"What happened?"
The yellow HOMU with the ridiculous aura shattered before them, leaving not a single trace behind.
The two Kaslana sisters simultaneously looked at young Brian with dangerous eyes. If this guy didn't give a reasonable explanation, they would surely make him pay.
"I told you, that was just a product of Siegfried's spirit and will under the influence of the Stigma Space's power. For him, it was like a dream."
Such an explanation undoubtedly failed to convince the two girls. Both Durandal and Kiana's gazes became much more menacing than before, as if they were about to give this Inner World Protagonist a "nice boat ending".
Sisters united, their sharpness severs semen.
This was not a funny joke at all!
Young Brian quickly changed the subject. "I guarantee you, Siegfried at most just had a nightmare. Nothing else will happen."
"Your ancestor, Kevin Kaslana, trapped him here. It looks like he's torturing him, but he's actually solving the problem of his unstable Honkai Beast genes. It won't cause him any harm."
"What we need to do now is return to the Real World as quickly as possible to stop Otto's conspiracy."
"....."
A single sentence calmed the two girls down.
Durandal, who had just learned of her origins, also regained her composure.
"Then let's keep moving forward. We must stop that man's ambition!"
Her biological father needed her to save him, but now was far from the right time.
As Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, Durandal's strength and intellect were far beyond that of an ordinary person.
She acknowledged that she was the Kiana Kaslana of the past, but she also recognized her identity as a Valkyrie; a Valkyrie's duty is to save the world, and she must bear that burden even if her own father dies before her eyes.
This was Durandal's resolve!
"Of course."
Deeper and deeper they went into the Kaslana Stigma Space.
...
Kolosten...
"I will reconstruct the entire world, returning everything outside of Kolosten to how it was five hundred years ago!"
The evil Schicksal Overseer launched his plan, causing the hearts of the Anti-Entropy group on the Hyperion to sink.
Although they had been warned by Changguang, when the truth was revealed, it was still impossible not to feel a heavy weight in their hearts.
Otto Apocalypse had truly descended into complete madness, willing to destroy the entire world to achieve his unrealistic ideal.
To return the world to five hundred years ago...
To resurrect the Saintess Kallen Kaslana who died in that era through this method, and have them help her fight against the re-emerging Honkai.
This was simply preposterous, but from a technical standpoint, it was full of feasibility.
But the most troublesome problem for the Anti-Entropy group was not this.
"Where on earth did that guy Brian take Kiana!"
The Herrscher of the Void was the only means to counter Otto's Imaginary Renormalization, but at this critical moment, both of them had disappeared.
The disappearance of their trump card meant they couldn't find a way to counter Otto in a short amount of time, putting them at a disadvantage in their confrontation with him once again.
If it weren't for the fact that the guy hadn't appeared at Otto's side, some of them would have almost believed that Brian was a spy planted by Otto, just waiting for today's opportunity to betray them.
"Mei, do you have any way to contact them?"
A desperate measure.
Even without much hope, Theresa could only try to find a solution through Raiden Mei.
"No, but I believe in them."
Dressed in her battle gear, Raiden Mei's expression was calm, like a wife waiting at home for her husband's return.
She believed that Otto's actions were within Brian's expectations. He had already foreseen the key to Otto's plan, which was why he took Kiana and disappeared with her.
Or to put it in another, simpler way...
"He took away the key to Otto's plan and is certain that Otto will not begin his real operation until he returns."
As soon as she finished speaking, the hot-tempered Tesla flared up.
"What time is it now, and you guys are still playing these weird riddles!"
The red-haired girl with twintails cursed, but the enemy signal detected by the Hyperion in the next moment completely shut Tesla's mouth.
"Multiple Ottos have appeared in Kolosten. They are all that guy's Soulium puppets!"
"A huge golden barrier has appeared in the direction of St. 1537 Church, with a waveband identical to the Key of Binding's reaction!"
"..."
Tesla and the others' hearts tightened, and they began to discuss countermeasures.
Only Raiden Mei felt relieved to see this development, as everything was unfolding more or less as she had imagined.
The Soulium puppets were just toys to stall for time; even she could easily cut through them. The binding barrier surrounding St. 1537 Church was the real obstacle before them, and the mastermind behind it all, Otto Apocalypse, was waiting for them there.
And Otto's move also confirmed her thoughts.
Among the three who had disappeared—Brian, Kiana, and Durandal—there must be a key figure for Otto's plan to proceed smoothly.
For Otto to complete that incredible plan, he needed their help!
The stage for the performance was set, but the main characters of the play had yet to arrive. Only a clown named the Fool was performing alone on it.
Since they were destined not to be the main characters, they would at least clear the obstacles for them.
"Principal, is there any way to dispel that golden barrier?"
...
Kaslana Stigma Space...
The trio worked together, delving one layer deeper into this mysterious world.
"Because of the influence of the Stigma Space, this place has taken on characteristics similar to the Real World." The black-haired youth broke off a piece of structure from a nearby building and easily crushed it in his hand.
"Durandal, just like Siegfried, your will and spirit have influenced this place through your Stigma, turning this area into the place most familiar to you in your memories."
Looking out from where the three stood, the surrounding world was familiar, strikingly resembling Schicksal Headquarters.
However, compared to the scenery of the floating islands of Schicksal HQ, although the architecture here was not much different, almost every place was shrouded in a thick, lingering mist.
It carried a sense of danger.
"That mist is the materialization of the Imaginary Space's power. If you get lost in it, you could be in danger."
This place was an intermediate zone between the Stigma Space and the Imaginary World. No one knew what consequences a single wrong step might have.
It could lead to a nest of Imaginary monsters, or nothing might happen at all.
Conventional concepts of time and space were useless here; exploration required utmost caution.
"I understand." Durandal nodded. "Whatever else you want to say, just say it all at once."
Otto had banished her to this place, and now her younger sister and brother-in-law had followed her scent here.
Durandal would sooner believe that old fogey Otto would dance in a sailor suit than believe there wasn't something fishy about this whole affair.
Brian: "It's actually nothing much."
"This is the Kaslana Stigma Space. You possess the power of both the Kaslana and Schariac bloodlines, and in this place, your power can be further awakened."
"Becoming a Herrscher was not the end of that guy Otto's plan. The identity of the Herrscher of Binding was just a starting point for him to achieve his dream."
"His goal is to make the world into the image he desires, to correct the mistakes he made five hundred years ago."
"To do that, he needs the power to remake the world, a power in the name of a 'god'."
"Durandal, if you want to stop Otto's conspiracy, your current power is not enough."
"..." The Valkyrie fell into deep thought.
She was just used to solving problems with her super muscles; it didn't mean she was an uneducated Dropout who didn't complete nine-year compulsory education like Kiana.
It should be known that in the gaps between high-intensity training to enhance her strength, Durandal had also completed doctoral degrees in multiple disciplines, making her an out-and-out genius girl.
Before, she was just unaware of Otto's goal, which was why she had the idea of rushing back to stop him.
But after learning the inside story...
"Do I have to fully awaken the two bloodlines flowing in my body to gain the power to stop Otto?"
"That's right."
Just as young Brian was about to praise Durandal for her quick wit, he was rudely grabbed by the collar by the white-haired girl beside him.
"What about me? You had me bring you here, surely not just to watch you hit on my sister?"
Durandal: "..."
This sister is a lost cause!
"Of course not."
The experienced Inner World Protagonist grabbed the girl's wrist with one hand, while the other began to invade her slender waist.
"Kiana, you know your origins too. You have the same bloodline as Durandal, so you can also try to develop the power within your body in this place."
A single sentence instantly lit up Kiana's eyes.
The white-haired girl looked at the valiant Valkyrie, then at the man beside her, nodding repeatedly.
"Can I really do that?"
Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie!
Even if she didn't have Durandal's extreme talent for getting stronger through effort, the Kaslana and Schariac bloodlines were more than enough to benefit her greatly.
There was too much knowledge a Herrscher needed to learn, but as a Valkyrie, she only needed to increase her Honkai energy resistance and adaptability, then learn to wield various weapons to dominate the battlefield.
Besides getting bent over with Raiden Mei in bed, Kiana felt this was absolutely the happiest thing she had ever encountered in her life.
"I don't know, but I think we can give it a try."
"We must!"
One by one, the three broke through the heavy fog.
As the two girls with Kaslana blood delved deeper, the blood within them resonated with the power of this world and began to boil.
The power of the Kaslanas was being developed by them, step by step.
Similarly, it also alerted the guardian who had been waiting here for countless ages.
"Descendants of Kaslana, your advance ends here."
A white-haired man appeared before the three, bringing with him an endless cold that froze the entire world.
The man's expression was incomparably cold, and his clothes bore an emblem like a moth drawn to a flame.
—Kevin Kaslana
"I never thought it would be you standing before us in the end."
Durandal's expression was solemn. She had never expected her final opponent to be the progenitor of the Kaslana bloodline.
Although she was the strongest Valkyrie, this man was the strongest being of this era.
Bar none!
Even in Otto's assessment, this man's power was so great that it could rival the Herrscher of the End, who could restart the world.
A fierce battle was imminent!
At this moment, Brian stepped forward to explain: "Don't worry, this guy isn't the real Kevin Kaslana."
"He's just the manifestation of the Stigma's will, the gatekeeper of the Stigma Space. He's just borrowing Kevin Kaslana's image."
A single sentence put the two girls at ease.
If the one standing before them was truly that world-invincible man, then they would most likely face certain death today.
After all, that man's power was beyond what words could describe; he was a man who could truly destroy the entire world by himself.
"That's good." Durandal sighed in relief. "Since you are not Kevin, then please do not stand in our way."
Saving the world is like fighting a fire, extremely urgent!
Durandal was afraid that what she would see upon her return would be a world that had reverted to five hundred years ago, after Otto's plan had succeeded.
If that guy's plan really succeeded, even tearing him to shreds ten thousand times wouldn't be enough to quell the hatred in her heart.
The Stigma's will's voice was cold and emotionless: "Descendant of Kaslana, since you have come to this place, you have an obligation to accept my trial!"
Without emotion, there was naturally no room for understanding.
The Stigma will's mission was to make every Kaslana who came here undergo his trial, until they passed his test.
As for what would happen if they couldn't pass the test...
He didn't care, and it didn't matter to him!
"It seems this fight is unavoidable." Durandal let out a long breath, and a battle-hungry flame ignited in her azure eyes.
She glanced to her side, her eyes meeting her sister's.
"Kiana, let's defeat this guy together, as sisters!"
"Alright, sister."
The young man behind them had no intention of intervening. This battle would allow the two of them to develop the hidden power within their bodies.
Its importance was no less than that of a novel's protagonist being knocked off a cliff and meeting an old man who wants to teach him a peerless martial art.
However, just the pretext of a trial might not be enough to stimulate these sisters.
He pondered for a moment, then fanned the flames: "Don't forget, your father is still trapped somewhere in this place. He's been trapped here all this time because he couldn't beat this guy, to the point that he almost forgot who he was."
A single sentence, and anger began to rise.
Their father, abused to such an extent by this Stigma's will!
A mere Stigma, it had courted death!
"Kiana, let's go!"
...
Kolosten...
"All the Soulium puppets have been eliminated. Next, I will use Judah's targeted deployment on that golden barrier to open a path forward."
The massive battleship floated in the air, its main cannon, the Moonlight Throne, already aimed at the location of St. 1537 Church.
The nun on the ground had already deployed her weapon, her baby-faced features filled with unprecedented determination.
This barrier created by Otto not only possessed the power of 『Binding』, but also power from the Imaginary World.
The core of an Imaginary Godsbane supported it from within, allowing the golden barrier to regenerate in a short time even if shattered.
Just like time turning back.
This outcome made their hearts tighten, making them firmly believe that Otto could turn the world back five hundred years, and it also prompted Theresa and the others to speed up their actions.
The Hyperion would use its main cannon to destroy the first layer of the barrier, and Theresa would use the Key of Binding's 0th power targeted deployment to eliminate the barrier along with the Imaginary core.
Only in this way could they open a path forward and get a chance to stop Otto's conspiracy.
"Mei, I'm leaving the rest to you." Theresa entrusted her with grave importance.
After using Judah's 0th power, she would also be affected and lose all her combat capabilities.
She didn't want to let these children face the danger alone, but the situation had reached a point where it was unavoidable.
"Principal, leave the rest to us!"
"Tesla, let's begin!"
"You got it. I can't wait to hear the crunch of that bastard Otto's Soulium head."
A massive amount of energy gathered in the sky, shattering the golden barrier.
A phantom clock appeared, freezing this world, as if to turn back time and restore it.
"Now!" A painful cry rang out from the nun's body. "Zeroth Power... Targeted Deployment!"
A barrier that could cover a hundred-mile radius was firmly confined to a tiny space. The unimaginable pressure made the user's body feel as if it were being torn apart by knives.
"I have to destroy this thing..."
Amidst an unimaginably resolute will, the Imaginary core also cried out. Things that should not appear in the Real World were being corrected by the power of the Divine Key.
Success!
The path forward was now open!
"Mei, the rest... I'm counting on you."
The nun, having given her all, swayed on her feet, as if all her life force had been drained, about to collapse to the ground.
Just then...
"Principal, it's a bit early to retire now."
Theresa fell into a man's embrace. A gentle power stopped the girl's pained body from crying out.
And the Kaslana sisters who had returned from the Imaginary Space had also transformed completely.
"We're back."
Image: "This is 12 years old", Location: "Images/1738248244-100420076-112611325.jpg"
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