The Herrscher of the Void was already prepared to continue speaking.
"I knew it would pique your inter—"
Halfway through, the words got stuck in her throat.
Hearing Kiana's cold voice, three black lines appeared on the Herrscher of the Void's forehead, her expression turning to one of confusion and bewilderment.
Why? How your mother died, why your father abandoned you—why aren't you interested in any of it?
What kind of "filial" daughter is this?
Are you even human?
Kiana's words instantly cut off the Herrscher of the Void's train of thought.
Based on her previous memories, Kiana wasn't this kind of person. In just a few short years, what exactly had this girl gone through?
The Herrscher of the Void refused to believe it, thinking she had just scared her. So she lowered her voice and asked, "Are you really not curious? If you beg me, maybe I'll tell you the whole truth~"
"Not curious. What's there to be curious about? I don't care about the things you're saying."
Kiana shrugged and yawned, her whole aura becoming lazy.
After speaking, she sat on a lounge chair nearby, took off her shoes, and lay down comfortably.
She hadn't tried what it felt like to sleep in a dream yet.
"...Why aren't you curious? That's impossible. Why, Kiana? Tell me!"
The Herrscher of the Void was indignant, completely unable to understand why she could be so arrogant.
"Eh~ you talk too much. You're so stupid, just think about it!" Kiana mumbled lazily.
"I'm in St. Freya Academy. The Headmaster is my Aunt Theresa, and my teacher is Aunt Himeko, whom I know. They definitely won't let me go to a dangerous battlefield and risk my life. I have no worries at all."
"Being a logistics D-Rank Valkyrie, I get a high salary without even having to work, and my status is high."
"Besides, in the dorms, I mess around with Mei, Bronya, and Yunduo every day. I can eat lots of delicious food made by Mei, and I have good friends."
"Life is peaceful and natural. Why would I want to think about the old man who dumped me and the mom I've never met?"
"...Is, is that how it is?"
The Herrscher of the Void bit her lip blankly, a look of realization appearing in her golden eyes!
Put that way, it actually seemed to make a lot of sense!
Her life was so full and happy, why would she need to know those unnecessary things and fall into danger?
Dammit!
This kind of life was worlds apart from her own.
The Herrscher of the Void felt bitter.
She couldn't help but continue, "You humans—no, I mean, do you really not miss your father, and don't you want to know about your mother? Isn't that human nature? You're too heartless. Are you even human?"
"Tch~ compared to being alive, what does a conscience matter? That stinky old man, just let him enjoy himself out there."
Kiana comfortably adjusted her sleeping position, her eyes half-closed.
Seeing this, the Herrscher of the Void was at her wit's end. Facing such a shameless "filial" daughter, she didn't know what to do.
"And it's not like I don't know."
As she spoke, Kiana rubbed her nose.
"What do you know? How could you know? You weren't even born then. Don't joke around." The Herrscher of the Void was full of disbelief.
"Heh, you're so stupid," Kiana shook her head disdainfully. "Of course someone told me."
"Someone told you? Who would be so... wicked! Why would they tell you?"
"Well, I'm not telling you."
Just as the Herrscher of the Void was like a curious little kitten, Kiana flatly refused to answer.
"I get it, you must be bluffing. You don't even know who you are."
"I am K-423, a Schicksal experiment. Siegfried isn't actually my biological father."
Kiana said indifferently, her voice devoid of any emotion.
"—What?!!"
Hearing this, shock appeared in the Herrscher of the Void's golden eyes. They really told her everything?
Who was it? Even more wicked than herself. Weren't they afraid Kiana would fall into despair? "Also, fourteen years ago, during the Second Honkai in Siberia, Schicksal sent their only S-Rank Valkyrie, Cecilia Schariac—my mother. She died in that war."
Kiana continued to speak coldly, her tone becoming increasingly sharp, like a resentful spirit from the abyss, radiating malice.
"It was Otto, wary of Siegfried's power, who launched the Honkai Fission Bombs to raze Siberia to the ground, killing my mother."
"Later, I was rescued from Schicksal by Siegfried. Not long after, I was controlled by the Herrscher of the Void and personally severed one of his arms."
"Tell me, do I know or not?"
"..."
The Herrscher of the Void fell silent.
Crap, I was trying to act all mysterious, but I didn't expect to come off like a total dummy.
"Since then, I've been wondering, what exactly am I living for?"
"It was Otto who killed my mother, and it was because of his pursuit that I was controlled by the Herrscher of the Void in my despair."
"All of this clearly started because of Otto; it's a disaster brewed by his Schicksal."
The Herrscher of the Void noticed that Kiana, who had been lying on the seat, had sat up at some point.
She held her knees in her arms, and her eyes gradually lost their emotion, as if her very backbone had been ripped out of her.
When she mentioned Otto, she tilted her head slightly, and in her hollow pupils, an endless darkness silently spoke of hatred.
It was the kind of hatred that wanted to kill someone!
A behavior driven by hatred, using any means necessary just to kill one person!
In the silence, darkness swept in, and there was no one in the empty St. Freya Academy to comfort her.
Kiana's huddled body appeared exceptionally petite, not much different from a falling maple leaf.
The same loneliness, the same drifting.
Seeing this, the Herrscher of the Void was touched; as someone who also hated humanity, she was exactly like Kiana at this moment.
Loneliness, solitude, cold... She was silent for a moment, her figure gradually manifesting, and with a flash of golden light, she appeared beside the sobbing Kiana.
She was stunned.
Are you the villain, or am I?
Why does it feel like you are the true Herrscher of the Void?
This level of hatred, wanting to destroy humanity, had left her speechless.
What should she say at a time like this? Should she comfort this poor girl?
She had never comforted anyone before.
"...So, we are the same kind of people. I know who you are, and I think we can form an alliance because our goals are the same," Kiana whispered.
"Uh, stop crying first. Actually, there are still many beautiful things in life. Think more about those things and don't be too desperate, otherwise you might be held back by hatred and easily fall into a trap instead."
The Herrscher of the Void leaned down gently and stroked the back of the slightly trembling Kiana.
"What beautiful things are there? Aside from Mei and the other two, even Theresa is just someone from Schicksal sent to monitor me."
As Kiana spoke, her gaze seemed to inadvertently drift toward the Herrscher of the Void, who was gently soothing her.
A flash of rationality flickered in her blue eyes before turning back into sorrow and despair.
She saw it clearly; it was the same Herrscher of the Void who had appeared many times in the Challenge Space, identical in every way.
"Don't just think about it that way, um... Is there anything you want to remember? I can help create it for you."
The Herrscher of the Void spoke earnestly; she was truly afraid of this version of Kiana.
If she suddenly decided to commit suicide, she would die right along with her!
The mission to destroy the world wasn't even finished yet; dying together wouldn't that just be exactly what Otto wanted?
After the Herrscher of the Void created many dreamscapes of Mei cooking and Kiana had eaten her fill.
Suddenly, Kiana looked up at the bewildered and dazed Herrscher of the Void and said, "By the way, do you want to know who you are?"
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