Honkai: Strijder

Chapter 19

Honkai Beasts proved to be more challenging than expected.

Twelve floating cannons, along with the main cannon on the front of the vehicle, unleashed a total of thirteen beams of high-energy particles that nearly leveled the buildings in the entire small town. Of course, Sigurd adjusted the altitude to avoid some hidden areas where people might be hiding, trying his best not to harm the innocent.

Even so, they only managed to clear one-third of the small Honkai Beast horde.

"For those giant Honkai Beasts measured in floors, even if they're hit head-on, they just shake their massive heads and continue rampaging as if nothing happened."

"Couldn't penetrate their armor, huh? Guess our firepower is still insufficient."

Sitting in the vehicle, Sigurd glanced at the bewildered people around him.

"What are you all standing there for? She risked her life to save you, not so you can stand here dumbfounded. Keep running. I'll lead the main force away. Whether you can survive or not is up to you."

Without waiting for a reply from the people, Sigurd pulled out two iron cables from the vehicle and bound Kiana to his chest. He then twisted the handle, and the massive tires crushed through the rubble and debris, heading straight towards the towering giant Honkai Beast.

Boom!

The tremendous impact landed on the Honkai Beast's hoof, causing it to stumble and crash to the ground.

Seizing the opportunity, Sigurd climbed up the powerful motorcycle, which had remarkable gripping strength, using the fallen Honkai Beast's body as a ramp. He ascended to higher ground and struck the head of another nearby Honkai Beast.

The seemingly large and cumbersome motorcycle, under Sigurd's control, maneuvered like an agile leopard, weaving through the bodies and movements of these giant Honkai Beasts.

With the focused fire from the floating cannons, Sigurd attracted the attention of seViral giant Honkai Beasts and successfully eliminated one, obtaining data on their armor strength. At the same time, their hatred intensified.

Sigurd decisively twisted the vehicle's handle, seeing the pursuing Honkai Beasts trailing behind. He raced towards the opposite direction of Schicksal City, deep into the snowy mountains.

...

Crash!

As the vehicle flew over a small bump and the subsequent jolting sensation, along with the continuous roars of the Honkai Beasts in the distance, Kiana woke up.

"Hmm?"

"Sigurd..."

"Where am I?"

Kiana asked groggily, then couldn't help but cough violently for a while, feeling a surge of metallic and sweet scent in her throat.

To avoid worrying Sigurd, she forced herself to endure and didn't spit out the blood rushing up in her body.

"We're in the mountains."

Sigurd lowered his head and glanced at her.

The once snow-white face of the girl was stained with messy dirt and bloodstains, but her paleness and weakness were still apparent.

"How do you feel?"

"I feel... fine. Thank you for coming to rescue me."

"Tell me the truth."

"...It hurts! My whole body hurts! Am I going to die, Sigurd?"

In Sigurd's stern tone, Kiana seemed to have her armor shattered, instantly losing her strength. Blood seeped from the corners of her mouth as she asked fearfully and tearfully, her voice filled with vulnerability.

Sigurd looked ahead and casually said, "No. You still have a long life ahead of you. You won't die here."

"Really?"

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"No, I trust you, Sigurd."

In fact, there were lies told, whether for teasing or various reasons.

However, Kiana smiled with relief as if she had forgotten about those things.

To be honest, with a dirty face and bloodstained teeth, she didn't look particularly attractive.

But Sigurd thought she was still beautiful.

Perhaps it was because she was his own child; he didn't mind.

"Icarus, report the casualty ratio."

"On our side, we've lost two floating cannons. The remaining units can withstand full-power bombardment 43 times. The main vehicle has 11% damage, but it doesn't affect its main functions. On the enemy side, there are 23 remaining giant Honkai Beasts and 406 non-giant ones. Inference: we are at an absolute disadvantage. I recommend retreat."

"Separate six floating cannons, engage in conservative attacks to delay the speed of the beast horde. The remaining four cannons, standby at coordinates (x396, y993, z1123) and (x1217...), prepare for full-power bombardment."

"Yes, My Lord."

The wild giant wheels tore through the snow as if it were flat ground, surpassing the beast horde but keeping them within reach. They circled around seViral solitary peaks.

As the pursuing horde reached a low valley surrounded by prominent peaks to the east, south, and north, and a steep snowy slope to the west, Sigurd shouted, "Now, fire!"

Boom!

Upon Sigurd's command, the four floating cannons, already positioned at critical points, activated at full power. Ice and massive boulders fell from above, triggering a roaring avalanche and a devastating force that engulfed the surroundings, as if consuming the heavens and earth, pouring down from the steep slope to the west.

The horde cried out in agony and attempted to scatter in panic. Sigurd wasn't sure if they felt fear, but he knew that his own anger had long since reached its peak.

"Floating cannons, Sequence 7 to 12, release the reactor restriction system. Activate the electromagnetic reflection force field."

"Yes, My Lord."

Amidst the cold command, invisible ripples spread around the ferocious giant wheel, unleashing a force field capable of resisting particle radiation streams. At the same time, the speed reached its maximum as they raced away.

Sigurd placed ear protectors on Kiana.

Boom!

From behind, a blinding white light rose from the ground like a new sun. Wherever the light touched, vast amounts of snow instantly melted and vaporized, as if transitioning from the harsh cold of winter to scorching hot and dry summer.

Simultaneously, intense vibrations quickly spread, accompanied by scenes of earth cracking and mountains crumbling, expanding outward.

At the same time, a sky-obscuring mushroom cloud rose into the air, as if announcing the arrival of doomsday and the manifestation of the most powerful force of humanity, unveiling its ferocious fangs at this time and place.

This scene shocked many observers.

For example, a certain blond Archbishop crushed a teacup and momentarily failed to maintain an elegant and composed demeanor.

Or, in a distant corner of the Earth, a renowned red-haired scientist sprayed a face full of joyous water onto a famous blue-haired scientist, muttering in a daze, "It's impossible," "Are you kidding me?" "Oh my God," and similar words.

...

The explosive yield is not large, and the design takes into account the efficiency of reactor utilization and radiation control.

This radiation will reach Jörmungandr and the small town of Wolvendom, but it will be minimal. Compared to the Honkai Beasts going to the two towns for slaughter, this is the best outcome.

The residual radiation will dissipate in about three to five days, and afterward, it won't pose any significant harm.

So, although it was a decision made in anger, Sigurd doesn't believe there is anything wrong with this course of action.

The giant wheels of the Blacksteel Motorbike raced on the road, and Sigurd looked at Kiana through blue lenses. Finally, his eyes revealed genuine concern, no longer hiding it.

The values displayed on the lenses were: 177.12 - 1578.35 - 99.84 - 1785.43...

The Honkai energy itself is inherently unstable, and fluctuations in values are normal, but such extreme highs and lows are abnormal.

So far, the highest value Sigurd had seen was a "?" surpassing the limit of 9999, and the lowest value was 0.71, not excluding the possibility of even lower values that caused measurement failure.

"Damn it, we're too late!"

Sigurd had already pushed the speed to its limit but still wished to go faster. The underground research lab in the mansion had enough equipment, at least allowing him to try something instead of being anxious on the road.

Perhaps he shouldn't have spent time dealing with that batch of Honkai Beasts for the towns of Wolvendom and Jörmungandr?

Then Sigurd silently shook his head, realizing that what was done was done, and now wasn't the time to think about it.

Luckily, the fluctuations in the concentration of Honkai energy were gradually diminishing, approaching Kiana's normal Honkai concentration.

Perhaps this meant that Kiana's body had finally adapted, and the damage from the active Honkai energy wasn't as severe as anticipated.

Suddenly, Sigurd saw some sparse black shadows ahead.

Ssssk!

In the piercing sound of tires scraping against the ground, Sigurd made an urgent turn, steering the vehicle from the highway onto an undeveloped forest mountain road.

As he maneuvered to clear the obstacles ahead, Sigurd glanced back.

"A car coming from the direction of Jörmungandr, driving at high speed, with fresh scratches on the body- Could it be?"

Sigurd's pupils contracted, and an ominous conjecture cast an even darker shadow over his already anxious state of mind.

"Icarus, can you establish contact with the mansion now?"

"My Lord, at the current speed, we will enter the effective coverage range of the mansion's signal tower in 1 minute and 43 seconds."

"Establish communication with the mansion as soon as possible."

"Yes, My Lord."

Soon, Icarus voice resounded again.

"My Lord, upon entering the effective communication range, we received 13 missed communication requests from the mansion, with the most recent one placed 17 minutes ago. Dialing the mansion's communication channel... Connection established."

Sigurd collected himself and asked directly, "Is that you, Robbins? What's happening in the city?"

"Boss... Finally... Finally got through... Come back... Save... Vi...Ra..."

The voice came intermittently, accompanied by weak gasps and occasional coughing up of blood.

Not good, it was the worst-case scenario.

"20, no, I'll be there in 17 minutes. You guys go to the basement and hide. It's the strongest defensive spot."

"We're already... already in the basement... Boss, Vira, I'm counting on you..."

The communication went silent, with even the faintest sound of Robbins' breath disappearing.

Sigurd's teeth made a faint grinding sound as he suppressed his voice and said coldly:

"Icarus, link with the mansion's mainframe data. I want to know what happened after I left."

"Yes, My Lord."

Then a series of images appeared in Sigurd's glasses:

Firstly, although Sigurd didn't have time to explain clearly, Robbins sensed that the situation was extraordinary, so he used the capabilities of Icarus, the mansion's AI, to call in an armed force.

Normally, this would be the right move, and even Icarus deemed it a reasonable suggestion.

However, the Honkai cannot be inferred by conventional means.

Robbins didn't know one fact, and Icarus also overlooked it due to its weak ability to make associative connections based on mechanical thinking. That fact was that under suitable conditions, infected individuals would turn into zombie-like creatures upon death, and superior specimens might even become Deadwalkers equivalent to Honkai Beasts.

And so, the Honkai Beasts attacked.

It seemed that a branch of Honkai had occurred in the snowy mountains. One wave headed towards the town of Ulu, and another wave directly attacked the city of Yodarha. There might be other branches yet to be discovered.

In any case, some Honkai Beasts reached the front gate of the mansion.

At first, the mansion's formidable firepower repelled the attack, and the momentarily panicked troops quickly regained order and actively joined the defense efforts under Robbins' reassurance.

With ample defensive forces, they successfully repelled three waves of Honkai Beasts, but more and more of them continued to gather.

As the bodies of Honkai Beasts piled up, the mansion's mainframe recorded the gradual increase in Honkai Energy concentration until it reached a certain threshold.

After that, some soldiers in the force became infected and died.

At this stage, the situation hadn't become too dire yet. Icarus began to employ some immature techniques to gradually suppress the Honkai Energy concentration within the mansion. If things had continued in this manner, with the firepower reserves of the mansion, holding on for half a day wouldn't have been a problem.

However, the corpses gave birth to Deadwalkers, and they were not low-level Deadwalkers.

Ruthlessly, they slaughtered their former comrades, tearing open an unassailable breach in the mansion's defenses from within, where the defense forces were relatively weak.

The events that followed didn't need to be described.

In summary, the most recent synchronized data showed that only 7% of the mansion's firepower remained, and the ground structures were almost completely destroyed. Robbins and his daughter, guided by Icarus, took refuge in the basement, but even this last safe zone had now fallen and Honkaid.

Monitoring devices, microphones, infrared sensors, and other observation equipment had all malfunctioned. At this moment, not even the mansion's mainframe, which was within arm's reach, knew the status of the basement. All it could do was use its dwindling firepower to try to clear the Honkai Beasts that came too close, and that was all.

"Damn it!"

Two individuals with complex thoughts stared at each other through the screen, then tacitly decided to end the probe at this point.

"As you can see, Vira has been affected by Honkai corruption and is in danger." Sigurd said.

"I don't have much to offer, but I happen to have something that I don't think you would refuse."

"Please go on."

"A possibility."

"About what?"

"About a resurrection."

After a moment of silence, Otto crushed his tea cup for the second time. Then, he replied coldly:

"If you have the power to resurrect, why don't you just resurrect this little girl yourself instead of asking me to save her?"

"First, as I said, it's just a possibility. Second, if it were the person you have in mind, what would you choose between saving her life in time and letting her die and then resurrecting her?"

At this moment, the initiative in the conversation changed. It didn't completely shift the balance, but at least Sigurd regained some control.

Otto remained silent for a moment and then said meaningfully:

"It seems that your understanding of me goes beyond expectations... By the way, have you ever considered seeking revenge against Kiana for your parents who died in the Second Honkai Impact, Mister Gat Fedronaski? "

This invoked Sigurd's original body's memories.

Yes, Sigurd's parents died in the Second Honkai Impact, killed by the Herrscher of the Void. That's why Sigurd came as a poor orphan when he traveled back in time.

Normally, this would make him have an irreconcilable grudge with the Herrscher of Void, aka, K-423 herself.

However, Sigurd didn't have much personal attachment to this body original family, so he didn't bear any enmity toward the stupid tuna, but he couldn't deny this established fact.

When Otto brought it up now, he was probably suspecting Sigurd's identity and testing his thoughts on Kiana Kaslana.

Sigurd stroked Kiana's hair and said slowly:

"I am observing, observing her original self, and the dormant demon within. Once I have a clear understanding, I will make a decision. Also, it's Gat Fedronasky, not Gat Fedronaski."

That was Sigurd's original name.

There was only a slight difference in pronunciation between Fedronasky and Fedronaski.

If Sigurd didn't have the memories of his original self, if he was a spy sent by another organization, this tiny distinction might have been easily overlooked.

This was a loophole, whether used to speculate on his identity or to launch a verbal attack. Otto was regaining control of the situation.

'I must admit, Otto is indeed amazing. Even when his deepest thoughts were exposed, he calmly set up verbal traps.'

Sigurd thought to himself, looking calm as he stared at the camera, as if he hadn't noticed Otto's probing.

"Oh, my mistake. I didn't remember correctly."

Similarly, Otto responded with a serious tone, as if it were just a simple slip of the tongue. He then asked:

"I'm interested in your possibility, but I can't simply believe you based on a few words. Do you understand?"

"There is a paper that has been sent to your handheld device."

Otto calmly picked up the tablet-like device and began reading. Five minutes later, he set the device down and said:

"The Soul Information Origin Theory, a new scientific theoretical system that finds a balance between abstract concepts and empirical data. It's intriguing, but it lacks validation and results. It seems more like the speculation of a third-rate amateur. Such a thing cannot convince me."

"That's why I said it's just a possibility. Validation and results will come, but it takes time."

"And then, am I supposed to be a fool?"

"I wouldn't dare to say that. It's just that, when it comes to resurrection, you wouldn't mind taking a gamble, would you? Besides, having backup insurance for one of your plans, wouldn't that be prudent? We both care about her, and you wouldn't lose out."

"We," referring to Sigurd himself and Kiana.

Plan, referring to sacrificing an important person to awaken the humane side of the Herrscher and cultivate a Herrscher with humanity - the key to this plan is twofold. First, Kiana must grow up smoothly and form bonds with important individuals who value her. Second, when the Herrscher of the Void awakens within her, at least one important person needs to be sacrificed to stimulate Kiana's spirit.

Otto must have considered that sacrificing just one person may not be enough to trigger the desired effect. In that case, sacrificing two, three, or even more individuals until the stimulation is sufficient to allow Kiana's humane side to resist the consciousness of the Herrscher.

From this perspective, the number of sacrifices should naturally be abundant.

As Kiana values Vira, protecting Vira would provide an additional option for sacrifice in the future.

This statement piqued Otto's interest.

He straightened his body, remained silent for a moment, and said:

"This reason is good. You have convinced me."

"Thank you for your understanding."

"Furthermore, do your best to validate and put your theory into practice. If you can provide me with sufficient results, I will make concessions in this world."

With his ten fingers crossed and one leg raised, Otto adopted a relaxed and composed demeanor, exuding an air of breaking through boundaries. It clearly conveyed to Sigurd that whoever challenges the status quo, it won't be him!

"I will do my best. I'm also looking forward to seeing the true face of the legendary Kallen Valkyrie."

Finally mentioning this crucial name, Otto's pupils contracted, and then he smiled:

"You understand quite well, young man. Farewell."

"Farewell."

The communication was cut off, and a set of coordinates was sent to Otto's tablet device.

Otto handed it over to Amber by his side.

"Send a Valkyrie team to this location for retrieval, and tell them to be careful. This is a valuable item."

"Yes, Your Excellency. Should we bring that person back as well?"

"Attempt to track him, although I don't think we'll succeed. He's confident. But it won't hurt to test the waters. Also, redo his profile. I want to know every detail of his life, from birth until now, without missing a single point."

"Yes!"

Otto picked up his teacup once again, hoping he wouldn't crush it this time, and smiled with anticipation.

Keeping K-423 by the side of an intelligent person until her retrieval would provide her with safety and further growth, which would be advantageous for overcoming the Herrscher's consciousness in the future.

As for Sigurd's theory, Otto was actually looking forward to it. To a certain extent, this was the real reason why he agreed to treat Vira.

A rare genius, a new theoretical system involving resurrection, even offering some explanations about the so-called soul and reincarnation, and possessing unknown means to uncover such secrets—all of these combined were enough to pique Otto's interest.

Restricting a genius would only limit their talents. Allowing them to grow freely would yield results more quickly.

That's why Otto chose to let things be.

As Sigurd said, taking a gamble—if there's a reward, it's a great gain. And if not, having a backup sacrifice wouldn't be a loss.

Regardless, Otto had the confidence that everything would develop as he envisioned, and no one would escape.

...

Ten minutes later, the Valkyries arrived at the entrance of the abandoned factory and saw Vira lying asleep on a clean bed. She looked like a delicate sleeping beauty, with her golden hair and a pretty dress, perfectly groomed. There was even a brand-new yellow bunny doll by her pillow.

The Valkyries carefully took Vira away.

The remaining people searched the area but only found Sigurd's base entrance and realized that Sigurd was likely watching them through surveillance equipment. However, in the end, they didn't find any more traces or clues and had to leave.

On the other side of a mountain, Sigurd sat in a cave, cradling the immobile Kiana in his arms, and both of them watched the scene through a screen.

When Vira was taken away, Kiana tightened her embrace around Sigurd's neck.

"Will Vira be saved?"

"She will. As I said before, if there's anyone in the world who can save Vira, it must be Otto."

Kiana reached out and touched Vira on the screen, as if bidding her farewell.

Then, she turned to Sigurd, sniffled, and said:

"So, Sigurd, you also lost your family because of the Honkai, right?"

"Yes."

"Don't be too sad. From now on, I'll be with you."

Kiana pressed her face against Sigurd's cheek and nuzzled him, showing an uncommon tenderness.

Kiana didn't understand much about the cryptic conversation between Sigurd and Otto, but she believed in Sigurd's ability to solve everything, and she wasn't interested in pursuing further explanations. She was only saddened by Sigurd's background and understood his current solitary situation.

Between searching for the ever-vibrant Siegfried Kaslana and accompanying the lonely Sigurd, the balance had quietly shifted at both ends.

Sigurd was unaware of her psychological changes, but he could sense that she had become unusually gentle, possibly due to her injury. She resembled a mischievous cat that scratched people all day but suddenly became docile and clingy one day, which made Sigurd somewhat uncomfortable.

He gently touched her head without saying a word, and a complex expression appeared in his eyes.

Otto's words forced Sigurd to recall memories of his original self that he didn't want to remember and even made him unsure how to perceive Kiana.

Sigurd couldn't figure out whether Otto was merely retaliating with his words or if he had deeper motives.

Players often describe this man as the source of evil, the first verdant one, and someone who often plays tricks. However, upon actual contact, Sigurd discovered that Otto was deeply contemplative and had an extraordinary temperament.

After all, he was the man who ruled the Honkai for 500 years, even controlling the world behind the scenes. Facing Otto, any hint of underestimation was likely fatal.

"Sigurd..."

Just as Sigurd was lost in thought, Kiana's soft voice brought him back to reality.

"What's wrong?"

"When we were on the road, you mentioned ice cream and cake. Were you lying to me?"

"..."

Stupid tuna, it's already this late, and you're still thinking about that?

Sigurd was speechless, but miraculously, his chaotic thoughts calmed down. He beckoned, and a small refrigerator opened up on the side of the giant motorcycle.

Just as Sigurd had promised, there was ice cream and cake.

"Which one is sweeter?"

"I haven't tasted them, so I don't know. But I guess it's the ice cream."

"Then feed me."

"...Alright."

Considering your helpless state, I'll indulge you a little.

Sigurd opened the ice cream as instructed and brought it to Kiana's mouth.

She took a bite and chewed.

Then she took another bite and chewed.

Tears welled up in her eyes once again during this process.

"Kiana..."

"You lied to me. It's not sweet at all."

The girl said tearfully.

Suddenly, Sigurd understood that she wasn't begging for food; she just hoped to use sweets to alleviate her heavy heart.

Sigurd took a bite of the ice cream, which tasted like wax, and swallowed it with a mouthful of coldness. Then he brought it close to Kiana's mouth while wiping away the tears on her face, saying:

"Eat it, it's very sweet. Trust me, things will get better."

"Mmm..."

Kiana sniffed and replied obediently, finishing the ice cream without wasting any.

Then, perhaps truly exhausted, she leaned against Sigurd's chest and fell asleep.

Sigurd held her in his arms and suddenly smiled with a sense of relief.

Why think so much? The Kiana he knows is this Kiana—innocent, kind, mischievous, and daring. She may appear careless, but she has a heart softer than anyone else's.

She isn't the Herrscher of Void, nor is she a demon. She is just Kiana, nothing more.