Sheng Jiu toyed with the apple in his hand, his expression grave as he said to Bronya, "That foul-mouthed uncle has confessed. Kallen will be executed at the nearby market in four hours. They'll have heavy security, so we're in trouble."
"Bronya is truly disappointed in the old Schicksal. The Kaslana family gave so much for Schicksal, yet Kallen's fate turned out so tragic in the end." Bronya brought up a virtual tablet.
"Kaslana? Does that mean Sister Kallen is also part of the Kaslana family? Is she my ancestor?"
"You could put it that way." Bronya tapped Kallen's profile on the tablet and continued reading. "Kallen Kaslana, born in 1453, was the daughter of Francis, the twenty-ninth head of the Kaslana family."
"In 1477, Kallen stole the crystal Schicksal was using to research Honkai Energy and fled to the Far East. There, she fell in love with the Pseudo-Herrscher 'Yae Sakura'... Kallen was seriously injured, captured by Schicksal's intelligence unit, and taken back to Schicksal headquarters. At the council meeting at the European headquarters, Kallen declared, 'That Herrscher girl is innocent, and I've fallen in love with her.' After deliberating, the headquarters decided to sentence Kallen to death. She was executed soon afterward."
"What? A Pseudo-Herrscher is still human!" Yae Sakura's face flashed through Kiana's mind. "Does that mean if Sister Yae were at the European Branch..."
"Exactly. If Sister Yae left the Far East Branch and showed up at any other branch, she'd be... doomed!" Bronya's words stabbed at Kiana's heart like a sharp blade, again and again. She slumped into a chair. After a long while, she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Sheng Jiu gave her a gentle nod.
Kiana slowly stood and clenched her fists. "I'm going to save Sister Kallen!"
Bronya looked at Kiana and spoke each word carefully. "This is a virtual space. The Kallen we see is just a collection of data. The real Kallen died five hundred years ago."
"I don't care! Even if she's only virtual, I can't just stand by and watch Sister Kallen die!" Kiana stared stubbornly at Bronya, her eyes filled with determination.
"Hey, it's just a rescue, right? I'll go with you," Sheng Jiu said without a second thought. "Besides, I haven't been in a good brawl in ages. It'll be a nice chance to stretch my muscles."
Kiana glanced at Sheng Jiu, who looked completely unbothered, and said a little sheepishly, "Sorry for dragging you into this again."
"What's the big deal? We're the best partners, aren't we?"
"N-no! Yae and I are the best partners!" Kiana blushed and turned away.
"You!" Sheng Jiu was speechless with frustration. He looked at Bronya. "So, what should we do now?"
Looking at the two determined faces, Bronya sighed helplessly. "There's no getting through to you two. Bronya needs to come up with a proper plan. After all, we don't have any weapons in this world."
"Yay! o(≧v≦)o!"
"Sigh..."
In a sewer, two figures stood facing each other. One of them spoke first. "Everything is ready, Young Master Otto."
"Excellent. I won't let you die, my beloved Kallen."
"Honestly, Bronya's ridiculous. Does she really have to make the bomb so complicated? If you ask me, we should just jump down in the chaos, and I'll carry Sister Kallen away. No one can catch me."
"Give it a rest. If I don't hold that old man back, how far do you think you'll get?"
"Hmph! Don't underestimate me! I was just holding back last time."
"Okay, okay, quiet down. Look, they're here!"
Following Sheng Jiu's pointing finger, Kiana saw Kallen and her party. A group of black-robed men were escorting her slowly toward the gallows on the platform.
"Remember, dummy Kiana: don't make a move until the third explosion," Bronya's voice came through Kiana's earpiece.
"I know, I know! I've had something this simple memorized for ages!" Kiana replied confidently.
"...I hope so."
The area beneath the gallows was already in turmoil. A crowd had gathered, angrily shouting their protests at the black-robed men on the platform. "Why are you killing Lady Kallen? Lady Kallen is a hero! You can't treat her like this!"
"Right! You can't treat Lady Kallen this way!"
"Let Lady Kallen go!"
The crowd's cries grew louder, and soon they began pushing against the gallows. An executioner on the platform drew his sword and pointed it at them. "All of you, back away! This is the pope's order. Do you intend to defy God's will?!"
"If you dare defy God's will, we'll arrest every one of you as heretics!"
After speaking, the executioner turned to Arthur. "Lord Arthur, let's execute her early. If this goes on, there could be a riot!" Arthur looked at the crowd below, then at the sun, and said nothing.
"Lord Arthur, please give the order!" the executioner cried impatiently.
After wrestling with his thoughts again and again, Arthur finally gave the order, his voice trembling.
"Bronya, the plan's changed! They're going to execute Sister Kallen early!" Kiana shouted anxiously as she watched the commotion below.
"Understood, dummy Kiana. Wait for the third explosion—"
"There's no time, Bronya! I have to—"
"Trust Bronya."
Bronya's voice was filled with absolute confidence, so Kiana had no choice but to force down her anxiety for the moment.
Kallen was loved by so many people because she was the Saintess of her time. Saintess wasn't a title Schicksal had bestowed on Kallen; it was what people called her from the bottom of their hearts.
Unlike Kallen, the other Schicksal knights not only refused to compensate people for damage caused during battles against Honkai Beasts, they also turned around and blamed the people, stripping them of what little they had. In that society, Schicksal knights and ordinary people lived in completely different worlds, worlds apart. The people dared not speak out, despite their anger.
But Kallen was different from all of them.
After a battle, Kallen would personally help the people rebuild damaged buildings. She would also help treat the wounded and play with the children. She never put on airs. That was why the people's cries of support were so loud.
Just as Kiana was thinking this, Kallen had already been fitted with a noose. Kiana couldn't help shouting in panic, "Bronya—"
"Mission start!"
Bronya's voice was followed by a massive explosion. "Boom—"
Kiana's heart leapt into her throat. "The first one!"
"Boom—!"
"The second one!" Kiana bit down on her lip.
The guards on the outskirts began converging around the gallows. From all directions, a large number of panicked people came rushing in as well. "M-monsters! Aaaaaah!"
Kiana stared at the scene below. With the people scattering in every direction, the route Schicksal used to bring in its soldiers was now the least guarded. Then, the long-awaited third explosion rang out from the east. "Boom—"
A faint smile tugged at Kiana's lips. The girl leaped over the railing. "Now, it's Kiana time!"
Before you continue