New Zealand.
Above the wild expanse, hurricanes churned violently.
The fierce wind occasionally swept across the land, whipping the long, sea-blue hair of a lone girl standing amidst the chaos. Her gaze, deep and star-like, scanned the horizon.
"So... the Honkai energy convergence point is over there."
Her voice was soft, almost melodic, yet it carried through the storm. Despite the raging winds, her snow-white dress remained eerily still—unmoving, as if frozen in time.
She turned toward a distant direction, sensing something. With a single stomp, she launched forward like an arrow loosed from a bow.
The sound of air breaking around her filled her ears, but she paid it no mind.
Far ahead, a girl floated mid-air—black hair with cyan streaks, bandages wrapped around her legs, and emerald wings spread wide. Below her, three Valkyries stood, exhausted but resolute, their breathing heavy yet their eyes unwavering.
The floating girl's cyan eyes narrowed with irritation.
"Such a nuisance."
"Too bad," the white-haired Valkyrie panted, defiant. "Being a nuisance is my specialty."
Just as the clash was about to resume, a gentle voice interrupted from the side.
"Hi there! Are you fighting?"
All four froze and turned toward the source.
A graceful girl had appeared silently at the edge of the formation, smiling warmly as if greeting old friends.
Shock rippled through the group. Even Cocolia, watching remotely through the invisible Titan's surveillance feed, gaped in disbelief.
How had this girl appeared unnoticed—right under the noses of a Herrscher, three elite Valkyries, and an Anti-Entropy commander?
Before anyone could speak, the newcomer placed a hand over her heart and introduced herself.
"Hello, everyone! My name is Xingyue. I'm just a passing Planetary-Class Honkai Beast."
"Honkai Beast?"
The three Valkyries exchanged confused glances. In their experience, Honkai Beasts were monstrous, chaotic entities—none had ever taken human form.
"A humanoid Honkai Beast?" Cocolia muttered in the command room, pinching her chin. "There were theories during the Second Eruption... but nothing confirmed."
Wendy, her mind increasingly frayed by Honkai corruption, scoffed.
"Tch. Just a Honkai Beast?"
"Forget her," she added dismissively. "Let's move on."
Using a specialized Honkai life-detection method, Wendy sensed that Xingyue's form was somewhere between a Herrscher and a Beast. But in her knowledge, the strongest Honkai Beasts were Judgment-class. Planetary-Level? That sounded like a footnote in some forgotten textbook.
What Wendy failed to notice was the shift in Xingyue's expression. Her smile darkened, and the energy radiating from her body intensified—like a star on the verge of supernova.
"Warning: Honkai energy levels rising. Detection overload. Abort scan immediately!"
"What?!" Cocolia slammed her hand on the console, stunned.
Not even Sirin, the Second Herrscher, had ever triggered a reading this high.
Who was this girl?
Wendy, still dismissive, began channeling her power—until a chill ran down her spine. Her instincts screamed. She turned slowly.
The girl who had greeted them so sweetly now wore a sinister smile. Black energy swirled around her like an abyss.
"Yo~ Miss Wen~dy~," Xingyue said playfully. "You seem to have strong opinions about Honkai Beasts."
"Others all got to transmigrate as Elysia, Herrschers, Flamescion... and I ended up as a Honkai Beast. Fine. But even then, I'm still looked down on?"