In a matter of minutes, the anterior section of ME Corporation had been reduced into a scorched hellscape. Lightning carved fissures across the land and plumes of flame incinerated everything caught in its vicinity.
"KIANA!" Kriemhilde yelled.
She jumped into the air, avoiding the bullets fired by the Cyclone. She swung Balmung, sending a powerful wave of cutting lightning towards it.
The mech was sliced in half as the wave traveled through it.
"Right!" Kiana responded.
She ran up to one of the Hellfire units. Kiana hopped on its helm, using it as a launching pad. She leaped into the air and swung Shamash.
An explosive wave of fire was expelled from the blade, consuming all the mechs within the vicinity.
In an instant, flames engulfed a large portion of the area. The trees and planters were incinerated in an instant, reduced to piles of ash. The concrete boiled and melted as if it had been exposed to the flames of the sun itself. And the mechs that were marching on Kiana were twisted and reduced to charred pieces of metal.
She landed on the ground.
A shadow loomed behind her and she saw a large mech behind her, swinging its fist towards her at frightening speed.
Before it could hit her however, lances made of ice impaled the mech, causing it to malfunction and fall over.
Kiana jumped back, avoiding the massive metallic frame as it hit the ground.
"I know we're in a fight but…" Kriemhilde swung Balmung upward, knocking a mech drone into the air.
She threw her hand forward, creating spikes of ice that erupted from the ground. The ice instantly pierced through the drone, shredding it into pieces of scrap metal.
"This is a good time to learn how to manipulate and express more abilities of the Kaslana Stigmata. Due to the genes- Hah!" Kriemhilde pierced her hand through the chest of an Anti-Entropy Mech before pulling out the core of the machine. Her hands were encased in hardened ice.
Kiana dodged the oncoming metal fist of a mech. She jumped on its arm before darting towards its face, stabbing Shamash through its head and knocking it over.
She landed behind it gracefully before running towards another mech.
"Our family's… well those of us who know and manage to awaken the depths of the Stigmata, aka me, your dad, and now you, will learn that we have an unnatural power over ice and cold itself. We can drastically lower the temperature around us to freeze even the moisture in the air and our bodies run at a naturally lower basal temperature," Kriemhilde said.
She channeled Honkai energy through her body, disappearing in a burst of speed and reappearing behind a group of mechs with her sword drawn.
The mechs fell apart, sliced in such a meticulous manner that the sound of ripping was not even heard.
"Ice? Kind of hard to do when my sword is literally made of… fire!" Kiana unleashed a blazing swathe of flames towards the mechs guarding the front door.
An explosion rocked the entire front courtyard and shook the skyscraper slightly.
"After the Second Eruption, Brother became able to use his abilities to control Ice in tandem with the Judgement of Shamash. When he staged a one man raid on Schicksal, I was on the receiving end of those abilities. In the end, the entire lab and the surrounding area was surrounded into a warped hellscape of unmeltable ice and inextinguishable flames," Kriemhilde said.
"Sounds like you had it coming for not helping Dad," Kiana said. "But…" she clenched her fists and focused on the Honkai energy permeating her body.
She was a Kaslana. Unlike the average Valkyrie, she did not need an Artificial Stigmata implanted into her. She was born with one and thus, with the revelation of these abilities and this blasted experiment her aunt had made her go through, she should be able to tap into its powers.
Kiana's eyes began to glow. A thin layer of frost began to spread across the floor. She raised her hand into the air before slamming it down onto the ground.
The earth beneath her shook violently before spikes of ice erupted from the ground, impaling any foe that was not hovering in the air.
Kriemhilde jumped into the air, narrowly avoiding being skewered by one of Kiana's spikes.
"You're a fast learner," she said, landing on the ground.
Kiana shook her hand and stumbled a little. She stabbed Shamash into the ground, catching herself before she could fall. That attack had taken a lot out of her more than she thought. Her stamina was not used to handling this much Honkai energy and using it in such a devastating manner.
The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end when she saw a shadow looming over her. However, before it could attack, a bolt of lightning struck it and it fell over with Balmung embedded into the mech's head.
"Trying to pull off something like that with new powers was stupid. Then again, you are your father's daughter," Kriemhilde said, removing the blade from the mech.
"You…" Kiana growled.
"Come on. There's more inside. We need to stick to the plan," Kriemhilde said, walking past her and ignoring her animosity.
Kiana bit her cheek. Just when she thought she was going to get used to her aunt and slightly tolerate her, she had to go and become annoying. However, Kiana knew her aunt had shifted to her work mode. It was honestly terrifying. It was like facing her when she got serious back at New Zealand. Kriemhilde had the ability to easily kill her at any given moment during that fight but she didn't because of their relation.
She let out a sigh before pulling Shamash out of the ground and walking into ME Corporation.
Kriemhilde stood in the middle of the trashed lobby, watching the different screens play videos of ME Corporations history on repeat.
Kiana kicked over a vase and raised Shamash into the air. With one mighty swing, Kiana incinerated everything before her, reducing a majority of the furniture within the lobby to ashes and destroying large portions of the structure.
"Are you this rude when someone graciously welcomes you to their house, Kiana?"
Kiana rested Shamash by her side and glanced up towards the ceiling. There was a security camera staring directly at them. She could practically see Cocolia's sneer behind the camera.
"Is this how you welcome visitors? By sending murder bots out to try and riddle them with bullet holes or is this some sort of greeting from the Urals that I'm not familiar with?" Kiana asked.
"Tsk. Brats like you have no respect for their elders. But I guess that's to be expected from you… White Death, Bianka Ataegina. Or have you left that name when you enrolled in Theresa Apocalypse's school for wayward brats?" Cocolia said.
Kriemhilde's eyes widened considerably. Kiana was the White Death? She clenched her fists, feeling guilt and regret well up within her chest. Had she made a different choice that night Kiana had called their family, begging to save her younger sister, would Cecilia and Kiana have suffered such a horrific childhood?
"I go by Kiana now, Cocolia," she replied calmly. Though, her tone betrayed her body language. Her hand held Shamash with a white knuckle grip.
"Hmm? And what do we have here? Not only is Theresa Apocalypse knocking at my door but the legendary S-Rank Valkyrie of Schicksal and current Paladin of the Kaslana Family, Kriemhilde Kaslana. It is quite a pleasure to make your acquaintance no matter how short our relationship may be," Cocolia greeted.
"Cocolia. I've heard… stories about you over the grapevine," Kriemhilde said.
"Oh? An esteemed Valkyrie such as yourself knows who I am. Hmph. Though, I have to commend you. I know of Kiana's abilities but to see you tear through my front yard like a pair of shears. Your reputation truly precedes you. It's a shame that you walked into such an obvious trap," Cocolia said.
"We know," Kiana replied.
"Oh? Yet you took it anyway. Theresa and the others seemed to be rather irritated when they walked in," she said.
"Of course. We knew this was a trap from the get-go but you knew we couldn't pass up such an opportunity. How else would you get willing test subjects for your little experiment?" Kiana asked.
"You… You know about that?" Cocolia asked.
"You're not very good at hiding things, are you? Dr. Tesla and Dr. Einstein found out about your little experiment. Why do you think I was in New Zealand at the time?" Kiana asked.
"Still, you didn't do a very good job at performing your task, did you?" Cocolia asked.
"Good thing I get a second chance to fix my mistakes. Though, I, for one, never thought you'd hole yourself up in Raiden Ryoma's old stomping grounds. The very same stomping grounds you robbed him of after turning his daughter into a walking nuke," she replied.
"Enough of this. Hand over Raiden Mei and Wendy Gunnhildr or we will storm your lab," Kriemhilde said.
"And why would I do that? No, no. If you want the Third Herrscher, I'll be waiting in the lab on the Third Floor. Oh, and don't get killed. I'd be rather disappointed if the S-Rank and the White Death were killed rather easily," Cocolia said.
The camera watching them switched off, cutting the connection to Cocolia.
"Cocolia? Damn, she's gone," Kiana said. "Let's go. We're taking the stairs. There's a chance she might have rigged the elevators."
"Kiana, wait." Kriemhilde grabbed her shoulder.
"What?" Kiana ripped her shoulder free and turned to face her aunt.
"I'm… I can't even begin to imagine just how much pain you and Cecilia went through—"
"I'm going to stop you right there. Your sympathies aren't worth anything to me right now nor will they ever. Right now, we need to focus on rescuing Mei, Bronya, and Wendy. After that, I don't care if you have to kowtow in front of me," Kiana said, turning around.
She took a few steps forward and stopped. "You'll never understand what I had to do. How far I had to go just to keep her happy. No sin was too small for me. For her sake, I gladly became a sinner. It's something you'll never ever understand."
Kriemhilde stayed silent, not even bothering to respond to her niece. Instead, she nodded and recomposed herself.
Kiana's fierce eyes. They reminded her so much of her older brother's determined gaze. Kriemhilde nodded her head and signaled for Kiana to lead on.
"Ceci! Slow down!"
Theresa walked after her niece.
The moment the four had walked in. The door shut behind them almost immediately. Cocolia had made herself known to them, smugly gloating about how they had fallen for her obvious trap. However, they knew it was a trap going in and took the bait anyway. The sound of explosions on the other side of the building had cut their conversation with Cocolia short.
"Come on. It won't be long until Mei gets turned into a science project," Cecilia said, walking even faster.
"We don't even know what kind of security they have in this building- Hey! Are you listening!? Cecilia!"
Golden chains erupted from Theresa's hands and wrapped around her niece, stopping her in her tracks.
"I said wait." Her tone was anything but patient.
Cecilia struggled against the chains before allowing her body to go slack. "Aunt Teri. What's going on—"
"I said slow down. We don't know what kind of defenses they have set up here in ME Corp and we can't guarantee that Cocolia will divert all of her forces just to face down your sister and aunt. So slow down and calm yourself. Don't let your panic control you. Harness and let it serve you," Theresa said.
"She's right, Ceci. You may be a Kaslana but that doesn't mean you're invincible. Besides, if so much as a hair on your head is out of place, Kiana will barbeque me," Himeko said.
"..." Cecilia nodded and the chains around her vanished.
"Remember the arrangement. Himeko and I will act as the forward and you cover us from the back. I don't want you on the front lines," Theresa said.
"Right," she replied.
"Come on-"
"Speaking of security…"
Theresa sighed. She hated it when she was right. "Judah." The golden cross manifested next to her. "I hate it when I'm right." A spear ejected itself from the cross and landed before her. She picked it up and twirled it.
"I have to give it to them. Their mechs are far more advanced than anything we can use," Himeko said.
"It is but mechs are more costly than valks. From refining the metals to running maintenance," Theresa said.
She cocked her arm back before throwing the spear at the mech. The force of her throw created a shockwave that blew Cecilia and Himeko back. The lights above shattered as the spear broke the sound barrier.
It slammed right into the mech's center, sending it flying across the hallway and into another mech.
However, that did little to deter their advance. More mechs poured out of the double doors, intent on overwhelming the valkyries with sheer numbers.
"Now. Let's keep moving," Theresa said, summoning another spear. "Himeko? You do the honors."
"I guess I might as well. You two always need me to do all the heavy lifting whenever Kiana isn't around." Himeko held her sword, Vanguard, in a reverse grip. She pressed her heel against the floor and took off, kicking up a gust of wind that blew back Cecilia's hair.
She jumped into the air, charging the blade with Honkai energy, and slammed it down onto the oncoming mechs. The result was instantaneous. A cutting wave cleaved a rift across the ground and the force of the impact destroyed everything around Himeko. The walls crumbled and the ground where she landed shattered, leaving a shallow crater in the ground.
Himeko pulled her blade out of the ground before rushing forward, kicking another mech and driving her blade through its chassis.
A shadow loomed over her, prepared to turn her into paste but was thwarted by a golden spear that made its home in its head.
A volley of gunshots rang out behind her, peppering a Shaman.
"Cecilia! Cover us!" Theresa said as she ran forward.
Cecilia nodded and began firing with expert precision.
Theresa ducked underneath the swing of a titan, before wrapping a chain around its arm. With a mighty tug, she tore its arm off before jumping into the air and driving her spear through it.
Sensing another Titan behind her, Theresa backflipped into the air before summoning a spear and throwing it at the titan.
Woah. So this is how Aunt Teri fights, Cecilia thought.
Her aunt, despite not being an S-Rank, was clearly an S-Rank in strength. There was no other way to rank her. Her movements were flawless, possessing no unnecessary movements, and appeared to flow even more than Rita's dance-like moves.
"Man, fighting like this alongside you, Ceci. It reminds me of when I fought alongside your aunt and parents! Really gets the ol' Kaslana blood pumping!" Theresa said, slicing a Titan in half.
"Kaslana? Aren't you from-" Cecilia jumped back before emptying her clip into a Titan. "Aren't you from House Apocalypse?"
"Himeko never told you? Well, listen up." Theresa slammed Judah on the ground. She swung her arm, opening the cross down the middle. Spears fanned out from the cross before they were launched into the air and skewered every Mech within her vicinity. "I was grown in a lab in Schicksal. Part of my genes belongs to a legendary Kaslana."
"Wait… so wouldn't that make you my grandma or something?" Cecilia asked.
"What? Where'd that come from? I'm still the World's #1 Cutie," Theresa said.
"But… you said you fought alongside Dad. Doesn't that make you super duper old or something?" Cecilia asked.
"... Why are you smart when it comes to things like this?" Theresa asked.
"That's the last one!" Himeko swung her blade upward, slicing a Titan in half.
"Come on. We don't have much time," Theresa said.
"Right! Let's go save, Mei-senpai and Bronya!" Cecilia said.
"This is it. The door to the third floor. And… there's an access code to the stairs," Kriemhilde said, stopping outside a door with a large 3 painted on it.
"I got this," Kiana said, stepping in front of her aunt. She popped open the keypad and typed in the word.
M-A-K-O-T-O
A click was heard and the light above the door turned green.
"How did you…?"
"I doubt Cocolia needed to change any of the passcodes, especially for the stairwells. No one outside of ME Corporation knew anything about Mei and Ryoma's life. All they knew was that Ryoma had a wife but never her name," Kiana explained.
Kriemhilde nodded and opened the door. She glanced around, scanning the hallway for any patrols. "It's clear. Let's go."
The two slinked out of the stairwell and immediately went for cover. Kiana and Kriemhilde peeked out from behind the table, noticing a camera swerving its head every few seconds to get a full scope of the area.
"Cocolia already knows we're here. There's no use in hiding," Kriemhilde said, getting up from behind the table. "But…" she swung her sword, sending a blade wave that destroyed the camera.
"We can't let her know we're close. Come on. I know where the labs are," Kiana said.
"You… are familiar with this building?" Kriemhilde asked.
"Having the password didn't show that enough?" she replied.
"No, I mean, have you worked here before?" Kriemhilde asked.
"Yeah… there are a lot of things I regret about Nagazora. A lot of… sins I had to commit to make sure that smile never fades from Ceci's face," Kiana said.
She closed her eyes and an image of the Third Eruption flashed into her mind. She remembered the sensation of the electricity in the air, the feeling of the wind and rain against her skin, and the rumbling sound of thunder.
"A lot of sins," she said.
"Come on. The lab is just down the hallway. With any luck, Cecilia and the others must be there by now," Kiana said, walking down the hall.
"For a laboratory floor, it is rather… empty." She looked through the windows, showing empty rooms with no scientists inside them. The only things that she could see were pieces of lab equipment neatly sorted in their respective areas and clean tables.
"The third floor isn't only place with labs. The second sub-level also has labs. If Mei and Wendy aren't there, then we can head down to the second sub-level. Though, I highly doubt she is considering Cocolia is leading us into a trap so she must have bait," Kiana said.
The sound of heavy mechanical footsteps rang in their ears. The two pressed themselves against the wall. Kiana peeked out from around the corner and saw a lone titan patrolling the hallway.
"It's just one," Kiana said.
"I guess it's time for your next lesson." Kriemhilde walked out from around the corner.
"Lesson?" Kiana raised an eyebrow.
"You can't very well use your Divine Key in this enclosed space without hitting me or any comrades for that matter." Kriemhilde held her hand out, causing a frosty mist to swirl around her hand. The mist rapidly expanded before coalescing and solidifying into a blade made of pure ice.
"I've seen dad… do that," Kiana said.
An image of her father creating a greatsword made of pure ice to combat… she shook her head, banishing the memories to the back of her head.
By then, the Titan had begun charging at Kriemhilde, who stood at the ready with her sword. She rushed to meet it in the middle, swinging her ice blade with flawless precision.
The Titan's top half slid off and fell to the ground as Kriemhilde dispelled the ice blade in her hand. She glanced over her shoulder and signaled for Kiana to continue leading the way.
"Why are you teaching me? I could very well use all of these abilities to kill you," Kiana asked, walking past her aunt.
"It could. If that's what you want. Think of this as my way of trying to make up for what I… no, what the entire family did to you and your sister. For abandoning Ziggy. For abandoning you two," Kriemhilde said.
"This will never make up for the pain we went through," Kiana replied.
"I know," she said.
"Hand her over!" A loud voice echoed down the hallway.
"That sounds like?" Kriemhilde asked.
"It's Ceci. Let's go." Kiana took off in a sprint down the hallway, running toward the source of the voice as fast as she could. Upon arriving, they were met with the sight of Bronya hovering before an unconscious restrained Mei, facing down Theresa, Himeko, and Cecilia.
"You fools… you don't understand the true value of a Herrscher. Once we can figure out how to utilize their ability to control and break the laws that govern the world, we will be able to level the playing field against the Honkai!" Cocolia's voice could be heard through the room.
"Ceci!" Kiana yelled.
"Kiana! Bronya and Mei-senpai are…" Cecilia trailed off.
Kiana rushed forward and got in between her sister and Bronya, glaring at the smaller girl.
"Tch, are you really going to stop me, Kiana? You know better than anyone what it means to lose everything to a Herrscher," Cocolia said.
Kiana bit her cheek and glared at the camera on the wall.
"Hand over, Raiden Mei," she replied.
"Tch! You… Ahaha, is this some sort of attempt to right the wrong you committed here in Nagazora all those years ago? Ahahaha. It is, isn't it?" Cocolia said.
Cecilia's eyes gazed at her older sister. Wrongs? she thought.
Kiana remained silent, not even refuting Cocolia's words. "At least, I'm not gambling on the hope that using the power of a Herrscher will return people I've lost."
A tense, heavy silence followed after. It was clear that Kiana's words had deeply affected Cocolia.
"Enough of this. We can stand here all day and trade barbs about your involvement in the Third Eruption and my… personal shortcomings but that will get us nowhere. Bronya, execute Project Winter," Cocolia said.
"You had a kill command for me implanted into Bronya's Bio-Chip? I honestly can't tell if I'm touched or not." The Judgement of Shamash surged, transforming into its sword form.
"Of course. I had an inkling our work relationship was going to crumble. Especially after Dr. Tesla personally sent you to Japan to observe me and Ryoma. It's only natural to have precautions when working with the White Death herself," Cocolia said.
"Tch! Don't listen to her, Bronya!" Cecilia yelled. "Wake up!"
"The Bronya lost her parents at a very young age," Bronya said.
Kiana and Cecilia paused at her words.
"For Bronya, Cocolia is her Matushka." She looked up at Cecilia and Kiana, shivering slightly when she saw the growing abyss in Kiana's eyes.
"But the Bronya met Sister Mei and Kiana and they treated Bronya kindly. The Bronya does not want to hurt Mei or Kiana," she said, "That is why the Bronya will not fight anymore. Everyone, take Mei and go now! Wendy has been moved to a different floor."
Cecilia hesitantly moved forward.
"Bronya! What are you doing!? Without a Herrscher, we cannot proceed with any of our plans! I order you to execute Project Winter!" Cocolia ordered.
"That is very impossible, Matushka. The Bronya has already burned her bio-chip." Bronya glanced at the security camera.
"... You… are you insane!? That bio-chip was implanted in your brain! Are you trying to kill yourself!?" Cocolia asked, panic filling her voice.
"!?" Everyone's eyes widened in horror.
"B- Bronya… why!? Why did you do that!?" Cecilia yelled, tears welling up at the corners of her eyes. She glared at her friend as tears began spilling down her cheeks.
Bronya offered Cecilia what measure of comfort she could. An attempt at a smile graced her face as her lips curved upward.
"The Bronya values Mei's life, Cecilia-idiotka's life, Kiana's life, and everyone at St. Freya's life over her own. That is why… The Bronya will never accept any more orders to hurt her friends," she said.
"You… You idiot!" Cecilia said, rushing forward and catching Bronya as she began to fall forward. "Why would you do something like that!?" she said.
Bronya felt Cecilia's tears hitting her cheeks. "Heh… Kiana was right. …Subject Cecilia is a crybaby. Take good care of Mei," she said weakly, before falling unconscious in Cecilia's arms.
"Damnit! You foolish girl!" Cocolia raged.
"Kiana… Bronya, she's…" Cecilia looked over to her older sister.
Kiana walked toward them and placed two fingers on Bronya's neck.
"Her pulse is there but it's weak. We need to get her out of here," Kiana said.
"Mmm. Burning her biochip like that might have damaged her brain but if we can get her back to St. Freya, we can save her," Theresa said, smiling at her niece.
"Get Mei down. We need to retreat. I'll hold onto Bronya," Himeko said, holding her arms out.
Cecilia wiped her tears and handed Bronya to Himeko. She walked over to the bound Mei and aimed her pistols at the bindings. Aiming carefully, she shot the bounds, breaking them without hurting Mei. Mei fell forward, landing in Cecilia's arms.
After a few seconds, the girl stirred. Her eyes fluttered open. "Ugh… what… where am I- WENDY!" Mei shot up abruptly, nearly losing her balance had it not been for Cecilia.
"Mei-senpai! Mei-senpai! You're okay! You're okay!" Cecilia grabbed her shoulders and forced her to look.
"C- Ceci? Where are…?"
"We're in ME Corp, Mei," Theresa said.
"ME Corp?" Mei asked.
"Cocolia captured you and Wendy. She brought you here with the hope of extracting your Herrscher core," Himeko said.
"I see- Bronya! What happened to her!?" Mei said, brushing past Cecilia and running up to Himeko and Bronya.
"Bronya… she took a critical hit to save you. She's unconscious now," Cecilia said.
Mei's jaw tightened and she clenched her fists.
"We need to leave," Kriemhilde said. "This place is going to be swarming with Anti-Entropy mechs any moment now."
"Did you really think that I would let you all leave so easily? No matter since you're all here. You can serve as the perfect test subjects for my new experiment. You seem to be familiar with it, Kiana," Cocolia said.
Kiana clenched her fists and glared at the camera.
"Experiment? What experiment? What are you doing to Wendy?" Cecilia demanded.
Cocolia said nothing more and cut the call.
"We need to leave, now," Theresa said.
"Okay, but quick question," Himeko said. "How do we get out of here?"
"She won't let us leave through the front door. There's an exit at the Sub-Level Three. Over on this end of the hallway next to the elevators, there's a stairwell that leads all the way up and down the complex. Just keep going until you see the door Sub-Level Three. Once inside, there should be a runway that curves upward and leads to the outside. With any luck, there's a chance she might not have activated it and we all can leave," Kiana said.
"I see. I assume we can't take the elevators because she might shut them down?" Kriemhilde asked.
Kiana nodded.
"Wait… what is it?" Himeko asked.
"Her little pet project. One of the reasons she needs a Herrscher," she replied. "Cocolia's been dabbling in experiments on how to tap into the true power of a Herrscher. Mei's awakening, Wendy's capture. It's all just a means to an end for her to harness the power of a Herrscher to retrieve something she lost. I would say more but… this is something that you should hear from Bronya and not me."
Kiana gazed at the unconscious girl in Himeko's arms.
"What about Wendy?" Mei asked. "Where is she?"
"Wendy is located in the second sub-level labs. It's where Cocolia does her more special experiments," Kiana said. She bit her lip before sighing. "I'm going to head over there and retrieve her."
"I'm going with you," Cecilia said.
"No. You need to get Mei and Bronya out of here. I'll give Theresa the master access code. If that doesn't work, then Kriemhilde can bust the door open for you guys with her Divine Key," Kiana said.
"You can't possibly expect me to sit here and let you go over into a lab filled with guards all by yourself." Cecilia crossed her arms and looked defiantly into her older sister's blue eyes.
Kiana stared back with equal intensity, taking note of her younger sister's fiery determination. She let out a tired sigh. "I do. It's too dangerous for you. Especially since you're still recovering from your rib fracture. I've tolerated your blatant disregard for your own safety by sneaking into this mission already but it's time for you to go with them back to Kriemhilde's ship."
Cecilia stiffened. She grit her teeth and clenched her fists tightly. Her glare intensified as she took a step toward her older sister.
"My blatant disregard for my own safety? What about yours!? What about this is you showing regard for your own safety!?" Cecilia yelled.
"Ceci—"
"No! Don't Ceci me! You're always doing this even when it was just us! Ever since Dad died… did you think I wouldn't notice? You're always running off, doing things on your own without even telling me. And you would always come back hurt or even worse!" Cecilia said.
Kiana frowned. She took a step toward her younger sister but paused when she heard Cecilia speak again.
"And yet you can stand there and tell me not to get hurt when you're doing the same! You always told me to look after the people I care about and to do the right thing but… you don't even trust me enough to make those decisions by myself. You keep telling me that you want me to be safe but here you are, making a decision that can cost you your life." Cecilia's fists shook as she kept speaking.
"I'm not deadweight! I'm not that scared little crybaby who hides behind her older sister anymore. You won't lose me like we lost Dad. So please, just trust me," Cecilia said.
Kiana remained silent before taking another step toward her younger sister. She raised her hand, causing Cecilia to flinch. However, nothing happened. Instead, Kiana began to softly pet her younger sister's head.
"I know you're not a little girl. I know you can take care of yourself and I trust you to make your own decisions. But you're right. I am scared. I'm scared of losing you like we lost Dad. Every day, ever since you became a Valkyrie, I've been scared that I would get called into Theresa's office and learn that something horrible happened to you. Your mission in New Zealand. Your encounter with Anti-Entropy and Wendy… but that has nothing to do with this," she said.
"You're not going to lose me, Kiana," Cecilia reassured.
"I know." Kiana took her hand off her sister's head. "But at the same time, I have to go alone."
"What? Why? Why can't I go?" Cecilia asked.
"Because I'm the only one who can properly navigate that area. If all of us went there, it'll slow us down. That's why I have to go alone. I can sneak in and grab Wendy, then sneak out," Kiana said.
"But if it's just me, it should be fine, right?"
"No, Ceci. I need you to stay here and help them get back. Himeko's going to be preoccupied with carrying Bronya and Mei has no weapons. You, Theresa, and Kriemhilde are the only ones who can fight," Kiana said.
"But-"
"I'll be fine. Just trust your big sis," Kiana said.
"...Fine…" she grumbled.
Kiana smiled. She pulled out one of Shamash's pistols. She flipped it and held the weapon out to her sister.
"What are you…?" Cecilia asked.
"Hand me one of your USP-45s," Kiana said.
Cecilia's eyes widened slightly before quickly pulling out one of her pistols. She held it out to her older sister. The two exchanged pistols and placed them into their respective holsters.
"Make sure to give me my gun back, okay?" Kiana asked.
"Only if you promise to give me mine back too," Cecilia replied.
"I'll always come back to you, Squirt. Where else would I go?" Kiana said, ruffling Cecilia's hair.
Cecilia pouted and batted her sister's hand away.
"We'll talk more later, right?" Cecilia asked.
"Of course," Kiana answered.
"Be careful, Sis," she said.
"I will," Kiana said.
We will learn more of Kiana and Cecilia's pre-St. Freya life later in the next arc when she's... well, you'll find out. It's similar to Dudu's little trip through Stigmata Space. And yes, her alias is a reference to her canon self, Bianka Ataegina. But for now, we just know that Siegfried is dead.
For the person asking if Palatinus Equinox will be a form Kiana will take here, I'm sorry to disappoint but no. Mostly, because Kiana never became Durandal therefore Otto never triggered her Schariac Stigmata. Only her Kaslana one is active so she'll draw more power from the Chimera aka Kevin's little gene pool of Parvati, Brahma, and a bunch of other Honkai beasts that we don't know the names of. Buuut, that is for later. As I said in an earlier chapter, Kaslana AHR in this fic and its possible sequel or later chapters will be multi-tiered ending at Demon. In the meantime, I do hope you enjoyed me showing more versatility with the Kaslana powers aka making weapons out of ice in addition to, creating a blizzard and causing spikes to erupt from the ground.
That's practically all I have to say. Remember, you know the drill. Leave a review. Like and follow for more. See ya'll in the next chapter.