Chapter 339: Interlude: Settlement
"What the heck was that? She said a bunch of weird stuff and then just kicked me out. What's her deal, really?"
On the spotless, freshly rebuilt plaza of the temple, Kiana scratched her head with a puzzled expression.
[Hey! Just now… what exactly did you go through?]
"Huh? I was just talking to the original Kiana, what else? What, you didn't see it? Were you too into your noodles or something?"
[…I couldn't see. I only knew that you entered some strange place. After you cut off our connection, I tried to probe its imaginary-space coordinates, in case I needed to forcibly transfer my body out if anything happened. But after that, I lost all sense of it.]
Inside the mental world, Sirin sat upright on a white chair, fingers interlaced, frowning in rare perplexity. Her usually sharp eyes carried an unusual shade of seriousness and doubt.
Kiana tilted her head.
"Huh?"
Sirin's explanation only made her more confused. That Kiana Kaslana—she was way more powerful than expected. To think she could even shut out the Herrscher of the Void… Could she be some kind of unknown Herrscher as well?
Kiana crossed her arms, staring at the grand, gleaming architecture before her, lost in thought.
Then she blinked.
"Wait, hold on. Wasn't the upper layer of Sky City destroyed during my fight with Durandal? When did it get completely repaired? …Don't tell me I was stuck in that place for a really long time?"
At that moment, from behind her, a cold, monotone voice drifted down from the sky:
"Target Kiana Kaslana located. Initiating capture protocol."
Kiana froze, not yet reacting, when a massive mechanical hand materialized behind her. In an instant, it wrapped around her whole body and seized her—like a piece of sushi being pinched by chopsticks.
"Eh!?"
She instinctively tried to struggle, but the flow of Honkai energy within her abruptly stagnated. Her strength plummeted, and she couldn't break free.
Above her, a massive spherical airship shimmered into view, its stealth coating peeling away to reveal sleek, high-tech plating.
Inside the cockpit, Bronya lounged in the pilot's seat. A hood with cat ears covered her head, both hands folded lazily behind her neck, feet propped up on the console. She wore a cold expression, puffed up a bubble of gum—and popped it with a sharp "pop."
"Officer Kiana Kaslana," she declared flatly, "you have violated the Treaty of Friendship jointly signed by Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. In accordance with Anti-Entropy Law and the Wartime Special Provisions, you are hereby placed under temporary detainment to await formal trial. From this moment forward, you have the right to remain silent, but anything you say may be submitted as evidence in court. Furthermore, under the Special Management Ordinance for Herrschers, should you resist, I am authorized to execute you on the spot. I advise you to exercise your freedom wisely."
Her pale, slender legs swung idly as she rocked in her chair with a carefree rhythm. But the words spilling from her lips were heavy with official severity.
Amplified by the airship, Bronya's voice carried through the skies of the city, drawing countless eyes toward the massive sphere floating overhead.
Kiana, clutched tightly in the machine's grip, blinked her wide eyes in dazed bewilderment, still not fully processing what was happening.
Then, all at once, the powerful currents of wind across the heavens ceased, and the light around them dimmed unnaturally.
A crushing, invisible pressure blanketed the entirety of the Sky City.
In the boundless blue, a pair of vast emerald eyes suddenly opened—like the heavens themselves glaring down, vast and merciless, filled with divine indifference.
"Anti-Entropy dares intrude upon Schicksal's very headquarters, and yet believes it can leave so easily?"
Otto's detached voice resonated across every corner of the city, forcing countless Valkyries to kneel toward the colossal eyes in reverence.
Inside the cockpit, Bronya stopped rocking her chair. Calmly, she picked up a mic shaped like a cluster of spheres.
"This incident was due to Anti-Entropy's failure of oversight. As compensation, we have already repaired Sky City, and Kiana Kaslana will be dealt with severely in accordance with our law. Further reparations will be drafted and delivered promptly. Anti-Entropy harbors no intent of open conflict with Schicksal. We ask that Overseer Otto see reason—for the sake of peace between our two sides."
"…So," Otto's voice rumbled, "is Schicksal to simply swallow such humiliation?"
"Overseer Otto, this affair was masterminded by your branch leader Theresa and the traitor Siegfried. Officer Kiana was merely caught in their familial entanglements. While she bears some fault, it is understandable… Or perhaps you would prefer Anti-Entropy to start questioning why Schicksal's own upper echelon deliberately interfered with our Herrscher assets?"
"…Very well. When it's spoken like this, I can see you won't abandon a Herrscher. Theresa and Siegfried will be dealt with internally by Schicksal. As for Kiana… I trust you won't treat her as a game piece. Schicksal is not so easily deceived."
"Your words will be truthfully conveyed to both our Sovereign and our Chief Executive. Now, if you'll excuse me."
"There's no need for us to see you off."
Their pointed exchange ended. The massive green eyes in the sky slowly faded, and the spherical warship clutching Kiana vanished in a blink, racing toward the horizon.
. . . . . .
"Hey! Bronya, let me go already! This thing is way too tight!"
Inside the high-speed craft, Kiana wriggled desperately, trying to ease the painful squeeze of the mechanical hand gripping her body.
"Humph. Welcome to Bronya's Science Invention Classroom! Today's feature: the Bronya Original Brat-Catching Machine. A tri-modal all-terrain aerial craft equipped with smart target-lock protocols, anti-Honkai suppression units, and—of course—giant capture arms. One press of a button, and snap—the brat is secured. Highly practical, don't you agree?"
The mechanical arm tightened its grip, and a small monitor unfolded in front of Kiana's face. On it, Bronya—blowing bubble gum and pointing at a whiteboard—gave a mock lecture.
Pinned like a caterpillar bound in silk, Kiana puffed her cheeks angrily.
"Ughhh! Let me out already! And hey—how could you just leave Aunt Theresa and my stupid old man behind!?"
"Idiot. Schicksal's people belong to Schicksal, Anti-Entropy's belong to Anti-Entropy. That is the rule. Relax. Aunt Theresa is Otto's granddaughter. Uncle Siegfried has Sigurd to shield him. What can Otto really do? At worst, they'll be locked away for a while. You'll get another chance to save them. Right now, worry about yourself."
"Huh?"
"Honestly. You are lucky Bronya finished handling the Honkai anomaly in time to bail you out. You still don't grasp how serious this is, do you? You're Sigurd's trusted subordinate, and on top of that, the Herrscher of the Void who just caused a massive scene. Did you really think you could storm into Schicksal HQ and just walk away like nothing happened?"
On the screen, Bronya leaned back with both hands behind her head, rolling her eyes.
Kiana pursed her lips, unable to come up with a comeback. Instead, she reached out through her mind, calling to the companion she hadn't seen since escaping.
[Bella, where are you? Are you hurt?]
[My Queen… Kiana, I'm fine. Wasn't it you who warped me away with spatial transfer?]
[Uh… that must've been the other Kiana. Guess she thought ahead. If it had been just you, fighting Durandal would've been rough. Anyway, as long as you're safe, that's what matters. Head back to the New Continent. We'll meet again later.]
[As you command, Kiana!]
Hearing no sign of trouble in her partner's voice, Kiana finally let go of the last knot of worry in her chest. She exhaled in relief—only to glance sidelong at Bronya's smug face on the screen.
"…And you call me stupid? You didn't think through everything beforehand either, did you?"
"That's where you're wrong. Aside from safety, Bronya accounted for every consequence. Yes, the incident was ugly, but Otto and we both understand. Neither side intends to truly harm you. Stopping you was pointless—you would've gone anyway. So Bronya chose to go with the flow, and now, you have a perfectly valid reason to disappear for a while. Let the Herrscher of the Void incident cool down. In other words—time to go home and accept your confinement. You won't escape it."
"What? You mean I'm really going to be locked up? No way! That's so boring!"
"Stop whining. You're not a child anymore. You make a mistake, you take the punishment. Didn't Sigurd teach you that?"
"...Hmph!"
With Sigurd's name thrown into the mix, Kiana was left with no footing to argue back. She could only pout and grunt in frustration.
Meanwhile, Bronya's lips curved into a faint smile as she hummed a light, childish tune—sweet yet smug.
And so, as their conversation lingered, the massive airship sped over continents and oceans. Ahead, looming larger with every second, the grand silhouette of Anti-Entropy's colossal headquarters rose against the horizon.
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