Kiana continued:
"I have an old man. He left me and vanished when I was very small. To find him, I've traveled everywhere from Siberia."
"Every time I find a trace of him, I'm one step too late and end up empty-handed. It's so frustrating..."
Kiana clenched her fists in anger and went on, "Recently, in Nagazora City in the Far East, I found traces of my stinky old man. I even met a kind teacher who helped me enroll in Chiba Academy, so I went there."
"Once I get back from this hellhole and find that stinky old man, I have to know why he abandoned me back then. If his answer doesn't satisfy me, I'll never talk to him again!"
Ema Sakuraba's eyes were filled with worry. "Kiana-san..."
Yukinoshita Yukino remained silent, deeply shocked and somewhat admiring Kiana:
A single-parent family, and even abandoned by her father. To find him, she crossed from Siberia to the Far East; she is practically a superhuman.
Kushida Kikyo immediately offered the blessing Kiana cared about most:
"I believe Kiana-san will definitely find her father!"
Xia You's thoughts drifted.
Kiana's father, Siegfried, has actually been protecting Kiana from the shadows all along. Otherwise, it would be difficult for a child to traverse multiple countries alone.
I wonder if Siegfried will go mad upon discovering Kiana has vanished—if he'll be struck hard by the boomerang of his own choices, regretfully setting out on a path to find Kiana, and finally living a life of eternal regret.
Thinking about it is actually quite intense!
Of course, it's best to find the way home as soon as possible.
Kiana rubbed her forehead and gave a sunny smile. "Hehe, you guys can just call me Kiana."
"I'm very strong. If we run into danger, you can hide behind me."
"I master Honkai Energy. I can't say exactly what Honkai Energy is, but it makes me stronger than ordinary people and even lets me defeat Honkai Beasts."
Xia You looked at the grinning Kiana and nodded slightly.
In her normal combat state, Kiana can beat a building-sized Chariot-class Honkai Beast to death with a baseball bat. She is definitely the highest combat power among everyone present.
If pushed too far and Kiana awakens the second personality of Queen Sirin inside her body, she will become a Herrscher, capable of destroying heaven and earth.
Of course, Sirin hates humans. If she comes out, Xia You and the others would likely be the first to die.
—However, Herrscher birth requires Honkai Energy.
This isn't the Honkai world, and there is no Honkai Energy in the air. Even if Queen Sirin has the Ability to connect to Imaginary Space to obtain Honkai Energy, she probably won't be able to connect to it here.
Kiana probably can't turn into a true Herrscher, right?
Xia You pondered the status of the "Large Cup" operator in his hands and spoke up:
"If we encounter Monsters, we won't just let you fight alone. We need to divide the work and cooperate. We won't let anyone slack off, and we won't put all the pressure on one person."
Kiana put her hands on her hips and showed a wide smile, her mouth curving like a cat's. "Handsome guy, you're pretty good!"
Ema Sakuraba and the others didn't know what a Honkai Beast was, but they roughly understood that Kiana was different from them. She had possessed a Superpower long ago and had even defeated Monsters.
Could she be a superhero hiding in the shadows?
With the reliable Xia You on one side and the powerful Kiana on the other, a sense of security suddenly surged!
Almost simultaneously, the gazes of the four girls all turned toward Xia You.
Ema Sakuraba said expectantly, "It's your turn."
Xia You nodded to Ema Sakuraba, and she gave a shy smile.
"I am Rurikawa Natsuyu. You can just call me Xia You."
Ema Sakuraba's throat moved. "Y-Yes, Xia You-kun!"
"Rurikawa?"
Yukinoshita Yukino pondered for a moment before speaking, "Isn't that a Noble surname from around Tokyo?"
Kushida Kikyo was surprised. "Eh? Ru... Xia You is a great Noble?"
Xia You shook his head. "Just a Fallen Noble."
"I aspire to become a correct person, and the voice in my head used that to entice me. I didn't fall for it, but I was still pulled here."
Ema Sakuraba was very surprised. "Xia You is also someone Pursuing Correctness? You're exactly like my Friend Hiro."
"Hiro has been my Friend since childhood. I can't compare to her in anything. She's very popular and loved by everyone, always working to uphold justice, and she's even the Student Council President... I feel like Xia You is more and more like my Friend."
Xia You shook his head slightly and said softly, "I am not her. The correctness we pursue is different."
Kiana asked, "Can you tell us about it?"
"There's nothing I can't say."
Xia You spoke calmly, "My father was a son-in-law taken into the Rurikawa Family. My mother died young, and my father worked hard as the head of the family."
"He was a Mr. Great Lawyer who often fought against evil and performed correct deeds. He also hoped I would become a correct person."
Kiana realized, saying with some envy, "My stinky old man can't compare to your good old man at all. You're Pursuing Correctness because of your father's teachings."
"Not exactly."
Xia You looked down to straighten his sleeves, his fingertips lightly rubbing the skin on his wrist. He continued with a calm expression, "I actually wasn't interested in that. I just wanted to make some money, eat and wait for death—comfortably idling through life."
Yukinoshita Yukino gave a Sharp-tongued comment, "As an old Noble, being a parasite is already the most helpful ideal for society."
Ema Sakuraba asked curiously, "Then why do you want to pursue correctness now, Xia You?"
"Because of my father's death."
"!" *4
The four girls were shocked.
Especially Kiana, who had brought up the topic; Yukinoshita Yukino, who had just said something unkind; and Ema Sakuraba, who had asked for the answer.
The three girls' expressions wavered, and a deep sense of regret rose within them simultaneously:
I'm terrible! Why did I have to be so curious and ask!
Xia You continued his story. The four girls carefully observed his calm expression, bracing themselves to listen:
"About half a year ago, someone broke into our home wanting to kill us. Mr. Great Lawyer died along with the intruder while protecting me."
Following Xia You's words, Kushida Kikyo offered soft comfort, "That person was too evil. Xia You, are you okay now?"
Xia You waved his hand. "I'm fine, don't worry so much. I didn't even feel particularly sad back then, and I certainly don't now."
After all, as a transmigrator, Xia You mainly respected Mr. Great Lawyer's upright character. There was some familial affection, but he truly couldn't view him entirely as a father; their relationship was more like good friends.
"However, you're wrong. The intruder wasn't a bad person."
"Eh?"
Kushida Kikyo made a small sound of confusion.
Xia You explained, "I only learned the ins and outs of the matter then."
"A group of bad people had obtained information about my commute to school and used me to threaten Mr. Great Lawyer into helping them win their case."
"Mr. Great Lawyer defended the bad people and, using his connections, achieved a perfect victory."
"The intruder was actually a family member of the victim. In Mr. Great Lawyer's own words, it was a righteous revenge."
"Mr. Great Lawyer died along with the intruder. Before he died, he told me, 'You don't need to admire your father anymore. He did something wrong and is not worth following. Go seek your own, true correctness, Xia You.' He even sentimentally thought I admired him."
Kushida Kikyo's throat felt dry and uncomfortable. Looking at Xia You's calm expression, she began to admire his composure.
No, why do you all have tragic pasts!
Could Yukinoshita Yukino also have a tragic experience that made her so cold?
Kushida Kikyo glanced at Yukinoshita Yukino with pity, having completely misunderstood.
Xia You said, "I thus became confused about 'correctness.' Since it was Mr. Great Lawyer's final wish, I want to pursue true correctness."
"And without a doubt!"
Xia You's voice suddenly rose. "This hellhole, ignoring our wishes and bringing us here, is an absolutely incorrect act."
"So, we must unite and work hard, eliminate internal strife, tolerate one another, find the way home, and leave this hellhole together!"