The item, the envy of even the most authentic Herrschers, was pocketed, reserved for use after leaving the Q&A space.
Everyone's eyes shifted to the screen, watching the question that appeared.
[7. During her wanderings, Kiana found tracks of Anti-Entropy. How did she defeat the robot that was meant to bring her back?]
[A. With this raging fire, I slash through everything!]
[B. Now is the time of judgment!]
[C. Spread your wings of light!]
[D. I will launch an incredible attack!]
Another question about Kiana's wanderings.
Although they already knew a lot about what happened before and after, they had no idea what Kiana actually did during her wanderings.
And judging by the answer alone...
"What is this?"
Tesla's silence echoed the others', who were also baffled by this somewhat baffling answer.
"...Probably like in the manga, where they yell out the names of their moves before unleashing them?"
Welt for once shared his thoughts but was met with rolls of the eyes from those around him.
People like Fu Hua and Himeko who were either old-fashioned or extremely self-disciplined had little to say; they probably wouldn't read modern manga or anime.
But Theresa, Bronya, Mei, Kiana, and even Tesla from Anti-Entropy... well, for some reason, Einstein had read a little, though she felt it was a complete waste of time.
In short, those familiar with anime and manga knew what this option was.
But what puzzled them was... Yes, this lousy question asks for a method, but then gives you a bunch of... this is a bit confusing.
Asking for a method, you give a bunch of move names... no, not even fixed move names... who else but the person knows what this is?
"Kiana, do you know the moves in there?"
Tesla tentatively asked Kiana, but naturally, the answer was a shake of the head.
For now, she had a few tricks and slogans, and a gunfight was enough.
If she really wanted something fancy, she'd have to wait until Kiana studied the Herrscher of Void's powers.
And the answer in this question sounded good.
Maybe it could be used later when she's using her ultimate, but for now, forget it.
"Option D should be ruled out," Mei said, proactively eliminating an answer.
As everyone stared at her, Mei, without her glasses, said calmly.
"Compared to the other three options, this one has a distinct flavor of this dimension."
As for what flavor it was, it was probably... a bit of a troll, right?
There had been many ridiculous questions and answers before, and most of those nonsense answers were basically wrong.
As for the correct ones… haha, thanks to these answers, Mei had become the world's best cook, which was truly commendable.
Mei's point was fair.
Seeing Mei's efforts, Bronya couldn't bear the loneliness anymore. After a moment's hesitation, she offered her own opinion.
"Bronya thinks option A should also be ruled out!"
The answer was simple.
Based on the content of this answer alone...
With this raging fire, slash through everything.
This clearly showed an attack method related to fire.
Based on the information they'd obtained so far about Kiana's wanderings...
From the episode in Arc City, Kiana's attack methods should have been more physical, with Valkyrie armor assisting her attacks, and when necessary, she could also use the power of the Herrscher of the Void.
But none of these things were undoubtedly related to fire.
Indeed, the image of Himeko, who was presumably in critical condition, matched the flames.
Bronya's reasoning was indeed quite sound, which drew a flicker of admiration from Yang who already considered Bronya his successor.
Eliminating the incompatible option A and the nonsensical option D, the only remaining options were B and C.
On the surface, these two options didn't reveal much.
In other words, it was another difficult choice between two options.
Bronya wanted to get some more inspiration from Fu Hua, but seeing her wary expression, she knew she couldn't do it again.
So, she sighed inwardly and prepared to let Fu Hua rest.
It wouldn't hurt to take it slow, perhaps relying on luck.
"Kiana, make your choice."
Since there was no clue, Tesla simply passed the ball to Kiana, since it was Kiana's move.
Kiana didn't think twice and immediately chose option [B].
Why? Well... maybe it was because she thought this one sounded cooler than the other.
Although a bit more mature, how could Kiana resist handsomeness?
Of course, the result of choosing based on aesthetics wasn't surprising.
The first red wrong answer of this Q&A was revealed.
Kiana didn't seem too concerned. The others felt sorry for her, but seeing Kiana's nonchalant expression, what else could they say? All they could say was, "Just be happy."
Everyone focused their attention on the screen. This question seemed to have a related image.
The sun shone brightly, illuminating the landscape.
The once vast subway station was now empty, its silence interrupted only by the occasional whisper of the wind.
Beside the drinks machine at the subway station, a figure leaned back, staring at the contents of her phone screen.
[Mei: Kiana, come back! It's too dangerous for you to be alone.
10:08:33 A.M.
I won't look back: Kiana.
10:09:08 A.M.
Mei: Stop being so willful~
10:10:16 A.M.
After a pause, Kiana muttered, "Oh, so annoying!"]
The edited message was then sent.
[I don't want it~: Kiana
10:11:10 A.M.]
Feeling a cold light sweep over her, Kiana shuddered, naturally understanding what was going on.
Mei was clearly in her cook mode. She now looked as if her eyes burning, expressionless as she asked.
"Am I annoying?"
This naturally made Kiana feel a little awkward, so she quickly hugged Mei's arm, her face filled with a fawning expression:
"Not at all! I would never find Mei annoying!"
"It's all because of that jerk I was! That me... must be an idiot!"
To please Mei, Kiana directly shifted the blame onto the video her, drawing a clear line between them.
This self-attack left Mei stunned.
Looking at Kiana's pitiful expression, even though she knew it was fake, Mei couldn't help but find it a little amusing, and her pent-up anger finally dissipated.
She tapped Kiana on the head, a warning, as if to avoid it.
The general message was... Don't imitate that Kiana!
Einstein facepalmed.
...Why did it feel like Mei's IQ was starting to drop?!
—The video continued.
After biting off the Pepero, Kiana put down her phone and scanned the desolate landscape, wondering what she was thinking.
[Ding~]
A message rang, and Kiana looked up at her phone.
[Mei: There's no other way... I'll take you back, even if I have to use force!
10:13:18 A.M.]
Gazing at the resoluteness between the lines, Kiana, already sensing something, whispered, "It's finally here."
As soon as she finished speaking,
A massive creature suddenly emerged from nowhere, reaching out to grab Kiana.
Although she couldn't see the entire thing, that fragment was enough to identify it.
"...Is this Arahato?!" Bronya exclaimed in surprise, recognizing it instantly.
As a seasoned otaku, she dabbled in games, anime, and manga.
And this robot was undoubtedly the mecha from the famous 1980s series Heavy Metal Gear Arahato.
She'd been watching this supposedly highly acclaimed anime. Bronya was quite impressed.
Of course, compared to Bronya's surprise...
The Anti-Entropy team was quite embarrassed.
Both the animation that had impressed Bronya and the actual mecha in the video were their masterpieces.
Welt wasn't much better off. He had been directly involved in the anime because Tesla and Einstein were raising funds.
After so many years, seeing this thing again...
They couldn't be embarrassed for long. Kiana easily dodged the attack and leisurely drank a can of Coke, sticking out her tongue afterward.
This moment made Tesla, the creator of Arahato, the rather hot-tempered one, shudder.
Provocation, this was definitely a provocation!
The Valkyrie was amazing! Fortunately, Arahato appeared later, displaying his prowess, smashing a house and dismantling an entire train car.
This somewhat saved their dignity.
However, the next moment...
Watching Kiana dart from the thrown train car, effortlessly changing outfits, and performing other impressive maneuvers, Tesla choked.
"Trying to catch me..."
"You're too early."
"Like a hundred years!"
Kiana, leaping skyward, flipped, a pattern appearing on her chest.
Under the gaze, the curled-up Kiana cried softly.
"Light wings—unfold!"
Beams of light instantly pierced Arahato, sending up clouds of dust.
It looked impressive, but Tesla was in a terrible mood.
Looking at her scrapped masterpiece, Tesla gritted her teeth, but even more so, she felt heartbroken.
Just that Arahato was worth billions!
After defeating Arahato, Kiana swirled a halo in her hand as she faced the shattered mech, then dissipated it between gritted teeth.
The previous tension dissipated, and she gently stroked the shattered mech's hull.
That tenderness made Tesla, who had been cursing inwardly, forget everything else.
Mei looked at Kiana, who was leaning against the mech.
Looking at that...