Humans are in chaos, despicable outsiders.

"—The Tower of Babylon is currently under siege by Honkai Beasts born from the awakening of the Second Herrscher, and a large number of ordinary Schicksal members responsible for this investigation are trapped inside the tower."

"Uh, so I'm going to see my old dad and Cecilia mom fighting like they used to?!" Kiana jumped up suddenly.

"...Calmness is the most important psychological factor for a soldier. You must learn to hide your true emotions, young soldier."

"Uh......"

"Don't look so nonchalant, little one, let me give you an example..."

"The mission that you and your team, Raiden Mei, were on was currently in the process of retreating. Your teammate was injured and unable to move, and has even lost the ability to fight."

"And then you were discovered by me, a commander of an enemy force. I gave the order to attack and eliminate you while you were still capable of fighting. However, one of the bullets, not fatal, flew towards your comrade. What would you do, Kiana?"

"Of course, I'll take that bullet for Mei!"

"Impressive chivalry. Now, guess what I'll do after seeing your anxious expression?"

"Of course you'll defeat me while I'm still capable of fighting. What else can you do?" Kiana looked at the hermit in front of her with a strange expression.

"Too sweet, little one—I'll dedicate a portion of my forces to attack your fallen comrades."

"Given your current inability to calm down, you'll be constantly juggling dealing with attacks and protecting your comrades... and might even make some inexplicable mistakes in the heat of the moment..."

"Do I need to tell you what your and your companions' ultimate fate will be—"

Kiana could feel the mocking gaze directed at her from behind the hermit's mask...

"Wow, you tacticians are all dirty-minded!!!"

Chapter 72 The pain she endured far surpassed that of you.

Kiana, who loudly accused the hermit of being a dirty bastard, eventually accepted her advice. After all, she couldn't think of any way to refute it—a duel full of honor and fairness was just a story written in romance novels.

Kiana herself is no stranger to using clever tricks and schemes in battle.

"You've figured it out? I hope you've not just figured it out, but that it's become second nature to you—"

"Always remain calm and determined. No matter how exaggerated or flamboyant your expressions and actions may be, your mind must always be clear. You should understand what you are doing and what you should do."

The hermit shook his head, and the scene in the snowy forest began to change again. The two returned to the gate of the Tower of Babylon. At this moment, the defenses on the research facility were roaring, and various beams and live ammunition weapons stirred up dust and explosions in the vast Honkai beast horde.

"Advance-class and Chariot-class Honkai Beasts? So many! During the Third Honkai Impact, there weren't even this many in the entire Changkong City!" Kiana stared in shock at the sea of ​​Honkai Beasts stretching across the mountains and plains before her.

"The Second Honkai Impact was the largest and most destructive Honkai impact in the history of this generation of humanity... The hordes of beasts you see are just the prelude."

The hermit looked at the surging sea of ​​beasts before him, his tone completely unwavering.

"But why are Sirin and Mei both Herrschers..." Kiana's face showed confusion.

"Heh...isn't it obvious? The resentment that Sirin has accumulated from the pain she has suffered far surpasses that of Raiden Mei."

"...The Third Herrscher's experience, compared to the Second Herrscher's, was nothing more than a kindergarten child's pointless wailing after dropping an ice cream on the ground."

"She tore apart the hearts of humanity, leaving behind all kindness and compassion, transforming into a vengeful demon. She seeks revenge against destiny... No, her mind, twisted by the collapse, will seek revenge against—all of humanity."

"So, Kiana, if Sirin were standing in front of you, how would you treat her?"

The hermit watched Kiana, who was lost in thought, and awaited her answer.

"The Second Herrscher, Sirin, hmm... I sympathize with her plight... but if she stood in front of me, I would definitely do everything in my power to defeat her, yes! I will defeat her."

Kiana thought for a short while and came to her conclusion, nodding seriously.

"Defeat her... but what happens after that?"

"After defeating him... uh... I don't know." Kiana was stumped by the hermit's second question, and she shook her head in distress.

"I don't know... No problem, let's keep watching."

......

Outside the Tower of Babylon, a man and two women leaped from a transport plane that flew low overhead, landing in front of the horde of Honkai beasts attacking Babylon.

It was a middle-aged man with white hair wearing a dark blue coat, while the two Valkyries were dressed in blue and red respectively. After landing safely, they began a fierce battle with the Honkai Beasts.

"You know who the one in the middle is without me saying it... your father, Siegfried Kaslana, and the two next to him are the A-rank Valkyrie 'The Broom' Salome Jokanan and 'Chaos Heir' Shub Nicholas, members of the Snow Wolf Squad."

The hermit explained to Kiana the two Valkyries beside Siegfried, but the girl's gaze remained fixed on the man in the center.

"You seem quite interested in your father? Would you like to hear some interesting stories about him in Destiny?"

"Interesting tidbit?" Kiana turned her head curiously.

"According to the rumors of Destiny's past, your father, Mr. Siegfried...touched the buttocks of all the Valkyries back then...yes, an amazing feat."

The hermit nodded in approval, while Kiana grinned, revealing a look of utter disbelief.

"How on earth did my stinky dad manage to avoid being beaten to death?"

"Who knows? After all, it's just a rumor—and as a Destiny organization with more women than men, your father was quite handsome back then, so maybe they weren't opposed?"

The hermit shook his head indifferently and looked at a nearby hill where the three members of Anti-Entropy were standing.

"Walter Young and his team have arrived; this battle is about to come to an end."

"Hey, didn't Teacher Yang get into a fight with Dad and the others later?"

“Walter Yang isn’t that kind of person…” The Hermit shook his head as he watched Welt Yang fly into the air and manipulate the black hole to send all the Honkai Beast cards on the field to the graveyard.

She led Kiana to the two men who were talking—

...At this moment, the two men are talking loudly.

"Please believe in my sincerity. I do not wish to be your enemy. I will station my troops here, and if that still does not reassure you, I am willing to accept any conditions you set."

Walter looked at Siegfried in front of him and said.

"Well, it's not a wise move to start a war with the First Herrscher here and then be wiped out."

"And your eyes, those are the eyes of a real man. I choose to believe you and accept your help."

Siegfried extended his hand to Walter Young.

"If this incident, as you say, truly threatens the entire world... then the thing I should really risk my life for is to stop it!"

.....

"As expected of that stinky dad, very Kaslana-esque remarks... Hmm... Teacher Yang, who's recognized by that stinky dad, isn't bad either, even though he always gives me single-digit grades in history..."

Kiana stood with her hands on her hips, her tone filled with pride for her father.

"Don't you really have any sense of the fact that you got single-digit or even zero marks in your history class...?"

The hermit turned his head and glanced at her.

"Uh... what's that saying again... see through it but don't say it!"

The white-fuzzy ball angrily stomped its feet at the hermit beside it, but the hermit simply shook his head.

"They are going to enter the Tower of Babylon to investigate the whereabouts of the Second Herrscher."

As the two men clasped hands, the tense atmosphere dissipated and began to ease. The group discussed the available information and entered the Babylonian Laboratory.

"With my stinky dad and Teacher Yang around, the Second Herrscher will be easily subdued by them."

Kiana clenched her fist excitedly.

"If it were really that simple, the Second Honkai Impact wouldn't have been the most devastating Honkai Impact in human history."

The hermit shook his head, interrupting Kiana's reverie.

"The Second Herrscher, Sirin, absorbed enough Honkai energy while they were entangled with and negotiating with the Honkai Beasts, and escaped from the Tower of Babel... Soon, the true Second Herrscher will descend."

Chapter Seventy-Three: Speak Your Vows and Beliefs

"Hey, how could this happen..." Kiana pouted unhappily.

"Do you think this is some fairy tale about a hero slaying a dragon... The hero gathers his companions and heads towards the dragon's lair, while the dragon obediently stays in its lair and waits?"

The hermit rolled his eyes behind his mask.

"But they should be able to find Celine soon. Your aunt's Judas is indeed a multi-purpose tool in a sense."

"Judas? I don't think menstruation has any other uses besides bondage play and hitting people."

Kiana gave the hermit a strange look.

"Then we'll have to ask your dear aunt if she's forgotten those techniques... Come on, let's go check on the Second Herrscher..."

The scene was reconstructed once again. The hermit led the girl to another part of the snowfield. On the white earth, a purple-haired girl fell out of the vortex and, led by a Honkai Beast the size of a mosquito, arrived in front of a huge crystal ball.

"This ball...it looks so familiar." Kiana examined the blue, red, and white sphere, as if she were remembering something...

"I think I've seen this in a book... what was it called again?"

"Emperor-class Honkai Beast Ashura, one of the Second Herrscher's familiars. Oh, she's going in... Come on, Kiana, let's see her past..."

"Then, make your final decision...make your true vow." The words were spoken very softly, so softly that Kiana, standing to the side, glanced around in confusion.

"There are mosquitoes here too..."

--

"Waaah...Mommy...."

A purple-haired girl stood in front of the hospital bed, sobbing weakly. The woman on the bed had her face covered with a white veil.

"Mom...don't leave me alone..."

The girl lay on the hospital bed, crying and wailing.

"I don't want to—"

The scene changes again, and several girls are gathered in front of a black figure whose face is obscured, only emitting ominous red light.

"Your parents died from a disease called 'Honkai,' but don't be afraid, our Destiny organization will adopt you."

"In addition, you are very lucky to have natural antibodies against the Honkai – for the sake of humanity, we need you to help participate in some experiments."

"It might hurt a little at first, but don't be afraid..."

The ominous voice spoke comforting words to the girls in front of it, then plunged a syringe filled with liquid Honkai energy into one of their arms.

"Pain tore at the girl's nerves, while the experimenter just loudly complained that this experimental subject was about to become useless, just like all the previous experimental subjects—"