Siegfried felt as though the world had finally transformed into something he no longer understood.
Everyone said he, Siegfried Kaslana, was thick-headed and acted without thinking, but they didn't know that he possessed great wisdom and was a genius of his generation.
And few knew that he and Cecilia were a case of "opposites attract," a meeting of two powerful forces...
Joyce's sharp commentary: "There's a reason you two get along so well."
Siegfried took about a second to ponder Cecilia's reasoning. Then he looked up, seamlessly switching his emotions and expression, and gave her a thumbs-up.
"I don't mind!"
Bianka's head whipped to the side. She craned her neck, trying to see who could possibly agree to such an absurd idea.
She looked closer, then shrank back to look from afar. After several inspections, she couldn't find anything wrong with Siegfried.
Then... is the problem with me?
"Wait!"
It was still unclear who the problem was with, but Shigure Kira was about to have a real problem.
"Where did this kid named 'Kiana' even come from?" She trotted over to Siegfried, tugging at him to make him look at her, then pointed at Bianka.
"I met this kid during my mission. I was fighting a Honkai Beast at the time..." Siegfried quickly explained the entire story of his encounter with Bianka.
The summary was—he, a true man, had engaged in a three-hundred-round melee with a Honkai Beast, tore it apart with his bare hands, and saved the poor, helpless little girl Bianka. But then they were ambushed by the despicable Sandstorm Emperor, and despite his best efforts, he was unable to defeat it and had to escape...
"Wasn't it that you and 'Kiana' discovered you could communicate telepathically and unleash 300% of your power to narrowly defeat the Sandstorm Emperor?" Halfway through, Shigure Kira corrected him with a twisted expression.
"Kira, you've seen the latest Alahato too?!" Siegfried's eyes lit up, a newfound appreciation in his gaze as he looked at Shigure Kira. He was then rewarded with a merciless, guilty-conscience-fueled karate chop.
"Idiot! Explain it properly!"
Siegfried could only recount the original version with a wronged expression.
Cecilia listened attentively to both stories. After he finished, she turned back to Bianka and said with a smile, "So that's the story of how 'Kiana' and Siegfried met. What a brave child..."
"Yes, yes..." Siegfried nodded in agreement, but then suddenly realized something was wrong. "Hiss... wait..."
"Kiana?" He suspected there was something wrong with his ears.
Shigure Kira nodded with a blank expression. "That's right... this kid said her name is Kiana..."
Cecilia clearly felt the girl in her arms stiffen. She just smiled. "This child really has a strong connection with us, don't you think, Siegfried?"
Siegfried thought long and hard. "I think so too..."
"Think so, my ass!" Another powerful karate chop sent Siegfried into a meme-worthy expression. Shigure Kira retracted her hand, feeling a little weary. "This is clearly a problem! How can someone not only have the same name but also the same last name, Kaslana?!"
Bianka's body grew even stiffer.
When she was thinking of a name, she hadn't considered this at all. The name had just popped into her head, and she had used it.
To be honest, the first name that had come to mind wasn't Kiana, but Shu. But could she use that name? No, right?
So she had switched to Kiana... thinking about it now, it seemed Kiana wasn't a good choice either!
Whose name should she have used? Rita's? Or Li Sushang's?
None of them would work!
It's over... is this the end of my disguise?
Bianka could already imagine herself being forced to reveal her real name by these three, then mercilessly thrown out onto the street!
The Fire MOTHs must have already publicized her name and her threat level. Maybe she had already been turned into a bounty and posted on [Spark]...
If she was exposed, she might even be tied up and sent back to the Fire MOTHs... then wouldn't her month-long escape have been for nothing?
"Oh! So that's how it is!" Just as Bianka was trembling, the explanation came.
Siegfried slammed a fist into his palm in a moment of enlightenment, his eyes shining with wisdom. He crossed his arms, striking the classic pose of a certain blue-haired bedhead. "Since she's a Kaslana, it makes sense that she can activate the Star of Judgment."
Shigure Kira was dumbfounded.
"So that's how it is? You're so amazing!" Cecilia's supportive comment made Shigure Kira even more dumbfounded. Watching Cecilia press her forehead against Bianka's in a gentle nuzzle, her mind was in a complete mess.
No, I might be the only sane person here right now. I have to think calmly. At least I should get Salome and Nicholas... just Salome will do. That idiot Nicholas should stay out of this.
Calm... phew...
"Hahahaha! As expected of a member of our Kaslana family! Even though you're so weak, you were still willing to stand up and protect me. Very good! I acknowledge you! You are a worthy Kaslana knight!"
Siegfried laughed heartily, giving Bianka a thumbs-up to show his approval.
Must stay calm...
"It's a shame your body is a little weak! How about this, starting tomorrow, you train with me. Let's become the strongest warriors together!" Siegfried extended a sincere and passionate invitation to Bianka.
To be honest, Bianka was a little tempted.
"Damn you, Siegfried!!" Shigure Kira erupted, putting Siegfried in a rear-naked choke from behind and taking the fight to the ground, viciously applying an armbar.
"I'll... no, I'll take you down with me!"
"Ow, ow, ow—!!" Siegfried tapped the ground, screaming in pain and repeatedly surrendering.
"Even if you scream your lungs out... huh? You're really hurt?" Shigure Kira had intended to go for a 'no witnesses' finish, but the different feel of his arm made her realize he might actually be injured.
It was only then that Cecilia noticed Siegfried's injury. Her smile immediately vanished. She gently placed Bianka on the bed and went to check on him.
"Hehe..." Siegfried scratched his head awkwardly. "Come to think of it, I almost forgot I was injured..."
"Sigh..." Cecilia sighed softly, flicking Siegfried on the forehead. "You're always like this... Kira, can you get me the Abyss Flower?"