43. End

"Warning! The nuclear fusion reactor is overheating! It will be forcibly shut down in 10 seconds!"

Amid the warning alarm, Himeko clearly saw the white-haired girl in the Third Herrscher's arms awaken and tear apart the wings condensed from the Herrscher's highly concentrated Honkai Energy with one hand.

In the end, the matter concluded with the two girls falling onto the deck of the Hyperion while embracing each other.

Exhausted and unconscious, Murata Himeko did not see the youth Hua was carrying when she returned.

Meanwhile, Theresa Apocalypse defeated the man who called himself the First Herrscher, but chose not to pursue him.

After having the logistics team send all the seriously injured personnel to the infirmary, she arrived aboard the Hyperion.

"He's still alive, Major Himeko. He became one of Changkong City's only four survivors. He first survived Honkai Infection, then lived through the pursuit of the Emperor-class Honkai Beast Ganesha. Such a miracle actually happened. Major Himeko, could this be heaven's favor? It seems your promise hasn't completely failed yet."

Theresa Apocalypse stared blankly at the information that appeared after the data analysis, then let out a sigh.

Given her position, she naturally knew everything about what had happened back then. The reason she had been able to reach Changkong City so quickly was also partly because she was worried about Himeko's condition.

Now, it seemed that Murata Himeko had lived up to her position. But how much torment she had endured deep down, Theresa could only guess.

And when she saw Su Qing'an's face, Theresa realized that Murata Himeko had not completely broken her promise.

As the only male among all the survivors, this youth had suffered the most. Even with Schicksal's medical technology, the injuries he had sustained would keep him bedridden for some time.

Moreover, for some unknown reason, his mind seemed to have suffered severe exhaustion. This was beyond the reach of current technology. According to the medical team's report, the youth would likely remain asleep for a while.

But aside from that, information about another person shook Theresa even more deeply.

Kiana Kaslana.

On May 1, 2006, with Theresa's help, Siegfried took Kiana and left Schicksal.

Otto had already detected their plan, however, and dispatched a pursuit team the moment Siegfried left.

Although Siegfried successfully escaped, he lost Kiana and took only Kiana's clone, K423, with him.

The girl currently bearing this name was undoubtedly K423.

"Siegfried Kaslana, you gave her this name?! What exactly were you thinking?"

As Kiana Kaslana's godmother, and even the person who had proposed that name,

Theresa Apocalypse was furious enough to want to smash Judas's Oath over that unreliable man's head.

As that girl's godmother, she had always wanted to take her away from Grandpa's control. But if that girl came out one day and discovered that even the only name she could rely on had been given to her clone by her own father, Siegfried, what would she think?

Passing down the Kaslana family name meant that you had acknowledged her qualifications to become a member of the Kaslana family.

But why had you given her the name Kiana as well?

Had you treated this child as a replacement?

If so, it would be a tremendous injustice to either of them.

There was no doubt that K423 did not know her true identity. In that case, how was she supposed to treat her?

Siegfried, you bastard. You really know how to leave people with impossible problems.

As long as she did not stop following the trail of your investigation, she would discover her true identity sooner or later.

When that time came, how would you face her?

This girl was only seven or eight years old physically.

But from the moment she was successfully born, it had been destined that her future would contain countless hardships.

Theresa's anger could only be vented at Siegfried. But this child alone was innocent.

She knew nothing. Her life was an illusion, and even what she pursued now was merely something illusory.

Before the despair she was destined to face in the future, Theresa hoped she could live a little more happily.

Then let's leave her at St. Freya Academy. Compared to Schicksal's other branches, this place might be able to fill her illusory life with something real.

And then there was the former heiress of ME Corp, who had been schemed against by Cocolia and turned into the Third Herrscher—Raiden Mei.