Chapter 333: Interlude — Delay
"Bella—!"
"Roooaaar—!"
Soaring through the sky, Kiana shouted at the top of her lungs, pouring every bit of breath into her voice to make it carry as far as possible. Soon enough, a dragon's roar echoed from the distant horizon in response to her call.
A shadow blanketed the sky. Majestic and awe-inspiring, a sleek and powerful dragon appeared above Kiana, its massive wings outstretched to block out the sun. With a graceful dive, it swooped down beneath her.
Kiana landed atop Bella's head, letting the fierce wind whip through her white dress—one that closely resembled the Herrscher of the Void's attire.
"Let's go, Bella! To St. Freya!"
"Roaaaar!"
With a mighty flap of its wings, the dragon shattered the cloud layers and surged into the skies, carrying with it an overwhelming presence that tore through the heavens.
…
Benares's enormous figure flew across the aerial academy, stirring up a powerful gust of wind. Kiana descended gently to the ground, but her brows quickly furrowed.
"Hm? Aunt Theresa's presence… and that old man's too… both gone?"
"Welcome, little Kiana."
A sultry, elegant red-haired woman's holographic projection appeared beside her, a wine glass in hand and an unintentionally seductive smile on her lips.
"Big Sis Himeko, I'm looking for someone!"
"Head east. I'm waiting in the courtyard."
"But—"
"Come talk to me in person. I'll be waiting."
Himeko's projection faded away. Kiana puffed her cheeks, then sighed in resignation and lowered her head.
"Geez… I'm here for serious business, you know…"
Muttering in frustration, Kiana had no other choice. She rose a few centimeters off the ground and flew toward the east.
When she arrived at the eastern courtyard, she found a beautiful woman reclining at an outdoor table, exuding a lazy allure. Her crimson hair, as fiery as flames and as rich as blood, radiated a powerful charm.
"Red wine, milk tea, or the headmistress's special fresh bitter melon juice?"
"Milk tea, thanks."
Kiana snatched the milk tea from the table and slurped down a few gulps, her eyes narrowing in satisfaction.
Freedom at last without Sigurd around—junk food like milk tea and instant noodles were fair game. Of course, that was just a joke. Kiana knew the real reason she was now allowed a little more indulgence: after a series of events, the genetic defect that plagued her had finally been resolved. With her health no longer at risk, Sigurd had loosened the restrictions a bit.
Still, if she overindulged, Kiana had no doubt that the ever-watchful worker drones would "help" her keep things in check.
"You really are still a kid."
Himeko chuckled as she swirled her wine glass.
Kiana hugged her milk tea and sat across from Himeko, glancing left and right before rolling her eyes and saying:
"Aunt Theresa must've asked you to stall me, didn't she? Just tell me—did they go to storm Schicksal HQ? That's seriously dangerous, and you don't want anything to happen to them either, do you?"
"Clever girl. You're right—Theresa did ask me to stall you. I'm worried about her too… but when she seriously begs me like that, I just can't say no."
"You're way too soft, Big Sis Himeko! You should've stopped her when Aunt Theresa started acting recklessly!"
"Well, she is the headmistress. She controls my paycheck. How am I supposed to have the guts to say no to my boss?"
Himeko said with a teasing smile.
Kiana gave her a deadpan stare, straw in mouth, but then suddenly stopped sipping and stared at her milk tea in shock, eyes wide.
"Wait… did you drug this?!"
"It's just a Honkai energy suppressant. I mean, I can't exactly stop the mighty Herrscher of the Void myself, can I?"
Himeko raised her wine glass. Behind the blood-red liquid, her gaze was dark and serious as she watched the change in Kiana's expression.
That one sentence made Kiana's pupils contract, the bright gleam in her eyes dimming instantly.
"…Big Sis Himeko… I'm sorry…"
"My best friends… all died in that battle. And you're telling me you're sorry—do you really think that means anything?"
"I… I really don't have anything else to say…"
Kiana lowered her head, her voice heavy with guilt.
She couldn't offer her own life—or Sirin's—as compensation. Nor could she separate herself from the destruction Sirin had caused. The only thing she could give Himeko was a meaningless "I'm sorry." That was all.
Himeko stared at her for a long moment before downing her wine in a single gulp. A faint flush of intoxication colored her cheeks, giving her a fleeting, breathtaking beauty.
She had already drunk quite a bit before Kiana arrived—otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to face this girl with such calm.
Himeko closed her eyes and let out a long sigh.
"…Forget it. I can't forgive you on behalf of my dead friends. But you are you, and the Herrscher of the Void is the Herrscher of the Void. Right now, we're all forces fighting against the Honkai. I don't hate you."
"Big Sis Himeko…"
"Stop! Move those teary eyes away from me, they're giving me a headache."
"…Okay."
Kiana lowered her head again, holding back the tears that had welled up from being moved.
Their complicated relationship made the air between them fall into a long silence.
Eventually, Kiana remembered her reason for coming and looked up, just about to speak—
—but Himeko pulled out a pocket watch from a dimensional rift, checked the time, and cut in first:
"Stay with me for half an hour. Otherwise, I won't be able to explain things to Theresa."
"But—"
"Theresa is, after all, that person's granddaughter. Siegfried is your father. Anyway, the Archbishop won't let them get into life-threatening danger. And they both don't want you involved in this. It's a matter between adults. A kid like you should stay here and drink milk tea. Besides, given your identity, it would be awkward in every sense if you got involved. Or are you saying… you don't want to keep me company?"
Himeko smiled as she spoke, poured herself another glass of wine, then frowned, as if it wasn't enough—and simply grabbed the whole bottle and started drinking straight from it.
"Stop drinking so much!!"
Kiana quickly snatched the bottle from Himeko's hand.
Under Himeko's gently amused gaze, Kiana sighed helplessly.
"…Fine. I'll keep you company, okay? Big Sis Himeko, using my guilt against me—how sneaky of you!"
"Hahaha! This is called adult wisdom! As long as it works, that's all that matters! You'll learn one day, you silly kid!"
Himeko leaned back into her chair, her limbs languid like soft silk. With a hint of intoxication, her smile was alluring as she looked at Kiana.
Kiana could only pout, hugging the wine bottle with a face full of resentment and helplessness as she glared at Himeko.
But beneath her expression of dissatisfaction, Kiana felt a warmth bloom in her heart. Himeko's open-heartedness really did make her feel a bit better—and that kind of open-heartedness… likely came with a lot of help from her ever-concerned Aunt Theresa, didn't it?
. . . . . .
Bang!
BOOM!!!
At Schicksal HQ, the so-called Sky Base, the "City of God That Never Falls," Siegfried crashed through several buildings under immense impact, buried beneath the rubble.
"Lady Theresa. Lord Siegfried. You should stop now. Even you are not permitted to run wild in Schicksal Holy City."
Durandal's voice was clear and melodious, but it held no warmth—only solemnity.
Backlit by sunlight, the golden figure slowly descended from the sky. The sharp sound of armor clinking echoed as she moved, followed by a tremendous surge of Honkai energy—golden and radiant, releasing overwhelming pressure.
Theresa, floating in midair with her arms crossed, glanced in Siegfried's direction before shifting her crystal-blue eyes to Durandal on the ground. Her gaze softened slightly.
Then, with a sudden motion, thick golden chains burst forth from the cross behind her, spreading across the area like a birdcage, enclosing both herself and Durandal.
"Durandal, I know how strong you are. But are you sure you want to stop us? This is a test of HQ's defense systems. I already submitted the request, didn't I? As branch leader of the Far East, heir to the Apocalypse family, principal of St. Freya Academy, and regional diplomat—I have the authority. As an S-rank Valkyrie, you shouldn't be interfering with my justified actions."
"…Lady Theresa, we both know there's more going on here. Today, I, Durandal, cannot let you pass. I hope you understand."
"Inside the Elysion Pedion of Judah, your Honkai energy will be severely suppressed. You won't be able to stop the two of us working together. Just back off. I only want to talk to my grandfather."
"Lady Theresa, if you want to proceed, you'll have to step over my body."
Durandal stepped forward, her white lance held diagonally in hand. Though the Elysion Pedion steadily dissolved the Honkai energy surrounding her, more of it surged endlessly from within her body—like a perpetual motion machine defying all logic.
"…A monster."
Theresa gazed down at the golden-haired girl below and sighed faintly.
At that moment, Siegfried, tall and imposing, casually brushed off the dust from his torn white coat and stepped unharmed into the golden cage of chains—into the Elysion Pedion.
The two exchanged a glance. No words were needed as they silently entered battle stance.
Durandal bent her knees, coiled her power, and pointed her lance forward.
The atmosphere froze.
Tension ready to snap at any moment.
BOOM!!!
<+>
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