Honkai, why do you only throw me into high-level battles?

[Volume 2] Elysian Realm Arc: The People Here Speak So Beautifully (So Yapping)

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The clang of clashing swords echoed from all directions, interspersed with clear, captivating shouts. The voices were so similar that if not for the occasional overlap of two distinct yet alike cries, and the relentless, genuine-sounding clash of steel, one might mistake the sounds for a single combatant.

"Hah!"

"Focus."

Just as Lin Wei couldn't resist turning to watch the mesmerizing battle, a small stick poked him, not too hard, not too soft, in the opposite shoulder.

Lin Wei sighed inwardly, reining in his curiosity—

And resumed his horse stance.

"I say, Hua…" Lin Wei kept his gaze forward, using his peripheral vision to observe the girl's upright posture and serious expression. "Isn't it about time? It's been almost an hour."

His legs were going numb.

"For a martial artist, footwork is paramount. A stable stance grounds the qi, allowing superficial strength to fade and inner strength to rise. Without solid footwork, the foundation is weak. Movement becomes unsteady, top-heavy and light, like fluff in the wind or duckweed on water, rootless. Without proper grounding, there is risk of stumbling, and in combat, the danger of falling." The girl instructed him earnestly.

Lin Wei rolled his eyes. Fu Hua, always so fond of quoting scriptures, even as a child?

Couldn't she just say "no"?

"Successor, you share a connection with me in the real world. Since you've entered the Elysian Realm, I feel obligated to guide you." Hua's expression turned slightly apologetic.

"However, the Flame-Chasers' training methods for MANTIS soldiers are too harsh and unsuitable for you. After much consideration, I can only offer you some basic techniques from my family's martial arts school to help you grasp the fundamentals of force and movement. Anything beyond that will depend on your own efforts."

To be honest, starting martial arts training at his age was rather late.

"You're too humble. You should be more confident, Hua. You're no worse than anyone else," Lin Wei said, gritting his teeth as he maintained his stance.

This girl was good in every way, except for her lack of confidence.

Hua smiled, acknowledging his words, then recalled her own childhood martial arts training with her father, estimating the time. "Let's take a break."

She turned to watch the relentless clash of swords in the distance.

Blue blades of light danced gracefully, weaving a tight net that forced the opposing red blades to retreat. The red light, however, was resilient, occasionally launching a desperate counterattack, breaking through the blue net and forcing the other side to defend, regaining ground before the battle resumed.

"Miss Yae Sakura is mastering and adapting to SAKURA's signet remarkably quickly, but her growth is equally astonishing," Hua commented, then glanced at Lin Wei.

A frail body and a powerful stigma with its own independent consciousness…

Even disregarding the familiar feather within his consciousness, Lin Wei was the most unusual successor she had ever encountered.

Of course, there might have been other unique successors in the Elysian Realm, but she didn't remember them.

This strange combination was likely to pique Mobius's interest. She needed to be cautious.

I should discuss this with SAKURA, Hua thought to herself.

Lin Wei, relieved, stood up, rubbing his legs, and wobbled over to a stone stool.

"There's much I don't understand, but being with Miss Yae Sakura should passively strengthen your body – bone density, muscle strength, nerve reflexes, and most importantly, Honkai adaptability."

"If you stay in the Elysian Realm for a while longer and train consistently, you won't be so frail when you leave." Hua repeated this similar advice after each training session.

Lin Wei was grateful. He hadn't expected to receive guidance from a memory of Fu Hua in the Elysian Realm.

He felt increasingly indebted to her. He'd have to find a way to repay her kindness.

The clang of swords grew more intense, the sounds shifting rapidly, as if the battle was taking place all around them.

This had been going on for almost half a month.

That day, after reaching an understanding with Yae Sakura and obtaining the twelfth Divine Key, he felt a tinge of regret for RIN's final choice, but he had to admit, it was probably the best solution.

She couldn't reconcile with Yae Sakura, so she couldn't travel with him.

She couldn't forgive the era of fifty thousand years ago, so she couldn't stay here either.

Lin Wei summoned the compact Pandora, feeling its inherent closeness, like an extension of his own body.

We'll see what the future holds.

However…

Lin Wei watched the black box spinning and jumping around him, feeling a little helpless.

So, I'm stuck here for a while, huh?

Su had told him the only way to leave the Elysian Realm was to gain the recognition of at least one Flame-Chaser and inherit their signet.

The signet was an imprint of a Flame-Chaser's soul, the key for successors to unlock the power of their stigmata.

But he didn't have any stigmata, except for Yae Sakura, who had seamlessly inherited SAKURA's complete signet. And now, the two of them were sparring intensely.

"My stigma has already inherited the signet, and SAKURA has acknowledged me. Does that count as passing the trial?" Lin Wei had asked Su, but Su had fallen asleep. Say something, will you?

Lin Wei scratched his head. What now? I've become a bug.

Should I find Klein and ask him to debug me?

No, no, what if he actually deletes me, the bug!

Lin Wei shook his head vigorously.

But to pass the trial…

Didn't that mean he still had to grind through the Elysian Realm?

(°ー°〃)

I'm afraid I might lose control of the twelfth Divine Key and accidentally dismantle this place…

It was a Key of Corruption, after all. It was definitely capable of that.

While Lin Wei was pondering this dilemma, Hua appeared, saying she had sensed the presence of the Feather of Dust.

And so began his current ordeal.

Basic training, physical conditioning, and the yet-to-begin basic combat training.

Something felt off…

After a few days, it hit him—

Wait a minute, I already beat the game, and now you're telling me I'm in the tutorial?

(╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻

Lin Wei sat there, fiddling with the small box, lost in thought.

Hua watched him silently.

Unlike SAKURA, whose closeness to Lin Wei stemmed from her sister, Hua felt a connection to him – the presence of the feather. She had sensed it the moment he entered the Elysian Realm. It meant the real Fu Hua was still safe, and that made her happy.

Being told she was alive and feeling her own presence were two different things. The latter brought a deeper sense of peace.

Hua didn't try to awaken the feather. That wasn't something a memory should do. Knowing it was there was enough.

The feather also represented trust, closeness, and a need to protect – the real Fu Hua's feelings towards Lin Wei. As a memory, she felt obligated to show the same trust, closeness, and concern.

That's why she decided to train Lin Wei, so he could better protect himself after leaving the Elysian Realm.

She hadn't done anything more. She didn't want to burden him. Unless he asked, she would never pry into matters of the real world.

"Hua, the you that I know is much more proactive… and more cunning," Lin Wei commented, looking at the naive girl with an honest face, feeling a pang of sympathy.

Fifty thousand years of hardship… how much had it changed this sincere girl?

Aside from her appearance, which remained largely unchanged, everything else was different!

"It doesn't matter. I'm just a shadow of the past, with a different purpose than my real self. After all, fifty thousand years is an unimaginable span of time… My apologies, I drifted off. If it bothers you, you can think of me as a different person."

"You…" Lin Wei sighed. Fine, I'm wrong.

At least her stubbornness remained unchanged.

"Break time is over, successor. It's time for the next phase of training."

"Huh? Already?" Lin Wei's legs, still weak and trembling, protested silently.

"Life is fleeting. Don't waste it." Hua walked over, her tone earnest.

In the distance, the fierce clash of swords was nearing its end.

The blue light stopped weaving its net, falling silent for a moment. Then, the world seemed to shift!

A point of icy blue light, freezing time and space, shot towards the central red light.

"Sakura, disperse!" A sharp cry rang out as the red light, like a drawn sword, fearlessly met the blue, graceful as falling sakura petals, swift as a cheetah chasing its prey!

Whoosh!

Clang!

The fearless red light grunted, sent flying backward.

The cool, decisive blue light could advance no further, its killing blow thwarted.

Lin Wei and Hua, watching from afar, saw clearly how the red light, like smoldering embers, had flared into a raging inferno at the moment of impact, melting the ice and piercing the blade!

"Such resolute spirit, such patience, such unwavering will!" Hua exclaimed in admiration.

The two girls, nearly identical in appearance, were so different in their fighting styles.

Lin Wei, watching Hua's awestruck expression, felt a pang of shame at his own less eloquent reaction of "Whoa, that was awesome!"

"Miss Yae Sakura is incredibly gifted and learns quickly. It's truly admirable." In a neighboring area, the two fox-eared girls sheathed their swords, breathing heavily.

SAKURA, in her blue armor, quickly regained her composure and walked over to the exhausted shrine maiden, extending a hand to help her up.

Yae Sakura removed her fox mask, looking at the identical face before her with a complex expression. She accepted SAKURA's hand and stood.

"It's a shame… I still can't beat you, even with all my effort," Yae Sakura said, adjusting her slightly disheveled clothes and hair, her tone frustrated.

She really disliked this girl.

She couldn't quite explain why. Perhaps it was resentment towards her for failing to protect her sister, forcing the innocent Yae Sakura to suffer in her place. Perhaps it was for RIN's sake.

Of course, Yae Sakura knew these were just excuses.

"Like looking into a tacky mirror," Lin Wei had once said.

Yae Sakura knew she actually hated her past, incompetent self – the Elysian Realm SAKURA being that unpleasant mirror.

Therefore, in every battle, she fought with all her might, trying to shatter that mirror. She always wore the Inari Okami mask, a symbol of her power, to remind herself to give it everything she had!

Unfortunately, SAKURA was too strong. She wasn't strong enough yet.

It's alright, there's still time. One day!

SAKURA, looking at the stubborn girl before her, sensed the hidden fire burning within, smoldering like embers. She couldn't help but admire this "other self."

She understood her thoughts.

"Perhaps I really am too weak…" SAKURA felt a pang of shame, sensing the burning flames of Yae Sakura's spirit.

"Miss Yae Sakura, your swordsmanship is… unique. May I ask which school you hail from?" SAKURA genuinely saw Yae Sakura as a younger sister and wanted to connect with her, even though she knew it was unlikely she would recognize Yae Sakura's style, given the vast difference in their eras.

She was being very polite. In her opinion, Yae Sakura's swordsmanship was completely unorthodox.

Her techniques were crude, lacking finesse. However, her control over the angle and force of her strikes, and her timing, were commendable. She had clearly put in a lot of effort.

Also…

She's way too reckless! Her fighting style was all offense, no defense, relentlessly charging forward…

So, you don't believe in defense, huh? SAKURA recalled their previous battles, her expression complex.

Perhaps I should introduce you to another friend of mine…

"Ah, you flatter me, Miss SAKURA. I come from a humble background. I never had the privilege of studying under renowned masters. I simply inherited my father's trade and practiced on my own…" Yae Sakura replied calmly, not feeling ashamed. She truly had done her best.

Yae Village was often attacked by Honkai beasts. To protect her village, she had frequently fought against these monsters.

Gradually, she had developed her own fighting style, although it was clearly one-sided.

It made sense. Those beasts weren't exactly intelligent. She just needed to charge in, kill them with one strike, and move on to the next target. Where was the need for defense?

Could you block a paw swipe from a bear the size of a mountain? Yae Sakura recalled the past with a sigh.

Her swordsmanship… at best, it was "self-taught." At worst, it was simply crude.

"You're too modest, Miss Yae Sakura. I've learned a great deal from our spars. Um… if you don't mind, I would like to continue exchanging pointers with you, so we can both improve. What do you think?"

"…I would be honored." After a moment of hesitation, Yae Sakura accepted.

…

After an unknown amount of time, the exhausted Lin Wei returned to the hall, gradually getting used to the sensation of switching consciousnesses.

The Elysian Realm hall existed as both data and reality, so he didn't feel overly fatigued upon returning.

However…

"While consciousness can influence the body, there is still a barrier. True mastery requires direct control. Successor, don't slack off. Reinforce today's training while it's still fresh in your mind."

As expected, Hua was there.

Lin Wei wanted to cry. So, this tutorial is also a beta test!