"...I look forward to what you will do," Selene said.
Though these words left her lips, Selene silently questioned herself—did she really look forward to it?
Well, who knows...
Kiana had endured failure, not just once but repeatedly. Throughout this journey, she had experienced isolation, monts of losing hope, and even monts where she had to hurt those close to her against her will. She had witnessed the sacrifice of those she admired, people who redeed her at the cost of their own lives.
And yet, she maintained a bright and optimistic attitude, refusing to succumb to the darkness within her heart, smiling as she resolved to shoulder everything alone.
How should one view this? Selene found herself grappling with mixed emotions.
Indifference? Mockery? Cynicism? Admiration? Envy? Desire? Contempt?
Perhaps it was all of these at once.
Selene could understand Kiana’s actions, but she didn’t necessarily believe them to be correct.
Yes, failure does not an one should give up, and pain does not an one should surrender. Even in the direst of circumstances, beauty can still exist.
These were words of truth.
But, from Selene’s perspective, if one shifts their thinking, the real world will never be truly beautiful.
Beauty is nothing more than a fleeting sensation, while reality is eternal. And reality is never beautiful.
This, too, was a truth.
There is no universal truth that is always right. Whether policies lean toward moderation or extremism, Selene could adjust her approach depending on the situation.
Humanity needs hope to survive, and Kiana’s existence would serve as an excellent case for inspiration... The Valkyrie Corps, Schicksal’s research departnt, Anti-Entropy’s labs—they were all valuable assets.
Unconsciously, Selene began to think about things in a pragmatic, utilitarian way. Realizing this, she shook her head silently.
"Relax and take it easy," she thought to herself. "Perhaps... I am already beyond saving."
Her lips curved once more into a warm, gentle smile, as if spring sunlight had brushed across her face. Selene bent down, this ti not using any energy manipulation techniques, but personally reaching out with her hands to help Kiana stand.
"I will definitely do it!"
After being helped up by Selene, Kiana pounded her chest with one fist and energetically declared her determination, brimming with vitality.
Standing nearby, Durandal let out a long sigh of relief, her lips curving into a soft smile as she looked at the two of them.
But in the very next mont, she froze, her body stiffening as if in shock.
From her angle, Selene was still gazing at Kiana’s spirited and determined posture. But her eyes—those eyes were chillingly cold, filled with the calculating gaze of soone playing a ga of power and control.
It was a gaze Durandal was all too familiar with. She had seen it countless tis before—in Otto Apocalypse.
Just like Otto, Selene’s gaze resembled soone evaluating a valuable tool. Having spent so much ti around Otto, Durandal instantly recognized it.
Noticing Durandal’s stare, Selene shifted her gaze to her with an almost imperceptible glance.
"As I thought," Selene said softly, "compared to her, you are much more suitable."
Selene’s gentle voice softly echoed in Durandal’s mind like a whisper. The abruptness and vagueness of the words triggered an instinctive reaction. "Wha... What do you an?" she asked reflexively.
"Huh? What do you an, ’what do I an?’" Noticing the unusual exchange between Selene and Durandal, Kiana turned her confused gaze toward Selene. "Sister Selene?"
"Oh, it’s nothing," Selene replied, waving her hand with a light, casual gesture, her voice as gentle as ever.
"That’s unnecessary."
Before Selene could say more, Durandal interrupted firmly, her tone decisive and clear.
"This is the na given to you by our father—yes, our father, the one we share. You can call Bianca, or Durandal. Either is fine."
Durandal gently patted Kiana on the shoulder as she spoke, her expression calm and steady.
"Are... Are you sure? I’m the one who took away everything from your childhood," Kiana stamred, her voice trembling with guilt.
"It’s fine. I hold no resentnt toward you," Durandal reassured her, her voice steady yet warm. "In fact, I would even say that the na Kaslana suits you far more than it does . You are a hero."
"But you..." Kiana tried to protest.
"Ah~!" Selene’s voice suddenly cut through the heartfelt exchange between Kiana and Durandal, carrying a faintly apologetic tone. However, there was sothing indescribable in her voice—sothing teasing, perhaps?
"That reminds , Little Kiana, didn’t you ask for sothing earlier?" Selene said, tilting her head as if she had only just rembered. "I nearly forgot while we were discussing serious matters earlier."
"...."
The atmosphere froze instantly.
Kiana stood rooted to the spot, her entire body stiffening. A look of panic swept across her face, her wide eyes reflecting phantom images of soone from her mories—a certain violet-haired girl who had joined World Serpent, the one who always used to cook for her.
"This is bad... This is really bad!"
"Huh? What’s so bad?" Selene asked innocently, tilting her head and pressing her palms together as if she were the very picture of kindness. A mischievous smile danced on her lips. "Who was it you were trying to save just now, Little Kiana? What was their na again...?"
"Ah! i—!"
"Kiana? Are you alright?" Durandal asked worriedly, watching as Kiana’s expression changed drastically, her emotions spiraling out of control.
"I... I forgot about i just now! What should I do?!" Kiana exclaid, her body trembling. Cold sweat drenched her, and her limbs felt icy as she turned her stiff neck toward the floor-to-ceiling windows. Outside, Earth lay cloaked beneath a tallic behemoth.
The darkness of space was pierced by spears of crimson light. Like a torrential rainstorm, cannon fire descended upon the surface, roaring in fury as it tore through the skies.
i was now with World Serpent—a fact Kiana knew all too well. World Serpent was a ruthless organization that annihilated all things Honkai-related without hesitation or rcy.
Kiana clearly rembered how she had previously thwarted World Serpent’s horrifying experint, which had co at the cost of the entire population of Sky City.
Given World Serpent’s uncompromising stance, there was no chance they would surrender to soone affiliated with the Honkai faction, like Selene.
What if i was already in conflict with Selene’s Imperial forces?
What if i caused too many casualties among Selene’s subordinates?
What if i herself was injured while being surrounded and attacked by Selene’s Imperial Army?
What should she do if she found herself caught between Sister Selene and i?
Kiana wasn’t clueless—she understood all too well.
Selene could easily force her hand. If Selene wanted, she could kill everyone without batting an eye. Whether Kiana agreed or accepted it wouldn’t matter. Without strength to back up her opinions, she would have no choice but to comply!
This much, Kiana knew with absolute clarity. The only reason she had any bargaining power at all was due to Selene’s inexplicable rcy.
She couldn’t allow herself to be ungrateful or forget her debts. She had to repay Selene’s kindness with tangible results.
And therein lay the deadlock.
i was undeniably her most important friend. But what if i ended up killing Selene’s subordinates? As soone who was now part of Selene’s Imperial Army, would Kiana be obligated to take action against i?
Beg shalessly for Selene’s forgiveness? She wasn’t that thick-skinned.
"This is bad, bad, bad—!"
Clutching her snowy white hair with both hands, Kiana’s aura seed to dull to a lifeless gray as she scread in frustration. "Sister Selene, I need to go down there!"
"Why make it so troubleso...?" Selene replied, giving Kiana a strange look. With a casual wave of her hand, a massive projection screen materialized in the golden hall.
Selene nodded slightly and rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "The person you’re looking for, Raiden i... I think I’ve found her. Let confirm... Hmm? Budo?"
Although she knew i was with World Serpent, Selene hadn’t bothered to check the situation directly. Now, as she saw the screen display Raiden i being pumled rcilessly by Budo, a towering blond man over four ters tall, Selene’s eye twitched involuntarily.
"i!" Kiana cried out in alarm, watching as i was gripped tightly in the massive man’s hand on the screen.
At the sa ti, Kiana let out a sigh of relief.
Although unexpected, the situation wasn’t as dire as it could have been. From a purely rational standpoint, it was better for i to get beaten than for her to harm or kill Selene’s subordinates. If i’s hands weren’t stained with their blood, resolving the issue would be far easier.
"That’s her, Sister Selene," Kiana said, pointing to the screen.
"Hm... Your Majesty?" Budo muttered, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. However, he didn’t hesitate for even a mont before obeying Selene’s instructions.
"Understood. I will transfer Raiden i to the flagship imdiately. Your orders shall be carried out!"
Those were the last words Raiden i managed to hear before losing consciousness.
The flagship...? i thought faintly. Have I lost already? Are they going to extract my Herrscher core?
Fear gripped her heart—not fear of death, but fear of leaving this world without seeing Kiana again. She hadn’t yet been able to reunite with her, hadn’t had the chance to apologize, to ask her one last question.
Kiana... I’m sorry. Back in Nagazora, I never wanted to hurt you... I swear. Kiana, I just want to see you again... Are you still mad at ?
She didn’t know how much ti had passed. Perhaps it had been an eternity. Perhaps it had only been an instant.
Suddenly, she felt her body grow lighter. Two familiar voices reached her ears.
"Raiden i, it’s been a long ti... To think you ended up in this state."
"Sister Selene... She’s i."
It’s Kiana! But... who is this Sister Selene she’s talking about?!
Raiden i’s consciousness cleared instantly, though her body remained numb and unresponsive. Her eyelids felt as heavy as mountains, refusing to open no matter how hard she tried.
The next mont, she heard a calm, unfamiliar voice speak:
"Hmm, this is the perfect opportunity to test it..."
"I am the black that erges from the abyss, the white that descends from the heavens;
Born before creation, existing after destruction;
I give freely the water of the Fountain of Life to those who thirst."
"Divine Key: [Black Abyss White Flower], Zero-Rated Output—Release!"
As the cold and composed voice resonated, Raiden i suddenly felt warmth spread throughout her entire body. It was a soothing sensation, one that swept away all pain and fatigue. The discomfort faded, and even the tight furrow in her brows began to relax.
The bruises and welts that had covered her body from her battle with Budo were soon enveloped in a thin layer of white light.
Monts later, these injuries began to heal. The tiny cuts on her skin closed, and the bruises vanished. Apart from her combat-worn and dusty clothes, there was no trace left of the damage she had endured.
"Thank goodness! Thank you, Selene-sister!"
Raiden i’s eyes snapped open, and the first thing she saw was Kiana standing before her, her long, snow-white hair cascading down her back. Tears of disbelief shimred in Kiana’s eyes as she reached out with trembling hands, just about to call out i’s na.
But the next instant, i froze in place, her movents halting abruptly as she watched Kiana wrap herself around soone else in a playful, almost childlike gesture.
"Heh."
Selene let out a mischievous chuckle. Seeing i standing there in her battle-worn attire, stunned and staring blankly, Selene flashed a sly grin before suddenly pulling Kiana into her embrace.
Crack—!
The sound of glass shattering seed to echo in i’s mind.
The light in Raiden i’s eyes instantly dimd.
It was first... It was first... Why is it like this...?
Cooking for her, hugging her, even liking her—why is this red-eyed woman so good at everything?!
Cough, cough!
Selene, still holding Kiana, reached out to pat her snowy white hair with one hand while retracting [Black Abyss White Flower] with the other. Tilting her head with a teasing smile, she said in a low, mischievous voice, "Hey, Little Kiana, your ’cook’ just woke up."
"i!"
Hearing this, Kiana imdiately broke free from Selene’s embrace and threw herself at Raiden i, who was sitting dazed on the carpet. Rubbing her face affectionately against i’s ample chest, Kiana’s voice was filled with excitent.
In an instant, the light returned to i’s eyes. She wrapped her arms tightly around Kiana and shouted back, "Kiana!"
The scene played out like sothing out of a lodrama, and Selene, watching from the side, couldn’t help but feel slightly awkward.
"Truly, the won of the Kaslana family carry a heavy burden of sin," Selene thought with a faint smile.
Turning her head, Selene’s gaze landed on Durandal, who stood beside her, looking on with a wistful expression as if thinking, Ah, how nice it is between girls.
Selene suddenly spoke, her tone nonchalant, "Rita, I’m requisitioning you. Alyssa needs soone to guide her."
And just like that, Selene had found herself a convenient excuse.
"Oh, okay... Wait, what?!"
"It’s settled," Selene said decisively, cutting off further discussion. Then, without missing a beat, she called out, "Guards!"
Boom, boom, boom!
At her command, the palace doors were knocked upon and promptly pushed open. A towering figure clad in ornate golden power armor strode in briskly.
Standing at over 3.5 ters tall, the figure’s armor was embellished with intricate carvings and vibrant patterns so elaborate that it looked less like battle gear and more like an exquisite work of art.
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