Chapter 89: Elysia - "They Really Feel Like Sisters!"

Chapter 89: Elysia - "They Really Feel Like Sisters!"

Rita immediately responded upon receiving the transmission:

[Durandal, most of the data at Shencheng Pharmaceuticals has been destroyed. We're trying to salvage what we can. Thank you for your support.]

[Understood. It looks like you can handle the situation. I just retrieved the Herrscher of the Void, and the Overseer has ordered me to return immediately, so I don't have time to rendezvous with you.]

[I understand.]

Rita did her best to remain calm, but deep inside, she could not forgive herself for these failures.

[Durandal... I will take full responsibility for this mission's failure.]

[I'll make my judgment after reviewing the report.]

Durandal showed no intent to blame Rita, and when the latter mentioned awaiting punishment, she even smiled and reassured her.

[Don't blame yourself. I'm just glad you're safe.]

Finally, the turbulent night in Arc City came to an end, welcoming the dawn.

—However, the "serpent" lurking in the shadows had also begun to stir.

As the narrative text faded, the mission was declared complete.

Before proceeding to the next stage, Hokuto opened the Interlude Story – Shifting Sands.

At that moment, a new scene, Shadow Lurking, was unlocked.

Upon opening it, the figure of Jackal appeared on the screen.

Before her, surveillance footage showed Durandal retrieving Kiana.

[The underground black market and Shencheng Pharmaceuticals have been wiped clean, and Raven has safely withdrawn.]

[Such a shame... The Stigmata Project in Arc City ended in failure, and we lost a precious Herrscher sample. How uninspiring. But... with something this big happening, I knew you wouldn't sit idly by...]

[Durandal, you've finally appeared.]

As the screen momentarily faded to black, the image before Jackal shifted to the World Serpent's insignia.

This signified that her transmission was directed toward their organization.

[Lord Kevin, Durandal has taken the Herrscher of the Void.]

[We've traced her destination to North Africa—a dead city devastated by Honkai.]

[Over the past two years, there have been more than a dozen abnormal Honkai energy surges in that location. And coincidentally, we are quite familiar with this particular reaction.]

Through Jackal's report, Otto's secret laboratory was gradually being exposed to the Serpent's gaze...

[That abandoned city was an experimental site for the Second Divine Key.]

[Prepare to depart. There's still much to be done.]

After listening to the report, Kevin gave a short but decisive response.

However, Jackal then reported another discovery.

[Additionally, 15 minutes and 36 seconds ago, after coming into contact with the unstable EOS Engine, Kiana Kaslana, for the first time, manifested the form of the Herrscher of the Void through her own will.]

[Although her Honkai energy levels are still far from Sirin's, we can assume that her 'metamorphosis' has begun.]

[Shall we... bring her into—]

[Her situation is my concern.]

Before Jackal could finish her proposal, Kevin interrupted her.

Seeing this, Jackal had no choice but to drop the subject.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Hmm~ I didn't expect Kevin to still be so cold... That's a little disappointing. I would like to see his smile much more."

A pink-colored comment floated across the screen.

Elysia clearly wasn't a fan of Kevin's current demeanor—it felt too much like he was a shadowy final boss.

After all, he was a Flame-Chaser, the holder of the "deliverance " Signet. No matter what, he should have been a key member of the protagonist's side, right?

So why, in this future, did he seem more like a villain bent on destroying the world?

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Boys should smile more; it makes them look much better. But even if he insists on keeping that stiff face... he's still quite cute~"

『No Matter the Cost, Humanity Will Prevail Against Honkai:』 "..."

Right after Elysia's comment, a series of ellipses appeared in response.

It was Kevin himself.

Clearly, even now, he still didn't know how to deal with her.

And so, when she casually called him cute, he chose to remain silent.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Hmm~ What do you think, dear viewer?"

『...』 "I..."

Just as Kevin and Elysia's chat messages drifted across the screen, Hokuto had already clicked into Stage 15-7's prologue, beginning a scene showing Kiana's condition after being captured.

[What's happening... My body... feels so heavy.]

On screen, Kiana's inner thoughts and sensations were displayed.

She could see nothing, hear nothing, smell nothing, and touch nothing.

It was as if she was completely trapped in an abyss of darkness—only an oppressive weight pressed down on her, sinking her deeper and deeper.

She struggled desperately to escape.

But the harder she fought, the deeper she sank.

Like a drowning soul, the suffocating emptiness threatened to swallow her whole.

She tried to scream for help—to call out for someone.

But no matter how much she shouted, there was no response.

Not even the sound of her own voice.

Just as her strength reached its limit, she saw a faint light—

A beam piercing the depths of the abyss.

Desperate, Kiana reached for it.

As the light grew stronger, her senses gradually returned.

Then, from within that light, she heard a gentle voice whispering her name.

[Kiana... Kiana...]

The soft voice called out her familiar name.

And Kiana knew—this was Mei's voice.

Gathering the last of her strength, Kiana finally reached the light.

At that moment, all the information flooding from within the light freed her from the abyss.

Yet just as she was about to celebrate, the scene before her delivered an even heavier blow.

[This is... what's happening...?]

After what felt like an eternity of darkness, the screen was finally filled with color once more.

However, what appeared before everyone in the livestream was a burning city.

[Mei... where are you?!]

The once thriving Arc City had collapsed into a sea of flames.

Smoke and cries of agony filled the entire world.

Kiana wandered the scorched ruins, desperately searching for Mei's figure.

But all she could see was a nightmare of destruction.

She couldn't believe her eyes—

That catastrophic bomb should have been launched into space.

She had personally stopped it.

So then... why was this city still burning?

Kiana questioned herself, her gaze frantically scanning for the cause.

And then, she saw them.

Her own trembling hands.

The hands of the Herrscher of the Void.

[No... No, this isn't real!]

Within her dream, Kiana desperately denied everything.

Her first thought was of Mei.

[Mei... trust me! I really did...]

[No... No, this isn't real!]

[Mei!!]

At the peak of her despair, Kiana abruptly awoke from the nightmare.

The burning cityscape vanished, replaced by the cold underground laboratory.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Phew! That scared me... I thought Kiana's nightmare had actually come true!"

As Kiana's nightmare ended, Elysia quickly sent a message.

Clearly, she had been just as frightened as Kiana by what she had just witnessed.

It was only natural—after all, Elysia would never enjoy witnessing something so heartbreaking…

Shortly after her comment floated across the screen, Kiana in the game finally regained awareness.

[Huff… Huff… Was that… a nightmare? Thank goodness…]

[Wait, this place is—]

Before she could fully process the situation, an unfamiliar voice echoed beside her.

[You're awake.]

The sudden voice immediately put Kiana on high alert.

The screen transitioned, revealing Kiana half-sitting up in bed, looking towards Durandal.

At that moment, the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal was casually crossing her long legs, a book in hand, her lips forming a calm and composed smile.

[You are… Durandal?]

[That's right.]

Just as Durandal responded…

A pink-colored comment suddenly floated across the livestream chat.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Mmm… I know this might sound a little strange, but don't they feel kind of like sisters?"

『Your Great Inventor:』"???"

『Maintaining Elegance Is a Maid's』"???"

『Hard Work Always Pays Off』"???"

Three consecutive question mark-filled messages followed immediately after…

Elysia's intuition had, without a doubt, hit the mark perfectly—

With just one glance, she had unintentionally spoken the truth.

However, at this point, neither Kiana nor Durandal had recognized their connection yet.

Her casual speculation left the livestream audience at a loss for words.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Huh? You guys don't think so?"

『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 "Ahem… Well… if we disregard positions and affiliations… having a little sister like her might not be bad."

A neatly formatted message floated past the screen…

It was clear that Durandal did not dislike Kiana—

In fact, there was even an inexplicable fondness toward her.

But why?

Even Durandal herself wasn't sure.

Hokuto, on the other hand, knew exactly why—but, much like Otto, he decided to wait for the right moment to reveal it.

As Kiana's vision adjusted to the light, she realized she was in a heavily guarded, sealed-off room.

She quickly pieced things together.

[What happened to Arc City…? And… where is Mei?]

Durandal did not bother to hide anything.

[The crisis there has been resolved. No civilians were harmed. The Valkyries are currently cleaning up the aftermath.]

[Raiden Mei has also regrouped with her allies and left Arc City.]

Hearing this, Kiana finally let out a breath of relief—

For the first time, she allowed herself a moment of gratitude.

As she silently processed everything, Durandal continued her explanation.

[You are currently inside Schicksal's North African experimental base.]

[Do you have any other questions?]

Kiana paused for a moment.

[Durandal… I always knew… that one day, I would have to face you.]

[Since you were already prepared for this, it will make things much easier.]

[If there are no further questions, then just lie down and don't move. You need to rest.]

Although Durandal's tone was polite, her words were firm and non-negotiable.

She left no room for debate, demanding that Kiana rest.

But Kiana had no intention of simply complying.

Durandal seemed to hold no hostility,

But that only made it harder for Kiana to lower her guard.

She tried to act calm, but deep down, she knew—

This was the worst possible situation.

[(Fu Hua… Fu Hua…)]

Kiana attempted to reach out to Fu Hua within her mind, but only silence responded.

She closed her eyes, desperately trying to establish a connection—

But the voice she longed for never answered.

She recalled Fu Hua's final words to her, and a familiar feeling of helplessness from three months ago in Arc City washed over her once again.

But now—

She was no longer the same Kiana from back then.

[It looks like… I'll have to rely on myself.]

[With the power of the Herrscher of the Void, I should be able to…]

With resolve, Kiana began preparing to use her Herrscher powers to escape.

But just as she was about to attempt it—

[I already told you—you need to rest.]

[What?!]

Durandal's voice suddenly cut through her thoughts, startling Kiana.

She quickly lifted her head, turning to face the golden-haired Valkyrie—

Durandal was already standing beside her.

Though her face still bore a gentle smile,

The book she had been holding was now closed.

And her proximity was—

Uncomfortably, terrifyingly close.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "The more I look at them, the more they seem like the perfect pair~! If their hair color matched, people would totally mistake them for sisters!"

Another pink-colored comment floated past the screen…

It was clear—Elysia's sixth sense was screaming at her, trying to tell her the truth.

This left everyone involved in the livestream feeling flustered and embarrassed.

『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 "Ah? Uh… personally, I think they're still a bit different."

Just as Durandal began feeling slightly awkward,

Kiana's voice cut through the tension in the game.

[When did you—]

Kiana's sapphire-blue eyes widened as she looked at Durandal, who had unknowingly closed the distance between them.

Durandal, with her sharp gaze, carefully studied the girl who had attempted to flee.

[This laboratory is located a thousand meters underground. You won't escape.]

Kiana didn't respond,

But deep inside, she questioned how she had been discovered so quickly.

Durandal saw right through her thoughts almost immediately.

[There's no need to wonder—it was obvious.]

[Your body is covered in wounds, and your Herrscher core is constantly eroding you.

Even when you were unconscious, you were continuously releasing Honkai energy.]

[Whether or not you controlled it in the past… at least for now, you can't control that power.]

Durandal calmly analyzed Kiana's condition,

Offering her both a warning and a piece of advice.

[If you leave this place, you'll become a ticking time bomb.]

For a moment, Kiana was speechless—

This was a warning from a Valkyrie she once admired.

And before she could think of how to respond—

Durandal had already finished saying what she needed to.

[I see you understand. Then you should also know what you need to do.]

With the final line of dialogue, the scene ended.

As Stage 15-7 began, the screen displayed a conversation between Durandal and Otto.

[Overseer, she's awake.]

[It's strange—despite continuously using Herrscher abilities, her Honkai energy has only been increasing.]

As the communication link opened, Otto's holographic projection appeared on the screen.

[Satellite scans of Arc City's atmosphere indicate that the energy from the EOS Engine explosion didn't disperse. Instead, it vanished without a trace.]

[It's obvious—the Herrscher of the Void absorbed it. She is growing exactly as expected.]

After finishing his explanation, Otto gave Durandal her next order.

[Now then—since she's awake, let's begin the experiment immediately.]

End of Chapter 89