Chapter 16: Vera Crowe

Fifteen minutes earlier...

Kiana, carrying her purse with a pistol inside and holding ice cream cones in both hands, happily licked the delicious treats as she bounced cheerfully back towards the inn.

"Why doesn't Zeke like such tasty ice cream? He's truly peculiar." Kiana playfully lamented his lack of appreciation for this delightful flavor.

Suddenly, her slightly reddened ears, due to the cold winter air, twitched. Instinctively, Kiana turned to glance at a dark alley behind her, tilting her head curiously.

"I think...I heard some sounds?" She continued licking her ice cream, blinking innocently.

Being boldly fearless, she didn't feel any trepidation and without hesitation, chose to investigate further.

"Is anyone there? I thought I heard someone shouting for help." With ice cream still in hand and clad in her little red shoes, Kiana ventured unsuspectingly into the darkness.

As she passed by a narrow alleyway, Kiana turned her head and met a pair of gloomy eyes.

Lick, lick, lick.

"What're you guys doing here? Oh! Are you kidnappers?" Kiana slightly pulled away from her ice cream cone with a look of sudden realization.

She spotted three or four men dressed in black, one of them holding a squirming sack with just one hand.

From within the sack, Kiana heard the muffled sounds of a child struggling.

One burly man approached her, reaching out toward Kiana's small head.

"If you hadn't come this way, none of this would've happened. But since you saw us, don't blame us for being ruthless... Ah! Ow, ow, ow!"

Kiana grabbed his thick arm with a gentle squeeze, causing the man to collapse on his knees, wailing in pain.

"What are you doing? Is this time for jokes?" The man carrying the sack barked harshly.

Clearly, he didn't believe the petite and innocent-looking Kiana could possess any real strength, assuming his comrade was merely making ill-timed mischief.

"No way! Eldest Brother, something's off with this brat! Ahh!" Kia delivered a swift kick to the burly man's face, sending him flying back several meters with a scream. He crashed headfirst into a wall and lay still.

If not for his legs twitching spasmodically, one might suspect he'd been sent straight to hell by that single blow.

Kiana brought her ice cream cone back up to her mouth.

Lick, lick, lick.

"Listen up, mister," she said casually, without even a hint of fear. "Let go of my friend if you know what's good for you. It'll save you some trouble."

Come on, as someone who fought Honkai Beasts, Kiana didn't bat an eye at taking down three or four brawny men in hand-to-hand combat.

Unless they had guns!

And sure enough, they pulled out their firearms.

"Watch out—she's no ordinary girl. Take her down!"

"Bam! Bam! Bam!"

The sounds echoing weren't gunshots but rather the dull thuds of fists striking flesh.

As soon as the men drew their weapons, Kiana charged forward like lightning. Using the cover of darkness, she moved swiftly, akin to a bolt of light or a spectral ghost, incapacitating them one after another before they could react.

"If you want to use guns against me, at least maintain some distance first! Oh wait, I forgot—I have one too. You're way out of your league trying to duel with Kaslanas like Zeke!"

Kiana kicked the unconscious man beneath her foot, her face beaming with pride. Unsatisfied, she stuck out her tongue and made a silly face at him.

With everything taken care of, Kiana glanced down at the nearly depleted ice cream cone in her hand and promptly devoured it in one bite.

Finally, she clapped her hands, crouched down, and lifted the sack's opening.

"Let's see who this unlucky yet fortunate little one is that got rescued by yours truly."

Under the dim night sky, as she peeled back the bag, a delicate, adorable, and pitifully cute face caught Kiana's gaze.

The frail young girl looked up with innocent, fearful eyes, reminiscent of a newborn animal, apprehensively exploring an unfamiliar world.

"Ba-thump!"

As if struck right in the heart, a surge of warmth rushed from Kiana's chest to her brain, then flushed her cheeks crimson.

In the next moment, blushing profusely, she embraced the girl tightly.

"Eep! How can there be such an adorable child?! I can't handle it—come home with me right away! From now on, you'll be my bride!"

"Heh-heh-heh-heh!"

"Sss-slurp!"

Back to the present.

"Pow!"

Zeke's explosive hammer strike landed on Kiana's head as she burst out laughing mid-sentence. Simultaneously, he shielded the innocent young girl, who was spooked by Kiana, behind him.

"So, I wasn't wrong about you, right? At best, it's not just kidnapping but also molesting a minor—arguably even worse," Zeke said coldly.

Kiana clutched her head, looking utterly aggrieved.

"I was only joking, okay?! The main reason I brought her here is that there seemed to be someone chasing after her. Not knowing what else to do, I figured getting her somewhere safe first would be best."

"Big Sister...is telling the truth... Thank you, Big Sister, for saving me."

A timid little face peeked out from behind Zeke, framed by soft golden curls, eyes like dewy fawns, a milk-white chubby cheeks, and a gentle, endearingly delicate voice.

"AWSL!" Kiana clasped her hands over her heart and collapsed onto the sofa.

In the next instant, she sprang back up, lunging forward like a ferocious tiger pouncing on its prey.

Zeke swiftly kicked out his leg.

"Wham!"

"Ugh!"

Clutching her stomach, Kiana crumpled to the floor, her plump little legs twitching briefly, almost as if a white ghost could be seen escaping from her mouth—reminiscent of the kidnappers she had incapacitated earlier.

"Big Sister... Are you okay?"

"Don't worry; she's as resilient as a paramecium. She'll recover soon enough."

The young girl clutching Zeke's sleeve seemed to let out a sigh of relief.

Unlike Kiana, who appeared prematurely infatuated, Zeke squinted slightly and scrutinized this high-quality little girl with a discerning gaze.

Cuteness level: ten out of ten. Dress: meticulously chosen and refined. Eyes and expression: displaying normal fear and anxiety, nothing peculiar.

Honkai Energy signature—barely perceptible, likely insignificant.

"I'm Zeke, Zeke Alves. The lump on the ground is Kiana Alves," Zeke introduced himself, assigning both himself and Kiana fake surnames. "What's your name?"

While venturing outside, caution comes first. The highly distinctive Kaslana surname should be avoided whenever possible to prevent unnecessary trouble.

"Vera Crowe..."

"And where do you live? How did you get captured?"

"I... My family lives in Yordle. We came here with my dad to find my mom. Dad went off to look for someone, and then, then they caught me."

"Yordle?"

Zeke raised an eyebrow; that was the name of the neighboring port city.

So she's a young heiress from a wealthy family there, huh?

Glancing at the trembling "paramecium" on the ground, Zeke thought to himself, this one seems like a genuine Young Lady, unlike Kiana, who bore the Kaslana name yet lived like a beggar—more of a fraud.

"Who kidnapped you, and why? Never mind, just tell me where your father is. You probably wouldn't know about such matters anyway."

"Daddy... Daddy... Vera doesn't know! Waaah!"

Apparently frightened by Zeke's cold interrogation, Vera's tears began streaming uncontrollably as she sobbed.

Zeke (?_?): "..."

Seriously? That fragile? How could two little girls be so different, with Kiana being so headstrong?

Rubbing his temples in exasperation, Zeke suddenly realized that Kiana was indeed an exception. In his previous life, he had always struggled when interacting with girls and children.

And Vera Crowe embodied both categories.

At that moment, a small hand rested on Zeke's shoulder.

He turned around to see Kia's disappointed expression, as if frustrated by his lack of finesse.

"Zeke! You don't talk to cute girls like that!"

"...Then you try?"

"Fine, I will!"

Kiana smoothed her hair and adjusted her clothes, then wore an unprecedentedly gentle smile as she knelt down before Vera.

"My adorable little princess, why are you crying? Even though your tears are as beautiful as crystals, I know your smile is the most enchanting sight in the world. Please don't be afraid or sad; countless people cherish your smile just as much as I do."

"Hic..."

Vera hiccuped through her sobs. With Kiana's warm smile and heartfelt words, her tears subsided, and she looked up with teary, reddened eyes.

Kiana took Vera's hand gently, gazing deeply into her eyes for a moment before leaning down to place a soft kiss on those tiny, snow-white fingers.

"Don't be scared, my little princess. No matter what happens, I swear upon the name of Kaslana—Alves—that I will protect you and reunite you with your father as soon as possible. So, please tell Big Sister Kiana where your dad might be, okay?"

"I...I really can't remember," Vera replied softly, her voice trembling with tears.

But Kiana flashed a radiant smile instead.

Isn't that better—ahem. Suppressing such thoughts, she reassured Vera sincerely: "It's okay; we'll help you find them eventually. Why don't you rest here tonight? Tomorrow, I'll take you searching, alright?"

"Okay! Thank you, Big Sister Kiana."

"You're so sweet. Come here for a hug from your big sis."

"Alright...uh, Big Sister, you're hugging me very tightly...why is your hand going under my shirt?"

"Bam!!"

With a loud crash, Zeke struck Kiana forcefully to the ground using a glass ashtray he held.

Vera shuddered, nearly bursting into fresh tears again. She looked up and saw Zeke standing against the light, his face hidden in shadows, wearing a chilling smirk.

"I need to have a little chat with her. You wait here for now, no objections?"

"N-no!" Vera shuddered and shook her head repeatedly.

Zeke then grabbed one of Kiana's legs, dragging her step by step into the bathroom before slamming the door shut with a loud bang.

Vera looked down to see scratch marks on the floor left by Kiana's claws—evidence of her futile attempts at resistance.

From inside the bathroom came muffled sounds and fragments of their hazy conversation:

"She's just a child!"

"So am I!"

"You're aware you're still a kid?! Then don't do things children shouldn't be doing!"

"It's precisely because we're young that we should establish our relationship early! Vera is so adorable; what if some other scoundrel tries to steal her away later?"

"Are you seriously trying to justify this shit now?!"

"Today, for my happiness, I'm going all out against you!"

"You've got guts! Prepare to die, paramecium!"

"What the hell does 'paramecium' even mean?!"

Clashing noises filled the air!

Bam! Bam! Bam!