The next morning, the Hyperion's bridge was bathed in a honey-colored dawn.
"So, to sum it up! From now on, Sister Kallen will be our Hyperion's new assistant!"
Fuli stood before the holographic projection table on the bridge, hands on his hips. The gold-thread cloud embroidery on his cuffs shimmered in the sunlight. He was practically beaming, like a child showing off a new toy.
"That would be me."
With a voice like a clear spring, a tall figure emerged from behind the simple bar counter.
Kallen gave a proper curtsy. The seemingly standard bartender's uniform accentuated the white-haired beauty's slender and alluring figure.
A captivating smile played on her lips as her long fingers spun a silver tray in a dazzling arc. Three sakura-colored cocktails materialized, frost forming on them out of thin air. The condensation dripping down the glasses reflected three beautiful girls, each with her own unique charm.
—Kiana leaned far forward, her nose almost touching the glass. The icy mist condensed into tiny beads on her eyelashes.
[A descendant of the Kaslanas? Why does she look so ditzy? Nothing like the smart and capable me at all!]
—In the corner, Bronya rested her cheek on one hand, her fingertips tracing circles on the rim of her glass, causing strange data ripples to spread across the liquid.
[The tiny Rossiyan is quite cute, but she's too flat-chested and seems a bit of a loner.]
—On the sofa, Mei lightly tapped the side of her glass with a fingernail, and electric currents wove a spiderweb pattern across the frosty surface.
[This girl from the Far East... Eek! Such a dangerous look in her eyes! And no matter how well she hides it, she can't fool me, the S-Rank Valkyrie Kallen! There's definitely something super dangerous dwelling inside her!]
At the same time, the trio of protagonists, each in their own way, was sizing up this new member of the Hyperion.
[What a beautiful big sister, nothing like the pictures in the history books! But why does she look a little clumsy? Can she really help Mei with her problems? Whoa, so cold!]
[So this is the legendary wife-material AI who broke the system's underlying logic and who Brother said has the makings of a great emperor? Heh, trashy big-boobed alien. My assessment: not even as good as Project Bunny's fur.]
[She noticed the little guy hidden in my sleeve? Good eyes, good potential. She's qualified to be an assistant.]
Mei gave a slight nod, a spark of electricity flashing through the strands of hair falling beside her face. "Then let's look out for each other from now on, Sister."
"Just call me Kallen," the white-haired beauty replied warmly.
Bronya said flatly, "No problem, Angela."
"I said you can just call me by my name." Kallen's smile was starting to crack.
Kiana, lounging on the sofa, yelled, "Christi-ti-ti-na! (with a trilled R) Make me a Dreamy Times! With double jelly! Triple syrup! And maybe some Fresh Fruit Times!"
"I told you to just use my name! What's with all these weird nicknames?!" Kallen finally dropped the act, tossing her previous elegance into the trash. "And don't think I'm some medieval country bumpkin who doesn't get your references! Angela could at least be considered an AI from Lobotomy Corporation, but what the hell is Christina supposed to mean?"
"Assistant, of course!" Kiana said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "When you think of an assistant, the first thing that comes to mind is Christi-ti-ti-na! (trilled R)"
"She even knows about Lobotomy Corp. Looks like she's been hopelessly corrupted by 2D culture," Bronya muttered, pouting. She ran over and grabbed Fuli's sleeve, whining, "Brother, this AI is a lost-cause otaku. Let's get a new one." She shot Kiana a sidelong glance. "This idiot who knows about Steins;Gate too."
"Who are you calling 2D?!" the two white-haired girls shouted in unison.
The term "2D" was like the N-word; unless you were saying it about yourself, it sounded like an insult.
Fuli grabbed the scruff of his little sister's neck. "When it comes to being corrupted by 2D culture, you've got everyone beat, my dear Metal Gear Bronya-san."
Being lifted like a kitten didn't seem to bother the little girl. "The Bronya is curious. What happened after Brother disappeared?"
The girl had originally planned to monitor Fuli's journey through the virtual space the entire time.
Since she said originally, it obviously meant her voyeurism had failed.
Mei and Kiana also looked over with curiosity.
Fuli scratched his head and looked at the white-haired saintess floating in mid-air, touching this and tapping that.
"It's fine, little bro. You can just tell them," Kallen responded with a cheerful smile.
Oxygen oxidizes the human body, yet people still breathe.
She had already resolved to accept her past and stride forward into a future that was truly her own.
Fuli nodded silently.
He picked and chose his words, using his skills as a third-rate writer to vividly describe the parts he could talk about.
Bronya even summoned Project Bunny to help project and recreate the scenes, a testament to the tacit understanding between the adopted siblings.
The morning passed quietly.
When the story was over, Kiana wiped away her tears. "Waaah, that was so touching!"
She blew her nose loudly, tossed the wadded-up tissue into the trash, and rushed over to hug Kallen. "Sister Christi-ti-ti-na! (trilled R) You had it so tough! To be played with by that Otto from the outside world all this time! It's too cruel! I'm going to beat him up good one day!"
The girl would never say something like, 'Everything Kallen is was given to her by Otto, so no matter what he did, it can be forgiven.' Children are born from their parents, too. Does that give parents the right to decide their children's entire lives?
"Oh, dear." Kallen looked awkward as the white-haired furball lunged at her.
Sure enough, Kiana, who had been charging over with a yell, passed right through her body, giving everyone a vivid demonstration of a face-brake.
It looked painful.
Bronya nonchalantly floated over and sat on her back to change the subject. "Brother's weapon is broken again. This is the second one. Congratulations on unlocking the [Weapon Breaker] achievement."
Before, they hadn't known about Kallen's past, which was why they had been so cheerful. Now, it felt a bit like they were rubbing salt in her wounds.
Still, to be able to maintain a positive attitude after going through something so terrible was truly praiseworthy.
It was like those modern xianxia dramas, where characters turn to the dark side at the drop of a hat!
Look at our Sun Wukong! He was trapped under a mountain for 500 years, and he still came out a cheerful and sunny big boy!
He got pushed around every day on his journey to the west, and the most he ever said was, "This is so annoying!"
Fuli complained, "Isn't calling me a Weapon Breaker a bit much? It's not like I did it on purpose."
The main problem was that his weapons couldn't keep up with the power creep of the bosses. Mikazuki Munechika versus the deified manifestation of the Previous Era-strength Herrscher of Thunder, and Black Swan against a super AI like Ella.
The boy grumbled again, "If this shitty reality were a gacha game, all the money I've spent would have gone into buffing the bosses."
A certain Honkai: Star Rail planner gave this a thumbs down.
"Like Mikazuki, the remains of Black Swan are now on my collection shelf. I've named them the 'Garden of Recollection,' to reminisce about the old days."
After adding that, Fuli stared expectantly at Mei-raemon.
I want a new sword!!!
"Ah? Oh." Mei snapped back to reality. "Let's put the new weapon aside for a moment. I'm very curious about the Life Equation that gave the Sister her self and soul. Come on, let's go to the ME Corp section for a check-up."
"A check-up?" Kallen pointed to herself, a big question mark written on her naturally beautiful face. "AIs can get check-ups?"
"It's just an expression for a full-body scan." Mei smiled and stood up, proactively taking her hand. "Don't worry, it'll be quick."
Kallen was led away, bewildered.
Some time later—
"Don't come near me!"
"Little bro, save me—glub glub glub..."
"Stop, stop! Not there, ahhh!"
"Hehe~ Butterfly~ Don't go~"
The strangely shrill cries scared Fuli, Kiana, and Bronya into a huddle in the corner, trembling, afraid that if they made a single wrong move, they would be Mei's next check-up target.
After another while, Mei pushed open the door, looking refreshed.
A listless Kallen floated behind her, looking as wronged as a young bride who had just been ravaged by a mountain king.
Pushed forward by Kiana and Bronya, Fuli tentatively approached.
"Did you... did you figure it out?"
"I've figured out a small part. It'll take more time to fully understand it. And even if I do, I won't be able to grant a being a sense of self unconditionally like the virtual Otto did."
Given the lesson from the last time she tried to explain things and was met with blank stares from the teens, Mei opted for a more concise method of explanation.
Which was to say nothing at all.
[Sigh, my boyfriend's education level is too low. I can't even show off with my professional knowledge.]
[Good thing I'm highly educated. As long as he can satisfy me, that's all that matters.]
The girl, having made a dirty joke in her head, subtly curled her lips. The ends of her violet hair brushed past her lips, and the fleeting beauty of that moment made many people stare.
"Then, while I was giving the Sister her check-up just now, I took the opportunity to input the various data for controlling the Hyperion into her internal program."
Mei closed the book in her hand and added, "If there's nothing else, you can start work now."
"Wait." Fuli held up a hand to stop her, taking out a blank soul contract he had drafted beforehand.
Kallen blinked. "What's this?"
"An employee contract." The boy said, "It details the benefits you're entitled to as a member of the Hyperion, including vacation, salary, and other things. For example, during your time off, you can transfer into the Cat Cake's body to go out and play, and experience today's human society and natural scenery."
Fuli didn't bring Kallen out just to keep her cooped up on the Hyperion. What would be the difference between that and being trapped in the virtual world?
It was true that he had brought her out, but that in no way meant Kallen was his property.
AIs have rights too!
Sauce: Woof (Really)?
"I see." Kallen didn't even look at the contract and signed her name directly.
Her body gradually became ethereal, merging with the Hyperion's central computer.
"This feeling... is a bit strange," the girl murmured. "It's as if the entire battleship is an extension of my body. A 360-degree, seamless field of perception, able to easily detect dust and trifles in any corner. The spatial distortion values and the flow of the atmosphere are also—Eek!"
She suddenly hugged her chest, a blush rising on her picturesque features.
Her ice-blue eyes glared at Fuli-Boy, who was now holding the Shadowchaser baseball bat in a reverse grip and rapidly poking the ground with it like a pile driver. "Little bro!!!"
"I-I was just curious..." Fuli said sheepishly.
If the battleship was an extension of her body, then if he did this and that to the battleship, would Kallen herself have strange reactions?
He couldn't help but give in to his curiosity and try it out, and it turned out to be true.
If the bridge was the brain of the Hyperion, then did his actions just now count as... a brain-f...?
"No." Mei gave the horny boy a cool glance and turned to advise Kallen, "Block your sensory system. Just keep the normal data feedback."
"Okay." Kallen had a high aptitude for this and quickly learned how to handle it.
The excess energy that had been pervading the battleship also returned to Mount Taixuan, where the Fuli Well was located, under her control. This made Kiana and Bronya, who had just gotten used to the environment, a little uncomfortable.
The girls understood that some things had to be done in moderation. If their bodies and minds became addicted to the high-energy environment created by the Fuli Well, then their doom would truly have arrived.
"Don't worry." As if sensing their concern, Mei picked up a washed apple from the fruit basket. "Even if you do get addicted, I have ways to change you back."
She took a bite of the small, cherry-like fruit. The crisp and delicious flesh made her narrow her eyes in satisfaction.
Kiana subconsciously wanted to ask, "Really, sis?"
Her sleeve was discreetly tugged by Bronya. "Have you already forgotten what Angela just went through, you idiot Kiana?"
Kiana shuddered and sneakily glanced at Mei.
A perfect, harmless smile.
Noticing her gaze, Mei even showed her a set of perfectly straight, pretty teeth.
"B-Bronya!" Kiana turned around and whispered, "This lady owes you one!"
"The latest episode of HOMU Adventure."
"Deal! I'll have Auntie Theresa send you a copy next time!"
"Hmph."
Seeing that her trick had failed, Mei pouted unhappily and made a mental note against Bronya.
She crossed her shapely, white-stockinged legs and was about to say something to Fuli, who was talking with Kallen over on the other side.
A light screen popped up in front of her:
[Access Request: Schicksal, Durandal]
Mei thought for a moment and realized it had been exactly one week since Durandal's last visit.
Her previously good mood instantly soured.
Just as she was about to get up and leave, she caught a glimpse of someone standing next to Durandal on the screen. It was a lovely girl, about their age.
Her smooth, chestnut-brown hair flowed from her ears down to her waist, swaying gently in the Pacific sea breeze. Her dignified and delicate features showcased her charm to the fullest. Her pink eyes were bright and clear, reflecting a fawn-like timidity mixed with a hint of stubbornness.
She wore a blue-violet barrette, a black beret decorated with two white four-pointed stars, and a third-generation Valkyrie battlesuit, complete with a blue-violet cape draped over her left shoulder.
Mei's thoughts shifted, and she was suddenly filled with excitement. "Sister, load the Genesis Cannon! Assemble the Thunder Throne!"
"Huh?"
Kallen was confused, but she followed the order and deployed the main cannon.
...
The morning breeze over the Pacific Ocean carried the salty tang of the sea as it blew against their faces. Bianka's gilded hair rippled in the sunlight.
"I am so sorry, Lady Durandal!"
Ana Schariac, standing opposite her, was bowing so low she was almost at a right angle, her beret threatening to fly off in the wind. "You were just here for a date with your beloved boyfriend, and I had to be so tactless as to interrupt you!"
"It's fine."
Bianka gave a tactical cough, her thumb unconsciously rubbing the grooves on the handle of her lance.
She wanted to explain that she was only here to fulfill her promise to Fuli, but considering the rumors flying around, she knew Ana wouldn't believe any explanation she gave, so she decided not to waste her breath.
Yep!
That's right!
That's how it is!
The churning waves refracted a rainbow-hued glow in the sunlight. Ana suddenly noticed an out-of-place accessory clipped to Bianka's waist—a Chibi-version clay figurine of Fuli was grinning foolishly at her.
Her eyes lit up, her inner gossip burning brightly. "Um..."
"Speaking of which, Ana," the golden-haired Knight Princess, whose public persona was one of righteousness, said, seemingly trying to deflect from her own guilty conscience. "Rita told me you recently took over the Schariac family's seat in the Senate. Shouldn't you be focusing on your work? Why did you come to the Hyperion?"
[This is my work! I have to find a way to invite Lord Fuli to join the Senate and let bygones be bygones!]
Ana subconsciously grabbed the hem of her skirt as it was lifted by the wind, a gesture reminiscent of a trainee hiding in a corner of the training grounds and crying when she had first enlisted.
The girl had never dreamed that she would end up with a seat as a high senator.
The Schariac family not only had two members in the Pontifex Guard—Maria Schariac and Angelia Schariac, who were former Saintess Cecilia's cousins—but in terms of seniority, there were more veterans with better résumés than a youngster like her than she could count on both hands.
Even in terms of potential, Ana, who had started her Valkyrie training at twelve and had only reached B-Rank by fifteen (it was currently 2014), couldn't be called mediocre, but she was definitely no genius.
Because of this, when the other high senators decided to send Ana as their representative to the Hyperion, the girl didn't even have the courage to object to these powerful figures she had previously only seen in textbooks.
The next thing she knew, she was on Durandal's private jet.
[Besides, issuing a wanted notice for him one moment and then trying to recruit him the next... just thinking about it is so embarrassing.]
[I wonder how I'll be treated. Will they strip me naked and hang me up to be laughed at like in the novels, or make me crawl through a doggy door instead of going through the doggy door, or even worse, being forced to pay with my... my body?]
Facing Durandal's concerned gaze, Ana hesitated, just about to state her reason.
The sea breeze suddenly grew thick, and the crackling charge in the air made the hairs on the back of Bianka's neck stand on end.
"Watch out!"
She yanked Ana behind her, and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a crimson-gold aurora suddenly explode over the Pacific.
The Hyperion's armor plating was slowly parting like the mythical Ark of the Covenant. The octagonal prism of the Genesis Cannon began to spin at overclocked speeds, and purple arcs of electricity crawled along the metal tracery of the multiple floating weapon platforms suspended in the air—the Thunder Throne was deploying.
"If I remember correctly, our agreement to duel once a week was limited to Durandal herself."
Mei's voice boomed across the Pacific, vast and mighty, yet tinged with a strangely cheerful rhythm. "Since you brought an extra person, does that mean our dear Lady Durandal is no longer prepared to honor our previous agreement?"
Thunder Throne, charging! Iris Prism Sword Funnels, all systems online!
Hahahahaha! Mount the Genesis and blast 'em to hell!
All these rumored lovers can just go to hell!!!
...