Hello~ My name is Kiana Kaslana, daughter of Siegfried Kaslana, who's been running away from me for years now until Reina brings him back to me a few months ago.
My old man is super weird. I don't remember much about him because I lost my memories as a kid. He said I fell down the stairs. All I can recall is him always being drunk, chugging alcohol every day while staring at a picture he never showed me for some reason.
Back then, I thought he hated me. Every time he looked at me, he'd avoid my eyes and ignore me.
But at least he gave me money to order food and drinks while he left the house every day and his cooking is terrible.
One day, I found out he was leaving everyday to fight Honkai in the town near our house. He'd come back covered in wounds and bruises.
I tried to help him when he came home like that. It made me curious why he kept protecting that town even though we were safe here.
"It's our duty as Kaslana," he told me. "Every Kaslana bold must live by their oath. Purge the vile Honkai and smash the false gods. Your sires sleep in the fields as humanity's brave shields. By the judgment of Shamash, Kaslanas die and never yield."
When I heard that, my heart started pounding hard, like something clicked inside me. I wanted to be like him, saving lots of people.
"That's stupid," Reina said one day when I told her why I was fighting. "If you want to save people, you need strength to do it. If you just sacrifice your life, then what? What happens after you die? Who'll save others if you're gone? Saving someone isn't just about throwing away your body or life."
Reina, the girl I love, held both my hands and looked into my eyes. Her gaze was full of worry and sadness, making me tear up. But as a Kaslana, it's my oath...
"If you're so determined to do that," she said, "I'm gonna train you as hard as I can so you can save everyone like you want."
Then she becomes scary, and every training session made me feel like I was gonna die.
The training wasn't just the usual routine. I'm used to normal training by now, so that's not too bad. But this was different. Reina just kept beating me up every single time. I tried to protect myself and counter her, but it's easier said than done with how fast she is.
When my body couldn't move anymore, she'd heal me completely, then we'd keep going. The cycle repeated over and over again.
Still, the reward she gave me after each session made me forget about the tough training. Sometimes, I'm glad my old man left me to roam the world. That's how I met her.
Just me and Reina, hehe.
"[Did you just exclude me in your own monologue?]" Sora's voice piped up in my head.
I could already imagine me and Reina together, growing old, still loving each other until the end of our lives.
"[You're really ignoring me in your monologue!]" Sora said again, annoyed.
But then, we suddenly moved to Japan, to Nagazora City, for some reason. Reina said she wanted me to go to school, but I don't know why she picked this one instead of staying in the last country we were in.
Here, I met two new friends, Mei and Yuna, and the rest is history.
Mei's another beautiful girl I met besides Reina. It's always fun to see her get embarrassed when I praise her. I don't do it often, though, because Reina pinches my side when I do. I wonder if she's jealous, but when I ask, she just dodges the question.
Anyway, that's not the problem. Right now, I can see Reina eating next to me like usual, but she seems deep in thought, like something's on her mind.
She's still so beautiful though. Reina had this adult atmosphere, calm and graceful, with her long white hair flowing like soft silk down her back. Her sky-blue eyes glowed gently in the morning light, so different from her usual black hair and ruby-red eyes. Her smooth skin practically sparkled, and her curves-her chest, her waist-were perfect, making my heart skip just looking at her.
"Reina, you okay?" I asked, tilting my head. "You're super quiet, like you're thinking about something big."
She blinked, snapping out of her thoughts, and gave me a small smile. "Just got stuff on my mind, Kiana," she said, her voice soft but a little distant.
"[She's hiding something,]" Sora grumbled in my head, sounding annoyed.
"I agree with Kiana. You're definitely hiding something," Mei said. She'd stayed over last night and was now putting down her spoon and fork, staring at Reina. I could see worry in her eyes, just like mine.
Since that day, Mei's been acting different. I know she really likes Reina, but I hope she's not trying to steal her from me...
"[Too late for that...]" Sora murmured.
"Nothing, you two," Reina said with a reassuring smile. "We should finish eating first, then we can enjoy the weekend together~"
After breakfast was done, Reina left to do her morning chores and other stuff, leaving just me and Mei in the apartment.
"Mei, important meeting!" I said quickly, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward my and Reina's bedroom.
"Wha-?" Mei yelped, confused.
Inside, I sat her down on the double bed and plopped beside her.
"Mei, something's definitely up with Reina," I said, my voice serious. "You know how she keeps disappearing every night, right?"
"Yeah, you told me before," Mei nodded.
"What if she's got someone else out there besides me? What if she's sneaking off to meet her mistress? What if she leaves me!" I blurted, my heart racing.
"No, no, calm down, Kiana," Mei said, trying to soothe me. "I already checked, and Reina doesn't have anyone else besides you."
"Really? Phew, I thought she was tired of me and looking for a replacement..."
I don't know what I'd do if I found out Reina had been cheating on me for months.
"Wait, you said you checked? What do you mean you checked?" I asked, narrowing my eyes.
"Ah, nothing! It's nothing, I just asked her!" Mei said, panicking. "Anyway, why'd you bring me here?"
"Oh, right," I said, remembering my plan. I needed to tell her what I was thinking.
So I told Mei how Reina seemed to have something weighing her down—well, besides her big chest. I explained that I was planning to use this whole Sunday to lift her mood.
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"Is everything ready?" Cocolia asked, speaking to the hologram of her subordinate.
Her subordinate hesitated, staying silent, because he knew their plan would kill countless people.
"I said, is everything done?" Cocolia repeated, her voice louder and commanding.
"Yes, everything is in order," he replied, having no choice but to answer his boss.
"Good. I'm going to start. If you're too slow, you'll die," Cocolia said coldly. The hologram cut off as the communication ended.
She turned her focus to the person in front of her—a short young girl with light gray hair and darker gray eyes, her hair styled in drill-shaped ponytails.
"Bronya, remember to capture the Herrscher during the chaos and bring her here immediately," Cocolia instructed.
Bronya nodded, her eyes fixed on the monitor behind Cocolia, which showed an image of Raiden Mei.
Back at the apartment, Kiana and Mei agreed to try lifting Reina's mood, hoping she'd open up about what was bothering her. They decided to drag Reina out with them.
Reina's plan to spend the morning cleaning and washing clothes was instantly ruined by Kiana and Mei's scheme.
"So why are we suddenly going out?" Reina asked, glancing at her hands, one pulled by Kiana and the other by Mei. "I thought we were gonna laze around and do homework after Yuna got there?"
"We can still do that later, but for now, let's enjoy the beautiful morning," Mei said to Reina with a smile.
"Huh? We're still gonna study later?" Kiana gasped, clearly shocked, thinking their outing meant no studying today.
"Of course, especially you, Kiana," Mei said, shaking her head. "Your grades are good now, but that's only because Reina keeps teaching you after you sleep through school."
Kiana and Mei pulled Reina along to the seaside, where the water separated Nagazora City from the ME Corp building.
Nagazora was a huge city, and the ME Corp building, where Reina had been going every night, sat on an island in the middle, surrounded by water. The only way to reach it was a bridge with tight security, so no one could just walk in.
The three of them walked along the seaside, feeling the cool breeze carrying a faint salty aroma from the water. Around them, people strolled or stood gazing at the view, some admiring the towering ME Corp building on its island in the distance.
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Mei smiled softly. "I've always loved this city," she said. "It's where I was born, where my family is, and where the people I care about are. It's also where I met you, Reina, and Kiana, and Yuna." She paused, her voice quieter. "If I hadn't met you all, I don't know what I'd be doing now. Probably still hanging out with those students who only liked me for my family's name, helping them every day without really being their friend."
Kiana grinned, tugging Reina's arm. "I'm glad I came to this city too! I've never seen a place this big before, except maybe London when me and Reina were roaming the world."
Reina stayed quiet while watching Kiana and Mei talk happily with each other. Her eyes drifted to her arms, one pulled by Kiana and the other by Mei. Even though her plan to catch Cocolia had pretty much failed, even with Siegfried's help, she felt satisfied. Mei hadn't been bullied or outcast like in the game's story, pushed into depression to awaken as the Herrscher of Thunder. The Herrscher had already awakened in Mei, but it came from loneliness, not despair, so it wasn't as aggressive as it could've been.
Her thoughts were cut off when Kiana suddenly asked her something, her voice loud and curious. Reina blinked, realizing she hadn't caught a word of it. "Huh? What'd you say, Kiana?" she asked, tilting her head.
"Mou, you didn't listen to me at all?" Kiana pouted, crossing her arms. "I was asking why you suddenly picked this city when we were still in another country!"
"Ah, that..." Reina started, ready to give the excuse she'd prepared. But she suddenly froze, stopping in her tracks.
"Reina?" Mei said, confused, as both she and Kiana stopped too, since they were pulling Reina along.
"What's wrong?" Mei asked, tilting her head.
"Is something wrong, Reina? You're making a really weird face right now," Kiana added, frowning.
Reina's eyes widened, like she'd just realized something awful had happened. "It can't be!" she gasped.
BOOOOOOOOM
A deafening explosion tore through the air, shaking the ground under their feet. A massive mushroom cloud surged into the sky, its fiery glow painting Nagazora City in a terrifying red haze.
BOOOOOOOOM
Another blast roared from the opposite direction, even louder, the shockwave ripping through the streets. Buildings trembled, windows shattered, and a second mushroom cloud rose, choking the air with dark smoke and Honkai energy.
"Kyaaaaa!" Screams filled the air as the shockwave from the blasts threw people backward.
In a split second, Reina pulled Mei and Kiana into a tight hug, holding them close. "Atheism!" she shouted, activating one of her defensive abilities. A colorful barrier sprang up, wrapping around the three of them, shielding them from the explosions and the Honkai energy Reina could sense radiating from the bombs.
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