[In the Real World.]
Seeing this, Kiana's eyes lit up, and she excitedly patted Raiden Mei on the shoulder, "Mei Mei! Look quickly! The two of us in the video are so sweet!"
Raiden Mei's face turned slightly red, and she looked at her a bit helplessly, "Kiana, you... this is just a video, don't take it too seriously."
"But it's really sweet!"
Kiana giggled and leaned close to Raiden Mei, "Why don't we try one too? Since the video is already like that."
Raiden Mei poked Kiana's forehead, with a hint of pampering in her tone, "Stop fooling around, keep watching the video."
Although she didn't succeed in cuddling with Mei, which made Kiana feel a little regretful, she was soon attracted back to the story in the video.
However, unlike the carefree Kiana, Raiden Mei's mood was not so light. She stared at the screen intently, with a vague sense of unease rising in her heart.
———
[Back to the Video.]
Raiden Mei tightly clutched the corner of Kiana's clothes, as if once loosened, the girl before her would disappear like smoke.
"Kiana, you're hurt..." Looking at the wounded girl in her arms, Raiden Mei felt immense heartache.
"I'll take you back, back to the Hyperion. Everyone is waiting for you."
However, faced with Raiden Mei's concern, Kiana could only shake her head and refuse. "I... can't go back, Mei."
After doing that kind of thing, how could Kiana possibly return as if nothing had happened?
Likewise, would they still respond to her with the same warm smiles as before?
Spilled water can't be gathered, a broken mirror is hard to repair. Once some things happen, they can never return to how they were.
"I can't let you... let everyone take this risk. I've already lost him... I don't want to lose you all again..."
Raiden Mei stared at Kiana, for the first time feeling that she was so unfamiliar.
Just then, a commotion came from the lab door, the enemy was about to arrive.
The two turned at the sound and began to prepare for battle.
"Mei, give me some time. After I settle this matter, we'll talk again…"
"I understand. I already know the related matters. But Kiana… I hope you can understand, me and everyone on the Hyperion will always be waiting for you."
Kiana nodded, then turned and faced the incoming enemies. But in her heart, she felt endlessly lost. Because she knew, not everyone from the Hyperion was still the same.
After a fierce battle, Kiana and Raiden Mei defeated the enemies before them.
Just as they were about to proceed to the next step, Rita, fully recovered, appeared in front of them.
Seeing Rita arrive, Raiden Mei instinctively pulled out Thunderclap and shielded Kiana behind her.
"You're not taking her from me!"
Rita merely spread her hands and said with a smiling face, "Miss Mei, I mean no harm. I'm here to tell you the next step of World Serpent's plan..."
Then, Rita synchronized the intel she had just gathered with Kiana and the others.
Hearing that the entire Skydome City was in imminent danger, Kiana became very anxious. "We can't delay any longer!"
Just then, a dark, enormous shadow slowly loomed over them, blocking the vision of all three. From the void, a strange purple Herrscher beast once again launched its huge form outward.
Kiana's face was full of disbelief, "I clearly already eliminated it!"
Facing the attacking Herrscher beast, Rita smiled and stood in front of the two.
"Miss Kiana, do you still remember what you said to me? That stopping disaster is more important than escaping. I'll hold it off, the task of disabling the bomb is up to you."
"I understand."
"Thank you for coming to save me that time. Now, we're even…"
Watching Kiana's figure gradually disappear, Rita pulled out her scythe and faced the massive Herrscher beast in the distance.
Meanwhile, Kiana and Raiden Mei were rushing to the location marked on the map.
However, at a corner, they were ambushed by the World Serpent executive, Raven.
Raiden Mei's injury made Kiana very worried, but in front of the bigger picture, the only thing she could do was quickly end this fight.
Looking at the figure above, Kiana's voice was unusually firm.
"Move aside! Your plan isn't about saving people, it's a massacre!"
However, Kiana's words not only failed to work, they even further angered the person in front of her. Raven looked at Kiana with eyes full of fury, as if the girl before her was her father's killer.
"Massacre? You think you can say that? As the culprit of the Second Eruption, the greatest murderer in human history... what right do you have to judge us!"
The voice filled with hatred tormented Kiana's nerves, because she couldn't refute what Raven said.
"Such righteous words, but have you ever heard the voices of those who died because of you? Their wails, their cries… you couldn't hear them!"
Seemingly recalling some painful memory, a rare trace of anguish appeared on Raven's usually calm face.
"Once the experiment is complete, humanity will no longer have to bear what you represent..."
Facing the aggressive accusations, Kiana didn't know how to respond, but that didn't stop her from advancing. Because she had made a promise to that man...
"I'll say it one more time, move!"
But what answered her was Raven's crimson claw.
The two figures clashed in mid-air, the sound of weapons clashing echoing far and wide. In the end, relying on her powerful Herrscher powers, Kiana caught Raven's flaw and knocked her to the ground.
Blood stained Raven's gray cloak pitch black. She clutched her wound tightly, staggering backward.
"You can kill me… Herrscher of the Void..." Raven looked up at Kiana with hatred, "Just like you've always done..."
However, Kiana put away her gun. Facing the girl's mercy, Raven didn't show any gratitude for surviving, rather, she continued mocking, "Heh~ the experiment is about to begin. No matter what you do now, you can't change this outcome. I delayed you, so this battle, I win."
Taking advantage of Kiana's momentary distraction, Raven weakly spread her arms, and a puff of white smoke burst from beneath her feet.
"Wait!"
In the end, under the darkness cast by the surrounding buildings, Raven's figure vanished along with the dispersing white smoke.
Sensing the Honkai energy rapidly rising from the distant skyscraper, Kiana made up her mind in her heart, she would stop this disaster at any cost.
═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═❀═
patreon.com/AmbitiousTranslator
🥳Joining Patreon keeps me motivated and eager to work diligently, so please consider joining.🥰 You can access upto 20 advance chapter through Patreon.
https://discord.gg/bYAfGyp98y