As if guessing Fu Hua's thoughts, Ji Xuanyang said indifferently: "Fu Hua, it's not your fault that you forgot me. Besides, I think it's good that we met again and became friends. You seem much more interesting now than before."
"Oh?"
Fu Hua was surprised by Ji Xuanyang's reply.
Moreover, she thought she detected a hint of mockery in the other person's words.
However, given Fu Hua's personality, it's natural she didn't dwell on such things.
She simply nodded reservedly at Ji Xuanyang, and her tone was sincere: "This time, I will never forget you again."
"What were you talking about just now?"
Seeing that the conversation between Ji Xuanyang and Fu Hua was over, Theresa brought up the topic again.
"It's like this..."
Ji Xuanyang told Theresa and Fu Hua about the agreement between Kiana and the other two to rescue the real Kiana Kaslana and then rescue Seele.
"So that's how it is."
Theresa sighed. Indeed, she had held this matter in her heart ever since she learned that the Kiana she believed in was not the real Kiana.
She had originally planned to use her authority to see if she could find the real Kiana before Otto realized she had found everything out.
Unexpectedly, her speed of movement wasn't as fast as a group of children's.
Perhaps she had too many concerns.
Sometimes, the more deliberately you prepare, the more likely you are to miss the best opportunity to act.
"Such an ambitious plan, why didn't you wait for me, the Principal, to arrive before discussing it? What, are you afraid I won't agree?"
Theresa approached Kiana and the other two, speaking with a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"How could that be? Grande..."
Kiana, who usually called Theresa "Auntie," only managed the word "Auntie" before falling silent.
Yes, she is not the real Kiana, so she no longer has the right to call Theresa "Auntie."
"How could that be? Principal, we eagerly await your orders!"
After a brief pause, Kiana naturally said what she was going to say, but the way she addressed her had changed without her noticing.
Kiana's words brought a dangerous smile to Theresa's face.
As she leaned down to lift Kiana from Mei's lap, she said to Mei in a slightly apologetic tone: "Mei, can I borrow your Kiana for a moment?"
"Excuse me, Principal, please go ahead. And about my Kiana and so on..."
Mei: (/?＼), blushing and covering her face~
Kiana: No? No, why don't you stop me!
At that moment, Kiana was roaring wildly internally, but neither her inner thoughts nor her frantic gaze could reach Mei, who was covering her face.
In the end, Kiana had no choice but to resign herself to being pulled away by Theresa.
"Kiana, do you know why I wanted to talk to you alone?"
Theresa felt that talking to Kiana with her head held high lacked authority, so she pulled out the almighty Judah, sat on top of it, crossed her arms, and looked down at Kiana.
Kiana lowered her head, clasped her hands in front of her, and twisted her body somewhat unnaturally.
She knew perfectly well why Theresa had done that.
But...
Kiana remained silent.
Seeing this, Theresa felt her anger, for some reason, easily popping like a balloon at Kiana's little trick.
Her gaze was fixed on Kiana, yet unfocused, as if remembering someone through Kiana.
After a long pause, Theresa spoke: "Perhaps you don't know this, but it wasn't just my wish to found St. Freya Academy. Back then, Cecilia was the first to propose this idea to me. She even suggested the name St. Freya."
"Cecilia?"
Kiana knew perfectly well who Cecilia was, but she didn't understand why Theresa would mention this former S-rank Valkyrie, the strongest of her class, now.
The other party is already in the Second Collapse...
Wait, the Second Honkai...?
Recalling that the Herrscher consciousness residing in her came from the Second Herrscher, the Herrscher of the Void, Kiana gradually felt a bad premonition.
"Cecilia Schariac, Schicksal's former most powerful Valkyrie, wielder of the Divine Key Black Abyss White Flower, my dearest friend, Siegfried's wife, and Kiana Kaslana's mother."
Theresa ignored Kiana's expression and continued: "When you enrolled, I asked you to call me 'Auntie,' not because, as you might think, it was because Siegfried and I were old friends. The real reason was that I loved Cecilia dearly. Of course, I respected Cecilia's decision, blessed her marriage with Siegfried, and named their daughter Kiana, which means 'Moon Goddess.' However, under the effect of the Mimicry Feather, I forgot that it was my dear grandfather who ordered the assassination of the dying Herrscher of the Void and the emaciated Cecilia, until Siegfried appeared. The power of the Mimicry Feather was not entirely reliable after all. As Siegfried recounted his story, I remembered the truth and knew that Otto was conducting secret experiments on Kiana. I could not tolerate such deception, nor could I bear him conducting unknown experiments with the blood of the person I loved most. So, I decided to escape Schicksal with Siegfried and Kiana."
At that point, Theresa took a deep breath before continuing: "You know what happened after that. Just as the classified files in the Q&A room described, Otto discovered our plan. That night, I was intercepted, and Otto also sent a search party after Siegfried. In the end, I learned that Siegfried had escaped with Kiana. At the time, I didn't know that Otto's experiment on Kiana was actually creating a test subject, and that Siegfried hadn't taken the real Kiana, but rather that test subject. As for why I stayed in Schicksal under those circumstances... it's because my good grandfather used the Mimicry Feather on me again, and my memories returned to their original state, forgetting the true cause of Cecilia's death. Of course, even so, I gradually became aware of Otto's true attitude towards Valkyries. I couldn't accept Otto treating them as mere pieces to be used lightly, so I left Schicksal Headquarters, wanting to use my own strength, at least in St. Freya Academy established by the Far East Branch, to cultivate Valkyries who value their own lives."
"School Principal..."
Kiana believed she had guessed what Theresa wanted to say, which was nothing more than the hope that she could love herself.
So she mustered her courage and spoke.
"I don't know the specifics of what happened then, but since my father—no, Siegfried—could take me out of Schicksal, he should have been able to take the real Kiana if I hadn't been a burden. I will treasure my life. Even though I am just an experiment subject who shouldn't have been born, everything I have is because of Kiana. Therefore, before that happens, even if it costs me my life, I must rescue her from the hands of the Schicksal Bishop."
"I'm glad you have this idea, but I believe you didn't understand what I meant at all."
Theresa looked at Kiana with extremely complex emotions.
"A310, that's my birth name. It matches K423 quite well, doesn't it? Kiana, do you know? After discovering that you weren't the real Kiana but an experiment subject created by Otto, I saw you as another version of myself in the world. We were experiment subjects created by the same person, puppets he could manipulate at will. He controlled my mind, arbitrarily altered my memories, and all of this was due to his obsession with me. It's ridiculous, isn't it? If one day Otto loses interest in playing the game of grandfather and granddaughter with me, I will lose everything, even the right to be used by him. Changing the subject, Kiana, I'm telling you all this so you know that Kiana is my niece, and so are you. So I don't want to hear you call me 'Principal' again. I will always be your Auntie."
"Um..."
Kiana scratched her head: "Although what Auntie said moved me quite a bit, I thought I was going to cry, but the tears won't come out, and I don't want to either."
As she spoke, Kiana shrugged, with an expression of complete innocence.
Theresa was amused by Kiana's antics and said, somewhat exasperated: "I didn't tell you all this to make you cry, okay? On the contrary, this is good. Come here, silly niece, let your Auntie give you a hug~"
Kiana, who a moment ago said she couldn't cry, couldn't help but feel her eyes well up with tears after falling into Theresa's arms.
This comforting feeling seemed to make Kiana realize something.
Just like the lap pillow Mei had given her and the words from Bronya and Ji Xuanyang before, Theresa's hug at this moment was like clusters of firelight, warming her limbs and bones.
Only God knows the terror and unease she felt upon learning, through the confidential files provided by the Q&A space, that she was nothing more than an experimental subject.
She didn't know how to face everything.
At that moment, Kiana recalled a past event that she had buried deep in her heart and deliberately forgotten.
In the early days of their journey together, Siegfried tried his best to protect and take care of her, but most of the time, the man was either fighting Honkai Beasts outside and returning home covered in wounds, or he was depressed and sitting on the floor at home drinking heavily.
Also, she didn't have a name at first; she only had one identity: Siegfried's daughter.
It wasn't until her eleventh birthday that Siegfried gave her the name Kiana Kaslana because of her actions, and made a promise to her: that no matter the cost, he would protect the person he loved most.
Kiana is not dumb; she just doesn't want to use her brain.
If we delve into this deliberately forgotten past, what did Siegfried feel when he gave his own daughter's name to this experiment subject?
Does he not consider how his biological daughter in Tianming would feel if she knew?
Furthermore, he did not consider how she would react when she learned the truth.
However, upon deeper reflection, one detail becomes evident.
The promise Siegfried made to her when he gave his daughter her name.
At that moment, Siegfried's expression and tone suggested that he was deeply troubled by not having done so.
Then, does this mean that besides Cecilia, even the real Kiana...
Kiana didn't dare to think any further. She already felt guilty enough for causing the real Kiana to be taken back by Schicksal because of her. If the real Kiana were to die because of this, what would she atone for her sins with?
It was at that precise moment that the consciousness of the Second Herrscher, the Herrscher of the Void, took advantage of her and she lost control of her body.
If the opponent hadn't been wary of Ji Xuanyang, who wielded the Divine Key, due to her insufficient strength, Kiana probably would have committed even greater sins.
That's why, after waking up, she suggested to Mei that she wanted to rescue the real Kiana.
She no longer secretly speculated about what the real Kiana would do after being taken back by Destiny, nor did she even think about whether the other person was alive or dead.
She only wanted to do one thing: find her and return the life that rightfully belonged to her.
But now, Kiana has begun to have some doubts about her own illusions.
It's not that she didn't want to save them, but she wondered if what she wanted to give was truly what the other person wanted.
Furthermore, without mentioning Siegfried and Theresa, let's talk about Mei, Bronya, Himeko, and even Fu Hua.
From the beginning, they knew themselves, regardless of Kiana's identity, simply as she was.
She can introduce all her friends to the real Kiana, but she is unable to demonstrate how much she means to them.
Finally, after that night, she and the real Kiana started on different paths in life.
Everything she experienced had nothing to do with the other person, and the other person may not have suffered the misfortune she believed.
Therefore, the only thing she could do was to express her apologies in person and tell the other party the whole truth.
As for the right to choose, that right belongs to the other party, and you should not make any decisions for her in advance.
Thinking about this, the sadness that had been weighing on Kiana's heart dissipated a little.
Without the care and concern of those around her, if Kiana had been completely alone, she might have stalled in a routine and made a decision that would displease everyone.
Feeling the slight tremble of the girl in her arms, Theresa's caress on the girl's back became even gentler.
She didn't know what Kiana was thinking, but she knew that in that moment, crying was better than keeping everything to herself.
When Theresa returned Kiana to Mei, apart from slightly red eyes and the tip of her nose, there was no trace of crying on Kiana's face.
After patting Kiana's shoulder, Theresa asked about Himeko's condition: "How is Himeko now?"
"The damage caused by the Xuanyuan Sword, previously contaminated with Honkai energy, has exacerbated the degree of Honkai energy erosion in her body. She herself is not very adaptable to Honkai energy, so it's a miracle that she has survived until now."
Ji Xuanyang had learned some medicine from Cang Xuan, so he briefly explained Himeko's condition.
"Also, the marks on her body are a bit strange; they don't seem to have occurred naturally."
Ji Xuanyang received the Xuanyuan Sword from Fu Hua's Divine Key after awakening the Stigma inside it, allowing him to fight Judgment-level Honkai Beasts.
In his era, artificial Stigmata did not exist.
That's why he asked that question at this moment.
Theresa briefly introduced Ji Xuanyang to Schicksal's research results on artificial Stigmata, and immediately decided: "First, send Himeko to the warship Hyperion for a preliminary check-up. Luckily, we got the Schariac Holy Blood as a reward in the Q&A space. If Himeko manages to hold out until we successfully prepare the Honkai Energy neutralization reagent, she will be out of danger."
After a frenzy of activity, everyone took Himeko to the sanatorium.
Seeing Himeko lying quietly in the hospital bed, connected to a respirator and receiving IV nutrition, Theresa couldn't help but sigh again.
She found that she sighed much more frequently after leaving the Q&A room.
However, she did not blame the Q&A space.
They merely revealed the truth to the public. There's no reason to blame the one who told the truth and ignore the true cause of the tragedy, is there?
Ryusuke Murata, Anti-Entropy, Welt Young, the man who resembles Otto, and the Celestials...
Theresa pinched the bridge of her nose. If she hadn't memorized the action plan that Prometheus had devised, prioritizing it according to importance and urgency, she would probably be completely overwhelmed by the jumble of information that looked like a ball of wool.
"Let's go out first, and let Himeko stay here and rest for a while."
The crowd willingly obeyed and followed Theresa out of the sanatorium, and even out of the Hyperion, back to the Underworld.
"This place barely allows for a secret conversation. After all, even on the Hyperion, there's no guarantee that Otto isn't using his surveillance methods."
Theresa turned around and spoke to the group that had followed her outside.