Honkai Simulator: Start with Confessing to The Herrscher of Finality

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At this moment, Yae Sakura did not reveal her true face, instead appearing masked. However, the spiritual blade Sakura Petal Fall in her hand unmistakably exposed her identity.

Since Wen Zheng's seventh year, Yae Sakura had taken to wearing a fox mask, concealing her features.

She now aimed the spiritual blade directly at Xia Chen.

Xia Chen's eyes narrowed slightly as he observed her movements and decided against attempting to persuade her verbally.

After all, if his opponent had already chosen to draw their weapon, insisting on talking would be disrespectful.

With barely any words exchanged, they immediately engaged each other.

The spiritual blade Sakura Petal Fall in Yae Sakura's hand was truly a divine weapon. Despite Xia Chen's pride in his physical prowess, he dared not face it head-on. The Honkai Energy infused within the blade could indeed pierce through his body.

In comparison, Xia Chen found himself at a disadvantage.

Undoubtedly, the Keys of Oblivion were also considered divine weapons of this era, potentially even more powerful.

However, aside from Fu Hua's Short-inch Strike technique, his only combat style was the Valkyrie Combat Techniques.

While these techniques were developed by Schicksal, drawing strengths from various martial arts for close-quarters combat, they proved effective against ordinary opponents but disadvantaged him against someone like Yae Sakura.

Using purely boxing moves, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance to land a hit on her.

Although the concept of Valkyrie Armor didn't exist in this time period, Yae Sakura's strength far surpassed that of a typical S-rank Valkyrie. Xia Chen acknowledged his own limitations in combat proficiency, yet he could clearly sense her exceptional skill.

It was unclear how Yae Sakura had honed such martial skills.

Unfortunately for her, Xia Chen relied on more than just fist techniques.

As Yae Sakura swung her sword at him, Xia Chen swiftly manipulated the fluid around her, causing her to lose balance.

The black robes lacked the adaptability of Valkyrie Armor, and soon, Yae Sakura fell defeated, unconscious on the ground.

Witnessing this, the villagers exchanged glances before scattering in all directions.

At that moment, Xia Chen seemed even more monstrous than Fiery Prisoner itself.

Even the priest who conducted the ritual fled, but surprisingly, the young girl chosen as the sacrifice did not run away.

After freeing herself from the restraints, Shibuki solemnly bowed to Xia Chen and said, "Thank you, Big Brother."

"Aren't you afraid of me?" Xia Chen pointed at the unconscious Yae Sakura on the ground, then gestured towards himself, "I'm no ordinary person."

"I know, Big Brother must be a warrior, specifically trained to vanquish evil spirits." Although the little girl appeared timid, she spoke with conviction, "You surely have no interest in harming me."

"You're quite perceptive."

He paused briefly before continuing, "If you want to thank me, help lift her up and lean her against something nearby to rest. Lying on the ground isn't ideal."

The girl nodded and followed his instructions.

Children are naturally curious, but she refrained from asking Xia Chen any questions. Clearly, her desire to survive overpowered her curiosity.

With great effort, she helped Yae Sakura sit up against a large stone nearby. Then, she hurried home to fetch two bowls of water. However, upon removing Yae Sakura's black robe and mask, the little girl stumbled back, spilling half the water in shock.

She noticed two fox ears atop Yae Sakura's head.

"Miko-sama, she..." The girl glanced at Xia Chen, seemingly seeking clarification.

"That's right, she's possessed by a monster and will eat people," Xia Chen replied with evident interest.

The girl was visibly frightened.

"But..." Xia Chen paused before continuing, "as long as you behave, she won't harm you."

"Then... okay." Despite her fear, she proceeded to give Yae Sakura some water.

Just then, more footsteps approached.

Xia Chen looked up to see Kallen rushing towards the shrine site. Her gaze fell upon a man, a girl, and Yae Sakura with her fox ears visible.

"Sakura?"

Kallen couldn't help but ask, "What happened to her?"

The girl ignored Kallen, while Xia Chen casually responded, "Don't worry, she's fine."

"At least for now," he added.

Kallen instinctively showed a guarded stance, asking, "What did you do?"

"It all starts with the ignorant customs of Yae Village."

Xia Chen had long forgotten the specific details of Yae Village's storyline, but he still remembered some general settings and plot points.

From his narration emerged a vivid tale of a misguided skykeep and villagers persecuting a young girl. In this story, Yae Sakura's father, Master Divine Yae, was portrayed as a wicked villain, and Fiery Prisoner was depicted as an evil usurper. The villagers were shown as blindly following accomplices, while Yae Sakura became a symbol of good turning dark. As for himself, he presented as a champion of justice, stepping in when injustice prevailed, driving away the evil spirit. However, despite his efforts, Yae Sakura ended up transformed.

As for Yae Rin, she became merely a tragic backstory element.

Kallen believed him.

In 15th century Europe, the Church was corrupt, and the so-called gods were often seen as malevolent entities, leading to widespread suffering among the people. Additionally, Sakura's fox ears, along with the little girl occasionally nodding in agreement, lent credence to Xia Chen's account.

With a slightly complicated expression, Kallen asked, "Is there any way to address this issue?"

"What issue?"

"The fox ears."

"Why would you want to address it? They look quite nice," Xia Chen responded.

Unbeknownst to him, living with these fox ears in this era required immense courage due to societal stigma. Being different has always caused extreme suffering throughout any age.

Kallen sighed and gently corrected the girl, "Feeding water like that can easily cause choking." She then offered, "Let me handle it; I have some experience in this matter."

The girl handed over the bowl, watching as Kallen carefully positioned its rim against Yae Sakura's lips, slowly feeding her water. However, perhaps exerting too much force unintentionally, half of the water spilled from the bowl, wetting Yae Sakura's face and clothes.

The little girl looked at Kallen with a hint of disapproval in her eyes.

Kallen fell silent, feeling embarrassed.

Suddenly, Yae Sakura began coughing, causing Kallen to tense up immediately. "Sakura, are you alright?"

"I..."

Yae Sakura opened her eyes and saw Kallen. "Kallen, what are you doing here?"

"It was a girl who sought my help for her sister, saying she was being offered as a sacrifice..." Realizing something belatedly, the young woman looked at the little girl. "So, you're that sacrifice?"

The girl timidly nodded.

She glanced briefly at Xia Chen, then swiftly ran away with the bowl.

Clearly, the earlier incident had left a significant psychological impact on her.

Xia Chen also wanted to leave. He didn't feel any need to stay, but Yae Sakura persuaded him otherwise.

"Sir, I apologize for any offense earlier. If you don't mind, allow me to personally prepare a banquet as compensation."

Considering this, Xia Chen nodded. "Then you'd better make plenty; my appetite is quite large."

Food was scarce even in those times, yet Yae Sakura agreed nonetheless. "It's only appropriate."