HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

Despite the pressure Ram constantly put on Rem, even causing him to sigh in relief when she lost her horn, neither Ram nor his mother had ever treated him with indifference.

They still care for me deeply; that's why I love them so much, Rem thought to herself. I can't bear for anything to happen to Ram, especially now... when she might be my last remaining family.

"It's alright, don't worry... I'll find a way," Lilia reassured Rem, her voice carrying an air of conviction as she met Rem's gaze with a calm look, aiming to soothe her sister's growing anxiety.

However... Lilia truthfully had no clear solution at hand.

Recalling what I've learned from my studies, I understand that a Oni's horns are the source of their magic and strength.

A Oni's horn can usually remain hidden within their skull. But when circumstances threaten the very essence of their being, the horn emerges, harnessing the magic energy from the atmosphere, making it submit to the oni's will. Hence, the horn is not only a symbol of pride for the oni race but also a testament to their power.

And if a oni loses its horn, they not only forfeit the inherent strength of their kind, but without the horn to absorb spiritual energy, the magic within their body gradually dissipates.

Eventually, their body succumbs to the strain and fails.

To save Ram, we would either need to somehow restore her horns or periodically replenish her with magical energy.

Supplementing the horns? Liliya had never heard of such a thing; it might not even be possible.

For now, her only option seemed to be... regularly transferring energy to Ram.

Speaking of "transferring energy"...

Liliya's mind drifted to those pleasurable methods, ones that could make her blush and heart race.

Transferring energy...

Skin-to-skin contact... fluid exchange... even...

(TL Note: Type-Moon...Hehe)

But when she looked down at Ram in her arms, Liliya realized her internal power wasn't magical energy, but Honkai energy.

Even if she could use Honkai energy as a substitute, how could she bring herself to do it with such a young child?

However, without transferring energy, Liliya knew that Ram might face serious consequences...

It should be alright for now, though, Liliya thought.

"It's too hot here; we must leave first..."

Although Liliya had previously extinguished the surrounding flames with cryogenic fluid, reducing the temperature significantly, there were now signs of the fire spreading again.

Remaining here would be detrimental to Ram.

"Yes..." Rem replied.

At this young age, she lacked strong independent thoughts. Upon hearing Liliya's words, she quickly nodded in agreement.

Liliya looked around but didn't spot anything else immediately usable. She first helped Ram onto her back and secured the girl in place with her own tail.

Then, she reached out and took the small Rem's hand, starting to walk towards the exit.

The young Rem felt suddenly caught as Liliya grabbed her hand. Though slightly hesitant, before she could say anything, Liliya was already pulling her along. Rem had no choice but to abandon her thoughts and follow this newfound friend forward.

The little girl, lacking a sense of control, instinctively began relying on Liliya, who had just offered her help.

-

Liliya, with Ram on her back and leading Rem by the hand, had barely taken a few steps when they encountered several cultists holding unknown objects, seemingly searching for something.

As Liliya approached with Ram and Rem, the cultists simultaneously spotted them.

Without a moment's hesitation, the cultists drew their black, poison-tipped daggers and charged towards Liliya.

"Rem, protect your sister," Liliya instructed, transferring Ram's weight onto Rem.

"Yes, Liliya-sama," replied Rem, taking Ram from Liliya. She glanced at the charging cultists, her heart filling with hatred. However, lacking Ram's strength, she couldn't deter these crazed terrorists.

"Don't worry!"

Liliya positioned herself in front of Ram and Rem, adopting a tactical stance.

As the cultists rushed forward, Liliya anticipated they would, like previous ones, engage in close-quarters stabbing with their daggers. To her slight surprise, these cultists suddenly threw their daggers directly at her instead.

Several black knives, emanating an eerie aura, hurtled towards Liliya and the children.

Liliya swiftly transitioned into a defensive posture.

"Targets acquired!"

Absolute Insight... Piercing Falco's enhancements...

Liliya's eyes seemed to contain swirling black holes; if anyone were to look into them now, they'd feel as though her sky-blue eyes were sucking their very soul into her gaze.

In Liliya's view at that moment, the dagger and the witch cultists before her were riddled with vulnerabilities—she could defeat them with a mere wave of her hand.

Clang! Clang! Clang...

Liliya continuously swung her great sword, deflecting all the daggers with her blue blade.

Dash Counter

After blocking all the poisoned daggers, Liliya's body surged forward, guided by the arc of her sword, directly towards the witch cultists ahead.

In a flicker of afterimages, every witch cultist within reach was bisected at the waist in the blink of an eye.

Red blood stained the ground, pooling together to form a crimson lake.

At this scene, Rem, who was still supporting Ram, couldn't help but pale. She had grown accustomed to the sights of ordinary slaughter and death, but the gruesome spectacle of corpses being cleaved in two was too much for her tender years. For a moment, she felt her body going weak—had she not been holding onto Ram, she might have crumpled to the ground on the spot.

Liliya wiped the crimson stains from the Swan Lake from her hands and glanced back at Rem standing behind her. She uttered no word of comfort, offering not even the slightest solace.

These were the witch worshippers who had slaughtered her entire clan. If Rem couldn't bear the sight of their blood, then she was far too weak. And those who wished for revenge should forget their desires.

As Liliya gazed upon the corpses of the fallen cultists, something suddenly struck her. She began to lift their black hooded robes, revealing their true visages beneath.

For the most part, they appeared to be ordinary young and middle-aged individuals, predominantly human save for one striking feature...

Without exception, their faces were grotesque, bearing an almost unimaginable ugliness. It was unclear whether this deformity was innate or the result of some other process.

-

Liliya examined the black dagger at her feet. It was clear the blades were toxic, but the exact potency of their poison remained a mystery.

Curious, Liliya picked up one of the daggers and stabbed it into a nearby corpse of a witch cultist.

Within seconds, the wound on the corpse turned black.

Liliya's expression shifted slightly. Even the dead were toxic.