"You… are the third participant in that memory."
!!!
In an instant, Durandal's body trembled violently.
Disbelief flashed through her eyes.
And at that very moment, the puppet continued speaking.
"In that memory, you were addressed by Otto Apocalypse as—Kiana Kaslana."
Those words struck heavily against Durandal's heart.
At that instant—
The young woman's emotions became a tangled mess.
Not because she had suddenly learned the truth of her origins.
Not because that name itself held any special meaning for her.
[You are you, and you have nothing to do with your surname.]
[What is a surname, anyway? It isn't a hand, a foot, an arm, or a face… it isn't any essential part of a person.]
[And what about a name? A rose by any other name would smell just as sweet.]
[Even if Romeo were not called Romeo, he would still be just as dear and perfect, needing no such title at all.]
What truly stirred her heart was the thought of Siegfried—
A man whose life had been filled with regret.
And she thought of that person who had only recently reconciled with her—
The one who had given the name Kiana its true meaning through her will, her courage, and even her life.
Durandal realized that this was a complicated, harmful secret.
If revealed at the wrong time, the bare truth would not bring salvation to anyone.
In other words, until a truly appropriate day arrived, she could only allow them to continue believing that Cecilia's biological daughter… had died ten years ago.
Yet even this safest option carried an unpredictable prerequisite—
She could not know whether, in the coming decisive battle against Bishop Otto, he would continue to maintain his habitual silence regarding this secret.
Still, she also knew—
On this matter, she could trust that mature warrior named Kiana Kaslana, trust that she would not waver because of it.
In that fleeting moment, Durandal thought of many things.
But instinctively, she was concerned only with whether this secret would hurt others—
Never once stopping to consider how much her own heart had sunk because of it.
And her reaction stirred deep sympathy among countless viewers beyond the screen.
Including the person most directly involved—
The girl known as K-423, called by everyone Kiana Kaslana.
Or rather—
At this very moment, she had truly become Kiana Kaslana.
[Tesla]: So it really is… really is like this!!
[Ningguang]: Sigh… we more or less guessed it before, but seeing it revealed like this still hurts.
[Tesla]: Otto is truly the root of all evil!!
[Keqing]: Even at a time like this… Durandal is still thinking about others?
[Kiana]: Wuu…
[Theresa]: Bianka…
[Durandal]: Cough… everyone, there's no need to react like that.
[Rita]: It's rare to see you embarrassed, hehe…
[Bailu]: It's all because of Otto! Without him, so many tragedies would never have happened!!
[March 7th]: Then hurry up and go beat Otto senseless!!
In the chat group.
While everyone felt heartache for Durandal, their hatred and disgust toward Otto rose yet another level.
Another family—another countless tragedy—born because of Otto.
He had forcibly torn apart Siegfried and Cecilia, a perfect couple.
Created the tragedies of Durandal and K-423.
Stripped each of them of the chance to simply be themselves…
Truly despicable!!
Reality.
Schicksal Headquarters.
As if sensing the collective resentment, Otto felt a chill run down his spine.
"Tsk… seems I've managed to provoke the wrath of three worlds…"
What Otto failed to notice—
Was that even Amber, standing beside him, was looking at him with a trace of quiet resentment.
Back on screen.
"Alright. Let's assume everything you've said is true."
"But what meaning does this hold for you or me? What does it have to do with you? And who actually benefits from revealing it?"
Durandal calmly questioned the puppet before her.
"Since you've come here, you must completely liberate the Kaslana Stigmata and use that power to defeat me."
"Otherwise, even I cannot allow you to leave."
"Then—you wouldn't mind if I conducted an experiment, would you? An experiment to test whether defeating you truly requires the power of that so-called stigmata."
"Very well. But I must remind you—what you're considering now has already been attempted countless times by Siegfried Kaslana. Still, I hope you know when to stop."
The puppet nodded.
It did not try to dissuade the stubborn Durandal.
As if it had long known—
Those bearing the name Kaslana were all like this.
This entire bloodline.
No matter their outward demeanor, their hearts were always steadfast,
Always placing others before themselves.
Always thinking of the world.
The next instant—
The puppet retreated, putting distance between itself and Durandal.
The battle erupted at once!
But very quickly—
Just as the puppet had said—
The rules constrained everything.
"Mm, let's stop here. I don't wish to trigger certain dreadful defensive mechanisms—otherwise, you would be buried even deeper within his memories."
"He… refers to Kevin?"
"Of course. From the day he bore the weight of the entire world… you were all forced to shoulder the fate called Kaslana."
The puppet continued.
"And so, I was born—as the administrator of the stigmata, enforcing the rules he left behind. Salvation became your glory, and salvation became your curse."
"Only by fully liberating the stigmata can you truly draw near to him, rather than losing yourselves in his shadow."
"However… you seem different."
"Within you, aside from Kaslana's power, there exists something entirely different."
"You mean… other stigmata? Or power beyond stigmata?"
"Yes. That other power made me hesitate, made me take a deeper interest in you. Much like… this memory."
The owner of the memory was cradled in a warm embrace.
She seemed to have just awakened, her mind filled with a blissful blankness.
Opening her eyes—
She saw Cecilia, Theresa, and Siegfried grinning foolishly.
Theresa: "Ah… looks like she's awake."
Siegfried: "Shh—keep it down. If she thinks you're noisy, she'll throw a tantrum."
Cecilia: "It's alright. Look—she's smiling."
Theresa: "Hehe, Kiana likes Aunt Theresa the most, right?"
Siegfried: "Alright… you win."
Siegfried: "But why is it that whenever I raise my voice a little, she—"
Theresa: "Look at you, you're all fierce-looking. Of course you need to be gentler to look like a dad, right? Isn't that right, Kiana?"
Cecilia: "Alright, Siegfried, don't sulk. Girls usually grow up liking their fathers."
Siegfried: "I'm not sulking, dear. At this rate, it'll already be a win if she still acknowledges me as her dad later."
Theresa: "And you say you're not sulking! Kiana, what should we do with this smelly old dad of yours? Should we beat him up together?"
Siegfried: "Ah—okay, I surrender!"
Cecilia: "Haha… see? Your daughter really likes you, doesn't she?"
Siegfried: "How is this liking me?! She clearly just likes hitting me!"
Theresa: "Isn't that fine too? Saves her from growing up into another thick-headed Kaslana like you."
Siegfried: "Hey—aren't you a Kaslana too?! Besides, I'm already very different from ordinary Kaslanas, okay!"
Cecilia: "Pfft. Theresa, you have to admit—on this point, Siegfried truly is better than us. In the past, none of us had the freedom to choose our own lives—but only he kept trying, in his own way, to confirm the meaning of his existence."
Cecilia: "Though none of us want our child to repeat our path… this is the one thing I hope Kiana will inherit from her father."
Cecilia: "After becoming a mother, I realized I feel proud when she resembles me—and sorrowful for the same reason."
Cecilia: "Proud of her talent and inheritance; sorrowful because that very inheritance may bring her suffering and pain."
Cecilia: "I was once relieved when the Bishop thought she was nothing special. But if, when she grows up, she truly wishes to walk a similar path to ours—then I believe we must never deliberately stop her."
Cecilia: "In the end, everyone's life belongs to themselves—so long as they live happily, joyfully, and can create a new future for themselves."
Cecilia: "Even parents have no right to interfere with a child's carefully considered choice."
Cecilia's long confession flowed gently, like water.
The softness on her face made even Durandal feel an indescribable closeness.
Siegfried: "I may not be as eloquent as Cecilia, but… even if she likes hitting me, I can still feel the trust and attachment she has toward us."
Siegfried: "I… never want to betray such pure emotions."
Siegfried: "No matter what, I'll help her. Give her the chance to become a better person. I think… that's the meaning of being a parent."
The owner of the memory was held warmly once more.
She slowly drifted back to sleep, her mind immersed in blissful emptiness.
Deep within her dream, she smiled, crawling clumsily along a path woven from starlight.
A smile—perhaps the one language all children share.
When children grow tired from crying and fall asleep, smiles bloom at their lips like a crescent moon.
One day, they may forget how to cry, how to act spoiled…
But they will never forget the joy a smile brings.
More than ten years later—
Deep within the dream.
She wandered leisurely through narrow asphalt alleys between city blocks, fresh air sweeping away all the gloom in her lungs.
It was June.
Beside the weathered curbstones, wild grass sprouted here and there.
She didn't know when or where—
Perhaps it was merely a strange illusion.
But at least within this dream, she was certain—
Those things long since settled into dust, yet still filled with quiet regret—
Had become time capsules, sleeping within every corner of her body.
[Theresa]: Cecilia… I'm sorry. I failed to protect you.
[Himeko (Honkai)]: Sigh… what a happy family they should have been…
[Kiana]: …
[Raiden Mei]: My heart hurts for Kiana…
[Fu Hua]: I'm sorry… Cecilia's sacrifice was something I also bear responsibility for…
[Fu Hua]: If I hadn't helped Otto… if I had dealt with the Second Herrscher cleanly…
[Kiana]: Class Monitor… it's not your fault!!
[March 7th]: The more I see, the more Otto doesn't even feel human…!
[Paimon]: Agreed!!
[Klee]: Agreed!!
[Hu Tao]: Take Otto down!!
[Bailu]: He's worse than the Honkai itself!!
[Tesla]: Too many people have already been hurt by Otto! This time, we must crush him completely—reduce him to ashes!
Unlike the heated emotions in the chat—
On screen, Durandal remained silent after emerging from the memory.
"…I must admit. This was originally the kind of memory I cared least about."
The puppet spoke frankly.
"The Kaslana family, burdened with the primordial stigmata—your lives have been bound from birth. Your so-called choices are nothing more than illusions born from instincts carved into you."
"Does saving the world truly make you happy? Does becoming humanity's shield bring you anything?"
"You live in his immense shadow—leaving glory to the world, and keeping the curse for yourselves."
"Since the day he shouldered the world, I have watched your fates repeat endlessly."
"Each of you resembles his past."
"Resembles the life he cast aside for the world."
"Resembles… the utterly pointless Sisyphus."
"Yet you still shared this memory with me."
"Because you have a great mother. She may not be the strongest warrior—but she protected you, watched over you. She never truly left you. She exists within every drop of blood flowing through your body."
"Blood…"
"Do you remember what Otto once told you? That your resistance to Honkai energy increases with the amount you are exposed to."
"This is a power countless generations dreamed of—the origin of the Stigmata Project, and the true purpose of holy blood: crossing the boundary between imaginary and real, using flesh and blood to control Honkai and embrace truth."
"This is a path different from the Herrschers, who are already branded by the Imaginary."
"Hypermutation cannot achieve this either—it is merely inhuman mutation."
"Ordinary Kaslanas or Schariacs cannot do this—their bodies cannot harmonize with the world's origin."
"Only you can do this. Only you can succeed."
"That is the fundamental reason I have grown increasingly interested in you."
"Your life—your value—far surpasses those numbing, hollow, tiresome Kaslana tragedies that contribute nothing to saving the world."
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