HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

At that moment, observing the commotion at the altar, the surrounding crowd began to stir, their voices rising in a murmur of confusion over what was unfolding.

Noticing this, the High Priest shook his head and stepped forward.

"We can't wait any longer."

Yae Rin forced a bitter smile. She gently placed her hand on Yae Sakura's face and whispered, "I'm sorry, I won't be able to see the cherry blossoms with my elder sister."

As Yae Rin gazed at Yae Sakura, tears welled up and overflowed, yet she maintained her smile. It was a smile pure and unblemished, like ice crystals. She wanted her final moments to be etched in Yae Sakura's eyes as a lasting memory.

"To be able to help my elder sister for the last time, I couldn't be happier," Yae Rin said with a poignant smile. "Sis... you... must become an exceptional shrine maiden..."

-

"Rin, no!"

At that moment... the father standing behind Yae Sakura reached out and grabbed her hand, clutching both her sword and her fingers. With a flash of cold light, she let out a blood-curdling scream.

-

Ding!

...But something seemed off about that sound...

"Made it in the nick of time! I finally made it!"

A figure draped in graceful azure appeared on the altar in a flash. She gripped twin blue firearms, using them to block the downward swing of the sword.

"What..." The father of Yae Sakura felt a jolt in his arm. He hadn't struck flesh, but rather it was as if he had cut through stone.

In the next instant, a strange girl had materialized out of thin air, standing before him to save his daughter Yae Rin.

"..."

Yae Sakura, on the verge of collapse, froze in shock. She stared wide-eyed at the girl who had appeared. Then, seeing her sister Yae Rin stood unharmed before her, her despair turned to ecstatic joy.

"Rin... Rin..."

Yae Sakura moved to embrace Yae Rin, but her father tightly gripped her hand, preventing her from running to her sister.

"Who are you? Why are you preventing the sacrifice to the spiritual god? Aren't you afraid of divine retribution..." The father of Yae Sakura, the head priest of Yae Shrine, looked sternly at the girl holding two strange firearms.

"Retribution my foot! You're not fit to be a father—worse than useless! Beat it!" When Kallen heard the head priest's voice, she immediately shot him a look of loathing.

She forcefully knocked away the hand the head priest had on Yae Sakura. As he instinctively loosened his grip from the pain, Kallen swiftly pulled the little girl into her own embrace.

Without hesitation, Kallen then kicked the head priest squarely in the abdomen...

The head priest was sent flying dozens of meters away by Kallen's kick.

Watching her father go flying, little Yae Sakura's mouth gaped slightly, but she quickly composed herself. When this man decided to make Yae Rin a sacrifice and even moved to kill her, Yae Sakura had...completely lost faith in this "father."

However, she was extremely curious about this mysterious big sister who suddenly appeared, and at the same time felt deep gratitude towards her.

She saved Rin!

"Sinful one, you've interrupted the divine ritual—the Fox Spirit will surely punish you."

"Sinful one..."

Kallen's sudden appearance had not only disrupted the sacred ceremony but also sent the main priest flying with a kick.

As the villagers realized what had transpired, they immediately erupted in curses. Most prominent among them was an ugly old hag.

"Silence!"

Hearing the villagers' curses, some even preparing to hurl stones, Kallen roared instantly.

The shadowy form of a crow appeared, causing the villagers' hands to freeze mid-air.

Yet this wasn't enough. Kallen, holding her Tranquil Rhapsody, fired directly at the ground.

In the next instant... the earth began to freeze. In less than a second, the entire altar was completely encased in ice.

"If anyone dares to utter another word, don't blame me for losing my temper."

Kallen's feelings towards these villagers were nothing but contempt...

Poverty breeds despotism!

-

The villagers of Yae watched as the girl stood atop the altar. Without mentioning the previous incident with the crow's phantom, a single spear thrust froze the entire altar solid.

This spectacle immediately silenced the onlookers.

Such power was beyond that of any mortal.

-

It was the spirit god... a Godly Being! "Please forgive me, oh Godly Being!"

"A spirit... a Godly Being?"

At that moment, a young man suddenly cried out to Kallen. Then, in a panic, he dropped to his knees before her.

He continued to prostrate himself, begging for mercy.

This young man's actions immediately drew the attention of those around him... they hesitated briefly, but quickly another villager knelt before Kallen.

If there is one, there will be two; if there are two, there will be three...

In less than five minutes, more than half of the villagers had knelt before Kallen on the altar, continually pleading with this godly being for forgiveness of their sins.

The remaining standing villagers, unable to bear it any longer, finally also fell to their knees.

Even if she wasn't the fox spirit their village worshipped, regardless of which godly being she might be, ordinary people like themselves couldn't risk offending her.

It only took a moment for them to come around.

-

Kallen didn't spare the prostrated villagers even a glance. They were merely a crowd of common folk, after all.

Her gaze was fixed on the pitiful little girl lying on the ground—Yae Rin, the younger sister of Yae Sakura. Her own father had savagely severed her tendons.

Even tigers won't prey upon their young...

This monster—no! He was worse than any beast...

Even a wolf, to ensure its young survive, would sacrifice its own life to give its pups a sliver of hope for survival.

Yae Sakura's eyes swept to the gun lying some dozen meters away, his fate hanging in the balance. She couldn't help but yearn to rip his soul out as an outlet for her fury.

But... it remained merely a fleeting thought.

-

Kallen released little Yae and squatted down to pick up Yae Rin.

Seeing Kallen's actions, Yae Sakura became extremely anxious and worried. "Big sis, Rin's injury..."

"Relax! Leave it all to me! No matter if it's her foot or illness, I'll make her better," Kallen reassured Yae Sakura with a confident expression.

"...Thank you so much!" Yae Sakura looked gratefully at Kallen.

In response, Kallen just smiled, then looked at Yae Rin cradled in her arms. "The pain will soon be gone."

"Yes... thank you, Big sis. But..." Yae Rin responded, showing remarkable maturity for her age.

"It's alright..." Kallen gazed at Yae Rin's adorable smile, wondering how anyone could have the heart to harm such a lovely little girl...

"We should leave this place first..."

Kallen glanced at the surrounding villagers but paid them no heed. She picked up Yae Rin and, with Yae Sakura in tow, prepared to leave.

Wait... she thought, that fox god or whatever doesn't even exist. So why hasn't it rained yet? Yae Rin is still alive—shouldn't it be pouring down by now?

Kallen was a bit confused by this.