“Hah!” x28
“Hah!” x28
“Heyah!” x28
In the vast, flat Theater of Domination, a row of Angels wearing loose martial arts uniforms practiced the basic Schicksal combat techniques in unison, their fists and feet moving like the wind.
Each movement was designed to maximize flexibility while expending physical energy to generate the most powerful strikes.
As expected of Schicksal, this combat system was highly scientific and effective.
“Good enough.
You’ve all memorized the forms.
Now split into groups.
Half of you will start channeling Honkai energy, and the other half will focus on engaging as many muscle groups as possible.
Combat techniques are meant to be used.
Since we’re not afraid of dying, we’ll push ourselves to the limit to find the most powerful attack methods possible.”
An Angel walked by, reading a book without looking up, addressing the training group.
Another Angel passed by with her nose in a book, speaking casually:
“Think about our enemies.
Think about this deadly Herrscher identity.
And remember, we only have thirty clones right now.
If we don’t improve our combat abilities, with just these meager skills, we’ll be wiped out by the future big bosses in no time.”
“Comrades, our lives are hanging by a thread!”
At those words, both the combat training group and the smaller group focused on theoretical studies felt their fighting spirit ignite.
Compete!
Everyone, compete with everything you’ve got!
In both of Angel’s lives, she had never believed in fate, only in her own efforts.
As long as she worked hard enough, she would surely come out on top.
…
In the real world, at St.
Freya Academy.
In the early morning mist, a bespectacled girl in a short-sleeved shirt and shorts ran around the track at a steady, fast pace.
The white vapor surrounding her was hard to distinguish from the mist or the steam rising from her body.
Fu Hua finished her usual 20-kilometer warm-up run and stopped at a corner of the track.
After a few moments of walking, her slightly quickened breathing returned to normal.
“Whoosh~”
Fu Hua parted her lips slightly, and her breath shot out like an arrow, piercing through the mist for over ten meters.
Then she widened her stance, bent her knees, and pushed her palms outward, flowing into a set of martial arts forms that had been ingrained into her very being.
Sometimes still, sometimes in motion.
Her fluid movements were like a dance, seemingly without power, and no sound of air being cut could be heard.
Yet the sea mist around Fu Hua churned and swirled with her movements, as if pulled by a magnet, clinging to her fists and palms as they danced through the air.
In a daze, the mist following Fu Hua’s movements seemed to transform into a swimming dragon, or a flying sword spiraling around her.
It was beautiful and profound.
Fu Hua did not follow any fixed sequence of forms.
She moved according to her instincts.
After all, she was the progenitor of Shenzhou’s martial arts.
Whatever movements she performed instinctively were already the most standard techniques.
Until a round, crimson sun slowly rose above the horizon.
The dawn light pierced through the mist, illuminating Fu Hua’s training figure, as if she herself were glowing.
Normally, Fu Hua would savor the morning light, letting her mind drift into an empty, serene state, moving freely and stopping when satisfied.
But today, she stopped before the dawn light had passed.
She turned, looked up, and addressed a nearby tree:
“Angel, you’ve been watching me like this for several days now.
Is there something you need…”
Whoosh!
The dense leaves of the tree rustled.
Fu Hua caught a glimpse of a shadow darting into the nearby grass, then disappearing into her blind spot.
A fallen leaf drifted slowly down from the branch where Angel had been hiding.
Fu Hua’s gaze remained fixed on the direction Angel had disappeared.
She casually reached out, caught the leaf with two fingers, then rubbed her forehead in mild frustration.
“Is she holding a grudge because I knocked her out?”
“Wouldn’t it be simpler to just tell me directly?
There’s no need to hide in the shadows and watch me for days.”
“I was only following orders then, but we’re classmates now.
Maybe I should find a chance to apologize in person?”
Fu Hua pondered how to resolve the situation.
In fact, she had experienced being followed and watched before, back in the academy.
The culprits were a group of girls who called themselves her fan club, some of whom were even her classmates.
Though she couldn’t understand their motivations, after patient persuasion, she had managed to get them to stop their irrational behavior.
So this matter should be easy to resolve, Fu Hua thought.
…
“You went to spy on the class monitor again today?
Morning.
Aah~”
Kiana, wearing fluffy slippers and still half-asleep, shuffled down the stairs, letting out a yawn that seemed never-ending.
“I wasn’t spying.
I was observing!
Hmph!”
Angel puffed out her cheeks in displeasure, but still poured a glass of warm water and handed it to Kiana.
“Glug, glug, glug!
Ah!
That feels good!
Thanks, little Angel~”
Kiana put down the empty glass, then suddenly pulled Angel into a hug, starting her now-daily routine of rubbing and cuddling.
Angel melted into Kiana’s soft, warm embrace, breathing in her intoxicating fragrance, and subconsciously squinted in contentment.
“A little lower on the chin…
yes…
that feels so nice…”
“Good girl, good girl!”
“Mmm…
keep going…
don’t stop…
Hey!
I’m not a cat!!”
The Angels in the theater once again served as a sanity check, pulling Angel back from the brink of surrender.
Angel escaped from Kiana’s embrace, glared in frustration, and took Kiana’s used glass to the kitchen to wash.
So dangerous!
Why is she so soft and so sweet?
Is this the legendary succubus constitution?
Is that why I keep falling for it?
No, no, I think we need to reflect on our own lack of willpower.
But she’s the ultra-super-duper-adorable little bug!
…I think the above comment is correct!
Angel dried the glass, then cupped her face in her hands, lamenting her pitiful existence, surrounded by beauty yet unable to fully indulge.
“Sigh…”
“Hm?
Angel, what are you sighing about?”
Raiden Mei, who was stirring a pot of soup, turned her head, her smile like a painting.
Angel grabbed a knife and helped process the ingredients on the cutting board, keeping a straight face as she spoke:
“She’s way too strong.
No weaknesses at all.”
“Her…
Ah, you mean the class monitor?
Kiana mentioned you’ve been watching her secretly for the past few days.
Why?”
“Learn, defeat, get revenge.”
“Pfft!
You’re still holding a grudge over being knocked out and brought here?”
Raiden Mei tried to hold back her laughter but couldn’t help it.
She looked at Angel with a mix of amusement and sympathy.
Angel raised the gleaming kitchen knife.
Its smooth, cold blade reflected a pair of violet eyes filled with determination.
Then Angel tugged on Raiden Mei’s apron, looked up, bit her pink lower lip slightly, blinked her big, watery purple eyes, and pleaded in a soft, flat voice, mimicking Bronya’s signature tone:
“Help me.
Please.”
Thump!
Raiden Mei clutched her heart.
After three seconds of breathlessness, she nodded with unwavering resolve:
“Leave it to me!
A daughter of the Raiden family always keeps her word.
I will make sure you get what you want.”