"Masks? Nine of them, no less."
Although Leiva found it odd that such masks would attract the attention of soone like Selene, an Imperial Grand General, his experience as a subordinate told him not to ask unnecessary questions. His only focus now was understanding the task details—where to go, what to retrieve. The difficulty or number of enemies involved was not his concern.
"Miss, where exactly are these masks? What do they look like? Are the nine masks in one place or scattered? And how much ti do I have to complete the task..."
Snap!
Selene snapped her fingers, and a pitch-black portal with a purple glow suddenly appeared before Leiva. The eerie void seed to corrupt the space around it.
"Is this... part of your Teigu’s abilities?" Leiva asked hesitantly, staring at the ominous portal.
"No, this is just one of my own abilities. The details of your mission will be revealed once you enter."
Without hesitation, Leiva stepped forward and entered the portal.
The mont he crossed the threshold, all sense of direction vanished. Everything went pitch black, and it felt as if tiny particles were brushing against his face. Slowly, purple-red light began to fill his vision, and he found himself in a strange, alien world.
The sky above was an endless expanse of purple-red light, and the surroundings were chaotic and distorted, with patches of glowing particles everywhere. Leiva’s body started to feel strangely invigorated, as if his very cells were growing stronger.
As his body shimred with purple light, Selene’s voice echoed in his mind, "Do not resist. The Honkai particles will enhance your body. Once they fully synchronize with your energy, I’ll be able to transport you out without harm."
She then paused before continuing, "One last ti, Leiva—are you sure you accept this mission? There’s a good chance you might die."
"Yes, I accept."
"I respect your choice. Focus now—the mission details should already be in your mind."
Leiva closed his eyes, and suddenly, a flood of information filled his consciousness.
The Shadowkhan Army, nine masks, nine generals, the Eight Demon Sorcerers, the Shendu, the Talismans, immortals, dark and light chi, the balance of yin and yang, San Francisco, an antique shop...
Conquering a world?
"So, this is the kind of power Miss Selene possesses? How exciting..."
...
Selene watched from her vantage point in the Imaginary Space, observing as the Honkai particles continued to reconstruct Leiva’s body. She muttered to herself, "It’s ti to reap the world I’ve coveted for so long."
She thought back to when she had first reincarnated, wandering through the vast cosmic void. In her final monts of unconsciousness, she had received information about this particular world.
"How nostalgic... the Shadowkhan Army..."
When she saw that Leiva’s body had been fully enveloped by the Honkai particles, Selene knew it was ti to act.
"Void Gate."
With a thought, the Honkai particles around her began to coalesce, drawn toward her like a whirlwind. A vortex of purple-red energy ford at her fingertips, spiraling into a bright ring of light.
"Condense!"
As Selene shouted the command, the space around her vibrated violently. The entire Imaginary Space shook as if responding to her call.
The light ring at her fingertips exploded with a brilliant flash.
At that mont, every sentient being in the Empire—and perhaps even across this world—felt a strange shudder deep in their hearts.
The citizens of the Empire, already worn out by the struggles of daily life, briefly felt an unsettling discomfort, as if sothing was watching them from afar. Yet, their worries soon faded, replaced by the demands of survival.
In the Imperial Palace, the young Emperor, deep in his daily studies, felt a sharp, piercing sensation in his chest, as if sothing essential had been taken from him.
"I feel like... I’ve lost sothing..."
...
As the shaking subsided and the light dimd, a massive vortex, hundreds of ters wide, appeared before Selene. Suspended in the Imaginary Space, its swirling black center was surrounded by a ring of purple light, exuding a palpable sense of danger.
What had started as an unstable portal now radiated power. The vortex felt both near and impossibly far, simultaneously real and illusory.
"Coordinate set. Powering up."
Satisfied with Leiva’s condition, Selene extended her right hand, sending a beam of purple energy into the glowing sphere that encased him.
When the energy transfer was complete, the sphere had grown significantly larger, shining with intense light.
"Go."
At Selene’s command, the sphere shot forward like a cot, trailing a long purple tail as it disappeared into the Void Gate.
This was a small experint for Selene—learning how to transport a non-Honkai entity across dinsions. It was different from her usual thod of directly jumping into a new world herself.
Gently touching the swirling portal, a smirk appeared on Selene’s face. "Let the ga begin."
...
anwhile, in another world—San Francisco, an antique shop.
"Columbia?" A short-haired girl in a white long-sleeve shirt and orange hoodie groaned as she slumped over a desk.
Across from her, a yellow-skinned man in a blue short-sleeve sweater, brown pants, and leather shoes covered his face with his hands in exasperation.
"No, Jade. Georgia’s capital is Atlanta. Focus, your geography exam is tomorrow! Now, let’s try Oregon."
"Ugh, Uncle, why does Tohru get to learn all the cool stuff?" Jade pouted as she glanced back at the two figures behind her.
"Tohru! Old man’s waiting! What’s this?" Nearby, an elderly man in a white shirt and yellow vest sat on a chair, holding up an illustration of magical ingredients to test his student.
"Uh, I know this one..." Tohru, a large, muscular Japanese man wearing a black-and-white outfit, scratched his head as he tried to rember the lesson from earlier.
"...This is a symbol for magic. To activate this spell, you need to add garlic and..." Tohru began, nervously counting on his fingers.
"Correct!" the old man nodded approvingly. Then, in a sudden outburst, he smacked the table, shouting, "Correct, my foot! Are you trying to make dumplings instead of magic spells?!"
After adjusting his glasses in frustration, the old man leaned over the desk and sighed. "Tohru, if you want to beco a proper chi sorcerer, you must focus! Soday, a new demon will co into our world and—"
Before he could finish, his eyes widened in alarm.
"Oh no! A new demon... has arrived!"
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