Wanted

"Faced with the man she once loved, now a demon fallen to darkness, the young maiden shut her eyes tight, the longsword in her hand trembling like her heart. Yet, whenever she thought of lowering her blade, the sect rules left by her grandmaster seared her conscience like a red-hot brand."

"All evil must be purged; those who fall to darkness must be slain."

"It was the sect rule, and it was her destiny."

"The cold moonlight illuminated the maiden's face, tracing the path of glistening tears from the corners of her eyes. The moment they landed, the chaotic dance of sword light finally erupted. The sharp point of the blade, along with the maiden's resolve, plunged into her junior brother's chest."

"A cold wind gusted, making the bamboo shadows sway. From then on, the demonic scourge was gone from the martial world. Vanishing along with it was the maiden who had slain the 'demon'..."

As the final passage of the story concluded, the sound of the girl's reading in the room fell silent.

Sunlight filtered through the graffiti-covered glass, landing on an Azure Empyrea doll on the desk. The girl sitting before the desk rested her chin on one hand, gazing blankly at the manga, turned to its last page, lost in thought.

"Sister Sushang, you're reading this manga again."

Just as the girl was feeling sorrowful over the manga's tragic ending, a small head suddenly popped up beside her. Li Sushang, who had deeply identified with the heroine, blushed and quickly slammed the manga shut.

"I've already reached the age of fifteen (age of marriage in ancient china). What's wrong with looking at this little picture book?" She puffed out her chest, feigning calmness in her defense.

"But Sister, you've already read this manga dozens of times..."

"Well, what can I do? It's not my fault the story of Chronicles of the Shattered Sword hasn't been updated since this point." She flipped the book over. The large characters for Chronicles of the Shattered Sword were prominent, with the smaller text "Obsidian Concord Culture Publishing House" below.

"If you ask me, Sister Sushang definitely wants a boyfriend! Otherwise, why would she always put herself in the heroine's shoes?" Just as Sushang was talking with Little Sora, another head peeked in from the doorway.

The next second, the door swung wider, and with a series of surprised yelps, a group of children who had lost their balance tumbled onto the floor. Clearly, while Little Sora had slipped in, the other children had been hiding behind the door, eavesdropping.

"That must be it! Teacher said girls in ancient times got married at fourteen or fifteen. Sister likes putting herself in the heroine's place so much, she must... Ouch!"

Seeing Li Sushang's face growing redder, Little Sora couldn't help but chime in, but before she could finish, she received a sharp rap on the forehead.

"You little rascals are quite mischievous. Have you spent so much time together that you're ganging up to bully me now?" Sushang said, slightly exasperated.

After Ren's death, Li Sushang had returned to Schicksal. However, being from ancient times, she struggled to adapt to modern society. It was during a chance encounter, accompanying Durandal to the orphanage where Durandal grew up, that she met this group of little imps brought back from Nagazora City.

Although Sushang was already 15, her simple personality made her psychologically much younger. Over time, she ended up getting along remarkably well with this group of eleven- and twelve-year-olds. So, whenever she had no duties at Schicksal, she would usually spend her time at the orphanage.

"No, no! We came looking for you for a reason," Little Sora quickly explained, rubbing her forehead. "Ah, no, Sister Bianka is looking for you."

"Durandal? Why would she have time to come find me?"

As one of Schicksal's only two... no, three S-rank Valkyries, Li Sushang got along reasonably well with Durandal. Coupled with the orphanage connection, the two occasionally met.

However, since Durandal spent most of her time training and Li Sushang didn't know how to use a phone, they didn't have much contact beyond these encounters.

"Maybe it's a mission," Sushang muttered softly. She placed the manga back on the desk, picked up her Azure Empyrea doll and her sword, and walked out.

As soon as she stepped outside the orphanage, she saw a helicopter parked in the distance. Durandal, dressed in military attire, gathered her windswept hair and waved a greeting to her.

"Long time no see."

"Uh, looking at you... are you heading out on a mission?" With a flick of her fingers, Taixuan Sword Qi instantly dispersed the strong winds kicked up by the helicopter. Once things quieted down, Li Sushang asked.

"Yes. Honkai incidents have been frequent lately. Schicksal cannot stand idly by."

"In that case, you didn't come looking for me just because you were passing by, right?"

"You guessed correctly. This incident involves a Herrscher. The Overseer requires your assistance."

Li Sushang paused, a look of displeasure crossing her face. "To think, after five hundred years, that guy is still the same. He won't even come personally to ask for help. Besides, I haven't settled the score with him over the ARC City incident yet."

Although Li Sushang wasn't particularly clever, she wasn't oblivious to the strangeness surrounding the ARC City incident previously. The conveniently timed Honkai outbreak, Susannah's opportune arrival—she refused to believe Otto wasn't using her to achieve some goal.

Durandal, knowing Otto's character, naturally had no intention of defending him. She simply continued, "I don't know what the Overseer did to you, but he asked me to tell you that Ren didn't die."

Creak.

A faint twisting sound was heard. Durandal followed the noise and saw Li Sushang's hand gripping her sword hilt tightly. The scabbard beneath her fingers was visibly warped.

"What's wrong?" Durandal asked, puzzled. It was just a name; surely it didn't warrant such a strong reaction.

"He... he didn't die?" However, Li Sushang didn't answer her. Instead, she reached out and grabbed Durandal's arm. The girl suppressed the tremor in her voice, but tumultuous waves were already crashing within her brilliant eyes.

Sensing the girl's emotional shift, Durandal frowned slightly. "What's so surprising about that?"

"Those who fall to darkness must be slain! Those who fall to darkness must be slain! He clearly died under the Taixuan Sword Eminence, killed by my own hands..."

"While I don't understand what 'falling to darkness' means, if you're referring to Honkai corruption, then Ren, as a Herrscher, should inherently count as 'demonic'."

"Wait, you're saying he was a Herrscher all along?"

---||---

...Let the story branch here.

While Schicksal initiated their operation, the group aboard the Hyperion also departed from the Salt Lake Base. Although the alliance between the Far East Branch and Anti-Entropy hadn't collapsed, Anti-Entropy was ultimately a structurally complex organization. Staying together would only hinder the investigation's progress.

In the airship's lounge, Kiana sat alone by the window. The clouds outside rose and fell, much like the current state of her heart.

Knock knock.

A knock sounded. She turned her head to see Theresa entering with two bowls of instant noodles.

"Here, your favorite flavor."

The girl paused slightly. Perhaps because she hadn't eaten instant noodles since leaving St. Freya, the aroma now brought a wave of warmth to her heart.

"Thanks, Aunt Teri." Kiana smiled and thanked her, then lifted the lid and began slurping down the noodles eagerly.

While eating, she didn't forget to glance at the bowl in Theresa's hand. Unsurprisingly, it was the vibrant green bitter melon flavor.

"Are you still angry? About what happened earlier." As the saying goes, mealtime is the best time for conversation. Although they were only eating instant noodles, Theresa took the opportunity to chat.

"I'm not angry. I just don't think we should jump to conclusions so easily."

"Well, that's how it is when organizations get large. You have to fight the Honkai and manage relationships with multiple parties. Don't blame Mr. Welt either; he likely said that to shut up the people in Congress."

Although Theresa's decision-making skills weren't exactly top-tier, having been around Otto for so many years, she had picked up enough to understand many things quite clearly.

After speaking, she couldn't help but smile at Kiana. "I just didn't expect that the little idiot who only knew how to sleep soundly in class back then could now hold her own in front of so many people, engaging in sharp debate and leaving them speechless. Once this is over, I really want to hear about everything you've been through."

Hearing the praise, Kiana looked a little embarrassed. "Actually... actually, I wasn't thinking that much at the time. I just felt uncomfortable hearing them talk about Ren like that, so I subconsciously retorted."

"Oh? Sounds like you know that boy Ren quite well."

"Not really. I just instinctively feel that Ren isn't the type who only wants to create chaos. Even if he really is the Herrscher of Domination, there must be a deeper purpose." Kiana thought of the puppet at the Salt Lake Base. If the goal was simply to attack, why reveal himself voluntarily?

"Oh~ You say you don't know him well, yet you seem to have grasped his personality perfectly." A meaningful smile played on Theresa's lips.

And here she thought Kiana and him were just ordinary friends. Now it seemed there might be a deeper connection.

Who would have thought? The usually carefree little girl had grown up.

Thinking this, Theresa couldn't help but feel conflicted. While it was good that the girl had someone she cared about, it now seemed this relationship would likely face many trials and tribulations.

Just as she was about to ask more about Ren, the communicator in her pocket suddenly rang. She took out her phone, and Bronya's projection immediately appeared.

"Principal, ten minutes ago, Schicksal deployed at least 300 Valkyrie squads, locking down almost all air travel channels. Also, you and Kiana should check the news."

Theresa frowned and picked up the lounge's TV remote. The next second, the local news channel appeared on the screen.

"To ensure public safety, the XX Town government, in conjunction with the Schicksal organization, has jointly launched a twenty-day anti-crime initiative, which has currently achieved great success. We ask all citizens to remain calm and trust that the Schicksal organization will always guarantee the personal safety of every resident."

"Furthermore, if anyone sees the fugitives on this list, please contact local authorities or the Schicksal organization promptly. Those providing information will be generously rewarded."

She switched channels and found similar announcements in other regions. The only constant was the wanted list.

And at the very top of the list, the name "Kiana Kaslana" was clearly written.