Seeing Mei unconscious in her arms, Kiana knew it was all over.
She let out a sigh of relief.
"Little girl, I didn't expect you to be so strong. You knocked out the Third Herrscher with just one punch."
The red figure raised an eyebrow, looking at the white-haired girl with a mix of surprise and amusement.
To be honest, it was the first time she had seen someone knock out a Herrscher with a single punch.
"It's nothing. Still, thank you, miss. You're from Schicksal, right?"
"Correct, but we're from the Far East Branch, St. Freya Academy. Little girl, you've got talent. How about joining us?"
Sitting down on a relatively intact rock, the red figure extended an invitation to Kiana.
"St. Freya Academy? I don't want to go back to school."
"No, no, it's not just a school. Well, it's kind of similar, but it's mainly a place to train Valkyries to fight against the Honkai."
"But... I still need to find my father."
"If you join St. Freya Academy and become an S-rank Valkyrie, you'll have access to far more resources than you would on your own. Still not interested?"
Clearly, the red figure was skilled at persuasion.
Hearing this, Kiana felt tempted.
After all, the power of many far outweighed the power of one.
In the end, she made up her mind.
"Then I have to bring someone with me. Mei has to come too."
"...No problem. But since she's a Herrscher, we'll need to take some precautions."
"Bronya also wants to go. Is that okay? Bronya wants to find her family too."
At this moment, Bronya, who had arrived late, opened the rooftop door and spoke.
The red figure didn't answer immediately but instead glanced back at Kiana. "Do you know her?"
"She's with us."
"Then she can come too. Follow me."
With that, Murata Himeko took out her communicator and sent a signal. The Hyperion, receiving the signal, slowly descended and opened its hatch.
"Come on, kids. Oh, by the way, I'm Murata Himeko, an A-rank Valkyrie. I might become your teacher in the future, so you can call me Instructor Himeko for now."
Turning back to look at the three of them, Himeko gave a playful wink, showing a youthful side to her personality.
As for why she was far stronger than in the original timeline but still only an A-rank Valkyrie, it was because too many high-tier fighters were still alive. The standards for S-rank never lowered; they only became stricter.
Of course, a certain Theresa was still a genuine S-rank Valkyrie.
Rita, as always, played the role of the gatekeeper.
Once aboard the Hyperion, Himeko immediately had the medical team take Mei to the emergency operating room.
Seeing Mei being taken away, Kiana could do nothing but chat with Himeko.
However, shortly after, a video call came through on the Hyperion.
"Himeko, how did the mission go?"
"My dear Principal, could you wipe the crumbs off your face after sneaking a snack? There's still cookie residue there."
"Huh? Where? No, there isn't."
"So you really did sneak a snack, huh? Don't use our budget to buy snacks for yourself!"
"Himeko, you tricked me!"
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about that. The mission was a complete success, and I've brought back three survivors. One of them is Raiden Mei, the host of the Third Herrscher.
Another is Bronya Zaychik. She wants to find her sister and has the potential to become a Valkyrie.
And the last one is Kiana Kaslana, from the Kaslana family. Though I'm not sure where her father is—she's looking for him."
"Wait, what did you say her name was?"
Having rehearsed this hundreds of times, Theresa's shocked expression was perfectly acted out.
She genuinely conveyed the emotion of surprise, even though she knew full well that Siegfried was currently eating instant noodles somewhere on campus.
"Kiana Kaslana. What, is she your secret love child or something?"
"Cut it out, Himeko! I've never even been married, don't spout nonsense. But move aside, let me see her."
Faced with Himeko's teasing, Theresa didn't mind—or rather, she was used to it.
Unlike in the original timeline, where her height was an issue, Theresa's age and single status made her the perfect target for Himeko's jokes.
After all, with someone like Theresa ahead of her, Himeko felt that being single wasn't so bad.
Himeko obediently stepped aside, and Kiana, looking a bit confused, appeared on the screen.
"Kiana, is that you?"
"Uh, do we know each other?"
Kiana thought hard but couldn't recall ever meeting this white-haired woman.
"Ugh, did Siegfried never mention me? I'm your mother's best friend and your godmother. By family ties, you should call me Aunt Theresa."
"Aunt Theresa?"
"That's right. It seems that jerk Siegfried left you without telling you anything. But don't worry, once you arrive at St. Freya Academy, you can treat it as your home."
"Oh, okay. Aunt Theresa, can you tell me about my mom? My dad never talks about her."
"...Your mother died during the Second Honkai Eruption. She was a great warrior and a wonderful mother. But perhaps unable to accept her fate, your father fell into despair afterward.
Then, for some reason, he took you and fled Schicksal, which led to him being wanted by the organization.
But don't worry, I'm in charge of the Far East Branch now. No one will report your identity. As your aunt, I'll protect you."
"Aunt Theresa..."
For the first time in many years, Kiana felt the warmth of a family elder's care.
Even though they weren't related by blood, the feeling was incredibly comforting.
As a result, Kiana let go of her initial caution and began chatting freely.
During their conversation, Kiana learned the truth about her mother.
After all, the script couldn't remain entirely unchanged—some adjustments were necessary, as long as they didn't affect the overall story.
As the saying goes, small changes are acceptable, but the major events must remain unchanged.
As they talked, time passed slowly.
"Kiana, are you there?"
Just as Kiana was about to end the call with her aunt, she heard a voice and turned around sharply.
There, leaning against the wall with a pale complexion, was Mei, looking at her.