HHR 31-50 (Patreon)

Chapter 31: Please Lock the Door When You Are Intimate"Well, I understand." Kiana nodded gently, then sighed, "Unfortunately, it was too late to realize this. If I had known earlier that these Honkai Outbreaks had nothing to do with me, I could have recorded their patterns and thus inferred the time and location of subsequent Honkai Outbreaks.""This matter is not urgent for the time being, Kiana. You should know that even if the will of the Herrscher of the Void has subsided, she is just dormant in the depths of your consciousness and is ready to seize your body at any time."The voice in the girl's mind spoke calmly in a gentle tone:"You chose to try to control the power of the Herrscher of the Void with your own willpower, which is good. So now I will no longer try to persuade you to stay away from fighting the Honkai. But while fighting the Honkai, please be sure to control your physical condition. We can no longer let the Herrscher of the Void get the opportunity to take advantage of the situation.""I know." Kiana nodded calmly.It was getting darker. The city was quiet and still under the dark curtain. The moonlight above was as bright as a lamp bead.The wind blowing in her face wasn't cold, but it gave Kiana, who was jumping rapidly between the roofs, an indelible feeling of comfort.Most of the lights in the buildings were turned off. Most of the people who originally lived on the outskirts of the city had moved to the city center. Only streetlights illuminated the empty streets.The dark buildings formed a sharp contrast with the high-rise buildings with bright lights not far away.Although the distance was not far, it looked like two completely different worlds.-Suddenly.For no reason, just to take another look at the nearby street scene, Kiana who was flying through the air lowered her head."Huh?"Her figure that was moving forward quickly suddenly stopped on the top floor of a high-rise building."What's wrong? Kiana?"Kiana did not answer but looked at the building that should not be appearing on the outskirts of the town with a somewhat surprised expression.The coffee shop on the second floor stood out abruptly in the street scene not far away. The sign of the coffee shop was engraved with the English letters of Hyperion."Hyperion... Cafe?"Kiana rubbed her eyes, and after confirming that she wasn't mistaken, her expression became a little surprised."Class Monitor, did you see it?""...I saw it."The voice in her mind spoke in an indescribable tone.The string of letters Hyperion was familiar to both Kiana and the person in her mind.As Valkyries of Himeko's team, they had, of course, taken the Hyperion battleship directly under Major Himeko more than once.When she thought of Himeko, Kiana couldn't help but look a little depressed, but she quickly broke free from the sadness and became keenly aware of another problem.This is the outskirts of Arc City. It stands to reason that all the nearby residents had long since moved to the city center.Then why is there a coffee shop so abruptly opened here?Moreover, it coincidentally has the same name as the flagship of their Far East branch.If it were four months ago, she might have thought it was just a coincidence. After all, Hyperion was not originally the name of the Far East branch ship. It wouldn't have been strange for something else to share the same name as Hyperion.However, at this time and in this place——"Be careful, Kiana," the figure in Kiana's mind spoke in a deep voice. "I feel that something is wrong with this café.""Yeah, I feel it too."In the dark night, the frosted windows of the café emitted dim light, while all other buildings were dark.During this special period, when everyone had left the outskirts of the city, only the lights in this café were still on, and the name of the café was exactly the same as the flagship of the Far East branch.Trap?After hesitating for a moment, Kiana jumped off the roof of the building."What are you going to do?" asked the voice in her mind."Go in and take a look. If there is anything wrong, run away immediately," Kiana said. "This café is built on the outskirts of Arc City, and it also uses the same name as the Hyperion. If my aunt and the others see it, they will definitely go in and take a look."Her voice suddenly became a little depressed: "I... can't just leave such an obvious bait alone.""..."The will in her mind was silent for a moment and then sighed softly. "Be careful. You can use the power of space. No matter what, if you just want to escape, it's always possible. I will also help you keep an eye on the situation nearby.""Well, thank you, Class Monitor."Kiana took a deep breath, then walked to the door of the café with heavy steps, put her hand on the door handle, and, after preparing herself to face anything, she gently pushed open the door.-In an instant.Seeing the scene before her, Kiana's thinking stopped, and her head buzzed.Under the dim but gentle orange light, the red-haired boy in white clothes lowered his head slightly, and there was a sticky sound of deep kissing between him and the "someone" covered by his figure. The rustling sound of fabrics rubbing against each other was endless, and the air was filled with the smell of hormones of mutual affection.It took Kiana half a second to see what was happening in front of her, and another ten seconds to understand everything. She suddenly realized and nodded stupidly.Oh, there's a couple kissing deeply.——No, no, no, no!!! This is not the point!!!"Yes, yes, yes, yes, sorry——I, I, I, I, I didn't mean to come in——!!!!"Bang!After hurriedly apologizing, Kiana slammed the door shut, and a deep blush instantly covered her fair face.Chapter 32: The Store Manager Who Just Wants to Go Home, and the Girl Who Wants the Store Manager to Work OvertimeBefore opening the door to the cafe, Kiana had predicted several possible scenarios.Among them, she had anticipated that countless Schicksal Valkyries might be lurking in every corner of the cafe, surrounding her with a dragnet the moment she stepped inside.She also predicted that the interior of the cafe might be empty, but several mechanisms would trigger when she entered.Another possibility was that the back of the cafe wasn’t the enemy, but instead, the companions from St. Freya Academy, eagerly awaiting her return.She had even considered the idea that the cafe was just an ordinary place, with the staff simply going about their work.Having wandered and witnessed various aspects of human warmth and coldness in the past four months, Kiana believed that no matter what scene she encountered, she would remain calm and rational.To prepare herself to react perfectly, she gathered all her strength, her adrenaline spiking to the extreme. Her muscles were tense, ready to perform any necessary actions at lightning speed.She had even prepared herself to strike Otto’s dog face in the room if needed.But when she tensed her muscles and opened the door, the scene that unfolded made the breath caught in her throat disappear entirely.The atmosphere inside was non-hostile, with a warm ambiance and the fragrance of coffee in the air... and a boy and a girl kissing each other deeply in the middle of the hall.Although she could only see the back of the red-haired boy standing near the door and couldn’t see the girl who was lifting her white cloth shoes, the sight of the couple in such an intimate moment caused a surge of panic and embarrassment in Kiana’s chest. She quickly fled from the pink cafe.She leaned against the closed door, panting slightly, her heart pounding.After some effort, she calmed down, but then an overwhelming sense of powerlessness washed over her."Ah... am I being too sensitive?"Upon reflecting, she realized that even if someone were trying to set up bait, Schicksal wouldn’t need to go through the trouble of opening a cafe here....It would be impossible for anyone to predict that she would end up drifting from Europe to the south of Shenzhou with the ocean current, even after she fell into the Pacific Ocean."Go back..."Just as Kiana was about to leave this troublesome place, the voice in her mind suddenly stopped her."Wait, Kiana."That calm voice, for the first time, carried a hint of suspicion."You should go back in.""Huh?" Kiana blinked, her blue pupils full of confusion. "Why?""...There is something you may not have noticed because you were too surprised..." The voice spoke, its tone uncertain. "If I’m not mistaken, in addition to... uh, the couple kissing, there are three other people in the lobby of the cafe."Kiana stopped, frowned, and asked tentatively, "Are they people I know?""Two are," the voice responded. "Rita Rossweisse, who once tested you in actual combat at St. Freya Academy, and... Bronya?""Why do you sound so uncertain?" Kiana keenly noticed something was wrong."Because, the child looks exactly like Bronya, but her temperament and the atmosphere around her make me feel that she is slightly different from Bronya..."The voice spoke in a strange tone. "I’m sorry, but the door of this cafe seems to completely separate the inside from the outside in a way I don’t understand. I just tried to use the spiritual extension from Fenghuang Down to explore the situation inside, but all my mental energy suddenly dissipated when it touched the walls of this building."Kiana’s face became serious.In the four months of traveling, she had exchanged much information with the voice in her mind. Among that information, she had gained a fairly comprehensive understanding of the abilities of Fenghuang Down.A building that could block the Eighth Divine Key was certainly not an ordinary one. According to the voice, the moment Kiana entered the cafe, she saw the S-rank Valkyrie Rita Rossweisse and a girl who looked like Bronya.Damn, this cafe might really be opened by Schicksal!Should she go back inside?Just as Kiana hesitated, a push suddenly came from the door behind her.She reflexively jumped forward, turned around quickly, and reached for the twin guns at her waist. Her golden and blue eyes flashed with vigilance.Click.The door opened, revealing the young boy’s face, full of dissatisfaction.He glanced at Kiana who was still on guard, and his mouth twitched. "Sorry, customer. Our store is closed today. If you need something, please come again during business hours."With that, the store manager changed the sign on the door from "Open" to "Closed," and without hesitation, he turned to close the door.This swift, combined action to expel customers left Kiana a little confused, as she never considered herself as a customer.But the next moment, she couldn’t help but shudder.The reason was simple: from the crack in the door, Kiana saw the scene inside the cafe.As the voice in her mind had said, the S-rank Valkyrie Rita Rossweisse and the hooded Bronya were also in the cafe. In addition, there was a woman with silver hair and red eyes who looked like an adult, and another woman in black clothes with a red face——Big Big Big, Big Auntie?!!!!!!Before she could think, her feet moved first.Kiana rushed forward and grabbed the door handle."Wait, wait! Don’t close the door yet!""…"After failing to close the door, the store manager stood there, his shoulders trembling slightly, as though he were enduring something.After a moment, a heavy sigh escaped from him.The sigh was so tired and impatient that it made Kiana feel as if she were being disliked.Then, the person who sighed turned around, his eyebrows twitching slightly, and a stiff, polite smile appeared on his young face."My dear customer, I’ve already told you that it’s time for our store to close. There should be other stores open in your city. Why do you keep staring at my poor little shop?"Chapter 33: Fighting Wits and Courage with the AirHis left eye rolled, saying "Go away!", his right eye rolled, saying "I want to rest!", and a bubble floated above his head saying, "I want to be intimate with my wife!" He was surrounded by a very strong aura of repulsion.Feeling the repulsion that the store manager kept emitting, Kiana quietly breathed a sigh of relief.Since the store manager chose to drive her away, it at least showed that the purpose of this special coffee shop wasn’t to target her.While she breathed a sigh of relief, an indescribable sense of frustration arose.In the past four months, she had been desperately avoiding the search by Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. Though this life of escape was far from beautiful—and could even be considered quite miserable—there was one thing deeply engraved in her cognition: "I have become an important target in the eyes of others."Kiana knew that whether Anti-Entropy or Schicksal caught up with her, they would come after her as quickly as possible. Their purpose and methods aside, the one thing both factions agreed on was that they "must bring her back as soon as possible."This was the first time in four months that she had met someone who bluntly told her, "You are not important to me at all!" and actively tried to drive her away.Of course, she didn’t know the store manager, so it was also possible that he didn't realize how dangerous she was.But when she thought about the possibility of an S-rank Valkyrie from Schicksal being in the store, Kiana became unsure about the cafe's attitude toward her.At any rate, she had to find a way to get in.Because she was afraid of endangering her old companions, she had been avoiding the people from St. Freya Academy. But if those companions were in danger, it would be a different matter.If Auntie and Bronya were caught by Rita, she couldn’t just leave them to their fate."Oh, don't be so cold and heartless, store manager... is it the store manager, right?"When that thought crossed her mind, a flattering smile suddenly appeared on her face, and her tone became aggrieved."You know, people around here have been moving to the city center recently, and nearby stores have been closing one after another. I finally found a store that's still open. This late at night, can you bear to let a weak woman like me walk around hungry?""Please! Please!" She clasped her hands together, and her blue pupils filled with sincere pleading. "Even if it's just the remaining ingredients, it's okay. At least let me fill my stomach, please?""..."The store manager opened his mouth as if to say something, but at that moment, a gentle voice full of charm floated from inside the store."Mr. Manager, don't forget the rules of this cafe.""..."Hearing this voice, Kiana's eyes lit up slightly, and the young manager showed obvious helplessness."Okay, okay, you’re the customer, you have the final say."He reopened the door and reluctantly gestured to Kiana. "Please.""..." Kiana pondered for a moment, took a deep breath, and walked into the store as though facing a great enemy.As soon as she entered, the beautiful maid with long flowing hair approached with impeccable elegance. Her charming face, adorned with a teardrop mole at the corner of her eye, looked familiar to Kiana, and she wore a gentle, humble smile."Is this customer alone?""..."Kiana didn’t answer immediately, and her mind was racing at full speed.What did that mean? A provocation? A warning? Or... a threat?…Or did she see through class monitor who was following her?She considered a thousand possibilities, but she didn’t expect that the other party was merely asking if she was alone."Why does she look so stupid?" The store manager glanced at the silent Kiana, muttering under his breath, then waved in the direction of "Bronya." "Bronie, prepare a cup of walnut milk for her first, so she can replenish her brain a little.""Okay~"Miss Haxxor Bunny responded casually."..."Suddenly being criticized for her intelligence, Kiana couldn’t help but scowl.I can't help it...!Her eyes twitched, and she quietly took a deep breath, then found a two-person table and sat down. She turned her attention to the girl in the hood.Bronie? Wasn’t she Bronya?Kiana watched as "Bronya" walked to the back of the bar in a very familiar way, tiptoeing as she quickly took out a small bag of nuts and several cans of ingredients from the cupboard, then began preparing the drink. Her movements were incredibly skillful, as if she had been doing this for years."My customer, it seems you have great doubts about the employees here. To prevent any misunderstanding, let me explain in advance."Just as Kiana was closely observing "Bronya", a maid with long flowing hair suddenly appeared at her table."If you’ve seen anyone who looks like us outside, please rest assured: we are not the same person.""?"Kiana was stunned by the frankness of the explanation and immediately raised her head. "What do you mean?""You’ve been quietly guarding against me in your heart, and of course, I can feel it." Rita smiled. "Perhaps, in the outside world, you and Rita Rossweisse have some differences, but let me make it clear: I am here, and this is the first time we’ve met. We have no direct conflict, and I’ve never asked anything of you. What kind of idea is that?""After all..." she continued, the corner of her mouth curling into a charming smile, "It's just a mere spatial power. The manager of this cafe has already obtained a power far superior to that.""So, please rest assured.""No one here is interested in the power within you.""...Oh, right.""Including the lady hidden within you."The wine-red pupils reflected Kiana’s stunned expression, as if they could see through everything.Chapter 34: My Aunt is in Love, Who Should I Catch?When the maid's soft, gentle, yet meaningful voice fell, Kiana almost pulled out her double guns again.But she forced herself to restrain her hostility, raised her face slightly, looked directly into the wine-red eyes, and said in the calmest voice she could manage, "What are you talking about? What do you mean by 'the lady in my body'?""You still don't believe what Rita said?" The corner of the maid's mouth lifted in a gentle smile. "It seems that, in a short time, Rita hasn't gained the precious trust of the customer lady, which is a real pity.""Ignore this bad-tempered one."Suddenly, a lazy voice sounded in Kiana's ears. Kiana turned her head and saw the "Bronya" in a hoodie slap a cup of milky white liquid onto the table. She spoke lightly, "I'll give you a piece of advice. Leave as soon as you're full. Otherwise, with Ms. Rosemary's character, you might reveal all your secrets without realizing it.""This is a huge misunderstanding, Ms. Bronie." The maid laughed. "I was just bored for a while and thought of some ideas to chat with the little miss. If this customer is willing to share some stories, that would be great. Of course, if the customer doesn't want to open up to Rita, Rita won't force anything.""If that's the case, it would be the best." Bronie shrugged and casually turned her eyes to Kiana. "Omurice, spaghetti with sauce, curry rice— which do you prefer?"At this time, the plain-dressed "Theresa" suddenly moved a high stool to the side of the young store manager. She climbed onto the stool, sat down facing the bar, and then took out a hardcover account book from a drawer beneath the bar.She spread it out and gently nudged the store manager's waist with her elbow. "Hey, if you're not busy, come help me record today's accounts."Seeing that her aunt in ancient Chinese costume had actually initiated work, Kiana felt as if the world had changed colors. She took a sharp breath and instinctively pricked up her ears."Accounting?"The store manager looked visibly puzzled, his expression confused. "Does our store still need to keep accounts?"Kiana was stunned.She had actually seen her aunt ask someone to work, and the person she asked wanted to slack off?"Theresa" in her ancient costume rolled her eyes at the store manager. Her charming and alluring look made Kiana who was watching catch a whiff of a suggestive atmosphere between the two."I just want to do something with you. Why are you so ignorant and refuse?" She pushed the account book in front of the store manager, then leaned toward him, her body inching closer.Their faces were so close now that their breaths mingled."...I didn't think it through." The store manager smiled indulgently. "Let me see how much income there is today...""Gu."Kiana swallowed hard as her throat tightened.She watched her "Aunt" and the store manager in their sweet atmosphere, then, trembling, picked up the walnut milk Bronie had prepared for her. She put her lips to the rim of the glass and gently sipped the drink.As the sweet flavor spread down her throat, Kiana suddenly felt as though she had eaten something shocking....No, wait.Thinking back, when she first broke through the door, she had seen the young store manager and her lover kissing, right?At that time, due to the angle, Kiana didn't see the upper body of the person kissing the store manager, only the lower body. But now, when she thought about it, those white silks and simple cloth shoes were exactly what "Theresa" in ancient costume was wearing.In other words, her aunt and this boy, who looked about the same age as her—or even younger—were in a relationship?Kiana's eyes first flashed with contempt for seeing a fetish, but the next moment, doubt crept in.Although her aunt always looked like a child, if they were outside, anyone who saw her dating would send her lover to the police station without hesitation.But as the saying goes, family knows family. Since Kiana knew Theresa was her aunt, she also knew Theresa's real age.So, if a woman who looks 10 years old but is actually over 40 years old is in a relationship with a boy who looks like he's not yet an adult and isn't really one, who should be sent to the police station?Then again, this young store manager also appeared to be underage. He probably looked about 16 or 17 years old. So, even if you disregard their inner ages, just by appearance, the age gap between him and Theresa was not extreme.Wait, if my aunt has a child, can I be the older sister?Kiana's thoughts wandered, and her eyes gradually lost focus as she thought about her aunt's love life. Her face unconsciously twisted into a smile, resembling her aunt's."..."Feeling Kiana's strange smile, deep in her mind, Fu Hua let out a long sigh....This girl is hopeless.Chapter 35: The Three Unsolved Mysteries of the World: Why is Zhuge Kongming Theresa?No ons knows if it was because of that sigh that woke Kiana from her fantasy, but at a certain moment, Kiana, whose mind was filled with pink fantasies, suddenly shuddered and snapped back to reality.No, no! Now is not the time to think about that kind of thing.She lifted the glass, raised her head, and drank all the walnut milk in two or three quick gulps. She looked around with a sly expression, and after confirming that none of the clerks were paying attention to her, she quietly dove into the depths of her mind."Class Monitor, can you hear me?" she asked silently in her heart.You still remember me?If it weren't for the fact that she couldn’t show her form right now, Fu Hua in Kiana’s body would probably be rolling her eyes at her speechlessly.Although the voice didn’t directly speak in Kiana's mind, she could still vaguely feel the other party's true emotions through the helplessness and slight reproach in that consciousness.Knowing that she was in the wrong, Kiana couldn’t help but blush. She coughed and snorted, pretending nothing was wrong, and asked, "Class Monitor, now that we’re in the store, do you feel anything strange about this cafe?"No, wait, I shouldn’t have asked that...The moment the question left her lips, Kiana realized it was a stupid one.So she quickly added, "To be more specific, can you help me understand what’s going on with my aunt, Rita, and the 'Bronie' in this store?"As the holder of the Key of Sentience, even though she had lost many abilities due to being in a special state without a body, Fu Hua within her could easily see through the physical disguise and reach the soul essence of the target."..." The voice was silent for a moment before whispering, "At least, I can see that each of their bodies matches their consciousness perfectly, so there is no possession.""In other words, the staff here are all 'real bodies,' not clones like Fenghuang Down’s, right?""Yes.""Could they be clones made by that bastard Otto?"After asking this question, Kiana instinctively clenched her fist.However, the voice within her immediately denied this possibility."At least, from my perspective, they don't seem like that at all.""...Or, even if they are clones or artificial products at the biological level, from a consciousness perspective, the employees of this store are all smooth and natural, without any flaws that clones should have.""At this point, even clones are no different from regular people—perhaps even slightly better."At this moment, "Theresa" who had been whispering with the store manager suddenly raised her head. The azure blue pupils Kiana was so familiar with were now filled with a majesty she had never seen before in similar eyes.Kiana's pupils shrank slightly.Clearly, just a second ago, there had been a pink, love-struck atmosphere around the girl, but now, when the girl—who looked no different from her aunt—gazed at her with scrutiny and warning in her eyes, Kiana was struck by the overwhelming aura of someone in a high position, making her subconsciously want to escape."This customer, it seems that it’s not very polite to peer into other people's minds at will," the crisp and tender voice now carried a kingly majesty and heaviness.Kiana’s forehead broke into a cold sweat, and she subconsciously said, "Sorry...""This is just this time, and it won’t happen again.""Theresa" shot Kiana a cold glance, then calmly withdrew the deterrence and turned back to the store manager.  Finally relaxed, Kiana whispered quietly in her mind: "Class Monitor, did she notice it?""Yes," the voice responded. "If I’m not mistaken, the person who looks like Theresa seems to be surrounded by an extremely special energy.""Is it Honkai energy?" Kiana asked quickly."No... Rather than saying it's Honkai energy..." The voice's tone became somewhat confused. "It’s better to say it’s very similar to a special ability I’ve seen before.""Has monitor seen it before?""To be honest, I’m not sure if my memory is wrong." The voice hesitated. "You know, due to some accidents, most of my memories were burned.""But... during the time we studied together at St. Freya Academy, I could barely catch traces of the memories that remained after the burn.""History class?" Kiana was stunned, then showed a somewhat embarrassed expression. "Why are you mentioning this all of a sudden?""Because the special ability surrounding 'Theresa’s' body is very similar to that of a wise man who was active two thousand years ago.""Who?""The name is Zhuge Liang... You may not recognize the name, but from my point of view, the astrology and formations used by that genius are definitely much stronger than those of ordinary A-level Valkyries, even in modern society."Kiana’s brain struggled to process this: "Zhuge Liang? Isn’t that a name from Shenzhou? How is she related to my aunt? The Zhuge Liang I know is from the Kaslana family?""Also, why would someone from thousands of years ago be in this store?!""Uh... this..."The consciousness in her body sounded a bit speechless. "I don’t know why she has the appearance of the Kaslana family, and she looks exactly like Theresa, but I can’t confirm if the 'Theresa' in this store is the same Zhuge Kongming I’ve seen.""But no matter what, one thing is for certain: apart from appearance, this girl who looks the same as Theresa is actually not related to her. I don’t feel the unique breath of a MANTIS in her.""So, Bronya isn’t Bronya, and my aunt isn’t my aunt?" Kiana frowned and muttered under her breath. "In that case, Rita isn’t Rita... She didn’t lie to us?"Chapter 36: The Night Is Not Over Yet"If she didn’t lie to us, Kiana, what are you going to do?"After hearing the question in her mind, Kiana was silent for a while, sighed in her heart, and said casually, "If this is really the case, then I can only conclude that the people in this cafe have nothing to do with Anti-Entropy and Schicksal. In this case, after finishing this meal, we can almost leave.""Don't worry, Kiana." The voice said in a calm tone, "If we assume that what Rita in this store said is true, then you may... try to seek help from the staff of this store.""Seek help?""Well, do you remember? When you confronted Rita in this store, what did she tell you?""She said... ah." Kiana suddenly realized, as if she had been enlightened. "She met us for the first time, there was no direct conflict, and she had no idea about the Herrscher Core in my body. The reason is that the manager of this store has a power stronger than the Power of the Void?""Yes, if we regard this sentence as a fact, it means that in the eyes of the people in this store, even if you hold the Herrscher Core, you are not a dangerous person at all." The voice said. "For the past four months, you have been avoiding the pursuit of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. Let’s not talk about Schicksal for now. You have been hiding from Theresa and others because you are afraid that your power will hurt them after losing control, right?""..." Kiana pursed her lips and nodded gently."But anyway, with your understanding of Theresa and the others, you should also know that they can't watch you wandering outside." The voice said earnestly, "Moreover, even if you are afraid to face Theresa and the others, you can’t avoid facing the Herrscher Core in your body. I know you are afraid of losing control again, but have you ever thought that even if you try to stay away from Theresa and the others, after you lose control, they will still inevitably, or even actively, face the you who have lost control?""Even if they are not your companions, Theresa and the others are still Valkyries whose mission is to fight against the Honkai."After listening to the words of the voice, Kiana's breathing unconsciously became a little faster.She couldn’t help feeling a little frustrated.What the voice said was what Kiana had been avoiding these days, so she knew that these words were true.She knew in her heart that even if she had been hiding from Theresa and the others in the name of fear of losing control, when she lost control again, Theresa and the others would still come to her door and be hurt by the uncontrolled self again.Rationally speaking, even if it was to prevent herself from losing control again, she could not continue to hide from Theresa and the others.Compared to being invaded by the will of the Herrscher of the Void in a place unknown to everyone, it would be better to lose control next to someone who had been prepared.After all, in the latter situation, facing an opponent who had been fully prepared, even the Herrscher of the Void could only cause very limited disasters and damage.However, even knowing this, Kiana still found it difficult to face the fact that she had killed her companions with her own hands on a subjective level.The voice in Kiana's mind did not say anything more.Although they had reached a settlement in essence, Fu Hua had always been with Kiana, so she knew better than anyone that Kiana was still far from out of danger.She was worried, but she didn't dare to stimulate Kiana too much, who had just recovered her will to live.After all, during this period of time, helping Kiana suppress the will of the Herrscher of the Void and avoiding the worst situation was the top priority.So during this period of escape, not only Kiana herself was avoiding these problems, but even Fu Hua was deliberately avoiding them.-If she hadn’t entered this coffee shop, which was extremely special even for Fu Hua.Kiana was silent for a long time, but finally shook her head gently."No, I can't bring trouble to others anymore." She whispered."Even if Rita in this store believes that I am not dangerous, she has never really seen me lose control. Moreover, since the people in this store are meeting me for the first time, I am even less qualified to transfer the risks on myself to this store." As she spoke, her tone suddenly became relaxed. "I know you are concerned about me, Class Monitor, don’t worry. After investigating the Honkai Outbreaks in Arc City, I will take the initiative to find Auntie and the others. You are right, I will have to face the will of the Herrscher of the Void one day, and at least before that, I must be fully prepared.""..." Fu Hua was silent for a moment, and then sighed. "You... have such an idea, it's great."At this time, a sound of footsteps came from far away, and Rita came to Kiana with a plate of beautiful omelette rice, with the same smile on her face as always. "Your omelette rice, please enjoy it slowly."After sorting out her mood, Kiana focused her attention on her dinner."Oh oh..."She couldn’t help but make a somewhat touching sound.Using a spoon to poke the soft fried egg, the juicy and distinctly grained rice slid out like liquid.Although Kiana did some simple temporary jobs here and there during this period of escape, she didn’t even earn enough money to eat, but in order to avoid the search of Schicksal and Anti-Entropy, she could only reduce the time she was exposed to surveillance as much as possible.So, the only food she could choose was dry food such as bread or compressed biscuits that could be eaten anytime and anywhere.For Kiana, it was the first time in the past few months that she could sit at a table normally and eat a good meal that had just come out of the pot.Unfortunately, after returning to the base in Arc City, she had to deal with the Honkai incident in other places, so she probably didn’t have much chance to come to this store again.With this somewhat regretful mood, Kiana picked up the spoon and put the hot rice into her mouth.At this moment, the wooden door of the coffee shop was suddenly pushed open with a creaking sound.Kiana subconsciously turned her eyes to the outside of the door, and then froze for a moment.The store manager who was keeping accounts with Kongming raised his head. "Ah, sorry, this customer, we have... Hey? Why are you here?""What do you mean why am I here..." Hearing the somewhat surprised voice of the store manager, the person who opened the door sighed first, then put her hands on her hips. "The one who wants to buy some magic seasonings and special ingredients from us, isn't it you, the captain? Why, I’m sending the things to you now, why do you look so strange, do you think I disturbed you guys' love?""No, no, how could I dislike you?" The store manager hurriedly greeted her with a smile on his face. "I just didn’t expect you to make a special trip at such a late time. I thought you would probably come tomorrow.""Humph, no matter what you say, why is the store manager of this store less concerned about these things than I am?" The girl rolled her eyes at the store manager and shook her hair gently. "Forget it... you can count the materials yourself. Is there any food in the store? Because of your business, I have been busy from noon to now, and I haven’t even had a meal. You shouldn’t let me go hungry, right?""No need to count, don’t you trust my character?" The store manager patted his chest heroically. "What do you want to eat? Order whatever you want, I’ll treat you.""Tsk." The girl raised her hand and poked the store manager's chest, with a sly smile on her lips. "All the materials in your store are delivered to you now, and you still want me to order whatever I want? I want to order whatever I want, but can you afford it?""Uh, this..." The store manager's forehead was covered with cold sweat, and he stammered and couldn't speak."Forget it, I’m a generous girl, so I won’t bother with you." The girl smiled, looked around the store, and then turned her eyes to the only dazed customer, glancing at the bowl of omelette rice in front of her. "Just give me a bowl of omelette rice like hers, and I don’t have to pay for it, right?""Of course not!" The store manager breathed a sigh of relief. "Then I’ll go and help you prepare it right away with Rita. You can find a seat first, don’t be polite to me, just treat this place as your home...""Sirin."Chapter 37: The Hero Sirin is Not Afraid of Difficulties!After arranging the position of the girl, the young store manager was about to walk to the bar, but was pulled back by the collar."... Come back here!""Uh, Miss Sirin? Why are you holding me? I'm going to prepare dinner for you," the store manager said cautiously."Why are you going to the kitchen to join in the fun? You're the store manager. Rita can handle the cooking."Sirin took the store manager to find a table for two by the wall and sat down. She casually crossed her legs, supported her cheek with the back of her hand, and the hem of her black tight skirt sank slightly into her white, soft thigh.She smiled. "Or, I spent so much time and effort preparing materials for you that can be used for a month, and after getting the things, you want to throw me aside?""I... how dare I..." the store manager said bitterly, resigned to his fate. He pulled out the chair in front of him and sat down face to face with Sirin.After a moment of silence, he asked, "How is the situation over there during this period?""Thanks to a certain captain, the monsters in the Dark Lord's Castle have stopped pouring out, and the reconstruction of the City has been put back on the agenda after the threat has been completely eliminated. Everything is moving in a good direction," Sirin pouted slightly, looking very dissatisfied. "Is that all you want to ask?""Uh..."The store manager's eyes rolled around, and he secretly turned his gaze to the other employees in the store.In the kitchen, Rita was busy preparing dinner for Sirin, Bronie was playing games idly, Kongming buried her face in the account book, and Luna stared at him with a smile, making it hard to tell whether her eyes were encouraging or threatening.After hesitating for a long time, the store manager wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, took a deep breath, and made up his mind: "So, what are your plans for the future? Will you continue to stay in that world and work in your previous job?""What does the store manager think?"Suddenly, Sirin stood up, bent down, supported the table with both hands, and put her face close to the store manager's ear. The breath from her lips was moist and warm. "Do you want me to continue staying in my original world, or—""--Do you want me to become your person?"The store manager's breathing stopped for a moment.He opened his mouth and felt his throat dry. "You... didn't seem to be a direct person before.""I can't help it. I haven't had any experience in love. In order not to make mistakes, I can only seek experience from those who are more experienced,"Sirin sat back in her seat, her pretty face flushed, and a smile on her lips. "That person told me that if I don't want to regret it, the most important thing is to never deceive my heart. After confirming my own ideas, the rest of the things can only be left to the other person's ideas.""That person? Who?""Who else? Of course, it's the dean of our Magic Academy," Sirin's eyes showed a little reminiscence. "She and her husband are a model couple that everyone admires. With such a successful example to encourage me, I certainly can't deceive myself like before.""I see, it's the dean's words; it's not hard to imagine that she would give such advice." The store manager breathed a sigh of relief. "So what do you think?"Sirin crossed her arms and stared at the store manager's face with her golden eyes. "You... do you want me?"The store manager touched his nose and smiled bitterly. "Well, I think you need to have a correct understanding of your own attractiveness... You put on such a look, available to you, and then ask me if I want it—probably any man would be unlikely to refuse.""Really?" Sirin lowered her head and looked around her body. Her already rosy face suddenly became even more beautiful.She muttered in a low voice, "I think I am not attractive enough compared to those people around you...""Anyway, we've been together for a while; you should know how philandering I am... lsp," the store manager said."It's okay, I don't care." Sirin shook her head lightly, blushing and whispering, "It's better to say... I would be more troubled if you had no interest in me at all...""Uh... So you should also know that I can't give up the ties I have now.""I know they came first, and I also know what happened between you, and I know that you can't give up on them." Sirin sighed with some melancholy. "Since you have revealed your feelings, knowing all this, I have certainly made the corresponding psychological preparations.""The most important point is that my current situation is very special, so after becoming my person, you will also be like Kongming, Luna, and others, and it will become difficult for you to stay in other worlds for a long time," the manager said softly, "-including your original world.""It doesn't matter. My world is on the right track. With my senpais like TeRiRi and Broboli there, one more or one less of me won't make a difference," Sirin shrugged indifferently. "Besides, I just can't stay for a long time. If I go back to see them occasionally, the rejection of the world won't have much impact on me. That's enough, right?""But... there are only a few of us who can stay with you all the time.""I have already lost to others in the order of time, so the only thoughts of wanting to be with you and continue with you..." Sirin pursed her lips and spoke firmly, "I don't want to lose to them."The store manager looked at Sirin's stubborn face steadily and sighed with regret. "You are really a little angel. It's really unfair to your origin that a lovely person can become like you."... What do you mean?Sirin tilted her head first, with a puzzled look in her eyes, then she suddenly swallowed her saliva and put her face close to the store manager's ear again."Well, there's one more thing, Captain..."The store manager raised his eyes and glanced at Sirin's expression. "Have you noticed it?""She keeps staring at me like that; it's hard not to notice it," Sirin whispered.She secretly glanced at Kiana, who was staring at her face motionlessly. The dull and emotionless eyes made her feel a little creepy."Who is that silver-haired girl? Why is she staring at my face in with a stupid look? Did I know her before?"The store manager sneered and shook his head. "Not only does she know you, you are also her biological mother.""Huh?????""If you calculate the time, it should be about the same.""Almost? What do you mean by almost? And what do you mean by that sentence just now?! What do you mean by I am her biological mother?!""It's the time it takes for her to react from the blank state of her brain. As for the second question... you should know it soon," the store manager said faintly.As soon as the words fell, an indescribable evil spirit and malice suddenly surged out of Kiana's body.The circuit board-like Honkai energy corroded the lines, and all of a sudden it crawled from the golden pupil of her right eye to half of the girl's face. The left eye, which was originally azure blue, then turned golden."Hehe, hehehe..."The corner of the girl's mouth tilted, and a laugh mixed with sarcasm and hatred flowed out of her mouth.The next second, her body suddenly disappeared in a violent flash, and the black-and-white Sub-space lance appeared without warning."Die--!!!!"The tip of the Sub-space lance pierced toward Sirin's neck like lightning.The first move was a killing blow, striving to kill with one strike, a ruthless stab.Sirin who had always lived a relatively peaceful life never expected this person would be so cruel. Her eyes blankly reflected the approaching tip of the Sub-space lance. Her heart was beating fast, but her hands had no time to react.At this moment, a translucent figure wrapped in flames suddenly appeared between Sirin and the Sub-space lance.The translucent figure raised her hands at lightning speed and grabbed the front half of the Sub-space lance with his palms. A low muffled sound spread with the airwave."Asshole!"The silver-haired girl's golden pupils revealed almost crazy anger and murderous intent. She stared at the red figure that blocked her and roared, "Get out of here if you don't want to die!"Chapter 38: I Am God!The moment the roar fell, the silver-haired girl poured all her strength into the Sub-space lance.The translucent figure wrapped in flames made a sound like glass breaking, and dark cracks quickly spread from the palm to the shoulder.Fu Hua's face turned unusually gloomy.Sirin's sudden appearance had completely caught everyone off guard.The moment she walked into the coffee shop, all three consciousnesses in Kiana's body were knocked out by this sudden force.Of course, as a pioneer from the previous era, Fu Hua had experienced countless battlefields, so she still managed to maintain her rationality.But even so, she never expected the Herrscher of the Void's consciousness to suddenly burst out with unprecedented power, breaking free from the seal that Fu Hua and Kiana's will had formed together.As a MANTIS from the previous era, Fu Hua could tell at a glance that the "Sirin" who entered the store was definitely not the second Herrscher she had encountered seventeen years ago.This "Sirin," who was completely different from the second Herrscher, had likely experienced a happy and beautiful life in a relatively peaceful environment.Perhaps she had encountered difficulties and unpleasant things at some point, but compared to the second Herrscher that Fu Hua knew—who had long been completely dominated by hatred and malice—this "Sirin" was still full of longing and yearning for beauty.Perhaps it was precisely because of seeing the beautiful things that this "Sirin" had, that the Herrscher of the Void’s will in Kiana's body suddenly erupted with such strong power, breaking free from what was once a completely inescapable seal.The power of emotion is strong.Kiana’s determination to protect all the beautiful things, her belief inherited from the Kaslana family, and her stubbornness to not let Himeko’s sacrifice go to waste allowed her to successfully suppress the once awakened Herrscher of the Void back into the depths of her consciousness with Fu Hua’s help.But at the same time, the saying "the power of emotion is strong" does not apply only to Kiana Kaslana.The cracks spread quickly across Fu Hua's translucent body, and the red and black sleeves and wrist armor shattered into pieces, dissipating in the air and revealing her snow-white arms. She injected the last of her strength into her hands, holding the Sub-space lance again, and the strong wind from their struggle grew even more intense.The confrontation which lasted only a moment, felt like it had lasted for a thousand years.Suddenly, the silver-haired girl's eyelids twitched, and the pure blue color began to reappear in her pupils.A trace of fierceness flashed in her eyes. It was clear that the two sides were still evenly matched, but the black and white Sub-space lance suddenly disappeared without warning.Fu Hua was stunned for a moment, then turned her palm into a fist without hesitation and struck the silver-haired girl in the chest.Inch Force: Sky Breaker.Without dodging, defending, or even using her spatial power to transfer, the silver-haired girl took the blow to her body—"—Got you."The corner of her mouth lifted in a proud arc.Fu Hua's pupils shrank slightly.The white breastplate that appeared out of thin air absorbed most of the force of her punch.The prototype fourth-generation Godsbane Battlesuit, White Knight·Moonbeam, unfolded."You don't think I have no defense against this kind of attack, do you? I've endured it more than once."The corner of the silver-haired girl’s mouth tilted."Compared to the one three years ago, the pressure this time is much weaker—""Too weak, in fact, that even the basic defense performance of this armor cannot be broken!!"The golden translucent wings spread out in all directions, and the tips of the wings began to condense immense light and heat."Since you want to protect that bastard who betrayed God, then go to hell with her!!!!"Activate the military automatic positioning gamma ray attack system!"Light Wings Spread—!!!"Sharp beams of light surged from the tips of dozens of slender wings behind the silver-haired girl, the traces of the rays almost filling every inch of the coffee shop.Countless beams of light rained down like a storm, targeting everyone below the silver-haired girl.Fu Hua’s face darkened.Though with her ability, she wouldn't die even if she took all the direct hits of the light wings, she couldn't rely on her fists to intercept all these gamma rays, which automatically sought out their targets.Unless...Just as she took a breath and prepared to burn the last of her consciousness to forcibly unleash the Edge of Taixuan—"Stop."No energy fluctuations.No signs of overwhelming power.Accompanied by an order that lacked emotion and sounded quite ordinary, the beams of light that had filled the cafe suddenly vanished, as if they had never existed."What—?!"The silver-haired girl froze in place.At the same time, the Moonbeam Battlesuit armor also dissipated.Without the support of the floating force, the silver-haired girl fell to the floor without any resistance."What did you do?! Why! Why did the power given to me by God suddenly—?!"Unspeakable fear and anger exploded within her. She tried desperately to call upon the power of the Herrscher Core, but none of the powers that had once been within her grasp could respond to her.It felt like a person with healthy limbs and flexible fingers had their arms severed without any psychological preparation.It was only the power that was taken away, but the silver-haired girl suddenly felt a huge emptiness, as if her entire body had suddenly disappeared."You acted recklessly in someone else's coffee shop and now you're asking what the manager did to you." The manager sighed and shook his head. "I was surprised enough to encounter the same situation twice in one day. In the end, the culprit is the same person. Should I say that we are destined to be together, or should I say that you're a mischievous child with a bad memory...""You—!!""Shut up." The manager glanced coldly at the silver-haired girl. "The power that guy gave you can be easily taken away by me. At this point, you still can't see it.""In terms of status and specifications, I am on an equal footing with the so-called 'God' you mentioned. Your half-baked power of the Void is nothing in my eyes.""Humph, it's better to say that you've already met my kind once and know what we 'Gods' are. You are just a lowly messenger of God, and you have the nerve to act recklessly under the jurisdiction of other 'Gods'.""And you even tried to attack my messenger...""What, are you tired of living?"Chapter 39 Even If You Are Schizophrenic, You Must Take ResponsibilitySilence. Terrifying silence.After the oppressive words fell, the atmosphere in the entire coffee shop suddenly became deathly quiet.The store manager sat sideways on the chair, his legs crossed, his expression indifferent, his figure like a lonely mountain, and his whole body exuded a godlike contempt for everything.Overwhelming power lingered around the store manager, as if announcing the arrival of the end of the world.Feeling this very sense of the end of the world, Fu Hua's pupils suddenly shrank.—She was frightened.The fact that the power was so wantonly manipulated and seized by the other party left the Herrscher of the Void speechless, her eyes wide open as she stared at the store manager.—She was also frightened.Even Kiana who was desperately fighting for control of her body with the Herrscher of the Void was frightened.Only the staff who knew the manager could not help but look at him with strange eyes.They all looked at the manager’s neck at the same time—although the manager had used his power to change the light refraction of the air around his face at the first moment, making it appear no different from above his neck, those who knew him well still accurately caught the abrupt red hue under the manager’s collar.Ah...Sirin suddenly stood up and leaned on the table. She shook her hair lightly, narrowed her golden eyes slightly, and her gaze was filled with both teasing and anger. “What? Where is your 'God'? Why doesn’t he come out to confront my Cap... and my 'God'?”She had actually been holding back her anger for a long time, but her kind nature made it difficult for her to directly attack someone who had lost the ability to resist.She have to admit that in terms of combat ability alone, Sirin didn’t think she could easily defeat this guy.However, she had already borrowed power from the store manager more than once and received support from the captain several times, so she had long been accustomed to having someone by her side.Therefore, even if she was not as strong as the other party, Sirin didn’t feel much discomfort.If her own strength was not enough, she would borrow from the captain.Anyway, whenever she encountered a problem that was difficult to solve on her own, no matter how many times it happened, the captain would always appear by her side first.Correspondingly, after the captain became the store manager and it became difficult for him to establish normal interpersonal relationships with people from other worlds, she was willing to be his "store clerk" and accompany him forever for the rest of her life.But no matter what, this girl had just tried to kill her a few seconds ago. If she couldn’t get back at her at all, Sirin really couldn’t swallow this breath.So, Sirin stood in front of the Herrscher of the Void and, based on the reasonable situation inferred from the previous conversation between this girl and the store manager, continued, “Your ability has been deprived by my 'God.' Your messenger encountered such a difficult situation and didn’t show up? You’re really a 'God' who is so incompetent that people are speechless.”"...Shut up! You bastard who kowtows to bastards!" The Herrscher of the Void glared at Sirin with murderous intent in her eyes."Keep your mouth shut," Sirin narrowed her eyes and said coldly. "It’s fine if you curse me, but what qualifications do you have to curse my 'God'? Just because your messenger doesn’t dare to come out when he encounters danger?""Also, who are you? Have I ever offended you? You just came up and tried to murder others, and cursed them so badly. Is there something wrong with your brain?? Ah?!""Heh."The Herrscher of the Void sneered, knowing that it was meaningless to communicate further. She closed her eyes and said grimly, “You’ve escaped this time. Don’t think that you’re safe because someone is protecting you. I don’t believe he can protect you forever...”"Of course I can, do you think my'god 'is as incompetent and timid as your'god'?" Sirin also sneered, "He is the'god 'who can rush to my side every time I encounter danger. After knowing him, I have never encountered even one danger in my life, nor have I felt even the slightest pain.""What, your'god 'can't do it?""Then you still regard the so-called'God 'as a standard? You also say that I am a ** who kowtows to the chops. I think you are the fool who doesn't know it when you hold someone else's stinky feet..."Halfway through, Sirin suddenly got stuck.She turned her gaze towards the store manager: "How do you say those two words? Silly... Silly what?""... Don't say it, someone can't read that word." The store manager glanced at Herrscher Of The Void and said faintly, "In short, she's stupid.""You-you-you two...!" Herrscher of the Void raised ber head abruptly.Her eyes were practically on fire, but she couldn’t say a word to refute.In the end, she could only curse dryly, “You two dogs! Just wait! I will never let you go in this life!!!”After that, with a burst of “woo woo…” sobbing, the gold in her eyes suddenly faded away at an incredible speed, and the blue, full of confusion and bewilderment, reappeared.Sirin was silent for a moment. “…Did she cry just now?”“Let her cry; it’s not us who provoked her.” The manager shrugged.So Sirin was relieved. “That’s true. Who made her attack me for no reason?”“But why are this guy’s eyes always changing? Look, manager, they’re blue again.” Sirin looked at Kiana with a dazed expression. “Although she looks a little stupid, she’s much more pleasing to the eye than before.”“After all, she’s schizophrenic. Actually, what you just said was right. This girl has some problems with her brain now.” The manager said.Being identified as "having problems with her brain," Kiana scratched her head and felt a little embarrassed.Although it’s good that the Herrscher of the Void can be controlled... But what’s the matter with this feeling of being scolded but being completely unable to refute on some level?"Ah?" Sirin’s eyes suddenly became awkward. She scratched her head and said a little embarrassedly, “Then I was scolding a patient?”So can you please stop repeating that I’m a patient?Although I know this is a fact, Kiana grumbled."Why do you feel guilty? You must have forgotten that this guy was just about to kill you." The store manager said quietly. "According to the laws of some places, if I hadn’t been by your side, you might have died in vain, and that so-called mental patient wouldn’t even have to bear criminal responsibility.""...Where is the law so unreasonable?" Sirin was dumbfounded.Good question, I also feel strange. Kiana thought."Anyway, it’s not my store." The store manager narrowed his eyes and turned his gaze to Kiana’s face, which was still a little dazed. "Destroying the property in the store, insulting and trying to kill our customers and employees... Madam, you should be mentally prepared to pay for the losses."So Kiana was silent.She touched her pockets. Although she didn’t find a single coin, if she had to pay for the above losses—After thinking for a moment, Kiana asked in despair:"Can I pay with my body?"Chapter 40: Don't make promises too quickly, or it will be too late to regretUnlike her somewhat self-destructive attitude, Kiana's mood is actually much more active than it appears on the surface.Since the day when Otto completely awakened the will of the Herrscher of the Void, Kiana has spent more than 120 days and nights living in escape.When she first woke up, she didn't even dare to fall asleep normally, because no one could guarantee that the Herrscher of the Void wouldn't quietly take over her body once her consciousness fell asleep.Even though she barely managed to suppress the Herrscher of the Void’s will with the help of Fu Hua, allowing her to control the powers that originally belonged to the other party to some extent, using the Herrscher's power still meant her body couldn’t escape the erosion and transformation caused by the Honkai.Every time she used the power of the Honkai in battle, the burning pain and numbness in her chest would gradually replace the blood and nerve signals flowing through her veins, spreading uncontrollably throughout her body.Fortunately, aside from the initial period, even when her body was corroded by the Honkai energy, Kiana didn’t feel much pain at all, except for a slight sense of discomfort.It wasn’t that her body wasn’t injured, but after the injuries, the paralyzed mind couldn’t accurately transmit the pain to the brain.Of course, it was because of these challenges—ones that ordinary people couldn’t even imagine—that Kiana’s spirit had been tempered into something remarkably tough and calm.This strength allowed her to regain her rationality quickly when faced with something strange.The first time she regained her composure, she immediately checked her physical condition.There was a slight tingling sensation throughout her body—this was the injury Kiana sustained when she annihilated the Honkai beast during her four months of escape. However, feeling pain meant that her senses were gradually returning.Thus, she immediately understood that even though both the Herrscher of the Void and she had lost the means to wield their powers, the store manager hadn't just taken away their abilities. He had also forcibly stopped the Herrscher core’s erosion and influence on her body.As far as Kiana knew, even the Power of Binding could not achieve this.By analyzing her physical condition and observing her surroundings after entering the store, Kiana quickly deduced the general nature of the café.The handsome young store manager, the “aunt” who was actually the store manager’s partner—although the other beautiful employees didn’t do anything close to the store manager after Kiana entered, Kiana could infer from the words of "Sirin," who had threatened to spend the rest of her life with him, that as long as someone became an employee of this café—or, in other words, was accepted by the manager in some way—they would become “his people.”[Do you want me to stay in the original world, or do you want me to become your person?]Kiana clearly heard this when Sirin spoke to the store manager.On the other hand, if she were to become "his person," Sirin wouldn’t be able to stay in the world she was in.This explained a lot. Even if Kiana wasn’t sure where the “that world” Sirin mentioned was, one thing was certain: this café existed independently of “that world.”As a Herrscher of the Void, Kiana was particularly sensitive to the unique properties of space.If she guessed correctly, not only was the “that world” mentioned by Sirin special, but this café itself was likely a place independent of the world.A café independent of the world, and a young store manager who could easily take away the powers of the Herrscher. Coupled with the things Rita had once said to her, Kiana believed that for this café and its manager—even the existence of a Herrscher, who seemed extremely dangerous, could be easily resolved.Thus, if she could find a way to earn their help, whether it was her own problem or other Herrschers' issues—or even the problem of the Honkai—it could likely be solved with the manager's assistance.After reaching this conclusion, her next course of action was clear.But after deciding on her goal, another issue arose.—What could she do to get the manager to help her?Fame and fortune?Let's not even consider whether she could afford it. With the manager's abilities, it would be impossible to bribe him with fame or fortune.At that moment, Kiana suddenly recalled something the manager had said to Sirin.[You should know how philandering I am… lsp.]Even in front of Sirin who had confessed to him, the "Theresa" who was already in love with him, and the other employees, the store manager casually said this declaration which could easily be considered a scumbag’s statement. Yet, no one reacted negatively, as if they considered it perfectly normal.—So, seduction?“Can I pay with my body?”In truth, Kiana regretted saying this the moment the words left her mouth.It wasn’t that she regretted seducing the store manager. If it meant protecting the world and everything she cherished, Kiana wouldn’t hesitate to die. In fact, she believed all the members of the Kaslana clan, and even most Valkyries, could do the same.If it were only to seduce the store manager, this level of sacrifice would have been completely acceptable to Kiana, as  her hands were stained with blood.In fact, under the store manager’s good-looking exterior, it would be no exaggeration to say that it could be a huge profit.The problem, however, was that the sentence, “Can I pay with my body?” was in response to the store manager’s previous comment about “compensating for the loss.”Ahhhh, am I a coin?!The only bargaining chip I have is being used for something so trivial?!And there’s more—why did no one react to Sirin’s confession to the store manager, but when I tried to seduce him, everyone looked at me with murderous eyes?!And Class Monitor! Don’t look at me with that disappointed expression! This is a misunderstanding! I’m not that kind of casual woman! Don’t you have Fenghuang Down?! Read my mind quickly!Feeling those piercing gazes, Kiana began to sweat profusely and racked her brain for an excuse.Then—“Okay, you said it yourself.”—Under her hopeless gaze, the store manager nodded to Kiana’s proposal.“Compensation, let you pay with your own body.”“I won’t show mercy. Be prepared.”The store manager sneered.Kiana opened her mouth, her face full of despair.Chapter 41 Rita: If you can't hit me, I'll run! I have the advantage!It was a cold night.Under the pitch-black sky, the sound of hammers kept ringing at the door of the cafe.Kiana's eyes were empty, and the hammer in her hand weakly hit the wooden board in front of her."Is this... your so-called flesh payment?"The light wings released by the Herrscher of the Void spread out. Although they disappeared after the store manager deprived the Herrscher of the core power, the remaining high heat still left irreversible wounds beneath the wooden tables, chairs, and cabinets."Why, are you not satisfied?" The store manager crossed his legs and sat lazily behind Kiana. He yawned, "Hurry up. Before the opening tomorrow, you have to fix all the tables for me. You should fix the things you broke yourself. Didn't your parents teach you this natural truth?"Kiana pouted and didn't refute, but the strength in her hands became heavier.She actually knew that this result was the best for her. As the store manager said, you should find a way to fix the things you broke yourself. No matter where you are, it is a natural truth. Even the store manager didn't ask her for compensation for the things in his store, which was a manifestation of great kindness.But... what to say.She was obviously ready to sacrifice herself, her innocence, but the store manager just asked her to do hard labor for one night.This huge gap between before and after made Kiana always feel that her expectations were betrayed.Bah, bah, bah, what betrayal? I was just prepared to sacrifice a little bit of my looks; I didn’t expect it to be a shameless things!"Mr. Manager, the bath water has been heated for you."Just then, a crisp sound of footsteps came from the ceiling, and the figure of the long-haired maid appeared at the stairs on the second floor.She glanced at Kiana who was half-squatting on the ground with a hammer, and raised her lips slightly. "It's late now, Miss Kiana, let Rita help you watch this place first. As the manager of this cafe, you can't be impolite to tomorrow's customers because of lack of sleep.""..."Kiana paused slightly while hammering and said unhappily, "Even if no one is watching me, I will help you fix these wooden tables. I won't even refuse to pay for this little thing.""That won't work. Who knows if, with no one watching you, you will suddenly change to another unreasonable personality." The manager snorted coldly, "How can you make me believe in someone who just lost control a few minutes ago?""..."Kiana was speechless. She gritted her teeth in indignation and hit the hammer in her hand heavily, as if venting something.Ka La——!So, the table board that was just about to be repaired wailed under this powerful blow as it could not bear the pressure."Uh..." Knowing that she had messed up again, Kiana's expression froze. "Do you believe me when I say this is an accident?""Yes, but this does not change the fact that there is one more table top you need to repair." The store manager said lightly."..." Kiana pursed her lips, and the grievance on her face was about to overflow.To be honest, with her monster physical strength from the Kaslana family bloodline, she wouldn't feel tired even if she did this kind of work continuously for twenty hours.But since her five senses had just recovered not long ago, whether she could perfectly control her strength during these twenty hours was not something she could guarantee.--The result is this miserable situation now.Even though she had been working for more than an hour, not even one table top had been repaired. Instead, the cracks on those table tops became bigger and bigger, and even a few table tops that were about to fall were completely scrapped.Damn, is this the store manager's plan!?Kiana thought indignantly.He said he would let me go after fixing these things, but he knew that I couldn’t control my power in my current state! If I'm not careful, it's easy to damage these already fragile wooden tables, and then I'll fall into a vicious cycle of more work and more work, and I can't get out of it for the rest of my life.You are so mean!!!At the same time, in a building outside the coffee shop in Arc City, a pair of wine-red eyes stared blankly at the open door of the coffee shop.She raised the infrared night vision goggles, and there was nothing in the dark vision, but after putting down the night vision goggles, the two-story building was clearly visible."Deputy Captain, the members of the third detachment have completed the search around, and no trace of K423 has been found for the time being.""No trace of K423?"She looked at the silver-haired figure knocking on the wooden board behind the door of the building, and repeated the words coming from the earphone in a low voice, with an extremely strong sense of absurdity in her tone.About an hour ago, the observation satellite of Schicksal suddenly detected an extremely strong Honkai energy fluctuation here.After comparison, the wavelength was highly consistent with the Honkai energy released by the Second Herrscher, so on the way to Heliopolis Life Sciences, Rita immediately changed the scheduled route of Eos and changed its landing location to the vicinity of the coordinates of the Honkai energy fluctuation.As an executioner who is good at being active in the dark, Rita hid her figure under the night as soon as she arrived at the coordinates and then... found the target effortlessly.No... it’s not quite accurate to describe it as "finding."After all, this coffee shop located at the border of Arc City is too conspicuous. There is no shop still in business within a radius of five kilometers from this coffee shop, and even residents can't see half of it. Let alone a Valkyrie like her, even ordinary people would find it difficult not to notice this weird coffee shop.Not to mention, their target was still banging on the wooden board in the dead of night. If it were placed in an ordinary residential area, it wouldn't take long for someone who couldn’t sleep to come and complain.But soon, Rita found something wrong.Except for her, all the members of the Immortal Blade was unable to see this coffee shop, and what followed were all kinds of weird phenomena.Only her own eyes could see it and the people inside, and everyone except herself was unable to see it. Even satellite images and infrared thermal imagers— all known imaging equipment—could not capture the existence of this coffee shop at all.When she discovered this, Rita deliberately gave a tentative instruction to a member of the Immortal Blade to cross that area. She saw with her own eyes that the member passed through the cafe without noticing, as if the space around them was distorted.During this process, K423 who was knocking on the wooden board, and the young man sitting behind her obviously discovered the member of the Immortal Blade, but they just looked up at the member and lowered their heads again as if nothing had happened.Rita instinctively sensed a hint of danger. It stands to reason that, in this situation where the other party's details are unclear, temporarily retreating is the safest choice.But at the same time, Rita also knew that the safe choice never meant the best option. As long as she still had the mission of bringing K423 back to Schicksal, she would inevitably confront the other party one day. It was just a matter of whether it would be sooner or later, or whether it would be openly or secretly.Now, K423 has discovered the members of the Immortal Blade team, so her concealment is probably meaningless. But even so, she did not make any substantial response.Is she underestimating us? Or is she confident?Rita did not feel how powerful K423 and the boy sitting behind her were. It is better to say that, according to the standards of the Herrscher, the Honkai energy fluctuations surrounding K423 are weak to an unimaginable level."Attention, all units, stop searching, hide in position nearby. No matter what abnormal situation you see, no action is allowed before I give the order.""Remember, no matter what abnormal situation you see, don't act rashly," Rita spoke solemnly in a serious tone."Yes!"After receiving the response, Rita showed her Godsbane battlesuit, calmly revealed her figure, and appeared on the street in front of the cafe.Behind the door of the coffee shop, Kiana raised her head, glanced at the elegant pale blue figure, then immediately lowered her head, her eyes full of gloating.Chapter 42: The So-called TransactionIn the eyes of most people, the vice-captain of the strongest Valkyrie team in Schicksal, Rita Rossweiss,has always been a mysterious figure.As one of the only three active S-rank Valkyries in Schicksal, Rita's status and popularity are unquestionable.She is so beautiful and elegant that a considerable number of Valkyries are unconsciously fascinated by her, yet feel ashamed of themselves. She is so humble and polite that there has always been a rumor circulating in Schicksal:— No matter who you are, no matter which branch you belong to, if you are lucky enough to meet this superior vice-captain at the headquarters, you will be fortunate to hear her call your name in her soft and charming voice that makes people's bones soften.There is no doubt that this meticulous observation and humble, warm attitude have won the favor of most Valkyries. Under this humble appearance, some people even unconsciously forget her noble status as an S-rank Valkyrie.Only the members of the Immortal Blade team knew how dangerous this modest deputy captain could be when she entered her working state.The sound of high-heeled combat boots hitting the ground was crisp and pleasant. When Rita revealed her figure, all the members of the Immortal Blade team immediately formed a tight encirclement with Rita at the center. They used nearby buildings as cover and raised their standard submachine guns. The dark windows stretched out sci-fi gun barrels.Although they were a little puzzled by Rita's decision, the well-trained Immortal Blade team still quickly formed a net the moment Rita gave the order.As long as Rita who was walking on the street gave further instructions, energy bullets would pour out from all directions in an instant.Rita walked to a position about one meter in front of the cafe door and stood still.Earlier, when she had tentatively asked the members of the Immortal Blade to try to contact this cafe—no one except her could see it—it was at this location that the figure of a member suddenly disappeared and appeared instantly at the back of the cafe, unaware of what had just happened.Therefore, this location marked the maximum range at which this cafe could interfere.Before Rita could speak, a plain voice floated out from behind Kiana."Dear customer, our store has passed business hours. If you need anything, please visit during business hours."The person who spoke was the boy sitting behind Kiana. He crossed his legs and sat casually, lazily. His eyes did not turn to Rita, but still focused on Kiana, who was hammering the wooden board with a scrutinizing look.Kiana raised the hammer, paused slightly, and then swung it down again, as if she did not see Rita standing in front of her.Out of caution, Rita, who hadn’t seen the other party's moves clearly at first, didn’t immediately resort to coercive means. Instead, she raised her eyes and looked at the young face of the boy with her captivating wine-red eyes. Her beautiful face showed a moving smile."Hehe, hello, little brother. Are you from this store?"The moment Rita said the word "little brother," Kiana chuckled uncontrollably, almost laughing out loud, while the young boy’s face obviously turned black."Judging people by appearance doesn't seem to be a good habit."The young man crossed his arms and reluctantly moved his gaze from Kiana to Rita’s face. His eyes were full of dissatisfaction. "I am the manager of this store. I’ll repeat, we are closed. If you need anything, please come back during business hours.""So, you are the manager of this store. My apologies." Rita bowed slowly, her understanding impeccable. "May I know the name of this manager?""No need to test me, you don’t need to know my name." The young man glanced at Rita lightly. "I know you, Rita Rossweisse, the S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal, and I also know the purpose of your appearance in front of me. I’ll say it again for the last time: our store is closed. If you need anything, please come during business hours. During the break, we will not accept any customers."Rita narrowed her eyes slightly. "It seems this store manager doesn't welcome me very much. It's a pity. I was thinking about whether I could offer you a lucrative deal.""... Deal?" The store manager chewed on the words and then suddenly kicked Kiana’s heel lightly. "Is this about this unlucky thing?""Hey! Who are you calling unlucky? Where is the stuff?!" Kiana shouted.Rita’s mouth twitched, as though trying to hold back a laugh. She took a lot of effort to suppress her expression, took a deep breath, and then said, "Since you know my identity, you must also know the identity of this child. Hand her over to us. In return, I can offer you a generous reward.""Reward?" The store manager looked interested. "How generous?"Rita seized the opportunity, her smile becoming more brilliant and attractive. Her wine-red eyes were so beautiful that they seemed to glisten:"You will gain a powerful ally, and... within a reasonable range, Rita can fulfill a request of yours in her private name."The store manager touched his chin. "It sounds pretty good."Rita breathed a sigh of relief. "Then...""Hey, are you selling me like this?!" Kiana interrupted Rita's words with a shout. "No! I don’t agree! And, you already have a girlfriend! Don’t be so weak-willed and fall under this guy’s pomegranate skirt! And among your girlfriends, isn't there already a Ri...""Shut up! You are all mine now, what position do you have to disagree?" The store manager glared at Kiana fiercely, silencing her.Then he suddenly smiled, his expression very kind, and looked at Rita with sincerity. "To be honest, the reason I’ll keep this one is just because she has caused a lot of damage in my store. I want her to compensate for the loss. You see...""That’s easy, the losses caused by Miss Kiana will be fully borne by Schicksal." Rita nodded without hesitation, smiling. "Do you have any other conditions?""No other conditions." The store manager wa a little embarrassed. "Just one thing... I don’t know if you’d mind.""You may say it." Rita smiled. "We all know the value of this child. Within a reasonable range, Schicksal is, of course, willing to meet all your conditions.""It’s not a condition, it’s just..." The store manager raised his hand and gently drew a line in the void.A deep crack appeared out of thin air.— That was undoubtedly the trace of space being torn."... there is a small problem.""It seems I’ve taken away all the power of the Herrscher of this girl... the power of space." The store manager waved his hand, playing with the space crack, scratched his head, and smiled harmlessly. "Since you said so, I think you won’t mind."The smile on Rita’s face froze completely.And for the first time in a long while, she had the urge to swear.Chapter 43: Rita, Withering Away!After seeing the young store manager manipulate the power of space at will, if Rita still didn't understand that she had been fooled by this guy from the beginning, she might as well find a tofu to kill herself.But before her reason could be devoured by the anger of "being fooled," another realization, even more horrifying, extinguished the budding rage.She widened her eyes slightly and took a step back."You... you actually controlled the power of the Herrscher of the Void?"As Otto's confidant, Rita could be considered one of the few people who knew most of his plans. In order to use the power of the Herrscher of the Void for his own benefit, Otto conducted experiments for over ten years, setting a trap for the experimental subject K423 that would run through her entire life. He played with people's hearts, manipulating relatives, friends, and enemies as flags, and finally achieved a few results with K423 after great difficulty.As one of the insiders of the plan, Rita understood very well how dangerous the Herrscher was and had a basic understanding of how much it would cost to control that inhuman power with a human body.In Rita's mind, even Kiana today was far from fully controlling the power of the Herrscher of the Void.The continuous outbreak of the Honkai in Arc City was ironclad evidence.The reason Rita had been so dedicated to tracking Kiana's whereabouts, besides her responsibility to complete the task, was that she believed bringing Kiana back to Schicksal was the best option.Rather than letting Kiana wander alone in Arc City, it would be better to bring her back to Schicksal for treatment in the laboratory.Only in that way could Kiana have a greater chance of controlling the power of the Herrscher of the Void, and Arc City would no longer be attacked by the Honkai because of Kiana's departure.Yes —All of this was based on the premise that "Kiana failed to control the power of the Herrscher."But now, let alone the question of whether Kiana had controlled the power of the Herrscher, the power of the Herrscher was not even in Kiana. It was in the hands of a young store manager, a complete stranger to Rita.The strong confusion and bewilderment overwhelmed Rita, making her forget even the slightest anger of being deceived. Her brain burned with pain from the excessive speed of processing this information.After a long silence, Rita subconsciously asked, "How... how did you do it?""It should have nothing to do with you." The store manager put away his smile. "So, you still want this girl?""..."In fact, Rita didn’t mind taking Kianawho had lost the power of the Void back to the Schicksal headquarters. After all, she had a special relationship with her captain, and based on Rita's understanding of her captain's character, after learning about Kiana's life experiences, she would certainly treat Kiana like family.But the problem now wasn't Rita's personal view. It was... what would Otto, the Overseer of Schicksal, do?Would Kiana still hold any value for Otto after losing the Power of the Herrscher of the Void?Rita knew the answer to that question was most likely negative.Or perhaps Kiana, even without the power, could still become an excellent fighting force, but for Otto, he would never accept that his long-term plans had been completely disrupted by an outsider.As soon as Otto learned that the power of space had been taken away by this store manager, he would most likely shift his focus from Kiana to this store manager.Of course, that was a matter for the future.At least for this operation, Rita didn’t think she had a chance of taking this store manager, who controlled the Power of the Void, back to Schicksal headquarters.Moreover, after learning that the power of the Herrscher in Kiana's body had been taken away, another question naturally emerged before Rita.Since Kiana had lost the power of the Herrscher of the Void, then —— Why were these large and small Honkai events still breaking out in Arc City?At this point, Ria who had another problem to solve had already begun to retreat.She bowed to the store manager again, speaking humbly and cautiously. "I'm sorry, Mr. Store Manager. Because I don't have a comprehensive understanding of the transaction's details, the current situation has exceeded my control. I don't have the authority to decide this transaction alone, so I need to report it to my superiors for further decision. After receiving a reply, I will visit you as soon as possible. Please wait a while."Her humble and precise words left no room for flaw.In terms of communication alone, Rita had achieved perfection.Any reasonable person would probably accept the other party’s proposal under such impeccable speech.— But unfortunately, the store manager was neither prepared to reason nor to let her go so easily."Visit me as soon as possible?" He smiled. "This time it was an S-rank Valkyrie with 21 team members. Next time, will the entire Immortal Blade come out in full force?""..."Rita's pupils shrank slightly.Rita had actually prepared herself mentally for the fact that the Immortal Blade had been exposed. After all, before she came here personally, she had already asked her team members to test this space.But even so, she never expected that the store manager could report the number of people ambushing around here accurately. This meant that all the people hiding nearby had been exposed.When did he catch everyone's position?No—!!The moment Rita realized something was wrong, she forced herself to stay calm and shouted into her microphone in a deep voice: "All units! Report your positions immediately!"The headset remained dead silent, with no response.The only answer came from behind her —"--It's useless, they’ve all fallen into a peaceful slumber."The moment Rita heard that voice, her scalp exploded.Not caring about the movements of the store manager and Kiana, she suddenly spun around, waved her hand, and a huge ice-blue sickle appeared.Under the bright moonlight, the elegant dancer landed with the crisp sound of high heels touching the ground. She stood in front of Rita. Beneath her narrow eyelashes, her wine-red pupils shimmered with ghostly glimmers.The glimmer seemed to possess magical power. Just by looking into the other person's eyes, Rita felt herself becoming dizzy uncontrollably."..."She bit the tip of her tongue hard, using the pain to forcibly awaken her foggy mind. She stared at the face, identical to her own, and said in a deep voice, "Who are you?""You came here by yourself, but isn't it a little inappropriate to ask the owner this question?" The long-haired dancer smiled. "It seems that a slightly harsher method is more appropriate to punish a bad guest like you, dear. Otherwise, if more people think we are weak, easy targets, there will be no peace.""What do you think, Mr. Manager?"Chapter 44: Sensing EmpathyIf, in the eyes of most Valkyries, Rita Rossweisse is a humble and warm senior, then in the eyes of the Immortal Blade members who work with her or the enemies who once stood on the opposite side, she is a dangerous and cruel executioner, like the god of death.Cruel, calm, precise, and efficient—whether as a compliment from the heart or as a word of fear—these are the adjectives that can be used to describe Rita's style of action.She is very skilled at using Schicksal's unique intelligence system to create an absolute advantage for herself. When the identities of both parties are unequal, this method is often invincible. Most of the time, before the mission assigned to her even begins, the result is already determined.Since becoming a Valkyrie, Rita has rarely faced failure.However, on the other hand, when she encounters an opponent where powerful intelligence network is completely ineffective, Rita who acts too boldly and decisively is not far from failure. This is probably the disadvantage of playing too many games against weak opponents.Feeling the dizziness that kept invading her brain, Rita couldn't help but secretly complain.She immediately understood why the elite Valkyries under her command had been defeated so quietly.Even as an S-rank Valkyrie, she almost lost consciousness the moment she faced this ability, which directly affects consciousness. It is even more impossible for the members of the Immortal Blade to organize an effective resistance to this ability. She took a deep breath, resisted the dizziness, and sent a message for help to Schicksal headquarters.At the same time, she calmly looked at the person in front of her. "If my actions have caused you to misunderstand, please forgive me. But please believe that Schicksal has no intention of offending you.""Haha, of course, I know you don't mean to offend us," the elegant woman chuckled. "After all, using unequal intelligence and status differences to grab more bargaining chips at the negotiation table is one of my specialties." She smiled slyly. "In your opinion, this is not an offense, but just an advantage that you, as a Schicksal Valkyrie, should have.""..."These unconcealed words made Rita unsure of how to respond.At the same time, the other party's calm and gentle tone made her feel uncomfortable, almost as if she were facing an extremely bad mirror.But she did not show much dissatisfaction. Instead, she sighed softly, her arms naturally falling to her sides. "Well, as the winner, you certainly have the right to show your superior side in front of the loser. Rita is not the kind of person who can't afford to lose. Since defeat is certain, I will not make any more meaningless struggles.""Just, I hope you can release those innocent people who are suppressed by you because of my mistakes," she said softly. "They cannot see the existence of this cafe. The reason they are surrounding you is because of my willful order. If this offends you, I am willing to take full responsibility.""Willing to take full responsibility?"The elegant dancer repeated Rita's words in a slow tone. She pursed her lips and raised a happy smile at the corner of her mouth. "Mr. Manager, did you hear that? This is what she said."The young manager was silent for a moment.For some reason, a trace of entanglement suddenly flashed in his eyes.After struggling for a long time, he couldn't help but ask, "Isn't this... a bit too much?""?"This completely unexpected remark made Rita's expression shift, showing confusion, followed by a rather bad premonition.Too much? What does that even mean?"I don't think it's too much," the woman raised a meaningful smile at the corner of her mouth. "After all, if it weren't for her spies around, we wouldn't have needed to take action outside the cafe. On the other hand, because of her decision, we had to use our power at a certain cost."Rita's eyes moved.At a certain cost? What does that mean?She could quietly make her men fall without resistance. Was it only possible after paying a certain price?The young store manager scratched his head. "Logically, this is true, but it doesn't make sense. After all, the rejection that comes from the world itself is not something that can be transferred, right?""And in the end... Putting aside this woman's opinion, don't you feel uncomfortable yourself?""I just think that if we don't leave a deep impression on them, maybe after today, more blind people will come to provoke us." The woman slowly walked in front of Rita, looking at her meaningfully. "Am I right?""..."Has she been seen through?Feeling the other party's meaningful gaze, Rita's heart tightened, but on the surface, she still put on a distressed expression. She smiled bitterly and shook her head. "What are you talking about? Rita has indeed lost most of her combat ability now, and my men can't pose any threat to you. You should know these two points better than I do.""Is that so?" The dancer raised her eyebrows and suddenly raised her finger, gently tapping Rita's forehead.A faint halo instantly spread from Rita's forehead to her entire body.She subconsciously took a step back, her face slightly changing. "...What did you do to me?""Can't you feel it yourself?" The long-haired dancer smiled. "I just let you empathize with my perception. Do you feel an indescribable sense of disharmony in your body now?"Rita hurriedly felt her body carefully.Sure enough, just as the long-haired "her" had said, after her fingertips touched her forehead, a strange sense of disharmony suddenly surged through her body.It is difficult to describe what that feeling is. It is neither painful nor itchy, and it has no actual impact on her body. But for some reason, once she caught that feeling, a slight feeling of nausea suddenly emerged from the depths of her throat.Although the environment in her vision hadn't changed at all, everything nearby seemed to be completely covered by a layer of sticky, dirty mucous membrane.Everything made her feel nauseous for no reason, as though this body had suddenly become allergic to everything in this world and could no longer physiologically tolerate anything in it.Chapter 45: Rejection of the World"Is this the feeling of disharmony you mentioned?" Rita asked softly, resisting the urge to vomit."That's what I feel now." The woman with long, flowing hair smiled. "How is it? Do you feel quite uncomfortable?""You are too kind," Rita smiled reluctantly. "Although it does make one feel a little uncomfortable, it’s not so unbearable.""I think so too. How could an S-rank Valkyrie of Schicksal not be able to bear even this slight feeling of depression?""..."Rita always felt that this person was being sarcastic, but she had no evidence, and it wasn’t easy to refute him under the current circumstances. So, she could only offer a somewhat subtle smile in response."Well, since you've been punished, let's forget about this offense for now."With the crisp sound of high heels hitting the ground, the long-haired Rita and Rita passed by each other."Mr. Store Manager, do you have any other instructions for this loser?"The young store manager looked at the charming face smiling at him, opened his mouth, wiped his face, and was silent for a moment. "You’ve already decided. What else can I say?"Halfway through, his eyes wandered for some reason, and he looked guilty. "Anyway... don’t you all have to do this because of today?""How could that be? This is a decision jointly agreed upon by the two of us, Rita." The long-haired Rita turned her head slightly and looked at Valkyrie Rita, who looked unnatural, with an intriguing expression. "Are you right, Vice Captain of the Immortal Blade?"Rita’s smile was forced, but she felt relieved. "You are right. As the party that offended you, if Rita can be forgiven by just understanding the price you paid, it is already a matter of great gratitude for Rita."Although the smile was quite forced, the sentence was sincere.According to the usual style of action of Schicksal, if some force suddenly ambushed dozens of front-line combat forces near the base, and Schicksal noticed them all, those people would have almost only one fate.Compared to the tragic result of annihilation, this café just made her feel the price paid by the other party after using power, which could be considered very merciful.Besides, judging from their appearance, they were not even going to keep her, but to let her go...Although she couldn't hide what happened tonight for the café due to her duty, if possible, it would be better to try to ease the relationship between the café and Schicksal as much as possible."If you have nothing else to do, please allow Rita to leave for now." She bowed gently to the three people at the door of the café and then slowly retreated."Well, you go." The young store manager waved his hand and suddenly reiterated, "Also, this is your own choice. Remember it, and don’t come to trouble me in the future!""If possible, Rita certainly doesn’t want to be an enemy of you.""That's not what I meant..." The store manager looked a little depressed. "...Forget it, let’s just leave it like that.""......?"Although Rita always felt that the store manager's attitude was a bit strange, since he wasn’t going to explain, she, eager to confirm the status of her team members, didn’t ask further.She finally bowed gently to the three people at the door of the café, then disappeared into the dark night.After Rita left, the manager suddenly stood up and kicked Kiana's heel."Hey.""Ouch!"Being kicked unexpectedly, Kiana almost fell headfirst. She turned her head and glared at the manager angrily. "What are you doing?!"The manager glared back at Kiana. "Go take a shower! Are you really going to repair a few tables until tomorrow morning?""Ah?" Kiana's eyes widened. She covered her chest with her hands, her face flushing red. "You, you, you—what do you want to do?! You said you would let me go after I repair these things. Do you want to regret it now?!""What are you thinking about?"The manager’s nose crooked with anger, and he kicked Kiana's heel again. He spoke angrily, "I told you to take a shower and go to bed! There's an empty room on the second floor! Why, do you want me to make the bed for you myself?""Ah?!" Kiana blinked, a little confused for a moment. "You, you want me to stay here?""Nonsense. Or do you want to run away?""No, no, no!" Kiana shook her head quickly. "That's not what I meant!""Why don’t you go quickly? The bathroom is on the left side of the second floor. I’ll bring you some clothes to change into later. Do you have any other questions?""No, no, I’ll go right away." Kiana stood up neatly and ran toward the stairs happily."No, no..."She suddenly turned her head and smiled brilliantly for the first time in a long time. "Thank you, store manager! I knew you were a good person!"The young store manager rolled his eyes. He looked at Kiana’s back as she disappeared at the end of the stairs and muttered in a low voice, "Do you need to tell me that I'm a good person? You little brat are so talkative...""Hehe, store manager, is that the type you like?" Rita walked in front of the store manager with a soft smile on her face."You’ve known me for so long, don’t you know my type?" The store manager turned his gaze from the stairs to the dancer’s face. "Let’s not talk about that unfortunate thing, how do you feel here, Rita?""Thanks to the store manager’s concern, it’s completely tolerable. As long as I go back to the café and stay for a while, the feeling of being excluded will probably disappear soon.""No matter how slight it is, it is the world’s rejection of you. Although it won’t be erased like me, you will still feel uncomfortable." The store manager shook his head. "Really... It's better to let me handle it.""Let you handle it, and then cut off all ties with this world as usual?" Rita spoke softly."I don’t have much relationship with this world itself, so it's alright to cut off." The store manager shrugged, looking indifferent.Chapter 46: The Past of the Store ManagerBefore realizing that his true identity was the captain of the Hyperion, Yu Fan didn't even know which world he had traveled to for a long time.He realized the true nature of this world when the Bubble World he first traveled to was on the verge of collapsing.He was not a hyperthymesia patient like Fu Hua, so after a long time, Yu Fan now had few memories of that time.But even so, he still remembered how confused he was at that time.There were people and places he had never seen before, and in addition to the language, which fortunately was the same, even the common knowledge of physics and chemistry that he had learned in school before traveling through time was completely invalid in that strange world.At that time, he even thought that he had traveled to some strange magical or fantasy world.He spent several years trying to adapt to everything in that world, building relationships with people around him, and even gaining a certain social status.But just when he was about to completely integrate into that world, the end came unexpectedly.Everything was collapsing, and monsters that seemed to have been seen more than once in the sky and on the ground continued to emerge. People he knew and didn't know kept dying and disappearing around him.At the same time, he finally awakened the power that he had never had the chance to use after facing a life-and-death crisis for the first time after crossing here.Borrowing that power, he called out the unsinkable ship of eternal reincarnation, and used this power to restart the world that was about to collapse.It was at that time that he came to the "sea" for the first time and observed that world from an external perspective. He finally realized that the world was actually just a Dream Bubble World he made when he was in danger of dying, and discovered who he was.Bubble World, Sea of Quanta, and the Hyperion that can travel freely in the sea——The Honkai world, the captain of the Hyperion.Honestly, when Yu Fan first realized his identity, he actually had the urge to curse.He was not unfamiliar with Honkai. Before crossing to this place, he could even be considered a very loyal Honkai player and had a very deep impression of the sweet and sunny plot.But no matter how familiar he was with the Honkai plot, he could not know something that even the Honkai plot itself did not describe.As we all know, the plot of Honkai is generally divided into two parts: the "Event Storyline," in which the character named Captain participated, and the "main line," in which the Captain's true identity was Mutara Himeko.It is very unfortunate that although the plot of Honkai has described the story of the Captain who shuttled through the Sea of Quanta, the only known story that does not include "the Captain's past and origin" is this one.When calling out the Hyperion, he even had to doubt whether there was a person named "Ferryman" behind him.Fortunately, after confirming several times that there was no lady named Rosemary in Hyperion, and finding nothing left by others, Yu Fan finally confirmed that he was not a being separated from the ferryman, but a living human being.But at the same time, he also realized that if he was the original captain, then according to the Honkai plot he had seen before crossing, he would most likely end up like the ferryman.Different from the intrinsic world depicted by the "Main storyline," which occupies most of the space, he, who is active in the "Event Storyline," only knows a small part of what may happen in the future. But even so, no matter how small it is, the advantage of "knowing the future" objectively exists for Yu Fan.In order to prevent himself from becoming a ferryman, who is very similar to a certain "Partner of Justice," he keeps working hard as the captain of Hyperion.He accepted the dream witch who was condemned by thousands of people and gave the sage king, who was rejected by the world of her hometown, a stable residence.He also became the most solid support for the magical girl; he broke the fate of the eternal confrontation between vampire hunters and vampires, and let the sisters live happily.There are many similar stories—people who knew each other before crossing, and strangers who were completely unknown. He kept saving people and breaking the inherent fate during this journey.In the end, even the rules of the Sea of Quanta were completely reshaped by him.There is no doubt that although he is still the captain of Hyperion, as an outsider, he has already surpassed the ferryman, who has become a life-calculating machine.During this process, he had already been honest with the girls who had always been by his side and told them that he was a transmigrator.Of course, they would not change their views on Yu Fan because of such an insignificant thing.But it is precisely because they know each other well that it is naturally easy for Rita to see through the manager's duplicity.That being said, Rita did not expose the dishonest store manager without mercy.The reason is very simple—"If you really think so, then Rita will not say anything more. For Rita, your own thoughts are the most important.""However, compared to this kind of thing..."The soft and tender tongue gently licked her lips, and Rita's eyes showed a desire, like a glutton seeing the supreme delicacy."Mr. Store Manager, should you fulfill the promise you made to everyone?"—Compared to exposing the store manager's duplicity, this matter is obviously more tempting for Rita, one she cannot refuse.The store manager rolled his eyes and spoke speechlessly, "Didn't you just say that as long as we stay in the cafe for a while, the feeling of being rejected by the world will soon disappear?""Even if it disappears soon, that's a matter for the future." Rita gently squeezed her white thighs, looking at the store manager with eyes full of tenderness and delicate hope. "If we are rejected by the world after using our power, the store manager will help us relieve the feeling of depression—long before this cafe was formed, you, as the captain, made such a promise to everyone.""With your character of keeping your promises, you should not betray your previous promises, right?"Chapter 47: Witch's Punishment"Uh..." The store manager looked at the mist in Rita's eyes, opened his mouth, and said in a self-deprecating manner, "Are you sure you want to stay here?""Of course, we have to continue in the evening, but..."Rita walked in front of the store manager, raised her head slightly, and smiled charmingly. "Before starting the main course, let Rita enjoy some appetizers first. The store manager should not mind, right?""I think you need to have a clear understanding of your position..." The store manager took a breath, then suddenly showed a ferocious expression. "You should be prepared to beg for mercy after seducing me so recklessly.""How could that be?" Rita blinked pitifully, and it was hard to tell whether it was teasing or fear in her eyes. "Rita believe the store manager will treat Rita gently, right?"The store manager sighed. "... Last question.""Since you've decided to seduce me tonight, why did you specially build a sensory-sharing relationship with Rita in this world?""Rita just feels a little unhappy," Rita smiled."Unhappy? With whom?""You must have seen it, so why bother asking." Rita stretched out her slender fingers and gently circled the store manager's chest. "Rita punished someone, so Rita was naturally unhappy with that person.""Rita in this world? Has she offended you?" The store manager frowned. "No, you knew her before?""How is that possible? This is the first time Rita met Rita Rossweisse in this world." Rita shook her head gently."Then why do you have such a big opinion of her?" the store manager asked in confusion."Of course it's because she has the same face and name as me, but she is not in love with the store manager. Instead, she is obsessed with someone else."Rita smiled gracefully. That smile was beautiful, but it made people feel a chill on their backs."I remember the store manager said that it seems that it is the subordinate of the Sage King, General Duran. In this world, the equivalent of General Dudan is named Durandal, right?""Uh..." Seeing that beautiful but dangerous smile, the store manager couldn't help but shudder, stunned. "I should have told you the story of this world a long time ago, right? You actually remember it until now?""Don't you know that girls are all very vengeful creatures?" Rita smiled."...I think I have to explain for the Rita of this world first." The store manager scratched his head awkwardly. "Although she and Durandal have a good relationship, they are not in love with each other. ...Um, probably.""The fact that the store manager has a misunderstanding like this already explains a lot of problems." Rita narrowed her eyes."Misunderstandings should be nipped in the bud."The store manager was a little amused. "No, the Rita of this world doesn't know us. Your unprovoked hostility is too—""Too unreasonable, isn't it?" Rita smiled slightly. She put away the smile on her face and winked playfully. "But store manager, don't forget that Rita is a rebellious witch.""Of course, a so-called witch can't be reasonable from the beginning, right?"The store manager was helpless. "Your speech is really full of the style of a big boss."Rita smiled. "In the eyes of ordinary people, even in the eyes of the 'Rita' who just left, is Rita not an evil boss with a bad heart?""A boss who begs for mercy from me every night?" The store manager said faintly."Who made the store manager always so rude to Rita?" Rita's face flushed slightly, and she looked at the store manager with a slightly angry look. Her tone was both resentful and aggrieved. "Rita was crying and begging for mercy, but the store manager still held Rita's shoulders tightly and kept bumping into Rita."The store manager's face couldn't help but blush, and he argued embarrassedly. "I don't think it's my fault. You are too charming, and I can't control myself.""Since you can't control it, then don't control it." Rita's eyes were blurred. She stretched out her hands, wrapped them around the store manager's neck, and then slowly pulled them together."You succubus..."The store manager sighed, holding Rita's slender waist with both hands, and his palms slowly slid to her back as they approached each other.Under the dim light, two blurred shadows, like droplets touching each other, gradually merged into one.On a moonlit night, a dark shadow passed over the sky of Arc City.In the main control room of the Eos, the Schicksal transport ship, Rita who had removed her armor, sat in front of the console and gently rubbed her brows. In front of her was a dark screen.Just a few seconds ago, she had cut off the communication with Overseer Otto. Although she didn't want the mysterious cafe to stand on her side, out of duty, she still reported to Otto the disastrous defeat she and the Immortal Blade had suffered, as well as the known information about the cafe.Tiredness surged like a rising tide, but Rita knew that it was not time to rest yet. She was the vice-captain of the Immortal Blade and had to fulfill her duties as a Valkyrie, which naturally included finding out the truth about the Honkai incident that broke out in Arc City.Honkai is the common enemy of all mankind, and as an S-rank Valkyrie, in the absence of Captain Durandal, Rita has the most responsibilities in this city.Just at that moment, her communicator suddenly rang.Someone accessed her communication channel."Rita, can you hear me?"Rita breathed a sigh of relief. She turned on the visual communication and opened the control room screen to the other party's communication channel."Lord Durandal, please rest assured. The situation here is not as dangerous as you think.""Really? That's good."In the picture, the knight girl with golden curly hair nodded, and then immediately asked, "The headquarters just received your distress signal. I thought you were in danger and was about to rush over.""Although I did meet a slightly dangerous person, but—"Halfway through the words, Rita's face suddenly changed slightly.Her breathing became a little faster without warning."But what?"The blonde girl on the other end of the communication asked."Ah... no, but...""Why does your voice sound a little strange?""No... no, it's not like that, Lord Durandal, you heard it wrong."Chapter 48: Empathy, CommunicationFrom the bottom of my heart, being rejected by the world is truly an uncomfortable feeling.Everything around me is rejecting me. Specifically, I begin to want to leave everything behind.It's like a person with acrophobia looking down from tens of thousands of meters in the sky, or a person with trypophobia seeing a swarm of thousands of insects.The nausea that almost makes you want to vomit, the dizziness that would make an ordinary person lose consciousness immediately, and the fever equivalent to a high temperature...Several symptoms, which could be classified as severe in medical terms, make Rita want to escape from this world uncontrollably, on a physiological level.Of course, as a well-trained S-rank Valkyrie, overcoming these physiological reactions which would be unbearable for ordinary people is not difficult.Rita also believed that compared to herself who only empathized with the feelings of exclusion, the dancer who claimed to be "Rita Rossweisse," being the direct target of rejection and expulsion by the world would be suffering even more than she was.It had been about twenty minutes since she left the cafe. In less than half an hour, she had completed a series of tasks, from recovering all the unconscious members of the Immortal Blade team to reporting to Otto. Only when Durandal intervened in the communication did she get some breathing space.It was because her time had been squeezed by the tasks one after another to the point where she couldn't spare any time, that Rita didn’t even realize the feeling of "being rejected by the world" that she empathized with had completely disappeared amidst the busy work.Human skin continuously provides tactile feedback to the brain.Solid, liquid, gas... Specifically speaking, it is the fibers of clothing, the sweat flowing from the surface of the body, and the air in the atmosphere. In this sense, as long as the consciousness is awake and the body is in a normal material universe, the so-called sense of touch will continuously collect information about skin contact for the brain.Therefore, when our dedicated maid first noticed the strange sensation, she didn’t even understand what was going on.Under the stress instinct of being a living being, the sudden touch made Rita's face change slightly, and her breathing became a little faster from nervousness.But as a maid, she didn’t make any excessive movements under the captain's gaze. She just reached out to the spot where she had been touched, like lightning.However, her extended palm touched nothing.Because her body wasn’t actually touched by anything.After confirming that the strange sensation hadn’t come from an external object, Rita immediately covered the touched skin with her palm.After all, if there’s an issue with the body’s perception, aside from being disturbed by external factors, it’s also possible that there’s something wrong with the body itself.She touched the skin that felt strange, then gently pressed down with her fingertips.No abnormality.The information transmitted by the skin clearly told her brain that "everything is normal."So, Rita finally understood where the abnormal feeling came from.By elimination, since her body wasn’t touched by the outside world and there was nothing wrong with her body itself, the source of the sensation could only be the woman who shared her senses.But after figuring this out, Rita couldn’t help but feel confused.What does this mean?What is "Rita" over there doing?Although she empathized with the perceptions transmitted from the other side, the shared sensations were essentially limited to the feeling of "being rejected by the world," under the other party's control.She couldn’t see what the other Rita saw, nor could she hear what the other Rita heard. By relying on her sense of touch alone, she didn’t understand what was going on over there.After a brief moment of confusion, she immediately put the question aside and refocused her attention on the visual communication in front of her."Why does your voice sound a little strange?"Rita raised her eyes and looked at the concern on the captain's face. She shook her head without changing her expression."No... No, Lord Durandal, you heard it wrong."While responding to the captain’s concerns, she silently reflected on her own lack of practice.It was just that she shared the feelings of another "Rita Rossweisse," so why should she be shaken?As Rita Rossweisse, if she could endure what was happening on the other side, why couldn’t she handle it herself?This time, it could be considered that she was startled without psychological preparation when she couldn’t see what was going on over there.Since she had now made mental preparations, next time, no matter what abnormal sensations she experienced, no matter how painful, she, as Rita Rossweisse, would be able to handle it calmly.On the other side, in North Africa, at the Schicksal Vimur Laboratory, located one thousand meters underground."Really?"Durandal raised her head slightly. She wore a jet-black military uniform, exuding a majestic aura, like a soldier standing upright in front of the control console in the main control room.Her slender yet upright figure, sharp as an unstoppable javelin, stared at Rita’s calm face with a serious expression. Her voice was as upright and dignified as always: "Since you insist that you’re fine, I won’t ask any more questions. The Overseer asked me to stop the experiment here immediately and meet you in Arc City. Rita, briefly describe the situation in Arc City."...No response.For some reason, Rita’s face suddenly became a little flushed in the visual communication. She lowered her head slightly, and a trace of panic—unseen by Durandal—flashed in her eyes, which were as mellow as red wine.Her lips parted slightly, and her hands subconsciously pushed toward her body. Her eyelashes kept trembling."?"Never seeing her adjutant in this kind of state, Durandal frowned and asked worriedly, "Rita, what's wrong with you?""No, nothing, nothing, Lord Durandal."For some reason, Rita on the screen froze visibly.She raised her head again, as if frightened, her eyes were full of mist. She was so blurred that even a slow-witted person like Durandal could understand that Rita was holding herself back."After arriving at Arc City, I..."She barely spoke a few words before silence fell again."Sorry.""What's going on with you?" Durandal couldn’t help but ask."Please... please don’t worry, it's just that my tongue... I don’t know why, but it’s a little... a little out of control." Rita shook her head, her face growing rosier and more blurred. The mist, with body temperature, was constantly exhaled from her lips as she panted rapidly. Her pleading voice was mixed with slight tremors, "Can you wait for me for a few minutes, Lord Durandal?"Perhaps Rita herself didn’t even realize how strange her expression was.To Durandal, the expression mixed with depression and torment, yet unable to hide the comfort and joy, was so strange that she didn’t know what words to use to describe it.Although it felt a little odd, since Rita looked so happy, there was nothing to worry about, the innocent and pure captain thought.Chapter 49: Kiana's Mentality ChangeBefore today, Rita had never thought that it would be so easy to destroy the wall of a person's heart.In order to make herself unshakable no matter what she felt, she boasted that she had made all the preparations. She sank her Ki into her dantian, and all the muscles in her body were tensed to the limit. Even if a Herrscher suddenly appeared at this time, Rita was confident she could pick up the sickle and fight a few moves.However, all these defenses, all the seemingly indestructible walls, were easily smashed into pieces when she suddenly experienced a sensation that did not belong to her.After completing the task briefing for her captain, Rita turned off the video communication and stared blankly at the dark screen.Suddenly, she lay down on the operating table and buried her face in her arms. The gap between her arms and face emitted a sound like the whimpering of a small animal.Compared to the feeling of being "rejected by the world," what Rita had just felt was not painful, but rather made her feel a "happiness" that came from the bottom of her heart.However, for Rita, the act of "feeling happy" itself was the greatest shame."Why do I feel... so..."She couldn't bring herself to say the last two words. She had never thought that someone could use their understanding of her to give her a "wonderful experience" she had never had before, even though they couldn't see or touch her.If it had been painful, she just had to try to endure it, but humans, as creatures, naturally have no ability to resist the dopamine secreted by the cerebral cortex.Therefore, even if she felt ashamed and angry about the refreshing pleasure, Rita still couldn't organize any effective resistance to the feeling and was completely immersed in it.Because the sharing of perception not only received the objective experience of "that Rita" but also the subjective feelings, all of which were received by her.Then, when the body constantly conveys the feeling of comfort to the brain, and the brain itself feels happy from the bottom of its heart, how can she resist this feeling?...Gu.When Rita thought of this, she swallowed a mouthful of saliva unconsciously, and her expression became one of panic.Just such a simple action can make her, who empathizes with the other person's feelings, so what if, during this period of shared perception, that "Rita" and the person she loves take the next step beyond their previous behavior?When she thought of her whole brain turning to mush in front of Durandal just now, Rita didn't dare to think about it anymore.No--She took a deep breath, stood up, bit her lip, and walked toward the door of the main control room with weak legs.Before she completely turned into another "Rita," she had to find a way to survive this night safely.Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to resist the pleasure and happiness, not only in her body but in her soul as well, and there wouldn’t be much time left before she completely fell....Hyperion Café, BathroomImmersed in the bathtub, Kiana looked at the ceiling, half-covered by the diffused water vapor, with a confused expression.For her, having wandered in Arc City for more than four months, the experience of these few hours felt like a dream.First, she had suddenly stumbled into a strange café, and then, suspicious of the café with a familiar name, she took the initiative to find the door. To her surprise, she saw a clerk there who looked exactly like Theresa, Rita, and Bronya.Of course, the most important thing was "Sirin," who made her Herrscher persona suddenly lose control, and the young store manager named Yufan who easily suppressed her.The warm feeling, accompanied by the slightly surging water, flowed over her body soaked in hot water.During these four months of wandering, Kiana hadn’t completely missed a bath, but because her five senses had gradually become numb, it was difficult for her to feel "comfortable" while bathing.Because her five senses were eroded, she couldn't feel pain and found it hard to gauge her physical state during the act.Even if she was hit by a Honkai beast, as long as it didn't affect her body's motor skills, she wouldn't even notice that she was injured.But tonight, after the store manager forcibly deprived her of her Herrscher power, the senses that had been almost completely lost returned to her body.Only by clearly feeling the outside world can humans have the sense of "still being alive."In this sense, Kiana who had lost her body’s perception was affected to a certain extent.Because she couldn’t feel pain, she wouldn’t avoid injuries that weren’t life-threatening; because she couldn’t taste food, she wouldn’t feel joy in eating.If the five senses continued to disappear, Kiana who had already been overwhelmed by guilt will probably wouldn’t have much desire to live left.But now, everything had changed after the store manager forcibly deprived her of her powers.Although she felt a slight dull pain in various parts of her body, she, who had lost her sense of pain for several months, felt a sense of unreality, as though she were dreaming, because of this real touch on the surface of her body.She closed her eyes and sank her consciousness into her body.Inside her chest, there were still three crystals as hard as gems, but unlike before she came to this café, these three Herrscher cores didn’t cause any erosion to her body. She couldn’t use these Herrscher cores as a medium to drive their power anymore.It was truly suppressed thoroughly...After confirming that the Herrscher core had no movement, Kiana opened her eyes in disappointment and murmured softly. "Class Monitor, I... shouldn’t be dreaming."A fiery red translucent figure condensed in the air.Fu Hua lowered her head and glanced at Kiana, who appeared melancholy. She couldn’t help but reveal a somewhat complicated expression.Having experienced two eras of civilization, she had never thought that the power of the Herrscher could be so easily controlled by others, but at the same time, she recalled the familiar aura lingering around the store manager, and a thoughtful expression appeared on her face."You are not dreaming," Fu Hua said. "Although it is a little unbelievable, for the store manager, who possesses a power similar to Finality, it is not difficult to understand that your Herrscher power was forcibly deprived."Chapter 50: Alas, I Don't Know What to Say"The power of Finality..."Kiana buried her face under the steaming water, and bubbles rose one after another.After exhaling all the air in her lungs underwater, she raised her head again, revealing her high nose bridge and lips covered with water, and took a deep breath, as if she had made up her mind.Then, she focused her eyes on Fu Hua."Class Monitor, who are you?"Fu Hua didn't expect Kiana's first question to be this. A slight sense of helplessness flashed across her eyes, but, being naturally indifferent, she quickly regained her composure.She gently lowered her head and looked at Kiana's eyes, which held a faint loneliness that was difficult for others to detect."I'm sorry, Kiana. I don't mean to hide it from you, but... I've had too many names and experiences in my life. Even if I wanted to confess to you, I wouldn't know where to start in such a short time.""For us right now, what's more important is the matter of the store manager.""..."Kiana's eyebrows trembled slightly, then drooped unnaturally.She agreed with Fu Hua's perspective.Honestly speaking, this conclusion—throwing all her problems onto someone else—made Kiana feel frustrated, as if all her previous efforts had been wasted.But she had to admit that there was indeed an insurmountable objective gap between herself and the young store manager.For her, the power of the Herrscher, which might require her life to control, was as weak as a toy in the hands of the young store manager.Not only did the store manager easily suppress all the effects of the Herrscher core on her body, but they also used the power she had not been able to fully control until now with such precision.Kiana originally had little desire for the power of the Herrscher of the Void.It was true that she hoped to become stronger, and she even fantasized about becoming the strongest Valkyrie.But in the end, her desire for power was not that strong.The reason she wanted to become stronger was simply because, in the process of implementing the ideas of the Kaslana family—taught by her father—and protecting everything she valued, she needed the power to fight against those threatening everything.If that very power ended up harming everything she valued and became an uncontrollable disaster, Kiana would rather not have it at all.She tried so hard to control the power of the Herrscher not because she valued or longed for this power that countless people envied, but simply because she had no choice.If someone could take away this power and control it firmly, then Kiana wouldn't hesitate.However, a big problem lay before her now.The store manager who could solve her problem wasn't very interested in the power of the Herrscher of the Void.Or rather, the store manager was like an outsider—someone free from the world, with no interest in anything worldly.Out of kindness, the store manager had temporarily taken her in under the pretext of repairing the damage.However, as a stranger, that was all they could do.Although the store manager was kind, Kiana could see that they didn't intend to keep her in the store forever, and there was no place for her in this cafe.Thinking of this, Kiana suddenly felt a bit depressed, though she couldn't quite explain why.Though today was the first time she met the store manager, she felt a strange feeling in her heart.Her relationship with the store manager should never be just that of strangers.That strange feeling was without reason, but it was real.It felt as if the store manager had known her for a long time, but whatever relationship should have existed was abruptly severed by something beyond her understanding.Therefore, rather than "getting to know each other from scratch," her relationship with the store manager felt more like "repairing a broken relationship.""...ah, have I been in the bath too long? Why am I suddenly thinking strange things?"When she thought of this, Kiana shook her head fiercely, a hazy expression mixed with distress appearing on her face.She suddenly stood up, and the hot water rushed out from the edge of the bathtub. The sudden gush of water pushed the washbasin on the ground away violently.After drying her body and blow-drying her hair, Kiana changed into loose pajamas and walked out of the bathroom barefoot."Well... although the height difference is only a little, this size seems a bit too big for you..."At this time, a thoughtful voice reached her ear.Kiana froze for a moment and turned her head instinctively, only to see a petite figure, a head shorter than her, carefully observing her body. The curly hair on both sides of her head, like cat ears, shook gently with her movements."..."Looking at the extremely serious expression of this little girl who was almost the same height as Theresa, a somewhat absurd feeling suddenly arose in Kiana.She pursed her lips, hesitated for a moment, and finally chose to talk to the girl who had complicated feelings for her."Hello, I'm Kiana. May I ask who you are...?""You've heard my name from the store manager. Why are you asking this?" The purple 'cat ears' twitched slightly in dissatisfaction. "Forget it. I heard from the store manager that your brain is a little off. I won't bother with you about what happened in the hall before."Kiana was choked by her words. She was unsure how to respond.Should she apologize for what happened in the hall, or should she flatly deny the other person's view that "I have a brain disease"?"I'm Sirin. I don't know why your other personality has such a big problem with me, but in this cafe, it's better for us not to fight casually." Sirin placed her hands on her hips and looked Kiana in the eyes with a bit of reluctance to admit defeat. "Of course, don't think I'm afraid of you. I'm a magical girl, after all. If I hadn’t been scared by your unreasonable attack, I wouldn't have just sat there and waited for death like I did just now."