Time slowly slipped away, and soon it was 2013.
Ryn had finally completed the development of 'Kallen - Sakura Dies Twice'. On the day of its official release, the whole world came to know Ryn's name, and it also gave people a new understanding of the relationship between Kallen, Otto, and Yae Sakura.
Otto was especially happy that day and personally invited Ryn to dinner. During the meal, he also mentioned that he was preparing to have a custom A-rank Valkyrie battlesuit made for Ryn, but the condition was that he needed to conduct some research on Ryn's Stigmata.
After asking the consciousness within the Stigmata for her opinion, Ryn didn't refuse Otto. The offer of an A-rank Valkyrie battlesuit was too good to refuse. A-rank Valkyrie battlesuits were already one of Schicksal's highest technological achievements.
Although Schicksal had S-rank Valkyrie battlesuits, most of them were relics of the Previous Era excavated from ruins, which Otto was still researching and modifying. However, it was rumored that a prototype 4th-generation Valkyrie battlesuit was now available, but Otto certainly wouldn't give it to him for no reason.
After all, Schicksal currently had only three S-rank Valkyries. One was a young girl in her teens, another was Otto's granddaughter Theresa, and the last was an unknown hidden figure. Even they hadn't been equipped with 4th-generation Valkyrie battlesuits yet, so it was even more unlikely that Otto would give one to him.
(One was Bianka "Durandal" Ataegina, who obtained the divine key in 2012 and changed her name. Theresa refused to accept the S-rank Valkyrie coronation ceremony, but she was still widely recognized as S-rank. The other, unknown to many, was the slumbering Li Sushang.)
After finishing the development of 'Kallen - Sakura Dies Twice', Ryn prepared to strike while the iron was hot and continue developing 'Honkai League'. However, after discussing it with Otto, the name was changed to 'Homu League' because, in this era, all information related to the Honkai was controlled by Schicksal, and it wasn't yet time to let people know about the Honkai.
Kiana was also having a great time at school. She had made many friends, including Raiden Mei, Aoi Miyuki, Seele, and Mushoku Kika. However, she still slept like a log in class and barely absorbed any of the lessons.
Kiana often invited Mushoku Kika and Raiden Mei to her house. Over time, Ryn became quite familiar with them as well. Ryn wasn't very close with Raiden Mei, but he had a good relationship with Kika.
Mushoku Kika had red pupils and a doll-like, distinctive face. She had black hair that reached her calves, with a dark red inner layer, and a small fringe in front. She wore a white-based, off-the-shoulder outfit accented with red and black, with a large, two-tiered red rope tied behind her back. Her sleeves were white furisode kimono sleeves.
On her lower half, she wore a blackish-brown pleated short skirt. On her right leg, she wore a white thigh-high sock, and on her left, a short sock. Her shoes were wooden clogs. She had a kind of asymmetrical beauty.
[Image.]
Kika had a particular fondness for desserts, with an almost obsessive devotion to sweets. Kiana, knowing this, often teased Kika with sweets. The first time she brought Kika home, she had tricked her by saying there were lots of delicious sweets at her house. To avoid disappointing Kika, she had Cortana urgently order some to be delivered to their home on the way.
Kika had a very lazy and non-confrontational personality. She was the type to lie down wherever she fell.
Kiana first met Kika at a dessert shop. Because the desserts at this shop were particularly delicious, there were many people buying them.
Kika was in line to buy donuts, but she had been waiting for a long time without reaching the front. Since it was near a school, everyone knew each other. Often, people would see friends they knew in the front of the line and just call their friends who were further back to cut in.
Kika didn't say anything; she was too lazy to argue with people. The result was that she waited a long time, and by the time it was her turn, everything was sold out. Kika was a little dejected. The amount of exercise from standing in line today had already exceeded her quota, and she didn't even get anything. She was exhausted.
Just then, a white-haired furball appeared in front of her. She smiled and handed her a donut, while holding a large bag full of them in her arms.
"Here, you've been waiting for so long, you must really like donuts."
Kika took the donut and glanced at Kiana. With her sharp tongue, she said stubbornly.
"Hmph, meddler..."
"Then don't eat it, give it back." Kiana didn't indulge her and snatched the donut right back from her hand.
Kika came from a fallen noble family but was still a young lady. It was the first time she had met someone like Kiana who would snatch back something they had just given away. She was on the verge of tears.
"Give it..."
Kika was frantic. She felt like she would die without sweets. But unfortunately, with her terrible physical fitness and homebody nature, she couldn't even touch the donut even though Kiana barely dodged.
Kiana looked at the teary-eyed Kika and seemed to have discovered something. She decided to tease her a bit.
"Say 'Thank you, Lady Kiana,' and I'll give it to you."
"Thank you, Lady Kiana, give it to me."
Kika wasn't embarrassed at all. For the sake of sweets, she might even be able to take down a god. Well, on the condition that she was given some ranged weapons. In close combat, it wouldn't take more than three seconds for her opponent to be on their knees, begging her not to die.
"You're not even going to resist? That's no fun."
Kiana handed the donut to Kika and even gestured to the large bag in her arms, indicating she had plenty more for her to eat.
"Meaningless resistance is worse than surrendering early. It saves energy for eating."
Kika grabbed the donut, took a bite, and her face was filled with bliss, as if she were eating some supreme delicacy.
[Image.]
"My name is Kiana Kaslana, just call me Kiana. What's your name?"
"Mushoku Kika."
The two of them chatted on a park bench, one asking and the other answering.
Kiana had bought many donuts, intending to share them with Ryn. But now they had all been finished by Kika. She didn't care if she could eat them all; she just kept eating. In the end, with a small, bulging belly, she lay paralyzed on the bench, unable to move.
"Are you a pig? I'll call you Mushoku 'Fatka' from now on." Kiana patted Kika's belly, inevitably reminded of how Ryn would curiously pat her own belly whenever she ate too much.
Kika tried to retort but found she didn't have the strength to sit up. She could only tug on Kiana's clothes, signaling for her to help.
"Whatever you want. Just give me a pull, I can't get up."
"Hahaha, Mushoku Fatka, you're killing me." Kiana laughed as she helped Kika up. "I'm really curious, you ate more than twenty donuts. Didn't you know you couldn't eat anymore?"
"I knew. But the donuts were delicious, so it was worth it. One should do things that bring joy in this short life, and eating sweets makes me very happy. But after eating so much, I have to worry about my weight again."
"Hahaha, Kika, you're really interesting. Let's be friends!"
"There's no point in being friends with me, because I won't go looking for you or play with you. My stamina is terrible, and I prefer to stay in the classroom or at home."
"It's okay, it's okay, I can come find you!"