Honkai: Strijder
Chapter 445: Did I Let You Down?
"So, that child is Kiana from another timeline?"
"Not certain."
"Uh… but at least she's friendly… right?"
"That's a possibility."
Nothing was certain—so what exactly had the two of them accomplished by making this trip to ask questions? Fu Hua rubbed her forehead and shook her head. She felt somewhat frustrated by Sigurd's perfunctory answers, but in the end she could only fall silent and leave the time for thinking to him.
Sigurd interlaced his fingers on the table, resting his chin on them as he sorted through the information they had so far.
'Her refusal to interact or communicate— is it simply because she's withdrawn, or because she doesn't want to reveal some important information?'
'Using an ability similar to the Elysion Pedion to suppress her own power… combined with what Vira said, it seems her abilities have already exceeded her control, and she's desperately trying to prevent losing control. Is she simply trying to avoid causing harm, or is she waiting for some particular moment?'
'Her exact origin can't be determined for now. But she appeared from the very beginning under the identity of Kiana Kaslana. Considering the time period when Theresa, Siegfried, and Otto experienced memory distortions, a reasonable guess is that she appeared during the period when Siegfried rescued Kiana and Durandal remained with Schicksal.'
'Altering other people's memories allowed her to exist legitimately and make a deal with Otto. Vira's growth, Otto's quiet preparations, Kiana's solo journey to Northern Europe, and even… my meeting with Kiana and everything that has happened since— all of it can be connected to her interference. What is she trying to do? Has she deliberately been shaping the current situation?'
"Kiana… Durandal… Kiana Kaslana…"
The more he thought about it, the more questions arose. Sigurd found himself murmuring the three names aloud, trying to connect them into a single thread.
Fu Hua frowned slightly.
Why were Kiana and Durandal being mentioned together here? And why deliberately emphasize the full name Kiana Kaslana…?
A glimmer flashed in Fu Hua's eyes. She silently suppressed the question and chose not to interrupt Sigurd's train of thought.
'She looks extremely similar to Kiana. And even the kind of emotional breakdown Hera reported after I disappeared… honestly speaking, it felt familiar to me too. Could they really be the same person?'
Sigurd's expression grew increasingly grave, his eyes filled with complicated emotions that no one else could understand. After a long time, he tapped the table and muttered slowly and heavily:
"There's a lot of vague information, and we can't reach any definite conclusion. If we combine everything and form a hypothesis—Kiana from a future world, due to some special experience, crossed time and arrived in another timeline, deliberately doing certain things. That's the rough outline I can draw."
He paused.
"And the key question is… the power supporting her crossing through time—far beyond the scale of a Herrscher… could it be the Herrscher of Finality?"
Sigurd raised his eyes toward the three heroes of the Previous Era. A chilling coldness shone within them.
This instinctive guess made it very difficult for Sigurd to remain calm. If it were true, why would Kiana need to do something like this? What had she gone through?
Sigurd didn't want to think further about those questions.
Kevin, Su, and Fu Hua exchanged glances, seemingly communicating silently. Then Su spoke:
"We feel something similar. Also… something capable of destroying Hera's physical body to that extent… forgive me for saying this, but I doubt any other power could reach that level. Sigurd, we think… it might indeed be so."
"I understand."
Sigurd gave the order calmly.
"Otto will analyze the residual energy left on Hera and compare it with the crystallized fragment of the young lady's power, and extract as much information as possible. The three of you return and remain on standby at all times. That's all for today. Go back and get some rest."
After issuing the command, Sigurd leaned back in his chair, gazing up at the bright palace ceiling and letting out a sigh.
Kevin's lips moved slightly—he wanted to continue discussing the matter of the Herrscher of Finality in greater depth.
But Su and Fu Hua immediately shut him down: one covered his mouth while the other dragged him away.
After the three heroes left, Otto fixed his emerald-green eyes on Sigurd. After a long moment, he smiled faintly, as if he had seen through everything.
Then he stood up and patted Sigurd on the shoulder.
"Even if that's true, it would still only be a possibility from another timeline. Our future is still in our own hands, isn't it?"
"I know that possibility makes you feel terrible. After all, I'm one of those hopeless fools myself."
"But don't let it throw you into chaos, Sigurd."
Otto chuckled softly and turned to leave the palace. He trusted Sigurd's willpower—he would surely regain his composure soon.
…
When the summons arrived, Kiana and Senti were still continuing their afternoon mutual beating—ahem, combat training.
Since Senti had only regained her freedom after Fu Hua left the court hall, the training hadn't actually lasted very long, but it had already reached its climax.
"Kiana! Are you pregnant or not? Let me check!"
"I told you I'm not! You idiot!"
Bang!
Two spotless foreheads slammed violently into each other. Kiana, cloaked in flames, and Senti, shrouded in drifting black mist, pressed their palms against each other and strained with all their might, both wearing excited grins.
"If you're not pregnant, then I won't hold back! Clench your teeth, don't start crying when I beat you up!"
"Hmph! We'll see who beats who!"
RUMBLE!!!
Herrscher-level Honkai energy collided instantly, splitting the earth and toppling mountains.
Then the two figures—one black, one red—clashed at blinding speed. Their fists and kicks collided again and again, each impact producing thunderous booms that shook the sky. Flames and black mist intertwined constantly, grinding away at each other's power.
"Not bad! You actually fused fist techniques, sword aura, and the explosive force of the Authority of Flames together. You're a combat genius! Become my disciple, Kiana, I'll teach you the true secrets of Taixu martial arts. In the future you'll beat Sigurd like he's nothing!"
"Shameless! I'm already Teacher Fu Hua's student—I don't need a dummy like you! Besides, you can't even beat Sig yourself, so what kind of empty promises are you making? Bleh~~"
Clang!
Amid their conversation and the roaring collisions of fists and kicks, the sharp ring of steel suddenly joined the fray.
Kiana's flaming blade slashed downward, while Senti blocked it with a spear held in both hands. Both wore wild grins.
Then Kiana unleashed countless flaming sword waves, while Senti seamlessly switched through an entire arsenal of weapons. The fight escalated from barehanded combat to weapon combat, the two battling fiercely without pause.
Senti's strength lay in the martial knowledge Fu Hua had accumulated over tens of thousands of years—her techniques were overwhelmingly refined.
Kiana, however, excelled in the explosive power of the Herrscher of Flames, perfectly suited to her straightforward, reckless fighting style.
Because of that, the battle fell into a stalemate. Exchange after exchange passed, yet neither could suppress the other.
BOOM!!!
Another clash of blades. Torn energy and shockwaves burst outward, throwing the land and air into chaos.
They separated again. Senti laughed wildly as she raised her great blade.
"Hahaha! Come on! Let me teach you what a true God of Martial Arts looks like—the Immortal Emperya!"
"Bring it on—ah, wait, Sig just sent me a message!"
Just as the two were about to collide again, Kiana suddenly noticed the message window that popped up before her eyes. She halted mid-step and raised a hand toward Senti in a stop gesture.
"???"
Senti, still charging forward with her blade and unstoppable momentum, was completely baffled by Kiana's sudden move. She reacted half a beat too late and tried to stop—
and lost her balance.
"Waaahhh!!!"
Roll roll roll…
In another world there had once been a "Lord Who Rolled Down the Mountain," and now Senti was doing much the same—tumbling past Kiana's side and rolling straight into the rocks of a nearby hill.
BOOM!
The mountain collapsed. The ground trembled. The roaring echoes continued.
Half a minute later, the training field space returned to normal, and the two of them were back inside the bright white training room.
Senti was upside down, her head toward the floor, her back against the wall, legs dangling downward against it, her eyes spinning in dizzy circles.
After reading the message, Kiana dismissed her flames and white armor, then started toward the training room's door.
"I'm going to see Sig. Let's play again next time, Senti."
"Hey! Wait! You're just leaving me here like this? Hanging me in such an awkward position is really uncomfortable! And this is already the second time—how can you treat me like this!?"
Senti flipped upright and pointed accusingly at Kiana, her face full of grievance.
There weren't many powerful fighters in this world capable of giving Senti a satisfying battle. And among those who were willing to fight her, there was only Kiana.
Earlier, her rising excitement had already been interrupted once by Sigurd. Now it had happened again—she was on the verge of breaking down.
Kiana turned back and stuck out her tongue.
"Next time, next time I'll definitely fight you to the end. Sorry about that!"
As soon as the words fell, the space around Kiana distorted, and she vanished from the room.
"Hey!!!"
Left behind on the spot, Senti jumped up and down with her weapon raised, shouting in frustration—but it was already too late.
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Tn: I updated the story once every 2 days, but if you want to see more chapter of this story ahead of time, please go to my Patreon.
Latest Chapter: Chapter 490: There's Going to Be Trouble[1]
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[1] https://www.patreon.com/Strijder/posts/honkai-strijder-161536858
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Strijder/posts/honkai-strijder-161536858