Disclaimer: Honkai Impact 3rd doesn't belong to me. (If it was the case, Himeko wouldn't have to die and Otto can eat shit and die in a hole cry-reading a doujinshi about Kallen getting NTR by Sakura!)

*Ehem* Please enjoy it!

Also, leave comments (no insults, please,) they would be helpful to continue making and improving this story.

After some hours of making tests to verify that there wasn't anything wrong with Adam, Hestia, the auto-identified robot, or more specific, the Artificial Intelligence overseer of the Site Olympus, got him comfortable clothes to the coldness and took him to another room where, according to it -her- they would discuss the matter about his actual whereabouts and reason to be here.

Along the way, Adam, now wearing white thermal clothes together with a jacket, took note of the installation, that according to Hestia, it was under Antarctica. Knowing where they were, it was obvious why the weather at Olympus was freezing cold. Walking another few minutes and taking an elevator to get up to the upper levels of the base, finally, they reached a big and clean meeting room.

In the middle of it, there was a half-moon sofa set with gray and blue seats. Hanging from the cell, there was a circular machine, similar to a disco sphere; at the left of the room there was a mini bar set to the wall and at the right, there was some kind of odd rectangular screen fixed to the wall.

{Please Adam, take a sit.} Following Hestia's words, Adam sat in the middle of the sofa while Hestia took place at the side of the screen. {What you are you going to see may amaze you. Other things will horrify you, but I want you to know that what are you about to experiment is necessary for you to regain your former knowledge.}

Hestia's voice was heavy with decision and care. Adam gulped a little but nodded, indicating he was ready to hear or see what was needed.

The ball in the ceiling, that turned out to be a projector, turned on and showed a series of images in different contrasts on the screen. They were really strange; some showed simple images like a beach, a forest, bridges, animals, skyscrapers, an average house; others showed… strange things, like strange plants and occasionally a zombie.

"Sorry, but, what I 'm supposed to see?"

{It appears that it's needed to accelerate the process. Please, relax and think in nothing except to see the images.} Hestia advised.

The set of images started again, but this time faster and the images had different contrasts that the first time.

{What do you see?}

"Well, for starters, I see…" Adam described common things again. After long minutes of repeating the same process, Adam exhaled exhausted.

"Hestia, can we take a break? I am starting to feel dizzy." Adam said taking a hand to his head. It was a normal reaction after seeing the same images over and over again.

{Let's try again one last time, Adam. I know it's tedious for you, but you must complete this procedure.} Hestia insisted.

Adam sighed annoyed. "Alright, Hestia. One last time."

{Alright. But this time allow me to try something else. It may be uncomfortable, but please bear with it until the procedure it's completed.} As she just finished saying this, a little buzz, similar to a mosquito, took place in the room.

More images appeared again. In the first minutes, Adam didn't feel anything different. But he noted that as the seconds passed, the buzz was raising little by little.

"A see a dog, a house, a fire, a tree, a… a church and a forest in fire…"

Corpses lying in the ground as the fire devours everything in its path…

"A…beach…"

Blood and dust staining the concrete ground as an explosion sounds in the distance…

"Chocolate…cake"

He is smiling with his family. They are singing a lame happy birthday song while his mother puts a big chocolate cake on the table.

"A white tower…"

The antiseptic smell fills his nose. The continuous beeps from a monitor heart rumble inside his ears.

"Purple Lilacs and… sunflowers…"

Her bites make him hiss in pleasure and he answers in kind with his tongue and hands…

"An aquarium…"

He is ogling the painting at the gallery. His big sister says that one day she will be a great artist with paint. He laughs at her and his ear is pulled by his big cousin.

"…the moon…"

Angry howls resonate in the night while he swims in a sea of carnage against hordes of beasts…

"R-rainy days…"

The weather is terrible, but their smiles and the warm in that little house made him feel safe and happy.

"…white chrysanthemums…"

The rain is terrible. He can barely see how they lay down the coffin with annoying water in his eyes…

"…the sea…"

He is sinking in the azure and calm water. There is something large swimming around him, but it doesn't follow him because he continues sinking further and that makes the thing around bristle in fear while he continues his fall to the…

"…a-abyss…!"

The air is putrid. ###############. He can barely move his legs. They tremble as they stop to obey him. He falls. He is crawling now. He craws for a long time until he ####. #########. Something enters his body soul. And it…#######################################

Lava and nails run across his body. They made him flinch in a ball because the pain is too much.

His ##### and ##### made him ######### and then he ####### them!

###########################################################################################################################################################################################################################

Humanity must survive, no matter what.

That's why he #######################

"DE$##$!=?\\############!"

Screws twist his skull and bitter fire runs down his throat.

Snarls and hisses bark inside his head and the cold touch of light burns away his flesh…!

{Operator!} Adam heard Hestia scream in panic while blood left through his nostrils and he puked on the carpet. His conscious left him before he hit the ground.

"We are so fucked."

Lightning bolts charged and shot from the girl's back. Some of them hit randomly places, others almost stroked the pair. Seeing this, Kiana and Adam jumped back.

"H-hey! What's wrong with you?!" Kiana screamed at the girl. "She is a Herrscher!" Adam yelled at her, evading another lightning bolt that almost performed him.

"Ahhh~" She exclaimed contented. "It feels fantastic to finally be free after all this time." The Herrscher extended her limbs, moving them as if it had been the first time in ages. The random shots stopped, but the twitching rays were still present over her back. Adam and Kiana were tense at being in front of one of the main threats of humanity.

The Herrscher came down to the roof and passed her eyes over the pair with contempt.

"I have hoped for a better audience than just two pathetic humans." She moved a lock of hair behind her ear. "I guess I will have to settle with just you two for the moment," she said offhandedly. She charged bolts of electricity on her hands.

"Dodge!" Kiana and he jumped around on the large gymnasium roof avoiding bolts of pure lighting.

Kiana drew her gun and started to fire. Seeing this, the Herrscher used her wing like a shield to cover herself from the bullets while she stopped firing the bolts. Seeing this, Adam moved his right hand to his back to unsheathe one of his guns, but when his hand touched the empty sheathes, he cursed.

"Shit!" Adam remembered that he left them on the access when he woke up. Kiana's shots stopped. She was recharging. At seeing this, the Herrscher launched towards her at great speed with an arm extended.

"Fool!" She screamed. Her arm was surrounded by lighting. Kiana jumped aside, barely avoiding the Herrscher attack. Some of Kiana's hairs bristled at the closeness of concentrated electricity. A single punch could kill a normal human. At seeing Kiana's dexterity, speed and gun handling, Adam deducted that she was a Valkyrie in training. The strike may not kill her, maybe immobilize her, like his arm.

Taking advantage of the situation, Adam jumped to the entrance roof for his guns. He found them laying there. Quickly, he kneeled to grab them. He didn't have a problem moving his right arm, but his left one was a different matter.

"I can barely move it." He cursed internally. "I hope this helps". Adam quickly concentrated and summoned a few tendrils over his left arm. His face didn't blanch completely, the only sign that he was using his powers was a little whitening and a red vein at the left side of his neck. The dumb sensation started to disappear rapidly. He moved his fingers and arm and was satisfied with the results.

"You dare to turn your back on a Queen?!" The Herrscher snarled at Adam. He quickly grabbed his guns. Instinctively, he kicked off to his left. He was right at doing this, for in an instant the roof's access was leveled down.

Adam rolled backward on his back two times before he stood up and pointed his two guns towards her. Not far from him, Kiana did the same. The two immediately shot at the Herrscher while she used her wing as a shield. Despite the constant gunfire, the Herrscher launched towards them as she charged a lightning bolt on her right hand. Adam's guns made a 'click', indicating that he emptied the magazines.

He quickly went to reload his guns. Seeing this, the Herrscher launched at him, angry that he managed to evade her last attack. "Stay still maggot!" She ordered. "That's not gonna happen!" Adam responded while jumping around and shooting at her in intervals, trying to create as much distance as possible between the two. As minutes passed, the Herrscher started to gain more speed and easiness moving around.

It didn't take much for his magazines to run dry. The Honkai Queen smirked and rapidly lunged at him, making a lance-shaped with her hand surrounded in electricity. While she moved through the air, a trail of sparks followed her.

"Shit!" Adam cursed. He leaned his body to his left, barely avoiding the attack. He knew that attack was lethal when a burnt tear was made on his right side jacket, creating a long cut on his right side.

"Damn it!" Adam hissed at the stung on his right side. "Adam!" Kiana cried out as she finished putting a fresh magazine in her gun and fired at the Herrscher.

The Honkai envoy raised her wing in time to block the salvo of bullets coming on her way, but it distracted her enough for Adam to drop his right gun and unsheathe his handle sword, Omen. He instantly summoned the blade and throw an upward slash at his enemy on her right side. The Lighting Queen stepped back but she wasn't fast enough to avoid totally the attack. Blood sprouted from her right side. The cut wasn't too large but proved to be painful for the Herrscher.

"Ahhh!" She cried in pain. She jumped back. "How dare you maggot to harm a Queen?!" She hissed angered. Adam snorted. "Deal with it."

Kiana approached him while keeping her gun on the Lighting Queen. "Adam. "Are you alright?" He touched the cut with his hand. It wasn't a long cut, but the wound was bleeding lightly.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

The air around them was tense. The pair have been shooting the Herrscher for minutes and so far it had proven to be ineffective. The pair didn't want to test their chances in hand-to-hand-combat given her progressive speediness and piercing attacks. Especially Adam after having his left hand immobilized. The Herrscher stay put, keeping her hand on her wound while throwing a death glare to him.

"Any plans?" He asked Kiana. "I was about to ask you the same."

The wound caused by Omen started to steam and slowly close. The envoy hissed in pain.

"Why not?" Adam snorted, "Lighting powers and a healing factor. Anything else?"

From where once was the access to the roof, growling zombies started to appear in big numbers and surrender the Lighting Queen. The pair took a couple of steps back. Soon, almost the whole roof was filled to the brim with zombies. Those who couldn't fit were in the staircase. They were growling threateningly to the pair.

"Son of a bitch…" Adam knew that they needed to retreat. The Herrscher was dangerous enough, but now with the support from the zombie horde, Kiana and Adam were zombie food if they tried to fight the envoy in such overwhelming conditions.

"Kiana. We need to leave." The growls from the zombies started to get louder. Some started to tremble in their places, almost as if they were anxious to attack them.

"What about her?" She motioned with her gun to the Lighting Queen. Adam shook his head. He spotted something among a pile of debris a couple of feet away. His eyes widened at seeing his backpack that somehow miraculously survived the blast. He walked slowly towards it while saving his last gun and sheathing Omen. He didn't bother to pick up the other gun. His step looked relaxed, but Adam was ready to jump back in any second. Adam took it and went back to Kiana.

Without taking his eyes off of the horde in front of him, Adam moved the zipper and put his hand inside. He moved it around. Adam grabbed his documents and the letter. He saved them inside his pants pockets. The zombies started to shake in anticipation to move. The Herrscher lifted her hand and the zombies went still. Their legs were tense and their hands were shaking, eager to obey their master command.

"A-Adam. Whatever you are thinking," a zombie howled, "make it fast." The zombies started to go wild. Adam put his hand inside again. After a few seconds, he finally grabbed the item he was searching for. "Kiana. Just to be sure. Are you a Valkyrie in training?" He wanted to be sure that was the case, or else, his plan might hurt Kiana gravely if not kill her.

"H-huh? Yes. But why are you-" Adam interrupted her. "At my signal, jump with me off of the roof." The Herrscher accommodated her fingers to snap them. Adam introduced his other hand inside the back-pack, not letting it fall to reveal its contents.

"Hey!" He shouted at the Herrscher. She lowered her arm a bit.

"What is it human?"

"You know. Humans tend to give gifts on the birthday of someone. So…" Adam gave her a eat shit grin. She didn't like it.

"I thought that it will be pretty impolite from us to not give you something because today is your birthday, right?" Adam put away the pin of the item hidden in the back-pack.

"If you are going to beg for your life save it." She was about to snap her fingers when Adam threw upside the item between them. Using her enhanced senses, the Herrscher saw with great clarity the object Adam just throw. It was a cylindrical object, slightly larger than a fist. Based on the memories of its host, the Herrscher almost instantly recognized the object.

It was a grenade. To be more precise, a high explosive grenade.

"YOU!"

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Adam turned on his feet, followed by Kiana, and ran toward the edge roof. The angered Herrscher snapped her fingers. The zombie horde howled and lunged at the two runaways. But it was too late. Adam and Kiana barely jumped off the roof when the grenade detonated. The explosion blasted the roof apart. A fire wave enveloped the zombies along the Lighting Ruler. A great part of the horde perished being blasted to pieces or scorched in the raging inferno on the roof.

Kiana and Adam fell to the grass next to the gymnasium with a great thud. The two walked away to see more clearly the destruction the move Adam just pulled and to avoid the falling debris.

"What the hell was that?!" Kiana screamed pointing with her gun at the now destroyed gymnasium roof.

"That was a gift for my last birthday," Adam commented amazed. Many corpses were falling moving clumsily their limbs. He wasn't preoccupied with the rest of them. He was sure that they perished with the fire the grenade released.

"As soon as I see Siegfried again, I'm going to have him to tell me who the hell made these things. They are awesome!"

Adam went to check his pouches. He counted that there were still three magazines in them. He sighed in content at seeing that Gungnir and Omen were still with him.

Kiana checked her pouches as well and clicked her tongue in annoyance. She only had left two magazines with her. During the beginning of the outbreak, she lost a set of magazine pouches and another gun when she was shooting her way out of her class building.

Adam saw her fuming.

"What's wrong?"

"I just realized that I only have left two magazines before I'm out."

Thinking for a few seconds, Adam sighed and unfastened his magazine pouches. He also took off his other gun. Kiana raised an eyebrow at this. He approached her and presented her with his stuff.

"Here. Take it."

Kiana was surprised at this. Adam, a guy that barely knew her since yesterday was giving her his weapons which were vital to survive in the kind of situation they were stuck in.

"Why are you giving me this? Won't it be problematic for you to give me your pistol?" Her questions were pretty valid. In a way, he wasn't obliged to help her, much less give her his stuff. Adam unsheathed Omen but didn't summon the blade. She still had questions about why he carried weapons with him, especially about the blade he used to hurt the Herrscher and the explosive grenade because who the hell give grenades for presents?! She noted that there was another sword-handle kept in one of his sheathes.

"It would be troublesome to find a way out of here alone," he shrugged. "Besides, I will be a complete asshole if I leave a pretty girl behind," but in reality, he was thinking something else.

"Siegfried will never forgive me if I left her daughter behind in a city filled to the brim with zombies and a fucking Herrscher." Adam smiled a little at Kiana's surprised expression and at the little pink on her cheeks. "Also, I owe it to the old man."

"A-are you flirting with me?!"

"No. I'm being honest here," he raised his arms in a placating gesture. "But if that made you mad, I'm sorry." He apologized.

"It's alright. And thank you." She was grateful. She took the equipment off from his hands and started to put it on. She did it with practice easy. While doing this, Adam noted that the first sun rays started to rise in the distance. Adam heard some grows in the background, but he didn't mind them. They just escaped a pretty dangerous situation, and with a Herrscher no less, so it was kind right to enjoy this little moment of peace. Just like Siegfried taught him.

"I am done," Adam was about to say something until a terrible shiver ran through his body.

A big explosion of electricity occurred in the building the two just escaped. A figure shot out from the raging inferno on the roof and landed gracefully a few meters away from them. Adam wanted to slap himself. It was too naïve for him to have thought that they got off the Herrscher with just a simple and highly modified grenade.

"YOU!" She screeched.

To say that she was mad was saying little. The Herrscher of Lighting was practically releasing powerful rays of her destructive power according to her sour mood. The grass where she landed incinerated, leaving an ugly black mark in the once healthy and greenly grass. If the school gardener was still alive, he would have cried in anguish at seeing this. The Lighting Lawman looked that she had seen better days. To be more specific her school uniform was burnt in many different parts. Adam was sure that if she was still a normal human girl, she would have screamed in anguish at the state of her attire and how much skin it exposed. The many burnt marks on her body started to disappear, leaving behind pristine and healthy skin.

"Not only have you dared to stain my body with that vulgar weapon of yours," she was pointing with her left hand to Omen, "but you also have the nerve to trick me with such simple method and burn away my attire to let you roam your disgusting eyes all over my body!" She finished clenching her fist in rage. Kiana stared at the Lawman in astonishment while Adam just deadpanned at her.

"Okay. No. Time out!" He raised his arms and make a pause gesture. "You are saying that I used that grenade so I could see you fucking naked?!" Adam's left eye twitched. He really couldn't understand her reasoning, because, come on, the idea of using a damn explosive to see a naked girl was truly ridiculous!

"And now you have the nerve to feign ignorance", a part of her uniform fell apart, exposing a generous view of her midsection and left thigh. At the half of it, there was a sigil glowing with power. It was purple, the same color her rays showed. She tried to cover her exposed skin with her right arm, but her efforts ended in vain. There was a big blush on her face that in other circumstances Adam would have found cute. Kiana turned to Adam with her raised eyebrows, her face expressed shock.

"I-is that true, Adam?!"

"W-what?" he was bewildered at Kiana's question. "Of course not!"

"You said that grenade was a birthday present," she paused for a moment in thought before she reached a conclusion, "it's one of those strange gifts among men so they could peep at girls!

"Whose side are you on?!"

"All women are on one side when it's about perverts!"

"I agree with the mongrel."

"Are we really having this conversation?" Adam muttered while massaging his forehead. He looked at the envoy, "Just for the record and to make it clear, I was actually trying to kill you." He said with an exasperated voice. Adam dropped his hand and entered a fighting stance with both hands on his sword. "Drink." Omen obeyed and started to suck away his blood.

"Not use to play it safe with a Herrscher pissed off at me." He thought gravely. He may not have wanted to use his powers in front of Kiana but given the situation, it couldn't be helped. He decided to use his powers as a last resource in case he got cornered. The surprise factor could be his lifesaver.

Adam summoned the blade, the length got larger and now emitted a sickening red glow to the eyes of the other two women. At viewing this, the Herrscher raised her arms in a threatening gesture. She was creating concentrated rays of electricity in her hands until suddenly, she flinched and took a couple of steps back.

"Nngghh…!" She grunted. The electricity in her hands disappeared and started to claw her head in pain.

"N-no! Y-you won't take b-back this body- F-father?!" She gasped. The arrogance in her tone was replaced by shyness and fear.

Kiana and Adam were perplexed at the sudden change in her voice.

"F-father? Why did-you -Stop resisting!" She screamed as she fell to her knees and grabbed her head in pain. "Y-you are supposed to be dreaming p-pathetic girl."

Knowing that she was vulnerable, Adam flexed his legs and was about to lunge at the Lawman until Kiana stop him putting a strong grip on his left shoulder using her right hand.

"What are you doing?" Adam raised an eyebrow at Kiana's question. "What I just said. I'm going to kill her." He stated with a calm voice. He didn't find it wrong to take advantage of the current state of the Herrscher. Kiana's eyes widen at how Adam simply stated that he was about to kill.

"Be quiet pathetic excuse of!- No! I don't want to die! Father! Someone! Please!" The Herrscher, or rather the host, started to scream in panic while tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. Kiana found the sight sour while Adam looked at the now crying girl with a neutral expression.

"Don't you see that?! She is still fighting the Herrscher! You can't just say that it's fine to kill her." She turned to look at Adam with a serious expression.

"Kiana," He didn't take his eyes off the walling girl. "Not too long ago she just tried to kill us. And I'm betting that it won't be too long before the host mind succumbs to the Herrscher's will and make sure that it stays in control. Permanently." Adam stated with a grave voice. "And I think she would rather die as a free human and not being the puppet from the Will of God." Adam's voice was laced with acid in the last part.

"No," Kiana shook her head, "my family, the Kaslanas, we exist to protect and to save the innocent, she," she turned to see the girl before turning back to Adam, "she is an innocent in all this. I will not allow you to kill an innocent just because she's is the Lawman's vessel!" She said it with great resolution.

Adam tried to take a step forward but Kiana didn't allow him. Her grip on his shoulder tightened. Both looked into each other's eyes. None of them was willing to relent. They both knew that it was a matter of time before the situation escalated into a fight between the two, one that Adam wasn't willing to take if that meant to hurt his mentor's daughter. The atmosphere was tense. The distant howls from zombies and the girl's cries weren't making things easier. Bot warriors tensed their bodies, ready to act as soon as the other made the first move.

The atmosphere changed at what the girl screamed.

"M-Mei. M-my name is Mei! I'm Mei Raiden, "the now identified girl, Mei Raiden, started to repeat her name like a broken record. "I am Mei Raiden. I'm Mei. I am Mei. I am Mei. I am Mei. I am Mei. I am Mei. I am Mei." She continued until she ran out of breath and fell on her hands on the soft grass.

The two warriors at stalemate were surprised at the sudden change of events.

"I am Mei. I am Mei. I am Mei. I am…please…help…me…" She begged while looking at the two. Her eyes showed pain and great fear.

It was a bitter sight.

Adam felt that Kiana released his shoulder. She took a pair of steps towards the now crying girl. Despite the previous show, Adam was about to take his chance and kill the Honkai envoy until the words that left Mei's mouth froze him down.

"N-no. Don't take m-my memories. I need them!"

"N-no. Don't take m-my memories. I need them!" A powerful storm surrounded him. White and Black. Darkness and Light. Golden and Red. Night and Dawn. All of it mixing and slamming, tearing themselves apart and repeating the process again.

"W-what the fuck!" He screamed internally.

Adam put a hand on his head trying to relieve the growing drumming inside his skull. A feeling of vertigo hit him. He almost tripped if it wasn't for the long blade of Omen that he used as a crutch. "Think of a frozen forest. The frozen forest. I am in a frozen forest."

While Adam was trying to get in order his thoughts, Kiana was slowly taking steps towards Mei who continued to babble. Kiana could barely understand what Mei was saying. Something about her father, betrayal and that it wasn't her fault. Kiana reached her and knelt on one leg. She slowly brought her arm to Mei's head. When she touched her, Mei stiffened and stop speaking.

"Don't worry," Kiana moved her hand through her hair in soft motions, "Everything is going to be fine." The tensed shoulders of Mei dropped as she continued crying. "Mmm, her hair is so soft…" Kiana thought. Mei's cries started to get softer. Kiana stopped to move her hand but didn't take off her from Mei's head.

"H-how are you so sure?" Mei asked her. She was still facing the ground. "Father, he, they blamed him for everything that happened," she started to tremble, "but it wasn't his fault!" She screamed. "He would never commit the crimes he was accused of!" She gripped her fists on the grass. She didn't bat an eye when her hands got dirt.

"Your father?" Asked Kiana gently. She knew she was walking on thin ice, one mistake and they would have the Herrscher back. "What happened to him?" Mei whined, "They arrested him and threw him in prison. H-he, he told me that everything was going to be fine. But it was not!" She started to tremble in anger. "He, they left me alone!" Quickly, Kiana asked her, "b-but you surely had your friends with you?" Mei laughed dryly. "Didn't you heard what I just said?"

Hearing Mei, Kiana started to remember that some months ago, a girl in the academy who was a known Idol for her beauty, intelligence, and gentle personality, was facing harassment by classmates, ill-whispers from the teachers and isolation from her previously friends. Kiana heard about the rumors surrounding the Idol, but she found them in distaste. During those months, she was concentrated on passing exams, training in her free time and trying to survive with the little salary she gained from her part-time job.

"No matter how much I tried to convince people that my family was innocent, they just pointed their fingers at me and labeled me like a criminal!" She was trembling in rage. "Mei?" Kiana took her hand off Mei's head, "Mei, do you hear me?"

"I hate them, I hate all them," slowly, she raised on her legs again. Her breath was accelerating, "I hate all of them and I-," the fear and sadness in her eyes was replaced for angriness and assertiveness, "I hate this world!" Mei released a powerful Honkai energy wave from her body. Kiana was knocked back at the displayed force. In a great dexterity display, Kiana quickly recovered, using her arms and pushed off the ground, jumping back. Despite this, Mei, or rather the Herrscher, snarled in anger and throw an electricity bolt to Kiana, who was still in mid-motion.

"KIANA!"

Ignoring the pressure inside his head, he saved Omen inside its sheath and rushed to her.

Everything went in slow motion. Kiana saw how slowly the envoy's attack was making its way to her, directly at her midsection. Adam felt the pressure in each step he was taking towards her. He knew that he didn't have any second to deploy Gungnir's shield in time. There was only one option. "Fuck it!" He swore. Red tendrils formed on his legs, gaining a sudden boost in speed. Snow-white skin appeared on his skin along with the red veins. He jumped and caught Kiana in mid-air. In a swift motion, Adam put his right arm in front of him, putting as much concentration he could muster, and an ample stack of red tendrils merged at his arm and shifted, forming a crimson shield big enough to cover them both.

"This is going to hurt!" He thought.

Adam grunted in pain as he felt how his nerves were slowly melting and his elbow protesting when the electricity bolt smashed on his shield-arm. He ignored the disbelieving look on Kiana's face as they were shoved back many feet away from the Herrscher. This showed how much power did that blow have and could have obliterated Kiana on the spot.

The Lighting Queen showed surprise on her face for a second before she replaced it with a cold expression.

"It seems that you have more tricks under your sleeve, cheater." She chided.

Adam undid the shield and hugged her with his other arm while they side-rolled on the ground, until they, or to be specific, Adam crashed on the wall from a cabin that was used to store tools to maintain the football field that was next to the gymnasium. Adam heard something crack on his back, but he didn't mind it too much, his priority was the well-being of the girl he just saved from certain death.

"Damn it," he hissed as the bones of his back cracked in protest while he settled straight and rested his back against the wall. He turned his gaze to the Herrscher who was slowly walking towards them.

"Go to Nazagora City, he said. It would be good for you, he said. You will have a good time before you go to the academy, he said. There would be a damn zombie outbreak and a fucking Herrscher, he didn't say!" Adam screamed pissed off, startling Kiana a little at his ghostly appearance.

"A-Adam?" She couldn't believe what just happened. He toned down a bit off his anger.

"Oh, yes. Hey," he turned his eyes to her, "are you okay? She really packs a painful punch," he asked with concern. Kiana blinked a couple of times before she slowly nodded.

"Good, then, if you don't mind, could you please get off of me?" Kiana quickly stood up from his embrace. Adam followed after a couple of seconds. His back made an audible *pop* as he got on his feet. Kiana worried at hearing this. She was about to ask him if he was right until he saw the state of his right arm

"Adam!"

"What?"

"Y-your arm!" She pointed with her left hand to Adam's right arm. He turned his eyes to it. It was completely black, like it was carbonized, and twisted in the wrong way.

"Serves you well, maggot," the Queen said coldly.

"Now this is just great." He said sarcastically. Not only had he exposed himself to other people before reaching Siegfried's contact, but also now he had to deal with a Herrscher's bitchy attitude and help his mentor's daughter. If he had known this was coming, he would have dragged Siegfried after they got off the plane to help him. Adam moved his gaze to Mei with an even expression.

"If she wants to play hard, so be it."

Moments before, he was ready to cut the Herrscher's head off. But after her episode (also his), he decided that maybe Kiana was right. Perhaps, Mei was still savable from the Herrscher, but he needed to make sure of something. He wanted to know that saving Mei from God's Will was actually possible. After all, he needed to be alive to complete his mission and fulfill his promise to his late family.

"Hey Mei, you still there?" He called to the Honkai envoy.

"Don't talk to me like I'm that pathetic girl". She barked.

Adam scoffed in response but ignored her, "If you are still there, give us a signal. It could be really helpful because Kiana and I are going to risk our heads to save you without killing you. Well, your body, that is."

The Queen raised one eyebrow while doing a mocking face and crossing her arms over her chest, "you are really out of your mind if you think that she would -save me? - come out…" Her eyes widened in surprise at the little interruption in her speech.

"Good enough for me." Adam raised his burnt arm, not minding the sick face Kiana was making at how some burnt pieces fell to the ground.

"I'm not going to kill you, but this going to hurt you, bitch." The girls didn't like the sinister smile that formed on Adam's face at thinking this.

"Enlighten me, worm, how are you going to 'save' this pathetic little girl without killing me?" She smirked.

"Oh, its' quite easy, really," red tendrils surrounded both of his arms. The pain in his right shifted for a cold sensation that wasn't unwelcome. The tendrils shifted and took the form of two crimson gauntlets with rough spikes on the knuckles. Kiana gaped at the transformation while the Lawman uncrossed her arms and raised them, summoning electricity. It danced on her arms, ready to be launched at any moment.

"Tell me, Kiana, are you ready to beat this Queen bitch and save that girl?!" Adam asked with excitement. Kiana closed her mouth and drew her two guns. She also smiled, ready to fight.

"I was born ready!" She burst.

Three warriors were ready to fight each other. None paid attention to the background noises. The smell of burning, the feeling of facing great danger and the uncertainty of knowing if one was going to succeed, filled Adam with great emotion. The three saw a single paper sheet being devoured by the cinders. It was slowly making its way to the ground. In that instant, the three agree tacitly that this was the mark to launch.

Seconds before the sheet touched the floor, Adam had a last thought.

"When I saw the old man again, I'm going to kick his teeth!"

Meanwhile, in Sydney, Australia…

"Here is your breakfast, sir!" A cute waitress put a plate filled with a sandwich and a cup of coffee.

"Thank you." Siegfried thanked the waitress, giving her a flirty wink. She giggled and left to attend the other customers in the cheap coffee shop. Siegfried started to eat his meal while looking at the TV in the corner of the shop, seeing the news.

There was coverage about the disappearance of people in the south of America until it was cut by another notice.

"We interrupt this news to inform about the situation in the Far East. We have just been informed that the city of Nagazora, which was isolated immediately after several disturbances took place early yesterday morning, today has been confirmed by the UN that the reason for isolation is due to a massive outbreak of the BH virus in the city. Flights to this city have been canceled and…" The people were gasping in horror at the events happening in the Far East.

While some people were losing their heads, Siegfried winced as he chewed his meal.

"Adam is going to kick me in the teeth."