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"So this child is from another timeline's Kiana?"
"I'm not sure."
"Uh, at least she seems friendly...right?"
"That could be possible."
With nothing definitive, Fu Hua shook her head and rested her forehead on one hand, feeling somewhat disheartened by Zeke's vague responses. However, all she could do was remain silent, allowing him time to ponder.
Zeke interlocked his fingers, placing them on the table as he supported his chin, organizing the available information.
'She resists interaction and communication—does it stem from mere solitude or a desire to withhold crucial intelligence?'
'Her use of abilities akin to the Divine Grace Barrier suppresses power. Considering Vera's account, it suggests that her capabilities have surpassed her control, and she's actively trying to prevent losing it. Is it simply to avoid causing harm, or is she waiting for a specific moment?'
'We cannot determine her exact origin yet, but she initially appeared under the identity of Kiana Kaslana. Taking into account the periods when Theresa, Siegfried, and Otto experienced memory confusion, it's reasonable to infer that she emerged during the timeframe when Siegfried rescued Kiana while Durandal remained with Schicksal.'
'Tampering with others' memories allowed her to exist legitimately and engage in deals with Otto. Vera's growth, Otto's period of dormancy, Kiana's solo expedition into Northern Europe, even... my encounter with Kiana and our subsequent journey—all seem influenced by her interference. What is she trying to achieve? Has she intentionally orchestrated these events?'
"Kiana... Durandal... Kiana Kaslana..."
The more Zeke pondered, the more questions arose. He couldn't help but utter these three names aloud, attempting to connect them.
Fu Hua frowned slightly. Why mention both Kiana and Durandal here? And why specifically use Kiana's full name, "Kiana Kaslana"... Fu Hua's eyes flickered, but she suppressed her queries silently, not wanting to disrupt Zeke's thoughts.
'Strikingly similar to Kiana, even down to the emotional breakdown after I disappeared, which felt eerily familiar. Could they truly be the same person?'
Zeke's expression grew increasingly somber, his eyes reflecting complex emotions incomprehensible to others. After a long moment, he tapped on the table, murmuring slowly and heavily:
"There's much ambiguous information, making it difficult to reach a definitive conclusion. Based on all available evidence, here's my hypothesis: Kiana from a future world, due to some unique experiences, crossed through time and arrived at another timeline with specific intentions. This is merely an outline; the most critical question remains—what immense power, surpassing even that of other Herrschers, enabled her to traverse time... Could it be the Final Herrscher?"
Zeke looked up at the three heroes of the previous civilization, his gaze chillingly daunting. This intuition-driven conjecture made it hard for Zeke to remain composed—if true, why would Kiana feel compelled to undertake such actions? What had she experienced? These questions weighed heavily on him, yet he hesitated to delve deeper.
Kevin, Su, and Fu Hua exchanged glances, seemingly sharing their thoughts. Then, Su responded:
"We share similar feelings. Moreover, considering the ease with which Hera's physical body was destroyed... please forgive me for being blunt, but we doubt any other force could achieve such devastation. Zeke, we believe you may be right!"
"Understood," Su responded. "Otto, analyze the residual energy from Hera's remains and compare it with the crystallized power of the Young Lady, aiming to extract as much information as possible. You three, return and remain on standby at all times. That concludes today's meeting; everyone, please rest up."
Having issued his commands, Zeke leaned back, gazing upward at the bright palace dome with a sigh.
Kevin's lips moved slightly, wanting to delve deeper into the discussion about the Final Herrscher. However, Fu Hua covered his mouth while Su gently tugged him away.
After the departure of the three Heroic Spirits, Otto fixed his emerald-like green eyes on Zeke for a long moment. As if seeing through everything, he smiled faintly, then rose and patted Zeke on the shoulder.
"Even if that scenario is true, it pertains to possibilities in another timeline. Our future still lies within our own hands, doesn't it? I know this possibility troubles you deeply; after all, I am one of those foolishly engrossed too. But don't let it unsettle you, Zeke."
With a soft chuckle, Otto turned and walked out of the palace, confident in Zeke's willpower to swiftly regain composure.
When Otto summoned them, Kiana and Senti were still engaged in their afternoon... ahem, combat training session. Since Senti had regained her freedom only after Fu Hua left the Boule Chamber, the fight hadn't lasted long but quickly escalated.
"Kiana! Are you pregnant or not? Let me take a look!"
"I've already told you, I'm not pregnant, you idiot!"
"Crack!"
Their flawless foreheads collided fiercely as Flare-wreathed Kiana and Black Mist-shrouded Senti locked hands, straining against each other with exhilarated grins.
"If you're not pregnant, then don't hold back! Brace yourself; no crying when you get pummeled!"
"Hmph! We'll see who ends up on the receiving end!"
"Rumble!"
Herrscher-level Honkai Energies clashed, instantly splitting the earth and toppling mountains.
The black and red figures swiftly exchanged blows, fists and feet colliding with thunderous roars. Flames and black mist intermingled, steadily negating each other's power.
"Wow! You've seamlessly fused your boxing techniques, sword energies, and pyrokinetic abilities—what a prodigy in combat! Become my disciple, Kiana, and I'll teach you true Taixuan martial arts, guaranteeing your future victory over Zeke!"
"Pfft, shameless! I'm already Fu Hua-sensei's disciple—like I need some numbskull like you! Besides, if you can't even beat Zeke yourself, what grand promises could you possibly make to me? Nyeh~"
"Clang!"
Amidst the thunderous clashes of fists and feet, the sound of clashing blades suddenly rang out.
Kiana swung her flaming sword downward, while Senti blocked it with both hands on her spear, grinning wildly.
Then, Kiana unleashed countless waves of fiery sword energies as Senti seamlessly switched between eighteen different weapons. The battle escalated from hand-to-hand combat to a fierce clash of arms, neither gaining the upper hand.
"Boom!!"
In another exchange of sword strikes, tearing energy and qi surged outward, wreaking havoc across the earth and air.
As they separated momentarily, Senti raised her blade with a mad cackle.
"Hahahaha! Come at me! Let me teach you about the true God of Martial Arts—the Red Kite Immortal!"
"You think you're tough... Wait, hold on—Zeke just sent me a message!" Just as they were about to collide again, Kiana spotted a notification window popping up before her eyes. She paused, gesturing for Senti to stop.
"???"
Senti, wielding her giant blade with immense force, continued charging forward, bewildered by Kiana's abrupt halt. A moment later, she attempted to decelerate and stop—but lost her balance instead.
"Waaaah!"
Tumble, tumble.
In ancient times, there was once a True Monarch known for rolling down mountains; now, Senti tumbled past Kiana, somersaulting uncontrollably until she crashed into nearby rocks.
Boom!
The impact shook the mountain and rattled the earth, reverberating loudly.
After half a minute, the training ground returned to normal, transporting both combatants back to the bright white room.
Senti found herself upside-down against the wall, legs dangling, eyes swirling dizzily.
Kiana finished reading the message, retracting her flames and white armor before heading toward the training room exit.
"I'm going to find Zeke. Let's play again sometime, Senti."
"Hey! Wait! You're just leaving me like this? Being stuck halfway up is super uncomfortable! And this is the second time—you owe me!" Senti flipped upright, pointing at Kiana with a face full of indignation.
Few powerhouses could truly satisfy Senti's craving for exhilarating battles, and among them, only Kiana was willing to engage with her regularly.
Senti's previous surge of enthusiasm had already been interrupted once by Zeke; now facing another abrupt halt, she felt utterly exasperated.
Kiana turned around and stuck out her tongue playfully.
"Next time, next time I'll definitely stay with you till the end. Sorry about that!"
As Kiana finished speaking, the space around her distorted, and she vanished from the room.
"Hey!!!" Left behind, Senti waved her weapon frantically, shouting in frustration but powerless to change anything.