It was afternoon, and the sunlight was blazing. The surface of the West Pacific Ocean was like a giant mirror, reflecting blinding rays of light.
Bianka looked down at the ladies' wristwatch Rita had helped her pick out to check the time, then stood up.
"I'm quite interested in that 'Superstring Dimension' Little Li mentioned. I plan to go check it out."
When she first arrived, Fuli had enthusiastically taken her to the Superstring Dimension. As expected, upon seeing such a magical training ground where physical monsters spawned twenty-four hours a day, Durandal's eyes had gone straight immediately.
Her playful gaze swept over Mei before she withdrew her line of sight, smiling. "My previous offer still stands. As long as you all agree to let Little Li return to HQ with me to train♂ in Gun Kata♀ for a month, Hyperion will receive ample funding to alleviate its current predicament."
With that, the opportunistic Knight didn't give Mei a chance to retort. Led by a cat-cake guide, she turned and left the bridge with a dashing flair.
Withdrawing his gaze from the blonde girl's graceful retreating figure, Fuli mumbled, "Why does it feel like this girl has become much trickier than I remember?"
It wasn't just a feeling; it was a fact.
In the previous loop, Durandal had absolutely zero romantic experience. Having developed to her peak (Dea Anchora), she wouldn't, and couldn't be bothered to, play mind games with others.
Even when she teamed up with Fuli later, it was a honeymoon trip under the guise of missions, with absolutely no third party intervening.
This time was different.
Leaving others aside, the mere existence of Raiden Mei was enough to make Durandal vigilant.
In terms of appearance, the two represented the pinnacle of Eastern and Western beauty respectively, each with their own merits.
In terms of background, the daughter of the Anti-Entropy Executor wasn't much inferior to an S-rank Valkyrie.
In terms of opportunity, as the head of Massive Electric Corp, Mei could be with Fuli from morning till night.
In terms of combat power, she controlled the Hyperion's arsenal and secretly had the assistance of an unknown, powerful S-rank entity (Shesha).
If they were in a timeline without Fuli, Durandal would only express heartfelt admiration for Mei's achievements.
It's lonely at the top. Standing alone at the peak of her generation for too long, she too felt the unbearable solitude.
But to fight over a man with such a super-troublesome rival? Bianka would inevitably have to load up all the DLCs matching the current server region.
Love is War!
"Put aside whether she's tricky or not for now!"
Kiana lay limply on Kallen's white-stockinged thighs, looking drained. "Hurry up and think of a way to get money!"
"Go do missions," Kallen suggested, tirelessly fiddling with the ahoge (cowlick) on the girl's head. "Didn't Theresa open a channel for Hyperion to accept missions issued by Schicksal?"
"Oh, right!"
Oh, oh, oh, get up, get up!
The ahoge on Kiana-cat's head sprang straight up with a poof under the Saintess's expectant gaze. She performed a kip-up, scrambled over to Fuli, and snatched the little sister—who was still ying-ying-yinging for comfort—out of his arms.
"Bronya, stop pretending! Hurry up and log on to that mission board website!"
"Can't you do it yourself?"
The little girl was very unhappy about leaving the embrace.
Don't you know that we, the Blank Siblings, are of one mind and body?
"If this young lady had the skills for that, why would I call you?!"
Her unreasonableness was confident and strong!
"Hmph, idiot."
Bronya cursed her under her breath, raised her small hand, and began tapping and swiping on the holographic screen floating before her.
Kiana immediately leaned in to observe, and Mei subtly scooted her chair closer.
A moment later, a disclaimer appeared on the pitch-black screen:
[Official Statement: This Doujin has been marked as Heavy/Gore.]
[Please Note: The content of this Doujin is excessively graphic and may cause nausea, dizziness, and other symptoms of discomfort. It may also have a negative impact on your emotions. Therefore, we believe this Doujin is not suitable for any normal person to view.]
[If you still insist on viewing, please bear the consequences of viewing it yourself; if you experience any discomfort, please stop viewing immediately and seek medical help.]
Kiana: ?
Mei: ?
Kallen: ?
What the hell is this?! Bronya, did you click on something you shouldn't have?
"Don't panic. It's the website's camouflage," Fuli, who had dealt with related matters in the previous loop, reminded them.
Due to the necessity of deploying police globally, Schicksal's mission and shop systems had to maintain their integrity through servers located all over the world. some servers were in underground military facilities in Northern Europe, others in the financial center of Sapphire City. Data flowed at high speeds between servers across the entire internet system, so generally, the whole thing remained relatively stable.
"Tsk."
Seeing her cheap older brother point it out, Bronya typed furiously on the screen that looked like it had crashed.
After freezing for a moment, the webpage loaded its content bit by bit. A black background, dark green lines, and thin gold fonts appeared, like a door opening to another world.
"That's more like it."
Kiana curled her lip. What was all that messy stuff just now? She, Kiana Kaslana, only read Pure Love (Jun-ai) doujins!
NTR? Won't read, because it is disloyal.
Incest? Won't read, because it is unfilial.
Ryona/Gore? Won't read, because it is inhumane.
Blackmail? Won't read, because it is unjust.
Rape? Won't read, because it is improper.
Submission? Won't read, because it is unwise.
Hypnosis? Won't read, because it is untrustworthy.
Bestiality? Won't read, because it is shameful.
BONK!
"Ouch! Mei, why did you hit my head again?!"
—You paramecium, look at what kind of stuff just crawled out of your brain!
Mei, who had her electromagnetic induction permanently active, barely held back a stream of expletives.
Not only does she have shit for brains, but she also reads doujins? How did our innocent, pure, and super-naive Kiana-cat turn into this?!
Anyway, let's blame Fuli's influence first. (fuli: is kiana that currupt me first?)
"Let me see..."
While the girls were having their friendly interaction, Kallen had roughly scanned the missions Hyperion could currently accept.
Thanks to Theresa's arrangement, they could even accept missions involving Limit-class power levels.
Kallen naturally ignored those and focused on tasks that an A-rank Valkyrie could execute.
"Let's see here... Go to the Sky Mirror in Tanzania to collect Cloud Dream White Fruits... Slay the newborn Divinity Authority that has manifested as a dragon-type water monster in Gambia... Repel the giant centipede sea monster appearing off the coast of Luzon... Prove the existence of the Kanas Lake Monster in the Tianjiang region of Shenzhou..."
She looked up, confused. "Where on earth did this send me? Is this still the Honkai world?"
Fuli answered matter-of-factly, "The full name of Honkai Energy is 'Honkai Omnipotent Energy.' It's perfectly reasonable for it to encompass some messy stuff. Just remember that fundamentally, they are all Honkai derivatives."
Data flashed through her light gray eyes as Bronya shook her head. "None of these pay very well."
"Can't be helped. The good missions were already cherry-picked by Schicksal's three major branches. The rest is just leftovers to send away foreign laborers."
As a famous solo player, Fuli the Lone Dog had considerable experience in this area.
"Nii-san, which one should we take?"
"The one about repelling the sea monster. We happen to be in the West Pacific. Just sail the Hyperion over and give it a blast from the cannon."
Since the head of the household and sole male made the decision, the girls naturally had no objections.
Several hours later—
The electric door leading to the bridge hissed open. Fuli and the others filed in, fuming with rage.
"Those despicable, shameless Philippine monkeys! If I ever take another mission from them, my surname isn't Fu!"
Not surnamed Fu (Fu Li) sounds like 'Not Happy' (Fu Li / Fu Qi? No, Bu Xing Fu). Heh, truly amusing.
So, what exactly happened?
"Bronya finds it very difficult to understand the thought patterns of these unruly people."
Duck-Duck, who had been slacking off for three months, rarely entered rage mode. "We helped them drive away the sea monster wreaking havoc. Not only were they ungrateful, but they also called the North American Navy stationed locally to drive away the Hyperion! Even though those were the exact same people who ignored the fishermen's safety earlier!"
Kallen clutched her head. "Yeah, the stationed troops were useless when ignoring their safety, but they suddenly became useful when it came to driving us away to save on the final payment?"
A disheveled Kiana was extremely dissatisfied. "Sis Christina! How can you still smile?!"
Seeing the pitiful way those unruly people begged for help, she had charged to the front with all her might during the battle, not even taking a deposit.
After the mission was completed, they had the nerve to say with righteous indignation, "Payment? What payment?" and "You guys are so strong, helping us is your duty!"
If they had even a shred of conscience, they wouldn't have said such things!
"If it was just about not paying the commission, of course Kallen can smile."
Fuli adjusted his emotions. "Don't forget she comes from Medieval Europe, a moral wasteland. She must have seen too many similar things."
"That's right! Rewarding you with a Mua!"
The Saintess hugged her little brother and planted a big smooch on his cheek.
Of course, it was in projection form; otherwise, Mei would have transformed into Omegamon and executed All Delete in minutes.
"Seen too many?"
Kiana froze. She looked at Kallen, who was flying around with a look that said 'I've seen it all,' and felt the weight of the word "Saintess" for the first time.
To maintain a fervent heart for protecting the people even in such an environment... as a Kaslana, she still had a long way to go—
"So? Are you ready to teach those unruly people a lesson?"
"Eh?"
"Eh what?"
Pinching Kiana's increasingly round cheeks, Kallen crossed her arms and said self-righteously, "Making a mistake warrants punishment. That is common sense among common sense!"
It goes back to that saying: Being kind is correct, but you can't spoil ungrateful wretches. Infinite forgiveness is the breeding ground for rabid dogs.
"Don't worry."
Mei, who hadn't spoken until now, took out a silver ring engraved with a dragon's head and answered nonchalantly, "I've already paid them back with this."
being poor is negotiable; everyone here isn't some cruel landlord like Huang Shiren who would drive people to death over a few cents.
But if you burn the bridge after crossing it and treat those who risked their lives for you as suckers, then sorry. The giant centipede-form variant Honkai Beast was originally going to destroy that part of the coastal area. Since Hyperion helped repel it, naturally, you should shoulder a bit of its original duty.
[Water Dragon Chant]
[Rank: C]
[Type: Accessory / Ring]
[Origin: Made by Raiden Mei using the water-manipulation organ from the Sea God Serpent she slew earlier.]
[Effect: When worn, allows the user to manipulate surrounding liquids to a certain extent, shaping them into various forms to attack enemies. Cannot control forms like mist or ice, nor liquids inside living organisms (like blood). May fail to control liquids with special properties.]
[Usage places a burden on the user's stamina and Honkai energy. The larger the volume of water manipulated, the severe the consumption.]
[Note: Tearing apart~ The Heart of the Sea~ Shoulders~]
"Mei, that..."
"Relax."
Noticing Kiana hesitating to speak, the girl casually tossed the ring to Bronya, who was looking at it with longing eyes, and smiled faintly. "No lives were taken."
The white-haired Tuna breathed a sigh of relief, but then her small face crumpled up again. "Then what about the budget?"
If this continued, Ah Li would be dragged away to MyGO again!
'I... am quitting the Hyperion!'
Something like that... no, don't want that! Everyone should stay together for at least another ten, no, hundred years!
Hiss—
The main gate acting as the entrance slid open again. Bianka walked onto the bridge, having finished her trip to the Superstring Dimension, showered, and changed into sportswear.
She wiped her sweat with a white towel and glanced at the slightly disheveled group. A rare look of novelty appeared on her usually serious brow. "It seems I missed something interesting while I was running the Abyss."
Her wet blonde hair flowed over her shoulders, a few strands soaked with sweat shining with fragmented golden light under the setting sun. Her sports bra wrapped perfectly around her curves, moving with her breath. The thin fabric was like clouds dyed by the morning glow, flushed red and steaming with fine beads of sweat.
Taking in the beautiful scenery of Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie post-battle, Fuli was just about to explain what happened when he found that the chattering Kiana had already completed the task.
While scolding himself for being distracted by beauty, the boy asked curiously, "How was the Abyss run?"
"Very good!"
Bianka's beautiful eyes rippled with light; a sign that the Knight-Princess was hyped to the max. "I basically cleared out all the monsters below Nirvana (Myriad) tier. The only tricky one was the crimson dragon-serpent that appeared at the end. It was strong enough to temporarily lift the S-rank restriction treaty within my body. Fortunately, after some combat, I finally repelled it!"
"Tsk!"
That was Mei, who had secretly ordered her companion Honkai Beast to ambush Durandal in the Superstring Dimension and failed.
"Huh? That amazing? This young lady only got to Agony tier earlier..."
Kiana stared at her blankly, her eyes gradually filling with the light of admiration.
"New characters get environmental buffs from the dog planners in the Abyss. Give it two patches and it'll be 'Who is this person?' This matter is also recorded in Honkai: Star Rail."
Bronya, who also only reached Agony, mumbled, clearly unconvinced.
As the reliable adult, Kallen had a thought. "Hyperion's Abyss isn't for free. You have to pay us a fee."
"Theoretically, that is correct."
Bianka stretched her body lazily. The V-line at her waist was pressed lightly by the waistband of her yoga pants, the sweat-dampened fabric outlining the powerful curve of her waist.
Hearing this, Kallen immediately realized something was wrong.
Her clear, beautiful eyes immediately locked onto Fuli, and the sheepishly smiling boy did not disappoint her 'expectations.'
"B-Bianka can't be considered an outsider. In the future, we'll be a loving family, right Sis?"
There's a traitor! Hyperion has a traitor who eats our food but helps the outsiders!
What? This traitor is actually Hyperion's BOSS?
"Your subjects wish to fight to the death, why does Your Majesty surrender first?!!!"
Kallen was filled with grief and indignation. Does anyone want this trashy little brother? Big Sis is quitting!
"Please rest assured."
Bianka unconsciously twirled the tip of her ponytail with her right hand. "Once I join Hyperion in the future, Little Li's investment will definitely be returned a hundred or a thousand times over."
"Then the only one feeling 'good' will be Nii-san."
Bronya whispered snidely.
Blonde Knight-Princess. Will feel very good in various ways.
"Stop talking nonsense."
"Wu wu wu!"
Fuli pressed down hard on her head, glanced at the stars gradually rising outside the window, and subtly changed the subject. "Is Bianka staying tonight? The last few times I asked you to stay, you said you had missions, and every time that big table of food was left for Kiana to destroy."
"Stinky Ah Li, you clearly eat more than this young lady."
Kiana mumbled, her big eyes blinking unblinkingly at Durandal, the little stars of anticipation in them impossible to fake.
There were indeed some misunderstandings when they first met, but three months later, the girl had accumulated a considerable amount of affection for this straightforward, magnanimous Valkyrie who practically embodied the will to protect.
It was like... having an extra, strict, and serious big sister?
Provided she doesn't steal Ah Li from me—cough, from Mei!
Kiana thought, trying to hide her true feelings.
From the perspective of a higher-dimensional observer, the relationship between K423 and Durandal could be called genetic attraction. Two people who have never met but share genetic blood ties being attracted to each other the moment they meet is a documented phenomenon in genetics.
"No problem. I'll be imposing on everyone tonight."
Facing the dual invitation of her 'Husband' and 'Sister,' Bianka naturally had no reason to refuse.
The knight girl also remembered the disappointment on Fuli and the others' faces (and Mei's triumphant hmph) when she refused to stay over previously. This time, she had specifically finished her work early to rush over.
"Yay!"
"One more time!"
Ah Li and Kiana high-fived excitedly, then picked up Bronya and Sauce respectively to high-five their little hands and paws.
Kallen watched with a face full of doting affection. After all, they're only sixteen.
Of course, that part isn't just sixteen...
Recalling that bizarre and grotesque dream earlier, the Saintess's gaze drifted, and a bright red blush gradually dyed her pretty face.
Bianka, with a faint green light hovering over her head, smiled gracefully, then shifted her gaze to Mei, wanting to see the reaction of her old rival.
"Hm?"
Unexpectedly, compared to her usual beautiful face showing a hint of disdain, Mei seemed particularly absent-minded this time.
...
After dinner, Mei politely declined Fuli's invitation to party in the recreation room and returned to Massive Electric Corp alone.
She first used various means to isolate external surveillance and interference, then, suppressing her rage, dialed the number for St. Freya.
A moment later, the video connected.
Theresa on the other end seemed ready to rest. Her small frame was sunken into a soft goose-down bed, her fuzzy pajama hood crookedly covering half of her white hair, and two limp Homu ears drooping down the back of the chair.
She rubbed her red-rimmed eyes. In the light, fine fuzz could be seen on her skin that looked like it could break from a mere puff of wind.
"Mmn, it's Mei. Is something the matter...?"
"Principal, you Number One Supreme Scammer under the Heavens!"
The sudden insult startled Theresa so much that her legs stiffened, kicking her bunny slippers off. They flew through the air in a parabola and accurately knocked over a succulent pot on the windowsill.
"Uwah!"
She quickly ran over to pick it up. After placing it back on the windowsill with a pained expression, she stormed back angrily.
"Mei, why are you shouting so loud! Even if this Principal squeezes—haggles a bit ruthlessly when doing business with Hyperion, it doesn't warrant swearing at people the moment you call!"
"I'm asking you!"
Unexpectedly, Mei was even angrier than her. "What the hell is going on with Kiana?!"
"K-Kiana?"
The Principal hadn't processed it yet. "What happened to her? Did she cause trouble over there again?"
"I'm talking about her identity! Her genes! Her DNA!"
After the last birthday party, Fuli had asked Mei to investigate why the Stigmata of Reason reacted to Kiana.
The girl had said she needed some time to find out the specific reason. When Fuli asked on the deck earlier (Volume 3, Chapter 10), she had brushed it off by saying "something was implanted in Kiana's body."
In fact, a Herrscher of the Void core had been implanted in Kiana.
But that was just the foundation.
As she investigated the white-haired girl's condition deeper, Mei gradually realized the issue with her genetic sequence construction.
The girl had almost instinctively destroyed all that data, because the contents indicated a single result—her best friend and family, one of the two lights that reached out to her when she was deep in darkness, Kiana Kaslana, was not a natural-born human!
Like Theresa, she was a clone created by certain people for a certain purpose, born only seven years ago!
Mei actually didn't care about cloning. When her father was framed by Cocolia and she fell into the lowest point of her life, the person who stayed by her side was Kiana.
She was her best friend. Their bond wouldn't change because of a mere artificial human file.
The problem was Fuli!
He had traveled across the ocean to the Far East just to follow Kiana!
All for the promise between the two of them when they were children!
Mei had seen the light in Fuli's eyes countless times when he mentioned "Kiana." Bluntly speaking, if Kiana's life were in danger, no matter how much Mei despised him or found him annoying before, he would charge at the enemy without hesitation to perish together, just to buy her peace.
That was Fuli's light, his only one. For this boy who returned to Shenzhou alone after losing both parents, she was his only longing thought for seven years.
This was no longer simple affection, but a resolve similar to faith.
But now? You tell Fuli:
Ha! Surprise!
The girl you've been obsessed with is actually a counterfeit product, and everything you've given is just your own self-satisfaction!
The small family that is Hyperion, established only three months ago, would fall apart in an instant!
...