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Outside the screen,
as all the viewers watched Otto threaten Theresa with Kiana's safety,
they wore expressions that said they had expected nothing less.
What they regretted was only this—
with Siegfried risking everything, and Theresa providing help,
how did Kiana still fail to escape Otto's control?
[Himeko (Star Rail): Sigh! Just a little more!]
[March 7th: This Otto… there's no method he won't use!]
[Hu Tao: Mm… Otto's methods really are a bit despicable…]
[Silver Wolf: ...]
[Herta: But if Otto truly wanted to, he could've used Kiana's life as leverage. Siegfried wouldn't have even made it out of Schicksal HQ.]
[Ningguang: Perhaps he was afraid that if something really happened to Kiana, Theresa would never forgive him.]
In reality, at St. Freya Academy,
with Mei and Bronya by her side,
Kiana had already shaken off her gloom
and regained her sunlike cheerfulness.
Watching the story unfold on the screen,
Kiana quickly accepted the reality as well.
From Himeko's and Siegfried's past,
everyone already knew Kiana's true identity—
a clone of the real Kiana.
K-423.
But the naturally optimistic "tuna" accepted it surprisingly fast.
After all,
the affection and love that her dumb old dad had given her
were never fake.
That much, she could clearly feel.
Now,
only one question remained—
Where was the real Kiana?
That man who had created all these tragedies—
Otto Apocalypse—
where had he hidden her?!
Thinking of this,
Kiana clenched her teeth in secret.
Her hatred toward Otto deepened further.
All these old and new grudges—
she would settle them with him one day!
Still, for Kiana,
what mattered more was protecting everyone she cared about!
Teacher Himeko,
Mei, Bronya,
Class Monitor Fu Hua,
Theresa—and… that stupid old dad!
Everyone she cherished,
everything beautiful in this world—
she would protect it all!
Just like the future foretold on the screen—
Himeko's final whisper:
"Kiana, lift your head."
"Keep moving forward!!"
"Turn this imperfect story… into the ending you desire!!"
After the screen revealed so many truths,
the once carefree Kiana
seemed to grow up overnight.
Perhaps the future she had glimpsed was simply too oppressive,
filled with too many regrets.
There were now reasons she had to grow stronger.
On the screen—
while everyone worried about Kiana,
the scene shifted.
Ragna handed the injured Kiana over to Otto.
"Oh, Ragna, you came at just the right time."
"Lord Bishop, this is…?"
"The child you rescued. She's severely injured, so I'll need to use special methods to treat her."
"So you've determined that she can survive?"
"She's always been a stubbornly resilient little monster, hasn't she?"
Otto looked at the unconscious Kiana,
unable to suppress his admiration.
"Struck directly in the head by wreckage at several thousand meters altitude, then falling freely into the depths of a snowy mountain—after all that, she still showed vital signs when you found her. How extraordinary must her vitality be?"
As Otto spoke—
the chat instantly filled with question marks.
?????
Was what Otto described…
even human anymore???
[Keqing: Huh???]
[March 7th: Huh???]
[Hu Tao: Huh???]
[Xianyun: It seems humans in your Honkai world are rather durable.]
[Furina: This is even possible???]
On screen, Otto continued:
"The Soulium surrounding her is only meant to stimulate her own cellular regeneration. I won't even need it to replace any of her body parts."
"So in the end, she'll still be herself? Not even a single hair changed?"
"That's an exaggeration, but broadly speaking, yes. I don't need to recreate her as a Soulium replica. And she will surely become Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie. Survive a great calamity, and great fortune follows—right?"
"Then… Siegfried and Lady Theresa…?"
"I have my own arrangements for them. You needn't concern yourself with my family affairs—
I don't intend for her to remain Kiana Kaslana."
"She has the right to escape the conflicts of adults,
to walk her own path,
and become the strongest warrior in Schicksal's history."
"When she awakens again, she will have a new name, a new beginning.
She will completely sever herself from these personal grudges that entangle her now—"
"And become someone better.
Someone more beneficial to Schicksal, and to humanity's future."
"You understand me, don't you?
Miss Ragna Lothbrok."
Otto gazed gently at the unconscious Kiana,
as if he had already planned everything ahead.
"Ragna, I don't intend to deceive you either—
so let me put it plainly. When the time comes, I will give this child a goal far more important than personal vengeance."
"And once she completes that goal…
she will, incidentally, also achieve her revenge against me."
"That would be a happy ending for everyone—don't you think it sounds wonderful?"
Otto's cryptic words
were thick with implication!
Could it be that—
the grown-up Kiana would bring him some kind of surprise?
But revenge against him—
how was that a surprise???
Why did Otto sound so pleased about it?!
[Jean: What exactly is Otto talking about?]
[Kafka: Does he want to give Kiana a new life?]
[March 7th: But… what right does he have to decide for Kiana and Siegfried?!]
[Tesla: That's just how he is! Deciding everything unilaterally, completely disregarding everyone else's thoughts and lives!]
[Silver Wolf: Strange… but why does he sound like he's actually looking forward to Kiana taking revenge on him?]
[Kiana: Damn it…]
Otto's self-righteous monologue once again disgusted many viewers!
The list of "Otto Not Acting Human" incidents
continued to grow!
No one even knew
how many lives Otto had already ruined…
Just as the chat was drowning in confusion,
Otto continued to push his plans forward steadily.
[Year 2009: Theresa applied to leave Schicksal HQ and, to honor her promise to Cecilia, established St. Freya Academy.]
At the same time—
within Schicksal,
a Valkyrie candidate of astonishing talent appeared!
Bianca Ataegina.
[Year 2012]
(cjcj)
The roar of engines gradually faded.
In the girl's memories, the razor-sharp air of high altitude still stung the sensitive nerves in her nasal passages.
Bianca:
"So this is the floating island… the central hub of Schicksal HQ."
Lost in thought, Bianca nearly bumped into someone.
"Hey! Watch where you're going!"
Ahead of her,
Rita turned around and apologized gently.
"Oh, my apologies. May I ask—do you need directions?"
"Directions? Yeah, sure. I need to report to Area A51. Do you know how to get there?"
"You're here for the Valkyrie admission test, correct? Turn right ahead, then follow the corridor straight. You'll find Area A51 on either side."
"…Thanks!"
"You're welcome."
Rita smiled—then quickly stopped Bianca again.
"Wait. That's left… the other side is right. You've mixed them up."
"Uh—of course I know which side is right! I was just… looking around!"
"Pfft. If you don't mind, shall I accompany you to A51? I just remembered I have something to handle in A52—it's right next door."
"Hmph… since you're going the same way, I can't exactly tell you to leave, can I~?"
Bianca lifted her chin proudly.
That slightly foolish pride
carried a familiar hint of Kaslana-family energy.
Rita continued with a smile:
"Still, your mindset is impressive. When I took the Valkyrie admission test two years ago, I was so nervous I could barely speak."
"What's there to be nervous about? It's just a test!"
"I was afraid of disappointing my family. They even closed their shop and came all the way from Britain to accompany me."
"…Well, if you put it that way, I guess I'm lucky in misfortune? Since as long as I can remember, I've always been alone."
"I'm sorry… I didn't mean for the conversation to turn like this."
"It's fine! I can take care of myself. I've got no problem surviving in this world—so why should I envy others?"
Not long before this,
Otto had summoned Rita.
"Rita, you came at the perfect time. I have a new task—one that only you can handle."
"I am honored to serve, Lord Bishop."
"Take a look at this file. This assignment requires you to prioritize her growth and protection under all circumstances."
"Bianca Ataegina… A-rank Valkyrie… 12 years old… twelve?!"
Rita froze.
She immediately realized something.
Wasn't this…
the youngest A-rank Valkyrie in Schicksal's history?
"Correct. Twelve years old—the youngest A-rank Valkyrie ever."
"If I recall… Rita, you were recommended to HQ for training at age thirteen by Miss Ragna, correct?"
"Yes. Thank you for remembering."
"No need for formality. I'm familiar with every A-rank Valkyrie's background. For instance, your recommender, Miss Ragna, was already a capable Valkyrie back then—just like you are now."
"I hope you'll take good care of this child, who chose to become a Valkyrie because of Miss Ragna's sacrifice."
"I will obey, Lord Bishop. But forgive my impertinence—
to you, is this Bianca… a specimen, or a human?"
"Hahahaha! As expected of someone trained as an assassin."
"Let me put it this way, Rita—
I do have certain special expectations for this child."
Otto laughed lightly.
He didn't deny it.
But that conversation alone
was enough to reveal a great deal.
Outside the screen,
none of the viewers were fools.
They immediately sensed Otto's abnormality!
A suddenly appearing Bianca, similar in age.
Extraordinary talent—becoming the youngest Valkyrie ever.
Otto personally assigning Rita to guard her growth?!
In an instant—
almost everyone thought of one existence.
The vanished—
true Kiana!
[March 7th: Wait… don't tell me…]
[Kafka: Could Bianca be the real Kiana?!]
[Honkai · Himeko: Otherwise… Otto has no reason to do this.]
[Theresa: Rita… is it true?!]
[Rita: My apologies. The Lord Bishop did not disclose that information.]
[Durandal: …]
Outside the screen,
within Schicksal HQ,
Durandal frowned slightly, calmly watching everything unfold.
Though this suspicion
had also planted a seed in her heart—
the now far more mature and composed Durandal
did not act rashly in the slightest.
Even as she faintly sensed something unusual about her own origins,
she kept her emotions tightly restrained—
perfectly stable.
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