Chapter 55: Heavenly Flame, Sheathed
"Mom, there's no need for you to defend the white-haired aunt," Sirin declared, her voice echoing with a firm resolve. She then added, "Just considering our ages back then, it's impossible that Kiana could have been the secret offspring of our father!"
A sense of unease washed over Sirin as she pondered about the man in question. "It's peculiar, but I always feel a pang of embarrassment when I think of him. No, if Kiana refers to him as dad, I should do the same." Lost in her thoughts, Sirin lowered her gaze, her mind a whirlwind of emotions.
However, she was oblivious to the silent exchange happening around her. Cecilia and Durandal were both observing her quietly, their expressions unreadable. Bella, sensing the tension in the room, tugged nervously at the corner of her coat, her body trembling slightly.
Breaking the silence, Cecilia offered a gentle smile and enveloped Sirin in a comforting embrace. Durandal, on the other hand, chose to look away, her gaze drifting off into the distance.
With her head bowed, Sirin suddenly felt a wave of warmth envelop her. A comforting weight settled on her head, prompting her to nuzzle into the embrace, much like a contented kitten.
Meanwhile, the video continued to play, capturing Kiana and Theresa's increasingly bizarre conversation.
"Kiana, you can't just casually admit that your father abandoned his wife and daughters," Theresa's voice echoed from the screen.
As Cecilia watched the video, she couldn't help but laugh bitterly at Kiana's nonchalant dismissal of Theresa's concerns. With a tender touch, she gently stroked Sirin's head, her fingers gliding through her fur in a soothing rhythm.
Watching the video's gradually outrageous picture, the people watching were amused.
[Kiana and Theresa are truly a pair of living treasures, one silly, one buggy]
[Siegfried chats online, feeling lighthearted, while his family grieves.]
[Siegfried jokes: "I'm so tough, even my daughter has to stab me in the back."]
Following their conversation, they embarked on a quest to find Siegfried. Soon, a face that was all too familiar to Cecilia appeared on the screen - it was Siegfried, the very same man who had passed away.
He was a striking figure, with a head of white hair that was a distinctive trait of the Kaslana family. His face was resolute, yet it defied stereotypes. He had the look of a seasoned warrior, exuding an aura of coolness and calmness that was unshakeable. His attire was a high-collared, fitted black and white combat uniform that added to his formidable presence.
His tone was flirtatious as he asked, "By the way, who is this beautiful young lady beside you?"
"Beautiful young lady, if there's an opportunity, I'd love to buy you a drink - just one!"
Upon hearing this, a '#' symbol seemed to pop up over Cecilia's head. If she hadn't exhausted her chances, she would have made him kneel again as a form of punishment.
She managed a superficial smile and retorted, "Oh, this old guy, he's still trying to charm his own daughter?"
Kiana was taken aback, rendered somewhat speechless. She hadn't expected her father to be the flirtatious type that Theresa had described. Judging by his appearance, he seemed more like a righteous warrior.
From Siegfried's narration in the video, they learned that they were the first wave to confront the Herrscher. The one who would follow them into battle would be Cecilia, who had recently given birth to a daughter and was still in the process of recuperating.
At this point, Siegfried is also quite manly, and makes a direct decision - before that, he will, alone, kill the second Herrscher.
And then after discovering the two Honkai energy locations, Siegfried immediately decided to split his army into two, and Theresa quickly agreed.
[Strange, though. When facing a strong enemy, why would we separate?]
[Doesn't this make us more vulnerable, like lambs waiting to be picked off individually?]
And then, in Theresa's narration, she learned that Siegfried had already planned to use the weapon inherited from the Kaslana family, the Judgement of Shamash.
According to her, once the true Cleaver of Shamash is used, including the user will be buried in a sea of fire, and three members of the Kaslana family have already died in this way before. (27 family members, maybe in Kallen's world there are fewer)
[That is to say, Siegfried doesn't want his wife to be caught in a battlefield even if he dies?]
[I had pegged him as a womanizer, but it turns out he's a true gentleman.]
As events progressed, the situation began to evolve in an undesirable direction, or rather, precisely as Siegfried had anticipated.
As anticipated, the Herrscher was on his side, and Siegfried had no intention of waiting for Theresa's arrival. The tension was palpable, the air thick with anticipation.
Over the communication line, Theresa's voice echoed with anxiety, "Hey! Siegfried, did you plan to use the Judgement of Shamash to die alongside her right from the start?"
"Of course I did," Siegfried responded, his tone light yet resolute. "Goodbye, Theresa. Oh, and do take care of Cecilia and Kiana for me." His voice held a certain nonchalance, as if he were discussing the weather rather than his impending doom.
Meanwhile, in his face-off with the Second Herrscher, Siegfried was a picture of resilience. He knelt on the snowy ground, blood spewing from his mouth, staining his face and the corners of his lips a gruesome red.
Challenging the gods with a mere mortal body was a daunting task. Despite being the most distinguished warrior of the Kaslana family, Siegfried was up against insurmountable odds.
Unfazed by the Herrscher of the Air's taunts, he managed a slight sneer. With a determined glint in his eyes, he raised his greatsword, which was ablaze with an intense fire.
"Heavenly Fire, Sheath!" he roared, his voice echoing across the battlefield.
The Herrscher of the Void was taken aback, shock registering on her face. In the next moment, both of them were engulfed in a sea of fire, their figures disappearing amidst the raging flames.
"True to Siegfried's nature, he remains a warrior through and through," Cecilia mused, her voice a blend of pride and melancholy. The man she once knew was still as valiant as ever, even in the face of insurmountable odds.
Kiana, on the other hand, watched Siegfried in the video with a sense of yearning and longing in her eyes. "Is this really my father? Not bad, he's quite impressive," she remarked, a note of approval in her voice.
Unlike her older sister, Kiana's memories of Siegfried were almost non-existent. She had been raised by her mother, Cecilia, and her knowledge of her father was limited to the stories she had heard.
"But does the Kaslana family still possess such a powerful and formidable weapon? I must find a way to wield it!" Kiana exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with determination and excitement.
As the plot unfolded, it was revealed that the severely injured Herrscher of the Void had managed to escape from the scene and was now heading towards a 'tower'. Siegfried, too, had been rescued by Cecilia, who had arrived with the black abyss white flower.
Theresa expressed concern about Cecilia's physical condition, but Cecilia reassured her, "You don't need to worry, after all, I'm the strongest Valkyrie!" Her words were filled with confidence and determination.
Kiana initially believed Cecilia's assertion. However, under Theresa's narration, she discovered that the reality was quite different. After giving birth, Cecilia's body had been recuperating. If she were to go to war at this time, coupled with Kiana's limited historical knowledge, it would be quite dangerous.
Cecilia, hailed as the strongest Valkyrie in Schicksal, had perished in the Second Honkai eruption. This made her journey fraught with peril. Despite knowing that this was a virtual data space, Kiana couldn't bear the thought of losing her mother.
In particular, Cecilia's only request before she left was for Kiana to call her 'Mom'. This simple request held a world of meaning, a testament to the bond between a mother and her child.
(Elysian Realm mini series - Elysia Wants to Go Out Part 6)
"Ah, Sister Elysia, such a peculiar color, isn't it?" Griseo, perched on a towering chair, held a paintbrush delicately in her hand, her attention absorbed in the intricate pattern she was creating before her.
The paint, a blend of various hues, rolled off her brush and swept across the hem of her skirt, reminiscent of a tiny splash of water. It left a trail of colors on her petite feet, which were as white as porcelain, before dripping onto the ground, forming a vibrant puddle.
"Kosma, there's no need for such discourtesy. Allow Sister Elysia to approach," a voice echoed in the room, attempting to mediate the situation.
Kosma responded with silence, his thoughts hidden behind his stoic expression. (Elysia? True, she means no harm to Griseo, but the things she teaches Griseo… No, it's best to let it go. Griseo seems to be okay with it.)
The young boy subtly shifted his stance, creating a path for Elysia to move forward.
Elysia, seizing the opportunity, stepped forward. She tread lightly around the paint splattered on the ground, made her way to the chair, and looked up at the girl suspended in the air.
"Dear Griseo, don't you wish to venture outside? The world is filled with such brilliant colors. Don't you want to go out and witness them for yourself?" she asked, her voice filled with anticipation.
"Venture out?" Griseo asked curiously, her eyes wide with wonder. "What does venturing out mean, and where does one venture out to?"
"Hmm… How about meeting more of your peers and encountering more beautiful sights?" Elysia suggested, her words flowing like a melody.
"I do wish to see more colors, but," Griseo shook her head gently, "Griseo doesn't want to leave Mother Aponia, nor does she want to leave Kosma."
"Then why not take them along with you, right!?" Elysia proposed, her voice filled with excitement.
"Elysia, refrain from such suggestions," Kosma interjected, his tone firm. "Griseo doesn't wish to venture out."
"Such matters," Elysia retorted, "should be decided by Griseo herself, shouldn't they?"
The boy merely clasped his hands together and chose to ignore the ongoing debate.
Meanwhile, Griseo, engrossed in her painting on the high chair, seemed to have forgotten herself and the world around her.
Weekly Power Status
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Ranking 
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