Kapitel 80: Chapter 80: Father-in-Law! Father-in-Law!
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Ana didn't immediately enter the tavern, as she found the person she was seeking just outside, not far away.
In a distant, secluded, and dilapidated alley, a man with short silver hair exuding a mature aura approached slowly, wearing a blue jacket. From his cautious movements, he seemed highly alert.
Indeed, this was Siegfried Kaslana, the former S-Class Valkyrie of Schicksal and father of Kiana and Bianka. And presently, naturally, he stands as Schicksal's most wanted fugitive.
As Ana observed Siegfried, suddenly, she felt his presence shift, followed swiftly by his figure disappearing from its spot.
"Did he spot me?"
This thought flashed briefly through Ana's mind. Why didn't it linger? Because Siegfried's attack was already upon her. In a blink, Siegfried appeared beside Ana, both his guns trained on her.
"Hmph—"
With a cold snort, Ana summoned Abyss Flower and swiftly retreated, maintaining a safe distance from Siegfried but refraining from counterattacking.
Siegfried mirrored her pause, his eyes narrowing at the sight of Abyss Flower in Ana's hands, momentarily stunned.
"Hello there, father-in-law."
A playful smile graced Ana's face as she addressed him with this title.
Did you think she would call him Mr. Siegfried? No way! That would be too dull!
If she wanted to provoke a reaction, she had to commit fully! Besides, even if she weren't a transmigrator, couldn't she still know that Bianka is the true Kiana? Come on! It was evident from what Su revealed earlier.
"Father-in-law?!"
Hearing this address, Siegfried's already perplexed gaze became even more confused.
He had learned from Anti-Entropy about Fu Hua bringing Kiana to Singapore, suspecting it as part of a plot. Thus, he rushed here to assist and foil Cocolia's plans.
However, he didn't expect to encounter this girl who appeared outside of his plans.
Moreover, Abyss Flower... wasn't this Divine Key wielded by Durandal, Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie? The Valkyrie before him, although formidable, was undoubtedly not Durandal.
Yet, she bore some resemblance to Cecilia... and looked somewhat familiar...
As a renowned playboy, Siegfried had met countless people, so naturally, he couldn't immediately recall where he'd seen her before. And "father-in-law"...
While he didn't oppose Kiana's feelings, he was aware that the girl she liked was Raiden Ryoma's daughter, named Raiden Mei. He had seen photographs, and the person standing before him definitely wasn't her.
"Hello, Mr. Siegfried. I am Ana Schariac. When I was little, you even held me once, and we were childhood friends with Kiana. Do you remember?"
Ana bowed politely, smiling as she introduced herself.
"Ana..." Siegfried murmured, memories from the past resurfacing in his mind - Cecilia... Kiana...
"Oh, it's you."
Siegfried recognized her instantly, his eyes reflecting nostalgia and emotion as he gazed at the young woman before him. In his memories, she was a frail child constantly following Kiana around; now, she had blossomed into such a beautiful lady. If only Kiana were still here, perhaps...
A sharp pang of sorrow pierced Siegfried's heart.
"Back then, Big Sister Kiana even joked about marrying me someday," Ana chuckled softly. This wasn't merely a jest; these were among Ana's earliest memories. During Su's illusory realm, as her mental abilities strengthened, fragmented recollections like this became clearer.
Of course, their childhood words were just innocent playfulness, not to be taken seriously as a verbal engagement. But that didn't matter—Ana was determined to win Bianka over, come what may!
"I see..." Siegfried nodded without elaborating further. Recalling such moments weighed heavily on him; managing not to show his distress too visibly was already commendable.
"So, calling you 'father-in-law' shouldn't upset you, right?"
"Haha, naturally, if she were still with us."
"Then it's a deal!"
"Indeed." Unaware of what he had just missed, Siegfried was now completely engrossed in reminiscing about Kiana and Cecilia.
Meanwhile, Ana discreetly recorded their conversation.
Even if Bianka didn't acknowledge it yet, that wasn't a concern for Ana; she would make sure Bianka knew eventually. Blood ties cannot be denied. As long as Siegfried is her father-in-law, that's sufficient.
Besides, Bianka already seems quite fond of Ana. So, how will you handle it when she asks, "Kiana, will you marry me, right?"?
Of course, Siegfried remained oblivious to Ana's subtle intentions.
"I wonder why Mr. Siegfried has come here?" Ana inquired, inadvertently glancing towards the nearby outpost.
"This appears to be a Schicksal cleaner's base. If Uncle Siegfried enters, it could be walking straight into a trap," she noted.
Ana wasn't joking; if Siegfried indeed entered the outpost, and its two inhabitants raised the alarm, Schicksal might spare no expense to track him down.
After all, Siegfried posed a significant threat to Otto, especially with the powerful Judgment of Shamash under his control.
Honestly, Ana herself coveted the Judgment of Shamash greatly. If it weren't destined for Kevin eventually, she would have certainly tried to claim it.
Though, even considering Cecilia's influence, Siegfried likely wouldn't have handed it over anyway.
"Hmm, you're right, but I have compelling reasons to find Fu Hua," Siegfried nodded seriously without denying her concern.
"Uh..." Ana blinked, contemplating her next words.
"Well then, Uncle Siegfried, would you trust me? I can go inside and bring Fu Hua out. Given her personality, she probably won't request backup. What do you think?" Ana suggested.
"Yes, thank you for your help."
Without any hesitation, Siegfried readily agreed, so swiftly that it caught Ana off guard.
"Huh?? Are you really that trusting of me?"
"Of course," Siegfried replied warmly, scratching his head with his remaining right hand. "You were raised by Cecilia, and not only do you remember her, but you even call me your father-in-law. Why wouldn't I trust my daughter's choice?"
Siegfried's sincere and straightforward words instantly made Ana blush.
Well... impressive! While she was still strategizing how to win over Bianka, her future father-in-law unexpectedly surrendered without a fight. Although this father-in-law didn't seem particularly useful, his capitulation felt rather abrupt.
"Erm... thank you very much!"
"Just a moment, please."
With those words, Ana lifted the Abyss Flower.
"I am the black from the depths of the Abyss, I am the white descending from the clouds, born before creation, existing after annihilation. Let the waters of the Fountain of Life be freely given to all who thirst."
"Divine Key, Abyss Flower - Zeroth Echelon Power: Heilige Lanze, die Welwitschie!"
A gentle glow emanated from the Abyss Flower, illuminating Siegfried's empty left sleeve. Within the radiant light, a brand new arm began to grow.
Siegfried gazed at his restored limb with surprise and delight. After flexing it briefly, he swiftly turned towards Ana, concern etched on his face.
"Thank you, child... But... will this have any adverse effects on you?"
Although using the Abyss Flower appeared effortless for Ana, in reality, controlling it places immense strain on a Valkyrie, especially when activating its full power as she had done.
It's worth noting that during the Second Honkai Eruption, Theresa would immediately collapse after utilizing Judah' full power, illustrating the magnitude of the burden.
"It's alright. I possess holy blood comparable to my mother-in-law, which grants me stronger regenerative abilities," Ana reassured him with a smile. The feeling of being cared for by her elder was quite comforting.
"How are you adjusting now?"
"Haha, don't worry, I'm feeling great! Even the Anti-Entropy scientists once proposed fitting me with a mechanical arm, but I declined."
With that, Siegfried flexed his arm again.
"Feels great, ha-ha-ha! I never thought there'd be a day when I could regain my limb!"
Ana sensed that after recovering his arm, much of Siegfried's aura of weariness and aging dissipated, and even the wrinkles on his face seemed to soften slightly.
"That's wonderful. I'll go inside now to find Fu Hua."
"Mm-hmm."
Exchanging a farewell gesture with Siegfried, Ana vanished from the alleyway and promptly reappeared at the entrance of the hideout. Without hesitation, she pushed open the door.
The interior decor confirmed this place was indeed a tavern, albeit devoid of patrons except for two individuals—one sitting at the bar counter, the other standing before it.
Standing by the counter, unmistakably, was Fu Hua.
And seated on the counter was an A-Class Valkyrie from Schicksal's Central Intelligence Department, codenamed Ghost or Wraith.
Typically, members of the Central Intelligence Department preferred using their code names. Also, while A-Class Valkyries were not particularly rare within Schicksal, S-Class ones indeed were scarce. Each S-Class Valkyrie held immense strategic value, akin to national-level weapons.
Every S-Class Valkyrie holds immense strategic significance, akin to a city's ultimate treasure.
Additionally, worth noting is that this Ghost currently dons Lady Theresa's attire, wearing ill-fitting clothes and displaying an adorable expression.
Just as Ana pushed open the door, Ghost's disguise underwent a transformation - the once utterly flat chest of Theresa suddenly swelled up significantly.
"Look, look, Principal grew some massive boobs—"
"If you insist, I wouldn't mind reporting this to Lady Theresa, Ghost."
With a gentle smile, Ana casually closed the door behind her. While she wasn't entirely opposed to the idea of busty Theresa, it did seem... somewhat peculiar.
Moreover... damn, isn't that bulge way too exaggerated? When creating such illusions, at least strive for plausibility!
"Uh... Lady Ana!?"
Upon seeing Ana enter, Ghost's cheerful demeanor instantly shifted, resembling quite closely how Theresa would look when caught doing something wrong. One could only commend Ghost's uncanny ability to mimic transformations accurately.
As for why Ghost recognized Ana... Well, there isn't much to explain. Ghost oversees this outpost, which just happens to fall within the area where Ana carries out her missions.
Naturally, that means Ghost has occasionally been tasked with assisting Ana.
However, she never expected Ana to appear here now. Rumor had it that Ana was assigned to the Far East Branch under Bishop Otto's most trusted subordinate and also held in high regard by Lady Theresa...
Ghost instantly felt doomed.
If Lady Theresa and Lord Bishop found out about her antics, wouldn't her career come to an abrupt end?
"Lady Ana! I'm sorry! Please spare me!" Ghost repeatedly apologized, pleading for mercy.
On the sidelines, Fu Hua watched with some surprise. She knew Ana well; although Ana sometimes enjoyed playing pranks, she generally had a good-natured and amiable personality. There seemed no real need for such severity.
Nevertheless, Fu Hua naturally respected others' choices and habits.
"I won't tell Lord Bishop or Lady Theresa... Sure."
"As long as you agree to one condition!"
"What conditions?" Ghost felt like she had grasped onto a lifeline.
"Transform into Durandal and let me touch you."
As Ana spoke, her eyes narrowed, revealing an even more benevolent smile on her face.
Seeing this side of Ana sent shivers down Ghost's spine. Despite feeling pitiful already, she knew she had no choice but to comply. Quickly, Ghost transformed into Bianka's appearance.
Ana scrutinized her from top to bottom before reaching out—hands-on inspection time.
"That's not right! Bianka's chest isn't that big!"
"And these arms, too thin and delicate—it's just unrealistic!"
"The expression! Can't you show some professionalism?!"
"This is terrible, absolutely abysmal! I'm starting to question your abilities as an A-rank Valkyrie!" Ana delivered her stern evaluation with utmost seriousness.
Ghost felt close to tears, yet none would fall.
"Wahh... Lady Ana, who could remember such details so vividly?"
"Well, therein lies your problem—you can neither deceive nor intrigue Fu Hua," Ana bluntly scolded Ghost without any hesitation.
"All right, let's set aside your issue for now." With that, Ana shifted her gaze towards Fu Hua.
"You have an old friend waiting outside. Change your clothes and go meet them; don't keep him waiting too long."
Fu Hua blinked, slightly puzzled, but Ana's expression didn't seem like she was lying.
"In the room behind us, there is a set of combat-ready attire, although not as advanced as the Valkyrie Armor."
Upon hearing Ana's words, Ghost seized this opportunity to prove herself and promptly raised her head, speaking loudly:
"You wouldn't want to embark on your mission dressed like this, right?"
Observing Fu Hua clad in loose security uniform, Ana shook her head, with a hint of ambiguity in her gaze.
"Go ahead quickly; I'd hate for others to see you exposed, Miss Fu Hua."
Fu Hua nodded, though for some reason, she felt there was something peculiar about Ana's statement.
Wöchentlicher Energiestatus
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Rangliste 
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