The sun was setting, bathing St. Freya Academy in the hues of the twilight sky. Students strolled across campus in twos and threes, a gentle breeze carrying the fragrance of flowers and grass.
The Headmaster's Office
"What a beautiful evening. Yawn~"
Theresa pulled her chair back, sat down, and stretched comfortably, then took a delightful sip of the bitter melon juice on her desk. So refreshing.
She then pulled open a drawer on the right side of her desk, expertly retrieving a bag of potato chips. Just then, a communication from headquarters suddenly rang.
Buzz buzz buzz…
"Damn! Why are they calling now?" Theresa hastily shoved the chips back into the drawer, sat up straight, adjusted her clothes, and after confirming everything was in order, answered the call.
As soon as the call connected, a short-haired, chestnut-haired woman in a maid outfit appeared on screen. It was Rita.
"Good evening, Herrscher Theresa."
"Bishop Otto has received your report regarding the 'Moonlight Throne'."
"I will arrive at the Far East Branch tomorrow to confirm this report and the battleship."
"Hmm, Rita… you are welcome to inspect tomorrow. All your arrangements are ready," Theresa nodded, but then she asked with some doubt, "Is there anything else you're here for? If it's just to confirm the battleship, there's no need to make a special trip?"
Rita offered Theresa a perfect smile and nodded gently, her every movement elegant.
"Yes, the Bishop hopes I can attend this year's Valkyrie rank examination – he is very much looking forward to you doing something interesting here."
"Grandfather is still so troublesome…" Theresa said helplessly.
"Hehe, and by the way, it's been a long time. You're still as cute as a doll."
Hearing this, Theresa panicked, a blush creeping onto her face. She stammered adorably, "A doll?? Huh? Huh?? Why are you suddenly talking about that…"
Rita, who was a lolicon and a Durandal enthusiast, smiled even more upon seeing Theresa's reaction. She narrowed her eyes and said, "Then, I'll leave you to it. Looking forward to meeting you tomorrow."
With that, the communication ended.
Theresa wiped the sweat from her forehead, feeling a little uneasy. Rita's words had flustered her.
"This woman is a bit dangerous. It makes me want to take out Judah."
………………
Schicksal Headquarters, Otto looked at the man leaning against the wall, head bowed in silence, and smiled.
"My friend, are you not going to do anything?"
"Otto, you know I can't right now," the man looked up at Otto, his eyes calm.
He then added,
"I just want to know how you plan to stop that version of myself. While my strength now is far from my former self, in this era, unless Durandal stops him, others might not be his match."
"Moreover, with his abilities, even if Durandal were to go, you would be discovered the moment you set foot in St. Freya Academy. He might not be able to defeat you, but protecting Kiana is not an issue."
Upon hearing this, Otto smiled slightly and looked at the large screen, slowly saying, "Indeed, but you created these treasures in the previous civilization, didn't you? Although these treasures are not as powerful as they were originally, hiding a person's aura and remaining undetected should not be a problem, right?"
The man fell silent. It was truly… laughable that the treasures he himself had made were now being used against him…
Seeing that the man wasn't speaking, Otto asked again, "Actually, there's something I don't understand… If you want to protect her, then why are you helping me?"
The man glanced at him, then walked to a window, facing the bright moonlight, and looked at the moon.
"You are doing this for Kallen, and I am doing this for them, and… her."
As he spoke, the man's fists clenched, and his eyes sharpened.
………………
St. Freya Academy, Valkyrie Dormitory. Kiana, in her scant pajamas, slept soundly, hugging a Haxxor Bunny pillow.
Her furrowed brow indicated she was having a nightmare.
"My… head hurts…"
Kiana suddenly opened her eyes, only to find herself in St. Freya. The usually sunny campus was now shrouded in a crimson mist.
"Is this… St. Freya Academy?"
"Hohoho…"
Suddenly, a ethereal laugh echoed in her ears, startling Kiana, who broke out in a cold sweat. She spun around and shouted, "Who's there!"
As if amused by Kiana's panic, the unknown voice took on a mocking, playful tone.
"Lost little girl… Welcome home~★"
Abruptly, Kiana realized her surroundings had changed.
"Where is this? Why… am I here?"
Kiana looked around warily, trying to locate the source of the voice.
Suddenly, she saw a black shadow floating in the air not far in front of her. Its silhouette resembled a girl. The shadow stretched comfortably.
"Ah~ I've slept for so, so long. But now, the wheels of fate are turning again… Welcome home, Kiana Kaslana~"
"Home? No, this isn't… Who are you? Why do you know my name?"
Kiana was utterly bewildered. Why did this shadow know her name, and why was she here?
She remembered she was sleeping in her dorm bed.
"That's a rather complicated question. Do you like the world I've constructed for you?"
The shadow didn't rush to answer Kiana's questions, its voice filled with even more amusement, like a cat playing with a mouse.
"World? What are you talking about? Right, I must be dreaming." Without a second thought, Kiana pinched her own face hard. "Quick, wake up…"
"Hahahaha, you want to leave me already? How heartbreaking," the shadow taunted.
"You… What do you want? Let me show you the power of Kiana Kaslana! I am Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie!"
“…Cough, cough, the future strongest."
Kiana, mid-sentence, realized she had spoken too much and quickly corrected herself, though she had already assumed a fighting stance.
"Kaslana… Valkyrie? Hahahahaha! It seems you have no idea about the karma you carry." The shadow burst into laughter, then continued.
"You are an orphan, abandoned by your father, who never even saw your mother's face."
"Aren't you curious why you've never had a mother's company since birth? Why your father left you?"
The shadow's words were a constant temptation, stirring up Kiana's deepest desires to know.
Hearing the shadow's words, Kiana froze, her brow furrowed. She said in a low voice,
"You… What do you… know?!"
"Oh? Have I finally piqued your interest? You see, I've been observing you even in your sleep. Therefore, I know everything about you."
"Your entire life, from beginning to end, is a lie~★"
"Enough!"
Just then, a furious roar echoed, and a blade energy, wreathed in terrifying flames, sliced through the air, bisecting the shadow.
"Who?!"
The shadow shrieked, utterly astonished by the sudden attack, its voice even sharpening.
Kiana spun around to see Ling Feng striding forward, holding a single-edged sword with a lava-like blade.
"Ling Feng!"
"How could you possibly be here!"
Another black shadow appeared in their sight, this one further away.
The shadow's voice was filled with apprehension towards Ling Feng. The previous shadow had been destroyed with a single strike, especially the flames; even as a partial dream master, she couldn't eliminate them.
Ling Feng arrived beside Kiana. Seeing she was unharmed, he turned to the shadow and stated,
"Liyue Immortal Art, 'Dream Wandering Realm Technique', allows my soul to leave my body and enter another's dream. Do you have any further questions?"
The shadow was shocked, never expecting such a method to enter someone's dream to exist in the world.
"Hmph! Kiana, we will meet again. Your life, from beginning to end, is a lie!"
With that parting threat, the shadow fled at high speed. Ling Feng saw it but did not pursue. In someone else's dream, his strength was limited.
Kiana's lips parted, wanting to ask Ling Feng something, but as the shadow (Void Herrscher) departed, her consciousness began to blur.
The next day, Kiana ran towards the library within the academy. Midway, she shook her head, feeling a faint throbbing in her head.
"Ouch, my head hurts. I think I had a strange dream last night, but I can't remember what happened."
"Never mind, I should hurry and find Mei, or she'll scold me again."
The night before the Valkyrie examination, Kiana, as expected, had another nightmare.
"Wake up."
"Hmm? Mei… is that you?"
Kiana sleepily looked at Mei before her, but she found it strange. Why was Mei emitting a purple glow?
"Oh my, Kiana, where shall we begin today's story? Don't worry, I've thrown that hateful guy to the other end of the dream. We can take our time~★"
"…Who are you?!"
Hearing this familiar voice, Kiana was startled. She quickly took a few steps back, vigilantly staring at "Mei" and exclaiming,
This guy had appeared in her dreams several times now, but each time Ling Feng had arrived and scared her away.
However, she had also learned fragments of information, such as the fact that the former strongest Valkyrie, Cecilia, was her mother.
"I am the ghost of your past, the nightmare you cannot escape!"
Suddenly, Kiana felt the world spin. When she came to her senses, she saw Mei standing beside her.
However, Mei now looked at her with an expression of disgust, which confused Kiana.
"Mei, what's wrong? You look strange?"
"Kiana, I've tolerated you all this time. In the team, you're always a burden," Mei said impatiently.
"W-What? What did you say?"
Mei's words were undeniably a massive blow to Kiana.
"Without me, wouldn't that Honkai Beast from the last mission have swallowed you whole? Every step you take is thanks to others protecting you. You're not even as good as Bronya, that little girl."
"Mei, why are you saying these things…"
"You're too weak, Kiana, too weak~★"
"Nonsense! You're not Mei! Mei would never say such hurtful things!" kanδん
Kiana's brows furrowed. Based on her understanding of Mei, the person before her was definitely not Mei.
Without hesitation, she drew two Colt Defenders from her waist and attacked "Mei."
Soon, Kiana defeated "Mei," and "Mei's" figure vanished before her.
"Phew… as expected, it was a fake."
Kiana looked relieved, but then her expression became complicated.
Although she knew the words spoken just now were not from the real Mei, they reminded her of her past experiences… Am I really that weak?
Suddenly, Kiana found the world before her inverted. Himeko's figure appeared before her.
"Huh? Himeko? Why are you here too?"
"Why is it strange that I'm here? Both of you are subjects I need to keep a close eye on~"
"What are you talking about?" Kiana asked, confused.
"Poor little fool, don't you understand yet? Why do you think I took you into the academy?"
"Because you and your Mei are prisoners I need to guard!"
"You're a problematic child, and Mei carries the Third Herrscher within her, a ticking time bomb."
The moment Mei was mentioned, Kiana exploded, hands on her hips, indignant.
"I won't allow you to speak about Mei like that!"
"Wait! You're not Himeko! You're that guy!"
Kiana suddenly realized and punched at "Himeko," but Himeko backflipped and dodged Kiana's punch.
Suddenly, "Himeko" in front of her transformed into Theresa.
"Did you know? Your father, Siegfried, left you and fled far away precisely to avoid you, the bringer of disaster."
"Shut up, Dad's not like that!"
Kiana raised her Colt and fired a shot at Theresa, but the bullet passed right through her.
Seeing Kiana's furious expression, "Theresa" chuckled mockingly.
"It seems your father really didn't tell you anything! Let me tell you the truth!"
"Fourteen years ago, when the Second Herrscher descended in Siberia, your mother, Cecilia Schariac, then Schicksal's only S-rank Valkyrie, went to confront it."
"However, in this battle, she, who was so highly anticipated, fell into a disadvantage. Do you know why?"
Upon hearing this, Kiana's pupils constricted, and her body began to tremble uncontrollably. She had a vague premonition of the truth, trembling as she whispered,
"...Don't tell me..."
This was the first time she didn't want to know the truth.
However, Kiana's reaction was exactly what "Theresa" wanted. The corners of her mouth curled upwards as she continued,
"It was because of you. After giving birth to you, she never fully recovered. In the end, those people from Schicksal Organization…"
"Heh, those guys, afraid of Cecilia failing, launched tactical missiles into Siberia, wanting her to perish together with the Second Herrscher."
"Poor Siegfried, he couldn't face his wife's death, nor could he face the daughter who caused her death."
"The greatest misfortune of your parents' lives was giving birth to you!"
"Theresa" cruelly revealed the "truth."