Chapter 119 – Should I Become a Herrscher Too?

'Damn it!' ×3

'I let my guard down!' ×3

'Who would've thought that this seemingly emotionless, game-obsessed girl would make a secret move like this?!' ×3

'Why' ×3?

Because the intense emotional waves radiating from the heiress Kiana completely exposed her thoughts—and naturally attracted true Kiana's attention as well.

Through the telepathic connection of their counterparts, she instantly understood what had happened.

And so the living room fell into an odd silence.

On one side of the couch sat the three fluffy white-haired girls, while Bronya sat alone on the other side, holding the Homu plush that Nagami had just conjured.

As for Nagami himself?

He had been mercilessly sent back to his room under the excuse of "This is girls' talk. Boys aren't allowed to interrupt."

From those icy blue eyes—so clear they resembled sapphires—Nagami had clearly read the message:

We're settling this later. Count on it.

Considering just how troublesome three Kianas could be when united, Nagami wisely chose not to barge back into the conversation.

Letting out a deep sigh, the heiress's expression remained less than pleasant, despite true Kiana already returning to her own room.

Even the gaming tuna Kiana had paused her play at the heiress's firm command.

This was supposed to be the perfect setup—call for help with a game that was "too hard" and get Nagami to come assist, using it as an excuse to pull him away from that little duck-head who only cared about gaming.

She still remembered Nagami's eyes when they had transformed together using the w driver—when he'd looked at her white-haired, red-eyed self with such desire that even now, recalling it made her blush ever so slightly.

Right now, though there were no red eyes present, there were still two white-haired girls: herself and K423.

And with the shared bonus of gaming involved… it was obvious which side Nagami would choose.

As for the little gaming bug? She wasn't even a concern in the heiress's mind.

[TL Note: Hmmmm Bronya is now 16 years but in just 5 years….]

Raiden Mei and Rita were busy discussing cooking in the kitchen.

As long as this world's Kiana didn't come crashing in, tonight's remaining time would be hers and hers alone!

Her expression twisted bitterly.

At this moment, what the heiress regretted most was ever believing in pure friendship between men and women.

Bronya's cuteness alone could make half the Valkyries at St. Freya see her through rose-colored glasses.

Even the way that Schicksal maid treated Bronya was proof enough.

That perfect, doll-like face paired with that emotionless, soft little voice could easily convert anyone into a l-0li-con—even those who usually weren't!

And yet she—like a fool—had believed that Nagami and Bronya could have a pure, comradely relationship.

What kind of "pure friendship" ends up in bed together?!

The heiress wanted nothing more than to go back in time and slap her naive past self across the face.

Her gaze flicked toward C.C.'s room.

Amidst the fury and regret, she couldn't help but feel a sliver of relief… at least it hadn't been C.C. she'd walked in on kissing Nagami tonight.

If it had been… she wouldn't even know whether to be angry or confused.

That thought alone softened her gaze toward Bronya—just a little. Barely a flicker.

But this girl was still an enemy.

Possibly an even trickier opponent than herself in this world.

No more underestimating her!

"Damn it, Bronya! You actually dared to steal my—wait, no! Don't you even realize what that idiot did to you?! Why didn't you fight back?!"

Kiana slapped the small table in front of her, her righteous tone making it sound like she was seriously trying to counsel a wayward little sister.

"Bronya was simply helping her partner solve a problem. Stupid Kiana, if you don't understand, then don't speak nonsense."

Lying comfortably on the soft mattress, Bronya casually stretched out her flawless legs from beneath her nightdress, casting a brief, indifferent glance at the gaming bug before turning her gaze back to her feet.

Her smooth, pale little toes dangled in the air, gently wiggling as if restless—still marveling at the novelty of having healthy legs again.

Bronya acted as if nothing unusual had happened at all.

"Oh~? Helping, you say? Bronya, could you explain to big sister exactly how you were helping him?"

True Kiana / "Sirin" moved gracefully to Bronya's side, resting her hands gently on the girl's soft shoulders, her expression all kindness and sisterly warmth.

But behind her half-closed eyes, a glimmer of golden light flickered briefly.

Helping?

What kind of help requires mouth-to-mouth contact?

Maybe it was the special resonance of their counterparts, but the same glimmer of suspicion flashed in the young lady's eyes.

In terms of wielding the Honkai energy—or sensitivity to Honkai matters—there was no question she far surpassed true Kiana, who had spent most of her life sealed away in a lab under Cocolia.

The heiress stared blankly at true Kiana across from her, confused.

Wait... that didn't feel like Honkai energy just now, did it?

But now wasn't the time to dwell on that.

"Yeah, Bronya. What trouble did Nagami run into that needed your... special assistance? Maybe he needs our help, too."

Faced with this sudden, silent little invader, the heiress and true Kiana exchanged thoughts via telepathy—reaching a temporary truce to deal with this new threat together.

Before the war of the Kianas could begin, there was one necessary step: clearing the room of all others.

Unlike when she faced the gaming bug with ease and indifference, Bronya felt a heavy, suffocating pressure standing before these two—both of whom looked exactly like that "Sirin Onee-sama."

"Bronya only ensured that her partner could maintain a proper state while playing games. This is a necessary responsibility of any comrade," she replied calmly.

Faced with True Kiana's gentle smile, Bronya instinctively leaned back a little, setting the orange Homu plush on her smooth, slender legs that gleamed like polished jade.

'What kind of "comrade responsibility" is THAT?!' ×2

Both the heiress and true Kiana shared the exact same inner outburst.

Just as the heiress was about to speak, her gaze drifted—something had suddenly clicked.

Her eyes locked onto the Homu plush... and then slowly lowered to Bronya's bare, fair legs below—those slender, flawless legs that would drive any foot-fetishist mad.

"Bronya... your legs... they're healed?"

There was unmistakable surprise in her voice.

After all, the heiress had studied the detailed character files from Honkai Impact 3rd thoroughly.

She remembered clearly that as one of the game's "Big Three," Bronya's legs were canonically completely destroyed by Honkai energy—irreversibly so.

That is… until she became a Herrscher—

Wait a minute!

Sudden realization dawned, and the young lady's expression grew sharp and serious.

"Did Nagami heal your legs?"

"Sigh~ Seriously?! Bronya, when did this happen? You didn't even tell us!"

Kiana popped up beside Bronya like a spring, her eyes wide as she stared at Bronya's smooth, freely moving legs.

Without hesitation, she reached out and touched them.

Perhaps sensing the genuine concern in Kiana's voice, Bronya didn't pull away.

This tuna... she could be dumb as bricks, but sometimes it made her oddly likeable.

The petite girl fell silent for a moment before nodding slightly, her expression perfectly blank.

"My partner repaired Bronya's legs."

"Waaah! Nagami's become that amazing?! So being a Herrscher lets you do things like this now? Sounds kinda nice, actually..."

Poking Bronya's small calf curiously, Kiana tilted her head with a surprised, slightly dopey expression.

"Nagami and Mei are both Herrschers now... Should I become one too?"

With her hand on her chin in a thoughtful pose, Kiana casually dropped a bombshell of a statement—one that made both the heiress and true Kiana whip their heads around in shock.

In her mind, everyone always said Herrschers were apostles of destruction—natural disasters in human form, living embodiments of tragedy and despair.

But... Mei hadn't lost control.

Neither had Nagami.

In fact, both had gained incredible power.

Was she... falling behind?

At least she still had C.C., who wasn't a Herrscher either.

Otherwise, it would feel like everyone had evolved into a different species entirely.

"Has stupid Kiana's IQ dropped this far? A Herrscher isn't something you can just choose to become," Bronya said flatly, her tone merciless as ever.

And she wasn't wrong.

That exact same thought echoed in the mental chat shared by the Kiana variants—the two elegant, silver-haired girls exchanging a silent glance.

"Besides, my partner is a special Herrscher. Mei-senpai's stability is also thanks to him. Bronya warns dumb Kiana to never forget: Herrschers are still disasters by nature."

"Hehe~ but if Nagami could stabilize Mei's Herrscher personality, I'm sure he could keep mine under control too!"

Kiana pounded her chest with confidence, her eyes shining with unshakable faith in Nagami—so much so that true Kiana briefly lost her composure.

A thought flickered through her mind.

'If Nagami had truly been an ordinary human... then his death might have actually let this tuna becomes a Herrscher'