The more she knew, the less she wanted to tell Kiana and the others the truth.
Kiana and the others had treated her sincerely. Fu Hua's heart was not made of stone; it had long been touched in its most vulnerable place.
The time they had spent together was not an illusion.
It was only because of her deal with Otto that she had no choice but to continue carrying out her mission.
But now that her memories had returned, the power within her was also steadily recovering. She no longer needed to act against her own heart.
Although she knew Kiana and the others would learn the truth sooner or later, and that it could not be hidden forever.
Some things were simply too cruel. Once they touched that abyss of sin, perhaps there would be no turning back.
Theresa: "So mysterious. Fine, don't tell us, then."
Fu Hua: "I'm sorry. I did not mean to hide it from you. It's just that, with everyone's current strength, knowing too much would not be a good thing. I promise that if one day you possess enough strength to protect yourselves, I will tell you everything openly."
Raiden Mei: "Class Monitor, you're only making us more curious."
Bronya: "Class Monitor, since you do not wish to say it directly, may Bronya ask you a question?"
Fu Hua: "You may."
Seeing that Kiana was not paying attention to her, Fu Hua secretly glanced at her. Bronya caught that small movement as well.
Bronya: "Class Monitor, was Bishop Otto's purpose in sending you to St. Freya related to Kiana becoming the Herrscher of the Void in the future?"
Fu Hua: "...Yes."
Fu Hua nodded. That single question was enough for everyone to understand how serious this was.
As for Kiana's origins, she did not want that girl—so innocent that she could fall out of bed while sleeping—to learn such a cruel truth.
At least not before Kiana had grown stronger and gained enough power to change everything.
Kiana: "So it's just something like that. Class Monitor, don't worry. With my skills, no matter what Herrscher I run into, I'll settle it with one punch."
Fu Hua: "Sigh, Kiana, things are not as simple as you imagine. In short, if you want to change your fate, you must quickly reach the level of an S-rank Valkyrie."
Kiana: "That extreme?"
S-rank Valkyries truly exceeded Kiana's expectations.
Although she had always shouted about becoming Schicksal's strongest S-rank Valkyrie, she knew there was still quite a gap between herself and that rank.
Her Class Monitor wanted her to reach S-rank quickly? Wasn't that asking the impossible?
Otto's Scheme
Fu Hua: "It is not extreme. Only after reaching S-rank will Kiana have the means to fight a Herrscher and the strength to bear her own fate."
Theresa: "It sounds like the secret Fu Hua is hiding is quite extraordinary. But since it concerns the Herrscher of the Void, an A-rank Valkyrie really would not be enough."
Himeko Murata: "Did you hear that, Kiana? Why aren't you hurrying up and studying properly?"
Kiana: "Th-then, fine. At worst, I'll train harder from now on. In one year, I'll be right on the heels of the S-rank Valkyries!"
Himeko stood tall and proud, looking as though she were ready to defy fate itself.
Fu Hua: "Time is indeed pressing, but you do not need to be overly anxious. I will guide your training from now on and try to teach you everything I know."
Kiana: "Class Monitor, you're so good to me. I'm so touched."
Pardofelis: "Huh? From what Sister Hua said, have the injuries you suffered recovered?"
Fu Hua: "No. My physical injuries have not disappeared. It is only that the return of my memories has restored roughly twenty percent of my strength."
Of course, if she used Fenghuang Down to burn her memories, there would definitely be more room for her strength to grow.
But unless absolutely necessary, Fu Hua certainly did not want to burn her memories again.
Pardofelis: "That's wonderful. Everything is moving in the best possible direction. Sister Hua, you have to tell me all about your time as the Immortal Crimson Bird in Shenzhou."
Elysia: "I'm curious too."
Fu Hua: "My memories have not fully returned yet. The memory capsule is still taking effect. In about half a month, I should be able to tell you everything in detail."
Kiana: "And us too, Class Monitor. Don't forget why Bishop Otto sent you here. You have to tell us everything afterward."
Fu Hua: "Do not worry. Once I find a suitable opportunity, I will tell you everything."
The quiz began.
Why did Bishop Otto send Fu Hua to St. Freya Academy to monitor Kiana?
[A: Kiana is the vessel of the Herrscher of the Void, designated K423. Bishop Otto wants to awaken the Herrscher of the Void in preparation for his plan.]
[B: Bishop Otto believes Theresa is a major threat and must be closely watched.]
[C: St. Freya Academy's anti-theft system is too good, so Bishop Otto cannot obtain intelligence and can only send Fu Hua to infiltrate it.]
[D: St. Freya Academy is a Herrscher stronghold. To fight the Honkai, Otto sent Fu Hua to scout out the enemy.]
Fu Hua: "I..."
The Immortal Crimson Bird could not help rubbing her forehead, feeling that her luck was perhaps a little too terrible.
She had only just managed to suppress Kiana and the others' curiosity, intending to bury the secret until the right time to uncover it.
Yet the system did not even give her that chance and exposed it directly.
It completely broke Fu Hua's defenses.
Theresa: "Who are you calling a Herrscher stronghold? You're the Herrscher stronghold! My St. Freya is clearly a proper Valkyrie academy!"
Raiden Mei: "..."
Kiana: "..."
Pardofelis: "But Principal Theresa, there are already two known Herrschers on your side. Maybe you're hiding a few more."
Theresa: "Impossible! I don't believe it!"
Absurd!
There were only a dozen or so Herrschers in total. St. Freya Academy having produced two was already a coincidence beyond coincidence.
How could there possibly be more Herrschers?!
Himeko Murata: "Then let's look at the other options, Theresa. Do you think Bishop Otto would consider you a major threat and even use his promise to the Immortal Crimson Bird to monitor you?"
Theresa: "Of course not. I'm one of Schicksal's S-rank Valkyries. I'm clearly one of Schicksal's trusted people, so how could I be a major threat?"
Kiana: "With Auntie's intelligence, she really could not possibly become Bishop Otto's major threat."
Theresa: "Who are you calling stupid, Kiana?"
Elysia: "All right, all right. This question concerns Hua, so she surely knows which option to choose, right?"
Fu Hua: "Sigh... I choose A."
Correct answer.
After a few moments of silence, Fu Hua finally sighed helplessly and revealed the truth.
The instant they learned the correct answer, the people from St. Freya Academy were practically dumbfounded, their faces filled with disbelief.
No matter how they thought about it, they had never guessed that the first answer was correct.
Kiana was actually the vessel of the Herrscher of the Void?!
Kiana: "I-I'm the vessel of the Herrscher of the Void? What is going on? Aren't I the daughter of that stinky old man and Cecilia?"
Kiana: "Class Monitor, tell me the answer is wrong. You're joking with me, right?"
Fu Hua: "I'm sorry, Kiana. That is the truth. This is also why I did not want to tell you."
She had known all along that revealing the truth would lead to this situation.
Fu Hua sadly turned her head away, unable to bear seeing Kiana's trembling body and expression of utterly shattered beliefs.
"I-I'm not Lady Cecilia's and that stinky old man's daughter. I'm a Herrscher vessel..."
Kiana's lips trembled. Then she suddenly collapsed onto the ground, her eyes filled with despair.
"Class Monitor, you're lying to us, aren't you?"
Mei hurried over and hugged Kiana, then glared furiously at Fu Hua.
"Kiana's father is Z Siegfried, and her mother is Cecilia. Everyone already knows that. Is there some misunderstanding? Explain it clearly!"
"I'm sorry, Mei. I told you before that once Kiana touched the abyss, some things could no longer be stopped. Facts that must be faced will have to be faced eventually."
Fu Hua bit her lip, her heart aching terribly as well.
But she had no choice. Now, she was the only one who knew the truth, and only she could open Pandora's box and place the bloody reality before Kiana.
"I'm not that stinky old man's daughter. I'm a Herrscher vessel..."
Kiana was still sitting on the ground, repeating the same words over and over in a murmur.
Seeing her like that, everyone's hearts twisted like knives.
"Kiana, I don't care who you are. I only know that you are our Kiana, our friend!"
Raiden Mei held Kiana tightly, her gemstone-like eyes fixed firmly on Kiana's face.
"I only know that you were the one who reached out to me then. You were the one who pulled me out of despair. I don't care who you are. In my heart, you are the one and only Kiana!"
"Mei, I..."
Tears began to slide down Kiana's face again.
Raiden Mei wiped the tears from Kiana's face and said loudly, "I don't care. I only know that no matter what you want to do, I will not let you face it alone. No matter where you go, I will bring you back!"
If she lost you, how dark would the rest of her life be?
Mei seemed to understand why she had joined World Serpent so resolutely back then.
As long as she could help Kiana and save her, what did it matter if she fell into the abyss herself?
Welcome Home, K423
"I understand, Mei. I won't leave you. Not even if it kills me."
Kiana lay in Mei's soft embrace, unconsciously gritting her teeth and forcing back the tears that were about to fall.
She was Kiana Kaslana.
There were still people in this world who cared about her, worried for her, and were willing to give everything for her.
So no matter what, she could not collapse so easily.
"All right, you two little brats, stop showing off your affection here. Especially you, Kiana. If you cry your face into a mess, Mei might start disliking you."
Himeko Murata rubbed Kiana's head. Seeing Kiana gradually come back to her senses in Mei's embrace, she added fuel to the fire.
"Auntie Himeko, you're lying. Mei would never dislike me."
Kiana broke into a smile through her tears, then rubbed her head against Mei's chest.
Raiden Mei's heart was full of pain and affection. She merely held Kiana silently, as though everything had frozen in that moment.
Seeing Kiana recover so quickly, everyone could not help breathing a sigh of relief, while also giving Mei an approving look.
Only Fu Hua stood to the side, pushing up her glasses and remaining silent as she continuously considered whether to tell Kiana everything.
"Class Monitor, tell me everything, okay? Dad never told me anything. I've been kept in the dark all this time. I haven't known anything all these years."
Kiana grabbed Fu Hua's hand and pleaded with despair on her face.
"Sigh, all right. But Kiana, you must prepare yourself mentally." Fu Hua warned her.
Kiana nodded. "Don't worry, Class Monitor. With all of you and Mei beside me, no matter how cruel reality is, I won't run away!"
"Then listen carefully, Kiana. Your true identity is not Kiana Kaslana. You are a clone created by Otto using Kiana's genes and the core of the Herrscher of the Void."
Fu Hua pushed up her glasses. After confirming Kiana's condition, she continued.
"And Otto's mission for me was to come to St. Freya Academy and monitor you. As for what exactly his purpose was, I do not know."
"Perhaps it was as the quiz said. He wanted to awaken the Second Herrscher."
Fu Hua's words were like a knife, stabbing viciously into Kiana's heart.
Before you continue