Honkai Diary: Start With Picking Up A White-Haired Treasure

Sin Mal had a dream.

In it, she saw her parents lying in pools of blood, her adoptive parents covered with mouths of desire, and Bronya, pure and innocent like an angel.

Standing amidst the slowly sinking black mire, Sin reached out towards Bronya.

"I'm sorry... You're a monster... not human," Bronya said, turning away without acknowledging Sin's extended hand as she drifted further.

"But...I don't want to..."

"Ahh!"

Sin jolted awake with a scream, clutching her head only to feel rough bandages instead of her smooth hair.

"Where am I?"

Holding her head, she strained to recall the events from the previous day.

Ah, yes, now she remembered—she killed that grotesque pair filled with mouths of greed, along with a repulsive fat merchant. It wasn't just a metaphor; in Sin's eyes, her adoptive parents and the wealthy man who tried to approach her appeared exactly like that.

Then, she herself became tainted, absorbing humanity's sins onto her body... God! Right, she also encountered God! And God acknowledged her as human!

"Hah... ha... hahaha..."

She suddenly burst out laughing, her laughter deranged.

"Zeke, has she gone insane?"

"It seems her mental state is quite unstable."

"Do you think offering cake and ice cream would help?"

"...She's not a paramecium."

"You're calling me a paramecium again?!"

"I never specifically mentioned anyone; it's your own association. Can you blame me?"

Sin turned her head; at her bedside stood two individuals locked in a gaze.

One was a silver-haired boy she found charming and beautiful.

The other, a swirling black flame entangled with vengeful spirits.

"You both... I..." Sin tilted her head, wanting to say something but unsure of what exactly. It had been far too long since she'd engaged in normal conversation with anyone.

Kiana took the initiative, grasping Sin's hand warmly and exclaiming,

"Hello! I'm Kiana Kaslana! You seem to be called Sinbara, right? Nice to meet you!"

"It's Sin Mal," Zeke corrected, unsurprised by Kiana's memory lapse—as he never held much hope for it in the first place.

"Oh, who cares? I'll remember after spending more time together! Even though I don't know what you've been through, that's okay—consider me your protector from now on!" Kiana declared cheerfully, wearing her usual bright, albeit slightly goofy, smile.

Zeke remained noncommittal.

However, Sin ignored the chattering black flame altogether, gazing at Zeke with adoring eyes.

Ah, how incredibly handsome he is! "I am Sin, and your name is?"

Unfazed, Sin gently shook off Kiana's hand, leaned forward, and softly touched Zeke's face with...a tone that seemed almost flirtatious or suggestive of courtship.

Zeke took a slight step back, evading her touch on his cheek.

"Simply call me Zeke," he replied mildly.

Seeing Zeke's retreat, Sin's eyes visibly dimmed.

Meanwhile, Kiana stared at her hands, her mind filled with confusion.

'I washed my hands today! They're not dirty; why is she avoiding them? Or perhaps, does she think I'm ugly?'

Kiana had always been confident in her charm, but Sin's reaction seemed to contradict this belief.

As one girl felt dejected and the other questioned herself, Zeke bent down, reached out, and lifted Sin's chin.

Sin possessed heterochromatic eyes, one golden and one gray, symbolizing her unique abilities. Even through the bandages covering her face, their beauty shone brightly.

"You have very distinctive eyes. Could you tell me what I look like from your perspective?"

"You...your hair is like snow, eyes resemble the ocean, skin akin to milk, nose like ice cream, ears similar to cotton candy... You truly are beautiful!"

Sin's gaze appeared hazy as she spoke. Although some comparisons were quite peculiar, she was merely using her limited vocabulary to express her affection for Zeke earnestly.

'Does she see me as human due to the unique nature of the higher-dimensional world?'

Zeke stared directly into those mesmerized and loving heterochromatic eyes, feeling no emotional stir. Instead, he began contemplating the possible reasons behind this perception.

"Ha ha ha ha! Ice cream? Cotton candy? What strange metaphors!" Kiana burst out laughing, abruptly pushing Zeke aside and grabbing Sin's hands once more.

"So, what do I resemble to you?"

"A filthy, ugly flame, a grotesquely twisted soul, darker than even my current self suggests—you must be a deeply dark and hateful madwoman... In short, utterly repulsive."

With palpable disgust, Sin uttered the last two words and swiftly shook off Kiana's hands again, as if trying to rid herself of something vile.

"Snap!"

Kiana froze, petrified.

After a moment, she turned towards Zeke.

"Zeke, I think her eyes need treatment too. Do you have any eye drops?"

"Her eyes differ from ours. The power of time is concentrated within them, allowing her to perceive humans not as isolated fragments but as multifaceted beings transcending temporal boundaries. In a sense, what she sees is the true reality; it's everyone else who needs their vision corrected."

But how did Bronya escape this perspective, and what made her unique?

As Zeke responded, he found himself grappling with new perplexities.

"What do you mean by 'what she sees is real'? Something's definitely off here! You yourself said—I'm a fair-skinned, beautiful, innocent, and adorable young lady—so how can I be dirty, twisted, or disgusting? This makes me so mad!"

Kiana stomped furiously, causing strands of hair in her meticulously braided pigtails, styled by Zeke, to fly out of place.

Seeing that Zeke remained lost in thought, showing no intention of acknowledging her, Kiana grew frantic, nearly on the verge of tears.

"Zeke!" She lunged at him, trying to grab his hair and clothes while attempting to bite his shoulder and face.

After all those insults directed at me, you're still indifferent? And you even say her perception is the truth? Do you think I'm dirty and disgusting too?

An overwhelming wave of indignation and anger surged through Kiana.

Then Zeke placed his hand on her head and gently stroked it.

"Stop fussing. You look great."

Kiana immediately calmed down.

'Zeke complimented me again! (●??`●)ノ Yay!'

The "again" part might be questionable, but all her frustration and anxiety vanished like air from a popped balloon in an instant.

"Heh heh! Only you have good taste, Zeke! You're definitely just flattering me, nyah~"

Straddling Zeke's back, Kiana leaned over his shoulder, pulled down one eyelid, and stuck out her tongue at Sin.

Sin scowled fiercely. "(▼へ▼メ)!"

Grinding her teeth irritably, she scanned the room for something to use as a weapon. Finding nothing suitable, she yanked a metal pipe off the bed frame with her slender, bandaged arm, snapping it clean off with a loud crack.

Pointing at Kiana, she addressed Zeke:

"She's very dangerous. For your safety, it would be best to eliminate her first!"

"Hey! I haven't even gotten mad yet, and you're itching for action?"

Kiana's fiery temper couldn't bear this slight.

She promptly jumped off Zeke's back, grabbed a nearby metal pipe just as Sin had done, weighed it in her hand, and pointed it at Sin, declaring:

"Sinbara, by the honor of Kaslana, I'll make you taste your bitter defeat!"

"My name is...Sin Mal!"

"Bam! Bam!"

Two black mechanical arms with golden trim emerged from the Void, one striking each girl forcefully on their heads.

Both girls clutched their skulls, wincing in pain, while the pipes slipped from their hands, hitting the ground with a crisp metallic sound.

As Zeke halted the impending conflict, his untested thoughts also came to a pause.

"Sin Mal, interested in working for me? We offer free meals and lodging, excellent benefits, plus, I can arrange a meeting with Bronya. How about it?" Zeke extended his hand towards Sin, confident that mentioning Bronya would increase his chances significantly.

"And what about you?" Sin countered.

Zeke was momentarily taken aback.

Ah, right... Sin's fixation on Bronya stemmed from her being the only "normal" human Sin had encountered after awakening. Now, Zeke is the second one she's met.

So, should I employ some charm tactics here...? Well, why not?

"And you can see me anytime."

"With those terms, I accept... I love you, Zeke!" Sin exclaimed, wrapping her arms around him and burying her head against his chest.

At that moment, Kiana rubbed her head and looked up, witnessing this scene with wide-eyed astonishment.

A timeless masterpiece captured in .jpg format.

"It was supposed to be me first... Ugh! Hey! Let go of Zeke, you conniving witch!"

In that instant, Kiana couldn't quite describe her feelings; all she knew was that the person beside Zeke ought to be herself, naturally—what nonsense was this weirdo Sinbara?!

Simultaneously, Kiana realized she had just encountered her lifelong rival.