Elias—Kiana, You're Going to Have a Big Belly

"The reason I dote on her is because she's Kiana—not because of how she was born."

Elias said it like it was the most natural thing in the world. After all, what captain wouldn't adore the ultimate, ridiculously, absurdly cute Kiana?

As a transmigrator, Elias had known from the start that Kitty Kiana was a lab-grown homunculus. But so what?

A girl's origin doesn't define her.

Kiana had a clear sense of self, and a will to fight for all that was good in the world. No one understood better than Elias just how wonderful Kiana Kaslana really was.

Still, while he was grateful to Otto for Kiana's creation, he was also furious.

(It's infuriating… but in the end, it was Otto's handiwork that brought Kiana into the world. Fine, I'll just beat the crap out of that inhuman bastard.)

And now, the perfect opportunity had arrived.

Elias made a decision: the next time he saw Otto, he would wring out every last cent of his hidden Kallen-themed slush fund.

On the other side, after a brief pause, Himeko and the others nodded in agreement.

"That's right. No matter her origins, Kiana is a Valkyrie of St. Freya Academy."

"Yeah! Elias is absolutely right. Kiana is Kiana—and that's all that matters."

"But we shouldn't tell her just yet. That girl might not be able to handle it."

Just as Fu Hua finished saying that—

"Class monitor, I'm back! What gear were you talking about? I looked all over the training grounds and didn't find anything."

Kiana came bounding back in, panting, and confused.

"Uh, sorry, Kiana. Turns out I had it with me the whole time. I didn't forget it after all."

"Huh?! You were messing with me, weren't you, class monitor?!"

Realizing her trip had been for nothing, Kiana stomped in frustration—but Elias walked up beside her and expertly soothed the grumpy kitty.

"Now now, Fu Hua would never prank you—she's way too honest for that. And besides, you do the same thing all the time. Remember how you're always looking for your phone even though it's in your hand?"

"Oh… yeah, that does sound like me. I didn't think someone as stiff as the class monitor could be so forgetful."

"Ahaha, sorry about that."

"It's fine! I forgive you~"

Kiana crossed her arms and smiled brightly, totally letting it go.

In the end, as long as something wasn't done with clear malice, this silly slipper-girl never took it to heart.

"So what were you guys talking about? I think I overheard something about a secret you're not telling me. Spill it! What is it? If you don't tell me, I'm gonna be mad!"

She raised her hands in claw-like shapes, striking a mock-threatening pose—adorable, really. It only made everyone feel more deeply that someone like her should never have been burdened with such a sorrowful origin.

Seeing her, the other girls couldn't help but show expressions of concern, pity, and sympathy. Kiana blinked, confused.

"Uh… what's going on? Why are you all looking at me like that? I'm fine, aren't I?"

"Ahem~ Kiana, since it's come to this, I won't hide it anymore. You've got a terminal illness. Did you know that?"

Elias switched into full troll mode, adopting a solemn expression as he told her: Kitty, you're not gonna make it.

"H-Huh?! I've got a terminal illness?! No way! Elias, don't scare me like that! I haven't even become the strongest Valkyrie yet—I don't wanna die!"

Kiana was completely stunned.

If anyone else had said that, she might've doubted them.

But if Elias said something, this silly girl would believe every word—without hesitation.

Seeing Kiana trembling with her hands over her head, Elias couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

At the same time, he wondered—why was she panicking? Hadn't he told her he was the Herrscher of Rebirth?

There wasn't a single medical issue in this world he couldn't solve—unless it involved soul-level resurrection.

…Oh. Maybe he'd never actually said it out loud.

While the other girls had figured out his Herrscher status during the whole cat ears and tail incident, the slipper-girl never overthought things.

"Don't worry. You're not doomed."

"R-Really?!"

"Of course. All you have to do is break your limit today—go from eating six bowls of rice to seven, and you'll be cured."

Elias said with a completely straight face.

"..." x6

The girls all fell silent.

At least Fu Hua's lie had some internal logic.

Elias, with your IQ, couldn't you have come up with a better reason? One that sounded remotely believable?

But Elias simply gave them a look that said, shallow—all of you are far too shallow.

"Really? That's all it takes? Geez, you scared me! Just to be safe, I'll challenge myself to eat ten bowls today! But Elias, you have to cook me something tasty, okay?"

(She believed that?!) x6

Fu Hua and the others were stunned.

Even a three-year-old wouldn't have fallen for that, and yet Kiana completely bought it.

"Of course. I'll make you a whole feast. Our dear Kiana can eat as much as she wants. Just let me know what you're craving—anything at all."

"Yay! You're the best, Elias! But I love everything you make, so anything's fine!"

"Those words make me so happy. Just wait—your belly's gonna be huge tonight."

Elias chuckled as he patted Kitty Kiana's head.

Come on—did he need to even try to fool this girl?

Brain cells shouldn't be wasted like that.

He could tell her there were rabbits on the moon, and she'd believe him, as long as it came from his mouth.

Kiana wasn't actually dumb. On the contrary, she was incredibly sharp.

But with Elias always by her side, her brain had simply gone on permanent vacation.

"Everyone, come join us—it's also a celebration for Fu Hua joining the team," Elias said to the group.

"I know a bit of traditional Shenzhou cooking. If you don't mind, let me help out too."

"Class monitor knows how to cook Shenzhou dishes? You'll have to teach me, because Elias really likes them."

"…I never thought I'd live to see the day my kitchen would be used by three top-tier chefs."

Himeko looked at Elias, Fu Hua, and Mei working in the kitchen with a sigh of contentment.

Not long ago, that kitchen was more of a decorative necessity.

Now, it was full of life—and this formerly helpless adult Valkyrie was genuinely moved.

Fu Hua: "Oh right, I should send Otto a message. Let him know I'm officially resigning from Schicksal."

Elias: "Speaking of which, I told that mutt to come to St. Freya. Wonder where he's wandered off to. I can't wait to meet him."

Today, he was going to squeeze Otto dry.

...

On Schicksal's floating island—

"Heh~ Do you see this, Rita? My dear granddaughter, Theresa, has invited me to her St. Freya Academy for afternoon tea. How delightful."

Otto maintained his usual graceful smile as he looked at the invitation Theresa sent on Elias' behalf.

He looked like he genuinely found it heartwarming.

"Lord Overseer, I believe this message is less an invitation to tea and more… a challenge."

The maid beside Otto spoke calmly.

Her name was Rita Rossweisse. Though she appeared to be an elegant and demure maid, she was in fact one of Schicksal's current top three S-rank Valkyries.

She belonged to the Immortal Blades squad, where everyone else was A-rank, making her stand out even more. With short ash-gold hair, a wine-red left eye always hidden beneath her bangs, and a beauty mark under her right eye, Rita's appearance held a subtle allure.

Today, she was dressed in her iconic maid outfit—black stockings with rose embellishments, a decorative garter on her right thigh, and a lamb-horn rose headband that made her look like she was cosplaying. But this wasn't ordinary clothing—it was the third-generation Valkyrie battlesuit developed by Schicksal: Umbral Rose.

Unlike some with natural Herrscher-level powers, Rita was a true "normal human" who had reached S-rank through sheer effort and talent. She was also a master of the maid arts—a paragon among Valkyries.

Unfortunately, this otherwise flawless maid had a few… questionable traits. Like the fact that she served as Otto Apocalypse's shadowy right hand, often handling the dirty work he couldn't be seen doing himself. And… she had a rather concerning fondness for petite girls.

"Rita, make preparations. We're heading to St. Freya Academy for that meeting. I imagine you miss Theresa as well."

"As you command, Lord Overseer. I'll arrange the appropriate security detail. Should we bring Lady Durandal as well? After all, there are currently two Herrscher-level combatants at St. Freya."

"No no~ Relax, Rita. There's no need to trouble Durandal with something so minor. It's just afternoon tea, after all. No need to make a spectacle of it."

Otto replied with his usual composed confidence.

Of course, he knew perfectly well that this tea party was unlikely to be calm.

But what of it?

Even if there were two Herrschers present—or three—it didn't matter. As long as his old friend remained at St. Freya, Otto was certain things wouldn't go south.

The Immortal Phoenix, forever dependable.

Aside from Durandal, she was his strongest card. And even if things did go poorly, it would only cost him a soulium body—not a big deal.

(But really… this Elias boy is becoming more and more intriguing. This time, I must see with my own eyes what he's truly made of—someone who's repeatedly defied all of my expectations.)

He had won over the Herrscher of Thunder, stopped the Third Eruption, reached S-rank Valkyrie strength in just a few short months.

He could stably wield the fourth-gen Godsbane Suit, Vermilion Knight: Eclipse—something A-rank Valkyries could barely use for a few minutes.

He had mastered the Herrscher of Fire's core, and transformed the Judgment of Shamash into the Might of An-Utu—something even the Kaslana clan had failed to do.

And… he could open a portal to the Imaginary Space on his own.

(Truly remarkable. Far beyond remarkable. At first, I thought he was just a brave, ordinary boy. I never imagined even I, Otto, could misjudge someone to this degree.)

Otto looked again at the intel in his hand.

As he compiled the various details, even he was left stunned.

As Elias had predicted, the battle with Chiyou had been so dramatic that Schicksal's satellites picked it up in full.

Especially that one strike—Elias' full-powered release of the Might of An-Utu had thoroughly shaken Otto.

"At first, I worried he wouldn't have the strength to stand against K423 once she Herrscherized, so I sent the VK-E armor to him. I never imagined it would let him ascend so far, so fast… I'll need to devise a way to take it back."

Otto muttered in a cold, detached voice.

Power that was too weak couldn't fulfill his plans.

But power that was too strong… might become an obstacle to the final stage of his grand design.

"Balancing the two is truly difficult."

Otto couldn't help but sigh.

"I once believed that when the moment came for me to overturn the world's fate, the only ones capable of standing in my way would be Durandal and K423, after she had endured countless trials and grown strong enough. But now it seems… there may be one more."

Otto was beginning to understand the Herrscher of the Void's parting words—why he said that harming Durandal would doom his efforts to bring back Kallen Kaslana.

Because Durandal held the potential to become the strongest of the current era, and only someone like her could, in the end, defeat Otto after he attained pseudo-godhood.

He recalled the time that girl fell from over a thousand meters. He, Otto, had been even more frantic than Siegfried, personally performing a surgery that lasted dozens of hours.

That incident triggered the awakening of the Kaslana and Schariac genes within her, unlocking the true potential of the real Kiana Kaslana.

Though the procedure caused her to lose her memory and her hair to turn from white to golden with pale coral tips…

It made it easier to conceal her identity—both from the world and from Durandal herself.

"Almost like fate itself was guiding things. Could it be… that Herrscher of the Void really could see the future? But I never found such a power while analyzing the Gem of the Void."

Otto's mind involuntarily replayed Elias' words: He will ultimately bring salvation to his saint.

Now, the pieces needed to turn that promise into reality were falling into place one by one. And yet…

The most critical piece was still missing.

"The Cosmic Juggernaut is in my possession, but I still lack the most vital artifact needed to open the path to the Imaginary Tree—the beacon. Without it, my long-cherished wish can never be fulfilled."

"If that Herrscher of the Void really could see the future, then surely the beacon will fall into my hands eventually. Still, the wait is excruciating."

"But really… ha~ Otto, what's become of you? Are you actually starting to believe in fate now?"

Otto chuckled at himself, resting his forehead on one hand.

He didn't believe in fate.

Nor would he wait around for destiny to hand him anything.

He would find the beacon to the Cosmic Juggernaut himself—and seize it.

"I've nearly scoured the entire world over the years. If it's anywhere, it must be with that Previous Era Flame-Chaser… Kevin Kaslana."

Durandal had once contacted the Previous Era's Flame-Chaser Su, learning through an illusion he created that Kevin was sealed in the Imaginary Space.

"Bringing him back would be extremely dangerous. The Previous Era's stigmata project may have been able to defeat the Honkai, but it would also destroy humanity. Still… if the beacon is with Kevin Kaslana, I have no other choice."

Even if it meant dragging humanity toward extinction…

Otto wouldn't hesitate. Reviving his saint was a vow he'd carried for five centuries. He would stop at nothing.

"Sigh~ I'm getting ahead of myself. Today is merely to see what that Elias boy is made of. Even if he has the Herrscher of Thunder on his side, he's still no match for my old friend."

Otto shook his head.

Ding!

A message alert chimed.

Seeing the sender, Otto smiled.

"Speak of the devil… my old friend's messaged me. Let's see… Hm? Res—Resignation?"

Otto's eyes widened, his usually composed demeanor vanishing.

It was a formal letter of resignation. Clearly copy-pasted and lightly edited from a public template.

But the content was clear: Fu Hua intended to abandon her mission and defect from Schicksal to St. Freya Academy.

"Rita! Rita!"

"Yes, Lord Overseer?"

"Get Durandal here immediately. This tea party might not be so simple after all. Bring more people. And you—change into your Godsbane Suit: Argent Knight: Artemis."

For once, Otto's face showed a trace of tension.

He couldn't afford to have Fu Hua stand against him.

After all… even a low-HP immortal is still Tier-0.

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