Enraged, Theresa snapped her fingers. The Oath of Judah unfolded, revealing golden chains that swiftly bound Kiana securely.
"Who are you calling a brat?! I am Theresa, the head of the Schicksal Organization's Far East Branch!"
Kiana, looking at the girl standing on the bed who was barely taller than her sitting up, expressed deep skepticism. As for being instantly defeated by Theresa, Kiana declared, "You may have beaten me, but you haven't broken my spirit!"
"You don't even bother with a pseudonym and you barge into a dangerous Honkai Domain? Are you hoping your father will notice you? Siegfried's daughter..."
"I didn't barge in! I live here! Do you know my dad?"
"Oh yes~ I know your father. We're old acquaintances... And I also know where Siegfried is right now~" Theresa knelt before Kiana, her gaze locked on hers.
Ask me where Siegfried is! Then step by step, fall into my trap and join St. Freya Academy.
But Kiana clearly wasn't very interested. She simply gave Theresa a flat, "Oh."
"Oh."
Kiana realized she no longer felt the burning desire to find Siegfried. Three years as a stranger, one year as family, followed by his sudden departure... If she hadn't met Ryn, Sparkle, Mei, and the others, she might have been desperate to know Siegfried's whereabouts by now.
"What kind of attitude is that? Don't you even want to know where Siegfried is?!"
Theresa was furious, but not at Kiana. She was angry at Siegfried. That damn Siegfried, how had he treated Kiana?! Himeko's report clearly stated that Kiana had been searching for him all this time, yet her expression showed no urgency.
Searching for him, but not urgently? That could only mean Siegfried had treated Kiana poorly! That damn Siegfried had been bullying her!
"I'm asking you, would you tell me where Siegfried is?"
"Uh... no, I wouldn't..."
Theresa shook her head. In truth, she had no idea where Siegfried was either.
"Then that's all that matters..."
Kiana waved her hand dismissively. During her journey with Ryn, he had taught her that people who bombarded her with leading questions before she even asked anything were usually trying to trick her. Ryn had initially claimed Kiana wouldn't understand, but when he rephrased the question—asking if someone had tried to lure her by claiming to know Siegfried's location—Kiana immediately understood. "Look at Theresa perfectly falling into the trap," she thought.
"Never mind that. Let's change the subject. Your current strength is far too weak. You struggled against a single Honkai Beast.
And your friend, Sparkle, according to the initial survey, could have continued charging her attack and obliterated the beast with a single shot if she hadn't been focused on saving you.
That girl has an exceptionally high compatibility with the Nexus System. Enhanced by the new Nexus System built for her at Schicksal Headquarters, she possesses power far beyond an A-rank Valkyrie, not far from S-rank.
And the person beside you, your boyfriend? He has the strength to crush Himeko and the Herrscher of Thunder using the Nexus System. Even I wouldn't be confident of defeating him."
"And another thing," Theresa continued, her voice like a devil's whisper, echoing in Kiana's ears. "Raiden Mei... the power of the Herrscher of Thunder still lies dormant within her. If that power resurfaces, can you truly save Mei so easily again?"
Kiana remembered being attacked by the Honkai Beast. So Sparkle had taken the blow for her...
Theresa's words, like a devil's whisper, echoed in Kiana's ears. She desperately wanted to refute Theresa, but the words wouldn't come. She was still too weak.
Seeing Kiana's self-reproach but determined gaze, Theresa smiled triumphantly.
"Now, let me propose a new plan!"
"?"
Theresa stood with her hands on her hips, beaming proudly at Kiana. "Join St. Freya Academy and train to become a Valkyrie! I will personally cultivate you into a formidable warrior who can stand on her own!"
"St. Freya Academy?"
"Yes, the world's only institution dedicated to training Valkyries to combat the Honkai."
"Can I get A-rank Valkyrie Armor?"
"Certainly! But first, you must pass the A-rank Valkyrie assessment and then apply to Schicksal Headquarters."
"Tch, in the end, I still had to ask Otto for..."
"Hehe, but don't worry! As long as you meet the requirements, Grandpa definitely won't refuse to give you the Valkyrie Armor! By the way, your other three friends also agreed to join St. Freya Academy this morning~
So, would you like to work hard with your friends to become warriors who save the world?"
"What a load of nonsense. How can I trust someone who tied me up the first time we met? I need to confirm this with Ryn before I agree."
Theresa snapped her fingers, and the chains binding Kiana retracted into the Oath of Judah. Then, with her head bowed, Theresa walked away, muttering, "That 'first time we met' comment is truly heartbreaking. I held you in my arms when you were a child, you know."
Kiana flexed her wrists, disbelieving Theresa's words. She was clearly younger than herself, yet she claimed to have held her as a baby.
"Ryn, Ryn~"
Kiana hugged Ryn and rolled around playfully, but he didn't wake up. After all, he wasn't asleep; he had been knocked unconscious.
"Huh? Why is there such a huge bump on his head..."
This morning, at Mei's side.
When Mei woke up, she was overwhelmed with despair and self-reproach. She had transformed into the Herrscher of Thunder again, and everyone else was unconscious in the hospital. Only she had escaped with nothing more than a headache.
I must have hurt them again...
She begged Himeko to kill her, but Himeko sternly refused. Instead, she offered to plant a bomb in Mei's heart that would detonate the moment the Herrscher of Thunder resurfaced.
Just then, Sparkle woke up and saw Himeko and Mei talking. She was about to greet them when she heard Himeko mention planting a bomb in Mei's body. Enraged, Sparkle summoned Sabayon and aimed it directly at Himeko.
"Absolutely not! No one is planting a bomb in Mei's body!"
"Sparkle... But if..."
"Shut up, Raiden Mei. I don't have many friends, and I cherish each one deeply. Mei, you're my friend. I won't let you hand your life over to someone else! If the Herrscher of Thunder appears again, I'll defeat her myself! After all, I've done it so many times before, haven't I?"
Seeing Sparkle's unwavering determination, Mei was deeply moved and embraced her, tears streaming down her face.
"Thank you..."
Himeko, holding her hands up in surrender, watched the two friends embracing and couldn't help but chuckle wryly.
"Hey, hey, hey, you two, before you get too emotional, shouldn't you put down the weapon first? I'm not wearing my Valkyrie Armor. If that thing misfires, I'll be blown to smithereens."