Those red-and-black high-heeled ankle boots, their surfaces similarly covered in metal plating and spikes, perfectly blended elegance with the battlefield.
Black as the dark night, red as fresh blood.
An elegant gown matched with a battle-damaged structure.
She was like a burning rose blooming on a battlefield, armed with deadly thorns.
Upon seeing this dangerously beautiful red-haired woman, Aiden's pupils shrank to pinpricks.
Subconsciously, almost blurting it out, he called out softly in a tone mixed with disbelief and complex emotion, "Aunt Himeko?"
The person before him was far too familiar.
Wasn't this the greatest teacher in his memories, the one who burned up in the endless void as a shooting star to protect her students' futures—Murata Himeko?
And it was even in her most dangerous "Blood Rose" form.
Thwack!
A crisp flick to the forehead echoed exceptionally loudly in the silent room.
Aiden clutched his forehead, which had instantly turned red. Looking up, he met Himeko's blood-red eyes, which were overflowing with a dangerous aura.
"Call me," she said slowly, pausing between each word, her tone so dangerous it felt as if she might pull that greatsword out of the void the next second and cleave him in two on the spot, "Himeko."
"O-Okay, Himeko!"
Aiden instantly capitulated, standing ramrod straight and answering in the most standard, loudest voice he had ever mustered in his life.
God knew just how intense the oppressive aura emanating from this gorgeously yet dangerously dressed Himeko was. He had no doubt that if he dared refuse to correct himself, or showed even a sliver of hesitation, what awaited him next would definitely be more than just a flick to the forehead.
"Himeko... what exactly is your situation right now?" Aiden asked tentatively, carefully rubbing his forehead.
The Himeko before him felt all too familiar, yet incredibly foreign. What was familiar was the bright, beautiful face he had seen countless times on a screen; what was foreign was the living, breathing, dangerously fiery presence that felt like it could ignite the very air.
Hearing his question, Himeko merely shot him an indifferent glance with her blood-red eyes.
Instead of answering immediately, she stretched her long legs, encased in their torn black silk, and swayed gracefully over to the edge of the bed. Sitting down with an impeccably elegant posture, she then performed an action that instantly left Aiden parched.
Gently lifting her left leg, she crossed it over her right at a lazy yet supremely seductive angle.
This simple movement seemed to suck all the light out of the room, forcing one's gaze to involuntarily focus on that Absolute Territory built of black and white, brimming with decadent beauty. The black stockings, of exquisite material, clung tightly to her well-proportioned calves, outlining a smooth and powerful arc.
However, this perfect black was torn by slashes that looked as if they had been cut by sharp blades during a fierce battle. The frayed edges of the tears were irregular, trailing loose threads like defeated black wings. Through those tears, her snow-white, supple, flawless skin was defenselessly exposed, creating an intensely stark visual contrast with the deep black.
It wasn't a cheap sort of exposure; it was a sexy, story-rich allure teetering on the edge of destruction and elegance. It was as if it spoke of the intense battles the owner of these legs had experienced, while she still maintained her pride and composure.
As she crossed her legs, the iron-grille-like hem on the left side of her short skirt lifted slightly, revealing even more of the snow-white skin near her upper thigh, inviting imagination. Meanwhile, the foot wearing the spiked high-heeled boot swayed gently and rhythmically in the air, each sway feeling like a knock against Aiden's heart.
"You should have guessed it."
Just as Aiden felt his throat was about to start smoking, Himeko finally spoke. Her voice carried a lazy huskiness, yet it was incredibly clear.
"My identity in this world is a Fire Spirit. After all... I originally should have been dead."
She spoke of the word "dead" with a tone as casual as discussing the weather.
"You should know this very well, right, Captain? Or... should I call you, Air-Splitting Janitor?"
(T/N: Air-Splitting Janitor [ Title/Meme] A Chinese fandom meme joke title referring to the Captain in Honkai Impact 3rd.)
Aiden's mouth twitched violently and uncontrollably.
He sighed, the joy in his heart replaced by a complex swirl of emotions. Stepping forward, he said with a touch of helplessness, "Is that how it is... I thought the system had summoned the living you over. I didn't expect... to see you resurrected."
"Resurrected? I suppose."
Himeko didn't seem to care about the definitional differences. She shrugged with a nonchalant attitude. "It doesn't matter to me. A Fire Spirit is fine. Anyway, I'm already someone who has died once."
She looked up, her blood-red pupils reflecting Aiden's figure. The dangerous, cold demeanor seemed to soften a fraction.
"Captain... forget it, I'll just call you Aiden." She paused, as if getting used to the new name. "You know what happened after I died, right? Can you tell me?"
As she asked, she let out a massive stretch.
It was a movement capable of making any male creature's blood boil. As she stretched her arms, the tight black corset was pulled to its absolute limit, unabashedly displaying the breathtakingly full curves of her chest to Aiden in an even more exaggerated and shocking manner. Her slender waist, contrasted by the extreme voluptuousness, looked all the more fragile, forming a perfect S-curve that would make any woman envious.
This seemingly unintentional action overflowed with a fatal allure that only a mature woman knew how to wield.
Aiden looked at her, but his heart felt warm.
He revealed a genuine, heartfelt smile.
As expected of Himeko.
Even coming back from the dead, even arriving in a brand-new world, the first thing she thought of was still her students.
Holding nothing back, he slowly recounted everything he knew.
From her burning herself out to ignite the sky and carve a path forward for Kiana, to the eventual return of Fu Hua, Bronya becoming the Herrscher of Reason, and finally... Kiana, with everyone's help, ascending to the Throne of Finality, ending the Honkai in her own way, and protecting that world.
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