Turning the tables!
"Kiana, you don't want Mei to find out about how you just molested me with your butt, do you?"
The snow-haired girl's wrists were gripped tightly, her entire body pressed against the cold rock wall by an immense force.
Clearly, she was the Valkyrie wearing the battlesuit. Clearly, she was the Kaslana with monstrous, innate strength.
And yet...
She was the one being pinned against the wall by this guy.
Kiana couldn't understand.
From her angle, she naturally couldn't see the Stigma patterns glowing faintly in the darkness on Brian's back.
Completely different from an ordinary Stigma, this one, inherited from Yae Sakura, contained her power as a Pseudo-Herrscher. Having been passed down to Brian, it was in a fully activated state.
There was no need for development or training; he could directly absorb the experience and skills within the Stigma and use them instantly.
One must understand that the Stigmata left to this era by the scientists of the Previous Era were not just tools to help humanity survive in the presence of Honkai energy; they also contained a wealth of precious knowledge and treasures.
For example, Bronya's stand-in, Project Bunny, was an intelligent weapon created by her younger sister Seele Vollerei according to blueprints from the Previous Era, after she had fully accepted the power and knowledge within her Stigma.
If even complex intelligent weapon blueprints could be passed down, then some trivial knowledge and experience were, of course, nothing to speak of.
Using a fully awakened Stigma to fight a Valkyrie who hadn't yet reached her full potential was naturally a piece of cake.
The shock and confusion in Kiana's eyes had yet to fade as the man, who seemed to have shown his true colors, displayed his masculine aggression.
"Kiana, if we both go to tattle, who do you think Mei will believe? Me or you?"
Warm breath tickled the girl's ear, causing Kiana to break out in disgusted goosebumps.
But compared to this guy's intense aggression, what caught Kiana's attention more were his words.
"What do you mean!"
Her gaze shot out, sharp and direct, making one feel as if they were being stared down by a fierce beast.
At any other time, the young Brian might have been a bit intimidated by this white-haired fluffball.
After all, one must know that in the natural world, a tabby cat is a top-tier predator, its only drawback being its small size.
The same principle applied to this white-haired fluffball.
But at this time and in this place, the roles of offense and defense between him and Kiana had already been reversed.
He was heard saying: "Kiana, who do you think Mei trusts more?"
"Of course it's... me!"
Her voice lacked conviction.
Crying wolf, crying wolf, and then the wolf really came.
Ever since Nagazora City, Kiana had spared no effort to win her personal cook back from Blondie's side.
Not only did she persistently tattle, but she also repeatedly exaggerated the facts, intending to drive a wedge between the two.
Once or twice was fine, but after many times, Kiana had completely exhausted her credibility with Raiden Mei.
Besides, with her beloved man by her side, Kiana, who loved to 'cry wolf,' naturally seemed to have no credibility at all.
Her false confidence was no match for the innately wicked Blondie protagonist.
The snow-haired girl's freedom was restrained, her right hand pressed against the wall, her legs forcefully spread apart into a V-shape by the man's powerful body.
She could even feel the warm breath coming from his mouth and nose, forcing her to turn her head away in disgust.
Just breathing the same air as this guy, she felt, was polluting her pure soul.
But no matter what, she was now pinned to the wall, completely unable to resist.
Fingers rougher than her own gently brushed across her cheek, then lingered for a long time on her slender waist.
Kiana's expression was exceptionally displeased, but in the next second, her attention was diverted.
"It seems you've figured it out. Compared to a glutton like you who only knows how to eat rice and needs an extra six burgers every night, I'm the one Raiden Mei trusts the most."
A savior, a hero of the Far East, her boyfriend...
Coupled with the negative impression Kiana had left, this outcome was only natural.
Loyalty that is not absolute is absolute disloyalty.
If a snitching incident were to occur, the probability of Kiana suffering was definitely much higher than his.
Brian continued, "I know what you were trying to do earlier."
As soon as he said this, Kiana suddenly felt a little guilty.
"You wanted to seduce me, to get me to make an intimate move on you, and then you planned to show Mei the incriminating video you recorded to stir up trouble between us."
His tone shifted.
"But have you ever thought that Mei has long been aware of your little schemes, and on top of that, you have zero credibility with her."
"That being the case... when you present your evidence, if I say it was you who molested me with your butt, isn't it more likely that Mei will believe me?"
It was twisted logic, but it struck her like a bolt from the blue!
Kiana, who wasn't very sharp to begin with, was successfully led astray by these few sentences.
She could imagine Raiden Mei's reaction after seeing the video.
The evidence would be conclusive, but the cause would be her seducing this lecherous Blondie.
Then she would be the one to get a beating, she would be the one to be denied meals, and as a result, this Blondie would be able to take even more advantage of Mei.
She might even be kicked out of the house because of it.
Although she had never been in a relationship, Kiana, a master of theory, could imagine it.
As long as Raiden Mei didn't want to believe it, the one who would be punished would always be her.
Her clever plan had backfired. That was her.
From the very beginning, she never had a chance of winning.
Until she could rewrite Raiden Mei's preference system to be as unorthodox as her own, her chances of snatching her personal cook back from Blondie were slim.
It was highly likely she would lose the happy life she currently had.
Kiana gritted her teeth but had no choice but to accept reality: "Then what do you want?"
If he dared to make any outrageous demands, she would go all out against him!
The initial negotiation was a success, but the comrade still needed to work harder.
Knowing that it was not the time to make too many demands, Brian had no intention of teaching her a lesson here: "Nothing much. I just want you to be a little more obedient from now on."
"Otherwise... you know."
Patting Kiana's exceptionally slender waist, the young Brian got into work mode, leaving Kiana hanging to the side.
The cold rock wall didn't take away the lingering warmth from the girl's body. The unabated heat even made her feel... a little wanting!!?
Covering her face, Kiana was in disbelief.
'Oh no, could it be that this damn Blondie drugged me, turning me into an Inner World female protagonist who can't walk away whenever she sees him?'
'Something like that... should be impossible, right?'
Patting her cheeks, Kiana took a deep breath of the moist air in the undersea space, forcing herself to clear her mind of what had just happened.
She would deal with future matters in the future.
As long as this lecherous Blondie still had some designs on her, there would definitely be another chance to expose his true colors in front of Mei.
With this thought, Kiana operated the terminal on her hand and uploaded the freshly recorded video to the Hyperion to prevent it from being lost.
She had obtained the first piece of criminal evidence.
It was just that the road ahead was long and arduous, and she needed to work harder.
...
The azure waves surged, and the magnificent giant ship cast its shadow from the sky.
Anti-Entropy's harassment had caused no significant impact; everything was proceeding according to plan.
On the bridge of the Hyperion, Theresa received the first set of data transmitted back from the underground space, from her dear niece.
"I didn't expect Kiana to be quite so capable."
Taking a pleasant sip of bitter melon juice, Theresa felt that she had a successor.
If everything went smoothly, Kiana would grow up without a hitch, inherit her and Cecilia's ideals, and become the second Principal of St. Freya High School.
By then, Kiana would have a happy family and a fulfilling life, and she, the great-aunt, could retire from the front lines of work and go back to babysit for her grand-niece.
At this thought, Theresa was gradually filled with motivation.
"Let's first take a look at Kiana's work."
No matter what, this was her niece's first official mission. As an elder, she had to fulfill her responsibilities no matter what.
Putting down the bitter melon juice, Theresa called up the data Kiana had uploaded to the cloud and began to inspect it.
The first part was all normal, exactly as expected.
But the latter half...
*Want to touch? Then touch!*
"..."
Theresa's brain stopped working.
*I know you young people are full of vigor, hot and heavy in your illicit affair, but are you so desperate that you have to get it on in the middle of a mission in an unknown area?*
Theresa didn't understand, but she chose to respect her niece's choice.
It seemed that grooming Kiana to be her successor was still a long and arduous road, and she, the great-aunt, would need to put in a lot more effort.
As an elder, one must do more for the younger generation.
As for the video Kiana left behind...
Theresa thought for a moment, then chose to delete it.
A recording of her niece and nephew-in-law's intimate interactions, how could it possibly be left on the Hyperion's public server?
"I'd better check on Himeko's situation."
Switching communication channels, Theresa began to inquire about her subordinate's condition: "Himeko, how are things on your end?"
*Zzz... zzz...*
After the fluctuating sound of static, a broken voice finally came through.
"The... The... resa..."
The communication cut off.
This is bad!
Her loyal subordinate, Murata Himeko, had run into danger in the underground space!
Immediately.
"Mei, Kiana, Himeko might be in danger, and we've lost Fu Hua's signal too. Hurry and check on their situation."
"Roger!"
"Auntie, leave it to us!"
...
A sudden turn of events forced the group, who had originally split up, to rendezvous once again.
In front of an ancient gate, Bronya was about to insert the three keys obtained from Sin into the lock, preparing to open it.
There were some ancient ruins in this underground space. Although their history was only a few thousand years old, their style was similar to that of the Previous Era.
Moreover, the structures here were extremely sturdy; even Project Bunny's cannons could hardly damage them.
As for Murata Himeko...
"Teacher Himeko's signal is approaching this location. I believe her current objective is what lies behind this door."
The ancient gate was almost one with the rock wall, the weight of history having sealed nearly all traces of it in the upstream of time.
No one knew what Murata Himeko had encountered while acting alone, nor did anyone know what the ultimate secret of this underground space was.
To find out everything, they could only open this gate and bring the truth back to light.
Brian stepped forward and took the three keys from Bronya's hand.
Knowing full well what was here, he inserted the keys into the lock while offering his explanation and speculation: "The legend already made it quite clear."
"Ji Xuanyuan fought the Emperor-class Honkai Beast Chiyou with the Key of Domination and sealed it here."
"Honkai Beasts have no intelligence. These things could only be the creation of Ji Xuanyuan and her companions. Behind this gate, the most likely things are Ji Xuanyuan's relics, perhaps even her and her companions' bodies."
"This is the seal they placed on the Honkai Beast Chiyou, and it is also their final resting place."
"As for Chiyou itself..."
"Perhaps we're inside the big guy's stomach right now?"
The three keys became one, and the great gate slowly swung open.
The space behind it was vast and empty, with a bright yellow sword plunged straight into the ground, drawing everyone's attention.
They had all read the relevant materials before coming, so they naturally knew the identity of this weapon.
"The Key of Domination."
"The Xuanyuan Sword."
As the words fell, a fiery red figure emerged from the darkness behind them.
It was none other than Murata Himeko, who had been acting abnormally.
"Teacher Himeko..."
The Valkyrie, with her lifeless eyes, did not respond to her students' calls at all. She merely walked mechanically and woodenly to the side of the sword and picked it up.
In an instant, red light flared, and black qi billowed.
A powerful oppressive force emanated from 'Murata Himeko,' making the group feel as if they had stepped onto a Herrscher's battlefield.
Having reclaimed her weapon, 'Murata Himeko' turned to face them, her eyes filled with boundless indifference.
"Warriors of a later generation, you... will all die!"
Boom—!
A loud bang, like a falling star.
Dark red patterns lit up on the dome of this space, pulsing with a steady rhythm as if they were alive.
An unprecedentedly colossal beast, after several millennia, opened its eyes at the bottom of the sea, announcing its return to the world.
Judgement-class Honkai Beast, Chiyou!
In Schicksal's classification of Honkai Beasts, the highest rank is only Judgement-class, therefore Chiyou is merely a Judgement-class Honkai Beast!
On the Hyperion, the snow-haired, blue-eyed nun looked at the behemoth rising from the seabed and almost dropped the bitter melon juice in her hand.
"So... so big!"
'Giant' was no longer sufficient to describe it; 'colossal' was more fitting.
Honkai Beasts are divided into upper-level and lower-level.
Among lower-level Honkai Beasts, size is proportional to combat ability. The pinnacle of lower-level Honkai Beasts, the Emperor-class Honkai Beast, has a maximum recorded height of less than one hundred and sixty meters.
The abilities of upper-level Honkai Beasts are not directly related to their size. For example, the Judgement-class Honkai Beast Benares, which appeared during the Second Honkai Eruption, was smaller than an Emperor-class Honkai Beast.
And the Honkai Beast that had just appeared in the Hyperion's field of view...
"Branch Head, preliminary calculations estimate the Honkai Beast's size to be about five kilometers."
"Are you certain?"
"Certain."
Such a behemoth, and it had appeared in the coastal waters of Shenzhou.
Theresa didn't hesitate: "Issue a tsunami warning for the eastern coastal regions of Shenzhou!"
The existence of Schicksal and the Honkai could not be made public, so this was the only way to evacuate the populace.
Theresa didn't know how effective it would be, but she knew the most direct method was to eliminate this big guy at sea before it made landfall.
"Hyperion main cannon, prepare to charge! Ready to fire at any time!"
She still needed to understand what was happening.
Theresa opened a communication channel with Brian and the others and began to inquire about the situation.
"Kiana, what did you encounter in there? The Honkai Beast Chiyou has been revived, and you're inside its stomach right now!"
"Auntie, no time to talk right now, we're trying to subdue Teacher Himeko!"
The communication channel was in chaos, making it impossible for Theresa to understand the situation.
Fortunately, the Honkai Beast Chiyou had only just awakened and had no intention of moving yet.
"I hope Kiana and the others are alright."
...
Inside Chiyou...
Murata Himeko, having picked up the Xuanyuan Sword, instantly turned on her own.
"You... will all die!"
The sword swept out. The powerful warrior from five thousand years ago possessed rich combat experience. In a single breath, she manipulated the Honkai energy in the environment, extending it as part of her attack.
Alarms blared in the minds of Brian and the others as they used their respective means to dodge. The stone wall behind them was, without suspense, split in two.
"What's wrong with Teacher Himeko?"
"She's probably being controlled by some vengeful spirit."
There was nothing wrong with Murata Himeko herself; her body had just been taken over by a stronger will.
They couldn't harm Murata Himeko's already fragile body, which meant from the very beginning, their only option was to subdue her without causing injury.
"What do we do?"
"Let me handle it."
Young Brian naturally stepped up. Only his ability could subdue Murata Himeko without harming her.
With a consensus reached, they began to act.
Bronya didn't waste a word: "Project Bunny, FIRE!"
Remote artillery fire was the best means of providing cover.
The Honkai energy-forged shells were split in two by the Xuanyuan Sword, but the brief few seconds were enough for the girls to make their move.
Kiana and Raiden Mei, one on the left and one on the right, attacked Murata Himeko from high and low.
Coupled with Bronya's frontal suppression, it seemed they were about to take this woman down.
But 'Murata Himeko' just sneered coldly.
Mere children, how could they compare to her five thousand years of resentment.
"You! Are seeking your own demise!"
She swung her longsword, almost cleaving the Valkyries in two.
But the motion had only just begun when 'Murata Himeko' was forced to frown.
Compared to her original body, this body's figure was simply too indecent, making her movements very inconvenient.
Strike while she's down!
The two girls didn't hesitate. Even if it meant injuring Murata Himeko, they had to subdue her!
Bronya's cannon fired relentlessly, and the Valkyries on either side gave her no room to breathe.
'Murata Himeko's' mind was almost completely preoccupied, failing to notice the change on the battlefield.
As the three Valkyries attacked once more, a powerful hand suddenly grabbed the people's teacher by the wrist.
"Got you, Teacher Himeko!"
It was the man who, in 'Murata Himeko's' eyes, was useless.
The next second.
Hand of God!
The unprecedented stimulation assaulted her nerve endings, causing every cell in 'Murata Himeko's' body to tremble!
Having never experienced such a sensation, the longsword in 'Murata Himeko's' hand became unsteady, clattering to the ground as her body dropped to one knee.
"You..."
Second time! Hand of God!
The indescribable sensation made 'Murata Himeko' feel as if she had reached Western paradise. Her entire body felt like it was being bathed in lotion essence, and she couldn't muster an ounce of strength.
Her long-standing combat experience told her that if this continued, not only would she lose this battle, but her entire existence would be completely broken.
She had to leave!
The greatsword on the ground moved without any wind, merging with something that emerged from Murata Himeko's body, and quickly flew off into the darkness deep inside Chiyou's body, disappearing from sight.
Murata Himeko regained her senses. The mature and beautiful woman understood her body's current situation in an instant.
"To think that I, a teacher, would have my body messed with like this by you all."
She turned her head: "Kiana, you all go and pursue that senior. She has endured thousands of years of torment here. It's time to let her find release."
"Leave it to us, Teacher Himeko!"
Dark Ji Xuanyuan and the Honkai Beast Chiyou were both grave threats to them; they couldn't be left alone.
The three girls didn't stop, chasing after her into the depths of the darkness.
Leaving Brian alone to take care of Murata Himeko.
With no outsiders present, the mature and gorgeous people's teacher could finally let down her dignity and airs as an elder, her mature beauty now tinged with a charming color.
"You little rascal, I didn't expect your ability to be so lewd. Mei must have suffered a lot at your hands, right?"
A decent person doing indecent things, but young Brian still considered himself a decent person.
If it weren't for him, tomorrow's Murata Himeko would be in the Far East Branch's ICU, not here chatting and laughing with him.
"Teacher Himeko, you can't put it that way. If it weren't to minimize the harm to you, I wouldn't have resorted to such a tactic."
It was all done out of necessity. All the blame belonged to Dark Ji Xuanyuan.
Hearing this, Murata Himeko just smiled: "No wonder Mei is so devoted to you. Your naughty side is indeed very charming."
Having been subjected to the Hand of God, there was no way Murata Himeko could see him as just her student anymore.
Besides, she, the teacher, possessed pure Far East blood.
One could only say... fate works in mysterious ways.
"You've turned me into this complete mess. Don't you have any intention of taking responsibility?"
"Teacher Himeko, if you want it, come and get it yourself."
He pulled up his pants.
[Mission Complete. Acquired skill 'Honeysuckle Crest']
...