The mission was complete, and whatever truths lay behind it would be investigated and analyzed by others.
For now, their task had come to an end.
"These past few weeks have been exhausting. Oh, right—when we get our break next month, how about we go out somewhere together?"
After returning to St. Freya, Kiana stretched lazily. As if something had just occurred to her, she turned to her two companions and made the suggestion.
Even she felt that ever since enrolling at St. Freya, her days had been packed from morning to night. It was either classes or missions.
Whenever she did get a bit of free time, she spent it training hard. She had always kept Theresa's words in mind.
But life couldn't revolve around herself alone.
She also had to think about the people around her. Bronya had once been turned into a child soldier by Anti-Entropy—her past couldn't have been a happy one.
And Acheron... she had gone through something like that. Even if she appeared not to care, the fact that she had become someone who "didn't care" was proof that the Honkai Eruption had affected her.
If that pressure wasn't released soon,
it would only become more troublesome.
"Go out?"
Bronya lifted her head, a hint of confusion in her gaze as she looked at Kiana. "No training?"
With the help of St. Freya's doctors, her body had more or less recovered. But to become a true Valkyrie, she had poured immense effort into the process, focusing mainly on heavy armor systems.
Fortunately, she possessed exceptional talent in that field. She had designed her own heavy armor and weapons and continuously refined them.
"Taking a couple of days off once in a while is fine." Kiana grinned brightly as she hooked an arm around Bronya's neck, looking extremely close to her. "Even machines need to recharge. You can't keep running nonstop, right?"
Bronya endured the sudden gesture with complete composure—after all, she was the shortest one there.
"What if there's an emergency mission?" she asked calmly.
That had happened more than once before.
"Is there anywhere you want to go?"
"Do you two have anywhere in mind? If not, how about the seaside? If it's a vacation, the beach is a great choice."
Kiana knew Acheron wouldn't refuse. Hearing Bronya's question, she immediately voiced her own idea.
Bronya had no objections.
A seaside vacation...
That kind of thing had only ever appeared in her dreams.
But before they even made it to next month's break, an accident found them the very next day. The news came from Schicksal's research institute.
The recovered remains of the Fourth Herrscher had been stolen by spies working together with Anti-Entropy.
After returning from Theresa's office, Kiana's face was filled with gravity and confusion. As expected, Anti-Entropy cared deeply about Herrschers.
If they were confident, they would definitely set their sights on Acheron.
Acheron was strong, but their enemy this time was human, not a Herrscher. There was no telling what kind of methods those people might resort to.
"Did something happen?"
On her way back, she happened to run into Acheron.
"Did you come looking for me on purpose?" Kiana raised an eyebrow lightly. The moment she saw her, she couldn't help smiling and quickened her steps toward her.
She had rushed out of the dorm after receiving Theresa's message. Acheron must have noticed and followed her.
"Your expression looks troubled."
Kiana touched her own face. Meeting those eyes that were always gentle when looking at her, her wariness toward Anti-Entropy, her confusion, and her worry gradually settled.
"It's that damn Anti-Entropy again." She averted her gaze, unable to resist complaining. "They stole the Fourth Herrscher's remains from the institute this afternoon."
"Anti-Entropy will definitely make a move next. Why not strike first and wipe them out?" Herta, who had followed along at Kiana's side, had overheard her earlier conversation with Theresa.
"Don't worry." Acheron reached out and gently patted Kiana's head. "If we're being watched, the ones who should be afraid aren't us—it's them."
"I don't think those people have any bottom line." Kiana shook her head, then looked at Acheron intently. "If they really set their sights on you, be careful. Don't let your guard down."
"Don't worry. I know what to do."
Acheron gave a soft response.
The longer Kiana stayed by Acheron's side, the heavier Acheron's presence became in her heart. Not to mention that Acheron's attitude toward her was almost completely different from how she treated others.
It made her feel cherished.
It gave her the illusion that maybe Acheron liked her.
But Acheron had never said anything close to a confession. Kiana couldn't figure out what she was truly thinking.
"I heard headquarters has dispatched a squad to investigate. I really hope they find Anti-Entropy's location soon."
"Mm."
"Mei..." Kiana had been grumbling just moments ago, but now she grew hesitant. "How much longer do you think it'll take before I can become as strong as you?"
Acheron had single-handedly defeated the Fourth Herrscher.
And she hadn't used Herrscher power.
That was what Theresa had told Kiana—once she reached that level, she would tell her information related to the source of Honkai.
Acheron did not answer immediately. Instead, she carefully considered her words. Thanks to Herta—the unseen "ghost"—she had once overheard fragments of a conversation between Kiana and Theresa after they finished talking.
From Theresa's tone, it was highly likely that Kiana's father was already gone. That was why Theresa hoped she would give up and stop obsessing over the so-called source of Honkai.
Kiana looked at her nervously and voiced the biggest doubt in her heart. "Is my aptitude really that bad?"
After discovering how strong Acheron was, Kiana had sought her out and asked her to help with training.
"One or two years," Acheron answered. "Your talent is very good. There's no need to doubt that."
"One or two years?" Kiana let out a breath of relief, speaking sheepishly. "I've been training for more than half a year and still can't even touch the hem of your clothes. I was starting to lose confidence."
"Mei, your martial skill is really incredible."
"I've practiced swordsmanship since I was a child," Acheron said with a faint smile. "Don't belittle yourself. As long as you keep working hard, I believe you'll reach this level sooner or later."
"Mei really has so much faith in me..." Though she said that, Kiana looked far more spirited. "I won't disappoint you. And to find the source of Honkai, I'll definitely work hard!"
The source of Honkai...
Acheron was almost certain of one thing—there was a high chance that such a thing simply didn't exist. It might just be a lie.
Over the past half year, she hadn't merely been playing house with Kiana.
Herta was not someone who stayed idle either.
Under Herta's direction, Acheron had used spare fragments of time to search nearly every place in this world where Honkai had erupted.
She found nothing.
The source of Honkai?
Aside from Kiana, what else could possibly qualify as the source of Honkai?
She had once asked Kiana—
Who had told her that Siegfried went to search for the source of Honkai?
Kiana had said it was a letter.
They had once lived in seclusion on the snowy plains of Siberia. Then one day, her father simply disappeared.
All she found at home was a letter.
And so she embarked on the path of searching for the source of Honkai.
Acheron had asked her whether she had ever doubted the authenticity of that letter. Kiana's answer had been firm—that was her father's handwriting. There was no way she could mistake it.
The entire matter was riddled with inconsistencies.
Piecing together fragments of information, Acheron arrived at a conclusion: Kiana's father had most likely already sacrificed himself. In order to spare the young Kiana from heartbreak, his old comrades—perhaps even Theresa—had woven a beautiful lie for her.
Kiana's mother had died even earlier, during the campaign to subdue the Second Herrscher.
Her father had been her only remaining family.
"Kiana." It had been some time since they last touched on this topic. This time, Acheron asked again, "Have you ever considered that your father..."
Before, she had only dared to bring up small pieces at a time, afraid of hurting her. But little by little, they had finally reached this point.
Kiana should already be mentally prepared.
"Don't make that face, Mei." Kiana had long understood what Acheron meant. Every time the topic came up, she knew.
Mei was trying to remind her.
Not to sink too deeply into it. Not to cling to too much hope. After all, there were many holes in the story she herself had told.
She wasn't blind to them.
"I've actually been prepared for a long time," Kiana said. "You don't have to worry about me being upset. I thought about it years ago. It's just that until the very last moment, I won't give up hope."
"Besides... no matter what, I have to find out where he fell and bring him home."
"When fighting Honkai, sacrifice is common. There's nothing I can't accept."
Back in Nagazora, she had said something similar. It seemed Acheron had either forgotten—or believed she couldn't truly bear it.
But that wasn't the case.
She had already prepared herself for the worst.
She wasn't a child anymore. She knew what it meant for someone to be missing for so many years.
But she still wanted the truth.
If her father had simply sacrificed himself, why would Theresa tell her that Siegfried had gone to search for the source of Honkai, hiding the matter instead?
If he was truly gone, then his death could not have been simple.
That was what Kiana truly wanted to know.
"I'm glad you can think that way."
"I know how to handle my own affairs, Mei. You don't need to worry." Kiana wrapped her arms around Acheron's arm and smiled. "We'll deal with the future when it comes. Sooner or later, I'll get the truth out of my aunt. And when that time comes, if I need your help, you can't refuse me."
"I'll help you."
More than half a year had passed, and Acheron still had no idea what the conditions for clearing the trial were. For now, she could only rule out the so-called source of Honkai as a deception.
She could now understand Herta's feelings.
At that thought, Acheron lifted her gaze toward Herta. Herta had already turned the entire world upside down, tried everything that could be tried, and still failed to find the condition for clearing it.
"Does Herta have something to say?"
Noticing Acheron's distraction, Kiana curiously looked toward the direction of her gaze. She was clearly used to it by now.
"...Why are you looking at me?"
Herta snapped out of her thoughts and realized the two of them were staring at her—the "ghost" no one else could see. Her tone immediately grew curt.
"There's nothing I can help with here, is there?"
Her expression remained calm, but her eyes flicked over their intimate posture. Thinking about her current state, irritation stirred within her.
She had tried doing other things.
But she seemed to exist in a different dimension from this world—able only to see and hear, incapable of affecting anything else.
"No," Acheron said, withdrawing her gaze and shaking her head.
"Oh, right! I told my aunt we want to leave campus during next month's break, and she agreed!" Kiana nodded before suddenly bringing up another topic, her spirits lifting again. "She even recommended an island. Apparently there are some strange rumors there—possibly related to Honkai. She hopes we can investigate while we're on vacation."
"Do you want to go?"
"My aunt's covering all the expenses. It'd be a waste not to take advantage of that. I heard the scenery is beautiful too. Two birds with one stone."
"Then I'll go with you."
"When Bronya gets back from the lab, I'll tell her the good news too."
Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
Soon, the next month arrived. The semester ended, but their break was short—only one month.
And even during that month, emergency missions could appear at any time.
At the very least, though, during this first week—while they were on the island—nothing else would come looking for them. Coming here was technically a mission in itself.
It was simply so easy and relaxed that it felt more like a seasoning to their vacation.
The island Theresa recommended was not large. There was only a single fishing village on it.
As for the strange rumor—it was actually a legend.
The villagers worshiped a deity.
They prayed for calm seas when fishermen went out and for abundant catches upon their return.
At first, it had only been a form of psychological comfort.
But a few months ago, the deity enshrined in the island's temple had seemingly manifested.
One day, a violent storm struck. A fishing boat that had ventured far out to sea failed to return. Everyone believed it was lost—that in such weather, it must have sunk beneath the waves.
And yet, the very next day, the boat returned.
If it had only happened once, perhaps it was luck.
But from that point onward, the village's fishing fortunes improved dramatically. Every voyage ended with a full haul.
The villagers believed the deity had answered their prayers.
When tourists visiting the island heard about it, the story spread.
The once unremarkable island became a popular travel destination.
Investigating the matter was simple.
Incidents not directly involving human casualties were usually easy to handle. On the island, they encountered some unusual Honkai creatures.
Those Honkai Beasts were different from any they had seen before.
They did not actively attack humans. Instead, they stayed within their own small territories, basking in the sun and playing.
They behaved almost like ordinary animals.
That in itself was surprising—especially to Acheron and the others. The fact that these Honkai Beasts were non-aggressive toward humans revealed a new possibility.
Especially after uncovering the truth.
In reality, a child from the fishing village had befriended a Honkai Beast.
The boat caught in the storm that day happened to belong to her family.
Worried sick about her father, the child confided in her "friend."
To everyone's surprise, the Honkai Beast had dived into the sea, located the missing boat, and secretly guided it safely back to the village.
It sounded almost like a fairy tale.
"Could it be that the main purpose of this trial world is to make humans and Honkai coexist?"