Flames engulfed everything on the screen, leaving nothing but a sea of fire.
[Holy crap! Epic!]
[Blazing spear, charge!]
[Shamash, unleash!]
[Gotta say, that line is seriously cool!]
[I think Siegfried's pretty decent, but I have a question! If Siegfried really dies, who raised Kiana?]
— —
Kiana and Theresa finally reached the battlefield.
However, aside from the sea of flames, all that remained was a massive crater in the ground and a Honkai Beast at its center.
Theresa's heart sank halfway.
At that moment, a familiar voice came through Theresa's communicator.
Cecilia had arrived at the battlefield and used the Black Abyss White Flower to successfully save Siegfried.
In that moment, the audience understood—it all made sense. This was all to set up a knife for Cecilia!
[Damn it, I get it now. Siegfried didn't die because Cecilia saved him!]
[So?]
[Let me ask you this. Using the Judgment of Shamash means death, but Cecilia saved Siegfried. What's the cost?]
[Black Abyss White Flower, right? Didn't they say it's as powerful as the Judgment of Shamash?]
[Massive life force and stamina drain, full debuff stack, got it? Plus, Kiana's nightmare mentioned Cecilia would die in the Second Honkai War—right now.]
— —
Through Theresa and Cecilia's communication, the audience was repeatedly fed one fact: Cecilia was extremely weakened. Forcing the use of the Black Abyss White Flower's power had practically maxed out her debuffs.
If she encountered the Second Herrscher now, the outcome was obvious.
Then, Cecilia suddenly connected with Kiana via communicator.
"Lady Cecilia? Why are you contacting me all of a sudden?" Kiana looked at the communicator with surprise.
"That voice—it really is Kiana."
"Huh?"
"Actually, I have a favor to ask of you."
"If it's something Lady Cecilia asks, I'd do it even if it costs my life!"
"It's not that serious. I just want you to call me 'Mom.'"
"Huh? W-what?"
"Please, please. Your voice sounds so much like the daughter I imagine growing up."
Kiana froze for a few seconds, then finally said the word she'd never spoken before: "Mom…"
[Tears, family.]
[Mothers always recognize their children.]
[I'm broken, guys.]
[Please, writers, no more knives!]
[Damn it, is the writer sick in the head? A perfectly good plot, and they keep stabbing us with knives! I'm crying!]
[The scariest knives are the ones you see coming. You never know when a character's going to bite the dust.]
— —
As the plot progressed, Kiana and Theresa reached the tower.
A Honkai Beast blocked their path, but a sudden slash from above obliterated it.
A white-haired woman slowly walked out from beside them.
Seeing her mother for the first time, Kiana couldn't help but smile.
The camera slowly pulled back until Kiana appeared on the screen.
A blonde man was closely watching the screen. "Ha, how interesting. The plot's development has exceeded my expectations. You two, keep a close eye on her."
"Understood, Overseer." "As you command."
[Hey, that voice—it's Luocha!]
[Blonde hair, no need to guess—it's Luocha.]
[I remember Welt Yang got PTSD just seeing Luocha.]
[Overseer, huh? That's Otto Apocalypse.]
[Feels like a mastermind vibe.]
[Before, Rita was contacting the Overseer, and so was Fu Hua's call.]
[And from Honkai: Star Rail, we know Luocha's no simple guy. Someone who dares kill an Aeon isn't a saint.]
[Not necessarily. Plots throw a lot of red herrings. He might not be a bad guy on the surface.]
[Maybe, but Luocha seems like a good guy so far. Probably similar here.]
[Did you forget Welt Yang's PTSD? He practically had 'don't judge by appearances' written on his face.]
— —
The trio ventured together into the tower.
The environment resembled a prison, orchestrated by Schicksal's Overseer, Otto.
Kiana had hoped for some alone time with her mother, but Theresa kept interrupting them.
Fortunately, Otto issued a direct order, immediately recalling Theresa.
The tower was left to just the mother and daughter.
…
During their search, Kiana stumbled upon a diary.
It recorded a girl's tragic experiences and her longing for her mother.
The final entry contained a magical phrase: Ich★ liebe★ dich.
Suddenly, an intense pain surged through Kiana's mind.
The magical phrase was like opening Pandora's box, and Kiana's vision went black as she collapsed backward.
When she slowly opened her eyes, she found herself resting on Cecilia's lap.
The scene was incredibly heartwarming and sweet.
Especially when Cecilia held Kiana tightly in her arms, it deepened the audience's impression.
After confirming Kiana was fine, Cecilia went to search elsewhere.
Kiana thought that reciting the magical phrase had let her lie in her mother's arms.
Maybe this phrase could grant her wishes!
So, instinctively, she recited it again:
"I want to play a game with Mom! Ich★ liebe★ dich."
…
After finding a key, Kiana inserted it into the elevator.
But the next moment, a game appeared on the screen?!
Cecilia, returning to Kiana's side, widened her eyes at the game interface. "Isn't this Kallen Fantasy III? It's a role-playing game where you control the Light Valkyrie Kallen, her lover Otto, and their pet Homa—three characters adventuring worldwide, defeating an Eastern fox demon ruling the continent with dark forces, and ultimately, Kallen and Otto find their happy ending."
[It actually came true? It's like someone planned this!]
[Was it really arranged? With the earlier plot, how can it be this coincidental?]
[Uh, why are the subtitles for this line green?]
— —