4. New Path

Kenji drifted in and out of consciousness, the world around him blurred and muted, like he was floating underwater.

Slowly, sounds began to filter through—soft murmurs, the distant beeping of machines, and the faint rustling of curtains. His mind was sluggish, but little by little, sensations crept back: the cool press of sheets beneath him, the dull ache pulsing through his side, and the antiseptic smell that filled the air.

He opened his eyes, blinking against the harsh fluorescent lights, trying to orient himself. White walls, a ceiling tiled in neat, clinical squares… He was in a hospital room.

I made it, he thought, relief flooding through him. I'm alive.

But as he shifted slightly, a sharp pain shot through his side, and he winced, instinctively pressing a hand to his bandaged abdomen.

The memory of the Seraph beast's attack came rushing back in vivid detail—the slice of its wing, the taste of fear, and then… that power. That incredible, impossible power that had surged through him at the last moment.

He swallowed, staring down at his hands as if they might offer some explanation. "What the hell was that?" he muttered, flexing his fingers, half-expecting to feel that strange energy tingling under his skin.

But there was nothing. Just his own hands, steady and ordinary. 

"You're awake," a voice said, pulling him from his thoughts.

Kenji looked up to see a nurse standing in the doorway, clipboard in hand. She was a young woman with a warm, professional smile, though her eyes were tinged with curiosity as she looked him over.

"Yeah," he replied, his voice a little hoarse. He cleared his throat, trying to sound more casual. "Guess I made it through, huh?"

The nurse approached his bedside, checking the monitors beside him. "You sure did. And from what I heard, that's something of a miracle." She glanced at him, raising an eyebrow. "You came in bleeding pretty heavily, but there was surprisingly little internal damage. It's… unusual, considering the severity of your injury."

Kenji's heart skipped a beat, and he managed a weak laugh, though inside, he felt a pang of nervousness. "Uh, yeah… guess I'm tougher than I look?"

"Right." She gave him a look that said she wasn't entirely convinced. "Well, the doctors patched you up pretty well. You're going to need to take it easy for a while, though. Rest, no heavy lifting, and definitely no running into any more… trouble."

He nodded, but his mind was already elsewhere, replaying the events in his mind. No heavy lifting? Lady, I was out there punching a damn Honkai Beast.

The nurse must have noticed the faraway look on his face, because she leaned in slightly, her expression softening. "Do you remember what happened?"

Kenji hesitated, unsure how much he should say. He didn't want to look crazy by rambling on about Honkai Beasts and sudden surges of supernatural power, especially when he wasn't sure what had happened himself.

"Uh… yeah, kind of," he said slowly. "It's a bit… fuzzy. I was just, you know, in the wrong place at the wrong time. A floating, uhh flying Honkai Beast attacked me. I think it… cut me?" He touched his side lightly, wincing. "But I managed to get away. Got lucky, I guess."

"Lucky," she repeated, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "Well, 'lucky' might be underselling it. A few more minutes out there, and you'd be in a very different situation." She made a few notes on her clipboard, then looked back at him. "The doctor will be in later to check on you, but for now, just try to rest. You've been through a lot."

Kenji nodded, offering a small, grateful smile as she turned to leave. "Thanks. For… you know, patching me up and all."

The nurse paused at the door, glancing back at him with a thoughtful expression. "Take care of yourself now." And with that, she left, leaving him alone with his thoughts.

As the door clicked shut, Kenji leaned back against the pillows, exhaling a shaky breath. He ran a hand over his face, trying to make sense of everything.

He glanced down at his hands again, flexing his fingers. He could still remember the feeling—the warmth that had started as a faint spark, growing into a burning, pulsing energy that had surged through him like a wave.

It had been terrifying… and thrilling. A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth as he replayed the fight in his mind, the moment he'd actually fought back.

"I actually did it," he murmured, almost laughing in disbelief. "I took on a Honkai Beast… and won."

The weight of that realization settled over him, and he found himself grinning, a mix of pride and awe filling his chest. For once, he hadn't been helpless.

He'd felt powerful, like he was capable of something more than just running deliveries and blending into the background. But as quickly as the pride came, it faded, replaced by a gnawing uncertainty.

"What… what does this mean?" he whispered, staring down at the bandages covering his side. "Where did that power come from? And… why me?"

A part of him wanted to write it off as a fluke, some freak accident that would never happen again. But he couldn't shake the feeling that this was bigger than that.

The Valkyries, the Honkai, the strange energy that had saved his life—everything felt connected, like he'd stumbled into a world he wasn't supposed to see.

He leaned back, staring up at the ceiling as his mind raced. "So… what now?" he muttered, almost talking to himself. "I can't just ignore this. If that power's really in me… I have to figure out how to use it."

He couldn't deny the flicker of excitement that appeared within him. He'd spent so long feeling small, ordinary, just one guy in a sea of people trying to get by.

But now, he had something more—something that made him different, powerful even. And as terrifying as that was, part of him wanted to explore it, to see what he was really capable of.

But for now, he would have to wait. He needed time to recover, to gather his thoughts, and to figure out what his next steps would be.

As he closed his eyes, his mind drifted back to the red-haired Valkyrie in the mall, the calm confidence she'd exuded, the strength in every move she'd made.

Maybe… maybe I can be like that, he thought, a tiny, reckless part of him daring to imagine it. Maybe this power could make me into someone who actually matters.

His gaze drifted back to his hands, fingers curling into fists as a quiet resolve settled over him. Whatever had happened to him, whatever this power was… he was going to figure it out. He wasn't about to waste the chance he'd been given.

Just then, a soft knock echoed at the door, breaking through his thoughts. He sat up a little, curiosity stirring in his chest as the handle turned. His heart skipped a beat as he saw a familiar figure step into the room, her red hair catching the light.

The Valkyrie from the mall.

---

Kenji sat up straighter as the red-haired Valkyrie stepped into the room, her presence filling the small space with an air of calm confidence that made him feel oddly self-conscious.

She was even more imposing up close, her posture relaxed but radiating strength, her gaze sharp and assessing.

For a moment, he wasn't sure what to say. Part of him wanted to say something witty, to keep things light, but another part, the one still reeling from the attack, was filled with a sense of awe.

This was the same Valkyrie who'd saved them all at the mall, the one who'd looked like she could take on an army without breaking a sweat.

"Hey there," she said, her voice warm but measured, as if she were already sizing him up. "I hope I'm not interrupting. I heard about what happened… and thought I'd check in and uhh, apologise. If I had dealth with the attack more thoroughly then no beasts would have been able to follow you."

Kenji swallowed, nodding. "Uh, no, no its ok. Besides I'm doing just fine... recovering, I guess." He tried to sound casual, but he knew it came out awkward, like he was a kid trying to act cool in front of a hero.

She smiled, taking a few steps closer until she stood beside his bed. "I'm Himeko. I work with Schicksal… as you probably guessed." She paused, studying him with an intensity that made his heart pound. "You're Kenji, right?"

"Yeah. That's… that's me." He forced a small laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh, thanks for… you know, saving me and everyone back at the mall. You were… well, amazing."

Himeko's smile softened, a hint of warmth breaking through her professional demeanor. "It's my job. But thank you."

She pulled up a chair, sitting beside him, and her expression shifted, becoming a bit more serious. "I actually wanted to talk to you about what happened. It's not every day we find someone… injured in a Honkai encounter and alive to tell the tale."

Kenji's stomach twisted slightly, a flicker of anxiety rising in his chest. "Oh, yeah… that." He tried to keep his tone light, shrugging as if it were no big deal.

"I got lucky, I think. Just, you know… managed to dodge enough times until it left me alone."

Himeko raised an eyebrow, clearly not buying it. "Kid… we don't often find civilians alone in close combat with Honkai Beasts and walking away with injuries like yours. Seraph-class or not, it's… unusual."

She leaned forward slightly, her gaze steady and unreadable. "Are you sure there's nothing you'd like to add? Anything unusual you noticed?"

Kenji hesitated, his mind racing. Part of him wanted to tell her everything—the fear, the strange power that had surged through him, the way he'd actually managed to fight back.

But another part held him back, instinctively wary. He barely understood what had happened himself. He didn't want to attract the wrong kind of attention, especially from people who might not react well to whatever he'd become.

"Look, I… I don't know what to say," he said finally, shrugging. "It was all kind of a blur, honestly. One second, I'm walking home, and the next thing I know, this thing is coming at me. I tried to fight it off, just… threw whatever I could, I guess. Got a few lucky hits in."

Himeko tilted her head, studying him with a faint smile that made him feel like she could see right through him. "Lucky hits, huh?"

"Yeah. I mean… I didn't exactly stick around for round two," he said, forcing a laugh. "It's not like I'm a Valkyrie..."

For a moment, she didn't say anything, just kept her gaze on him, as if weighing her next words carefully. Finally, she nodded, leaning back in her chair.

"Fair enough. But… if there's anything you're not telling me, or if you start noticing… anything out of the ordinary… I hope you'll reach out to us." She held his gaze, her expression sincere.

"The Honkai are unpredictable, and you never know how they might affect someone who's survived a close encounter."

Kenji swallowed, nodding. "Yeah, of course. I mean… if anything weird happens, I'll definitely let you guys know."

Himeko seemed satisfied with that, though he couldn't shake the feeling that she knew he wasn't telling her everything.

She gave him a small smile, a look of understanding in her eyes, as if she knew exactly what was going through his mind.

"Good." She stood, adjusting her coat as she prepared to leave. "Well, take care of yourself, Kenji. The world's not as safe as it used to be, especially with the Honkai getting more aggressive.

But if you ever need help…" She handed him a small card, printed with a Schicksal emblem and a phone number. "Just call."

He took the card, nodding. "Thank you, Miss Himeko. Really… thanks."

She gave him one last nod, her gaze softening just slightly. "Stay safe. And remember… if there's a reason you're here, alive after that kind of attack, maybe you shouldn't ignore it."

With that, she turned and walked out of the room, leaving Kenji alone with his thoughts. He stared down at the card in his hand, the weight of her words settling over him.

If there's a reason you're here… maybe you shouldn't ignore it.

Her words echoed in his mind, stirring something deep inside him. He'd been trying to push it away, trying to pretend that nothing had changed, that he was still just a regular guy who'd gotten lucky.

But he couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it than that—that he was meant to do something with this power, however terrifying and confusing it might be.

He sighed, leaning back against the pillows, the card still clutched in his hand.

The world outside seemed to blur, fading into a hazy mix of light and shadow as he stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

So… what now? he thought, a faint sense of dread mixing with the flicker of excitement that had been growing since the attack. Do I ignore this, go back to normal? Or… do I figure out what this power really means?

As he sat there, alone with his questions, he felt a tiny spark of resolve begin to kindle within him. He didn't have all the answers, but one thing was certain: he couldn't ignore this.

Whatever was happening to him, whatever this power was… he had to understand it.

Kenji glanced at the window, watching the city lights twinkling in the distance.

A strange sense of anticipation filled him, like he was standing on the edge of something he couldn't quite see yet. And for the first time, he wasn't sure if he was scared… or excited.

With a deep breath, he closed his eyes, letting the quiet settle around him.

After he recovers, he would begin searching for answers. And maybe, just maybe, he would find a way to control the power he'd unlocked.