HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

Watching the horrifying fiends in black robes suddenly severed in half, their upper bodies separating from the lower, blood splattering onto Rem's face.

Feeling the warm blood on his face, Rem's courage crumbled again as he stumbled back down onto the ground. He stared at the lifeless body before him with a mixture of fear and terror.

At this point, Rem was only a child of tender years. His parents and elder sister had always shielded him from harm, despite the overwhelming pressure that often left him nearly gasping for air. Yet, he was not prepared for this horrific sight.

Even earlier, his sister Ram had protected him, ensuring he didn't witness the gruesome deaths of their people.

In that moment of sheer terror, young Rem instinctively turned to his sister lying on the ground behind him. He wanted to hide by her side, but as he took in the sight of the wound on Ram's head, a strange calm washed over him.

He's right... My sister is no longer the invincible genius she once was.

And it's all my fault...

I decided to protect Ram, yet here I am, cowering at the mere sight of blood.

The fear within Rem dissipated like mist before the sun. He offered a weak smile to Ram, then slowly rose to his feet and once again positioned himself protectively in front of her.

At that moment, Lem finally turned her gaze towards the figure who had bisected the Demon Cultist.

To Lem's surprise, it was a girl with hair color similar to her own, but more pale.

The girl had horns on her head too, but they were different from those of the Oni Clan. Hers were curved and positioned on the sides, almost like decorative accessories.

She appeared older than both Lem and Ram, about twelve years old, someone they had never seen before...

Behind her was a strange tail, its tip ending in a pincer-like shape... This girl wasn't part of the Oni Clan.

But... by the look of things, she also wasn't their enemy. She was hunting... or rather, slaughtering those fearsome and hated black-robed figures.

This suddenly appeared blue-haired girl possessed incredibly powerful abilities. With each flicker of her body, she could instantly teleport to another place.

The black-robed figures could do nothing against her, facing only the fate of being slaughtered by her.

-

Lilya gazed at the witch cultist bearing a crossbow before her. In a flash, she appeared directly in front of the enemy, raised her great sword with both hands, and brought it crashing down with irresistible force.

When the blade struck its target, there was no resistance at all; the great sword drove the enemy into a pit it gouged into the ground.

Just as others were about to come to the girl's rescue, Liliya's body vanished once again, reappearing beside another witch cultist.

Before long, Liliya had eliminated all the witch cultists present.

At this point, Liliya finally turned, using her tail to carry the great sword, and looked at the two little girls standing in the corner.

Surprisingly, they looked very similar to herself and Rozaliya. They must have been twins.

One had pink hair, while the other's blue hair was somewhat darker than Liliya's.

Although Liliya's hair was also blue, it was a lighter shade compared to the Azure Blue hair of the little girl before her.

Recalling what Hoshiguma had said earlier, these two should be her twin nieces, right?

Liliya observed them closely and noticed that the pink-haired girl seemed to be growing weaker by the minute. She hurried over, intending to assess the situation.

"What are you planning to do?"

As Liliya approached, the blue-haired girl shielded the pink-haired one behind her, blocking Liliya's path.

"She seems to be very hurt. Let me take a look—don't worry about me, I'm not an enemy." Liliya gently touched her body, wanting to show Hoshiguma's letter but suddenly remembered it was with Rozaliya.

"..."

Hearing Liliya's words, Rem seemed even more cautious.

"If she doesn't get treatment soon, there will be serious complications." Liliya looked at Rem, then glanced at Ram behind her, whose face had grown even paler.

"You mustn't do anything harmful." Rem turned to glance at her ailing sister, then stared at Liliya before her. Choosing to trust this older girl who felt so much like herself, she no longer obstructed Liliya and allowed her to approach.

"..." Liliya gave no immediate reaction. She walked up to the pink-haired girl, carefully lifted her, and then produced a healing potion from her inventory.

After applying some to the wound on the girl's head, she had the pink-haired girl drink the rest.

"Sis, will she be alright...?" little Rem watched Lilya's actions, her voice carrying a trace of concern.

Though she knew the importance of Demon's Horn to the oni race—how its loss must be avoided at all costs—she couldn't fully comprehend the unimaginable consequences that would follow. As a child, such matters lay beyond her grasp.

"I don't know..." Liliya shook her head. Ram, who had imbibed the healing potion, appeared somewhat better but was far from fully recovered.

This potion should have been potent enough to regrow even a severed limb instantly, yet the wound on Ram's head remained as before.

"..." Rem lowered her head, her thoughts a mystery.

"Oh right, my name is Liliya. What about you two?" Liliya felt these girls were strangely familiar—both oni, twins, and with hair colors pink and blue.

Could it be... Rem and Ram?

But these girls before her seemed too young for that, leaving Liliya uncertain.

"I'm Rem, and my sister is Ram..."

"Uh..."

So they really were called Rem and Ram after all? But just how old were they now, mere children! In this hidden oni village, only Rem and Ram remained.

Liliya supported Ram, who had completely passed out by now. Thanks to the healing potion Liliya administered earlier, her condition didn't look too grim for the moment.

Gently parting Ram's pink hair with her left hand, Liliya noticed the fractured horn emitting mana.

So that's why the treatment potion hasn't fully healed her! It must be due to that broken horn on her head!

It seemed that to the oni race, their horns were not just important organs but also served other unique, irreplaceable functions.

After all, the potion in Liliya's hand could regenerate ordinary body parts swiftly. Yet, it had no effect whatsoever on Ram's broken horn.

"Um...is there anything I can do to help?" Rem asked nervously.

Seeing Liliya supporting Ram and the worried expression on her face as she examined the broken horn, Rem couldn't help but feel anxious himself.