I Am Honkai

Watching Bronya and Raiden Mei follow the palace servant and disappear around the corridor's corner, Senti pursed her lips and glanced around, her restlessness evident.

She looked eager, ready to jump into action.

But in the next moment, Senti's crimson eyes gleamed with a cunning spark, as if a clever plan had just hatched in her mind.

"Ahem..."

She lightly coughed into her fist, drawing everyone's attention. Then, with a dramatic sigh, she sat cross-legged on a cushion, resting her elbows on her knees and her chin on her hands, her expression exaggeratedly filled with disappointment.

"Hey, hey, both of them have gone to cook, and some people here have absolutely no sense of responsibility," she grumbled, her mixed black, white, and gray hair swishing as she shook her head in disapproval.

"Am I supposed to assume you're talking about me?" Fu Hua replied without looking up. Calmly, she began separating the teaware on the table, measuring out about six grams of an unknown premium green tea from a container and placing it gently into the teapot.

Senti nodded smugly, her voice brimming with pride. "Hmph, at least you're self-aware. Since you know, why aren't you getting up already? I happen to know your cooking is excellent, and serving me is an honor."

Fu Hua, after all, had mastered the art of cooking Shenzhou cuisine, becoming adept in the Eight Great Cuisines: Lu, Chuan, Yue, Su, Min, Zhe, Xiang, and Hui. It was the product of years of refinement.

Although her culinary skills during the Previous Era had been practically inedible, after learning under Dan Zhu and Cangxuan at the dawn of the current Era, and with thousands of years of practice across Shenzhou, Fu Hua had finally become a master chef.

Alongside Raiden Mei and Rita Rossweisse, she was known as one of the three Valkyrie culinary gods. While the other two were naturally gifted, Fu Hua's success stemmed from relentless effort and perseverance.

"Still not getting up? I'm hungry," Senti declared, puffing up her chest and adopting a boastful, imperious tone.

But truthfully, Senti bore no malice—she simply enjoyed having Fu Hua's attention and was eager to make her presence known. Though occasionally brash, Senti was largely kindhearted, at least as long as no one provoked her.

"..."

Fu Hua remained unperturbed, completely ignoring her antics. Her porcelain-white hands poured hot water into the teapot with steady precision.

The tea leaves, initially dry and shriveled, unfurled in the boiling water, releasing a rich fragrance that filled the air.

"Hoo..." Fu Hua poured herself a cup, brought it to her lips, and blew gently before taking a sip.

The subtle bitterness gave way to a lingering sweetness that refreshed her senses. Fu Hua nodded in satisfaction, examining the elegant tea container and softly reading the label aloud:

"Astartes Thirteenth Legion – Ultramarines' Conquered World No. 38 Exclusive... local tribute. Excellent tea."

After a pause, Fu Hua glanced sideways at Senti, whose confident expression had turned slightly awkward.

"Are you teaching me how to do things?" Fu Hua asked with a faintly teasing tone.

"Uh..."

That single, weightless question left Senti momentarily speechless, her earlier bravado now akin to a child caught misbehaving.

"You should have my experiences, shouldn't you? So why don't you do it? Or could it be..." Fu Hua continued, her calm tone laced with subtle mockery.

"Don't tell me... you can't?"

"Who can't!" Senti's previously smug demeanor instantly shifted at the faintly mocking expression on Fu Hua's otherwise serene face. Biting her lip, her slightly trembling finger pointed forward.

"I'll show you right now!" Senti roared, slamming her hands on the table as she shot to her feet in anger.

Watching Senti lose her composure in an instant, Li Sushang couldn't help but twitch the corners of her mouth.

With the face of Master Fu Hua herself, Senti had managed to produce expressions that could almost be called "cartoonish," a dramatic contrast to the stoicism Li Sushang had always associated with Fu Hua.

According to her mother Qin Suyi, back when Fu Hua had sealed her emotions, she had been utterly cold and detached, like a machine running on pure logic with no understanding of human feelings.

Yet, seeing the fiery Senti contrasted with the tranquil Fu Hua, the dynamic between the two was strangely amusing.

Even Durandal and Rita exchanged wry smiles, shaking their heads at the scene.

Despite sharing the same memories, their personalities were polar opposites. Calm and composed like water, Fu Hua was clearly leagues ahead of Senti in poise and composure.

Unless Senti flipped the table and resorted to brute force, there was little chance she could win against Fu Hua in a verbal exchange.

But this was the Imperial Capital, within the heavily guarded palace grounds, crawling with the Empire's top military forces. Fighting? Not an option.

"Give it a rest. I'm worried you'll blow up the kitchen before you manage to cook anything," Fu Hua remarked, standing and walking toward Senti.

She rapped Senti lightly on the head, her expression a mixture of amusement and exasperation. "I'll do it. You stay here and behave."

"Uh..." Senti unconsciously replied, watching Fu Hua slide the door open and step out.

"...."

"Huh?" Realizing belatedly what had just happened, Senti's expression twisted, and she exploded. "Hey, hey, hey! You dare to pat my head, you jerk!"

"And what are you all laughing at?" Senti growled, glaring at the others suppressing their laughter. Her gaze settled on Mobius and Pardofelis, who were laughing the loudest, and she snorted. "Never seen someone as beautiful and outstanding as me, huh?"

With that, Senti stormed out of the pavilion's lounge. "No way! I'm going to show her! That condescending jerk! Stop right there!"

"Such energy," Rita commented with a light chuckle as she stood gracefully.

"Durandal, Lady Theresa—since everyone's so enthusiastic, I suppose I'll join in to help," Rita offered with a smile.

"Mm." Durandal glanced at Theresa, who had recovered somewhat from her earlier state, and nodded.

"The other Hua seems... approachable," Pardofelis mused as she sat cross-legged near the Olenyeva sisters and Seele, her hood pulled over her head.

"Approachable?" Seele looked bewildered by Pardofelis's train of thought. Senti's rough, almost delinquent demeanor had made Seele a little wary of approaching her.

"Yeah, really! She's way better than Brother Kalpas—trust me, it's my intuition," Pardofelis said confidently.

"Your intuition?"

"Believe me, my intuition's spot on. Every time I go to Brother Kalpas's for supplies, it's a technical challenge. If I didn't run fast enough, my tail would've been singed."

"Singed? Isn't that... a bit extreme?" Seele, with her gentle and ocean-like demeanor, expressed concern. "You didn't get hurt, did you?"

...

At this moment, in the pavilion by the lake.

"That voice… Senti. What are they up to now? Really…" Raiden Mei sighed as she skillfully removed the tendons and membranes from a chicken breast she was washing.

But the slight upturn at the corner of her lips betrayed her words. Clearly, being able to cook once again for Kiana and everyone else brought Mei a quiet joy.

Standing on a small stool, Bronya was entirely focused on dicing cooked beef, beets, onions, carrots, cabbage, garlic, and tomatoes.

Russian Borscht… it was a dish filled with fond memories from her time at Cocolia's orphanage, shared with Seele and the Olenyeva sisters.

"Bronya, Seele, Rozaliya, and Liliya are all fine. But what about you, Sin… are you okay?"

At that moment, Bronya's hand, holding the knife, paused. Her thoughts drifted to another childhood friend, Sin Mal—a brash, arrogant, show-off who was sharp-tongued and tsundere.

"Don't worry, they'll be fine. The Imperial Army wouldn't destroy a place with no military value. Selene's decree has already shifted the Empire's policy from conquest to appeasement," Mei reassured Bronya softly, noticing her daze and holding her hand gently.

"Mei… Sin, she—" (Bronya: Though I don't know what she's doing now, I'm worried her sharp tongue will get her into unnecessary trouble, provoking the wrong people, and she might get into a fight with the Imperial Army's hot-headed soldiers.)

"… Yes, Bronya understands." Nodding slightly, Bronya returned to her work.

Mei also resumed handling the ingredients.

She cut the prepared chicken breast into small pieces and placed them in a large bowl. Then, she added cooking wine, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chopped green onions, shredded ginger, five-spice powder, and black pepper, mixing them thoroughly.

"Same old recipe, that familiar taste—Kiana's favorite fried chicken nuggets," Mei said as she added egg whites to the mix and ensured everything was evenly coated.

As Mei mixed, Bronya's earlier pensive mood seemed to subtly influence her. However, Mei's cooking skills were so refined, they were practically second nature to her.

Even while her mind wandered, her hands moved flawlessly.

"Father…" Mei thought briefly of her father, Raiden Ryoma. He should still be alive. As a former Anti-Entropy Executor, his status as a "fallen camel" meant he could likely ensure his safety as long as he didn't take unnecessary risks.

Moreover, Mei had learned that the American headquarters of Anti-Entropy, her father's domain, fell under the jurisdiction of Leiva, the Lord Commander of the Astartes Third Legion, the Black Templars—a man not known for senseless killing.

But there was another individual Mei couldn't help but worry about: Natasha Cioara, "Raven."

The collapse of Natasha's retirement island in Nagazora had been an indirect consequence of Mei's second awakening as a Herrscher. Even now, Mei still felt a lingering guilt over it.

Raven had been nothing but supportive, unlike her other World Serpent colleagues like Jackal and Grey Serpent, who were either sarcastic or perpetually causing trouble. Mei remembered Raven's assistance fondly and genuinely appreciated her.

Their collaboration had been one of the few enjoyable partnerships Mei had experienced.

However, Mei didn't know what had become of Raven after they parted ways following the end of the Herrscher of Dominance incident. Last she heard, Raven had gone on vacation.

Later, when Mei joined Schicksal, she obtained authorization to review Imperial military reports. Through these, she found new information about Raven in the Extreme Eastern Warzone under the command of Grand General Budo.

A report from the Astartes Seventh Legion, Imperial Fists, 18th Company, 9th Squad:

[Report: Rescued residents of a small village (or settlement?) submerged by a tsunami in the southwest islands of the Great Eastern Metropolis. The tsunami appears to have been caused by a clash between Kevin and Robert.

Note: Strangely, most residents seem to be children, with the only adult present suspected to be Raven, a senior operative of World Serpent.

Raven (?) appears to be in a state of exhaustion from protecting the children from the tsunami and has been taken into custody.]

Children, islands, and yet another one submerged... Without needing to read further, Raiden Mei immediately connected the dots.

That unlucky Raven—looks like her newly chosen island home was sunk again.

"I've already spoken to General Esdeath. Natasha, I believe we'll meet again soon."

At that moment, "Let me see—borscht, fried chicken, cream stew, toast pizza… such familiar flavors."

"Class monitor? What are you doing here?"

"Helping out, of course." Rolling up her sleeves deftly, Fu Hua examined the ingredients on the countertop and quickly made her decision.

"Let's make pork and chive dumplings."

While Fu Hua was selecting the perfect knife, a sudden burst of energy interrupted her.

"I'll do it! This immortal will show you!"

"You followed me here too?" Fu Hua sighed, pinching her brow as she watched Senti bound into the kitchen, full of determination.

"Enough talk! I'll do it. You go sit in the corner!" Senti declared, leaping forward to grab the knife from Fu Hua. The result was immediate chaos as the kitchen erupted with the clatter of pots and pans.

"Um… Mei, are you okay?"

Bronya, who had been carefully cutting vegetables, nervously climbed down from her stool and edged away after noticing the unmistakable dark aura radiating from Raiden Mei.

"I'm fine…" Mei replied, though the resounding clang of her chef's knife striking the cutting board told a different story. The blade sank into the wagyu beef with a force that shook the entire countertop.

"Senti," Mei said with a calm yet piercing smile, gripping Senti's shoulder with a gentle but inescapable hold. "This is a kitchen. You need to be quiet."

Feeling the immense pressure from behind her, Senti froze. Slowly, she turned her head, stammering, "I—this immortal—"

"Hmm?" Mei raised an eyebrow, her aura intensifying.

"I understand!" Senti squeaked, instantly letting go of the knife and giving an enthusiastic nod like a bobbing chicken.

"Good. Now clean up the mess and be quiet before you can even think about cooking. Understood?" Mei's tone left no room for negotiation.

Gulping audibly, Senti wisely chose to comply, silently cleaning up the chaos she had created.

At that moment, Rita entered the kitchen, her curious gaze shifting between the contrite Senti and the unusually authoritative Mei.

"Raiden Mei-san… do you need assistance? I'd be happy to help," Rita offered with her trademark gentle smile.

"Rita? What brings you here?" Fu Hua asked, picking up a fallen ladle from the floor.

"Because I, too, wish to prepare a heartfelt meal for Lady Durandal," Rita replied with a polite nod.

"Hm." Mei's expression didn't waver as she said, "If that's the case, help us out. Let's not keep everyone waiting."

"Understood, Raiden Mei-san," Rita replied, intrigued by this commanding side of Mei she rarely saw.

With Mei now reigning over the kitchen like a firm yet benevolent monarch, Senti fell in line, assisting Fu Hua diligently.

Before long, plates of simple yet absolutely delicious homemade dishes were carried to the dining table.

Though the ingredients weren't as luxurious as those used in Selene's grand banquets, and the cooking techniques couldn't match those of lifelong master chefs, these dishes had something unique: the taste of home.

"Kiana, I made your favorite fried chicken and toast pizza! I even toasted the pizza edges extra crispy for you."

"Yay! Mei, you're the best!" Kiana cheered with a radiant smile.

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