"Boom!!!"
Kiana is pregnant? I'm going to be a father?
Pregnancy occurs due to the fusion of sperm and egg, fundamentally involving the recombination of genetic strands... Earth emerged about 4.6 billion years ago... The universe originated from a Big Bang; from a higher-dimensional perspective, it's a result of interactions between the principles embodied by the Imaginary Tree and Sea of Quanta... Based on the information source viewpoint, the Life Formula for soul repair and reintegration with the physical body can be written as...
In that instant, countless pieces of knowledge and thoughts flashed through Zeke's mind, as if he were unraveling the true nature of the universe.
Then, distant calls echoed from another world:
"Zeke... Zeke... Zeke!!!"
Shaken awake by Theresa's vigorous jolts, Zeke realized that the teacup he had been holding was now reduced to mere shards between his fingertips. The spilled black tea left a conspicuous stain on his dark military uniform.
Zeke rubbed away the tea dust from his fingers, expression frozen as he asked blankly,
"For a boy... how does 'Little Zeke' sound?"
Silence filled the observation deck today.
After a prolonged moment of quiet, Zeke massaged his temples and let out a deep breath. With his mind finally cooled down, he could begin constructive thinking.
As a MANTIS fusion warrior, Zeke carried multiple advanced Honkai Beast genes and underwent several modifications by Mobius, not to mention countless self-implemented enhancements. Biologically speaking, he was far removed from being considered a normal human. Kiana, being an artificial Kaslana and a Dual-Core Herrscher with a history of assimilating multiple Herrscher abilities, naturally also represented an enigmatic life form.
Whether they could conceive offspring through conventional biological means remained unexplored territory for Zeke.
The primary concern was whether he should hasten Kiana's pregnancy. Once pregnant, Zeke would have ample justification to confine her in a heavily guarded location, away from the frontline against Finality. However, within Honkai's hierarchy, Herrschers held a uniquely critical position. Zeke couldn't guarantee that Kiana could safely avoid the conflict... If she became pregnant and her strength diminished, creating a fatal vulnerability, yet still found herself unable to escape the war, it would be a consequence Zeke simply couldn't bear.
Due to this dilemma, Zeke's research on producing offspring had stagnated; there lacked sufficient motivation to devote focused time on mastering the subject. In short, whether Kiana could conceive Zeke's child remained akin to Schrödinger's cat—an uncertainty until proven otherwise.
Thus, the possibility of Kiana becoming pregnant existed.
Mechanically lifting his head, Zeke addressed Theresa, "What did you just say? Repeat it."
"I said, Kiana might be pregnant!"
"BOOM!!!"
Pregnancy fundamentally involves... From a physical perspective, the world can be divided into seventeen dimensions... The standard starting gesture for creating a world bubble is... Wait! Now isn't the time to ponder the universe! Is Kiana actually pregnant?!
Having barely recovered from his second bout of mental shock, Zeke quickly regained his composure and asked,
"How did you figure it out? Did she tell you? No way—it would've been me first." Frowning deeply, he ultimately shook his head, answering his own question.
Theresa's lips twitched, feeling helpless yet unable to deny that Kiana indeed relied heavily on Zeke. Whenever something came up, there was no doubt she'd turn to him first.
"Sigh! She didn't directly tell us; it's just our speculation. I think she might not be certain herself and wanted to wait before mentioning it to you, perhaps to avoid false hope?"
"How did you speculate this? Give me all the details... Never mind, I'll review the footage myself."
Zeke projected a small holographic image onto his hand, rapidly playing through Kiana's interactions with Theresa and Siegfred over the past two days.
After a swift scan, Zeke furrowed his brows and said, "Pregnancy symptoms?"
"Yes! Exhaustion, increased sleepiness, craving sour foods, along with those expressions of both resentment and secret delight—just like Cecilia had years ago. Considering her cryptic remarks earlier, the possibility is quite high."
Leaning forward with hands on the table, Theresa spoke firmly and seriously.
"Uh..." Zeke opened his mouth but found himself momentarily speechless.
Kiana's fatigue and sleepiness could be due to overexertion each night, taxing her body and mind beyond their limits. Craving sour foods might simply indicate she had grown tired of eating too much meat. As for her cryptic remarks, they likely pertained to Durandal's mysterious origins... While Zeke could provide reasonable explanations for each symptom, from a scientific standpoint, Siegried and Theresa indeed held more experience and authority when it came to matters of pregnancy than he did.
Zeke rested his hand on his chin, pondering deeply for a moment before standing up.
Theresa hastily rose alongside him.
"What do you plan to do, Zeke?"
"First, we need to confirm it. We'll discuss further after that." With these words, Zeke headed towards the stairs, visibly preoccupied.
In truth, Zeke monitored Kiana's health data daily to ensure her well-being. Based on recent readings, there were no abnormalities or significant changes in her condition. He initially thought it more likely that Theresa and Siegried were mistaken. However, Herrschers possess extraordinary biology, so typical physical indicators might not reveal signs of pregnancy.
After Theresa dropped this intellectual bombshell, even Zeke felt somewhat disoriented. A thorough examination was necessary before reaching any conclusions.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
"Crackling!"
"Hahaha! All you do is dodge around! Didn't they say you've become stronger now? Show me what you're made of, Kiana!"
The current training ground not only featured specialized materials but also incorporated rudimentary space-folding technology, creating an expansive mountainous landscape reminiscent of ancient espionage under clear blue skies. Standing atop one of its lofty peaks, Senti's distinctive Herrscher of Knowledge suit fluttered in the wind while her silver-white chain blade whirled at speeds far exceeding that of gusts, continuously slicing through the surrounding summits amidst her exhilarated laughter.
It was evident; this child was thoroughly enjoying herself.
"Rumble!!"
Summit after summit crumbled or split apart as colossal boulders crashed to the ground with thunderous booms, showcasing the terrifying destructive power behind each strike from Senti.
On the opposing side, clad in white armor and attire, Kiana swiftly darted between the rugged mountainscape, leaving trails of red sparks like countless fireflies dancing in the air.
"Bam!"
Defense alone cannot prevail indefinitely, and evasion is no different. No matter how agile Kiana might be, she couldn't outpace Senti's frenzied whip swings. At one point, amidst rocky terrain, the chain blade struck her shoulder heavily, causing her to lose balance. The immense force transmitted through the whip flung her towards the ground, where she crashed into a massive mountain, reducing it to rubble.
"BOOM!"
"Hahaha! Down you go! Down you go! But I'm not done yet! Take this, Kiana!"
The darting firefly was finally ensnared. Laughing maniacally, Senti raised her fist, summoning an array of diverse weapons—long spears, greatswords, scimitars, hammers, both conventional and unconventional—all entwined with black chains, hovering above the spot where Kiana had fallen. With a confident grin, Senti snapped her fingers.
Snap!
Whoosh!
Like arrows released from a bow or bullets fired from a gun, the dense swarm of weapons instantly plunged into the shattered crater. However, Senti's smile froze.
"What? Where did she go?"
"Senti, seems like you forgot—I'm half-Herrscher of the Void too! I've adapted to your rhythm now, so it's my turn! Ha ha ha!"
Hearing Kiana's triumphant laughter, Senti tilted her head back towards the sky. Beneath the white clouds, she spotted Kiana with her golden and crimson wings spread wide, realizing she had unwittingly been encircled by countless glowing embers.
"These sparks aren't mere remnants of the Flame Herrscher's power but traps?"
With this sudden realization, Senti hastily retreated while simultaneously reaching behind her massive weapon chest. She pulled out two colossal pitch-black shield panels, maximizing her self-protection.
"Boom!!"
In an instant, countless sparks swelled and exploded, sending shockwaves and intense heat from all directions in a chain reaction. Despite being safeguarded by the giant shields, Senti was thrown wildly, unable to escape the relentless barrage.