Kiana and Mei were a bit surprised by Leo Ash's actions, but after a moment, they said nothing more and understandingly left with Bronya.
Among their group, while some of Kiana and Mei's relatives had passed away, those events happened a long, long time ago.
Time may not heal all wounds, but it can heal most of them.
Compared to Kiana and the others, Yuno, who had just killed her own family while being controlled by the Honkai, was the one who needed care and concern the most right now.
As for anything else, Kiana didn't really think much of it.
It was rude to think, but she felt that Yuno's looks were far inferior to Bianka's and Rita's.
Leo Ash had lived with those two for so long and yet still spent his days thinking about killing Honkai. Given that, Kiana really didn't think anyone else could easily enter his heart.
On the other side, watching the others gradually distance themselves from her and Leo Ash, Yuno felt a surge of panic.
"Um, Senior Leo Ash... about what happened..."
Seeing Yuno's expression slowly fill with remorse and self-blame, Leo Ash sighed helplessly.
"Alright, don't overthink it."
"Let's find a place to sit down and have a proper chat."
"...Yes."
Yuno, who already had a more compliant personality, now felt a deep sense of remorse for nearly killing Leo Ash. She gave him a small nod and cautiously walked to his side.
Once upon a time, when Yuno saw Leo Ash saving Raiden Mei at the school gate, she had envied her notorious senior for having someone stand up for her.
At that time, Yuno had indeed thought about how wonderful it would be if someone like Leo Ash could pull her out of her own predicament.
And then, she and Leo Ash met in Nagazora City.
But that encounter was hardly a memory worth cherishing.
With her mind and body dominated by the Honkai, Yuno had become an enemy of humanity.
And on the battlefield, Leo Ash could only try to deceive her while looking for a way to escape.
Thinking back, if that Schicksal Valkyrie hadn't arrived in time, she might have already killed her classmate and her senior, who had done nothing to provoke her.
For a girl with a relatively normal set of values, this blow, while not as shocking as killing her own parent, was enough to make her unable to say much in front of her victim.
"Hmm, this place will do."
Casually picking a coffee shop, Leo Ash found a quiet corner to sit down and handed the menu to Yuno.
"Pick whatever you want. My treat."
"...Just a glass of water, please."
"You know..."
After placing their order, Leo Ash looked at Yuno, who didn't dare to raise her head, and sighed helplessly.
"Don't be like this. Just being stared at with that guilt-ridden expression of yours gives me the creeps."
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!"
*Ugh, this is exhausting.*
*Mind games. I have to use mind games again.*
*Why does it feel like since the day I transmigrated, I've spent every single day thinking about how to manipulate people?*
"Alright, be quiet for a second!"
Leo Ash interrupted Yuno's words authoritatively.
"I haven't even asked you yet. Why did you choose to join Schicksal? You must have had your reasons for making that choice."
"...Because a man who called himself the Bishop of Schicksal told me that what happened to me wasn't my fault. He said that ultimately, the tragedy that befell me was caused by the phenomenon known as the Honkai."
Recalling what Otto had said to her, Yuno repeated his words to Leo Ash.
"He told me not to be ashamed of possessing the power of a Herrscher. On the contrary, he said I should be proud. Because with this power, I have the ability to help more people who need my help..."
*...Nice one. He said something similar to Theresa back then.*
"But..."
Thinking of the fragmented memories in her mind, Yuno looked at her own hands, which suddenly felt as if they were stained with blood.
"Do I, someone who even killed her own mother, still have the right to help others?"
Just as Yuno said this, a waiter approached their table and placed a cup of milk tea and a glass of water in front of Leo Ash and Yuno.
"Here are your orders. Please enjoy."
The moment the waiter turned away, Yuno suddenly picked up her glass and poured the water over her hands.
As if trying to wash away some stain, she took out a handkerchief and scrubbed her hands vigorously, her eyes growing more and more frantic.
*What a pain.*
*Otto's words aren't wrong, but the problem is that the current Yuno is just a high school student who suddenly gained superhuman powers.*
*Her mental fortitude isn't strong enough to suppress her fear of herself, the despair of killing her mother, and her anxiety about the future.*
*And perhaps, this is exactly what Otto wanted.*
*By giving her a correct direction, Yuno's compliant nature will only lead her down that path.*
*But because this grand direction is too vague, it's easy for Yuno's already anxious heart to feel ungrounded.*
*Under this kind of tactic, which may or may not be a form of PUA, with a little more validation, a young girl like Yuno has a high probability of becoming Otto's most loyal follower.*
*Ordinarily, while the method is a bit questionable, it could actually be a form of salvation for Yuno.*
*But the problem is, the one saying these things is Otto Apocalypse.*
*And the bigger problem is—Yuno beat up Otto's granddaughter, Theresa.*
*If it were anyone else being manipulated by Otto with these words, they would at most be used as a pawn.*
*But for Yuno, who hurt Theresa, after Otto manipulates her, he will absolutely screw her over until she's dead.*
This matter didn't have much to do with Leo Ash, but looking at her current state, he suddenly felt extremely annoyed.
Apart from Rita's previous concern, Leo Ash hadn't felt familial affection from anyone else.
But that didn't mean he didn't understand the importance of family to ordinary people.
And now, a young girl who had lost her family due to the Honkai was about to be exploited for her utility value, all because the Honkai had caused her family's death.
If this had happened somewhere else, Leo Ash might not have had many thoughts on it.
But for it to happen right in front of him...
[Happening right in front of you—so what?]
[Ultimately, there are plenty of people in the world more miserable than her. At least she gained the power of a Herrscher and kept her life. Others weren't even left with dust.]
[Out of consideration for your own safety, your decision is, of course—]
*Alright, you can shut up. Weren't you supposed to give me weekends off?*
[Nonsense. Today is only the fifth day. For a five-day work week, today is still a workday.]
*Alright, alright, just stay on the sidelines for now.*
*Let me think. Instead of a vague goal, having her take one solid step at a time might help her temporarily forget her pain.*
"Yuno."
"Ah? Senior, I didn't mean to!"
Seeing that she had spilled water everywhere, Yuno immediately said in a panic.
"I'm-I'm sorry, I..."
"First, you should get rid of this bad habit of apologizing for no reason."
Handing Yuno a napkin from the table, Leo Ash said to her faintly.
"In the past, you might have developed this apologetic personality due to being bullied at school. But now, as a Valkyrie of St. Freya High School, you should be a little more confident—no one here will dare to bully you, so rest assured."
"Yes..."
As she began to wipe the table clean with the napkin, Yuno's eyes, as she looked at Leo Ash, inexplicably held a new sense of anticipation.
"And also, while what Bishop Otto said isn't wrong, the topic is too vague."
"As warriors of Schicksal, we should indeed fight the Honkai and help others, but there's a problem with Bishop Otto's approach."
Hearing this, Yuno couldn't help but ask.
"What problem? Didn't the Bishop speak very well?"
"His words of encouragement are not the problem, but... the Bishop is a very busy man. He can't guide us every step of the way."
With a clear idea in mind, Leo Ash switched into full bluff mode, and under Yuno's somewhat admiring gaze, he began to speak eloquently.
"We can't always expect the Bishop to guide us forward. As a mature warrior—"
"But... I've only just become a Valkyrie..."
"—Then you will have to mature sooner or later."
Seeing Yuno still lacking confidence, Leo Ash continued.
"I know you're still unconfident and lost, but right now, you must pull yourself together."
"To put it more directly—if you feel you are a person who has committed a great sin, then you should brace yourself even more."
"If you think you've committed a great sin, then you should work hard to atone for it. Hiding away and wallowing in self-pity does no good for yourself or the world."
"As for what you should do now, it's actually very simple—first, you must accept your identity as a Herrscher."
At this point, Leo Ash took a sip of his milk tea and said in a slightly gentler tone.
"Herrschers are apostles of the Honkai, that's true. But in the end—all of us Schicksal warriors fight using Honkai Energy and Stigmata."
"Whether power itself is good or evil, I'm not a philosopher, so I can't say for sure. But I know for certain that if a person who wields power can help others, then that power is a good thing for those people."
"According to Schicksal's rules, except in special cases, a Valkyrie must be promoted to B-rank before they can step onto the battlefield. And I believe that with your abilities, reaching B-rank won't be difficult. For now, you should work towards that goal."
Seeing the anticipation in Yuno's eyes grow stronger, Leo Ash thought for a moment and decided to add more fuel to the fire.
"Besides, you have another reason to keep pushing yourself. While I did deceive you on some topics back then, other things I said were true."
"The disaster in Nagazora City was indeed caused by that woman named Cocolia. To put it bluntly..."
"—Your mother's death was also because of Cocolia's evil deeds."
"Mom..."
Softly uttering that word, Yuno felt the confusion and anxiety in her heart gradually disappear.
"Senior, what exactly should I do?"
*Hah, it still comes down to this.*
Seeing a flicker of hatred in Yuno's eyes, Leo Ash knew that he had once again lured the girl onto this path.
Yuno's anxiety and despair stemmed mainly from her unease about her own power, her fear of her body being taken over, and her grief over killing her mother.
So now, Leo Ash had to bring up certain topics to make Yuno face her current situation.
The unease about her power and the fear of losing control of her body could be slowly eliminated by honing her mental fortitude.
But the grief of killing her mother was something Leo Ash couldn't make Yuno forget in a short period of time.
Perhaps for others, Leo Ash could hope they would slowly overcome their grief.
But Herrschers were prone to emotional escalation.
So, rather than letting her self-destruct from despair and sorrow, which would lead to her body being taken over again, Leo Ash's choice was...
"It's simple. Since Cocolia could cause evil in Nagazora City, it means she could also cause Honkai disasters in other places. From a public standpoint, she is an enemy of Schicksal... no, an enemy of the world. From a private standpoint, she is one of the main culprits behind your mother's death."
"Whether for you or for the world, letting someone like her run free is not a good thing. So..."
"I will find a way to kill her, and in the process, I will need others to assist me."
—Lead Yuno down the 'wicked path' of revenge, using 'killing Cocolia' as a foundation to give her the motivation to continue living and acting.
Turning someone into an avenger was by no means a good thing.
But right now, Yuno needed a reason to divert her attention.
[Haha, brilliant. Quenching thirst with poison is certainly not a good thing, but it's better than dying of thirst outright.]
[You can feel that Yuno, who was originally wary of you due to guilt and your past deception, now trusts you completely.]
[Looking at the girl before you, her eyes shining with a new light, you can't help but sigh—every little girl is just so easy to fool.]
*That's enough. You know exactly what's going on.*
[Yes, you are well aware that this dog of a system knows you're in a bad mood, but it still has to run its mouth at a time like this.]
[But you understand an even deeper truth—often, lies and manipulation are indeed 'necessities' for others.]
*...How annoying, yet undeniably true.*
As he finished his thought to the system, Leo Ash saw a character profile pop up.
[Name: Yuno (Surname Abandoned)]
[Identity: Your junior in Schicksal, Pseudo-Herrscher {Herrscher of Poison}.]
[Current Affection: 35]
[Note: Her trust in you has surpassed everyone else's, but you are well aware that this trust has nothing to do with romantic feelings.]
*Hah, still 35, huh...*
[If you had played your cards right a few days ago, that affection could have shot up to 70.]
*Oh? And what would have been the price?*
[Look at her name. Can't you guess what the price is?]
*...A simple and clear hint.*
"I understand. I completely understand."
Yuno could feel a faint throbbing in her head, but...
*Get back!*
The moment she sensed the Herrscher personality about to reawaken, Yuno, now with a clear goal, instantly suppressed it with all her might.
"I will work hard to become stronger, Senior. But there is one thing I cannot promise you."
For the first time, Yuno spoke to Leo Ash with her own will, her tone firm.
"Because..."
"—Cocolia's life must be ended by my own hands!"
...