54. The Grown-up Kiana, The Young Old Father.
Kiana Kaslana, formerly a B-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, affiliated with the Far East Branch.
She once studied at St. Freya Academy, where her grades were poor, failing several subjects and having to retake exams.
Not long after, Kiana Kaslana joined the Far East Branch and participated in the rebellion instigated alongside Anti-Entropy.
As for why she became the Herrscher of the Void... only Overseer Otto Apocalypse likely knows.
After the Fourth Honkai Eruption, the fleeing Herrscher of the Void also became the world's most attention-grabbing and feared top-priority fugitive.
Having such a girl, who could transform into a Herrscher at any moment, approach her made even Rita's heart race slightly.
Never mind that she had just been shot several times, her Argent Knight armor was completely disabled, and her physical condition was particularly poor—even at her peak, dealing with a Herrscher would have been impossible.
Rita's mission this time was merely to retrieve information related to Kiana. If she truly wanted to confront the Herrscher of the Void, she would need more meticulous preparations.
So, the moment she saw Kiana, Rita's heart sank.
Schicksal had gone to great lengths to find Kiana, yet it seemed they never considered what to do if they found her early.
Rita knew that it was after Schicksal captured Kiana and brought her back to headquarters that she became like this, though she didn't know the reason.
However, as a soldier, her principle remained to follow orders from her superiors.
Don't misunderstand—she followed Durandal, not Overseer Otto. Rita's every action was guided by Bianka. Since Bianka hadn't raised any objections yet, Rita wouldn't either.
Rita thought to herself, today truly was a terrible day. Not only had she been ganged up on by a group of kids and attacked by a Divine Key, but she also ran into a Herrscher in her weakest state.
[No, K423's mind must be in an extremely unstable state right now. Any stimulus could trigger her transformation into a Herrscher. The first thing to do is not to call her K423 and try to calm her down.]
Quickly, Rita envisioned the possible outcomes of interacting with Kiana. Although she was a member of Schicksal, her missions had rarely involved direct contact with Kiana, having only met her a few months prior.
If Kiana intended to retaliate, Rita would need to draw as much of the fire to herself as possible to allow the logistics officer beside her to escape.
Thinking this, Rita lowered her voice, intending to whisper instructions to Squadmate Gao qi beside her.
"Ah, hello there, miss. Thank you for saving us! What's your name? Your skills are quite impressive. Would you like to join Schicksal?"
But Rita stiffened as she saw Gao Qi, without a trace of fear or hesitation, stride confidently toward Kiana—this reckless fool!
[Why is this guy charging straight at her?! That's—]
Rita suddenly realized that Squadmate Gao Qi likely had no idea who Kiana was. After all, he had just joined the Immortal Blades.
This mission to Arc City, the Immortal Blades' objective was to find Gray Serpent. Although the ultimate goal was to locate Kiana… while other Valkyries were aware of this, Gao Qi hadn't been briefed yet! This was bad!
Of course, Gao qi knew exactly who the girl before him was. He was just… a little too eager.
Looking at this graceful young woman with waist-length hair, Gao Qi, though he had long known it would be this way, felt his heart swell with the joy of reunion upon seeing her in person.
Kiana, my Kiana.
Though not the same person, Gao Qi had nonetheless raised that innocent, naive child for three years, turning her into—a slightly older naive child.
That little one he could once hold in one arm had truly grown, as if blown up like a balloon, into the young woman she was today. One couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of time.
Look at that lovely face, that well-proportioned and athletic figure, that impressive chest, those full… wait, no! Not the last part! In Gao Qi's heart, there was only paternal love!
In fact, upon first seeing Kiana, Gao Qi almost wanted to give her a big hug.
After all, Gao Qi had raised Kiana entirely on his own, and he had poured the most affection into her. Otherwise, he wouldn't have applied to join the Immortal Blades immediately after waking up.
However, after instinctively reaching out, Gao Qi quickly withdrew his hand and thanked Kiana in the tone of an ordinary person.
This wasn't his Kiana, and her father, Siegfried, was still alive.
Moreover, his actual age was only slightly older than Rita's. Compared to Kiana, who was already 19 this year, there was no place for paternal affection. If he got too close, he'd be lucky not to be seen as a creepy uncle and kicked with a cat's paw.
"Oh? You don't know who I am? The Immortal Blades really aren't very professional. Have your Miss Rita give you a proper briefing later—but I'll accept your thanks."
Shrugging, Kiana looked at the man before her, feeling a vague sense of familiarity.
"You… no, it's nothing."
However, after observing the man's age—likely in his early twenties—she decided he probably wasn't someone she knew.
She didn't know many men, most of them older, and the most important one… was gone.
[Kiana, keep an eye on this person… I see him moving with confident, steady steps, his stance firm. He's not as ordinary as he seems. Don't let him get too close to you.]
But soon, Fu Hua's reminder in her mind brought Kiana back to her senses.
[Also, I think he… looks somewhat familiar.]
In Fu Hua's eyes, the figure of this man felt somewhat familiar, yet she was nothing more than a single feather. After fifty thousand years, she had long forgotten countless memories, so naturally, she couldn't recall anything.
"Who knows? Class Monitor, didn't you say you're fifty thousand years old? It wouldn't be unusual for you to have met a little boy over a decade ago. Maybe he even dreamed of marrying you when he grew up!"
"Kiana, stop joking around."
Despite the difficult circumstances, Kiana hadn't forgotten her father's teachings—always remain optimistic and occasionally crack a joke or two with Fu Hua.
"Alright, Miss Rita, there's no need to be overly cautious. Wrongs have their perpetrators, and debts have their creditors. I'm not familiar with you, nor have I seen you do anything outrageous. I'm not a madman or a scoundrel like your Overseer. I have my limits. You don't look well, and I won't kick you while you're down."
Having no intention of doing anything to Rita or her little follower, Kiana prepared to turn and leave.
"Wait, Miss Kiana. By order of the Overseer, I am to bring you back to headquarters. If you continue staying in the city like this, Honkai energy will gather around you more and more. Honkai incidents are occurring increasingly frequently now."
Forcing herself up in her battlesuit, Rita suddenly stood, an expression of pain immediately flashing across her face. Gao Qi quickly supported her by her side.
"I know you likely won't listen, but even if you don't return... please don't stay in large cities."
No matter what, Rita remained a Valkyrie. Like her teacher, Ragna, protecting civilians was her original goal in joining Schicksal. Even if she couldn't complete her mission, she didn't want Tianqiong City to continue facing the threat of the Honkai.
However, before Kiana could respond, Gao Qi raised his hand instead.
"Um, Captain Rita, I remember we learned that Honkai phenomena occur around Herrschers, and Honkai beasts only appear near Herrschers, right?"
Gao Qi knew that although Kiana was a Herrscher, she had temporarily suppressed the Void Herrscher within her. The Void Herrscher was still causing trouble, but the only person it could harm now... was Kiana herself.
The Honkai incidents in Arc City had another cause.
"But these past few days, the Honkai incidents we've handled have been scattered across various corners of Arc City, many even occurring simultaneously..."
Hearing Gao Qi's analysis, Rita first felt a slight flicker of annoyance—this guy, Gao Qi, always seemed to take sides against her! He was her team member, yet here he was speaking up for someone else!
Still, she calmly considered his point. It did make sense.
She had assumed the Honkai incidents were all caused by Kiana, forgetting to consider other possibilities.
"Ha, looks like Schicksal still has some smart people. That's right, I stayed in Arc City to investigate the cause of the Honkai incidents. At first, I thought it was my fault, but now... here."
Nodding in approval, Kiana fished a small notebook from her pocket and tossed it to Gao Qi.
"If Schicksal has any conscience left—if it still pretends to fight the Honkai on the surface—then investigate that group called World Serpent."
Gao Qi caught the notebook, looking at the now mature, steady, rational, and wise Kiana, who couldn't hide her underlying loneliness. He couldn't help but feel a pang of heartache. After a moment's thought, he stepped forward and handed her a pack of medicine and food he carried with him.
If possible, Gao Qi wished this Kiana could still be the carefree, happy-go-lucky "paramecium" she once was. He was willing to bear all her suffering for her.
"Take it. It's not much, but if you're still in Arc City during this time, you can come find us at the Schicksal outpost anytime. The address is at a large construction site in the northwest suburbs of the city."
Gao Qi's unexpectedly friendly demeanor actually made Kiana somewhat wary.
"What's this? Since when are Schicksal people so kind? I warn you, I'm a Herrscher now. I'm not afraid of trackers or knockout drugs—"
But before Kiana could finish, Gao Qi firmly shoved two packs of emergency food and medicine into her hands. He almost reached out to pat her head as he used to, but ultimately held back.
"Be good now, listen, and take these."
His forceful action and unwavering tone made Kiana freeze for a second. Then, obediently, she accepted the items—a reaction ingrained in her instincts.
"Oh... thank you. I'm off now. Make sure to look into it!"
With that, she turned, leaping through the woods in quick strides and swiftly disappearing into the alleys. Before leaving, she couldn't help glancing back at Rita and the man.
For some reason, Kiana felt... her heart wasn't as cold as before.
Watching Kiana leave, Gao Qi also breathed a sigh of relief—helping his precious daughter was only the first step.
The next second, a pale, slender hand pinched Gao Qi's nose again, and a slightly reproachful voice sounded by his ear.
"Mr. Gao Qi... you're currently engaging in acts of aiding the enemy, you know. When we get back, you'd better write a thorough self-criticism!"
Rita looked a bit intimidating—not because she was upset about Gao Qi contacting a Herrscher, but because he hadn't asked for her permission!
That's what she said, but just moments before, Rita hadn't stopped Gao Qi. Surprisingly, she felt that this Herrscher girl seemed heartbreakingly lonely.
"Don't pinch, don't pinch! It's my fault, okay, Miss Rita—but now... it's time to head home!"
"Ah! You—put me down! I can walk!"
Exerting his strength once more, Gao Qi lifted Rita into a princess carry again. Amid her exclamations, he began running toward the outpost.
For him, today had been a good day.
Note: I'm new to translating so please be kind and tell me any mistakes you all find, I will try to release a chapter a day but don't expect much
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Raw: 崩坏模拟器,你找的人是我么?