Chen Ran and Wendy did not expect Ana to wake up so quickly.
Especially Wendy, who instinctively said to Chen Ran upon seeing Ana awake, "Should I knock her out again?"
"Sure enough, it was you two. Herrscher of Wind, what are you doing?"
Wendy did not know Ana, but Ana recognized Wendy.
Just as Wendy often targeted Durandal, she was also a target in others' hearts.
Especially after she joined Schicksal as a Herrscher, Ana had investigated everything about Wendy.
She angrily questioned, "What are you trying to do? Why do you want to hand me over to this man?"
Wendy instinctively looked at Chen Ran, who sighed, "You can leave now."
"No, you must explain to me..."
"Or we can knock you out and leave afterward; you choose one." Chen Ran said lightly.
Ana immediately fell silent.
She didn't know Chen Ran, but she understood Wendy.
Wendy's character was gentle and wouldn't normally act this way. So there could only be one answer: Chen Ran must have coerced Wendy into doing this.
Wendy must have some leverage over Chen Ran.
Definitely!
Ana's eyes revealed a look of hatred, and Chen Ran sighed, quietly saying to Wendy, "Won't this affect you?"
"My Mr., wasn't this what you were supposed to ask me from the beginning?" Wendy said with a half-smile.
Chen Ran awkwardly replied, "I just didn't think it through at first."
Just as Wendy said.
He was too impatient, even intending to let himself die to observe the process of the Herrscher.
As for the aftermath, he hadn't thought it through at all.
Wendy rolled her eyes and said, "Leave it to me."
She released Chen Ran and then pulled Ana up.
"Sorry, I lost control earlier." Wendy paused and said, "Do you remember the Honkai alarm in Manila? It was caused by me."
"And then, it was Chen Ran... oh, you don't know him; he's an employee of the Eastern Branch and also my boyfriend."
When the girl said this, her cheeks turned slightly red.
The moonlight fell on her cheeks, making her enchanting.
"Don't worry; your teammates are fine, including you. I was just hesitating about how to explain."
Wendy wasn't good at lying, saying, "You can understand it as my personal hobby."
"Personal hobby?" Ana was a bit confused.
But she saw the girl holding Ana's hand and said, "Look, this is the top of the Star River Ladder, where you can overlook the entire horizon. I like to stay here; this time, it just happened to have one more person to accompany me."
She deliberately spoke ambiguously, aiming to take responsibility for Chen Ran's actions.
There was no way; what Chen Ran did was too absurd.
Even if she wanted to cover up the lie, she couldn't manage it.
Wendy seemed to realize the awkward situation and gently coughed, saying, "In any case, it's fine now; I'll take you back."
"Um, please wait a moment."
Ana took a deep breath and said, "Rather than taking me back, I want to challenge you."
The girl said, "I want to know where the gap between you and me lies, as well as the gap between Valkyrie and Herrscher."
She was a genius.
But just as Wendy used to chase after Durandal, Ana was also chasing after Wendy.
"I've wanted to spar with you for a long time; now is just right."
The girl's eyes revealed a fighting spirit that made Wendy feel familiar.
"Alright."
She gave Chen Ran a look, signaling that he should leave.
Chen Ran nodded.
However, after Wendy took Ana away from the Star River Ladder, he still stood there, gazing at this world.
"It's really unfamiliar; I feel a sudden emptiness."
"Clearly, I should be doing many things, but suddenly I feel like I shouldn't think about anything and just do nothing."
He felt a bit lost.
Wendy was right; he should take a break.
His urgency was not just because, in the previous civilization era, an unknown existence had seen through his identity.
More importantly, it was the accumulated disappointment from realizing that fate could not be changed.
And this time, due to the world line change caused by Sirin, he became aware of the interference of higher-dimensional existence in this world, which directly broke him down.
He even thought of giving up on himself.
Now, he couldn't even think of the meaning of continuing.
Perhaps it was because he had changed too many futures, which directly attracted some higher-dimensional observer, causing the world to move forward violently according to a fixed script.
"System, do you think those previous failures were because success was impossible from the start?"
He instinctively asked the system.
The system did not respond.
At that moment, Chen Ran suddenly felt someone gripping his shoulder.
Fingers were applying standard pressure, squeezing his insides.
"Ah, your shoulders are so stiff already. Accumulated fatigue is not good, you know?"
A familiar voice filled his ears, and Chen Ran was slightly taken aback: "Elysia? What are you doing here?"
"Well, shouldn't I be here? I specifically came when Wendy wasn't around."
She stood behind Chen Ran, continuing to press on his shoulders: "How does it feel? Comfortable?"
"It does feel a bit nice."
Chen Ran did not turn around, enjoying Elysia's massage.
He curiously asked, "I thought you would be helping Kevin at World Serpent."
"Kevin doesn't need me." Elysia said softly, "Compared to him, you're the one who is struggling more."
Her voice was like the evening sea breeze, an elusive distant dream.
"Others just need to passively rely on the progression of the timeline, but you're different; you are working harder than anyone else."
"I can actually understand your fatigue."
Elysia whispered, "You really don't need to do all this. The world has a predetermined fate; it shouldn't be shouldered by anyone, and you shouldn't bear it alone. Being strong-willed can be very exhausting, you know?"
Chen Ran smiled and said, "Yeah, right now I just want to get a good sleep."
He softly added, "But Elysia, you should know that I'm not someone who actively takes on responsibilities or bears fate."
"People like me and Kevin don't have any grand ideals or ambitions; we are just being pushed forward. Although I don't know why the time I move forward suddenly became a loop."
He took a deep breath: "Thank you for your comfort, Elysia."
"Mm?"
The boy perked up again and said, "Since you can stand here, it means I've at least changed part of my fate, right?"
In the world after Finality, Elysia shouldn't have existed.
But now, it was different.
"Just take it slow, little by little."
In Elysia's eyes, the boy left the Stairway of Stars.
Elysia was right; the world's fate shouldn't be shouldered by him.
However, he was also not someone who would give up easily.
So, this time he needed to go to that place once again.
"Bia, I'm here to find you."
…
…
Europe, Schicksal Headquarters.
Kiana was gazing at the moon, her eyes lost in thought.
Because Cecilia had not died, she also had not been sent to the Far East Branch by Shigure Kira. She was still the big Miss of the Kaslana family.
However, there was another memory in her mind.
The girl's gaze fell on a photo frame, which held a picture of her with Cecilia, Theresa, Siegfried, and Shigure Kira.
But she clearly remembered that there was another person at the edge of the photo.
"Aunt Sirin..."
She had too many questions.
Clearly, in her memory, Aunt Sirin had become the Herrscher of the Void in Siberia, yet now her mother had not died, and instead, Sirin was missing.
Shigure Kira had said that in 2000, fourteen years ago, Sirin had already become a Herrscher.
The fate of the world had been changed.
But the price of changing fate was the Aunt Sirin she had always called out for.
Kiana looked up at the moon again.
She knew where Sirin had last disappeared and how to get there.
But...
How could she reach it?
Besides that, she was also concerned about another matter.
Bianka. Durandal. Ataegina.
The girl retained all her memories from the imaginary space and Stigmata space, so she also knew that the changes in the world were not just once.
But twice.
If arranged in chronological order, it should be Bianka appearing first, which was the timeline after her mother Cecilia's death.
Then came her mother's virtualization.
Finally, it was the present.
"Has anyone told me what I should do?"
She hugged her head, feeling somewhat helpless.
At that moment, a blanket was draped over Kiana's shoulders.
"Staying out here in the cold at night without sleeping will make you catch a cold."
It was Cecilia.
This chief Valkyrie of Schicksal, even now in her thirties, was still active on the front lines against the Honkai.
"Mom, how did you get in?"
Kiana's voice was a bit flustered.
Cecilia smiled slightly and said, "You didn't close the door properly."
She couldn't help but ask, "My dear daughter, what's wrong with you lately? You've been so distracted."
"Let me guess, do you have a crush on someone?"
Cecilia's words made Kiana instantly embarrassed: "Mom, where are you getting at?"
"There are hardly any men at Schicksal Headquarters; where would I find someone to like?"
Cecilia laughed: "That's true. How about we change the environment? Theresa and I have discussed it, and we can let you stay at the Far East Branch; it should be easier there."
"In Squad Snowwolf, you hardly have any friends your age. Going to Saint Freya would be good for your growth."
"Saint Freya?"
Kiana seemed a bit lost.
Her time at Saint Freya wasn't long, and to be honest, not many people left an impression on her there.
Yet inexplicably, Kiana thought of Bronya, who had helped her once in Nagazora City.
And also Chen Ran.
She spoke up: "I don't have any problem with that."
Cecilia's eyes showed a hint of surprise: "You used to refuse at this time; did Theresa talk you into it?"
"Ah, oh, I just think changing the environment is nice."
She couldn't say that it was because she had accepted another memory.
Even Kiana, no matter how careless, knew it was best not to mention Sirin, as no one would believe her if she did.
Moreover, according to Bianka, Sirin was not dead.
She had simply gone to another world.
She answered Cecilia's question seriously: "Anyway, I'm still just a B-rank Valkyrie; I really need to become stronger."
Cecilia blinked: "Do you want to become very strong?"
Kiana nodded: "At least I want the power to protect Mom."
She didn't quite understand why, even though they were the same person, Bianka could be so powerful, having already inherited her mother's Abyss Flower.
While she was still a B-rank Valkyrie.
Could it be that she was being too well protected by her mother?
She also thought of Saint Freya; perhaps at that time, she could become an A-rank Valkyrie, and then an S-rank.
The girl couldn't think of a Valkyrie stronger than S-rank.
Cecilia gently stroked Kiana's head, softly saying: "Don't put too much pressure on yourself, Kiana."
"No matter what, you are my proud daughter."
She actually didn't want Kiana to walk the path of a Valkyrie, but the impulsiveness belonging to the Kaslana family made Kiana join Schicksal without hesitation.
Later, when Kiana was found to have mediocre talent, Cecilia felt relieved.
That way, Kiana wouldn't have to face danger.
"Mom."
Kiana said gloomily: "If one day, someone important to you, like me, or that old man, or Aunt Kira and Auntie, were to disappear, would you be sad?"
"Of course I would."
"What if there was a chance to exchange their lives for yours? Would you hesitate?"
Cecilia was taken aback: "What's wrong, Kiana?"
"Just answer me; I want to know your answer." Kiana rarely acted spoiled in front of her mother.
Cecilia thought for a moment and said: "I carry important responsibilities; I can't joke around with my life regarding these responsibilities."
"But if someone important to me needed me to sacrifice my life to save theirs, I would do it."
She affectionately stroked Kiana's hair and said: "The reason I am strong is to have the power to protect you. So, I won't let those things happen."
"But they have already happened." Kiana wanted to retort.
She suppressed that retort and said seriously: "I also want to have the same power as Mom."
Cecilia was slightly taken aback and smiled: "Kiana has really grown up."
…
…
Meanwhile, at Saint Freya.
Bronya was watching Raiden Mei make breakfast, feeling somewhat entranced.
"What's wrong, Bronya?" Raiden Mei asked, puzzled. "Is my cooking not good?"
"No, Big Sister Mei."
She suppressed her doubts and said: "Big Sister Mei's cooking is very fragrant and delicious."
"Mm, that's good."
Raiden Mei said gently: "Bronya, hurry up and finish eating; don't be late."
"Bronya took a day off."
The girl said expressionlessly: "Teacher Himeko approved it."
Raiden Mei was slightly helpless: "Bronya, you want to slack off again. If this continues, you'll become a social waste."
"Bronya is not slacking off; she is conserving energy and strength."
The girl's excuses made Mei's head ache.
Clearly, the most troublesome Kiana wasn't here, so why was Bronya also becoming such a handful?
Raiden Mei sighed, "Alright then, Bronya, don't play games for too long."
"Okay, Big Sister Mei."
After watching Raiden Mei leave, Bronya spoke lightly, "You can come out now, Sin."
In Bronya's room, a girl with purple hair and shark-like teeth appeared.
She was swinging a sharp flying knife in her left hand, her face clouded with frustration.
"See, I told you I wasn't lying."
Sin's lips curled into a smile, "Raiden Mei has returned from Schicksal Headquarters, Sirin has disappeared, and Kiana has gone back to Schicksal Headquarters."
"This world has changed once again, and the person responsible for this change, although I have no evidence, must be that Chen Ran."
Bronya fell silent.
Before Chen Ran and Kiana went to the moon, Sin had found Bronya.
Her original intention was simple: to bring Bronya back.
However, Bronya was unwilling to return, and in frustration, the two had a dispute.
It was a physical dispute.
Yet, before they could finish their argument, the world line was collapsed.
Almost everyone had their memories interfered with by some special existence, but Sin was different.
Her Stigmata was very special; it allowed her to see the desires manifested in souls at a deep level and even distort time.
This unique Stigmata enabled Sin to retain memories before and after the world line changed.
She didn't know how this was possible, but she knew she had witnessed three different worlds as an observer.
The fate of the world had been altered twice.
Thus, Sin changed her mind.
Whether it was the radical or conservative faction of Anti-Entropy, the ultimate goal was the same: to eliminate Honkai.
Since Chen Ran had the ability to alter time, it meant he had a natural basis for cooperation with Anti-Entropy.
Moreover, even Sin had a history she wanted to change.
"Bronya, you want to find Seele back, right? So we should cooperate."
Her face twisted into a distorted smile, and she even began to laugh, "After all, turning the gears of time in the world is quite an interesting thing, isn't it?"
"Bronya doesn't think this is an interesting matter."
She corrected, "However, this time Bronya has seen hope in finding Seele again, thank you, Sin."
"Just saying thank you... Hey, Bronya, you don't want to go solo, do you?"
Sin suddenly said angrily, "Regardless of the information or anything else, I provided it to you first. If you leave me behind, that would be too ungrateful."
Bronya remained expressionless, but whether it was an illusion or not, Sin seemed to see a hint of amusement in her eyes.
She felt a bit dazed, but she heard the girl in front of her say, "Bronya is just skeptical of Sin's ability to deal with others, so Bronya will seize the opportunity you provide."
"Bronya, you really want to leave me and go solo!"
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