I Am Honkai

A new day had begun. The "only Kuroko gets hurt" day had passed, and Shirai Kuroko had resumed her daily routine of going on duty for Judgment.

This was something Selene found regrettable. She felt that without Shirai Kuroko around, her motivation for fun had diminished considerably, as there was no entertainment to watch.

Today was uneventful, and Selene had returned to her routine of traveling between school, the research institute, and the manor.

It was truly boring. Selene had already completed her daily tasks and was wandering aimlessly around the Seventh School District.

Suddenly, Selene thought of something intriguing. Why not check out that high school?

When she decided to do something, she would do it. "Activate autopilot mode. Destination: that high school."

The high school was exceptionally close to the School Garden. Selene was too lazy to drive and didn't want to use her abilities, so she decided to test the autopilot function developed by the Tianming Institute.

As the car drove onto the main road, Selene noticed it was quite empty.

But it made sense. Not every school dismisses as early as Tokiwadai. Other schools also emphasize ability development, but they also have a fair share of theoretical classes.

Taking out her phone, Selene idly browsed the Academy City official website.

"Hmm? Urban legends? I bet there are quite a few misconceptions about me in there."

[Why do the wind turbine rotors often experience anomalies?]

[Shocking: Why did a certain girl strip in public? Is this the decline of morality or the distortion of human nature?]

[The legend of the "Guide."]

[The brutal Number One.]

[Stories about the top three Level 5s that must be told.]

...

Tsk, how am I brutal? Compared to other Level 5s, I haven't fought many people in Academy City.

Selene couldn't help but want to give a good beating to whoever posted that. For her, it was entirely possible to track them down and deliver the beating through the internet.

At this point, the vehicle was nearing its destination, turning a corner and passing a pedestrian crossing, ready to accelerate.

In the sports car, Selene had just closed the website and was about to take a nap.

Suddenly, a figure flashed past a parked vehicle on the roadside, and Selene's eyes widened, pupils constricting. "Is this a child running out from between parked cars?"

There was no time to think. She quickly activated her abilities, phasing herself and the car through the figure at the last moment.

"That was close, I almost hit someone." Selene quickly switched the car back to manual, stepped on the brakes, pulled the handbrake, and hurriedly got out to check.

Narrowing her gaze, she saw a young maid in a deep blue long-sleeved maid outfit, wearing a white lace-frilled cap, with a slightly large forehead, in Selene's view.

The young maid looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, holding a bento. Although Selene had phased through her in time, she was still sitting on the ground in shock, tears in her eyes, looking innocently at Selene as she approached from the car.

"Are you okay?" Although there was no physical harm, being passed through by a speeding car must have been a huge mental shock. Selene didn't hesitate to help her up.

The first time trying the autopilot function, she almost became an accident driver. Shuji Matsuzaki's product still wasn't mature. She had to have him go back to the drawing board.

"N-no problem." The young maid, pulled up by Selene, instinctively replied, curiously looking at the extraordinarily tall student before her as her thoughts wandered.

She had been in a hurry to deliver lunch to her brother Tsuchimikado Motoharu and had forgotten the necessary traffic rules, nearly risking her life. The car had clearly hit her but passed through her body, leaving her very curious. What kind of ability was this?

Also, was this extraordinarily beautiful and tall girl really a middle school student? The girl was wearing a Tokiwadai uniform, and if she remembered correctly, Tokiwadai only had a middle school section. If that was the case, this young lady was developing quite well.

"Hey, hey, are you okay?" Seeing the maid lost in thought, Selene waved a finger in front of her eyes, a bit worried. Did she scare her silly? That would be a serious offense.

Feeling the unusual gaze, the young maid snapped back to reality. She quickly checked the bento in her hand. Thankfully, it wasn't damaged.

"I'm really sorry for startling you." Selene apologized sincerely.

"N-no, it's partly my fault, too. I wasn't paying attention to the traffic and just dashed across. I'm very sorry for the trouble." Facing Selene's apology, the young maid hurriedly raised her hand to shake it, apologizing in return.

"Oh, right, nice to meet you. I'm Tsuchimikado Maika." As she spoke, Tsuchimikado Maika suddenly lifted her skirt slightly and curtsied, offering Selene a standard maid's courtesy.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Selene." Selene straightened her attire slightly and returned the courtesy with hands lightly pressed to her abdomen and a slight bow.

"Ah! Selene?" Tsuchimikado Maika exclaimed, looking at Selene in surprise.

"What, do you know me?" Selene asked, puzzled.

"Hello, Miss Habsburg, I'm a maid trainee at Ryouran Housekeeping School, currently interning at Tokiwadai Middle School. It's an honor to meet you in person." Tsuchimikado Maika performed another elaborate courtesy, introducing herself very seriously.

"Uh... there's no need to be so formal. Relax." Seeing Tsuchimikado Maika suddenly tense up, Selene could only smile helplessly.

"I hope I'm not delaying you. I'm fine; you can go ahead if you need to." Tsuchimikado Maika stood properly, now concerned for Selene.

"It's no problem, I'm not in a hurry. I was just heading to a certain high school. You seem to be in a rush; how about I give you a lift?" (There's no official name for Touma's school, so it's referred to as "a certain high school.")

"Ah, are you going to that high school too?"

"Yeah, so you're headed there as well? I can give you a ride. Also, there's no need to be so formal. Just call me by name."

"That won't do. It's disrespectful for a maid to address her master by name." Tsuchimikado Maika shook her head, refusing. After some coaxing from Selene, she slightly relaxed her stance. "So, what are you going to that high school for, Miss Selene?"

"Of course, I have something to do. Come on, let's go."

"...Okay."

After getting into the car, with her previous experience in mind, Selene didn't dare use the autopilot again. She decided to drive manually.

While driving, she asked Tsuchimikado Maika, "Who are you delivering the lunch to?"

"Hmm, I'm taking it to my brother and helping him tidy up his dorm. He studies at that high school, his name is Tsuchimikado Motoharu." As she spoke of her brother, Selene could feel the deep bond Maika had for him.

"With such a gentle and capable sister, your brother must be very happy."

"It's no big deal. If possible, I'd be happy to provide life services for you too, Miss Selene, during my internship at Tokiwadai." Tsuchimikado Maika smiled, seemingly delighted to help Selene.

...

Elsewhere, at the gate of that high school, three high school students stood with their arms around each other, joking and laughing.

"Hey, Kamijou, why do you look so out of it today, meow?" A high school student with short golden hair, wearing a strange green and white striped shirt under his dark blue school uniform, with light blue sunglasses on his face and a gold chain around his neck, asked.

What drew attention was his habit of ending his sentences with "meow." If he were a cute girl, this might be an endearing trait, but this odd quirk coming from a nearly six-foot-tall tough guy who looked like a thug only seemed gross.

"Hey, seriously, Tsuchimikado, when are you going to drop that weird quirk?" a high school student with blue hair and an earring said, sighing exaggeratedly.

"Every time you talk, I try to close my eyes and imagine your voice coming from a cute, busty girl, but every time I open them, the disappointment hits harder!"

"Hey, hey! Cute, helpless girls are off-limits for discussion now, meow!" The youth called Tsuchimikado shouted indignantly with a bizarre Kyushu accent, "I'm genuinely concerned about you, yet I get treated so unfairly, meow."

"Hey, why did you drag me over here? I was about to eat. If we wait any longer, the cheap meals in the cafeteria will be sold out. Ah! It's so unlucky knowing you guys," grumbled a spiky-haired youth dressed in a white shirt, clearly eager to break free from his two mischievous friends.

"Hey, Kamijou, I'm doing you a favor by inviting you to enjoy my cute sister's lovingly made bento, yet you're so ungrateful. I'm heartbroken, meow."

"You've already tricked me last time..."

At this moment, a blue sports car pulled up directly in front of them, immediately catching their attention.

"Kamijou, who do you think it is?"

"How would I know..."