HI3: I Don't Want to Be a Valkyrie

"What do you plan to do next?" Theresa asked. "Rebuild your village perhaps? If that's the case, I might not arrive in time if the Orc King decides to lead his forces against you again."

Observing the remaining two hundred or so members of the Ogre Tribe, Theresa noted a stark difference from the original story where only a handful had survived. She wondered if they might choose to align themselves with another power instead.

After all, as high-ranking demonic beings, each ogre possessed their own pride and arrogance. In the original narrative, it was easy for them to surrender to Rimuru because their clan had been nearly annihilated.

"These lowly Orcs?" one ogre leader scoffed. "Do you truly believe we, the mighty Ogre Tribe, would cower before such foes? At worst, we'll face them head-on in battle."

"Exactly!" another echoed. "This time, they caught us off guard. But in a fair fight, there's no way we'd be so passive."

Before any of the senior Ogre Tribe leaders could speak, several others vehemently expressed their unwillingness to fear the Orcs. Only a minority maintained composure.

"Silence, all of you!" Elder White, the respected elder of the Ogre Tribe, barked loudly. His rebuke instantly hushed the crowd, bringing an end to their clamor.

"The Orc Diaster is a candidate for Demon Lord status; his strength must not be underestimated. Not to mention he commands vast armies. Moreover, I spotted a powerful demon by his side earlier—a being who likely fled at some point during our encounter," Theresa observed, leaning against her Blood Embrace staff which she had planted firmly in the ground. With arms crossed, she surveyed the assembled ogres before her.

The Ogre Tribe bore a strong resemblance to humans, save for their long horns atop their heads—a feature reminiscent of Japanese folklore—and eyes that glistened with blood-tear streaks, lending them an aura of menace. They were, indeed, quintessential fantasy demons within this blend of Eastern and Western mythology.

After hearing Theresa's words, all the ogres fell silent.

The Demon Lord...

At that moment, the Demon Lord still stood as an unparalleled figure at the pinnacle of power. Despite their confidence, even the Ogre Tribe knew they would be no match for such a being.

After a prolonged silence, the young master of the Ogre Tribe exchanged glances with Elder White, seemingly reaching some sort of decision.

"Milady," Elder White began respectfully, stepping forward towards Theresa, "if you could enlighten us on your name? As our savior, it is only right we extend warm hospitality to you. However, I must apologize for the state of affairs; we truly feel embarrassed by this turn of events."

Setting aside Theresa's life-saving grace—bringing forth a giant dragon to rescue countless members of the Ogre Tribe—even her recently displayed terrifying combat prowess alone warranted utmost respect from these creatures who found themselves utterly outmatched by such a diminutive girl.

"Me?" Theresa stepped closer, spreading her wings wide and baring her fangs in a smile. She introduced herself with mock regality, "You may call me... Theresa, Princess of Vampires!"

"Oh, just a title really," Theresa waved off the notion casually. The term 'Princess of Vampires' had originated from Otto's game introduction, which she had adopted without hesitation.

Though come to think of it, she mused, I suppose I am indeed a princess among vampires!

In the world of Honkai Impact, Schicksal reigned supreme as its most powerful force. As the controller of this formidable influence and the Overseer of Schicksal, Otto could be considered one of the kings in that shattered realm.

When the Herrscher of the Void descended upon them, there was an instance where Sirin commanded her honkai beast to kill Fu Hua. It was then that Otto intervened, stopping her in her tracks. At that moment, even Lawina acknowledged him as "the King of Humanity."

As Otto's granddaughter—even though he viewed her merely as an experimental subject—it was only natural for others to refer to her as a princess.

"Vampires... So you're like blood-sucking fiends?" The Ogre Tribe observed Theresa before them, now grasping her likely lineage. If she indeed belonged to such a race, it would explain much about their mysterious adversary...

"Lady Theresa," Elder White spoke softly with the young master of the Ogre Tribe. "Might I request a moment of your time? We need to discuss our next steps." He bowed respectfully towards Theresa.

"Oh, go ahead!" Theresa waved dismissively, unconcerned.

"We appreciate it greatly!"

With these words, several leaders from the Ogre Tribe turned swiftly and headed off in one direction.

The rest of the tribe members either rushed to extinguish fires or tended to the injured. Those remaining set about reconstructing their wooden dwellings—the brutal onslaught by the Orc Tribe had left their homes almost entirely destroyed.

-

"Would you like some Dragon Fruits, Lady Theresa?"

As Theresa was browsing through her inventory, examining various Stigmas' attributes, she heard a voice as clear and innocent as that of a neighborhood girl.

She turned to see the Princess of the Ogre Tribe—a pink-haired girl roughly her age—holding out several golden fruits with both hands. The princess had distinctive white horns atop her head and blood-tear marks beneath her eyes.

"Where did you find these fruits?" Theresa asked curiously.

"I hid them away earlier," replied the little princess. "Just now, I went back to check if they were still safe. I'm so relieved they're unharmed. These Dragon Fruits are delicious; it's rare to find such fruit trees around here."

"But why would you give me something you secretly saved for yourself?" Theresa wondered aloud, gazing at the small princess before her. At present, her eyes held traces of bloodshot tears, not yet making for an attractive sight. However, should this child undergo Named Evolution into the Kijin race, she'd transform into an incredibly cute beauty.

The only concern lay in her hair color: pink. What could pink signify? Pink leads to Yandere!

Upon careful consideration, Theresa realized... Given this adorable neighborhood-girl appearance coupled with those pink locks, there was a ninety percent chance this girl must be a pathological case, right?

But with a soft pop, Princess responded after some thought. "Because... because you're our Ogre Tribe's benefactor," she said earnestly to Theresa. "So these delicious Dragon Fruits should be for you."

"But as you well know, I'm a vampire..." Theresa murmured, drawing closer to the little princess. She gently caressed her cheek before whispering into her ear, "...and my sustenance isn't fruit, but blood—especially the blood of young girls like yourself."

"Ah..."

"Haha, not just yet. Wait until you've grown older; then I'll come back for your blood." The unevolved ogre tribe princess appeared far too young at present. Only when she transformed into a full-fledged Kijin would she meet Theresa's aesthetic preferences—not that there was any rush...

"So... so once I'm fully grown, we can... do this again?"