Honkai: You're telling me this difficulty is from Honkai Impact 3?!

The quality of the Honkai soldier's tachi didn't disappoint. With minimal effort, the sharp blade sliced through the horn-like ornament on the soldier's forehead, piercing deep into its skull.

The soldier's body convulsed violently, a surge of resistance coursing through it. Shu, with only a slight increase in pressure, easily suppressed the struggling form.

Is the head a Honkai soldier's weak point? I think it is…

But that intel is about as reliable as a chocolate teapot. Shu firmly believed that practical experience was the only true test.

As the soldier convulsed, Shu stared intently at its face, watching as a flicker of emotion finally surfaced in its remaining eye.

Struggle, pain… Shu's heart clenched. He was absolutely certain he saw fragments of emotion in the soldier's eye.

The same kind of fluctuation he'd felt before. This feedback of pain resonated within Shu, though not as overwhelming as the earlier surge from hundreds of people. It still made him gasp for breath.

"I can empathize with those people, but you're just a mindless Honkai soldier. Why am I feeling your pain?!" Shu muttered, the stinging pain on his face preventing any sympathy from taking root.

He'd said it before, he held grudges. He wouldn't forgive someone who had hurt him!

"Grumble…" Shu's stomach rumbled in agreement.

Kiana, just you wait! I'll get that plate of meat back!

Gripping the tachi, Shu pressed down with all his might. The soldier's body shuddered one last time, its struggles ceasing as it went limp.

The grayish-amber eye, finally free of its dusty film, reflected Shu's figure in the darkness.

Its tightly closed mouth opened slightly, as if gasping for breath, or perhaps trying to speak.

But Shu heard nothing, nor did he see any further movement.

It was truly dead. The desecrated corpse, with Shu's help, finally found peace.

Shu's hand trembled. A sudden sense of calm washed over him, then transformed into a different kind of strength, flowing to the center of his chest.

He was surprised, but the calmness prevented him from reacting. He simply stared at the lifeless soldier.

He had won, but he didn't feel particularly happy…

Instinctively, he touched his chest. The lingering ache was gone.

Hesitantly, Shu unwrapped the bandages, examining his chest.

There was no wound, no scar, just smooth, unblemished skin, as if he'd just stepped out of a shower.

The only anomaly was a playing-card-sized mark at the center of his chest, faintly glowing in the darkness.

A purplish-pink hue, a pattern he couldn't quite describe… but he felt, deep down, that it was beautiful.

"I haven't… mutated, have I…?"

A jolt of panic shattered the calm. Shu scrambled to his feet, frantically checking his arms, legs, every part of his body for signs of transformation.

Hair color normal, length normal!

No horns sprouting from his head, no black tail emerging from his backside.

He felt his ears. Normal, not pointed like an elf's.

"Whew…" Shu let out a long breath, then stretched his limbs.

Aside from exhaustion and hunger, he'd never felt so… good.

"Sigh…" He walked over to the soldier's body, hesitating for a moment before pulling a tablecloth from a nearby table and covering the soldier's face.

"Though I don't know what's going on, I respect you." Shu spoke softly. Of course, he didn't forget to retrieve the tachi from the soldier's head.

Remembering his earlier words, he added, "Just respect, though. I haven't forgiven you. You messed up my face! I'll hate you forever!"

As he retrieved the soldier's second tachi, he touched the wound on his face.

My fatal chest wound is healed. Why is this small cut on my face still here? he thought, exasperated.

With both swords in hand, Shu hefted them, then looked at the covered body on the floor, lost in thought.

He wanted to fire another shot, just to see if the corpse would twitch and dodge.

No, waste not, want not. Only a few bullets left, and I want to waste them on a corpse? What a ridiculous thought. He discarded the idea, then, swords in hand, strode out of the bar like a conquering hero.

I wonder if Bronya's made it back to the train. Has Kiana found Fu Hua and the others?

If I don't return, will Bronya come looking for me?

A shiver ran down his spine. He quickened his pace, stepping over the mangled remains of the metal gate.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk…" Shu glanced back at the gate, a mix of awe and relief swirling within him.

The soldier's swords were excellent, its physical abilities impressive, and its ability to conceptually dodge bullets had completely shattered his understanding of reality. But its close-combat skills? Shu just had to laugh.

He was lucky it was a white soldier. If it had been a black one, or if they'd come in pairs like in the game, he'd probably be…

The faint smile on Shu's face faded.

Wait a minute… The white, dual-wielding soldier can dodge bullets, its mobility in reality is terrifyingly high, just like in the game, and its bullet-dodging is exactly the same.

So why, in a soldier that perfectly matches its in-game counterpart in every other aspect, is the "always appears in pairs" aspect missing?

Shu suddenly recalled the uncollected corpses in the bar, and the glass shelves that shattered from a single bullet, yet remained intact despite what looked like a massive shootout…

So…

Those corpses weren't killed by gunfire, but by… some kind of bladed weapon?!

Shu's breath hitched. He spun around, his heart pounding, only to see a black blur descend from above, a flash of steel glinting in the darkness.

There was no mistake… the second dual-wielding soldier had been there all along!

It had simply hidden itself perfectly. And because Shu had been so focused on the first soldier, it had remained in its initial standoff position. Only now, as he relaxed…

The soldier seized the opportunity, lunging at Shu.

Shu had no time to react, no time to dodge. He could only twist his body, desperately trying to minimize the impact.

"Shhhk—!"

A line of blood arced through the air. The black blur streaked past Shu, vanishing into the darkness, leaving only the falling droplets of blood.

And Shu's pained groan echoing through the alley—along with a severed arm.