At that moment, Yuno and a just-recovering Kiana finally understood what the Anti-Entropy girl had felt earlier.
When a powerful expert exuding a terrifying pressure slowly approaches you one step at a time, that deliberate advance only serves to amplify their intimidating aura.
Watching Rita now, the two of them finally understood—just who Leo Ash had learned that particular move from.
Though they weren't related by blood, they were truly brother and sister.
Even their habits in battle were so similar.
"Yuno."
Watching the slowly approaching Rita, Leo Ash asked Yuno behind him.
"Can your Herrscher poison handle Rita?"
"Logically speaking, my poison can suppress even the Headmaster, who has the genes of an Emperor-class Honkai Beast in her. So, using it to suppress Miss Rita should be no problem, but..."
Staring at Rita, Yuno asked Leo Ash uneasily.
"Isn't Miss Rita your sister? We..."
"Don't overthink it. Right now, we don't have the luxury of 'holding back' against her."
In that instant, the figures of Leo Ash and Rita vanished from their sight.
"Oh my, such a quick reaction."
When their figures reappeared, Leo Ash had already blocked Rita's attack with his gauntleted hands.
Facing her opponent, Rita smiled faintly and began to apply more force to the hilt of her blade.
"I must say, I'm truly happy to see you've grown so much, Leo."
However, staring at the woman before him, Leo Ash didn't respond to her words, instead speaking to the two behind him.
"Rita Rossweisse is an S-rank Valkyrie. The three of us rookies are the 'weaker' party here."
"Thinking about holding back at a time like this is just asking for death. If you want to live, give it everything you've got."
"My, I didn't expect you to think so highly of your big sister. But..."
Rita, who was suppressing Leo Ash with her greatsword, suddenly had her expression change as she kicked Leo Ash in the abdomen.
Since both of Leo Ash's arms were busy parrying the greatsword, even with Royal Guard active, he had no other means to block the attack.
In the end, he could only hastily form a mana shield, using the mana contained within the Void Demon Stone Fragment to desperately try and stop her attack.
"Trying to team up with outsiders to attack your sister? Leo, you're being a very bad boy."
However, boosted by the Key of Domination, Rita's already formidable Honkai Energy was now naturally even higher than usual.
Even though it was just an ordinary knee strike, empowered by the potent Honkai Energy, it still easily broke through Leo Ash's defense.
"...Tch."
Leo Ash, who was sent flying by the kick, flipped over and stabilized himself.
Although Rita's attack hadn't caused him significant damage, after just a few exchanges, Leo Ash realized he had been thinking too simplistically.
Rita was Schicksal's weakest S-rank Valkyrie. Compared to past A-ranks with the same equipment, she wasn't even guaranteed a win—this was the evaluation of Rita that Leo Ash had seen from many fellow fans on social media platforms.
But now that Rita stood before him as an enemy, he finally realized...
—Those words might be true.
But that didn't mean Rita Rossweisse was unworthy of her title as an S-rank Valkyrie.
How could a Valkyrie who had climbed to S-rank through battlefield merit be some incompetent who 'only ever messes up'?
Even if Rita's will was currently usurped by the Key of Domination, with the skills and experience existing in her subconscious, she was still an incredibly difficult opponent.
After realizing that Leo Ash's reaction speed was extremely fast and his parrying and force-redirection skills were impressive, Rita had chosen to close the distance and use the advantage of her greatsword to forcibly suppress his parrying arms.
And after Leo Ash was temporarily suppressed due to his weapon disadvantage, Rita then landed another kick on Leo Ash's abdomen, easily dealing damage to him.
During this process, Leo Ash's hands were sealed by Rita, and because he was the one being suppressed, he couldn't choose to counter-attack with his feet like Rita could.
If Leo Ash had chosen the same offensive method as Rita, he would have been cut down by Rita's Xuanyuan Sword the instant he lifted his foot, his stance becoming unstable.
What a pain.
Even with Mind Like Still Water and Royal Guard, these two abilities aren't enough to completely bridge the gap in experience and skill between me and Rita.
And Phantasmagoria... if I spend energy on that magic in front of Rita, I'll only fall into an even greater disadvantage.
The most crucial thing is, even at this point, I don't want to deal a fatal blow to her.
What an arrogant thought. Even though Rita's giving off such intense pressure, I still can't erase this foolish notion and attack with my full strength.
"What's wrong, Leo."
Looking at the motionless Leo Ash, Rita said with a smile.
"Didn't Senior Wraith ever teach you that showing mercy to the enemy on the battlefield is a grave mistake?"
"Sigh, never mind. Although Senior Wraith is an A-rank, as a Valkyrie specializing in espionage, she might not have told you how to act on the battlefield. In that case..."
"—Let your big sister teach you a proper lesson!"
At the moment she finished speaking, Rita's figure once again vanished from everyone's sight.
But this time, just as Leo Ash was about to act, a strange phenomenon suddenly occurred on the battlefield.
Around Leo Ash, countless large trees made of Honkai Energy suddenly sprouted from the ground.
And Rita, who had originally planned to close in on Leo Ash, was forcefully stopped by this random and chaotic attack.
After being suddenly interrupted, Rita gave Yuno a deep look but didn't say much.
Although her mind was influenced by the Key of Domination and the resentment clinging to the sword, it didn't mean Rita had completely forgotten the intelligence she had read.
When Theresa woke up at Schicksal HQ, she had submitted a battle report.
And in Theresa's battle report, it was mentioned that the plants created by the Pseudo-Herrscher Yuno were coated in an incredibly potent toxin.
Theresa had been defeated by Yuno only after being drenched in that poison.
Knowing this, Rita would certainly not rush recklessly among these trees, let alone attack them.
Who knew which tree trunk contained the terrifyingly strong poison.
Even with her increased Honkai Energy, she didn't dare test her body to see whose poison resistance was stronger, hers or Theresa's.
But soon, Rita knew she had been tricked.
"Ah, how laughable. Was I outsmarted by my own cleverness?"
Looking at the dozens of trees that had suddenly appeared, Rita suddenly let out a light laugh and swung her sword.
"Just now I was wondering if there was any of that terrifying poison hidden in Miss Yuno's trees. But... hah, it seems I was overthinking it."
Watching the wood splinters fly, the smile on Rita's face was instantly replaced by an icy expression, like a Sichuan opera face-changing act.
"After creating so many trees in an instant, how could you possibly have the power to produce enough poison for every single one."
"Besides, Leo is nearby. If you had any common sense, you couldn't possibly ignore your companion's safety."
Faced with Rita's analysis, Yuno could only curse her bad luck inwardly.
Although she knew an S-rank Valkyrie would be tough, she never expected that the trees she created would only hold the other party off for a second or two before their weakness was seen through and they were all destroyed.
Even that one or two-second delay was only because her opponent's own tactical thinking and prior knowledge had led her to a misunderstanding. If Rita had been just a little more aggressive, her surprise attack would have been completely useless.
"Rest assured, Miss Yuno, I don't have time to deal with you right now."
After tossing out that sentence, Rita once again charged in Leo Ash's direction.
"After I take care of my disappointing little brother, we can have a proper chat~"
"Tch, you bastard!"
Watching Rita charge forward, Kiana flipped her dual pistols and pulled the triggers, aiming at Rita's body.
"Stop right there for me!"
"A little brat from the Kaslana clan..."
Hearing the angry shout from behind, Rita didn't even turn her head. She simply reinforced the Honkai Energy around her body, using the energy shield to tank the bullets fired by Kiana.
"Without Siegfried's protection, you're nothing but—"
"That's enough, Sister."
Before Rita could finish her sentence, countless mana chains woven from mana shot out from the void, assailing her.
And Rita, who was about to evade, was shocked to find that the intensity of her Honkai Energy had suddenly dropped to some extent.
It happened so suddenly that even a master like Rita couldn't adjust her combat rhythm in an instant to account for the decrease in her Honkai Energy.
And for Leo Ash—Yuno and Kiana had bought him several seconds. In a fight against an expert, if he couldn't suppress his enemy with a few extra seconds of leeway, he might as well find a corner and slit his own throat.
At this moment, Leo Ash, after the Stigmata character on his right hand changed to 'Phantasm', activated Phantasmagoria without hesitation.
But Leo Ash, who had activated Phantasmagoria, had no intention of trying to mentally break Rita's controlled state.
After all, relying on talk-no-jutsu and Phantasmagoria to pull Rita back from her controlled state... seemed highly unreliable.
He didn't want to gamble with his own life, nor with his companions' lives, and certainly not with the lives of the unlucky masses here in Shenzhou.
If Kiana received any serious stimulus here, the Herrscher of the Void would awaken.
And if the Herrscher of the Void awakened, many things would become truly unpredictable.
Under these helpless circumstances, Leo Ash could only use Phantasmagoria's 'energy weakening' property to reduce Rita's energy intensity, knock her out, and take the Xuanyuan Sword to solve the problem at its root.
"Oh my, this doesn't look good at all, does it."
Bound by the chains and suspended in mid-air, Rita muttered to herself with a troubled expression.
"Hmm, what should I do... just kidding."
Facing Leo Ash who had already closed in, Rita's eyes suddenly became incredibly sharp as she forcibly snapped the chains with her Honkai Energy.
"To think that energy chains of this strength could restrain me."
"Leo, if you're this naive—you'll die on the battlefield one day!"
Facing the approaching Leo Ash, Rita suddenly leaped into the air and brought her greatsword down heavily on Leo Ash's body again.
But this time, Leo Ash did not choose to defend completely with both arms. He only raised his left arm in front of him, creating a dual-layered energy shield of Honkai Energy and mana to forcibly block Rita's strike.
However, because Rita was striking downwards from mid-air, both of their bodies began to fall towards the ground due to gravity.
Yet, Rita, who had already achieved a certain degree of success, suddenly had her expression change as she looked at Leo Ash, whom she had injured.
Sensing that something was amiss, Rita no longer dared to press her advantage. Instead, she immediately kicked Leo Ash, attempting to use him as a springboard to abruptly distance herself.
However, it was too late.
Leo Ash, who had already sensed Rita's intentions, grabbed her ankle with his uninjured right hand the moment she tried to step on him, and slammed her forcefully onto the ground.
Rita, suddenly attacked by Leo Ash in this manner, had no time to react before her limbs were bound by vines from Yuno, who had been waiting nearby.
The moment the vines bound her, they were snapped by Rita's subconscious struggle, given her Honkai Energy intensity amplified by the Key of Domination.
But having lost her last chance to escape, Rita looked at Leo Ash who had dashed in front of her and knew it was too late to get away.
"I'm sorry, Sister, but—please, calm yourself down."
At this moment, Leo Ash used a blade formed from mana to slice open the skin on his arm, letting blood coat his fist.
Leo Ash, having completed the initial charging phase, then used the power of Cecilia's soul fragment to forcibly convert the blood into Holy Blood.
"Galactica Phantom!"
As Leo Ash's punch struck Rita, the power he had just absorbed through Royal Guard erupted within her body.
With her body suffering a heavy blow, Rita spat out a mouthful of blood and could no longer hold onto the greatsword.
Then, severely injured and her mind tormented by the Key of Domination, Rita sensed that something was wrong with her the moment the greatsword left her hand.
However, even with the sword gone, the resentment clinging to it had now fully attached itself to Rita's body.
At this moment, Leo Ash could even see faint wisps of black energy appearing on Rita's body, continuously emitting a strange malevolence.
I guess there's no helping it. I was wondering if using Holy Blood would be overkill.
But looking at it now, it would have been more difficult without it.
However, after being injured, Rita will definitely undergo a physical examination upon returning to Schicksal.
So to prevent 'Schariac Holy Blood' from appearing in her body where it shouldn't, and to prevent other people's blood from causing more problems in her system, under these circumstances...
—In the end, Leo Ash still chose to use an external attack like Galactica Phantom, coating her body with Holy Blood, rather than a more invasive method of injecting the Holy Blood directly into her.
When the Holy Blood erupted around Rita's body, the vines released by Yuno were the first to be completely vaporized by its power.
At the same time, the resentment clinging to her body also dissipated with the appearance of the Holy Blood.
Facing Leo Ash, Rita, whose will was now completely her own, had many things she wanted to say.
But before she could speak, her vision suddenly went black, and she fainted from exhaustion.
"Sigh, what a pain."
After helping Rita up from the ground, Leo Ash looked towards Yuno in the distance.
Seeing the fallen Rita, Yuno sighed helplessly and once again used her power to create plants, producing a wooden wheelchair identical to the one before, and pushed it near Leo Ash and Rita.
"So, is it over now?"
Looking suspiciously at the incapacitated Rita, Kiana, who was following behind Yuno, still felt that the whole incident was resolved a bit... too smoothly?
Less than a minute ago, she was feeling a soul-deep fear from the pressure an S-rank Valkyrie exuded.
But a minute later...
—The invincible Rita Rossweisse had been completely knocked out by Leo Ash, under the combined attack of him and Yuno.
Honestly, in Kiana's eyes, this fight...
It wasn't that she wished everyone was more injured, but it just felt a little anticlimactic.
"Senior, I've been suspecting something for a while now."
Watching Leo Ash help Rita into the wheelchair, Yuno suddenly sighed softly.
"Miss Rita... she didn't actually want to hurt you, did she."
"Yeah, that's right. I noticed that too."
Looking at Rita's peaceful sleeping face, Leo Ash gently adjusted her posture and said helplessly.
"Sister Rita is a Schicksal S-rank Valkyrie. Even with an unfamiliar weapon and no armor, she wouldn't fight so... full of openings."
"Normally, when fighting a mortal enemy, people who talk non-stop are usually trying to distract their opponent, making them lose focus and reveal more weaknesses."
"But her actions just now... fighting so aggressively already created many openings, and while her words were harsh, I didn't feel any malice or killing intent from her."
"She must have worried herself sick over a worthless brother like me. And even when her mind was controlled by this sword, she subconsciously didn't want to harm me."
"Otherwise, how could we have knocked her out so easily."
"...I see."
Seeing the fleeting look of heartache on Leo Ash's face, Yuno said with a hint of envy.
"That's so nice."
It feels so good to be cared for by someone.
[Sigh, this scene is so frustrating for this System to watch.]
[With three people, if not a love triangle, there should at least be some sparks, right? Why isn't even a single spark flying now? Could it be that...]
[Being handsome is really that useful?]
Ah, while I'm happy to hear your voice, could you please not spout such atmosphere-ruining nonsense every time you appear?
[Well, this System can understand your troubles and helplessness, but, Host...]
[When this System starts getting serious, the probability of something bad happening usually increases dramatically.]
Cut it out. I'm already caught in Otto's scheme. The probability of bad things happening around me is already ridiculously high. How much higher could it get?
Huh?
System?
System!!!!
You can't be serious. You show up for less than twenty seconds and then you ghost me?
"Um, Senior..."
Looking at Leo Ash, who had immediately activated his 'Poker Face' ability, Kiana suddenly asked Leo Ash with great disappointment.
"In that last fight... no, ever since we entered Jiuyou, have I been completely useless?"
"You're the one who deals with all the enemies head-on, and Yuno has been a great help with support and scouting. But me... it feels like I've just been a decoration the whole time."
"You."
Leo Ash, who had been deep in thought, looked up at the anxious girl after hearing her dejected words.
Then, he walked over to Kiana and, under her uneasy and confused gaze...
—He raised his right hand and gently flicked her on the forehead.
"Owowow—what was that for!"
"Nothing. Just saw a fool blaming herself and couldn't help myself."
Looking at the white-haired girl clutching her head, Leo Ash said calmly.
"It's perfectly normal for you to be weaker than me and Yuno, isn't it?"
"I made a lot of preparations behind the scenes to step onto the battlefield, and I went through a lot of special training before I even started my missions."
"As for Yuno, she's a Herrscher who has suppressed her Herrscher Personality. It's only natural that she's stronger than you."
"But now is now, and no one can say for sure what the future holds. I have a head start on you because of my Stigmata, and Yuno is gradually approaching the upper limit of her power."
"You, on the other hand, are like an unpolished gem. With a little carving, you'll sooner or later show your own outstanding value."
"Senior—"
Just as Kiana was about to say something out of emotion, she suddenly saw Leo Ash let out a long sigh after finishing his words.
"But, on second thought, given your habit of sleeping in class and secretly playing games at home, I probably won't be seeing your transformation anytime soon."
"—Couldn't you have let me finish being touched before saying that?! (╯‵□′)╯︵┻━┻!"
Watching Kiana start to chase and playfully hit Leo Ash, Yuno smiled helplessly and shook her head, then started pushing Rita's wheelchair to follow them.
An onlooker sees most of the game. Yuno, who had been counseled by Leo Ash before, could naturally tell that he was teasing Kiana in this disdainful way to completely pull her out of her dejected state and let her relax.
But now, Yuno couldn't help but admire Leo Ash. With just a few statements of fact and a few other words, he had managed to completely cheer up the disheartened Kiana, making her forget her earlier feelings of failure and fear.
Senior is really good with words.
And looking back, he must have seen that something was wrong with me back then, which is why he took me to the cafe to talk.
Plus, it seems he's looked after Senior Mei as well. It seems that beneath his usually cold exterior, he actually cares about everyone in the dorm.
But, Senior, you've cared for so many people...
—But you haven't cared for yourself at all.
In two consecutive battles, you first defeated dozens of Titan mechs, and then you defeated your S-rank Valkyrie adoptive sister.
Even though both fights were short... no, precisely because they were short, you must have consumed far more energy, far more violently, than in a normal battle.
Just as you said, after suppressing my Herrscher Personality, my power is getting closer and closer to my limit.
Because of that, I understand better than Kiana just how dangerous an energy Honkai Energy is.
Even a Herrscher like me, who has betrayed the Honkai, faces the danger of my body being overly eroded when I use Honkai Energy.
Someone like you, who wasn't chosen by Schicksal and is fighting by forcing it with a Stigmata, would obviously be eroded by Honkai Energy even faster.
Now I finally understand why Miss Rita was so worried about you.
Even though you comforted me, out of everyone here, you're the one in the most danger.
Always seeking a way to get on the battlefield, and once you're there, always charging to the front...
At this moment, Yuno suddenly remembered the phrase Leo Ash often said.
People who lack something will try to flaunt that very thing in front of others.
You, who always talk about how afraid you are of dying, could it be that...
—You don't want to fight the Honkai, but rather, you're seeking death?
.....
Outer Region of Jiuyou
After entering Jiuyou, Theresa spat out a few strands of seaweed and vigorously shook out her nun's habit.
"Ptooey, ptooey, I should have listened to Himeko and prepared a wetsuit and an oxygen tank."
Soaking wet, Theresa gripped the Oath of Judah and began to survey her surroundings.
And then she discovered—there seemed to be no signs of battle anywhere.
"Sigh, I rushed in too fast. Now that I'm in, I can't contact anyone. I'm just flying around like a headless chicken."
But at least this means the worst-case scenario hasn't happened.
At the very least, there are no Honkai Energy fluctuations at the entrance, which means even if Anti-Entropy sent people in, they didn't succeed in ambushing everyone at the gate.
I'll just walk around for a bit. Maybe I'll find some clues elsewhere.
With this thought, Theresa threw Judah forcefully in a certain direction, then leaped lightly, landing on it and beginning to move forward rapidly.
Under her exquisite control, Judah actually deployed a Honkai Energy field in mid-air and continued to fly forward at that speed.
During this process, Theresa still couldn't find any trace of the others.
In fact, she was so focused that she didn't even notice—there was a huge rock right in front of Judah.
"Hey, wait!"
"Whoa, hold on!"
By the time Theresa heard that familiar shout, it was already too late to stop Judah.
With the impact from Judah, the huge rock was instantly shattered by the eleventh Divine Key.
And amidst the debris of the giant rock, a suspicious-looking man coughed as he walked out of the falling fragments and dust, then helplessly helped Theresa, who had fallen to the ground, back up.
"I've had it with you. We haven't seen each other in years, and this is how you greet me."
"Theresa, how have you become even more reckless than before?"
"Owowow, you're..."
As she was helped up from the ground, Theresa touched the calloused hand and suddenly realized who the owner of the voice was.
"Siegfried!"
Looking at the dust-covered Siegfried, Theresa asked in utter surprise.
"What are you doing here?!"
"Ah, I'm here tracking Cocolia."
Looking at the astonished Theresa, Siegfried said helplessly.
"What about you? Did you find any of that woman's subordinates?"
"Not a single one."
As the two old friends, who hadn't seen each other in years, saw each other's faces clearly, they both suddenly realized something.
They were no longer comrades from the same organization. And since they weren't, what they should be doing was...
"It's so good to see you're okay."
"Yeah, you too. Seeing you like this puts my mind at ease."
...was getting on with their own business.
In the end, Siegfried and Theresa had a very good private relationship because of Cecilia. Back then, Theresa had almost left Schicksal because of Otto's actions.
Even if they weren't members of the same organization now, how could the two of them, who had a weak sense of organizational loyalty, care about such trivial matters.
For them now, knowing the other was their friend was enough.
"Ah, by the way, your hand..."
Looking at Siegfried's intact arms, Theresa gently patted her chest and said with complete relief.
"I heard your arm was severed and then grew back. I thought you might be half-dead."
"But looking at you now, you don't seem much different from back then."
"Haha, of course."
Siegfried looked at Theresa's face and suddenly said with a mischievous smile.
"After I defected, I don't have to see Otto's sour face every day. Under these circumstances, of course I'm living a much easier life."
"What about you? Has Otto given you a hard time over that incident all these years?"
"Not at all."
Recalling Otto's meaningful words from before, Theresa said with a hint of dejection.
"You know as well as I do, Grandpa spoils me most of the time."
"And, maybe in a little while... Grandpa will abdicate and have me become the Archbishop."
"Huh? Otto is abdicating?"
Siegfried originally wanted to shout 'Good riddance, pop the champagne!', but in the end, he considered Theresa's feelings and decided he couldn't be so blatant.
Besides, after calming down, Siegfried felt his PTSD flaring up.
He couldn't help it. As a victim of Otto's schemes, whenever Otto was mentioned and he detected any unusual behavior, the thought 'is this bastard up to something again' would instantly pop into his head.
Otto, who had plotted so many schemes before, was now showing signs of abdicating?
Fake news. This had to be fake news.
Siegfried was more inclined to believe this was a prelude to Otto moving into the shadows to continue his machinations, rather than him actually planning to abdicate.
Seeing Siegfried's suspicious gaze, Theresa could only sigh softly and continue speaking.
"I don't know how to explain it, but that's the feeling Grandpa is giving me right now. And the fact that he recruited a talented young man into the Apocalypse family and put him by my side for me to train him... it really looks like he's planning to step down."
"Otherwise, he usually wouldn't bother with these things."
"A talented young man..."
A face flashed through Siegfried's mind when he heard this.
"Leo Ash?"
"You... right, Leo Ash said in his report that he used a burst of power from his Stigmata when you and the Herrscher of Thunder had fought each other to a standstill, and that's when he found the opportunity to suppress the Herrscher of Thunder with the HSN serum."
Seeing Siegfried suddenly turn his head away, Theresa asked with confusion.
"Why did you suddenly look away?"
Why did I look away—because what you said was too shocking.
Young man Leo's words seemed fine on the surface, but they were clearly a 'false truth'.
Me and the Herrscher of Thunder fighting to a standstill, him using his Stigmata to burst with power, finding an opportunity to suppress the Herrscher with that serum, all of that was true.
But the problem is, even though the Herrscher of Thunder and I were both exhausted, she still had some fighting capability left, you know!
Young man Leo beat the Herrscher of Thunder head-on, and only then did he 'find the opportunity' to save Mei with that serum.
Hah, the kid didn't tell the whole truth.
Considering his attitude towards Otto last time... it seems his mind is as clear as a mirror. He knows more than I thought.
While Theresa is indeed doted on by Otto, it doesn't mean Otto won't use her.
If I leak too much information about the kid here, then all his planning and concealment will have been for nothing.
Change the subject. I must change the subject—and I had something to ask Theresa anyway.
"Let's not talk about that. Theresa, you should know a Valkyrie named Bianka, right?"
After forcefully changing the topic, Siegfried suddenly looked at Theresa with a burning gaze.
"This Valkyrie, what do you think of her?"
"What do I think? She's way too serious... so serious that I find her hard to deal with."
"Oh, and she's very strong herself, can use Abyss Flower, and there are even rumors in the organization that she resembles Cecilia a bit when she's holding Abyss Flower—wait a minute!"
Theresa suddenly looked at Siegfried with suspicion.
"This kid is only fourteen, you wouldn't be thinking of making a move on her, would you!"
"What kind of person do you take me for!"
"A pervert who has groped many Valkyries' butts, a villain who stole Cecilia from me, and a useless bastard of a father who failed to protect Kiana!"
"Leaving the last two aside, haven't I already told you the first one was a rumor started by that little brat Shigure Kira?!"
After angrily shouting that sentence, Siegfried, hearing this news, suddenly felt that the intelligence Welt had helped him find earlier was becoming more and more accurate.
Bianka... there are very few Valkyries who can use Abyss Flower, and Abyss Flower, much like Judgment of Shamash, was like an ancestral holy spear of the Schariac family for hundreds of years.
She can perfectly control Abyss Flower at fourteen, and her appearance is indeed...
Kiana, is that really you?
If you didn't die, then your memory loss and altered appearance now...
...are all the result of my incompetence.
"Um, Siegfried..."
Seeing Siegfried's slightly sad eyes, Theresa instantly knew she had said the wrong thing.
"I was just kidding, don't take it to heart."
"No, you're right. I am indeed an incompetent father. So, Theresa..."
Thinking of his other daughter, Siegfried suddenly clapped Theresa on the shoulder and said with great solemnity.
"Kiana is living at your academy, so I'm entrusting her to you."
"Ah, I've been meaning to ask, this child..."
Seeing Siegfried's serious gaze, Theresa immediately tried to ask him a question.
But before she could speak, Siegfried cut her off.
"Her identity is that of the test subject known as K423."
"And Otto's sirin project is, in essence, a plan to resurrect Sirin, the Herrscher of the Void."
"The Kiana in your academy is, in fact—Sirin, resurrected by Otto."
....