"What's our ETA?"
Theresa stood at the top of the bridge, overseeing the entire operation. Kriemhilde stood behind her, arms crossed and watching the clouds fly by.
The weather for their little field trip was quite nice. Clear skies. Very little in terms of actual cloud cover. If it were a normal day at St. Freyja, then Cecilia, Mei, and Bronya would have taken this time to go have lunch out in the courtyard underneath one of the trees. However, despite this bright and sunny weather, the mood was anything but.
The catalyst for it all was the abduction of one Cecilia Kaslana.
"Fifteen minutes, Headmaster. In thirty minutes, we will enter the firing range for Schicksal's drones and satellites," an operator said.
"We should have taken the Hyperion," Kiana said. "At least with it, we'll be able to plow through their defenses."
"Stop complaining, Kiana. We'll get her back. It was unfortunate that Grandpa thought ahead of us and incapacitated the Hyperion. It bought him and the others time to get her out of there and back to HQ," Theresa said.
"Still…"
"Kiana, I know you're worried. We all are… but we need to stay calm and keep our heads on straight. At least, for Cecilia," Himeko said.
For once, the redhead was sober. Her sobriety was a measure of the exact severity of the situation. Though, for Kiana, this situation had already spiralled out of control the moment her sister got kidnapped while she was in a coma.
"Luckily for us, Kriemhilde is here. We won't have to dump all the pushing on you and Himeko and if need be, we can unleash Mei on Schicksal," Theresa said.
The three squirmed uncomfortably at the suggestion and Theresa understood why.
Prior to leaving, Mei had all but insisted to have emergency surgery in order to remove the bomb on her heart. While Theresa had been resistant, she eventually caved in at Mei's reasoning.
S-Rank Valkyries were able to hold her off in order to take Cecilia.
And if they were facing S-Ranks, it only made sense to maximize their firepower. Fighting Herrscher-Grade Valkyries with a Herrscher. It was the only way to somewhat even out the numbers between them and Schicksal.
"I know you all don't like it. Believe me, I'm in the same boat. But in order to save Ceci, Mei will be our safety net. Her Herrscher Grade powers can be enough to deal severe damage to HQ, allowing us time to escape if all goes wrong," Theresa said.
"Theresa, you're taking a very calculated risk on Raiden Mei," Kriemhilde said.
"I am, but in order to increase our chances of success, I have to gamble on a miracle. Especially considering who our opponent is."
The group fell quiet.
Their opponent was no mere villain. This man was currently the most powerful man in the world.
Otto Apocalypse.
Theresa's grandfather and a cunning snake that made use of all his resources and the resources of his enemies.
"What about Kiana's contacts? If anything, she should have told us earlier about them. Like back in Nagazora…." Himeko sent a sideways glance to her colleague, who had her arms crossed and leaning against the railing.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Kiana asked.
"Stop. Kiana, how sure are you they're going to pull through? I know we talked to them in my office earlier but… I feel a little odd working with them," Theresa said.
"Listen, they're going to pull through. Especially if it's a chance to get at the Overseer. Besides, Kriemhilde also trusts them… somewhat," Kiana said.
"I never had any problem with them. They were valuable allies during the Second Eruption. It'll be a little odd to work with them again after more than a decade of being on opposite sides," Kriemhilde said.
Theresa sighed and raised her hand, silencing the three.
"Let's refocus on our current plan for now and our objectives. As you know, Grandfather won't just let us walk in and take Cecilia back. Especially now… that." Theresa glanced at her niece. "Kiana, do you want to tell them?" Theresa asked.
"Tell…? Tell us what?"
The four turned around to see Mei and Bronya coming onto the bridge. Bronya was in a wheelchair, dressed in a yellow, plated battlesuit. Mei stood behind her, dressed in her standard mission suit.
"Bronya? I thought I told you to sit this one out," Theresa said. "We just performed an emergency procedure on you-"
"It's Bronya's fault that Cecilia was captured. If it weren't for the Bronya… Cecilia would have never followed the Headmaster to find ways to help us. If I were strong enough to resist Matushka's control, then…," Bronya said.
"Bronya…" Himeko said.
"First, Cecilia, and now you? Are you looking to die? This is Schicksal HQ were flying into. The people you face are not Honkai Beasts, mechs, or your run of the mill students. These are Valkyries. The Immortal Blades will be guarding the entire base," Theresa said, raising her voice slightly.
"The Immortal Blades are the most elite fighting force possessed by Schicksal. They were all handpicked and trained by Kriemhilde herself. Not to mention Fu Hua, and Kriemhilde's adjutant, and the Saint will be there! There is absolutely no way I'm letting you two off the ship!" Her voice was now nearly in a full shout.
"Yes, but… the Bronya has made up her mind. Mei and the Bronya, we will get Cecilia back!" Bronya declared.
"Let them come."
Everyone turned to Kiana, who had been silently listening to the conversation. She got off the railing and looked at everyone. They all nearly shivered under her cold and dead gaze.
"K- Kiana! They're just kids!" Theresa argued.
"I don't care. As long as they don't get in my way, they can come," Kiana said.
Mei took a step back, bringing Bronya with her.
Theresa frowned. "Kiana-"
"Besides… you let Cecilia on that mission. Why can't they come?"
Himeko's jaw dropped upon hearing her words. Kriemhilde had an almost shocked expression on her face while Mei and Bronya looked away. None of them wanted to look her in the eye, except Theresa.
Theresa clenched her jaw. She silently ground her teeth before letting out a tired sigh.
Every since Cecilia had been kidnapped, Kiana had become colder. More driven. It was as if whatever warmth the girl had in her personality had fizzled out. The only thing left inside the girl was a cold and calculated motivation to get her back.
Theresa clenched her fists. She wanted to pull her hair out.
"Fine. However, I won't allow you two to fight on the frontlines. Mei, you just had surgery. Bronya, you're still recovering from the procedure and what…" Theresa glanced at Kiana, who was merely standing there. "We had Fu Hua-"
The sound of metal creaking caught their attention.
The side rail on the bridge had been completely crushed in Kiana's grip. Kiana let go of the railing. Without saying another word, Kiana walked past them and left the bridge.
Theresa sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I'll go after her," Kriemhilde said, leaving the room to follow after her niece.
After the door closed behind Kriemhilde, Theresa almost wanted to collapse to the floor. It was better than handling this.
"I'm worried," Theresa said, calming herself.
"What for, Headmaster?" Mei asked.
"When we land, Kiana might not hold back. She'll slaughter everything in her way if it means getting Cecilia back. I would like to do this without bloodshed if possible but judging from how things are going right now," Theresa trailed off.
Her words hung in the air but everyone knew what she meant by that.
In about an hour, Schicksal would become soaked in blood.
If the things Cocolia had told them about her were true, then they were leaving the headquarters with Cecilia in tow while the entire facility burned behind them. Bronya balled her left hand into a fist.
"The Bronya has heard of the White Death in the Urals. A faceless assassin with a virtually perfect record. No one knew who they were. Only that whatever hit was accepted by them was always going to be 100% completed. I just never thought it was Kiana," Bronya said. "She never struck Bronya as the type to be in that field of work."
"Well, apparently she was," Theresa said.
[45 minutes til we arrive the destination. ETA to firing range of Schicksal's defense drones: 15 minutes.]
Theresa glanced at the holographic notification floating in the air to her right.
"Himeko, get ready. Tell Kriemhilde to prepare the Fafnir. If we're going to break their defenses, we're going to need her to pilot the Fafnir and provide cover fire for us. Otherwise, we'll be shredded like cheese," Theresa said.
"Roger that, Principal!" Himeko nodded and left the room.
"You two. Go back to your quarters and try to get some rest. When we hit the ground, we'll hit it running. This isn't going to be like all the other missions you've been assigned to. There is a high possibility that you'll be forced to take someone else's life," she said, glancing at Mei discreetly.
The girl squirmed at the mere thought of having to kill someone. Honkai Beasts, sure. However, Mei's heart was far too gentle to inflict lethal damage on humans or animals, much less be able to take someone else's life. Mei clenched her fists and nodded. She was going to steel her heart. They attacked first. It was only right they retaliated in self-defense.
"Bronya, you'll be on the ship with me, providing cover fire. You're still not back to full capacity so we'll be covering Himeko, Kiana, Kriemhilde, and Mei while they spearhead our charge into HQ," Theresa said.
"Understood, Principal," Bronya said.
"Now, let's wait for those three blockheads to get back. After this, we will be officially at war with the entirety of Schicksal. There's going to be no turning back," she said.
The breeze was the only thing keeping her from losing her cool. She just wanted to burn everything. She wanted to take Shamash and turn the entire planet into a sea of magma and flame. The only thing stopping her from doing so was the prospect of getting her sister back.
Kiana clenched her fists hard. The sound of the leather on her gloves stretching was the only thing she could hear as the cool wind blew her hair back. A drop of blood trickled down her finger and fell onto the ship.
"Ceci, I'm sorry. You have such a bad sister," Kiana murmured.
"There you are."
Kiana turned her head to see her aunt walking up to her with a worried look on her face. She ignored her and turned back to watching the clouds pass.
Kriemhilde said nothing, but took notice of the blood trickling down her niece's fingers. She walked over and stood next to her.
"You're bleeding," she said.
"I know," Kiana replied.
Their brief exchange died immediately after. Kriemhilde didn't know what to say to her. Calm down? It was an absurd request for someone in Kiana's position. She might have looked calm but anyone could see that the girl was holding her anger in. She was holding back for her sister's sake and that wrath would be turned on the Valkyries of Schicksal.
"I failed."
Kriemhilde looked up and saw Kiana staring off into the distance. Her hollow eyes took notice of nothing in front of her, only containing the simmering rage she had bubbling up inside her.
"Kiana, you-"
"I couldn't even keep my one promise to Dad. Keep her safe. Make sure she grows up well. Make sure she's not hurt. I promised Dad that she would be safe. I did everything I could to keep her safe. But apparently, my everything wasn't enough. No matter what I did… no matter what I sacrificed…"
Frost began to creep out from beneath Kiana's feet.
"I couldn't even do the one thing I was supposed to do." Her shoulders slumped down and a tear streaked down her cheek.
Kriemhilde frowned. "You didn't fail. Cecilia. You've kept her safe all your life. You raised her when no one else could. And look at her. She grew into a wonderful woman and a promising Valkyrie. So don't say that you failed her."
"And look where that got her… kidnapped by someone we trusted and being handed over to the Overseer to have God knows what done to her," Kiana spat.
Kiana wiped the tears from her eyes.
"Kiana-"
"I'm going to kill her."
"Wha-?" Kriemhilde was taken aback. Kiana was cold with her but she had never heard such a murderous, frigid tone from her niece before. Worry began to build up inside her.
"I'm going to kill Fu Hua. She… betrayed us. She hurt my aunt. Robbed me of my only family. I'm going to kill her, and then, I'll go after the Overseer next," she said.
"Kiana, I know what Fu Hua did was wrong and I can understand you wanting to kill the Overseer but…"
"But what? The Overseer was the one who sent all those Valkyries after us all those years ago. And Fu Hua was just another one of his dogs? A dog he sent to St. Freya to play fetch with my sister? Well, then… I want to see the look on his face when I bring him the head of one of his precious dogs." Her hands were still tightly clenched. Blood dripped down her knuckles, falling onto the steel floor of the deck.
"...Kiana. We're Valkyries. We protect people. We never use our blades to kill other Valkyries-"
"I don't care. I don't care anymore… about the Honkai, about humanity. Screw the oath. I just don't give a crap about any of that. I just want my sister back. I just want to be happy with her," she whispered.
Kriemhilde closed her mouth. She had no idea how to respond. Kiana was clearly keeping more inside. This was just the start of it all. Kiana was beginning to unravel. It was clear to her now that Cecilia was the girl's only remaining emotional pillar. She had friends in St. Freyja but they were just that. Friends.
Cecilia Kaslana was the only thing keeping Kiana Kaslana grounded to her humanity; the only thing keeping Kiana together.
Kriemhilde closed her eyes and took in a sharp breath. She opened them, turning her icy blue gaze to her niece.
"Then, I'll help you," Kriemhilde said.
"Huh?"
"Getting Cecilia back. I'll help you."
"You? The Paladin of House Kaslana and the S-Rank Valkyrie? Are you willing to give up your entire livelihood for two girls you just met?" Kiana asked.
Kriemhilde nodded. "You're not just two girls. You're the only thing in this world that remains of my brother."
Kiana eyed her aunt carefully.
"I made many mistakes all those years ago. Mistakes I can't take back. But this time, I won't fail. I failed my brother once by not taking you in. I'm not going to fail him a second time. So please, don't just take everything on yourself. You have me. You have everyone on this ship who is determined to get your sister back," Kriemhilde said.
"Swearing on Dad, huh?" Kiana said. She nodded. "Fine."
"Huh?" Kriemhilde blinked at her response.
"I'll trust you just this once. You're already here so I might as well. But don't think this means I'm acknowledging you as my family. You abandoned us and I am nowhere near as close to forgiving you for what happened all those years ago," she said.
Kriemhilde nodded, slightly disappointed by Kiana's response.
"But…"
She looked up to see Kiana holding her hand out.
"Just this once. I'll trust you… Aunt Kriemhilde."
Kriemhilde's eyes widened in shock. She gulped and nearly teared up. However, she kept her professional composure about her and nodded. "I won't let you down."
[Kiana. Kriemhilde. Do you copy?]
Kiana swiped the air, bringing up the projection onto her HUD. She quirked an eyebrow when she saw the serious look on Theresa's face. "Aunt Teri. What's wrong?"
[It looks like… we need to change our plans.]
"Change our plans?" Kriemhilde asked.
Theresa nodded. [It seems that Grandpa has been expecting us for quite some time. I think they've noticed that we've been coming since we left St. Freya. That being said, because of this, we're going to enter Schicksal Airspace and their firing range within a few minutes so…]
The hair on the back of Kiana's neck stood on end. She transformed Shamash into its sword form and slashed the air in front of her.
A flaming line cut across the air, causing a massive explosion above the Helios.
[K- Kiana! What gives-!]
[Headmistress! Schicksal's targeting satellites have locked onto us! Multiple projectiles incoming!]
[What!? This early! I thought you said we had 5 minutes! Ugh! Nevermind that! Everyone to their stations! Kriemhilde, they're going to be deploying UAVs the closer we get to HQ. I need you to get in the Fafnir and provide cover fire for us to escape.] Theresa ordered.
"Got it. I'll give you guys and opening to break through their defensive line," Kriemhilde replied.
[Kiana…, we need you back on deck.] Theresa said.
Kiana glanced at the video screen before turning her head to the sky. A faint blue light began to grow brighter and brighter. Out of nowhere, a powerful beam of blue energy pierced through the atmosphere, intent on blasting the ship out of the sky in a single blow.
"Kiana!" Kriemhilde yelled.
"Got it!"
The two simultaneously charged their respective Divine Keys. In one synchronized motion, the two let loose their slashes at the same time. A red and violet line etched itself in the sky, causing the beam of energy to detonate violently above the ship.
[Tch! Grandpa's using satellite fire to lock onto our location. Damn it! Move you two! Now!]Theresa barked.
Kiana and Kriemhilde nodded before cutting the call.
If there was one word to describe Otto Apocalypse, enigmatic would be one of them. His goals were unknowable and incomprehensible to those around him and generally, his subordinates believed he wanted to purge the Honkai. It was what all three families believed he would do once he took over. A shift from the greed of the old guard with him leading the world into a new era of peace.
Otto stood before a large tank, filled with translucent fluid. There were several monitors next to the tank, each one monitoring a different marker on Cecilia's biophysical profile. So far, the girl was stable. None of her vital signs were showing any signs of dropping.
Cecilia was bound, floating at the center. A mask was placed around her face, providing her with oxygen to prevent her from drowning. Lines were going into her forearms, keeping the girl heavily sedated.
A small smile graced Otto's features. His poisonous green eyes were beginning to shimmer with anticipation.
"Sir, we still have no response from the core. It looks like all initial activity we picked up when synced to the sensors of the Shadow Knight Godsbane suit have all become dormant," a scientist said.
"Increase the dose and keep the infusion steady. The dose we have right now might have been helpful at Babylon Tower but we're trying to stir a dormant core," Otto said, turning his head toward the scientist. "A small dose won't be enough to trigger an awakening."
"But sir, are we really going to-"
"Don't ask questions. We're on the precipice of a step for mankind. Controlling a Herrscher will be our ticket into discovering the secrets of the Honkai and turn the tides of war forever in our favor," Otto said.
The scientists in the room all exchanged worried glances before nodding. This entire operation was beyond their paychecks and neither of them could fathom the reasoning behind it. However, it was not their place to ask.
Otto walked up to the chamber and placed his hand on the glass.
"It's been a while. Siegfried might have stolen you for years but it's good to be home, isn't it, K-423?"
"Sir. We have an incoming transmission from Sigmund Kaslana."
Otto shot a side-eyed glance at one of the operatives.
"Put him on."
Otto walked away from the chamber and answered the call.
An older man with white hair and ice-blue eyes appeared on the screen. He wore a dark suit with a blue coat over him. There was a distinct burn scar on the left side of his face.
"Sigmund. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Otto asked.
"Kriemhilde has not reported back to the House. Have you sent her on another assignment?" Sigmund asked.
"Oh? I see… so she went through with it. I thought she would," Otto said, chuckling to himself.
He had accounted for multiple variables. This was one of them. However, to Otto, while S-Ranks were valuable. They were ultimately replaceable. Finding another Paladin from House Kaslana would not be difficult, especially with word that the heiress apparent was a promising candidate, defeating Valkyries with twice her experience and twice her age.
"I'm sorry to inform you, Old Friend. But it seems that your daughter has other plans," Otto said.
"Other plans-"
Alarms began to blare throughout the entire lab. Sigmund raised an eyebrow when he received multiple emergency notifications on his end of the call. Otto swiped the screen, sending it to the left and allowing a larger pop-up screen to manifest next to him.
[Warning! Warning! Impact detected. Honkai energy levels exceeding critical highs!]
"Lord Overseer," a feminine voice echoed from the screen.
"What is it, Amber?" Otto asked.
"We've detected massive amounts of honkai activity from Siberia. It's the same signature as it was back in 2000. Our systems have all estimated that an Eruption is imminent," Amber replied.
Otto turned back to face the chamber.
"Lord Overseer! Activity! We're getting a response from her!" one of the scientists said excitedly.
So… even if she isn't fully conscious yet, the Second Herrscher is already extending a command to all the beasts she summoned during that war. It looks like we'll need to start initiating the first phase of our plan.
Otto turned back to the awaiting Sigmund.
"Sigmund. Your daughter has betrayed Schicksal alongside Theresa. Effective immediately, Edelweiss shall take her place as the Paladin as per emergency promotion protocols," Otto said.
"I see. Very well, Edelweiss will be on the first ship out to Schicksal Headquarters."
The video call cut off and Otto walked up to the chamber.
Cecilia's eyes were fluttering open. The drugs were still in effect but they wouldn't be for long. And for a few seconds, her eyes fully opened. They were no longer the warm blue eyes that she usually had. Her eyes were now a shade of molten gold with a cross-hairs design around her pupil.
"Lord Otto. Our satellites have picked up the Helios coming in-bound, ETA is about 45 minutes," Amber said.
Otto smiled. "Theresa… huh?" He looked up at the chamber.
"You're waking up now. That's fine." Otto swiped his hand, summoning yet another holographic screen. He pressed a button and issued a command.
"Amber, relay my message through all of headquarters. All Valkyrie Units, initiating DEFCON I. We are now at the highest threat level. Prepare yourselves. A revolution is imminent. St. Freyja has defected from Schicksal.
"Valkyries Kiana Kaslana, Theresa Apocalypse, and Kriemhilde Kaslana are to be regarded as Herrscher-Grade threats and are not to be engaged without support."
Otto watched the screen and enlarged one of the windows. A video feed of the Helios approaching at high speeds popped up on the camera. A look of excitement passed across his eyes when he saw a burst of flames destroy some of their missiles.
"I'll be waiting for you, my darling granddaughter."
Welcome welcome! We've entered My Sister's Keeper's final arc! This is the first chapter! This is the arc you've all been waiting for! The Will of the Herrscher. Final Lesson. The penultimate end to this Honkai Story that I have been crafting for about a year now I believe. I remember I wrote this because I wanted a sister story between the original Kiana and K-423. Then, my brain crashed when I found out Durandal was Kiana. But, yeah. It's been a good long journey so let's start. I estimate that this arc will have about 20 chapters, 30 at most. So buckle up, kiddies.