There was still some time before Jackal's plan would reach its final form. Chase, while keeping an eye on the situation with Anti-Entropy, enjoyed a moment of tranquility with Kiana.
In the forgotten room, the young man and woman sat at the dining table, quietly savoring the delicacies.
"Mmm, hmm, hmm," Kiana kept stuffing herself with cookies, her cheeks puffed up like a hamster. "I think I understand now."
"What did you understand?" Chase handed her a bottle of milk, asking.
"Stigmata has gender distinctions!" Kiana crossed her arms, tilting her head like a proud little rooster. Soon, she received a playful head pat from Chase, making her pout and rub her head.
"I've said it's just a makeshift measure. After all, Jackal doesn't know my details," Chase chuckled. "Interestingly, among all the World Serpent cadres, it seems that Jackal is the most clueless about me. Even Chen Tianwu, who was exiled by Raven, knows more than her."
"Grey Serpent recruited me, Raiden and I fought, Night Owl and I worked together, but Jackal is baffled by this sudden newcomer."
Chase continued, recalling with amusement, "She even wanted me to capture you and use you as her research material."
Kiana, sipping sweet milk, suddenly choked and started coughing.
Chase sighed, gently patting Kiana's back with a helpless expression.
He had known Kiana for some time, and even though he was sure that the current Kiana was indeed Kiana and not controlled by Sirin, something still felt off.
When he first met Kiana, her alertness and serious attitude left a deep impression on Chase. But now...
Chase looked at Kiana, who was looking at him with gratitude, and the girl's eyes were a bit red from choking.
Why did she look so foolish now? Chase wondered, feeling puzzled.
Just as he was about to say something, he held back, realizing that it might be impolite. He continued, "Someone's here, let's withdraw for now."
With that, Chase's figure disappeared from the spot.
Kiana blinked in confusion, her eyes filled with innocent foolishness. Ever since she got the pampering care and love, she seemed to have returned to the innocent and naive state she had when she was with Saint Freya.
When someone around her was good at thinking, Kiana would skillfully abandon her own brain, regressing into a carefree state.
With a hint of confusion, Kiana inspected her surroundings, and indeed, in the living room, she found something unusual.
The window in the living room was open, and a gentle breeze occasionally blew in. The light-colored curtains swayed with the wind, revealing the grey skirt hidden behind.
"Who?" Kiana raised her twin pistols, alert.
"Hehehe," a somewhat familiar female voice came from behind the curtain, "Miss Kiana is still as vigilant as ever. It seems like you're in good shape."
A graceful maid with golden hair walked out from behind the curtain, lifting her skirt slightly and bowing politely to greet Kiana.
"Miss Kiana, long time no see," said Rita.
"Miss Rita, hasn't it only been a day since our last meeting?" Kiana quipped, shifting her gaze from Rita to the wide-open window. "Rita, why are you here, and why did you climb in through the window?"
"Because the door was locked," Rita said matter-of-factly.
"..."
"Miss Kiana, please rest assured. I didn't come with ill intentions this time. Moreover, Miss Kiana saved my life and the lives of my teammates before. Rita would never repay kindness with enmity."
Today, Rita didn't wear the latest Godslayer armor. The effects of the HSN gas on her were still not completely gone, and the Godslayer armor imposed a considerable burden. She chose to wear her regular outfit for recovery purposes.
A white-collar shirt with wave-patterned edges, a grey pencil skirt, sheer black stockings encasing delicate thighs, paired with red high heels—she looked like a modern urban woman, exuding undeniable milf charm.
Kiana subtly scanned Rita, who wasn't wearing Valkyrie armor and lacked her conspicuous scythe. This boosted her confidence by five points, but she remained cautious.
Earning Kiana's trust had become quite challenging.
Rita didn't come empty-handed this time, as she had prepared a gift for the visit. Holding a basket of fruits, she walked to the table and noticed the uneaten pastries. Her eyes flickered for a moment.
"Can I have a piece?" she asked.
"Help yourself," Kiana replied. After a brief pause, she added, "But don't touch my caramel pudding and lava cake."
"No, those are my caramel pudding and lava cake," the Queen of the Empty Hearts corrected.
"What's the difference?" Kiana was puzzled. "If I can eat it, you can eat it too."
"...," the Queen of the Empty Hearts fell silent, feeling somewhat inexplicably upset.
Fu Hua, on the other hand, silently watched the Queen's reaction, always worried that she might suddenly go berserk. Wiping non-existent sweat from her forehead, she reminded Kiana, "Kiana, don't provoke her."
Huh?
"The taste is excellent. Where did you buy it?" Rita asked after trying a cookie, showing interest.
It happened to be the time when Fu Hua was arriving. Kiana decided to get her a portion.
"At a dessert shop near the east gate," Kiana casually replied.
"At the sweet shop east of the city," Kiana casually replied. "Rita, your visit isn't just to thank me, is it?"
"It's really hard to hide things from Miss Kiana," Rita sighed, smiling. "I've come to seek Miss Kiana's cooperation."
"Cooperation?" Kiana frowned. "I find it hard to believe a request for cooperation from an organization that was chasing me not too long ago."
"No, Miss Kiana, you will agree," Rita elegantly said, "because, in this matter, the stance of Anti-Entropy and Miss Kiana is actually aligned."
Kiana looked at Rita, a puzzled expression in her heterochromatic eyes.
"Miss Kiana, Sky City is currently in a major crisis."
---------------------
On the other side, he paid a little attention to the situation on Kiana's side. After confirming that there was no problem, Chase left with peace of mind. When he appeared again, he had already arrived at Gray Snake's warehouse.
Since the last commotion caused by the individuals from the Hyperion at this place, it has been temporarily abandoned. After all, the bait dropped by the Gray Serpent has worked, and the fish are already hooked. The Gray Serpent has no interest and no time to restart this place.
His current energy is entirely focused on the side of the Abyssal City. The return of the Honkai Queen is approaching, and the Gray Serpent has delegated all the affairs on this side of the Sky City to other officials who are still in the city, while he continues to contend with the enemies, and remains vigilant against Einstein. It could be said that he is exerting all his efforts.
"Kevin Kaslana...?" muttered Chase softly, recalling the information he saw in the World Serpent Database.
Kaslana's ancestor, the most powerful mantis warrior of the previous civilization. His full blow could even shut down the Herrscher of the End for 12 hours.
Self-examining, Chase realizes that he is far from reaching such a level.
Speaking of which...
Chase opened the simulation panel, flipped through it, and found the reward given in the second simulation.
[Kaslana Physique (Blue)]
With the Kaslana Physique, he wonders if he can be considered a Kaslana. However, his black hair and black pupils seem to have no connection with Kaslana's iconic white hair and blue eyes.
Chase fell into contemplation, then extended his hand. With a flick of his wrist, he disarmed the force and staggered the pose of the person in front of him.
"Mr. White Dove, being distracted during a fight is not a good habit," the purple-haired girl with a neat ponytail, holding a katana, felt slighted and reminded him.
"I'm just thinking about what move to use to defeat Miss Raiden again," Chase responded, raising the katana in his hand and smiling. "Based on Miss Raiden's current performance, even if she encounters Kiana, she'll only be a hindrance."
"Without strength, you can't protect anyone. All pain stems from your weakness, and weakness is the original sin."
However, due to the white dove mask he wore, Chase's laughter sounded so harsh to Raiden Mei's ears.
Her originally waist-length hair was cut off by the girl herself, and the excess was tied into a neat ponytail. At this moment, Raiden Mei, compared to before, looked more like a warrior, but... it wasn't enough.
Without Chase's approval, she couldn't obtain information about Kiana.
These days, she has been squeezing her potential crazily, just to obtain more power and bring that girl back to her side.
Raiden Mei regained her determination, her gaze firm.
"I understand."
After saying that, the purple-haired girl tightened her grip on the sword hilt again and rushed towards Chase with a determined posture.
She wanted to prove to the man in front of her that she was no longer the Raiden Mei who could only endure and wait for rescue in front of S-rank Valkyries. Compared to before, she has changed too much; it's not just a matter of cutting her hair short and changing her hairstyle.
Now, she not only has a new assault armor but has also made significant progress in proficiency with the North Star Swordsmanship!
Buzz—
The sharp blade cut through the evening wind, emitting an almost imperceptible buzzing sound. The blade flashed before Chase's eyes, and in an instant, the blade swept across Chase's neck. The cold blade was silent, leaving a long scar on the iron wall behind Chase.
Several cut black short strands fluttered in the wind. Chase's figure appeared behind Mei, and he smiled, praising, "Very good fighting spirit. Keep it up, Miss Raiden. You're just a little short—then you can hurt me."
Saying that, Chase made a cosmic gesture with his fingertips.
"Just a little bit more."
Raiden Mei solemnly nodded. She seemed to be a bit closer to that girl now. Suppressing the joy in her heart, Raiden Mei rallied herself.
It was already night. The city had already changed into a cyberpunk-style outfit, with neon street scenes under the intricate buildings. The moon hung high in the sky, emitting a faint light, as if it would be swallowed by this colorful night scene in the next moment...
But it had no impact on the two battling in the warehouse.
The chandelier above the warehouse swayed, emitting a faint light, but it was enough to illuminate the two fighters below.
The clanging sound of blade collisions echoed in the warehouse. The blade cut through the evening wind, shattering starlight. Raiden Mei seemed to be in a state, becoming more and more courageous. She had no intention of getting tired, and Chase did not actively attack; he silently accepted her moves and then dissipated them.
Sparks burst forth and disappeared in an instant. Then the Katanas separated again, changing angles in the hands of the two, and collided once again. Then, they separated once more.
Clang—
Clang—
The entire warehouse seemed to have turned into a blacksmith's shop. The old blacksmith took out the red-hot iron, holding his hammer, and tapped slowly until the tool he wanted to forge took shape.
After once again receiving Mei's attack, Chase stepped back half a step and stopped the match. "It's enough."
Raiden Mei raised her hand holding the knife and hesitated for a while before slowly putting it down. The purple-haired girl stopped moving, holding the sword hilt tightly with both hands, looking a bit nervous as she stared at Chase, like a plaintiff and defendant awaiting the final verdict in court.
"Raiden Mei," Chase called out the girl's name, making her tremble all over, standing upright immediately.
"Present!"
"I acknowledge your determination!" Chase smiled. "Next, I will tell you about Kiana as agreed."
After that, Chase paused and reminded, "Don't forget the training fees for these days."
The smile on Raiden Mei's lips froze, as if the game had suddenly been paused, then under the influence of the rewind key, her smile gradually disappeared, transferring her gaze to Chase's mask.
"I understand. The headmaster will transfer the money to your account later."
As Chase was about to tell Raiden Mei about Kiana's current whereabouts, the warehouse door was pushed open.
A tall and elegant blonde stood at the door, scanning both Chase and Raiden Mei. At the same time, Chase was also observing this unexpected guest.
Blonde hair, blue pupils, mounted on a lance, and the indomitable momentum... Chase already knew the identity of the newcomer.
Durandal, the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal, captain of the Immortal Blade.
"White Dove, is it?" Durandal looked at Chase and asked.
"Yes, it's me." Chase admitted openly.
"Then there's no problem," Yolanda nodded, raising the lance in her hand. "Mr. White Dove, please come with me."
At this moment, Chase received a message on his communication device:
[The Queen of the Empty Space and the Valkyrie of Schicksal have appeared in the experimental area. Please rush to XXX for support.]
Of course, Chase, who was currently facing Yolanda, had no intention of caring about communication.
In the depths of his heart, there was a premonition that he might not be able to beat the opponent right now.
(TN: Very sorry for the copy paste lol forgot to delete after checking previous versions of translation.)