[Kiichi Hōgen]
Class: Assassin
Level: 80
Skills:
Eternally-Peerless Blade A+
Onmyōdō (Law) A
Six Secret Arts of War EX
Class Skills:
Presence Concealment C
Magic Resistance EX
Territory Creation B+
Parameters:
Strength: D
Endurance: C
Agility: A+
Mana: EX
Luck: B
Noble Phantasm: A+
Noble Phantasm:
Six Secret Teachings and Three Strategies - Noble Demon King's Great Feather Fan
---
The above were the complete stats and skills of Kiichi Hōgen.
Exaggerated, to say the least. Despite being only a four-star event Servant in the game, her parameters were extraordinary.
The rare EX Rank appeared not once but three times—once in her parameters, once in her class skills, and once in her personal skills.
Notably, despite being an Assassin rather than one of the Three Knights, she possessed the highest grade of Magic Resistance. This was particularly amusing considering a certain Saber with Magic Resistance only at E Rank. (Okita Souji: ???)
Kiichi's EX-ranked Mana and Magic Resistance stemmed from her origin as a spirit born of nature. Unlike later creatures limited to the small internal source of magical energy known as Od, Kiichi was a part of nature itself and could freely draw upon Mana, the vast energy of the environment.
In this regard, Kiichi bore some resemblance to the True Ancestors.
"Don't be so hasty, Da Vinci dear," Kiichi said, her tone lighthearted. "If I take a disciple in this world, I can gather any information I need through them, can't I?"
"...You're not wrong, but still..."
Now strolling along a beach, Kiichi glanced out at the waves. She hadn't realized how close her summoning had been to the sea.
The sound of the tide was pleasant, but it didn't evoke any special feelings.
Her memories as Kiichi included numerous seaside moments, some more memorable than others. For instance, during her time as "That Phoenix Feather," she'd visited a beach at night, an experience she'd never forgotten.
As she walked, Da Vinci's voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Master, I need to warn you. There's something strange approaching your location."
"Oh? My new disciple, perhaps?"
Kiichi's golden eyes lit up with anticipation as she turned in the direction Da Vinci had indicated.
"Hmm... it seems not."
Though the approaching presences were still some distance away, the gap was negligible for a Servant.
"Are those... dogs? Or wolves?"
By the rocky cliffside ahead, two bizarre creatures wandered aimlessly.
They had no torsos or hind legs—only wolf-like heads and a pair of razor-sharp claws. Instead of walking, they floated in the air as if propelled by an unseen force.
It wasn't just their appearance that was strange but also their very nature.
"This hostile energy... it clashes with the peaceful magic in the air."
Though this was her first time in this world and she knew little about it, one thing was clear to her.
"Those things are undoubtedly evil. Enemies of this world."
Kiichi's keen instincts left no room for doubt.
"Now, what should I do? Should I eliminate them or avoid confrontation? It's a new world, after all—acting rashly could stir up trouble. Hmm, this is quite the dilemma."
Crossing her arms, Kiichi furrowed her brow, adopting a conflicted expression.
"Then again... maybe I can learn something about this world from those creatures. Yes, that makes perfect sense!"
Of course, Kiichi's internal debate was merely an excuse to justify her desire for a fight.
With her decision made, she approached the monsters.
Naturally, she deactivated Presence Concealment—otherwise, the mindless, bloodthirsty creatures would never notice her.
As expected, once her concealment dropped, the monsters immediately turned their attention to her, growling in low, menacing tones.
"Oh! Good boys, good boys. Want a bone?"
Completely unfazed, Kiichi strolled toward them, twirling a massive naginata in one hand as if it weighed nothing.
As a legendary master of countless martial techniques, Kiichi had taught eight disciples who later founded the "Kyoto Eight Schools," considered the origin of Western Japan's swordsmanship traditions.
The creatures' fur began to emit dark purple light as if fueled by their anger—not at Kiichi's taunts, but at her very existence.
Just as Kiichi had said, these beings were enemies of the world itself, and every living thing within it was a target for their rage.
Then, before her eyes, the two creatures suddenly disappeared.
A pitch-black rift appeared in front of them, and they slipped into it without hesitation, leaving Kiichi momentarily stunned.
Blinking, she raised her naginata and swung it behind her without turning around.
A creature had emerged from another rift directly behind her, but before it could react, Kiichi's blade bisected it cleanly in a single strike.
The halves of the creature fell to the ground behind her, but before they could touch the sand, flames erupted from the clean cut. Within moments, a crimson fire consumed the remains, leaving nothing—not even ash.
"Ga-ga-ga! Did you really think a sneak attack would work on me? How naïve!"
With her naginata resting on her shoulder, Kiichi laughed heartily, her back turned to the fading flames.
These monsters posed no threat to her. The first had been easy to dispatch, and the second was no different.
But unlike the first, the second left behind an "item drop."
Perhaps because she had used a wind blade instead of fire, the second creature's remains included a small claw.
Examining the fragment in her hand, Kiichi raised an eyebrow.
"Did I end up in the Dungeon World?"
As she pondered what to do with the claw, two new presences entered her awareness.
One resembled the monsters she had just fought, though significantly stronger.
The other...
The other was strange. It felt both familiar and foreign, carrying an inexplicable sense of closeness.
---
Oh, hey there, Trave-
Move aside, Venti—this bard's had enough of the spotlight! It's my turn now.
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