"Elias, you're right. If we don't help i, then who else will? But listen, Elias—you better rember this—I won't let anything happen to you!"
Kiana spoke with absolute seriousness, as if making a promise to Elias, or perhaps reminding herself.
Bringing Elias, an ordinary person, into an event as dangerous as this—especially one at the Herrscher level—was an extre risk. After all, she could barely even protect herself.
But looking into Elias' determined eyes, Kiana knew she would never be able to convince him to run away and hide until everything was over.
'You always called stubborn, Elias, but aren't you just as bad? Hmph~'
Over ti, Kiana had grown to trust Elias imnsely. He gave off a reliable feeling, even surpassing that of Siegfried in so ways.
Kiana truly valued and deeply cared for this friend—soone who shared lunches with her, worried about her, and even helped apply dicine to her injuries.
So, the answer was simple.
She would protect everything.
Whether it was i, Elias, or the entire Nagazora City, she would stake the honor of the Kaslana family to prevent any tragedy from happening!
If Cocolia or Otto were here, they would surely mock her. Mock her ignorance, her weakness, her overconfidence. How could soone who couldn't even defeat a B-rank Valkyrie hope to protect everything from a Herrscher-level catastrophe?
It was nothing but a fool's dream.
But to Elias, at this mont, Kiana shone brightly. Strength or not, her determination, her resolve, and her beliefs were undeniably real.
Just like in the ga—though she might seem goofy and unreliable at tis, when it truly mattered, Kiana Kaslana never ran away. She would always be the first to charge in.
Even if it ant throwing herself into danger, she would never turn her back!
"Well said, Kiana! Here, take this greatsword. The quality isn't amazing, but it's still way better than those tiny pistols of yours."
"Oh, aweso! But what about you, Elias?"
"Oh, I've got this one~"
Elias spun the Plasma Kagehide in his hand and gazed up at the sky at a 45-degree angle, thinking to himself:
'Father-in-law Ryoma, don't worry—i is in my hands now. Thanks for the Plasma Kagehide. A four-star weapon isn't bad at all. Also, I hope your spirit watches over and i. An.'
But just then—
Dark clouds gathered in the sky, and a blinding flash of lightning shot toward the sky. Kiana's eyes widened as she instantly felt the surge of Honkai energy.
"This level of Honkai energy… Elias, this is bad! The Third Honkai Eruption is about to begin!"
"Hah? Of all tis, why now?! Did sothing happen to i while we were gone—damn it! That bastard Cocolia, I swear even a thousand deaths wouldn't be enough for her!"
Elias didn't need to think twice to know who was behind this disaster.
Without hesitation, both of them took off running toward the source of the lightning. Although the Honkai energy levels were skyrocketing, they had yet to reach the critical threshold of 1000HW required for a Herrscher's birth.
If it were any other Herrscher, Elias wouldn't be so confident—but this was Raiden i. This was the Herrscher of Thunder. And when it ca to her, he was certain—there was still a chance to change fate!
...
Half an hour earlier.
While Elias and Kiana were busy exploring the Corp branch, i, having just finished school, imdiately headed straight for the supermarket.
If she didn't hurry, she'd miss the discount window.
Ever since the Raiden family fell from grace, i had gone from a pampered young lady who never touched household chores to a skilled and frugal homaker.
Even though her frozen assets ant she still had so living expenses left, she needed to be careful with her spending. That's how she learned the fine art of competing with veteran shoppers for discounted groceries at the supermarket.
"Good thing I ca early today—I managed to grab a lot of great ingredients at a low price. I'll practice cooking them and make that Shenzhou dish Elias ntioned tomorrow."
As she thought about Elias enjoying her als with a satisfied smile, or Kiana fighting him over the last piece of fried chicken, i couldn't help but smile, feeling a surge of motivation.
She truly cherished those two.
Unlike back when she was the so-called "Raiden Queen," surrounded by people who admired her for her status and family wealth rather than for who she was, Elias and Kiana had taught her the aning of genuine friendship.
As long as they were with her, i didn't care if the rest of the world rejected her.
Nowadays, her greatest joy was cooking and watching the two of them enjoy her homade als. That was what made Raiden i happiest.
"Beep beep! Beep beep beep beep!!"
It was getting late.
The busy streets were packed with vehicles, their honking horns contributing to the chaos of rush hour in the big city. The constant blaring made i frown slightly.
On instinct, she slipped on her headphones and turned up the volu, drowning out the city's noise.
"Now that I think about it… I've never heard these songs before. I can't even find them online. Could it be that Elias composed all of them himself?"
Though this world was different from her original one, music transcended technology and borders. The songs Elias brought from his ho world were still masterpieces here.
Soon, the beautiful lody filled her ears, lightening her steps. She started singing along to the lyrics she had grown so fond of.
"O your smile is tainted and your face is cold
There's no more comfort in your lips and cheeks
The whirling noise is pulling within
The tainted carcass of this world
All the incandescent stars of heaven will die at the end of days
Your gentle soul given to damnation
Crimson moon shines upon a town that is sared in blood
Cried the diva given into lant
All those sweet little dreams buried deep in mories until the very end."
The song was called "Honkai World Diva." Its lody carried a tragic, resolute tone—like a sinner singing their final lant.
The first ti i heard it, an electrifying sensation coursed through her body. She ended up looping it on repeat the entire night.
By now, she had morized every word.
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