The white-haired Knight Princess's sapphire-blue eyes fluttered open, narrowing slightly. At that exact moment, a crisp click echoed through the room, capturing the White Blazing Cat's adorable expression for posterity.
"It's just a new outfit... Was it really necessary to take a picture?"
Kiana kept her sapphire-like eyes half-lidded as she stretched languidly. The movement perfectly showcased the flawless physique she had gained from her second awakening. Having fully absorbed the Gem of Serenity and the Second Herrscher Core, transforming them into her own power, the white-haired Knight Princess's body and strength had reached their absolute peak.
She raised her hand and clenched her fist, feeling the explosive power surging within her.
"The past me... endured failure, suffered hardship, lost everything... But now, I will change everything—"
"This is the complete Herrscher, the complete Kiana Kaslana—the complete me!"
However, the White Blazing Cat, in the throes of her dramatic outburst, was completely unaware that behind the three "people" in front of her, a high-definition camera was hidden—and it was still recording. Her every move had just been captured.
"You've learned all the wrong things, haven't you? After all this time in the Trial, this is the line you pick up?"
Snow stared at Kiana, who still hadn't noticed what was on her head or how ridiculous the whole scene had just been. Forcing down her laughter, Snow feigned a stern glare at the white-haired Knight Princess. Behind her back, she frantically gestured for Muninn and Joyce to get rid of the camera.
"I just thought it sounded cool..."
The White Blazing Cat scratched her head sheepishly.
"Don't you think this line has a really badass vibe, Snow?"
"Sure, if you count getting scammed by phone fraud, starting fights when you can't win an argument, and then losing those beam struggles as a 'badass vibe'..."
The blonde girl rolled her eyes.
"Hey, if we ignore reality for a second—isn't the line totally badass? Just like that one line Muninn recited before."
While Snow kept Kiana distracted, Joyce and Muninn quickly dealt with the camera—or rather, humanely destroyed it. They removed the memory card and stuffed it into a pocket. As for the camera itself, Joyce created a miniature black hole that compressed it into a lump of top-grade scrap metal, unrecognizable even to its original manufacturer.
Just as the two successfully destroyed the camera, preserving the precious combat footage titled I, the White Blazing Cat, Can Do Anything, the victim herself—Muninn—was called out.
Miss Muninn, the target of the accusation, looked up at the white-haired Knight Princess in confusion. Her master's follow-up question came immediately after—
"Muninn, what weird lines have you been reciting now...?"
"Huh? I dunno—"
The silver-haired Apostle wore a completely dumbfounded expression.
"Ehehe, it was during the Wendy incident! That hymn-like recitation you did right before you passed out."
"..."
"Forgot it, can't remember, peace out!"
Muninn, suddenly recalling what she'd said back then, immediately started struggling.
"...Kiddo—what did you say? Hurry up and tell me."
Her master's persistent questioning continued—
"Muninn, aren't you the Monarch of Memory? How could you forget? Snow, let me tell you—"
As the silver-haired girl shot Kiana a look that screamed, For the love of god, shut up, you vicious woman!, Kiana began reciting Muninn's full speech from that day...
"—The Day of Judgment has come! His sword flashes like lightning, His horn echoes across the Holy City! His legions trample the heretics, His Heaven has descended upon the Earth!!!"
The white-haired Knight Princess recited the silver-haired girl's words with dramatic flair, perfectly mimicking her tone.
The subject of the recitation, meanwhile, looked utterly dead inside, radiating a dark aura as she lunged at the White Blazing Cat—
Muninn has altered your memory. You now believe Muninn never said that. Huginn did it—no, it must have been Wendy!
However, the silver-haired girl's attempt was thwarted. The Venerable God's merciless iron grip clamped down on her cute little head, and a voice filled with confusion and bewilderment whispered in her ear—
"Kiddo... where did you learn that???"
"Aba aba—?"
Muninn.exe has stopped working.
-
"Let's ignore Muninn for now—Snow, quick, help me get the other 'me' out..."
Kiana pulled the blonde girl's attention back, the Knight Princess looking rather troubled.
"Why the rush? So... what happened to her this time?"
"Ugh, you might not believe this, but after she was pushed back, she started fighting with the Class Monitor..."
"So let them fight... Two evenly matched opponents, and it's not like they have anything better to do..."
Though she said to let them fight, Snow still pulled out the meticulously crafted, purple-haired doll from behind her back.
"That's what I thought at first... but the Class Monitor fighting Sirin seems... off..."
"White hair, with a streak of red... and she's wearing very Shenzhou-style clothing..."
"The other 'me' is being relentlessly chased around my mind by Class Monitor Fu Hua right now... If the Class Monitor wasn't holding back for my sake, I think she'd unleash Taixuan Eminence right inside my head..."
"..."
Snow turned to look at Muninn, whom she was still holding by the scruff of her neck, and asked with a soul-piercing question—
"My dear little brat, what exactly have you been up to lately??"
"Just..."
"Just?!"
The blonde girl's voice shot up a full octave.
"Just gave that MANTIS a Refresher Orb... and fully restored her condition, that's all?"
"That's all?!"
Her voice climbed another octave.
"That's all..."
"Fine—then—whatever—I can already see some dumbass's goofy future. Hope Senti's okay—"
"Huginn—go drag that goofy Second Herrscher out for me... I want her alive, preferably after she's been beaten until she's leaking air..."
Snow whistled, summoning her other Apostle.
"My Lady—"
A silver-haired girl appeared behind Snow and bowed slightly. She glanced at Muninn, who was still babbling incoherently nearby, and rolled her eyes.
"Miss Kiana, pardon the intrusion."
Huginn reached out and touched the white-haired knight's forehead. Then, as if pinching something intangible, she pulled out a purple sphere of light.
The strangely glowing purple orb thrashed restlessly in Huginn's hand, seemingly eager to charge back in and fight that fifty-thousand-year-old grandma again.