Autumn, 2012. Somewhere in Northern Europe, inside a bar named Raven's Nest.
A speaker in the corner played the theme song from a current blockbuster movie. Under the soft amber light, the bar's layout was clearly visible, modest but well-kept.
The dark wooden tables and chairs looked slightly worn, yet there wasn't a speck of dust on them. One could tell the owner valued this place.
Perhaps it was because the bar was tucked too deep within a narrow alley, but despite having opened for quite a while today, the spacious hall remained completely empty.
Even so, the silver-haired woman behind the counter, dressed like a bartender, didn't seem the least bit bothered. She quietly polished a glass that was already gleaming clean, humming a tune no one could name, as if simply enjoying the act of polishing rather than waiting for customers.
Creak!
The glass door's hinges let out a soft groan.
Raven's Nest welcomed its first customer of the day.
"One Death in the Afternoon, please."
The bartender lifted her head. Her rose-colored eyes narrowed slightly, naturally turning toward the entrance.
There stood a boy, no older than fifteen. His youthful features carried a lingering childlike innocence, yet his presence radiated a warmth like sun-dried sheets fresh from the line. But his eyes, dark irises set beneath jet-black hair held a depth like an endless void, pulling one in like a silent black hole.
The bartender smiled faintly. She set down the spotless glass, turned to grab a large bottle from the shelf, and poured a white liquid into the glass. Her voice was casual yet firm.
"Selling alcohol to minors is illegal. This one's on the house, so drink up and head home. Don't keep your guardians waiting."
Even though business was usually slow, she wasn't desperate enough to start serving children.
"That's a shame. I heard Raven-senpai's mixing skills were legendary…"
Shin let out a regretful sigh, though not a trace of disappointment showed on his face. He took a seat slowly at the bar, calm and composed.
"Oh? So you're one of them."
The moment the boy said the name "Raven," the bartender's smile remained unchanged, but her body instinctively tensed.
Raven's Nest wasn't just a bar. It was also a known contact point within the underworld, frequented by mercenaries, assassins, hunters… people who viewed the law as little more than a nuisance.
Even if this boy appeared harmless, Raven wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly pulled a high-explosive grenade from his waistband.
Of course, as the owner of Raven's Nest, she wasn't exactly a law-abiding citizen herself.
In the lightless underworld, she was a legendary mercenary, showered with five-star ratings. People willing to hire her could form a line from one end of the earth to the other. In the mercenary world, she was one of the top dogs.
In fact, just being able to find this bar was proof enough that this boy was no ordinary punk.
Noticing the wariness in her eyes, Shin's expression didn't change. He lifted the glass and took a small sip, swirling it gently before wrinkling his brow.
"Raven-senpai, could I get milk tea instead? With tapioca pearls, thirty percent sugar. I don't like it too sweet."
Raven: "…"
Can you not read? Do I need to slap the bar's nameplate across your face?
Apparently, Raven's Nest didn't serve milk tea.
Setting the glass down with a hint of regret, Shin studied the bartender with curiosity and smiled.
"Before I came here, I heard a lot about your reputation, Raven-senpai. But seeing is believing. I never expected Raven-senpai to be…"
"Hm?"
Hearing the deliberate pause, Raven narrowed her eyes. The air around them instantly turned cold.
"…this cute. You're like a little cat. So very cute."
Despite standing nearly one-seventy in height, by no means short for a woman and her impossibly curvy figure which her bartender uniform barely concealed, her face carried a youthful softness, like a teenager who'd just stormed out after an argument with her parents.
Still, no matter how young she looked, Raven was a true-blue legendary mercenary.
"You little brat. Didn't your parents teach you what manners are?"
Her youthful face instantly frosted over. Her voice, though calm, carried an unmistakable killing intent.
Whoosh!
Without warning, she grabbed a fruit knife and stabbed toward the boy's throat with lightning speed.
Raven wasn't one to issue empty threats. If you had the guts to yank a tiger's tail, you better be ready to pay the price.
"In terms of losing your temper, you're pretty cute too, Raven-senpai~"
Seemingly prepared, Shin smiled and raised his right hand. With just two fingers, he caught the thin, razor-sharp blade midair. A faint white glow shimmered from his fingertips, stopping the knife from moving any further.
"Honkai energy? Looks like you know more than I expected."
The moment she saw the light, Raven's eyes narrowed in genuine surprise.
Even in the lawless underground, few knew of Honkai's existence, let alone how to wield its energy with such ease.
"But with just that much power, I'd advise you not to act too cocky."
Her voice light and dismissive, Raven's fruit knife suddenly glowed dark red.
Shlick!
The boy's protective aura shattered. The blade slashed across the palm of his black fingerless glove, blood bursting forth like crimson petals on the bar counter.
"This is just a warning. Next time… trust me, you don't want a next time."
She set the bloodstained knife aside without a care. Her childlike face was as calm as ever, but her words carried a sharpness deadlier than any blade.
Shin stared at the blood soaking into his glove. For a moment, it was as if he couldn't process how his attempt at cool bravado had just failed spectacularly. After a long sigh, he looked up at the legendary mercenary before him.
"I'll remember your lesson, Raven-senpai.
But… could you tell me what Honkai energy actually is? This is the first time I've met someone else who can use the same power as me."
His face lit up with curiosity, like a child catching a glimpse of a new world. There wasn't a shred of awkwardness from his earlier defeat.
"…You really don't know?"
Raven's pupils contracted slightly. She was even more shocked now.
If he knew nothing, then how on earth had he reached this level?
Honkai energy. As the name suggests, it's a powerful, destructive energy.
Take, for instance, a lightbulb with a lifespan of 100,000 hours. If powered by Honkai energy, it might last only an hour yet shine a thousand times brighter in that short span.
Overwhelming. Dangerous. Addictive.
This is what makes Honkai energy both feared and coveted.
While the human body tolerates Honkai energy better than machines, the damage it inflicts is still extreme.
Even Schicksal, with the most advanced research in Honkai energy applications, has few Valkyries who meet a peaceful end. Most either fall in battle, lose control and become monsters, or die from mysterious illnesses. Those who live to retire safely are one in a hundred.
That's with the best training and cutting-edge tech.
Anywhere else? You're lucky to survive first contact.
In their brief clash, Raven had broken through Shin's defense with ease. But she was no average mercenary, she was a living legend, one of the few elite within the World Serpent.
Even on a global scale, she was on par with Schicksal's finest Valkyries.
More importantly, she could tell Shin hadn't fought seriously.
If it came down to a real life-and-death struggle, she wasn't confident she'd win.
Which is why this little skirmish was enough. Without a worthy reward, she had no interest in risking a fight with someone like him.
Too expensive. Not worth it.
Shin slowly nodded.
"I only got this power recently. I thought it was some kind of psychic awakening or maybe a spiritual resurgence. But now it seems you know a lot more, Raven-senpai."
"How long ago?" she asked curiously.
He only smiled.
He wasn't about to spill everything just yet.
"Would you tell me more about Honkai energy?"
He slid a thick stack of euros across the counter, smiling politely.
"…Fine."
Weighing the cash in her hands, Raven's mood visibly lifted.
Raven's Nest also dealt in intelligence. Naturally, she wouldn't turn away a good-paying customer.
Especially when the customer tipped this well.
"Listen closely, kid. The power we use is called Honkai energy. It's tied to a phenomenon known as 'Honkai'—a calamity that affects the world.
When Honkai energy builds up, the Honkai disaster follows, creating mindless monsters bent on destruction. You've seen them, right?"
Raven was sure of it. If he could use this energy, he must've encountered the chaos it brought.
"…You mean those monsters with white shells and red stripes?"
"They're called Honkai Beasts," Raven corrected. "To this day, no one fully understands how they're born. But they tend to appear in places where Honkai energy is concentrated."
Shin nodded. "And the zombies?"
"They're called Deadwalkers. Most people exposed to Honkai energy lose their minds and become monsters. Only a rare few evolve people like us."
As she spoke, a blood-red glow gathered in Raven's palm, adding a strange mystery to the bar's dim interior.
Shin opened his hand too. A soft white glow emerged from his palm, almost identical to hers.
The two lights shimmered together, like stars twinkling in the night sky, or hedgehogs huddled for warmth in a cold wind.
It wasn't a complex technique. Once the body adapted to Honkai energy, this external manifestation was easy to learn.
But for the two of them, it was a sign, proof that they belonged to the same world.
A world hidden beneath the sunlit surface of society. A world of madness. Of Honkai.
"…Chosen ones, huh."
Staring at the two flickering lights, Shin smirked as if recalling something ironic.
He must've lost someone dear in a past Honkai event…
Seeing his expression, Raven couldn't help but think of her own past. Her heart stirred.
Though Honkai gave them power beyond normal humans, it also took so much more.
Not everyone survives Honkai.
It's both a rare gift and a lonely curse.
Even for those with talent, their first encounter with Honkai often ended the same as everyone else's—everything they knew reduced to rubble, surrounded by monsters that kill on sight.
For most, that scene becomes a nightmare that haunts them for life.
Only a handful ever find the strength to fight back.
"…Does it still hurt?"
Raven glanced at the bloodstain spreading across his glove. A rare hint of remorse flashed in her heart.
In a way, they were the same. Two people marked by fate, carrying similar pasts.
"Huh?"
Caught off guard by her concern, Shin stared.
Was this woman… interested in him?
He instantly went on alert.
Noticing the guarded look in his eyes, Raven shook her head and chuckled without a word.
For people who live in the shadows like them, unexpected kindness is harder to trust than hostility.
Still, that was fine. She had always been patient.
Especially with prey that caught her eye.
*********
Hey everyone! I'll be dropping an extra 1 chapter once we hit 200, 400 power stones! If you're enjoying the story, don't forget to spend some power stones. I'd really appreciate the support. Thanks a bunch!