"What was that all about? She just spouts some nonsense and kicks me out—what does she mean by any of this?"
In the pristine courtyard of the temple, Kiana scratched her head, thoroughly perplexed.
["Hey! What did you just experience over there?"]
"Huh? Didn't I just have a chat with Miss Kiana Kaslana? What do you mean? Did you miss it while being too engrossed in your noodles?"
["...I couldn't see anything. All I know is that you entered a peculiar place. After our connection cut off, I tried exploring its imaginary coordinates so that, in case of any mishaps, I could promptly transfer my body away. Then, everything went blank."]
In the mental world, Sirin sat upright on her white throne, fingers interlocked and brows furrowed, carrying an unusually perplexed and serious expression.
Kiana tilted her head quizzically.
"Huh?"
Sirin's explanation only deepened Kiana's confusion. It seemed that Young Lady Kiana Kaslana was even more formidable than imagined—so much so that she could shield herself from Herrscher of the Void, Sirin herself. Could it be that Kiana is also an unknown Herrscher?
Crossing her arms, Kiana gazed at the grand and radiant structures before her, lost in thought.
After a moment, she blinked in surprise.
"Wait, what? But didn't my battle with Durandal destroy the surface of Sky Base? When did it get fully repaired? Was I there for that long?"
Just then, a familiar emotionless voice echoed from the sky behind her:
"Target Kiana Kaslana detected. Initiating capture sequence."
Taken aback, Kiana had no time to react as a mechanical arm emerged from behind, enveloping her entire body and lifting her up effortlessly—like grabbing sushi.
"Hey?!?" Kiana instinctively tried to struggle, but her Honkai energy flow stalled, significantly weakening her and preventing her escape from confinement.
In the sky above, a massive spherical flying craft gradually shed its stealth camouflage, revealing its high-tech true form.
Inside the cockpit, Bronya wore a cat-eared hood as she leaned back with hands behind her head and feet propped on the control panel, expression coldly aloof. She then casually popped a bubblegum bubble.
"Pop!"
"Colonel Kiana Kaslana, you have violated the 'Peaceful Cooperation and Non-Aggression Pact' jointly signed by Schicksal and Anti-Entropy. Pursuant to 'Anti-Entropy Law' and 'Special War-Time Treaty,' you will be temporarily detained pending formal trial. From this moment forward, you have the right to remain silent, but anything you say may be used against you in court. Furthermore, under the 'Special Regulations for Herrschers,' if you choose to resist, I am authorized to execute you immediately. Please exercise your freedoms with caution."
Bronya's slender white legs moved rhythmically as she casually swayed her pilot seat back and forth. In stark contrast to her relaxed demeanor, her words were solemn and official.
Bronya's voice, amplified by the spherical flying device, echoed throughout the entire city, causing everyone to instinctively look in its direction.
Held firmly by mechanical arms, Kiana blinked innocently, still struggling to process the situation.
Suddenly, the powerful gusts sweeping across the sky subsided, and the surrounding light dimmed noticeably.
An invisible yet heavy pressure enveloped the City in the Sky.
Against the backdrop of cloudless blue skies, a pair of emerald-green eyes emerged abruptly, like heaven itself had opened them—radiating an awe-inspiring detachment as if gazing down upon all creation.
"Anti-Entropy members dared to provoke chaos at Schicksal Headquarters. Did you truly believe it would be that easy to leave?"
Otto's calm voice resonated in every corner, prompting countless Valkyries to kneel towards the colossal eyes in the sky.
Inside the flying device, Bronya ceased her leisurely rocking and swiftly grabbed the granular microphone nearby.
"Anti-Entropy bears responsibility for this incident due to our inadequate oversight. As compensation, I have restored the Sky Base, and Kiana Kaslana will be strictly dealt with according to Anti-Entropy laws. We will promptly finalize additional reparations as well. It has never been our intention to provoke conflict with Schicksal. Lord Bishop, we trust you understand and prioritize peace between our organizations."
"So, should Schicksal simply endure such humiliation?"
"Lord Bishop, this incident was orchestrated by your esteemed branch head, Theresa, and traitor Siegfried. Colonel Kiana acted under their familial coercion; while her actions were wrong, there were mitigating circumstances... Or perhaps you intend to make Anti-Entropy scrutinize further, implicating your organization's higher-ups for deliberately interfering in our Herrscher affairs?"
"Fine, given how far this conversation has gone, it's clear you won't abandon a Herrscher. Then, Schicksal will handle Theresa and Siegfried accordingly. As for Kiana... I hope you don't treat this lightly. Schicksal is not so easily deceived."
"I will faithfully convey your thoughts to the Alliance Leader and Chief Executive Officer, farewell."
"No need to see me off."
With these confrontational exchanges concluded, the eyes in the sky slowly vanished, and the massive spherical flying vessel, still holding onto Kiana, swiftly disappeared at the horizon's edge.
"Hey! Bronya, let me go already! This is so uncomfortable!"
As they soared through the air at high speed, Kiana squirmed uneasily to ease the pressure from being squeezed by the mechanical arm.
"Heh heh! Welcome to Bronya's Science Inventions Mini-Lecture. Today, I'll introduce you to Bronya's personal invention: The Naughty Child Capture Machine! It boasts amphibious capabilities for land, sea, and sky; intelligent target-locking algorithms; powerful anti-Entropy capture arms; and one-button operation for nabbing unruly kids—truly practical."
A small screen extended from the mechanical arm holding Kiana, displaying Bronya blowing bubbles while pointing at a whiteboard during her lesson.
Completely ensnared by the robotic grip like a bound caterpillar, Kiana huffed indignantly. "Aghhh! Let me go, quick! And why did you leave Auntie and that stinky old man behind?"
"Foolish paramecium, Schicksal belongs to Schicksal, Anti-Entropy to Anti-Entropy—that's how it works. Relax. Theresa is Otto's granddaughter, and Uncle Siegfried has Zeke backing him up. What can Otto do to them? At most, he might detain them temporarily. We'll find opportunities later to rescue them. Right now, you should be worried about yourself."
"Huh?"
"Sigh, luckily Bronya wrapped up that Honkai anomaly and rushed to your rescue right away. You really don't grasp the gravity of the situation, you fool. As Zeke's trusted subordinate and the newly awakened Herrscher of the Void, do you honestly think causing chaos at Schicksal Headquarters is something they'll just brush aside?"
On the screen, Bronya crossed her arms behind her head with a roll of her eyes.
Kiana pouted, unable to retort. Then, using telepathy, she reached out to Benares, whom she hadn't seen since their escape:
Bella, where are you? Are you okay? Did you get hurt?
The Queen... Kiana, I'm fine. Didn't you teleport me away?
Uh, it was probably another version of me who did that. Good thing she thought ahead; Durandal would've been tough for you alone. Anyway, glad to hear you're safe. Head back to the new continent first, we'll meet again soon enough.
Yes, Kiana!
Satisfied by the telepathic reassurance, Kiana finally let go of her lingering worry.
With a sigh of relief, she glanced sidelong at Bronya on the screen.
"And you call me stupid? You didn't think much ahead either!"
"That's where you're wrong. Aside from safety concerns, Bronya considered all potential consequences. Although it was quite severe, Otto and we both understand each other well enough; he wouldn't truly harm you. Besides, there was no way to let this go unchecked, and trying to stop you would've been futile. So, Bronya decided to go with the flow, using this opportunity to legitimately keep you out of sight for some time—just long enough for the storm stirred up by the Herrscher of the Void to settle down. In short, just obediently return home and accept your confinement; there's no escaping it."
"Ah? They really plan to lock me up? No way, that sounds so boring!"
"Don't complain—you're not a child anymore. When you make mistakes, you must face the consequences, and when you get scolded, you should take responsibility. Didn't Zeke teach you that?"
"...Hmph!" With Zeke brought into the conversation, Kiana lost all her steam. All she could muster was a disgruntled grunt.
In the cockpit, Bronya's lips curved upward as she hummed a light-hearted tune with a hint of childishness.
As their discussion continued, the spherical flying craft traversed continents and oceans, approaching the airspace over the new continent. The grand and imposing silhouette of Anti-Entropy Headquarters began to emerge faintly on the horizon.