Capítulo 202: Super-strong stupid goose
The practice room fell silent after their conversation ended.
Durandal was lost in her thoughts, while Rita struggled to find the right words.
Cecilia had given her a delicate mission – to ease Durandal's burdens and encourage her to relax. Reminding herself that this wasn't simply her own whim, but something both Bishop-sama and Cecilia supported, Rita took a breath.
"By the way, Lady Durandal, have you thought about trying on the clothes sent over by that company? You know, that summer outfit designed for vacations?" Rita asked softly, watching as Durandal continued to ponder quietly.
her fingers were still clasped into the edge of the stockings on her thighs, and she pulled them upward slightly.
White stockings weren't something she normally wore, and the style felt a little awkward. Still, to understand a certain silly goose's preferences, it was a necessary experiment.
Truthfully, she didn't care much about the game's storyline.
Her past had exposed her to far darker things. If she let every story get to her, she'd never be able to complete her missions.
Everyone has their own battles to fight, and with those come responsibilities. That was a rule she lived by.
The idea of refusing responsibility and just helping others escape their problems had crossed her mind. But that wasn't her style.
She couldn't ignore everything like she wanted to with most of the game's plot. Some things mattered to her! Like the storylines involving her directly or the ones with Lady Durandal's new outfits.
Rita waited patiently for a response, her eyes fixed on Durandal.
As expected, Luo Mo hadn't forgotten to send over summer clothes during the last game event. After going through several rounds of approval, the outfits had finally arrived.
"Wait, why are we even talking about this?" Durandal's brow furrowed in confusion. "Let's set the vacation talk aside for now. What we should really focus on is..."
"Like you said, fighting the Honkai is a long-term battle. Just a moment ago, weren't you telling me how important it is to take care of oneself health?" Rita asked. "Lady Durandal, you seem exhausted. Perhaps a break is exactly what you need."
Rita couldn't help but smile inwardly.
—— In her opinion, Durandal and Kiana are both idiots. Durandal lectured others about proper rest, yet pushed herself to train all night at the practice grounds.
"Um, well... Rita, how are things with you lately?" Durandal looked flustered.
Her adjutant had been persistently reminding her to rest more. But as the strongest Valkyrie, wouldn't pushing herself even harder make a bigger difference in the fight?
"Alright, I'll think about a vacation sometime soon." Durandal conceded, unable to refuse while under the adjutant's gentle yet determined gaze.
"Not just sometime soon – let's go during the official summer break, Lady Durandal." Rita maintained her pleasant smile as she stepped closer to Durandal.
Her hands moved expertly across the Durandal shoulders, applying a soothing, firm massage. "St. Freya is organizing an island trip for the summer, and I've already added your name to the list."
Durandal relaxed into the massage, savoring the cool touch on her sore muscles. Still, a familiar sense of duty prompted a protest, "Rita, how could you? I still have work to do even during summer break."
---
Durandal told Kiana,
Not to mention the tragic injuries on her body, even though she is in a coma, she is still exuding Honkai energy.
She can no longer control the energy in her body.
For her now, if she leaves here, she is a time bomb.
will be injured and make other people injured.
Kiana listened to Durandal's words and felt her heart sink. She stared blankly at her salad, her usual hunger completely absent. This was the first time she'd ever felt so uninterested in food.
She couldn't stop thinking about Mei. Even small things – getting up, eating, sitting in class – triggered flashbacks to Mei's gentle voice calling her name.
Those warm memories were all she had left.
Like a wounded lone wolf, licking his wounds alone in a corner, there was no one around her again.
After finishing her report to Otto and receiving her next mission, Durandal opened the door and found Kiana staring blankly at her food.
"What's wrong, don't you like pangasius?" Durandal asked.
"I'm just not a fan of fish... too many bones," Kiana muttered, her emotions still raw and ready to flare up. "Besides, there used to be someone who would pick out all the bones for me."
"Well, now that you have the energy to joke around, I guess I don't have to worry about you falling apart." Durandal observed the flicker of defiance back in Kiana's eyes and made a quick decision. "Come on, let's get to training."
They walked through the ruins single-file, Kiana trailing behind. Her mind raced, desperate for a conversation topic, while her eyes scanned for an escape route.
Memories of Fu Hua flickered through her thoughts – lessons on controlling Honkai energy, the promise of unlocking her potential...
Suddenly, a gust of wind whipped up sand, obscuring their vision for a precious moment. Kiana seized the chance, straining to open a space rift. Just a bit more effort and she could slip away!
"If you're that desperate to leave, don't try that trick."
A flash of white light, and Durandal's lance pierced the ground at Kiana's feet. The rift crackled and vanished as if it had never existed.
"Break me like a warrior, and walk away with your head held high." Durandal's voice echoed across the distance, a stern challenge as she watched Kiana's desperate attempts to flee.
The Valkyrie knew those tricks wouldn't be enough.
---
Back in the villa, Kiana put on a brave face, trying to hide her lingering worries behind a facade of energy, She didn't want people around her to worry about her.
Seeing this scene, she couldn't help but say,
"Seriously, facing the eldest sister and expecting to just run away? Defeating her? Yeah, easier said than done," Kiana scoffed, trying to sound dismissive.
"But... is she really that strong? As strong as everyone says?" Bronya's curiosity was piqued. Durandal's reputation was immense, and Bronya wondered if it was all justified.
"Sure, she's got all these legendary stories about her, but at the end of the day, aren't they all just S-rank Valkyries? I mean, Principal Theresa is also S-rank, right?" Bronya reasoned, "Maybe the game just hypes her up too much?"
That's not the point, though.
"Remember, in the real world, during actual Honkai disasters, we've never seen her in action."
Kiana looked at Bronya, a mix of emotions in her eyes. She hesitated, struggling to find the right words. "Honestly..." Kiana sighed and shook her head, "Sometimes, I just don't get my big sister's way of doing things."
"But Kiana, you always say you want to be the strongest Valkyrie," Bronya pointed out. She wasn't trying to pick a fight, just genuinely confused by Kiana's words.
Kiana couldn't help but twitch. She wasn't expecting Bronya to bring up something she said so long ago. Seriously, what was she thinking? Did Kiana really talk about stuff like that? Maybe when she was much younger? Now, after everything she'd been through, she honestly couldn't remember.
Kiana's eyes were hesitant.
"The thing is... I've never seen my sister use her full power. Not once. Every time we train, it's like she's just warming up."
"Isn't it because you are too bad at it?" Bronya questioned, her gaze making Kiana very unhappy.
"Hey, what are you even saying? Look, remember that scene in the game where Durandal knocked my aunt on her butt? That's pretty close to how things are in real life too," Kiana began. She hesitated for a moment, but decided to spill what she knew.
"Truth is, my aunt's never been a match for her. Mom could never keep up because of her health, but..." Kiana lowered her voice,
"...even after Durandal came of age, Schicksal's had this saying going around. They claim she's not just the strongest Valkyrie right now, but the strongest Valkyrie ever, period."
A pause, then she emphasized the point: "The strongest ever!"
"Mei, listen, if you ever face my sister, don't try to fight her head-on... She's incredibly strong, but also... single-minded. It's like she becomes completely focused, and nothing you say or do can sway her." Kiana paused, her voice taking on a worried edge.
"Especially if Mom isn't around."
Honestly, her words were a thinly veiled plea: Mei, if you can't beat her, don't even try. My sister is just on another level.
Kiana still felt a pang of anxiety remembering their fight from the game, terrified that Durandal would hurt Mei.
Of course, when it came to Rita... well, Kiana wasn't so sure. From the way they interacted in the game, it seemed like maybe Rita could get through to her sister. Durandal had a surprising amount of respect for her.
Mei smiled, undeterred by Kiana's warning. Her eyes were fixed on the screen, watching the fight between Kiana and Durandal replay. Of course, she knew the skill gap was massive.
"But even so, some things just have to be done," she said softly.
"If we don't act, the things we care about will slip away. If we don't try, we won't have even the smallest chance."
Mei knew it was a simple truth, but one that held so much weight.
"Alright, here's the thing I can't wrap my head around," Kiana said, her voice tinged with frustration. "My sister expects me to fight when she wants me to. So why does she always take it as a joke?"
Kiana looked at Mei, a flicker of desperation in her eyes. She realized now that there was no way she could persuade her friend to give up.
Kiana's heart swelled. It meant so much to hear Mei say she cared. Did her words count as a confession of some kind? Either way, she made a silent promise to herself: she'd protect Mei, and never again take those who cared about her for granted.
"You don't get it, do you, Kiana?" Mei sighed, a touch of exasperation in her voice. Honestly, the girl's cluelessness about everyday things was a tiny bit alarming.
"Uh, did I mess up again?" Kiana grinned sheepishly, scratching her head.
"Idiot Kiana, pangasius fish don't have bones! The whole excuse you made was ridiculous!" Bronya couldn't help but groan, covering her face in mock embarrassment. Kiana's complete lack of kitchen knowledge was too much to handle.
Should I say that she deserves to be called Kiana, who can only make the kitchen explode?
---
The fight between Kiana and Durandal was disappointingly one-sided.
Durandal's attacks were relentless, leaving Kiana scrambling to defend. Every move Durandal made was precise and efficient, without a single wasted gesture.
To make matters worse, Durandal turned the fight into a training session, lecturing Kiana about her lack of practice and obvious weaknesses.
They even sparred using the Kaslana family's signature gunfighting techniques – a contest Kiana was hopelessly outmatched in.
After all, Kiana only had bits and pieces of Siegfried's training from their time on the run. She'd never had the consistent guidance that Durandal enjoyed.
Between her raw talent, knowledge gleaned from books, and relentless training, it was no wonder Durandal easily dominated the fight.
Even though Durandal's critique felt harmless, a wave of frustration washed over Kiana. Deep down, she knew this fight was different. Durandal wasn't just any opponent - the skill gap between them was impossible to ignore now.
Kiana needed to change her approach, If she kept fighting the same way, she wouldn't stand a chance.
Suddenly, Fu Hua's teachings echoed in her mind. "A true sword heart... knows nothing, fears nothing."
Kiana forced herself to relax, to let go of everything – her opponent, the stakes, even the fear of failure.
Memories flickered through her mind: endless days and nights on the run, countless life-or-death battles, training in consciousness space. It was as if all those experiences were condensing in this single moment.
...With newfound focus, Kiana unleashed the Taixu Sword Qi.
Kiana finally regained control over the Herrscher of the Void's power. But just as triumph seemed within reach, Durandal abruptly retreated.
She abandoned the fight, leaving Kiana to face the swirling 'black hole' and the endless stream of quantum shadows the experiment had unleashed.
Waves of exhaustion washed over Kiana as she struggled against the relentless shadows. Desperate, she decided on a final, risky gamble: she'd use the Herrscher's full might to shatter the black hole.
The gamble paid off – the black hole vanished, But now Kiana was too drained to escape.
And worse, she had no idea what her desperate act truly meant. Had she played right into the hands of whoever was behind this cruel experiment?
---
"Just as I thought, even Kiana and Sirin together can't defeat Durandal!" Cecilia sighed, a troubled frown creasing her face as she watched the game play out.
It was painful to see her two daughters clash, and if you added Sirin's consciousness to the mix, it was like all three of her girls were fighting.
The final scene left her with a chilling feeling. It was clear now – the 'experiment' was targeting both Kiana and the Herrscher of the Void's core.
Worse, the people behind it had just confirmed the success of their twisted plan.
"It's because Kiana's too weak! She doesn't even know how to really use her Herrscher powers," Sirin argued from the sidelines.
"Don't be so harsh on Kiana, she's trying her best!" Cecilia defended Kiana, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"Oh really, Sirin?" she continued, a playful smirk on her face. "So have you actually managed to defeat your big sister, or do you always run away?"
Sirin hesitated, her fingers twitching nervously. "Well... um," she mumbled, looking away, "let's call it a draw. After all, she's the oldest, I have to respect her a little, right?"
Cecilia merely raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile playing on her lips. She knew perfectly well Sirin's idea of a "draw" likely involved using her powers to teleport away from any real fight.
Regardless, it was undeniable that her eldest daughter's power was growing incredibly fast – so fast, that soon even Cecilia might have trouble keeping up.
"Taixu Sword Qi, huh? Now that's interesting. Maybe I should reach out to Fu Hua about teaching Kiana... It could be exactly what she needs." Cecilia tapped her chin thoughtfully.
She hated seeing her daughter struggle, but Kiana had a knack for finding hidden strength when things got desperate.
Besides, in a world like this, wasn't it only fair for a concerned mom to help her daughter unlock as many advantages as possible? If anyone complained, they'd just have to deal with her directly!
"Is it just her? Maybe people don't want to pass on such unsecret information at all!"
Sirin curled her lips and said that the status of the family has been linked to strength by default, and Sirin will not allow the other party to surpass her.
"Actually, the reason the Red Kite Immortal hasn't shared her techniques widely isn't some secret," Cecilia interjected calmly. "It's simply that most people can't learn it. Schicksal even has a simplified version floating around."
She paused, a thoughtful look in her eyes. "That said, even some of Fu Hua's most talented students took years to master the sword heart. It's a testament to how gifted Kiana is that she grasped it so quickly."
"Well, little Sirin, it looks like you've got some catching up to do," Cecilia teased, a twinkle in her eye.
"Ugh, I know, I know," Sirin grumbled, a pout forming on her face.
Sirin was helpless; why did this trend of involution form? She just wanted to lie down.
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