While Sigurd and Kiana were off-duty, enjoying their private date, other events were unfolding elsewhere.
<+>
Schicksal Headquarters, Sky City— or perhaps it shouldn't even be called that. The white-themed room, interwoven with countless golden chains, was connected to the city by a single portal deep within. Yet the room itself existed in an imaginary space that even Otto could no longer pinpoint accurately.
Vira was doing her homework.
She was a girl of fifteen or sixteen, graceful yet retaining a hint of youthful innocence.
Her golden, dazzling hair cascaded down to her slender waist, complementing her snow-white skin and delicate, pure features. Her small, cherry-like lips wore a habitual faint smile.
She was already quite beautiful, radiating health and vitality.
Her growth was thanks to the serene, silver-haired girl with golden eyes seated gracefully on the bed.
Suddenly, as Vira worked on consolidating the day's lessons, tears welled up in her emerald-green eyes. A crystalline drop fell unexpectedly onto the pristine test paper.
"Huh?" Vira froze, startled.
A bone-deep sadness engulfed her heart.
But she knew this wasn't her own emotion. It came from the young lady sitting in the same room.
The young lady's immense power caused her emotions to unconsciously manifest in those around her, even if she never intentionally interfered.
It was akin to the sun in the sky: a small disturbance on its surface could trigger monumental changes on the tiny planets bathed in its endless light and heat.
"Big Sister, are you… okay?"
Wiping away her tears, Vira turned to look at the young lady, who sat as still as a statue. Her face, delicate and serene, showed no visible expression.
Lately, the young lady's emotions had been unusually turbulent.
Over the past two weeks, she had exuded a mix of anger, melancholy, frustration, and resentment. Occasionally, Vira had even caught her clutching a small doll with gray, twin spiral curls—its origins unknown—and looking as though she wanted to stab it with needles.
But now, Vira felt an unprecedented sorrow, so profound that even her typically optimistic spirit faltered. She felt a despair that made her want to collapse on the floor and weep uncontrollably.
"I… I'm fine."
The young lady's exquisite lips didn't move, but her cold, ethereal voice echoed in Vira's mind.
Still wiping away tears, Vira moved closer, grasping the young lady's hands, her worry evident.
"How can you be fine? Look at me—I can't even stop crying!"
"…I'm fine. Focus on your homework."
"Big Sister, I know you must have so much on your mind. But no matter what, I'll always be here with you. It's going to be okay. Please don't be sad, alright?"
Ignoring the young lady's protests, Vira carefully reached around the golden chains that bound her sister's limbs and body, offering her a gentle embrace in an effort to comfort her.
The young lady's golden eyes finally flickered with emotion as she looked at Vira, though she made no other response.
"Thank you."
After a long silence, this young woman—so strikingly similar to Kiana in appearance that they seemed carved from the same mold—spoke softly.
One other thought, however, remained unspoken, echoing only within her heart:
"Yes, it will get better. You must find happiness, Sig… and the me over there."
<+.
Latin America, Star City.
The head of the Perros family had called a gathering, bringing together family authorities and allied leaders.
The meeting room, while seemingly modest, exuded a quiet opulence; even the wooden chair cushions and corner flower pots reflected an understated luxury.
Gentlemen and ladies of high status gradually took their seats, as professional attendants served them exquisite delicacies and rare wines—items so valuable that ordinary people could scarcely imagine them.
Yet the assembled elites paid little attention to these luxuries. Their focus was entirely on the main seat at the long conference table.
There, an elderly man with neatly combed white hair sat silently, his eyes closed. Even in his silence, he emanated an aura of absolute authority.
"Hah—"
The man sitting closest to the elder exhaled a puff of white smoke, then extinguished his cigar. He turned to the elder and said, "Father, everyone who was supposed to come is here. As for those who didn't… I doubt they will show up. Shall we begin?"
The elder opened his sharp, eagle-like eyes, scanning the room briefly before giving a nod.
The man, who addressed the elder as "father" but was only distantly related by blood, sighed deeply. With a weary tone, he began, "First, on behalf of the Perros family, I welcome all our family members and friends who have joined us. Let's get straight to the point. Anti-Entropy's purge has begun. The Sword of Damocles could fall at any moment. This is why we're here. Let's hear your thoughts."
A flurry of whispers and murmurs erupted among the attendees.
The room buzzed briefly with hushed whispers and exchanged glances. Among them, a corpulent man tugged nervously at his tie before speaking hesitantly:
"Anti-Entropy… doesn't it only target immoral, lawless forces? We've always conducted our business ethically…"
"Spare us the delusions of innocence," another man interrupted, his tone sharp and dismissive. "You're fooling no one. Anti-Entropy and Schicksal have been rivals for years—battling in every conceivable way, from economic competition to outright war, including the Great East Asian Honkai Incident. And let's not pretend none of you profited from it. Romanov, should I remind you of the windfall you made from the financial turmoil in Asia after that disaster?"
"…"
The financial tycoon fell silent, cowed.
The interrupter scanned the room, speaking with conviction:
"We all know that the leader of Anti-Entropy, Welt, is an uncompromising lunatic. It was only a matter of time before he turned his attention to us. The only difference is that he's acted sooner than expected. Up until today, the Perros family has tried to extend an olive branch to Anti-Entropy. Unfortunately, only Executive Cocolia accepted our gifts—and even she ended up doing nothing for us. We also reached out to Schicksal, but the Archbishops' disdain for alliances with us was clear. In the end, we can only rely on ourselves now. This meeting is about consolidating our resources and, maybe, just maybe, finding some hope of survival."
His tone carried profound frustration and worry.
The weight of the situation was clear to everyone: they weren't just facing Anti-Entropy; they were up against Welt himself—a man infamous for eliminating high-ranking figures without hesitation. To merely survive against such a force was an uphill battle.
Why, then, had they risked antagonizing such a dangerous entity for profit?
Greed and wishful thinking could explain everything.
Some smart individuals had chosen to step back from the brink, but those who attended this meeting weren't among them. They had gone too far, profited too much, and had no way—or desire—to give it all up. For them, losing power meant falling from grace, living like the "lowly ants" they despised.
"I think—"
"I think this meeting is over. Thank you very much for your cooperation, Mr. Perros."
The interruption came from a lean, familiar man seated beside the family patriarch, breaking the momentum just as the discussion was reaching its crux.
But his voice was unfamiliar—unnervingly so.
The host, Mr. Perros Jr., widened his eyes in alarm.
Before anyone could react, a flash of light swept through the room, and the speaker's appearance shifted entirely.
"W-W-Welt!?"
"Perros, you treacherous old bastard! You set us up!"
"This is a trap!"
The man closest to the door yanked it open, only to freeze in place as the barrel of a gun pressed firmly against his forehead. Forced to step back into the room, his hopes of escape were crushed.
Clomp. Clomp. Clomp.
The synchronized sound of marching boots filled the air as a squad of fully armored, gun-wielding soldiers stormed into the room. They stationed themselves behind the seats of the attendees, sealing the fate of everyone present.
"Go with them," Welt spoke evenly, tapping the table. His voice carried an eerie calm amidst the cold, oppressive atmosphere. "The outcome may not be the worst imaginable. I'm a reasonable man, and Anti-Entropy adheres to its laws. You'll receive the fairest judgment possible."
The suited attendees, their faces pale and stricken, rose reluctantly from their seats. Under the watchful gaze of the soldiers, they filed out of the room one by one.
The inevitable had arrived.
<+>
Tn: If you want to see more chapter of this story, please go to my Patreon[1], just for $5 each month, you can read till the latest chapter.
Latest Chapter in Patreon: Chapter 314: Still Just a Child[2]
Link to the latest chapter: https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-131283359[3]
Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed[4]
[1] https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed
[2] https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-131283359
[3] https://www.patreon.com/posts/honkai-strijder-131283359
[4] https://www.patreon.com/collection/95348?view=condensed