Honkai: Strijder

"My Lord, upon entering the effective communication range, we received 13 missed communication requests from the mansion, with the most recent one placed 17 minutes ago. Dialing the mansion's communication channel... Connection established."

Sigurd collected himself and asked directly, "Is that you, Robbins? What's happening in the city?"

"Boss... Finally... Finally got through... Come back... Save... Vi...Ra..."

The voice came intermittently, accompanied by weak gasps and occasional coughing up of blood.

Not good, it was the worst-case scenario.

"20, no, I'll be there in 17 minutes. You guys go to the basement and hide. It's the strongest defensive spot."

"We're already... already in the basement... Boss, Vira, I'm counting on you..."

The communication went silent, with even the faintest sound of Robbins' breath disappearing.

Sigurd's teeth made a faint grinding sound as he suppressed his voice and said coldly:

"Icarus, link with the mansion's mainframe data. I want to know what happened after I left."

"Yes, My Lord."

Then a series of images appeared in Sigurd's glasses:

Firstly, although Sigurd didn't have time to explain clearly, Robbins sensed that the situation was extraordinary, so he used the capabilities of Icarus, the mansion's AI, to call in an armed force.

Normally, this would be the right move, and even Icarus deemed it a reasonable suggestion.

However, the Honkai cannot be inferred by conventional means.

Robbins didn't know one fact, and Icarus also overlooked it due to its weak ability to make associative connections based on mechanical thinking. That fact was that under suitable conditions, infected individuals would turn into zombie-like creatures upon death, and superior specimens might even become Deadwalkers equivalent to Honkai Beasts.

And so, the Honkai Beasts attacked.

It seemed that a branch of Honkai had occurred in the snowy mountains. One wave headed towards the town of Ulu, and another wave directly attacked the city of Yodarha. There might be other branches yet to be discovered.

In any case, some Honkai Beasts reached the front gate of the mansion.

At first, the mansion's formidable firepower repelled the attack, and the momentarily panicked troops quickly regained order and actively joined the defense efforts under Robbins' reassurance.

With ample defensive forces, they successfully repelled three waves of Honkai Beasts, but more and more of them continued to gather.

As the bodies of Honkai Beasts piled up, the mansion's mainframe recorded the gradual increase in Honkai Energy concentration until it reached a certain threshold.

After that, some soldiers in the force became infected and died.

At this stage, the situation hadn't become too dire yet. Icarus began to employ some immature techniques to gradually suppress the Honkai Energy concentration within the mansion. If things had continued in this manner, with the firepower reserves of the mansion, holding on for half a day wouldn't have been a problem.

However, the corpses gave birth to Deadwalkers, and they were not low-level Deadwalkers.

Ruthlessly, they slaughtered their former comrades, tearing open an unassailable breach in the mansion's defenses from within, where the defense forces were relatively weak.

The events that followed didn't need to be described.

In summary, the most recent synchronized data showed that only 7% of the mansion's firepower remained, and the ground structures were almost completely destroyed. Robbins and his daughter, guided by Icarus, took refuge in the basement, but even this last safe zone had now fallen and Honkaid.

Monitoring devices, microphones, infrared sensors, and other observation equipment had all malfunctioned. At this moment, not even the mansion's mainframe, which was within arm's reach, knew the status of the basement. All it could do was use its dwindling firepower to try to clear the Honkai Beasts that came too close, and that was all.

"Damn it!"

Veins bulge on Sigurd's forehead, pulsating.

Why didn't he consider the internal defense of the mansion? Why didn't he anticipate Robbins making this decision? Why didn't he explain the nature of the Honkai to Robbins earlier? Why was Icarus' associative thinking ability so lacking? Too many whys ultimately led to the fall of the mansion, making Sigurd feel like an idiot.

"Calm down!"

"Maybe there's still time..."

"At the very least, I have to save Vira."

Sigurd convinced himself this way, forcing himself to stay calm and continue rushing back to the mansion at full speed.

...

In 17 minutes, just as Sigurd expected, neither a minute earlier nor a minute later, he arrived at the mansion, only to find a wasteland before his eyes.

"My Lord, I apologize, Icarus couldn't hold the mansion."

Intermittent and unclear electronic sounds came from the ruins, the voice of Icarus on the mansion's mainframe using its almost scrapped audio equipment to report to Sigurd.

Sigurd didn't reply.

He carried Kiana and searched amidst the wreckage until he found the entrance to the basement.

Equipped with a makeshift exoskeleton, he had the ability to clear the blocked entrance.

Then, carrying Kiana and with a hint of caution, he went down.

Some lights flickered, but the main light sources remained stable, and the Honkaid basement wasn't as dark as he had imagined.

Sigurd came across numerous non-functional instruments and devices, but at this moment, those losses couldn't capture his attention.

Because he saw Robbins' lifeless body.

Robbins' body had been pierced by steel bars, evidence of the corrosion caused by the Honkai Energy. He died from excessive bleeding and the invasion of Honkai Energy.

Gently placing Kiana aside, Sigurd approached Robbins' body, squatting down and carefully moving him aside.

Underneath him lay Vira, unconscious.

Vira had hardly any visible injuries on her body, but her hands displayed an abnormal pale gray color. Strange peach-colored patterns covered half of her face. Sigurd grabbed his chest, his expression taking several seconds to regain composure.

It's okay, she's still alive. As long as she's alive, there's still hope. Sigurd repeated this to himself, carefully picking up Vira.

...

Just as the saying goes, "A clever rabbit has three burrows," Sigurd naturally had preparations outside of the mansion.

He left the mansion and arrived at his backup base, an underground area in an abandoned factory in the suburbs.

However, if we count from the time Sigurd officially started researching and climbing the technology tree after subduing Robbins, it had only been less than a month. Managing the mansion under such a rushed timeline was already difficult enough, so the backup base contained mainly various materials and was far less convenient than the mansion.

But with the mansion completely destroyed and the sight of the corpses of Honkai Beasts piling up too conspicuous, not to mention the organization blocking the area's signals possibly being connected to Schicksal, Sigurd currently had no mood to deal with Otto and could only leave for now.

Saving people, waking up Kiana and Vira, that was the only thing he wanted to do at the moment.

...

Kiana regained consciousness in the evening.

"Uhh..."

She struggled to open her eyes, feeling her throat burning.

"Water..."

Cool liquid was poured into her throat, alleviating most of the discomfort.

"Sig…?"

"It's me."

"Where…. are we?"

"The backup base."

In Sigurd's calm voice, there was a weariness that Kiana hadn't felt in a long time.

Kiana blinked her eyes, trying to clear her vision, and saw Sigurd busy at a table, seemingly adjusting some potions.

Beside her, on another bed, Vira lay quietly, her face covered with glowing peach-colored patterns, her small body showing almost no signs of breathing.

"Vira!"

Kiana tried to sit up, but her body didn't respond to her brain's commands. Then she realized her own weakness and the intense pain spreading throughout her body.

"Hiss..."

Kiana took a deep breath, trembling as she asked:

"Vira... What happened to Vira?"

"Honkai Energy Erosion. I'm trying to find a way to save her. And, take care of yourself for a moment, how do you feel?"

"I'm fine! Save Vira first!"

Kiana exclaimed in excitement.

Sigurd's figure seemed to freeze for a moment, then he slumped down on a chair, reaching out to touch Vira's icy forehead.

The once gentle and sensible little girl now lay quietly like a lifeless doll, her furrowed eyebrows telling the story of the pain she was enduring.

Kiana's tears rolled down her cheeks.

"What do you mean you can't do it? Don't joke at a time like this, Sig! Pull yourself together, you can do it! Vira, Vira is still so young, she can't just die like this, Sig"

Kiana cried and tried to get up to reach out to Sigurd, to touch Vira, but her efforts only resulted in her falling off the bed, intensifying the pervasive feeling of pain.

"Sig!"

Ignoring her body's protests, Kiana attempted to crawl over, to reach Vira's bedside.

Perhaps awakened by Kiana's actions, a flicker of emotion appeared in Sigurd's hollow gaze.

He walked over, picked up Kiana, and together they approached Vira's bed.

Trembling, Kiana held Vira's hand, her tears and mucus flowing uncontrollably as she saw the pale complexion.

"It's all... all my fault... If only I had... gone back and reported earlier..."

Sigurd embraced her, resting his chin on her head, taking a deep breath.

"I'm thinking whether it would be better to end her suffering. If she wakes up, she might immediately turn into a Honkai Zombie. Perhaps… Perhaps ending it all while she sleeps would be a release for her."

Sigurd spoke in a calm and detached tone.

In the shadows, his hands were already clenched white.

"No, you can't!"

Kiana screamed.

Sigurd held Kiana tightly, feeling her trembling body.

Kiana looked up, her tear-stained face distorted by crying, and said to Sigurd:

"If even we give up, who will save Vira? I beg you, Sig, I beg you to save her. I'll do anything, just save her..."

Faced with Kiana's plea, Sigurd fell silent for a long time, then suddenly his lips curved upward.

"I think this is a trial."

"Huh?"

"This is a trial, a trial given to me by fate. Only by overcoming my own cowardice and immaturity can I grow. I understand now that running away is futile. I'm here, breathing the air of this place, forging bonds with its people, and both the Honkai, Schicksal, and Otto are here too. No matter what the future holds, I will face them instead of naively thinking I can avoid everything that is feared."

"Sig..."

Kiana sniffed, feeling even more anxious.

What should she do? Sigurd couldn't be having mental issues from the shock, could he? Why did he suddenly say these inexplicable things?

"I've made a dangerous decision. It's very risky, and maybe our fates will temporarily be out of our hands. But it's a glimmer of hope. Will you join me?"

Sigurd asked seriously.

Kiana opened her mouth and nodded fiercely.

"As long as we can save Vira, I'll do anything!"

...

In the Mediterranean, high above the clouds, beneath a starry sky, the magnificent and splendid Schicksal Sky City floated in the air.

Otto Apocalypse was leisurely enjoying his afternoon tea.

Although it was already evening, for Otto, who had long transcended human limits, he could have tea whenever he wanted, and any tea time could be called afternoon tea.

"Amber, have you found that overly lively little fellow?"

"My Lord Bishop, following the trails around the estate, the Valkyrie on the front lines tracked them to the forest, but the trail disappeared there. We are currently conducting a carpet search, but there are no results yet."

"Continue then. I believe they haven't gone far. Being able to produce fusion grenades as a weapon and appearing alongside K-423, where exactly do you come from? Anti-Entropy, or perhaps a friend of that little serpent?"

"Szzz... Szzz... Szzz..."

Suddenly, the enormous electronic screen in front of them started flickering, and precise data and image windows disappeared, eventually transforming into a clear communication screen.

Otto held a teacup, gazing at the weary and indifferent eyes of the young man in the window. In a trance, it seemed as if they were engaged in a gaze that transcended space.

"Good evening, young fellow."

"Good evening, Mr. Otto."

Otto raised an eyebrow, observing the K-423 in the young man's arms and the little girl next to them, visibly affected by Honkai corruption.

"It seems like you're in trouble. Is there anything I can help with?"

"I was the one who threw the fusion grenade."

"...Young fellow, I appreciate your straightforwardness. So, where did you got it from?"

"I made it myself."

The Lord Bishop squinted his eyes.

He didn't really want to believe it, but if it was connected to the ability to easily invade Schicslal system, creating a fusion grenade didn't seem so unimaginable anymore.

In this world, there was a difference between geniuses and ordinary people.

Geniuses who astonished the era with their individual capabilities were rare, but Otto had already encountered several of them, even placing himself within that category.

Perhaps this was an undiscovered, long-lost genius?

Of course, at this moment, Otto still leaned towards the speculation that this was a spy from another organization.

"K-423 is also with me."

Sigurd suddenly added, emphasizing the presence of Kiana in his arms.

Otto's expression remained unchanged, with a faint smile.

"It seems like you know quite a lot! But how much does she know about herself?"

K-423 had not yet established a stable personality or enough bonds. If she were to learn the truth at this moment, it might lead to the collapse of her fragile psyche, which would seriously threaten Otto's plans.

Otto maintained a calm facade, but a hidden intention to kill silently arose within him.

"No need to worry. I also believe the timing is not right."

Sigurd added again, bringing some reassurance to Otto, but also making him slightly suspicious. He had hidden his plans deeply, so how much did the other side know and from where?

"Cough cough! So, back to business, what brings you to me, Mr. Sigurd?"

Otto also displayed some of his own intelligence at an opportune moment.

He didn't know that Sigurd was the one who released the fusion grenade, nor did he find any information about Sigurd's hidden research abilities. However, since he appeared alongside K-423, Sigurd's name, appearance, and even his family history were already in Otto's database.

However, it seemed that his intelligence-gathering work was inadequate. The Sigurd before him, compared to the orphan depicted in the intelligence, were completely different individuals. Moreover, the ability to infiltrate the Welt system and communicate with him was highly suspicious.

Two individuals with complex thoughts stared at each other through the screen, then tacitly decided to end the probe at this point.

"As you can see, Vira has been affected by Honkai corruption and is in danger." Sigurd said.

"I don't have much to offer, but I happen to have something that I don't think you would refuse."

"Please go on."

"A possibility."

"About what?"

"About a resurrection."

After a moment of silence, Otto crushed his tea cup for the second time. Then, he replied coldly:

"If you have the power to resurrect, why don't you just resurrect this little girl yourself instead of asking me to save her?"

"First, as I said, it's just a possibility. Second, if it were the person you have in mind, what would you choose between saving her life in time and letting her die and then resurrecting her?"

At this moment, the initiative in the conversation changed. It didn't completely shift the balance, but at least Sigurd regained some control.

Otto remained silent for a moment and then said meaningfully:

"It seems that your understanding of me goes beyond expectations... By the way, have you ever considered seeking revenge against Kiana for your parents who died in the Second Honkai Impact, Mister Gat Fedronaski? "

This invoked Sigurd's original body's memories.

Yes, Sigurd's parents died in the Second Honkai Impact, killed by the Herrscher of the Void. That's why Sigurd came as a poor orphan when he traveled back in time.

Normally, this would make him have an irreconcilable grudge with the Herrscher of Void, aka, K-423 herself.

However, Sigurd didn't have much personal attachment to this body original family, so he didn't bear any enmity toward the stupid tuna, but he couldn't deny this established fact.

When Otto brought it up now, he was probably suspecting Sigurd's identity and testing his thoughts on Kiana Kaslana.

Sigurd stroked Kiana's hair and said slowly:

"I am observing, observing her original self, and the dormant demon within. Once I have a clear understanding, I will make a decision. Also, it's Gat Fedronasky, not Gat Fedronaski."

Gat Fedronasky was the Sigurd of this world's original name.

There was only a slight difference in pronunciation between Fedronasky and Fedronaski.

If Sigurd didn't have the memories of him from this world, if he was a spy sent by another organization, this tiny distinction might have been easily overlooked.

This was a loophole, whether used to speculate on his identity or to launch a verbal attack. Otto was regaining control of the situation.

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