Kiana and Secretary Liuli

"Mei, you said we were being helped by kind people?" The helicopter's rotors whirred, making Kiana's voice barely audible.

The expansive helipad, the heavily armed security robots, the Anti-Entropy gunship… if she hadn't just left their room, she would have thought they were already at Anti-Entropy HQ.

Mei was just as stunned.

Just ten days ago, when they'd escaped ARC City, this had been an ordinary industrial zone.

She knew Obsidian Concord was a grassroots organization formed by people Kiana had saved. She'd been impressed by their individual combat strength, but technological advancement required resources and infrastructure.

The special phone they'd been given was technologically inferior to that of the major organizations. Yet, in just a few days, this factory, which once produced anime merchandise, had transformed into a military base.

"I… I don't know."

Focused on caring for Kiana, Mei hadn't left their quarters. She hadn't seen the constant stream of portals, the mechs and materials being transported into the factories.

Cocolia's experiments might have mostly failed, but her scientific expertise was undeniable.

As the leader of Anti-Entropy's reformist faction, she possessed extensive knowledge of mech design. And through her collaboration with World Serpent, she'd stolen many of Anti-Entropy's newest technologies, even Tesla's designs.

As a Puppet, Ren had inherited all this knowledge, further optimized by the Puppet's enhanced capabilities.

Cocolia also controlled numerous industrial groups, including the Mikoyan Design Bureau, which held a significant position within Anti-Entropy. Ren had mobilized her mech units from these facilities.

The mechs present were simply Cocolia's stockpile. His own production lines were still under construction.

Still, it was a significant improvement. He no longer had to rely solely on Puppets for combat.

Among the absorbed Puppets were Colin's programming expertise, the ELF's computational power, and various industrial designers, all amplifying each other, accelerating progress.

And the greatest advantage: they shared a single mind, eliminating design flaws and conflicts, increasing efficiency exponentially.

Mei's bewilderment was understandable. Even Ren was slightly surprised.

"Alright, Miss Liuli will escort you from here. My mission is complete. Safe travels." Jian Yun, her tone flat, saw them to the helicopter.

She had no particular interest in these strangers. Designing another gut-wrenching event for her 'Genshin Impact' players was far more entertaining.

"Thank you, Jian Yun-san." During their time in hiding, Jian Yun had been a rare but crucial presence, providing medicine, supplies, and arranging their transport to Anti-Entropy.

"Don't thank me. I'm just following orders." She waved dismissively, urging them towards the helicopter.

"..." *Strange person.*

Mei swallowed her questions, looking at Kiana, who was staring at the helicopter.

…

"Well, good morning, Kiana-san." White hair streamed behind her in the helicopter's downdraft. Older Kiana, arms crossed, leaned against the open door.

Her gaze, sharp and intense, rested on Kiana, a knowing smile playing on her lips.

"Who are you?" Kiana felt a strange connection to this woman, a sense of familiarity despite the differences in age, physique, and demeanor.

Sensing Kiana's unease, Mei looked at her, then at the woman, her brow furrowed. "And you are…?"

"You can call me… Liuli. I'm a secretary of sorts. I'll be your escort." Older Kiana jumped down, offering them two wristbands.

Kiana didn't take them, her eyes narrowed with suspicion.

The pale blue eyes, the white hair, the familiar gestures… she was like a reflection.

Kiana remembered her dream, the blurry figure who'd left with Ren. This woman's image was starting to overlap with that shadowy figure.

After everything she'd been through, Kiana was sensitive to other people's gazes. She'd detected a flicker of hostility in this woman's eyes, masked but still present.

Sensing Kiana's wariness, Older Kiana stepped closer, invading her personal space, then retreated before she could react, moving to Mei's side.

The deliberate provocation made Kiana's unease turn into anger.

"Liuli-san, please escort our guests to their destination. We mustn't delay." Jian Yun's sudden interruption stopped Older Kiana's teasing.

"Tch…" Older Kiana dropped the playful act, her expression turning serious.

"These are Honkai suppression wristbands. They'll mask your energy signatures from Schicksal. And…" She turned to Kiana, a gentle smile replacing the earlier hostility. "Apologies, Kiana-san. I was merely curious about the Herrscher of the Void. For Mei-san to risk so much to save you from Schicksal… you must be special."

"Huh?" Mei was confused. What price had she paid? And wasn't her affiliation supposed to be a secret?

She didn't know she'd become a victim of Ren's manipulations.

Kiana remained silent. Only after Older Kiana boarded the helicopter did she speak, her voice filled with self-reproach. "I knew it. It wasn't kindness. Mei, I've dragged you into this."

She didn't know what organization Mei had joined, but judging by their technology, the "price" must have been steep.

"..." Mei wanted to explain, but the words caught in her throat.

She glared at Kiana, feigning annoyance. "Why are you being so formal? Aren't we best friends?"

"I'm sorry…"

Seeing Kiana's distraught expression, Mei's feigned anger softened. She ruffled Kiana's hair.

"Dummy. Don't apologize."

*Dummy Kiana. I can't tell you the truth.*

Mei suddenly understood why the members of Obsidian Concord never told their "Queen" about their sacrifices. It was to protect her from worry and guilt.