Honkai: Strijder
Chapter 450: The Battlefield
"Kiana will lose control."
"…But she's the candidate with the highest success rate."
"Kiana really will lose control."
"…"
Bronya's repeated conclusion left Sigurd speechless in the end.
I still have resurrection technology—Sigurd had originally wanted to say that. But things weren't that simple. If Theresa were to die after losing control, then after being revived, she would most likely still be under the influence of the Honkai's will, remaining in that same state.
To restore her to normal, they would probably have to kill her again, revive her again, and repeat the cycle over and over until she could overcome the Honkai's influence.
However, reviving a Herrscher required immense resources—far too much to sustain many repetitions.
The risks involved were still enormous.
If Theresa weren't truly the best candidate after considering all factors, Sigurd would never have gone to her.
"Otto is prepared. If necessary, he'll spare no cost."
Sigurd finally said in a low voice.
Otto's obsession was nothing more than reviving Kallen. Now that there was a clear solution to that problem, he could give up his life at any time.
Or rather, to avoid letting Kallen see him and fall into deep guilt and regret, Otto had long since decided to die before her revival. Even if his lifelong yearning came to nothing, he would not allow Kallen to suffer because of him.
If Theresa truly couldn't break free from the will of the Honkai, Sigurd believed that Otto would sacrifice himself for the sake of his beloved granddaughter, ensuring Theresa's safety.
Bronya understood what Sigurd meant, so she nodded and added:
"In any case, we should prepare a plan to calm Kiana. If Theresa were replaced with Seele, Bronya would lose her temper too."
"I know."
"Bronya has an idea."
"Go on."
"Why not let Bronya get pregnant first? Then, using the child as a reason—even if Kiana is angry at Sigurd, Bronya would still be able to approach her and slowly persuade her. What do you think? Isn't it perfect?"
Bronya tilted her head up, blinking her clear, watery eyes. Her still-youthful face was filled with seriousness—as if this were truly a completely selfless plan.
Sigurd reached out and pinched her soft cheek, a faint vein popping on his forehead as he scolded:
"First, psychological barriers aren't so easily resolved. Second, your body is still in a slow stage of development. Third, stop trying to slip in your own little schemes whenever you get the chance."
"But Bronya thinks this plan is very reasonable!"
"Hmm?"
"…Alright, pretend Bronya didn't say anything."
The girl lowered her head, showing complete obedience, her lips pouting slightly in dejection.
Although Sigurd had seen through Bronya's little trick, he still felt a headache when thinking about how Kiana would react. In the end, he could only sigh and shake his head helplessly.
Zzz… zzz…
At that moment, the sound of a zipper being quietly pulled open suddenly came from below.
Sigurd lowered his head, looked at Bronya's unmoving small body, and said helplessly:
"Now isn't the time to play."
"But this is the imperial palace. We're sitting on the throne. Doesn't Sigurd feel anything? Isn't it interesting?"
"Why do I hear a sense of pride in your tone… wait… ah—!"
"Bronya can feel… Sigurd's… honesty…"
The events that followed—due to the fixed "camera angle," minimal changes in characters aside from clothing, and largely repetitive actions—will not be described further.
…
It was very late at night.
Sigurd carried the sleeping Bronya back to his room. There, a certain carefree silver-haired girl was sitting cross-legged on the floor, wearing headphones, fully immersed in a game displayed on a massive screen. The floor around her was scattered with snacks like chips and soda.
"Parry! Parry! Parry it, damn it! Ahhh!!"
The screen instantly dimmed. A large English word—"DEAD"—appeared in the center, colored dark red like blood, as if mocking the girl's clumsy controls.
Kiana's expression immediately deflated a bit. She turned her head and looked at Sigurd, who was holding Bronya.
"Tch! I've already prepared hot water for you. Hurry up and go wash. I'll reload the save—this time I'll stock up on poison throwing knives. No way I'm getting stuck on this stage again!"
Kiana quickly regained her spirits and threw herself back into the game.
Sigurd held Bronya in his arms, glancing at the messy floor littered with snack wrappers and drink bottles.
"…"
With a slight movement of his fingers, he made a tiny adjustment to the game data Kiana was playing—just enough to ensure that she would die spectacularly—and then carried Bronya toward the bathroom.
…
As Bronya was gently placed into the bathtub, she slowly woke up. Her beautiful, slightly dazed eyes opened, filled with attachment and dependence as she looked at Sigurd.
"Mmm… how long did I sleep?"
"About half an hour. Is the water temperature okay?"
Sigurd spoke softly, his voice carrying a gentleness rarely seen by others. He adjusted Bronya's position so she could soak more comfortably in the warm water.
Bronya lifted a hand from the water, casually rubbed her eyes, and yawned.
"Mmm… it's perfect, very comfortable. Will Sigurd join me?"
She opened her arms toward him, her large watery eyes blinking—like a young girl acting spoiled.
"Alright. But wait a moment, I'll go deal with that idiot first."
"Okay. Bronya will wait obediently."
Bronya obediently lowered her arms and sank back into the water, gazing at Sigurd with bright, moist eyes—looking incredibly well-behaved.
Sigurd had to admit he was a little charmed. He leaned down and kissed her forehead, earning a pair of crescent-shaped smiling eyes from her before turning and leaving the bathroom.
…
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Why did I die again?! My controls were fine—ah! Why are you taking off my headphones?!"
Kiana looked up, puffing her cheeks in annoyance as Sigurd held her headphones.
"Clean up. Brush your teeth and go to bed."
"No! I want to clear this stage! It must be you two messing up my rhythm—otherwise I would've beaten it for sure!"
Kiana huffed angrily.
Then, a hand landed on her head.
Sigurd narrowed his eyes slightly and said in a cold tone:
"Say that again?"
"—Sorry, I'll clean everything up right away!"
Kiana immediately put down the controller. While nervously sneaking glances at Sigurd's expression, she hurriedly cleaned up the scattered snacks and drinks on the floor.
She had gotten too immersed in the game—almost forgetting that in this household, the one truly in charge had always been Sigurd.
After finishing, Kiana held everything in her arms and looked up at Sigurd with pleading eyes, showing a flattering smile.
"Hehe… look, I've cleaned everything up. So, can you… spare me?"
"No dignity at all."
Sigurd commented flatly, neither pleased nor displeased. He patted her head before turning and heading back to the bathroom.
Behind his back, Kiana stuck out her tongue, then quickly put everything away and ran to the washroom to clean up.
At that moment, Kiana finally noticed that Sigurd and Bronya were already lying in the bath. Sigurd had his arms around Bronya, while Bronya rested against him, the two of them looking so intimate it was almost embarrassing to watch.
Kiana immediately felt a pang of jealousy.
She rinsed her mouth with a few quick gulps, then rapidly stripped off her clothes and jumped into the bath.
"Kiana water bomb incoming—boom!"
Just like the sound effect she provided herself, water splashed everywhere—spraying straight onto Sigurd and Bronya's faces.
The two of them darkened in unison.
After laughing a few times, Kiana finally realized the situation. She obediently knelt in the warm water and said seriously:
"I only have one request—don't hit my face!"
"…" ×2
She caused trouble without thinking about the consequences, yet when begging for mercy, she was so used to it that she almost seemed completely at ease. Faced with a single-celled organism like Kiana, both Sigurd and Bronya felt utterly helpless.
After a moment, they both turned their gazes away at the same time, deciding to ignore her.
Kiana patted her chest in relief, the soft curves beneath the water appearing even more striking as she celebrated narrowly escaping punishment. Of course, she knew she was being disliked—but she didn't mind.
Why? Because her skin was thick.
So, Kiana scooted closer, leaning against Sigurd as if nothing had happened. She wrapped her arms around his and grinned shamelessly:
"You two are pretty romantic, sneaking off to bathe together. Let me join too!"
"…"
"Oh come on, don't ignore me—I already said I was wrong, okay? And don't think I don't know that you two snuck off behind my back. I didn't even get mad, and you're giving me that look?"
Kiana giggled as she shook Sigurd's arm, making sure he could clearly feel her softness.
When someone with extremely thick skin clashes with someone less so, it's usually the latter who loses. And Kiana's words did make sense. Bronya's face flushed bright red, and she lowered half her face into the water, unusually at a loss for words.
Even Sigurd stiffened for a moment. Their relationship was already complicated—being called out by Kiana like that inevitably brought a hint of awkwardness.
And there was another issue: Bronya's stamina couldn't quite keep up, leaving Sigurd in a rather sensitive state. With Kiana suddenly pressing close, certain reactions became hard to control.
"!!!"
Lying against Sigurd, Bronya immediately sensed that something was wrong. Her ahoge shot upright, and she stood up from the water in an instant.
"Cadet Kiana!"
"Huh? Are you calling me?"
"My battle as commander has come to an end. The next battlefield—please handle it to your heart's content."
"Huh? What do you mean?"
Kiana blinked in confusion, not understanding Bronya's meaning at all. But Bronya had already stepped out of the bath, casually grabbed a towel, and—without even bothering to dry the water droplets on her body—ran out of the bathroom with wet footsteps.
Kiana stared blankly at her departing figure, just about to ask something—
And then… she no longer had the time to speak or even think.
<+>
<+>
<+>
<+>
<+>
<+>
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]
Link: https://www.patreon.com/Strijder/posts/honkai-strijder-161536858[2]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/Strijder/posts/honkai-strijder-161536858
[2] https://www.patreon.com/Strijder/posts/honkai-strijder-161536858