Chapter 90: Pink Fairy Miss - "This is How You Should Treat a Girl!"

Chapter 90: Pink Fairy Miss - "This is How You Should Treat a Girl!"

[Right now? Isn't this a bit rushed? She still harbors deep hostility toward Schicksal.]

Upon hearing Otto's command to immediately begin the experiment, Durandal hesitated, her tone betraying a trace of reluctance.

It wasn't hard to see—deep down, she actually cared about Kiana.

But the man she served—he was someone who excelled at manipulating people's emotions, whether they were ordinary humans… or even Herrschers.

[Heh, after everything she's been through, do you really think there's anything that could restore her trust in Schicksal? Quite the opposite—her current state will allow her to exhibit exactly the power I want to see.]

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Ugh, why does this Otto guy make me more uncomfortable the more I see him? He can be so kind to Theresa, yet he treats everyone else so coldly."

A pink-colored message drifted across the screen…

Clearly, Elysia wasn't pleased with Otto's methods.

For someone as gentle and elegant as her to express actual displeasure… well, that in itself was quite the feat.

『Your Great Inventor:』 "From a rational perspective, what he's saying makes a lot of sense."

A green-colored message followed shortly after Elysia's.

It was perfectly timed to invite backlash.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Rationality, huh? You remind me of a friend of mine. She also loves to talk about logic and theories… even though she's such an adorable girl."

『Your Great Inventor:』 "…Ahem, what a coincidence."

Not knowing exactly who Elysia was referring to, Otto chose to deflect the topic and remain silent.

And so, what could have escalated into an argument was neatly avoided… thanks to Otto's tactical retreat.

But even though Elysia had won the chat battle, it didn't change the outcome in the game.

[Begin the experiment. I trust you to handle it—just use your usual methods.]

Otto placed full confidence in Durandal, entrusting her with the responsibility.

And ultimately—under the weight of his command—Durandal could only comply.

[…Understood.]

Meanwhile, in the resting chamber…

Kiana stared blankly at the salad in front of her.

For the first time, food held no appeal to her.

The nightmare of Arc City and Durandal's words continued to loop through her mind, leaving her feeling anxious and uncertain.

And within her dazed thoughts—Mei's voice drifted in faintly…

Waking up, eating meals, attending class—

That gentle voice had called her name countless times.

With it, the ordinary yet precious moments of the past resurfaced before her eyes.

But before she could fully immerse herself in those memories—

A sharp click interrupted her thoughts.

—SWISH!

[What's wrong? You don't like basa fish?]

Durandal's figure appeared on-screen, one hand resting on her hip, her tone as casual as ever.

Perhaps it was because of this carefree attitude, but this time, Kiana did not remain silent.

[I don't like fish… too many bones.]

She paused, her voice softening.

[…Before, there was always someone who would pick out the bones for me.]

Though her words seemed to be about the fish, they actually revealed a deep longing and sorrow buried inside her.

If Mei or Elysia were here, they would have immediately noticed and tried to cheer her up.

But standing before her now was not Mei.

Not Elysia.

It was Durandal—Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie… a certain dense battle-hardened warrior.

[If you still have the energy to joke, then I don't have to worry about your condition anymore.]

Durandal grinned, her eyes curving into slits.

Then—without hesitation—she clicked the handcuffs onto Kiana's wrists.

[Come with me.]

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Uh… is this girl a little slow? I think Kiana-chan must be feeling really down right now… She probably wanted someone to comfort her, but instead, she got completely ignored."

『???』

A pink-colored comment appeared on the screen…

And immediately afterward, Durandal herself sent a string of question marks.

As if to top it all off, her boss then dropped a brutally honest evaluation.

『Your Great Inventor:』 "I'd like to argue against that, but… words would feel empty at this point."

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Eh!"

[Because of your livestream performance, Hard Work Always Pays Off felt embarrassed! You received 1,140 Crystals!]

As the system notification rang out, the screen momentarily darkened.

When the colors returned, the setting had changed—

A small town engulfed in sandstorms appeared on the screen.

[Where… is this place?]

Kiana's eyes widened, scanning her surroundings.

[As you can see—just ruins.]

[Who did this?]

[…Aside from Honkai, what else could erase a city in a single night?]

Walking one behind the other, Kiana kept an eye on Durandal while subtly scanning the area.

In her mind, she quietly analyzed the situation.

[She's not giving me anything useful…]

Although she didn't know what Durandal's goal was, this outing was an invaluable opportunity.

She focused her awareness, sensing the space around her.

Within dimensions invisible to the naked eye, there were fractures—only perceptible to a Herrscher of the Void.

After enduring countless training sessions under Fu Hua's strict guidance, she had finally mastered the ability to locate stable escape paths.

But teleportation required immense energy—

And in her current state, she only had one shot.

[Fu Hua…]

She thought of her teacher, but…

Silence.

If she had been captured by Schicksal, then what had happened to Fu Hua, who resided within her consciousness?

Kiana shook off her hesitation.

She had no time to think.

She had to leave.

As a gust of wind kicked up, a curtain of dust momentarily separated them.

Kiana knew her chance had arrived.

[Now!]

Gathering her power, she tore open a rift in space.

[I have to escape!]

She prayed that Durandal wouldn't react in time—

But—

[Don't even try it.]

[What?!]

A lance shot through the air, piercing the sand at Kiana's feet—

Forcing her off balance and shutting the rift before she could enter it.

Durandal stepped forward.

[If you want to leave so badly, don't use cheap tricks.]

[Defeat me fair and square, like a warrior—then leave with your head held high.]

As she spoke, the shackles on Kiana's wrists fell to the ground.

Kiana realized—there was no other way out.

[Fine… let's do this!]

With that, the game transitioned into combat mode.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "So it comes down to a fight, after all~? Sigh, this Durandal girl… she's not very honest with her feelings, is she?"

A pink-colored comment drifted across the screen…

Elysia watched the exchange between Kiana and Durandal, and immediately sensed something.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Not… honest enough?"

But the person in question, Durandal, didn't quite understand what she meant when she saw the pink-colored comment.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "That's right! If you care about Kiana that much, why not just reach out and hug her? If you want something from a girl, you have to say it clearly. Otherwise, she'll just end up disliking you~"

Elysia's response was perfectly in line with her personality.

But her suggestion was so revolutionary, it completely stunned everyone in the chat—including the very people involved in the conversation.

『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 "You can't just treat a Herrscher so casually!"

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Eh? But even as a Herrscher, Kiana-chan is still an adorable girl! And besides, hasn't she already proven she wants to protect humanity? Why not give her a chance?"

『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 "A… girl?"

Durandal, as expected, was starting to get tangled up in Elysia's logic.

Though she was rigid in her thinking, she wasn't incapable of reasoning.

So when faced with a question without a clear-cut answer, she began to consider it carefully.

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Yes, a girl."

『Hard Work Always Pays Off:』 "I see… That's an interesting perspective."

In the end, as their conversation unfolded, Durandal actually sent a message of agreement in chat.

At that moment, a string of green ellipses floated across the screen.

『Your Great Inventor:』 "..."

Otto, watching from the same livestream, realized something unsettling.

Durandal was starting to be influenced by the audience.

Why?

Was she familiar with this 'Pink Fairy Miss' person?

No. Impossible.

If Durandal knew anything, she would have immediately reported it.

So… did she actually think this outrageous idea had merit?

That was unthinkable.

Would she seriously consider such an absurd suggestion just because the Herrscher in question was a young girl?

It was laughable.

Otto silently scoffed at the notion.

Back in the game, Durandal appeared as an enemy.

Compared to her previous encounter in Arc City, she was noticeably weaker in this stage.

With just one ultimate move, Kiana was able to knock out nearly an entire health bar!

As Kiana chained together a flurry of attacks, Durandal's health quickly dropped.

But once she reached critical levels, she stopped holding back.

That was when she summoned her two powerful guardians—

And the pressure on Kiana skyrocketed.

At one point, she was even pushed to the brink of defeat.

Fortunately, the stage provided energy and healing packs, allowing her to recover and continue the fight.

Once Durandal's health bar dropped to just over half, the battle mechanics changed—

She entered an invincible state.

No matter how many attacks Kiana threw at her, she could no longer deal any damage.

[Ugh!]

Even with her sheer determination, Kiana was starting to struggle.

Meanwhile, her opponent—Durandal—was still calm enough to start giving her combat lessons.

[You have talent. You adapt quickly to counter my attacks. But your training is far from complete.]

『Pink Fairy Miss:』 "Ugh! She's still trying to teach Kiana while fighting her?!"

[Tch! How is she still lecturing me?!]

Even as she grumbled internally, Kiana had to admit it—

[She's incredibly strong…! Now that I'm actually fighting her, she might be stronger than anyone I've ever faced!]

As Kiana reached this conclusion, Durandal continued her analysis.

[Overwhelming your opponent with relentless attacks—waiting for the moment they reveal an opening—then delivering the final strike.]

[I don't need you to tell me that!]

With a burst of energy, Kiana launched herself forward like a bullet—aiming a direct kick at Durandal.

But before she could follow through, a sudden impact struck her side.

Her movements stopped abruptly.

Durandal had effortlessly dodged her attack—

And in return, she countered with a precise kick that sent Kiana flying backward.

[Ugh…!]

Kiana groaned in pain, but more than anything, she was shocked.

[This… this can't be… That move…

Why do you know the Kaslana Gun-Kata?!]

[It's a remarkable martial art. I studied it extensively in Schicksal's library.]

Durandal showed no hesitation in revealing where she had learned it.

And as if that wasn't enough—

She continued lecturing Kiana in a completely serious manner.

[On the other hand, your technique is a mess.]

Kiana didn't argue back—because she knew it was true.

After all—

Siegfried had only taught her the basics.

[Your movements aren't purely Gun-Kata. There are also elements of Valkyrie combat techniques.]

Seeing that Kiana was staying silent, Durandal continued her guidance.

[Combining different martial arts is a fundamental skill of any warrior.

But you are merely relying on your natural talent to imitate these moves.

There's no refinement. No understanding.

You've created nothing but a haphazard imitation.]

While her analysis was completely valid,

There was no denying that hearing too much of it was frustrating.

Even Kiana had her limits.

[…What exactly are you trying to say?]

[Without even mastering the basics of combat, you are nowhere near ready.]

[You cannot control your power, Herrscher of the Void.]

Durandal's words forced Kiana to reflect.

How could she possibly defeat someone like this?

Suddenly—

She remembered Fu Hua's teachings.

The countless drills and experiences within her dream training resurfaced in her mind.

She began applying them—and as she moved,

The Spear of the Void manifested in her grasp.

Durandal immediately recognized her technique.

[I see… So you aren't just brute force.]

Before she could continue the fight, however—

The experiment resumed.

A massive spatial rift appeared in the sky.

Durandal no longer insisted on combat—she simply stated that Kiana must protect herself now.

As more Imaginary enemies emerged,

Kiana struggled against the onslaught.

Realizing that she couldn't keep up,

She channeled her Herrscher power directly at the rift.

With one precise strike—

Her Spear of the Void pierced through the opening—shattering the rift instantly.

End of Chapter 90