Kiana, estimating that Theresa's intellect might not grasp the situation and fearing she couldn't explain clearly, decided to go along with the misunderstanding.
Unbeknownst to her, this was the moment when Theresa's legendary title began to quietly take root.
Kiana claimed to be Siegfried's illegitimate daughter, successfully earning Theresa's trust.
Soon after, the two met up with Siegfried deep in the forest.
The moment Kiana saw Siegfried, she clenched her fists tightly, then slowly relaxed them.
Siegfried raised an eyebrow at Kiana. "Beautiful lady, if I get the chance, I'd love to treat you to a drink."
[I thought this was a daughter tricking her father for some grand filial comedy, but it's actually like this?]
[Family bonds turning sour, hahaha!]
[She's your daughter!]
[Pervert confirmed!]
[Truly a sleaze!]
[Not even sparing his own daughter?]
[She's Siegfried's daughter, and he can't even recognize her?]
[Didn't they just say his daughter is only one year old? Isn't it normal he wouldn't recognize her?]
[On another note, from the start till now, I've finally seen a male character. Damn, it's all been women—my eyes are tired.]
[They're all gorgeous, sure, but you can't keep throwing only female characters at us!]
— —
According to Siegfried's information, there were still no traces of the Second Herrscher.
Moreover, Schicksal's S-rank Valkyrie, Cecilia, had been deployed and would arrive at the scene in 30 minutes.
The three present froze.
Cecilia was Siegfried's wife, Theresa's close friend, and Kiana's mother.
Each of them had their own reasons to fight.
Fortunately, the Valkyrie forces relayed information about the Second Herrscher's whereabouts.
After a brief discussion, Theresa led Kiana to sector O-17, while Siegfried headed to O-23.
Their sole objective: eliminate the target on sight!
Just as they were about to depart, Kiana suddenly remembered something. "Oh, one more thing."
With a smile, she walked up to Siegfried.
Then, raising her right hand—slap!
Siegfried took a resounding slap to the face. He touched his cheek, blinking repeatedly.
"Hmph! That's just the interest." Kiana maintained her smile. "After we defeat the Second Herrscher, I'll give you a proper lesson. Just you wait… you old—er, no, Siegfried, Siegfried Kaslana."
[Well done!]
[Uh, why's Kiana so mad at Siegfried? Isn't he her dad?]
[Didn't they say earlier? Siegfried mysteriously disappeared, and Kiana traveled from Europe to Asia to find him.]
[This duo is hilarious—fatherly love, daughterly devotion! I love it.]
[This is peak entertainment.]
[If Sparkle saw this, she'd probably come running for the chaos.]
[Honestly, she might.]
— —
To eliminate the Second Herrscher before Cecilia reached the battlefield, they had to act quickly.
Kiana was somewhat distracted along the way.
Theresa explained to her, "Worried about Cecilia? Don't be. Siegfried and I will give it our all! He may seem like a carefree Godfather type, but deep down, he's more anxious than anyone. After all, Cecilia is his beloved wife. Do you know why he wanted you to go with me, Kiana?"
"Why?"
"Because that guy's already made up his mind. If he finds the Second Herrscher, he'll unleash the Judgment of Shamash."
"Judgment of Shamash?!"
"Once the Judgment of Shamash is used, everything will be consumed by a sea of flames—even the user can't escape. That's why he didn't let you stay with him."
"That stupid dad!" Kiana muttered to herself, her steps unconsciously quickening.
[Judgment of Shamash? What's that?]
[Sounds like bad news. Just the words 'Shamash' and 'fire' tell you it's powerful.]
[Bet it's some super strong attack, but I'd wager five cents Siegfried doesn't pull it off.]
[Why not?]
[If he's dead now, how's he supposed to raise Kiana later?]
[Wow, you're so clever.]
— —
When Kiana and Theresa arrived at the scene, they discovered the Second Herrscher had manipulated Valkyrie armor to send a false signal.
This meant Siegfried was facing the Second Herrscher alone.
Siegfried's communication soon confirmed this.
Even the powerful Theresa could only hold out for less than five minutes, and Siegfried needed to last at least ten minutes for reinforcements to arrive.
Kiana, listening to Theresa's communication, asked, "Theresa, you said if Siegfried uses the Judgment of Shamash, he'll die with the Second Herrscher. What's that about?"
"The Judgment of Shamash is the Kaslana family's heirloom weapon. Among all of Schicksal's Holy Relics, its destructive power is unmatched.
Especially when the dual pistols release their seal, channeling Honkai energy to form a blazing greatsword—any enemy can be reduced to ashes."
[?!]
[Holy Relic?]
[Sounds kinda cool.]
— —
Hearing this, Kiana's memories seemed to unlock.
She recalled the night Siegfried disappeared—a greatsword just like that had appeared!
Theresa added fuel to the fire. "Before now, several Kaslana family members have died because of the Judgment of Shamash."
"How could that be!" A bad feeling surged in Kiana's heart. "No! I can't let that idiot dad die here!"
— —
The scene shifted, the camera cutting away.
Siegfried's forehead was covered in blood, dripping down his chin onto the snow.
He knelt on one knee, using a greatsword to support his balance, and gave a bitter smile.
"Huff… huff… Theresa hasn't arrived yet? Are her legs too short or what?"
[Hahahaha, sorry, I couldn't hold it in.]
[What kind of grudge do you need to crack jokes about someone's height in a life-or-death moment?]
[Hahaha, short legs.]
[Reminds me of Fu Xuan—I'm dying laughing.]
"Heh, human, you've fought me this long. Your strength seems greater than that nun's."
A girl floated slowly in the sky, her body enveloped in intense light, obscuring her appearance.
"Thanks for the compliment." Siegfried struggled to stand. "The moment I fought you, I regretted it. Even if Theresa and I teamed up, we probably wouldn't be your match."
"Such self-awareness, human. If you beg for mercy, I might let you go."
"Thanks for the kind offer, beautiful lady. But…"
The greatsword in Siegfried's hands glowed with a red halo at its hilt, its blade erupting in scorching waves of fire!
The surrounding space warped under this power, the heat palpable even through the screen!
"I've made up my mind. To protect those I love most, I'm willing to offer my life!"
"Why! Why does that sword have such power?"
Siegfried raised the Judgment of Shamash high with both hands. "Take your questions to hell!"
"Shamash, unleash!"
— —