Kiana threw off her cape in midair. It landed on a black-robed figure below, and just as the figure tried to draw a sword, a heavy blow struck their head. They immediately collapsed onto the road, their fate unknown.
"It's you! What are you doing here?" Seeing Kiana appear before her like a goddess descending from the heavens, Kallen was moved, but she also feared for Kiana's safety.
"Why, I'm here to rescue you, Sister Kallen!" Kiana flashed Kallen a smile over her shoulder, then turned to look at Arthur as he approached at a leisurely pace. "I'm taking Sister Kallen with me today, so I have no choice but to fight you. This time, I won't let my guard down!"
"I'll handle him!" Another black-robed figure appeared on the scene, standing opposite Arthur. Sheng Jiu drew Castro's sword and whispered to Kiana, "I'll hold him off. Take Kallen and meet up with Bronya."
"What about you?" Seeing Sheng Jiu's resolute back, Kiana began to worry about the unreliable guy in front of her.
"You really underestimate me. Don't worry, I'm not going to die that easily!" Sheng Jiu turned to face Arthur. "Old man, make your move!"
Arthur looked at Kiana and Kallen, then at Sheng Jiu standing in their way. Slowly lowering his longsword, he pointed in a direction and said, "Go that way. Take Miss Kallen with you. Follow that narrow path and you'll reach the harbor. I've already prepared a ship for you."
"Huh?" Kiana stared at Arthur in surprise. "Grandpa, I never expected you to be a good person!"
But Kallen's voice was full of worry. "Grandpa Arthur, if you let me escape, you'll..."
Arthur slowly removed his Raven Mask, revealing a faint smile on his aged face. "It's all right. I'm old already. Even if I'm punished, I'll have no regrets. I never expected to meet someone so loyal in a world like this. I can die without regrets... You there, kid, take good care of Miss Kallen for me. Take care..."
"Grandpa Arthur..."
Just then, another loud crash came from the west side of the execution platform. Kiana looked at Sheng Jiu in surprise, but he shook his head firmly. "That wasn't part of our plan!"
As the smoke gradually cleared, four or five terrifying monsters surged through it. Their bodies gleamed black and red, and their eyes were bloodshot. They were clearly up to no good. They killed everyone they came across and were closing in on the execution platform.
"Stop them!" Arthur shouted to the remaining guards. At the same time, he muttered in disbelief, "How could Exotic Beasts have appeared here?! The city's perimeter is protected by an airtight defensive line!"
"Hahaha, of course this was my plan." A young man in fine clothes emerged from a nearby shadow. He looked to be in his twenties, with blond hair and blue eyes. His long hair was tied into a ponytail draped over his left shoulder. He was strikingly beautiful, and his blue priest's robes made him look completely out of place among the fleeing civilians.
"Otto, what are you doing here?!" Kallen recognized the newcomer and stared at him in shock. He was Otto Apocalypse, son of the Schicksal Overseer—and Kallen's fiancé.
"Why, I'm here to take you away, my Kallen~" The young man's voice brimmed with arrogance and affection.
"My father... that old Overseer was convinced his plan was foolproof. He thought that by sending your former subordinates, the Valkyrie troops, far away on a mission, no one could come to your rescue. But he overlooked one thing: the Exotic Beasts you captured are still imprisoned beneath the cathedral. All I had to do was remove their shackles and use a few scapegoats to set my darlings free. The chaos they cause will wipe out every effective fighting force in the city. Then we can leave openly, while we have the chance. Come with me, my Kallen~"
Kallen stared at the man before her, so familiar and yet so strange, her face deathly pale. "Do you know how many innocent people will be hurt if you do this?"
"Huh? Don't be ridiculous. All those commoners' lives together aren't worth a single strand of your hair, my goddess! My Kallen, no one can keep us apart anymore. Let's hurry and go to the Far East, your favorite place—"
Kallen rushed forward and slapped Otto to the ground. "Don't insult me, Otto! The Kaslana family protects the people and stands as their shield. I will not abandon their safety and run away!"
Otto got up, clutching his face, and looked at her pleadingly. "Please, Kallen, come with me. The Exotic Beasts are already here—"
"Enough, Otto. Thank you for your concern, but your approach is completely wrong. I won't go with you! Besides... I've already fallen in love with someone else. I'm sorry."
Kallen looked down at the Honkai Beasts slaughtering innocent people, then resolutely headed toward the plaza.
Arthur hurried to call after her. "Miss Kallen! What do you think you can do with that weakened body of yours? We don't have any anti-Honkai weapons. Going there would just be throwing your life away!"
"Don't go, Kallen!" Otto scrambled to his feet and tried to stop her, but Sheng Jiu knocked him out with a swift chop. "You're so annoying. Hey, old man, keep an eye on him." Arthur caught Otto. The Overseer's son couldn't be allowed to risk losing his life here.
"Sister Kallen, where are you going?" Kiana hurried after her, worried.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm going to protect my people!"
Kallen's answer stirred an indescribable feeling in Kiana's heart. What was this? A sense of duty? Or was this the Kaslana family's fiery spirit that Dad always talked about? I don't know. But suddenly, I feel like I have to do something too.
Kiana smiled at Kallen. "Let us help, too. Every extra person counts."
"Exactly. So what if we don't have anti-Honkai weapons? I'll show these ugly monsters that strength is what matters!" Sheng Jiu brandished the gleaming longsword in his hand.
Seeing how determined Sheng Jiu and Kiana were, Kallen was deeply moved. "Thank you, Miss Kiana, and you too, sir."
Meanwhile, Bronya hung from a flagpole, gazing grimly at the Honkai Beasts below. "What's going on? The intelligence report didn't say the Honkai Beasts would attack the plaza."
"This won't do. Bronya needs to hack through this space's firewall, so the idiot Kiana and the idiot Sheng Jiu can use modern weapons." Bronya tapped rapidly on her virtual tablet. "Huh? A hidden message? It says... What?!"
Before you continue