HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

"I want that box... even if it means my death, I will never hand it over to them." Kallen's resolve was unshakable, unwavering even if she knew she might become a bane to Schicksal and its people.

"Charge!" Valkyries drew their weapons and lunged at Kallen, heedless of her previous injury. "Reclaim the holy relic!"

After pilfering the mysterious black box earlier, Kallen had already clashed with a squad of Valkyries. Though she emerged victorious, she bore fresh wounds from the battle.

As the Valkyries charged, Kallen wasted no time. She took aim at the leading Valkyrie's thigh and fired...

The bullet, coursing with potent Honkai energy, instantly toppled the two Valkyries in front.

Yet, in that moment, the remaining Valkyries reached Kallen, their weapons lunging towards her without hesitation.

Gritting her teeth, Kallen retreated, her right foot snapping out with terrifying speed. The closest Valkyrie had no chance to react as Kallen's kick sent her hurtling into the sea, defeated.

Kallen was indeed the most powerful S-rank Valkyrie in Schicksal's Female Warrior Corps at that time!

Even years ago, when Schicksal had launched an eastern campaign against the Great Ming Empire of Shenzhou and been defeated by the Phoenix Immortal, she... remained the strongest Valkyrie.

Despite her injuries now, facing over a dozen Valkyries, Kallen still emerged victorious!

However, after once again defeating all the Valkyries, Kallen had reached her limit. At that moment, she clutched the dangerous black box, leaning against the ship's deck, gazing at the boundless blue sea around her.

Kallen didn't know where she was heading. Her resolve had been set from the moment she personally witnessed Schicksal's elders conducting cruel experiments on living beings using Honkai energy, in their quest for greater power and a cure for the Black Death.

Schicksal... had rotted beyond redemption. Those who seek power and authority are no better than demons.

Having stolen the most dangerous black box used in their experiments—the source of Honkai energy—Kallen sought only to find an isolated place where she could entomb it.

This way... even if the Honkai energy leaks, it won't cause too great a catastrophe.

At that moment, Kallen couldn't have known that the box in her arms... was not some high-intensity Honkai Source, but rather... a relic of the previous era: a Herrscher that had been sealed for fifty thousand years, now utterly deranged.

Had she known this, Kallen might not have proceeded as she did. For... to a Herrscher, it mattered little whether there were people around or not.

As long as she remained on this planet, as long as this planet nurtured civilization, the risk remained the same.

However... due to her injuries, Kallen had inadvertently neglected to notice... Although she had rendered most of the Valkyries unconscious or incapacitated, one Valkyrie behind her suddenly opened her eyes. With great difficulty, she drew a Honkai-energy-modified pistol and aimed it at Kallen's back.

"Bang!"

The gunshot rang out. Kallen, who was pondering her future and hadn't yet reacted, was instantly struck by the bullet through her body...

"..."

Clutching the black box tightly, Kallen's body toppled over and fell from the ship. She never expected this to happen...

But...

This is how it should be, Kallen thought. Let this dangerous thing disappear with me in this moment of time!

With this resolve, Kallen felt no regret; she merely tightened her grip on the black box.

No one knew, or perhaps cared, that the escape ship Kallen casually boarded was heading eastward.

After Kallen fell into the ocean, by some strange twist of fate... her completely unconscious body began moving towards the Far East.

This defied all common sense; rivers flowed from west to east into the sea, not vice versa.

Damn it... Kallen mused, logic be damned. Those scientists' theories are already being buried six feet under.

Besides, this was the world of Honkai—where the sea naturally flowed backwards towards the land. Who's to say it's not just another byproduct of Honkai energy?

-

Europe, Schicksal...

The elders of the Schicksal organization, having already received the news, were incensed.

The black box had not been recovered, nor had Kallen's body. This news made the elders gnash their teeth in hatred towards Kallen.

Simultaneously, Schicksal proclaimed Kallen's crimes to the public and all external powers. Kallen, former captain of the Valkyrie Corps, was labeled as the greatest sinner against all of Europe.

Europe was engulfed by the plague, with one in five people succumbing to its deadly grasp. The death toll reached unprecedented heights, unmatched in world history.

In the face of this catastrophe, Schicksal claimed to have found a way to control the plague using sacred artifacts. However, S-rank Valkyrie Kallen had stolen these very artifacts.

Abandoned... the lives of hundreds of millions of Europeans to their fate!!

The news of Schicksal's plan spread, and Kallen, once revered for fighting tirelessly for her people, was transformed in public opinion. She became a caricature of a villain—a petty thief who would steal holy relics for personal gain.

Even as she was misunderstood and betrayed by those she had tried to protect, the original Kallen... continued to fight for her people until her final breath, falling to the sharp claws of a Honkai Beast.

In a twist of fate, Otto had released a Honkai Beast to save her, which made Kallen feel guilty. In a poignant moment, she slapped Otto while blaming herself.

It was the first and last time Kallen had ever struck Otto.

"Damned... these fiends actually dared to treat Kallen like this!"

In a grand and opulent estate, a beautiful blonde young man, upon hearing the news about Kallen, seethed with anger... yet felt utterly helpless.

However... one thing he could be certain of was that Kallen wouldn't succumb so easily. If it was just a single gunshot...

After all, Kallen was the strongest Valkyrie.

Even if Kallen wasn't killed, the young man's fury remained unchecked. Typically only interested in his research and Kallen, at this moment... he suddenly yearned for supreme power...

The position of Schicksal's Great Overseer...

If he completely mastered Schicksal, then... who would dare harm a hair on Kallen's head?

With this thought... the young man, rarely interrupting an unfinished experiment, began contemplating what steps he must take...

This young man was none other than...Otto Apocalypse...