I Am Honkai

Selene's directive to assign "new recruits" was readily accepted by Budo, Leiva, and Alex.

As one of the Empire's most senior leaders and the nominal second-in-command of its military, Budo was the first to speak. True to Selene's prediction, he selected Sakazuki without hesitation—their shared iron-blooded, hawkish demeanor made them natural allies.

For the second pick, Selene took the initiative before Leiva could voice his choice.

"Leiva, assign Borsalino to your legion. His light-based abilities suit the Black Templars Legion's role as a strategic support unit."

Her tone carried the unmistakable air of an elder giving prudent advice.

"Ah? Oh… Understood," Leiva replied. What choice did he have? Orders were orders.

Next, Alex's turn came. Flashing a cheerful smile, he picked Issho, known as Fujitora, a calm and congenial figure, as his recruit.

"That settles it," Selene announced. "Take your picks and bring them to your respective bases."

Once the three Astartes legion commanders had made their choices, the high-ranking Marine officers under Sakazuki quickly divided themselves into distinct groups.

Though Selene had only explicitly named Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Issho, the implicit assignment extended to the factions they represented.

Budo's newly assigned group was the largest, comprising Sakazuki's hawkish faction, which included Vice Admirals such as Gion (Momousagi), Tokikake (Chaton), Onigumo, Doberman, Dalmatian, and Yamakaji.

Leiva's group followed next, as Borsalino's neutral faction included prominent figures like Strawberry, Gumir, and Stainless.

Alex's pick, Issho, represented the smallest group. As a relatively new Admiral recruited via World Conscription, Issho lacked a strong factional base. Most of his supporters were remnants of Kuzan's dovish faction, with notable individuals like Bastille and Smoker being his closest allies.

Just as everyone prepared to depart, Selene paused mid-step, her gaze thoughtful.

"Oh, right. Issho." Her voice halted the group. "Would you like me to heal your blindness and restore your sight?"

In the Empire's vast military structure, no disabled individuals existed. As long as someone hadn't died outright, the Empire's medical teams could perform miracles.

"Your sensory range is immense, yes? That 'Observation Haki,' I believe? Judging by the scars on your face, your blindness is likely acquired, not congenital. This means your heightened senses were achieved through training, not natural compensation."

"You are correct, Your Majesty." Issho turned toward her voice, his tone carrying a hint of awe. He knelt with one knee on the ground, leaning on his wooden staff.

Touching the long scar across his face, he added with faint nostalgia, "In my youth, I was arrogant. This blindness… it's the price I paid."

"However, Your Majesty, my pupils were completely destroyed long ago, and new ones have since grown. Is healing still possible?"

Raising his head slightly, he faced her general direction, his humility evident.

Issho's Observation Haki was indeed exceptional—vast in scope and sensitivity. He could detect malicious intent, track meteors in space, and discern the movement of drifting clouds in the sky. However, his blindness left him unable to perceive fine details or recognize colors.

This limitation would prove unacceptable for any commanding officer, let alone one in the Empire's auxiliary forces. Without basic visual acuity, tasks like reading commands or signing documents became impossible.

"It's entirely possible," Selene replied casually. "If you're willing, the procedure is simple."

"Do not resist." She lifted her hand, making a quick, sweeping motion.

Boom!

In an instant, Issho's milky-white eyeballs burst, releasing a stream of dark blood that stained his pale violet kimono. He let out a muffled grunt of pain.

"Your eyes will regrow from your DNA, mirroring the fetal development process. The new organs will be perfectly adapted to your body."

As Selene spoke, she conjured a soft, white glow in her palm and guided it into Issho's hollow eye sockets. The residual blood and fluids were expelled cleanly, replaced by a gentle warmth.

Issho felt an intense itch deep within his skull as his eyes began to regenerate. Slowly, he sensed the fullness of restored vision.

Moments later, the sensation subsided. Tentatively, Issho opened his eyes.

Light flooded his senses, overwhelming at first. Tears streamed involuntarily, but through the shimmering haze, Selene's striking figure—her crimson eyes and flowing silver hair—came into focus.

"Your Majesty!" Overcome with emotion, Issho prostrated himself, his voice filled with gratitude.

Acknowledging his thanks with a nod, Selene turned her gaze toward Kuzan, who stood apart from the others, his frostbitten demeanor as distinctive as ever.

"Your burns and ice prosthetic… Report to the Blood Angels' liaison office in the Imperial Capital. Their medics will know how to handle your case."

She then glanced at Sengoku, standing awkwardly among the group, his conspicuous white hair impossible to miss.

"And you, Sengoku. Since you're no longer active duty, join Kuzan in overseeing the restructuring of Conquered World—22's auxiliary forces."

Caught off guard by her precise understanding of their statuses, Sengoku stiffened slightly before bowing deeply.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"I look forward to your contributions," Selene said, clapping her hands lightly before turning away.

As she departed, the chimes of bells rang through the air—marking the end of her fishing tournament.

The lakeside erupted in a cacophony of frustrated groans.

Surveying the gathered fish, Selene couldn't help but laugh. "You're all hopeless. Let's see… The winner is Vulcan. Five Abyss-Class Battleships as your reward."

"As for the rest of you…"

Sighs echoed from the crowd.

"… Consolation prizes—each of you gets one ship."

"Woohoo!"

Watching her Astartes leaders celebrate with childlike glee, Selene sighed, hands on her hips.

"I'm far too lenient," she muttered with mock exasperation. "This was supposed to be a winner-takes-all competition. But fine, you all get your pity prizes."

Raising a hand to quiet them, her tone shifted to stern command.

"Playtime is over. Return to your respective bases. Coordinate with the Imperial Science Bureau and Logistics Division to prepare for the next campaign. Be ready to mobilize at my command."

"Understood!" the Astartes bellowed in unison.

The sun had long set, leaving the sky a deep, velvety black. Countless stars shimmered above, casting their faint glow over the Imperial Capital.

In Selene's empire, celestial wonders were commonplace: floating spaceports, stargates, orbital fortresses, and fleet engines, alongside entire star clusters she had transplanted into the Honkai Dimension. Her strength grew with each passing moment, and feats like transplanting or obliterating stellar groups were now as effortless to her as reaching out and grasping a handful of scattered petals.

The once-bustling Glass Palace, brimming with activity and laughter, was now tranquil. Except for palace attendants and the Imperial Guard, all outsiders had been dismissed. The lively energy from earlier had dissipated, replaced by silence.

Sebas was occupied with judicial affairs, while Alyssa, having befriended the giant mermaid princess, was off playing somewhere. Within the grand, empty corridors of the palace, Selene strolled leisurely, her footsteps muffled against the carpet.

The stillness was absolute, broken only by the faint rustling sound of her movement.

This was the palace's main hall. Its walls were decorated entirely with amber: blood amber, gold amber, some large, some small, arranged into frames or simply affixed to the walls. Interspersed with rubies, sapphires, and emeralds, the amber formed breathtaking mosaics that gleamed under the night, casting hues from lemon yellow to golden red.

The dazzling display enveloped the entire hall in radiant warmth, as though it were submerged in a sea of gold.

It was said that the main hall of Glass Palace was inspired by the legendary Amber Room of Europe, a masterpiece lost during World War II on the Eastern Front.

Whether or not this was true, Selene had never asked. Sebas oversaw the construction, and all she needed to do was live in it.

Selene pushed open the glass doors to the balcony, gazing up at the starry sky. She whispered softly, "You've come, haven't you?"

A low hum resonated around her as a brilliant emerald-gold aura radiated from her body. Within the flickering light, the golden halo of Finality, a symbol of her dominion, materialized above her head.

"She's calling me... She needs me to return…"

Closing her eyes, Selene extended her secondary consciousness toward the outermost edges of the expanded Honkai Dimensional Network.

There, a familiar will awaited her, tenderly reaching out. Selene felt a strange sense of belonging, like a long-lost child returning home, as ethereal tendrils of thought brushed against her own.

"Alright then, let's... talk."

Selene's spiritual tendrils intertwined with the beckoning will, merging seamlessly.

In an instant, her vision filled with brilliant light.

This space defied logic. All around her, irregular shapes folded, compressed, shattered, and devoured each other in a kaleidoscope of surreal phenomena.

Colors twisted and shifted endlessly, defying natural perception. There was no sky, no ground—only an infinite expanse of timeless chaos. Beneath her, something like an ocean churned violently, while in the unreachable distance, a faint outline of a towering tree seemed to stretch on forever.

The juxtaposition of separation and unity pervaded this place. Everything felt paradoxical.

Here, Selene's powers, representing the End, faced no suppression or limitation. The surroundings welcomed her with open arms, granting her an unparalleled sense of vitality and strength.

"Welcome home."

A gentle, feminine voice resonated near Selene's ear. Its tone carried a unique blend of warmth, surprise, and maternal affection, as though welcoming a beloved child back into the fold.

Turning toward the sound, Selene saw a white, shifting silhouette standing silently in the distance. It bore a vaguely humanoid form, devoid of discernible features or clothing, like a blank mannequin.

"Ah, I'm back," Selene replied, her voice laden with layered meaning.

Zzzzz!

At her words, the figure froze momentarily before its shape began to transform.

Gradually, its blank surface gave way to form and detail. Hair materialized, flowing softly, while facial features were rapidly etched into existence.

Before long, it resembled Selene's face exactly—or rather, it looked even more like Cecilia.

"Will of Honkai," Selene thought, confirming her guess. This being, also referred to as the God by Sirin, was the programmatic essence of Honkai —a mechanism created to test and cull civilizations.

Selene remained unperturbed. Despite its name, the Will of Honkai was not an omnipotent god but an advanced construct with rudimentary sentience. Its purpose was singular: to evaluate and refine worlds through harsh trials.

The being, now bearing Cecilia's visage, made no further sound. Instead, it silently extended a hand toward Selene.

Selene narrowed her eyes, cautiously suppressing certain elements of her secondary consciousness. Only then did she step forward, pressing her palm against the figure's.

Boom!

A thunderous roar echoed within her mind as a flood of fragmented information surged into her consciousness.

The memories painted a vivid picture of Honkai's nature.

On this planet, Honkai was born alongside civilization itself. The more humanity progressed, the more formidable Honkai became. The two were inseparably intertwined.

Honkai existed to test civilizations, forcing them to evolve—or perish. Its trials were brutal, leaving no room for second chances. Failure meant obliteration.

Thus, to the people of this world, Honkai was synonymous with catastrophe and pure malevolence.

Images flickered past her eyes in rapid succession:

The ugliness of human nature, the corruption of civilization, betrayals by so-called "Herrschers," and countless other manifestations of humanity's darkest facets.

Selene's brow twitched.

"Is this… propaganda? Are you sneaking in hidden messages?"

Amidst the chaos, she sensed emotions: hope, longing, and a plea to stay.

"Could it be… you're lonely?"

The Will of Honkai was not omnipotent. Its interventions were limited to orchestrating catastrophic events—unleashing hordes of beasts or appointing chosen Herrschers to serve as trials.

As the embodiment of Finality, Selene was the Will's pinnacle creation—its "true daughter."

While ordinary Herrschers often turned traitorous, Finality represented the Will's ultimate intent. Yet even this perfect vessel sometimes resisted its purpose.

"Judgment. Culling. The elimination of unworthy civilizations. This is your mission."

As the words echoed, fragments of memories from Project K-404 flooded Selene's mind. The memories seemed designed to stoke her rage, tempting her into embracing violence.

Even with her clarity of mind, Selene felt her body react. Deep within her crimson eyes, a bloodthirsty gleam ignited, filled with cruelty and tyranny, as long-dormant instincts surged forth.

"I'll handle it."

Her voice cut through the haze, resolute and unyielding.

At that moment, no one in the world could have foreseen that Selene's arrival would herald the final trial. The last and greatest Honkai Event was already on its way.

The End is near.

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