125. Are You Going to be Our Enemies? No! It's You… Who Wants to be Our Enemies?
The clamor of the amusement park was utterly shattered, leaving only terrified screams, the roars of Honkai Beasts, and the piercing blare of sirens echoing across the ruins.
At such times, most ordinary people could only pray that the Honkai Beasts didn't see them.
But today, amidst this raging despair, energy was quietly surging.
It silently seeped through the cracks in the shattered concrete, brushed against trembling shoulders, and enveloped every trembling soul. It dispelled the biting chill, soothed the near-collapse of fear, and, unnoticed, erected an invisible protective barrier.
But in the center of the battlefield, the white-haired girl—Kiana Kaslana—was completely unaware.
Like a lightning bolt tearing through the night, she darted wildly through the ruins and the hordes of beasts! "Kill!" The Honkai Beasts' sturdy shells were like paper under her power!
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Fear—fear of loss, fear of powerlessness—condensed into a furious rage that consumed all reason! Only the deafening roar of tearing apart the threat before her could briefly numb the black hole gnawing at her heart!
One, two, three… ten? Twenty? She had long since lost count of how many Honkai Beasts she had killed. Spilled, viscous purple blood stained her white hair and clothes.
However, it wasn't enough! Far from enough! The flames in her heart hadn't died down; instead, they burned even more fiercely!
A cold, seductive voice echoed in her consciousness:
"Kill…kill…how exhilarating…are all these ugly beasts gone? Below, aren't there even more below? Look…those insects hiding in the corners…so many…trembling…worthless…crush them all! Kill them all!"
"Shut up!" Kiana suddenly clutched her head, as if trying to tear the voice from her skull, letting out a beast-like roar.
"Kiana!" Fu Hua's phantom appeared; her brows furrowed.
"Control your heart! Don't let her whispers control you! Guard your true self!"
"Hmph..." A mocking voice rang out, directly responding to Fu Hua, and piercing Kiana's deepest, most hidden pain.
"How laughable... pitiful little girl. What are you clinging to? False justice? Shattered beauty? Or that name of Kaslana, which even you yourself don't understand? Heh... manipulated like a puppet, living like this until now, thinking that grasping a few rays of sunlight is reality? Little do you know, that's just another, more meticulously woven lie! I feel... pity for you."
Others may not know the truth, but the being known as the Herrscher of the Void, Sirin, knows one thing clearly.
Recalling the two men she encountered that night, they entered Kiana's will almost instantly, smiling as they gazed at her, only to be bound by countless chains the next second, until now, when she finally broke free.
The Herrscher of the Void's words caused a slight ripple in Kiana's heart, but it was this slight ripple that gave the Herrscher of the Void an opportunity. One of Kiana's two golden eyes showed a change, and the Herrscher of the Void's invasion was taking over at a visible speed!
"Kiana! Don't let her words affect you! Guard your mind! Hold fast to your essence!" Fu Hua's phantom pulsed violently.
"You must hold on! Once she completely possesses your body, it's all over! Think of Xiling, Kevin, the Tarnished, and Lemuen! They're still in the amusement park!"
"Friends... Xiling... Kevin... the Tarnished... Lemuen..."
Those familiar faces, those ordinary people with kind smiles, flashed through Kiana's almost-swallowed consciousness. Fu Hua's shout was like a powerful wake-up call! It roused Kiana.
The monstrous waves of malice stirred within her were instantly soothed by a warm current! That warmth stemmed from the will to protect, from the determination not to lose anyone again, especially these companions who had given her a brief respite in her most difficult time!
"Ugh... Go... back!" Kiana gritted her teeth, her gums even bleeding!
The Herrscher of the Void clearly hadn't anticipated this sudden, terrifying force of repulsion! Her stunned and furious scream exploded in Kiana's mind:
"You! You stubborn fool! You don't actually think those people surrounding you are ordinary people, do you? You should have realized it long ago!! There's no such thing as unconditional kindness in this world! They approached you; they must have ulterior motives! They..."
"I don't care—!!!"
The Herrscher of the Void's malicious analysis was abruptly interrupted by Kiana's battlefield-shaking roar!
"Wh...what?!" The Herrscher of the Void's voice was filled with disbelief and astonishment.
"I said! I! Don't! Care!" Kiana raised her head, one of her two golden eyes now reverting to blue, and that eye held only unwavering determination.
"I don't care if they're ordinary people! I don't care what secrets they have! I only care that they're willing to smile at me, willing to accept me, willing to say 'Good morning,' 'Have you eaten?' 'Go to bed early,' 'Want to play games?' That's enough! Sirin—!" She declared her final declaration to the being within her:
"You won't! Once again! Take anyone away from me! No one!!!"
The sheer, unquestionable will to protect her erupted with a repulsive force that even the Herrscher of the Void found perplexing! Why? Why could this vessel, constantly deceived, manipulated, and on the verge of collapse, possess such an unyielding will?
The Herrscher of the Void, still bewildered, quickly faded from Kiana's ears. But then, a calm announcement pierced through the clamor, landing precisely in her ear:
"Found you."
Kiana jerked her head up! Her eyes, one gold and one blue, instantly pinpointed the source of the voice—
The high-hanging full moon became the backdrop, and before that bright moon, a figure hovered silently. Her back was to the moonlight, her face shrouded in deep shadow, her eyes locked on the white-haired figure in the ruins below.
The strongest symbol of Schicksal, the pinnacle of S-rank Valkyries—Durandal—had arrived!
"Herrscher of the Void, please return to Schicksal with me." Durandal's voice echoed clearly in the sky.
Kiana took a long breath, staring directly at the figure. She knew her location would be exposed tonight, but she hadn't expected it to be so soon, nor had she expected that the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal would arrive.
Should she give up?
How could that be!
Her battle had only just begun.
"Durandal!" Kiana's voice was filled with a resolute fighting spirit.
"Want to capture me? Then come on! But I warn you, I... am not so easy to deal with now!"
Durandal's eyes remained unmoved. She focused on Kiana and... the power below... the warm energy that had enveloped the entire amusement park, protecting countless ordinary people... In her keen senses, it was an energy completely different from Honkai energy.
Who was that?
No... right now, the priority was the unstable Herrscher before her.
The Black Abyss White Flower slowly rose, its spear tip locked onto Kiana. Durandal's voice was calm yet intimidating.
"Then, I will fulfill my duty and prevent the disaster from escalating. No matter the cost."
The air froze.
Only Kiana's panting and Durandal's chilling, oppressive aura remained in the center of the battlefield.
The next second, Durandal moved.
There was no flashy prelude, only pure, absolute speed and power! Her figure, like a shooting star tearing through the night, suddenly swooped down. The Black Abyss White Flower is transforming into a deadly, gigantic afterimage, carrying the force to pierce mountains, straight at Kiana!
Kiana's pupils contracted sharply; almost instinctively, she performed a short-range spatial leap to the side!
Kiana's figure narrowly disappeared from her original spot, reappearing not far away, still shaken.
"So fast!"
"Good reaction."
Durandal missed her attack, landing steadily. The massive lance felt weightless in her hands. She turned, her gaze unwavering, and with a burst of power, the ground shattered, and she charged towards Kiana with a ferocity far surpassing that of a Honkai Beast!
The massive lance wielded in her hands like a nimble spear, each sweep and thrust carrying the terrifying power to shatter mountains and split rocks. The sharp wind from the spear cut through the surrounding air with a whooshing sound, easily tearing apart and sending the remaining amusement park rides flying like paper.
Kiana gritted her teeth, her figure flashing and leaping across the battlefield, each appearance accompanied by the gathering and launching of spatial spears.
Golden spatial spears tore through the air, shooting towards Durandal like a golden meteor shower, their speed astonishing. However, Durandal was even faster! She seemed to anticipate Kiana's attack trajectory, her massive lance dancing in her hand like an impenetrable blue light curtain.
The crisp, ear-piercing sounds of impact rang out like a torrential downpour hitting a tin roof! The Spear of the Void struck the incredibly tough shaft and tip of the Black Abyss White Flower, shattering into fragments that scattered like broken glass. Yet, it couldn't budge Durandal in the slightest, not even slowing her advance!
"Too slow," Durandal's icy voice pierced the violent impact. She took a step, cracking the ground, her speed increasing dramatically!
Kiana's pupils constricted sharply. Just as she flashed to the top of a Ferris wheel support, Durandal appeared like a ghost below her! The Black Abyss White Flower, with a piercing shriek, slashed diagonally! This attack sealed off all of Kiana's escape routes!
There was no way to dodge!
The attack struck Kiana instantly. Kiana's figure flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing violently through a thick wall and disappearing into the dust and debris.
Durandal slowly raised the tip of her spear, pointing it at the billowing smoke:
"Your struggle is futile. Surrender; it's the only way to avoid a greater tragedy."
Smoke billowed, and a cough echoed. A figure gritted her teeth, trying to stand, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't. Durandal's footsteps drew closer.
Just then, the sound of chains rang out. Durandal seemed to sense something and abruptly moved to the side. The chains grazed her body and pierced the ground. Durandal looked back and saw a petite figure standing there, a stark contrast to the enormous golden cross in her hand.
Theresa had arrived.
"Kiana! Are you alright?!"
Theresa Apocalypse's voice was filled with undisguised worry and urgency. Her gaze passed over Durandal and landed on the white-haired girl amidst the ruins.
"The....re....sa..." Looking at the anxious figure, Kiana whispered the other's name.
However, Theresa's arrival was only the beginning.
The atmosphere on the battlefield was instantly ignited!
Bronya and Raiden Mei also arrived at the battlefield. Almost simultaneously, the roar of engines filled the sky as they swooped down! Several figures landed precisely around Theresa, Mei, and Bronya, instantly forming an encirclement!
They were the Immortal Blades Squad!
Rita smiled and gave a slight bow to Theresa, who was surrounded by the others in the middle.
"Lady Theresa, it's been a long time. How have you been?"
"Damn it, why are so many people here?" Seeing the entire Immortal Blades team arrive, Theresa sensed something was wrong. Just Durandal alone was already a serious problem.
On a distant building, Grey Serpent watched everything unfold. Things had spiraled out of his control. The sudden Honkai event, the sudden exposure of his Herrscher of the Void—all of this had disrupted his original plans. But he wasn't discouraged. It was just one plan that had been disrupted. He had countless contingency plans. His purpose in coming here tonight was to witness it firsthand.
Where would things lead?
"Stop them." Durandal withdrew her gaze from Theresa and the other two, addressing her team.
"Yes, Lady Durandal!" Rita raised her giant scythe, and the sound of her Immortal Blades teammates drawing their weapons filled the air! Theresa attempted to tear an opening forcefully!
"Get out of my way!"
Rita's figure appeared like a ghost in Theresa's path, her massive scythe slashing down with a piercing shriek!
A deafening roar! Golden chains clashed violently with the scythe, sparks flying!
"Lady Theresa, please don't make things difficult for us." Rita's voice still carried a smile, but the scythe in her hand tightly bound Theresa, preventing her from focusing on anything else...
On the other side, Raiden Mei and Bronya were also firmly contained within an encirclement by several well-coordinated members of the Immortal Blades team, unable to move an inch!
"Kiana!" Mei struggled to swing her sword, but could only watch Durandal draw ever closer to Kiana, shouting anxiously.
Bronya attempted to force her way through with her Heavy Bunny, but was pushed back by a precise energy beam.
They could only watch helplessly as that figure, ignoring the surrounding chaos, walked step by step towards the white-haired girl lying on the ground, unable to resist.
Kiana, lying on the ground, began to lose consciousness, her cloudy eyes watching Durandal approach her.
Is it over?
Theresa, Raiden Mei, and Bronya's anxious voices rang in her ears, but she no longer had the strength to respond. Durandal was now standing before Kiana, gazing at the exhausted girl, and slowly bent down, attempting to lift the dust- and blood-stained white figure.
Just as her fingertips were about to touch Kiana's clothes! A sudden change occurred!
There was no sign of a violent eruption of Honkai energy! The white-haired girl, who had been limp and powerless just a moment ago, vanished into thin air!
This scene was also noticed by Theresa, Raiden Mei, and Bronya. Durandal frowned, looking at the empty ground before him, and slowly stood up, turning his head to look in one direction.
Right there, silently, someone had appeared.
At the same time, on the top of the distant building, Gray Serpent turned to look at the footsteps approaching behind him. A single glance caused his prosthetic eye to flash repeatedly.
Kiana's consciousness had already sunk into a dark, swampy realm, her perception of the outside world extremely blurred. She felt like a feather adrift in a storm, about to be torn to shreds.
However, just as that icy despair was about to engulf everything, an indescribable warmth suddenly enveloped her.
It was an... absolute peace, as if shutting out all noise, all malice, all pain. She felt herself fall into a firm embrace, the touch of that embrace... strangely familiar.
The taut string of consciousness finally snapped under the irresistible shock of this sense of security. A gentle voice sounded in her ear a split second before she sank completely into darkness:
"You've worked hard."
Xiling lowered his head slightly, looking at the white-haired girl who had completely lost consciousness in his arms, sleeping soundly like an infant. The blood and dust on her face couldn't conceal the deep exhaustion.
Xiling gently tightened her grip on the girl, as if holding the most fragile treasure in the world.
Durandal had already straightened up, the tip of her Black Abyss White Flower Spear slightly raised, pointing at the mysterious figure holding Kiana. The aura emanating from her was extremely heavy, and her eyes held pure vigilance and assessment.
The other party could save someone so easily and so strangely right under her nose; they were no ordinary person.
"Who are you?" Durandal's voice was filled with seriousness.
Xiling lifted his gaze from the sleeping Kiana in his arms. He didn't answer immediately, but silently looked down at the strongest Valkyrie below, representing the pinnacle of Schicksal's power.
A brief silence seemed to freeze time in this area.
Then, he spoke, his voice not loud, but clearly echoing in everyone's ears:
"Xiling."
"Let's just say I'm this guy's elder."
Elder? No one believed the words coming from a man named Xiling.
And everyone recognized him; he was the person in those four photographs.
"Are you going to take Schicksal as your enemy?" Durandal's eyes sharpened, and she began to exert force slowly.
Faced with the question from Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, Xiling smiled.
"Take you as my enemy? You seem to have misunderstood something..."
Before he could finish speaking!
"Rumble—!!!"
The entire Arc City, within a vast area centered on Xiling, began to shake violently and wildly!
Meanwhile, inside the secret base of Heliopolis Life Sciences, located in the heart of the city.
"Wh...what?!" Jackal exclaimed in shock, her pupils contracting to pinpoints! On the countless sophisticated instrument screens before her, the curves representing the core energy of the plan, which had been running steadily, were suddenly gripped and forcibly pulled away as if by an invisible yet irresistible giant hand!
Above the city, under the horrified gazes of all the citizens of Arc City, an even more terrifying scene unfolded!
Dense Honkai energy, as if drawn by an invisible vortex, surged wildly from every corner of the city into the sky! It condensed above Xiling's head into... an energy sphere that blotted out the sky!
This sphere, as large as a second moon, hovered there silently, casting its shadow over the entire battlefield and even most of the city!
Beneath this energy sphere, powerful enough to destroy a city, Xiling, holding Kiana, stood calmly, as if the apocalypse above him were a harmless chandelier. He looked down at Durandal, whose face had paled in shock, and at all the people stunned by the cataclysmic event, almost incapacitated by the sudden change in the heavens and earth. He softly uttered his final words:
"Is it you... Who wants to be our enemy?"
Durandal's eyes flashed with an unprecedentedly resolute light! The all-consuming threat above her left her with no more hesitation! A certain power within her seemed to ignite completely at that moment! A golden radiance that trembled the very space erupted from her!
However, just before she was about to strike—
A crisp snap of fingers suddenly echoed throughout the entire world.
With that snap, the energy sphere suspended in the sky… froze for a moment.
Then, before the eyes of a horrified group of people, their minds blank, some even closing their eyes in despair—
It…bloomed.
There was no deafening explosion, no shockwave that incinerated everything. Like a gigantic, lit festival lantern, it dissolved from its core outwards…
It was no longer a symbol of destruction; it became…a magnificent fireworks display against the night sky! A silent waterfall of light flowed from the core of the fireworks, transforming into billions of energy particles with long, trailing tails of light, like the purest stardust, gently showering down upon the night sky of the entire Arc City, upon the stunned crowd below.
The destructive Honkai energy, instantly transformed by a force beyond comprehension, into pure and magnificent…light.
Durandal's movements ceased.
Beneath the breathtakingly dazzling rain of fireworks, a gentle announcement, like an evening breeze, brushed past the ears of every Valkyrie and even ordinary citizen standing there, stunned:
"Night has fallen. Sweet dreams, everyone."
Under Durandal's gaze, the figure standing in the center of the light rain, cradling Kiana, began to become transparent, vanishing without a trace. Along with him disappeared Theresa, Raiden Mei, and Bronya!
The terrifying energy slowly dissipated from Durandal's body.
She raised her head, her puzzled eyes piercing through the dreamlike curtain of light rain, and softly asked:
"Who...who are you?"