, so strong. Why would she willingly die for a group of ignorant people? She knew her death wouldn't awaken the foolish masses or make the ugly world a better place. Her death was meaningless."
"But gradually, as I survived one life-or-death mission after another, I began to understand her."
"To die for one's beliefs, to preserve our most beautiful moment in the instant of death."
"Our lives don't belong entirely to us. When fate pushes us to the point where we must die, we have a choice, but we also have no choice."
"Follow your heart, with no regrets."
Shigure Kira stood up and pushed open the inn's doors, the cursed handgun at her waist.
Saori wanted to say something to stop her, but the words caught in her throat. This was what a Valkyrie was. It was the same in every world. A true Valkyrie would not shirk her duty out of fear of death. That was something decided the moment she chose this path.
BANG!
The inn door slammed shut. Shigure Kira had left the Jingyue Inn. Saori sat alone on the chair, staring at the closed door, enveloped in a long, silent stillness.
All Saori could do was guard the inn and prevent any person or ghost from entering.
"I hope I made the right decision by compromising."
"No, now is not the time to stop thinking."
Saori picked up the notebook again, scrutinizing every word and sentence, searching for any hidden meaning.
"The reflection in the lake, suspected of having its own thoughts... that's probably the ghost that will kill the captain in three days."
"But it's only active after 9 PM. That's why it only stared at her instead of attacking directly."
"Of course, it's more likely that the captain had just arrived at the lake and hadn't triggered its kill condition yet."
"After 9 PM, the town's hidden things will be revealed. The ghost bride and her procession appeared during the day, so they don't count as hidden things."
"The captain jumped into the lake after 9 PM and found a diary from the Previous Era. This means the hidden things are likely items belonging to someone from the Previous Era, and there's more than one."
"And most importantly, when she was swimming back to shore, something grabbed her arm. She only barely escaped with her life by using the cursed handgun."
"But in three days, that ghost will come for her. The time will be exact: 9:04 PM, the same time it grabbed her arm."
"At that time, the captain and I will definitely be hiding in the Jingyue Inn. Brother won't be awake yet. The inn can hide the presence of the living, but it's useless against that ghost. So the kill condition the captain triggered is absolute. Once triggered, death is certain..."
"Tch! I can't figure it out. If the captain was able to escape the first time with the cursed handgun, why will she die at the hands of that ghost three days later? Will the handgun be ineffective? Or... does the ghost kill her using a conceptual-type kill condition that can't be interfered with by external forces?"
Saori clutched her head, desperately analyzing the contents of the first page. Whether Shigure Kira lived or died depended on whether she could find a loophole. A delayed, certain-death rule... she had to do something in these three days. She couldn't just watch Shigure Kira die in front of her. Not only would Li Mo be unable to accept it, but Saori herself couldn't either.
Think... think... think...
---||---
Meanwhile, just as the notebook had predicted, at 9:02 PM, Shigure Kira jumped into the lake. At the bottom, she found a very special box. Though it was underwater, it was entwined with a profusion of brilliant flowers, blooming miraculously as if completely untouched by the water.
Inside, there was a diary from the Previous Era. The handwriting was very neat, like a girl's.
[Last night, I had a dream. I dreamt about the Emperor-class Honkai Beast, Ganesha, that Mo and I and dozens of other squad members encountered when we were trying to reclaim the Australian mine during the day.]
[It killed so many people, and then it ate most of my body.]
[I was dying, but my body wasn't cold at all. Instead, my eyes couldn't see anything, and my neck felt sore... Am I just a head now? No wonder I don't feel cold.]
[I heard Mo crying. He was crying so hard, like a child who had been terribly wronged. When did he show up?]
[I don't know. I only heard him say two things—]
["Hua, it's okay. I'm here with you, I'm here with you..."]
["Don't die. I won't let you die..."]
[My father is dead. Captain Himeko is dead. Everyone in Squad 5 who was close to me, I brought disaster upon them. Now, I've gotten my new teammates killed. The next one might be...]
[I'm the one who should be dead. Why is Mo so good to me? Why does he always stay by my side? Arguing with the people who slander me, protecting me on missions...]
[...]
[No... this isn't right. He shouldn't be so good to me. He shouldn't cry for me. He shouldn't be by my side!]
[He should be ostracizing me, distancing himself from me like everyone else.]
[He should be with the most dazzling and beautiful Elysia, not following behind the unfortunate witch...]
[He should use the sharpest, most scathing words to say to me—]
["Why didn't you run?"]
["Do you want to die that badly?"]
["Hua, I'm so disappointed in you!"]