Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

“Correctly positioned,” Night Owl murmured in admiration. “The chains pierce through your limbs; even a Herrscher would find it difficult to break free of the Soul Steel. A Herrscher with their body bound cannot struggle much. It must hurt, Anna, but don’t worry, the pain is only temporary. Please bear with it for our future. Once we return to World Serpent, I will definitely heal all your injuries without leaving a trace.”

Chapter 61 Cecilia, you've come to stop me after all.

Raven stared blankly at her colleague; as a woman, she had almost nothing to say.

Even the jackal was silent for a moment before sneering, "Even if the experiment succeeds, will the Herrscher of Ice, who regains human consciousness, really forgive him?"

"I've never asked you this before, but after the experiment is successful, will the World Serpent retain Anna's consciousness?" Raven suddenly asked.

Jackal fell silent again. "No, World Serpent needs an obedient Herrscher, not one who is obsessed with the past and hates the organization. We will erase her memories, at most keeping her past with Night Owl for easier manipulation. I will even plant a bomb in her body, which will detonate if she shows any signs of disobedience. At least we can still obtain a Herrscher core."

"That's what the Night Owl wanted, isn't it?" Raven said coldly.

The exchange was so despicable and filthy that even the jackal, who was always utterly immoral, didn't want to answer.

Shameless.

All Night Owl wanted was to possess the Anna he envisioned. He no longer cared what would become of Anna; he didn't care if she lost her memories, her personality, and became someone else. In fact, he thought it would be better that way, as it better suited his ideal of purity.

He chained her limbs, erased her consciousness, and then repaired her entire body. It was less about seeing a person and more about seeing a rag doll; to him, Anna wasn't pure enough yet. Only after being completely repaired could she truly be his Anna. Yes, that boy, Shen Liang, had possessed everything Anna had—everything he had taken, kissed, and tasted—and he would mend it all back.

That was his pure Anna.

Love that's twisted to the point of being morbid.

"How exciting, Raven! This is the first time I've ever tasted anything like this. I'm so happy." The night owl kissed the bloodstains on the chains, praising them with ecstasy. "The blood is clean. At least my Anna's blood is clean."

"Your words make me want to vomit." Raven's eyes were full of contempt. "Even compared to the Herrschers, we are more filthy."

"Shut up." Night Owl's expression changed immediately. "Keep talking nonsense while carrying out the mission."

Raven looked away; she was no longer willing to deal with her colleague who had gone mad. Then she saw a girl with bright blonde hair finally arrive.

"The preliminary steps for the capture are complete." Raven gestured towards the giant ice cocoon in the sky, glancing at Durandal. "This is all we World Serpents can do. Fighting the Herrschers should be Schicksal's job. However, given that this Herrscher was researched privately by a Schicksal faction, we're unsure whether this incident is actually related to Schicksal, so—"

This is a conversational technique. Raven knows that Durandal is unaware of the incident, so he uses the prepared rhetoric against her.

“I know that regardless of whether a Herrscher lives or dies, they must be contained by World Serpent, right?” Durandal landed and nodded at her without any suspicion. “His Holiness has already explained the whole story to me. According to the ‘United Nations Convention’ established after the battle of the Herrscher of the Void, if any force conducts Herrscher-related experiments that result in the creation of a Herrscher, regardless of the circumstances, that force is not allowed to retain the Herrscher. I am very sorry that the Schariac family conducted such inhumane experiments. I hope that you can handle the Herrscher of Ice properly.”

Raven sighed inwardly, "What do you know? The World Serpent and your loyal Schicksal organization aren't exactly benevolent entities that care about the covenants. In fact, there are hardly any organizations in this world that don't covet the Herrschers. Otto called you, and you came? As Schicksal's strongest Valkyrie, you came without even a hint of doubt? A girl like you, raised in an ivory tower, is bound to be easily fooled in the future."

You were destined to save the world, but now all you've learned is to be a tool for powerful figures?

"That's the Herrscher of Ice?" Durandal looked up at the beautiful ice cocoon high in the city center. Raven was so busy with his own thoughts that he didn't see the fleeting sadness in her eyes. Her voice gradually lowered, "I never thought that we would meet again in this situation... Everyone, step back. It is my duty as the older sister to execute my sister."

The raven paused, startled.

At that moment, both of them heard the Schicksal liaison shouting in their earpieces, "A violent Honkai energy reaction detected at Neuschwanstein Castle! Approaching at high speed! Miss Rita has been stopped by Santa Maria! Oh my god, it's Santa..."

Durandal and Raven turned around abruptly as if by telepathy, and saw an aurora blooming on the horizon!

It was a pure white light that shot straight into the sky in an instant! But Durandal and Raven simultaneously understood what it was: the direction was the suburbs, Neuschwanstein Castle! At this moment, the presence of such power meant either the Shaniat family had launched a missile, or that woman had finally lost control of her anger!

In an instant, the raven fled to the library, which was passively frozen by the Herrscher of Ice. Durandal simply stood quietly, waiting for the aurora to arrive. At the same time, all the Valkyries working in the city center heard an angry chant coming from the air. It was clear German, and the voice was somewhere between a young girl and a married woman.

"I am the black that journeys to hell; I am the white that comes from heaven; Divine Key - Black Abyss White Flower, Second Rated Power - Reverse Flow!"

A white knight's lance, engraved with patterns, fell from the sky! It slammed heavily onto the ground less than ten meters in front of Durandal! A violent explosion followed, tearing the entire street apart and sending thousands of tons of bricks and stones flying into the sky.

A sapphire-encrusted knight's lance had appeared in Durandal's hand without her noticing. A shield of Honkai energy around her blocked the shockwave from the explosion, and even her long hair, which reached past her hips, remained untouched by the wind. She didn't even glance at the explosion; she simply raised her head and gazed at the sky.

"Catch me! Bai Hua!" a soft shout rang out.

The white lance that had just plunged into the ground suddenly shone brightly, and vines as thick as a person's waist burst forth from around it! Countless such vines intertwined and shot straight into the sky, extending in layers as if they had a consciousness, forming an envelope that steadily caught the pure white aurora falling from the high heavens!

Neuschwanstein Castle to Munich city center, 45 kilometers: from the start of the communication to her arrival, six seconds.

A dashing figure slid down the vines. She had a head of bright, flowing white hair and a graceful figure. Just like her voice, her appearance was ambiguous, making it hard to tell whether she was a young girl or a married woman.

But at this moment, she was wearing a close-fitting black combat suit and holding the Black Abyss White Flower. Her face, which had captivated the entire Extraordinary Side, was now ashen, and her azure eyes, once gentle, were now filled with rage.

“Cecilia.” Durandal gazed up at the stunning figure descending from the sky, the wind billowing her dress, her face expressionless. “You’ve come to stop me, or… have you finally decided to rebel against fate?”

You're going to get beaten up, I'm telling you.jpg

Chapter Sixty-Two: In a way, you could even call me Great-Grandma.

Yulandel gazed up at the stunning figure descending from the sky. The wind whipped her dress open, and she thought she should remain expressionless, but her heart was unexpectedly surging.

“I thought you would at least, at the very least, hesitate about your own sisters and fellow countrymen.” Cecilia’s face was still filled with sorrow. “I thought you would think, consider, and carry out your own will… I thought you shouldn’t be so foolish as to lack even your own will!”

"My own will? How do you know I don't have my own will right now?" Durandal tried to remain calm, but her tone was slightly sarcastic. "This is my choice. I don't need to think about it because I don't owe Shaniat anything."

The next moment, the heavily guarded area unfolded!

Unparalleled Honkai energy! It is well known that Saintesses possess infinite Honkai energy adaptability, which theoretically means their combat power is also limitless. Their blood can resist the erosion of the Honkai will, their will can forcibly use the Divine Keys, and when they become enraged, they can even command Honkai Beasts.

At this moment, Cecilia's domain was a simple and brutal pure Honkai energy field! The dust and sand suspended in the air were all crushed by the terrifying gravity, the already dilapidated buildings collapsed, the ground caved in, and the saintess's majesty and anger fell like the sky, no one could look up or look directly at her, even Durandal almost knelt down!

Raven, in the library not far away, was practically going crazy. She knew how terrifying the Saintess was, but everyone knew that the Saintess was already terminally ill! This was what it looked like to be dying! This aura… this aura reminded Raven of the first time she faced the World Serpent Lord!

She simply stood there, and the force field formed by the Honkai energy surrounding her was enough to crush the bones and flesh of any living being! Even Durandal, the strongest Valkyrie of Schicksal, could only barely support herself on her knees to avoid an ugly kneeling before her!

Is Destiny the strongest?

She's a joke compared to the "strongest Valkyrie of all time"!

“Otto sent you to hold me back, to deal with the Shaniat family. I had no choice, no one else could.” Cecilia stepped forward, this time fully armed, wearing the combat uniform she hadn’t worn when rescuing Shen Liang. The black vest and high-heeled stocking boots made her look incredibly tall. Even when facing Durandal, who was famous for her height and beauty, this mother was no less beautiful, and perhaps even more so.

“But Anna, she is your sister, your blood relative, and you share the same blood.” Cecilia glanced at the ice cocoon in the sky, looking at the soul steel chains that pierced through it and the blood that stained them. Then she plucked the white flower and assembled it with the Black Abyss. “Sariat is connected by blood. Even if she becomes a Herrscher, she can still be saved. You know perfectly well that even if she is a Herrscher, we must save her.”

"Is that so?" Durandal raised her head from the oppressive aura, neither confirming nor denying.

"Durandal!" Cecilia roared.

Her voice was extremely loud, like a lioness roaring to protect her cubs in the deserted street. The Valkyries hiding around her didn't dare to breathe, and the only sound in the entire environment was the breathing of the two of them, a deathly silence.

“I’ve known you’ve hated me for years, but you shouldn’t have let that hatred spill over onto others. You’ve given up thinking as an independent person, willingly becoming someone else’s tool, because not thinking makes life easier and more unrestrained.” Cecilia said coldly, dragging her lance. “Entrusting your life to someone who shouldn’t be entrusted to you is not something a daughter of the Shaniat family should do. It’s laziness, it’s irresponsibility! Those who wield great power must exercise it with their own thoughts, otherwise they’d be better off without it!”

Durandal was still overwhelmed by the surging aura, but she still struggled to her feet, using the Soul Steel lance "Heller of Eternal Silence" to support her body by planting it in the ground.

But she finally smiled.

Durandal wasn't actually going to argue; she wasn't one to talk back.

It wasn't just because she disdained to use her words; more often, it was because she was tongue-tied. Even when talking to Rita, she was often teased and left bewildered, let alone talking to Cecilia. This dignified saintess had once also served as the confidante of the Valkyries of Destiny, even opening a confidante channel where every Valkyrie could communicate with her and even confess their sins. After all, Cecilia was, in fact, a nun.

It's pointless to talk about life or whether you should think about things with a saint like that. She knows she'll only get lectures, which is sad, isn't it? Not only is she no match for Cecilia in power, but she can't even out-lecture her.

However, Durandal had no intention of reasoning with anyone.

All she wants to do right now is laugh.

"Are you going to make your move?" Durandal asked in a low voice.

“Forgive me, Durandal,” Cecilia said.

“Yes, it’s like this again. Forgive me, Durandal. Just like when you said, ‘Forgive me, Kiana.’” Durandal finally looked directly into the eyes of the saintess, and seeing the surprise and panic on the face of this once invincible saintess, she smiled.

"Yes, you've always done the same thing to me! You've always been saying sorry, and then you hurt me! Yes, you're right, you're right, you're the saint, you're supreme, pure and flawless, you're forever loving to all!" Durandal couldn't suppress her laughter, though her expression was a mixture of sorrow and anger that seemed utterly hopeless. "There will always be beings in this world more pitiful than me, more innocent than me, weaker than me, and more capable of arousing your pity! So you'll always choose them!"

Cecilia's face turned pale instantly.

"Haven't you been doing this all these years? Ever since the day I crashed into the Honkai fission bomb's air raid zone, every single day, every single moment, every choice you've made has been to abandon me! So come on, use your compassion, use your holiness to defeat me, use the power of your world's strongest Valkyrie to defeat me!" Durandal's voice could no longer remain calm; instead, it was heart-wrenching. "Aren't you the embodiment of beauty and virtue? Don't you love everyone? Then why am I the only one left out? Why are you the only one who can abandon me? Then why do you still dare to stand here? Why do you dare to reprimand me as a mother?"

She stared intently at Cecilia, spitting out each word like a nail: "Are you worthy?!"

Durandal had been furious for sixteen years, and for those sixteen years she had countless things she wanted to say to the woman who had once been her mother. But she had always avoided it, trying her best to appear calmly before the Shaniat family.

Because you have been abandoned, you must remain calm and make them feel that you are doing well and do not need them at all. Only in this way can you walk proudly in front of them and sever your relationship with them.

But anger is still anger, like a needle stuck in the heart, destined to burst forth sooner or later. Now, this anger has erupted, turning the mother into a hedgehog. She felt a surge of satisfaction, for she had finally made Cecilia feel pain. Yes, Cecilia was indeed clumsy with words, but even a mute could utter words that cut to the heart.

Cecilia looked into her eyes and slowly fell silent.

Even the closest of relationships, even between biological mother and daughter, are separated by an invisible pane of glass after eighteen years. A heart, if split in two, can shatter so easily.

She possessed supreme and mighty power, and was a god-like being in the eyes of the whole world, yet at this moment she trembled slightly, unable to suppress her sorrow any longer.

------------

Kiana stared blankly at the exchange between her mother and the blonde girl, overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information, even in this critical moment. She had been secretly accompanying her family's small team to meet Shen Liang. Although Shen Liang's cell phone signal had been unilaterally blocked, the Schariac family had extensive connections in Germany. They had intercepted the radio and obtained information from the communication channels between Destiny and World Serpent that Shen Liang was about to escape back to Munich.

However, the focus wasn't on Shen Liang at this moment; Kiana's attention was completely drawn to their conversation. Perhaps Cecilia and Durandal both felt that there couldn't be anyone around them in this battle situation, and indeed, there was no one around them, and Kiana was a whole street away. But Kiana had been able to read lips since she was a child.

Long ago, when "speaking" was a dangerous word, she and Sirin communicated using lip reading. Sirin taught her how to distinguish what others were saying, so that the two of them could talk without angering the neurasthenic guards. The female guards would fly into a rage and come over with whips whenever they heard children making noise. Sirin was beaten a lot for this during the days before Kiana learned lip reading.

strangeness……

Kiana was confused, as memories that seemed inconsistent with her life experiences flooded her mind. Guards? Whips? Beatings? How could she possibly have such memories? Although she didn't like the life of a pampered young lady, she was indeed a pampered young lady in the Shaniat family, with everything done for her every day. When had she ever been beaten?

Yet the memory seemed incredibly real; she could even still recall the feel of the white straitjacket on her body. Little Sirin and she, both wearing straitjackets, chatted eagerly through an electrified fence, gesturing to each other. Their thin, small arms were just the right size to fit through the gaps in the fence. The two sisters carefully held hands, feeling each other's warmth.

"Those aunties said it's wrong for us to be alive?" Kiana asked softly.

“No mistake, there’s nothing wrong with living. I will take you out of here, K423-2.” Young Sirin said softly, her eyes gleaming with a fierce golden light, like an emperor’s. “We will survive, even if we kill everyone we see, I will take you with me.”

"really?"

"My foolish sister, is there anything I promised that I couldn't do?" Sirin reached out with all her might, and even though her slightly thicker upper arm was burned by the high voltage, she only frowned, moved away a little, and continued to stroke Kiana's hair. "Sleep, don't worry, I'm here for you."

Kiana closed her eyes tightly as her sister hummed a lullaby.

“Yes, go to sleep, go to sleep,” Celine said softly. “Leave it to me, leave it to your sister…”