"However, although that slash was cool, the price wasn't small."
After the excitement faded, Kiana took a breath, her voice dropping a few decibels.
"There was... a bomb inside Mei's heart. I should have told you that before, right? That was a bomb Mei requested to be installed herself, to protect all of us. Once her energy exceeded the limit, it would cause her immense pain, and she would pass out directly."
Su Yu's fingers paused on the keyboard.
He looked at the choker on Kiana's neck—that was the limiter Kiana had actively requested to wear. The wristband controlling that limiter was currently on Su Yu's wrist.
Although not as lethal as the heart bomb Mei had, the electric current it could unleash was enough to bring down an elephant. Once activated, it would absolutely cause Kiana excruciating pain.
"Back then, I never really understood. I didn't get how Mei could still show such a gentle smile while wearing something like that."
Kiana touched the choker on her neck. The corner of her mouth hooked up into a faint smile; it was a kind of understanding and validation of her old friend's past actions.
"But after meeting you, and after everything that happened, I finally understand what Mei was thinking back then."
"Mei is truly much stronger and braver than I imagined. I used to think I was the one protecting Mei, but later I realized..."
"It turned out that idiot Mei had been fighting against her own nightmares in that way all along, protecting that carefree Kiana Kaslana in her own way."
Speaking to this point, Kiana's tone became somewhat choked with emotion.
However, before Su Yu could speak, she shook her head, throwing those sorrowful emotions out of her mind.
Although mentioning the past still made Kiana feel heavy, the strength she had gained from this world and from Su Yu over these past few days allowed her to begin self-regulating those sad emotions.
"Anyway, not long after, that fellow Bronya arrived too."
Kiana pursed her lips, imitating Bronya's flat, emotionless tone. She kept a straight face and made her eyes look vacant.
"[Idiot Kiana, combat style reckless, efficiency low. Without Elder Sister Mei, your current survival rate would be less than 1%.]"
"I was almost pissed to death!"
Kiana grabbed a handful of potato chips and crunched them fiercely, making a crisp crack sound, as if she were biting the head of a certain twin-tailed drill-haired loli.
"It was clearly that Honkai Emperor having no martial ethics and ganging up on us! And I tried my best, okay! She started criticizing me in hindsight the moment she arrived; it was really infuriating!"
Su Yu couldn't help but chuckle.
This was the interaction mode of the Trio in the early days.
Loving and killing each other, unforgiving with their words, yet serving as the most reliable support at critical moments.
"But fortunately, Mei woke up very quickly."
Kiana's expression softened.
"Although the three of us are usually noisy, we had honed our coordination countless times in the virtual training room. As long as we stood together, even without eye contact, I knew where Bronya would set up her cannon and where Mei would follow up with a slash."
She picked up the water cup on the table, took a sip to moisten her throat, and continued.
"We broke into the bridge's control room. The strange thing was, the journey was too smooth."
Kiana frowned, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the wall of the cup.
"There were only a few mechs and Honkai Beasts. After we solved them easily, we arrived at the bridge."
"Bronya checked the data and said the Moonlight Throne... had absolutely no defensive measures."
"That is very abnormal," Su Yu interjected. "How could a super battleship capable of triggering a Honkai reaction be like a public toilet with its doors wide open?"
"Right! That's what I thought too!"
Kiana slapped her thigh, her expression becoming serious.
"But the even more inconceivable thing was yet to come."
She took a deep breath, as if the eeriness of that moment was crawling up her spine again.
"Inside the main control computer, there was an email."
"An email... written specifically to me by name."
Su Yu's pupils constricted slightly.
Here it comes.
That massive foreshadowing that spanned the entire early stage of Honkai Impact 3rd, the beginning that pushed K-423 toward the abyss of fate.
Kiana closed her eyes. That passage of text seemed carved into her mind; every word carried some kind of unsettling prophetic quality.
She slowly recited it, her voice echoing in the quiet living room, carrying a tremor that was hard to detect.
"[Dear Kiana, hello!]"
"[This battleship, the Moonlight Throne, is finally returned to you after fourteen years.]"
"[You will ascend the throne and shape a new world. But before that, you need to find four keys.]"
Kiana opened her eyes, her azure pupils reflecting Su Yu's solemn face.
"[Conquest's Thunder, Haste's Flame, Desire's Storm, Serenity's Death.]"
"[By the way, the navigation password is your birthday.]"
"At the time, I felt something was wrong."
Kiana hugged the Homu pillow in her arms tightly.
"That feeling... was very strange. It was clearly the first time I had seen this battleship, yet it felt like someone was spying on my everything from the shadows."
"But the situation was urgent. The battleship was about to crash, so we didn't have time to think too much."
Kiana sighed.
"Bronya entered my birthday—December 7th. Sure enough, the permissions unlocked."
"Just when we thought everything was over and were preparing to breathe a sigh of relief..."
Kiana's voice stopped abruptly.
Her body leaned forward slightly, and her eyes became sharp—that was the instinctive reaction of a warrior facing a sudden crisis.
"The mutation happened."
"Project Bunny 19C... that mech that always floated behind Bronya like a guardian deity, suddenly changed."
"Originally it had white painting, full of technological feel. But in that instant, it turned into an eerie black! That red light seeped out from the gaps in the armor like blood."
"Bronya too."
Kiana bit her lip, a trace of pain flashing in her eyes.
"Her eyes... became completely empty. The armor on her body also turned black, and red patterns emerged on her face, just like she was eroded by some virus."
"Later I found out, it was that bastard Cocolia!"
Kiana squeezed the pillow in her hand, her tone somewhat resentful; she was feeling indignant for Bronya.
"She forcibly activated the bio-chip in Bronya's brain! That woman was treating Bronya like a weapon to control!"
Su Yu typed on the keyboard, recording: [Boss Battle Design: Heterogenous Black Nucleus · Bronya], while looking at Kiana's bitter and hateful appearance.
The atmosphere was somewhat heavy.
For Kiana, this was a memory she couldn't bear to look back on, a nightmare of companions slaughtering each other.
"Ahem."
Su Yu cleared his throat, deciding to utilize his specialty as a "heartless producer" to adjust the air pressure a bit.
He stopped the movements of his hands and turned his head, wearing that wicked smile that made people want to punch him upon seeing it.
"Bronya in that state was pitch-black and especially tough..."
Su Yu raised an eyebrow, a trace of teasing in his tone.
"Kiana, did you give Bronya in that form a nickname back then?"
"Huh? Nickname?"
Kiana froze for a moment, clearly not keeping up with Su Yu's jumping train of thought.
She blinked, looking blank. "Who has the mood to come up with nicknames at a time like that! We were about to be beaten to death, okay!"
"Tsk, this is where you lack a sense of humor."
Su Yu shook his head, extending a finger and wagging it.
"Look, her whole body turned black, and she is a Duckie (Ya Ya), plus she was particularly hard to chew..."
He paused, giving Bronya a terrible nickname.
"For example... Zhou Hei Ya (Blackened Duck)?"
"...Hah?"
Kiana froze completely.
After about three seconds, her brain finally turned the corner, connecting that blackened Bronya with a certain famous braised duck brand.
"Pfft—!"
The young girl couldn't hold it back and sprayed laughter directly.
The originally solemn and sorrowful atmosphere shattered instantly, as if forcefully physically transcended by this rotten meme.
"Zhou... Zhou Hei Ya?! Hahahahahaha!"
Kiana clutched her stomach, rolling on the sofa with laughter, tears even squeezing out of the corners of her eyes.
"Su Yu, you're too mean! If Bronya heard this nickname, that pipsqueak would definitely drive Project Bunny to blast you into dregs! She absolutely would!"
"She would definitely say with a poker face: [Idiot Su Yu, according to calculations, the probability of you being crushed by Project Bunny is 100%.]"
Kiana imitated Bronya's tone while laughing. That vivid appearance finally dispersed much of the oppressive haze from earlier.
Su Yu looked at Kiana, whose face was flushed red from laughter, his eyes softening a few degrees.
"That Zhou Hei Ya... ah no, Blackened Bronya, exactly how strong was she?"
"Phew..."
Kiana wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes and sat up straight.
Although there was still a smile on her face, her eyes had become serious.
"Strong. Very strong."
"She was simply like a different person."
She extended her hands, gesturing the range of an explosion in the air.
"Usually, Bronya mainly relies on Project Bunny for long-range support, but after blackening... she was simply a mobile arsenal!"
"Project Bunny's muzzle could fire cluster lasers and could also conduct saturation bombing on the field like a mortar! There was really nowhere to hide; the ground was full of red circles!"
"And the most ridiculous thing was..."
Kiana widened her eyes, as if she could still feel the vibration of the ground.
"She could also do melee combat! That giant mechanical fist smashed onto the ground with a bang, shaking the entire bridge! The shockwave could lift people several meters into the air!"
"She also threw flashbangs, grenades, and even smoke bombs! That kind of tactical literacy simply exerted combat techniques to the extreme. She didn't look like a person who lost her reason at all; she was basically a precise killing machine!"
Su Yu recorded quickly.
[Boss Skills: Full-screen bombing, melee heavy strikes, tactical throwables, stealth smoke. Remark: Not just a stats monster, but a mechanics monster.]
One Punch Duck is just like that.
One had to know, this thing was a nightmare for newbies when the server opened. Players who joined later only fought the nerfed Black Nucleus.
"However..."
Kiana changed the subject, raising her chin to reveal that iconic confident smile.
"Although she was strong, Mei and I weren't vegetarians either!"
"That kind of blood-boiling combo skill! My Gun Kata added to Mei's lightning blade—our coordination was seamless!"
"Finally, I found a flaw in her shield. One kick—Neko Charm! I kicked Project Bunny's defense to pieces directly!"
The young girl waved her fist, her eyes twinkling with the light of victory.
"In the end, we beat her awake!"
But the joy of victory didn't stay on Kiana's face for too long.
As the memories deepened, that high-spirited girl gradually quieted down, like a bird with broken wings slowly tucking in its feathers.
"When Bronya woke up, her eyes finally returned to clarity."
Kiana sat back on the sofa, her gaze somewhat complicated.
"She looked at us, and her first sentence was: 'Elder Sister Mei, Kiana, I am fine.'"
"Then she spoke to Himeko on the reconnected communicator: 'Major Himeko, after returning to the academy, please be sure to conduct a comprehensive physical examination on Bronya.'"
Su Yu's fingers left the keyboard.
He knew this plot segment.
This was Bronya's gentleness, and also her resolve.
She knew the chip in her brain was a time bomb. She didn't want to hurt her companions again, so she actively requested an examination, even preparing herself to be disposed of as a dangerous item.
"The communication was cut off at the time. Aunt Himeko didn't know about the situation where Bronya was controlled."
Kiana lowered her eyelids, her long lashes casting a shadow under her eyes.
"Mei and I... we discussed it and decided to hide this matter."
"Because we were both scared. Scared that if we reported it, Auntie and Aunt Himeko would think Bronya was a threat, would lock her up, or even... dispose of her."
"After all, she was a spy sent by Anti-Entropy. Although everyone tacitly understood it, once it was put on the table..."
Kiana's voice took on a trace of choking.
That was the naivety and loyalty belonging to a young girl.
Thinking that as long as they didn't say it, as long as they protected each other, they could block that monster named "Reality" outside the door.
Thinking that as long as they were together, there was no hurdle they couldn't pass.
"But..."
Kiana buried her face deeply into her knees, her shoulders trembling slightly.
"If at that time, I could have been a bit more mature... If I hadn't chosen to hide it, but reported it to Auntie and Himeko earlier..."
"Maybe everything afterward wouldn't have happened."
Her voice was muffled, carrying a thick nasal tone and regret.
"Later, in New Zealand, Bronya was controlled again. She captured Wendy and Mei."
"After that, in order to not hurt me and Mei again, that idiot... that fool Bronya, actually chose to burn the bio-chip in her own brain!"
Su Yu looked at the girl curled up into a ball before him, his heart feeling as if it had been fiercely pinched by something.
That was the eternal pain in Kiana's heart.
After Bronya burned the chip, she fell into a coma and became vegetative.
Until later when Kiana was taken away by Fu Hua, until the Herrscher of the Void awakened, triggering the Great Eruption...
During Kiana's time wandering as the Void Drifter, she simply didn't know if Bronya had woken up, didn't know if she was still alive.
That poison named "If only I had known" was corroding her heart every late night.
It was I who harmed her... If I wasn't so naive, if I could have noticed a bit earlier...
Maybe everything would be different.
The living room fell into a deathly silence.
Only the setting sun outside the window sank little by little, stretching the shadows of the two very long, very long.
That sense of powerlessness was like a tidal wave, drowning this soul from a foreign land in the dusk of this peaceful world.
Kiana, who was originally still immersed in memories, suddenly trembled violently.
She abruptly hugged her head, her fingers clawing tightly into that white hair, as if trying to drag something out of her brain by force.
"Ugh..."
A suppressed cry of pain spilled from the depths of her throat.
Those azure eyes were trembling violently at this moment. In the depths of her pupils, a smear of eerie golden yellow was spreading madly, attempting to swallow the original clarity.
[Warning: Herrscher of the Void consciousness activity rising to 15%... 20%...]
[Warning: Host, she's anxious, she's anxious! That Queen is about to hold a concert in Kiana's brain!]
The smart wristband on Su Yu's wrist vibrated madly, emitting an ear-piercing beeping sound. The System's light screen also popped up simultaneously, alerting Su Yu to the rising progress of the Herrscher consciousness recovery.
His heart tightened.
Sure enough, the System was right earlier.
Recalling those heavy pasts was like tearing open a healed wound again.
The smell of blood would attract sharks, and pain would attract the Herrscher.
This was a blood-vomiting marathon. While Kiana recalled those stories to become the strength she relied on to survive in this world...
Those pains also became nutrients for the Herrscher of the Void, gradually reviving her bit by bit.
Inside Kiana's mind, that arrogant, sharp voice carrying endless malice was echoing.
"Heh... you can't stand just this?"
"Truly weak, K-423."
"Just recalling a little bit of the past, and you want to escape?"
That was Sirin.
It was the Herrscher of the Void.
She was like a ghost, entrenched on the throne of consciousness, mocking the host's wretched state from high above.
"Look at this state of yours... Since it's so painful, why not hand the body over to me?"
"I will destroy all of this for you... including this hypocritical peaceful world."
Kiana clenched her teeth, fine cold sweat seeping out on her forehead.
"Shut... up..."
It hurts.
It was like countless needles were pricking her temples. Every word that voice spoke felt like a heavy hammer striking her nerves.
She knew this familiar pain all too well; it was the Herrscher of the Void's means of torturing her.
"Kiana?"
Su Yu immediately threw aside the keyboard and rushed in front of Kiana, his hands supporting her trembling shoulders.
The body under his palms was as cold as ice, the muscles tight as stone.
"Is that guy causing trouble again?"
Su Yu's voice was steady and powerful, trying to penetrate that layer of mental fog.
"Look at me, Kiana! This is Arc City, I am Su Yu! That guy can't hurt you!"
"Ugh... Bit... Bitter melon..."
Kiana raised her head with difficulty. Her eyes were unfocused, yet she stared deathly at that bottle of bitter melon juice on the coffee table.
That was what they had bought from the supermarket earlier.
"Give... give..."
Su Yu froze for a moment, then immediately reacted.
He grabbed that bottle of dark green, extra-concentrated raw bitter melon juice that made one's stomach acid churn just by looking at it, twisted open the cap, and handed it to Kiana's lips.
"Kiana! You... what are you going to do?!"
The voice in her mind suddenly changed its tune.
The original arrogance collapsed instantly, replaced by an emotion named "terror."
As an existence sharing senses, the Herrscher of the Void clearly knew better than anyone what biological weapon was contained in that green bottle.
She had already experienced it once a few days ago.
"You crazy person! Take it away quickly! Is that something for humans to drink—stop, you idiot!!"
"I won't—Mmph!!!"
Giving the Queen absolutely no chance to react.
A trace of ruthlessness flashed in Kiana's eyes. She threw her head back, grabbed the bottle, and chugged it fiercely!
Gulp—Gulp—
The rich, bitter green liquid carrying a grassy fishy smell poured down her throat.
That taste was like squeezing a hundred bitter melons, skin and seeds included, into juice, then fermenting it for three days and three nights.
It was simply a nuclear explosion of the taste buds.
"Aaaaaahhh!!!!"
"It's bittering me to death!!! You moron! Idiot! Paramecium!!!"
"I'm going to kill you—Urgh—!!!"
In her mind, that insufferably arrogant Herrscher of the Void let out a miserable scream.
That voice was no longer high and mighty, but filled with breakdown and despair, just like a kitten stuffed with a mouthful of wasabi, able to do nothing but scream and roll around.
"Cough, cough... cough."
The bottle hit the bottom.
Kiana threw the empty bottle onto the floor and collapsed limply onto the sofa.
She felt as if her five senses had run away from home at this moment, crowding together to protest this inhumane bitterness.
Especially her tongue, which extended uncontrollably, exhaling desperately, tears even squeezed out from the corners of her eyes by the bitterness.
Su Yu watched this scene, dumbfounded.
This... wasn't this too ruthless?
Was this the legendary... damaging the enemy by a thousand while damaging oneself by eight hundred?
No, looking at this posture, it was simply mutual destruction!
But the magical thing was.
As that bottle of bitter melon juice went down, the red alarm on the wristband stopped instantly.
The smear of golden yellow at the bottom of Kiana's eyes also seemed to have encountered a natural predator, retreating rapidly and becoming dim.
"Ha... ha..."
Kiana gasped for breath. Although her face was still twitching, those eyes were full of mirth.
That was the look of a victor.
She grabbed the empty bottle and shook it in front of Su Yu, as if showing off some spoil of war.
"See that? Su Yu."
"Didn't you always say before... drinking more bitter melon juice is good for the body?"
The young girl grinned, revealing a row of snow-white teeth. Although her tongue coating was dyed green, her smile was dazzlingly bright.
"I finally understand now... this stuff is indeed good for the body."
"Good... in every sense."
Su Yu looked at her miserable yet enjoying appearance, his expression becoming extremely strange.
"You drank this... to suppress the Herrscher of the Void? And it looks like... the effect is super effective?"
What is this?
Biological weapon? Taste bud strike?
So the Herrscher of the Void's weakness isn't Tai Xu Sword Qi, nor the Godslayer Lance, but—Bitter Melon?!
If Bishop Otto knew about this, he would probably be angry enough to jump down from the Imaginary Tree.
No, maybe it's because of the uniqueness of this world that the Herrscher of the Void has such a weakness.
"Yeah~"
Kiana made a peace sign, although her fingers were still trembling slightly from the residual bitterness.
"I also discovered it recently. Although that guy hides in my consciousness, pain and taste are shared."
The young girl pointed to her tongue, wearing a wicked smile.
"She's even more afraid of bitterness than I am! As long as I drink a sip, she can wail in there for half the day, with absolutely no strength to grab control of my body."
"Although I suffer too..."
"But as long as I can make that stinking Queen shut up, this little bit of bitterness... this young miss will endure it!"
Su Yu looked at her.
Just a few minutes ago, she was trapped in the shadows of the past, seemingly unable to extricate herself.
But now, she was using this almost "prank-like" method to launch a counterattack against the nightmare that once made her tremble in fear.
She didn't rely on anyone.
She used her own way to challenge her originally cruel fate, and she even won a round.
An indescribable emotion spread in Su Yu's chest.
It was a mixture of heartache, amusement, and... deep gratification.
"Beautifully done, Heroine Kiana."
Su Yu reached out and ruffled that head of smooth white hair. This time Kiana didn't dodge.
"This Self-Injury Ruse, ah no, Bitter Melon Ruse, I think can be listed in the hidden guides of Honkai Impact 3rd."
He stood up and glanced at the sky outside the window, which had completely darkened.
"Alright! Today's mission ends here!"
Su Yu waved his hand, his spirit soaring.
"To celebrate Heroine Kiana beating back the Great Demon King Herrscher of the Void once again, what do you want to eat tonight? Senior Brother will buy it!"
Kiana's eyes lit up instantly, the bitterness from just now seemingly thrown to the nine heavens in an instant.
She jumped up from the carpet, raising both hands to cheer:
"That's of course—Pizza!"
"I want double cheese! And add roasted wings!"
"Granted!"
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