Otto felt a little anxious.
Originally, he had used Schicksal's name to have the Changkong City police station put out warrants for the thugs harassing Asakura Miyuki, then stopped paying attention to the matter.
After all, it was an insignificant matter to him.
Not worth taking to heart.
But just as he had finally gotten what he wanted and was enjoying the Lightning Queen.
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His secretary, Amber, sent him a message saying that all the wanted thugs had vanished, as though they had evaporated into thin air.
Sensing that something was wrong, Amber had directed the Valkyries in Changkong City to investigate. They found traces of Honkai Energy in those people's homes.
Ordinary people could not detect Honkai, but Schicksal was an old hand at this.
Following the trail, they discovered that something was wrong with Asakura Miyuki.
There was now sufficient evidence proving that Asakura Miyuki had been corrupted by Honkai and had killed the thugs who harassed her, as well as several girls at Senba Academy.
Upon hearing the news, Otto could only leave Miss Lightning Herrscher at home and have Fu Hua protect her from the shadows, while he immediately rushed to Kiana.
Fortunately, Kiana had been wearing the White Comet Armor when she went out, and it contained a tracking chip.
Otto quickly arrived at the Amusement Park where Kiana was located.
Everything here was peaceful. Crowds bustled about, and there was not the slightest sign that danger had occurred.
The Cecilia Stigmata surfaced. Though Otto could not fully adapt to its power, activating it gave him combat instincts comparable to those of an A-rank Valkyrie.
Combined with his Soul Steel body and Judgement of Shamash, dealing with an infected person who had not yet become a Quasi-Herrscher would be more than easy.
But his only concern was that Asakura Miyuki might have taken everyone here hostage.
What a headache.
He should have evacuated the crowd first.
Otto frowned. He felt that he was still not qualified enough as the Bishop of Schicksal. If it had been that cold and merciless Bishop of Schicksal, he should have handled it better than Otto could.
Had he become lax because he had spent too much time with Kiana and Mei lately, blinded by soft bodies and sweet fragrances?
The moment Asakura Miyuki approached Kiana, he should have investigated her family for eighteen generations!
Otto looked grimly at the communication terminal. It displayed Kiana's location, but it had not moved for a long time.
His heart involuntarily rose to his throat. Could Kiana have already fallen victim to her?
No, no, no. If it had truly been a life-or-death moment, that Herrscher of the Void would definitely have awakened and taken over her body.
The current calm was the best proof that Kiana was all right.
With unease in his heart, Otto slowly entered a secluded alley, then frowned because he caught a strong scent of blood.
He stopped and looked ahead.
The white-haired girl sat on the ground, while the black-haired girl lay across her lap with a peaceful expression. Perhaps she had dreamed of something beautiful, for a faint smile lingered at the corners of her lips.
Asakura Miyuki's blood traced a beautiful floral pattern across the ground, like a blooming red spider lily.
A pistol lay on the ground beside the two of them, soaking in blood.
Kiana's eyes were vacant as she looked at the girl in her arms, tightly clutching a sachet in her right hand.
Asakura Miyuki was dead. Kiana was alive.
At the sight of this, the first thought that surfaced in Otto's mind was, fortunately, it was Asakura Miyuki who had died.
He let out a sigh of relief. The Cecilia Stigmata faded, and Otto lowered his guard.
Looking at Kiana sitting on the ground, Otto walked over, crouched behind her, looked at the little white-haired girl before him, and placed both hands on Kiana's shoulders.
"I'm here."
Otto spoke gently, but after glancing at the lifeless Asakura Miyuki, he paid her no further attention.
Otto felt that he was being somewhat heartless. In his eyes, even a hundred Asakura Miyukis could not compare to a single Kiana. She was like a teddy bear for a child to play with.
If it broke, he could just find a new one.
"Otto..."
Kiana spoke softly.
"You found me again."
She had clearly never told Otto where she was, yet no matter where she went, he could always find her.
But she could not be happy. Her voice carried a trace of sorrow.
Her friend had died, killed by her own hand.
Originally, she had two friends.
Now, only one remained.
"I killed someone again."
The same words as yesterday, but her state of mind was completely different.
Otto lowered his head and pressed his cheek against the back of Kiana's head. His right hand stroked her hair as he said gently.
"She was corrupted by Honkai. She was already doomed to die."
Otto lied.
If Asakura Miyuki had been subdued and sent to Schicksal Headquarters for treatment, there might have been a sliver of hope.
After all, Schicksal's medical technology was the best in the world.
But since Kiana had already taken her out, Otto certainly could not say that.
"You don't need to care. Asakura Miyuki had already been corrupted by Honkai before she met you."
"As her friend, giving her release was the right thing to do."
"Look, she's smiling too."
Otto spoke softly.
Kiana remained silent, while Otto's gaze shifted to the sachet in her hand and he asked.
"This is?"
Kiana's vacant gaze fell upon the sachet.
"If there is a girl of suitable age, then at fourteen, fifteen, and sixteen, she should take a cherry blossom from a tree and wear it as an ornament, and the gods shall bless her."
"This is... a Three-Year Cherry."
Kiana gripped the sachet tightly.
A sachet made over three years really was a precious gift.
How could I ever repay it?
"Otto... why did Asakura Miyuki become like this?"
Kiana spoke softly.
"Because she was corrupted by Honkai. That is why we must drive all Honkai away—no, eliminate it completely."
Otto felt that after going through this, Kiana should become unwavering in her fight against Honkai.
That was a good thing.
He found his own thoughts absurd. Kiana was clearly grieving, yet Otto still felt that if Asakura Miyuki's death could be exchanged for Kiana's resolve, it would be an incredible bargain.
"Then... why was she corrupted by Honkai?"
Kiana's voice was slightly hoarse.
Anyone would find it unbearable. She had finally made a friend, only for her to be gone within a couple of days.
Was I destined to be alone?
Kiana felt the warmth of Otto's body.
But Otto was still beside her now.
"It was probably her earlier experiences that left her mentally unstable. After transferring to Senba Academy, Honkai took advantage of that weakness."
Otto said.
But he suddenly felt that something seemed off.
"Then why... was there Honkai corruption at Senba Academy?"
Kiana looked at the girl in her arms.
Goodbye, my second friend.
"Because the Conquest Gem inside Raiden Mei had begun to awaken..."
Otto abruptly shut his mouth.
Fuck, he realized something was wrong.
Kiana raised her head, her azure eyes looking at Otto behind her.
"Otto, I want to see Raiden Mei."
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Chapter 52. Gritting My Teeth, I Want to Punch You
The girl's body was carried away on a stretcher.
Kiana stood where she was, staring blankly as her friend was carried farther and farther away from her.
Otto stood beside her, watching Kiana.
"You'll be notified when it's time for the funeral."
He spoke softly, though by then, Changkong City might not even still exist.
"Mm."
Kiana answered. She had never attended a funeral before.
She had never expected that the first one she attended would be her friend's funeral.
It made her heart ache.
Otto placed a hand on Kiana's shoulder and patted it gently without saying anything. Kiana had to overcome this hurdle eventually.
Because after she entered Schicksal, every Valkyrie she knew could die.
Even someone as strong as Cecilia had died in Siberia.
Everyone would die, including himself.
Still, Otto had a headache. Kiana wanted to see Mei, and that did not seem like a good thing.
Was the Herrscher of the Void from Requiem of the Fallen going to fight the Lightning Herrscher several years ahead of schedule?
But Otto was somewhat reassured as well. Kiana was a good girl. She would not hurt Raiden Mei, who had undergone experiences similar to Asakura Miyuki's...
Uh, probably.
In any case, he could dump the blame on Cocolia when the time came. Though that woman had caused this mess in the first place.
"Actually, it would be better if you cried right now."
Otto looked at Kiana and spoke gently.
But Kiana shook her head.
"I... can't cry."
Kiana clutched the front of her clothes with her right hand. She felt as though it was hard to breathe, while Otto merely kept his hand on her shoulder.
"Your choice to kill her was not wrong. This is the fate of those corrupted by Honkai."
"Your father, Siegfried, also killed many people infected by Honkai."
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