Honkai Impact: My Power Grows When Valkyries Fall For Me — Chapter 64

Chapter 64: Drained

“I concede, Mei.”

Lucian’s hands tightened around the practice katana. The blade felt heavy in his grasp, more substantial than he had imagined. He had originally intended to work on his reaction speed, but Mei had insisted this method would be far more effective for cultivating true combat reflexes.

“Mm. I accept your challenge.”

The two stood facing each other in the center of the training field, a distance of about five paces between them.

Mei held the hilt of her own blade with both hands, raising it before her in the formal preparatory stance of Iaido. Her posture was a portrait of perfect stability as she fixed her gaze on Lucian.

Lucian took a deep breath, his own grip on the practice sword tightening. He mirrored her, assuming a defensive posture that, by comparison, felt clumsy and uncertain.

“Well then… I’m in your care, Mei.”

“Don’t mention it.” A faint smile touched Mei’s lips, and in the next instant, she moved.

Her speed wasn’t so fast that he couldn’t follow it, but her footwork was impeccably steady, her every movement flowing into the next with liquid grace. The training sword in her hand became a silver blur, tracing a straight line as it thrust directly toward Lucian’s right shoulder.

Lucian sidestepped to the left on pure instinct, simultaneously raising his own blade to parry.

Clang!

The two unsharpened practice blades met with a dull, metallic ring. The force of the impact was lighter than Lucian had anticipated; Mei was clearly holding back, deliberately controlling her strength. Even so, the vibration jolted up his arm, making him stagger back half a step.

“Watch your footing,” Mei’s voice sounded, calm and instructive. “Keep your center of gravity stable.”

Her blade slid smoothly down his, the point dipping as she transitioned from a thrust to a sweeping cut aimed at his left calf. Lucian hastily pressed his own blade downward, barely managing to block the sweep, but his lower body was already off-balance. He stumbled again, his stance broken.

Seeing this, Mei offered a helpless smile. She withdrew her blade and retreated half a step, resuming her initial stance to give him a moment to recover.

“It seems your fundamentals aren’t very solid,” she said gently. “There’s no need to rush. We’ll take it slowly.”

——————

By the time they finally left the training room, the afternoon had bled into evening. The glow of the setting sun painted the sky in intense shades of orange and red; it was already around five o’clock.

After their initial spar, Mei had quickly realized he had no swordsmanship to speak of. She had then spent the rest of the time patiently teaching him the most basic sword techniques from the ground up. Now, after several hours of drilling, Lucian felt completely and utterly drained.

His physique was only marginally better than that of an ordinary person. Training for hours on end with a Valkyrie-in-training like Mei had left his legs feeling like jelly, and his steps were unsteady as he walked. His unique abilities were useless against the deep physical fatigue that had settled deep into his bones. He could only shuffle out of the training field, his body screaming in protest.

“Lucian, are you alright…?”

Seeing his wobbly, unsteady gait, Mei quickly moved to his side, her hand reaching out to support his arm.

“I’m fine, just… a bit tired…” Lucian shook his head, not refusing her help.

Mei’s arm was a firm, steady anchor, allowing Lucian’s almost-floating steps to find solid ground once more.

“Hmm… Is it because your body hasn’t recovered from yesterday’s mission?” Mei wondered aloud, a hint of puzzlement in her voice. Logically, the intensity of their afternoon training wasn’t even a third of a normal session for her. Lucian shouldn’t be in this state.

Looking at his exhausted appearance, the thought that his physical condition might just be that of a normal person never even crossed her mind.

“It’s not because of the mission,” Lucian said with a bitter smile, leaning on her support as he spoke. “I just have an ordinary person’s physique. I might have some special abilities, but that doesn’t change my stamina. Of course I get tired.”

The arm Mei was using to support him stiffened. A flash of pure astonishment lit her purple eyes.

“Ordinary… physique?” she repeated, the words feeling foreign on her tongue. Her gaze swept over Lucian again, scrutinizing him with a new perspective.

Sweat had plastered the dark hair to his forehead. His black ponytail had come somewhat loose, a few errant strands sticking to the side of his neck. His face was pale, etched with the clear weariness of overexertion. She had always assumed that because Lucian possessed such a special power, his physical fitness, even if not on par with a professional Valkyrie’s, would far surpass that of any ordinary person.

But… he was actually just an ordinary person?

For some reason, as she looked at Lucian’s completely exhausted state, a thought inexplicably surfaced in Mei’s mind. A thought that was sharp, sudden, and deeply unsettling.

If he really is just an ordinary person…

Then couldn’t I… easily… take him away?

The thought startled Mei so much that her breath hitched. Her fingertips subconsciously tightened their grip on his arm. She could almost feel another, colder consciousness within her mind—an icy voice that seemed to emit a silent, mocking scoff at the notion, stirring restlessly.

No, that won’t do!

Mei shook her head vigorously, trying to physically dislodge the absurd, possessive thought.

“Mei?” Lucian’s slightly puzzled voice snapped her back to reality.

“Ah! I’m here!” she yelped, her posture straightening guiltily.

“?” Lucian raised an eyebrow, observing her reaction. She looked like a child who’d just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar. This girl, he thought with a private, weary amusement, was probably thinking about something mischievous just now.

“N-Nothing! It’s nothing!” Mei quickly shook her head, her cheeks flushing a bright pink. Whether it was from her earlier thought or Lucian’s knowing gaze, she couldn’t tell. She tried to keep her voice steady, attempting to cover up her momentary lapse. “It’s just that… I didn’t expect you, Lucian, to have an ordinary person’s physique…”

“Combat skills and physical stamina have always been my weak points,” Lucian admitted with a sigh. “I really need to build up my foundation…”

As he spoke, he tried to straighten up and walk on his own, but his legs were still unsteady, and he swayed precariously.

Mei immediately steadied him again. This time, her arm wrapped around him more securely, her shoulder pressing against his side as she took on almost half of his weight.

“Take it slow,” she murmured. Her voice had softened, and if one listened closely, they might have heard a trace of barely perceptible satisfaction within it.

Supporting him, the two walked slowly along the path back to the dormitory. The setting sun stretched their intertwined shadows long behind them. The atmosphere was quiet, yet comfortable, the silence filled with a gentle intimacy.

Until they encountered Bronya.

The silver-haired girl sat silently on a bench beside the path, just before the dormitory building. Her gaze was fixed on Lucian and Mei as they slowly approached, her expression unreadable. To be precise, her gaze lingered almost exclusively on Lucian, who was nearly half-leaning on Mei for support.

“Bronya?” Seeing her, Mei’s movements paused for a fraction of a second. Her cheeks flushed again, and her first instinct was to let go of Lucian’s arm, but after a moment’s hesitation, she held on.

“Good afternoon, Subject Mei, Subject Lucian,” Bronya’s voice was as calm and even as ever, betraying no emotion. “Bronya has just returned from the server room and happened to see you.”

That was a lie.

In reality, Bronya had been somewhat worried about Lucian. After searching for him without success, she had taken the logical next step and infiltrated St. Freya’s surveillance system. Upon discovering that Lucian and Mei had left the training field together, she had immediately come here to wait for them on the only path they could take back.

“Mei-neesama, please hand Lucian over to Bronya,” she stated bluntly. “Project Bunny can provide more stable mobility assistance.”

At her words, Mei subconsciously tightened her grip on Lucian’s arm. A moment later, she seemed to realize how childish the action was. A deeper blush colored her cheeks as she loosened her hold slightly.

“That’s… fine too…” Mei hesitated for a moment before nodding in reluctant agreement.

Carefully, she guided Lucian’s arm from her shoulder, steadying him as she turned him toward Bronya.

Bronya gave a subtle command. The heavily-armed Project Bunny took a silent step forward. A robotic arm extended, slid smoothly behind Lucian’s back, and with a quiet whir of servos, lifted him directly off his feet into a princess carry.

“Uh, this feels a bit awkward…” Lucian couldn’t help but complain, his arms dangling uselessly.

For the first time, a rare, faint smile touched Bronya’s lips.

“But this is the optimal solution, Lucian.”

“Let’s go back.”