HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

"Kallen-nee!"

Yae Sakura and Yae Rin couldn't help but look at Kallen with gratitude upon hearing her words.

Each ability Kallen mentioned sounded incredibly challenging to master, yet she was prepared to teach them everything without reservation.

In ancient times, masters would never casually pass on their crafts to apprentices. Even then, an apprentice had to treat their master as their own birth parents would have been expected to. Furthermore, they were obligated to care for their master in their old age and manage their funeral upon death!

In Japan, this tradition was even more pronounced than in Shenzhou...

A master was akin to a second set of parents; obtaining true mastery required enduring numerous rigorous tests set by the master. It was by no means an easy journey.

-

"Kallen-nee, can I learn too?" Rin looked at Kallen nervously. Her health was fragile... she feared Kallen might dismiss her as unsuitable.

"Of course," Kallen nodded immediately.

"Really...?" Rin's voice brightened with excitement. Though she shared the bloodline of a miko, unlike her sister, she had been plagued by illnesses since childhood.

Yae Sakura had been trained in the way of the miko and the art of swordsmanship by their father, while Yae Rin knew nothing of such things.

"It's true, but..." Kallen hesitated, her concern evident.

"But what?" Rin's gaze turned anxious, fearing the worst.

"But your body is too frail, so... you can't start with sword training right away. You need to strengthen yourself first. Without a robust physique, you won't be able to endure the training." Kallen's gaze was frank, her words unambiguous.

"...I see..." Rin's expression fell, and a tinge of disappointment tinged her voice.

"Don't worry, Rin," Yae Sakura said, seeing her little sister's dejection. "I'll always protect you." She quickly grasped Yae Rin's hand, offering her a comforting gaze.

"Okay... Sis," Yae Rin replied, forcing a small smile.

"But first, I can help you try to cultivate something," Kallen suggested. "It might enhance your abilities!"

Although this world lacked supernatural creatures, Kallen was still curious: Could they potentially develop psychokinesis through training?

Having studied under Kikyō for several years, Yae Sakura had learned various techniques beyond just barrier spells. She possessed at least some knowledge of other disciplines.

In truth, controlling Honkai energy would have been the best path for Yae Sakura, but its inherent dangers were too great. A slip-up could lead to disaster, so Kallen dared not let them experiment with it casually.

Compared to Honkai energy, cultivating psychokinesis undoubtedly posed far less risk.

It's quite similar to cultivating spiritual energy; the process essentially involves absorbing spiritual energy from abroad, rather than the damaging internal energy of Honkai. The key lies in identifying that spiritual energy: wherever there is 'existence,' their spiritual energy will be found, as spiritual energy is manifested as proof of existence. Everything that exists possesses spiritual energy, just at varying concentrations.

-

Since Kallen had decided to teach them, she didn't rush into it immediately.

Instead, she passed on the method for cultivating spiritual energy to Yae Sakura and Yae Rin to try first.

If they could successfully develop spiritual energy, that would be ideal. If not...

Direct Honkai transformation was impossible, so they would have to... rely on the power of Stigmata.

In the game, the Valkyrie Yae Sakura had the twelfth Herrscher directly enter her body and transform it. The manipulation of Honkai through a Herrscher was undoubtedly perfect, but now Sixth Serenade Kallen couldn't do it.

Kallen was merely a Valkyrie...

and she lacked the Schicksal Anti-Entropy technology lab by her side, which meant she couldn't safely allow Yae Sakura to accept the power of Honkai...

It was impossible to directly confer Honkai abilities using Honkai fragments and crystals; doing so... would turn her into not a Valkyrie, but a mad scientist or something similar...

Two months passed, and to Kallen's surprise... both Yae Sakura and Yae Rin sensed a small flow of spiritual energy. They were able to absorb it into their bodies through their cultivation methods.

This spiritual energy seemed akin to natural life force, the essence of plants...

The more plants there were, the stronger this spiritual energy became.

Since Kallen's body currently housed Honkai energy, she wasn't yet fully attuned to the spiritual energy of this world.

However, based on Yae Sakura's perception, this power was still remarkably weak...

One could say that even if one cultivated it to the pinnacle, it would still fall short...

The mainstream power here is still Honkai...

In this world, Honkai energy reigns supreme.

Relying solely on cultivated spiritual energy, even with divine intervention, would barely suffice to confront ordinary Honkai beasts head-on.

Nevertheless, there are benefits to this spiritual energy; it can gradually strengthen the body...

Especially for Yae Rin, the effect is quite pronounced.

But when it comes to battle, Honkai power remains the crux.

If spiritual energy alone could not achieve perfect results, then it seemed the final solution would have to rely on the power of the Stigmata.

At dawn, outside the main hall of Yae Shrine in Yae Village, Kallen, Yae Sakura, and Yae Rin stood in their thin white miko attire.

(TL Note: Thats a lot of Yae.)

The sky was just beginning to brighten, with some time before the sun would rise. A gentle breeze... carried a hint of chill.

"Over the past month, your spiritual training hasn't met expectations, but it has certainly strengthened your bodies. Especially you, Rin. Now, even basic cultivation is within your grasp." Kallen observed the two before her. Over the course of two or three months... their spiritual training hadn't shown significant improvement, but it had laid a solid foundation nonetheless.

"From this point forward, I will teach you swordsmanship!"

"The style is called... Falling Cherry Blossom Style!"

Kallen, holding a wooden sword with both hands, declared earnestly to the two before her.

Indeed! The technique Kallen was about to teach them... was none other than the Gyakushinn Miko's signature art: the Falling Cherry Blossoms Slash.

(TL Note: Technically called "Sakuraoti" on the wiki.)

It's important to note that the Falling Cherry Blossoms Slash isn't a sword technique taught by Yae Sakura's father, the young girl. This technique is at the core of the Valkyrie, the Gyakushinn Miko, and has been refined continuously over five centuries.

"The Falling Cherry Blossoms Style... in simple terms, it's the Five Segments of Falling Blossoms Slash! Like other blade techniques, it emphasizes three key elements: speed, ruthlessness, and precision!"

"If you can accurately strike every falling cherry blossom from a tree as they begin to drift down, then... you've just barely scratched the surface of mastery. I'll demonstrate first!"

Kallen held her wooden sword with both hands and began showing them the technique.

Although this was during the Sixth Serenade, the maiden had already become familiar with the Gyakushinn Miko's swordsmanship. Though she couldn't yet match the unparalleled skill she displayed when transformed into a Gyakushinn Miko,

she had... certainly reached a respectable level of proficiency.

More than enough to instruct the Yae Sakura sisters.

(TL Note: Imagine they transform into Sakura in front of them)