Archive of Our Own ^beta

After four long days of being stuck in a medical facility, routinely checked by doctors day and night with no end in sight, Bianka was finally about to head back home.

She genuinely couldn’t be happier.

Honestly, the whole process felt unnecessary. Even though she felt perfectly fine, the doctors insisted on keeping her confined and repeated the same tests over and over again, draining her patience bit by bit.

At some points, she seriously considered escaping through the window, with only the knowledge that Rita wouldn't react well to such a course of action stopping her.

So it felt very rewarding that Bianka was finally free to leave after all that tedium.

She let out a sigh of relief as she shed her hospital gown and slipped into the comfort of her regular clothes, which had been left folded and cleaned for her on a nearby chair.

In the end, not everything had been given back to her. As soon as they were recovered from the ruins of Vimur Lab, Shicksal had stored away her battlesuit and Abyss Flower for the time being. 

Bianka understood the reasoning behind it, of course. In her state, attempting to use either could easily prove fatal.

Still, it felt strange to know they were out of her reach, as if it left her far too vulnerable.

Maybe that was just her paranoia talking. In which case she should simply ignore it and focus on the real question at the moment.

Namely, what should she do next?

The answer should have been obvious. Had this been like any other day, the S-Rank Valkyrie known as Durandal would have gotten right back into the swing of things without any hesitation and headed to the training rooms. Someone like her couldn’t afford to rest more than necessary, so it was crucial to get herself back into shape as soon as possible. The Honkai certainly wouldn’t be kind enough to patiently wait for her to get better.

But, as she stood in the middle of the room and looked into the mirror with a complicated gaze, taking her time to get dressed as if afraid of what the day would bring, going back to work was the furthest thing from her mind.

The hospital may have been tedious, but her mind took that chance to get to work without her own input. With each day that passed, Bianka remembered more and more fragments of her old life as Kiana Kaslana. A past she once held no interest in recapturing was now at the forefront of her attention, and it was very difficult to pretend nothing was different.

She only held a single recollection of her mother, Cecilia Schariac, but to even call it a memory felt like a stretch. All Bianka had was a vague echo of her smiling face, along with the warmth and the love from what felt like a lifetime ago.

As for Siegfried… Her father… Bianka couldn’t even fathom where he might be. Despite Shicksal’s best efforts, he still managed to elude them so far. Wherever he may be, Bianka couldn’t reach out to him. There was no way to tell him she was alright, and she couldn’t simply go about finding him on her own without reason.

She remembered random moments spent with him. Going to the movies, playing soccer, camping. Simple activities that felt so distant now, fragments of an old life she wasn't part of anymore.

Then there was Theresa… Aunt Teri. The only member of her former family she still had a hope of contacting, yet it felt the most impossible. 

Theresa Apocalypse was a traitor, a wanted figure who abandoned Shicksal to side with Anti-Entropy. Bianka didn’t have anything resembling a plan on how to contact her, much less without the Overseer knowing.

Of course, there were many Kaslanas and Schariacs currently in HQ, but Bianka had no close relationship with any of them. Even in the past, they were nothing more than relatives.

No matter which way she looked, only dead ends presented themselves. Although Schicksal HQ had been Bianka's home for many years now, it suddenly felt like a prison.

Things were much easier just days ago, when Durandal's only worries were to fight the Honkai threat and protect her Bubble Universe. When she could count on the Overseer to prepare all the necessary plans and make the difficult decisions, following his orders to the letter with no doubt that they would lead to a better tomorrow.

Now, Bianka had no idea how she would react to seeing his face again.

And maybe that thought was enough to taunt fate, because, no sooner than she had finished putting on her white jacket, heavy footsteps that didn't fit either Rita or her sister approached the hospital room's closed door from outside. She recognized them easily.

There was a pause, followed by a soft knocking on the door.

Bianka took a deep breath, steeling herself as she turned to the door.

"Come in."

The door opened a second later, and the Overseer stepped inside wearing a smile.

"Durandal, pardon my intrusion. It’s good to see you up."

Even after bracing herself, Bianka was almost caught off-guard by the flurry of different emotions that threatened to take her over. Never before had she felt such rage and murderous intent towards a single person, especially a man that she once revered.

Bianka wanted to kill him, almost blindingly so. In an instant, she was already thinking of at least five different ways she could get rid of him and then take her sister somewhere safe.

But she held herself back. This was but one of his bodies, and all she'd achieve would be destroying her cover.

Bianka wouldn’t let her emotions win. A single misstep could mean putting her sister in danger.

She couldn’t fail Kiana yet again.

Instead of punching him through a wall, Bianka put on the best smile she had in stock as she saluted him as a loyal soldier should.

"Lord Otto," Durandal spoke, her tone showing nothing but the utmost respect. "I didn’t anticipate a visit like this."

"Be at ease. I simply wished to see the progress of your recovery. Your injury gave me quite the scare those few days ago." The Overseer chuckled, as if the notion itself was an amusing novelty. "Though I presume you’re faring well?"

"Yes. The doctors were immaculate in their work, though I have to admit my experience here was quite tedious…" Durandal sighed, feigning nonchalance as she dropped her salute. "They had to have checked me at least dozens of times. At some points it felt excessive."

To that, the bastard gave her an apologetic smile. "Still, I feel that this amount of care for your wellbeing is only natural. An outcome such as your near fatal injury was far too unexpected, after all."

If only he knew the true depth of that statement…

"Lord Overseer, the fault for this incident is mine alone. I underestimated the Herrscher of Thunder's abilities and downplayed the severity of the injury during a critical mission." Durandal put an arm across her chest, bowing lightly. "I accept full responsibility for my mistakes and am willing to face any punishment you deem fit."

"Ah, you don't need to go so far." The Overseer smirked. "Punishment won’t be necessary. Though the damage to Vimur Lab has been costly, we've gained a pair of vital new allies"

Durandal raised an eyebrow. "A pair?"

Someone else besides Kiana?

"Yes, not only her," the Overseer told her casually, as if he could read her mind. "For the time being, Shicksal now considers the World Serpent its ally, though not publicly. As it turns out, their Sire was quite the reasonable man, and we managed to settle our differences peacefully."

Schicksal… allying with World Serpent? 

Those people that hunted down Kiana all the way to Vimur Lab, and who nearly destroyed an entire city not even a full day before? 

Bianka seethed at that.

Durandal didn't display such fiery emotions, but she did raise an eyebrow. "A partnership? Even after all they've done?" 

"I understand your skepticism, but this will prevent many troubles in the future," the Overseer told her. "World Serpent wouldn't dare to act against their beloved Sire's orders, so you don't need to worry about a betrayal even if some of their members are unhappy with this result."

And yet that did nothing for Bianka's own unhappiness with that.

Durandal considered his words, nodding. "Very well. I trust the Overseer’s judgment."

How would she have ever rationalized this decision before? Would she have just considered it another necessary step towards peace, as she had done in the past to excuse the Overseer’s heinous actions? Perhaps she wouldn't have given it any thought at all?

… Then again, them being allies meant that World Serpent wouldn't target Kiana anymore, so maybe there was some benefit, after all.

"I also come with news regarding your current situation," the Overseer continued. "While I’m truly glad to see your recovery so quickly, rushing things wouldn't be appropriate. Until we’ve completely ascertained that your injuries caused no lasting damage, I'd like to remove you from our active roster. Consider it a vacation for all your hard work."

"A vacation…?" Durandal asked as she processed his words, somewhat taken aback.

"Indeed." The Overseer nodded. "I trust you have no objections to that."

Well, that was unexpected, but not entirely unwelcome. Bianka was already thinking of the different things she could do with Kiana in order to build a proper relationship with her during her newfound free time.

Durandal's face showed no changes. "I certainly don’t mind. How long will this impromptu vacation be?"

"If everything goes well, I hope to have you back to work in a week or two," said the Overseer. "I’ll see to arranging a few check-ups with Nagamitsu in the foreseeable future. We’ll assess the situation from there."

Bianka groaned internally.

She liked Nagamitsu, but sitting around for more examinations was so boring…

"Hah, more check-ups…" Durandal sighed. "Well, I can’t possibly refuse if it'll bring me back to the field faster."

"I expected nothing less." The Overseer nodded before his natural smile faded into a more serious expression. "Though, with this out of the way, there is still one mystery surrounding the incident at Vimur Lab. Particularly, with the recent alliance with the Herrscher of the Void."

There it was.

Bianka internally braced herself, keeping everything down to her heartbeat calm. The fact that he didn't even refer to her sister by her own name made Bianka’s blood boil, and it was harder than she expected to maintain her calm expression.

"After everything she had been through, I had considered K-423's cooperation a lost cause," he said. "And while I do not find this development unwelcome, I can't help but think it far too unexpected."

Durandal met his eyes head-on. "You wish to know how I earned her trust."

"Precisely." The Overseer nodded. "I spoke to her just the other day, though I did not inquire about this matter to avoid her anger. Our trust is paper-thin as is." He chuckled as if it were some kind of joke. "But it was during our little talk that she spoke rather highly of you, which spurred my curiosity. If I may ask, what happened exactly to cause this development?"

Bianka couldn't tell him the truth, but she needed something that sounded convincing. She couldn't do anything that even made him suspect she was hiding something.

"I simply felt that it would be more beneficial for Kiana to be in Shicksal, rather than continue to wander aimlessly while succumbing to the Herrscher's will," Durandal started succinctly. "When I was told of what happened in Vimur Labs, I found her conduct to be commendable. She not only saved my life, but countless others as well, even though she could have easily escaped amidst the chaos. That, in my mind, proved that she could be reasoned with."

Bianka couldn’t have been prouder of her baby sister. In spite of all the hell she had been through, the pain that she had endured at the Overseer's hands, Kiana didn’t run away, choosing to stay and fight to protect everyone.

"When her… condition came to light, I offered her treatment." Durandal continued. "After all, with Shicksal’s technology, we could treat her and stabilize the infection to a tolerable point. However, when she continued to resist my arguments, I opted to appeal to her humanity."

The thought of her baby sister suffering like that made Bianka’s heart ache. That Kiana had acted so casually about it, as if her being in that kind of pain was completely normal, made it so much worse. 

What had her sister done to deserve that torment? What was her crime for just existing? 

"Appeal to her humanity?" The Overseer looked intrigued. "What did you do, exactly?"

Bianka hesitated, wondering how believable the next part would be.

"... I showed her the Bubble Universe within me," Durandal spoke after a moment. "I gave her my reasons for fighting against Honkai with Schicksal. After that, she agreed to return with me."

For a moment, the Overseer looked at her curiously. 

Durandal’s cover didn’t waver, but internally Bianka was paranoid. She had no way of knowing if he was onto her act or not, one of the many terrifying aspects about the Overseer.

"Interesting," he commented after a moment of silence. "It seems as though she lives up to her chosen name quite well. Though, it certainly is surprising that you would show your world to a Herrscher of all things."

"I only did what I felt was necessary to ensure her cooperation," said Durandal. "She may be a Herrscher, but she has yet to be lost to the Honkai’s corruption. I didn’t want to let this opportunity go to waste."

Kiana was so much stronger than Durandal, or even herself, could have ever realized. Pushing back against the Herrscher of the Void’s corruption for so many months took an unbelievable amount of will and power. Bianka couldn’t imagine going through that type of pain for so long, much less on her own.

"And you've done an outstanding job," the Overseer said with a smile. "You have my sincerest gratitude for returning K-423 to Schicksal."

Bianka didn't want that bastard's gratitude, and hearing him refer to her sister by that label made her sick.

"Still," he continued, "I can't help but be amused that you took such a liking to K-423 as well. After all, she was originally meant to be simply a tool to make use of the Herrscher of the Void's power."

With one arm behind her back, Bianka tightly clenched her fist.

"I understand why you may think that way, but with all due respect, doesn't she deserve to be considered more than that?" Durandal said in an even tone. "Her efforts shouldn't be understated. She came to our aid even after everything she’s been through. At the very least, I believe she deserves the name she chose."

"Well, I suppose it makes no difference." The Overseer shrugged. "The real owner of the name Kiana Kaslana is not in this world anymore, after all. Referring to her as such shouldn’t change anything."

That Bianka managed to stop herself from attacking him felt like a miracle.

"I'm glad you think so," Durandal told him, as if his words hadn't bothered her at all.

The Overseer hummed in response. "With that said, I believe I should be taking my leave now. I truly am glad to see you recover so fast, Durandal. With any luck, we may have you back on the field in a week."

"I'll do my best to make it happen," came Durandal's immediate response.

The Overseer chuckled at that as he turned around, moving to take his leave.

However, a sudden thought entered Bianka's mind.

"Wait."

"Hm?" The Overseer stopped as he reached for the handle, his gaze looking back at her questioningly. "Is something the matter?"

Bianka had spoken almost on instinct, and she realized she was suddenly in a very precarious position. It wasn’t like Durandal to speak out of turn, and the Overseer would certainly like an explanation for something so uncharacteristic of her.

Perhaps the smartest course of action would be to apologize and back down. However…

"This may sound selfish, but if the Overseer doesn't mind, I would like to make a request," Durandal spoke with the same confidence and calmness from earlier, not allowing herself to waver.

"Oh?" For once, the Overseer showed a genuine hint of surprise. "And what might that request be?"

"If it isn’t too much to ask, may I request that Ana Schariac be invited to remain here temporarily?" Durandal asked, sounding as nonchalant as possible. "Of course, that's only assuming it doesn't cause any problems for the Snow Lotus Squad. I just realized that it's been quite a while since we last met in person."

Otto didn’t say anything for a moment, only silently staring at her with an indiscernible expression.

Bianka panicked internally, even as Durandal’s expression didn’t falter.

"Well," the Overseer said, "consider your request approved."

At that, Bianka had to take a moment to process the words that left the Overseer's mouth.

"Really?" she asked, astonished. "Just like that?"

"Admittedly, I am a little surprised by such a request, but it's not as if I don't understand," the Overseer explained in a casual voice. "Injuries such as yours often put certain things in perspective, and one selfish request after years of loyal service is hardly a blemish on your spotless record."

"... Yes, of course," Durandal agreed after a moment's hesitation.

"So, consider your request approved," the Overseer continued. "I’ll be sure to inform Ana Schariac of your invitation."

With that, Durandal bowed. "Thank you, Lord Otto."

The man gave her one of his disgusting smiles brimming with fake innocence. "Think nothing of it. I hope you'll be able to enjoy your time with your friend."

With nothing more to say, the Overseer left the room, as Durandal stood and maintained the perfect image of a loyal Valkyrie.

As soon as the door closed, Durandal’s respectful look turned into a full-blown scowl.

He was lucky that he was leaving the room with his current body still intact, but he didn't know that.

Her thoughts turned to Ana, whose presence in HQ she had effectively demanded.

Maybe it wasn't proper to consider putting such a weight on her old friend's shoulders without warning, but Bianka's selfishness won out in the end. She needed a contact from outside Schicksal HQ, someone she could trust to keep her secrets and to reach out to Aunt Teri underneath the Overseer’s nose.

It was a risky plan, but she would just have to rely on trust and a little bit of luck to see if her gamble would pay off.

Bianka sighed. 

Honestly, that kind of scheming was more Rita's thing, and yet there she was happily engaging in it.

When did everything get so complicated?

Perhaps luck was smiling upon Otto Apocalypse, after all.

As he closed the door to Durandal’s room, he couldn’t help but smile back.

Just a few days ago, he was seething at the notion of World Serpent casting all of his plans into jeopardy without warning. Now, Shicksal was in a partnership that was sure to bear fruit, Durandal was recovering faster than expected, and his pet project had finally been returned to him.

Otto never believed in God, but such a stroke of good fortune was almost enough to make him religious.

Finally, everything was falling back into place. Soon enough, he’d be able to harness the power of the Void as he saw fit. It would still take a little more preparation and patience to reach that point, of course, but everything would come to him in time.

Besides, his wait wouldn't be a boring experience. After all…

"There’s no need to hide." Otto turned around, seemingly calling out to nothing in particular in the empty halls of the hospital. "You can come out."

It took a few seconds, but the other person stepped out of an intersection into his full view. She wore a light blue jacket over a black tank top, fitted with matching shorts, and sneakers.

Her casual outfit was in stark contrast to the outright murderous glare she was sending his way as she stood there silently.

"It’s not very polite to eavesdrop," Otto’s tone was jovial as he spoke to her, "though I am glad to see you healthy after the treatment, Miss Kaslana. Do you like the outfit that I had Amber procure for you? It's not unlike what your father used to wear in his youth."

"I'm not here to listen to you reminisce," came K-423's venomous response.

His little project did not look upon him with any trepidation. The only emotions she conveyed were anger, hatred, and pure disgust at his very existence.

Of course, they were all perfectly reasonable emotions for her to feel. After all, Otto did wrong her all those months ago, indirectly leading to her teacher's unfortunate passing. If anything, he would have been legitimately concerned if she didn’t hold anything against him.

"You have no reason to be so guarded around me," Otto still said as he slipped back into his usual role, moving towards her until he was a mere few steps away, as if they were friends, as if he was daring her to retaliate. "After all, are we not allies now?"

The notion was enough for her scowl to deepen. "Do you have what I asked for?"

"Ah, straight to the point." Otto chuckled. "Of course. I did not forget our little deal. In fact, I was about to go meet you." He reached inside his coat, pulled out a large envelope from a pocket inside, and handed it out to her. "Rest assured, everything you asked for is here."

K-423 looked at the envelope for a moment, then roughly took it from his hand and put it inside her own jacket.

Otto smiled all the same.

He didn’t fault his project for demanding such a thing. Even a Herrscher proved to be capable of feeling human emotions, and there was no greater weakness than being human. Otto Apocalypse knew that better than anyone.

Still, her current behavior was quite a surprise to him.

He thought he already knew what K-423 was like. Master Jingwei's reports had shown nothing more than a clueless, blithering fool much like her "father," whose survival in all the years she spent wandering alone could be chalked up to a combination of her unique body composition and pure luck. 

He had given her the benefit of the doubt when he had her deployed in Singapore alongside Master Jingwei, but her dramatically poor performance had only cemented that assumption in his mind.

After that, Otto had long deemed her useless as a pawn, more suited to be wielded as a tool.

Clearly, he had been mistaken.

The first time they spoke properly, K-423 displayed an entirely different behavior than what Master Jingwei had reported. She was sharp, focused, and cunning in ways that none of the individuals forming her genetic makeup had been.

It seemed she was quite fond of masks, just as he was. Perhaps she merely saw no reason to take her mission seriously in Singapore, in which case Otto could only blame himself for jumping to conclusions.

"If we’re done here, you can go ahead and leave," K-423 said dismissively. 

"So soon?" Otto asked with a friendly smile. "But there are still some matters I’d like to discuss with you."

She sighed. "Like what?"

Otto allowed himself a small grin. "Tell me, does the term ‘K-423’ hold any meaning for you?"

"..."

Her hardening glare spoke of familiarity.

"Ah, I see." Otto nodded, satisfied. "How fortunate. It would sadden me if I had to weave a web of lies for such an unimportant fact."

"What do you really want?" she asked, irritated. "I don't care for small talk with the likes of you."

"There's no need to be so hostile." Otto waved his hand. "As allies, I believe we should attempt to understand each other, and that begins through friendly conversations such as this."

A cold laugh escaped her lips. "You think I'm your ally by choice?"

"But it was a choice, was it not?" he pointed out. "Even if you considered the alternatives undesirable, that still left you with a decision to make."

Otto Apocalypse spoke with such confidence that most people would find themselves faltering.

Most, of course, didn't mean all.

"Seriously?" K-423 looked almost bored at his words. "You're not leading this ‘friendly conversation’ anywhere useful. If you think it's fun to make me mad, I'll have to remind you that you need me."

It was almost stunning how completely unlike Siegfried she was.

Had she been displaying mere empty bravado or naivety, like so many before her, Otto would be quite unimpressed.

However, the situation was different. This girl knew exactly what Otto was capable of and was in no way underestimating him. Instead, she was trying to play the same game as him, having recognized how important to his plans she seemed to be.

It was very interesting.

"But the opposite is true as well, is it not?" he told her. "You also require my assistance in order to treat your… illness, let's say. In that sense, I believe we are equal parties in this contract of ours."

"Not really," she shot back, narrowing her eyes. "You know World Serpent has the technology to treat me. I came to Schicksal first because of the circumstances, but now that you're allied to World Serpent, what's stopping me from going there?"

"Were they not attempting to kill you?" Otto asked casually, aiming to poke holes in her logic.

"To kill a rogue Herrscher, you mean," came her succinct response. "If I wanted to join them right now, do you really think they'd say no?"

His smile widened.

"How are you so certain that they wouldn't have you take part in painful experiments?" he tried again.

"Isn't it your job to make sure I won't think of that as an acceptable risk?" she replied as though effortlessly. "Do you really want me to go there right now? Because I might just."

And Otto felt that she truly would do it. He knew that there was very little to hold back someone who already learned to ignore their own morals, as she had done in her return to Schicksal.

Although he wasn't as relentless as he could have been, all his attacks were splendidly avoided.

A laugh escaped his lips.

She almost seemed offended at the sound.

"Ah, my apologies. It has been a while since I had someone this fun to speak to," he spoke in a light tone. "You know how much I value our newfound partnership. Durandal is also surprisingly fond of you. Isn’t that nice?"

"Hmph." Her glare receded, but only to give way to a thoroughly unamused look.

"Unfortunately, as much as I'd love to continue this enlightening exchange, it seems as though we have to cut our conversation short. I am a busy man, after all." Saying that, Otto Apocalypse began to walk down the halls, passing K-423 as he did so. "However, I look forward to exploring our partnership to its fullest, Miss Kaslana."

"Just leave if you have nothing of worth to say," came her frosty response. "I’ve already been patient enough with you."

"Hahaha…"

Despite her barbed words, Otto only felt joy as he walked away.

K-423… No, Kiana Kaslana was capable of more than he previously thought. So that meant It was only natural for him to wonder how far she could go, wasn't it?

Then again, only time would tell if she truly was as capable as she suddenly seemed… or if her will was only as brittle as Siegfried's.

Kiana stood still as she watched that bastard leave. Her heart pounded in her chest, her hands clenched into fists, and her nails dug into her palms, threatening to draw blood.

Every fiber of her being screamed at her to lash out, to give in to the overwhelming urge to crush him, to make him pay for all the pain he had caused her. The desire for revenge surged through her, pulsing with a ferocity that threatened to overwhelm her self-control.

But, somehow, Kiana managed to hold on. 

She gritted her teeth, her jaw clenched tightly as she fought to keep her emotions in check. She refused to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he had gotten under her skin.

Despite the torrent of emotions raging inside her, Kiana held steady. She drew on every ounce of her strength, her resolve, to maintain her composure. She absolutely could not allow him to see her vulnerability.

Deep down, she knew that succumbing to her anger would only lead to more pain and regret. Kiana couldn't afford to lose control, not now, not when she had already come this far.

Steadily, she took a deep breath. She willed herself to stay calm, to keep her emotions in check.

As that bastard finally left her sight, Kiana felt a mix of relief and frustration. She hated that he had the power to provoke her like that.

Her self control really was her greatest weapon, just like Fu Hua taught her.

"..."

Kiana pushed that thought as far away as possible, before it could threaten to undo her already paperthin control.

"Kiana?"

The white-haired girl nearly jumped, turning around and calming down when she saw that it was just a casually dressed Durandal giving her a questioning look.

… Or was she ‘Kiana’ now? In that case, what should the white-haired girl call herself?

… No, there was no point in thinking about that so soon.

"Durandal… Hey," Kiana greeted her sister awkwardly. The fact that she had a sister was still something she was still processing, especially considering she was Shicksal’s top Valkyrie.

"Hello," Durandal responded just as awkwardly, the two of them standing a few feet away from each other. "Looks like you're already feeling better than before."

"Ah, yeah…"

Kiana could see in her sister’s eyes that she wanted to do more than just stand around and exchange awkward banter like this, only held back by the act she had to maintain.

She really didn’t want Durandal to worry about her that much. All it did was make her feel guilty.

"Well, since we’re both on our way out, why don’t we head back together?" Durandal suggested with a smile. "I’m sure you’d like to relax after all the tedium over the last four days. What do you say?"

"Oh… Uh…"

Right, home. That bastard told her an apartment was being furnished for her in one of the buildings reserved for the Immortal Blades, and it’d be ready by the time she would be discharged.

However, there was a tiny bit of an issue with that.

"Kiana?" Durandal called out with worry when she didn't respond. "Is something wrong?"

"I… don’t know where my apartment is…" Kiana finally admitted, her cheeks turning red with embarrassment.

Durandal blinked in surprise. "You didn’t ask the Overseer?"

Kiana scratched her cheek awkwardly, suddenly finding the wall to her right a lot more interesting as she failed to respond.

She could feel her sister’s gaze piercing into her soul.

"Well, we can do that later." Durandal sighed. "In the meantime, why don’t you stay over in my apartment?"

"R-Really?" Kiana looked back at her, surprised. "Is that alright? I mean, I thought you’d want to be alone with Rita."

Durandal raised an eyebrow. "Why would you think that? Not to say I dislike her company, but…"

"Huh?" Kiana tilted her head. "I-I mean, why wouldn’t you want to spend some time with your girlfriend after being stuck here for days? I’d just get in the way if I was there, wouldn’t I?"

There was a brief moment of silence between the two sisters.

In the next moment, Durandal let out an awkward cough, looking away as her cheeks flushed scarlet. "I-It’s nothing like that. We’re just friends."

"Huh? Eh? B-But I thought…" Kiana started stuttering, suddenly embarrassed. "I-I mean, you two live together, and I heard some things from the nurses, so I thought…" The white-haired girl trailed off when she noticed Durandal’s increasingly shocked look. 

"I-I can see that the rumors are more widespread than I thought. Be that as it may, those are just rumors," Durandal said after a moment, shaking her head. "Our relationship is purely platonic, much like you and Raiden Mei."

Kiana gave Bianka a blank look.

"Durandal…" she began, hesitant. "I'm not sure how to tell you this, but, uh… Mei’s my girlfriend."

The blonde spent the next few seconds staring intently at Kiana's face, her mind clearly working overtime in a desperate attempt to come up with a response.

"... Congratulations?" is what she ultimately ended up with.

The way her voice cracked, along with the unsure look on her sister’s face, was a little too much for Kiana.

She couldn’t take it.

"Pffft…" Kiana put a hand over her mouth, her body shaking as she tried to muffle her laughter. Her attempt only grew more hopeless when her sister gave her a very uncharacteristic annoyed look that really shouldn't be on the face of Shicksal’s top Valkyrie. "S-Sorry… Sorry… I just… Heh… Okay, laughing is done. I promise."

She still snickered once more.

Durandal very nearly pouted.

"Ugh…" she groaned, crossing her arms. "Well, if we’re done with jokes, can we get going?"

"Whatever you say." Kiana nodded, a wide smile in place as she began moving down the hallways, her sister walking right by her side. "Hey, actually, why don’t I just make a portal to get us there instantly?"

"No."

"Huh?" Kiana gawked at Durandal’s quick rejection. "Why not?"

"Do I really need to say it?" The blonde gave her a stern look. "You just came out of treatment and you already want to use that power? Do you want me to carry your unconscious body back?"

"... It’s really not as draining as you think it is." Kiana sighed. "Besides, I should be the one worried about carrying you around. Out of the six hours or so I spent around you, most of those were you having your beauty sleep."

"Oh?" Durandal gave her an amused look. "Did you forget about your own beauty sleep after Arc City? You didn't go to Vimur Lab by yourself, remember?"

"That’s… Uh…"

Kiana's response was to look away.

"Exactly." Durandal nodded. "No means no, unless you want to get yourself bedridden. Now let’s head back."

"Ugh, fine…"

Kiana and Durandal's feet hit the metallic floor of the landing pad as they left the public bus-like aircraft, the sound of their steps echoing through the massive hangar as they walked under the afternoon's sun.

According to her sister, this isle was mostly a residential district with some small stores for everyone stationed at HQ. There were massive apartment complexes in the distance that confirmed that claim, though one in particular loomed over the rest, the design outright luxurious compared to the more standard buildings built around it.

As they left the dock and entered a street that wouldn't look out of place anywhere else in the world, aircrafts buzzed overhead, their engines thrumming in the air, while robots scurried around like ants, their metallic bodies gleaming in the sunlight.

Fitting for a residential area, the isle was also packed with Valkyries walking around.

And it just so happened that every single one of them seemed to stop whatever they had been doing before to stare at the two of them as they walked past.

Even as Kiana tried to keep looking forward, she could still feel the gazes of all the Valkyries on her. She could hear them whispering even from a distance, and all of them sounded like they were in awe of her instead of in fear.

It made sense, considering she was the one who saved Durandal in Vimur Lab, but Kiana felt nothing but contempt toward that kind of treatment. She definitely didn’t feel like a hero worthy of any praise.

How could she be called a hero, when she was responsible for the deaths of billions? Responsible for so much widespread destruction across the world?

How could she be a hero, when she couldn’t even save Fu Hua?

It was then that Durandal suddenly spoke up, "I didn’t realize this before, but we’ll need to pick a uniform for you. And a new battlesuit."

Kiana would take that distraction.

"I get the uniform, but a battlesuit?" she asked, forcing herself into a casual tone. "Can't I just keep making White Comet transform into other stuff? I even did it with… Lunar Knight, I think. Aunt Teri said it was a God suit or something."

"You mean Knight Moonbeam, a Godsbane battlesuit, and doing things that way simply won't do." Durandal shook her head. "You’re a member of the Immortal Blades now, so you need something befitting of your current skills. Although all regular battlesuits can morph like that if you have the necessary data, they still won't reach the same potential as the original battlesuit you're copying, especially if the base is a slightly customized mass-produced battlesuit meant for B-Rank Valkyries and below."

"Hey, don’t trash White Comet like that!" Kiana huffed. "It got me through a lot of stuff, you know."

"I’m just laying out the facts. I didn’t mean to offend your battlesuit's honor." Durandal looked back at Kiana, smiling. "Besides, we might even be able to get you the real Knight Moonbeam, since it's not assigned to anyone yet. I didn't actually know you used it before. What led to that?"

"Long story. Remind me to tell you later." Kiana frowned, crossing her arms. "I guess it wouldn't be so bad to get that one, but suddenly throwing White Comet away… Ugh, these last few days have felt like such a blur with how everything's changing. I still can’t believe I’m back here…"

"It might take some time to adjust here, but I’m sure you’ll get used to it," Durandal said, taking the time to give Kiana a genuine smile. "Besides, even if your mind is stuck on something particularly troubling, just remember that you have me, alright?"

Personally, Kiana was quite happy to hear those words.

But maybe she'd have been happier if Durandal saved it for when they were alone, and not when they were walking in public, surrounded by people who were eyeing them like hawks.

Incidentally, too many of the aforementioned people were suddenly gawking at them in shock, some letting out quiet gasps that only Kiana's enhanced Herrscher hearing could pick up or bringing up their hands over their mouths, as if they overheard something they shouldn’t have.

"R-Right, yeah, I'll keep that in mind, so let’s just keep going!" Kiana doubled her pace, walking ahead of Durandal in an attempt to escape the overly curious masses.

"Huh? Is there something wrong?" Durandal sounded confused as she matched Kiana's pace. "Slow down. You don't even know where my apartment is, remember?"

More gasps sounded, but none that Durandal noticed.

Kiana groaned internally.

‘You’re just making it worse!’

Fortunately, they managed to make it to the apartment building and enter the elevator without many issues, besides the very real possibility that Kiana would be targeted by Durandal's fan club in the near future.

Kiana was quite surprised to learn that an entire building was exclusive to just the Immortal Blades, being the tall luxurious one she had seen earlier. She always knew that the Immortal Blades were a pretty big deal, but she didn’t know it was to this extent.

Even then, Durandal was at the top of the top.

Literally.

The entire top floor was seemingly built to house S-Rank Valkyries, which translated to only one of the rooms being in use since Durandal and Rita lived together.

During the ride up, Kiana couldn’t help but glance at her sister silently. The blonde stood patiently with her arms crossed behind her back, her thoughts a mystery.

Eventually, Durandal noticed her gaze. "Is something wrong?"

Kiana smirked. "Nothing. I just didn’t anticipate you to be this high up. Both figuratively and literally. This is so sudden it kinda feels like I'm walking into some scam. I'm not gonna have to donate anything, right?"

Durandal laughed. "The apartment itself isn't nearly as gaudy as you're imagining. To tell the truth, I also feel like this is too much, but the Overseer wouldn't take a no for an answer."

They couldn’t drop their guards just yet, since there was a camera in the elevator, but Kiana noticed the slight edge to her sister’s words as she said that.

The elevator dinged, and the door opened to allow the two sisters into the top floor…

… and they were immediately greeted by a mountain of presents in their way.

"..."

"..."

The sisters stared at the pile blocking the hallway for a moment, before Kiana glanced at Durandal.

"I’m, uh, guessing your apartment is around here?"

"Second door to the right, right in the middle," her sister said with a sigh. "Once news of my injury spread all across HQ, I started receiving many gifts. Rita told me she had to start moving them to a separate room."

Kiana stared back at the pile. "Well, it looks like she didn’t get around to it yet."

"No, she did," Durandal clarified. "Chances are these were delivered today."

"... Oh." Kiana blinked. "Well, I doubt we’d be able to fit all these inside, so why don’t we just move them to the side for now?"

Her sister sighed. "Yes, that sounds ideal…"

With that, the two sisters began to move the dozens upon dozens of presents away from the door and towards the other end of the hallway. Bit by bit, the door to Durandal's apartment began to slowly come into view.

"Geez, did everyone in HQ send you a gift…?" Kiana grumbled as she moved a stack of boxes.

"You jest, but it’s a likely possibility," Durandal said, lifting a few boxes of her own. "The empty room Rita is moving these gifts to is almost at maximum capacity, or so she says."

Kiana let out a disbelieving laugh. "Must be fun to be this famous, huh?"

Durandal's response was a long-suffering sigh.

It took about twenty minutes, but when they were done, Durandal wasted no time in entering her home, with Kiana following behind her.

The apartment was smaller than Kiana expected, with the living room and kitchen sharing the same space and having really simplistic designs. 

She closed the door behind her as her eyes scanned the living room, taking in the few pieces of furniture that occupied the space. A yellow couch and a chaise stood against one wall, while a wooden coffee table sat in the center of the room. A TV hung on the wall, on the opposite side, hovering over a wooden entertainment center and beneath two wooden shelves.

Kiana turned her attention to the kitchen next. The room was plain and unadorned, the only items standing out being a large fridge and an oven, both stainless steel. Plain white cabinets lined the walls, and a wooden table with two stools completed the scene. 

There was also a large window in between the two spaces, giving Kiana a scenic view of the clouds overhead.

"Not much for decorating, I see…" Kiana quipped as she looked around, noticing that something felt… off.

"This was all Rita’s doing. I’ve never had a taste for decorating," Bianka said, taking off her jacket and letting it sit on a coat rack. "Though I don’t mind the simplicity. It makes it easier to come back and decompress, however brief it may be."

"Hm, guess the British have really plain tastes, then…"

"Hey."

Kiana snickered at Bianka's pout, though the sense of uneasiness continued to grip her. 

"Well, that aside, do you want anything?" Saying that, Bianka began to make her way towards the kitchen. "Rita just went shopping yesterday, so we have plenty of food and drinks… Oh, there you are, Stan."

Kiana didn’t respond, even as a mewling sound came from the kitchen. Instead, she wandered around the apartment, getting close to the walls in particular when she felt her uneasiness grow.

"Kiana…?"

Kiana didn’t say anything when her sister called out to her. Instead, she moved close to a wall nearby and placed her hand on it.

Having the power of the Herrscher of the Void meant having control over space, and that extended to everything around her. Her senses became fine tuned to everything around her, being able to trace things down to things like pipes in the walls or sewers under the street.

Of course, that meant it was especially sensitive when it sensed things that didn’t belong. At least when she had it turned on.

"... There’s something in your walls." 

"W-What?"

Kiana turned and looked at Bianka as she walked closer, holding a siamese cat in her hands.

"I don't know what it is, but…" Kiana turned her attention back on the wall and closed her eyes, focusing as she traced the inner lines of the walls in Bianka’s apartment. Whatever they were, they were tiny, but there were so many. "... Got them!"

Kiana outstretched her other hand, a small portal opening up above her palm and dropping a handful of tiny devices into it.

Bianka stared at the small objects, confusion written on her face. "What are…"

"Listening devices," came Kiana's quick response. "Over a hundred of them. Every room in your apartment was bugged. Well, except the bathroom. At least your dear Overseer isn’t a pervert."

Despite the joke, nothing in Kiana’s tone was remotely jovial.

In the next moment, Kiana crushed all of the devices with her hand before pouring the remnants into another portal that opened up beneath her palm. "I wonder what his excuse is going to be? That should be a fun talk. He probably did the same in my apartment."

Honestly, did she expect anything different from that bastard? Of course he’d do something like this even to his most loyal pawn.

It was disgusting.

"I… That’s…" Her sister looked like she was in shock about that revelation, her eyes wide. Then they narrowed, a scowl making its way to her face. "I thought we’d be free to drop our acts here. I was so close to revealing everything… Well, that’s a conversation I can have with him later." Her angered expression melted into one of concern towards Kiana. "Are you alright? You’re not feeling sick, are you? I mean, using the Herrscher of the Void's power like this…"

"I told you, it’s not as draining as you think it is." Kiana sighed. "You don’t have to keep worrying like that."

Bianka frowned. "I’m your big sister. It’s my right to worry." 

"Huh…?" Kiana’s heart jumped a little when she said that. It was one thing to think about it, but to actually hear it for herself was another story. "I-I see…"

"Well, if you say you’re alright, I won’t pry," Bianka said, even as her eyes made it clear she really wanted to. "Just promise you won’t use your power again without telling me first. Alright?"

Kiana rolled her eyes. "Yes, mom… "

Bianka sighed, shaking her head with a smirk. The cat in her hands scurried out of her grasp, jumping to the floor and making its way towards Kiana with a curious look.

"Hey there…" Kiana bent down and reached out her hand. The cat seemed apprehensive at first, but he leaned into her palm and started purring. "Good kitty…"

"It seems Stan took a liking to you. He’s usually so hostile to strangers…" Bianka commented with a surprised look. "If only he was like this with Rita."

At the mention of that woman’s name, the cat’s face seemed to change into a… glare?

Maybe Kiana was just imagining that…

"Speaking of Rita, when is she supposed to be back?" Kiana asked. "I don’t know how she’d feel seeing me being here with you. She might jump to the wrong conclusion, you know."

Silently, Kiana was still feeling apprehensive about that woman. Just a few days ago they were trying to kill each other, and now Kiana was in Rita's home, petting her cat and speaking casually with her partner who just so happened to be Kiana's very own sister.

"It’ll be fine. She’s usually receptive to guests," Bianka assured her. "With that said, she told me she was busy today, so she might not be back for an hour or two. We have some time to ourselves."

"Oh, that’s good…"

Kiana stopped petting Stan, and the cat eventually scampered away to lie against a nearby window. Kiana stood up, but neither she nor Bianka really made an effort to try and get close to each other.

"Um…"

The two sisters stood in awkward silence for a moment. Kiana shifted from one foot to another, her mouth pressing into a thin line.

Did she want to talk about personal things? Her past? Their relationship? There was probably a lot on Kiana's mind she felt like they should discuss, but Kiana wasn’t sure if she was ready for that type of talk yet…

"I-I almost forgot to mention…" Bianka said suddenly. "What exactly did the Overseer give you earlier?"

Well, that was good enough.

"You knew?" Kiana asked, surprised.

Bianka looked sheepish. "I, uh, may have overheard the whole thing. I just wanted to make sure he wasn’t doing anything to you…"

It seemed like there was no point in hiding it. 

"Well, when I ran into Mei in Arc City, she kept telling me about how she wanted to bring me back to the Hyperion to see everyone again." Kiana reached into her jacket and pulled out the envelope that the bastard had given her earlier. "Thing is, she never actually told me where the Hyperion was hiding, so…I made a demand." 

Kiana opened the envelope and pulled out the contents, handing them to Bianka for her to take and read.

"This is…" Bianka read, a surprised look on her face.

"When he first talked to me, I asked him to track down Mei for me," Kiana explained. "If I can compliment that bastard on anything, it’s his efficiency. She’s with Anti-Entropy, in a secluded base in Salt Lake City. Bronya and Aunt Teri are there too."

"Is that so…?" Bianka seemed to think for a moment. "So, what were you planning to do with this?"

"Uh, well… I wanted to write a letter to her." Kiana admitted sheepishly. "I just wanted to let her know that I’m alright. Everyone’s probably still worried about me, so I figured…"

Bianka nodded in understanding. "It’s completely natural to be concerned for your loved ones, especially the ones you hold so dear to you."

"Hah, well at this point, I don’t even know if we’re still dating…" Kiana scratched the back of her head. "It’s been four months. I wouldn’t blame her if she decided to find someone else less troublesome than me…"

Even as she said that Kiana’s heart was wretched at the thought of Mei moving on, even if it was better for her. After all, what would she get out of worrying over Kiana endlessly? Mei could do so much better…

"Kiana, don’t sound so sure." In a similar vein, Bianka was starting to look worried for her again. "I mean, she nearly killed me in an attempt to save you. I don’t think she’s moved on quite yet."

"Hm…" Kiana still wasn’t really sure about that, but she didn’t want this conversation to keep going. "Either way, I wanted to write something to her, but I was wondering if you could help. I need it to sound really convincing even without mentioning… our whole thing."

"O-Oh, of course." Saying that Bianka moved to the coffee table in the living room and started clearing things off of the surface. "We have a few hours for ourselves. We can work on this together, it shouldn’t take that long."

Kiana sighed in relief as she followed Bianka.

So this is what it was like to rely on a big sister, huh…

It was time for Rita to go home.

Finished with all of her duties for the day, the brunette felt a sense of relief as the elevator’s doors closed. She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes, relishing in the silence as she began to go up.

As far as outfits went, she long ago got out of her battlesuit and into something much more comfortable. She picked out a sleeveless white crop top, a matching skirt paired with a pink coat that hung loosely over her right shoulder. She even went through the effort of styling her hair so her bangs covered the left side of her face.

Normally Rita wouldn’t have gone through the effort of putting on something like this if she just wanted to relax, but there was a perfectly good reason for it. 

The Overseer informed her of Bianka’s discharge, and that Kiana of all people had been the one to escort her home. By this point, Kiana would have settled into her new apartment and Bianka would be home by herself, having been granted an extended vacation to recover.

Rita had her own thoughts about Kiana, someone who up until just a few days ago was a hostile Herrscher, suddenly coming back to Shicksal and joining her own team. The Overseer had certainly voiced his curiosity about the matter to herself, and as such Rita had been tasked to keep an eye on her in the meantime.

But such things could wait for now. She wanted to focus on Bianka.

After worrying over her so much over the last four days, hearing she was alright felt like music to her. Having the chance to be alone with her felt almost like a blessing from God. It certainly had been far too long since she last had that opportunity, especially following the Great Eruption.

So could Rita be blamed for getting a little excitable? Her heart was practically dancing at the prospect of being alone with Bianka with no work to stand between them.

Perhaps they could go on a date to a cafe? Or go see a movie together? The possibilities were endless.

The doors opened, and the brunette stepped through to enter her apartment. Considering there wasn’t a mountain of presents waiting for her, Bianka likely already took them inside.

With that out of the way, Rita opened the door—

"...?"

—and was greeted by an interesting sight.

Bianka and Kiana were sitting at the coffee table, with the former groaning with her head in her hands and the latter laying her head on the surface. Both of them looked completely defeated, and a single slip of paper sat in front of them completely blank.

There were many possibilities running through Rita’s head on how this situation occurred, but it was preferable to ask the source.

"Do you two need help with something?"

The two girls instantly looked up, startled by her voice. 

"Rita!" Bianka practically shot to her feet and grabbed the brunette by her shoulders. Her expression looked as if she had just saved her life. "Thank god, we need your help!"

Rita was caught off-guard by such an uncharacteristic display of panic from the blonde, but she couldn’t help but smile all the same. "Lord Durandal, it’s good to see you so lively. And Miss Kaslana, I never congratulated you on your promotion to our team." Rita came close to the table, looking at the paper in front of her. "What do you need help with?"

"We, uh…" In contrast to Bianka, Kiana looked rather uncomfortable when she came close, averting her eyes in embarrassment. "We’ve been trying to write a letter for a while and we’re… kinda stuck."

Rita blinked.

She looked at Bianka with an eyebrow raised.

Bianka looked away sheepishly.

"... Well, as Lord Durandal’s loyal adjutant, I can’t possibly look aside if she needs my aid." Rita pushed aside her astonishment and treated the situation as normally as she could as she sat on her knees. "Who are you writing this letter to?"

"Mei," Kiana admitted. "I found out she’s with Anti-Entropy, so I just wanted to write a letter and let her know I’m alright, but I don’t know what to write without it sounding really off. I don't want her to think I was brainwashed or something."

Ah, Raiden Mei. 

Rita could never forget the fierce determination that girl had displayed in Arc City, and the protectiveness at which she displayed concerning the girl sitting right in front of her. Even after everything she had done, Raiden Mei was denied what she fought so hard to obtain.

Rita couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl. Even if their relationship wasn’t amicable, Rita certainly sympathized with the desire to protect someone they loved.

"I thought I could help, but…" Bianka trailed off, looking embarrassed. "W-Well, I think you might be a better fit for this than me."

"I see." Rita nodded, pulling the piece of paper close to her and taking the pen. "Well, I have some ideas in mind. I shall do my best to assist."

"I hope so," Kiana said with a sigh. "I can’t afford to screw this up. I only have one chance at this."

"What do you mean?" Bianka asked. "Can't you just ask the Overseer to let you contact Anti-Entropy whenever you want?"

Kiana stared at her. 

"I can do that?"

Rita’s smile twitched as she focused on the paper in front of her, pretending with all her might that she didn’t hear that.

Well, with any hope, she could finish this letter quickly and spend some time with Bianka like she intended.

"You really are a lifesaver, Rita."

Of all the things she expected to say to the woman who was working to neutralize her just a few days ago, those definitely hadn’t been on the list in Kiana’s mind.

Rita had finished the letter in no time, crafting it with a swift efficiency that made her and Bianka look really bad by comparison. After she gave it a courtesy read, she put the letter inside her jacket.

… Well, that was after a complete revision, since the first draft looked closer to a love letter than just a status update on how she was doing. 

Not that she had anything against sending a love letter to Mei, but time and place were important.

"There’s no need for praise. I only do what’s expected of an adjutant," the brunette said easily. "Of course, I long since mastered the art of calligraphy and writing, so it came naturally to me."

Kiana felt her grateful expression twitch. Was this woman trying to brag?

"Regardless, I do believe our time is up." Without skipping a beat, Rita stepped aside and gestured Kiana to the door. "It was good to see you again, Miss Kaslana. I look forward to working with you in the future."

Kiana knew for a fact that the woman was trying to kick her out, and doing a poor job at hiding it. Her eyes alone told Kiana that she wanted to spend some time alone with her sister. 

Really, who did she think she was? Bianka said they weren’t dating, but that look…

"Um, about that…" Bianka cleared her throat. "Kiana doesn’t know where her apartment is, so she’ll have to stay with us until we can ask the Overseer. Is that alright?"

Rita gave the two of them a strange look.

"Did neither of you notice? Her apartment is next to ours. It has a plaque with her name on it."

The silence between the three women was deafening.

"... W-Well, in that case, I should get going…" Awkwardly, Kiana began to make her way out. "I don’t want to take up your hospitality more than necessary…"

"W-Wait!" Her sister, who apparently didn’t catch Rita’s expression earlier, stopped Kiana. "Where’s the rush? I mean, you can at least stay for dinner before you go, right?"

"I-Is that so…?" Kiana glanced in between her sister and Rita, who suddenly looked awfully still. 

"Oh, don’t worry about it." Bianka waved her hand with a smile. "You’re our newest member, so it’s only natural to give you the warmest welcome we can provide, right? Besides, I don’t think I could live with myself if you didn’t have Rita’s cooking at least once."

Saying that, her sister turned to look at the brunette in question. "Ah, of course, that's only if you're alright with it, Rita."

Kiana watched every little bit of hope escape the brunette's eyes.

"... Yes. Of course," Rita answered in a perfectly level tone. "There is no problem at all."

Bianka smiled. "That's great!"

Amidst all that, Kiana could only let out an empty laugh as Rita's dead, hopeless eyes glanced at her.

Kiana was sorry. She was really sorry. Not only for existing in that specific moment, but also for her sister's… everything.

Unfortunately, she couldn't voice such thoughts.

Rita took a deep breath before speaking again, "I’ll go prepare dinner. You two make yourselves comfortable in the meantime."

Just as Rita moved past the table towards the kitchen, Bianka rose to her feet. "Oh, I’ll hel— Gweh?!"

The brunette not-so-gently pushed Bianka down onto her seat.

"That won’t be necessary, Lord Durandal," Rita told her with a perfectly amiable smile. "Just go and relax in the meantime."

To that, Bianka simply pouted. "Yes, ma’am…"

Rita nodded, then promptly headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Kiana did her best not to comment on the scene playing out in front of her. She really should have taken her chance to leave.

But now that her fate was sealed, the best she could do to make herself comfortable in such an uncomfortable situation was head to the couch with a still pouty Bianka right behind her. As they sat on the couch, Stan wasted no time climbing up and sat himself on Bianka’s lap.

Reaching for the remote, Kiana turned on the TV, only to find herself watching… Schicksal TV?

"—and an official notice has been put out by the Overseer, Air Terminal 4 will be closed off for the remainder of the day in relation to an undisclosed experiment," came the words of a female reporter sitting behind a desk with the channel's name on it. "We advise any Valkyries without special clearance to remain away from the area until then."

"And for all of our shop lovers in HQ, Sector 7 in Air Terminal 3 will be having discounts this weekend!" came the more upbeat female co-host by her side. "If you’re looking to snag some new clothes, bring your wallet and beat the competition! Not literally, of course. Once is enough."

Bianka hummed as she pet Stan. Kiana watched with a mostly bored expression, the news coming off as mostly inane chatter to her.

Yet… in a strange way, it felt oddly comforting.

The chattering on the TV, the quietness, the smell of food being made in the kitchen. All of it felt so… peaceful. A stark contrast of the last four months.

Against all odds, it reminded her of life back in St. Freya.

Kiana glanced at Bianka, who was still quietly watching the TV while petting Stan. 

The woman she once feared of running into was now sitting comfortably next to her. The woman who turned out to be her big sister, and who wanted to form a relationship with her despite everything.

Having a sister now, having a life like this now, despite everything that came before…

Yeah, it was definitely going to take some time to get used to that.

Still, she felt that it wasn't so bad…

"In more important news, Kiana Kaslana and Lord Durandal were quietly discharged from the medical ward earlier today, following their four day stay for treatment related to physical and Honkai related injuries. For those of you who were scared for her safety, we’re pleased to announce that Lord Durandal is expected to make a full recovery."

Kiana immediately perked up as her name came up, her earlier musings forgotten. Bianka did the same, eyes attentive even as she continued to pet Stan.

Right. They were pretty much celebrities in Schicksal, weren't they?

The white-haired girl still braced herself for what was to come.

"This also comes in conjunction with the Overseer’s recent bombshell statements on Kiana Kaslana, clips of which we’ll replay for you now."

Kiana froze.

Oh no.

In the next moment, the news channel showed clips of the Overseer sitting at his desk with an awfully sincere smile that Kiana knew for a fact was fake.

"My friends, I come with an important announcement. As some of you may have already noticed, Kiana Kaslana has taken refuge in Shicksal Headquarters. You may remember her as the Herrscher of the Void, the catalyst of the Great Eruption four months ago. You may wonder why a Herrscher would be brought here, and to that, I am here to explain everything once and for all."

Was this her cover story? Did the Overseer actually make it public without even consulting her first?

Just what was that bastard playing at?

"Kiana Kaslana, daughter of the legendary Cecilia Schariac, is a member of the Immortal Blades and Shicksal’s fourth S-Rank Valkyrie."

Kiana’s jaw dropped.

Bianka stopped petting Stan.

Rita, who had been busy preparing dinner, stopped and stared at the TV.

"This information was confidential and never intended to be revealed to the public, but following the recent incidents in Arc City and Vimur Lab, I decided that there was no point in hiding the truth any longer. Documents relating to this case will be declassified and available for your reading pleasure. I wish for nothing but transparency on this matter going forward."

Kiana started to shake.

The broadcast cut back to the two reporters.

"Following this announcement, the declassified documents revealed that Anti-Entropy were the perpetrators of the Great Eruption. The documents detailed that not only was Kiana Kaslana kidnapped by them during the effort to subdue the Fourth Herrscher, but the Core of the Herrscher of the Void, previously stolen by Anti-Entropy, was forcibly implanted into her body. Kiana Kaslana was brought back to HQ for treatment, but by the time they noticed something was wrong, the Eruption had already begun."

"Not only that, but they were the ones behind the attack on Vimur Lab, too," her co-host pointed out. "We have an eyewitness who worked as a nurse in the lab when everything went down—"

Kiana shut the TV off.

Shakily, she stood to her feet, almost crushing the remote in her hand.

"Kiana…?" Her sister called out to her, and she looked concerned for her as she stared at her. Whatever look she had been wearing, it was enough for Bianka to look scared for her.

Kiana took a deep breath, tilting her head upwards as she closed her eyes, as if in meditation.

When she opened her eyes again, she had a perfectly serene expression on her face. She placed the remote down on the couch and turned to look at both Bianka and Rita, the two women uncharacteristically anxious as they waited for her words.

"I’m gonna kill that bastard," Kiana said matter-of-factly.

Right before Bianka's and Rita's eyes, a portal opened in front of the white-haired girl, and she immediately walked through it, closing it as soon as she had crossed.

Silence reigned within the room for several moments.

"Fuck," Bianka said.

Rita didn't even admonish her for it.

By the next day, the Overseer's office was suddenly closed for unexpected renovations.

.

.

.

.

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Utah

Salt Lake City

Raiden Mei drifted through the empty, metallic halls of Anti-Entropy’s base, her echoing footsteps the only source of noise as she walked in silence.

Four days had passed since the mission in Arc City. Despite everything she had done, the lines she crossed, the deals she made, Mei came back empty handed.

When she woke up, it hadn’t been with Kiana by her side. Rather, it came with the news that Shicksal had succeeded in abducting her, and she was right back in the hands of the ones responsible for all of her suffering.

Theresa and Bronya had to physically hold her down, because every fiber of her being wanted to storm their headquarters and steal Kiana back.

It took hours before Mei was considered calm enough to go back to her room.

The Herrscher of Thunder had failed. Since that incident, she had been uncharacteristically silent. She would not respond to Mei no matter how many times she tried to reach out to her. It was as if she wasn’t there at all.

Not that Mei was in the mood for excuses.

Ever since that day, Raiden Mei had been closer to a drone. A lifeless husk with no heart and no hope. Things like sleep became more of a luxury to her and she could barely hold down any food. Her nights had only been spent laying in her bed and thinking about Kiana.

Mei couldn’t protect her. She couldn’t save her no matter how hard she tried. She couldn’t save her four months ago. She couldn’t save her in Arc City. Again and again, Kiana had been ripped from her, as if the very world itself was conspiring to keep them apart.

She hated it. She hated being weak and useless, and no amount of reassurances from those around her could ever distract her from the fact that she had failed.

Now Kiana was right back in Shicksal, likely being put through more and more pain beyond what she could comprehend, and Mei was completely powerless to stop it.

It was as if God itself was taunting her.

"Excuse me? Are you Raiden Mei?"

The ravenette was spurred out of her thoughts, brought back to reality for a brief moment to look at the man she hadn’t noticed. He looked like any other worker in the building, though he carried a large bag full of mail behind him.

"... Yes. What is it?" Mei asked, doing her best to sound polite in spite of her mood.

"You have a letter." 

The man smiled and handed her a white envelope, which Mei took with a curious look.

"A letter, who sent—"

Mei’s breath hitched.

The stamp was Shicksal’s logo, and the address was pinned from Vienna, where their flying headquarters was usually stationed.

Could it have been…?

"H-How did you—" Mei looked up to question the man, but he was gone and it was just her in the halls again. "Eh…?"

… Maybe she was more exhausted than she thought. 

But that didn’t matter.

Her heart started racing as Mei made her way back to her room, jumbling with the keypad until she managed to get it open. Once she made her way inside, she quickly tore open the envelope to look at the contents within.

Mei’s eyes widened, her hands shaking as she held the letter in her hands.

"Kiana…"

She hugged the letter close to her chest, shutting her eyes tight as tears began to stream down her cheeks.

"Kiana…!"

Mei fell to her knees, her emotions raging out of control as she broke down. Everything came out at once like a dam burst, and she found herself in the same state she had been when she first saw her again in Arc City.

Kiana was safe. She was alright, she wasn’t suffering. 

A small comfort for Raiden Mei, in the sea of nothingness and misery that she had been drowning in for the last four days. Kiana was safe, and that was all that mattered.

But it would never be a substitute for having Kiana in her arms, being able to hold her herself.

It was a reality that seemed far away for Mei, but she held onto that hope as akin to it being a final lifeline for her sanity. Nothing would ever go back to normal until she could say that she saved Kiana.

If only she had more power, then nothing would get in their way again. Then she could hold Kiana in her arms forever and never let her go.

But she was just a weak, pathetic girl, and no amount of training or determination seemed to ever change that fact.

Mei clutched the letter and cried silently to herself.

It seemed to be the only thing she was able to do.