Leaving already? Aren't you curious what Kiana's parents look like? / "Dad, I missed you so much!" (slaps him)

What else was there to say? Just do it!

Ri Duck immediately fired off several charged shots, directly emptying the polyhedron's health bar.

As the core exploded, the game immediately brought up a story dialogue, signaling the end of the stage.

Theresa, the "tower" you just mentioned... could it be that tower in the distance?

"Tower" is only an abbreviation. Its actual name is Babylon Laboratory, a large research center built by Schicksal in Siberia. It contains Schicksal's most advanced biological, materials, computer, and newest energy technologies.

Energy technology?

The world's only large-scale Honkai energy reactor is there. Its energy output exceeds 2,000 HW.

2,000 HW!? Wouldn't that be even larger than Hyperion's core reactor?

Hyperion?

Upon hearing the name Hyperion, Theresa from this era looked utterly confused.

However, she did not dwell on it. She merely remarked that the name was quite suitable for a warship before bringing up their current primary mission.

In short, although the Second Herrscher has awakened, she is still very weak due to lacking sufficient Honkai energy. Therefore, we suspect she will go to the "tower" to absorb Honkai energy. If she succeeds, no one in this world will be able to stop her!

So we must eliminate her before she reaches the "tower"!

According to the information preserved in the database, Theresa at this time did not yet understand the power of a Herrscher, which was why she dared boast about eliminating one.

Of course, Kiana standing opposite her did not take that too seriously either. Instead, she belatedly recalled a particularly important piece of information.

In 2000, the Second Honkai Eruption broke out in Siberia in order to fight the Second Herrscher. My mother, Cecilia, died then.

"Huh! Kiana's mother... will die here?"

A blue comment floated by...

Only then did Seele realize why the main story's second chapter had mentioned Cecilia... Was it because the following chapters would explain the specific reason this Valkyrie had sacrificed herself?

Want to Leave? Aren't You Curious What Kiana's Parents Look Like?

"Yeah, didn't they already say that in Chapter Two?"

"I know. But I didn't expect... the later story would mention Kiana's mother too. Will Cecilia die before our eyes next?"

Having already been stabbed by the game, Seele had gotten her first taste of the MiHoYo blade. Now, she probably had a rather bad feeling...

Beichen could only say in response: Since you were already here, why leave? Keep watching!

"Ahem, dear viewer, giving up halfway is not good. You've already watched this far. Aren't you curious what Kiana's father and mother, Schicksal's foremost Male Valkyrie Siegfried and Valkyrie Cecilia, are like?"

The question he threw out precisely grasped the audience's curiosity.

"Um... I guess I am a little curious..."

Seele's comment was enough to show that she had taken the bait.

That also meant this little viewer would keep watching. Then... they would see what kind of reaction she had when the time came.

But speaking of curiosity, someone in the Live Stream was clearly even more curious than Seele...

"Kiana's father and mother? Although I shouldn't be overly curious about someone else's family, I do want to know what kind of people they are."

A neatly written comment drifted through the Live Stream. Its sender was none other than Durandal.

Fortunately, she considered Siegfried and Cecilia to fall under the category of "other people," rather than "herself." Otherwise... who knew whether she would want to beat Otto to death after learning the truth.

Seeing his viewers so active, Beichen spoke up.

"Mm, since everyone is so interested, let's continue."

After saying that, he clicked Enter Next Stage on the results screen.

As the stage loaded, a conversation between Kiana and Theresa appeared on the screen again.

Theresa! Theresa!

Hey, what are you shouting for~

I want to ask you something. Cecilia, Cecilia Schariac, did she come to take part in this battle too?

The moment she heard the name Cecilia, Theresa's tone became serious.

Cecilia... why do you know that name?

Because... because she is the Valkyrie I admire most.

Oh, I see. But Cecilia did not come to Siberia. More than a year ago, she gave birth to a daughter. After that, she had been recuperating, so she did not participate in this mission. However...

However what?

If Siegfried and I cannot successfully intercept the Second Herrscher, Bishop Otto may forcibly order Cecilia to deploy.

"Bishop Otto...? I remember now. It seems he was mentioned in earlier chapters too. He seems to be... Theresa's grandfather?"

When Otto's name appeared in the story again, Seele caught on and sent a puzzled comment.

"I thought he was just a kind old grandpa. I didn't expect him to force a Valkyrie into battle? My impression of him has gotten worse too."

As Seele's blue comment floated across the screen...

A green comment immediately followed.

"..."

However, the person involved did not say anything else.

Seeing that he had actually sent a string of ellipses, Beichen could not help but laugh.

This counted as Otto's early black history getting dug up and brought up again, right? But he had no way to refute it, because it was the truth. Besides, arguing with Seele would definitely make him seem unusual.

If someone then asked, "Why do you care so much about Otto?"... the situation would probably become even more awkward.

I absolutely won't let that happen. I will definitely protect Cecilia!

As the story played Theresa's inner thoughts, Kiana voiced her agreement.

That's right. Please make sure to protect her!

After the dialogue ended, the game entered actual gameplay.

After drifting through Siberia's wind and snow for so long, Ri Duck finally had a chance to act.

She headed down the slope at high speed. Before long, several monsters emerged from the ground.

Since they were merely the simplest fodder monsters, Ri Duck disposed of them with just a few normal attacks.

However, during the battle, red subtitles suddenly appeared on the screen.

Why does it feel like the data space has become unstable...

Then the screen went completely black, with only the words Ah!!! standing out sharply in the center.

When the screen finally lit up again, the unit controlled by the player had suddenly changed from a Valkyrie... into a Titan mech!

"Huh? What's going on? Big Sister Bronya turned into a mech!"

Seele's comment appeared almost at the exact moment Bronya disappeared.

To keep this little fan from exposing herself through excessive surprise, Beichen immediately explained.

"Don't worry. The red subtitles already explained it. It's just a data anomaly."

"Oh... I thought Big Sister Bronya had really turned into a mech."

Seeing Seele's comment, Beichen almost blurted out, "Turning into a mech would be way too ridiculous."

One could only say that she was far too immersed in it? So much so that she could not help treating the game as another reality?

In comparison, the other viewer was not immersed at all. Perhaps he was still analyzing and trying to understand the structure of the Live Stream...

"This model of mech is truly outdated. Its huge size makes movement inconvenient, and its manufacturing cost is high..." A green comment floated by. "Indeed, it is a model that would be phased out in the future."

Just as Beichen thought of someone, that someone began making his presence known.

Everyone else was wondering why the character had suddenly turned into a mech, yet he had started seriously analyzing the Titan mech?

Still, the analysis was indeed convincing.

"Mm, it really is cumbersome."

Beichen agreed before beginning to control the mech to beat up Mei.

That was right, beat up Mei. Though it was a Shadow Valkyrie Mei generated by the game.

Of course, Mei was not to be underestimated. Not only could she dodge quickly, she could also summon shadow clones to attack enemies.

By comparison, the Titan controlled by the player was a clumsy hunk of metal. Its movements were slow, and its attacks had long windups. It was extremely awkward to control...

Of course, the Titan had its advantages too.

After having two attacks dodged in a row, Beichen gave up on taking the initiative to attack and instead pressed the dodge button to defend.

When Mei attacked, hitting the defensive barrier immediately triggered a defensive counterattack.

After counterattacking several times in a row, Mei's health bar had dwindled to almost nothing. Then Beichen controlled the mech to throw several punches, successfully killing Mei!

The story dialogue at the end of the stage then popped up.

Oh, right, Theresa. I need to ask you for a favor. When we meet Siegfried later, please help me hide the fact that I'm his illegitimate daughter for now.

Huh? Why?

"Dad, I Miss You So Much!" (A Slap Across the Face)

Faced with Theresa's question, Kiana hesitated for a moment before beginning her clumsy performance.

Um... look, this is a critical moment in the mission. If we waste time on my issue, then Mom—no, Lady Cecilia—might fall into danger!

Kiana haltingly gave her reason.

Anyway, my matter can be dealt with after the mission ends. Please!

I understand. Just as expected of my niece!

"..." Theresa's swift and decisive reply made someone in the Live Stream send a string of ellipses...

"What is it?"

Watching Otto's green comment float across the screen, Beichen immediately asked.

"Nothing. I just think that Theresa in reality definitely would not be fooled by such a childish lie."

"Heh~ That makes some sense."

Beichen then clicked to enter the next stage. After successfully loading in, the game first played a cg.

Yo~ Theresa, you finally made it.

Before the image became clear, a person facing the camera with one hand raised in a gesture appeared on the screen.

He had the same white hair and blue-green eyes as Kiana. He wore a loose trench coat and fingerless gloves.

His sharply defined face currently held a smile.

I heard you encountered the Second Herrscher earlier. I was really worried about you.

After he finished speaking, the camera shifted to Theresa, who stood with one hand on her hip.

Hmph, I don't need concern from a pervert like you.

Hearing Theresa's response, Siegfried did not take offense.

Ah, fine, fine. Oh, right, who is this beautiful young lady beside you?

As he asked the question, the camera gradually pulled back until it included Kiana standing beside Theresa.

Beautiful miss, if there is a chance, I would really like to buy you a drink.

"?" As Siegfried uttered that sentiment, a question mark floated across the screen.

The person who sent the question mark was neither Seele nor Bishop Otto, but Durandal, who rarely spoke.

"What is it?"

"I am very surprised. Siegfried... he is actually such a frivolous person?"