Cecilia did not utter a word, but only let out a soft sigh.
"Sirin, you know, I don't mind doing something for the world if it needs me to be a hero."
"But when it comes to Kiana, my daughter, I wish she could live a normal life as an ordinary person."
"Maybe I'm being selfish as a mother. I don't want her to struggle to become a hero. It's like in the game, heroes always have to make sacrifices, and they often lose things that hurt them deeply."
"And it's not only Kiana, but you and Durandal too."
Sirin listened quietly, but she didn't share the same sentiment. How could she become a hero? She is not that stupid, sister.
The only exception would be if her mother asked her to.
"Mom, do you feel the same about me?" Durandal came back home at that moment and opened the door. She caught the last sentence as she entered.
She had just visited the neighbors, and thought that she should say goodbye to her mother since she hadn't seen her for a while.
She took off her shoes at the door, walked over, and inquired curiously.
"Well, what brings you back today, honey?" Cecilia hide her sadness and resumed her normal expression, asking, "You didn't even tell me you were coming."
"I have a mission here today. I miss you too, Mom."
Durandal said it in a rare act of coquettishness. She went straight to the sofa and sat down next to Cecilia.
As she leaned close to her, a familiar scent wafted from her clothes. It was different from Rita's, but it felt very cozy. Durandal felt a long-lost sense of security. "What were you talking about just now? How did you mention me?"
"Don't be so nosy, and focus on your training." Cecilia teased, not wanting to trouble Durandal with her worries.
"Rita always tells me how hardworking and diligent you are, Lady~ Durandal. As for Kiana, I wish she would be more serious. You should take a break sometimes."
As she spoke, she tapped the center of Durandal's forehead with her index finger, and a cold sensation spread from that spot.
Durandal gently covered the place where she had been poked with one hand and made a helpless expression:
"Really, Rita, why do you have to tell her everything?"
"Haha, that's a secret." Cecilia smiled mysteriously and did not elaborate any further.
"Speaking of Kiana, she has been working very hard lately. I happened to see at the headquarters that her training time had increased a lot." Durandal shared what she had observed during her training. "Yes, Kiana's training time has soared, and she even made it to the rankings, though she is still at the bottom."
"Oh?" Cecilia was taken aback for a moment; her eyes sparkled with curiosity, her head tilted, and she had a girlish look. It was hard to believe that this was a woman who had given birth to two children, and she asked in astonishment.
"Kiana is training seriously? That's really unexpected. After getting the dubbing job, she has more time to train than before."
"Maybe she was inspired by the game." Durandal took a sip of water, moistened her throat, and went on.
"I'll talk to her more later, but Sirin, what did you want to ask me when you came downstairs just now?" Cecilia wondered in her mind.
Kiana must have seen her own reflection in the game, and decided to train harder.
In the last lesson, a teacher gave everything she had for her students. Himeko was a really great teacher.
If the scars in the game can be used to change the real future, the purpose of the game suddenly becomes clear.
To replace the marks of growth with lies, even if only a little.
"I… I… I came here to talk about the plot with you, mom!" Sirin stammered. She wished her mother was alone, so she could ask for money without any hesitation.
But now, she saw Durandal who had just arrived, and felt a bit awkward.
Durandal sensed the odd look in Sirin's eyes and wondered what was on her mind.
"How can I ask for money in front of my sister? Won't that make me look like a freeloader?" Sirin thought to herself, while keeping a smile on her face.
"The plot, sure, let's talk about it. The game is very realistic indeed."
Cecilia clapped her hands, made the decision, and said eagerly, "I think Bronya in the new plot is very cool and attractive. I will give her a nice makeover next time she visits."
"The Quantum Sea inside is also very authentic. I have witnessed that scene with my own eyes…" Durandal said with a serious tone.
Sirin sighed and decided to talk about Gacha later at night. It would be better to talk about the plot with her mother for now.
...
Meanwhile, Kiana, who had just come back from her work at the company, was having an intense sparring session with Mei in the training room.
"Mei, let's see who can beat these Honkai Beasts faster. I won't go easy on you, even if you're Mei!"
Kiana's face was still radiant with a smile, and the two guns in her hands were spinning around with her agile fingers.
"Schicksal also made our initial armor just in time, so we can test its power!"
"Neko-charm~!" A huge cat paw emerged out of nowhere and slammed down from the sky. With one strike, it crushed the Honkai Beast on the ground in the training room.
Kiana was about to brag about the power of her armor to Mei, but she lost her balance and fell to the side. Mei swiftly caught her.
"Hey, what's wrong? I can't stand up, Mei!"
Kiana looked up at Mei's smiling face above her and said, with a silly smile,
" You! The first trial of the armor has just finished. Be careful. Also, you have been overdoing it with your training lately."
Mei helped her stand up and said, half-scolding, half-worried; her words were full of care.
"I don't want to become stronger quickly, so I can be worthy of Mei!"
"Okay, enough with the nonsense." Mei tucked her hair behind her ears and said, "Ever since you watched the last lesson, Kiana, you have been training more seriously."
Mei's eyes were a little dazed, and she smiled and said, "But you still failed some classes. you need to work harder!"
"You can't blame me. Who makes me sleepy when the teacher lectures? I also want to listen to the class well."
Kiana's eyes widened, and she shrugged her shoulders, acting innocent.
"And I noticed that Kiana paid close attention to Teacher Himeko's class. But you weren't the only one. Everyone else stared at Teacher Himeko in real life without blinking, which made Teacher Himeko more motivated to prepare lessons every time. "
"Ah, ah, really? I didn't notice that…" Kiana scratched her head with her right hand and turned red.
"Haha, I also noticed it when I saw Teacher Himeko going over some hard points again and again. But the most shocking thing was during the first class after the short film came out. Everyone saw Teacher Himeko's eyes were watery; some even cried…" Mei remembered it with a smile on her face and sighed.
"This game really creates a strong emotional connection!"
"Mei, what do you think is the meaning behind that game?" Kiana had a sorrowful look on her face, which Mei had never seen before.
In her eyes, Kiana was always cheerful and lively, and she would always call Mei Mei and then hug her tightly.
She was a bit timid at first, but as she got used to it, she welcomed it warmly.
At this moment, there is a faint resemblance between her expression and that of the Sky Ranger in the game, which makes Mei feel uneasy and frightened.
"Kiana, don't overthink it; it's just a game." Mei didn't realize it herself; her voice was trembling.
"…" Kiana was pondering something and seemed to be looking for a way to say it.
Mei saw Kiana thinking rationally for the first time, something she seldom saw after she met Kiana.
"Mei, our experience in Nagazora City, Wendy, who turned into the Herrscher, Teacher Himeko, who coughed frequently and was evasive when asked why, Bronya's sister; Seele who appeared out of nowhere, and your father with Bronya's mother Cocolia…"
"This is not a game that can be explained in a single word. Of course, in reality, there is no Sky Island, no Otto, no my mother, Cecilia."
Kiana said calmly, contrasting the two worlds one by one.
"So, do you think the events in the game might happen in reality? But last time, Teacher Himeko assured us that there was nothing wrong with her health." Mei couldn't help but interject.
" Mei... I don't know, but I think I need to work hard. I don't want to be as powerless and regretful as in the game."
Kiana didn't mind Mei, who cut her off, but she said it earnestly.
Meiyi was quiet, then smiled and said, "Kiana… has really grown up, and I…"
"Mei, we just have to work hard together."
"…" Mei didn't respond and was a bit dumbfounded. She kept training with Kiana pulling her along, but she couldn't concentrate.
Kiana also started to advance at a faster speed, but only she stayed the same.
Mei chuckled to herself, thinking that she was the most mature one among the three, and she usually looked after the two of them on her own.
But now, they all moved forward one by one, but she was the only one who was still stuck and indecisive, like before!
Meiyi hated her own wavering. Did she still want to depend on others, like last time?
It was time to make a choice about the 'ME'!
"Ha! What? You scaredy-cat, do you finally have the courage to face me?" A high and cold voice echoed in her mind.
Mei's hand holding the knife trembled, and the Honkai Beast in front of her seized the opportunity to attack. Luckily, it was only a simulation in the training room, and it vanished while assessing the trainer's physical condition.
This match clearly ended with Kiana's victory. Mei clenched her fists and forced a smile at Kiana.
"Hey, Kiana, I'll head back to the dormitory first."
"Oh, okay." Kiana was a bit puzzled, but she remembered that Mei usually went back to make lunch at this time. Thinking of Mei's cooking, Kiana's stomach rumbled.
She wiped the corners of her mouth, looked at the Honkai Beast, and her eyes became fierce again. She resumed her training.
"I will never let this happen in reality. This is my promise, Kiana Kaslana!
With a graceful flying kick, the cat's paw materialized in the air and smashed the Honkai Beast.
She wiped her sweat and grinned with satisfaction.
Mei rushed back to the dormitory, her eyes filled with anxiety and fear. She tried to calm herself down.
She thought she had the determination to face her directly, but she still flinched unconsciously in her heart.
"So, are you ready to come out and meet me?"
"Who is the one who is afraid to see the other? A coward." The voice was full of contempt.
Mei took a deep breath. "Can we have a conversation?"
"Don't you just covet my power?" What's there to talk about?"
Mei shook her head. She had been thinking for the past few weeks, not only about how to communicate with the other party, but also about her own personality.
Along with those memories that I want to forget and the conversation with Raiden Ryoma, my father
Raiden Ryoma told me repeatedly that my personality had changed a lot. Through talking with my father,
I realized a big problem: I had misremembered my timeline.
"From the start to the finish, everyone, including me, believed you were the Herrscher Consciousness."
"Who else could I be?" The voice was a bit amused and seemed to mock me.
"Then… why do I recall that you didn't show up until the Conquest Stone? You should have been there earlier!!" Mei said with a quivering voice.
"… "
"Who do you suppose I am?" The voice sounded hopeless but still cold.
"I'm sorry, I don't know."
"Is it because you don't know, or… are you still escaping? Think about it carefully, Raiden. Mei."
…
"Sister Bronya, Cocolia, Mom, are you here?" After Seele hesitated for a moment, she decided to keep calling her.
" Well! The underground base of Anti-Entropy is here; it should be right in front of you. Bronya looked at the towering building rising from the ground, with the two words "Anti-Entropy" written on it.
The corner of her mouth twitched. When did Anti-Entropy build such a tall building in Schicksal? Are Schicksal and Anti-Entropy really a family?
Seele was also a bit astonished and asked quickly, "It seems that the game is not entirely accurate! Schicksal and Anti-Entropy live peacefully on an island. "
"That's thanks to Principal Theresa's efforts. She really did a lot…" Bronya couldn't explain it, so she could only say briefly.
Well, I hope Seele won't question Principal Theresa later!
Seele's eyes sparkled; she didn't expect that small person to be so influential and make a difference in such a crucial matter.
To be honest, when I first met him and knew her identity, I looked down on her.
After all, anyone who saw her petite figure would think of her as a cute kid, right?
The two of us quickly entered the Anti-Entropy base, explained our intention, and were escorted to Tesla and Dr. Einstein.
"What a coincidence! If we were looking for Cocolia, we just took her away.." Tesla was full of gunpowder as soon as she opened her mouth.
Einstein nudged her shoulder and told her to be careful. She said, "As for Cocolia, I can take you to her anytime. She's not far from here."
She looked into Bronya's slightly worried eyes, and gave her a reassuring nod. She said, "Don't worry, she's doing quite well."
"She's not too bad, considering how she was when you brought her in." Tesla said with a grumble,
"You? What do you mean sister Bronya?"
Seele looked at her sister beside her, and was surprised that her sister, in reality, would also betray Cocolia's mother.
"For Seele, everything is worth it!" Bronya said with a calm face.
She wouldn't have said that normally, but she might have been influenced by the same-sex strategy she had recently learned.
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