Maybe it was because the fruit wine tasted more like juice, making people less cautious than with regular liquor, or perhaps because chatting with Hua Yi was just too relaxingwhatever the reason, Murata Himeko was now drunk. She wasn't acting out; she was simply slumped over the table, lazily dozing off.
After a quick word with the girl managing the stall to ensure the shop would remain open until nightfall, Hua Yi didn't try to take Himeko back to bed. He let her nap on the table while he leaned back in his chair, lazily gazing at the sky.
A sense of relaxation washed over Hua Yi. It wasn't that the sky over St. Freya Academy was particularly special; it was the same blue sky and white clouds he had seen in Nagazora City before the Honkai erupted. What had changed was his state of mind.
When he first arrived in this Honkai world, he was just an ordinary person. Aside from his status as a male making him a "rare animal" worthy of special treatment, he possessed no power. Now, he was undoubtedly capable of taking on most Honkai Beasts and Dead-walkers alone.
As the pressure dissipated, a lingering exhaustion took its place alongside the relief. His physical and mental fatigue had been largely cured by the academy's medical technology during his coma, but it was his soul that felt weary now.
Life back then might have looked calm, but Hua Yi had been fighting for his life. Even with power and weapons, a single moment of negligence against a Honkai Beast or a Dead-walker would have meant injury.
Human bodies are fragile. Even an A-rank Valkyrie wearing a battlesuit could be wounded by a common Dead-walker. Hua Yi's combat strength didn't stem from a battlesuit but from those common-sense-breaking Stigmata integrated into his body.
His physical stats were superior to an A-rank Valkyrie in full gear, but without techniques for redirecting force and evasion, taking a direct hit from a giant Honkai Beast would still be fatal or crippling.
Take that ultra-giant Honkai Beast that triggered Raiden Mei's awakening as a Herrscherif Hua Yi hadn't trained himself rigorously while gaining power, that one sneak attack would have turned him into a cripple. Seven low-level Stigmata that hadn't even reached their limits simply couldn't tank an attack of that magnitude.
He hoped that at St. Freya Academy, he could learn more techniques for fighting giant Honkai Beasts and special high-level Dead-walkers. Hua Yi never thought he was strong enough; he hungered for more knowledge and further growth, rather than relying solely on the Supply System.
As Hua Yi stared blankly at the sky, Murata Himeko finally woke up. "It hurts... everything hurts..." she murmured groggily. "I have to take more painkillers."
Instinctively, she reached into her pocket, pulled out a medicine bottle, and shook a few tablets into her palm. She started looking around for water to wash them down, only then realizing she was still at the beverage stall with Hua Yi sitting right across from her. She snapped awake instantly.
Himeko immediately wanted to hide the pills. Although she realized her mumbles had likely been overheard, she figured she could bluff her way through as long as there was no undeniable evidence.
But
"Here is some warm water. I asked the server to prepare it for you when I saw you were drunk. Please, have some."
Hua Yi pushed a glass of clear water toward her.
Himeko opened her mouth, but no words came out. After a long moment, the intensifying pain in her body broke her resolve. She stopped resisting and took the medicine with the water.
The specialized high-potency painkillers were effective; Himeko soon felt much better. She was silent for a while, glancing at the server standing nearby, before turning to Hua Yi.
"Want to go for a walk?"
"Sure."
Hua Yi knew she wanted to talk somewhere private, so he nodded without hesitation.
They found a secluded path within St. Freya Academy with a quiet roadside bench. Himeko sat down and patted the spot next to her, signaling for him to join her.
Preoccupied with her thoughts, Himeko didn't seem to realize how intimate sitting at such a close distance could be for a man and a woman. Hua Yi raised an eyebrow but said nothing as he took his seat.
At this distance, he could faintly feel her body heat.
"Hua Yi, do you know the source of a Valkyrie's power?"
"I'm all ears."
"Besides weapons and battlesuits, the primary source is Stigmata. It's a powerful force existing within the bloodlines of a very few. According to Schicksal records, it is a crucial legacy left by the Previous Era to help future generations fight the Honkai, passed down through blood for generations."
"..."
"As I said, very few people possess them. In fact, the suspected Stigmata holders I know of can be counted on one hand. Those are Natural Stigmatarare and powerful. Those born with them are natural-born warriors against the Honkai.
But the world is vast, and there are too many Honkai eruptions for just a few people to handle. That's why Artificial Stigmata were created.
They are imitations based on Natural Stigmata, and they naturally come with flaws. One of those flaws is that they cause the Valkyrie constant pain. But don't worry, I'm used to it by now."
Seeing Himeko trying to brush it off so lightly, Hua Yi, who had been a quiet listener until now, finally spoke up.
"Pain never comes without cause, nor is it ever harmless. Since it's reached the point where you need medication to cope, Miss Himeko, I think it's better if you tell me the details. Maybe I can help you."
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