LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 36: Chapter 36
"Ten servings of octopus balls, please," Kiana ordered at a street vendor. She stood patiently, munching on a candy apple.
"Want to buy anything else?" Ryn nudged Sparkle.
"Not much to choose from, and I'm not interested in non-sweet treats," Sparkle replied, popping a lollipop into her mouth without another word.
Soon, Kiana returned with their purchases and handed a portion to Sparkle. The latter didn't hesitate and even took an extra serving from Kiana's share.
"I just want to try the taste... Don't get any ideas. I'm not into eating these things..." Sparkle enjoyed the food so much that she forgot her rules about unhealthy eating. When Ryn raised an eyebrow, she tried to explain herself stubbornly.
"Let's go get some red bean sweet rice cake soup! I heard they have it over there, and it's really popular. Sounds like it must be good." Kiana pulled Ryn by the hand, bouncing excitedly as she headed toward the snack stand.
Sparkle was content staying put until Kiana mentioned red bean cake soup.
During a bitterly cold winter, when she was just a child, Sparkle had fallen ill. Endless hours of drinking medicine nearly wiped out her appetite entirely. As her condition worsened, the family grew increasingly anxious, pacing like ants trapped under a hot sun. Feeling helpless, one of the maids decided to make Sparkle a bowl of red bean cake soup. With tears streaming down her face, the old lady helped Sparkle take a sip. Almost instantly, a wave of warmth spread through her icy body. The smooth bean paste and fluffy rice cakes floating on top brought comfort to Sparkle's winter day. From that moment on, she developed a love for red bean cake soup, but... because Sparkle ate too much and gained weight... the old lady stopped making it for her.
Just as Sparkle was about to catch up with Kiana, she realized both girls had disappeared. Left without her favorite soup, little Sparkle burst into tears, rolling around on the ground.
"That annoying couple! Why did they even bother inviting me on their date?! Next time Kiana asks me out, I won't show up no matter what!"
Oh well, Kiana will definitely buy lots of red bean soup with rice cakes. I can just have some of hers. And Ryn will probably remember me... and bring me a portion too. That way I'll get one from Kiana and one from Ryn—double the fun... But standing is so tiring... I wish I could lie down...
As she talked, another large sofa materialized from her tesseract skirt. She sprawled out on it, closed her eyes, and rested.
But Sparkle's break was short-lived. Someone interrupted her.
"Hello, dear young lady. May I ask you a question?" It was a high-class woman dressed in a fancy green-and-white dress. She wore no shoes and had a big green hat on her head.
Sparkle opened her eyes. Blonde hair... green eyes... don't recognize her.
"Go ahead."
"I'm searching for a long-established 'monster-fighting' family—the Sparkle Family. They were once well-known during the Honkai disasters, but the same calamity caused their decline and eventual fade from memory.
"I admire those who risked their lives to battle Honkai. Their stories shouldn't be forgotten... So... I want you to join Schicksal, to become my sharp tools. The fight against Honkai isn't just one family's responsibility. You need Schicksal's help, and Schicksal needs you too. Sparkle... As the Bishop of Schicksal, Otto Apocalypse, I'm sending you a heartfelt invitation. Join Schicksal, and let's fight Honkai together."
Otto held out his hand to Sparkle. He had already visited the Pale family, but they neither accepted nor rejected his invitation to join Schicksal. Schicksal does a good job of protecting people from the truth about Honkai. Except for those who've faced it and survived or those who fight it, no one knows about its influence.
As an ancient and prestigious family, the Pales have always kept to their faith. They believe in God and call Honkai Beasts demons. In the past, whenever they heard about demons wreaking havoc, they knew it was a Honkai Beast. They would grab their weapons and rush straight in to deal with it. But now, news about Honkai is all locked down by Schicksal. Whenever Honkai appears, Schicksal sends out Berserkers to deal with it.
The Pale Family hadn't heard from demons in a long time, and they'd gradually forgotten their mission to fight against Honkai. The Honkai disasters had left the Pale Family small in number, and they could no longer bear the cost of fighting Honkai. Yet they couldn't completely give up the fight, so they gave the choice to the most cherished daughter of the Pale Family, Sparkle.
Sparkle was stunned. Her eyes widened, disbelief written all over her face. She didn't immediately answer Otto's question—the choice she faced was too important.
Sparkle knew about Schicksal, the organization founded by the Apocalypse, Shaniat, and Kaslana families. The leader of Schicksal, Bishop Otto Apocalypse, had lived for 500 years and truly did protect the world. Schicksal solved 90% of the Honkai disasters in the world.
But to families with long traditions like the Pales, Otto was both an admirable and hateful figure. Schicksal had taken control of the fight against Honkai, which effectively choked off families like theirs who fought Honkai. These resistance families were mostly fearless warriors who fought for a living; they couldn't survive otherwise. They wanted to join Schicksal but had no chance to do so. In the end, they were left behind by the times.
Sparkle didn't know what to do. If she agreed, the Pale Family would return to the front lines against Honkai. How many of her beloved people would survive then? But if she refused, it would be running away from the Pale Family's duty. They couldn't avoid the battle against Honkai.
In the end, Sparkle took Otto's hand, agreeing to the alliance.
"I... speak for the Pale Family... We agree to join Schicksal. But not everyone from the family will go to the front. Many have forgotten how to fight... Even our holy relic, passed down through generations, has lost its meaning."
"You won't regret this choice. To gain her acknowledgment, we humans must defeat Honkai." Otto nodded. Confronting Honkai didn't need ordinary people; he only wanted the most powerful fighters.
Reviving Kallen was Otto's goal, and he promised her that after she was brought back, she could live in a world free from Honkai. Kallen might blame him for what he did to resurrect her, but if he abolished Honkai, she would surely smile again...
"Oh, how did you find out about the Pale Family?"
Sparkle pulled out a lollipop and popped it into her mouth. Although she had agreed to join Schicksal, there were still some things she needed to understand.
"The Pale Family has a mission: we stand in the shadows, fighting against Honkai to protect human civilization. Just like my name 'Sparkle,' our value lies solely in eliminating Honkai without leaving a trace. We're always sniping from a distance, so we don't leave any evidence at the scene. People don't know about us. How did you find us?"
At that moment, Ryn and Kiana appeared, carrying several bowls of red bean rice cake soup. Initially, it seemed like Sparkle was just chatting with an acquaintance, but upon closer look, they realized it was actually Otto dressed in women's clothing!
"Holy shit, Otto, what are you doing here? I had no idea you were into cross-dressing!"
Otto rolled his eyes at Ryn but didn't explain himself. Instead, he spoke to Sparkle.
"I didn't know before either. When I was investigating Ryn, I naturally kept an eye on the people around him. That's how I discovered you and then found out about the Pale Family."