Chapter 28: For One To Read Through The Lines.
Throughout the Universe's vast histories, countless stories of growth and decays accompanied many civilizations in their quests to prosper and survive the harsh, merciless marching of time. These stories built the backgrounds of intricate cultures and the very people themselves like bricks on extravagant palace, piling until it reached and went beyond the sky itself.
On Earth, it was the story of Adam and Eve. The very first humans created by the Creator. On the Luofu, or rather for the Alliance itself, it was the story of the Sanctus Medicus.
Their history stretched as far as the earliest days of Xianzhou Alliance's space exploration era thousands of years ago when the first ships went to sail the cosmos after the first alliance was forged following a war with a cosmic entity. A first contact the Alliance had with the broader Universe resulted in a bloody conflict that only further them into their then unknown doom.
For a man, the deepest fear his thoughtful mind had was the inevitable end that would end his entire existence. An end that come with life and everything it brought. Since the birth of the Universe there existed a force that even said Universe could not escape, a force it had been subjected to since its sprout grew from the Beginning.
Death.
The End of everything and nothing, a true state of non-existent for everything had ceased to be where futility was the norm.
Death.
The bearer of seed of the most primal fear of any living being, be it organic or inorganic, in all corners of the Universe.
The drive to survive and live on was the candlelight of progress, the backbone of every great empires in the past, present and future. A strong society was created from the fundamental rule of survival and its natural filters where the weak and frail were crushed under the unstoppable wheel of fate. For one to survive, they must first emerge above the wheel, above anyone and anything else that might flounder them into the Ruinous Sea.
Worlds where the strong failed were destined to fall and disappear, their carcasses recycled for new ones to emerge. Even in the higher spectrum of fundamentality, the idea of survival existed.
Such was the Universe that held no love for its subjects. Only empty coldness between the beacons of light that were civilizations.
As for the Xianzhou Alliance and its people, their idea of transcending their rooted in weakness was to turn to a higher being and seek its help, oblivious to the suffering it would inflict on the generations to come.
The Elixir Seekers was the first to taste ambrosia, then their words opened a gate for an entire civilization and heralded them into the depth of no return. When they realized the folly of their action, the roots of corruption had already taken ahold in their very veins and casted them into the light of eternal torment, forever turning them into the monsters they unknowingly wanted to be.
Because nothing short of divine could last forever and no man could walk the earth forever without eventually falling to rest. An attempt to cheat this Order was an affront to the Universe itself and everything that was holy, including life.
And so, they were punished by the very power they sought after. Their bodies twisted and their souls ripped asunder to create an abomination, one that knew no values but rabid insanity. They got what they wanted, but at a cost of themselves.
They might live forever, but what would it bring except ruin? Perhaps, death was truly the best of end for everything that had lived. Perhaps, a brief existence was all humanity ever meant to have.
Because, for a candle to be a bonfire it would need to burn itself out sooner than it meant to and only then would it illuminate the persistent darkness around it.
One might say that they shot themselves in the foot there...
The Court of Tranquility was, as its name suggested, a rather peaceful place in an equally peaceful district of Exalting Sanctum. Here, daylight never emerged as it was one of few sectors on the Luofu that prioritized serenity for its residents above all. Thousands of people live there, each wanting nothing but an eternal calm night to enjoy.
The unspoken rule of solemnity was adhered by everyone equally as every conversation was held in low tone while merchants resorted to billboards and banners to promote their goods instead of hollering and yelling their lungs out.
All in all, it was a good change of scenery after seeing the hustle and bustle of the Luofu the past few days. Though, if Kiana was honest the real attraction was the giant stump of tree in the distance that seemed to grow over the artificial clouds.
"The Ambrosial Arbor..." Kiana heard Bronya mutter through their Herrscher Link and she hummed back noncommittally, leaning back on the bench she's sitting on. "It is said here that it's the tree that granted the people of Luofu immortality by eating its fruit and consequently drove them insane after getting inflicted with Mara. This is where everything began."
"The Forbidden Fruit... Just like Adam and Eve, huh?"
"Close. The Hunt struck it down and it became the way it is now, yet any attempt to fully remove it from the Luofu is met with failures as it's too deeply rooted to the ship itself. It's like cancer the Alliance cannot dispose of."
The tree might not be what it was, reduced to a stump by a single arrow that pierced through the cosmos, but it was far from dead. No, the plaguemark was well and alive as Kiana could feel the spark of life lying dormant inside of it from this far.
"Should we be concerned?" She asked Bronya casually, turning her eyes for a brief second to a certain rooftop in the distance where she knew Bronya was. Her naked eyes couldn't see her best friend but Kiana didn't need them to pinpoint the exact position of Truth, not when Bronya and Mei were connected with Kiana by their power.
"It's none of our concerns," Bronya curtly told her. "Rather, are you really okay with sending Stelle alone to confront Kafka?"
The sudden subject change made Kiana pause, not because she didn't have her answer but because she frankly didn't expect Bronya to ask it at the moment. "Well, she's not alone is she?"
"Not what I meant, idiot."
Kiana rolled her eyes. "Have faith on her. Besides, it's not like I have a choice."
"I could do this alone."
"I don't doubt that." She really didn't, knowing full well how capable Bronya was in hunting people out. "Thanks for accompanying me, by the way," Kiana finished sincerely.
The infamous Silver Wolf didn't answer right away and Kiana was content to let it hang like that, fully aware of Bronya's answer even if her best friend didn't vocalize it.
"I could do this alone but you could not," Bronya eventually replied, her voice soft and lacking of crudeness she usually reserved for Kiana alone. "Someone has to watch your back."
Kiana chuckled. "Yeah. Yeah, you're the best at that."
"Not to mention I couldn't just leave you to wander without an adult's supervision at night. Mei would be upset if you get sidetracked."
"Way to ruin it, asshole." Kiana scoffed and flipped Bronya the bird by raising it into the air at random. Despite what Bronya called her, she wasn't stupid enough to reveal her friend's position to possible, unwanted observers.
She did get a few weird looks from some passerbys, though.
"Do you have any idea how Mei is when she's jealous?" Kiana shuddered, remembering certain instances where she and her crass mouth landed her in the exact predicament of the current subject.
"Do you have any idea who you'd speak to in the following mornings? Me. It's hard not to piece things together when you looked like you've been through the wringer every time your idiot self accidentally flirted with someone," Bronya countered flatly and Kiana winced, laughing sheepishly to herself. "Don't act like you don't like it, either." Kiana could picture Bronya rolling her eyes at that.
"I mean, it was fun, you know? Mei is usually gentle but when she's all riled up..." The Kaslana purred at the memories, an impish grin blossoming on her face. "That's when you know you're up for a ride. Literally, sometimes."
"Thanks, I really did not need to know that."
"What about you, though?"
"What about me?"
"Yeah, you and Seele. Do you guys, like, ever spice things up a bit? Maybe with the red one? She has all the vibes, you know."
There's a long second delay before Bronya answered and it was all Kiana needed to know. "... no."
"Bullshit. I bet my left nut she's got you do all sorts of things. Maybe the infamous Bronya Sandwich too, you lucky bastard."
"You don't have one."
"Don't try to change the subject on me."
Kiana could hear the exasperation in Bronya's tone when she spoke next. "My sex life is none of your business. Besides, Seele is a pure and gentle girl so she wouldn't do any of those... indecent things."
"Yeah, sure. Whatever you say, Miss I-Lock-The-Bathroom-Door-To-Have-An-Uninterrupted-Threesome-With-My-Girlfriends. Honestly, I didn't know you were freaky like that."
Bronya audible groaned. "Will you ever let that one go?"
"No, fuck you."
"You're insufferable," muttered Bronya back.
Kiana grinned but didn't say anything back as the conversation died down. For a long time, that one certain incident had been her silver bullet to shoot Bronya down since Bronya had no actual counter to it. She had to admit, accidentally walking on the three of them when they were at it had been rather mortifying on her end, too, but Kiana couldn't not use it for her leverage. The temptations were simply too great.
She never used it in front of Seele, though. Personally, she thought the girl could use some explorations with her lovers and despite what she said to Bronya she fully supported Seele with all her heart. It's just impossible not to love such a sweet, kind girl like Seele.
"You know..." Kiana began softly. "You really should consider marrying them."
"Get off my back, Kiana."
"Bronya, I'm being serious," Kiana told her best friend. "I know you're comfortable with the way things are but really, don't you at least consider how Seele feels?"
"... she said she likes it as it is and is willing to wait. I've asked her and she told me I can do it when I'm ready."
"You know that's because it's Seele. She's waited for you for years, man, and she probably thinks it's okay for another few years." Kiana sighed and brought her hands together to her lap, staring at the silver ring around one of the digits and absently toying with it. "Look, I know it's none of my business but Seele is as much as a sister to me as you are and I want nothing but the three of you to be happy so go ask her again the next time properly for her sake."
"I'm... still unsure. I have been very busy with works and we hardly see each other for much nowadays with her duty as a Valkyrie keeping her away from home most of the time. I doubt I'd be a very good wife, that way."
Kiana scowled, not at Bronya specifically but at her self-admonishment. This was one of those times where Bronya was being vulnerable with her about her feelings so Kiana accommodated accordingly, aware that Bronya basically let her in to her heart which otherwise was locked behind bars and walls.
She was one of few people Bronya allowed inside and that was a honor no medal could compare and a trust no words could express.
It was a testament of their strong bonds.
"Marriage is not just about physical contacts," she began wisely, telling Bronya the lesson she'd personally learned from her own relationships with Mei. "It's also the mark-up of spiritual bonding between souls. You and Seele... Well, the three of you are already bonded, aren't you? The years you spent with each other have practically glued you guys together, accepting each other's strengths and weaknesses as a part of the others. Things might or might not change if you guys decide to get married but you know it'd make Seele happy regardless."
"That's said... I'm actually glad you hesitate. Marriage is a huge commitment so that proves you're serious with the matter, even though I know you are already. Just know that Seele will wait for you forever."
She said that with a hint of disdain and Bronya heard it clearly despite the physical distance between her and Kiana. Bronya also knew that Kiana meant not to belittle as it was directed at the notion more than at Bronya in particular.
Bronya had noticed the gleam in Seele's eyes whenever they went to visit Kiana on the Moon with Mei and it had been painful. How could she not see the way those beautiful eyes lit up every time Kiana and Mei acted like the married couple they were? Every touch and every small gesture the two of them shared fed the longing in Seele's eyes more and more until it was almost unbearable for Bronya. Not just once Bronya caught Seele staring at the rings in either Mei's or Kiana's fingers during a dinner party and not just once she caught Seele's own fingers tracing the empty ring finger of her own.
She knew what Seele wanted, yet when she brought it up to Seele all she said in return was that it's okay.
"It's okay. I don't mind waiting. You can take all the time you need, Bronya, because I know you are very busy."
What could Bronya say, then? Marriage was a commitment from all parties involved so when she could hardly commit, what was the meaning behind it? What could she give besides her words and meager presence when Seele would give her everything? There was a time when Bronya had nothing, but now she had everything thanks to the two women she loved the most that the idea of asking more was repulsive even to Bronya.
Because she knew that sometimes, she deserved nothing. All the terrible things she had done, all the crimes she had committed in the name of survival and all the sins she had to bear the rest of her life. Bronya was no angel despite the halo crowning her head, nor was she a saint despite the armor she used to protect the innocence.
Yet, Seele would stay and wait for her simply because she loved her as her world and Bronya would be reminded of it every night she climbed up to their bed after a long day of work with both her butterflies by her sides, loving her for what and who she was unconditionally.
No depth too deep would erase that love and no darkness too dark would take it from Seele and to Bronya, she couldn't ask for anything more. Especially from such a selfless person like Seele.
She wished she was as brave as Seele believed her to be so she could take that big step. As of right now, asking them to marry her would only burden both of her lovers more as Bronya believed.
But, maybe...
Maybe, Kiana was right. Maybe she was thinking over it too much. Bronya was never great with emotions so she would often turn to either Kiana or Mei for relationship advices, aware that both her best friends had more experience in the regard than Bronya. Things might or might not change between her and her girlfriends but at least that would make Seele happy, at least Seele would stop waiting for her. There was no certainty in that particular plan and Bronya herself hated unknown variables but that was just love, wasn't it? Nothing was certain about it so until the last second, there was no way to know the results of her decisions.
"Love is the mettle of faith," Kiana once told her. "You just have to believe on yourself and your partner. Well, I guess it's partners in your case, huh? Lucky bastard."
"You are right," Bronya eventually said with a small smile, referring to the memory and Kiana's most recent statement to her. "I think it's about time I propose to them."
Kiana grinned. "Life is too short to worry about everything. Sometimes, we just have to jump into the water, you know?" She heard Bronya hummed in agreement.
"They've waited for too long. Never again."
Kiana's smile turned solemn at that, easily understood the double meanings behind those words. Seele and Bronya had a complicated situation and while it was not necessarily a bad situation, it was still a complex one. Seele was a lot like Mei, in that Kiana meant not just having a near identical shade for hair but also their duty as Schicksal's Valkyries. While the other Seele was more free with her time, she preferred to let her other self to take the reign in their relationships despite Kiana's joke of being the more dominant one of the three.
That was to say the red haired girl was often content to sit back and follow where Bronya or the other Seele decided to go with their ideas. Kiana might not have experience in polyamory relationships and if she were honest she probably would never experience it herself in her lifetime but she could tell that Bronya's ordeals with the two Seele's weren't as simple as her own relationships with Mei.
Well, as simple as a marriage itself anyway.
As Bronya herself dubbed it; Kiana might fool around on accident but she would never cross that sacred line holding her marriage with Mei together. For all her worth as a Kaslana, and the ironic upbringings of its implications, she was as a loyal of a wife a woman could be. No Kaslana had gone back to their words and certainly not Kiana.
So, while Kiana didn't quite understand the entire deal between Bronya and her girlfriends, she could confidently say that they loved each other just as dearly and equally. For that she had no doubt.
That was why she understood the pain of waiting they had to endure. Honkai might not be the problem anymore and the Sea could no longer be the barrier between Bronya and her butterflies for it was now their domain but life went on. Life and all its dazzling beauty and ugly.
The river of time never stopped and its current would keep sweeping humans and all of Universe's subjects under. There was no shame in ignorance for it was a part of humanity, but sometimes one had to gain clarity and a deep, filling breath before proceeding on so they wouldn't drown.
And now, the time for them to carry on their duty had arrived after the brief moment of reprieve the Universe granted them passed. Fleeting, as was everything meant to be.
"Target is on the move," Bronya's voice had lost all its warmth when she spoke and Kiana slipped into her own zen, knowing full well that their little heart to heart moment had been suspended for later. It wasn't a topic that couldn't be resolved in just one sitting, after all, and certainly not in such a fleeting manner.
"Time to contact?" Kiana asked curtly as she straightened up, blue eyes scanning the scant crowd around her for their target.
"Fifteen seconds until she enters your line of sight."
"Understood." Putting on the dark blue cap Bronya handed her before they separated to help make her less noticable, Kiana adjusted it so the brim covered her gaze from unwanted observers. Bronya reasoned to her that with their hair being of a brighter colors, they would stick out like sore thumbs in the night so the cover was necessary. "You know... I usually like more intel in our intel."
The General practically told them a name and left the rest for both Kiana and Bronya to figure out. If Kiana didn't know any better, she would've thought that Jing Yuan was screwing with them for the laugh of it.
"I've given you what I could find on the fly and I had to skip through an entire history of their organization to not bore you. There's tons of it in the Luofu's database and more still in the Alliance's wider network."
"You've snooped that far already?"
"I was bored myself when we had nothing to do for the past few days so I decided I might as well take a peek into their system. That's when I caught a glimpse of the Disciple of Sanctus Medicus."
"So, you've known of its existence?"
"Yes, but not its significance. I mostly skimmed through them."
Skimmed for Bronya meant absorbing as much information as she could in as little time and with her memory being practically perfect, she had more than a decent knowledge of the organization. The only problem with that, however, it practically useless as it came from the Luofu itself so what she knew was also what the General knew.
For what it was worth, their mission's objective was to gain a new knowledge from the Disciples. Regarding what was up to Bronya and Kiana to find out.
While Bronya had spared Kiana the useless details of their target, she didn't refrain from informing her the absolute necessities of it. Namely the traits and appearance of the woman whose name the General mentioned to them.
"There's Dan Shu on your two," Bronya told Kiana and the Kaslana's eyes snapped to the direction her friend pointed out, sharp blue easily spotting the target as she descended down a series of steps.
"Is she really blind or it's just something she made up to make us lower our guard?"
"Her files showed that it's genuine. Still, I recommend you proceed with utmost caution."
"Got it," Kiana stood up from the bench she had been sitting on and brushed the nonexistent grime from her bottom, all the while keeping her gaze conspicuously on Dan Shu. I'll talk this way from now on.
"Stick to the plan. If things go haywire, I will provide you support."
The plan was rather simple, at least in theoretical manner. Kiana had proposed to just snatch their target and bring her in for questioning but Bronya wanted to know the extent of their operation and for that, Kiana would need to let the woman lead her inside.
Bronya, meanwhile, stood on overwatch for Kiana to make sure she wouldn't walk into an ambush. Right now she was on top of a nondescript rooftop, choosing another anti-material rifle for her weapon after a short consideration of their possible threat.
The Mara-Struck were extremely durable and Bronya had no doubt about it after witnessing their strange rejuvenation under Shamash's fire, which was precisely why she chose the CheyTac M200 this time. While a shot to the head was proven ineffective, a center mass shot would be sufficient with the caliber she chose.
It was an overkill on normal humans but Bronya was overcompensating.
"Bounding now," Bronya told Kiana and the Kaslana nodded on instinct. She wasn't slightly worried as Bronya repositioned herself across buildings and rooftops for a new vantage point, aware of the small drone keeping track on her and their target.
The Silver Wolf of Urals was known for a lot of things. Besides her accuracy in shooting, Bronya was also agile on her feet which was a feat she'd never lost even when she was still using prosthetics. Now with Honkai powering her body, her strength was also amplified, easily carrying the rifle in one hand by its carry handle as she engaged the flight mode of her Silverwing Battlesuit on, gliding and flying between buildings to her next destination as silent as an owl.
Not a minute later, she'd finished setting up shops on a tall tower she spotted earlier during her recon, back to staring at Kiana and Dan Shu through the scope of the M200 and the display from her drone camera on her phone.
"In position," was all she told Kiana who simply hummed internally as a response.
Minutes passed in silence between the two as Kiana kept a toe on Dan Shu as inconspicuously as possible the whole time, not letting the woman off her eyesight for even a second if she could help it. Their target, impaired as she was, carrier herself with surprising grace that despite her imperfection she still managed to navigate the winding roads with ease. If Bronya hadn't told her of Dan Shu's blindness, Kiana wouldn't have known.
That was why she was very careful with her approach by treating Dan Shu like she would to any other people. Kiana would even argue she did more because the woman was clearly something else.
The information Bronya provided for her spoke of the woman's misfortune, how she was born with her blindness and its irreversibility due to her nature as a long life species, and how she lost her best friend during the war three decades ago. It, however, also spoke of her greatest achievement which was none other her former title of Chief Alchemist.
Dan Shu was gifted, in one way than another, and known for her medical knowledge. A further delving into Xianzhou's more obscured history by Bronya, however, revealed a more disturbing truth shielded by the officials.
Apparently, they had known of this supposedly illegal medicinal practice for a long time but due to its usefulness to the general populace they opted to turn a blind eye on it. For all the contempt the Sanctus Medicus was to the Hunt, their followers could not ignore the fact that it helped, that it healed their wounds.
Keep your friend close but your enemy closer, huh...
"What's that?"
The Hunt's eternal enemy is Abundance, isn't it? Yet the people of Xianzhou still use Yaoshi's gifts for themselves even if unknowingly.
"It's no different to us," Bronya said. "We use Honkai to fight Honkai."
Kiana hummed quietly. What Bronya said was true as everything the Valkyries used during the Honkai War was practically Honkai itself. The Divine Keys, weapons and Battlesuits and even the fission missiles Otto so carelessly used to erase the traces of his crimes were all powered by Honkai.
Fighting poison with poison is truly a universal idea, huh?
"Only if it works, otherwise we're only condemning ourselves. Honkai possesses risks of corruption and the Sanctus Medicus is no different. They're an extension of Abundance's will, the enemy of Hunt and their followers."
Extension would be an understatement for the Disciples reflected on what the old Xianzhou was. They sought out the Divine and their gifts after tasting what they might give so in a way, they were what Xianzhou was before catastrophe hit them at light speed in the face.
Their motivations might vary, be it voluntary or not as Kiana had seen what desperation could do to people, but they were one in their goals. The fact that their followers were consisted of people from varying backgrounds didn't help either.
"Movements."
So, when Bronya announced that she had been found, Kiana wasn't really surprised. After all, that much people meant some of them possessed particular skills others weren't privy to. Skills that helped keep them hidden from unwanted eyes for many years.
Your thoughts? Kiana asked casually.
"Let them. They don't know that we know."
Right.
"It's the the shopkeeper you've just passed thirty meters back. I intercepted her messages and she mentioned you. The ten recipients are closing in to your position."
Is that all?
"For now, yes. But I advise you to expect more."
Kiana took the advice to the heart. Besides the fact that Bronya was her only source of intel, her best friend's skills in tracking targets were unparalleled between the three of them. Hell, Kiana was confident that Bronya was probably the best on Earth when it came to breaching and gathering information on the internet. No network was safe from Bronya and no system was perfect to be impenetrable and that was without her Truth Authority coming into play.
The Herrscher of Truth was a unique existence amongst the three of them. While Mei's Origin and Kiana's Finality represented the Divinity of the grander Universe and all it was, Bronya's true Authority was Humanity and its future. It represented the ability of man to create and destroy, a power to build and lay ruin on everything. Bronya could create basically anything she desired including completely new matters and life forms with the only limits being the amount of Honkai Energy Kiana supplied to her. In theory, if she so desired she could create an entire solar system or even a galaxy with a snap of her fingers. They never truly tested the limit of their powers but Doctor Einstein theorized that they could do anything except creating their own Tree.
"Honkai operates by the Tree's will, that much we know, so it's still a part of the Tree. While there exists Honkai in the Sea of Quanta, its presence is minuscule compared to 'normal' space, so to speak. For a power that derives its energy from the Universe, it would be impossible for it to be more than its source so Honkai cannot exceed the Universe."
In some places, Bronya would be considered as a goddess with her power to create being the cause of worship. While she was the weakest of the three, by no means she was weak especially with the bars being set so high.
After all, Kiana's one and only weakness was none other than her biggest strength.
Mei.
The Finality's Origin whose Authority could cut even the Divine. Whose Beginning ended the End, and Kiana whose End started the Beginning. Maybe, just maybe, it was how things were meant to be. Nobody could escape the endless cycles of death, not even the Divine despite all their might and certainly not some mere mortals despite their so called ascension.
For everything had a price.
A ruckus from ahead pulled Kiana from her musing back to present and she swiftly pivoted on her heels into nearby alley when Dan Shu suddenly shouted something, not a second later a chorus of terrified squeaks and stammers followed. Kiana risked a peek to Dan Shu and frowned when she saw a group of children scampering away from the woman but her attention was immediately drawn to the young girl curling on the ground.
The sight sent a pang of repressed memory to the front of her mind, especially when she noticed the bruises and dried blood covering the girl's tender limbs and clothes. Kiana heard a sharp inhale from deep inside her heart, one belonging to her other self.
"It's okay. I drove them off. You are safe now."
The girl slowly rolled over to her back and it was when Kiana noticed that her eyes were unseeing. "Lady Dan Shu...? Is that you...?" Whispered the girl between winces, fighting to sit up properly with Dan Shu's help.
"Yes, child, it's me."
"Are you here to give me my medicine?"
At the mention of medicine Kiana almost jumped out of her cover and yanked the girl away from Dan Shu but Bronya's words stopped her before she did.
"Calm down. It's very likely it's nothing. They wouldn't risk revealing their nature like that."
Dan Shu seems like she really wants to help.
"She does. She is helping. Just not that way."
"I have it here," the woman rummaged through her pocket for a moment before she pulled out a packet of the aforementioned medicine, handing it to the girl and stroking her hair tenderly. "Are you okay?"
"I..." for a second, it seemed like she was going to lie but the girl decided to settle for the truth instead. A truth whispered and only because of Kiana's super hearing could she hear it. "I don't know what I did wrong. I tried to be like them but they wouldn't let me."
"That is just how the world is to people like us," Dan Shu replied firmly but not harshly. "No matter how much we tried, we will never be enough."
"Did you try, Lady Dan Shu?"
"I did, child, I did... But it's all in the past now. I've done my best and whether it's enough or not is no longer my concern." Dan Shu patted the girl on her shoulders, a signal before she helped the girl up to her feet. "Now, I just want to make good."
"You are very amazing. I hope I can be like you one day. So strong and reliable."
Dan Shu laughed at that and the girl followed, albeit more reserved, yet all Kiana could see was bitterness on the woman's face. "Go home, now. Ask your parents to patch you up, okay? And tell them I was the one who gave you the medicine and not to worry about the pay. I don't need it."
"Mhm... Thank you."
The girl limped away, slow and tentative on her feet. Unlike Dan Shu who had lived through centuries of darkness, she was still young with even fewer experience of traversing a lightless life. Kiana's heart clenched at the sight but she stayed her ground and a deep sigh from Bronya's end revealed that her best friend was also feeling the same thing she felt.
It was never easy to see children struggle against life. They knew how it felt as they were ones.
Dan Shu moved again and Kiana blinked away the memory of endless snowy plains from her vision, pushing herself off the wall she'd been leaning on. Sirin was quiet but Kiana knew what she was thinking. After all, words were never necessary to communicate their feelings as they were one person.
Still, Kiana mentally assured her other self with a gentle pat to the head while giving the downcast girl a reassuring smile. She made it her duty to give Sirin happiness in her second life and she would die trying.
The minutes passed with Kiana tailing Dan Shu to wherever she went, steps light and presence minimum as she tried to blend in the shadows. It didn't take long for Bronya to realize that Dan Shu was basically taking Kiana in a circle to possibly buy time for her compatriots, and that said compatriots were moving to box Kiana for an ambush.
Fingers flexing over nothing, Bronya stared at one of Dan Shu's people through the cross hair of her scope as he made his way across the scant streets towards the painfully obvious ambush site, unaware of the fact that his life could just end with but a single squeeze from Bronya's trigger finger.
"There's a large open area where Dan Shu is heading, a courtyard of sorts. A perfect place for ambush," Bronya warned Kiana just as Dan Shu entered said courtyard, her figure disappearing behind a wall and from Kiana's vision. "I suggest you approach with caution."
Kiana didn't reply but Bronya knew she understood. Sighing and appearing as casual as possible, she rounded the last corner and stepped into the courtyard. As expected, the trap was sprung and Kiana found herself surrounded by twenty people plus thirty more inside the buildings around her, hidden from naked eyes but not her Void Authority.
Each and every of them held a weapon, varying from swords to daggers and spears. The details didn't escape her critical eyes and almost immediately a plan was made in her head to properly dispose of the threat they presented.
No ranged weapon for close combat, which means they're planning to beat me up and close.
She saw Dan Shu a few meters ahead of her talking with one of her people, back turned to Kiana which she could only see for a brief second before a rather burly man stepped forward and blocked her line of sight.
Or, they want to capture me.
"Records showed that these people do not hesitate to use violence to extract information. Bagging their targets is also their modus operandi." Bronya turned on the scanner on her drones to see the people inside the buildings and not a second later she'd found the firing solutions for all of them. "Don't worry about possible ranged attacks from the rest, you just use that tongue of yours to gather information from Dan Shu."
This tongue is privileged to Mei only.
"Otvratitel'no i besstydno."
Ty tozhe.
Swallowing the cheeky smile back down to where it came from, namely her heart, Kiana feigned surprise and horror by raising her hands up in surrender. It was always fun to jab back at Bronya in her native tongue as her best friend would often least expect it despite knowing Kiana was fluent at many languages thanks to the years she spent travelling across the world when she was a kid.
"Wh—what are you doing?" She pretended stammer at the man while backing off on her feet. She didn't plan to exit the courtyard but with the gate suddenly closing behind her she could commit herself further by pressing herself against it.
"That's my question, missy," his voice boomed as an attempt to intimidate her. "What are you doing?"
Ohhhh he thinks he's slick.
"What are you even saying..."
"I was just taking a stroll," Kiana said to the man, the lie coming out as smooth as her breath. "Is it wrong?"
"Don't play dumb! We know you've been following Lady Dan Shu for the past fifteen minutes! Do you think we wouldn't notice?!"
"Who?"
"I said don't play dumb!" Kiana wasn't sure if the man noticed that his attempt at intimidation had fallen short or not, but she kept up her pretense nonetheless by cowering to herself.
"Please! Please don't hurt me!" She wailed with probably too much gusto than necessary.
"You're a terrible actor," Bronya commented and Kiana could hear the smile in her voice.
Shut up!
"Yicheng, that's enough." Dan Shu stepped forward to the man's side and although her eyes were lightless, her voice was sharp enough to compensate for her otherwise piercing gaze as she addressed Kiana next. "Apologies for his behavior. Yicheng here can be a little... persuasive, with his speech."
"It's fine, Miss," Kiana played along to, seeing the man stepping back after shooting her another glare. "Happens to the best of us."
"Indeed," Dan Shu smiled and the way her lips curled up sent all sorts of alarms blaring in Kiana's head. "Indeed it does. But, brash he might be, it's not without reason."
"... such as?"
"Such as why a Nameless is following me around as if I was a subject of interest for her."
The moment Dan Shu finished speaking, a tense silence swallowed the area. So prevalent it was Kiana could hear the gentle flow of water from the garden outside and the ever present hum in the air.
When Bronya spoke in her head, it was as if lightning had struck her in her core. "We've been compromised."
No shit, Sherlock.
"You knew?" Kiana asked back as she straightened up. No need to keep the damsel in distress act now it was pointless.
"I might be blind, but I have more eyes than most people do," Dan Shu told Kiana who scowled in return as she regarded the people around them. They were slowly inching closer to her and Dan Shu, perhaps sensing that Kiana now no longer held reservations from using violence if necessary. "One of us saw you with the Astral Express Navigator. From there, it wasn't hard to conclude that you are a Nameless especially after seeing you spend time going about the Luofu to train your young. I believe her name is Stelle? And the pink one is March?"
Kiana narrowed her eyes and when she moved her hands to put them into her jacket pockets, she couldn't help but to glare at Dan Shu's underlings as they suddenly and rather blatantly pulled out their own weapons on her.
"To be honest, I didn't know our Navigator was that famous," she said casually, voice betraying her stern expression. "She certainly never told us."
"History is Xianzhou strong point. For many civilizations, hundreds of years are generations worth of eras but not for us. We live through the centuries, we are living history. So, although a lot may have forgotten about the Trailblazers, we have not. We know of your excellent deeds in the past."
"That's quite the pickle isn't it?" Kiana replied sarcastically. "I'm not even from around here."
"Oh? Where are you from if you don't mind me asking?"
"A faraway place."
Dan Shu smiled again but there was nothing in it. "What does the General ask of you?"
Kiana huffed and leaned back against the closed gate behind her. "Wouldn't you want to know?"
"I would, yes."
"Well..." The Kaslana drawled. "That's a shame because I was supposed to be the one doing the asking so... no can do."
"Quit playing. Just bag her and go."
Give me time. I prefer her to talk on her own than us forcing her to. Besides, we can do this all night.
"Why?"
"I'm confident that I'm the only blind person here but in case you cannot see, we have you surrounded. A woman of your title has the reputation of defying odds but I don't think you can take all of us alone and expect yourself coming out of here alive."
"Yes, you and your hooligans. It's hard not to notice when one of them is slobbering from the thought of cutting my head off." Kiana pushed herself off the wall with an exaggerated sigh, fingers flexing over nothing as she pulled her fists out. "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you, though."
The smile on Dan Shu's face had long vanished, all veneers of courtesy leaving her complexion. "Why are you doing this?"
"Because I want to help," Kiana said resolutely, nodding at Dan Shu and the rest of her people but more importantly Bronya who had been listening to the entire conversation. "I saw what you did for that kid. I saw that you have kindness in you for your fellow human being and that makes you a good person for her. I won't claim to understand your struggle or pain, but your cruelty does not have to define you."
Because if cruelty is all we see in people, then kindness has no place to blossom.
Kiana knew it more than nobody else. She as Sirin had been so cruel to people around the world by inflicting immeasurable pain to them during the Second Eruption. It was a lifetime ago for Kiana but when she accepted herself for who she was, all the memories of her past life flooded in to her mind and drowned her in her bottomless sorrow and regret. She had wept for those she killed, be it advertently or not, and wept some more for the love she severed with her own two hands.
It was actually Bronya who told her that and she had never forgotten about it since then. Her best friend was one of many people close to her who was affected the most by her actions. If it weren't for Kiana, Bronya would've been living a normal life with her father and mother. If it weren't for Kiana, Bronya's parents and homeland would be well today.
"I also told you I wouldn't trade this life with anything else," Bronya chimed in softly. "Mamulya didn't die because of anyone's fault. She died because she was a great mother who chose her daughter's life over her own, just like any mother would."
You really think so?
"I see no cruelty in you, Kiana. A lot of idiocy, sure, but certainly no cruelty. Even right now you're being a huge idiot."
Because Bronya had found her own happiness. Just like what Alexandra Zaychik believed she would all those years ago in a remote cabin in the cold Siberian tundra.
"Your mother also believed in you."
Kiana smiled faintly at that. Cecilia was probably the reason why Kiana was the woman she was today, surrounded by the people she loved so dearly. No words were enough to express her gratitude towards Cecilia that Kiana could only hope that she could be half the mother she was.
Looking back... everyone's got my back since the very beginning, huh?
"And we will only continue to watch over you. At least, I will."
"You're so naive it's almost disgusting…" Dan Shu sneered and Kiana shrugged, the other woman being wholly unaware of the conversation between Kiana and Bronya.
"Maybe I am, or maybe I have seen too much unnecessary evil I'm sick of it. When my companions and I started this journey, we made a vow to have compassion for others first, that it's not our place to judge because we know that everyone fights for a reason. We know that injustice and survival can be a reason for everyone to fight as they have their own struggle. We all do."
"So, that's your reason for offering your help to us?"
"No, I'm offering you help because you still have a shot for redemption. If you do what you're going to do, whatever it is, it'll be too late for you. Too many have walked down that path only to regret it and I'm sure you know what they told you about regrets."
One of Dan Shu's subordinates, a woman this time, moved to whisper something to her ear and despite Kiana's super hearing she couldn't make out what it was. "Yes, I do. They always come late, don't they? But, such is life."
"Such is life," Kiana repeated as she gave the people around her a once over. "So, before it's too late..."
"It's already too late," Dan Shu cut her off. "There's only one being who can grant us salvation and you're not it."
"I told you you shouldn't be so sure. Don't be the monster you're not."
"Monster?" Dan Shu laughed cynically. "Miss Nameless, that's where you are wrong. I'm not becoming a monster. I'm ascending to what we are always meant to become; immortal and perfect from all the deficits of mortality. It's what we sought from the Divine in the distant past and it is what we are going to get for our future."
"Don't you see how we live?" Dan Shu went on, loosely gesturing to around her. "We've been made fools by the gods. We've tried to serve them but our servitudes were so insignificant for them to even glance at. The lives we owned were nothing compared to theirs and our goals did not even matter. We are ants in a pit of giants and we are destined to be squashed down into nothing. Such is life."
"She lost her friend during the war thirty years ago. It was the Hunt's Arrow that killed her," Bronya supplied quietly and Kiana grimaced internally at the information.
"Why do you serve the Abundance, then?"
Dan Shu didn't answer right away and Kiana wondered if she actually saw something from the way her vacant eyes was set on her.
"The Master of Immortality granted us a gift," she said softly. "And like many gifts, we must first unwrap it. This vessel of mortality serves as nothing but hindrance for our transcendence and it is our duty as their Disciples to spread their words. We serve the Master because their gift must be spread and shared, we serve them because it is our birthright as Xianzhou people to become more."
"Your more is to become a mindless monster," the Kaslana scoffed. "How do you call that life?"
"Yes, that is rather an unfortunate outcome of our transcendence," Dan Shu replied, the bitterness palpable in her tone. "Perhaps, a mortal's soul is too weak to handle that much change. But we've found a way to keep our sanity."
"Are you going to tell me or just leave me hanging?" Kiana retorted when the woman fell silent.
"As much as I'd love to... I can't. I'm telling you this because you're an outsider and your status as a Trailblazer."
"Charming..." Kiana muttered with a roll of her eyes while preparing to summon a portal and grab Dan Shu. She genuinely wanted to help the woman, but if she wanted to make things difficult then who was she to refuse? "I guess that's the most you're going to reveal without further persuasion, then."
"Miss Nameless— Kiana, can I call you that?"
"Yeah, sure," Kiana replied dismissively. She had to admit that the Disciples had quite the network to be able to gather that much information in such a short time but she supposed what the General told her about their involvement in the government was true enough. "No harm in it."
"Thank you, Miss Kiana. I have a question before you do whatever you're going to do."
"Go on."
A faint rumbling in the distance alerted Kiana and her eyes snapped towards its source warily. What she saw made her skin crawl with horror, a feeling that only further amplified when she heard the all too familiar screech.
Then another.
And another until all conjoined to create a cacophony of madness, far too close and numerous to her liking.
Then, the screaming began.
Screams of pain as the first Abomination sank its blade to its victim. Screams of terror when the first street was suddenly flooded with mindless, immortal beings.
Screams of despair as the first life was wrenched away by a being of life itself.
In the ensuing chaos, she almost missed what Dan Shu said next.
"Are you still willing to help people like us? Or is our sin too great for your offer of redemption?"
"What have you done...?" Kiana whispered, eyes wide with pure horror before her surprise was replaced with anger. "What have you done?!" She repeated, this time louder as said anger bled into her voice.
"Spreading the gift of true immortality, that's what."
"You're insane!"
Kiana was about to move and grab Dan Shu when Bronya's voice stopped her. "Kiana, get out of there."
But Dan Shu—!
"Leave her. There's nothing we can gain from her anymore now she's achieved her goal," Bronya paused and when she spoke next Kiana could practically hear the grimace in her tone. "The Ambrosial Arbor has been revived."
Kiana's gaze drifted towards the giant tree which stump had somehow grown back into a full tree, alive and thriving as if it had never died. She didn't know how Dan Shu did it but the tree itself gave off enough energy she could feel it from her position.
"I'm going to need your assistance," Bronya continued with enough urgency for Kiana to hear. "It's a tide and the Knights are being slaughtered."
Kiana gritted her teeth and sent a glare towards Dan Shu, the intensity behind it alone made the woman recoil despite her unseeing eyes. Silently, she summoned a portal, eyes challenging the rest of the Disciples when they stiffened at the sudden display of power.
"There's a saying from my world; the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Yours weren't good but they certainly would lead you to hell." Kiana stepped back into the portal, letting the void to swallow her whole. "Just know that you've walked down this path yourself and remember that regrets always come last."
The first shot from her rifle rung through the long disturbed silence of night sky, its serenity had been replaced with the clamor of battle, and the bullet flew before piercing through the center mass of a Mara-Struck. Just as Bronya had expected, the high caliber bullet was sufficient to kill common Mara-Struck in one shot as her target fell into a heap, a huge portion of its back blown off from the excess energy behind the shot.
She didn't linger long on her kill, not when the streets below were swarmed with the things left to right. Bronya wasn't one to exaggerate so when she told Kiana that it was a tide, she precisely meant it.
The green glow from the newly revived Ambrosial Arbor bathed her but Bronya paid it no heed, focusing her attention on her targets, rifle and ammunition count as she kept her fire steady. Each time she squeezed the trigger of her M200 an Abomination fell yet no matter how much she killed, ten were ready to take its place.
It soon became painfully obvious that her firepower wasn't enough. The rifle was meant for precision strike in long range, not extended cover against a horde of mindless zombies. That and the fact that the Cloud Knight positions below her were on the verge of breaking prompted Bronya to take the fight head on.
The Knights did an admirable job fighting the incoming monsters and keeping the civilians safe, but they were also caught off guard without much time to prepare. During the initial attack alone Bronya had witnessed a lot of them getting slaughtered like animals by the Abominations and while she did her best to help them, it was impossible to do so to everyone with the sheer size of the sector being the primary factor. Bronya was strong but she was just one woman. Unless she wanted to destroy the entire sector, she couldn't bring out her full arsenal to bear.
No, what she needed was a more head on approach and she just got the right idea how she was going to do it.
Standing up to her full height, Bronya then vaulted over the ledge of the tower to the street below her, descending like an angel from the heaven itself. She took aim with her rifle and fired as she glided down, preparing a landing zone between the pinned Knights and the Abominations for herself.
One of the Knights noticed her and turned his spear to her direction on instinct, expecting an aerial attack, before he lowered it again just before Bronya's feet touch the ground.
"We need to get them to safety!" Bronya told one of them, gesturing at the civilians taking cover in the rear of the formation with her head as she slapped a fresh magazine into her rifle. "Bring them to Realm-Keeping Commission to prepare them for evacuation!"
An Abomination attempted to break through the line by slamming itself on a Cloud Knight shielder and Bronya shot it in the head, turning it into a yellow mist, before finishing the job by shooting it in the center mass to prevent it from berserking.
"Who the hell are you?!"
"I'm with the Astral Express! I'm here to help!"
"A Nameless?!"
A nod. "I'll clear a path for us, but I need your cooperation."
"How are you going to do it?! We're going to get ripped apart before we can walk ten feet from here!"
She pointed at the men ahead of her who were so desperately holding back the tide. "I need you to call back your shielders. Tell them to drop their shields and run back to the rear on the count of three."
"Are you crazy?! They're the only thing holding them back!"
Bronya didn't answer right away. She cleared her weapon out of instinct before putting it onto the ground where it then disappeared in a flash of blue light along with the spent casings littering the ground. "I'll open a path for us to go through," she repeated.
"You?! You're just one woman!"
"Just do as I say." She took a step closer to the front liners, fingers flexing to prepare herself for her next summon. The man she spoke to, a Lieutenant if what she read about Cloud Knight ranking system was right, hesitated for a brief moment before he gave a resigned sigh.
"You better know what you're doing," he told Bronya before he informed his men in the front be ready to retreat as instructed. "We have lives at stake, not just ours," he finished with a brief glance towards the civilians behind them.
The Silver Wolf of Urals nodded. "Trust me."
Without another word, Bronya channeled her power to her hands, an Authority to create anything with just but a thought. She knew what she wanted to use so a brief picture of it in her head was all it was needed to construct it into her grips.
Another flash of blue light and Bronya found herself carrying an M134 as if it weighed nothing. It was actually nothing to her and her superhuman strength so despite weighing almost twenty kilograms, it might as well have been a feather to Bronya.
"One," she aimed the six-barrel rotary machine gun to where she expected the Abominations would push first.
"Two." Pressing the trigger for its electric motor, she was rewarded with the all too familiar whirling sound the gun made as its barrels began to spin.
"Three."
The Knights on the front pushed with all their might to throw the Abominations off before they turned and sprinted back, their shields discarded onto the ground with a series of heavy thuds. Now with nothing holding back the tide, Bronya was faced with an infestation that reminded her too much of Honkai zombies, all screeching and barrelling towards her with reckless abandon.
Yet, her eyes reminded calm and critical. Almost serene even as she waited for the last Knight to dash past her.
She caught him staring at her through the slit in his helmet, a moment that was so brief yet so long as Bronya managed to notice the mixture of red and gold blood covering his armor, before it passed.
She fed the weapon with ammunition.
Every and each of the bullet was summoned by Bronya inside the gun as it had no belt, making it less cumbersome to carry without sacrificing basically anything. With her Truth Authority, all she needed was a thought and it was more than enough with her sharp mind being her greatest strength.
The moment the first bullet was struck in its primer, the fate of the Abominations was sealed.
What was a passive droning noise turned into a roar as the weapon fully came to life, spitting out bullets faster than someone could count in the first second alone. A hot, bright flare of fire erupted from its front as the screeching of the Abominations was replaced with its thunderous fury.
The effect was instantaneous.
The first Abomination to be hit was turned into a paste immediately by the sheer rate of fire of her M134. Bronya easily handling the weapon's recoil and aiming to the approaching horde, cutting them down like grass to a scythe.
It didn't even matter what type of Abomination she was shooting at as everything received more leads than what was needed to kill them as she spared them no chance at getting back up to their feet. If she couldn't be precise, then might as well use overwhelming firepower to counter the tide.
It wasn't like these things were compromising, anyway.
Too preoccupied with her slaughter, Bronya didn't see the way the Knights went slack jawed behind her, their eyes wide at the ease she was killing the Abominations. They had weapons more powerful than that, sure, but they had never seen someone handle something so devastating like it was nothing.
When Bronya finally released the trigger, a minute or so later, she had expended thousands of rounds alone. The smell of gunpowder was strong in the air and the barrels of her Gatling gun were so hot they were glowing under the dim light of night sky. There was also another smell in the air, a putrid and more sickening smell coming from the pile of minced meat littering the street ahead.
Burned flesh intermixed with bodily fluids.
A silence that was so loud it was deafening ensued as Bronya scanned the results of her work with mild interest, expecting nothing less from the M134. Careful not to slip on the hot spent casings on the ground, she turned to face the Knights and civilians behind her.
"Road is clear," she stated plainly as she hefted the weapon before relaxing. "It's now or never."
Her voice seemed to pull them from their stupor and the Knights exploded into a flurry of activity. Bronya, now her job done, stepped aside to allow them passageway as she deconstructed the M134.
"Thanks," said the Lieutenant. "Quite the gun you had there."
"It's the result of a washing machine's company ingenuity," she muttered back, staring at one of the civilians in the back. The Knight simply stared at her and despite his helmet, Bronya could see that he was perplexed by her response. "Where's your Medic?" Bronya asked him as she approached said civilian.
The Lieutenant followed her gaze and sighed before falling in step with her. "We've run out of medical supplies in the first few minutes of the incursion."
Bronya frowned as she knelt down, silver eyes looking up and down the wounded woman sitting on the cold ground alone. She looked young, probably in her early twenties so younger than Bronya herself, and terrified too.
The moment Bronya reached her, her green eyes exuded helplessness as she stared at the Herrscher.
"It's going to be okay," Bronya assured, carefully putting a hand to the woman's shoulder to comfort her. Bronya's gaze drifted down to the woman's thigh where a large chunk of wood embedded itself.
"Please help me..." She whispered, desperation painting her words.
"I will. I'm going to take a look, okay?" The woman nodded and Bronya took it as a consent to lift up her torn skirt, doing her best to suppress the grimace when she saw that the wood had penetrated through the appendage completely. Despite her attempt, the woman still seemed to feel her as she began to sob.
"Please... don't leave me... I can't..."
"I'm not going to leave you," Bronya told her. "I promised to help you and I will. How about you tell me your name?" She asked as she created a shot of morphine.
"R—Regina... My name is Regina."
"Hello, Regina. My name is Bronya. I'd say nice to meet you but we're in quite the pickle, aren't we?"
The little humor earned her a weak chuckle from Regina and Bronya smiled. "Definitely... I... this isn't what I expected when I wanted... to visit Xianzhou."
"Tell me about it," Bronya briefly turned towards the Cloud Knight Lieutenant standing guard behind her. "Can we expect doctors on our assembly point?"
"There should be some, but I wouldn't count on it. She won't be the only one in dire need of medical attention," he told her grimly.
"Am I going to die?"
Bronya's head snapped back towards the woman before she shook it firmly. "No. You're going to be okay. Your wound is just worse than it seems."
"But... it hurts so much..."
"I know," she brought up the morphine in her hand to Regina's line of view. "This will make it better but I will need you to stay awake. I'm going to carry you so you don't have to worry, okay?"
Regina nodded again and Bronya proceeded to inject the morphine into the woman, holding her more firmly when the effect started to take hold. She kept a careful eyes on the woman the entire time until she settled back, somewhat. "How are you feeling?"
"Better," Regina answered through the haze in her mind. "A little funny, actually."
"That's normal. I take it no more pain?"
"No," her speech began to slur. "Oh, Miss Bronya is so pretty from up close! Do you have a girlfriend?"
"Is she hitting on you?" Asked the Lieutenant, dumbfounded.
"It's the drug," Bronya answered to the man as she carefully scooped the woman up to her arms, ignoring the excited squeal she let out to answer her earlier question instead. "And yes, I have girlfriends already."
"Bummer, how come all the beautiful women are taken already?" Regina pouted before she lit up somewhat. "Wait, girlfriends? You have more than one?"
"Yes, Miss Regina, I have two and my heart only belongs to them."
"... do you have place for another one?"
Bronya sighed and although the Lieutenant tried to suppress it, it was rather obvious that he snorted.
I'm just glad Kiana wasn't here...
"What was that?"
No, nothing. Get out of my head.
"Hey! No need to be a dick about it!"
Shut up, Idiotka.
Bronya terminated their Herrscher Link before Kiana could retort. When she looked down at the woman in her arms, she found that Regina had been staring at her as if she was a rare specimen, eyes full of expectations and hopes for something Bronya couldn't give.
Sighing for the second time, she resigned herself to her fate. Fully aware that the morphine's effect would only get more intense as time went on.
This is going to be a very long walk.
TBC.
I forgot to mention this before but I don't have ships for HSR. The way they handled relationship in HSR is so unlike HI3rd so it's hard for me to actually like anything in particular so please don't expect HSR ships in this fic, otherwise you will only disappoint yourself.
Shipping is not the focus in this story.