People have both reason and emotion.
Kiana has always been one who leans towards emotion, relying on her feelings.
Just like now, watching Mei sacrifice herself... Even though that wasn't the Mei she knew, even though she understood it, Kiana's emotions still overwhelmed her rationality, causing her to lose control somewhat.
Although, due to certain changes, her relationship with Mei wasn't destined to be one where they considered each other everything... well, Mei was destined to be like that.
Kiana... while not quite to that degree of devoting herself to someone, still cherished them deeply. Everyone around her.
Whether it was Himeko, Theresa, or Bronya, who constantly bickered with her, they were all people for whom she would give everything. Mei was also one of them, perhaps more important, but Kiana felt sorry that what she could do for Mei wasn't much different.
The same was true for those innocent civilians.
She protected her loved ones, protected the civilians, and gave her all to protect them, even at the cost of her own life.
This was the will passed down to Kiana by the Kaslana family name.
Though the name actually belonged to someone else, she was merely... inheriting it?
But the passion flowing within this body, apart from the guilt of her sin, was undoubtedly a Kaslana's.
Understanding Kiana's path to this point, Mei gently removed her glasses, choosing to return to her approachable self, and softly comforted her.
"Kiana, don't worry too much about that me."
Though the death was somewhat hasty, she held no regrets for her other self.
As for Valkyries, from the moment they embarked on this career, each one was prepared to face that moment.
That her...
What the hell was she doing?!
Welt's calm face was brimming with anger at the image of himself. Tesla's expression was also somewhat forced.
The cold, icy Welt in the image was a profound wound to those who had spent so much time with him. She bit her lip, puzzled by what had happened to cause Welt to become like that.
The image continued, carrying the sorrow of the deceased and the doubts of the crowd. Following the unfinished instructions of the deceased Mei, the fleeing people braved all obstacles and arrived at the Tower of Babel, perched in the snowy plains and the birthplace of the Second Eruption.
As the birthplace of the Second Herrscher, this place was no safe haven. The persecuted researchers perished immediately within this cast-iron structure. Honkai Beasts and Titan mechas born from the outside world were also common sights here.
The only advantage of this dangerous place over the outside world was probably the narrowness, as Mei mentioned before her death, which limited the number of enemies.
Facing the unusual Welt that was completely different from what she knew, Bronya in the video asked the question in her heart.
"Why did the First Herrscher become the enemy of humanity?"
This was the question swirling among everyone present.
Kiana in the video naturally couldn't give an answer.
Having witnessed Mei's death before her own eyes, she was now blinded by hatred.
"Because he was a Herrscher!"
"Their souls were long ago devoured by the Honkai. That face was just a tool to deceive others!"
She was filled with anger, her words filled with hatred for the existence of the Herrscher.
But when she mentioned her loved one, her high-pitched voice suddenly turned to tears.
"He killed Mei! Mei..."
Welt killed Mei.
But... that wouldn't be the last.
Feeling forlorn, Bronya comforted Seele, who was lost in the current situation.
However, she was separated from Seele by the surging tide of enemies.
An unknown amount of time passed.
The atmosphere grew silent.
Bronya, awakening, was stunned by the blankness in her mind, unable to recover for a long time.
The surging tide of Titans had vanished.
And with them, the First Herrscher, Welt, the culprit behind all this, appeared.
"Congratulations, Valkyrie, for surviving the Second Eruption."
He offered his congratulations.
But the next moment, he delivered the harsh reality.
"The Valkyries on the front lines... the garrison personnel..."
"Everyone is dead."
"I—destroyed Schicksal!"
And that still transformed into another Bronya, standing in a state of shock, tears welling in her eyes.
Everyone was horrified by the news Welt had revealed.
Tesla's mouth dropped open, and she froze in silence.
She hated Otto, but she never harbored any ill will towards the Valkyries of Schicksal.
Though the Valkyries' actions undoubtedly aided Otto and abetted his evil, they were merely following orders from their superiors.
To Tesla, every Valkyrie who were willing to sacrifice their lives to resist the Honkai was a warrior worthy of respect.
Tesla felt this way, and Einstein and Welt shared similar views.
Even if they were hostile to the Valkyries of Schicksal, Welt would not kill them unless absolutely necessary... or if they encountered a special decapitation squad like the Immortal Blades.
But...
What did that guy in the video do?
He destroyed Schicksal?!
How many lives did that cost?!
How many warriors, worthy of respect, had sacrificed their lives to fight the Honkai Eruption?
They all died at the hands of this bastard!
Yes, a bastard!
At this moment, after hearing what Welt had done in the video, even people like Einstein and Tesla, who were very close to Welt, could only describe him as a bastard.
Welt himself felt that this man was as much of a bastard as Otto... No, perhaps even Otto was not as bad as him.
Although Otto had done a lot of awful things, he had never done something so horrific as destroying an entire anti-Honkai organization and killing everyone.
Bronya was furious at Welt's actions, but she also asked the question that most intrigued her, the question everyone else was curious about.
"Why... why do this?"
"Because it's my mission. A man named Welt Joyce entrusted it to me with great care in 1955."
"1955... the day Anti-Entropy was founded?" Bronya was filled with a wave of doubt at the memory.
Welt rejected Bronya's answer, sneering, "No, it was the day Anti-Entropy was destroyed! Welt Joyce, Liesel Albert Einstein, Frederica Nikola Tesla, Emma Planck, Erwin Schrödinger..."
He recited each name, his eyes dark.
"I remember every one of them. Because remembering them is all I can do."
"They were slain one by one by Schicksal before my eyes, and I could only flee in shame."
"...like a frightened, weak beast."
His tone was calm, as calm as telling a story that had nothing to do with him.
But within the calm, there was a chilling terror.
Bronya was stunned. "Anti-Entropy... destroyed?!"
"In every dark night, I dream of that man."
"He lay in a pool of blood, entrusting me with his name and the Herrscher Core, over and over again."
As Welt recounted the past, a chilling chill pierced his bones.
"Finally, I returned, using his name to fulfill his promise to fight for humanity!"